Water Resources Bill: Why Nigeria House of Representatives withdraw di 'law' wey dey cause Kasala

Nigeria House of Representatives don withdraw di controversial National Water Resource Bill afta enough gbas gbos among di lawmakers unto say di process wey dem take cari di Bill enta di 9th National Assembly no pure.

Afta plenty gbege among members, Speaker of di House, Femi Gbajabiamila don order make dem withdraw the water bill and reintroduce am again according to di proper procedure.

Oga Gbajabiamila, add say make dem do proper gazetting according to di rules of di House be fore dem go fit begin consider am again.

Rep members bin clash on Tuesday as some of di members from di south of the kontri plus di ones from di opposition Peoples Democratic Party raise different legal and procedure palava against di bill.

Kasala burst wen one first time member from Benue state, Oga Bem Mzondu, say according to Order 6 Rule 1(2) and (3) dem no give am im right as rep member as dem no follow due process and nobody give am copy of di Bill.

Oga Mzondu add say, according to di rule, dem must gazette new Bill before dem go fit to discuss am and also say, old bills wey di former Assembly bin abandon, dem must to gazette am again, but im no find any document wey show say dem gazette di water resource bill. Therefore, dem no apply well and di Speaker work na to interpret di rule, im tok.

Wetin be dis Water Resources Bill?

Nigeria goment first introduce di National Water Resources Bill for 2018 give di 8th national assembly. While di House of Representatives pass di bill, e fail for di National Assembly as Godswill Akpabio, di minority leader dat time lead opposition senators to reject di bill.

Bukola Saraki, di Senate President dat time tok say make dem keep di Bill, then bring am back afta goment don make some adjustments but dat one no happen until dia tenure finish.

For July 2020, goment reintroduce di Bill again give di 9th assembly and dis wan don make some Nigerians hala. Some of those wey chook mouth for di Bill mata like Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, Benue State Samuel Ortom, Nigeria Labour Congress, Afenifere group, among others tok say, if dem pass am into law, e fit affect di national unity of di kontri.

But di federal goment don explain say di Water Resources Bill wey dey di National Assembly no be new one as goment just add some tins to am to make am conform wit global best practices.

Water Resources Bill 2020

Na four existing Water Resources Law, goment join together to form di National Water Resources Bill 2020.

Di water resources bill want make di management and control of all water resources (both surface and underground) and di banks of di water sources dey under di control of di federal goment.

According to di Minister of Culture and Information Lai Mohammed, dem design di bill to provide professional and efficient management of all surfaces and ground water wey go dey beneficial and useful for all Nigerians. He add say goment no get hidden agenda as na for di good of di nation.

Why di Bill dey vex pipo?

Dat section of di bill tok say di "use of water go dey subjected to licensing provisions". Dis one mean say before anybody fit say im wan start any water project, e must collect licence from designated goment agency.

Dis bill go give goment power to direct pesin who get excess supply of water pass wetin im and im family need to reduce di amount of water dem get to wetin dem need.

Di law fit cancel di licence of anybody wey dey misuse water.

Corporate or individual pesin no go fit do borehole drilling business for Nigeria or sink boreholes for im house if dem no collect Water Well Driller licence from di Commission.

Only authorised personnel fit carry out routine checks to inspect water usage or water disposal on properties and dem must carry dia identity card or oda means of identification if e dey necessary.

No pesin go fit use water outside wetin dey dis Act tok.

States go fit only manage, use and control water sources wey dey only within dia states and dem go dey guided by di policy and principles of di federal goment.

Di Bill top any right to use water wey any body fit dey enjoy under any oda laws before.

How pipo react to di Water Bill.

Benue State Govnor Samuel Ortom say di provisions wey dey inside di National Water Resources Bill 2020 no dey follow wetin dey di Land Use Act tok, im say goment get hidden agenda.

Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka for inside statement wey e issue for August 2020 warn say di Bill, if dem pass am into law go give di President absolute control over di nation entire water resources both over and underground.

Other unions and groups don also condemn di provisions wey dey inside di bill.

Goment Reaction

Di Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed and di Minister of Water Resources Engr. Suleiman Adamu bin clear di air on top di Water Resources Bill 2020 during one Press Conference for Tuesday, 21 September, 2020.

Oga Lai say those wey dey criticize di bill neva even settle down read di provisions, dem only dey read wetin pipo dey tok.