Although sexual harassment didn’t just start today, it started a long time ago but it has now become a cankerworm that has eaten deep into society. A survey conducted in 2018 by the World Bank Group’s Women revealed that 70 per cent of female graduates from tertiary institutions in Nigeria were sexually harassed in school. And the main offenders are classmates and lecturers. However, it is a pity Obafemi Awolowo University is topping the lists of schools with the highest number of dismissed Lecturers over sexual misconduct.
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According to the reports by The PUNCH, it was recorded that in 2021, OAU dismissed three lecturers, one from the Department of English, one from International Relations and the last one from Accounting. While other schools dismissed one or two, only OAU dismissed three in 2021.
As if that was not enough, in 2022, June precisely, a professor from the Department of Linguistics and African studies and one other professor has been accused of sexual harassment, all of these made OAU top the list. Other universities affected are Federal University, Oye Ekiti, University of Lagos, Kwara State University etc.
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Even though the Senate had passed a bill in 2021 that lecturers found guilty of sexual misconduct should be subjected to 21 years imprisonment, it was reported by The PUNCH that most lecturers found guilty were just sacked. This made the Ministry of Education, through the spokesman, Ben Going, promise to always come in when it has to do with policy issues, even if the Ministry does not interfere with the day-to-day activities of the university.
As you can see, Oba Awon University is not only a king when it comes to good things, it is also a king when it comes to harassment.
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