National
Traditional rulers make case for Peace Corps Bill’s assent
HRH Yahaya Abubakar CFR
Traditional Rulers Council of Nigeria, has promised to present the need for President Bola Tinubu to assent the bill for establishment of the Nigerian Peace as a federal government organisation.
Three prominent members of the council, the Etsu Nupe in Niger State, Dr Yahaya Abubakar; Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse and the Ochi’Idoma of Idomaland, Dr John Eliagwu, both of Benue State, made the promise on Monday in Abuja during the silver jubilee anniversary of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, PCN and the 50th birthday of its founder and National Commandant, Prof. Dickson Akoh.
According to the monarchs, making Peace Corps a government establishment would not only create jobs for the teaming jobless youths, but will considerable reduce crime rate in the country.
In their separate remarks on the occasion, they pleaded with President Tinubu to immediately give a second thought to the issue of transforming the Peace Corps from a non governmental organisation to a government body.
Specifically, the Etsu Nupe, who is also the chairman, Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, said that monarchs in the country would deliberate on the Peace Corps matters, come up with a position paper that would be tabled before President Tinubu.
He blamed the past refusal of assent to the PCN Bill on misconception adding that the Corps was not founded to wrestle power from any other security agency but to contribute to youth development and crime reduction through robust intelligence gathering at the grassroot level.
“The truth is that without peace, no one in the country would be able to worship his or creator. Peace Corps mission was unjustly misconstrued, the monarch said.
Alhaji Abubakar pleaded with the existing security agencies to allow Peace Corps come on board, cooperate with it, collaborate with it in the peace initiative that would reduce incidences of insecurity in the country.
He lauded the initiative of the founder of the organization, Prof. Akoh and the resilience that had sustained the body in the past 25 years in the face of stiff opposition.
Also, the Tor Tiv and chairman of Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers, said that monarchs stand for the course of the Peace Corps and would mobilize themselves and well meaning Nigerians to give support for the Bill to be assented to.
Prof. Ayatse said with the strong voice of Etsu Nupe in the National Traditional Council, what is humanly possible would be done to get President Tinubu’s assent for the PCN Bill.
“We are the closest people to the grassroot level. We know what peace means and what the Peace Corps can do. We are begin other bodies not to see PCN as threat. There is no room for competition but complementing each other,” he noted.
In his own remarks, the Ochi’Idoma pleaded with Tinubu to give approval for the establishment Act to further demonstrate his concern to address unemployment among youths.
National Commandant of the Corps had recalled with regret how the 8th and 9th National Assemblies passed the bill for the establishment of the Corps as a statutory body, but was not given presidential assent.
Akoh noted that during the stiff opposition to the existence of the body, he was detained for seven and half years while the Corps won over 30 cases in court.
He praised the resilience of officers and volunteers of the Corps for remaining committed to the noble cause of the organization in spite of the numerous challenges.
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