Whether among students/ pupils or teacher to pupils, s*xual harassment has become a thorny issue that should not be handled with kid-gloves as the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) recently raised the alarm on rising cases, especially at the primary and secondary levels of education, DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports
When Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Musa Aliyu, raised concerns about the rise in cases of sexual harassment in primary and secondary schools, it was discomfiting and worrisome. He spoke during a national stakeholders’ engagement on sexual harassment prevention, which the commission organised in collaboration with the Gender Mobile Initiative (GMI).
The primary and secondary schools are crucial aspects of education which should not be toyed with in the moral and cognitive development of a child. So, when sexual harassment arising from a weak moral compass is prevalent at such levels of learning, swift action must be taken to ensure the hopes and future aspirations of the much-vaunted leaders of tomorrow are not truncated.
The ICPC chairman said a major way to address the situation decisively is through “a consistent, persistent, focused and united campaign. It is sadly interesting to note that sexual harassment, though more notorious in tertiary institutions, is quite rampant in primary and secondary institutions too,” he said.
Going by the Aliyu’s allegation, the story of 14-year-old Keren-Happuch Akpagher, a boarding pupil of a school at Lugbe, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), still comes to mind. She reportedly died on June 22, 2021 following sepsis infection she contracted as a result of condom left inside her by a killer-rapist. The case is still in court.
States refuse to adopt National Sex Offender Register
In 2019, the Federal Government, launched its first National Sex Offender Register to name and shame perpetrators. Checks revealed that only Lagos State has been active in naming and shaming sexual offenders, while only 10 out of 36 states, including the FCT, have adopted the law.
They include Lagos, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Edo, Kaduna, Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Bayelsa. Only four states—Lagos, Ekiti, Akwa-Ibom, and Edo—have so far published full details of the offenders. Sadly, these registers are not updated regularly, thereby defeating the aim for which it was implemented in the first place.
It is believed that sexual harassment is forcing many Nigerian girls out of secondary schools, contributing to the already alarming figure of out-of-school children, especially among girls.
Addressing the drift
Observers and parents have not only bemoaned the moral decadence in society and faulted the over-exposure of children to too much indecent content on the internet, they also seek swift intervention as well as stringent sanctions on perpetrators, whether teachers or pupils.
Vice Chancellor, African School of Economics, Abuja, Prof. Mahfouz Adedimeji, who described the situation as “heartrending”, believes the society is not ready to address the issue headlong. Reason? The don noted that the continuous promotion and celebration of indecent contents in the entertainment industry will hamper getting solutions.
He sought the overhauling of the entertainment industry and purging of entertainers that glorify casual sex, undue celebration of female body and production of sexual movies. Adedimeji added that music and skits have to be restrained by law. The vice chancellor stated that the lawlessness that pervades the entertainment industry where everything is centred on human genitalia has to be confronted head-on.
He said: “It is heartrending that the situation of sexual harassment and immorality has degenerated to this level in our society. Yet, it is not surprising as we are reaping what we sowed.
“Sexual harassment, misconduct and immorality among pupils can be attributed to various factors that are mainly sociological. These are exposure to explicit contents on the traditional and new media, normalisation of casual sex in the society, peer pressure, zero/poor parenting, changing moral values, socio-economic pressures and access to the new technologies.
“Certainly, this situation portends grave danger to the society. It is already manifesting in single parenthood, ‘baby mamaism’, high rate of divorce, sexual violence as well as unbridled sexual freedom.
“If Nigerians are ready to address this problem, we wouldn’t be busy pursuing shadows and promoting the nonsense in modern entertainment. The entertainment industry has to be overhauled and all these entertainers that glorify casual sex, commodify female body, produce sexual movies, music and skits have to be restrained by law. The lawlessness that pervades the entertainment industry where everything is centred on human genitalia has to be confronted head-on.
“Sexual offences have to be nipped in the bud and those found guilty of sexual crimes should be punished. Culture must be reinvented to make people see females as human beings, not just sex objects that they are portrayed as.
“We have to go back to the basics and return to the values of decency, self-control, modest dressing and abstinence that used to define us, not the fake condom wisdom of today.
“Our cultures are in sync with the positions of Plato and Aristotle. While Plato emphasised self-control and moderate sexual desires, Aristotle considered sexual pleasure as natural but advocated moderation. It is this moderation that has been thrown out of the window and the youngsters are learning fast from the adults.”