Delta Lawmaker Demands Water Resources Bill Rejection.

A federal lawmaker and member representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Rev Francis Waive, says Nigeria is not developed enough to enact the controversial Water Resources Bill.

The lawmaker said the bill, if passed by the National Assembly, would further polarise the country and as well expose the Nigeria to enormous security risk.


Waive stated this on Saturday, in a statement made available to journalists following ‘protest’ against the bill by his constituents.

According to Waive, a lawmaker on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from Delta state, stressed that “Water is the least of our problems as a country.”

Several socio-cultural organisations and some notable Nigerians, including the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, and Prof Wole Soyinka, have all kicked against the passage of the controversial Water Resources Bill, which is currently before federal lawmakers.



Those against the bill had argued that it is another ‘Cattle Colony’ in disguise, which Nigerians also protested against.

However, the cleric cum politician, while reacting to concerns raised by his constituents, said the bill was not of immediate benefit to the Nigerian populace, considering how poorly the federal government has managed River Basin under her authority.

The statement titled: “My Position on the Water Resources Bill, (This is in response to numerous questions by my constituents)”, he posited that while the bill has some provisions, which are welcoming, the country was too naïve and undeveloped for the implementation of the bill, if eventually passed by the National Assembly.

Citing relevant portions of the bill, the lawmaker explained that if passed, it would contradict the Nigeria Constitution, which already vested the land use act under the control of the state governments.

Waive said: “Primarily, the bill seeks, among other things, to vest the rights of ownership, management and control and distribution of water on the federal government, including rivers and underground water, and by extension, the river banks and river bed will become the property of the federal government.

“It has some provisions that are welcoming and warm; but because of the nature of governance and the tendencies to misuse powers in this country, we cannot at this point in time properly handle this kind of a law without causing more harm than good.

“In my opinion, the bill is of no immediate benefit to the generality of the populace at this point in time. We have not developed enough as a country to be able to properly manage all the resources we have to now begin to look at water. Water is the least of our

problems as a country,” he added

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