AFRICA/NIGERIA - Justice and Peace: "The bill on water resources goes against federalism"

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - "The principles of federalism must be respected" says Fr. Uchechukwu Obodoechina, Director of Caritas Nigeria and national director of the Justice and Peace Development Commission of the Nigerian Bishops' Conference, in a statement on the controversial draft law on water management. "The federal government must respect the principle of federalism and the rights of local governments in relation to the use of domestic water", says Fr. Obodoechina. "Therefore, we call on the federal government to withdraw the draft law and to prioritize public health, using all possible means to obtain quality water and sanitation services," reads the statement sent to Agenzia Fides.
"Caritas Nigeria is shocked at the potential impact of this legislation, which has far-reaching consequences for citizens and violates the principle of the common good as advocated by the Catholic Church. Although the proposed National Water Resources Act guarantees citizens the right to use water, it would if passed, lead to a further centralization of the country's power and resources, thereby counteracting ongoing efforts to decentralize power".
Back in 2018, the Senate failed to approve a law called the National Water Resources Bill due to the protests it had sparked across the country. The bill, reintroduced earlier this year, now aims to give the federal government powers to control all of the country's water resources, such as rivers, streams, lakes and groundwater. By the end of July, the governors of the 36 states had unanimously opposed the law, calling it unconstitutional.
The National Water Resources
Bill, meanwhile, has also deepened divisions between the Muslim-majority states in the north and the predominantly Christian states in the south, further fueling mistrust of President Muhammadu Buhari's government, which is suspected of using the new law to take control over the water resources of southern Nigeria to distribute to Fulani herders from Central African Republic, Chad, Niger and other countries.
The nomadic Fulani people have been repeatedly accused of carrying out raids on the sedentary farmers of Nigeria (see Fides, 31/7/2019). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 13/10/2022)

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