Sex-For-Marks: Beyond The Symptoms

The dismissal by the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State of Prof Richard Akindele for alleged involvement in sex-for-marks scandal meets the public clamour for forceful intervention in this patently unfair and sordid arena.

It has gone on for far too long. The controversy had been public knowledge and trended for long in the social media. The statement of the university that: “OAU has zero tolerance for sexual harassment and as a renowned university will do everything humanly possible to maintain the rules and regulations of the university,” should be taking as a clear indication of the resolve of the university for zero-tolerance on the issue of sexual harassment. We are also in full agreement with the position of the victim’s lawyer, Mrs. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi that it is a victory, not for the harassed student alone but also for other students in Nigerian Schools.

She said: “We hope it will be a lesson for other predators. It’s been a tortuous journey. We do hope lessons are learnt by all. For the institutions, it’s important that mechanisms are in place to checkmate sexual harassment”.

“There should be a whistle-blower policy that can protect informants from being further victimised. The school system should be more accessible and sensitive to students’ situations…”

Mrs. Afolabi-Akiyode has hit on a central crux of the matter. There is a structural defect involved.

The injunction “do not lead us into temptation” is obvious here. A system in which one person can dictate the terms of engagement, not just to unilaterally set the examination questions but in addition to dictate the scores is fraught with great dangers. Such a system must be redefined. There ought to be a more collegial system, as well as a revised appeal and review system.

The tertiary education as of now is actually in need of a structural revamp. The absurdity of the certificate saga of the embattled rector of Igbajo polytechnic, Igbajo also in Osun State is bizarre to say the least. Allegations of fraudulent credentials against a person who has risen, presumably by subterfuge to the pinnacle of a system suggests that there is more than a lot wrong. We must therefore go beyond responding to salacious headlines to a root and branch approach.

In an earlier period when the universities had better budgets, the safeguards of external examiners from other universities were firmly entrenched. External Universities even came from Universities abroad. To give so much power to a single individual does not make sense and is blatantly unfair and can lead even a saint into temptation.

We are therefore of the opinion that only a systemic shift in the clearly dysfunctional assessment processes of the universities can tackle the problem at the root. Nevertheless, great commendations and indeed kudos to Obafemi Awolowo for taking a decisive step in the right direction.