Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, March 14, 2017
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Lagos State Council of Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to jettison a bill recently passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly, to deny citizens of Lagos access to water.
The obnoxious bill according to TUC is anti-people, adding that the nature of the bill speaks for itself in its various sections.
“ Session 137 (1) (a) No person or group of persons shall sink or cause to be sunk boreholes, hydraulics and other structures connected with the supply of surface ground water or treated water without obtaining the necessary permit from the office of Drainage Services.
“Section 141 (1) (a) No person or group of persons shall abstract water from any lake, river, streams or other natural resources forming part of the state water except with the approval of Department of Water resources of the Office of Drainage Services.
“Section 141(1) (c) No person or group of person shall make sell, distribute or cause to be made, sold, or distribute water by container, tanker or any other method whatsoever, without any valid license being issued by the Department of Water Resources of the Office of Drainage Services”, the TUC said in a statement signed by President and Secretary, Comrades Comrade Francis Ogunremi and Ekundayo Gbenga.
According to TUC, While a fine of N100, 000 and six months jail was prescribed for individuals offenders; a similar fine of N500, 000 and confiscation of equipment was prescribed for corporate organization in this notorious bill.
“We believe, before such a bill should pass, the government ought to have provided water for the citizens of the state as an obligation which is not currently the case. Therefore, The TUC condemns in strong terms this bill as heartless, evil, barbaric, uncivilised and inhuman, to say the least. We regard it on one hand as being in pursuit of excessive taxation and financial extortion that is now the burden of citizens and corporate organizations in the state.
“On the other hand, we see it as an attempt to pave way for cabals and moneybags hiding under the Private Public Partnership (PPP) of Lagos State Water Corporation, to again assume control of water resources that God has freely given to all of us; using the agency of Lagos State government. This is a direct invitation to anarchy”, the TUC said.
It called on the Lagos state government to adopt the scientific approach of investing its over N30bn monthly income in such lucrative sectors as transport corporation, agriculture, real estate, aviation, shipping, construction, etc.
“These are investment that would yield billions of naira in return every month; rather than seeking to generate further revenue through crude extortions of our already over-taxed citizens; or by paving way for some cabals to further their selfish financial interest as has been the pattern in recent times. We urge the Governor not to append his signature”, TUC said.
