The Kogi State Government has dismissed some lecturers at Kogi State Polytechnic Lokoja amid allegations of sexual harassment of students.
Isah Emmanuel Ojodunwene, Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo on Students Affairs, made the announcement at a one-day meeting of the Ministry of Education and Heads of Tertiary Education Institutions in Lokoja on the State-level Adoption of the Model Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy in Kogi State Tertiary Institutions.
Ojodunwene, who did not provide the number or names of the dismissed lecturers, stated that the governor Ahmed Ododo administration had zero tolerance for sexual harassment.
“No time can be better, earlier or later than now, when we talk about sexual harassment. Recently, we had an issue where a young girl of 19 years old was murdered by one 20 year old boy in Federal University Lokoja for ritual. This is a case of a child who was vulnerable and was sexually harassed and murdered.
”It is better we talk of it now before it is too late. If you check all the institution that we have in Kogi State, there are incidents that students have reported cases of sexual harassment by their lecturers.
“Kogi State Polytechnic, for instance, some lecturers have been sacked, while others are cooling in prison as we speak over the issue of sexual harassment of our innocent students. We encourage all heads of institutions in Kogi State to be tough on this issue.
“His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo is a no nonsense leader when it comes to social vices, criminalities and other activities that are not in tandem with the progress of the State and the well-being of the Citizens. We represent the body language of our Principal, who has always maintained his stance that if anyone engages in sexual harassment of our students, they will face the law adequately”.
He admonished students to learn to speak up when they are victims of sexual harassment.
“They should speak up. Once you speak up, we will be able to identify their challenges and address it immediately. There is no stigmatization in sexual harassment. Even though you are married on campus and you are a victim of sexual harassment, you should support your husband so that we can track the areas that we need to punish the person and take them out of the institution.
“Even though you are a lecturer, no matter how highly placed you are, once you harass any of our students and we have the evidences and witnesses, the person will face the law squarely” he added.