Uproar as House withdraws Water Resource Bill

The controversial National Water Resource Bill on Tuesday caused a row in the House of Representatives as members vehemently opposed the procedure adopted in passing the bill at the last sitting before it went on its annual vacation.

The controversial National Water Resource Bill on Tuesday caused a row in the House of Representatives as members vehemently opposed the procedure adopted in passing the bill at the last sitting before it went on its annual vacation.

The House had at its sitting of July 23, 2020 considered and passed the bill, which some members arguing the passage did not follow the normal procedure stipulated in the House rules while others insisted that the rules were followed.

Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, who presided over plenary, however ruled after an intense debate the bill, which has already been passed be withdrawn and re-gazetted before being represented to the House for consideration.

The fireworks started when Ben Mzondu (PDP, Benue) moved a motion under privilege complaining the procedure for passage of the bill was faulty.

Mzondu argued order 18 of the House Rules stipulates that any bill passing from one Assembly to another must be re-gazetted before being committed to the Committee of the Whole for consideration, failure which the bill has to go through the whole process of legislation, starting from first reading.

He argued since the bill was not regazetted, it should have started de novo (from the beginning) as it is deemed to be dead from the preceding assembly, adding “If Nigerians say they do not want a bill, it should be put aside. It should be started expunged until it begins it journey de novo.”

Nkem Abonta (PDP, Abia) said the issue was constitutional, adding since the issue of water is covered in the Land Use act, the House lacked the jurisdiction to pass such a bill as it will go against the provisions of the constitution.

But Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila was of the opinion that the issue at stake was procedural and it was imperative to dispense with it, adding usually, issues of privilege would not have been debated but for the sensitivity of the bill.

He said even though the issue raised by the lawmaker was fundamental, it would appear that it was gazetted in the 8th Assembly but Mzondu said the main issue was about regazetting since it was coming from the previous Assembly.