Crime

Publicize the names of lecturers who were sacked for sexual misconduct, UNIBEN VC says

Published

2 years ago

October 30, 2022

Tertiary institutions in the country should make it a policy to publish the names of lecturers and students dismissed for their involvement in sexual harassment, Vice-chancellor of the University of Benin, Prof. Lilian Salami, has suggested.

According to her, doing such would drastically reduce cases of sexual harassment and assault in educational institutions.

The don gave the advice in Abuja at the launch of a report on the increase in cases of sexual harassment in institutions of higher learning in Nigeria.

The document titled: “Research Report and Advocacy Strategy for Higher Institutions on Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, SGBV”, was conducted by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa, Osiwa.

Salami, who observed that sexual harassment in higher institutions had been in practice for a long, said the menace had taken new dimensions as a result of the loss of morals and values in society.

She stressed that aside from dismissing the perpetrators, whether students or lecturers, management of institutions should engage in public naming and shaming of the perpetrators.

The professor of Home Economics and Nutritional Education said: “Sexual harassment didn’t just start now but the awareness is becoming more relevant at this time because we are seeing the incidence of sexual harassment on the increase on campuses and it has become necessary that this menace is addressed in all universities.

“Administrators of universities are now taking this to be a very serious problem and we must begin to push the fact that campuses must not allow this to happen. A lot of scholars and researchers have been done about these vices and there are recommendations that once adhered to will likely reduce the cases of sexual harassment

Noting that tangible and realistic policies must be put in place in all tertiary institutions, Salami said perpetrators must be adequately sanctioned irrespective of social status.

She added: “These policies must not be in one aspect. Sexual harassment is only not only a student-lecturer thing but they are other underlying factors and we must begin to look at these factors to ensure that our solutions are holistic.

“For instance, you can’t divorce the fact that we have lost values, morals and even basic things. We are awarding our certificates not just in knowledge but character.

“Sexual harassment has always been out there but the fact is that people are beginning to speak out and we expect that we should have more persons speaking out about this incidence.

“Doing my time as a student, pornography was not there and we also have situations that students are now taking new pictures of themselves and sending them to the public domain. That was not the case in the past, so what this means is that we are having new methods of sexual harassment coming into play.

“I think that irrespective of who is the perpetrator, whether students or staff, they must be sanctioned. We don’t need such persons in our system, so they must be shown the way out. And indeed, I think not only been kicked out of the institution, I think their names should be published so that they don’t leave one institution and go to another one. This is because what that person have done in one university is likely to be replicated in another one.”

Speaking, Executive Director of WARDC, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said the report reflected data from 20 schools with 7,178 students participating in the research.

According to her, the report suggested that there should be more institutional strength within the university and other higher institutions in Nigeria on sexual harassment.

“The report talks about the infrastructure that we need to put in place, for example, CCTV, so that the activities of both lecturers and students can be monitored.

“The report also shows that sexual harassment is not only common with lecturers but also with students, meaning that there is a need for more awareness and training and that people should also understand the consequences of sexual harassment in educational institutions”, She stated.

Meanwhile, findings from the research revealed students were leading lecturers in sexual harassment and rape of female students.

It, however, said there is also grossly under-reported sex for promotion and other SGBV amongst staff.

The report said: “There are different manifestations and prevalence of SHGBV among different categories of people in the university community. All forms of SGBV are present on campus and with unacceptable frequency.”

“The most prevalent forms are sexual harassment followed by rape.

“The main perpetrators of SGBV are predominantly students and academic staff, although it is also common for non-academic staff to sexually harass students during the admissions process and when securing accommodation. There is also grossly under-reported sex for promotion and other SGBV amongst staff.

Africa

Customs hands over illicit drugs worth N117.59m to NDLEA

Published

4 days ago

November 22, 2024

Matthew Eloyi

Customs hands over illicit drugs worth N117.59m to NDLEA

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun Area 1 Command, has handed over illicit drugs worth N117.59 million to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

The Comptroller of the command, Mr James Ojo, disclosed this during the handing over of the drugs to Mr Olusegun Adeyeye, the Commander of NDLEA, Idiroko Special Area Command, in Abeokuta, Ogun, on Friday.

Ojo said the customs handed over the seized cannabis and tramadol tablets to the Idiroko Special Command for further investigation in line with the standard operating procedures and inter-agency collaboration.

He said the illicit drugs were seized in various strategic locations between January and November 21, 2024, in Ogun State.

He added that the illicit drugs were abandoned at various locations, including the Abeokuta axis, the Agbawo/Igankoto area of Yewa North Local Government Area, and Imeko Afton axis.

Ojo said that the seizure of the cannabis sativa and tramaling tablets, another brand of tramadol, was made possible through credible intelligence and strategic operations of the customs personnel.

“The successful interception of these dangerous substances would not have been possible without the robust collaboration and support from our intelligence units, local informants and sister agencies.

“These landmark operations are testament to the unwavering dedication of the NCS to safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens and uphold the rule of law,” he said.

He said the seizures comprised 403 sacks and 6,504 parcels, weighing 7,217.7 kg and 362 packs of tramaling tablets of 225mg each, with a total Duty Paid Value of N117,587,405,00.

He described the height of illicit drugs smuggling in the recent time as worrisome.

This, he said, underscores the severity of drug trafficking within the borders.

“Between Oct. 13 and Nov. 12 alone, operatives intercepted a total of 1,373 parcels of cannabis sativa, weighing 1,337kg and 362 packs of tramaling tablets of 225mg each,” he said.

Ojo said the seizures had disrupted the supply chain of illicit drugs, thereby mitigating the risks those substances posed to the youth, families and communities.

He lauded the synergy between its command, security agencies and other stakeholders that led to the remarkable achievements.

Ojo also commended the Comptroller General of NCS for creating an enabling environment for the command to achieve the success.

Responding, Adeyeye, applauded the customs for achieving the feat.

Adeyeye pledged to continue to collaborate with the customs to fight against illicit trade and drug trafficking in the state.

Africa

Ann-Kio Briggs Faults Tinubu for Scrapping Niger Delta Ministry

Published

4 days ago

November 22, 2024

Matthew Eloyi

Prominent Niger Delta human rights activist and environmentalist, Ann-Kio Briggs, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s decision to scrap the Ministry of Niger Delta, describing it as ill-advised and detrimental to the oil-rich region.

Briggs expressed her concerns during an appearance on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.

“The Ministry of Niger Delta was created by the late (President Umaru) Yar’Adua. There was a reason for the creation. So, just removing it because the president was advised. I want to believe that he was advised because if he did it by himself, that would be terribly wrong,” she stated.

President Tinubu, in October, dissolved the Ministry of Niger Delta and replaced it with the Ministry of Regional Development, which is tasked with overseeing all regional development commissions, including the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), North-West Development Commission, and North-East Development Commission.

Briggs questioned the rationale behind the restructuring, expressing concerns about its feasibility and implications. “But that’s not going to be the solution because who is going to fund the commissions? Is it the regions because it is called the Regional Development Ministry? Is it the states in the regions? What are the regions because we don’t work with regions right now; we are working with geopolitical zones,” she remarked.

She added, “Are we going back to regionalism? If we are, we have to discuss it. The president can’t decide on his own to restructure Nigeria. If we are restructuring Nigeria, the president alone can’t restructure Nigeria, he has to take my opinion and your opinion into consideration.”

Briggs also decried the longstanding neglect of the Niger Delta despite its significant contributions to Nigeria’s economy since 1958. “The Niger Delta has been developing Nigeria since 1958. We want to use our resources to develop our region; let regions use their resources to develop themselves,” she asserted.

Reflecting on the various bodies established to address the region’s development, Briggs lamented their failure to deliver meaningful progress. She highlighted the Niger Delta Basin Authority, the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), and the NDDC as examples of ineffective interventions.

“NDDC was created by Olusegun Obasanjo…There was OMPADEC before NDDC. OMPADEC was an agency. Before OMPADEC, there was the Basin Authority…These authorities were created to help us. Were we helped by those authorities? No, we were not,” she said.

Briggs further described the NDDC as an “ATM for failed politicians, disgruntled politicians, and politicians that have had their electoral wins taken away from them and given to somebody else.”

Her remarks underscore the deep-seated frustrations in the Niger Delta, where residents continue to advocate for greater control over their resources and improved governance.

Crime

Court remands 2 brothers for alleged culpable homicide, armed robbery

Published

2 weeks ago

November 12, 2024

Matthew Eloyi

A Kaduna High Court on Tuesday ordered that two brothers be remanded in a correctional centre for alleged culpable homicide and armed robbery.

The police charged Hamza Jibrin, 27 and Yusuf Jibrin 24, with conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.

Justice Aisha Shagari ordered the remand of the defendants, after they pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

Shagari adjourned the matter until Dec. 12 for hearing.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, James Edward, said that the defendants and two others at large, while armed with matchete and other dangerous weapons along Airport Road, Kaduna, on Nov. 7, robbed and caused the death of a 26-year-old man, Rabiu Sani.

He said the defendants stole the deceased’s HP laptop, two cell phones, his wallet which contained two ATM cards and cash sum of N30,000.

Edward said that the offence is punishable under the Robbery and Firearms ( Special Provision) Act LFN, 2004.

The Defence counsel, Habiba Usman, had pleaded with the court to grant her clients bail.

Usman while moving her bail application, urged the court to gtant her client bail on literal terms, adding , that the defendants would be of good behaviour and would not jump bail.