TheCable

Dickson Akoh, commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria, says the rejection of the Peace Corps bill shows there is “conspiracy against the Nigerian youth”.

President Muhammadu Buhari withheld assent to the bill on Tuesday, citing security concerns, duplication of roles and lack of funds as his reasons.

Addressing journalists after a house of representatives committee meeting on Tuesday, Akoh accused the nation’s security agencies of working against the bill.

He said the same persons who “fought” the Peace Corps bill prior to its passage advised Buhari against giving assent to the bill.

He said: “The same people that opposed the bill with the same content during the national assembly’s public hearing, took the matter before the president, telling him that instead of voting money for a new establishment, they should use it to boost money for their own activities.

“They had said it is a duplication of their functions but we made an advertorial in some newspapers to show the differences in the functions.

“Whatever they have done has not brought the situation to an end. The national assembly may still take it up.”

The commandant said the organisation is in the interest of the vast majority of the youth, adding that “from what I am seeing, there is a conspiracy against the youth.”

“Let them (the youth) be jobless and be committing crimes and let these people have more money and jail them. I think that is the conspiracy,” he said.

He also alleged that some persons had sworn that they will do “everything possible” to see that the president does not give assent to the bill.

He said: “We have the tape that immediately after the passage of the bill by the national assembly, it was conspired and sworn to God Almighty to forestall the passage of the bill.

“We have bills that have suffered similar fate and resistance and was later passed. So we have hope that one day, propped attention will be given to the bill.”