FG Stops N9.6 Trillion Tobacco Manufacturing Firm

Source from:  thisdayonline.com 01.19.2008 01/25/2008

Federal Government has stopped the setting up of a tobacco manufacturing company, worth N9.6 trillion, in Osun State. Minister of Health, Prof. Adenike Grange, who announced this at the inauguration of an NGO, Coalition Against Tobacco (CAT), in Abuja, said, the action was in line with the global fight against tobacco related-diseases and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). She noted that Nigeria was a signatory to the FCTC treaty, conceived at the 53rd WHO Assembly in Geneva. Grange noted that ``tobacco is known to be responsible for over 25 diseases in man, including the ``silent killers'' such as hypertension, heart attack and cancer''. Tobacco ``is the only consumable whose usage is intended to harm the user as there has not been any proven benefit of tobacco to humans,'' she said. The Minister said available data showed that tobacco kills five million people a year, worldwide, with more than 70 per cent occurring in developing countries, including Nigeria. She thanked members of CAT for their efforts in tobacco control in Nigeria and assured them of government support. Also speaking, the Minister of Sports, Malam Hassan Gimba, said the ban on tobacco smoking was not only for health reasons but for economic reasons as well. ``The huge expenses incurred by government on health hazards caused by tobacco is greater than the tax being paid by the tobacco companies,'' he said. NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Dora Akunyili said the agency would make it mandatory for tobacco companies to print the warning on the dangers of tobacco consumption in capital letters on every cigarette. Prominent members of CAT, who were at the ceremony include a former attorney-general of Lagos State, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), Mrs Maryam Uwais and Mr. Babatunde Irukera. Enditem