The Nigerian Peace Corps Bill 2015 has scaled the Second Reading stage in the House of Representatives aged of its eventual passage into law or an Act of the National Assembly.
The Bill if passed into law seeks to empower, develop and provide alternative employment for the youths, to facilitate peace, community services and nation building.
The Bill also seeks to provide civic and patriotic trainings, alternative employment and positive engagement of the youths with a view to preoccupy them in ventures that would make them economically productive to themselves and larger society.
While leading the debate on the Bill, the sponsor, Hon. Abdullahi Faruk (APC, Kebbi) had noted that Nigeria is currently investing a lot of energies and resources to contain the menace of insurgency, militancy, kidnapping, vandalism, armed robbery, political thuggery, drug trafficking, prostitution, suicide bombing, cattle rustling and a host of other social vices.
According to him, “these vices no doubt constitute social challenges that have retrogressive effects and implications on the economic development and security of the nation.”
“This Bill seeks to give statutory functions to the existing Peace Corps of Nigeria which currently has over 98,000 members with well structured network of branches in 34 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory and observing adequately all its stated functions, and achievement of no small measure for an NGO,” he said.
After debate, the Bill eventually passed through second reading when it was put to vote by the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara who presided at the plenary session.
