There is no need rehashing line by line the recorded phone convo that circulated a few years ago on WhatsApp Naija and Naija in the diaspora.
Weโve all heard the crass Professor soliciting for sex to upgrade a female student who may eventually have given in or not.
Many of us sat in judgement at the moral council and dished out justice. Smh!
That said, the convo wasnโt shocking to many; this was just about the Prof who got caught; the one who showed us as in a mirror, how decadent our educational system in Nigeria is; even the so-called press release issued by the university after the leaked phone convo is riddled with errors.
But as is typical with us, humans in general, we hate what we look like in the mirror and so we begin to treat the symptoms rather than the disease.
The treatment came in comments both offline and online and some got my back up.
The โI support women but she should have studied harderโ, comments, the โwar roomโ types, the โif you donโt demand for your scripts, it means you deserve itโ types.
If youโve never been a victim of sexual abuse, nor have a sister or daughter who has been through it, shut your trap, you donโt qualify to talk here!
Years back at the University of Jos, there was a notorious professor in the Faculty of Arts. No matter how hard you studied, if this Prof sets his dick on youโฆerm, I mean, set his sights on you, (female) you will fail.
His course was difficult enough; he wasnโt the jovial kind whoโs lectures were interesting. Female students often had to bribe some of their male counterparts who were friendly with the Prof to โtalk toโ the Prof on their behalf, some offered money, many bought expensive gifts, just to appease this tin god of the arts. Alas, the prof wasnโt the money type. He wanted sex. Sometimes, he would succumb to pressures from his male students and accept a gift or money but many times he didnโt.
Of the several females he didnโt agree to receive money from, some gave in, as I heard; some changed courses; many failed repeatedly.
Funny thing is, other lecturers were aware of his notoriety and yet nothing was done about it!
There were many victims of this abuse and like millions of sexual victims, they remained silent. Even within the campus, youโd hear people say, โjust do it and go.โ Meaning, โsleep with the lecturer and pass on to the next classโ. That was what many students who have nowhere to turn to, did.
It is real!
But when a girl blows the whistle on a randy professor, instead of commending her audacity, we find ways to bring her down with equally crass comments like- โEhen, she must have been lazy and didnโt study hard enough after all her mates are scoring As and Bsโฆโ
Is she the only female in the class?
Like really? Who says you must score Aโs and Bโs in all courses?
Who says girls who are forced to sleep with lecturers have an association where they can compare notes?
Who says despite her best efforts, the lecturer who wants to have his way, still wonโt fail her?
Some commenters accused the girl of being too familiar, blaming her for why the Prof approached her for sex.
How dumb!
In our land, respect is very key to elders but the elder that has dragged himself in the mud before kids only has himself to blame. How can one respect a professor who is asking to โdo itโ so often you had to lie about your menses to rebuff his advances?
Clearly, Prof has lost all form of respect, that is exactly what we heard playing out.
Professor Akindele, real or not should cover his face in shame and so should the so-called holy congregation online and offline.
He has brought shame to his family; tell me, how is Mrs Akindele expected to raise her head among the comity of church members? (Akindele, I hear, is a pastor)
At the office? Among friends? In the staff quarters?
I can almost hear friends of Mrs Akindele telling her to pray for her husband as it is the handiwork of the devil; they would be advising her to love him more as she is the reason behind his philandering- โmaybe you are not opening your legs wide enough that is why he is running after small small girls.โ
What of the Akindele daughters? His nieces nko?
Now, I donโt know the female student; I wish I did; but her voice is the voice of hundreds of young women who are sexually abused by lecturers for grades and by employers of labour for jobs; the voice that wishes to be heard and not judged or categorised alongside those who gave themselves willingly.
Thereโs a difference here, people, they shouldnโt be painted with the same brush.
Itโs obvious revenge was behind the recording, to shame the Prof for his sexual advances.
So, Iโm thinking again, perhaps she gave in and didnโt want to continue living in tortured silence, so she leaked the tape. And even if the convo happened two years back; what the Prof did is still wrong.
Professor Akindele, you were supposed to be the elder here; the teacher, the one who enlightens; the one who holds the moral compass and yet, your rudder ran loose!
Go ask Harvey Weinstein; ask Bill Cosby; ask Bill OโReilley, ask them to tell what happens to โhonourable menโ caught pants down.
They thought they would get away with it but the women waited; the women they sexually abused; the ones made to pay for roles with sex; the ones they groped and leered at. They waited and someone came with the #metoo hashtag and before you knew it, the floodgates were opened. One voice spoke out, and thatโs all it takes for this kind of ugliness to show its face.