AMINA Usman, Abuja Bureau
It was like a National Youth Convention in Abuja, Capital City of Nigeria on Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at the Public Hearing conducted by the Senate Committee on Interior involving the returning bill seeking an Act for the establishment of the Nigeria Peace Corps (NPC).
Multiple Hundreds of Organistations trooped into Abuja from various States of the Country in solidarity with the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), which is the Organisation being transmuted to the Nigeria Peace Corps
The Senate Conference Room could not contain the population of Youth Leaders that stormed the Senate, many of whom could not even submit their Memos owing to the heavy traffic and Security situation at the National Assembly Complex.
Dramatically, the Nigeria Unity and Peace Corps (NUPEC) was also on the Shortlist for the hearing, with complete “copy and paste” of the Nigetia Peace Corp Bill as articulated by the PCN. It would be recalled that the original Bill presented by NUPEC was turned down by both Chambers of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 8th National Assembly, while that presented by PCN was passed by both Chamber, and subsequently transmitted to President Muhammadu Buhari, who declined Assent on grounds of the Economic Ressession at the time of passage of the Bill by the 8th National Assembly.
The NPC Bill was described by many of the Youth Leaders, and traditional fathers in participation as the most viable and practicable solution to the twin problems of Youth Unemployment and Security challenges in the Country.
In the wisdom of the 9th National Assembly, considering the increasing recruitment of the Youth in Banditry, Kidnappings and other Crimes across the Federation, it has become very necessary to reintroduce the Bill and give it a second and re-enforced push as a sustainable solution to Unemployment and Insecurity in Nigeria.
Speaking to the youtHouse reporters Correspondent, the Executive Publisher of the youtHouse reporters, Mazi Oscar David Kalu, emphasized the need to view the Bill more from the angle of National Prosperity, and a bit from the perspective of National Security. He said in as much as the proposed NPC will contribute meaningfully to curbing Insecurity in Nigeria through filling the gap of formal Security Informants, Neighbourhood Watch and Intelligence Gathering, however, the most compelling component of the Bill is the dimension of gainful engagement of the Youths in well designed Roadmap and multiple streams of Economically viable Activities and Production Lines, in a Paramilitary setting, using the super models of the American Peace Corps and its Chinese equivalent, the Production and Construction Corps of China, in areas of Agriculture, Waste Management / Recycling, Direct Labour Engineering Works etc.
Even the youtHouse reporters sent in a strong Memorandum supporting the NPC Bill, stressing the indispensability of the NPC Bill at this critical times of our National History.
From the body language of the Committee, it was clear that the 9th Assembling is determined to fight Youth Unemployment Insecurity and Insecurity in Nigeria