By Olakunle Agboola – Walking in the middle of the road and deaf to the ruckus of the car horn. This might not be ordinary as I parked, alighted from the car and walked up to her. I tapped her from behind and she turned quickly but with tears falling down her dimpled cheeks uncontrollably. I pulled her from the middle of the road and asked, what the problem was. She looked at me with no response, as tears sprinted down her pretty face. I was a bit bothered of what the problem of this young lady could be. I asked for her name, department and where she stays but her response was bizarre. ‘’I am tired right now, and I want to die”
Last week, I was in one of the Universities in Nigeria to see a friend who works in the radio station on campus. I was on my way out of the campus on Friday evening, when I was faced with the infrequent act of a young lady lost in thought and walking in the middle of the road. I asked if I could take her to her hostel, but she said, she stays off campus. I introduced myself while I told her to stay calm and do not think of death as all will be well. I became a subtle balm with words to her battered soul, as I drove from the campus to her rented apartment in the city. I asked for her name and she said, she is Peju, a final year student of Economics.
Two of her friends walked up to her after she alighted from the car as she buried herself in their arms. I told the two of them how we met and then asked if they know what might be wrong with her. They nodded in approval, but their countenance shows they are not ready to talk about it. I did not want to press further as I gave them my card to call me if they need someone to talk to. They expressed gratitude as I headed to my hotel in the city. I had growl thought with flash of pictures on my mind but was unintelligible to know what the problem of Peju might be.
The second day was Saturday and I still have one or two things to do in the city before going back home. My phone rang and it was Peju calling. She said, she would like to discuss with me. I told her to come to a popular mall in the city by 4pm. At exactly 4pm, we met, and she told me her story.
” I am Peju, 22 years old and a final year Student of Economics. Right from my 100 level, I met a terrible lecturer who had interest in me. He told me I should be his ‘side chick’ while he promised me good grades throughout my academic pursuit in school. I was just 17 years old and I was shocked because I have been hearing of such senseless acts before getting to school and not knowing I was about to become a victim. This is a man in his early fifties; it is like dating your father. I turned him down that it will never happen.
I had my first-year examination and on checking my result, I realized I failed his course. I was shocked because it can never happen. This is a course that I know very well, and I did not expect to fail. I went to his office to complain and he laughed at me. He told me that I am acting my age and I can’t have this kind of curved and lovely body without being tasted. I was angry but restrained myself not abusing him. I begged him to see me as his daughter and let me pass. He told me that there is only one way, and that is sleeping with me or else I won’t graduate.
The pressure continued as I failed his course till 300 level and that was last year. I got to know it won’t be easy as he is good pressurizing students for sex and most times he wins in the struggle. Last year when a documentary by BBC exposed some lecturers in University of Lagos and Ghana sleeping with their students, I was happy. I thought I could do the same going to his office with a hidden camera to expose him.
I had reported him to the Dean of Student’s Affairs who said he will investigate the matter and call for my papers but at the end, nothing happened. The lecturer got to know that I reported him, and he was angry with me. He told me that I need to be careful not winding on a dangerous path that will cost me an extra year. Almost all lecturers sleeping with their students became more conscious after the BBC documentary revelation. This lecturer will search my bag and ask me to switch off my phone and put it on the table to be sure he is not been recorded anytime I am invited to his office.
As at that last year, a final year student came to me and told me that my case is on the table and I might fail other courses if I did not give in to my lecturer. She said some of these lecturers are cultist and offending one is like offending all. When you have evidence, it might not get through because they do defend themselves. She told me she was like me proving stubborn until she got frustrated and had to give in to sex so that she can graduate. I asked if this is all right and she said, it is never right but it is the system.
I got so scared not knowing what to do. I have invested so much to have a degree, not having a father or mother. I was the only survival of a ghastly motor accident that took the life of my family five years ago. I don’t have anybody to support me and all I do is to bake cakes for events and that is how I do support myself in school. I had to give in after a lot of mental agony and fear of dropping out without a degree. As at yesterday when you saw me walking in the middle of the road, I had lost my virginity to this lecturer. It is sad.
He said, he could not believe I am still a virgin with the kind of ‘killer’ body that I have. He said he thought he could have me like five times, but he is done with me because my virginal is skintight, and I am not enjoyable. He brought out my script and said I have passed his course and I am free to face second semester and graduate. l broke down in tears, while I wore my shoes and left his office. I have never been that humiliated in my life”
There is hardly any sign that sex-for-marks religion in some African tertiary institution will go away soon going by the testimony of Peju who her two friends, Vivian and Chioma attested to the sex abuse and molestation faced by female students in their University.
Vivian said, ”I am aware of the pressure on her for sex by her lecturer and several times I have told her to record their conversation on phone but was a bit difficult because he does not really converse on phone. He will just ask her to come to his office, if he wants to talk to her and on getting to his office, he will ask her to switch off her phone and drop it on the table. Also, he will search for any hidden camera before talking. He is a bit smart with his game”
Chioma attested to one or two occasions they have attempted to set the lecturer up but could not pin him down. ” We have asked Peju to beg him on phone for not having sex with her and allow her to pass his course while the conversation is recorded but we were surprised by his response. He said, ‘Peju, are you trying to set me up so that the school authority will believe that I am pressurizing you for sex and that is why you failed my course. You failed my course because you did not read and next time you come up with this nonsense, you will have yourself to blame’’. He dropped the phone. We were all surprised, but we have heard that he is very smart with his game”
Two years ago, a senior lecturer in the department of Accounting, at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Professor Richard Akindele, was caught through audio conversation negotiating sex for marks with his student. The same year, a University Professor at the University of Port Harcourt, River state, was reportedly caught red-handed having sex with his student in one of the lecturer rooms on campus at night and this went viral on social media.
Also, a seven minute recorded video of sexual harassment between an Engineering lecturer at the Ambrose Alli University , Ekpoma and some female students also went viral on social media. Similarly in 2005, the Lagos State University, Ojo, sacked a lecturer, who was also caught in the act of having sex with a 200-level undergraduate.
A dean at the University of Abuja was also uncovered in a sting operation demanding sex in exchange for marks from yet another female student. There is hardly any higher institution in Nigeria without this challenge. The then head of the English Department, University of Ilorin, allegedly resigned after a video surfaced in which he appeared to have harassed a 200-level female student.
Sex for Marks religion is not limited to Nigeria alone but it cuts across some part of Africa (Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Namibia, Egypt). We have gathered a lot of information from the tertiary institutions in these countries and we found out there are high level of sexual abuse and molestation of students by their lecturer
Studies conducted under the auspices of UNESCO revealed that sexual harassment of female students result in outcomes ranging from shame, loss of self-esteem, unwanted pregnancies, poor academic performance and, in some extreme cases, suicide. These are borne out in a United Kingdom parliamentary report that said sexual harassment experienced at university can lead to psychological, emotional and physical harm, as well as negatively influencing victims.
Mrs. Bolanle Thomas, The CEO of Cease the sex for marks has been fighting for ten years to end the culture of Sex for grades making head ways in Nigeria’s Tertiary Institution as she has had several meetings with the management of several tertiary institutions in Nigeria and some other part of African countries on how to curb this menace.
”Being a victim of sexual abuse in the University, I can’t but think less of fighting for innocent ladies out there. You need to be in our shoes to experience the phycological trauma of stupid lecturers taking advantage of their students. According to a study conducted for students who had experienced sexual violence, we found out that 27 per cent contemplated suicide or self-harm, 15 per cent developed an eating disorder and 15 per cent abused alcohol or drugs. Fifty per cent experienced a negative impact on their academic performance and 11 per cent indicated that the progress of their studies was delayed”
”Sex for marks is suicidal and it is not what we should take for granted. I have lost a friend to this act and I could have also killed myself in my final year, if not for the intervention of a close friend who is now my husband. It was not a good experience and I am not always happy with these sexual predators”
Sex for marks in tertiary institutions will continue to generate a lot of concern, most especially, lazy students who intentionally wants to sleep with their lecturer in other to come out of school with good grades and also the likes of Peju, who will continue to be pressurized for sex by their lecturer, if they continue to keep silent. Nevertheless, Universities need to put a lot of measures to address harassment, provide clear information on how to report an incident, and ensure the incident is well investigated. Also, the monopoly of a course by one lecturer should be addressed to have two or three lecturers coordinating a course. Training of staffs and students on sexual harassment should be not be taken lightly as it will reduce the scourge of this menace.
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