Sexual Harassment: Why I contemplated leaving UNICAL – Female student

Sexual Harassment: Why I contemplated leaving UNICAL – Female student

By Offiong Edet

A law professor, who has been suspended over alleged sexual harassment of female students, is being investigated by the university.

A female law student at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Cross River State, said the recent sexual harassment stories in the school’s law faculty were “very scary” to the extent that she contemplated leaving the school.

The student, who is a fresher, spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, on Wednesday, on the university campus.

“I am a fresh student and just resuming school for my second semester to hear of this saga is very scary, I must admit. I thought of doing a transfer to another institution but then I realised it can happen anywhere,” she said, while requesting that her name should not be mentioned in the story for fear of victimisation.

The student, however, said she had not been harassed by any lecturer since she got into the school.

She said having an evidence to back up sexual harassment allegation is really what is needed to nail lecturers who are sexual predators but that it could be difficult, for instance, to set one’s phone on a recording mode since most students would not have anticipated any harassment from their teacher.

“Imagine a lecturer will be like carry my books to the lecture hall or probably you are the course rep and you think it’s normal and right.

“Most times you never have the proof because you don’t enter a lecturer’s office with the idea of saying let me keep my phone to record. That’s not even in your mind at that time,” she said, adding that the best way to fight sexual harassment in schools is for the survivors to speak out.

“I hope the (university) management does something about this so it doesn’t repeat itself. Prof Cyril Ndifon is a good lawyer, a professor of law and has a lot of influence in the state. If this matter is not probed properly, I can say he will win again because this is not the first time,” another 100 level female law student, who stood close to the other, cut in.

The University of Calabar recently suspended the law professor, Cyril Ndifon as the dean, Faculty of Law, after some female law students held a protest rally, accusing him of sexual harassment.

The professor, who has denied the allegation, said some lecturers who were uncomfortable with his style of leadership manipulated the students against him.

The university has set up a committee to investigate the allegations against Mr Ndifon.

The Vice-Chancellor, Florence Obi said that the students who made the allegations would be required to present evidence against Mr Ndifon.

Mr Ndifon, was previously suspended by the school authority in 2015 after he was accused of raping a 20-year-old law student in his office, an allegation the professor challenged in court.

His suspension was lifted about a year after, under unclear circumstances – our reporters could not find evidence that the court exonerated the professor.