Jennifer Ugwueke
A 40-year old man from Gombe State, Mr. Mustapha Abubakar, has declared himself Commandant-General of yet-to-be approved Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC).
Abubakar, until recently, was said to be the Personal Assistant to the Commandant-General of a Non-Governmental Organization, National Unity Corps (NUC), Chinedu Nneji.
The moment Abubakar broke up from NUC in 2020, the Nneji-led group, according to a report, made a disclaimer on him via national dailies.
The drama took a twist Monday, when Abubakar officially addressed the press and said “the presidential inauguration committee” had made him the Commandant-General of NPC.
Reacting to the development, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN), Patriot Milicent Umoru-Osakwua, described as misleading and sour claim, coming from an impostor, urging the general public to discountenance it.
Osakwua said Mr. Abubakar “has never been a member of the Peace Corps of Nigeria whose Bill went to the 8th National Assembly and overwhelmingly passed by the two Chambers as Nigerian Peace Corps Establishment Bill”.
She added that, “though the Nigerian Peace Corps Establishment Bill has been reintroduced by the two Chambers of the 9th National Assembly, it is yet to be a legal entity or enjoy any statutory backing until when passed and assented to by Mr. President as constitutionally provided”.
Osakwua stressed that, the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill currently before the National Assembly is to give statutory backing to the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria under the leadership of its National Commandant, Prof. Dickson Akoh.
“The Nigerian Peace Corps, when given statutory backing via the assent of the Bill by Mr. President, in accordance to Part 3, Section 11(1), is to be headed by a National Commandant who shall be appointed by the President and Commander-In-Chief, on the recommendation of the Minister.
“Therefore, any claim by any individual to have been appointed as Commandant-General of Nigerian Peace Corps by members of the Corps is not only laughable but illegal, ridiculous and self-seeking”, Osakwua added.
While urging members of the Corps to remain focus and prayerful on the Bill pending in the National Assembly, Osakwua also called on the general public and officers not to be distracted “by the antics of Mustapha Abubakar”.
