#SexForGrades: Time to Revisit Sexual Harassment Bill, Saraki Urges Buhari, Senate

Former President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly to revisit the sexual harassment bill passed by the eighth Senate.

Saraki made the call in reaction to a documentary by the BBC exposing sexual harassment of female students by male lecturers in many West African universities.

According to him, the Senate under his watch passed the ‘Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institution Prohibition Bill’ – a law which prescribes a five-year jail term for any lecturer, educationist or person in a position of authority in any tertiary institution in Nigeria found guilty of sexual misconduct.

In a post on Twitter on Monday, Saraki said, “As a father, I’m appalled by the actions of lecturers captured in the #SexForGrades exposé. We cannot allow this sort of deplorable behaviour to fester.

“In 2016, my colleagues and I in the eighth Senate passed the ‘Sexual Harassment in Tertiary Education Institution Prohibition Bill’ to prescribe a five-year jail term for any lecturer, educationist or person in a position of authority in any tertiary institution in Nigeria found guilty of such conduct.

“I appeal to the ninth Senate and President Muhammadu Buhari to revisit this bill so that we can implement the institutional reforms necessary to safeguard our children in educational institutions in the country.

“I also urge the institutions to conduct robust investigations, not only on the accused but also for all other reports and complaints that come in.

“We need to make institutions safer for our students.”