Water Resources Bill: Ortom threatens to drag National Assembly to court

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state Monday threatened to take the National Assembly to court if they refuse to heed to calls by Nigerians to throw out the Water Resources Bill.

Ortom said the bill was rejected in 2018 by the same National Assembly and it was not right for anyone to have smuggled it through the back door claiming that it had passed the second reading.

Ortom who was speaking when the new leadership of Mdzough u Tiv, the Tiv socio-cultural group paid him a visit at the Benue State government House Makurdi, noted that the water resources bill was another strategy to allow grazing areas for herdsmen.

He said the water resources bill was a breach against land use Act and must not be allowed to go on.

According to Ortom, until the Land Use Act was reviewed and the two-thirds of the state vote for the amendment, the change to grant the federal government control of water resources would not hold.

Ortom also threatened to send petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC to probe the contract awarded for the construction of RUGA in Benue and other places.

On the Tiv and Jukun crisis governor Ortom said, he will never under his watch allow the two tribes to fight themselves because of the crises in Taraba state.

The governor commended the socio-cultural organisations in the state for standing behind him and the state when it was facing security challenges.

Earlier, President General of Mdzough u Tiv, CP Ihia solicited support for the organisation to enable it succeed.