The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned the National Assembly leadership against resurrecting or passing the Water Resources Bill into law “because of the danger it portends to national unity.”
The NLC said the National Assembly should not ambush Nigerians by covertly bringing back the bill, which seeks to lay the control of all water resources across the country on the shoulder of the President.
The bill created outrage and divided the eighth National Assembly when it was first proposed in 2018.
But the bill reappeared at the present National Assembly as the House of Representatives on July 23, 2020, referred to it as a “committee of a whole”, for third reading and passage.
West African Pilot News had earlier reported that the Nigerian playwright and social critic, Prof. Wole Soyinka; and organizations such Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Middle Belt Forum, had warned the Federal Government and the National Assembly against bringing back the bill.
The voice of the national resistance to the bill was increased by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, noting that the bill was earlier rejected in 2018 with good reasons.
In a statement titled, ‘Do Not Ambush Nigerians’, in Abuja on Monday by the NLC President, said the nation was being confronted with many challenges than to court fresh and costly controversy.
The NLC President said, “Information in the public domain has it that the National Assembly leadership is working surreptitiously with vested interests outside the assembly to pass the bill without due legislative process.
“Although the National Assembly is constitutionally vested with law-making, we warn against the National Assembly ambushing Nigerians.
“We equally warn against legislative abuse or betrayal of Nigerians as this is what it will amount to if the bill is passed or caused to be passed without public engagement and scrutiny. Already, the sentiments expressed against this bill are too grave to be brushed off.”
In support of the strong sentiment expressed against the bill nearly in all sections of the country, Wabba strongly advised that the bill should not be resurrected.
The statement noted, “In the light of this, we state unambiguously that the National Assembly should listen to the voice of reason by resting this bill.
“As a pan-Nigerian organization, we would continue to work assiduously for unity, development, justice and accountable leadership.”
