The Nation Newspaper

Tag: smoke

  • Wanted: A smoke-free country

    Wanted: A smoke-free country

    Aware of the risks in tobacco use, experts have urged the Federal Government to implement the Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) policy to create a smoke-free nation. They reiterate the impact that such a policy will have on the economy and the well-being of the people, writes Ekaete Bassey.

    Tobacco smoking is a global public health crisis . Nigeria is no exception.

    Though the dangers associated with tobacco smoking are not limited to death, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reports that its use is responsible for over eight million deaths yearly.

    The WHO predicts that the number will rise to 10 million by next year.

    Chief Economist, Proshare, Teslim Shitta-Bey, advocates the adoption of Sweden’s blueprint in becoming a smoke-free country by embracing initiatives, anchored in reducing exposure to smoke and providing safer alternatives to combustible cigarettes.

    He explained that beyond the health implications, the adverse effects on the economy could not be overstated.

    The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) estimates that an average smoker in Nigeria spends N1,202.50 on tobacco products monthly. On the whole, Nigerians spend an average of N7.45 billion on tobacco monthly, and N89.5 billion yearly.

    Going by the GATS report, Shitta-Bey, who is also the  and Managing Editor of Proshare, claimed that Nigerians are spending a huge amount proportional to the Ekiti State budget for this year, which stands at N159.5 billion.

    “The dangers associated with tobacco smoking are not limited to death alone. The economic toll is equally staggering, with substantial smoking-related healthcare and productivity losses and negative impacts on the environment

    “In a 2017 report by the Nigeria Health Watch, 8,004 tonnes of butts and packs of cigarettes wind up as toxic trash each year, creating a severe ecological impact that is quite detrimental and damaging. In addition, smoking contributes to a rising tide of non-communicable diseases,” Shitta-Bey added.

    He proposed the devaluation of cigarettes in Nigeria as it’s already being done in other countries, especially Sweden.

    “Several countries are shifting to alternative non-combustible risk reduction tobacco alternatives to reduce the associated health, economic and productivity risks associated in line with the 2021 United States’ Surgeon General’s Report as published by the National Library of Medicine, namely: “The most rapid way to reduce the tobacco-related deaths and diseases would be to ‘devalue’ cigarettes”.

    Devalued cigarettes are non-combustible tobacco alternatives that minimise the risks of tobacco smoking. Sweden has become the global example in shifting to tobacco alternatives and achieving the lowest smoking rates globally.

    Shitta-Bey continued: “Sweden’s innovative approach to tobacco harm reduction presents tremendous inspiration to Nigeria. According to the Eurostat Statistics Agency, only 5.6 per cent of the Swedish population are daily smokers, compared to the EU average of 19 per cent. As a result, Sweden has the lowest lung cancer rates in Europe and one of the lowest rates of tobacco-related deaths.”

    He maintained that embracing non-combustible alternatives and strategies would offer significant health advantages to the populace.

    “Beyond the reduction in smoking prevalence, Sweden’s experience demonstrates tangible health benefits.The country has witnessed a decline in smoking-related diseases, leading to lower healthcare costs. In a May 31, 2023 report by the Los Angeles Times, Karl Ritter and Charlene Pele credited this humongous success to the prevalence of snus, a smokeless tobacco product banned in the EU but marketed in Sweden as well as acceptance of other non-tobacco nicotine-based alternatives to cigarettes,’’ he said.

    Others highlight the impact of anti-tobacco measures such as indoor smoking, flavoured cigarette bans, advertising bans and public education on the availability of reduced risk alternatives as complementary drastic measures put in place to curb the high rate of smoking in Sweden.

    “Economically, the impact is substantial. The Businesswire, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, in its March 14, 2023 publication, acknowledged that reduced healthcare expenditures, increased workplace productivity, and a healthier workforce contribute to Sweden’s economic resilience.The Swedish experience reaffirms that a smoke-free future is not just a health goal but an economic imperative,” Shitta-Bey said.

    According to him, a smoke-free future is within our grasp, if only Nigeria decides to emulate Sweden’s example by embracing harm-reduction strategies and promoting smoke-free products. Millions of adults worldwide have already switched to smoke-free products and given up smoking.

    “According to Philip Morris International, around 19.7 million adults have switched to their leading smoke-free product and stopped smoking. With a population exceeding 200 million, the stakes are high for Nigeria.The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reports that the prevalence of tobacco use in Nigeria is 5.6 per cent, a concerning figure given our demographic diversity.”

    Read Also: Why FG should extend tax waivers probe to tobacco firms, by CAPPA

    Shitta-Bey argued that Nigeria’s challenge is not just to replicate Sweden’s success but to tailor strategies to our unique context. Despite that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful than combustible cigarettes, they are more expensive in Nigeria, with prices ranging from N4,500 to N50,000 for second to fourth generation devices affecting their affordability. This is a huge challenge because in a recent study by THR, Nigeria more than 60 per cent of the smokers would reduce or quit smoking if there were a significant reduction in e-cigarette prices, or if the products were more easily accessible. Policy makers can play a significant role in this respect by properly classifying THR products as belonging to the health category and reducing the excise taxes.

    The Chief  Economist added that for Nigeria to replicate Sweden’s success, revisiting and enforcing tobacco harm reduction policies, launching campaigns, collaborating with the media, strengthening knowledge among healthcare professionals, and promoting the affordability of harm reduction products are essential. E-cigarettes should be treated as a consumer product with a reduced-risk profile hence the need to make the tax rate applied to them proportional to the reduced health impact when compared with tobacco products  and this will in turn, make it more affordable to a large number of the population.

    He posed two questions that should agitate the minds of stakeholders: How do we make it more urgent for the government to provide adults who smoke with better alternatives to cigarettes to accelerate the decline in smoking rates and move towards a smoke-free future? And what is preventing Nigeria from adopting the harm reduction approach to tobacco, similar to other public health initiatives, to minimise the health risks associated with smoking and accelerate the transition to a world without cigarettes?

    In economics, it is believed that a policy can only be effective when everyone buys into it, explained Dr. David Oke, an Associate Professor of Economics, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

    He said the government must be credible and accountable to ensure the effectiveness of policies, adding that when money is budgeted for a cause, it must be used strictly for that cause only.

    He mentioned that replicating Swedish’s THR success might be quite challenging in Nigeria as “we lack the database to ensure our policies are effective”.

    For the President, Valuefrontiers Limited, Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, now is the time for Nigeria to revolutionise its approach to combating the scourge of smoking-related diseases.

    Also for him, adopting Sweden’s blueprint for a smoke-free country and the associated Tobacco Harm Reduction policies is not just a choice but a responsibility owed to the citizens and the future generations.

    He said: “Tobacco smoking in Nigeria has significant socio-economic effects. According to a 2019 study by Davis Adelia et al. entitled: “Current prevalence pattern of tobacco smoking in Nigeria: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in BMC Public Health, the prevalence of smoking is around 10.4 per cent, with an estimated 4.7 million daily smokers.

    “The economic losses incurred by tobacco smoke in Nigeria were estimated at $591 million in 2015 based on the estimates in a May 2018 blog post published on the website of the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa and $634 billion yearly (approximately U$D 2.07 billion) in 2019. The economic burden of tobacco use accounted for 0.28 per cent of the country’s GDP between 2013 and 2020.

    “Smoking-related deaths annually are around 16,000, according to the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR).”

    Ike-Muonso explained that Nigeria must double its efforts to arrest this trend by learning best practices from Sweden’s success in this respect.

    “Sweden has become a beacon of hope in the global fight against tobacco, with its unique approach to tobacco control, leading to a significant decrease in smoking rates and a consequent improvement in public health.The country’s strategy centred around promoting safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes, such as smokeless tobacco products like snus and nicotine-based tobacco-free options,” he stated.

    This approach, according to the President of ValueFonteira Limited, has been pivotal in Sweden’s success in reducing smoking-related diseases and mortality rates. Sweden is on track to become Europe’s first ‘Smoke-free’ country, with its smoking prevalence rate expected to drop below five per cent in the coming months.This is a remarkable achievement, considering no other country in the EU is close to replicating this feat.

    Moreover, Sweden’s strategy, combining traditional tobacco control methods with harm reduction strategies, could save 15.5 million lives in the next decade if adopted by other African countries.

    This model is consistent with the Article 1 objective of the WHO Framework Convention for Tobacco Control (FCTC), focusing on supply, demand, and harm reduction strategies.

    “Sweden’s success is not an isolated miracle; it is a testament to the transformative power of evidence-based policies. Their Tobacco Harm Reduction initiatives, anchored in reducing exposure to smoke and providing safer alternatives to combustible cigarettes, have not only driven down smoking rates but have also significantly alleviated the economic burden associated with smoking-related healthcare.

    “The success of Sweden’s smoke-free policies demonstrates the potential for Nigeria to achieve similar results in reducing the harm caused by tobacco smoking. By adopting evidence-based guidelines and learning from the Swedish experience, Nigeria can work towards a healthier future for its citizens,” he added

    Consequently, an eight-point roadmap for immediate actions required for the successful implementation of THR policies in Nigeria was presented by the Prof.

    It included: “Immediate development of a comprehensive THR Policy Framework aligned with global best practices and tailored to Nigeria’s unique context.

    “The launch extensive public awareness campaigns to educate citizens, healthcare professionals, and policymakers about the benefits of THR.

    “The Nigerian health authorities should forge partnerships with media outlets to disseminate accurate information and counteract misinformation regarding THR policies.

    “Strengthen knowledge about THR policies among healthcare professionals through targeted training programs and awareness initiatives.

    “Work on policies and reduce excise duties on risk-reduction products that ensure affordability compared to traditional cigarettes, making them accessible to a broader population.

    “Encourage research and development in THR, supporting innovations and advancements in less harmful alternatives.

    “Collaborate with international organizations and countries successfully implementing THR policies to gain insights and support.

    “Institute robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of THR policies regularly.”

    He implored policymakers to prioritise public health by embracing THR alternatives, raising awareness among the general public, and making these harm-reduction products not only accessible but also affordable.

  • Election 2019: Smoke and mirrors

    The European Union Election Observation Mission, EU EOM, has just released its final report on Nigeria’s 2019 elections. The report has sparked a new wave of criticism against the 2019 elections conducted earlier in the year. Ever since the conclusion of the elections, accusations and counter accusations have been traded among political parties and other major players in the election.

    Criticism has also been directed at the election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. Outside the blame game, the EU EOM report is really an indictment on the entire country, and that includes the officials, politicians, political parties and ordinary Nigerians.

    The re-ignited election controversy has also touched on issues surrounding the existence of a data server run by INEC during the elections. The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate at the elections, Atiku Abubakar, have since filed an action in court challenging the victory of the incumbent and winner of the election, President Muhammadu Buhari.  An important part of the case of Atiku and PDP are the alleged servers that supposedly carry information proving that Atiku, indeed, won the election based on data received from the card readers employed during the election.

    Perhaps, to remove itself from the server controversy, the EU EOM, through its representative, has declared that it is not aware of any server.  This neither confirms the server’s existence nor denies it. The declaration by the external observers may be detrimental to Atiku’s case. But whatever the case may be, the server issue is sucking the energy out of the type of electoral debate we should be having right now. A good place to glean the issues we need to resolve is in the EU EOM report and its 30 recommendations. The server controversy may be restricted to who won or lost between Atiku and Buhari, but the issues highlighted in the report and many of the recommendations, if instituted, can help the country avoid controversies of this type in future elections.

    However, the positives in the report by the EU mission include the observation that parties and candidates were able to campaign and gather freely to do so, thereby contributing to the competitiveness of the election. According to the report, freedom of movement and expression were largely respected in the run up to the election. The report also had it that civil society organisations were also allowed the freedom to contribute to the success of the exercise. One particular observation about INEC was that although it worked in a difficult environment, it was able to make some improvements, such as the simplification of voting procedures.

    Asides the few positive observations that were made, the general import of the report was less than complimentary. The report concluded that there is a need for fundamental electoral reform in the country. Based on its observations, the observers found systemic failings that led to severe operational and transparency shortcomings, electoral security problems and low turnout. The information communication for the election was also faulted. Particularly, state-run radio stations were found to have primarily served the interest of the incumbents in most states.

    Most troubling, as we all saw during the election, were the pockets of violence that occurred in some areas. Also connected to the violence was the intimidation and harassment of journalists, voters and even some observers in certain areas. Security agencies were particularly fingered in the harassment and intimidation that occurred during the election, in line with the complaints of many voters after the election. The report stated that the role of the security agencies became more contentious as the process progressed, with emphasis on the intimidation of INEC officials in 20 states across the country.

    The report contained veiled criticism for the judiciary because of conflicting and late rulings, and for the president on the controversial suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria very close to the elections. Politicians and political parties were similarly criticized for failing to rein-in irate supporters in the electoral skirmishes that sometimes led to violence. Even though INEC invited the EU mission to come to observe the elections, many of the problems were traceable to lapses in its own operations.

    The fear is that that the controversy generated by the report is smouldering in the wrong direction. Already, much attention is being given to the server issue, when the security agencies, courts and prosecutors were indicted in the report. It is not that the server matter is unimportant in the general picture of things, but while it is still a matter of litigation, there is little to be gained in the fixation on that subject. Addressing the wide range of issues confronting the country’s electoral process could be a better use of our time. By discussing those issues, people can force government to begin to respond, instead of throwing accusations about who said what and when for the next two years.

    Expectedly, people in government are “thanking” the EU EOM for putting the server matter to rest. That premature celebration smacks of ignorance and lack of understanding of the principles of law or the seriousness of the allegations made by Atiku and Co. Most of all, it is a point of view that betrays complete misunderstanding of what role external observers play in elections. The report is a learning opportunity that can be beneficial if the recommendations are taken seriously and serious steps put in place to implement them. After all, the observers did not fail to note that, with the exception of a few, recommendations from its 2015 report had largely not been adopted.

    One issue that falls right at the door of President Buhari is the matter of weak electoral laws. Recall that an amendment to the electoral law was pending before the president for his assent before the elections took place.  Many think that passing that bill into law would have minimized the abuse of the process that occurred, including the current controversy about server or no server. Although the president may have had his reasons for refusing to sign the bill, many Nigerians are not entirely sure that those reasons are just. That distrust is symptomatic of the systemic failings observed by the EU observers.

    It is time we take a critical look at our electoral report card and make the necessary changes to ensure that we are on the right track for 2023. We should not deceive ourselves. These problems are there and visible right now. We should not wait to hear the announcement of postponement of elections again in 2023. We have displayed a troubling lack of preparation in majority of the elections that have ever been conducted in this country. Therefore, it is a matter of urgency, for INEC and all that will be involved in the next elections to begin making preparations now by doing the needful.

    In truth, we should not wait for observers from Europe to tell us that our house is not in order. But now that they have, it is smart to take a good look at the observations and recommendations with a view to drawing a plan to adopt or modify some of them to suit our needs. The government in power continually downplays the role of the violence, intimidation and irregularities in the last election. The opposition too magically finds fault only in places where they lost elections, while people cry blue murder concerning results, depending on whether their candidate of choice won or lost. It is all beginning to look like an exercise in smoke and mirrors. We need to do better.

  • ‘Smoke, Bo, something must kill man!’

    The above headline brings to mind the versatility and creative prowess of Nigeria’s best satirist/journalist, Chief Sam Amuka-Pemu, once known by his pen name Sad Sam in his heyday as a star columnist in the defunct Sunday Times, and Kenny Adamson, one of the most imaginative cartoonists this country has ever known.

    The Federal Ministry of Health some 30 years ago began this campaign against cigarette smoking, adverting peoples’ minds to the danger inherent in stuffing the brain with cigarette smoke which the promo said could kill. Yet, it was a fad in the land then, to find boys and girls, men and women smokers swelling their ranks at an alarming rate.

    Lung cancer became a companion of cigarette smokers and that became a big worry for the nation health managers which led to the nation-wide campaign “Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health” on billboards and print and electronics media across the land.

    That message achieved insignificant success and I think it was this realisation that prompted Uncle Sam, (who had just moved from Punch in Ikeja where he was a co-publisher with Chief Olu Aboderin, to found his own breezy Vanguard newspaper at the Canal in Kirikiri) to commission Kenny to draw the cartoon of a man emitting smoke all over his head while I learnt the inimitable newspaper manager himself wrote the caption that went with it, which is the headline above.

    I recall this famous cartoon  and it’s caption when one hears the rate at which our youths, having graduated from ordinary but equally harmful cigarette smoking to consumption of deadly hard drugs, unwittingly kill themselves.

    True, majority of these unemployed youths come from lowly backgrounds but how do we situate the few from affluent homes who are also in the hard drug consumption fad? What could be responsible for all this? Is it not traceable to parents failure to meet their obligations to them, or over-indulgence by some parents who seemingly open their tills for their children to dip into, and live styles of foreign artistes and stars – styles that are not just reckless but alien to our culture ?

    Is government also not culpable with some of their policies that are not too youth-friendly and which must have pushed these impressionable boys and girls to seeking self-help, which inexorably lead them to their ruin? How effective has been government’s effort to block the source of supply of these hard drugs to the country and their patrons?

    The trend that is now alarming, given the recent deaths of children of some prominent people in our society in a row, deserves urgent governmental intervention in active collaboration with parents to see how this trend can be arrested.

    Deliberate and sustained efforts at giving automatic employment to school leavers and graduates must be made by governments at the states and central levels while conducive and easy access to funds be encouraged through fiscal  and monetary policies to little and medium businesses, because it is also evident that recourse to hard drugs is also becoming a pattern among young business people who are either finding it hard to access loans or are finding it equally difficult to repay them.

    Either way, frustration has led many to this well-paved pathway to damnation and death!

  • Labourer gets 12 strokes of cane for smoking

    A Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kaduna, On Thursday ordered that a 23-year-old labourer, Mustapha Jibrin, be given 12 strokes of the cane for smoking at a notorious black spot.

    Jibrin, a resident of Ungwan Sarki in Kaduna, was convicted after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of constituting public nuisance.

    Magistrate Ibrahim Emmanuel passed the sentence after the convict begged the court to temper justice with mercy.

    Emmanuel said the court had indeed tempered justice with mercy because the convict was a first time offender.

    He advised the boy to be of good behavior, and enjoined his guardian, who was present in court, to advice him properly.

    The prosecutor, Inspector Leo Chidi, told the court that the convict was arrested at a black spot at Ungwan Sarki, Kaduna on Nov 5.

    According to Chidi, the convict and his friends had been caught smoking at the spot on many occasions and were warned to stay away from the spot.

    He said that a team of policemen attached to Gabasawa Police Station led by Inspector Abu Mohammed, arrested the convict on Nov. 5 when he failed to adhere to the instruction while his friends escaped.

    He added that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 199 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017.

  • Smoke on Aero flight

    Aero Contractors yesterday reported an in-flight smoke  incident on its flight NG316 from Port-Harcout, enroute Lagos.

    In a statement, its Chief Executive Officer, Capt. Ado Sanusi, said the flight departed Port-Harcourt airport in Rivers State after it was cleared for departure at exactly 1608GMT, enroute Lagos, with 52 adults and one infant on board.

    He said: “At 1645 GMT about 75 Nautical miles to Lagos and cruising at 24,00ft, the cabin crew observed that the cabin was misty. This was reported to the Captain, who promptly announced to passengers accordingly but with firm assurances of safe landing in Lagos, stating that minutes after that announcement, normal descent was initiated into Lagos.”

    While descending, Capt. Sanusi said “a passenger went into the lavatory, after which the lavatory smoke detector alarm came on. The cabin crew again reported this development to the Captain

    They also contacted the air traffic control at exactly 1655GMT, requesting for emergency support services and proceeded to Lagos, which is the airport with the full complement of emergency support.

    The cabin crew, he stated, “ kept reassuring the passengers of their safety and also handed out wet towels to them as a precautionary measure. Aside from that, the Captain also announced to the passengers to be calm since the smoke in question did not present any irritation or discomfort.”

    The aircraft landed safely at 1703 GMT without any incident and the company engineers swung into action with the systems checks, and reported all normal, Sanusi said, adding that even though the incident has been reported to the authorities and preliminary reports suspecting that the smoke was from the baggage compartment.

    He said investigation into the incident is ongoing.

  • Smoke in my eyes…

    Hardball has got smoke in his eyes … and creases on his mind. Or to put it quite correctly, he is misty eyed; his vision has suddenly gotten blurry and he cannot fathom why. Could it be environmental factors? Is the climate change taking off from his sight? Is it the dust of the unforgiving dry season? Perhaps the un-burnt fuels remorselessly emitted as carbon-monoxide on Lagos traffic everyday?

    Or could it be from inside his head? Why does he feel so blear and indeed troubled? There is something miasmic in the atmosphere of his mind. He is assailed by a certain weightlessness which he has no control over. He is not feeling blue, for that would be making light of his state, he feels like a man who wakes up from slumber to find that he is held hostage by aliens in strange place. What could this be? Could one truly have been transported to a strange place by some malevolent hands?

    But alas, the caterpillar scourging the plant is right under its leaves. It’s the polity, dummy. It gets increasingly wearisome, vitiating the body and soul without let. It’s torturing enough that no cheery news has filtered in for a while; it is the lot of Hardball as protagonist and harbinger to bear the weight of all the woe tales encircling the land.

    Consider a few clips from one day’s fare: “We operate patients with lamps, torch lights.” This is the cries of doctors (yes, medical doctors and not herbalists) in one of Nigeria’s upscale medical institutions, the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UITH. The national power grid has been caught in the greed of a new power cabal, thus UITH says it has a generator for each section of its massive operation. This is apart from two huge generators. Imagine the bedlam on a sunny, hot afternoon in semi-arid Ilorin, Kwara State. The noise festival from a dozen generators, the harvest of carcinogenic fumes over a once specialised infirmary … and all this replicated in all such so-called teaching hospitals across the land. Now, Hardball would take liberty and call it some form of gradual hospiticide going on there in the guise of a hospital.

    Let’s consider a few more headlines: “Tenant sets Edo landlord ablaze”. Straight-forward story as Hardball guesses you can guess dear reader. Yes, the blighters of a tenant could not pay rent and he had to put out the landlord before he throws him out. Now they are both out – landlord and tenant. He had vowed to kill the two of us, narrates the wife of the landlord. One would guess the smoky-eyed tenant chose to exercise his prerogative of mercy in the final catastrophic moments.

    And this last headline: “DSS presents ‘dead’ lawmaker”. Following from a rumour that an Ekiti lawmaker in the custody of the Department of State Security had died, the DSS had to parade him if only to prove that the ‘dead’ could be brought back to live.

    The parade turned out to be a good performance on both the part of the lawmaker and the DSS. Don’t ask what a miserable house member is doing in the custody of almighty DSS for so long; just enjoy the drama and shed a tear laughing.

  • Why I never drink, smoke, or womanise – Ebenezer Obey

    Why I never drink, smoke, or womanise – Ebenezer Obey

    eteran Juju music star and the Chief Commander of Juju music himself, popularly known as Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, has explained why he has a squeaky clean image, in spite of being in an industry where wine, women, and drugs are the order of the day.

    According to the Juju music icon, it was because of his mother, although she loved music, was not enamoured of the idea, as she did not want her eldest son involved in the licentious lifestyle of entertainers.

    Speaking to The Nation, he said, “When I realised that my mother was not in support of my passion, even though she was a music lover herself, I asked her why she did not want me involved in music. My mother told me that musicians live a rough lifestyle, drinking, smoking, and womanizing, and she did not want her son involved in such things. Then and there, I made her a promise that I would never do all those things entertainers did. And that was it.”

    Unable to stay away from the stage, in spite of promising his mother that he would. As a result, the music loving mother would hound a young Obey to the venues of youth entertainments events, and drag him home. At some point, she resorted to asking his colleagues to leave her son alone.

    His artistic talent; which found expression in singing and drama  was discovered in Idogo, Ogun State, and saw him first in the church choir and theatre groups, before moving on to community based youth groups.

    Obey later  garnered much acclaim and international renown in the course of his career, starting out in the secular music genre before veering into gospel music in the nineties, and later into full time ministry.

  • Of ministers, assets, smoke and the kitchen

    Following upon last week’s article here about ministers and assets declaration, a reader who feels quite strongly about the matter has weighed in with this piece coming on the heels of the inauguration of the cabinet on Wednesday. His intervention is the main article published below, while the boxed piece (PMB’s cabinet: More pains for Ndigbo) is EXPRESSO’s.

    IT is a well-known fact that corruption is a major factor hindering the development of Nigeria, and unless a ruthless war is waged against it, we shall continue to wallow in the cesspool of poverty and underdevelopment.

    Although the term corruption encompasses many vices, for the purpose of this article which deals with the declaration of assets, we shall limit the term to stealing of public funds and fraudulent acquisition of material property by using one’s exalted public office. This article in the main is in support of PUBLIC declaration of assets by Buhari’s ministers as espoused by one of The Nation newspaper’s most forthright and incisive columnists – Steve Osuji in his column of Friday, November 6, under the title Ministers: Of baron politicians and assets declaration. Corruption in the form of looting of public treasury by public office holders is so endemic and adamantine that unless and until corruption and thieving public office holders are ruthlessly dealt with, there is certainly no hope of salvaging this country for the present generation of Nigerians, let alone for future ones. No matter how good development projects are on paper, unless there are transparently honest public officers to execute such laudable programmes, funds meant for such projects would ultimately be stolen.

    It is a globally received wisdom that corruption has almost grown to the status of a state policy in Nigeria, especially in the recent past. Therefore no method – no matter how seemingly unorthodox – should be spared in waging a relentless war against this cancerous monster – corruption – which will inexorably lead to the demise of this country if left unchecked in its destructive path of festering metastasis.

    Ministers and similar public office holders should declare their assets PUBLICLY. Yes, the constitution may not expressly say assets should be declared publicly. However, a constitutional requirement is often the irreducible minimum. What parents would advise their children to strive for minimum cut-off point of 200 in UTME for university admission? Of course, 200 is the irreducible minimum which we all know is almost certainly not good enough for admission into most universities. Similarly, our public office holders should not be content with just the irreducible minimum moral requirement, but should aim at several notches above the  minimum requirement. That is precisely is the wisdom in what President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have done. The ministers, if they are truly on the same page with the president and vice president in the fight against corruption, should also move several notches above the irreducible minimum in the scale of morality by declaring their assets PUBLICLY, if indeed they have nothing to hide. Any minister who can stand to account for every kobo in his or her current assets, or is not planning anticipatory acquisition of assets during his or her ministerial tenure, should have no problem whatsoever in declaring his or her assets PUBLICLY NOW.

    It is against the background of the current indescribable and unexampled level of corruption that the call for public officers to declare their assets PUBLICLY, ought to be seen as a welcome policy. Such declaration of assets should be published BEFORE the assumption and at the EXPIRATION of the tenure of public office holders.

    All potential appointees for public offices must be required to declare their assets publicly. Any potential appointees who are opposed to their assets being published publicly should be dropped even before their names are submitted to the security agencies for clearance. Public declaration of assets by political appointees is an effective deterrent against corrupt or corrupt-minded individuals seeking public offices. As has been noted, public declaration of assets should be before the commencement and at the end of the tenure of political appointees. The reason for declaring their assets publicly TWICE is to enable the citizens whom they earlier swore to serve selflessly and honestly to assess their stewardship by comparing their assets at the end of their tenure with what they were at the commencement.

    It should be emphasised that all public declaration of assets before the commencement and at the expiration of a public assignment should include assets owned by the wife or wives as well as the children of the public office appointees, provided such children are either still in their minority or existentially dependent on such political office appointees. These measures should not be considered too stringent because there is a level at which the life of a public officer can no longer be considered private. In any case, anyone who considers these measures too intrusive of his or her privacy could simply decline to serve; public office is neither a birthright nor military assignment. Is it not said that he who cannot stand the smoke must never venture into the kitchen?

    Since CHANGE is the ideological battle cry of the APC and ‘difference’ is inherently embedded in CHANGE, the newly sworn-in ministers should set this ‘difference’ in motion. How? By declaring their assets PUBLICLY for a change, thereby raising the standard of public morality beyond the irreducible minimum standard of declaring their assets privately before the Code of Conduct Bureau. Nigeria now needs leaders not of middling moral quotient, but leaders who are prepared to exceed minimum moral requirements.

    I strongly recommend that a clause be inserted in the constitution, making public declaration of assets a sine qua non for appointments into public offices such as president, vice president, governors, deputy governors, cabinet positions (ministers, SGF, chief of staff, etc), INEC chairman, state commissioners, headship of NNPC, Customs and such other positions that may be deemed sensitive and susceptible to looting of public treasury. Such a clause in the constitution should not only be devoid of encryption in legal obfuscation, but be simple, decipherable and idiot – proof without any ambiguity or equivocation.

    In conclusion, may I humbly but resolutely advise the ministers to choose the path of rectitude, follow the example of President Buhari by declaring their assets PUBLICLY, thereby heralding the birth of a new national ethos of public morality. God bless Nigeria.

     UGBEBOR, a consulting engineer, contributes this piece from Ibadan.

     

  • Smoke in public, go to jail

    Smoke in public, go to jail

    Cigarette smokers in Ekiti State are in for hard times, with the inauguration of a committee to enforce the law against smoking in public places. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.

    •Ekiti goes tough on smokers

     

    The noose of the law has been tightened on cigarette smokers in Ekiti State with the inauguration of Ekiti State Smoke-Free Law Enforcement Committee.

    A three-month prison sentence awaits anyone caught smoking in public places as the war against illegal use of tobacco gathers steam in the Fountain of Knowledge.

    Security agencies like the Police, Civil Defence Corps, Environmental Health Officers have been empowered by law to arrest culprits and ensure that they are brought to justice.

    The law established the fact that offences shall be summarily tried.

    The move was aimed at giving legal teeth to the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Law passed by the House of Assembly on 26th September, 2012 and assented to by the former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on 31st December, 2012.

    The enforcement committee which has members drawn from government, non-governmental organizations, security agencies and private sectors has since swung into action to ensure arrest and prosecution of offenders.

    The advocacy was driven by a non-governmental organization based in Ado-Ekiti, the New Initiative for Social Development (NISD), which was established in 1998 and driven by a commitment and vision of a peaceful world where all people have equal rights and opportunities.

    NISD has over the years collaborated with various development partners in its core themes of Violence Against Women, Good Governance, Child Development, Health and Sanitation, Capacity Building, Provision of Free Legal Services to Women, Budget Monitoring and Provision of Qualitative Care and Support Services for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, among others.

    The organization had in July 2013 in partnership with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) embarked on a project to strengthen implementation and enforcement of Ekiti State Law on Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places and mobilizing support for the passage of the National Tobacco Control Bill.

    These were borne out of its concern on the deadly effects of smoking in public places and the fact that tobacco use is a major preventable cause of premature death and disease presently causing nearly 6 million deaths globally each year.

    The concern was further raised by the discovery of the fact that tobacco is expected to cause 8 million deaths annually by 2030 with 80 per cent of these premature deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries.

    Statistics also revealed that 600,000 people die globally each year from the effects of Second-hand Smoke (SHS) which is the tobacco smoke that is inhaled involuntarily and passively by someone who is not smoking.

    Non-smokers exposed to SHS exposed have a 25-30 per cent higher risk of coronary heart disease than do non-smokers who are not exposed to SHS.

    It is believed that exposure to SHS occurs mainly in work places, homes, public places and private vehicles.

    According to the results of the first Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) released on 11th July, 2013, 2.7 million Nigerians were exposed to SHS in public places; 5.2 million at home; 36 per cent of adults when visiting cafes/coffee shops and tea houses and 8 in 10 adults were exposed when visiting restaurants.

    Also, 16.7 per cent of adults were exposed to SHS when visiting government buildings, 9.4 per cent using public transportation and 5.3 per cent when visiting healthcare facilities.

    It is against this backdrop that the fight against smoking in public places is being stepped up in Ekiti State to protect public health and prevent deaths of smokers and non-smokers alike.

    Delivering his address at the occasion, the Executive Director of NISD, Mr. Abiodun Oyeleye, explained that the tobacco epidemic has adverse impact on public health of developing countries including Nigeria.

    He said: “Tobacco use is a major cause of premature death and disability, mostly affecting our economically-productive population in both urban and rural communities.

    “In Nigeria, tobacco use will soon surpass all other risk factors combined as major etiological agents of premature death and disability unless strong policies are put in place to dissuade from starting its use, while encouraging users to quit.

    Smokers croped“Tobacco fumes inhaled by non-smokers wreak more havoc on the human system than an active smoker.

    “The fumes alone contain at least over 7,000 chemicals of which at least 69 of them are toxic such as carbon monoxide, arsenic, polonium, butane, benzene, acetone, ammonia, methane, and so on.

    “Even brief exposure to tobacco fumes is harmful. Just 30 minutes of exposure increases the risk of heart disease. Exposure in persons with asthma can trigger a life- threatening event.”

    He explained that awareness has been created among various stakeholders such as religious and political leaders, hoteliers associations, drivers’ unions, youths, women, senior government officials, ministries, departments and agencies.

    According to Section 3 of the Law, public places where smoking is now prohibited in Ekiti State include any part of an enclosed or partially enclosed public places or workplace, a government school or a registered independent school, facilities where health care services are provided; sports, athletics or recreational facilities, state government buildings and any other places prescribed by the government of Nigeria, and there shall be no access to tobacco products within the 500 meters radius of such facilities.

    Also included  are offices and workplaces including corridors, lounges, eating areas, reception areas, lifts, escalators, foyers, stairways, toilets, sundries, court buildings, factories, cinema halls, theatres, video houses, such other halls or places of performance, discotheques, or any other entertainment facilities during which it is open to the public.

    Others are hospitals, clinics and other health institutions, restaurants, hotels, bars of eating places, children homes, residential houses and such other premises where children are cared for, places of worship, prisons, police stations and cells, airports, airfields and aircrafts, passengers’ ships, commuter boats, trains, passengers’ vehicles, ferries, railway stations, ports, motor parks, public transport terminals and all kinds of public transportation.

    Smoking is also outlawed in educational facilities, libraries and schools, markets, shopping malls, retail and wholesale establishments, amusement oars, stadia, sports and recreational facilities, public buildings and gardens, private vehicles with non-smoking occupants or persons below the age of eighteen.

    Punishment for contravention of the Law is found in Section 6 with any person who contravenes any of the provisions of the Law other than Section 3 liable on conviction to a fine of ten thousand Naira (N10,000.00) or to an imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or both.

    A fine of twenty five thousand Naira (N25,000.00) or to an imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or both awaits any offender who contravenes any of the provision of Section 3 of the Law.

    The Law further prescribes a punishment of N250,000.00 for the violation of sub-section (1) or (2) stated above if it be a corporate offender.

    The inauguration of Ekiti State Smoke-Free Enforcement Committee was performed on behalf of the state government by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Dr. Bolanle Fakunle.

    Dr. Fakunle, who is a medical practitioner is the Chairperson of the Committee saddled with the arduous task of putting a stop to smoking in public places in the state.

    Members of the Committee are Mr. Lawrence Ojo, Permanent Secretary/Solicitor General, Ministry of Justice; Mr. P.A. Bankole of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mr. M.T.Olowolafe, president of the Environmental Task Force in all the 16 Local Government Areas and Mrs. O.O. Kayode Ojo, Director of Administration and Supply, Ministry of Environment.

    The rest are Mr. Kunle Olofintuyi of the National Orientation Agency, Mr. Taiwo Omoniyi of Ekiti State Hoteliers Association, Mr. Tope Babalola of the Ministry of Information, Youth and Sports, Mr. Tunde Balogun, the Director of Environmental Health and Sanitation, Mr. Oyeleye of NISD and representative of the Ekiti State Police Command.

    Delivering her keynote address, Dr. Fakunle said her ministry and NISD are collaborating with relevant MDAs and organizations to ensure compliance with the law.

    She restated the commitment of the state government to ensure that the law is complied with to guarantee a safer environment and promote public health.

    Dr. Fakunle said: “The harmful effect of smoking extends far beyond the smoker to second-hand smoke.

    “Non-smokers are exposed to second-hand smoke at work or in other public places thereby increasing their risk of developing heart disease by 25-30 per cent and lung cancer by 20-30 per cent.

    “Also second-hand smoke causes health problems in both adults and children such as coughing, overproduction of phlegm, reduce lung function and respiratory infection including pneumonia and bronchitis.

    “The passage of the law on prohibition of smoking in public places in Ekiti State is not actually directed at stopping people from cigarette smoking but to prevent people from smoking cigarettes in public places because of the detrimental effects on non-smokers’ health.

    “Participants are to note that smoking of cigarettes in some parts of the world is done in designated places.

    “It is imperative to note that Ekiti State is committed to protecting and ensuring quality environment, which is adequate for good health and well-being for present and future generations.

    “I therefore seize this medium to encourage the committee members to see the task before them as a crucial assignment that must be handled with serious dedication towards achieving the desired goal.”

    With the anti-smoking law in public places enforcement committee in place, smokers in Ekiti State are now expected to restrict the act indoors to avoid going to jail.

    Smokers who are in transit in Ekiti State should also take note because to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

  • Alleged N6b CAN scandal: There’s no smoke without smoke, says Bishop

    Bishop of Anglican Communion, Kaduna Diocese, Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon, has said the Christians clerics, who partook in the sharing of the N6 billion allegedly given to the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) by President Goodluck Jonathan, to canvass vote for him, should confess to God and the Christian community.

    The cleric said this was because “there is no smoke without fire, and I thank God the allegation is not against the Anglican Church.”

    Addressing reporters yesterday after the service of collation of archdeacons of the diocese, the Bishop said there was nothing wrong with an offender to confess after committing an offence to enable God forgive him or her.

    He alleged that President Jonathan was surrounded by bad advisers, who were only being hypocritical without telling the President the truth about the progress or retrogress of the country.

    Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi recently alleged that President  Jonathan gave pastors across the country N6billion to vote against the standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, in the presidential election.

    Amaechi’s allegation caused  an uproar among the  clerics, with the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) and the Northern State Christian Elders Forum (NOSCEF) asking the governor to name the church leaders, who collected the N6billion.

    Bishop Idowu-Fearon said: “If you accuse me of  sleeping with your wife,  and it is true, I should be able to confess to God first before confessing to human beings. So those who collected the money should confess to God and the Christian community.

    “But if it is not true, I should ask God to forgive you. It is good to be humble and ask God for forgiveness whenever you go wrong.”

    He urged the congregation to vote for the right candidate during the elections, saying: “If you vote for a wrong candidate, you have committed a sin.”