Igbo Group Alleges Water Resources Bill Is RUGA In Disguise

The National Water Resources Bill which is before the National Assembly for approval has been described as Rural Grazing Areas (RUGA) agricultural programme in disguise.

The assertion was made in a statement released by the Association of South East Town Unions, ASETU, Naija News understands.

The union in the statement which was signed by its National President, Chief Emeka Diwe and National Publicity Secretary, Gideon Adikwuru, vowed that its region would not give up its lands or water body for the purposes of grazing.

The group urged citizens of Igbo land to all stand against the approval of the bill, noting that the explanation by Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information that the said bill has no link with RUGA ended up informing the general public that there was more to the bill than meets the eyes.

“The Water Resources Bill if passed into law gives the federal government ownership not only over water and underground resources but control over 3KM from waterfronts,” ASETU noted.

The Igbo group argued further that there is hardly any community in Igboland where water bodies are not found. ASETU alleged that the bill violates the Land Use Act and entails that the Federal government will authorize or give license to persons who may want to sink boreholes anywhere in Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the federal government has in a recent statement maintained its position on the passing of the National Water Resource Bill 2020 into law.