The Academic Staff Union of Universities has kicked against the proposed legislation on randy lecturers in the nation’s institutions of learning.
Speaking at the public hearing on the bill, the National Chairman of ASUU, Dr. Biodun Ogunyemi, warned that Nigerians will pay dearly if they discredit the nation’s academics because of sexual harassment in universities.
Ogunyemi said: “The bias is too much.
“It is as if we are stigmatising those who should be the custodians of our innovations and progress.
“Universities are currently handling problems like this and we should not discredit the custodians of our knowledge because if we do so and cause them to lose confidence in what they are doing, we will pay dearly to recover.”
The ASUU President told the stakeholders that Nigerians need to recognise the autonomy of universities, where there were institutional procedures through which disciplinary issues are handled.
But the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, countered ASUU’s claims, saying the bill was never intended to vilify the teaching profession.
Bamidele said: “The bill is aimed at addressing this issue in a particular sector.
“It doesn’t stop anybody from bringing new bill that will address the same issue in another sector.
“Laws will always be made to address issues.
“This is to address sexual harassment in our tertiary institutions.”
Declaring the public hearing open, the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, who was represented by the Senate Leader, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya, urged the stakeholders present at the public hearing to find a solution to continuous sexual harassment in Nigeria’s academic environment.
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