Buhari gives reasons for withholding assent to Peace Corps bill

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, wrote the National Assembly giving reasons why he exercised his constitutional powers in rejecting to assent to the establishment of the Nigerian Peace Corps as passed into law by the legislature.

In a letter titled: “Presidential Decision to Decline Assent to Nigeria Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill, 2017, recently passed by the National Assembly” addressed to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and read on the floor of the House, the president raised issues bothering on security concerns of allowing the proposed outfit to carry out activities being performed by already existing law enforcement agencies as well as lack of money to fund the new organisation as reasons for his action.

Buhari said in the letter that pursuant to Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), “I hereby convey to the House of Representatives, my decision, on 25th January, 2018, to decline Presidential assent to the Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill, 2017 recently passed by the National Assembly.”

He listed specifically, reasons for the decision to decline assent to the Bill, to include, among others, security concerns regarding the proposed Nigerian Peace Corps being authorized to undertake activities currently being performed by extant security and law enforcement agencies.

In addition, the president lamented the poor financial state of the country as another reason why he did not approve the bill.

“Financial implications of funding the establishment and operations of the proposed Nigerian Peace Corps, given the scarce financial resources may pose serious challenge to the government,” Buhari added.