Senate commended for adopting committee report on Peace Corps Bill

The state commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Imo state Patriot Ozuo Marvin Chibuzo has commended the Senate for adopting the Report of the Conference Committee set up to harmonise the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps.
The adoption of the Report of the Conference Committee took place on Tuesday in a plenary.
It can be recalled that the Conference Committee set up earlier in the year by both the Senate and House of Representatives completed it’s assignment on Wednesday last week leading to the Report been 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.

Highlight of the adopted report is on clause 38 (1) of the version passed by the Senate which is in conflict with the version passed by the House of Representatives as contained under clause 38 (1).
Whereas the Senate’s version seeks 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, a 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 program 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, 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.