Water Resources Bill is Done Deal, Says House Committee Chairman
September 8, 2020
•Dismisses Ortom, Soyinka, others’ opposition as ignorant

Udora Orizu in Abuja


Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada Soli, has played down the opposition to the reintroduced Water Resources Bill, saying it won’t change the determination of the legislature to pass it.

He also criticised opponents of the bill, including Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, and Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, whom he accused of speaking out of ignorance because they did not read the draft of the legislation before making comments.

The lawmaker, who represents Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency in Katsina State, vowed that the bill, which was earlier passed by the eighth House, won’t be stepped down.


The legislation titled: ‘A Bill for An Act to Establish a Regulatory Framework for the Water Resources Sector in Nigeria, Provide for the Equitable and Sustainable Redevelopment, Management, Use and Conservation of Nigeria’s Surface Water and Groundwater Resources and for Related Matter,’ when passed into law, would bring all water sources under the control of the federal government. This has led to criticisms as various stakeholders have said the bill negates the right of Nigerians to natural resources and undermines the country’s federalism.

Prominent leaders from Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, including Ortom and Soyinka, have kicked against the bill.

Also, socio-political organisations, including PANDEF, Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have condemned the bill, saying 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.

Ortom had said the provisions of the bill were 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.”

With the bill providing for the federal government to annex the banks of rivers that connect up to two states, concerns have been raised that the purpose of the promoters of the bill is to provide land for the herdsmen.

The fact that the key champions of the bill are legislators from the far north has fuelled this suspicion.

The bill’s opponents said it was curious that when Nigerians are agitating for the federal government to cede more powers to states, it’s allegedly embarking on land-grabbing.

A former senator, who spoke to THISDAY on condition of anonymity, recalled the role played by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who as the minority leader of the eighth Assembly, persuaded his colleagues to reconsider passing the bill.

“We were shocked when Akpabio appeared for ministerial screening, the distinguished Senate president told him that ‘now that you are on this side, you should go and liaise with the Minister of Water Resources to ensure that the Water Resources Bill is passed. That bill must be passed.’ When the Minister of Water Resources who was reappointed, also appeared before the Senate for the same screening, the minister said that his greatest regret in his first tenure was the non-passage of the bill. What did they see in this bill? What is special about this bill? Why the desperation to annex the waters and the land around the waters? There is a hidden agenda and sinister motive,” he stated.

A former member of the House also told THISDAY that the allegation of sinister motive on the part of the promoters of the bill should not be discountenanced.

He said: “As someone had pointed out, they want to confiscate the waterways and the surroundings and allocate to the herdsmen and claim that the government had also supported poultry farmers, maize farmers, cassava and fish farmers.

“The federal government has seized the oil resources and they want to also seize the water resources, even when the clamour for resource control is becoming increasingly popular. We understand that one of their major targets is the bank of River Benue. The suspicion is that they want to relocate herdsmen to the bank of the River Benue and other rivers in the south in the name of supporting livestock farming. They want to move herdsmen southwards because of the drying up of Lake Chad. They are using the revenue to be generated by the federal government as a disguise to hoodwink us.”

But Soli told THISDAY that the bill is in the best interest of Nigerians and that Ortom, Soyinka and every other person having misconceptions about it.

Soli said there was no provision in the bill that empowers the federal government to usurp the position of the states or local governments.

He added that the bill has nothing to do with RUGA policy.

According to him, the bill couldn’t be stepped down because the House has passed it already, adding that those who feel that there’s a motive to the bill should bring out the issues to the parliament and then amendment could be done.

“The bill can’t be stepped down because the House has passed it already; the lawmakers that are saying that they will step it down or that it was introduced illegally is because, may be, they were not there on the floor of the House when the members were given the opportunity to look at the bill not once or twice. Remember it was passed by the eighth Assembly.

”If people have something against the legislation, let them point it out and then it could be amended to conform to the wishes of Nigerians.

“If you didn’t understand something or have an idea about something, the easiest thing is that you will misconceive the whole idea.

“On the claims about the bill being RUGA in disguise, people should not display their parochial mindset or because they have a deep-seated hatred for this government policy and then they will transfer it to whatever the government places before the parliament. What has water resources got to do with RUGA? RUGA policy is a policy of the government, Water Resources Act stands alone. What is the connection?

“In the whole entire volume of that law that was passed, there was no mention of RUGA or grazing land or Fulani herdsmen. These are deep-seated hatred of government policy. This is a law that has been existing in the House and Nigeria for too long. The bill has been there since 1985. It is a combination of about four Acts; they were repealed and consolidated in one so that the water sector can have one kind of law. It’s easier to implement and determine how things should operate.

”On the claims that the bill is concentrating more powers on the federal government, it’s a lie. All those that are displaying this ignorance on the bill, didn’t read it. Let them take the bill and read it. There’s nowhere in that bill that the federal government will usurp the position of the states or local governments. It is clearly stated in Section 50 of the bill the roles the federal, state and local governments will play. Unfortunately, our leaders that are saying this didn’t read this bill.

”Water Resources Bill is important because we’ve had it before. There was Water Resources Act of 1985; there’s River Basin Development Authorities Act; there’s Water Resources Institute Act, Hydrological Integrated Agency Act and these were laws that were brought together, improved to meet up with the development in the water sector and best practices around the world.

”If people have something against the legislation, let them point it out, and then it could be amended to conform to the wishes of Nigerians. I have been asking people to tell me the section of that bill that they have a problem with. Not one could tell me. They are just speculating, saying RUGA this and that but there’s nothing talking about Rural Grazing Area in that bill. That’s a complete display of ignorance about the bill.

“But people have their suspicion because they don’t like what this government brings on board, simple. If it is something of concern, of course, people will sit down and look at it. It’s because they are lazy; they couldn’t read it to see how the principles will work and that’s why they are speculating all these shenanigans and confusing the general public.

“We need to harness, develop and protect our water resources. Or will you just allow our water resources at the mercy of other sovereignty? These are the innovations the federal government is trying to bring by putting all these legislations together and have one common legislation for the water sector so that it’s easy to manage and protect.”

Soli urged critics of the bill to lobby the legislature for the amendment of the bill.

“Let the people approach the parliament and then we do the needful. If it goes to the Senate and they decide to hold public hearings then they should, but the House has done that. There was a technical committee where all the ministries of water resources came to the National Assembly and they were part of the public hearing and all representations were brought even in the borehole drillers. The government of Benue State was also at the public hearing.

”From what I heard, the government of Benue is the only state that’s against this bill because they have a fixated mind about the RUGA thing. All the stakeholders were there before this bill was considered in 2017; so, what’s the problem? If they say the bill is against certain interests, what is the interest? Let them point it out.

“The Governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom, Wole Soyinka and others talking about this bill didn’t read it. I’m looking for an opportunity to meet these elder statesmen to educate them. They are being informed about something that does not exist. Maybe the backlash is political; maybe they feel it’s an achievement of this current government and they don’t want it. This is just an improvement of existing laws, nothing more or less,” he added.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/09/08/water-resources-bill-is-done-deal-says-house-committee-chairman/#gallery_1

Hope my southern brothers won't blame north/Buhari on this one, your senators and rep were informed about the water resources bill but..., am sure the nothern law makers didn't(don't have the power) do this on their own, southerners are their own enemy.
Northern senators are making law that will benefit north(but hurt south) yet our mumu southern thieves are OK with it.

Modified
Mod abeg move this to front page, southerners deserve to know that their representatives are about to sell them into slavery

Nigerians behold your honorable Lawmaker. Aka your Representative

That water bill is evil. It must never pass. I am ashamed of southern and middle belt legislators in the house of reps who voted in favour of the bill by the previous house. It goes to show that the acclaimed superior educational prowess of south over north is just a ruse and ego pampering deceit. That bill will effectively give Herdsmen unfettered access to the prime agricultural lands in the south and middle belt and displace farmers in the river basins. We can't be blaming fulani all the time, we all know how ambitious they are, which is not a bad thing in itself, except in this case, it would trample on the rights and freedom of other people. The ones who should be blamed are the southern and middle belt legislators who see the parliament as a money making institution rather than a place to protect the interests of their people.

Hmmmmmmm, pls can the southern lawmakers respond to this issue.
VAT 7.5% increase was passed and they couldn't advocate that state should only benefit from what they generate, how can someone against alcohol benefits from its revenue.
Now we have this bill too, maybe Sahara Reporters should help us with the contacts of all NASS members as it was done in the last house, so we can bombard them with calls to put pressure on them to sit-up

The evil NASS need to be disbanded.

It’s too much in this part of the world �

.

the water bill has not been passed, and it'll never be passed. A bill must be passed twice before it can become a law. This senator is just a joker playing a dumb mind game.

tamdun:
Hope my southern brothers won't blame north/Buhari on this one, your senators and rep were informed about the water resources bill but..., am sure the nothern law makers didn't(don't have the power) do this on their own, southerners are their own enemy

we know Akpabio was an arselicker that wanted to be in d good book of Buhari, and thats d reason he tried to persuade others...... Same case with Ortom, but their eyes don clear.

There are very few southern politician whose political career wasn't watered by a Northerner.
Hence, a lot of them are stooges, content to have their support up north, even at the risk of their people.
Their ambition is always used against them

Gbajiamila was there and it was passed. Fear afonjas and the extent they will go because of 2023

hmmm

That bill is a bad idea

History555:
Gbajiamila was there and it was passed. Fear afonjas and the extent they will go because of 2023

So na only yoruba law makers be southerner wey dey House?

2020Experience:


Water Resources Bill is Done Deal, Says House Committee Chairman
September 8, 2020
•Dismisses Ortom, Soyinka, others’ opposition as ignorant

Udora Orizu in Abuja


Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada Soli, has played down the opposition to the reintroduced Water Resources Bill, saying it won’t change the determination of the legislature to pass it.

He also criticised opponents of the bill, including Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, and Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, whom he accused of speaking out of ignorance because they did not read the draft of the legislation before making comments.

The lawmaker, who represents Jibia/Kaita Federal Constituency in Katsina State, vowed that the bill, which was earlier passed by the eighth House, won’t be stepped down.


The legislation titled: ‘A Bill for An Act to Establish a Regulatory Framework for the Water Resources Sector in Nigeria, Provide for the Equitable and Sustainable Redevelopment, Management, Use and Conservation of Nigeria’s Surface Water and Groundwater Resources and for Related Matter,’ when passed into law, would bring all water sources under the control of the federal government. This has led to criticisms as various stakeholders have said the bill negates the right of Nigerians to natural resources and undermines the country’s federalism.

Prominent leaders from Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, including Ortom and Soyinka, have kicked against the bill.

Also, socio-political organisations, including PANDEF, Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo, have condemned the bill, saying 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.

Ortom had said the provisions of the bill were 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.”

With the bill providing for the federal government to annex the banks of rivers that connect up to two states, concerns have been raised that the purpose of the promoters of the bill is to provide land for the herdsmen.

The fact that the key champions of the bill are legislators from the far north has fuelled this suspicion.

The bill’s opponents said it was curious that when Nigerians are agitating for the federal government to cede more powers to states, it’s allegedly embarking on land-grabbing.

A former senator, who spoke to THISDAY on condition of anonymity, recalled the role played by the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who as the minority leader of the eighth Assembly, persuaded his colleagues to reconsider passing the bill.

“We were shocked when Akpabio appeared for ministerial screening, the distinguished Senate president told him that ‘now that you are on this side, you should go and liaise with the Minister of Water Resources to ensure that the Water Resources Bill is passed. That bill must be passed.’ When the Minister of Water Resources who was reappointed, also appeared before the Senate for the same screening, the minister said that his greatest regret in his first tenure was the non-passage of the bill. What did they see in this bill? What is special about this bill? Why the desperation to annex the waters and the land around the waters? There is a hidden agenda and sinister motive,” he stated.

A former member of the House also told THISDAY that the allegation of sinister motive on the part of the promoters of the bill should not be discountenanced.

He said: “As someone had pointed out, they want to confiscate the waterways and the surroundings and allocate to the herdsmen and claim that the government had also supported poultry farmers, maize farmers, cassava and fish farmers.

“The federal government has seized the oil resources and they want to also seize the water resources, even when the clamour for resource control is becoming increasingly popular. We understand that one of their major targets is the bank of River Benue. The suspicion is that they want to relocate herdsmen to the bank of the River Benue and other rivers in the south in the name of supporting livestock farming. They want to move herdsmen southwards because of the drying up of Lake Chad. They are using the revenue to be generated by the federal government as a disguise to hoodwink us.”

But Soli told THISDAY that the bill is in the best interest of Nigerians and that Ortom, Soyinka and every other person having misconceptions about it.

Soli said there was no provision in the bill that empowers the federal government to usurp the position of the states or local governments.

He added that the bill has nothing to do with RUGA policy.

According to him, the bill couldn’t be stepped down because the House has passed it already, adding that those who feel that there’s a motive to the bill should bring out the issues to the parliament and then amendment could be done.

“The bill can’t be stepped down because the House has passed it already; the lawmakers that are saying that they will step it down or that it was introduced illegally is because, may be, they were not there on the floor of the House when the members were given the opportunity to look at the bill not once or twice. Remember it was passed by the eighth Assembly.

”If people have something against the legislation, let them point it out and then it could be amended to conform to the wishes of Nigerians.

“If you didn’t understand something or have an idea about something, the easiest thing is that you will misconceive the whole idea.

“On the claims about the bill being RUGA in disguise, people should not display their parochial mindset or because they have a deep-seated hatred for this government policy and then they will transfer it to whatever the government places before the parliament. What has water resources got to do with RUGA? RUGA policy is a policy of the government, Water Resources Act stands alone. What is the connection?

“In the whole entire volume of that law that was passed, there was no mention of RUGA or grazing land or Fulani herdsmen. These are deep-seated hatred of government policy. This is a law that has been existing in the House and Nigeria for too long. The bill has been there since 1985. It is a combination of about four Acts; they were repealed and consolidated in one so that the water sector can have one kind of law. It’s easier to implement and determine how things should operate.

”On the claims that the bill is concentrating more powers on the federal government, it’s a lie. All those that are displaying this ignorance on the bill, didn’t read it. Let them take the bill and read it. There’s nowhere in that bill that the federal government will usurp the position of the states or local governments. It is clearly stated in Section 50 of the bill the roles the federal, state and local governments will play. Unfortunately, our leaders that are saying this didn’t read this bill.

”Water Resources Bill is important because we’ve had it before. There was Water Resources Act of 1985; there’s River Basin Development Authorities Act; there’s Water Resources Institute Act, Hydrological Integrated Agency Act and these were laws that were brought together, improved to meet up with the development in the water sector and best practices around the world.

”If people have something against the legislation, let them point it out, and then it could be amended to conform to the wishes of Nigerians. I have been asking people to tell me the section of that bill that they have a problem with. Not one could tell me. They are just speculating, saying RUGA this and that but there’s nothing talking about Rural Grazing Area in that bill. That’s a complete display of ignorance about the bill.

“But people have their suspicion because they don’t like what this government brings on board, simple. If it is something of concern, of course, people will sit down and look at it. It’s because they are lazy; they couldn’t read it to see how the principles will work and that’s why they are speculating all these shenanigans and confusing the general public.

“We need to harness, develop and protect our water resources. Or will you just allow our water resources at the mercy of other sovereignty? These are the innovations the federal government is trying to bring by putting all these legislations together and have one common legislation for the water sector so that it’s easy to manage and protect.”

Soli urged critics of the bill to lobby the legislature for the amendment of the bill.

“Let the people approach the parliament and then we do the needful. If it goes to the Senate and they decide to hold public hearings then they should, but the House has done that. There was a technical committee where all the ministries of water resources came to the National Assembly and they were part of the public hearing and all representations were brought even in the borehole drillers. The government of Benue State was also at the public hearing.

”From what I heard, the government of Benue is the only state that’s against this bill because they have a fixated mind about the RUGA thing. All the stakeholders were there before this bill was considered in 2017; so, what’s the problem? If they say the bill is against certain interests, what is the interest? Let them point it out.

“The Governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom, Wole Soyinka and others talking about this bill didn’t read it. I’m looking for an opportunity to meet these elder statesmen to educate them. They are being informed about something that does not exist. Maybe the backlash is political; maybe they feel it’s an achievement of this current government and they don’t want it. This is just an improvement of existing laws, nothing more or less,” he added.

https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/09/08/water-resources-bill-is-done-deal-says-house-committee-chairman/#gallery_1

Why this law when there are four laws enacted before it to do the same thing? I do not blame the northerners because the southerners have always shown their idiocy at national level. It is unfortunate the dingbats who pass as legislatures from southern Nigeria could not oppose the bill regardless political party affiliation.

Can someone break the bill down in a layman language. What is the negative effect on the southern part of the nation and the positive effect on the northern part of the nation?

The federal government just gets more powerful, why not allow the states to control water

Ok

T

Just went out and took a look at the water basin at the back of my house, so if these bill becomes a law FG will take absolute control of these nature gift to man....

Water resources should be under the local government, or at most the state government, never under the Federal government. They even want to take control of the underground water! What type of yeye federalism is this? When will it stop? What else will they try to grab?

yoruba people are very interested, implement it 100% there. Femi Gbaja and other yoruba lawmakers are in full support of the bill.

Jibiti yorubas, please stop shouting 'southerners', fingers should be pointed rightly and specifically at you yorubas for trying to sell the south for a plate presidential porridge that you will never even get.

If Igbos were as prominent as yorubas were in this government, yorubas will pointing crooked fingers at the East for trying to sell the entire south. Today they are desperate to tar every southerner with the same brush and trying to hide behind the word 'southerner' to fight the North.

Are you no longer in alliance with the north? Why then are you yoruba screaming 'south' like convulsing monkeys as the Fulani perfect plans to take your lands bordering the Atlantic. Face your fears Ndi yoruba, face it like men and stop hiding behind Ndigbo.

Southerners should stop this redundancy and fight!

It is clear that Fulanis will not stop in their war to conquer the south. If they deploy their army to kill any of our civilians protesting, we should retaliate on their civilians in our communities and areas. Bottomline, they are doing these crazy laws to give our land to these people. They will find the place uninhabitable for their civilians too.

After the water bill, they will pass the land bill and continue annexing all our resources until we become refugees in our own land.

you just sit in Abuja to spill trashh......

why would FG want to control everything
even water? water
something is wrong somewhere....

History555:
Gbajiamila was there and it was passed. Fear afonjas and the extent they will go because of 2023

Yes, he was there, but so were others from the South South, South East, South West and the North Central! They are just a buncha cowards who are there to represent themselves and not the rest of us

backnbeta:

Yes, he was there, but so were others from the South South, South East, South West and the North Central! They are just a buncha cowards who are there to represent themselves and not the rest of us

Just ignore that guy

If this bill is passed it means we will all be surrounded by these terrorist judging by Nigeria's geography imagine FG controlling river Niger and Benue ,we are in trouble anyways if war will destroy it so be it.

History555:
Gbajiamila was there and it was passed. Fear afonjas and the extent they will go because of 2023

Are you pained mr OSU why couldn't your kinsman defeat him and become speaker?

The water resources bill is dead on arrival.
The SIP is a bill that should quickly be passed but this water bill is dead.

LaboPolitics:
yoruba people are very interested, implement it 100% there. Femi Gbaja and other yoruba lawmakers are in full support of the bill.

Jibiti yorubas, please stop shouting 'southerners', fingers should be pointed rightly and specifically at you yorubas for trying to sell the south for a plate presidential porridge that you will never even get.

If Igbos were as prominent as yorubas were in this government, yorubas will pointing crooked fingers at the East for trying to sell the entire south. Today they are desperate to tar every southerner with the same brush and trying to hide behind the word 'southerner' to fight the North.

Are you no longer in alliance with the north? Why then are you yoruba screaming 'south' like convulsing monkeys as the Fulani perfect plans to take your lands bordering the Atlantic. Face your fears Ndi yoruba, face it like men and stop hiding behind Ndigbo.

lol you wrote all these just for a tribe are you pained?Yes gbaja is speaker and we will implement it 100% if you dont like it tell your potopoto lawmakers to impeach him, simple and lastly all man for himself we don't give a Bleep on any shitty southern unity