Once again, like it had done in the past, the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Africa Eye, exposed another hydra-headed monster eating away at the fabrics of our nation and destroying the future of our youths. This time, it came in form of a documentary exposing the rot in our tertiary institution as randy lecturers were caught on camera soliciting for sex from students under their care.
The first casualty of the undercover investigation that took the BBC 9 months is a pastor and senior lecturer in the University of Lagos, Dr. Boniface Igbeneghu, who was caught on camera lobbying for sex from a BBC journalist who posed as a 17-year old admission seeker. While Boniface was shamelessly dancing to his doom here in Nigeria, his counterpart in faraway University of Ghana, an Associate Professor of Political Science was also caught begging to be a ‘Side Chick’, what is known as a second boyfriend, to another undercover reporter.
As to be expected, Nigerians from diverse walks of life have condemned the despicable acts of the licentious lecturers calling for a stiffer measure to checkmate other lecturers who operate different kinds of ‘Cold Rooms’ across our tertiary institutions.
While we appreciate the BBC for its courage and tenacity in showing how our daughters are being preyed on daily by these animals, we must also commend the media outfit for exposing the hypocrisy of the Nigerian government.
In May 2018, the BBC Africa Eye and BBC Pidgin, in a documentary titled “Sweet Sweet Codeine” exposed the alarming rate at which thousands of young Nigerians were addicted to the Codeine cough syrup – an addictive syrup which can cause psychosis and organ failure. The annoying part was that despite the numerous outcry that had trailed the abuse of the syrup by Nigerians over time, it took the government less than 24hours after the documentary was aired to ban the importation and manufacture of codeine-based syrup.
An Associate Professor of Economics in the Lagos State University (LASU) Dr. Sunkanmi Odubunmi, was caught sexually harassing a female student of his department.
In 2018, a Professor at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Richard Akindele, was caught on tape demanding sex from a female student, Monica Osagie, in exchange for upgrading marks. After the social media outrage, Akindele was eventually sacked, prosecuted and was jailed 6 years.
In June 2019, a senior lecturer at the University of Ilorin, Solomon Olowookere, allegedly raped a 17-year old student of the institution. The scandalous incident was confirmed by the head of the Departments of Arts Education, the dean of Faculty of Education and the dean of Students’ Affairs. However, nothing was done to the lecturer.
It is an open secret that so many female students have become victims of sexual harassment from lectures, HODs and Deans. There are million other cases of goatish lecturers who have taken advantage of students, as evident in various allegations that have flooded the social media space since the BBC documentary screened. While some have been bold to speak out, others, through shame or fear of repercussion, have remained silent. Nigerians have daily cried out about the shameful act as victims who refuse to bow to the crazy demands of these lecturers, spend extra years in school. This documentary is indeed an eye-opener to those in authority who have deliberately closed their eyes to the plight of the female students from the hands of lustful lecturers.
The 8th Senate led by Senator Bukola Saraki, in October 2016, passed a bill prescribing 5-year jail term by randy and irresponsible lecturers. The aim of the bill is to stop the sexual abuse of female students in Nigeria’s tertiary institution. The bill, named, “Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institution Prohibition Bill 2016” is awaiting the consent of the Executive to turn it into a law. The question is, why hasn’t the bill been signed into law?
While the deafening silence of the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu and the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, is loud, we can at least expect a swift response from the federal government in line with how it reacted to the “Sweet Sweet Codeine” documentary.
The question any right-thinking Nigerian should ask is that why do stories have to break before the Nigerian government wakes up to its responsibilities? The rogue arm of the Nigerian Police, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) daily harass and kidnap Nigerians for extortion. The lucky ones escape with drained pockets, black eyes and in some cases, visits to the hospital, while the unlucky ones who fall into their extortion racket pay dearly with their lives.
Unemployment, underemployment, sex trafficking, kidnappings, insecurity are issues Nigerians contend with daily. The government must not wait for another documentary on one of these before it acts. And trust me, government will act after watching the Sex-For-Grade documentary.
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