The Peace Corps of Nigeria ( PCN ) on Friday appealed to
President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider his decision of not
assenting to the Peace Corps Bill passed by the National
Assembly.
The National Commandant, PCN, Mr Dickson Akoh, made the call at
the Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee meeting in
Abuja.
“We want the President to assent to the bill, if not for any
reason, but for the social and productive engagement of our teeming
youths in line with his campaign promises.
“The President’s withholding his assent to our bill
notwithstanding, we will continue to have esteem confidence in Mr
President’s leadership,’’ he said.
Akoh said the bill was meant to give statutory backing to the
organisation, with the core mandate of empowering the youths,
facilitating peace, volunteerism and community service.
He noted that the Nigerian Peace Corps Establishment Bill 2017
was not rejected by the president for its weakness but for the
conceived pretexts.
“In every ideal democracy and advance society, government should
seek to explore all avenues to empower and socially engage the
youth in order to reduce the social consequences of their
idleness.
“It is therefore, towards this aim that I wish to restate for
the umpteenth time that similar organisations like the Peace Corps
exist in several other countries of the world including the
America, Canada, Bangladesh and so on,” Akoh said.
The commandant said the function of the Nigerian Peace Corps as
captured in the bill do not in any way conflict with the function
of any existing security agency.
“There was never a time in the history of our country that the
need for peace has become fiercely urgent like now.
“The role of the Peace Corps is clearly distinct from the
conventional security and para-military organisations hence its
placement under the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development.
“The powers conferred on the Nigerian Peace Corps in the bill do
not also involve arms bearing, investigation, detention and
persecution,’’ he said.
Akoh explained that one of the principal objectives of the corps
was the deployment to schools and colleges to promote peace sniff
and sieve intelligence, saying this could had prevented the
abduction of the Dapchi school girls in Yobe.
NAN
The Peace Corps of Nigeria ( PCN ) on Friday appealed to
President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider his decision of not
assenting to the Peace Corps Bill passed by the National
Assembly.
The National Commandant, PCN, Mr Dickson Akoh, made the call at
the Board of Trustees and National Executive Committee meeting in
Abuja.
“We want the President to assent to the bill, if not for any
reason, but for the social and productive engagement of our teeming
youths in line with his campaign promises.
“The President’s withholding his assent to our bill
notwithstanding, we will continue to have esteem confidence in Mr
President’s leadership,’’ he said.
Akoh said the bill was meant to give statutory backing to the
organisation, with the core mandate of empowering the youths,
facilitating peace, volunteerism and community service.
He noted that the Nigerian Peace Corps Establishment Bill 2017
was not rejected by the president for its weakness but for the
conceived pretexts.
“In every ideal democracy and advance society, government should
seek to explore all avenues to empower and socially engage the
youth in order to reduce the social consequences of their
idleness.
“It is therefore, towards this aim that I wish to restate for
the umpteenth time that similar organisations like the Peace Corps
exist in several other countries of the world including the
America, Canada, Bangladesh and so on,” Akoh said.
The commandant said the function of the Nigerian Peace Corps as
captured in the bill do not in any way conflict with the function
of any existing security agency.
“There was never a time in the history of our country that the
need for peace has become fiercely urgent like now.
“The role of the Peace Corps is clearly distinct from the
conventional security and para-military organisations hence its
placement under the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development.
“The powers conferred on the Nigerian Peace Corps in the bill do
not also involve arms bearing, investigation, detention and
persecution,’’ he said.
Akoh explained that one of the principal objectives of the corps
was the deployment to schools and colleges to promote peace sniff
and sieve intelligence, saying this could had prevented the
abduction of the Dapchi school girls in Yobe.
NAN
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