NATIONAL WATER RESOURCES BILL, RUGA THROUGH THE BACKDOOR- BY EMDEE DAVID
ARTICLES - Posted on: 30th Aug. 2020 at 6:32PM
Concerned Nigerians are raising an alarm to the effect that the Federal Government through the back door has reintroduced the National Water Resources Bill 2020 which was once rejected by the 8th Assembly.
The section of the bill which is seen to be dubious is Section 2(1): “All surface water and groundwater wherever it occurs, is a resource common to all people.’’
Critical analysts say this bill is a ploy to bring to limelight the RUGA project in all parts of Nigeria. RUGA was planned to create Cattle and Livestock settlements in most states of the Federation through a collaboration between the Federal and State Governments. It was said to be part of the efforts to curtail the perennial farmers and herders crisis which has bedevilled the country for years leading to several deaths of farmers, herders and also villagers, mostly children and women. But RUGA plan was completely rejected by most governors of the South and parts of the Middle Belt, especially Benue and Taraba which then were the most hit by the crisis. They saw it as a ploy to legitimize the Fulani's claim that they have right over any part of Nigeria. In fact, one leader of a radical Fulani socio-cultural group had boasted that the whole of Nigeria belongs to them, and so could take or settle on any land they so desire.
Many, mostly Nigerians from the Middle Belt and the South have opined that the National Water Resources Bill 2020 is a scheme to give Fulani cattle rearers unhindered access to water banks and rivers as they graze in those regions since permission to use or settle around water banks would only be given by Abuja. This would be a challenge to the local communities who have always seen rivers, streams and any water in their community as their ancestral gift for their livelihood.
The Fulanis are mostly herdsmen and due to Climate change which in years have affected Northern Nigeria and the Magreb, they usually move down south and the Middle Belt where there are more grasses and drinking water for their cattle. But their adventures and pastoral occupation have led to many conflicts with their host communities and farmers who they encounter as they graze. With the aim of solving this conflicts, the Buhari-led administration has sought ways to solve the challenges both parties have been facing, one of which is the RUGA Livestock Settlements, but this has been viewed by the opposition as a pro-Fulani political and Islamization agenda. Buhari himself being a Fulani and who is allegedly seen to be nonchalant about the killings by Fulani herdsmen has not allayed the fears and suspicion of Nigerians. He is seen not to be drastic in tackling the killings by Fulanis in various part of the country especially the middle belt and parts of the South East.
The current National Water Resources Bill 2020 seems to confirm or reiterate the suspicion above. Several newspapers have in their editorials stated that this bill is surely a way to pursue the RUGA project and thus seen as anti-people and pro-Fulani and this could further aggravate the current clashes between Fulani herdsmen and their host communities.
Succinctly put is the Guardian editorial which warns: ”the Bill, if passed into law, will clip the wings of state and local government authorities as well as individuals from making use of the water at their backyard without a permit from Abuja. This development will engender serious contentions across Nigeria and the result would be water wars, which would be more devastating than the contentions over land grazing and, even oilfields”.
Nigerians are therefore advised to reject this bill. Prominent among the calls for the rejection of this bill is the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom. He said this bill is not for the good of the general masses and must be rejected by the Senate.
Nigerians are waiting for the senate to prove if its members are indeed rubber stamp, or they got the balls to challenge this bill.
Concerned Nigerians are raising an alarm to the effect that the Federal Government through the back door has reintroduced the National Water Resources Bill 2020 which was once rejected by the 8th Assembly. The section of the bill which is seen to be dubious is Section 2(1): “All surface water and groundwater wherever it occurs, is a resource common to all people.’’
Critical analysts say this bill is a ploy to bring to limelight the RUGA project in all parts of Nigeria. RUGA was planned to create Cattle and Livestock settlements in most states of the Federation through a collaboration between the Federal and State Governments. It was said to be part of the efforts to curtail the perennial farmers and herders crisis which has bedevilled the country for years leading to several deaths of farmers, herders and also villagers, mostly children and women. But RUGA plan was completely rejected by most governors of the South and parts of the Middle Belt, especially Benue and Taraba which then were the most hit by the crisis. They saw it as a ploy to legitimize the Fulani's claim that they have right over any part of Nigeria. In fact, one leader of a radical Fulani socio-cultural group had boasted that the whole of Nigeria belongs to them, and so could take or settle on any land they so desire.
Many, mostly Nigerians from the Middle Belt and the South have opined that the National Water Resources Bill 2020 is a scheme to give Fulani cattle rearers unhindered access to water banks and rivers as they graze in those regions since permission to use or settle around water banks would only be given by Abuja. This would be a challenge to the local communities who have always seen rivers, streams and any water in their community as their ancestral gift for their livelihood.
The Fulanis are mostly herdsmen and due to Climate change which in years have affected Northern Nigeria and the Magreb, they usually move down south and the Middle Belt where there are more grasses and drinking water for their cattle. But their adventures and pastoral occupation have led to many conflicts with their host communities and farmers who they encounter as they graze. With the aim of solving this conflicts, the Buhari-led administration has sought ways to solve the challenges both parties have been facing, one of which is the RUGA Livestock Settlements, but this has been viewed by the opposition as a pro-Fulani political and Islamization agenda. Buhari himself being a Fulani and who is allegedly seen to be nonchalant about the killings by Fulani herdsmen has not allayed the fears and suspicion of Nigerians. He is seen not to be drastic in tackling the killings by Fulanis in various part of the country especially the middle belt and parts of the South East.
The current National Water Resources Bill 2020 seems to confirm or reiterate the suspicion above. Several newspapers have in their editorials stated that this bill is surely a way to pursue the RUGA project and thus seen as anti-people and pro-Fulani and this could further aggravate the current clashes between Fulani herdsmen and their host communities.
Succinctly put is the Guardian editorial which warns: ”the Bill, if passed into law, will clip the wings of state and local government authorities as well as individuals from making use of the water at their backyard without a permit from Abuja. This development will engender serious contentions across Nigeria and the result would be water wars, which would be more devastating than the contentions over land grazing and, even oilfields”.
Nigerians are therefore advised to reject this bill. Prominent among the calls for the rejection of this bill is the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom. He said this bill is not for the good of the general masses and must be rejected by the Senate.
Nigerians are waiting for the senate to prove if its members are indeed rubber stamp, or they got the balls to challenge this bill.
Posted by: Emdee David
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