The University of Abuja (UniAbuja) on Monday disclosed that the institution has dismissed two professors over alleged s-xu-l harassment.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Abdul-Rasheed Na-Allah, made this known in an interview with NAN in New York, United States of America.
According to him, the university had introduced a policy on s-x abuse on campus, saying the policy had been published.
Na-Allah, who was on a two–day visit to the US, to meet with the University of Abuja Alumni Association, USA chapter, to solicit support for the institution, stated that female students in the university need to be protected
He said the institution is committed to high moral standards, stressing that it will not tolerate any act of misconduct perpetrated by its staff against students.
“I have dismissed two professors since I became the vice-chancellor. It tells you how we are serious about the issue of sexual harassment.
“We are collaborating with some Non-Governmental Organisations, NGOs, to ensure that it is not only uniAbuja that is addressing this issue, but we have a strong partnership.
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“We cannot allow the lives of our students to be destroyed, most of the abuses destroy the lives and destinies of their victims,” he said.
The VC noted that the university is currently investigating the activities of lecturers who are fond of abusing female students.
The VC of UniAbuja, said that the university was working round the clock to make sure the institution become number one in Nigeria, adding that ”the best way is to improve on academics of the student.
“We are trying to provide all the facilities that the students need, for instance, the smart classrooms, internet facilities on campus and other areas.’’
Na-Allah further said that the Centre for Distance Learning (CDL), in the university was among the best in Nigeria, adding that Nigerians in the diaspora could take programmes anywhere in the world from the centre virtually.
“People from everywhere in the world are students from first degree up to PhD level at the CDL. Things are easier now; you can even do your defence on zoom.
“We have created a virtual classroom system and we are working with the National University Commission (NUC), to see that its policies are reversed in such a way to support the virtual system.
“We are collaborating with the University of Arizona, U.S because it has a large virtual system and we are exploring relationship for online programmes with the university,’’ he said.
The University of Abuja is a tertiary institution in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, established in January 1988, as a dual-mode University, with the mandate to run conventional and distance learning programmes.