ITSEUWA UYEMHIE ROSEMARY
200 level Mass Communication
Babcock University
Towards the ending of October 2019, the whole saga on the sex for grades issue burst out, it all started with a journalist named, Kiki Mordi.
A situations whereby university lecturers harass female students, pressuring them for sex in return for grades or admission is termed ‘’sex for grades’’. Students in tertiary institutions have been complaining about sexual harassment by lecturers and professors for years.
In October, 2017, BBC Africa Eye sent undercover journalists disguised as students to University of Lagos(UNILAG) and University of Ghana to get footage of acts of sexual harassments.
In the footage released, a lecturer in the University of Lagos, Igbeneghu Boniface was shown on camera asking the undercover reporter whom he assumed was a student, about her sexual history and also telling her about the ‘’cold room’’. Apparently, the ‘’cold room’’ is a club where lecturers take students to kiss them. In the video, he repeatedly asked her for kisses in his office under the guise of counseling her on how to get admission.
In the same footage, Paul Kwame Butakor, a lecturer in the University of Ghana offered to be the undercover reporter’s side guy, saying that his wife was not in the country. The footage released sparked controversies and students in different universities, began to narrate their own ordeals concerning the issue. A platform most of them used to express their grievances was social media.
There was a student from Babcock University( keen on being anonymous) who narrated her experience during her main defense about how a lecturer in her panel sexually harassed her and threatened to fail her if she did not do what he wanted.
Following the complaints about the issue, Babcock University released an official statement condemning the sex for grades issue. In the statement released they said ‘’ we also wish to state clearly and emphatically that Babcock University has zero tolerance for sexual harassment and academic infraction of any kind.’’
In 2018, there was a story from OAU( Obafemi Awolowo University) concerning a lady named Monica Osagie who got low marks in a course for her master’s degree saying the professor ‘’Richard Akindele’’, gave her two options which were, ‘’ sleeping with him or failing the class’’. CNN Africa later reported that the university took action saying they launched an investigation into Monica’s allegations and Akindele has been suspended pending a final decision by the university.
There are many other stories from different students in different universities, some spoke out, some did not but regardless, this issue has serious effects on the mental health of the victims, they lose concentration, they are scarred for life, they live with so much fear in their hearts, seeing the lecturer or let alone seeing men, triggers them and this also influences their social life badly.
Most girls tend to give in, all because of the fear of failure, at that point, they are totally helpless for example,the girl from Babcock University. This issue ends up affecting their studies. Sexual harassment is a very serious offense and for a student to be in proximity with her harasser, it has mental effects.
On the 11th of October, 2019, Punch Newspaper published ‘’ there is hardly any sign that the repulsive sex for marks culture in Nigerian tertiary education system will abate anytime soon’’ and this definitely, is an issue that should not be overlooked.
200 level Mass Communication
Babcock University
Towards the ending of October 2019, the whole saga on the sex for grades issue burst out, it all started with a journalist named, Kiki Mordi.
A situations whereby university lecturers harass female students, pressuring them for sex in return for grades or admission is termed ‘’sex for grades’’. Students in tertiary institutions have been complaining about sexual harassment by lecturers and professors for years.
In October, 2017, BBC Africa Eye sent undercover journalists disguised as students to University of Lagos(UNILAG) and University of Ghana to get footage of acts of sexual harassments.
In the footage released, a lecturer in the University of Lagos, Igbeneghu Boniface was shown on camera asking the undercover reporter whom he assumed was a student, about her sexual history and also telling her about the ‘’cold room’’. Apparently, the ‘’cold room’’ is a club where lecturers take students to kiss them. In the video, he repeatedly asked her for kisses in his office under the guise of counseling her on how to get admission.
In the same footage, Paul Kwame Butakor, a lecturer in the University of Ghana offered to be the undercover reporter’s side guy, saying that his wife was not in the country. The footage released sparked controversies and students in different universities, began to narrate their own ordeals concerning the issue. A platform most of them used to express their grievances was social media.
There was a student from Babcock University( keen on being anonymous) who narrated her experience during her main defense about how a lecturer in her panel sexually harassed her and threatened to fail her if she did not do what he wanted.
Following the complaints about the issue, Babcock University released an official statement condemning the sex for grades issue. In the statement released they said ‘’ we also wish to state clearly and emphatically that Babcock University has zero tolerance for sexual harassment and academic infraction of any kind.’’
In 2018, there was a story from OAU( Obafemi Awolowo University) concerning a lady named Monica Osagie who got low marks in a course for her master’s degree saying the professor ‘’Richard Akindele’’, gave her two options which were, ‘’ sleeping with him or failing the class’’. CNN Africa later reported that the university took action saying they launched an investigation into Monica’s allegations and Akindele has been suspended pending a final decision by the university.
There are many other stories from different students in different universities, some spoke out, some did not but regardless, this issue has serious effects on the mental health of the victims, they lose concentration, they are scarred for life, they live with so much fear in their hearts, seeing the lecturer or let alone seeing men, triggers them and this also influences their social life badly.
Most girls tend to give in, all because of the fear of failure, at that point, they are totally helpless for example,the girl from Babcock University. This issue ends up affecting their studies. Sexual harassment is a very serious offense and for a student to be in proximity with her harasser, it has mental effects.
On the 11th of October, 2019, Punch Newspaper published ‘’ there is hardly any sign that the repulsive sex for marks culture in Nigerian tertiary education system will abate anytime soon’’ and this definitely, is an issue that should not be overlooked.
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