Some lecturers and undergraduate students of the University of Port Harcourt, UNIPORT have spoken up on the trending documentary video released by the British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC Africa, over the prevalent culture of sex-for-grades, responding with call for measures to curb the menace in the Nigerian university system.
A level 300 student from the Department of Linguistics confirm the trend. According to the undergraduate who crave anonymity, she was privy to information about the reality of sex for-marks ON CAMPUS through her room mates who discussed sexual advances to them by their lecturers
“As for me, I focused on my studies and I know what I am doing. But that is not to say that sometimes lecturers don’t make advances which I humbly turn down. This thing happens to girls who don’t know why they are in the university system. They succumb and become vulnerable because they could not measure up academically. I advise undergraduate females to stop begging but bend down to study,” she stated.
“Another undergraduate from the Department of Theatre Arts, Bukky Davies, decried the trend and called for permanent solution in order to safe future mothers from suffering needlessly. She was of the opinion that anything done without consent is punishable under the law. “This trend happens a lot, especially to those who don’t know why they are here,” she said.
But in his own reaction, a lecturer from the Department of Theatre and Films Studies, UNIPORT,TekenaMark called for more forceful measures by the university authorities. He admitted that the act is not new on the campuses of the Nigerian Universities because some students used to come to him to report harassment by some lecturers.” Our institutions need to take appropriate actions. We call on the NUC and university councils to take appropriate actions against offenders,” he said.
Also his colleague, Emmanual Omunachukwu described the development as sad. Although he noted the at the UNIPORT there are avenues for lodging complaints .He said that it was time for students with evidence to come out and speak up. He mentioned ethics committee, quality assurenace put in place by ASUU as part of efforts already made. He recalled that lecturers had been sacked and suspended in the past by the university over sexual harassment of students.
Meanwhile, ASUU chairman, Uniport, Dr. Austin Sado said anyone with evidence should come forward so that appropriate actions can be taken to get justice for any female students who may be sexually assaulted.
It would be recalled that the recent documentary video by the BBC Africa over the issue had closed in on the incident which occurred at the University of Lagos. The coverage had led to renewed debate over the salient issue in Nigerian Universities.
