The Rape of our College Girls Print E-mail
Written by Hakeem Babalola   
Wednesday, 18 July 2007

University of Ibadan and that of Calabar were recently reported to have turned back female students whose dress the school authorities believe too sexy. Perhaps majority of adult male policy makers at our Higher Institutions share a sentiment similar to that of Mr. John Ekpang, University of Calabar’s Information Officer.

"Indecent dressing by university students was becoming too rampant and unacceptable," he says. "They distract lecturers, tempt fellow students and also make everyone very uncomfortable. We cannot continue to allow that in this school".

The above comment is all hogwash as far as I’m concerned. Aren’t these teachers suppose to be self- disciplined? Even if a female student walks into a classroom naked, it’s part of being a teacher for a male teacher to control himself. It’s not even about control but being a teacher to the core. Me say to hell with implausible excuses like "teachers are humans too".

First of all, the dress code issue in Nigerian universities shows the level of worldly knowledge and refinement and savoir faire possess by our intellectuals. It also reveals how well they use their mind creatively. If the way a student dresses affects the intelligence or spiritual principle of an esteemed teacher, then I suppose such teacher isn’t serious about his intellectual career.

Teachers who allow the Siren of their students’ way of dress thirst or wet their pants should, in my own opinion, become Eunuchs. If not, then they have no business being employed to impart knowledge or guard our female students. A male teacher who is distracted by a female’s "kinky dress" under any circumstances has betrayed the trust of the profession.

Prescribing dress code for University girls is like enslaving their gender spirit. What code of dress is being prescribed for their male counterparts, or even these wayward teachers who say they cannot impart knowledge unless their female students dress or behave like nuns? If the University authorities want female students to dress as if in a monastery, then the crusade should start from that end.

Says Chinenye, a University of Calabar student who was reportedly dressed in a pair of jeans trousers and spaghetti body-hug with her breasts almost popping out of the body-hug, "The security man said I’m dressed badly. I’m coming from the church, and the pastor never said anything like that". See what I mean? A woman’s body is a religious ornament and should not be covered from head to toe. It is a creation where God brings humans into life. It should be respected and not brutalized with dress code.

Dress code is an attack, even a rape on their gender intellect as long as the same dress code does not apply to male students. It’s a slap on their freedom of expression as long as their male counterparts have not been accused of dressing in a "kinky" manner that distracts female teachers. Such promulgation is unnecessary, and it further testifies to the domination of male adult policy makers over their helpless female students.

The authorities of the Universities in question have only succeeded in murdering morality they claim to profess or instill in these female students. What is "kinky dress" anyway? Instead of occupying themselves with heavenly agenda like how Nigerian universities would become arena for proper learning, University authorities engage in mundane or unremarkable affair; wasting their energy on dress code.

So what kinds of dress should be worn by Higher Institution female students? I recommend uniform like in the primary and secondary schools; or let them veil their faces like women in Afghanistan so that male teachers’ thirst for sexually dressed female students could be easily curbed. Isn’t it embarrassing? I mean our male teachers telling the world they cannot control their manhood thing unless their female students adhere to a non-sexually provocative dress code?

Higher Institution being a radically distinctive and unequal topographic shrine of learning, a berth for self discovery, a craft to free one’s mind, should not become a capricious idea of male teachers’ roughshod treatment of female students. I support the right of female students to dress anyhow they want. Perhaps it’s the male teachers that should nimble as a deer for a heat therapy as a relief.

Even if these female students wear a full-dress uniform, a brazen and raunchy teacher would still be thirsty for their large bosom and pleasing curves. And this seems to be his undoing; he is simply addicted to any red-hot mama. Haven’t we heard the story of a secondary school male teacher harassing female students who do not wear "kinky" dress? So it’s not about the dress, rather about the seriousness mind of this depraved teacher. He is as filthy as a pigsty.

And why is it always the fault of the female students and not the fault of these addicted teachers? Why is the university community bending on a dress code for female students and conspicuously neglecting a dress code for these male teachers’ smutty nous? Perhaps the crusade should start by penetrating the perverse soul of this earthy and sexually explicit teacher or administrator.

As a Secondary School teacher here in Hungary where even under age girls dress in "kinky" outfit, I have never heard of a dress code oppressive mentality. Male teachers here despite students’ "kinky dress" do not lose focus or their minds in the classroom. In fact I’m vastly disturbed by their incorrigible nasty behaviour than "kinky" dress. Male teachers must adapt to their female students’ way of dressing. Period

However, if we must suppress our female undergraduates’ freedom of dress expression, we should endeavour to start at the earliest stage rather than wait until one morally corrupt teacher tells us he lacks concentration because of his female student’s plushy flesh. Although I don’t favour teacher-student love relationship, if however, they both hide under love tango, it must be absolutely consensual.

So the authorities of Nigerian Higher Institutions should stop their campaign of obloquy against our female students under the pretense of dress code. Our female students should be respected and given the chance to study rather than physically and emotionally assault their gender. A teacher who cannot stop being a dog unless his female students adhere to a code dress disparaging remark should choose another career.

Copyright 2007              mysmallvoice@yahoo.com

 

 

 




RobotRobot is offline 
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 # 1

Posted by Robot| 18.07.2007 07:52

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oluyeoluye is offline 
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 # 2

That which is not the norm has a greater power to entice. In those days when Africans roamed the streets semi nude, no one complained of indecent exposure. When it becomes the norm to be fully clothed and some choose to be scantily clothed, they upset the societal balance.
Where you teach, that kind of dressing is the norm, even housewives dress that way, the power of enticement from such dressing is reduced.
How, may I ask, can a man dress indecently? How many guys dress indecently?
I can't even understand your argument. Dressing is also a means of communication. It is not just a way of covering your body. It can say "I'm in an official mood."
"I am in a festive mood"
"I am in a sexy mood"
I am in a sad mood" etc.
The way no one would like it if someone wears black on black to their wedding( thus saying "I am mourning" where he should say "I am happy"), it is equally wrong to go to the classroom and say "I am feeling sexy."
Freedom of expression, yes! But there is such a thing as appropriateness of expression too. That is what we ought to stress.

We agree on one issue though. The importance of social norms ought to be taught at schools at an early age. We don't have to follow the West when they have "fallen in the ditch."

Posted by oluye| 18.07.2007 08:55

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CelticologistCelticologist is offline 
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 # 3

The spokesman for that school said:

"They distract lecturers and tempt fellow students"

This in fact tells you something about the reasoning capacity of people who tend to speak for large organizations in Nigeria; whether it's a school or a ministry of government. Falling academic standards has nothing to do with college females dressing sexy.
So, the only time lecturers and male students tend to get distracted or think about rape etc is when females dress in a certain way?. In other words their minds are supposedly clean for the most part....LOL! And a female who dresses sexy is quietly saying something like "hey, I want some sex right now"?.

The entire reasoning of the self tortured males (students, lecturers, securitymen etc) who came up with this trivial crap sums up to something like this:

"If only these females can just help me and not dress the way they do, I wouldn't be having this huge erection all the time".

Stop looking!!!.

Posted by Celticologist| 18.07.2007 09:07

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Jah GudaJah Guda is offline 
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 # 4

Men will always be men. Men will always be turned on by female sexuality, some have self control others haven't and thats where the problem lies. Even church ministers and priests lose their self control.

A few months back we had an article here on NVS, on the decadence in our places of higher education.
This dress code implemented by the university seems a genuine attempt to protect our young girls from sex predators and that might result in being asked to dress conservatively.

Protecting our young girls is paramount, being asked to wear clothes that do not expose their cleavage or underwear is for their benefit.

Posted by Jah Guda| 18.07.2007 11:49

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DeebeeDeebee is offline 
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Jah Guda and Oluye, you make a lot of sense!
Celticologist, you should rename yourself "sexicultogist" or something like that.
While I don't think we can come up with a dress code, I think we are way beyond the barbarism of primitive dresing. We know that sex sells for a reason. The academic environment should be academic, not some kind of soft porno environment.
In conclusion, we need to teach these kids from infancy. Parents, are you hearing me?

Posted by Deebee| 18.07.2007 12:35

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tengallonstengallons is offline 
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 # 6

The whole question of federal or state universities imposing a dress code on university students raises interesting legal/civil liberties questions in a secular, democratic environment. Lawyers, is there any language on this in the constitution? UI and UNICAL are not private religious institutions. Indeed, what are the metrics of "decency"? It seems to me that the sheer force of public mores will determine the limits to which women and men bare themselves. For the government (through civil servants in the employ of a university) to stray into the business of measuring "dress morality"seems problematic.

Posted by tengallons| 18.07.2007 13:04

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lumidiilumidii is offline 
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First of all, the dress code issue in Nigerian universities shows the level of worldly knowledge and refinement and savoir faire possess by our intellectuals. It also reveals how well they use their mind creatively. If the way a student dresses affects the intelligence or spiritual principle of an esteemed teacher, then I suppose such teacher isn’t serious about his intellectual career.



Mr. Hakeem Babalola,
I beg to differ.

May i just add that the steps taken by the university administrators of Ibadan, and calabar though a knee-jerk reaction, it is well intended. The Unis didn't do themselves a lot of good by the reasons they gave, not only Uni teachers and fellow male students struggle with the obscenities staring them in the face. Some others too, from outside the Uni find it unnecessarily distracting. Researchers, contractors, visitors, parents, non-academic staff, politicians, bankers etc

It is an institution of higher learning, and should be seen as such. We all know what happens outside Idia Hall in UI, and on that narrow road that leads to ISI gate in the evenings. The dress code might not solve the problem, as the obscene dressing is only a symptom of a deep rooted malaise in the larger society. But, it is better than doing nothing about it.

Every lecturer has a right to dictate the way and manner, and conditions under which (s)he wants to disemminate knowledge. You either take it or lump it. Obscene dressing in the classroms shows a lack of respect for the lecturer, would you dress half-naked into Wole soyinka's class or even Niyi Osundare's class for that matter? There should be boundaries, there are various social clubs, and societies in the Unis where students may dress as they as they wish, but taking this into the classroom is just a step too far. I may be old-school, but hey, i turned out good, and so did most of us on here who didn't have it enforced on us but we adopted it(as an unwritten code of conduct) anyway.

Posted by lumidii| 18.07.2007 13:19

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CelticologistCelticologist is offline 
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=Deebee;192893>Jah Guda and Oluye, you make a lot of sense!
Celticologist, you should rename yourself "sexicultogist" or something like that.
While I don't think we can come up with a dress code, I think we are way beyond the barbarism of primitive dresing. We know that sex sells for a reason. The academic environment should be academic, not some kind of soft porno environment.
In conclusion, we need to teach these kids from infancy. Parents, are you hearing me?




What you have managed to string together may just make some sense to you and anyone feeding from the same sewage where your IQ resides. May I remind you that in the future, a proper debate is when you present good logic devoid of personal swipes to disagree with an opposing view. If you are about to impress the world with that bantu "education" of yours.....that will be a good starting point.

Posted by Celticologist| 18.07.2007 13:38

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tonsoyotonsoyo is offline 
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 # 9

From John Keats' epic poem, Endymion, 1818:

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing"



One of the greatest creations of God is the well sculptured body of our women. It is a thing of beauty, it is therefore suppose to be a thing of joy. Why are they trying to Talibanize our beauties. God no go gree dem.

They somehow compensate for the missing landscape serenity of urban living. What our people lack in self control they are trying to blame on others.

Abeg make these people no spoil beta show for persin now :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Posted by tonsoyo| 18.07.2007 13:49

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TEchiTEchi is offline 
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 # 10

QUOTE:
Higher Institution being a radically distinctive and unequal topographic shrine of learning, a berth for self discovery, a craft to free one’s mind, should not become a capricious idea of male teachers’ roughshod treatment of female students. I support the right of female students to dress anyhow they want. Perhaps it’s the male teachers that should nimble as a deer for a heat therapy as a relief.
END QUOTE:

If this indeed is a ’’male teacher’s roughshod of female students treatment,” as you said, then it is wrong. But if this is to decry the loose morality and continuous declination of Nigeria society perpetrated by the outward display of inordinate behavior shown by these female students then I strongly support the position taken by these teachers and administrators. The decadence of any society starts when it begins to be lacking in moral and intellectual discipline. Although one’s perception of unnecessary and outmoded values may significantly vary because of the subjective nature of morality. Whether the perception of these moralizers is unfair is debatable judging from the status quo of the events happening all over the Nigeria university campuses.

There is certain amount of decadence in Nigerian society which is not related to any prosperity but more to sever social and economic inequality. Decadent societies are often prosperous but usually have severe social and economic inequality, to such a degree that the upper class becomes either complacent or greedy, while the lower classes become hopeless and apathetic.

Nigerian problem is a lot more skin deep and it has nothing to do with roughshod treatment. It is the hopelessness and apathy that is overtaking this generation. This generation is trying to survive in the worst way possible and that include inordinate loose dressing to attract the opposite well to do upper class. And it's does not look good at all.

Posted by TEchi| 18.07.2007 15:22

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