UNIFORM NA CLOTH

 

I was thinking this morning..... I went for a visa interview last week and had to sit in queue waiting to be called to the counter. Ahead of me were different classes of Nigerians. Young and old, literate and illiterate. Of particular interest was a Police officer fully dressed in his official uniform.

I waited to see if he will use the usual Nigeria Police intimidation tactics, but no, he behaved and followed the queue. Then came the interview as he stood before the oyinbo visa officer. Will she be intimidated by police uniform? Usai! She asked a couple of questions and said 'sorry, we are denying you the visa.'

What? I was waiting for the Policeman to protest and probably arrest the visa officer but no, he put his tail between his legs and walked out quietly. As he shut the door behind him, I understood the line in Fela Kuti's 1974 song 'Alagbon Close' that says 'Uniform na cloth, na tailor dey sew am.'

In Nigeria, we are so used to workers intimidating people with their uniforms. Some nurses abuse and intimidate their patients, policemen intimidate civilians, some cassock-wearing MOGs abuse their members, even civil defence have started using their uniform to intimidate. What they all don't realise is that uniform na cloth, na tailor dey sew am.

Uniform is meant to certify legitimacy and suppress individuality, but many have used it to show oppressive authority. While uniform open doors for some, it closes doors for others. A man or woman is not made by the uniform they wear but by the person within. Afterall, uniform na cloth, na tailor dey sew am.

Some pretend to be a sheep and suddenly becomes a lion with a uniform on. It's a lie. They've always been a lion waiting for a uniform to confer legitimacy. Stop defining your personality with your uniform or job because most people will look beyond the uniform for the person behind. Be good and upright despite the uniform you wear, otherwise when it matters most, the visa officer of Life will look at the uniform and say 'Visa denied.' Afterall uniform na cloth, na tailor dey sew am. 1st Samuel 16:17 says 'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature.'

Stay hopeful. God's got our back.

Happy Sunday!

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey