Buhari rejects Peace Corps bill
President Muhammadu Buhari has rejected the proposed Peace Corps of Nigeria establishment bill.
The president conveyed his rejection of the bill in a letter which Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives, read during plenary on Tuesday.
The national assembly passed the bill in 2017, after a prolonged battle involving the organisation and the nation’s security agencies.
Buhari cited security concerns and financial burden of funding the organisation by the government as his reasons for rejecting the bill.
He said given “scarce government resources”, funding the organisation will be a financial burden on the federal government.
The Peace Corps of Nigeria has been involved in various controversies since the bill came to limelight at the national assembly.
There are litigations currently pending before the court between Dickson Akoh, the organisation’s commandant, and the Nigeria police force.
The organisation’s premises has also been cordoned off since last year by policemen, despite a court judgement and a directive from the house of representatives asking the police to vacate the premises.
On Tuesday, the Akoh and Ibrahim Idris, inspector-general of police, are expected to appear before a house of representatives committee investigating the dispute between the police and the organisation.
Your comment..This is a disheartening news this Tuesday afternoon
How many unemployed youth are in nigeria? Are dey not more than a million i believe Mr president can still sign peace corp, and provide 500,000 jobs through agriculture and npower. Everyone cannot be a farmer some are gifted in oda areas and by d way, agriculture is a practice of passion if one does not have passion 4 it, it becomes improperly managed, some are gifted in technological advancement such as in areas of ICT, system analyst, Electronics as well as computer engineering etc, yle some are more equipped in rendering patriotic service jus like peace corp. An agency like Peace corp wen fully established wud be a lasting legacy of dis administration even if anoda government comes to power but programs like ‘Npower’ becomes ineffective once a new government comes to power, take for example president goodluck’s ‘youWin program’ is it still functioning now? NO! its completely dead and buried.
I am highly disappointed with this decision of rejection by the president… Because, I remember when it had not been passed by the house, President Buhari was requesting for it, saying it will create jobs for Nigerian youths but now, another story.
If only Mr president could put into consideration the fact that if PCN officer are rightly on board at the primary secondary and higher institution at the point of kidnapping they would have alerted the police and other security agencies need to stop the kidnaping but the government rather prefers negotiating nigeria saving for security rather than embracing security
resident should have signed peace corps bill into law,and it should have been a political added advantage for him at this crucial time he needs Nigerian youths votes, 2019 on Nigerian youths minds to exercise their franchise by their PVC,Buhari pls change ur mind before it is too late.. U should have learnt from the past mistake of those people who they had once been in power but today are not…learnnnnnn