An NGO, Exam Ethics Marshals International (EEMI), says it has received 1,700 signed online petitions to fast track the passage of the Sexual Harassment Bill before the National Assembly.

Mr Ike Onyechere, the Founder of the organisation, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.

According to Onyechere, 56 per cent of the petitioners are women, while 44 per cent are men.

“This indicates that men and women are equally concerned about the sex-for-grades pandemic in the tertiary institutions,” he said.

He said that the objective of the NO-TO-SEX-FOR-GRADE Campaign was to get one million people to sign the petition to the National Assembly.

He noted that the first effort to pass the Sexual Harassment in Education Institutions Prohibition Bill started in 2016, but it died with the termination of the 8th Assembly.

“1,700 change agents have signed the online petition to Nigeria’s National Assembly to fast track action on the passage of the sexual harassment in educational institutions prohibition bill as at Monday, Nov. 18, 2019.

“The petition to fast track the sex-for-grade prohibition legislation, activated on Nov. 1; EEMI is in continuation of the Exam Ethics Campaign launched in 1996 to promote exam ethics and combat exam malpractice in education in Africa.

“Sex-for-Grades is one of the 33 types of exam malpractices that have been the focus of the campaign,” he said.

According to him, Sex-for-Grades is the practice of male lecturers blackmailing, forcing, intimidating and demanding sex from their female students as condition for awarding them pass marks in their courses.

He explained that the petition had inspired other petitions for the passage of similar sexual harassment prohibition laws in educational institutions in seven other African countries.

According to him, these countries include: Ghana, Liberia, Tanzania, South-Africa, Benin Republic, Egypt and Rwanda.

“In addition to signing the petition, some petitioners are also sharing their experiences.

“Ex-female students have narrated stories of their traumatic experiences in the hands of some of their male lecturers.

“Some female students narrated what they are currently going through. Parents also shared the experiences of their children.

“The story paints the picture of invasion of tertiary institutions by sexual predators masquerading as lecturers,” he said. (NAN)