ASUU Rejects Sexual harassment Bill, Says Bill targets Lecturers

Efforts by the Senate to prohibit sexual harassment in ter­tiary institutions yesterday suffered a setback as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) ve­hemently kicked against its passage, saying that if passed the Bill would ham­per university autonomy.

ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, stated this at a public hearing on the Bill organised by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters in Abuja yesterday.

According to him, “As a global norm, universities and other tertiary institu­tions are established by law as autonomous bodies and have their own laws regu­lating their affairs.

“This includes miscon­duct generally among both staff and students, clearly articulated appropriate re­dress mechanism.

“Any law or bill which seeks to supplant these laws violates the university autonomy.

“In this particular in­stance, the bill violates the Federal Government of Nigeria and ASUU agree­ment of 2009 and as such should be rejected.”

He also condemned the bill as being discrimina­tory arguing that it was targeted at lecturers.

The ASUU President said it was unfair for the Senate to have come up with such a bill, stressing that sexual harassment is a societal problem and not peculiar to tertiary institu­tions.