Date: 2018-03-05

The Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG), yesterday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to reconsider the bill seeking the establishment of the Nigerian Peace Corps.

The group made the appeal in a statement by its national coordinator, Alh Abdullahi Ibrahim and made available to newsnen in Ilorin, Kwara State.

The MNWG posited that signing the Peace Corps bill was necessary "against apparent insecurity in Nigeria, inadequate number of police personnel, lack of sufficient equipment and other logistic for the police and terrible growth of unemployment of our educationally and physically fit youths in the country.

"The recent decision of President Muhammadu Buhari not to assent the bill passed by the National Assembly on the establishment of the Peace Corps - a security outfit, has attracted the attention of the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG).

"While we concede the right to Mr President to view any particular matter or policy in different way, we appeal to him to kindly revisit the matter."

It added that: "Daunting security challenges of senseless killing of innocent citizens, abduction, kidnapping, armed robbery, wanton destruction of lives and property especially in the hinterland, cattle rustling, smuggling of arms and ammunitions through the land, sea and air, calls for reconsideration of the peace corps bill by the federal government.

"The disbandment of the Corps might set in a bandwagon effects of insecurity as trained Corps officers and men could turn to instrument of insecurity out of frustration.

" The MMWG believes that funds to be expended on retaining and training of the functionaries of Peace Corps will be smaller compared to what will be expended when insecurity sets-in.

"Imagine the mobilisation of forces taking place now since few days ago that insurgents wrecked their havoc in Dapchi, Yobe State where they carted-away 110 female students. Such embarrassing attack might continue if we fail to handle this Peace Corps issue carefully.

"We now spend millions of Naira daily in search of our innocent children of Yobe State by raising several Military Jets and Fighters; a situation that could be prevented through better security architecture that is well articulated and implemented."