“Sexual harassment in tertiary institutions must be eliminated at all cost”- FG

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The Federal Government has promised to deal decisively with perpetrators of sexual harassment in tertiary institutions across the country in a bid to put an end to the menace.

This was made known in a statement issued Thursday by the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong on behalf of the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, after he reportedly received the report of the committee on alleged sexual harassment by the Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifon.

The Minister in the statement, warned members of the academia and the university community over matters of sexual harassment noting that, “sexual harassment is a serious criminal offence and must be dealt with decisively, when and whenever it occurs.”

The minister said that “the Federal Ministry of Education will do everything humanly possible to turn the ugly tide in our institutions of higher learning” while calling for all hands to be on deck to tackle the menace.

Prof. Tahir Mamman who noted that the offence of sexual harassment is “cancerous and must be eliminated at all cost,” stated that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is out to protect the vulnerable groups within the country’s educational system and reiterated his resolve to evoke the long arm of the law to ensure that perpetrators are adequately punished.

According to him, “no one will be allowed to take advantage of vulnerable groups.”

The minister further disclosed that sexual offences units will be established in the ministry and all institutions of higher learning to deal with the menace.

On her part, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, UNICAL, Prof. Florence Obi, while presenting her report, told the minister that the university has followed all due processes in handling the matter including the suspension of the suspect, appropriate queries and setting up of a disciplinary committee to hear all parties.

To ensure a very high degree of transparency, the VC said, “The Public Complaint Commission, Nigeria Bar Association, Federation of Female Lawyers, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Chief Judge of the Student’s Union High Court as well as seven civil society organisations were brought onboard the committee as observers.”

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