National Commandant of the Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC), Ambassador Dickson Akoh, has disclosed that the Corps would engage over 800,000 youths when the National Assembly eventually passes necessary law supporting its operations.
He spoke during a public hearing on the Bill for an Act for the establishment of Nigerian Peace Corps organised by the interior committee of the House of Representatives.
According to him, the opposition by the Nigeria Police to their establishment was borne out of police’s fear for a competitor both in operation and in government’s financial disbursement.
He noted that the excuse which the police gave the committee was the same the force gave during the National Assembly debate for the setting up of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) years ago.
Akoh, however, told the committee that Peace Corps was not advocating arms, saying that it did not believe that arms was the solution to the insecurity in Nigeria today.
According to him, “our men are thoroughly grounded. If the military; if the police want to encourage patriotic service, let the youths work freely even. Even if they are paid 10,000, the youths are ready to do it, but with an assurance when there is recruitment into the conventional uniform establishment or employment opportunity, premium is placed on these youths already rendering patriotic services.
“The economic situation may not permit it. So, we have the capacity to engage over 800,000 thousand youths to adequately take care of the schools and colleges,” he said.
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