The Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) at the weekend urged the
federal government to consider signing its pending bill into law, which it said
would strengthen its operations and existence in the country.
The Lagos State Commandant of the Corps, Paul
Okwuchi, stated this during the corps National Peace Day campaign in Lagos as
part of activities to mark the Day.
The Nigerian Peace Corps bill had earlier been
passed by the two chambers of the eighth National Assembly but was not assented
to by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The bill which was again revisited on July 3, 2019,
passed the First Reading in the House of Representatives.
Defending the bill, Okwuchi said its approval would
strengthen the organisation to mobilise and engage the youths for national
development.
He decried the rising unemployment among youths
which statistics has put at over 56 percent.
The commandant noted that the rising unemployment
rate has a direct bearing on instability in the polity where by the youths are
mostly involved in social ills and unlawful act due to joblessness.
According to him, "The Corps, as a non-governmental
organisation, has a calling to develop, empower and provide gainful employments
for the youths.
"More so, we are committed to facilitating
peace, volunteerism, community services, neighbourhood watch and
nation-building amongst others in Nigeria."
Okwuchi pointed out that if the government can sign
the bill for the establishment of the corps into law, the organisation would be
able to do more than it is presently doing in getting the youths engaged and properly
integrated into the society.
He said: "National peace is attainable if the
youths, who are the bedrock of a society, are engaged and financially
independent, and with that, they would
be distracted from venturing into criminal acts, which is now order of the day
in the country."
Meanwhile, Chief Information Officer of Lagos State
Command, Akinmutola Oluwatunmise, has informed Nigerians that the choice of
this year's campaign theme: 'Let's Give
Peace a Chance', was deliberate in order to spread and reinforce the essence of
peace.
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