No wonder there is no security
Sir: Attention has been drawn to the fact that the House of Representatives is planning to empower the Nigeria Peace Corps through a bill passed by the House on Thursday June 9, 2016.
It is no longer news that the bill was opposed vehemently by virtually all the national security agencies in Nigeria during the public hearing on April 13, 2016. However, what requires the attention of every Nigerian who is concerned about the level of insecurity as being experienced recently across the country now is the adamant nature and unexplainable interest of the House of Representatives on the Peace Corps Bill.
I want to ask; what difference will the Peace Corps make to the NSCDC, Nigeria Police and the Nigerian Army? What special impact or contribution have the Peace Corps made to the security of the nation?
The lawmakers argued that the passage of the bill was in the capacity of the Corps to assist the military and para-military organisation in arresting security challenges. A rhetoric question is 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 Boko Haram ritual killers or kidnappers?
I want to call the attention of the nation to the fact that Nigerian Peace Corps has never contributed to the issues of national security in any way unlike the Vigilante groups who have their footprint everywhere on all issues of security.
There is nothing the Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC) would do that Nigeria Security and Civil Defence 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 along the officers of the Nigerian army against the insurgents at several occasions.
Considering the present state of economy of the country, a group that would be a liability on the already over-stressed economy should not be welcome as the House 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 property of the citizenry. We should not play politics with security. It is extremely dangerous.
Akinwumi Gideon,
Oba Ile Akure, Ondo State.
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