A Bill for an Act to make provision for the
prohibition and punishment of sexual
harassment of students by lecturers in
tertiary institutions has been passed into
law.
The Bill which was sponsored by Senator
Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central) and 57
other co-sponsors, was read for the first
time on Wednesday 4th May, 2016.
The objective of the Bill is to prohibit the
offence of sexual harassment in tertiary
institutions and impose stiff penalties on
perpetrators.
It also creates a strict liability offence by
removing mutual consent as a defence in
prosecution of sexual harassment cases, as
it were in the extant laws.
The new Act when signed to law, will not
only prohibit lecturers from having sexual
intercourse with underage students; it will
also punish lecturers who demand for sex
from female students as a condition to
giving passing grades.
Presenting the report on the Bill to the
Senate on Thursday, the Committee
chairman on Judiciary, Human Rights and
Legal Matters, Senator David Umaru said
the Bill enjoyed full supports of various
stakeholders and civil society groups
during public hearing.
As against the initial proposal of the
sponsors of the Bill that any lecturer who
harasses female student shall be liable to 3
years imprisonment; Senator Umaru said
the clause has been amended.
“Any person who commits any of the acts
specified in section 3 of this Act is guilty
of an offence and shall, on conviction, be
sentenced to imprisonment of up to 5 years
but not less than 2 years and there shall be
no option of fine”, the Bill reads.
It was, however, agreed upon presentation,
that the penalty should be 5 years
imprisonment or option of fine to the tune of
N5m or both.
The Act also provides that the head of an
institution upon receiving a written
complaint of sexual harassment from a
victim, shall set up a ‘Sexual Harassment
Investigation Panel’ which shall submit its
report in writing within 30 days.
The panel shall be headed by a non
academic staff who is not less than the
rank of Assistant Director, with 2 members
of the Academic Union and 2 members of
the Nigerian Bar Association.
0 comments: