Kogi Government Dismisses Lecturers Amidst Allegations of Sexual Harassment at Polytechnic
- The Kogi State government has dismissed several lecturers from Kogi State Polytechnic over allegations of sexual harassment
- Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo’s administration emphasizes zero tolerance for such misconduct
- Students all over the state are urged to speak up, with promises of swift action against offenders
In a bold move to combat sexual harassment within educational institutions, the Kogi State government announced on Tuesday the dismissal of several lecturers from Kogi State Polytechnic.
The lecturers were accused of sexually harassing students on campus, a serious issue that has plagued the institution.
Government dismisses lecturers amidst allegations of sexual harassment. Photo credit: Legit NigeriaSource: Original
Kogi state polytechnic lecturers sacked
The announcement was made by Isah Emmanuel Ojodunwene, the Senior Special Assistant to Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, on Students Affairs.
Ojodunwene disclosed this development during a one-day meeting organized by the Ministry of Education and Heads of Tertiary Education Institutions. The meeting, held in Lokoja, focused on the state-level adoption of a model anti-sexual harassment policy in tertiary institutions.
Ojodunwene also emphasized the administration’s zero-tolerance stance on sexual harassment.
The statement read in full:
“The laws are clear, which we have brought to the fore for the notice of the people, ‘thou shall not sexually harass’. So ignorance can no longer be a defence, now you all know and if anybody does that, the next step is a deterrent with punishnment. If anybody does that, we will punish him and will not sweep it under the carpet.
“Once we start punishing people, others will be exposed subsequently, there will be a wall of shame on the Internet for it. It will be there for your friends, children, and spouse to see forever.”
“For those who cannot control their libido, they will have the law to contend with. Besides that, we will remove beds from offices being used under the guise of night shift. Having beds in offices could provoke sexual harassment. From now, I will personally supervise the removal of beds from offices. The night shift is not meant for sleeping but for people to do their job and leave.
“I have also empowered sevicom people to say something. people are groaning from sexual harassment. Now they know that if they talk, there is a listening ear and action would be taken”, he said.
Lecturer unjustly sacked wins appeal
Meanwhile, TheTalk.NG earlier reported that a Nigerian lecturer, Inih Ebong, defeated the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) at the Court of Appeal, Calabar, after being unjustly sacked 20 years ago.
Ebong was an associate professor in the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Uyo, when his appointment was unlawfully terminated in 2002.
Source: TheTalk.NG
