Peace Corps of Nigeria can productively engage 800,000 youths – Akor

Dickson Akor, national commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), has disclosed that the Corps has the capacity to productively engage 800,000 youths across the country.

According to him, over 113,822 staff officers and 78,247 registered volunteer corps members are currently enrolled by the Corps across the country, most of who are graduates and secondary school leavers.

Akor, who disclosed this while giving update on the 2-day public hearing which seeks to convert the Corps to the Nigerian Peace Corps as a paramilitary organisation, held at the instance of House Committee on Interior chaired by Adams Jagaba, assured that upgrading the status of the Peace Corps to a government agency, would help in carrying out critical operations not covered by other security agencies.

He explained that the objectives of the Corps were to take the youths of Nigeria off the streets, reduce the present regime of social vices and criminal activities in the country.

“Most of our youths that have left schools and colleges today are completely idle and that largely contribute to the high level of security in the country.

“Apart from the institutional challenges we have, since inception none of our member as involved him or herself in wrong doing. It is an organisation that is out to redirect the youth towards patriotic services and nation building.

“We are not advocating for arms, we do not believe that Arm is the solution to the insecurity in Nigeria today.

“If the youth are well empowered, we don’t need arms because it is the same youth that are idle now that makes every Nigerian now to be a minister of defence.

“Our boys are thoroughly grounded, if the military if the police want to encourage patriotic service, let the youth work freely even if they are paid N10,000 the youth are ready to do it but with an assurance that when there is recruitment into the conventional uniform establishments or employment opportunity, premium is placed on these youth already rendering patriotic services.

“The economic situation may not permit it if not so we have the capacity to engage over 800,000 thousand youths to adequately take of the school and colleges.

“We believe that immediately the statutory recognition is given to Peace Corps, International donor agencies will now be free to even come to our aide and more of these youths can be picked from the streets,” Akor stated.