When a supposed ‘17-year- old’ admission seeker to the prestigious University of Lagos approached Dr Boniface Igbeneghu, a senior lecturer at the University, recently for help to gain admission into UNILAG, the lecturer must have felt this was manna from heaven.
And considering what later transpired between them, it was safe to say that the undercover BBC reporter that posed as the 17-year-old admission seeker was indeed god sent as her presence and request quickly sent Dr Igbeneghu sexual appetite into overdrive, as most randy lecturers preying on female students are wont to do.
Not minding her underage status, Igbeneghe still continued his sexual advances on the innocent girl, unaware that it was an undercover operation by a journalist working for the ‘African Eye’ programme of the BBC. The programme which had since been aired by the broadcaster went viral across Nigeria and deservedly drew anger from across the country. It also earned Dr Igbeneghe a suspension from his work at the University of Lagos as well as his pastoral duties at the Foursquare Church where ministers to the soul as a Pastor.
The revelations contained in the report clearly mirrored what is going on in most tertiary institutions across the country, where some lecturers have turned themselves into stumbling blocks to the attainment of the academic dream of most female students, especially the not too brilliant ones, from whom they often demand sex in exchange for good academic grades.
The sex-for-grade phenomenon is so pervasive that it is almost the norm in most of our universities, polytechnics, colleges of education and other institutions of similar status. So pervasive is it that even schools at the lower levels, secondary schools and their likes, are also reporting similar incidents between male Youth Corps members and secondary school girls. Sex-for-grade is fast becoming a big societal problem capable of destroying our youths and invariably, our future.
While it is easier to blame the lecturers who demand for sex from their average or below average students in exchange for being generous with their marks, and the equally pliant students who supply sex to earn good grades, thus reducing it to a simple supply and demand scenario, some more discerning members of the public would rather situate the problem within the larger society’s erroneous belief that only university or college education degrees can guarantee success in life.
In fact the problem is more prevalent in universities because everyone, including those not mentally capable, desires to have a university education/degree. These below average students are the ones that would rather pass through the beds of their lecturers to obtain first class or second class degrees, upper or lower, than read and prepare well for their exams. They are often the targets of these randy lecturers and they in turn are more than willing to oblige them. The result is half baked graduates with good or excellent degrees being churned out to man sensitive sectors of the society like economy, health, education and even security.
To get out of this, it is our belief that we must change our value system in education, away from mere paper/certificate qualification to a more productive system that places more emphasis on individual output rather than the certificate he/she possesses. It is about time we allow the hands and brains to talk instead of the certificate.
Vocational/technical/technology education should be accorded a pride of place and at the same level with university education, especially in terms of remuneration. It is when all professionals are treated equally and so remunerated in accordance to their skills, and also given their due respect, that parents will stop forcing their children to acquire university education even when they are not mentally strong to go through the rigours. Invariably, when the students, especially the females, who chose to go for higher degrees, are relatively strong academically, the tendency for the randy lecturers to prey on them will be reduced. This could help bring down the ugly incident of sex-for-grade in our tertiary institutions of learning.
Back to the lecturers and students; there is the urgent need for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education administrators and managements to put in place strict rules on lecturer/student relationship such that will not give randy lecturers or those with the tendency to be randy opportunity to exploit their students, especially the females. Any violation of these rules should be promptly investigated and punished severely.
Though it might be difficult to police adults’ behaviours, especially consenting adults, an exception could be made when such relationship take place on campus. Such relationship should be restricted to the lecturer’s office, in the company with at least one other student and with the door open. There should also be a decent dress code put in place for female students such that will not expose them to sexual advances by randy lecturers or invite sexual ,advances from such lecturers.
More importantly as a form of peer review mechanism, students’ union and academic staff unions should be involved in enforcing these strict rules as well as the investigation and punishment of any student or lecturer found guilty of a breach of these rules.
But beyond these, there is the need for ethical revolution in the country. Our value system must change. Too much premium is placed on monetary acquisition such that everyone is in chase of material wealth and nobody cares how this is achieved. Though the government at all levels should set machinery in motion for the realization of this, with different campaigns to educate and mobilize the public towards the desired goal, the society itself needs to consciously change and make zero tolerance of sexual abuse and/or exploitation a societal goal. The randy lecturers are our sons, brothers and husbands; they come from different families and what they are taught in those families and the values upheld by those families become part of them and these are what they take to the campuses.
The religious organizations also have a role to play in ridding our campuses of this menace, after all every lecturer/student belongs to one religious organization or another. The level of religiosity in our society is so deep, though not reflective in the behaviours of the majority of the people. But this notwithstanding, it is our belief that religious leaders must use their platform to preach against sex-for-grade in our schools and must be ready to punish any of their members who indulge in it with the most severe punishment available in such organization.
In the final analysis, whether to demand sex-for-grade or offer sex-for-grade is an individual decision. At KaftanPost , we appeal to those involved in this practice to reflect deeply on the danger the practice pose to society and desist forthwith. We must put a stop to this menace and it is the duty of everybody to ensure this.
