Connect with us

News

#SexForGrades: Bill against sexual harassment in varsities passes second reading in Senate

Published

on

Sitting arrangement causes rowdy session in Senate

A bill seeking to address the sexual harassment of students in tertiary educational institutions Wednesday passed its second reading in the Nigerian Senate.

This follows a recent national outcry over new revelations around demand for sex in exchange for grades in some universities.

The lawmakers during plenary debated over the Bill for an Act to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment of students and for other matters connected with it.

Deputy President of the Senate and the sponsor of the bill, Ovie Omo-Agege, while leading the debate for the second reading, noted that the senate had a unique constitutional duty to protect citizens and shared values.

He recalled that the Bill was unanimously passed by the 8th Senate, when it united against sexual harassment in academic institutions as a serious challenge to the nation’s fundamental values. But the inability of the House of Representatives to pass the concurrence of the Bill made it suffer defeat at the 8th Assembly.

The Deputy President of the Senate stated that as a father and like a vast majority of the citizenry and non citizens, “we all have or pray to have our children, wards, or relatives attend tertiary institutions for academic development”, stressing that the Bill would work for virtually every family in the country.

READ ALSO: Buhari hasn’t undermined Osinbajo’s office – Presidency

“For far too long, sexual predators masquerading as educators have plied the corridors of our nation’s higher institutions unchecked. It will continue in the absence of appropriate leadership response.

“By this Bill, this 9th Senate is sending a very strong message that we refuse to put our students at the mercy of any sexual predator in our tertiary institutions.

“It is most offensive to suggest that mere suspension or termination of appointments is the appropriate remedy for the animalistic offense of sexually harassing another person,” he said.

Omo-Agege said the Bill was an assurance to all that, the 9th Senate believes that, “when we send our children, especially daughters, nieces and wives to school, our educators will statutorily be their mentors, motivators and guardians.”

He added that, “for students, who falsely accuse educators of sexual harassments, the Bill prescribes expulsion for those students.

“In addition, an educator whose character is maligned is at liberty to sue for defamation under the law of defamation which is well settled in our jurisprudence and needs no duplications in this Bill”.

The bill, which was co-sponsored by 105 other senators, received the overwhelming support of the upper chamber and therefore passed second reading.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now