Bill to Establish Nigerian Peace Corps Scales Second Reading
A bill seeking to give statutory backing to the Nigerian Peace Corps scaled second reading on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday.
Sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume (APC – Borno South), the bill was first read about a year ago on Tuesday, 17th December, 2019.
Leading debate on the bill, Senator Ndume said, “the core mandate being sought by the Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill is to Develop, Empower, and Provide Gainful Employment for the youth to facilitate Peace, Volunteerism, Community Services, Neighbourhood Watch, Nation-Building.”
“The unemployment situation has made our youths susceptible to the culture of Violence with grave implications to the security situation in the entire nation of Nigeria. A typical scenario is the current EndSARS movement ravaging the country. In more developed economies, efforts are tailored towards the pre-occupation of the youths in productive ventures where they will be economically useful to themselves and the larger society.
“The volunteers help communities in developing countries improve their social and economic conditions”, he stated
Sen. Ndume added that the dynamic nature of insecurity in Nigeria today requires role differentiation and multi-sectoral, multi lateral and multi dimensional approaches to tackle.
The lawmaker further stated that the piece of legislation when passed into law, would give statutory backing to the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria, which according to Ndume, currently has over 187,000 members comprising of regular Staff and Volunteers with well-structures network of branches in 36 States of the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory.
The Nigerian Peace Corps bill was referred by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to the Committee on Interior for further legislative inputs.
