Rivers State College of Health Science and Management Technology has extended the suspension of one of its lecturers, and Head of Department of Dental Surgery Technician, Princewill Chikpaobi by three months.
Princewill Chikpaobi was suspended in connection with an allegation of sexual harassment of a female in his Department.
Recall that the mother of the female student had on 16 April, 2021, alleged that her daughter was raped by a lecturer in the college.
The Provost of the College Professor, Franklin Nlerum, while announcing the suspension to newsmen in Port Harcourt, said the school management decided to commence the lecturer suspension from 5 August, 2021.
“Based on the report of the panel setup to inquire into the sexual harassment case of a female student in the lecturer’s Department, the College took a critical decision to extend the suspension order of Princewill Chikpaobi by three months.
“Within the period of suspension, his appointment as Head of Department, Dental Surgery Technician, is suspended. He has been relieved of the office as Department head and he has also been placed on half salary all through the suspension”.
The Provost of the College, however, dismissed the earlier case of rape alleged by the student for lack of sufficient evidence provided to the panel investigating matter.
“According to the committee, the student was told to bring report of medical test conducted on her to prove she was raped, but she was unable to produce the test result. Base on that, the committee decided they can not establish a rape case without the student providing the medical report confirming she was raped.
“We would not tolerate acts of indiscipline perpetrated by students and lecturers, especially as it has to do with rape, sexual harassment, sex for marks or money for marks. We are directing all students of the College to feel free to report any act perpetrated against them by any staff of the College”
Also, a Right Group in Rivers state has commended the revelation made by the Provost on the matter.
A statement on Monday, signed by IK Alexander of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign and Mrs Jane James of Legal Care Advocacy Foundation who brought the matter to public domain, lauded the Management of the institution for making the panel’s report known to the public and also sanctioning the lecturer.
The statement further said that 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.
The statement added that the action of the College will boost the morale of the student to report cases of sexual harassment without fear of the unknown”.
It would be recalled that the right groups had filed a formal compliant at the Human Right Desk, of Rivers State Police Command Headquarters Moscow road, following a compliant by the mother of the female student, Mrs Lemon Gbara to the Right Groups that a lecturer allegedly raped her daughter in his office in April, 2021.
The institution inaugurated a panel to investigate the allegation levelled against the lecturer following call by the Right Groups and public outcry.
