NUPEC boss, Nneji commends Senate over passage of Nigerian Peace Corps bill .
Dr. Chinedu Nneji, Commandant General of the National Unity and Peace Corps (NUPEC), has praised the Senate for passing the Nigerian Peace Corps bill .
Dr. Nneji stated that the Corps was long overdue, and that it would promote peace, volunteerism, community service, neighborhood watch, and national building in Nigeria.
The Senate passed the Peace Corps bill on Tuesday to improve security and provide great job opportunities for the country’s teeming youths.
The bill was passed after the Senate Committee on Interior considered and adopted the reports.
Senator Sulieman Umar, speaking on behalf of the committee’s Chairman, Kashim Shettima, presented the report on Peace Corps, stating that the panel consolidated the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill and the National Unity Corps Bill into one for “ease of advancing its work.”
However, in response to the passage, NUPEC’s boss, in a statement signed Wednesday in Abuja, assured that the National Unity and Peace Corps would train the youths to advance the course of peace building, conflict resolution, and mediation among the country’s warring communities.
“The bill seeks to provide legal support for the establishment of the Peace Corps as a government parastatal and allows its members to be absorbed into the proposed organization upon its inception.”
Dr. Nneji, on the other hand, thanked thousands of volunteers who remained steadfast in their duties despite all odds, which he said contributed to the bill’s success, and urged them to put in even more effort, “especially now that the job is coming to full force.”
Nneji urged Nigerians to continue to support the National Unity and Peace Corps in order for it to achieve its goals.
What is the Nigerian Peace Corps?
The Nigerian Peace Corps bill seeks to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps as a government agency responsible for youth development and empowerment, as well as promoting peace and community service in Nigeria. The bill was first introduced in 2008 and has passed through several stages of the Nigerian National Assembly’s legislative process.
Peace Corps would be responsible for promoting peace, community service, and youth development through a variety of programmes and activities, such as training and mobilising Nigerian youths for community development, disaster management, and environmental protection.
The bill also proposes that the Peace Corps will work closely with other security agencies in Nigeria, especially in the area of intelligence gathering and security surveillance.
The Nigerian Peace Corps bill has faced some opposition from various quarters, including the Nigerian Police Force, which has raised concerns about the possible duplication of roles with existing security agencies. However, proponents of the bill argue that the Peace Corps would provide employment opportunities for young Nigerians, thereby reducing unemployment and youth unrest.
The bill has passed through both the Senate and the House of Representatives and was transmitted to the President for assent in 2022, but it has not been signed into law. It is unclear why the bill has not been signed into law, but it could be due to concerns about funding, duplication of roles, or other administrative issues.
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