Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State on Sunday promised to take decisive measures against lecturers in state-owned tertiary institutions for harassment and other forms of abuse on students.
He made this known while addressing members of the National Union of Kebbi State Students during the inauguration and swearing-in ceremony of the body’s new executive members in Birnin Kebbi.
Bagudu said the decision became necessary with a view to sanitising the institutions and promote smooth and conducive learning environment for students devoid of maltreatment and harassment of any kind.
The governor said: “I want to urge you as students from various tertiary institutions in the state to report any form of abuse or harassment to government to avoid undergoing unnecessary depressions.
“I also want to charge you to create communication channels for female students to express themselves and you must also be champions of advocacy for students to instil more efforts to excel in your academic in line with your IQs.”
He lamented that people sent their sons and daughters to school, “but only to be blind that for some of them, schools are hell.
“If you are not bold enough to say it, we can set an agenda to National Union of Kebbi State Students.
“Such agenda including that we want our daughters and sons to enjoy schools and provide oppositions to sexual harassment, any form of intimidation that would take them away from being in schools.
“It is not easy to say it, but there must be a way to say it. I urge our female students to know that nothing stopped them from organising themselves one day and invite the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Higher Education.
“This can be done by sending her email, or message that they want to share their experience with her if there is something,” Bagudu advised.
The governor, who emphasised on extra efforts to excel, noted that a recent academic study on 30 years period, had shown that successful men did not succeed with their only IQs, but with persistent efforts.
“A study on 30 years period has discovered that, there are many things more than IQ that contributed to success in life. Those other things, among them, are efforts.
“They found out that the most important thing to success is efforts, they understudied icons in sports, people like Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson in music and Bill Gate in technology.
“They discovered that they put more efforts, hours in practicing and correcting.
“So, I urge the National Union of Kebbi State Students to put on top of their agenda how to help in reviving the helping culture, how to let students aware of the competition they are facing with other students elsewhere,” he admonished.
Bagudu advised each of them to play an important role to motivate other students in their communities during their holidays on their careers, their future, assuring that such were wonderful initiatives to develop the societies.
The Commissioner for Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, Alhaji Aminu Garbage, charged the new executive officers of the union to lead the students better and transparently.
Speaking after the inauguration, the National President of the Union, Malam Kabiru Samaila-Warah, said the new executive would create new channels to generate income for the union.
He also promised to organise career talks across primary and secondary schools across the state in an effort to mentor the young ones. (NAN)