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Tag: Peace Corps

  • Falana condemns arrest, parade of Peace Corps Commandant

    Falana condemns arrest, parade of Peace Corps Commandant

    Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has condemned the recent arrest and parading of Mr Dickson Akor, the National Commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria, by the Nigerian Police.

    Falana spoke with newsmen on Saturday in Abuja after securing the release of Akor from police custody.

    The police in a combined operation with the Depart of State Services and the Nigerian Army on Feb. 28, raided the headquarters of the Peace Corps of Nigeria in Abuja.
    During the operation, they arrested Akor and 48 other members of the corps.
    A statement issued by the Police Spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, said intelligence reports showed that the Peace Corps and other similar groups were acquiring weapons and conducting covert trainings in different locations across the country.
    In the statement, Moshood said such action violated a 2013 gazette of the Federal Government that banned such groups.
    Falana, who described police invasion of the headquarters of the Peace Corps of Nigeria as illegal and unconstitutional, said that the organisation was not operating illegally.
    He said, “generally, the parade of criminal suspects in the country by the Police is illegal.
    “In this case, apart from the registration of its trustees under the Companies and Allied Matters Act, there are two judgments of the Federal High Court restraining the police from harassing and intimidating members of the organization.’’
    The human rights lawyer said that he was also negotiating for the re-opening of the office of the Peace Corps of Nigeria.
    “They must be allowed to operate under the law and we will get to that state where the police will appreciate that Nigeria is under-policed.
    “We need volunteers, young men and women who should be organised by the state to handle those duties that will not require the intervention of the Police,’’ he said.
    The human rights lawyer emphasised that crime like terrorism, herdsmen attack, armed robbery and kidnapping thrive in the country because the country is under-policed.
    “As at 2011, the Federal Government of Nigeria decided to engage the services of 380,000 police personnel, between then and now, only 10, 000 are being employed.
    “There is no way you can police about 180 million people with barely 380, 000 police personnel out of which about 120, 000 are guiding the elite and corporate bodies in the country.
    “I thought the police should have embraced a body like the Peace Corps of Nigeria to make their job easier because the Nigerian Police operates under very difficult situations.
    “Most communities are not policed, so herdsmen move into farms and kill people.
    “Nigerians have not developed a litigation culture of challenging the killing of every citizen either directly or indirectly for which the government can be blamed,’’ Falana said.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Assembly on Nov. 24, 2016 passed a bill, which gives approval for the establishment of the Nigerian Peace Corps as an agency under the Ministry of Interior.
    The Nigerian Peace Corps Bill seeks to empower, develop and provide gainful employment for the youths. (NAN)

  • Peace Corps helps IDP’s vulnerable kids

    THE horrors of being violently displaced in your country are multiple. You are only lucky to escape alive, for some of your neighbours, sometimes even family members did not. Those who fled Boko Haram attacks have experiened this, but there is more. Sometimes, those who survived have no parents, or are living with physical challenges.

    At the Aisha Buhari Special School for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Vulnerable Children in Abuja, there is quite a number of these vulnerable children. For them, life can be quite an ordeal.

    But there was cause for cheer at the school when the Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) Dickson Akoh visited bringing with him items worth thousands of naira.

    There are about 168 male children from various families in the school.

    They expressed joy and happiness that they could find shelter far away from home.

    Akoh, who showed love to the children, said it has been a corporate social responsibility of the PCN to engage in national advocacy that engender youth development and nation-building.

    Akoh went further that factors that bring about vulnerability of children vis-à-vis Internally Displaced Persons should be vehemently kicked against as every child deserves a home and the right to be loved.

    Represented by the Deputy Corps Commandant in charge of Finance, Omolola Ahmed, the PCN boss said: “pet projects are being embarked upon by first ladies of various states government but none can be compared or given reference to supporting vulnerable and under-privileged children who were displaced unconditionally, lost their parents and rendered homeless as that being embarked by the wife of the President, Hajia Ashia Buhari.

    “Her Excellency in this unalloyed magnanimity has taken the bold step to give home to the homeless, put food in the mouths of those without hands to provide for themselves, and ultimately give hope to the hopeless. In our view and that of the general public, it is widely said that posterity will never forget you.”

    It is also pertinent, Akoh said to point out that the corps has reached out to several charity homes and most recently the IDPs home at Durumi in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja.

    He acknowledged the efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration which has gone beyond the confines of fighting corruption, retrieving looted funds to making sure that youths are given the necessary platform to exhibit their God-given talents.

    Akoh prayed for Buhari to return in good health and vigor, adding,  “He will in recourse to the socio-economic advancement of our youths, speedily and convincingly assent to the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps.         Situated in Gwarinpa, the Principal of Hajia Aisha Buhari Special School for the Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) and Vulnerable Children, Ben Onwudinjo said the children who are victims of the Boko Haram insurgency hail from Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States and were selected from 14 IDP camps in FCT/Nasarawa States.

    Onwudinjo said the children depend on well-meaning Nigerians to survive.

    He disclosed that the: “wife of the President, Hajia Aisha Buhari has formally adopted the school as one of her pet projects, hence the official change of the name of the school to  Hajia Aisha Buhari Special School for the Internally Displaced Persons, (IDPs) and Vulnerable Children.

     

  • Peace Corps: N40, 000 fee not extortion – Lagos Commander

    Peace Corps: N40, 000 fee not extortion – Lagos Commander

    The Lagos Area Commander of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Mr. Mutairu Habib Odion, has said the N40, 000 levy on new members seeking recruitment into the corps, is neither a scam nor extortion.
    The commander made this declaration at the weekend in his office in Lagos, while responding to allegations that the corps may be involved in extortion of illegal money from innocent job seekers, despite warnings from the government.
    He admitted that the organisation is currently on a membership drive and that the N40, 000 is part of the requirements intending members must fulfil to be fully admitted. He said the Peace Corps of Nigeria is an NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) and not yet a government agency, as many may have misconstrued.
    “True, our bill is before the National Assembly. As a matter of fact, the National Assembly has even passed the bill and is only awaiting Presidential Assent. It is when this is done that our training and other stuffs will be borne by the government,” Odion said.
    The commandant explained that “The N40, 000 covers a whole gamut of items, including complete set of uniforms and one month accommodation in camp. It may interest you to know that camping cost a minimum of N500 per person (per bed) per day. If you multiply that, we already have N15, 000 out, leaving us with N25,000. Then of course we have the uniform. We all know the cost of a suit in the market. And we cannot say that everyone should go and sew their uniform, otherwise, it will no longer be a uniform. There is also the beret, boots and other accessories. We also pay honorarium to experts who come in to train and deliver lectures to our members. The money also covers medical services for one good month; add that to feeding for one month and you would realise that the money is hugely subsidised.”
    He said the law establishing the corps mandates it to collect training fees from those embarking on its programmes and that the money is paid directly into the banks, from where it is disbursed to contractors who supply the various items needed. He said even recruitments into government agencies are not altogether free anymore, as people need to buy recharge cards, go online and Google to access their forms and submit, adding that some pay as much as N5,000.
    Odion said, “Even the EFCC and the ICPC gave us a clean bill of health on this issue. As an NGO, we are not supposed to be investigated, but we submitted ourselves for scrutiny and even published our bank statement to show that we have nothing to hide,” the commandant said.
    On how the organisation pays the salaries of its members, Odion said “the government gave us approval over 18 years ago to operate and we post our officers to schools, colleges, universities and the private sectors to inculcate discipline and provide security, while those institutions and organisations in turn pay some fees for the services.”

  • Sambisa forest capture: Peace Corps boss hails Buhari, military

    National Commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), Ambassador Dickson Akoh, yesterday described the recapturing of the Boko Haram’s strong enclave in the Sambisa Forest by the military as a good development and warning to other agitators.

    The victory, Akoh said has demonstrated the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari is winning the war against the Boko Haram sects and that he is not resting on his oars.

    Akoh said this while presenting a well furnished police station built by him to the police authority in Obande Ugboju community of Benue State.

    He called on Nigerian to support Buhari’s administration to further secure the country.

    His Royal Highness, the Obande of Ugboju, Chief Solomon Apochi, also led the Ugboju traditional council in Oturkpo Local Government Area of Benue State on a courtesy visit in appreciation for building a police station in the community.

    His words: “‘I want Nigerians to know that security is key to any development and as such, the greatest gift Nigeria have gotten in the last five years is the capture of Boko Haram and the taking over of Sambisa forest.

    ”The security agencies have made the festival period merrier than before when it was a threat and we all know that a threat to any part of the society is a threat to every Nigerian.

    ”We celebrate and appreciate the doggedness of the Armed Forces and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, President Mohammadu Buhari. They deserve accolades from all Nigerians considering the terror that has been unleashed on Nigerians by Boko Haram in the years past, with many lives lost.

    “The capturing of the territory is also a warning signal for other agitators in Nigeria that there is no where you can defeat government. For other agitators they must know that constructive dialogue is the only way out. People should also help the security agencies in this regard to achieve success. Part of the function given to the Peace Corps of Nigeria now is neighborhood watch. In the bill it states that every street now should be watched by Peace Corps.

    The Commandant however appealed to the Federal Government (FG) to motivate other security personnel, while urging for medals of honour to be awarded soldiers who have fought tirelessly to capture Sambisa.

    ”As practiced in advanced societies, the chief of army staff deserves the highest honour and I recommend such for him while also encouraging the (FG) to motivate other security personnel, and those soldiers who captured Sambisa forest deserves medals of honour. Some streets should also be named after the gallant and young men who fought day and night to secure the hideout of Boko Haram,” he urged.

    Chief Solomon Apochi praised the commandant for building a modern police station for Ugboju community, and called the FG attention to the bad condition of the road in the area while appealing for it to be constructed as it will enable farmers conveys their products to the market.

    Meanwhile, the House of Assembly member representing Adoka/Ugboju constituency and Chairman of appropriation in Benue state House of Assembly Barrister John Adam Okloho, stressed the importance of policing as he commended the building of one in the Ugboju community.

     

  • Peace Corps boss begs Buhari to assent to bill

    National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) Dickson Akoh has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Nigeria Peace Corps bill.

    According to Akoh, the presidential assent to the bill for an act to establish the NPC will reduce crime by 70 per cent within three months.

    He spoke when he received the Board of Trustees, Advisory Council, National Executives and state Chairmen of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN).

    The Corps’ plan, Akoh said, is to reduce crime in Nigeria by engaging the youths meaningfully. He added that the greatest challenge of the country was not insecurity, but joblessness which has led the youths to social vices. Unemployment, Akoh noted, was a time bomb which the National Assembly had averted with the passage of the bill.

    According to him, the bill is the greatest thing to happen to the youths as it has deliberate policies that will open new opportunities to them.

    He also urged the people to be wary of organisations parading themselves as the PCN and defrauding the people, noting that the Corps has specific guidelines in recruiting.

    NYCN President Comrade Murtala Mohammed lauded Akoh for his tenaciousness in getting the Corps to where it is today, and pledged the support of the youths to the Corps.

  • Peace Corps boosts Plateau security with 900 cadets

    The Peace Corps of Nigeria has boosted the security networks in Plateau State with the graduation of 900 cadets joining the fold of the Plateau Command of the Corps.

    The 900 cadets were formally commissioned into the state command shortly after their graduation ceremony held at the NYSC camp, Mangu.

    Dr Dickson Akoh, National Commandant of the Corps, said the new staff officers were subjected to a mandatory four weeks intensive training and orientation.

    “The resource persons were selected from ministries, parastatals and relevant security agencies to deliver topical lecture as part of the activities for this orientation.”

    The commandant urged the cadets to brace up for the challenging tasks ahead, stressing that they have “a critical role to play in promoting the prevailing peace (they) join the command.”

    He reminded them that the country for a while “has been witnessing series of social security problems, which threatens the peace and unity of the nation. The challenges range from insurgency in the North East, secession agitation in South East, Niger Delta militancy, farmers and Fulani herdsmen clashes and general cases of kidnapping; and these form your primary responsibility as a cadet.”

    He stressed that they are to ensure peaceful coexistence among communities and individuals and expressed appreciation to the state government and the people for their support during the training and orientation.

    In his remarks, Speaker, Plateau House of Assembly, Mr Peter Azi, who was the chairman on the occasion, said the commissioning was apt in sorting the situation Nigeria has found itself.

    Azi, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Yusuf Gagdi, expressed optimism in the corps ability to contribute significantly to peaceful coexistence in the state.

    He suggested that the corps personnel be deployed to ministries and agencies to assist government in achieving its peace and security mandate.

  • On the Peace Corps Bill

    SIR: The House of Representatives is planning to empower the Nigeria Peace Corps with their bill passed on Thursday June 9.

    It is no longer news that the bill was opposed vehemently by virtually all the national security agencies during the public hearing on April 13; however what requires the attention of every concerned Nigerian now is the adamant nature and unexplainable interest of the House in the Peace Corps bill.

    The lawmakers argued that the corps willassist the military and para – military organizations in arresting security challenges.

    When, where and how have the Peace Corps assisted the military or paramilitary agencies in ensuring that the nation is well secured? Which crime specifically have they prevented? Is it against the Hoko Haram; ritual killers or kidnappers?

    The fact is that Nigerian Peace Corps has never contributed to the issues of national security in any way unlike the Vigilantes who have their footprint everywhere on all issues of security, ranging from assisting the Nigeria Army in the fight against the insurgents, confronting and arresting kidnappers and robbers.

    It would be disastrous if the nation employs another large group of purely civilians as security only to serve as a replicate of the existing ones with no major impact on the national security. The work and job of security should not be seen as a political thing, but a serious issue which must seek to fix round pegs into round holes.

    There is nothing the Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC) would do that Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have not been doing already.The whole country is aware of the herculean task and bravery of the members of the vigilante groups in terms of security in Nigeria as they fought rigorously and victoriously along the officers of the Nigerian Army against the insurgents at several occasions.

    Considering the present state of economy, a group that would be a liability on the already over-stressed economy should not be accepted as the House of Reps is planning.

    The federal government and the National Assembly should not be misled into believing that creating employment for the youth could be mingled with provision of adequate security for the nation. There are several other areas where the youths could be productively engaged without risking the security of lives and properties of the citizenry.

    When you look into the genesis and the background of Nigeria Peace Corps which emanated from Peace Corps of United States of America, the group is basically established as a non-security group to assist any community in not-for-profit civilian services, and not to provide security at all.

    The professional step the Nigerian security chiefs took during the public hearing of the Nigeria Peace Corps on April 13 was a very commendable one. In the United States of America, before any paramilitary group or organization can be formalized and legalized, it is the security chiefs that would be consulted and not the politicians alone.

    So I wonder why the lawmakers would disregard the professional advise and views of these security chiefs to proceed with the passage of the bill as they did.

    Security is a very sensitive thing all over the world, and especially in Nigeria where there are great security challenges such as terrorism, kidnapping, ritual killings, child trafficking, robbery, insurgency and so on and so forth.

    No nation disregards security views and professional advice of security experts. We should not play politics with security. It is extremely dangerous.

    You cannot ask farmers to join the army on the battle field simply because the army needed a backup.

     

    • Akinwumi Gideon

    Akure, Ondo State.

  • Boko Haram: Nigerian Peace Corps bill scales second reading

    Boko Haram: Nigerian Peace Corps bill scales second reading

    The House of Representatives has described the Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC) as an effective tool towards curbing insurgency, kidnapping and other social vices in the country.

    The lawmakers spoke while passing the bill for second reading.

    They said if passed into law, the Corps also has the capacity to provide alternative employment for Nigerian youths, facilitate peace, community services and nation building.

    They added the passage of the bill was expedient to the capacity of the Corps to assist the military and para military organisations in arresting security challenges.

    Sponsor of the bill, Abdullahi Faruk, said the bill sought to provide civic and patriotic training as well as alternative employment.

    He said: “If passed into law, the NPC will provide positive engagement of the youths with a view to pre-occupy them in ventures that would make them economically productive to themselves and larger society.

    “We are investing a lot of energies and resources to contain the menace of insurgency, militancy, kidnapping, vandalism, armed robbery, political thuggery, drug trafficking, prostitution, suicide bombing, cattle rustling and a host of other social vices.

    “This bill seeks to give statutory functions to the existing peace corps of Nigeria, which currently has over 98,000 members with well structured network of branches in 34 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory and observing adequately all its stated functions and achievement of no small measure for an NGO.”

    The Nigerian Peace Corps was established 17 years ago alongside the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

    The bill successfully scaled second reading after it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara.