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The Nigeria Association of Social Workers (NASoW) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to enact anti-sexual harassment laws in order to curb the sexual harassment for grades, admissions, employments and promotions in higher institutions and work places in the country.
NASoW made the call in a statement issued by its National President, Alhaji Mashood Mustapha and made available to journalists on at the weekend in Ibadan, by the National Public Relations Officer of the association, Mr. Musliudeen Adebayo. The association urged Buhari and the National Assembly to look beyond the University of Lagos sex for admission scandal and enact anti-sexual harassment policies that would protect female students, job seekers from those demanding sex in return for grades, admissions and employments in the higher institutions, ministries and agencies.
Newspeakonline recalls that a University of Lagos (UNILAG) lecturer, Boniface Igbeneghu, was caught on camera sexually harassing a British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) undercover journalist, Kiki Mordi, who had disguised as a 17-year-old admission seeker.
According to Mustapha, the law should not be limited to the academic community, but be extended to the ministries, parastatals and agencies, where sex for employments and promotions are also common.
The statement said: “Sex for grades has been with us for long, thanks to Kiki Mordi for bringing this degrading and unethical practice once more again to the public focus.
“The UNILAG sex for admission scandal is one abuse too many. It is an example of many harassments, the shameful practice that has led many female students to unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases like Human immunodeficiency Virus ( HIV) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“The country should look beyond the Unilag ‘Cold Room’ and come out with anti sexual harassment policies that would reduce this immoral practice. It is so endemic to the level of having sex for job, sex for promotion etc.
“The bill on sexual harassment should not be limited only to the academic community, it should also be extended to the ministries, parastatals and agencies.
“The Nigeria Association of Social Workers is calling for a national moral rebirth and an end to hypocrisy.”