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The leadership of the House of Representatives should
ensure an accelerated passage of the National Tobacco Control Bill as
passed by the Senate, anti-tobacco group, the Environmental Rights
Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), said to journalists
yesterday in Lagos.

The National Tobacco Control Bill was passed by the
Senate on March 15 this year, and it is currently awaiting a concurrent
passage by the House of Representatives and a presidential assent
before it becomes law.

“We are strongly in support of the concurrent passage
of the bill as passed by the Senate because it conforms to the
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and meets most international
standards and obligations regarding tobacco control,” said Akinbode
Oluwafemi, a director at ERA/FoEN.

“The bill is a veritable tool that will help Nigeria
to fight a deadly addiction, thereby protecting many lives and saving
costs of medicare.”

Speedy passage

The National Tobacco Control Bill, sponsored by
Olorunnimbe Mamora, a senator representing Lagos East constituency, was
first introduced to the Senate in 2008. After undergoing a second
reading in February 2009, a public hearing was held five months later.

Mr Oluwafemi appealed to the principal officers of
the House of Representatives to ensure that the tobacco bill is passed
this week, so it could be listed as “one of the dividends of
democracy.”

“The Senate has led the way,” continued Mr Oluwafemi.
“We hereby call on the House of Representatives to ensure a quick
passage of the bill as delay may be dangerous.”

The bill stipulates a fine of not less than N200 and
not exceeding N1,000 or imprisonment to a term of not less than one
month and not exceeding two years for any person who smokes tobacco
contrary to the provisions of the Act.

“We are very optimistic that for the first time, we
have a comprehensive bill that is taking enforcement very seriously,”
said Mr Oluwafemi.

“But beyond that, tobacco control is actually
citizen-enforced – the number one thing is to have the law, once we
have the law and the law states that smoking is prohibited in public
places… we can draw the attention of law enforcement agents to it.”

On the implication of the failure of the House to
pass the bill, Mr Oluwafemi noted that it would amount to “a waste of
energy and resources.”

“If it is not done, all the efforts, all the energy, all the
resources that have been committed both by the Senate and everybody is
going to go back to the start again and I think that is not the new
Nigeria we are all thinking about,” said Mr Oluwafemi, who also
expressed faith in the ability of the House to pass the bill. “If they
fail to do that, it’s going to be a colossal waste to the nation in
terms of resources. Of course, every day counts because lives are
lost.” </