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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed outrage over the prevalence of sex for grades in public tertiary institutions across Nigeria and West Africa.
Reacting to the exposure in the BBC Africa Eye’s latest investigative documentary, Atiku said such predatory attitude was unacceptable and required systemic strategies to end such deviant behaviour.
As a father and promoter of education, Atiku believes that a trend that is psychologically abusive to young women to thrive should not be allowed, insisting it was a direct opposite of what a sound educational system represents.
Atiku, who was presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential election, argued that the overwhelming outrage, ample examples and naming of perpetrators meant that unless something was done urgently, young people might begin to take the laws into their own hands.
Moreover, there is a compelling need to focus on helping victims to also cope with their turmoil – at least one person wanted to kill herself three times.
He, therefore, recommended punitive, exemplary measures and swift continuous legislation to stem what he described as an epidemic.
Going forward, there have to be checks and balances on the communication processes between lecturers and students. Away from the dormant, inactive and often unenforced university codes of conducts, we can rely on technology to assist – pre-booked online appointments that show a record of visits on a central system that can also be periodically accessed for auditing can help in raising red flags.
Atiku Abubakar is happy to share the experiences of how the American University of Nigeria, which he founded, has been able to maintain zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment.
It is worthy to note that AUN operates a strictly enforced Code of Conduct to which all lecturers, staff and students sign on to. Indeed, the Code of Conduct is explicit on what constitutes sexual harassment and how to report it.
Once a student reports a matter of sexual harassment, directly or anonymously, a Disciplinary Panel is set up and hearing is set. Disciplinary actions against sexual harassment include Expulsion/Suspension.
The Judicial Affairs Department, a full-fledged Office, which oversees students’ conduct, shares the Code of Conduct with students, parents, lecturers and staff members at the beginning of each semester.
The Code of Conduct is produced in hardcopy and online, and can be accessed from anywhere through the university’s website.
And because of the seriousness attached to the matter of sexual harassment (ignorance is not considered a defense), the Judicial Affairs Department conducts a “Know Your Codes” campaign every semester.
They go to the students’ hostels, classrooms, library, cafeteria, playgrounds and coffee shops, among others and extend the messaging, sharing posters and pamphlets, taking questions from students.
Four Student Clubs -Women Leadership Council, Ethics Club, Rotract Club and the Leadership Club – have a mandate from the university to organize anti sexual harassment seminars, which are funded by the university every semester.
To this end, the swift suspension and termination of the jobs of scores of lecturers implicated in various sexual harassment at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria is worthy of commendation and emulation by other universities.
He, however, expressed happiness that the BBC Africa Eye is focused on investigative documentaries which outcome is reverberating across Nigeria and the African continent. It is obvious that “Sweet Sweet Codeine” by Ruona Agbroko-Meyer, alumni of Atiku Centre’s scholarship scheme and whose investigative work for the BBC was nominated for last month’s Emmys Award has opened the floodgates to more Emmys nominations.
