Senate to probe sex-for-marks scandal in OAU
OrderPaperToday – The Senate has resolved to intervene in a case of sexual harassment involving one Miss Monica Osagie and a lecturer of Obafemi Awolowo University.
It mandated the Committees on Tertiary institutions and Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters to carry-out a full scale investigation in order to ensure that there is transparency and accountability, and that satisfactory justice is done to the victim.
The authorities of the university are to appear before the committee to explain the steps it has taken on the outcome of their internal investigation and the institutional reviews carried out.
On the 7th of April, Osagie released an audio that went viral exposing a lecturer, Professor Richard Akindele who demanded for sex in order to increase her grades.
OAU had swung into action which led to the suspension of Prof. Akindele.
In a motion moved by Senator Biodun Olujinmi (PDP, Ekiti) today, it was argued that the incident necessitated the importance of a bill, Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Educational Institutions (Prohibition) passed by the red chamber in October 2016.
Olujinmi indicated that the incident reflects “the growing menace and the growing culture of sexual harassment in our institutions of higher learning; and the psychological, physiological and emotional damage, perverts in our places of learning are bringing upon our children in school.”
The bill prescribes severe punishment for lecturers and academic staff of universities, who either sexually harass or assault their male or female students.
She declared that although the university had worked on the issue, the matter would however “not be swept under the carpet of expediency, forgetfulness or deliberate abandonment.”
Based on this, it was resolved that the House of Representatives immediately concur with the Senate bill in order to “provide succor and a window of solace for victims of these kind of atrocities across the country in our higher institutions of learning.”
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