ASHA Cluster urges Tinubu to sign anti- sexual harassment in tertiary institutions bill

By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh/Kano

The Anti-Sexual Harassment Advocacy (ASHA) Cluster, has sent a passionate appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to assent to Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Institution (prohibition) bill to help put an end to cases of harassment of students in tertiary institutions by lecturers.

ASHA Cluster is a consortium. of different Civil Society Organizations (NGOs), which include: Centre for Awareness on Justice and Accountability (CAJA), Youth Alive Foundation (YAF), Gender Mobile Initiative, Village Debbo Care Initiative (VDCare), Sefjamil Media and Development (SMD), Joint Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), Gombe State Chapter, Women`s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP) and Connected Development—Akwa Ibom State (CODE), working with other partners to address the prevalence of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

The group made the appeal in Kano during a press conference on Friday.

The spokesman of ASHA Cluster, Comrade Kabiru Dakata described as disturbing, cases of sexual harassments being recorded in Nigeria’s citadels of higher learning, an environment believed to be filtering ground for building virile leaders and intellectuals that will mount the stage of leadership in the future.

He recalled that: “In April 2018, Professor Richard Akindele of the Department of Accounting Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife was accused to have sexually harassed a female student named Monica Osagie (Alexandra, 2018; Lawal, 2018). Their recorded exchanges where the said lecturer was verbally harassing the female student was disclosed to the media and that became a matter of nation-wide discuss.

“Recently, the students of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, protested against persistent sexual harassment by the Dean of the faculty, Prof Cyril Ndifon.”

Dakata, however, expressed happiness that the 9th National Assembly passed the Anti-Sexual Harassment bill, which seeks to promote and protect ethical standards in tertiary institutions.

The bill also seeks to prevent and protect students against sexual harassment by educators in tertiary institutions, and has been transmitted to Mr. President for his assent.

Dakata appealed to President Tinubu to assent to the bill, “Mr. President Sir, while we acknowledge the commitment of your administration to increase access and quality of education at all levels, it is important to pay attention to safe environment for learning where students will be protected against any form of harassment.

“This cluster has meticulously studied the content of the above bill and based on our experience in working with the survivors of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions, we are confident that the bill, if assented to, will provide a uniform law that will address the rampant cases of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

“In view of the above, we are appealing to your good office, to assent to this bill that will serve as a shield between the innocent female students and bad eggs among lecturers and other staff who hide under this noble profession, to commit this heinous crime of Sexual harrassment.”