Water bill negates restructuring –Ijaw youths

The Ijaw Youth Council has kicked against the Water Resources bill at the Senate, noting that it was against the clamours of Nigerians for restructuring and state control of resources.

The IYC President, Pereotubo Oweilaemi, said, “That is unacceptable to us. Sending such a bill to the Senate is a tactical plot to control resources in the Niger Delta region. Nigeria is at a time when there are agitations for restructuring and resource control, but the President is seeking a bill that will enforce more federal control over the state resources.

“It is wrong and it doesn’t go well with us as a people. It is a plot to further embarrass the people of the Niger Delta.”

It’s a mockery of federalism, restructuring agitation – Falana

Also, a human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), said the executive bill was a mockery of the principle of federalism and the agitation for restructuring which seeks the devolution of powers at the centre to the federating units.

He reiterated that the National Assembly could not legislate on “just any water” but only water that passed through more than one state.

Falana recalled that there was a  judgment in which the Court of Appeal made the pronouncement when the court nullified the licences given by the Federal Government for dredging of some Lagos waters.

He said, “It is a mockery of the principle of federalism. It also makes a mockery of the widely accepted agitation for the devolution of powers from the centre to the federating units.

“The Court of Appeal has ruled that the National Assembly cannot legislate on just any water but only waters that pass through more than one state.”