BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Eyitope Ogunbodede, has decried and sought for concerted efforts to end rape of girls and women in the society.
Ogunbodede made this known during this year’s International Women’s Day organised by Centre for Gender and Social Policy Studies, OAU, at Main Hall Africa Centre of Excellence in ICT-Driven Knowledge Park of the school.
Ogunbodede reaffirmed that it has become a taboo for any female gender to be raped in the university community adding that the institution would maintain zero tolerance for sexual harassment on campus.
He said other tertiary institutions may cover-up the perpetrators of evils, but OAU would not condone such, but would give justice as and when due to anyone found culpable.
Also speaking, the guest speaker, Morenikeji Ukpong, a Professor of Pediatrics Dentistry of the university, condemned sexual harassment of girls and women.
Ukpong said that raping of girls and women even in Hijab in the society has been so rampant, adding that majority of girls from the range of 0-12 years have their first sex experience through rape.
She reiterated that rape is a growing silent epidemic that we all need to speak against and stop blaming the victim of circumstances.
