By George Mgbeleke
The National Assembly has transmitted the harmonized Peace Corps Bill to President for his assent.
Transmission of the bill for Presidential assent by the Clerk to the National Assembly ( CNA) , Sani Magaji Tambuwal as authoritatively gathered by our correspondent , was done on Wednesday this week via letter written to that effect .
The letter according to highly placed source in the National Assembly , written on leter head of the CNA , was dated 12th April , 2023 and directly addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari .
Three copies of the authenticated copies of the bills , the source added, were forwarded to the President for assent , one of which is expected to be retained by him and the other two , sent back to the National Assembly for further action .
In line with provisions of the 1999 Constitution , President Buhari is expected to assent to the bill on or before 11th May ,2023 when 30 days window , given for such important action , must have been exploited .
The Bill, If assented to, The existing Peace Corps of Nigeria that had been operating on template of volunteerism over the years , will now be a Federal Government owned and funded Agency in the name of Nigeria Peace Corps.
A Conference Committee it would be recalled was set up earlier in the year by both the Senate and House of Representatives completed it’s assignment last week Wednesday 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.
