Each time I see women in the force, I always tend to wonder how such women cope in terms of physical strength. I agree that women can compete with men in most job and career areas but competing with men in the area of physical strength is something that dazzles me. Sure, they are always drilled to know how strong they are but I wonder if such trainings are being done as they ought to, to actually know women who are really strong physically to be in the force.
I understand the job description of women in the army, police, road safety because I have observed them do their job. The women that I really do not understand what they do or their job functions are the women in the civil defence. In Abuja here, I often come across women in this part of the force well dressed in clean uniform and always sitting under the pedestrian bridges chatting and doing nothing. Those of you reading this and living in Abuja must have noticed this too. Go to the popular Julius Berger under-bridge in Utako, car wash bus stop bridge along Airport Road FHA, Lugbe and so many locations where I see these women just sitting idle doing nothing. The only time you see them swing into action is when a government official is about to pass and you see all of them standing and controlling the traffic. Once the convoy of such official passes, they will go back and sit on their bench and continue with their gist. Meanwhile, very close where these women are sitting, you could have some Nigerian citizens fighting over either pick pocketing or other things which you might feel the uniform women are supposed to intervene and settle but they will simply look the other way and not care.
Questions that I need the people in charge of this particular force section should answer are: What the hell is a fat woman doing in the force? A woman who can hardly run? How can such a woman chase after someone or be active with all the fat and high cholesterol in her system? Should a force person sit down, remove her shoes along the road side where she is being posted? What exactly do you people train these fat women at civil defence force to do each day they come to work? Seriously, I need to know because it is absurd watching women in force uniforms always sitting down on road side gossiping and not observing what are happening around, protecting Nigerians and ensuring citizens keep to the law and order. Have you also gone to motor parks/bus stops and observe how our uniform persons(not just the civil defence) in the midst of others jumping the line, rather than control the situation and ensure that people stay on line, what they do is to intimidate others. Outrageous huh?
Nigeria is a country where people go to work daily, produce nothing and get paid at the end of the month. Go to our minisitries and see civil servants occupying tables doing nothing. Some come to work to sell crayfish, cosmetics, clothing and all manner of wares, yet, at the end of the month they get paid. For doing what? For producing what?
Coming back to the civil defence women, I once came across a middle aged woman who am sure is about 50 years who used to be a church leader in one of the churches I attended long ago and lo, suddenly she turns out to be employed into the civil defence force. This woman was seen as almost a pastor in that church with her own parish and I kept asking myself, how does she combine her church duties with the civil defence duties? Did she resign as a church leader or what? This is a woman who is not just a bench warmer at that church so when I saw her wearing the civil defence uniform, I wondered what criteria the force uses in recruiting people. What about age? How could such a woman at her age switch roles and join the force?
I have discovered that many women love to wear uniforms and cherish the idea of being dreaded by civilians. My understanding of anyone joining any kind of force is that, you must be up and doing at any point in time, maintaining order and ensuring that people where you are being posted daily are protected and cared for. How many times have you seen a force person happily and gently seperate citizens quarreling/fighting along the road? How many times have you seen a force person gently go to someone who litter pure water sachets, banana peels etc and advised him/her to pick the litter and dispose them properly? Those of them who do this, always do so violently and abusing the persons littering. Have you also noticed that they have too many women in this force? I see many of women wear uniform than men which is good but, why employ them if they are not going to add any value to the society?
This talk today is not about discouraging women from joining the civil defence but am interested in seeing women in this uniform who are up to the task. Women who look smart, active and agile and not too fat and flabby (women) sitting down at road sides fiddling with their phones and watching people walk by. Those of you women who just love to sit down at your job post, are you aware it is a very ugly sight seeing you in uniform, removing your shoes and sitting down just looking at every Dick and Harry that passes by? Not that watching people is bad but the fact remains that in the process of this, you observe bad things happening but you are too lazy to drag your feet up and control the situation. Ok… you are not lazy? So what is it that makes you sit down for hours under a bridge doing nothing? Now, let us assume, a thief was being chased by a mob and this thief was coming towards where you are and your boot are being removed as you sat down… So, first, you will have to deal with putting on your boot, lacing it before knowing where the thief is? Give me a damn good break here my force woman…..what is this? A job?
JACLYN IWU
