Sexual harassment amendment in Nigeria: Sexual harassment bill sponsor speak on im target

Nigeria National Assembly recently pass di Sexual Harassment Bill 2020 (SB 77) as amended.

And di amendment mainly address di sexual harassment of students wey dey higher institutions.

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege wey sponsor di bill on di floor of di Senate tell BBC Pidgin say;

Di main reason wey di National Assembly decide to amend di bill na to “try to fill dis lacuna wey dey di existing law.

“We consider say while rape, wey be sexual intercourse wit one of di opposite sex without consent dey provided for for di criminal code, wey dem dey use for south and penal code wey dem dey use for north, e get issue wey e no address wey concern students for higher education and dia lecturer.”

Treat female student for higher institution as underage

According to Nigeria law, if lecturer sleep wit student wey dey less dan 18 years, weda she give consent or not, di Nigeria law say dat na rape becos di pesin na underage.

But before now di law no consider wetin e go do if lecturer force im female student to sleep wit am.

For dis situation Senator Omo-Agege say, although di two of dem suppose be consenting adults, ground no level between di two becos di lecturer get authority over her.

“Pipo dey say becos she already be adult, notin like rape.

“But wey say dat, becos of di special relationship, relationship of coercion or threat, between di lecturer and di student, we dey say make dis law treat di female student as if she dey underage.

“And no get di power to willingly give consent or permission sake of di power wey di lecturer get ova di student.”

Fear, don make many female students for Nigeria higher institutions to agree to sexual relationship wit dia lecturers.

Usually di fear be say if she no agree, she go pay di price and she fit end up spending more years dan e dey necessary to graduate or pass di course.

Therefore, dis bill dey clearly say, as long as you be lecturer, you no get any right to enta sexual relationship wit a female student wey be your student.

If you want, you fit wait for her to graduate to have di relationship but as long as she na student, notin for you.

Di National Assembly recommend make di punishment be 14 years for prison.

ASUU try resist di bill

For 2019, Nigeria lawmakers move for di amendment of di Sexual Harassment Bill. All di stakeholders agree except di Academic staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

ASUU oppose di bill on argument say di bill dey against legal principles becos universities dey autonomous and fit take care of dia own affairs.

Dem believe say di law dey target di character of teachers for higher institutions.

But Senator Omo-Agege say, dis bill no cari anybody for mind.

“We must understand say for every part of society we get good pipo and bad pipo, di law dey target bad pipo, dey target bad lecturers.” Di senator tok.

Dem also argue say di bill no include primary and secondary school.

But di tin be say students of primary and secondary schools dey mostly below di age of 18 years so dia mata dey under statutory rape.

Nigeria sexual harassment bill as amended

Di penalty for anyone wey fail dis law na up to 21 years in prison.

Read di full details of di sexual harassment bill here.

Di bill wey pass third reading on di floor of di House of Representatives one week ago, dey concurrent and now e dey wait to go di president table for assent.