Senate to Commence Work On Constitution Amendment, Sexual Harassment Bill After Sallah

Posted by African Examiner African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State Wednesday, July 29th, 2020

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Nigeria’s Senate has announced it will commence the constitution amendment exercise after the Sallah break.

Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege who made the announcement Wednesday, noted that the sexual harassment bill which will be sponsored, was not targeted at lecturers.

The Delta-born Lawmaker made the disclosure when two groups: Women Education Advocacy and Development Initiative and League of Women Voters of Nigeria, paid him courtesy visit.

Omo-Agege clarified that the proposed law, recently passed by the Senate, was meant to flush out the few bad eggs tarnishing the image of university teachers.

Speaking further on the constitution amendment exercise, Omo-Agege explained that the committee would swing into action immediately after the Sallah break, which holds this weekend.

While promising that the Ugandan and Rwandan experiences would be taken account, with respect to the agitation by women on the constitution review exercise, Omo-Agege regretted that a few educators were soiling the image of their colleagues, majority of whom he described as ‘’decent’’.

“This bill is not targeted at our lecturers in tertiary institutions. To the extent that it is targeted at anybody, it is targeted at the errant few, the few predators in their midst.

“We have them everywhere. It is not only in the tertiary institutions. Majority of the lecturers, professors are good people. We know them, we went through the institutions.

“So we speak from experience. The majority of lecturers, professors in higher institutions are good and decent teachers whose sole objective is to impact knowledge so that we can have the enabling environment to prepare our leaders of tomorrow.

“So, this bill is targeted at the very insignificant few who cause most of these atrocities. And we have decided that we should put a stop to it. I am sure that even most of these lecturers know that they are not the target” the number two Senator restated

Omo-Agege promised he would strive so as to ensure that the bill gets Presidential assent once it receives concurrence from the House of Representatives.

The delegation was led by the Founder/President, League of Women Voters of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Esther Uduehi.