UNICAL FEMALE STUDENTS PROTEST AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT

UNICAL FEMALE STUDENTS PROTEST AGAINST SEXUAL HARASSMENT

 WE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALL THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN VICTIM OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT.

By Damiilola Owot

Workers and Youth Solidarity Network (WYSN) extend solidarity with the UNICAL female students for organising a protest against sexual harassment. We call on all other female students to stand against all forms of female oppression.

On the 15th of August, 2023, female students of the University of Calabar staged a protest on the university premises accusing a professor of law, Cyril Ndifon, of frequently harassing them. The organized students were seen chanting “Ndifon must go!” and displaying banners and placards with several provocative inscriptions, such as “we are tired of sucking dicks for marks”, “Law girls are not Bonanza”, “Prof Ndifon must stop Grabbing our Bum Bum”, “Prof Ndifon must go for our sanity”, “Prof Ndifon, let the girls with big breast breathe”, “the faculty of law is not a Brothel”, and many more.

This protest began after Prof. Ndifon was confirmed as the new Dean of the faculty. In a bid to save their lives and prevent the coming loom, the female students immediately took to the street to reject his appointment as the dean of the faculty. We commend the university management who immediately set a panel for the erring Prof. In the same vein, we are baffled by the recent outcry by the Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Professor Florence Bisong, on the threat by and the attempt of the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Ohaneye to shut the female students who were testifying before the panel investigating the sexual harassment claims. We fear that this process has been compromised and politicized. Hence, we doubt that any serious resolution will be made by the panel. In the leaked audio of the minister obtained from the Vanguard Newspaper on Friday, 15th of September, 2023, the Minister can be quoted saying;

“If your VC makes you go and lie against somebody, you will go to jail, trust me.”

We consider this threat unhealthy for the panel at this stage. We smell that the process is starting to get politicized, and we won’t be shocked if monetary value is introduced in order to change the whole narrative of the scandal. Hence, we hold that the membership of the panel must be democratically elected to the nominations from the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union, Students’ Union, Parents, Health and Social groups on campus, and government officials. This is essential so that there won’t be any biases in the course of the trial.

Similarly, we want to state categorically that the students who have come out boldly to protest should not be cajoled or threatened to be silent in the course of the trial. Furthermore, we want to state that evidence should not be suppressed and that no stone should be left untouched. We demand justice for all those who have been victims of sexual harassment and all those involved must be prosecuted so that it can serve as a deterrent for others.