‘Don’t harass your lecturers’ – minister tells UNIPORT female students

Adamu Adamu, minister of education, says female students should stop going to lecturers unnecessarily.

He made the remark on Tuesday at the unveiling of a policy document against sexual harassment by the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).

Represented by Ijeoma Duru, the assistant director, tertiary department of the ministry, Adamu also warned students against harassing their lecturers.

“The federal ministry of education is embarrassed with the allegations of sexual harassment in Nigerian higher institutions. Girls should read their books and be able to defend their certificates,” the minister said.

“They (female students) should stop going to lecturers unnecessarily and should not harass their lecturers.”

While hailing UNIPORT for putting the policy together, the minister said: “We are recommending UNIPORT’s sexual harassment policy to other higher institutions in Nigeria.”

Ndowa Lale, the school’s vice chancellor, explained that the document defined the rules of engagement between lecturers, administrators and students, including visitors to the university.

“The document unambiguously defines what constitutes sexual harassment and the sanctions to be taken against those who wittingly and unwittingly infringe on its provisions in the line of duty,” Lale said.

“Henceforth, lecturers and administrators who do not remember to sew zippers in front of their trousers should be ready to bear the consequences of their amorous liaison with female students.”

Speaking further, he said: “Any Juliet (female student) who blackmails vulnerable male students or their colleagues into amorous sexual liaisons should be ready for the long arm of the policy on sexual harassment.

“Also, visitors who believe that the university is a happy hunting ground for cheap sex should think again, as they would be apprehended, held liable and prosecuted in line with relevant provisions of the policy.”

Delivering a keynote address, Nwadiuto Akani, a professor in the school’s department of paediatrics, said gestures such as unwanted hugging, sending of unsolicited amorous text messages constitute sexual harassment.

Others, according to Akani, include “unwanted sexual teasing, telling a target about sexual stories, calling someone ‘Babe’, honey or darling, unwanted touching of a target’s body, making kissing sounds, and creating a hostile environment in order to get undue advantage against a target”.