Minister asks Buhari to sign Peace Corps Bill

The Nigerian minister of youths and sports, Solomon Dalung, has
said the Peace Corps bill if signed into law would save Nigeria
from the menace of criminality as its core mandate was to engage
the youth.

The minister stated this on Wednesday when he formally received
the copy of the harmonised version of the bill passed by National
Assembly in his office.

He expressed hope that the presidency would give favourable
consideration to the bill, which he said teeming Nigerian youth
were anxiously waiting for.

“If we have this organisation coming up and depopulating these
young people, it will be a celebration that our problems are
reducing on daily basis. On this note, I call on all Nigerians with
the initiative of opportunity of engaging our young people, to
please put it into practice. Let’s join our hands together and
engage our young people productively so that we can be sure of a
better country tomorrow,” Mr Dalung said.

He also said if Nigerian leaders fail to invest in youth today,
they lack the moral ground to complain against criminality
tomorrow.

Mr. Dalung, who also reacted to the recent clampdown on the
Corps by the Nigerian Police, said the activities of the
organisation “since 18 years ago, were not different from all other
voluntary organisations which he was familiar with.”

“Just like every other voluntary organisation under the Ministry
of Youths and Sports Development, we have the Nigerian Boys Scout,
they wear uniform, they have regimented operation, they train and
they contribute positively to maintaining law and order in this
country.

“The Nigerian Man’O’War dress even in the manner that is similar
to the military. They are involved in trainings that are regimental
and they have been operating and making great contributions to
peace and security in Nigeria,” he said.

He added that the current crime profile of the nation needed an
equal efficient response.

“We must not turn blind eyes to the effort of anybody in this
country who is legitimately involved, in engaging our young people,
to train them into the future leaders, by engaging them within the
time space in which they will officially have something
doing.’’

He admonished the officers of the Corps to forgive those who
opposed the bill, put the past behind them and work towards
delivering on the core mandate of the organisation.
“Rather, you must put the bitter experiences behind you and look
forward to delivering on your vision and mission, so that you would
not seem to have betrayed Nigerians who have confidence in
you.”

The Senate had recently passed a bill to make the Nigerian Peace
Corps a paramilitary agency after years of stiff opposition from
security agencies including the military, the police and the
SSS.

Critics of the bill say such agency duplicates the functions of
already existing security and paramilitary agencies, and creates a
new bureaucracy for a government grappling with paying workers’
salaries.

The bill, passed by the National Assembly, is now waiting for
the president’s approval. It is not clear if the president will
sign the bill as the presidency has not made comments on it.

The Nigerian minister of youths and sports, Solomon Dalung, has
said the Peace Corps bill if signed into law would save Nigeria
from the menace of criminality as its core mandate was to engage
the youth.

The minister stated this on Wednesday when he formally received
the copy of the harmonised version of the bill passed by National
Assembly in his office.

He expressed hope that the presidency would give favourable
consideration to the bill, which he said teeming Nigerian youth
were anxiously waiting for.

“If we have this organisation coming up and depopulating these
young people, it will be a celebration that our problems are
reducing on daily basis. On this note, I call on all Nigerians with
the initiative of opportunity of engaging our young people, to
please put it into practice. Let’s join our hands together and
engage our young people productively so that we can be sure of a
better country tomorrow,” Mr Dalung said.

He also said if Nigerian leaders fail to invest in youth today,
they lack the moral ground to complain against criminality
tomorrow.

Mr. Dalung, who also reacted to the recent clampdown on the
Corps by the Nigerian Police, said the activities of the
organisation “since 18 years ago, were not different from all other
voluntary organisations which he was familiar with.”

“Just like every other voluntary organisation under the Ministry
of Youths and Sports Development, we have the Nigerian Boys Scout,
they wear uniform, they have regimented operation, they train and
they contribute positively to maintaining law and order in this
country.

“The Nigerian Man’O’War dress even in the manner that is similar
to the military. They are involved in trainings that are regimental
and they have been operating and making great contributions to
peace and security in Nigeria,” he said.

He added that the current crime profile of the nation needed an
equal efficient response.

“We must not turn blind eyes to the effort of anybody in this
country who is legitimately involved, in engaging our young people,
to train them into the future leaders, by engaging them within the
time space in which they will officially have something
doing.’’

He admonished the officers of the Corps to forgive those who
opposed the bill, put the past behind them and work towards
delivering on the core mandate of the organisation.
“Rather, you must put the bitter experiences behind you and look
forward to delivering on your vision and mission, so that you would
not seem to have betrayed Nigerians who have confidence in
you.”

The Senate had recently passed a bill to make the Nigerian Peace
Corps a paramilitary agency after years of stiff opposition from
security agencies including the military, the police and the
SSS.

Critics of the bill say such agency duplicates the functions of
already existing security and paramilitary agencies, and creates a
new bureaucracy for a government grappling with paying workers’
salaries.

The bill, passed by the National Assembly, is now waiting for
the president’s approval. It is not clear if the president will
sign the bill as the presidency has not made comments on it.