Both former President Muhammadu Buhari and the incumbent, President Bola Tinubu, had at different times failed to assent to the Peace Corps bill.
The House of Representatives has once again passed the bill to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps.
The House passed the bill for a third reading and will now await the concurrence of the Senate before onward transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo), moved the bill for the third reading of the bill, and it was adopted unanimously.
On Wednesday, the Committee of the Whole had undertaken a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill.
The bill seeks to transform the Peace Corps, a non-governmental organisation, into a government paramilitary agency.
It also aims to provide legal backing to the establishment of the Peace Corps as a government parastatal and allow its members to be absorbed into the proposed organisation at commencement.
The long journey of the bill
The Peace Corps bill was first introduced into the House during the 8th Assembly during which it scaled all legislative hurdles.
However, former President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent to the bill in February 2018, citing security concerns as one of the reasons for his decision.
The president also cited the paucity of funds and duplication of duties of existing security agencies by the proposed corps as other reasons.
It was reintroduced in the 9th Assembly by Mohammed Monguno and Ali Ndume in the House and Senate, respectively.
After a series of back-and-forth, the bill was subsequently passed in March 2023.
The passage followed the harmonisation of the different versions passed by both chambers.
It was thereafter transmitted to President Tinubu for assent through a letter dated 8th June 2023 and signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Tambawal.
However, Mr Tinubu did not sign the bill until the 9th Assembly adjourned sine die, and the bill became status-barred by 13 June 2023 when the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated.
Last year, the bill was reintroduced by the House and sponsored by Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu and others.
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Coming amid push for Oronsaye report
The bill is coming at a time of a strong push for the implementation of the Oronsaye report.
President Tinubu had on Monday ordered the implementation of the Oronsaye report amid a biting fiscal environment.
The Stephen Oronsaye-led committee, in its report, recommended that of the 541 Statutory and Non-Statutory Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions, 263 statutory agencies should be reduced to 161, 38 agencies should be abolished, 52 agencies should be merged, and 14 should revert to departments in ministries.
There are concerns about the Peace Corps performing similar functions as other security outfits.
While speaking on the bill, Mr Ihonvbere said the concerns raised have been addressed by lawmakers in consultation with relevant authorities.
