Bayelsa: We’ll contest water resources bill if passed into law

TRACKING___The Bayelsa State Government yesterday expressed its readiness to apply all necessary legal frameworks to reject any legislation by the National Assembly that would emanate from the Federal Government’s proposed Water Resources Bill.

This is as the state described the proposed National Water Resources Bill 2020 as another draconian land use decree in disguise. While disclosing this shortly after yesterday’s the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, the Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, in a release issued by his Media Aide, Doubara Atasi, said that the bill had continued to attract wide condemnation across the country due to its controversial provisions aimed at taking control of the country’s waterways.

In a joint press briefing addressed by the duo of state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Ayibaina Duba, and the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Biriyai Dambo (SAN), said the SEC opposed the bill because it negates the rights of the people of Bayelsa State and the Niger Delta region, as well as other Nigerians to enjoy their God-given resources.

Dambo, while pointing out some relevant sections of the Bill, however, noted that Section 62 seeks to deny indigenes, especially the Niger Delta people of their ancestral lands and the freedom of fishing for business.

He said: “Section 62 of the Bill which states that any person, who chooses to undertake any of the activities in relation to the Water Resources Bill, shall be licensed by the Commission. “The essence of this is that this Bill seeks to take away the freedom of not just the Niger Delta people, but also all Nigerians at large. So, if the government starts to license the waterways activities, then it is encroaching on the freedom of the people and that is unacceptable. “That is why the Exco came to the conclusion that we reject this bill and secondly, we shall also impress it on members of the National Assembly within and outside this region to oppose the bill with everything they have.”