The House of Representatives has
insisted that the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Kpotun Idris,
should appear before it, to explain why he disobeyed subsisting court orders to
vacate the headquarters of the Peace Corps of Nigeria located in Jabi Abuja.
This was even as the National
Commandant of the Corps, Amb (Dr.) Dickson Akoh, averred that, there was a
grand conspiracy against the Nigerian youths by those who engineered the
decision of President Muhammad Buhari to withhold assent from the Peace Corps
Bill.
The House Committee on public
petitions, had penultimate Tuesday, ordered that the office of Peace Corps be
unsealed, in line with the two recent judgements delivered by Federal High Court
in Abuja, to that effect.
At its sitting on Tuesday, the
committee said Buhari’s rejection of the Bill is a different issue from the
court order asking the police to leave the headquarters.
The police has cordoned the place
off since 28th February, 2017, despite two court judgements and the committee’s
directive, asking them to leave.
Hon. Nkem Uzoma-Abonta, Chairman
of the committee, said, following the change of venue for the Tuesday meeting,
the committee will give the police “a benefit of doubt” and adjourn till March,
6.
He said while the police should
leave the organisation’s headquarters, the IGP and the Attorney General of the
Federation, Abubakar Malami, should appear before it “and tell us why the court
orders should not be obeyed.”
He added that failure of the duo
to appear before it will make the lawmakers explore other options available to
them and ensure they appeared as directed.
Meanwhile, the Peace Corps boss,
Akoh, has expressed strong optimism that the last has not been heard about the
Peace Corps Bill, which he said was purely for the youth empowerment.
The Nigerian Peace Corps
(Establishment) Bill was overwhelmingly passed at the National Assembly and
transmitted to the Presidency for assent on Wednesday, 27th December, 2017.
President Buhari, however, on
Tuesday, transmitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives that he was
withholding his assent on the Bill, citing paucity of funds and duplication of
duties.
Addressing journalists after a
House of Representatives committee meeting on Tuesday, Akoh accused the
nation’s security agencies of working against the Bill.
He said the same persons who
“fought” the Peace Corps Bill prior to its passage also advised Buhari against
assenting to the Bill.
Akoh said: “The same people that
opposed the Bill with the same content during the National Assembly’s public
hearing, allegedly took the matter before the President, telling him that
instead of voting money for new establishment, they should use it to boost
money for their own activities.
“They had said it is a
duplication of their functions but we made an advertorial in some newspapers to
show the differences in the functions.
“Whatever they have done has not
brought the situation to an end. The National Assembly may still take it up.”
The Commandant further said the
organisation was in the interest of the vast majority of the youth, adding that
“from what I am seeing, there is a conspiracy against the youth.”
“Let them (the youth) be jobless
and be committing crimes and let these people have more money and jail them. I
think that is the conspiracy.
“We have bills that have suffered
similar fate and resistance and was later passed. So we have hope that one day,
proper attention will be given to the bill,” he said.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com