President Muhammadu Buhari has declined assent to the bill to establish Peace Corps which was transmitted to him last year.

According to Vanguard, Buhari has refused to append his signature to the NPC Establishment Bill, which was officially sent to him by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Sani Omolori, in the last week of December 2017.
The 30-day window under, which the president should sign a bill duly transmitted to him elapsed on January 31, 2018.

The President now leaves the National Assembly with the only option of mobilising two thirds of its members to veto the president’s rejection of the bill.

A top Presidency official told the newspaper last night that the President could not have assented to the NPC bill because there was no need for such an outfit under the Nigerian security architecture.

The newspaper quoted the source as saying that by implication, the bill has been rejected by Mr. President since he did not sign it into law within the stipulated 30 working days.

Reacting to the development, the Spokesman for the House of Representatives, Abdulrazaq Namdas, told the newspaper that the members would wait patiently for President Muhammadu Buhari to write the NASS on why he would not append his signature to the bill before deciding on next step.

Namdas said lawmakers were aware that the president was in the habit of giving reasons whenever he rejects a bill sent to him by the NASS.

He added, “But if we wait up to a certain time and the usual excuses we expect of him does not come, then the House may take a further action to override the president.

“If you remember just last week, he returned three bills stating the reasons he refused to sign them into law.”

The NPC has been having a running battle with the Nigeria Police since it came out as a security outfit but not yet licensed by the Federal Government.

Also reacting to the President’s refusal to sign the bill, the chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, APC, Niger North, said that the Senate will do what the Constitution specifies in case Mr. President refused to assent to the Peace Corps Bill.

He said that the constitution of the country provided for what should be done if a bill passed by the National Assembly, transmuted to the President for assent did not receive the assent of the President.

He said, “For me personally, I see it as a very good thing; it is not new to Nigeria but it is happening in many other countries so that was why in the first instance, the National Assembly supported it.”

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President Muhammadu Buhari Rejects Peace Corps Establishment Bill