FRSC suspends Rivers command boss
PHOTO: FRSCRIVERS SECTOR/FACEBOOK
The Federal Road Safety Corps has allegedly suspended the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Rivers State, Andrew Kumapayi, for publicly cutting the hair of a number of the agency’s female officers with a pair scissors.
Other officers who also took part in the controversial disciplinary action have also been suspended according to a media report by an online medium, which quoted a text message from a spokesperson for the agency.
The message, which reportedly stated that Kumapayi had accused the female marshals of carrying long hairdos, also stated that the FRSC’s Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, ordered the immediate suspension of the officers pending an official investigation into the incident.
The spokesman for the Corps, Bisi Kazeem, said the suspension or ‘recall’ as he tagged it was necessary to pave way for a proper investigation.
Images showing Kumapayi and a few other male officers cutting the hair of some female marshals were on Monday afternoon posted on the Facebook page of the FRSC’s Rivers State command.
They have since been taken off after reports, spearheaded by a report by The Guardian, went viral.
It would be recalled that Kumapayi, on Monday, carried out a general inspection on the staff of the FRSC headquarters in Port Harcourt.
The inspection covered the uniform and fingernails, as well as the hairdos of FRSC personnel and the now suspended sector commander was on hand to ensure that the female officers whose hair styles allegedly ran foul of the agency’s requirements got an on-the-spot haircut.
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13 Comments
Why do they have long hair-dos in the first place?
So he has the authority to cut their hair? I thought there was supposed to be a procedure for dealing with officers that breach the dress code? And for how long are we going to be a country of barbarians
And for how long are we going to be a coutry of barbarians?
…If it was in the military Yes..the RSM has the right to cut her or any serving personnel’s hair if it breaches the rules..in a paramilitary force probably not..
But you and everyone else are still missing the point..before she signed up to the paramilitary FRSC she should have known that she couldn’t have long hairdos..tattoos..nails or eye brows..while would she have to be told to do the appropriate thing later?..unfortunately the Sector Commander did it in a crude way..but at least any female joining the corps now would know to do better..
My concern however, is with how we turn every agencies to paramilitary force..Customs..FRSC..NCDSC even Tax collectors FIRS etc..all act like a military force..when they should be a professional civilian service..that I think is what this controversy should be reminding us..the fact that we still carry so much military reflex in our nation despite close to 18 years of civilian rule..
OMG!
That is not the point.
In our places of work, we all make mistakes by accidents or by intention. As long as we are not encroaching on human rights of other citizens, that does not give our supervisors or bosses the right to take an action that affects the way we live our lives.
If we accept that they breach the laws of having long hair-dos, then at most, the commander has the right to indefinitely dismiss them. That would be their punishment for breaking the rules,not cutting their hair. Even if he gave them at ultimatum to “cut your hair now, or your are fired” (which in my opinion is a misuse of power) and they accepted, humiliating them in public is wrong and very degrading.
I get what you saying..and trust me I live abroad so understand better..but you don’t seem to understand me one bit..hence your OMG exclamation..
Point is in a military or paramilitary organisation anywhere in the world..civilian procedures don’t apply..only military or quasi-military rules apply and sometimes they can be harsh..imagine if your commander asked you locked up in a detention cell for unprofessional conduct for a week..I’m sure someone like you would call it cruel or uncivil..but that is the military and way of life you signed up for..
The FRSC is a paramilitary force (quasi-military)..there is no distinction between male or female in professional conduct..hence feminism doesn’t apply here nor full civil procedures..and their hair-dos can be cut (hopefully they would have had a policy and procedural training before the incidence..which I doubt)..but if they had been trained..then its total misconduct for them to carry long locks or hair-dos to work..what if a motorists pulls their hair in making a difficult arrest?..
However..what you missed in my comment and didn’t reply too..is must all our agencies which should be providing professional services to the citizens..be militarised?..it has become a bad reflex carried over from military era..FRSC..NSCDC..Customs etc should not be a paramilitary force..even FIRS when they go out to seal defaulters..dress as task force and act almost lawless like they are a law to themselves..we need to professionalise a lot of our agencies and make them more civil than paramilitary..when they need to do any enforcements or arrest..the Police or SSS can do so on their behalf…
They have long braids because your mother is also a woman and a human being. He could have ordered them to cut their hair or queried them which is the right thing to do. Humiliating them so openly, as if we are still in the military era is absolutely wrong. Nigeria and Nigerians must move on as rest of the world. The situation whereby people at the head make their own laws on the spot is over!
Anyone can wear long braids or hairstyle they desire..but in a paramilitary force..No!!..while the discipline applied in such paramilitary organisation cannot be as civil as you would like it..
Read my comments properly..this time dispassionately..to comprehend and understand the gist of what I’m talking about..
this is a welcome development. but it shouldn’t just be a mere suspention but more stringent measures should be taken against these culprits in order to serve as deterent to others who think they can do anything because they are bosses.
Kudos to FRSC for the prompt action against these “barbaric” act, they’ve saved themselves from lawsuit as their action has shown that they never sanctioned the officer and his men to become professional “barbers” for female officers. The officer and his men acted independently and molested the female officers with no authority from FRSC. Good reaction from FRSC.
They should be fired with immediate effect from FRSC
You either keep the job…..or keep your hair. Road safety is serious business
the episodes in this nigerian government movies will never end…national assembly has paused for a bit
We will review and take appropriate action.