Senate rejects Buhari’s controversial water resource bill

The Senate has rejected the controversial National Water Resources Bill, 2023 presented to the two chambers of the National Assembly as an executive bill.

The bill was listed for concurrence for consideration and passage at the plenary on Tuesday but members of the upper legislative chamber objected to the passage of the bill on the ground that they do not have its details proposed by the former president.

The water resource bill was presented to the National Assembly in 2017. It seeks to transfer the control of water resources from the states to the federal government.

It sought to establish federal government agencies such as the National Council on Water Resources, Nigeria Water Resources Regulatory Commission, River Basin Development Authorities, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, and the National Water Resources Institute.

The agencies will “provide for the regulation, equitable and sustainable development, management, use and conservation of Nigeria’s surface water and groundwater resources,” the bill states.

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When the bill was read for concurrence at the plenary on Tuesday, Gabriel Suswam (Benue North-West), raised Order 85 of the Senate Rules, which provides that senators must have full details of the provisions of any bill coming for concurrence.

James Manager (Delta South) seconded the order 85 of the senate standing rule.

Controversy

The controversial bill was first introduced in the 8th National Assembly but it provoked outrage as some Nigerians interpreted it as moves by the federal government to take control of water resources from the states.

At the time, some prominent Nigerians including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Femi Falana and Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, spoke against it.

The bill was again introduced as an executive bill in 2020 and passed by the House of Representatives. Many Nigerians and groups again kicked against the proposed law and the House subsequently withdrew it.

The decision on the bill was rescinded by the lower chamber two months after a motion was moved by Ben Mzondu (PDP, Benue).

Mr Mzondu faulted the process of reconsidering the bill, noting that it was not properly passed.

But the then Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, insisted that the bill must be passed to save the water sector.

In June 2022, it was reintroduced by the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) and was read for the first time.

Following complaints by some of the lawmakers, Mr Soli explained that he will not be part of any shenanigan that will put any community in Nigeria at disadvantage. He also said it had input from state governors.

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“I just want to inform the members now that the bill has been re-gazetted. Now I’m calling on the clerk to please ensure that the bill goes to every member because of the importance of the bill and I call on my colleagues to please kindly take time and read that bill, and subject that bill to a third party. You have time now to subject that bill back home during our holidays.

“We will not take that bill in a haste. We will give every member the opportunity to look at that bill from clause one to the 154 clauses,” he said then.