Professor John Okeniyi, Chief Medical Director of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, has announced the removal of beds from hospital offices in an effort to tackle sexual harassment.
This measure, he explained, aims to reduce misconduct, particularly against female staff.
During a press conference at the hospital complex to provide a progress report on his one-year administration, Prof Okeniyi underlined that the presence of beds in offices, particularly under the cover of night shifts, could lead to sexual misconduct.
He stated that the institution is implementing strong measures to address this issue.
“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,” Okeniyi stated.
“Having beds in offices could provoke sexual harassment. From now on, 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.”
He further highlighted that the hospital has now implemented an anti-sexual harassment law and that ignorance will no longer be accepted as an excuse for inappropriate behavior.
“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 defense,” he said.
“If anybody does that, the next step is a deterrent with punishment. If anybody does that, we will punish him and will not sweep it under the carpet.”
Okeniyi also discussed the creation of an online “wall of shame” to publicly expose offenders, making their activities visible to friends, family, and the general public.