Indecent dressing in tertiary institutions

Indecent or crazy dressing, also known as dress to kill is rampant among tertiary institutions. Indecent dressing is a social phenomenon that is done by youths. It simply means deliberately exposure of one’s body to the public. In fact, the practice does not conform to the norm that value of the society, particularly in the African society.

This practice is now common in public places including places of worship. Indecency is totally prohibited by our two major religions. That is Christianity and Islam. However, many clergymen do their best to ensure that this immorality has come to an end but still northing to write home about. Indecency is the major cause of various assault and sexual harassment recorded in the society. For instance, the incessant cases of raping in India all happen as a result of indecent dressing.

Indecent appearance has come characterize the dress pattern of many students on campuses of higher learning institutions in Nigeria. There is hardly any higher learning institution in this country that is not faced with this immoral act.

Ladies dress half naked. They derive pleasure in wearing miniskirts, exposing half of their breasts and some desired parts of their bodies. Innocent young boys have been subject to apprehend along hooligans because of their usual appearance. Boys nowadays fix artificial hairs; pierce ears making them look like rogues and move around in different styles like sagging, hot bosom, low west etc. These unfortunate societal ill has now eaten deep into both the young and old.  It is unfair to blame all parents but some can be blamed. The reason of saying this is some who live outside the campus dress decently before their parents.

The more they go to school, they suddenly change their clothes particularly female ones. Therefore such parents are not to blame. On the other hand, some parents themselves dress indecently. How can stop their children from doing so? This kind of parents can even encourage their children to attend parties. While some parents buy such clothes for their children for them, there is not any wrong dressing in such clothes.  Like other Nigerian universities, university of Maiduguri has been facing this problem for over a decade. Although a dress code were introduced several times but was misinterpreted by the students.

There are various ways in which indecent dressing can be reduced drastically in the society at least a minimum level. Parents should always dress modestly and act as role model to their children and do not allow their children to do whatever they like. Religious scholars keep preaching tirelessly especially in higher learning institutions.

The mass media should use their social responsibility function by promoting importance of decency and negative effect of indecency among youths and there should be formation of campus brigades to check the dressing pattern of students. Without doubting, this will reduce indecency not only in our universities, polytechnics and colleges of education but in the entire country.

Khalid Mohammed, University of Maiduguri