Women groups condemn Unical sexual scandal, call for proper investigation, justice to victims
The Women Networks under the umbrella of Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL) Project of ActionAid Nigeria, funded by Global Affairs Canada in collaboration with the National Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ have condemned strongly the alleged scandals, persistent unwarranted intimidation and sexual harassment of female students by Prof Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL).
The group also use the chance to call for proper investigation of the incident and the prosecution of the culprit.
The call was made on Tuesday, 22nd August 2023 at a rally held in University of Calabar
The group noted that the alleged sexual harassment against Prof Cyril Ndifon which is two times in the series is not only appalling, and disgusting but, condemnable in it entity, totally unacceptable, and to put it mildly, Prof. Ndifon is not only a senior academic staff but has also put in over 30 years of service as a lecturer.
Despite the foggy weather, the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Women’s Voice and Leadership (WVL), Gender and Development Action (GADA), and other NGOs gathered together for a solidarity protest march which began at UNICAL Main gate with placards with different massages, “Females students are not sex toys”, “Girls are not commodities” “Rights of women and young girls must be protected” “We stand against sexual harassment on our daughters in our societies and public schools” among others inscriptions.
Earlier, during the solidarity march protest, the National President, of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Mrs. Ladi Bala, called for the trend to stop forthwith in all our institutions as the trend does no good to our education rather than negative impact to the entire system. She also calls for justice to be done for all survivors of the harassment.
Her words, “Our call is that such negative trend should be stopped forthwith at all levels of our education because it is retrogressive, it does not add to the development drive of this country” she stressed.
In a statement read by Head of Programmes, ActionAid, Nkechi Ilochi-Kanny at the end of the solidarity march, the Women Network demanded stringent measures against Prof Ndifon.
The statement reads, “While we commend the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof Florence Banki Obi, and the management team of the Institution for the swift action taken against the suspended Prof Cyril Ndifon over the violations of the well-laid rules and regulations of the institution, we, however, insist and demand a full and comprehensive investigation into the condemnable matter as well as ensure proper prosecution of Prof Ndifon to serve as a deterrent to others with similar behavioral pattern or intention(s)”
“Towards this end, we urge heads of educational institutions in the country to as a matter of public importance, borrow a leaf from the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL by creating a safe space for girls to voice out against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in schools. Such proactive measures will go a long way to create an environment such as the type that empowered the law students of UNICAL to stage a protest and open up about the constant sexual harassment and abuse of their bodies by lecturers of the institution”
“The incidences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence are not only peculiar to UNICAL but, common in most campuses of tertiary institutions and have been going on unhindered due to lack of enabling laws”
“The statement further stated, “If the ugly trend is not urgently addressed, is capable of truncating the educational and self-development of girls and women in this country, taking into cognizance, the already high number of out-of-school girls, there is no need to emphasize the fact that the country cannot afford to risk more girls quitting schools for fear of sexual harassment by some lecturers who are expected to be societal role models but, unfortunately, are unable to control their animalistic libidos”
The Women’s Network also pleads with the President, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a matter of national important assent to the draft law on the prevention, prohibition, and remediation of sexual harassment in Universities passed by the 9th National Assembly.
The group recommends that it should be mandatory for all educational institutions in Nigeria to develop policies on sexual and gender harassment to protect and safeguard the dignity of our girl child, thereby promoting a safe environment to encourage smooth learning.
“We wish to applaud the boldness and forthrightness of the female law students of UNICAL for standing up and speaking against injustice. We, therefore appeal to other students facing similar abuses and intimidation to speak up so that the educational system can be cleansed of bad elements”
“On our part as Women networks, while implementing the Women’s Voice and Leadership Nigeria project of ActionAid Nigeria, we will work with the gender department of UNICAL to provide psycho-social support to survivors of sexual Harassment in the school to give them hope of a better future” she stressed.
