The Senate on Wednesday ordered for an investigation to be conducted into the case of alleged sexual harassment at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun state.
A postgraduate student of the institution, Monica Osagie had accused a lecturer at the Accounting Department, Professor Richard Akindele of demanding sex from her, sex for marks.
The motion moved by Senator Abiodun Olujimi (PDP, Ekiti-South) was entitled, ‘The Growing Trend of Sexual Harassment in the Higher Institutions of Learning: The Case of Monica Osagie.’
In its resolution, the Senate during plenary mandated its committee on tertiary institutions and judiciary, human rights and legal matters to carry out a full scale investigation on the case of Monica Osagie and the OAU lecturer named in the ‘sex-for-grades’ scandal.
The resolution also observes that Osagie’s experience justified the specificity and target of the sexual harassment in the tertiary institutions bill passed by the Senate in 2016 – and the need to ensure that such perversion is curbed in places of learning.
Senate President Bukola Saraki commended the bravery of Miss Osagie, noting that the Senate would work to ensure that any member of the institution that is culpable would be investigated and thoroughly discipline.
The Senate also asked the joint committee to “invite the OAU authorities to explain the steps they have taken and the outcome of their internal investigation on the matter as well as institutional reviews they have carried out, together with such further proposals aimed at nipping the problem in the bud.”
