ABUJA – An executive bill that seeks to place exclusive control of all the rivers and lakes in Nigeria under the Federal Government, yesterday, divided the Senate along ethnic and religious lines.
It is titled: “Framework for the Water Resources Sector in Nigeria, Provide tor the Equitable and Sustainable Development, Management, use and Conservation of Nigeria’s Surface Water and Groundwater”
Like the petroleum law that prohibits land owners from tampering with the oil mineral resources in their land, the proposed bill is to transfer ownership of every lake, every river including the creeks or ancesstral waters to the FG.
The very well crafted bill also seeks to repeal the Water Resources Act, River Basin Development Act, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency Act and National Water Resources Institute Act.
In their place, the Bill is to establish the National Water Resources Regulatory Commission, River Basin Development Authorities, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency and National Water Resources Institute.
It will provide for the regulation, equitable and sustainable development, management, use and conservation of Nigeria’s surface water and ground water resources
The bone of contentions in the Bill is found in clause 2(4) and (5) which some senators argued would further deplete the resources of states and local governments.
Clause 2(4) states; “As the public trustee of the nation’s water resources, the Federal Government, acting through the Minister and the institutions created in this Act or pursuant to this Act, shall ensure that the water resources of the nation are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled in a manner, for the benefit of all persons and all in accordance with its constitutional mandate”.
Clause 2(5) provides that, “States may make provisions for the management, use and control of water sources occurring solely within the boundaries of the State, but shall be guided by the policy and principles of the Federal Government in relation to Integrated Resources Management, and this Act”.
The bill was cruising home, when Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio identify percieved intrigues in certain clauses that tend to hamper resource control in the natural waters.
Sen. Akpabio submitted that the Bill would create more controversies for Nigerians, arguing that all the river waters in Nigeria cut across two or more states, which according to him, implies that the federal government would be in control of all the waters and resources thereof in Nigeria.
He explained that the Calabar River takes its root from the Cameroon mountain, from where it passes through other states, hence it is not right for the Bill to just allow the federal government to takeover all the rivers.
He argued that the right thing should be for the Bill to specify the rivers in Nigeria which the federal government should takeover.
The minority leader’s exposition immidiately galvanised senators from the South, Middle Belt and minorities in the North into rejecting the Bill.
They saw the Bill as a backdoor through which the failed national grazing could be ressurrected and imposed on Nigerians.
Speaking also, Sen. Adeola Solomon (Lagos West), urged that the states should not be deprived of their control on the rivers that pass their territories, adding that the Lagos state government is already in dispute with the National Inland WaterWays Authority (NIWA) over who should control the water ways in Lagos.
Supporting this, Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East), noted that the conflict between the Lagos government and the NIWA over who controls the Lagos water ways is before the court now, stressing that the Bill should allow the states control the resources and their water ways.
On the contrary, Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan, argued in favour of the Bill, saying “it will help to create more access to water to more Nigerians”.
He called on his colleagues to support the Bill and give it expeditious passage it deserve.
Sensing trouble for the bill, Senate President Bukola Saraki, directing the chairman and Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Water Resources and those of Judiciary and Legal matters, to resolve the areas of controversy within one week and report back to the Senate on the way forward.
The repot of the Bill titled “National Water Resources Bill, (2018)”, was presented by the chairman of the senate committee on Water Resources, Ubali Shittu (Jigawa North East), who while presenting the report of the Bill said the Bill seeks to provide a regulatory framework for the water resources sector in Nigeria.
