Letter to the IGP on New Police Uniforms – By Dr. John E. Oshodi

Posted by admin Articles, Columnists, John Egbeazien Oshodi, Nigerian Police, NNP Columnists Friday, April 6th, 2012

An Open Letter to the Inspector-General of Police – Mohammed Abubakar by Dr. John Oshodi

Sir, as you may know most psychologists are more interested about the
inner side of humans including security and law enforcement agents
followed by interest in the external being as in one’s particular dress
or style of dressing.

Sir, a new dress doesn’t get us anywhere at this time as it is the
official life, and the life that an officer portrays in the public that
matters more. The real beauty on the outside of an officer is a
reflection of an officer’s inside in terms of attractive attitude,
positive characteristics, character fitness, performance conduct,
fitness-for-duty, insight and judgment.

Sir, even with the best form of dressing, external presentation or
image in a new recruit or a long term serving officer undesirable
personality characteristics or other psychological challenges do not
vanish simply because of a new wear, instead these disturbances get
deeper and become more steadier.

New dressing will not reduce an officer’s psychological vulnerabilities
during service; a new physical image will not reduce or help discover
abnormal or pathological traits, instead will only successfully and
quietly cover disturbed identities and characters.

A new dress will not improve intelligence, self-control, emotional
stability, and honest dealings; a new wear will not improve moral
uprightness, integrity, reputation, cooperativeness and even physical
or medical fitness.

Sir, giving that one of the main support to psychological healthiness
is in the manner and style of one’s dress or image, as physical image
usually persists through one’s inner life, let’s find a way to work on
the psychological qualities-of-an-officer which usually means passing
a series or battery of psychological/personality tests. Thereafter,
any new law enforcement dress or image as well as a change in uniform
could be welcomed more by the public.

Sir, even if the best form of dressing is introduced a non-improvement
in an officer’s living, residential, financial and general working
conditions will further worsen his or her mental and emotional state
thereby making the new wear or cover-up virtually a financial
throwaway. The Nigerian public and the world are on the side of new
changes in the police and what they actually met is for the President
and the Inspector General of Police, is to set a new course of new
changes in the police atmosphere, beginning with the cleaning of the
inside of the Police personnel which could make the outside become more
cleaner.

John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D., is a Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and
the Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association (NPA),
Abuja. [email protected] 08126909839wp_posts

Short URL: https://newnigerianpolitics.com/?p=19888

Posted by admin on Apr 6 2012. Filed under Articles, Columnists, John Egbeazien Oshodi, Nigerian Police, NNP Columnists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

1 Comment for “Letter to the IGP on New Police Uniforms – By Dr. John E. Oshodi”

Dear Friend Dr Oshodi
April 13, 2012 - 9:52 pm

I am pleased that the uniform looks fine at least. But, your description of what the Nigerian Police Force looks like today must be very painful to you in particular. First, you have (true to your trait) shown that there is a strong need for improvement in the name of humanity and for the sake of troop moral. Second, you have a vested interest in the improvement of the condition of the Nigeria policeman(for reasons that I will respectfully defer) Dr. Oshodi, please do what you you do best-tell them as it is. I thank you for being a good “Son of the Soil”.

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