Group Hails Indictment Of Lecturer For Sexually Harassing Female Student
2 min read
Edith CHUKU
A rights group in Rivers State, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign has commended the management of the Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology, on the revelations made on the case involving a lecturer, who is also the Head of Department of Dental Surgery Technician in the institution, Mr. Princewill Chicakpobi.
The group gave this commendation shortly after the provost of the institution, Professor Franklyn Nlerum announced the extension by three months of the suspension of Chicakpobi who was indicted by the school panel for sexual harassment.
The lecturer was accused of raping a female year one student, but the rape could not be established because the female student was not able to provide medical test result to prove she was raped.
It will be recalled that the mother of the female student had on the 16th of April this year alleged that her daughter was raped by a lecturer in the college.
The provost, while announcing the suspension which took effect from the 5th of August 2021, also disclosed that Mr. Chicakpobi Princewill has been relieved of his appointment as Head of Department within this period, following the report of the panel.
The rights group in a statement on Monday, August 16, 2021, jointly signed by IK Alexander of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign and Mrs. Jane James of Legal Care Advocacy Foundation that brought the matter to public domain, commended the Management of the institution for making the report of the panel known to the public and also sanctioning the lecturer.
The statement said ”the action taken by the institution against the lecturer will serve as a deterrent to other lecturers and students who may have the desire to engage in sexual violence on campus and reassure members of the public that the college has zero tolerance for sexual related offences.”
It added that the action of the institution will boost the morale of the student to report cases of sexual harassment without fear of the unknown.
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It would be recalled that the right groups had filed a formal compliant at the human rights desk, of Rivers State Police headquarters Moscow road, following a complaint by the mother of the female student, Mrs. Lemon Gbara to the right groups that the lecturer allegedly raped her daughter in his office two months ago.
