Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na-Allah, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, said that the university has taken a hard stance against academics who sexually harass students and that two professors have been fired for their involvement in the offense.
On Monday, in New York, Na’Allah reported to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the institution had implemented a policy regarding sexual abuse on campus, and that the policy had been publicized.
Na-Allah, who was on a two-day visit to the United States to
join with the University of Abuja Alumni Association, USA chapter, to proffer support for the institution, stated that “female students needed to be protected.” Na-Allah was in the United States to meet with the University of Abuja Alumni Association, USA chapter.
According to him, the establishment is dedicated to upholding high moral standards and would not allow any act of wrongdoing performed by its staff members against the institution’s pupils.
“Since I have been the Vice Chancellor, I have been responsible for the termination of two professors. This should make it clear to you how seriously we take the problem of sexual harassment.
“We are partnering with several Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), to ensure that it is not just us that are tackling this issue, but that we have a solid collaboration. This will ensure that we are not the only ones working on this problem,” he said.
Because the majority of abuses end in the victims’ deaths, “We cannot allow the lives of our pupils to be destroyed,” as this statement translates to: “We cannot allow the lives of our students to be destroyed.”
“it was heartbreaking to see certain instructors, who are meant to be defending the female students, become one of their difficulties,” remarked the vice chancellor of the university.
“This is an issue that affects universities throughout Nigeria, not just the University of Abuja by itself.”
However, the University of Abuja is putting a lot of effort into it since we are aware that this is one of the problems that has to be fixed in order to develop our institution into one of the greatest in Nigeria.
According to what he told NAN, “as we speak, there are multiple investigations being conducted by a committee that has been established in order to solve the matter.”
The Vice Chancellor (VC) stated that the university was working nonstop to ensure that the institution became number one in Nigeria.
He added that “the best way is to improve on the academics of the student.”
“We are doing our best to give all of the amenities that the students need, such as providing smart lecture halls, internet facilities on campus, and other places,”
Na-Allah continued by stating that the university’s Center for Distance Learning (CDL) was among the best in Nigeria. He also mentioned that Nigerians living outside of the country could virtually attend programs offered by the center from any location in the world.
“Students at the CDL range from first-year undergraduates to those working on their doctorates, and they come from every corner of the globe. Things have become more simpler, and you can even perform your defense using zoom now.
“We have developed a system for online classrooms, and we are now collaborating with the National University Commission (NUC) to ensure that its regulations are revised in such a manner as to make virtual systems more acceptable.
“We are collaborating with the University of Arizona in the United States because it has a large virtual system, and we are exploring relationship for online programs with the university,” he said. “We are collaborating with the university because it has a large virtual system.”
The University of Abuja is a tertiary institution that can be found in the city of Abuja, which serves as the capital of Nigeria.
It was founded in January 1988 as a dual-mode university, which means that it is tasked with managing both traditional and online learning programs. (NAN/vitalnews)
