By Paul Effiong, Abuja
Coalition comprising non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations, among others, has expressed worry over the proposed amendment of the National Tobacco Control Act, NTCA, 2015.
In a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the group urged lawmakers to ensure that they strengthen the existing laws and regulations to cover new and emerging tobacco products, instead of wasting legislative time on the amendment of NTCA.
They noted that HB1151, which seeks to impose stiffer penalties for violations of smoking regulations in Nigeria, was already suffering from a fundamental flaw in misrepresenting the title of the Principal Act and the referenced sections for amendments.
They, therefore, warned against any attempt to amend the National Tobacco Smoking Control Act which they said does not exist, even as the proposal has raised serious concerns about the legislative intent and procedural soundness of the process.
Speaking at the briefing, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi lamented the negative effect of smoking in Nigeria, especially among young people.
CAPPA alleged that an unnamed major tobacco manufacturer in Nigeria had recently described their investment potential for stakeholders as highly cash generative, adding that the same company was equally boasting of 100 percent operating cash conversion annually over the last four years and returning £26.2 billion to shareholders since 2019.
In a separate presentation, the Policy and Research Officer, CAPPA, Zikora Ibeh called on lawmakers to extend the ‘No-smoking Zones’ to 100 metres, adding that the proposed 30-metre restriction in Section 9 of HB 47, which address no-smoking zones around schools, daycare centres and parks, was insufficient to protect vulnerable population, especially children.
Accordingly, the coalition opposed the law in the context, saying the proposed legislation was short of the 2018 Senate resolution which mandated a 100-meter buffer around schools.
On the governance structure of the National Tobacco Control Committee, NATOCC, the group maintained that the proposed merger of the roles of the chairperson and secretary in Section 2 HB 47, could disrupt operational efficiency and undermine the checks and balances that are essential.
Fielding questions from newsmen, the Programme Manager, Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, Chibuike Nwokorie urged lawmakers and government at all levels to think critically of the health of citizens while contemplating any legislative amendment.
