A bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps (NPC) to provide alternative employment for youths to facilitate peace and community services has passed second reading at the Senate.
This followed the adoption of the lead debate by the sponsor of the bill, Sen. Ali Ndume (APC-Borno) during Tuesday’s plenary.
Leading the debate on the general principles of the bill, Ndume said that the bill was read the first time in the 9th Senate on Dec. 17, 2019.
Ndume recalled that the bill was passed by the 8th Senate when President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan was Senate leader.
“The Bill went through all legislative processes, including Public Hearing and was overwhelmingly passed.
“The Bill also passed through all the same necessary legislative crucibles at the House of Representatives and eventually passed,’’ Ndume said.
He said that the bill would give statutory backing to the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria, which has over 187, 000 members.
“This comprises of regular staff and volunteers with well-structured network of branches in 36 states of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory,’’ he said.
He said that, the Peace Corps of Nigeria, which came into existence in 1998, was aincorporated body at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
“Based on its laudable achievements over the years, the Peace Corps was accorded federal government recognition, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
“On the international scene, the Corps was equally granted a Special Consultative Status by the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),’’ Ndume said.
He further explained that the reasons by President Muhammadu Buhari for withholding assent to the Bill had already been addressed in the new bill.
Senate leader, Sen. Yahaya Abdullahi, while seconding the bill, urged his colleagues to give accelerated passage to the bill, since it had already gone through the rudiments of lawmaking at both chambers in the 8th National Assembly.
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan thereafter referred the bill to the Committee on Interior, for further legislative actions.
