……Bill designed to take land for herdsmen-Ortom
…..Another attempt at installing dictatorship-NLC
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has warned that Nigeria would be doomed if the National Assembly passes the National Water Resources Bill. He urged Nigerians to resist the law.
The Bill it will be recalled was rejected in 2018 by the 8th assembly
Professor Soyinka who spoke Monday while presenting 107 copies of several books to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state for onward distribution to persons taking refuge in Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps across the state, commended the Benue state Governor for always being on the side of truth.
Represented by the outgone State Chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors, ANA, Dr Charle Iornumbe, Professor Soyinka stated that, “the National Water Resources bill is a deliberate, flanking move towards RUGA colonisation.
“It must be resisted across board. No compromising or this nation is doomed since it will be resisted by any and all means.”
While assuring that the book donation would be a continuous process, the Noble Laureate said, “this is my personal immediate donation. The idea is to widen the project and ask for contributions from one’s various contacts.”
He said the donation was in fulfilment of the pledge he made to the state government and IDPs the last time he visited the camps in the state.
Receiving the books, Governor Ortom described Prof. Soyinka a great Nigerian ho stood up for the state in her time of crisis and pain.
“Prof. Soyinka is a great Nigerian who stood with us during our trying times, despite his age he took time to visit us to give us support and also show solidarity which we cannot forget in a hurry,” Ortom said.
While commending the Noble Laureate for the donation, the Governor stated that the books would help encourage the children in IDPs camps across the state to embrace reading promising that this Education Commissioner would ensure the distribution of the books to the IDPs
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Saturday called on the National Assembly to reject the National Water Resources Bill in the interest of the country.
Ortom said the provisions of the bill were are at variance with the Land Use Act, and that the bill was a “disguised land-grabbing legislation designed to grant pastoralists unhindered access to river basins, adjacent marine and coastal environments across the country.”
Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, had raised the alarm over attempts by the Federal Government, with the connivance of the National Assembly, to return the National Water Resources Bill rejected by the public in 2018.
In a statement on Thursday titled, ‘MLK’s mighty stream of righteousness,’ Soyinka kicked against the bill’s return.
“A roundly condemned project blasted out of sight by public outrage one or two years ago is being exhumed and sneaked back into service by none other than a failed government, and with the consent of a body of people, supposedly elected to serve as custodians of the rights, freedoms and existential exigencies of millions. This bill – Bill on National Water resources 2020 – is designed to hand Aso Rock absolute control over the nation’s entire water resources, both over and underground,” he said.
Also reacting to the plan, Ortom said the bill, which seeks to bring all water sources (surface and underground) as well as riverbanks under the control of the Federal Government through its agencies, was anti-federalism and negated the right of Nigerians to their God-given resources.
In a statement signed by Terver Akase, his Chief Press Secretary, Ortom quoted Section 13 of the bill, which stated, “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 groundwater resources, river basins and adjacent marine and coastal environment and upstream and downstream interests.”
Ortom described as curious the reintroduction of the bill, stating that those pushing for its passage at all costs had a surreptitious motive which was not yet clear to many Nigerians.
The statement read in part, “He (Ortom) says the bill, in addition to its provisions which are at variance with the Land Use Act, is a 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, whose objective is to create grazing areas in the 36 states of the federation for herders and their livestock.
“He commends sociocultural organisations such as Afenifere, Ohanaeze, and Middle Belt Forum for speaking against the reintroduction of the bill at the National Assembly.
“Governor Ortom urges the federal lawmakers to act as true representatives of the people for the sake of posterity, and to remember that the destiny of the country lies in their hands.”
The governor urged lawmakers at the National Assembly to toe the path of honour by rejecting the bill as the 8th Assembly did.
The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned the National Assembly not to resurrect or cause to be passed into law the National Water Resources Bill because of the danger it portends to national unity.
In a statement signed by the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, the group said although the National Assembly is constitutionally vested with law-making, they should not ambush Nigerians.
“Information in the public domain has it that the National Assembly leadership is working surreptitiously with vested interests outside the Assembly anxious to pass the bill without due legislative process,” read the statement dated August 28.
“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.”
The labour union’s warning came just as Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka, criticised the attempt by both the executive and legislative arms to “sneak” the bill into law.
Civil society groups across the country have also criticised the bill, saying it would breach citizens’ right to water. Controversial parts of the law include the part that vests ownership of water bodies on the federal government and the part that mandates citizens to get federal permission to drill bore holes in their homes or businesses despite the inability of the government to provide potable water to majority of its citizens.
The National Water Resources Bill failed to secure a concurrent passage by both Houses in the Eighth Assembly. In the current Ninth Assembly, it has passed second reading in the House of Representatives and has been referred to a House committee.
In his lead debate in the Lower House, the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the bill would “trigger change.”
But the NLC said the bill was rejected in 2018 “with very good reasons.”
“Although there is no law against re-presentation of a killed or rejected bill, however, given the strong sentiments expressed against this bill from practically all sections of the country, then and now, we would strongly advise that this bill should not be resurrected.
“We have in our hands at the moment enough challenges to court fresh and costly controversy.
“Although legislation is one of the three constitutional functions of the National Assembly, it should not be a licence to dictatorship but a representation of the will, aspirations and sensitivities of the populace. In light of this, we state unambiguously that the National Assembly should listen to the voice of reason by resting this bill.” Best Regards,
