New Telegraph

Water Resources Bill, ploy to dominate South

• Nigeria will be doomed if NASS passes it – OYC
…Act’ll strengthen agitation for new Republics
… It’s obnoxious, against federalism-COSEYL

Many Nigerians across different divides have kicked against the Water Resources Bill, pending at the National Assembly, saying that it is an attempt by the northern oligarchy to spread its hegemony and dominate the southern parts of the country. Some of those against the passage of the Bill, declared the proposed law, seeking to transfer the control of water resources within states to the Federal Government as obnoxious, while adding that it is an attempt to resuscitate the dead Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) Bill, which was shut down in the Eight Assembly.

The Water Resources Bill 2020, in Section 13, states: “In implementing the principles under subsection (2) of this section, the institutions established under this Act shall promote integrated water resources management and the coordinated management of land and water resources, surface water and ground water resources, river basins and adjacent marine and coastal environment and upstream and downstream interests.”

Section 2(1) of the Bill reads: “All surface water and ground water wherever it occurs, is a resource common to all people.” A First Republic Minister for Aviation, Chief Mbazurike Amaechi, described the Bill before the National Assembly as an easy attempt to siphon taxpayers’ money while contending that it cannot be policed in such a manner.

Amaechi urged the lawmakers to focus more on laws that are beneficial to the people, saying that there are laws that need urgent attention but the legislature chose to dissipate energy on a Bill that is of no economic benefit to Nigeria and Nigerians. “You don’t just wake up one morning and make any law without finding out what Nigerians stand to gain at the end of the day and you call it law. Some time ago, we had of RUGA, later, they called it cattle ranching, and now, it is Water Resources.

“All those things have nothing to do with the socioeconomic growth of our country as a people. What is the position of people who have been using the rivers and streams before Nigeria came to be? Will you go to Imo or Abia state and lay claim to a river that has been there since creation and you think they will just sit down there and be looking at you? “Please, you cannot make laws that you cannot police and you expect to get a favourable response.

And even if it is for the herdsmen, we shall see how it would work because it cannot work in the North, so why South? “There are many issues to address and the National Assembly would not look into those areas of concern, rather they make laws that are antidevelopment. They should first address the problems in our waterways and dredge the Niger River and make it useful, not to lay claim to our rivers”, he said.

Buhari has malicious agenda -Afenifere

On its part, the Pan Yoruba Socio political group, Afenifere, described the Bill as insensitivity on the part of Federal Government, while adding that the upward review of the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and the hike in electricity tariff shows how malicious the President Muhammadu Buhari regime has become against the masses. The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin stated that the policies of the Buhari administration had been designed to impoverish and frustrate Nigerians. Odumakin said: “The Water Resources Bill is part of the war they are waging against Nigeria. This Bill was defeated in the Eight Assembly. Surreptitiously, they went to revive it. In a place like Lagos, there is nowhere without a river.

Does the Federal Government want to claim people’s houses? “Let us look at the whole idea of the Land Use Act. Vesting land in the governors is a constitutional matter. They know that it is not easy for them to amend the constitution, and that is why they are going through this Bill. “When the Bill was introduced in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila asked whether that was not the same Bill that was defeated in the Eight Assembly. It’s clear that this government has a malicious agenda against the people.

A time will come when the people will say enough is enough and it won’t be too far. “In a normal clime, the people won’t reelect the APC government, going by its antecedence during the first term. For what is happening on electricity and fuel price, I think it’s karma law that is working on Nigerians because there is no country in the world that will return this government to power having seen its antecedence in the first term. “So, it’s next level they are given to Nigerians now. Until the people are fed up enough and they rise to say enough is enough.

They have continued to say more increment is coming. What they are doing is that they are taking their religious bigotry too far. They are not the ones that established the churches. Why do you want to use law to impose injustice on them?

Igbo youths reject Bill

In the same vein, youths from Igboland have vehemently rejected the proposed Bill on the premise that it is a replica of the rejected RUGA policy, aimed at resolving the conflict between Fulani herdsmen and farmers, and was unanimously rejected in Southern Nigeria. The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC), speaking through its President General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and the Secretary General, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, cautioned against the passing of the Bill into law.

“Igbo Youths call for caution, as the Federal Government might undermine the rights of Nigerians in coastal regions and it will give them credence to support the realisations of Biafra and Oduduwa Republics,” OYC said. “Nigeria will be doomed if the National Assembly passes the National Water Resources Bill 2020 into law, as the Federal Government cannot withstand the consequences this controversial Bill will bring.

“If they forcefully deposed Nigerians in coastal areas of their rights of survival, especially in fishing and farming, there’ll be civil unrest capable of breaking up the unity of Nigeria. The timing of the National Water Resources Bill 2020 is wrong and will fuel arms struggle and ethnic agitations especially in coastal regions. “This controversial Bill is viewed as obnoxious, draconian and anti-people, and capable of making Niger Delta Militants see enough reasons to join Biafra agitators and pick up arms against President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.”

The OYC further insisted that the issue of water resources remain a domestic matter and advised the Federal Government to reconsider the implications and resist the temptations of taking over control of water resources from state and local governments.

“In the Water Resource bill, there are many clauses that are very good, but the clauses people will resist vehemently are the ones that will take away the power of local governments and state governments to Federal Government. Since the controversial Bill failed before the 8th Assembly, definitely it’s dead on arrival before the 9th Assembly because water is local”, the OYC said. Similarly, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) said the Bill is synonymous with the RUGA policy which Nigerians saw as a design to grab their lands, stressing that the plot behind the Water Resources Bill is to further fan the embers of division.

COSEYL in a statement by its President General and Secretary General, Hon. Goodluck Egwu Ibem and Comrade Kanice Igwe respectively, urged the National Assembly to concentrate on other important legislation and not the one that will cause trouble. COSEYL said: “We condemn in its entirety, an attempt by certain vested interests within the Presidency in cahoots with certain members of our National Assembly, to push through an obnoxious bill reintroduced in our 9th Assembly by a clique of land grabbers.

“What happened to other important pieces of legislation the National Assembly has concluded legislation, but are still waiting executive or presidential assent? “Why is it that a certain part of the country, under the 9th Assembly, appeared to be sponsoring bills to censor social media through antisocial media bill; freedom of speech through hate speech bill and even a bill to ban the use of generator set in a country where currently electricity tariff skyrocketed by beyond 100 percent as current realities dictate? When is the government for once going to be pro-people and pro-poor? “This obnoxious bill seeks, among other things, to not only annex or appropriate people’s land, but to place all river basins, water bodies, atop and beneath Nigerian soil, under the control of the Federal Government. What becomes of areas like Niger Delta regions and Lagos should this bill see the lift of the day? COSEYL went on to say that all indications now prove that the Federal Government strategically delayed the speed of the Bill when it was rejected not on the basis of its merits or demerits, but simply because of the need to win election in 2019 at all costs.

“Alarming as it is, section 13 subsection 2 (13 (2)), of the bill is clear and revealing of something sinister at a time armed herders are overrunning settled human spaces with bandits carrying out wholesale slaughter without any form of resistance.” COSEYL urged all wellmeaning Nigerians, lovers and friends of democracy to stand up and resist the Bill, stressing that youths in South Eastern Nigeria will never support any bill with sinister intentions.

“For the record, the Coalition wishes to remind the presidency, the executive and those legislators who left the yearnings and aspirations of their constituents to pursue this objective that the electoral amendment act, which would have allowed use of server and electronic voting if passed into law, could facilitate peaceful and smooth conduct of elections in Edo and Ondo is still waiting for executive assent. “Equally is the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) which would have, if revisited, protected the interest of host communities and thus allow Nigerians to own artisanal and modular refineries are waiting for presidential assent. “Also jettisoned is the Confab report of 2014 which for the first time saw Nigerians come to renegotiate British terms. Why do the executive together with its legislative agents ignore more vitally pressing issues to chase what has been rejected. “COSEYL will and is resolved to do anything within the law and constitutional limits of our nation to stop this move. We shall call; communicate our legislators to this end.”

Read Previous

GANA’S KILLING: Army risks creating another B’Haram –Ex-DSS director, retired army captain

Read Next

Buhari directs Ngige to meet NLC, TUC, CSOs, others over economy

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *