Nigeria Peace Corps Bill Scales Legislative Process, Awaits Presidential Assent
The Senate on Tuesday adopted the report of the Conference Committee set up with the House of Representatives to harmonize the ‘Bill for an Act to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps’.
The Conference Committee set up earlier in the year by both the Senate and House of Representatives completed its assignment on Wednesday last week.
The House of Representatives adopted the report on Thursday, March 30, 2023.
A harmonized report of the Conference Committee which was laid and adopted by the Senate in plenary on Tuesday showed the upper chamber adopted the Bill version passed by the House of Representatives.
The highlight of the adopted report is clause 38 (1) of the version passed by the Senate which conflicts with the version passed by the House of Representatives as contained under clause 38 (1).
Whereas the Senate version seeks the dissolution of the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria and National Unity and Peace Corps, the House of Representatives version solely recommends the dissolution of the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria to be transformed into the Nigerian Peace Corps when assented to President Buhari.
The Conference report clarified that for a Bill to become an Act of Parliament in Nigeria, it must pass through the two chambers of the National Assembly, a criterion which the National Unity and Peace Corps Bill could not attain because it was never debated unlike that of the Peace Corps of Nigeria debated and passed by the two chambers.
However, the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps expressly provides under clause 38 (8) a window of opportunity for individuals, groups, associations or bodies that show or demonstrate interest to be absorbed as members of the Corps and shall be absorbed subject to the mandatory basic training and orientation program of the Corps as may be prescribed from time to time when the Bill is signed into law.
Members of the Senate Committee include Senator Kashim Shettima, chairman; Senator Abba Moro, member; Senator Betty Apiafi, member; Senator Oriolowo Adelere, member; Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, member and Senator Seriake Dickson, member.
Members of the House Conference Committee are Hon Babangida Ibrahim, chairman; Hon Tijani Kayode Ismail, Hon Chinedu Ogah, Hon Abdulmumini Are and Hon Legor Idegbo as members.
It will be recalled that the Nigeria Peace Corps Establishment Bill passed in 2022 by the two chambers was sponsored by the Chairman, of the Senate Committee of the Nigerian Army, Senator Ali Ndume while that of the House of Representatives was sponsored by the Chief Whip, Rt Hon Mohammed Monguno as HB17.
The Bill, among others, seeks to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps as a body charged with the responsibility to develop, empower and provide gainful employment to youths, facilitate peace, volunteerism, community service, neighborhood watch, and nation-building.
According to part Vll of the passed Bill, when assented to by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Retd.), it would give statutory backing to the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria.
The adoption of the report by both the Senate and the House of Representatives has brought to its logical conclusion every legislative process involved in the enactment of a bill.
It has cleared the coast for the transmission of this all-important Bill to Mr. President for assent.
The Peace Corps of Nigeria was established over 24 years ago under the National Commandant, Professor Dickson Ameh Akoh, is incorporated in Nigeria under the Company and Allied Matters Act and accorded the Federal Government’s recognition through the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
Image courtesy of Akinshola Lucky Akintelure – ApplesBite International Magazine.
