The first time I read the story, I laughed, and I forwarded the tweet to friends of mine everywhere, and it was just hilarious. To be honest, this is not a laughing matter.. Mr. Moses Gwom, who it seems is the mouthpiece of the state Governor Jonah Jang (and as it looks, the forerunner to be anointed Governor after Jang's tenure), has been recently in the news, announcing a ban on women in trousers and pant,s from the state secretariat and other official public offices, and surprisingly enough, the ban forms a part of the Governor's 10 point plan, as it comes under the "ethical re-orientation" section. Excuse me!!!!! Ethical Reorientation..... Are these guys for real????
Is that really what the focus of the second term of Governor Jang should be about??? Really, ethical reorientation = no pants or jeans to state secretariat!!!....
I am totally shocked and amazed, as to how detached our Nigerian public leaders are from the core and key requirements of their people. This 10 point plan is coming from a man, whose state, for majority of his first term, was under military siege. For a country that prides itself as being a secular state, you get people really acting as if they are oblivious of the laws of the land and have no problem circumventing such, with impunity.
To make matters worse. Moses Gwom, is listed as being one of Plateau State's finest and brightest administrators, someone who has risen in public service to becoming the Head of Service, has over 28 years experience and yet cannot advice his governor on what the top 10 priorities of Plateau State should be....
This same man, as Head of Service, has not satisfactorily resolved outstanding issues of the state tertiary institutions lecturers and administrators (state government staffers), schools have been on disputed lock down for the past 8-10 months, students have had their studies continuously disrupted.
This same man, whose civil service organisation is crying for a strong reform, modernization, a streamline and an integration to e-government platforms, his staffers need training and skills upgrade, Plateau state govt. is desirous of its staffers supporting it drive with a strong involvement in raising IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) in a challenging climate, and the civil service is required to ensure the restoration of critical services to optimum levels after over 20 months of unrest and disrupted services.
Plateau state civil service needs to focus on providing critical and basic/fundamental services to tax payers and the overall citizenry... Plateau state educational system has significant resource challenges.
Its state security services require training of its operatives in community liaison and other support service functions (disaster recovery, conflict resolution, etc). If this isn't a handful, then I don't know what Moses Gwom spends his time doing......
The ridiculous aspect of this regulation is the enforcement. How does it realistically work. Do the gate men and security officials of the secretariat become the enforcers of this new regulation? did they attend an ethical reorientation compliance training, and do they have considerable insight into the newly outlined ethical reorientation users manual, as written by Mr. Moses Gwom, approved and reviewed by Gov J.J himself!!!
This one is really out there ooo ... When the people of Jos and environs are struggling to put their lives back in order, communities where anarchy have occurred are just coming to terms with the cost and trying to forge ahead. These jokers in and with power, have decided that the 10 most important things to get the state going should include stopping women wearing jeans from entering the secretariat.... This is just awful judgement, bad taste, lack of tact and an ultimate abuse of power......
This has gone beyond the sublime and the ridiculous, it is bordering on insensitivity and a lack of vision by those who claim to have the interest of the state at heart.
Ask any 100 true Plateau residents, what their top 10 requirements of their state government would be. I can wager my children school fees and mortage (and its a lot of money, these days), that none would consider a jeans and pant wearing ban as being priority for them. Not one common man or woman would say that, ethical reorientation focusing on a no pants ban is key to their existence or is pivotal to their progress as a people....
My final word on this bizarre issue; this is just another example of how we, Nigerians, waste the dividends of our hard fought and won, democracy.
We are a nation whose priorities are so far off the mark, and if we are not careful, we are on course for a rude awakening. A change that will shock our system, our values (or lack thereof), and one that we may not survive.... It is a sad commentary of a nation with a lot of great people, and potential..
And come to think of it.... These types of actions (Plateau State no pants ban) are simultaneously happening all over the country, at all levels of economic and political institutions, and is singularly derailing our focus of delivering true service and value, to the people..
The last time we witnessed these types of public abuses, in a democratic dispensation was 28-30 years ago (and we all knew what happened then)..
"A people that does not learn from history, are doomed to repeat it again" abi????
I pray for Nigeria, indeed I do.... To Mr. Gwom and J.J, I say, Plateau State government should really put its energy and focus into things that would bring true value to its people. And this is certainly, by a long shot, not one of them............
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