Nigeria: Playing Ostrich on National Tobacco Control Bill

Source from:  This Day 12/19/2014

Adeola Akinremi writes that further delay in passing the tobacco control bill before the senate could spell doom for Nigeria

On Wednesday September 24, when the Senate read for the second time the bill seeking the regulation of tobacco use in Nigeria and referred same to its health committee for final work, Nigerians were full of joy. That expression of joy may have been short-lived. The health committee led by Senator Ifeanyi Okowa was supposed to spend four weeks and return the harmonised bill back to the senate for passage, but three months after, the Senate Health Committee, chaired by Okowa is yet to return the bill back for plenary discussion and passage of the bill.

According to sources close to the health committee, Okowa has come under mounting pressure from the tobacco industry to abandon the bill that is acceptable to all and take in the bill that the British American Tobacco and others called, 'balanced bill'. The sources revealed that while Okowa is not allowing the tobacco industry access to his office, the lobbyists for the industry have been going round to influence some members of the committee as well as other senators. "Let me tell you that Senator Okowa has done his very best as the chair of this committee, but the reason the bill has been delayed can be traced to the tobacco industry. The industry is putting so much pressure on us. We are facing enormous challenge. The people behind the industry in Nigeria, I mean those who brought them into the country are powerful people with influence," a source close to the committee said.

Interestingly, the National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB), which first surfaced in the National Assembly in 2009 had similar experience, when the Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello led health committee was bogged down for months by the pressure of the tobacco industry. Though, that version was passed by the sixth National Assembly, it did not get required presidential assent to make it a law as President Goodluck Jonathan refused his assent without giving any reason to the public. The 2009 bill was spearheaded by Senator Olorunimbe Mamora who made every effort necessary to ensure the passage of the bill. The rules guiding lawmaking in Nigeria requires that the bill must be re-presented to the National Assembly, a process which began over two years ago.

The bill being sponsored by Senator Okowa is titled: An act to provide for the regulation and control of production, manufacturing, sale advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products in Nigeria and for other related matters 2014. The current bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the regulation of manufacture, sales, advertising and production of tobacco products in Nigeria. It also seeks to monitor and control the usage of tobacco in the country. During the first reading of the bill, the Senate President, David Mark, had said that the purpose of the bill was to point out the dangers in smoking. He said there would be public hearings which would determine, if tobacco would be banned totally. "The bill seeks to tell you the dangers inherent in smoking. When we go to the public hearing, we would hear the public opinions on that," Senator Mark said.

And during the public hearing, overwhelming support was given to the bill, except the representatives of the tobacco companies who appeared determined to frustrate the process of getting the law passed by the lawmakers. Senator Okowa in his speech said tobacco is a problem all over the world and called for a quick response. "It is recognised that the spread of the tobacco epidemic is a global problem with serious consequences on public health that calls for the widest possible international cooperation and participation of all countries in an effective, appropriate and comprehensive response. "I wish to state that there is no new agency or department being established by this legislation. "There is already a desk unit in the federal ministry of health dealing with tobacco control. "There is therefore no financial implication accompanying this bill," he said.

Senator James Manager in his submission said: "This is a very harmless bill about something that is very harmful to human health. I used to wonder why the world is shying away from banning tobacco. Instead, they are advertising it. We should not talk of the economic benefit of something that is harmful to human health because you need to be alive for you to enjoy economic benefit of something. Tobacco consumption supposed to be banned. This tobacco, I don't know how it tastes, by the grace of God, Mr President, I have never attempted to smoke it and I don't want to know."

And to make things clear, Senator Mark further said, "The essence of the Bill is to highlight the dangers inherent in smoking and it also seeks to regulate advertisement of smoking. Enditem