Reps adopt harmonised report on Peace Corps Bill 

The House of Representatives has adopted the conference committee reports on the bill seeking to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps.

Both chambers of the National Assembly had set up a conference committee to harmonise areas of differences in the bill as separately passed.

Chairman of the committee from the House of Representatives, Babangida Ibrahim, while moving for the consideration of the report Thursday said the bill among others was to establish the Nigeria Peace Corps.

He said the Peace Corps would be a body charged with the responsibility to develop, empower and provide painful employment for youth, adding that it would also facilitate peace, volunteerism, community service, neighborhood watch and nation building.

The 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 Reps as contained under clause 38 (1).

The Senate’s version seeks dissolution of the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria and National Unity and Peace Corps.

The House of Reps 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 by President Muhammadu Buhari.

It would be recalled that the Nigeria Peace Corps (NPC) Establishment Bill was passed in 2022 by the two chambers.