The Chief Medical Director of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Professor John Okeniyi, has vowed to remove beds placed in hospital offices as part of efforts to tackle sexual harassment within the institution.
During a briefing marking his first year in office, Okeniyi highlighted that the presence of beds could provoke inappropriate advances, making their removal essential.
The hospital now enforces a strict anti-sexual harassment policy, with Okeniyi stressing that ignorance of the law will not be tolerated as an excuse for misconduct.
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“The laws are clear: ‘Thou shall not sexually harass.’ Ignorance is no longer a defense,” he said. “We will punish offenders and expose them on a public wall of shame on the Internet for it. It will be there for your friends, children, and spouse to see forever.
“For those who cannot control their libido, they will have the law to contend with. Besides that, we will remove beds from offices being used under the guise of night shift. Having beds in offices could provoke sexual harassment.
From now on, I will personally supervise the removal of beds from offices. The night shift is not meant for sleeping but for people to do their job and leave.
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“I have also empowered sevicom people to say something; people are groaning from sexual harassment. Now they know that if they talk, there is a listening ear, and action would be taken.”.