Sex-For-Marks OAU Lecturer Conviction, A Victory For Virtuous Women And Our Society – Luqman Soliu, The President Of Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA)
Professor Richard Iyiola Akindele, a former lecturer in the department of management and accounting of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife has been in the news for the past few months when the story of how he was oppressing a student; Monica Osagie, to let him have carnal knowledge of her so as to pass her got to the public through a recorded conversation in the media.
Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA) have been following the event with keen interest and it was learnt that a court in Osogbo on Monday December 17, 2018 sentenced the licentious former lecturer to two-year imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the crime. This is a good development. Luck ran out of the randy lecturer who was supposed to inculcate high level of both morals and educational standards in his students but opted for the ignominious act of intimidating students for his immoral acts.
Although the University has conducted a fair trial that culminated in his disengagement from the University, there is urgent need to scrutinize other lecturers by providing avenues for other people (students and non-students) who might have been victims to report their experience without being exposed to public ridicule.
Prof Akindele might not be alone in his distasteful intimidation of innocent students whose offence was only that they were students and female whose natural physique appealed to the lecturers and were to be defiled under a sacrilegious circumstance.
However, it was disheartening, regrettable and worrisome that a heroine; Mrs Monica Osagie that would have been awarded national honour in a sane society for being courageous to resist an unsolicited and undeserved sexual intimidation and harassment has now become a laughing stock. It was reported that wherever she went for job, they did deny her opportunity to secure job on the excuse that they were not looking for a whistle-blower.
Such disgusting statements from people are capable of demoralizing other courageous women from resisting oppressions. This must stop. To all activists, she deserves national honour like her fellow woman liberator; Barrister Firdaus Amasa who liberated oppressed women lawyers in Nigeria. The duo must be included in the list of people to be awarded national honour in the nearest future.
More so, other Universities, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Monotechnics need to expedite action at creating a platform or media through which students can report such unworthy lecturers’ misdemeanour to appropriate authorities for necessary actions as there are many lecturers who fail or threaten to fail students that do not purchase their textbooks or hand outs or consults their agents for research works and or related assignments. The Students’ Union of various schools should also be alive to their responsibilities by ensuring students have direct and save media to report any challenge they may be facing in schools while prompt action should be taken to resolve such grievances or displeasing conditions.
Various human rights organizations should also beam their search lights on our educational institutions so as to liberate many students who may be jittery of not wanting to fail if report or resist a lecturer’s abnormal exploit. This would ensure our women are protected and guided from such evil eyes.
RIFA opine that parents and guardians as well as peers and religious groups should also be teaching their children and members significance of being virtuous and abstain from out-of wedding sexual affairs. Mrs Osagie has proved to be a responsible woman that was well-trained and was not ready to be molested.
Therefore, let other girls or women who turned to “aristo” on the campus or in offices turn a new leaf. This would bring sanity to our society and send people like Prof Richard Akindele out of our higher institutions of learning at no distant time.
Luqman Soliu
President,
Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA)
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