Exam Ethics Marshals International (EEMI) salutes all change agents that have signed the on-line petition for Nigeria’s 9th Assembly to fast track action on passing the Sexual Harassment in Education Institutions Prohibition Bill. Launched, November 1, 2019, the objective of NO-TO-SEX-FOR-GRADE CAMPAIGN is to get one million people to sign the petition to the National Assembly.
Four hundred and forty (440) change agents have already signed the petition as at 6am on 7th November.
We urge you to visit https://www.change.org/p/the-national-assemby-abuja-join-the-movement-petition-against-sex-for-grade-in-tertiary-schools to sign and encourage others to also sign for reasons outlined below.
The Exam Ethics Campaign was launched in 1996 by EEMI to promote exam ethics and combat exam malpractice in education in Africa.
Thirty-three (33) types of exam malpractice ravaging the education system have been identified, one of which is sex- for-grades epidemic. #SexForGrade is the practice of lecturers blackmailing, forcing, intimidating and demanding sex from their students as condition for awarding them pass marks in their courses.
(1) BBC Africa Eye undercover report of how lecturers preyed on female students in University of Lagos and University of Ghana, aired early October 2019, only highlights the level of sexual abuse of female students and bastardization of assessment and evaluation processes.
The fact that sexual abuse of female students is regarded by predatory male lecturers as one of their fringe benefits in Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education is a well-reported open secret.
(2) A 30-minutes video clip of a senior lecturer of Osun State University forcing one of his female students in a hotel room went viral on social media in August 2016.
(3) The Premium Times of December1, 2016 reported dismissal of 12 lecturers of Auchi Polytechnic and demotion of 16 others by the National Board for Technical Education for sexual abuse of female students. According to the report, uncompromising students are forced to “hire prostitutes or beg their girlfriends to sleep with lecturers on their behalf in order to be awarded pass marks… the lecturers select hotels of their choice and the affected students pay the hotel bills which include the meals before the action”
(4) In September 2017, a recorded audio conversation of a Professor of Obafemi Awolowo University demanding sex from a female student went viral on social media.
(5) In July 2018, a Professor of Lagos State University was caught pants down sexually assaulting his female student.
(6) In June 2019, a 29-second video clip of a lecturer of Ekiti State University attempting to force his female student into having sex with him also went viral on social media.
(7) The scandal of a lecturer and Dean of University of Abuja caught in a hotel room with one of his students was reported by Daily Trust of August 4, 2019 and other newspapers.
(8) Guardian Newspaper reported the case of Kano State Polytechnic disowning its lecturer involved in sexual harassment of a female students.
(9) 8 lecturers of Akwa Ibom State University have just been sacked for sexually harassing some female students and for extortion.
(10) As I write this piece, six lecturers of Chukwuekeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University are under investigation having been fingered by some female students and ex-students for involvement in sex-for-grade racket "in gigantic proportions"
The story goes on and on in virtually all tertiary institutions. Beyond tertiary institutions, sexual abuse is also rampant in primary and secondary schools.
(11) Sahara reporters of October 24, 2019 recounted the story of a supervisor of Chrisland School, Lekki, who raped a two-year –old pupil.
We are not just talking about “students”. We are talking about our children , daughters, grand-daughters, sisters, wives, girl friends, relations etc being blackmailed, sexually abused and psychological traumatized by sexual predators masquerading as lecturers and teachers in educational institutions.
Lecturers are supposed to be among society’s best and brightest in terms of character and learning; reservoirs of knowledge and wisdom, intellectuals, thinkers; men and women of highly specialized skills to whom society looks upon for the thunder of new ideas; on whose shoulders lie the responsibility of transforming the raw materials of minds and brains of young into change agents for moral and corruption-free society we all dream and crave for.
It is the divine responsibility of all ethics-friendly students, staff and management of educational institutions in Nigeria and other African Countries to identify, expose and remove lecturers who think with their penis instead of their brains; who misuse their positions of trust and authority; and who undermine the brand image and reputation of their hard working colleagues.
The Management of some institutions are rising to the challenge with bold and commendable administrative actions including suspensions and sacks.
But administrative actions have proved insufficient. A strong legislative and legal framework for effectively combating the sex-for-grade epidemic is now required as a matter of urgent national importance.
The time for action is NOW! It is against this background that EEMI launched the campaign to get one million people to sign the on-line petition for Nigeria’s 9th Assembly to fast track action on passing the Sexual Harassment in Education Institutions Prohibition Bill.
The Bill, which prescribes five-year prison term for lecturers convicted of sexual harassment of their students, was first considered by the 8th Assembly.
The petition and suggestions to the Bill will be formally presented to the National Assembly as climax of National Consultative Conference of Education Leaders for Combating Campus Cultism and Sex-for-Grade scheduled to hold in Abuja from 9th to 13th December, 2019.
Please visit the link indicated above to sign the petition. And join to facilitate the campaign by forwarding to other stakeholders.
best regards,
Ike Onyechere, MFR
@ikeonyechere
Founding Chairman,
Exam Ethics Marshals International