Lawmakers to Consider Students’ Sexual Harassment Bill at Committee of the Whole

The House of Representatives on Wednesday resolved to consider the bills seeking to prevent, prohibit and redress sexual harassment of Students in Tertiary Educational Institutions and for and for related matters to the Committee of the Whole.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of the motion sponsored by Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Hon. Francis Waive who underscored the need to re-commit the bill to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.

According to him, The House notes that pursuant to Order Twelve, Rule 17 of the Standing Orders, the House may, upon being re-gazetted or circulated, reconsider in the Committee of the Whole, without commencing de-novo, the Bill(s) (a) whose report was presented by the Committee before consideration: (b) passed by the House and forwarded to the Senate for concurrence for which no concurrence was made or negative; (c) passed by the Senate and forwarded to the House for which no concurrence was made or negative; (d) passed by the preceding Assembly and forwarded to the President for assent but for which assent or withholding therefore was not communicated before the end of the tenure of the preceding Assembly.

“The House also notes that the under-listed Bills were passed by the preceding Assembly and forwarded to the President for assent but for which assent or withholding thereof was not communicated before the end of the tenure of the last Assembly.

The bill was sponsored by the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Hon. Akin Rotimi.

This Bill is enacted to promote and protect ethical standards in tertiary education, the sanctity of the student-educator relationship in the tertiary educational institutions across the country.

It also seeks to ensure dependency, trust and respect for human dignity in tertiary educational institutions by providing for protection of students against sexual harassment by educators in tertiary educational institutions; prevention of sexual harassment of students by educators in tertiary educational institutions; and redress of complaints of sexual harassment of students by educators in tertiary educational institutions.

As stipulated in the proposed bill, institution means any public or private tertiary or post-secondary educational institution in Nigeria and this includes any university, polytechnic, monotechnic, or college of education.

It also defined sexual intercourse as “penetration of a sexual nature of the vagina or anus or mouth of the student by the penis or mouth or finger of the educator or any instrument or toy by the educator and for this purpose, a male student can be sexually harassed by a female educator.”

The student according to the bill, refers to any person enrolled in any educational or training programs of a tertiary educational institution or post-secondary institution.