On the occasion of Nigeria’s 63rd Independence, Dr Dickson Akoh, National Commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to be proactive in dealings with the populace. Akoh made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Monday..
According to him, “the present economic situation citizens of the country are facing is a delicate one that requires the virtue of patience”. The Commandant appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience with the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“The blame shouldn’t go to him alone because in the last 63 years, what we ought to have done but couldn’t do is what is accounting for where we find ourselves today. “Citizens also should understand the special situation the country has found herself and be hoping that with time, we’ll get out of this hardship,’’ he said.
Akoh expressed optimism that the present administration’s new economic policy would impact positively on the lives of citizens of the country. Going forward, the Commandant noted that Peace Corps is the sure way to go for Nigerian youths if crime and notoriety was to be adequately addressed in the country. He said the Corps was an indigenous innovation and not an idea borrowed or sold to Nigeria. He disclosed that the idea was born in the early 90s when he sat down with other young men to think on the way forward for Nigerian youths.
He said after comprehensive research, they discovered that a viable and productive venture where youths could be gainfully employed and better off was in the area of security of the nation. “There are a lot of porosity as far as security operation is concerned, it’s not an issue whereby any agency of government would say they are on top of the situation. “That is why we engage a good number of our youth and empower them to take charge of their local communities, local neighborhood,’’ he said.
Akoh told NAN that it was not all about arms importation or using kinetic approach, that non kinetic approach could also add serious value to the security architecture. “That is the way to go and that is what peace corps stands for,’’ he said.
