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We didn’t bribe lawmakers to pass Peace Corps bill – Commandant

Commandant of the Nigerian Peace Corps, Dickson Akoh had dismissed reports that he bribed lawmakers in order to pass the organisation’s bill.

A report in the media(not Vanguard) had alleged that Mr Akor bribed the National Assembly to get the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill passed.

Akoh in a statement on Sunday, however debunked the allegations, stating that the organisation could not have bribed all government officials involved in the bill.

He said, “My attention was drawn to the article on social media that cast the PCN in a contemptuous light, but on a second thought, they may be referring to a rival organisation, National Unity And Peace Corps led by one Mr. Chinedu Nneji, whose Bill was nipped in the bud by the national assembly,” the statement by Akoh read.

[Read Also: ‘How Nigerian Senators took bribes to pass Peace Corps Bill’]

“From the foregoing, I wish to posit that it is most unfortunate that it has become a trade in stock for some individuals or groups, nowadays, to pre-occupy themselves with character assassination and distortion of obvious facts and figures against this noble objective.

“We recall too that the two chambers of the national assembly, as part of the legislative processes, organised public hearings in their respective chambers in respect of NPC bill.

“Over 570 Memorandum were received and 300 oral submissions made during the Public Hearings. In all of these, it was only four submissions and presentations that were against the passage of the bill. Public Hearing is one of the most important part of bill making processes.

“Does it mean Peace Corps bribed its way into the hearts of all individuals and institutions, including federal government ministries/agencies, traditional and religious institutions that all advocated for the passage of the bill?

“Certainly, NPC is on the part to greatness. The question now begging for answers from every rational mind is that can any youth based organisation has the financial capacity or wherewithal to bribe a single senator or house of representatives member, how much more of the entire national assembly members and its leadership some of whom where former governors, ministers, business moguls, retired generals etc.

[Read Also:  Adjourn so I can write exams, Peace Corps commandant tells court]

“After the passage of the bill, we do expect deliberate and calculated campaign of calumny by those who want to truncate it being assented to by the Mr President.”

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