TheCable

Dino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west, says some men do not have the “anointing” to resist sexual harassment.

Speaking at plenary on Tuesday during a debate on a bill prohibiting sexual harassment of students by educators in tertiary educational institutions, Melaye said sexual harassment was a two-way traffic.

He argued that some students willfully seduce their lecturers with the aim of getting academic favours.

“I support wholeheartedly that this bill be enacted to stand as deterrent to lecturers who take advantage of female students,” he said.

“However, the seductive and provocative‎ dresses of our students who enter offices of lecturers who have no anointing to resist sexual temptation should be discouraged.”

The bill, sponsored by Ovie Omo-Agege, lawmaker representing Delta central, and co-sponsored by 46 other senators, seeks to completely prohibit any form of sexual relationship between lecturers and their students.

It prescribes five-year jail term for lecturers who engage in sexual relationship with students.

The bill also has provisions to sanction students who falsely accuse lecturers of sexual harassment. Such students could face dismissal from the school but no jail term was prescribed.

It states that the consent of the student shall not serve, in anyway, as a defence, as the bill seeks to completely ban lecturer-student relationships.

The bill passed second reading at the senate on Wednesday.