Peace Corps’ role not overlapping other security agencies - Consultant writes open letter to Buhari

macfranc007 February 19, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Jerrywright Ukwu

- Rogers Ochela, a media consultant to the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), has written to President Muhammadu Buhari

- In the open letter, Ochela highlighted the functions of the PCN which he noted were not overlapping that of any security agencies in the country

- According to him, similar organizations like the Nigerian Peace Corps exist in other parts of the world

A media consultant to the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Rogers Ochela, has said that the functions of the Corps were not overlapping that of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) nor the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

In an open letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ochela said the insinuations that the Corps’ functions were similar to those of other security agencies were false.

The consultant who tabulated the functions of the police, the NSCDC and that of the proposed Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC), urged President Buhari and other well-meaning Nigerians to read through and see the difference in functions.

Peace Corps’ role not overlapping security agencies –Consultant writes President Buhari

The consultant compared the roles of each agencies in the open letter. Source: PCN

He insisted that, apart from the differences in function, the current security situation in Nigeria required different approaches to addressing insecurity.

Ochela stated that the security situation in Nigeria required difference approaches in addressing them hence the creation of Peace Corps. Source: PCN

“Your Excellency Sir, the dynamic nature of insecurity in Nigeria today requires roles differentiation as a panacea to expertise in addressing security challenges.

“It would interest you to know that similar organizations like the Nigerian Peace Corps exists in other parts of the world, such as the American Peace Corps, Canadian Peace Corps, Bangladesh National Cadet Corps, Peace Officers Commission in China, Chinese Labour Corps, Lera Uniform Corps of Malaysia, Malaysian People Volunteer Corps, Production and Construction Corps of China, and many more.

“All these are consciously and deliberately designed to empower and socially preoccupy the youths so that their state of idleness won't be exploited adversely.

“We appeal to Your Excellency to discountenance such malicious misrepresentation of facts and be graciously disposed to assenting to the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill," part of the letter read.

The open letter expressly highlight the functions of each agencies. Source: PCN

Itemising some of the differences in functions, Ochela said that, while the police is tasked with prevention of crime and protection of lives and properties, the NSCDC is expected to assist in maintaining peace while the peace corps is supposed to provide gainful employment for the youth in order to facilitate peace and volunteerism.

He insisted that there was no function of the corps that forms part of the functions of neither the police nor the NSCDC adding that the corps was not intended as an arms carrying body.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly, on Friday, February 16, said it would not hesitate to invoke the relevant session of the Nigerian 1999 constitution, and override the executive powers of President Buhari, if he does not eventually assent to the bill establishing the PCN.

In a chat with a national newspaper last week, the spokesman for the House of Representatives, Honourable Abdulrazaq Namdas, said the members would wait patiently for President Buhari to write the National Assembly if he would not append his signature to the bill before deciding on the next step.

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Namdas said the lawmakers were aware that the president was in the habit of giving reasons whenever he rejects a bill sent to him by the legislature.

“But if we wait up to a certain time and the usual excuses we expect of him does not come then the House may take a further action to override the president.

“If you remember just last week he returned three bills stating the reasons he refused to sign them into law,” Namdas said.

EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on NAIJ.com TV