By Abdulkadir Fatima
MORAL decadence in tertiary institutions is increasingly becoming rampant on a daily basis. Institutions of learning, where moral values of activities have become “showgrounds” for different kinds of immoral activities.
Before now, decency especially in dressing is identified as a vital feature of African, as well as Nigerian culture. Decency in dressing has so much to do with the acceptable moral values and qualities or appearance of an individual or group of persons.
A dress is said to be Indecent when it is morally or sexually offensive, or when such dress exposes some parts of the body that are meant to be covered. As the local adage says “the way you dress , so you Will be addressed”.
These student dress indecently, all in the name of wanting to look “sexy”, “sensuous” “tantalizing” and “stimulating” forgetting that they ought to look responsible and sleek.Today, female students deliberately expose some sensitive parts of their bodies to draw the attention of the opposite sex.
This pattern of dressing have been condemned by many right-thinking individuals who described it as “improper and unacceptable” because it portrays the highest level of immorality in the society. Our society is experiencing a serious decline in moral values.
This immorality is not only limited to campuses of Nigerian tertiary institutions, but the society at large . Along the streets and in public places, it is very common to see people go almost nude all in the name of modern fashion.
Females parade themselves along the streets without any life of shame as they expose the vital organs of their physical frame of lookery. Although, it is not only the ladies who dress indecently today, even boys do.
Youths are fond of dressing half -naked in public; displaying their private parts to attract the attention of the opposite sex. Apart from wearing short skirts , female students display their boobs as a cheap means of getting attention.
In present time, sagging of trousers also known as “low waist”or “ass down” by young men and women; in addition to wearing of skimpy clothes called “fitted;” strapless tops win cleavage short blouses; and sleeveless shirts called “spaghetti or off shoulder”. are evident in the dress pattern of students.
These are major problems associated with decency in dressing especially faced in many tertiary institutions in Nigeria and Africa at large. Beside the skimpy and tight fitting nature of these dresses, they are again transparent; revealing certain parts of the body that under normal circumstance, ought to be hidden from the glare of people. Ironically, these are the renowned modern fashion trends of the present time.
Different thoughts have been advanced as reasons why youths dress indecently. These include poor parenting,peer pressure , wrong use of the internet, fading values as well as demonic influence and so on .
The negative implications of Indecent dressing especially among female students are that, they fall victims of rape on campus ; they are into prostitution by peers because of the way they dress and subsequently, they are tempted and influenced to become members of one cult group or the other. All these result to poor academic performance.
To address these problems in Nigerian tertiary institutions, incentive measures need to be taken by government and the authorities of tertiary institutions. Importantly, youths and students should be sensitised and educated about the potential dangers associated with immorality and Indecent dressing.
Staff and students of tertiary institutions should be given periodic orientation on the need for good moral conduct. They should be educated on what is expected of them and why moral values are important in their lives.
Noteworthy are the efforts of the authorities of numerous institutions to reduce the menace of Indecent dressing on Nigerian campuses through the introduction of dress codes for students. Strict rules enforcing students’ compliance with the dress codes have been introduced in some universities, Polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
These rules are strictly enforced, as lecturers are mandated to walk student who do not dress in accordance with the code out of lecture halls.The administrative staff should disallow such students from their offices while the the security staff should serve as watchdogs.
They should be allowed to open a record in their office for immodesty dressed students and forward such names particularly those who are not first offenders to the disciplinary committee of the college or university for appropriate sanction that the code must have spelt out.
These efforts are highly commendable and can be properly enforced on campuses through the collective efforts of management, staff and security personnel of tertiary institutions.
For these rules to be enforced, lecturers should be made to collaborate with the college or university management staff and their security personnel.
Parents should also be of good moral example to their children .There is also the need to regulate the use of internet especially among youths, because majority of the youths are exposed to different kinds of immoral activities on the internet.
This is evident in the amount of pornographic videos, advertisements, fashion parades and music that are being spread across boundaries unregulated. Moreover, it is essential for higher institutions to encourage open dialogue and create safe spaces for discussing moral issues, promoting critical thinking, and fostering an environment where individuals can engage in meaningful discussions about ethics and values.
Indispensably , the role of religious leaders is also needed to reduce the level of immorality in the society, clergymen must preach against immorality in the society, counsel and deliver those under demonic influence.
