The senate has postponed the passage of the Peace Corps of Nigeria bill, mandating its committee on the judiciary to look into issues surrounding the corps.
The development comes after the postponement of a debate on the bill following the arrest of Dickson Akoh, commander of the corps, and several members of the organisation in March.
The police had claimed that insurgents had infiltrated the peace corps. Akoh was subsequently arraigned on a 90-count charge bordering on fraud.
On Tuesday, some of the senators who contributed to the debate on the bill called for caution because of the issues surrounding organisation.
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Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, said it would not speak well if the senate passed the bill at a time the federal government was having a running battle with the leadership of the corps.
“A lot of people have been deceived. The senate should not be a stamp for fraud,” he said.
Bayero Nafada, chairman of the conference committee report on the peace crop bill, said the issue was not with the federal government but the police.
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He said until the senate passed the bill, the corps would not have legal backing.
Senate President Bukola Saraki said the matter was not being stepped down because of the matter in court but because there were issues that needed to be dealt with.
“I think there are a number of issues, and I think we need to be guided by our rules by not setting bad precedent,” he said.
“The fact that it is court should not be an issue. We have to also look at the relationship with the green chamber but at the same time there are issues.
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“I think we should go with earlier suggestion, we are not stepping it down because of the court. We are going to consider the relationship with the other chamber and some of the issues raised here and the chairman judiciary will look into some of these issues and come back to us and hopefully some of the issues will be addressed.”
8 comments
Your comment..Senate Is Doing Well Now I Think All Issues Is Going To Be Ressolve And Senate We Surely Pass The Peace Corps Bill
well,
with God all thing will be possible,may God touch the heart of senate to do the right thing at the right time and in the right place, is now that senate are doing well!!!
To Nigerian police, may God forgive you all
Please resolve the issues and pass the bill on time
I sincerely believed the Senate is doing the right thing. The rule of Law must be uphold. But with God all things are possible. Peace Corp will come to stay and will address issues bordering our communities and the society at large. Thanks
May God help Peace Corps with the bill.
Your comment..may God hlp npc and Dr. Akoh, kudos to senate.
Your comment..Nigeria police should stop the harassment on peace corps of Nigeria, and allow the federal government of Nigeria to sign the peace corps of Nigeria Bill into law and if any agency should be investigated, it should be the Nigeria police.
Your comment..I hopefully believe on the final decision senate saraki did and one of the senator which says “we dont pass the bill the npc will not
have legal backup”. pls may god help u all to make the right decision and dont allow the npf to put assonder. we the youth and the good citizens of nigeria need jobs in all or any of legally passed bills….