CCTV camera, lecturers offices, and the UniZik initiative.
11/09/2023
The news that the Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UniZik) intends to install CCTV cameras in lecturers offices was trending some hours ago. The cameras were said to have been donated by an alumnus of the university. The news generated mixed reactions. While some applauded the initiative and advised that it should be extended to other Nigerian universities, others see it as criminalization of lecturers and an infringement on their privacy.
There have been a lot of discussions on sexual harrrasmemt on university campuses and the issue of mark for sex and sex for marks. There was even a bill on sexual harrasment that was passed at the National Assembly some months back and the argument from ASUU was that why is the bill targeted at the university lecturers when sexual harrasement cut across all institutions in the country. Why is the bill not covering every institution in Nigeria? Why the discrimination on academics? While we have mark for sex, there are sex for job/employment, sex for contract, sex to get fat bank account to meet unrealistic targets, sex for promotions, sex for favour, etc.
But how will the installation of CCTV cameras to monitor the activities of the lecturers in their offices eradicate sexual harrasement? If IPPIS and TSA cannot solve corruption problem in civil service, can CCTV installation in lecturers offices solve sexual harrasement in the universities and outside the universities? Is a lecturer that is into that restricted to his office space? What if he arranged to meet a potential victim elsewhere? Can the CCTV track them? What if the lecturer decided to cover the camera as we have watched in the movies except the installation is hidden from eyes of the person it is to monitor?
The initiative is coming up at a time when public universities are struggling to pay their electricity bills, electricity that is not even available for 24 hours in a day. How do you intend to operate the cameras without electricity? The alumnus was said to have donated about 1,000 cameras to the university for that. I guess he must have made provision for the installation.
A CCTV network is beyond just the cameras. It needs steady electricity supply for its operation. Most CCTV network in Nigeria are solar powered to be able to work for 24 hours since electricity supply is not reliable. That requires solar panels, batteries, and other accessories. I hope the donor made provision for these. The CCTV network is meant to work continuously everyday for a long time to monitor the lecturer. Who will maintain the network? The donor? or will CCTV maintenance fee will be introduced to the student fees for its sustainability?
Sexual harassment and corruption has become a part of our society and it is not limited to the universities alone. It was not learned from the university. A former Acting Managing Director in 2020 publicly claimed that she slapped a Minister for sexually assaulting her. We have read stories of ladies claiming that they were told they know what to do if they want to get so and so. There were cases where ladies even in private companies claimed that their boss sexually harrass them. They can’t take it up because of lack of evidence to support their claims.
In 2021 the Punch reported a Senator blaming banks for turning female marketers into harlots and sexual slaves in a desperate attempt by them to keep their jobs and meet unrealistic deposit targets. So how many CCTV cameras are you going to install across the nation? Or will the CCTV in lecturers’ offices solve sexual harassment problem of the country?
One of our problems in this country is our emotional approach to solving our problems instead of using our heads. We love to administer surface treatment to our problems instead of dealing with the root cause of the problem. The same approach we have adopted to solving ASUU strike problem. Everyone wanted the government to stop ASUU from going on strike without addressing why ASUU is always going on strike.
Anything about teachers and lecturers usually attract attention but not their welfare. Teachers are expected to be saints because they are the moulders of the nation. Moulders that are expected to live a life of abject poverty and wait for their rewards in “heaven”. Some of the unasked questions are: Why do some teachers/lecturers collect money from the students (sort)? Is it because they are poorly paid? Have we tried to deal with the poor pay and watch if it will solve the problem. Universities like ABU has zero tolerance to sexual harrasement and sorting and some lecturers have lost their jobs to sorting and sexual harrasment. So, why are some lecturers still into it despite knowing the consequence if there is an evidence against them? Are they mentally sick?
The truth is that there is a complete breakdown of moral values in our society. The reality we are pretending not to exist except in the university. This ill has affected nearly every unit of the country. From young to old and from home to schools to workplaces. Cheating to pass SSCE which some parents are aware of and funding at secondary level is what they called “sorting”. Allegation on the chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), collecting millions in bribes from job-seekers a few weeks ago is called “sorting”.
While some lecturers are willing to accept sex for marks, some students are willing to give it out. If those into it cannot do it in their office areas because of CCTV, they will find an alternative place for it. So, have you solved the problem with CCTV? Instead of spending our scarce resources on CCTV in offices, we need value-added reorientation.
Just like dress code, there can be university regulations to limit the interaction between lecturers and students. For example, instead of submitting assignments to lecturers in their offices, assignments can be submitted to the secretary of the department and the lecturer will pick them up from the Secretary.
Meanwhile, there are people that are mentally sick and can’t withstand anything on skirt in the society. We have a few of such people in academia. That is a normal distribution. Such people need help in the form of psychiatric intervention. CCTV won’t help them.
A funded CCTV in lecturers offices that the university cannot provide internet service with official computers, research facilities, and good learning condition is a misplacement of priority in the underfunded public universities. Such funds should be channeled towards the provision of good learning facilities for the students.
Universities have regulations that deals with everything. Strict implementation of the university regulations by the university management and the Council can curb corruption and sexual harrasment.
-HB #polemicist 🖋
Hussaini Babila 