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Sexual Harassment and Academic Dilemma in Nigerian Tertiary Institutions By Bukhari Muhammed Bello Jega
The Nigerian tertiary institutions have come a long way, in moulding leaders and intellectuals, who have not only shaped the destiny of this nation but scientifically created icons who and are still contributing their quota to the development of the world through their intellectual prowess.
The role of conscious students’ movement in ending colonialism and military dictatorial rule is a legendary attributes of functioning tertiary institutions over the years. The ivory towers were a citadel of academic and moral excellences as results of calibre of men and women that were saddled with the responsibilities of moulding the minds of the upcoming future leaders of this promising country.
The recent stories coming out from these citadel of academic and moral excellence is not encouraging at all; especially as regards to campus prostitution, sexual harassment and gratification, as well as cultism and bribery from the suppose mentors and tutors. With the passage of time, the moral fabrics that hold our society (tertiary institutions) together have been seriously eroded by some shameless set of people who are suppose to be teachers, lecturers, mentors, and fathers to their children (Students). One imagines a situation where some lecturers demand sexual gratification before they pass and graduate their victims who are mostly women.
It is amazing and disturbing that this is happening in an environment that is often believe to be a moulding and filtering ground for building a virile leaders and intellectuals that will mount the stage of leadership of this country tomorrow. What will you expect a person that bribe and offers her body as gratification to pass exams to implement when saddled with leadership responsibilities tomorrow? Your guess is as good as mine.
The common accusation by these faceless lecturers is that, these students often provoked them in demanding for such gratifications due to their provoking mode of dressing. I believe this is a lazy excuses coming from someone with both spiritual and moral bankrupt hearts. I have a course to undertake a research over the internet on sexual related cases in Western universities, whose civilization is at its lowest ebb far worst than animals in term of mode of dressing and way of life. To my surprise there were few reported cases and in most of these cases stiff punishment were handed over to such culprits. This made me to believe that, in as much as the mode of dressing of our future mothers, sisters and aunties are quite disturbing, but, this does not in any way precipitated sexual stimulation, if we are seriously upright as lecturers in the first place.
Although our female students have their own shortcomings, in terms of their manners of seducing their lecturers and their provoking mode of dressing in order to easily scale through the school system at ease. These students have become so lazy in their academic pursuits that in place of seriousness they undertake some frivolities that add no value to their academic development. These students have device various means to trap their victims to submission. This called for sober reflection from the stakeholders in academic development in this country. But, I believe if the wall did not crack, a lizard will not have an easy passage into the room, so they said.
Who will listen to the voice and cries of the innocent victims, who are on daily basis debased, molested, harassed, deflowered and cajoled into submission to give out their God given jewels to some lunatics who called themselves lecturers? Do these people really have conscience and the fear of God? Don’t they think these episodes will also happen to their children, sisters, wives and aunties tomorrow? What is ASUU, ASUP etc doing to checkmate these menace that is fast ravaging our tertiary institutions? What manners of disciplines and sanctions have they (ASUU, ASUP etc) put in place for their members? These are many questions begging for answers.
I believe we have kept quiet for a while, and our silence is beginning to affect our society. What role are we playing as parents, tertiary administrators, students and unionist to tackle this problem? As you are reading this text, a student is been threaten, molested and cajoled in your department and faculty by someone who is suppose to be a father and a teacher. This treacherous act if allow to continue, will not only destroy womanhood but also the moral fabrics that hold us together. A society that is not arm with weapon of good manners are not ruled by worthy rulers and do not, in fact deserve to live as a human body.
Today, the Nigerian society is a paradox of its own self. A nation rich in both mineral and human resource, but saddled with moral bankrupt and visionless leadership and sinful followers. What do you expect from a nation, whose engine that mould and filter the mindset of its suppose future leaders at all strata of developmental process is polluted by ungodly tutors who do not possess(es) the moral fabrics and spiritual prowess to be in this all important institutions.
It most be understood that this publication is not meant to put all the blame of the whole lecturers, NO! But to draw the attention of the public and parents to the silent disease that is seriously eroding academic excellence in our tertiary institutions. I still believe that they are still some old guards, whose principles and moral and spiritual uprightness is second to none in our institution. They were our source of inspiration, motivation who not only conscientise, energies and mobilizes us to action but made us to believe in this country and to contribute our own quotas to its development.
It is imperative to say that, until these bad eggs are identified and shown the way out of our tertiary institutions across the federation, bad leaders will continue to rule this corporate arrangement called Nigeria; because is often say that “ unless society enlighten itself with brotherly thinking and noble qualities, it will never gain harmony or unity therein. Society which lacks the blessing of noble traits is surely destined from life’s real characteristic”. God protect and guide our wards from the evil mechanization of these men who take pride in debasing womanhood with impunity Amin.
Bukhari Muhammed Bello Jega
National Secretary,
Progressive Youth Association for a Better Society
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