Peace Corps bill re-introduced by Senate

Editor December 19, 2019

The Senate has reintroduced the Nigeria Peace Corps Bill which has passed first reading.
The bill, Nigeria Peace Corps (Est, etc) Bill 2019 (SB. 271) is sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South).
Ndume sponsored the bill in the 8th Assembly but it could not secure presidential assent.
Some of the issues raised by the president for not assenting to it were the inclusion of works that are already being done by the Nigeria Police Force and paucity of funds.
But speaking yesterday, the sponsor of the bill, Ndume said they have corrected some of the issues President Muhammadu Buhari pointed out adding that if passed and assented to by the president, it will help in reducing the work load of the Nigeria Police and other security agencies.
“I sponsored the bill in the 8th Senate. I sponsored it in the 9th Senate because it will add value to our security,” Ndume said.
“We passed it in the 8th Senate, the president said there was paucity of funds and that there will be some kind of work duplication. I look at the issues and reintroduce it. We have harmonised the issues,” Ndume added.
He said Peace Corps could provide basic security to many Nigerians adding that public office holders including Senators don’t need to be walking around with armed security personnel at the National Assembly.
“Peaceful protesters can be protected by peace corps members. Peace corps members can control traffic and not armed security men,” Ndume added.
He said based on their training, Peace Corps members can be converted into either police or army, depending on the training they are given.
Ndume who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Army, said security is very important adding that Peace Corps can help in those areas.
Speaking on the 2020 budget, Ndume commended President Muhammadu Buhari for bringing the budget on time adding that the 9th Senate cooperated with the executive which let to Buhari signing the appropriation bill into law on his birthday.
“This is good because the president has handed it over to Nigerians. Yes, no budget is perfect but if there are omissions, it should not hinder the implementation since it can be corrected through virement or supplementary budget,” Ndume said.
Ndume said the Army budget, which received some level of increment, is not big enough, adding however that it would boost the morale of the Nigerian Army.
Ndume said even the army is concern about mismanagement of fund sent to them adding that one of them is undergoing a court-martial.