No fewer than 173 members of the House of Representatives have begun moves to override the rejection of the Peace Corps bill by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Already, the lawmakers have appended their signatures to a document initially sponsored by four lawmakers in the house for the bill to become a reality, New Telegraph reports.
They began coalition of signatures to veto President Buhari’s assent and make it an Act of Parliament.
It was gathered that a lawmaker from Rivers state who spoke under anonymity said: “We need just 240 members to overturn the table against him (president) and we are double sure that in the next two weeks. We will convince more members to join this movement. So far, I can confirm to you that we have 173 members already on our list and this is authentic.
“What we are doing is not about party or religion or region; it is about Nigeria; it is about the future of our youths who are roaming about the streets due to lack of jobs. The Peace Corps is a veritable platform to create employment and reduce corruption in Nigeria. Mr. President cannot be telling Nigerians, ‘we don’t have money’ when the country is contributing to many bodies.”
He also expressed confidence that their collegaues at the Upper Chamber would secure the required number to meet the lawmakers’ aim.
“Our colleagues in the Senate are very much in tune with what we are doing; they are as concerned as we are because Nigerians are suffering; our youths are being held hostage by an insensitive government. I can assure you, we are going to get the two-thirds and we will go ahead and create the Peace Corps for our youths,” he said.
The lawmaker, however, declined to disclose the identity of those who have appended their signatures to the document. He said: “We are keeping our list close to our hearts and we will not like to make it public now.
But what I can assure you is that, there is a group, we have gotten 173 followers as at today and we are ready to override his (president’s) assent, and there is no going back. At the appropriate time, we will make our identity known.”
Also, another lawmaker from Kogi state said the advocates of the document are lobbying and mobilising other lawmakers to ensure the bill eventually becomes a reality. “Just imagine the number of jobs it can create. I must say Dickson Akoh (the commandant) has done a good job and we must encourage him,” the lawmaker said.
NAIJ.com earlier reported that Bala Joshua, Peace Corps commandant in Nasarawa state while meeting with a group of disabled person in Shabu-Lafia appealed to President Buhari to reconsider his stand on the bill, saying the rejected bill would create room for youth employment in Nigeria.
Joshua said assent to the bill will also reduce youth restiveness across Nigeria and will help the corps to synergise with other security agencies across the country in the area of conflict resolution strategy.
