Ahead of the 2022 Anniversary/Founders day celebration in July, the State Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria, Cross River State Command Dr. Dominic Okweche has urged officers to get involved and partake in the ongoing fund fair exercise by visiting their respective local government offices.
Dr. Okweche said this during an interview with newsmen in Calabar on Wednesday at his office after he had transversed the length and breadth of Cross River State to interface with officers at their various divisions, to brief them on the latest development and also charge them to remain prayerful, committed and dedicated.
He went further to urge all officers who missed the physical briefing to contact their Commanders and participate effectively in the ongoing 2022 fund fair exercise for their good and the good of the Corps.
Earlier the National Commandant of PCN Prof Akoh has urged youths to shun acts that will destabilize the society.
Prof Akoh said this at Abuja, at the official launch of the 2022 Annual Fund Fair and Unveiling of the 24th Anniversary Logo, ahead of the Anniversary/founder’s Day celebration coming up on July 10th.
According to him, the organization’s activities to mark this year’s Anniversary are entrenched in the theme: “2023 General Elections: The Roles of Youths in Security and Peace Building”.
He said, “All the activities that we are going to observe this year, including a visit to the correctional centers, medical outreach, media interactions are summed up under this theme, being mindful of the fact that the only time-bomb awaiting Nigeria is the 2023 general elections.
“This is with the prevailing security situations. We have carefully picked a theme for the anniversary lecture and we believe that through the lecture, we will communicate directly to the conscience of Nigerian Youths that: they should not allow themselves to be used by egocentric politicians to destabilize the society.
“The success of the forthcoming general election is going to speak volumes about the sustenance of our democracy and the continuity of Nigeria as a nation.
“So what we are essentially doing is to mobilize our Youths nationwide to embark on peacebuilding and to resist any attempt or temptation to be used to perpetrate any violence during the election.”
Reacting to a question on the pending Peace Corps Bill, he expressed optimism that the Rep and Mr. President will do the needful considering the relevance attached to the Bill.
“The national assembly has been on a break.
“We are very hopeful, we are not in a hurry. Whatever that is going to endure will pass through pain and perseverance. So we are hopeful that the House of Reps will do justice to the bill in line with what the Senate has done,” he said.
He concluded that the fund fair was necessary to enable the organization to continue its humanitarian and charitable activities as well as its acts of volunteerism and Youth Empowerment.
On his part, Sen. George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs congratulated the National Commandant, Prof Dickson Akoh, and the entire Officers and Men of the Corps on its 24 years of service.
He said, although the Corps is a pet project of the National Commandant because of its activities across the states of the federation and the voluntary services rendered over the years, the project has become that of the public hence its support from the National Assembly as well as the majority of the nation’s populace.
Sen. Akume while saluting the courage of officers and men of the Corps over the years charged them to continue in one spirit to take the Corps to its most enviable height which is the passage and assent of the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill, adding that once that is done, the names of all Officers and Men struggling now to attain this height would be written in gold.
He, therefore, encouraged them not to relent in the onerous task of building the nation, empowering the youths, and rendering voluntary services to better the country.
