I Was Sexually Harassed By Lecturer in UNIBEN fomer NDDC Boss, Ibim Semenitari reveals

Former acting managing director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Ibim Semenitari, has recounted how she was sexually harassed by a lecturer in the University of Benin (UNIBEN).

In a Facebook post, yesterday, she said she was 15-years-old and fresher when she was sexually harassed by a male lecturer.

Stating that she was a devoted Christian who did her best to study hard during her school years, Ibim said the harassment caused her two-years of her education and a change of degree and faculty.

“The matter of sexual harassment in Nigeria is worsened by the fact that society doesn’t understand the matter of power relations and always manages to find an excuse always for the violators.”

In a related development, National President, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Bamidele Akpan, claimed he has received over 70 complaints from victims of sexual harassment between Monday night and yesterday noon.

NANS President, in a statement said: “I am glad that Nigerian female students are opening up with lots of confidence, even though their parents are disregarding societal stigmatisation. Most of the female students present facts and evidences and are ready to come public to speak.”

He alleged that academic and non-academic labour unions and principals of schools were culpable in the sexual harassment against female students in tertiary institutions. They protect/shield their randy colleagues from being disgraced and prosecuted. We would soon end that era of sexual harassment in our campuses.