28th May, 2020
By Our Reporter
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Army, Sen. Ali Ndume, said he expects President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) bill when presented to him, the second time around.
Ndume raised hopes in Abuja on Thursday at the Peace Corps of Nigeria Founders’ Day and 22nd anniversary of the corps.
The senator said he was shocked when Buhari declined assent to the bill when it was first presented to him.
He said that before the president’s decline, the bill had gone through various processes, including public hearing as well as a robust discussion by experts.
“I am confident that this time around, once the legislative process is completed, President Buhari will definitely assent to the bill,” Ndume said.
President Buhari rejected the bill because he felt it was a duplication of security outfits.
Also speaking, Amb. Dickson Akoh, National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, said the founders’ day anniversary celebration was a significant event for the organisation
He said that in spite of the daunting institutional and foundational challenges, the PCN had recorded monumental achievements.
Akoh said the PCN had transformed from being a handful of passionate youth organization in 1998 to a body with a membership of over 187,000 youths.
The national commandant said the organisation currently had well-structured branches in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
However, the celebration was observed under strict social distancing in compliance with set rules on preventing COVID-19.