Chiemelie Ezeobi
Former Minister of Education and Founder, School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), Oby Ezekwesili has urged the National Assembly not to pass the controversial Water Resources Bill.
Describing it as a Frankenstein Monster, she said the Bill was dressed up as a military decree, adding that it needed to be worked on before it was drafted.
Flaying the intent, content and tone of the bill, she said it showed a complete lack of capacity to learn from present failures in governance.
In a Tweeting on her page @Obyezeks she wrote “I have read through the Water Resources Bill and sincerely advise @nassnigeria @SPNigeria @NGRSenate @DrAhmadLawan @HouseNGR @SpeakerGbaja to not pass it. Naaaaa.
“There’s simply too much going on in those proposals that must be unpacked. Deepening centralisation? No please.
“A simple test of appropriateness of the Water Resources Bill as proposed is to answer this core question: How well has the centre- that is, the Federal Government @NigeriaGov performed on all centralised management of resources and institutions that are best localised? This is (sic..) key.
“There is a legitimate concern of how we as a country can more effectively and equitably manage our cross-boundary waters.
“However the provisions that allows the federal government to arrogate the power to handle this, must stop. We have too much on the Exclusive List. Too much.
“Reading through that Water Resources Bill gave one serious headache. The intent, content and tone showed a complete lack of capacity to learn from our present failures in governance.
” The law proposed could have been a dressed-up Military Decree. Please don’t pass it @nassnigeria.
“Capacity to research, propose, dialogue and design effective laws that help us govern our Shared Assets like waters, efficiently and equitably, in our federation is seriously lacking. It is obvious in the Water Resources Bill.
“There’s more work needed before that Bill is drafted. I therefore appeal to @nassnigeria @NGRSenate @HouseNGR to please not rush the Water Resources Bill as is through passage.
“It would be another Frankenstein Monster that will do the country no good. Let’s recommence a process for designing a simple and effective Law on Water.”
