JUST IN: Peace Corps Commandant Finally Tells Buhari What To Do
Peace Corps Bill Commandant Finally Tells Buhari What To Do
The Commandant of Peace Corps, Ogun Command, Olufemi Akinyemi, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Nigeria Peace Corps Bill which was passed by the Senate on Tuesday.
The bill seeking to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps into law will be sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence before it is submitted to the president for assent.
In 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari rejected the bill, citing security concerns and financial burden of funding the organisation.
But Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno North, reintroduced the bill in 2019, arguing that the concerns raised by Buhari had been addressed in the new bill.
Excited about the latest passage, Commandant Akinyemi led the top echelons from the command and members of the corps in a solidarity rally in Abeokuta, the state capital.
He told newsmen that the walk was a show of appreciation to the Senate for passing the bill.
Akinyemi explained that most of the concerns raised by Buhari for declining assent in 2018, had been addressed in the newly passed bill.
He appealed to him to assent to the bill when transferred by the National Assembly in order to give a legal backing to the security outfit.
The Commandant identified enhancement of security, provision of employment of opportunity, ensuring peaceful society and schools protection as part of the core mandates of the Peace corps.
He said “When the President declined assent in 2018, he gave three reasons. To the glory of God, in this bill that was just passed by the Senate, all those areas have been addressed.
“One of the things that keeps us going is the determination about what we believe in, contributing our own quota to the peace and development of our nation. Even though we face challenges, what we believe we have as core mandates are, enhancement of security, provision of employment of opportunity, ensuring peaceful and schools protection.
“This has been our driving force. We believe that at the end of the day God is going to see us through. The passage of the bill gives hope to the Nigerian youth and also gives us the belief that the Nigerian Senate still believes in the youths. It is a welcome development.”
