Commandant upbeat as NASS passes Nigeria Peace Corps Bill

Mr Akoh, addressing reporters in Abuja, said the grey areas which forestall the signing of the bill in 2022 had been taken care of.

A composite of Dickson Akoh and Peace Corps personnels used to illustrate the story

Following the passage of the Bill to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps by the National Assembly, Dickson Akoh, the commandant general of the outfit, says he’s confident that President Muhammadu Buhari will assent the bill soon.

The House of Representatives passed the bill on Wednesday after it was read at plenary for the third time. Mohammed Monguno, the Chief Whip of the House who sponsored the Bill, said it was to facilitate peace and ensure security in local communities and neighbourhoods across the country.

Both chambers of the National Assembly had in 2017 passed the Peace Corps Establishment Bill 2016.

However, Mr Buhari withheld his assent to the Bill, citing lack of funds.

Mr Buhari said that the establishment of such an institution was a duplication of functions of conventional security agencies.

The Bill was however, in July 2019 reintroduced and re-gazetted by the house.

But on Wednesday, Mr Akoh, addressing reporters in Abuja, said the grey areas which forestall the signing of the bill in 2022 had been taken care of.

“The major issue for not signing the bill is economic recession which befell the country and now that the president is seeking to engage youths he will sign the bill,” he said.

Mr Akoh promised that once the Corps was established, it would work in concert with sister security agencies in addressing the current security challenges in the country.

The Peace Corps has been in existence since 1998 without legal backing, which led to security agencies clamping down on its activities.