Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and his Water Resources counterpart, Suleiman Hussein Adamu have defended the controversial National Water Bill 2020, insisting that it has no secret intentions as being widely contended.
Addressing a joint news conference Tuesday in Abuja, the two ministers particularly dismissed widely- held views that the National Water Bill would cede a vast swathe of land along river banks to herdsmen, and encourage the widely rejected Rural Grazing Area (RUGA) programme of government.
The two ministers also insisted that bill does not in any way affect land ownership.
Their clarifications followed controversy that has trailed the National Water Resources Bill 2020, which is currently making its way through the National Assembly.
Critics have, among other things, accused the Federal Government of having a hidden agenda by pursuing the Bill.
Lai Mohammed explained that there is nothing new about the National Water Resources Bill because it is an amalgamation of Water Resources Laws that have been in existence for a long time. The laws include; Water Resources Act, Cap W2 LFN 2004; The River Basin Development Authority Act, Cap R9 LFN 2004; The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (Establishment) Act, Cap N1100A, LFN 2004; as well as the National Water Resources Institute Act, Cap N83 LFN 2004.
He said the laws are being re-packaged to incorporate necessary modifications 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,” Mohammed clarified.
According to him, “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, the minister also said “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.”
Reacting particularly to criticisms that the Bill is aimed at taking the resources of a certain part of the country for the use of herders, meaning the Federal Government could be seeking to implement RUGA by subterfuge, the minister explained, “This is not the intent of the Bill and it is not even possible, as the Bill reiterates the fact that Land can only be acquired by any of the institutions established in accordance with the Land Use Act.
“Some say it is RUGA, and we are saying that this bill was in National Assembly since 2008, and RUGA didn’t come into being until 2019.
“For God’s sake let us have a free mind about this country and it gives some credit to those who are running the government,” he urged.
Critics also contend that with the Bill, the Federal Government is poised to take over the nation’s water resources by licensing and commercializing the use of water.
In response, Mohammed said this not the intention, “because the current Water
Resources Act, 2004 (made pursuant to the Constitution) already makes provision for this.
“This Bill is only trying to provide a framework for implementing that provision. The Regulatory provisions of the Bill require that commercial borehole drillers obtain a Licence,” he stressed.
On criticisms that with the Bill, Nigerians will be prevented from access to potable water, hinging their argument on Section 75 which states that ”subject to the provisions of this Bill, no borehole driller, whether corporate or individual, shall commence borehole drilling business in Nigeria unless such driller has been
issued a Water Well Driller’s licence by the Commission”, he wondered why a technically-competent driller could be scared of obtaining a Licence.
“It is a Licence to practice, just as a medical Licence or any other Licence to be obtained by people professing to have the technical competence to do something. Most collapsed boreholes are drilled by charlatans. It is therefore incumbent on the government to prevent this.”
Mohammed raised concerns that “many multinationals today are bottling water and using large borehole and large reserve of water that will affect you and me, but they are paying no penny to anybody, and we are saying that let us regulate this for the benefit of everybody.”
On the contention that when passed into law, the bill will clip the wings of state and local government authorities, as well as individuals, from making use of water in their backyards without permission from Abuja, he explained that “Communities on River Banks are guaranteed undisturbed use of water as stated in Section 3 of the Bill. He also said all occupiers of Land are guaranteed the right of abstraction for domestic and sustenance, whether by borehole or rivers.
Listing other benefits of the Bill, the minister said it provides for the creation of an enabling environment for public and private sector investment, provides for capacity building processes to foster good governance, as well as establishes water use and licensing framework to ensure sustainablefinancing for Water Sector Development from tariffs.
Also speaking, Minister Adamu said that the Bill which is about water resources management in the country, preceded President’s Buhari’s administration and is in the best interest of all Nigerians.
He also explained that the regulatory commission which the bill sets to establish would promote investor confidence.
Adamu further argued that the water bill went through appropriate enactment process and should not be condemned.
