As the issue of sexual harassment in higher institutions continues to bother many stakeholders, authorities of the University of Port Harcourt have taken a proactive measure to curb it.
The institution has banned hugging between male lecturers and female students, though seemingly silent on hugging between female lecturers and male students.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Ndowa E. S. Lale, said the school would now consider such an embrace with resentment to the extent that those who broke the rules would be severely punished.
At the unveiling of the policy, held at the Ebitime Banigo Hall in the varsity, Late said the it decided to the bar on sexual harassment to ensure that the young men and women put in the charge of lecturers are protected, especially from antics of sexual predators who use their privileged positions to blackmail or railroad their unwilling students or subordinate staff into granting them sexual favours.
In the past ew months, the issue of sex for marks came to the fore when the BBC released a report of the indictment of two lecturers at the University of Lagos.
Via an undercover investigation, it allegedly found the lecturers – and another one in Ghana – in compromising positions with female students, with the video reports going viral and raising the ire of many.
UNIAG has since set up an investigative panel with its report still being expected.
The UNIPORT VC was also quoted as saying that the management of the University in the policy document defined the rules of engagement in terms of the acceptable of engagement between lecturers, administrators and students, including visitors to the university. Prof Ndowa vowed that sanctions would be meted to earring members of staff but added that there was a robust in built checks and balances to protect those who are innocently accused.
