Sexual Harassment: Federal Govt Blows Hot, Vows To Deal With Perpetrators

The Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, has warned members of the academia and the university community over matters of sexual harassment on campuses, maintaining that the Federal Government will deal decisively with perpetrators of such acts.

The Minister gave the warning in his office in Abuja when he received the report of the Committee on alleged sexual harassment by the suspended Dean of Law Faculty at the University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril O. Ndifon.

According to a statement by

Director Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Ben. Bem Goong, Prof. Mamman said sexual harassment is a serious criminal offence and must be dealt with decisively, when and whenever it occurs, adding that the Federal Ministry of Education will do everything humanly possible to tame the ugly tide in the nation’s institutions of Higher Learning.

He noted that the offence of sexual harassment is cancerous and must be eliminated at all cost, adding that all hands must be on deck to tackle the menace in our educational system.

The Minister maintained that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is out to protect the vulnerable groups within the country’s educational system.

While reiterating that he will invoke the long arms of the law to ensure that perpetrators are adequately punished, the Minister added that no one will be allowed to take advantage of the vulnerable groups.

He further disclosed that sexual offences units will be established in the Ministry and all institutions of Higher Learning to deal with the menace.

Earlier in the presentation of her report, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Banku Obi, told the Minister that the university has followed all due processes in handling the matter, including the suspension of the suspect, appropriate queries and setting up of a disciplinary committee to hear from all parties.