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  • Business - News
  • Updated: August 29, 2020

SERAP Drags NASS Leaders To UN Over Plan To Monetise Access To Water In Nigeria

SERAP Drags NASS Leaders To UN Over Plan To Monetise Access

Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) will drag the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and the House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila to the United Nations over the proposed controversial Water Resources Bill 2020, which will take control over water usage from Nigerians.

The National Assembly plans to mandate anybody in need of borehole water to obtain a license before getting access to water. The bill will also prevent Nigerians access to water if found not utilising water properly, as well as give the government authority to reduce the extent of water access by Nigerians during an emergency. In essence, the controversial bill seeks to mandate license for the use of water in Nigeria.

Criticism has trailed the Water Resources Bill 2020 which was initially introduced two years ago but wasn't passed into law following public outcry. However, the National Assembly has reintroduced the bill again. Prominent Nigerians like Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka have criticized the bill, and the latest criticism comes from SERAP.

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"We call on the leadership of @nassnigeria to immediately drop the illegal Water Resources bill 2020, which requires Nigerians to obtain a permit before sinking a borehole in their homes. We’ll challenge this illegality in court should the bill ever be passed into law.

"We’re dragging @DrAhmadLawan @femigbaja  to the UN Committee on Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, UN human rights mechanisms & African Commission on Human & Peoples' Rights to compel @nassnigeria leadership to drop illegal, unfair & repugnant Water Resources Bill 2020.

"Restricting access of Nigerians to clean water at a time millions of people are drinking contaminated water, and the country is bracing for the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, is not only unconstitutional but also immoral. It’s a textbook case of crimes against humanity.

"Nigerian authorities have international legal obligations to respect Nigerians’ right to water, and to ensure sufficient, safe, and accessible water and the highest attainable standard of health at all times," SERAP said in a statement seen by AllNews.

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