Why we passed Peace Corps Bill – Senate

The Senate on Thursday clarified seeming ambiguity on the
passage of the controversial Nigerian Peace Corps Bill.

The upper chamber had on Tuesday adopted the Senate and House of
Representatives conference report on the bill.

Since the adoption of the conference report, two different
groups had laid claims to the bill.

While the National Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria, Dickson
Akoh, addressed the press and thanked the National Assembly for
“restoring hope to the Nigerian youths,” the Commandant General of
National Unity and Peace Corps, Dr. Chinedu Nneji, also addressed
the media and hailed the National Assembly for passing his
bill.

Ako and Nneji are two claimants of the passed bill.

The Chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, who made the clarification, noted that the
bill passed into law by the National Assembly gave legal backing to
the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria.

Senator Abdullahi told journalists that it was necessary to
explain the ambiguity in the bill.

He noted that reports in some quarters that the National
Assembly passed and adopted the National Unity and Peace Corps Bill
was misleading.

He said the National Unity and Peace Corps Bill did not pass
through in the House of Representatives and as such, the Senate
could not force it on the House.

He said: “Let me say that, in the Senate, we had the Nigerian
Peace Corps Bill and we also had the National Unity and Peace Corps
Bill.

“When we were considering the Peace Corps Bill, an observation
was raised that there was another bill which has similar
objectives, that was the National Unity and Peace Corps Bill.

“So it was agreed that the bill should be incorporated into the
Nigerian Peace Corps Bill. That was done. When we did that, we then
passed our own version.”

The Senate on Thursday clarified seeming ambiguity on the
passage of the controversial Nigerian Peace Corps Bill.

The upper chamber had on Tuesday adopted the Senate and House of
Representatives conference report on the bill.

Since the adoption of the conference report, two different
groups had laid claims to the bill.

While the National Commandant of Peace Corps of Nigeria, Dickson
Akoh, addressed the press and thanked the National Assembly for
“restoring hope to the Nigerian youths,” the Commandant General of
National Unity and Peace Corps, Dr. Chinedu Nneji, also addressed
the media and hailed the National Assembly for passing his
bill.

Ako and Nneji are two claimants of the passed bill.

The Chairman of Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator
Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, who made the clarification, noted that the
bill passed into law by the National Assembly gave legal backing to
the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria.

Senator Abdullahi told journalists that it was necessary to
explain the ambiguity in the bill.

He noted that reports in some quarters that the National
Assembly passed and adopted the National Unity and Peace Corps Bill
was misleading.

He said the National Unity and Peace Corps Bill did not pass
through in the House of Representatives and as such, the Senate
could not force it on the House.

He said: “Let me say that, in the Senate, we had the Nigerian
Peace Corps Bill and we also had the National Unity and Peace Corps
Bill.

“When we were considering the Peace Corps Bill, an observation
was raised that there was another bill which has similar
objectives, that was the National Unity and Peace Corps Bill.

“So it was agreed that the bill should be incorporated into the
Nigerian Peace Corps Bill. That was done. When we did that, we then
passed our own version.”