Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja

The National Assembly has passed the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps following the adoption at the plenary of the harmonised report of the Conference Committee of the two Chambers.

The Conference Committee was set up earlier in the year by both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The panel completed its assignment on Wednesday last week when the report was laid and adopted by the House of Representatives on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

The Harmonised Report of the Conference Committee was subsequently adopted by the Senate yesterday and passed for presidential assent.

Clause 38 (1) of the version passed by the Senate which conflicted with the version passed by the House of Representatives as contained under clause 38 (1).was resolved during the deliberation.

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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 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.

The National Unity and Peace Corps Bill could not attain the constitutional requirements because it was never debated unlike that of the Peace Corps of Nigeria which was 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 to be absorbed.

This is however, 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.

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 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, Neighbourhood Watch, and Nation building.

Part VIII of the passed Bill, when assented to by President Buhari, 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 legislated process involved in the enactment of 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, Prof Dickson 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.