DTSG: Enforcing Legislation Targeting Indecent Dressing, Is Entirely Absurd.

Many Nigerians are unaware of the Violence Against Persons in Private and Public Life (VAPP) Act, originally signed into law in 2015 by former President Goodluck Jonathan, which was later domesticated in Delta State in July 2020. The law categorically seeks to prohibit all forms of violence against persons in private and public life, offering protection to victims and ensuring offenders are sanctioned, not to regulate dressing, which is a form of discrimination and a gag on freedom of expression.

Under Section 29 of the domesticated Delta State VAPP Law, anyone who intentionally exposes their private parts, wholly or partially, in public is guilty of indecent exposure. Apart from Section 29 of the State's Act, other sections also address laws that prohibit female genital mutilation, harmful widowhood practices, battery, forceful ejection from home, and abandonment of dependants, among other offenses, not only indecent dressing.

However, why has the Delta State Government selectively targeted this aspect of the VAPP law, neglecting other critical issues where victims genuinely require the Delta State Government’s intervention, considering that this directive may also create loopholes for some police officers to extort and harass unsuspecting members of the public, thereby complicating a law intended to address societal problems?

Additionally, while the VAPP laws have several other beneficial provisions, enforcing legislation targeting indecent dressing is entirely absurd. We face critical challenges, including insecurity, economic hardship, rising unemployment, and other crimes plaguing the state, which demand urgent attention due to ineffective governance and failing institutions. If we had functional systems providing youth with opportunities to succeed, many of these issues, primarily caused by inadequate parenting and neglect, would be mitigated.

While dressing decently is a universal concern, it is not within the purview of any government in a democratic society, whether federal or state, to regulate such behaviour, particularly through the imposition of fines or community services as punitive measures. Democratic societies place a high value on the right of individuals to express themselves, and attire can serve as a means of personal expression. Nevertheless, excessively broad restrictions on dressing, including fines as punitive measures, are generally regarded as infringements upon fundamental rights.

Consequently, the Delta State Government should redirect its focus towards addressing issues that alleviate hardship and improve the lives of its citizens. It is imprudent to dictate dress codes or behaviour to individuals struggling with hardship and malnutrition, particularly when such actions do not constitute a crime. Rather, the government should strive to provide parents with a sense of belonging and viable opportunities, enabling them to instill good values and morals in their children, while the government concentrates on delivering effective governance for the people.

Comr. (Amb) Derrick Oritsematosan Agberen

National Coordinator, 

Initiative For Social Rights Concerns 

And Advancement(ISRCA)

AKA “No Justice, No Peace.”