By Israel A. Ebije
THE recurring abysmal behaviour of some lecturers putting the future of Nigerian youths in jeopardy on account of their sex-related demands in exchange for grades has been a torment for female students. The trending nude pictures of a lecturer, (name withheld), at the Ibrahim Badamasi University, Lapai, over alleged case of victimization has indeed forced me to look at all the possible sides of the divide, fearing the worst and probably understanding the direction of the collapsing centre of trust in our citadels of learning.
I have once suffered actions of a lecturer who forced my graduating Grade Point Average some infinitesimal but damaging points downward. My younger sister was forced to go for an extra year when a randy lecturer vowed he would send her away from school unless she succumbs to his amorous desires. She refused but did not graduate with her colleagues until a whole year after.
The case of the lecturer in question is shocking, embarrassing and as a friend and colleague, I feel personally involved. For me, it calls for a detailed investigation. As a lecturer in the same university, I am drenched in the rain of shame, as the reputation of my university, which was on the path of glory, has suddenly suffered a devastating blow on its outstanding credibility and integrity.
With the experience of pains on account of wicked lecturers back in my school days, I am still confident the system might collapse if students are made to believe they can turn in nude pictures online and get applause on claims of sexual assaults. The Internet is awash with nasty images that only dent images of credible institutions like IBBUL.
The lady involved in the saga alleged the lecturer who she claimed “failed” her since 300 levels victimized her.
Apparently desperate in her final year, she resolved to expose the man to avert a reccurrence. It is, however, interesting to note that she has denied complicity in the leak, insisting that she should be excused from the lecturer’s predicament.
According to what she wrote on her Facebook handle, “I am not against the public saying negative [things] about me. It has come to my notice everyone is saying a lot about me even the one I don’t have idea of, but it is allowed, your opinion doesn’t count. I have no hand in the spreading of the picture flying about the Internet.”
If the alleged whistle-blower didn’t, then who did? The case is having a twist already. Why would those behind the leak distance themselves? The purpose of the leak is to fight back at perpetrators of sex for grades in higher institutions. Why are those behind the expose in denial? While the question of what had transpired is shrouded in mystery for now, the cold fear of students with devious attitude agitates the mind, as we might just be approaching an era where lecturers may become preys in the mouths, of unserious students.
The trend of nasty lecturers preying on decent young female students and married women may have exposed decorous lecturers to lugubrious plots of unserious students to whittle the command/control of their examiners. The rate at which instant judgment is delivered against lecturers, suggests that a nasty aura looms between students and their teachers.
The recently disgraced IBBUL lecturer may have brought it upon himself, but we must go beyond what appears like an obvious scenario. It is instructive to understand that he is a strict lecturer who advocates due process, a stance that naturally will make him most hated and subject to blackmail. If the lady in question actually failed his paper, did she call for a re-mark?
The committee set up to investigate the matter must be thorough. It is instructive to know if the student had raised the issue and the school turned a blind eye. It is also important for the school to order a re-mark for the alleged paper failed. The lecturer must name his “abductors.” It must be proven if the man is a frequent guest, or he came on his own volition on that fateful day. He was beaten and his vehicle destroyed, suggesting cohesion from abductors or defiance of the lecturer.
It is also instructive to advise against pasting of nude pictures of lecturers online. Students must explore every single legal means in the school to get justice. Setting up lecturers destroys the sanctity of citadels of learning, the personae of the lecturer is irreparably destroyed no matter the direction the case swings. The nude pictures have come to stay on the pervasive cyberspace. As for the student, she is apparently exposed to attacks from supporters of the lecturer.
Institutions of higher learning must establish strong examination audit units on campus to deal with randy lecturers on the prowl.
A strong and reliable taskforce will go a long way in mitigating the collapsing centre of trust as student and lecturer relationship fades into destruct, and apathy. Parents are already nursing fears over what becomes of their young daughters. At the end, the cardinal lesson is for lecturers and students to strike boundaries defined by law.
Ebije writes from Abuja