Nigerian federal lawmakers in the Senate had on Tuesday trashed the suspicious National Water Resources Bill sponsored by the former President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government.
The rejection of the bill ensued on Tuesday after it was listed for concurrence on the order paper for consideration and passage.
Senator Suswan, raised the orders of the 85 Senate Rules that senators must have full details of the provisions of any bill coming for concurrence.
The bill had since its presentation at the two legislative chambers generated disagreement across the country as many Nigerians rejected the bill but the Buhari-led government had insisted on the passage of the bill into law by the 9th National Assembly lawmakers.
The House of Representatives had passed the bill in 2020 amidst suspicion by members and the general public.
Recall that Buhari had in 2017 presented the bill to the Senate and the House of Representatives seeking to transfer the control of water resources from all the states of the federation to the Federal Government.
The immediate past President in the bill sought to establish the National Council on Water Resources, Nigeria Water Resources Regulatory Commission, River Basin Development Authorities, Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency, and the National Water Resources Institute.
Before the passage, Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli, said the then Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), as well as commissioners for justice and attorneys-general of the 36 states of the federation, had been consulted and the opinions received would be attached to the bill and distributed to all members.
According to the bill, the proposed bodies, if established, were to “provide for the regulation, equitable and sustainable development, management, use and conservation of Nigeria’s surface water and groundwater resources.”
When the bill was read for concurrence on the floor of the Senate, Senator Gabriel Suswan from Benue North-West raised Order 85 of the Senate Rules, which provides that senators must have full details of the provisions of any bill coming for concurrence.
Also, Senator James Manager from Delta South, who seconded Senator Suswan stressed the need to have details of the bill since provision was made for only the title of the bill.
The Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan, later ruled in favour of the rule cited, and thereafter, the red legislative chamber withheld concurrence to the bill, having ruled in favour of those who opposed it.
