The
Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ngozi Braide in a recent gooo/feature/saturday-people/50-of-my-telephone-calls-are-nasty-ngozi-braide/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>interview talked about her family, personal life and job. See excerpts below…
Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, Ngozi Braide in a recent gooo/feature/saturday-people/50-of-my-telephone-calls-are-nasty-ngozi-braide/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>interview talked about her family, personal life and job. See excerpts below…
Some people alleged that you
didn’t get the PPRO job on merit, but through closeness to some men at
the top hierarchy in the force. Is this true?
didn’t get the PPRO job on merit, but through closeness to some men at
the top hierarchy in the force. Is this true?
You know the irony is when people gossip
about you, you are usually the last to hear it. The gossip must have
gone round but I never heard about it. I can tell that I got to this
position through hard work. I wasn’t just handpicked. There was an
interview and I emerged the best. If people are saying that, it’s their
problem. I am not saying that people are not talking about me, but I am
saying that I do not care. I don’t even see this as the peak of my
career. There is more for me to accomplish. I see this position as a
normal police assignment just as I had worked in other departments
before getting here – I worked in Interpol, Special Fraud unit,
Intelligence Unit and IG monitoring Unit before I came to the Public
Relations Unit.
about you, you are usually the last to hear it. The gossip must have
gone round but I never heard about it. I can tell that I got to this
position through hard work. I wasn’t just handpicked. There was an
interview and I emerged the best. If people are saying that, it’s their
problem. I am not saying that people are not talking about me, but I am
saying that I do not care. I don’t even see this as the peak of my
career. There is more for me to accomplish. I see this position as a
normal police assignment just as I had worked in other departments
before getting here – I worked in Interpol, Special Fraud unit,
Intelligence Unit and IG monitoring Unit before I came to the Public
Relations Unit.
Have you ever told a lie to the public on a case to cover the police’s reputation?
(Laughs) Is there somebody that can say that he or she has never told a lie?
I mean as an exigency of your job …
I can’t remember lying to the public but
I am human just like you. As humans, once in a while one might tell a
lie but on this job I can’t remember telling the public a lie. I am
always out to do it right.
I am human just like you. As humans, once in a while one might tell a
lie but on this job I can’t remember telling the public a lie. I am
always out to do it right.
Would you encourage your children to join the police?
Yes, even if all of them want to join the force, I will encourage them.
Has being a woman been an added advantage to your job?
Yes, it has been. When I was in the
investigation unit, I didn’t wear uniforms so I could hardly be
identified as a police officer. I was able to break into cases where my
male counterparts met brick walls. Women are rarely ever suspected. I
never failed.
investigation unit, I didn’t wear uniforms so I could hardly be
identified as a police officer. I was able to break into cases where my
male counterparts met brick walls. Women are rarely ever suspected. I
never failed.
Are you married to a policeman?
I don’t like discussing my family.
You wear uniforms daily. Hasn’t this affected the number and quality of clothes in your wardrobe?
Yes, but it was better when I was in the
investigation unit since I didn’t have to wear my uniforms. But my
wardrobe has now become really inactive. I wear uniforms from Monday to
Friday. At times, I wear uniforms on Saturdays if an event demands it.
It is not easy coping with that as a fashionable woman but I won’t be
here forever. When I move around and I see fine outfits that I should be
wearing I feel it temporarily. But my job first; I really don’t have a
problem with that because of my love for the job.
investigation unit since I didn’t have to wear my uniforms. But my
wardrobe has now become really inactive. I wear uniforms from Monday to
Friday. At times, I wear uniforms on Saturdays if an event demands it.
It is not easy coping with that as a fashionable woman but I won’t be
here forever. When I move around and I see fine outfits that I should be
wearing I feel it temporarily. But my job first; I really don’t have a
problem with that because of my love for the job.
Do you socialise?
I do especially on Saturdays but I can’t
go everywhere I would have loved to go because I no longer have my
privacy. I have to choose where I go to. Each time I get into a place,
people come around to ask me one thing or the other. But it is important
to socialise and identify with the public. When I really want to relax,
I love to go to the beach with my family and feel nature.
go everywhere I would have loved to go because I no longer have my
privacy. I have to choose where I go to. Each time I get into a place,
people come around to ask me one thing or the other. But it is important
to socialise and identify with the public. When I really want to relax,
I love to go to the beach with my family and feel nature.
Do you still go to the market to do shopping?
I still do. I do bulk purchasing because
I don’t have the luxury of going to the market often. I also do my
cooking myself; even if it means doing it at 11pm after returning from
work. The market women usually don’t recognise me, but at times some
other people still meet me in the market and ask if I am Ngozi Braide
and ask for my telephone number. That is why the job teaches us to be
properly composed at all times. I have lost my privacy but it’s okay.
I don’t have the luxury of going to the market often. I also do my
cooking myself; even if it means doing it at 11pm after returning from
work. The market women usually don’t recognise me, but at times some
other people still meet me in the market and ask if I am Ngozi Braide
and ask for my telephone number. That is why the job teaches us to be
properly composed at all times. I have lost my privacy but it’s okay.
Which fashion item can’t you resist?
Everything, I love clothes, I love wrist
watches, I love rings, I love jewellery, I love shoes. Yes, I think I
love shoes and bags more. I love to wear beautiful shoes. They are just
there now, I rarely wear them, but I still keep buying more.
watches, I love rings, I love jewellery, I love shoes. Yes, I think I
love shoes and bags more. I love to wear beautiful shoes. They are just
there now, I rarely wear them, but I still keep buying more.
How do you cope with your numerous male admirers?
I am coping well. I don’t have to bother about the ones on Facebook
for now because I don’t have an account right now. Some impostors were
found to be running a parallel account with my original account and I
had to close it. But on my phone I get so many calls, many of which come
from men who just call for nasty reasons. In fact, I get 50 per cent
reasonable calls and 50 per cent nasty calls. Then physically at
functions, some men really make me feel shy because of their gestures. I
have, however, chosen never to act snobbishly, so I handle them
maturely.
for now because I don’t have an account right now. Some impostors were
found to be running a parallel account with my original account and I
had to close it. But on my phone I get so many calls, many of which come
from men who just call for nasty reasons. In fact, I get 50 per cent
reasonable calls and 50 per cent nasty calls. Then physically at
functions, some men really make me feel shy because of their gestures. I
have, however, chosen never to act snobbishly, so I handle them
maturely.
Hope your husband isn’t getting uneasy of this trend?
No. He trusts me.
