He says the bill threatens educators and does not cover them as well.
The Senate 's latest sexual harassment bill is unacceptable to the educators of the country, says a former Chairman of the University of Lagos, the Academic Workers Group of Universities of the country (ASUU), Dr Laja Odukoya.
On Tuesday 7 July 2020, after the third reading of this Plenary session the bill "The 2019 Bill for the Prevention, Prohibition and Remediation of Sexual Harassment of Students in and on High Schools of Pedagogical Relations" was adopted.
The law forbids lecturers from having or requiring students or prospective students to have sexual intercourse; make sexual advances or encourage another person to commit sexual harassment.
Speaking on Thursday, the 10th of July at an interview on Channels TV, Odukoya said that ASUU is against sexual crimes and educates the public not to jeopardize their role as educators.
He said, however, that the bill is also discriminatory and targets some people in the face of a problem he claims to be prevalent across society.
Odukoya said the section is 'wrenching,' as students are also aware of compromising teachers to get out of higher institutions.
He said there are laws in the country that are already covering the issues raised in the bill and that it is targeting lecturers only needlessly.
The bill forbids teachers to whistle, smile, stalk, make sexual comments, or make sexually flattering or uncomplimentary remarks regarding a student's physique.
They are also prohibited from grabbing, embracing, kissing, rubbing, stroking, touching, or pinching a student's body's breasts, hair, lips, thighs, buttocks, or any other sensual portion.
Upon arrest, criminals can be sentenced to a maximum of two years or a maximum of 14 years ' imprisonment with fines or both.
The bill would be conveyed for debate to the House of Representatives and then to President Muhammadu Buhari to either reject or sign.
Content created and supplied by: thegrapher (via Opera News )
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