Niger Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has clarified his statement on the proposed dress code for civil servants in the state.

Bago in a statement by his spokesperson, Bologi Ibrahim, said his directive on the dress code was quoted out of context and wrongly presented to the public.

Ibrahim said the video which has gone viral on social media where Bago was seen instructing civil servants not to dress in native attire called ‘Babban Riga’ in Hausa language from Monday to Thursday did not reflect the statement in its original context.

“Mr Governor believes that, as a state, we have no reason to be poor because of the enormous agricultural potentials of Niger and that his government was already investing heavily in the agricultural revolution, hence the need for all to collectively embrace farming including the civil servants,” Ibrahim said.

According to him, the governor was only encouraging civil servants to be farmers and to be a good farmer, you will need to dress smartly to farm.

He explained that Bago’s statement did not in any way imply that civil servants now have a dress code to the office from Monday to Thursday as erroneously captured in the viral video.

Ibrahim said his boss did not announce or mandate any dress code for the civil servants, instead he meant every professional should be dressed based on the demands of his or her job.

“The viral video was curiously and mischievously edited to malign the Governor stressing that the general public must disregard the clip because the full video clearly defines what he meant,” Ibrahim said.

“Governor Bago advised social media influencers to be mindful and sure of the contents and context of the information they circulate on social media to avoid misrepresentations of facts.”
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