Peace Corps commandant reacts to Buhari’s rejection of bill

- The commandant of the Peace Corps claimed there is conspiracy against the youths

- He said some persons had vowed not to allow President Buhari sighed the bill to recognise them

- He said the matter is still as the National Assembly can still take it up

Dickson Akoh who is the commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria has claimed those who were against the group in the first place conspired to see it rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari.

NAIJ.com had reported that President Buhari withheld assent to the bill on Tuesday, February 27 citing security concerns, duplication of roles and lack of funds as his reasons.

Akoh spoke after a House of Representatives committee meeting alleging that security agencies work against them.

He said: “The same people that opposed the bill with the same content during the national assembly’s public hearing, took the matter before the president, telling him that instead of voting money for a new establishment, they should use it to boost money for their own activities.

“They had said it is a duplication of their functions but we made an advertorial in some newspapers to show the differences in the functions.

“Whatever they have done has not brought the situation to an end. The national assembly may still take it up.”

The commandant said the organisation is in the interest of the youth but that “from what I am seeing, there is a conspiracy against the youth.”

“Let them (the youth) be jobless and be committing crimes and let these people have more money and jail them. I think that is the conspiracy.”

He claimed some persons had sworn to do everything possible to see President Buhari does not grant assent to the bill.

He said: “We have the tape that immediately after the passage of the bill by the national assembly, it was conspired and sworn to God Almighty to forestall the passage of the bill.

“We have bills that have suffered similar fate and resistance and were later passed. So we have hope that one day, propped attention will be given to the bill.”

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had previously reported that President Buhari rejected the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill.

Sources said the president is bowing to security advice not to assent the bill which has faced lots of controversies. The bill approved by the National Assembly was earlier sent to the president in December 2017 through the legislative clerk, Sani Omolori.

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However, it was gathered that a 30-day window period which is needed for the president to append his signature on the bill has elapsed.

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