According to Bolaji Owasanoye, the chairperson of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), 15 incidents of sexual harassment are currently under investigation. Mr. Owasanoye said the commission had concluded two other cases of sexual harassment, one of which, in his opinion, resulted in the suspect’s conviction. He lamented the repugnant trend of lecturers demanding sexual gratification from students in higher institutions of learning.
Mr. Owasanoye emphasized the ICPC’s efforts to halt the trend by stating that the organization was retraining and training its officers on how to deal with sexual harassment instances. He gave a speech at the National Stakeholders Engagement on Sexual Harassment in Educational Institutions, which was organized by the Ford Foundation and the Gender Mobile Initiative. According to him, changing the culture of silence due to the fear of stigmatization will require appropriate policy formulation, implementation, and sensitization.
The head of the ICPC stated that the organization would step up campaigns and public education against sexual harassment throughout the nation. The practice of demanding or expecting sexual fulfillment from students for whom they are supposed to act as parents has become extremely widespread among teaching and non-teaching personnel. He claimed that the commission had put its officers in the operations, prosecution, education, and public enlightenment departments through around seven training and retraining programs. According to him, the trained cops also conducted training for their colleagues.
Mr. Owasanoye added that the Department of Education and Public Enlightenment had taken on the responsibility of integrating discussions on Sexual Harassment in its various engagements, while the Commission had worked with some civil society organizations to conduct training for students.
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