By Gabriel Ewepu

THE Minister of Water Resources, Engr Suleiman Adamu, yesterday, assured Nigerians that the National Water Bill is not forced down their throats as negatively interpreted by some persons and groups.

Adamu Stated this during the 3rd Edition of Nigeria Media Water Week held in Abuja, while acknowledging the impact of the media in reporting water sector activities.

He also said the bill is being reviewed and also sent to the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, for legal opinion on issues surrounding the bill.

He still maintained that there is no hidden motive about the bill, but want the sector to benefit Nigerians according to best international practices.

He said: “We have also hired a consultant who is a very high legal luminary, a Professor of Law to review entirely this bill because we want to reassure the country that we are not forcing anything down the throat of the people but we want to do something that is in the best interest of this country.

“So we need to ask ourselves; are we wrong and this people are right, but we are right but at the same time to pacify all those doubting ‘Thomases’ for them to appreciate that we have visited their comments.

“The presentation of the bill during the 2016 Council of Water Resources, where the Commissioners of Water Resources from the 36 States attended, and the the Federal Executive Council where each State is represented was approved and we then again subject it to further review.

“We thank the National Assembly for their patience. This Bill I assure you the story is not finished to put the bill on course. This sector requires regulation and not as if there is no regulation but just to improve on regulation to bring it at par with what obtains all over the world according to international best practices.and we are not relenting.”

Meanwhile, the Minister also made it known that the Ministry has been working hard to boost the agricultural sector through water irrigation and other projects.

“in the last few weeks I have handed over more than 9,000 hectares of irrigation to farmers.

“In my State a water project of 2, 000 of irrigation we have done already 50 per cent in two years.
We went to Hadeja Bari, this a project that was done since Shagari era, never ever finished.

“The few mills that were developed were not being maintained, the last few months we went to hand over 4,000 hectares out of the 6,000 hectares that have been planned, and 75 per cent of the work has been completed.

“Go into the hinterland and see what we are doing and we are not city people, we are practical people and we do our work in the bush.

“We need to appreciate the importance of water, change the narrative and tell the story as the way it is.

We need to do more. The importance of water cannot be over emphasized for food security, job creation, water supply, hydro power generation, and many more”, he stated.

However, the Minister said there are some challenges encountered while executing rural water supply schemes across the country as some State Governments failed to meet their own obligation.

He further stated that some states are very active as the Ministry executes water projects in remote communities in two local government areas each, and states supposed to execute same in two local governments in terms of the PWASH programme.

He also pointed issue of lack of political will at state and national levels, which the Federal Government has decided not to put its money in a project until it sees what the states have done.

Which he disclosed about the recently secured $700 million loan from the World Bank for ‘Sustainable Rural and Urban Sanitation and Hygiene Programme’, which will be allocated to several eligible States, but states are to use their resources first to execute the project then the World Bank and the Ministry will certify before giving them what they have spent.

He also added that part of the loan will be used in strengthening other States in terms of technical assistance to improve on their investment plans, develop their own water supply master plan, and others.