Women
“Bring Back Our Girls” Protest Ganers Momentum
From the East to the West,
North down to the South, the Slogan is “Bring Back Our Girls.”
Nothing short of the return of the school girls abducted since April 14 in Chibok Borno State is expected.
To this end Port Harcourt residents Wednesday took to the street to support the on-going campaign for the release of the over 200 school girls abducted in Chibok, Bornu State. With placards reading “Give Us Back Our Future Now”,”Destry The Beast of Boko Haram Now” hand “Bring Back our Girls”, the protesters called on the federal government to ensure the release of the girls.
At the Government House Port Harcourt, the secretary to the State Government (SSG) Mr. George Feyii, who received the protesters on behalf of the state Governor, assured them of the support of the executive Governor, toward the release of the girls to their families.
Meanwhile, the protesters had in their message to the federal government appealed for greater caution to avoid the nation slipping into anarchy given the looming fear over the security challenges in the country.
calls and appeals even ultimatums are released on daily basis to those concerned with matters of security to go beyond their limits and rescue these victims of circumstance.
Today, the slogan “Bring Back Our Girls’ has gone beyond the shores of Nigeria. It has become a major hashtag in the social media. Why?, because the abduction of the over 200 innocent secondary school girls is outrightly a crime against humanity and a crime against humanity is certainly a crime against all irrespective of race and colour .
It is a national calamity, a pain borne by many and sorrow expressed by all. Apart from occasional sectorial calls by concerned individuals and groups for release of the April 14 abducted girls in chibok, Bornu State, the concern has gradually taken an international dimension and who knows, where salvation could come from?
Biological parents of those innocent girls have cried their eyes out, they have staked their lives to the rescue of their loved ones all these while to no avail. Calls, appeals and even ultimatums had been made and given to authorities incharge of Nigerians’ security to defend and rescue these girls.
Nigerian workers virtually turned the May Day Celebration into a day of mourning all in a bid to register their displeasure over the incidence and to press for the rescue of the school girls. Meanwhile the Patroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) boycotted this year’s May Day rally at the Eagle Square to identify with the pains and trauma of the parents of missing Chibok Students.
The recent declaration by the extremist militant group to sell its captives (the Chibok School Girls) has attracted the world’s attention and has further agitated as well as mobilised men and women from all walks of life in Nigeria to raise their voices against such inhuman act.
Protesters across Nigeria rallied last weekend to also draw attention to the plight of the girls.
It is barely a month now, victims of Chibok abduction have remained captives of an extremist militant group that has threatened to sell them into slavery. Minutes after the declaration of an intention to sell the abducted Nigerian school girls into slavery by their abductor, Abubakar Shekau, leader of the notorious Boko Haram sect, came another news that eight more girls from Warabe had been joined to the yet-to-be ascertained figure already in the captor’s net, isn’t it really disheartening?.
Pieces of bad news! Exclaims Chibundu Onuzu, a prominent Nigerian author who resides in London. What could be worst than living in an environment characterized by insecurity and acts of impunity by lawless inhuman beings who have thrown caution to the winds.
What exactly is the bad news? Over 200 girls abducted yet to be found? Or eight more girls abducted under a heated-security- intensified outmosphere?
My worry is not jut that odd things happen, my worry stems from the fact that they happen where they are guarded against any occurrence and inspite of the stiff security in place there could still be no traceable explanation to how it happened.
The latest kidnapping happened on Sunday night, May 4, in the village of Warabe, still in Borno State, the girls taken were aged between 12 and 15 according to BBC News.
However, more protest were staged Wednesday in Port Harcourt and Ilorin over the abduction of these girls with greater emphasis on bringing them back.
It will be recalled that on April 14, 2014 gunmen abducted over 200 secondary school girls from their dormitories at the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok.
New Yorker reports that militants dressed in Military Uniform went into their dormitories and told their victims they were being taken to a safe place. They were placed in trucks and on motorcycles and driven away.
Ever since, the Twitter hashtag ‘Bring Back Our Girls’, has been trending at various points with many users from around the world demanding a swift rescue of the girls.
Although some of the girls have been taken across Nigeria’s borders to nearby chad and Cameroon to be sold into marriage-Associated Press, President Goodluck Jonathan is still optimistic that the girls will come back. In a chat with the press recently in Abuja, the president reassured Nigerians he must do everything possible to secure the release of the captured girls.
Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi
Women
Nigeria Deserves Stylish, Sophisticated Designs-Igiebor Daddy Lucky
IVY-K Fashion by Igiebor Daddy Lucky, a Nigerian-born designer now based in the UK, has launched the latest menswear line, Dapper Man.
One of the collection’s strengths is its classic, clean aesthetic. Dapper Man delivers sharp, structured suits in a timeless black and white color scheme that exudes a sense of luxury and professionalism. The use of high-quality fabrics like wool and silk ensures that the suits not only look high-end but also feel luxurious to the wearer. The designer’s focus on detail is evident in the meticulous tailoring, with fitted blazers and crisp trousers forming the foundation of the collection.
Where IVY-K Fashion shines is in the subtle yet elegant touches. The inclusion of beads as embellishments on lapels and cuffs adds a unique flair, blending traditional craft with modern tailoring. This nod to African heritage gives the collection a distinct identity, offering something more personal and culturally significant than your standard menswear line.
However, despite the elegance of the Dapper Man collection, there is a lingering sense of missed opportunity. The black-and-white color palette, while classic, feels overly safe. In a fashion landscape where bold colors and daring patterns often make the strongest impact, the collection could benefit from incorporating more vibrant hues or experimenting with unconventional fabrics. Pushing the envelope with color or texture could elevate these designs from simply elegant to truly memorable.
In addition, while the tailoring of the blazers and trousers is immaculate, the collection lacks a sense of playfulness or modern edge that many contemporary menswear lines are embracing. The suits are undoubtedly stylish, but the collection as a whole leans heavily on tradition. Experimenting with asymmetrical cuts, bold patterns, or even layering could add an exciting dimension to Dapper Man. The challenge is to maintain the sleek sophistication of the collection while infusing it with a fresh, innovative spirit.
Another area that could use improvement is the overall cohesion of the collection. While the suits are well-crafted, there is a feeling of repetition across the pieces. More variation in design, such as different lapel styles, pocket configurations, or even bolder accessories, would give the collection greater diversity and visual interest.
In conclusion, Dapper Man by Igiebor Daddy Lucky showcases the designer’s strong grasp of classic tailoring and elegant design, but to truly capture the attention of a broader audience, IVY-K Fashion would benefit from more daring choices. By infusing the collection with bold colors, unexpected textures, and a more modern edge, Dapper Man could move from a well-crafted line to a trendsetting force in men’s fashion. With such a solid foundation, there’s no doubt that Igiebor Daddy Lucky has the potential to lead his brand toward greater heights
Women
Women Can Curb Indecent Dressing
The trend of indecent dressing all in the name of fashion is fast becoming a norm in our generation and society at large. Most married women embrace this fashion as competition with single ladies.
Different scholars have given an in depth insight about dressing as a tool of communication. Non-verbal communication has been asserted as the communication between people by the means of signs or symbols. It conveys what we wish to disseminate to the public as either intentionally or not.
According to Paul Ekman and Michael Argyle, communication is carried out through what has been classified as “Presentational Code”. He listed nine codes of non-verbal communication, as body contact, facial expression, gestures, postures, eye movement, proximity, orientation, head nods and appearance.
This, being stated, married and single ladies should understand that their mode of dressing is communicative be it directly or indirectly as such body parts we call “private” are now being made public because of the trends or wearing of transparent dresses and this in turn calls on the attention of men who are weak and prone to illicit thoughts thus, resulting to most rape cases in our society.
This indecent dressing by most ladies has denied many their future husbands. The truth is that a man is attracted to his kind; his desires in marriage. It is often asserted that decency and beauty are in the eyes of the beholder, yet, in trending times of this 21st century, dress code and fashion in nudity form is gaining popularity.
This has become complicated as most men tend to toggle between their emotions (lust) and sanity (rationality) in terms of marriage, thereby setting a wrong foundation upon which most marriages are consummated.
On the other hand, most married women have embraced the trend of indecent dressing nipping it on the state of it being the choice dressing, approved by their spouses, leaving society with the question of what “responsible” man would prefer that the secrecy of the benefit of his marital vow has become the centre of attraction and viewership by the general public.
Hence, communicating with their dressing gas given licence to every male gender who is interested or attracted to what they see to make unsolicited sexual passes at them, which might be considered embarrassing.
At this juncture, it is important to state that ladies should dress decently knowing that they are the epitome of nation-building, they are nation-builders, character moulders and pacesetters not just in the lives of their families but to the society at large.
In most occasions, there are no clear border lines between the married women and the single ladies because of the rate of scanty dressing which has close the gap of differences.
Women and girls should embrace this call awakening to decent mode of dressing. Dresses that are meant to be worn indoors should remain indoors.
It is worrisome to see ladies wear shorts that are supposed to be worn in the living room on the streets without shame. This is an awakening call to our ladies, married and singles that the opposite sex do not expose their private body parts for the public. Sometimes, the ladies go about in the streets without wearing brazziers as to showcase their nipples.
The society should be sanitised of the menace of indecent dressing that is lurking and taking over the entire nooks and crannies of the society and the nation at large.
Let it be known that he or she is addressed in the manner he or she is dressed. There may be no room for a second impression. To the single ladies, your dressing decently will not stop you from meeting your Mr Right rather, it will increase your stake and place you on the list of most valued women in the society.
Dressing speaks louder than words.
Kate Chisom Isiocha
Isiocha is an OND final year student of Temple Gate Polytechnic.