The Federal Government has maintained its decision to reintroduce the Water Resources Bill which seeks to bring all water resources both surface and underground under the exclusive list despite criticism.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this at a joint briefing with the Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman Adamu in Abuja.
According to the Minister, the bill was not designed to cause water wars but as a panacea to likely water conflicts in the country.
The federal government had come under heavy criticized from individuals and stakeholders alike for attempting to reintroduce the water resource bill.
Many questioned the rationale behind the move to bring back a bill rejected by the 8th assembly in 2018
Regarding the bill as a guise to grab land for herders, Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom had urged federal lawmakers to reject the bill in the country’s interest.
“The bill, in addition to its provisions which are at variance with the Land Use Act, is disguised land-grabbing legislation designed to grant pastoralists unhindered access to river basins, adjacent marine and coastal environments across the country.
” The governor maintains that the bill is another version of RUGA (Rural Grazing Area) which objective is to create grazing areas in the 36 states of the federation for herders and their livestock.
“Lawmakers should act as true representatives of the people for the sake of posterity and remember that the destiny of the country lies in their hands,” he said.
Also, Afenifere, a Yoruba socio-political organisation, condemned the bill, calling it’s an attempt by the federal government to secure the lands around the rivers in southern Nigeria to resettle the herdsmen after the failed Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) initiative.
However, Lai Mohammed said that no hidden agenda behind the bill, adding that critics of the bill have either not read it or might be mischievous.
“There is nothing new about the National Water Resources Bill. This is because it is an amalgamation of Water Resources Laws that have been in existence for a long time.
“The laws are being re-enacted with necessary modifications to bring them in line with current global trends as well as best practices in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).
“The overall objective of this amalgamation is the efficient management of the Water Resources Sector for the economic development of Nigeria and the well-being of its citizens.
“The Bill provides for professional and efficient management of all surface and ground water for the use of the people (i.e. for domestic and non-domestic use, irrigation, agricultural purposes, generation of hydro-electric energy, navigation, fisheries and recreation).
“The Bill will ensure that the nation’s water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in a sustainable manner for the benefit of all persons.
“Critics contend that the Bill is aimed at taking the resources of a certain part of the country for the use of herders. In other words, the Federal Government is seeking to implement RUGA by subterfuge.
“We also want to state that the Bill is for the good of the nation, and has no hidden agenda whatsoever,” he said.
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