Passage of the bill into the law for the establishment of the Nigeria Peace Corps has passed its second reading at the National Assembly.
Youths in Adamawa have rejected the N40,000 registration fee charged by the Nigeria Peace Corps for the ongoing recruitment.
The frustrated youths expressed their anger in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yola on Wednesday.
They questioned the rationale behind the high registration fee, adding that it is a ploy to disfranchise them.
NAN reports that the passage of the bill into the law for the establishment of the Nigeria Peace Corps has passed its second reading at the National Assembly.
Mr Mohammed Salisu, 32, a graduate from Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area, complained that he spent N1,500 to purchase the recruitment form.
“After I filled the form, on submission I was directed to pay an additional N40,000 for registration at First Bank which will qualify me to be a full officer of the organisation,’’ he alleged.
Salisu said his family was struggling to raise the money and had even resolved to sell their farm land to enable him realise his dream of becoming an officer of the Corps.
Also complaining, Mr Istifanus Dauda, 25, from Yola North Local Government Area of the state, said that the exorbitant registration fee prevented him from joining the corps.
Dauda, who is an orphan, said his father died when he was in secondary school and had to be sponsored by his mother and relatives to obtain a Diploma in Criminology from the Adamawa State Polytechnic.
“Honestly speaking, I don’t know where to get such an amount, in spite of the fact that I want to join the corps to render my services to my country, I am handicapped,’’ he said.
The duo called on the Federal Government to look into the matter and ease the recruitment process to enable thousands of vulnerable youths join the organisation.
Confirming the development, Mr Sunday Jamali, the Deputy Commander, Administration of the Nigeria Peace Corps, Adamawa Command, said that all screened candidates had paid N40, 000 before being registered.
“This year, no less than 500 candidates registered in the state and each of them paid N40,000 into the organisation’s bank account,’’ Jamali said.
He explained that the fee was to enable the corps train the successful candidates as well as to provide them with uniforms and other accessories.
According to him, the national headquarters of the organisation was aware of the development. (NAN)
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The Peace Corps organization is seizing the opportunity of the passed bill to exploit ordinary citizen.
For instance in Ondo State, old officers that were recruited and trained in 2004 were asked to pay 104,000 before they could send their names for documentation to Abuja.
This is corruption and stealing by trick.
Please we are appealing to Nigerian government and authorities in charge of the Peace Corps to stop exploiting poor Nigerians.
We the old officers has held series of meeting and we have decided to take the issue up with the traditional rulers and the Ondo state house of assembly.
Please save our soul, 104,000 is to much for a jobless poor individual.