Drop Water Bill, NLC Tells National Assembly

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has cautioned the National Assembly leadership against resurrecting or passing the Water Resources Bill into law “because of the danger it portends to national unity.”

The congress said the National Assembly should not ambush Nigerians by surreptitiously bringing back the bill, which seeks to vest the control of all water sources across the country in the President.

NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, noted that the bill was earlier rejected in 2018 with good reasons.

Wabba, in a statement in Abuja issued yesterday, titled, ‘Do not ambush Nigerians,’ said the nation had enough challenges than to court fresh and costly controversy.

He stated, “Information in the public domain has it that the National Assembly leadership is working surreptitiously with vested interests outside the assembly anxious to pass the bill without due legislative process.

“Although the National Assembly is constitutionally vested with law-making, we warn against the National Assembly ambushing Nigerians.

“We equally warn against legislative abuse or betrayal of Nigerians as this is what it will amount to if the bill is passed or caused to be passed without public engagement and scrutiny. Already, the sentiments expressed against this bill are too grave to be brushed off.”

Against the backdrop of the strong sentiments expressed against the bill from nearly all sections of the country, the NLC president strongly advised that the bill should not be resurrected.

He said, “In the light of this, we state unambiguously that the National Assembly should listen to the voice of reason by resting this bill.