Serve With Skirts Movement, an advocacy group was on Wednesday, stage a peaceful protest at the Unity Fountain in Abuja to demand inclusion of skirts as part of the uniform for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Members of the group, comprising of young boys and girls, held banners with inscriptions like “there is a difference between the world and the daughters of God”, "We cannot dress like the world", “our sisters cannot dress like men. They should be decently covered”, among others, with some of the female members dressed in Khaki skirts.

According to them, year after year, female corps members are harassed at orientation camps for refusing to wear skirts. This, they said, is a breach of their fundamental human rights under Section 38(1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

A leader of the group, Udochi Emmanuel, said the use of trousers are evoking immorality in the camps. In the 1970s and 1980s, she said, “we had our mothers wearing skirts and we want to go back to that.”

“We have asked for exemption (sic) severally. NYSC has not given that as an option, they have made it a compulsory one-year service for everyone below the age of 30 and they are mandated to wear those clothes.

“We have already started negotiations (with government) and we hope that from this dialogue we will get a favourable response,” she said.

When asked if don’t they get what they are seeking for Ms Emmanuel said they “may need to ask for redress in the court.”

A corps member, Patience Noble, who was part of the protest, told journalists that she was posted to Ebonyi State for service and when she insisted on wearing skirt, she was asked to leave camp.

“As a citizen of my country, I have the right to serve the nation just like every other graduate has. They insisted that I wear this trouser or leave the camp. During the camp there were lots of insults and humiliation – one of military tore the skirts I was wearing on my body.”

The protest comes barely two months after two members of the 2019 NYSC Stream C in Ebonyi State, were sent home from camp for refusing to wear trousers.

The NYSC spokesperson in the state, Ngozi Ukwuoma, explained that when the duo were accosted and interrogated, they disclosed that they could not wear the white shorts and the trousers given to them by the NYSC since it was against their faith.

Efforts were, however, made by the office of the Camp Director to make them see reason why they must obey the rules and regulations guiding the orientation and NYSC, but all efforts to do that were futile, she said.

This act generated controversy among Nigerians as many were torn between allowing skirt as part of the NYSC uniform or not.

Although the NYSC act does not clearly state what the uniform should be, it only said the corps members should accept and wear whatever is given to them.

Section 3(1)(ix) of the NYSC bye-laws states that every corps member shall “wear the various uniforms provided for the activities.”

It also says “any member who refuses, fails or neglects to comply with this rule shall be tried by the Camp Court and, if found guilty, be liable to be decamped and sent out of the orientation camp.”

The Senate had in March 2018, rejected a bill to amend the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Act.

The bill was rejected following concerns that such amendment requires altering the constitution which requires a longer process.

Officials of the NYSC have, however, continued to admonish corps members to adhere to the laws of the Corps.

https://www.believespot.com/2020/01/group-protests-wants-skirts-included-in-nysc.html

They should go and sit down, what is even here in Nigeria to serve? skirt or no skirt, NYSC should be scrap! its a waste of time and resources. misplace priority group!!

Jobless people

But seriously these things have be there for long ..so many imam wife alpha wife and prophet and even pastors wife that went to school wore this trouser .... Instead of you guys to be fighting for the betterment of the youth..the country ..you are here saying trash ...
Abeg NYSC nor be false ...if u nor like trouser abeg exemption form dey

If wearing Hijab during NYSC activities is good for Hajia Aisha of Ansarudeen, Skirt is also good for Sister Gloria of Deeper Life which means fairness.
Robert Mugabe 2020

Una no get work abi

i know why dem dy protest

They want quick access to the Kpekus

I support the skirt movement also, Office skirt can be very sexy and tempting, plus it allows easier access to the login page

All this Deeper life and their wahala... since its not MURIC now our Hypocrite brothers would keep quiet but let the o.p mistakenly change the headline to include MU- before he types RIC they would have trooped out commenting till the pages reaches page 12, with all sort of insult on religion of "Piss"

..

I think a Bum shorts too will be very ideal

Even when the govt tries to make some people look smart at least once in their lifetime,they still don't want it. How can a young woman prefer to look like a poor widow all in the name of extremism, while her male counterparts look all smart and eligible for great jobs.

Skirt in NYSC camp, Chai man o war will be very interesting

Thank you, next?

As expected, we are having hard right comments here, but why are we soo resistant to differing opinion?
If people consider trousers as improper dressing, why should they be shouted down and heckled?
NYSC should be a scheme of national pride and people shouldn't be forced into accepting what they aren't comfy with. Even proper military women wear skirts, so what's the fuss with hard rightists?

Later we would expect not to be looked down on as Musulmi ladies for dressing like masquerades in the name of religious adherence or we will turn around to scream islamisation when policies aren't made to favour us, yet we dont want to listen to the voice of the minority. Nigerians are rooted in so much hypocrisy.

We really need to be tolerant of each other's inclination.

Clowns

If you can't wear the approved kit

Quit

How hard is that ?

From what I can see this people don't have any issues in life, if they did they will not be able to display their stupidity. Every organization has it rules and regulations. If you no wan go nysc shut up deyy your papa house.

Is wearing skirt the problem of NYSC. Does wearing skirt guarantee a good job after serving? SMH

Jesus wore skirts.
Roman soldiers fought with miniskirts.

Trouser was invented to aid mobility.


This is not about religion, but about ignorance.
Mumu people!!

The T-shirt they are wearing is it male of female T-shirt? If skirts are approved, what will the next protest be? White blouse/shirts with shoulder pads?

Can they climb those ropes with skirts, bunch of fanatics

One of my friends who now has a kid tho, went and thore her kaki into skirt.... Will will just be laughing whenever she turns her back in the dormitory

Realtord43:
They should go and sit down, what is even here in Nigeria to serve? skirt or no skirt, NYSC should be scrap! its a waste of time and resources. misplace priority group!!

Who will teach the kids in the rural areas? Am sure you would gladly take a job in the rural areas teaching primary school children if you are an education graduate...and you won't want to go to the city, would you??

NYSC is a waste of time. Sadly, it is also the only way rural schools would get teachers, hospitals in rural areas would get doctors, and so on. If you want to scrap it, think up a better idea.

Christian MURIC...CHRIC.

Everything is hard in this country. Everyone is angry for no just reason.

Your God is a Western God and skirt is also Western outfit. Our ancestors moved around Stark naked. If you want that let us know

Tomorrow another set will come and say they want bumshots.....another will come in panties.....

We have more pressing issues biko...

What of Gown?