Benue State government has distanced itself from the reintroduced Water Resources Bill saying the state will resist it as it is evil and an insult to Nigerians.
It would be recalled that on Wednesday, June 29, 2022, the controversial National Water Resources Bill was reintroduced to the House of Representatives by the Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli from Katsina State.
President Muhammadu Buhari administration had sent the proposed law to the National Assembly as an Executive Bill on April 11, 2017.
On Tuesday, 7 July 2020, the Bill was reintroduced into the 9th Assembly by Hon Sada Soli. It was re-considered on 23 July 2020 pursuant to Order 12, Rule 18 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives, but eventually thrown out after it sparked outrage with many Nigerians arguing that the proposed law was plot to grab the waterways and hand same to Fulani pastoralists.
Ortom said it is suspicious that only members from the President’s home state of Katsina have continued to introduce the Water Bill before the National Assembly when almost every other member thinks differently.
According to him, the bill which seeks to bring all water sources, surface and underground, as well as river banks under the control of the Federal Government through its agencies is anti-federalism and negates the right of Nigerians to their ancestral resources.
Ortom, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Terver Akase, said, “The bill, in addition to its provisions which are grossly 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 bill is another version of ruga and cattle colonies which objective is to create grazing areas in the 36 states of the federation for herders and their livestock.”
Ortom also faulted the submission of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on the day the bill was reintroduced, that all Governors contributed in drafting of the new bill.
“We find it unconscionable, the Speaker’s mention of Governor Samuel Ortom as one of those who endorsed the bill. Governor Ortom’s stand against cattle colonies, ruga and the water resources bill has been consistent, and he won’t shift his position now.
He noted that the introduction of a Water Resources Bill by the Buhari administration to deprive the people of their water resources is not only unfortunate and insensitive but is also tantamount to the suppression and enslavement of indigenous people of this country.
“We state unequivocally that Benue will not be part of the National Water Resources Bill. Our state should therefore be counted out of any discussion that pertains to the bill.
The governor called on other state governments to rise and resist the land and water grabbing bill currently before the National Assembly just as he urged National Assembly members to act as true representatives of the people and throw away the water bill for the sake of the destiny of over 200 million Nigerians and that of posterity.