The House of Representatives has re-gazetted controversial National Water Resources Bill, 2020, and shifted its second reading to September.
The bill had re-emerged on the floor of the House of Representatives on June 29, 2022, amidst suspicions from members.
The Federal Government sent the Bill to the National Assembly requesting its passage into law in 2017, but it was rejected.
It seeks to transfer the control of water resources from states to the Federal Government.
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The Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli, who stated this at the plenary on Thursday, said the reading will take place when the National Assembly resumes from its annual two-month recess.
The break, according to him, will allow members to scrutinise the proposals in the legislation and note their observations.
The leadership, however, assured the lawmakers that the new version of the legislation would capture all the interests of the states.
He said, “Now I am 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, read that bill, subject that bill to (scrutiny by) a third party. You have time now to subject that bill back home during our holidays.
“We will not take that bill in haste. We will give every member the opportunity to look at that bill from Clauses 1 to 154.
Meanwhile, Senator Emmanuel Ibok Essien, the National Chairman of Pan Niger Delta Forum said ”We are advising our National Assembly members not to support that bill because it is an indirect way of the Federal Government just like the Land Use Act.”
Speaking with Straightnews, the former Deputy Chief Whip of Senate, noted ”It is an indirect way of controlling the water resources and then they can establish RUGA settlements wherever they want.”
