Reps pass Peace Corps Bill for recommittal

The House of Representatives, on Wednesday, unanimously passed a resolution to recommit the Nigerian Peace Corps (Establishment) Bill to the Committee of the Whole, for passage.

This means the Bill shall be passed after clause-by-clause considerations at the Committee of the Whole.

The reintroduced Bill passed First Reading in the House of Representatives July 3, 2019.

The Nigerian Peace Corps Bill, which was recently re-gazetted as HB. 17 was re-introduced and sponsored by the Chief Whip, Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno.

Monguno while leading a debate on the motion to re-introduce the bill yesterday, said the move to reconsider the Bill in the Committee of the Whole was in pursuant to Order 12, Rule 16 of the Standing Order of the House, which prescribed that, a Bill passed by the previous Assembly, “upon being re-gazetted or clean copies circulated, be reconsidered in the Committee of the Whole without being commenced de-novo”.

Recall that the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill, which was passed by the two Chambers of the 8th National Assembly, was not assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari for some reasons.

The bill seeks to give statutory backing to the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria, with a core mandate to “Develop, Empower and provide gainful Employment for the youths, facilitate Peace, Volunteerism, Community Services, Neighbourhood watch and Nation-building; and for other Related Matters”.

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While reacting to the re-introduction of the Bill, National Commandant, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Dr Dickson Akoh, on behalf of the Organisation, expressed his gratitude to the Honourable Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the entire Members of the House of Representatives, for the decision to revisit the Bill.

Akoh while speaking in a phone chat urged members of the organisation to be patient and remain steadfast, as he is very optimistic that the Bill will see the light of the day this time around.

According to him, the main reason given by President Muhammad Buhari for not assenting the Bill has been taken care of.