NUC tasks varsities on sexual harassment

Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abubakar Adamu Rasheed has said that sexual harassment of female students by lecturers in universities remains a great challenge to the integrity and survival of the university system.

He said the menace constituted an embarrassment to the society and therefore charged the Vice Chancellors of universities to rise up to the challenge by eliminating it from the system. He specifically asked VCs not only to apply sanction on any lecturers found wanting but also instructed that culprits should be exposed with their names published in newspapers to serve as deterrent to others.

Rasheed, in a keynote address at the 33rd conference of the Association of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) held at Redeemer’s University, stated that sexual harassment is part of corruption ravaging the system saying all hands should be on deck to stem it.

Speaking on theme, “Revitalization of University Education in Nigeria,” he also urged various universities to first embrace local collaboration with sister universities at home before they extend the linkage to foreign universities. Stressing that reform of the university system is inevitable, he urged VCs to imbibe greater credibility and transparency in the administration of university system. He noted that the nation still needs more universities to cater for the huge population, pointing out that currently the existing ones can only accommodate about two million students.

He also enjoined lecturers, particularly experienced Professors, to be more devoted to duties noting the commission realised that many of them spend few hours with their students in their primary employment while they spend more time in other private engagements in other universities.