Dressing Code

Dressing Code: Commending the Initiative from Rivers State

U.Tanimu Umar

GOMBE

The subject of female dressing code in Nigeria has received substantial discourse, majority of which have profoundly condemn the abrogative manner of dressing by our womenfolk. Sadly enough, such condemnations have made little or no impact, the bizarre mode of dressing, especially by young girls, continue, to the detriment of the norms of our society.

Whenever you go to schools campuses you cannot escape seeing raw nudity, the same is reflected on in the streets and in many homes. Every girl, in a craze called fashion, aspire to look sexy and captivating, and as a result resort to dressing in all sorts of damnable exposed manner. To worsen the situation, many parents encourages the trend. Government, social and religion leaders kept mute then the crazy mode of dressing augments.

Some institution of higher learning, where female nudity is mostly perpetrated, and few churches have imposed strict dressing codes for females. But very little encouragement and acceptance is being given to them, and the rules remains stagnant and unrealistic.

The recent move by the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Justice Mary Odili to instill some form of dressing sense on the womenfolk should be commended. Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, is one place in the country where female nudity predominates. The streets of Port-Harcourt are infiltrated with barely-naked girls in skimpy and body-hugging clothes. The proliferation of brothels and street call girls has made matters worst; the low cost of second hand dressing (okrika), which are rampant in the markets and receive huge patronage, encourages them. In fact, Port-Harcourt, and Rivers State in general, is a microcosm of how female dressing is debased in Nigeria. Putting efforts to reverse the ugly trend, as exemplified by Justice Odili, deserves commendation. That monumental endeavour will be a stepping-stone for other states to emulate.

The pet project initiated by Justice Odili, The Adolescent Project (TAP) is principally aimed at curbing indecent dressing. The project has so far trained more than 50,000 women and youths in its calculated effort to empower then via vocational applications and skills acquisition with the view to render them self-reliant. If that vast number of young men and women are adequately rehabilitated the menace of prostitution, robbery and thuggery will be reduced to the barest minimum.

Justice Odili has strongly resolved to rid the streets, homes and schools in Rivers State from nakedness. Our culture and religion inclinations have resolutely execrates immoral dressing, a woman’s dignity is safeguarded when properly clad in decent clothes. As such the Adolescent Project will enhance our cultural and religions principles as regards mode of dressing and related matters.

African beauty is mostly appreciated when the head and body are property covered; the use of artificial hair, nails and bleaching creams disfigure our women and transmute them into unnatural beings. A beautifully plaited hair and a natural African skin are certainly more cherished; therefore, I wonder what our womenfolk gain by copying Western culture. Most women nowadays, even the elderly ones in cities, seems to be competing for the fairest of skins. Expensive bleaching creams with offensive odours are used to transform the dark skin to look like that of the Caucasians–wrinkles, spots and jaundiced skin colouration resulted. Various detestable artificial foreign hairs are attached to give weird false posture. Many Nigerian women have now forgotten how to tie a decent head tie. This is deplorable, to say the least.

I would like to urge the government, NGOs, women, religious and social groups to borrow a leaf from Justice Odili’s initiative. Parents, guardians and school authorities ought to instill an acceptable dressing code on our girls so that we will have a decent society. Parents, especially mothers, have a bigger role to play: they should start by showing example on how not to dress improperly. It amazes me o see mothers joining their daughters in dressing crazily, some of them have the intuition that by so doing they tend to look young, but the fact remains that by dressing skimpily they look detestable and repulsive.

Parent show stop encouraging their daughters from imbibing nudity, they should impose a strict disciplined sense of dressing to the girls. School authorities ought to inculcate guidelines in dressing codes in the campuses. No student should be allowed into the classroom if not decently dressed; none should be allowed to walk naked around the schools premises.

As I once wrote while discussing a similar topic, the horrendous indecent and borrowed fashion, as perpetrated by Nigerian women, if left unchecked I am afraid some of our young girls will have the audacity to walk the streets in mere panties and bras, or even completely naked.

The bold step taken by Justice Odili to deter indecent dressing should be sustained, and I see it attaining a considerable success. The level of degradation in our women’s mode of dressing will invariably make it difficult, but the good intention contained in the project will definitely make if thrive. More grease to your elbows Justice Odili, God will be with you as you venture to rid your society of nakedness, which is abominable in the eyes of the Creator.