By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Commandant General of National Unity and Peace Corps (NUPEC), Chinedu Nneji has debunked claims by Mustapha Abubakar that he is the Commandant General of Nigeria Peace Corps.
Abubakar had in a press conference last week, claimed to be the Commandant General of Nigeria Peace Corps, a new organization, proposed by 8th National Assembly following a bill jointly sponsored by National Unity and Peace Corps (NUPEC and Peace Corps of Nigeria which was declined accent by President Muhammadu Buhari’s in 2014.
Reacting to the development, Nneji in a press briefing at the Corps Headquarters in Abuja, acknowledged that Abubakar was his orderly at the NUPC but wondered how he became mischievous to the extent of claiming to be the Commandant General of an organisation he contributed nothing to found.
He said, “I saw that somebody has declared himself the Commandant General of Nigeria Peace Corps. Recall that Nigerian Peace Corps is an off shoot of the conference committee of the 8th Assembly where the National Unity and Peace Corps and Peace Corpse of Nigeria were collapsed to form the Nigeria Peace Corps. The Senate Bill no.183 belonging to National Unity and Peace Corps and 173 belonging to Peace Corps of Nigeria.
“Then in the wisdom of the Senate, the bill was collapsed and a new name came out of it which is Nigerian Peace Corps. To that extent, the owners of the name are these two organisations that sponsored the bill. Unfortunately, the bill could not be accented to by the president, it was referred back to the national assembly for further legislative action”.
Nneji stressed that anybody claiming ownership of the new body aside the two organisations that sponsored the bill is only an imposter. He said that Abubakar has not been able to produce any document that links him to Nigeria Peace Corps.
“Both organisations have tendered their documents before the National Assembly before the legislation started.
“I do not think that people that declared themselves as Nigeria Peace Corps have even a single document to hold unto. They were not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, they were not registered with any ministry as an NGO, they were not even registered with National Planning Commission as an NGO, they did not even fulfill all the requirements of the law. That is why I said that it is a figment of their own imagination to start answering a name that does not belong to them,” Nneji said.
Explaining his relationship with Abubakar he went further to state, “The young man used to be my orderly and he worked with me here but I didn’t know that he is so ambitious that he will go ahead to declare himself a Commandant General of an agency he knows nothing about.
“He should realise that things are not done like that, he should allow the course of justice to play out and if you must be somebody, you work hard for it. Don’t try to usurp or take advantage of other peoples efforts believing that it is where you will achieve your success, it doesn’t work that way.”
Nneji said that the Nigeria Peace Corps bill has passed second reading at the current 9th National Assembly. He also said that the National Unity and Peace Corps bill exclusively sponsored by his organisation is also before the National Assembly. He said that his organisation is disposed to work with the National Assembly to implement any of the bills that they feel will be more beneficial to Nigerians.
He further informed that NUPC will in January commence the implementation of their Out of School partnership programme with the Universal Basic Education Board to ensure that school age children are off the streeet during school hours.
He also said that his organisation is in collaboration with the Ministry of Health on public enlightenment in schools, markets and public places on the use of face mask, social distancing and other non-medical precautions following the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
He solicited for PPEs and other safety equipments from donor agencies and international organizations to ensure that officers of NUPC are safe during the project implementation period.
