Tijani Adeyemi – Abuja
The Senate in plenary on Tuesday adopted the Report of the Conference Committee set up by the Two Chambers to harmonise the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps.
The Conference Committee set up earlier in the year by the Senate and House of Representatives completed its assignment on Wednesday last week, leading to the Report being laid and adopted by the House of Representatives on Thursday, 30th March 2023.
The harmonized report of the Conference Committee, which was laid and adopted by the Senate on Tuesday, showed that the Conference Committee adopted the version of the Bill as 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’s version seeks the dissolution of the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria and National Unity and Peace Corps, the House of Representatives version of the Bill solely recommends the dissolution of the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria to be transformed into the Nigerian Peace Corps when assented to by 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, criteria which the National Unity and Peace Corps Bill could not attain because its Bill 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 provided 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 shall be absorbed subject to the mandatory basic training and orientation programme of the Corps as may be prescribed from time to time when the Bill is signed into law.
Members of the Senate’s Committee are:
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 Ibrahim Umar Potiskum, Hon Abdulmumini Are, and Hon Legor Idegbo as members.
It will be recalled that the Nigeria Peace Corps (NPC) 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.
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.
When assented to by President Buhari, part 8 of the passed Bill 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 that every legislated process involved in enacting a Bill has, however, cleared the coast for the transmission of this all-important Bill to Mr President for assent.
The Peace Corps of Nigeria, established over 24 years ago under the National Commandant, Professor Dickson Ameh Akoh, is Incorporated in Nigeria under the Company and Allied Matters (CAMA) Act and accorded the Federal Government recognition through the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
So far, the organization has a well-structured network of offices in the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory FCT.
