Senate Finally Passes Peace Corps Bill

By The Nigerian Voice
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Following an advice from its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, the Senate on Tuesday passed the Nigerian Peace Corps bill.

Recall that both the Senate and the House of Representatives had separately passed the bill last year.

But after the harmonisation of the two separate bills, the Senate had rejected the harmonised version, which has now been approved.

Before passing the bill, the upper legislative chamber adopted a conference committee report on the bill.

While presenting his committee’s Senator David Umaru, asked the Senate to consider the report despite the issues surrounding the establishment of the corps.

According to him, “The issues raised by the distinguished senators at the plenary are fundamental and they go to the root of the corps operations which are subject to litigation.

“The operation of peace corps in other jurisdiction, particularly in the US, the American peace corps as it is called used a model that does not operate as a permanent and a pensionable employment as intended in Nigeria.

“Arising from the presentation made by stakeholders and following from my observations and findings the senate committee on judiciary, human rights and legal matters the senate may wish to consider the conference committee report on the peace corps bill 2017.”

The corps had experienced different setbacks in the last six months. The police raided its office in Abuja and alleged that insurgents had infiltrated the corps.

The police also accused Commandant of the corps, Dickson Akoh, of extorting members who aspired the organisation of N40,000.

A lawmaker from Gombe state, Bayero Nafada, who chaired the conference committee, advised that the Senate could go ahead since the issue between the police and peace corps had been resolved.

“It was about the issue between the peace corps commandant and the Nigeria police and it has been sorted out by the chairman of the judiciary,” Nafada said.

With this development, the bill will now be forwarded to the President for assent.