January 18, (THEWILL) – The Senate has constituted a six-member conference committee to finalise its legislative work on the Nigerian Peace Corps Bill.
Members of the Committee include Kashim Shettima – Chairman; Abba Moro – member; Betty Apiafi – member; Oriolowo Adelere – member; Eyinnaya Abaribe – member, and Seriake Dickson – member.
The Conference Committee members are expected to look at discrepancies and harmonize them with their counterparts from the House of Representatives, before forwarding the clean copy of the Bill to the Presidency.
The Nigeria Peace Corps (NPC) Establishment Bill was passed in 2022, by the two Chambers of the National Assembly.
The Bill was sponsored by the Chairman, Senate Committee on the Nigerian Army, Ali Ndume, while that of the House of Representatives was sponsored by the Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno.
The Bill seeks to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps as a body charged with the responsibility to develop, empower and provide gainful employment to youths, facilitate peace, volunteerism, Community Service, Neighborhood Watch and Nation building.
According to part Vlll of the passed Bill, when assented to by President Buhari, would give statutory backing to the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria.
The Peace Corps of Nigeria established over 24 years ago under the National Commandant, Professor Dickson Akoh, is Incorporated in Nigeria under the Company and Allied Matters (CAMA) Act and accorded the Federal Government recognition through the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
Due to the value-driven programs of the Corps, aimed at the socio-economic empowerment of the Nigerian youths and its contributions to peacebuilding and advocacy, the United Nations in 2011, accorded the organization a Special Consultative Status while the African Union in 2016, accorded same status to the organization, thereby, making it a member of the Social and Economic Councils of both the United Nations and the African Union.
So far, the organization has a well-structured network of offices in the 36 States of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory FCT. It has a membership strength of over 187,000 comprising both regular staff and volunteers.
Meanwhile, the Senate, also on Wednesday, read for the second time, a Bill to establish the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology.
The bill is to provide globally competitive & environmentally friendly innovative research & development in the processing & conversion of indigenous raw materials into valuable chemicals & petrochemical products.
Also, read for the second time, was a Bill seeking to provide a legal framework to establish the Federal Medical Centre in Uli, Anambra state, South Eastern Nigeria.
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