‘Video mischievously edited’ — Niger governor clarifies comment on dress code for civil servants

Umar Bago, governor of Niger, says he did not mandate civil servants in the state to stop wearing native attires to offices.

The Niger governor said his comment on dress code was “contextually misunderstood”.

On Monday, Bago was quoted as saying that native attires such as “kaftans and babanriga” must not be worn to offices from Monday to Thursday.

In a statement on Monday night, Bologi Ibrahim, the chief press secretary to the governor, said Bago was only advising civil servants to be farmers and that good farmers usually dress smartly to work.

Ibrahim said the governor’s remarks as contained in the viral video were “mischievously edited to malign” his personality.

“Mr. Governor believes that we have no reason to be poor because of the enormous agricultural potential of the state,” the statement reads.

“His government is already investing heavily in the agricultural revolution. Hence the need for all to collectively embrace farming — including the civil servants.

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

“The governor’s statement did not in any way imply that civil servants now have a dress code to office from Monday to Thursday as erroneously captured in the video making the rounds.”