 |
Labour, CSOs berate
PLSG, Law Makers over Bill for Privatization of Water
By Dickson Gupiya
April 16, 2019
The Public hearing for the proposed bill for the privatization,
commercialization and concession of water on the Plateau took place Tuesday at
a committee room in the complex of the Plateau State House Assembly along old
Bukuru Road, Jos amidst heavy protest.
The bill titled “A Bill for a Law to provide for a Plateau
State Water Sector Law and other Matters connected 2018” is an executive bill
which has already passed second reading in the House. The Bill when passed into
law, would make water in the state a profit driven commodity. It is this aspect
of the proposal contained in the Bill that the Labour Union and Civil Society
Organizations are vehemently objecting to and also formed the basis of their
protest on Tuesday at the entrance of the Plateau State House of Assembly. When
African Drum arrived the scene, many
protesters were holding ply cards with different inscriptions like “Water is
life not for sale; Do not deceive us, Privatization is false solution to
Plateau Water crisis, law makers, reject commercialization of our water; if you
privatize water, make efforts to privatize Air”, among others.
Speaking to African
Drum at the premises of the House of Assembly, Comrade Steve Aluko observed
that water is an essential ingredient for anybody to live their lives and enjoy
their human rights. Aluko said they would
support any law that would promote transparency, accountability, accessibility
and affordability but would object to anything that has to do with privatization,
concession, autonomy or whatever disguise that would make water to be profit or
would take portable water from the pool of the masses. “You know that has its
own health, economic and political implications. It would mean many people would
not be able to afford water, it would also mean that government is not a
representative and sensitive enough to its people” said Aluko.
He said that the reform the Plateau State Government is
trying to bring had been tried and failed in Cameroon, Ghana, Spain, Brazil,
Argentina and other places.
 |
| Comrade Steve Aluko |
Aluko further said that when water is out-of-the people,
that means government has failed in its responsibility adding that what the ‘Shylock
people would do in that circumstance is to take advantage of the law and create
monopoly. According to Aluko, “Water must be accessible to all. Water must be
affordable to all. Anything short of this, we would not support it, we would
not buy into it. So, we are ready to engage the State Assembly and the
executive to make sure that the end of the day, whatever comes out of this Bill
would be the true reflection of the people’s opinion.” Aluko concluded by
advising both the executive and legislature thus: “The Executive and the State
Assembly should know that they would not be there forever. So, whatever law
they put in place can also hold back on them, so the most important thing for
them to do is to make sure that they keep to the requirement of the
constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which provides that the welfare
of the people shall be the basis of governance and water is key to social
welfare of the people”.
Also speaking to African
Drum on the issue, Comrade Ambrose Kudu, the Secretary of Amalgamated Union
of Public Corporation Civil Service, Technical and Recreation Services
Employees (AUPTRE) Plateau State Chapter noted that they were not against the
Bill totally but against some sections of it which he also said are anti-people.
“It is clear that Private Public Partnership (PPP) is just taking public assets
and handing them over private sector.
The private sector would not bring-in anything but would
only use what is given to it by the public sector to further impoverish the state.
 |
| Comrade Ambrose Kudu |
Kudu stated that what the labour and other civil liberty
organizations were saying and also demanding was that those sections in the
Bill that are anti-people and clearly in favour of privatization be expunged
and other sections be amended.
According to the labour leader, the struggle against the
Bill was not limited to only labour union and the CSOs but a struggle for all
and sundry stressing that labour struggle has never been limited to workers
welfare only but also for social justice.
 |
| Protesters including the physically challenged at the premises of the Plateau State House of Assembly on Tuesday |
Kudu said that those at the Plateau State House of Assembly
for the protest on Tuesday morning were; Environment Right Action (ERA), from
Lagos state, AUPTRE and CSOs.
Post a Comment