It was a gathering of students, lecturers, nollywood, Music icon, activists
and the media at the awareness work against sexual harassment and rape, the
walk started off from Moremi hall the organizer of the programme.
The president of Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, while addressing the
rally said:
Rape is oppressive; it is forceful means of possession; and it is evil!
Rape has destroyed lives, it has not repaired any, and it has to be stopped.
Many promising girls have had their morals destroyed, their confidence
conquered, their esteem lowered and their future destabilized.
More so, victims would become mothers in soon future, but the trauma they
got from their previous experiences of rape would also affect how they
train their children. This is another way the rape experience of one person
poses effects on the generation they would lead.
Rape does not only affect the psyche of the immediate victims, it affects a
generation each time it occurs. This is so, in that the victims develop an
altered psychological process that affect how they relate with families,
friends, associations and the general society.
Asides from psychological distress, victims also become vulnerable to
chronic, and sometimes incurable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and other life
threatening STI’s.
Records of unplanned pregnancies are also high from incidences of rape.
She also admonished those in this practice of sexual harassment to desist.
We also advise the University authorities to help lives escape it by
putting measures in place that check abuses and we encourage those who are
currently being pestered for such abuse to stand against it, speak out and
overcome it all at once.
Nollywood Star, Mrs. Foluke Daramola Salako, said she was a survivor and
when she spoke out she regained her dignity again. She further said
There are places where the incidence of rape is common, and so we must go
to such places and address it there. One of such places is our higher
institutions. University authorities must put measures in place to check
mischievous male lecturers from sexually harassing female students and also
discourage female students from sexually harassing their lecturers.
It is not only unethical to base academic success/assistance on such unfair
impositions; it is also unhealthy and destructive to do so.
Mr. Michael Stephens, also known as rugged man asserted that once the
incidence of rape happens successfully, its damaging effect is long
lasting, if not ever lasting. Those who are still being pestered should
speak out not, because silence is not golden.
If you do not speak out, you imprison yourself and get disturbed all alone.
Speaking out debugs your mind of the evil and gives you psychological
freedom.
Moremi Hall Mistress Unilag, Professor Virgy Onyene; said Rape is evil and
must be stopped!
She asserted that for those who have been victims, they must however, still
speak out. With proper counseling, they will overcome the trauma and also
expose rapists, thereby cutting off their chances of violating others.
Moremi Hall Chairperson, Miss Zainab Olaitan, said Silence is not
golden! And we must all speak in one voice.
By saying no to rape, no to gender abuse.
DSA Unilag, Prof. Tunde Babawale, while appreciating the icon of the
struggle also said Unilag as never condoned impunity he stressed that
student have been given the opportunity through complain unit to either
drop anonymous complaints or call the Vice Chancellor, DSA, Hall Mistress
and other channels in reporting sexual harassment or rape.
Furthermore, he said we must all discourage the act of rape and abuse of
this precious gender.
Again, silence is not golden.
To this end, on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, He thanked all that
participated in the rally and finally said together, we shall end
#GenderAbuse.
Great Nigerian Students!
Great Akokites!
