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PEACE CORPS BILL : FG CAUTIONS ON ASSENT











Bear in mind with the series of security challenges facing Nigeria as a country, it has been identified that the country is under-police.


The presidential aspirant, National Conscience Party ( NCP) Dr. Thomas-Wilson Ikubese said with the ratio of police officer to the population, it reflects greatly that Nigeria is under policing.


Speaking in Akure, the Ondo state capital on refusal of President Muhammad Buhari assenting to the peace corps bill and the way forward ,said the action may jeopardize hopes of thousands of youths in the country and the security by extension.


In his words "November 2017, the National Assembly passed the Peace Corps bill, giving hope to about one hundred and fifty thousand youths who have since been serving voluntarily with the Corps, hoping to be on a regular salary pay roll as soon as Mr President assents to the bill. However, the hope of these youths and their many dependents was dashed when President Buhari withheld assent to the bill on Tuesday 27th February 2018, citing security and financial concerns".



Commenting further on the issue of policing, Ikubese posits that "The United Nations recommendation for Police: Citizen ratio is 1:400, meaning that every 400 people should be policed by an officer. However, with the current Nigerian situation of 74,000 police officers to a population of 186 million people, we run on a ratio of 1:2,514. This means that instead of a Police officer  to a population of 400 people, we have one police officer to 2,514  citizens, leaving us, Nigeria under-policed".



Adding that, one of his  Campaign promises that if  earnestly look forward to fulfilling when he  becomes  the
President in 2019 is to establish VIP  Police. This unit will be responsible for providing security to private citizens and Politicians at a cost, leaving the Regular Police to do their traditional job unhindered.



The NCP Presidential hopeful informed that the  Peace Corps of Nigeria serves to meet these needs perfectly, after undergoing specialized training. So do not see the PCN as duplicating the function of any existing security outfit, but rather meeting a unique societal need.




While he added that , if the  President fails to assent to the bill,  the National Assembly, both the Senate and House of Representatives have the power  to recall the bill to Parliament, muster two-thirds of the membership and pass it into law in spite of Mr President’s veto. Noting that a country that fails to engage its youths productively is like  a nation sitting on a keg of gunpowder.

















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