Youths decry rejection of Peace Corps bill

The African Youth Support Center (AYSC) has expressed shock over the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari’s to assent to the bill to establish the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), after being passed by both chambers of the National Assembly.
Its Executive Director and former president of the Pan African Youth Union Comrade Ben Duntoye, noted that the PCN is designed to be a vehicle for mass mobilization and engagement of the Nigerian youths, lamenting that ‘turning down such progressive bill is very irreconcilable.’
It would be recalled that the President rejected the bill on the basis of duplication of duties with existing paramilitary agencies, and for huge financial burden it will bring for the government.
 
Duntoye however described the PCN as the most cost effective agency to provide maximum services at a low cost, adding that it has potentials of attracting funds itself.
 
“The AYSC had done a careful study of the bill before the public hearing organized by the National Assembly, we discovered that the NPC is structured to be the most cost effective agency of government in Nigeria that shall provide maximum services at the most minimal cost to the national economy with great potential of attracting international funding and support like its counterparts around the globe,” he said.
 
“The NPC is for mass mobilisation and engagement of youths into regimental community development services, domesticated paramilitary volunteerism for adhoc interventions like national clean up exercise, population census, voters registration and elections, maintainance of peace and order in schools and public places and general neighborhood services, which is an existing gap in our national development efforts.
 
” That same President and government that vowed to created a million jobs yearly for youths and commitment to massive youth empowerment, and same government that could get millions of dollars to fight insurgency, could turn down such a progressive bill is very irreconcilable, ” he cried.
 
He therefore called on the President to reconsider assenting to the bill, while appealing to the National Assembly to keep up its commitment to ensuring better lives for youths, adding that they shall mobilise the masses to prove popularity of the bill.
 
 
 
 

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