Let Peace Corps be - NCP presidential aspirant begs Buhari
- A presidential aspirant of NCP, Thomas Ikugbese, has begged Buhari to sign Peace Corps bill into law
- The president's refusal to sign the bill into law has generated reactions from Nigerians
- Ikugbese said the establishment of the Peace Corps would have facilitated employment for the teeming youth in the country
A presidential aspirant under National Conscience Party (NCP), Thomas Ikugbese, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider signing of Peace Corps of Nigeria bill into law.
The Nation reports the non-signing of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) bill by President Muhammad Buhari is generating ripples among stakeholders especially youths in Ondo state.
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He said the establishment of the Peace Corps would have facilitated employment for the teeming youths in the country.
Legit.ng gathered that Ikugbese, at a news conference in Akure on Friday, March 2, said signing the bill would have boosted the image of Buhari’s administration.
He expressed fear on possibility of more youths who were disappointed on the development not to go on sui*cide mission like it happened recently in Gombe state.
Buhari had declined to assent to the Nigeria Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill passed in 2017 by the national assembly.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, read the letter from the president who cited security concerns and financial implication as parts of the reasons for declining to sign the bill.
Ikugbese noted that the refusal of President Buhari to sign the bill would affect many youth who had hoped that the Peace Corps of Nigeria would provide them employment.
He urged President Buhari to save youth from killing themselves by rescinding his decision and assent to the PCN’s bill.
In the alternative, Ikugbese urged the national assembly to recall the bill to parliament, muster two-thirds of the membership of the House of Representatives and Senate and pass it into law in spite of Buhari veto, if he fails to honour the bill.
Ikugbese said that Nigeria with the population of 186 million and police numbering about 370, 000 need effective policing.
He said, of the 370, 000 a staggering 80 percent of this number are assigned to private citizens, politicians, businessmen and private enterprises while leaving only 20 percent for the core police duties of peace and security.
According to him, there are people in the security agencies and in the presidency frustrating efforts of President Buhari to append his signature on the bill.
He said that the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) was not in a competition with the police or other security agencies.
He explained that the presidency should not be scared of monthly remuneration that the Peace Corps of Nigeria will gulp from the scarce resources of the nation.
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The NCP presidential aspirant noted that the fund to run the corps should not necessarily come from the federal government as those who required its service could pay.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that some members of the House of the House of Representatives reacted to Tuesday, February 27, rejection of the Peace Corps of Nigeria's bill by President Muhammadu Buhari.
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Source: Legit.ng
