NIGERIA: Media Watch Group applauds Police High Command on new dress code for female officers

*Says IGP’s action ups human rights record for Nigeria

By KEMI KASUMU

As more reactions continue to trail the approval of optional dress code for women officers of the Nigerian Police Force, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG) has commended the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba for responding to the yearnings and aspirations of women officers as well as rank and file in the service.

According to MMWG, the female members have clamoured for inclusiveness in mode of dressing in the Police System in Nigeria.

In a press statement by the National Coordinator of the Group, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim, the new policy was described as ‘right step in the right direction’.

According to the Group, the new improved dress code for women in the Police now ranked the Nigeria Police with its counterparts all over the world as respecting fundamental human rights of members, especially women, including evolving policies that carry along ‘all and sundry’ without leaving anyone out by reason of religious, cultural and ethnic differences.

To Muslim Media Watch Group, the Nigerian Police has lifted the banner of Nigeria the more in terms of human rights index as both the country and is police force are now to be well respected internationally.

In the statement sent to The DEFENDER, the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria condemned, in strong terms, the statement credited to one Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa (SAN), who wrongly accused the Inspector-General of Police of ‘imposing his religion on the Police.

It described the Adegboruwa’s statement as ‘childish and mischievous!’

“How can an individual impose his religion on the System in modern day Nigeria?” The Group queried!

“For religiously politicising the new uniform policy, which is aimed at carrying everybody along in line with international best practices, the learned Mr Adegboruwa has carried his religious fanaticism too far,” it stated.

According to the Group, the same Adegboruwa attacked the Kwara State Governor Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for approving optional use of hijab in public schools in Kwara State. With over 85 percent Muslim population, the group wonders how Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa’s business has been in turning everything happening in Nigeria into religious politics.

“If in the US Army and British Police the rights of women in those services are not violated and hijab is allowed in those Countries, any antagonism of this newly improved Police optional Uniform by anybody no matter his status is ill-motivated, rebellious and highly condemnable,” the Group stated.

It said the level of religious intolerance, bigotry and fanaticism of some elites and some so-called religious leaders in Nigeria now portrays them as unpatriotic citizens, who usually do not see anything good in others.

The Group gave examples of the ‘Cross’ that remains a symbol in Nigerian hospitals in including hospitals in Islamic societies of Northern Nigeria without any Muslim ever raising a eye brow.

It also cited the Saturdays and Sundays that  remain ‘work free days’ without Friday being made work-free as “part of Euro-Christian colonial imperialism – all have no meaning to Muslims in Nigeria and anywhere in the world, but Muslims who constitute vast majority in this Country accepted them since it has some meanings to our christian brothers and sisters! Why must they antagonise muslims on anything that gives recognition to Islam no matter how little? It is absolutely unfair and unpatriotic, the Group maintained.”

The Group called on all other Services such as NSCDC, Immigration, Customs and Prison Authorities to ‘fail on line’ with improved dress codes that accommodates all;  as respect for diversities, customs and culture is part of well recognised global practices; adding that they must not allow ‘medulous interlopers’ to dabble into their affairs as they are not usually well-intentioned in their criticisms.

Media Watch concluded by calling on open-minded and truly religious Christians who are our brothers and sisters, not to allow ill-motivated ones among them to set Muslims and Christians on collision course for their own selfish motives as we must remain one indivisible entity in Nigeria regardless of our religious, ethnic and cultural differences.