On June 29, 2022, in my hotel room in Abuja, I tuned to Channels TV, a Lagos-based television network. What caught my attention was the headline: ‘Reps Re-Introduce Controversial Water Bill’. My first reaction was, again? What exactly are the proponents of the bill trying to achieve with its resurrection? The re-introduction of the bill can simply mean that there are individuals with ulterior motives for its re-representation.
Watching the news two years later to see the bill being re-introduced, I knew that the promoters were up to something that the rest of Nigerians are yet to understand because it is surprising that a bill that seeks to open its door to corporations that are only interested in maximising profit will still be opened for debate.
Experience abound where nations that had privatised their water system are now taking them back because of the failure of the privatisers to deliver on the promise of availability, accessibility, affordability and general infrastructure investment. Another disturbing part of the bill is Section 61 which was in Section 98 in the previous bill. The new section reads: “Licensing. The section Subject to the provisions of sections 3 and 72 of this Bill, the use of water shall be subject to licensing provisions under this Part and relevant regulations issued by the Commission.”
Land is sacred. Those pursuing such bills (Land grabbing) should be treated as terrorists.