The commandant, Mr. John Philips, said when vacancies for employment in the corps were advertised, over two thousand persons, most of them youth from the 17 local government areas of Yobe State indicated interest, but regretted that a little above 500 of them turned up for training at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre in Fika.
“The essence of the Peace Corps is to provide employment, assist other security agencies in the maintenance of peace in the country and also giving assistance to people in need,” he said.
“Unfortunately, however, some unpatriotic elements have been going round insinuating that Peace Corps was not recognised by the federal government…I think they are just doing that in order to discourage youths from contributing their quota to the development of the country,” he said.
He, therefore, called on parents in Yobe State who have withdrawn their children from the scheme to look inward, “and see the gains their children would get from the job”.
He also called on Governor Ibrahim Gaidam to assist the corps with vehicles and other working equipment.