Unseal Peace Corps headquarters or face resignation, group warns Police IG

-A coalition of NGOs and civil society organisations wants the police to vacate the premises of the Peace Corps of Nigeria in Abuja.

-The coalition gave the Police IG five days to comply or face resignation.

-The group further commended the efforts of the Peace Corps in making the society a better place for all. 

A Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, have mandated the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to unseal and order his men to leave the Abuja Headquarters of the Peace Corps of Nigeria within five days or face resignation.

The group warned that if its demand is not met, they would mobilize, “all Civil Society Organisations, students, youths and concerned Nigerians,” to occupy the “Force Headquarters demanding the resignation of the IGP.”

The groups made the call in a statement issued in Abuja, on Wednesday.

According to them, the Peace Corps is a peaceful, purposeful and impactful organisation working towards youth development and nation building.

A statement by the coalition reads in part, “The most shameful development is the unlawful sealing of the newly rented headquarters of the PCN by the order of the inspector general of police since February 28, 2017 till date, over the unchanging and repeated allegation of collecting forty thousand naira from members at the point of enrolment.”

“We had long taken upon ourselves to make an in-depth and independent inquiries into this matter and discovered that monies cover the cost of quality uniforms, jungle boots, accommodation for one month in training , training fees , documentations and other logistics while leaving a very minimal fraction for the running and maintenance of the administrative structures of the corps.”

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“This as far as we are concerned is normal, lawful and expedient. All voluntary uniformed organizations in Nigeria such as Man O’war, Scout, Faith Based Organizations, all charge monies to provide uniforms to members. They charge monies for training, excursions, workshops, etc. One then wonders why that PCN has become criminal and a matter of concern to the inspector General of Police.

“There seem to be an unending legal battles between the force and the corps, of which, we are aware, that the PCN has won about eleven cases against the police.

“If the headquarters of a well-meaning organizations and social service provider like PCN could be sealed for flimsy and unsustained accusations of tasking members for uniforms and training, one then wonders why the force headquarters of the Nigeria Police should not be immediately put under lock and keys, considering the grievous indictments against the IGP.

“We make bold to declare that PCN has distinguished itself among uniformed youth organisations in the country and left an indelible mark in the hearts of millions of Nigerians both home and the Diaspora, while emerging as one of the most viable tools for youth empowerment and medium for promotion of peace, unity and national development, hence the determination of the civil liberty Constituency in Nigeria to stand and fight for the right of this noble corporate citizen of our country, known as Peace Corps of Nigeria.

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“This poor and unprogressive culture of the Nigeria Police to always oppose every upcoming establishment is disheartening , as we may all recollect t that the Nigeria Police vehemently opposed the establishment of Nigerian security organizations now Department of State Services, Federal Road Safety Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and most recently the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, therefore, we are not too surprised that the same Nigerian police assiduously but as a minority opposed the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill at both chambers of the National Assembly.

“The only surprising issue is the current IGP’s continuous opposition, harassments and intimidations of the PCN, even after the successful passage of the Bill.

“On a final note, we are calling on the IGP to immediately order the vacation of his men from the headquarters of the Peace Corps of Nigeria within the next five working days, failure upon which we shall mobilize all Civil Society Organisations, Students, Youths and concerned Nigerians to occupy the PCN headquarters and the Force headquarters, demanding the resignation of the IGP.”