The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has charged authorities of higher institutions to ensure a conducive learning environment for students, who are consumers of the schools’ educational services.
Mr Babatunde Irukera, CPC’s Director-General, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja said authorities could do this by diligently confronting sexual harassment and other related conduct within the institutions.
He said this while commending the ongoing prosecution of the dismissed lecturer of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prof. Richard Akindele, by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
According to Irukera, such a commitment from the leadership of the institutions will not only be re-assuring to students, but will also restore institutional reputation.
“CPC re-emphasises the need for learning institutions to assiduously address sexual harassment and other ancillary conduct in order to promote or restore institutional reputation.
“This will ensure that students, being consumers of educational services, can pursue scholarship on campuses that provide safe and liberal environments where the relationship between faculty and students leads to robust and confident knowledge sharing.
“We are delighted by the news that Prof. Akindele has been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and is being criminally prosecuted for his gross and abusive conduct.
“The diligent prosecution and cooperation of all relevant stakeholders is vital to deterring others with this type of abhorrent tendencies from perpetrating such conduct,” Irukera said.
The Council had on April 30, issued a statement condemning the alleged act reported to have been perpetrated by the lecturer, requesting the university authorities to thoroughly investigate the allegations.
Similarly, the Council, in a swift reaction to the dismissal of the professor by the university after a transparent investigation, on June 21, commended OAU authorities.
It also insisted that appropriate retribution for the conduct in accordance with extant criminal laws should be pursued to the fullest extent.
