Women’s advocacy group, HerRights Watch, has condemned what it described as “a calculated, misogynistic and false campaign” by SaharaReporters Publisher, Omoyele Sowore, to demonise ladies within the Nigeria Police Force, particularly these serving within the workplace of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
The group described the article not too long ago revealed by SaharaReporters, which sought to scandalise feminine officers, particularly ACP Bukola Kuti and DSP David Victoria, as “a shameless, sexist smear built on malicious gossip rather than credible journalism.”
The Convener of HerRights Watch, Onyinye Eze, in a strongly worded assertion, expressed dismay on the alternative of Sowore to show what is basically an institutional situation of police promotions, which is even overwhelmingly skewed in the direction of male officers, into a private assault on a couple of ladies who’ve distinguished themselves in service simply because he seeks to impress his paymasters who’ve enlisted him to assault the IGP persistently.
“Is Sowore suggesting that women have no right to serve in sensitive positions or be recognised for their exceptional work and contributions to society? Is he implying that a woman’s competence and progress can only come through illicit means? That line of thinking is not only deeply offensive but also regressive and dangerous,” Eze mentioned.
“The criteria for accelerated promotion are well-established; for instance, any officer who wins the Police Service Merit Award on two occasions automatically qualifies. The lady in question followed the same process because she merited it. Furthermore, contrary to the misleading claims in the article, she has been in service for well over 10 years. Can anyone reasonably claim that the same IGP has been responsible for all her promotions over the years when she has only worked with him for less than two years?
“As further proof of Sowore’s malicious intent, the report falsely alleged that the promotion list was skewed in favour of officers from the South West. However, a thorough review of the list shows that officers from the North Central were, in fact, the top beneficiaries of the exercise.”
Eze identified that though nearly all of officers promoted by the Police Service Commission within the referenced checklist have been males, Sowore selected to construct his total narrative round a handful of ladies, dragging their names within the mud with out presenting verifiable information.
“This is not investigative journalism; this is misogyny wrapped in a failing attempt to undermine the leadership of the police by targeting women as easy scapegoats and collateral damage,” she mentioned.
She additional challenged the credibility of the so-called “sources” relied on by SaharaReporters, noting that the article dripped with innuendos, insinuations and stereotypes that demean the dignity of ladies in uniform, including that “You cannot claim to be fighting for justice or accountability when your own report is a textbook example of character assassination and gender profiling.”
Eze known as on Nigerians to reject the try to show ladies into scapegoats in institutional controversies, including that if the promotions within the Nigeria Police Force are flawed, the method could be addressed with out maligning hardworking and deserving ladies who’re caught within the net. She added that if male officers have been promoted with out benefit, would Sowore insinuate they received there by means of sexual favours?
In any case, it’s on file that the incumbent Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, has refused each try to encourage indiscriminate particular accelerated promotion regardless of the humongous strain from each quarter. Hence, he arrange standards, pointers and a course of for qualifying for a particular promotion which was strictly adhered to on this matter.
She suggested different journalists and media platforms to be accountable and gender-sensitive of their reporting, calling on media regulatory our bodies, the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian communication Commission and human rights establishments to analyze the defamatory content material of the SaharaReporters article and defend ladies in public service from malicious assaults based mostly on their gender.
“We cannot allow this kind of journalistic recklessness to go unchallenged. It breeds a hostile environment for women and reinforces the culture of impunity, where men can say and write anything against women without consequences. Enough is enough,” she declared.
