Nigeria: Presidency Did Not Assent To Tobacco Control Bill- Lamwaker

Source from:  Channels Television (ng)  04/16/2013

The Chairman of the House Committee on Treaties and Protocols, Rep. Dayo Alebiosu today blamed the presidency for "not signing the Tobacco Control Bill passed by the 6th Assembly".

Alebiosu claimed that "In the 6th Assembly, the Tobacco Bill was passed but unfortunately it was not assented to by the president".

He further claimed that the present Tobacco Bill that has passed 2nd Reading in the House is meant to "repeal or re-enact" the one that failed earlier.

Alebiosu, who was a guest on the popular Channels Television's morning breakfast show Sunrise Daily, argued that the Bill has to be put in place due to Nigeria being a signatory to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Treaty.

He however said that "no treaty shall have the force of law until it has been domesticated by the National Assembly"

The lawmaker noted that Nigeria's signing of the treaty commits the nation to the international requirement but clearly offends the constitution because it is yet to be made law.

He also mentioned other signatories to the treaty that have placed strong messages and advertorials against the use of tobacco in public places.

"It has really been taken serious all over the world. The British for example, have brought out a very strong commercial, a very strong advert…. Australia has come up with a very strong advert and I think Australia has been at the fore front of fighting this tobacco war".

The lawmaker, who confessed to being in the habit of smoking fumed at the fact that most smokers begin the act at a very tender age and imagined how parents would feel if they saw their teenage children "puffing away" some smoke.

He labelled nicotine as the "most addictive" drug in the world more than cocaine, heroin and the rest. He adds that "the minute you start, stopping is a serious issue".

He also quoted a report that said "By 2015 6.5 million people will die globally from consumption of tobacco and 70 per cent of the 6.5 million will come from developing countries with Nigeria being the largest black population in the world". Enditem