…Demands for thorough investigation

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the February 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, has reacted to the killing of five soldiers in Abia State.

Obi, who condemned the killing noted via his X Platform that: “continued brutality and bloodshed in our nation must be met with swift and decisive action, not “empty words and hollow promises”.

He mourned the dead soldiers and demanded for through investigation to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

His words: “I am appalled and saddened by the attack on our brave soldiers in Abia State yesterday, resulting in the death of five soldiers.

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“This dastardly act remains condemnable as it is a stark reminder of the escalating insecurity and violence that has continued to plague our nation under our collective watch. My heart goes out in solidarity and sincere condolences to my dear brother, Dr. Alex Otti, Governor of Abia State, and the good people of the state.

“More directly, my condolences to the families of the fallen heroes, who have paid the ultimate price in service to our country. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten, and we owe it to them to demand accountability and justice.

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“Our failure as a nation to protect our citizens and security personnel is a clear dereliction of duty and sign of deficiency of the Nigerian state. The continued brutality and bloodshed in our nation must be met with swift and decisive action, not empty words and hollow promises.

“I condemn this atrocity in strong terms, and demand an immediate and thorough investigation into this crime in order to identify and punish the culprits. We must not stand idly by while our nation is torn apart by violence and fear.

We will continue to push for a better future, where our citizens and security forces are protected and valued”.

A former Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has called for the implementation of fiscal federalism, where states receive funds commensurate with their contributions to the federation account.

Adewole, who also served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, made this call during an appearance on Channels Television’s “Inside Sources with Laolu Akande” programme on Friday.

“I am an apostle of fiscal and physical federalism,” Adewole stated, advocating for states to be allowed to develop based on their own resources.

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He urged governors to grant local government areas the autonomy to function as an independent tier of government.

Adewole further emphasised the need for states to receive revenues based on their economic activities and resources.

“We need to look at how we share the resources of this country. If you have a law that prevents you from selling alcohol, that law should also prevent you from sharing money from alcohol. We should be honest with ourselves. States that prohibit the sale of alcohol should not share out of VAT from alcohol. Straight forward,” he said.

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The former minister’s comments come amid ongoing debates surrounding resource control and the distribution of Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue among states. Many northern states, where Sharia law is practiced, prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages but still receive a share of VAT collected from alcohol sales.

“Then we should also ask each state what they are bringing to the table. A situation where states only share money from oil is absurd and that is why we are where we are today because the other states are not bringing anything to the table,” Adewole added.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it is desirous of a tobacco-free Nigeria and for its products to be completely banned in the nation.

The Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr Walter Mulombo, said this on Friday in Abuja at a news conference to commemorate 2024 World No Tobacco Day with the theme “Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference.”

According to Mulombo, everyone can work towards ensuring future generations are free from the dangers of tobacco and nicotine addiction.

He said, “I dream of the day when tobacco products will be banned in Nigeria and not allowed to be sold or bought.”

He also said that the tobacco industry must be held accountable for the harm caused to health, the environment, and the economy.

He added that “tobacco is responsible for more than eight million deaths annually, with more than seven million of the deaths being results of direct tobacco use, while around 1.2 million non-smokers die from exposure to second-hand smoke.

“A recently released report by WHO termed ‘Hooking the Next Generation’ showed that an estimated 37 million children aged 13 to 15 years use tobacco, and in many countries, the rate of e-cigarette use among adolescents exceeds that of adults.

“The report also indicated that most adults who use tobacco started when they were children or young adults, with lifetime users most likely to become hooked before the age of 21 years.

“This indicates that the industry targets youths for a lifetime of profits, creating a new wave of addiction.”

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Mulombo also said that the range of products the industry used to appeal to youths has expanded significantly, from cigarettes, cigarillos, and shisha to newer products like e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches.

He added that flavoured products and additives, sleek designs, and child-friendly packaging and imagery made addictive products even more appealing to youths.

“Companies rapidly launch new products that sidestep, or are not included, in current laws and use every available means to expand their market share before regulations can catch up with them.

“Unfortunately, these tactics are working. Evidence from around the world shows an alarming uptake by children of some products, such as e-cigarettes.

“The tobacco industry is succeeding in its efforts to create a new generation of young people who smoke, vape, suck nicotine pouches, or use snuff.”

On the situation in Nigeria, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, said the 2012 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) shows that 4.5 million Nigerians 15 years of age and older are currently using tobacco products, of which 3.1 million are smokers.

Pate added that “the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) conducted in 2008 across five states in Nigeria shows the prevalence of tobacco use among adolescents aged 13 to 15 years, ranging from 13.1 per cent to 23.3 per cent in Lagos State and Cross River.”

Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, the minister said that the consequences of tobacco industry interference with children’s health are profound and far-reaching, leading to a host of adverse health outcomes.

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They include respiratory ailments, cognitive impairment, and increased susceptibility to addiction later in life.

Also, he said, exposure to secondhand smoke poses significant threat to children’s well-being, exacerbating the risk of respiratory infections, asthma, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

“Exposure to tobacco smoke also goes as far as exposing children in uterus, even before they are given birth.

“Exposure of the mother to tobacco smoke can cause poor birth outcomes and affect lung, cardiovascular, and brain development of the baby.

“This can also increase the risk of obesity, behavioural problems, and cardiovascular disease later in life,” Pate added.

He, however, said that in combating the menace posed by tobacco, Nigeria made several giant strides, such as signing and ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) treaty in 2004 and 2005, respectively.

He added that the ministry, in collaboration with other line ministries, departments, agencies, and other stakeholders, developed the National Tobacco Control (NTC) Act 2015 and its implementing regulations in 2019.

According to him, the act contains several provisions that provide protection of children, such as the ban on sale and purchase of tobacco and tobacco products by minors.

He added that the Tobacco Control Unit has concluded plans to establish Tobacco-Free Clubs in selected schools and sensitise owners/managers of public places in one state each from the six geopolitical zones, with the collaboration of Management Sciences for Health.

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The Chairman, Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi, said that because children are being targeted by products known to be very harmful, “the nation must respond with very targeted laws and enforcement.

“We have the National Tobacco Control Act; we have the National Tobacco Regulation 2019. We are grateful to the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) on the regulation of smoking in movies.

“We want government to enforce those laws as a way of protecting our children. As of the time we were enacting the National Tobacco Control Act 2015, a lot has changed with the tobacco industry.

“They continue to mutate and come in various forms, so it may be time for us to begin to engage on how to strengthen those laws.”

The Executive Secretary, NFVCB, Dr Shaibu Husseini, said various efforts had been put in by regulatory bodies to sanitise and educate parents, guardians, and the public about the ills of tobacco use.

Represented by Mrs Hasina Nasir, Husseini said the board realised that tobacco industries hide under the banner of entertainment to promote and advertise their products in all forms.

“Today, the film industry is facing an emergency that requires bold and ambitious actions from all of us as parents, guardians, and stakeholders.

“Therefore, after series of engagements, the NFVCB decided to partner with CAPPA to make subsidiary legislation to control glamorisation of tobacco products in films, music videos, and skits.

“The proposed legislation has been forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Justice for gazetting,” he added.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World No Tobacco Day is commemorated every year on May 31.

The 2024 theme is to raise awareness across the world and to call on the industry to stop targeting young people with products that are harmful to their health.
(NAN)