Abuja (Precise Post) – A former vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Professor Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, has expressed his full support for the whistleblowing policy against perpetrators of sexual harassment and other forms of immoral acts by lecturers in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
He also advocated the constitution of a committee involving academics, administrators and government representatives to look critically into the controversial Federal Government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and iron out the technical and peculiar aspects of the policy such as hiring and firing of workers.
Professor Ibidapo-Obe made the remarks recently on the sideline of the 11th convocation ceremony of Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, a faith-based private university.
He said for any male lecturer to sexually harass his female students for whatever reason is uncalled for and therefore totally condemnable.
“The act is terrible morally and also lowers the prestige universities are trying to attach to their products,” he stressed.
Ibidapo-Obe, a professor of computer science and chairman of the governing council of Crawford University, said every university should encourage whistle blowing policy to prevent such acts in the nation’s ivory towers.
On IPPIS, he said while government could take care of payment of salaries and infrastructural provision, the school should be left with the responsibility of staff recruitment without waiting for government’s approval of such exercise.
He urged the graduating students in the various disciplines to remain good ambassadors of the institution.
Giving statistics of the graduands earlier, the vice-chancellor, Professor Isaac Rotimi Ajayi, said 32 graduated with first class honours, with Miss Gloria Adagbogun from the Department of Biological Sciences emerging as the overall best.
