Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has appealed to the 9th Senate and President Muhammadu Buhari to revisit the “Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institution Prohibition Bill” which was passed by the 8th Senate.
Saraki said this while reacting to a viral video of a lecture with University of Lagos demanding for sex from a female candidate seeking admission.
DAILY POST reports that the lecturer, Boniface Igbeneghu, is a former sub-dean of Faculty of Art and head pastor of local Foursquare Gospel Church.
His advances were captured in a 13-minute video by BBC Africa.
The undercover journalist, Kiki Mordi, disguised as a 17-year-old admission seeker.
Igbeneghu disclosed that there is a place lecturers take female students to have fun – UNILAG Staff Club. “They call the place cold room,” he added.
Igbeneghu, at the first meeting was quoted as saying, “Don’t you know you are a beautiful girl? Do you know I am a pastor and I am in my 50s but if I want a girl of 17 years, all I need is a sweet tongue and put some money?”
Reacting on Twitter, Saraki said, ”As a father, I’m appalled by the actions of lecturers captured in the #SexForGrades exposé. We cannot allow this sort of deplorable behaviour to fester.
”In 2016, my colleagues and I in the 8th Senate passed the “Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institution Prohibition Bill” to prescribe a 5-year jail term for any lecturer, educationist or person in a position of authority in any tertiary institution in Nigeria found guilty of such conduct.
”I appeal to the 9th Senate & President @MBuhari to revisit this Bill so that we can implement the institutional reforms necessary to safeguard our children in educational institutions in the country.
”I also urge the institutions to conduct robust investigations, not only on the accused but also for all other reports and complaints that come in. We need to believe victims and make institutions safer for our students.”
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