Plateau Peace Corps to tackle problem associated with unemployment

The Plateau state command of the Nigerian Peace Corps on Monday said it will address societal ills in the State perpetrate by youths who are unemployed.

The State Commandant, Patriot Joseph Sunday, stated this in a chat with our correspondent in Jos, saying that the corps will deploy proactive measures in curbing crime.

Mr. Sunday said crimes associated with unemployment especially among youths has also to a large extent been addressed by the passage of the Peace Corps bill, adding that the corps’s mandate is to positively engage the youth and discourage them from dissipating their energies on criminal activities in the society.

He said that the command was committed to finding lasting solutions to youths’ involvement in insurgency, thug, cultism and other crimes.

“This is the only agency of government where youths are going to be in charge of their affairs.

“Youth unemployment is a huge problem for the country, leading largely to insurgency.

“With the recognition of the Nigerian Peace Corps as a legal agency of government, the problem of youth unemployment will be tackled,” he said.

He, however, debunked the insinuations that the passage of the bill had changed the status of corps, saying that the Peace Corps lacked the power to arrest and prosecute criminals

“This is a problem of mistaken identity; we do not even have the power to arrest anyone.

“As youths, we will device innovative ways to gather information and tackle criminal activities in our society.

“Nigerian Peace Corps is set to ensure that crimes and other social vices are drastically reduced to the barest minimum, because we are a part of the system and we know which strategies to employ,” he said.

Daily Times reports that the Senate finally passed a bill to make the Nigerian Peace Corps a para-military agency on Tuesday.

The Senate adopted the conference report on the bill to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps, after it was so advised by its committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives had separately passed the bill last year.