Bauchi State govt warns against any form of sexual harassment across the various tertiary institutions in the State.
By Maisaje Wakili.
Bauchi State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to come up with a robust document that will ensure a conducive learning environment across Schools.
The government also warned against any form of sexual harassment across the various tertiary institutions in the State.
The State Commissioner of Higher education and Regional Integration Mrs. Lydia tsammani made the assertions at a one-day meeting for the Ministry of higher Education and Heads of Tertiary education institutions and Students on State level adoption of the model anti-sexual harassment policy in Tertiary institutions in held at Abubakar Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi.
The commissioner lamented that sexual harassment has become a serious challenge not only in higher Institutions but the entire society including worship places, hence the need for all and sundry to support government to checkmate and apprehend perpetrators involved in such menace in the State and country at large.
According to her, the objective of the meeting was to facilitate State level and adopt the model anti-sexual harassment policy and secure the support of institutional Heads on integration of campus safety initiative framework.
She noted that, the programme is in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Education and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Gender Mobile Initiative to eliminate sexual harassment especially on the tertiary institutions
The commissioner said after the meeting organized by the Federal Government to reduce sexual harassment, she feel it necessary to bring it back for deliberation and proper scrutiny with relevant bodies before domestication in Bauchi
She pledged the State Government commitment to deal with issues of crimes and criminalities particularly Sexual harassment in higher Institutions which is a major criminal act and would not be condone.
In his paper presentation on campus safety initiative framework, the Gender Mobile Initiative representative, Mr Emmanuel Olatunde said the aimed of the initiative is to improve a system of effective response and accountability for campus sexual harassment across higher Institutions in Nigeria.
He described sexual harassment as an unwanted behavior of a sexual nature that has the purpose or effect of violating an individual’s dignity, making an individual feel intimidated, degraded and humiliated among others
Mr Emmanuel noted that, Gender Mobile Anti sexual harassment policy will be a confidential reporting channel, and attributed lack of sexual harassment policy at Tertiary institutions in Nigeria as major cause of sexual harassment.
