By Yemi Itodo
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), on Tuesday, urged the Senate to go ahead with the establishment of Nigerian Peace Corps, saying it had no opposition to it.
A Deputy Comptroller, Musa Farouk, who led the delegation on behalf of the Commandant General, said the services of Peace Corps officers were needed at the moment, due to inadequate security operatives to combat the unceasingly criminal activities in Nigeria.
Farouk told the lawmakers that Peace Corps and Civil Defence, according to the Bill before the Senate, have different roles, except for ‘Peace and Conflict Resolution’ clause, which he urged the Senate to streamline, so as to avoid conflicts in the future.
On the allegation of confrontations with other security agencies, the Civil Defence said it had not had any sour encounter with the Peace Corps since their existence, adding that, security operatives in Nigeria should cultivate inter-agency relationship amongst themselves, to be able to win the war against crime, instead of fighting each other.
The Senate Committee Chairman on Judiciary and Human Rights, Senator David Umaru, said his committee, in the course of the investigative hearing, had earlier invited the Nigerian Army, Department of State Security (DSS) and the Police, to know if the establishment of Peace Corps could pose any security threat to the country.
It could be recalled that, the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill was passed at both Houses of the National Assembly in 2016, and a conference committee of both chambers inaugurated to harmonize the 2 versions of the Bill.
While the House of Representatives adopted its report in January 2017, the Senate has been preoccupied with alot of issues, ranging from the trial of the National Commandant of Peace Corps, Dickson Akoh, and some undercurrent interests.
To put an end to these, the Senate, during its plenary recently, mandated its standing committee on judiciary to conduct an investigation and subsequently advise the red chamber on the next legislative action.
Read the mind blogging revelations by Amb. Dr. Dickson Akoh before the Senate last night, and the allegation of forgery leveled against the Commandant General of National Unity and Peace Corps, Dr. Chinedu Nneji by the original founder of the organization, Prof. Humphrey, in our subsequent reports.
