Reps to engage Jonathan over unsigned bills on resumption

Emeka Ihedioha, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives

The leadership of the House of Representatives on Wednesday unveiled plans to engage President Goodluck Jonathan on the need to assent to pending bills passed by the National Assembly.

The unsigned bills have over the past four months caused sour relations between the executive and the legislature. The lawmakers have threatened to invoke relevant sections of the constitution to veto the president on resumption.

Some of the bills not assented to are National Assembly Service Bill 2011; Harmonised Retirement Age of Professors of Tertiary Institutions Bill, 2011; Chartered Institute of Capital Registrars Bill 2011; Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Nigeria Bill 2001; Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology Bill, 2011; Personal Income Tax (Amendment) Bill 2011; Discrimination against Persons Living with HIV and AIDS (Prohibition) Act 2011; National Bio-safety Management Agency Bill 2011; National Agriculture Seed Council Bill 2011; Federal Capital Territory Appropriation Bill 2011; State of the Nation Address Bill 2011.

Others include River Basins Development Authorities (Amendment) Bill 2011; Nigerian Integrated Water Resources Management Commission (Establishment) Bill 2011; Federal Capital Territory Water Board Bill, 2011; Air Force Institute of Technology of Nigeria Bill 2011 and National Tobacco (Control) Bill 2011.

Emeka Ihedioha, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, gave the assurance while addressing the executives of the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology led by John Onuorah. They solicited the intervention of the House on the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology Bill 2011 passed on June 1, 2011.

Ihedioha, who allayed fears over the annulment of the bills passed by the National Assembly, said “the National Assembly has done its responsibility. We are on recess, so when we reconvene we will find out the status of this bill and take it from there.
“Obviously, the import of the Nigerian Council of Food and Technology bill cannot be over emphasised and as our elders have enumerated, the necessity for this bill to become law is obviously to address some of our challenges today in the country, particularly wealth creation and job creation which is very key and fundamental to our national stability.”

“We will look at it and I’m sure when we look at it, we will get back to you and if there is any other lobby that we need, we would do it, we want to engage the executive appropriately to ensure that if there are any misunderstanding with regards to the status of this bill, we will try and provide the necessary explanation by facilitating it.”

Speaking earlier, Onuorah explained that the executive bill when signed into law would regulate the training and practice of the profession of food science and technology.

He noted that the bill enjoyed overwhelming support during the debate on the floor of the House and Senate as well as various stakeholders from   NAFDAC, SON, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Association of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN), the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), many universities and polytechnics, the National Planning Commission, among others, during the public hearing.

He said, “It is important for the president to give assent to this executive bill for the following reasons: the issues of food safety and food security have become too complex and complicated for the untrained and therefore require professional skills for proper management.”

Apart from classical issues of food hygiene and sanitation, there is the increasing global concern on the impact of additives, veterinary drug residues, pesticides and other agrochemicals, microbial mutations and radiation contamination on food safety. There are frequent national and global alerts on threats to the food supply chain to the extent that several deaths are recorded periodically on account of accidental and/or deliberate contamination of food. Therefore, we require well trained food professionals to mitigate these problems.

“There is need to properly regulate the practice of the profession that deals with the post-harvest issues of food in the same manner as the practice of pharmacy is regulated for drugs. In this way, an agency like NAFDAC that uses professional pharmacists to regulate drug products will also use professional food scientists and technologists to regulate food products.”

SOURCE

Multi-billion naira tobacco industry comes under fire

With 20 billion sticks of cigarette valued at N200bn being consumed annually in Nigeria, the tobacco industry is sure a money spinner. However, this may not be for long as anti-tobacco groups mount pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the National Tobacco Control Bill into law. ADEDEJI ADEMIGBUJI reports. 

The tobacco industry has been described as one of the most profitable in the world. According to a global industry analyst, Euromonitor International, the global cigarette market is valued at $611bn. To market their products, tobacco companies use their enormous wealth and influence both locally, regionally and globally to protect their investment. A stakeholder’s report made available to National Mirror by the British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN), affirmed that BAT is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco group by market share with brands sold in more the 180 markets, and sales estimated at 708 billion cigarettes globally in 2010. This enormous output according to Euromonitor International is estimated to translate into a gross turnover of 4.84 billion euros for the tobacco giant in 2010. However, the tobacco company’s revenues may come under pressure in Nigeria if President Goodluck Jonathan bows to pressure to sign the National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB), which has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. With increasing litigations against cigarette manufacturers, the bill is expected to enforce compliance with the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which Nigeria is a signatory to.

The bill was drafted by the former Minister of Health, Late Prof. Olikoye Ransome-Kuti.

Senator Olorunimbe Mamora later sponsored and presented the bill to the Senate in 2008. It passed the second reading in February 2009 and a Public Hearing was conducted on it on July 20 and 21, 2009.

According to The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) shadow report, “After manipulations by BATN to stop the presentation of the bill to the Senate, the Senate Committee on Health eventually sent the bill back to the plenary in January 2011 and it was eventually passed into law on March 15, 2011.

The House of Representatives also passed the Senate version of the bill on May 31, 2011.

Some of the provisions in the bill are consistent with the key provisions of the FCTC and when the bill is eventually signed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, it would have successfully domesticated the FCTC in Nigeria.”

The bills when signed into law will punish anyone who promotes, advertises or smoke cigarette in public places among others.

Promotion of tobacco in bars will also attract huge punishment, such as imprisonment with an option of fine. Nigeria is part of the over 40 African countries that have signed the FCTC which forms a basis for NTCB.

As a result, antitobacco advocates insist that the country is obligated to adopt and implement effective legislation aimed at reducing tobacco use and tobacco smoke exposure.

The threat to tobacco industry came as a result of the rate at which consumption pattern continues to increase with the attendant health risks associated with smokers even though the revenues continue to sky rocket, and the industry continues to boom.

With the number of smoker declining in developed countries in the past two decades due to increased awareness about the dangers of smoking and stricter tobacco control measures including high-taxes on tobacco products, big tobacco multinationals have since turned their attention to Asia and Africa with high populations and lax tobacco control measures.

According to a document titled Tobacco Industry Profile – Africa Intended Uses of Report, made available to National Mirror “BAT’s regional structure was reorganised in January 2011 to increase efficiency across the company.

The regional restructuring merged the Africa and Middle East region with Eastern Europe markets.

Currently, BAT’s African operations are organised into four different areas.” One of the regional structures, includes Nigeria.

“West Africa area includes Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Cameroon, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mauritania and Sierra Leone.

Nigeria is the major operational centre for the area with two factories in Ibadan and Zaria and area offices in Lagos,” stated the report adding that, “in 2011, the region accounted for seven per cent of global cigarette sales by volume.

The number of cigarettes sold in …Africa has increased by six per cent over the past five years, from 384 billion cigarettes in 2007 to 408 billion sticks in 2011.”

The report stated further that, “in Sub- Saharan Africa, overall cigarette volume has remained level and only increased by 0.3 per cent in the last five years.

However, at least 26 countries in the region experienced a five per cent or more increase in cigarette volume over the last five years.

The top cigarette consuming countries are South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, consuming 47 per cent of the region’s cigarette retail volume in 2011.”

In order to meet regional demand, BATN invested $70m in the Ibadan factory in addition to the earlier $150m investment which was as stated in the Park Lane MoU to generate Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the country, generating thousands of direct and indirect employment in addition to paying taxes to the Nigerian government.

The actual growth of tobacco industry was 5.4 per cent between 2007 and 2011 while it is expected to rise to 6.2 per cent between 2011 and 2016.

National Mirror gathered that Nigeria produced 15.4 billion cigarettes in 2010 and imported 5.3 billion. An estimated 0.1 billion was exported while 20.3 billion was consumed locally.

The Executive Director of ERA, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi calculated while speaking with National Mirror that with the 20.3 billion pieces of cigarette consumed at an average price of N10 per stick, the total industry revenue stood at N200bn in 2010.

Beyond Nigeria, market analysts anticipate that a shift in demographics will continue to contribute to the overall smoking population increase in Africa.

By 2016, Euromonitor International predicts that there will be 91 million more adults in the region and that cigarette sales will grow by 11 per cent over the next five years.

Meanwhile, multinational companies like BAT, Philip Morris International (PMI), Japan Tobacco International (JTI) and Imperial Tobacco Group (Imperial Tobacco) are increasing their dominance within Africa.

These four multinational companies increased their market share in the Middle East and Africa region by over 100 per cent in the last 10 years -- from 31 per cent in 2002 to 64 per cent in 2011. In 2006, African countries consumed an estimated 250 billion cigarettes, accounting for approximately four per cent of the total cigarettes consumed globally that year.

It was also revealed that Africa has a number of regional free trade blocs aimed at increasing economic development between members According to reports, the top cigarette consuming countries are South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, consuming 47 per cent of the region’s cigarette retail volume in 2011.

But if the bill is finally signed into law, the tobacco firms, especially BATN, which is a major investor in the industry, is expected to lose its huge revenue and investment but this is not a certainty.

Apart from BATN who dominates the market, JTI, (JTA) investment will also be threatened. JTI is the fourth largest tobacco company in the world and controls 10 percent of the global cigarette market.

It is the fifth largest in Africa and the Middle East in terms of retail sales volume. JTI sells cigarettes in 20 different African countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Algeria and Morocco and is actively expanding its presence in Africa through acquisitions. BATN has devised many strategies to foster a working relationship with host communities’ ad stakeholders through partnership and lobby.

The firm invested heavily on Corporate Sustainability Projects through the BATN Foundation.

Established 10 years ago, the Managing Director of BATN, Mrs. Beverley Spencer-Obatoyinbo, said in a statement to National Mirror, “The BATNF supports agricultural development and the reduction of poverty in Nigeria by providing sustainable means for communities to be self-reliant.”

But Akinbode believed otherwise. He said the Corporate Social Responsibility spree by the tobacco firm was a mere cajole and trick to kill more Nigerians with tobacco products.

As President Jonathan continues to delay the signing of the bill into law, the founder of ERA/FoEN, Mr. Nnimmo Bassey said, “After the overwhelming support the bill received in the Senate and House of Representatives, it is sad that till date, it has not been signed by the president.

The intervention of the health minister is a singular action that generations of Nigerians will not forget.

Giving Nigerians this gift as we mark the 2012 World No Tobacco Day will be remarkable,” But an industry source told National Mirror that the delay in signing the bill into law is not unconnected with the effects such move would have on the nation’s GDP.

With the huge revenue the tobacco industry is contributing to the national product output, the source maintained that the president’s is taking his time to consider so many factors before he would sign the bill such that the articulation of FDI policy would not be undermined.

National Mirror further gathered from a BATN source that if eventually the bill is signed, the tobacco giant would look for other options to boost its sales in a way that will not violate the provisions of the bill.

But he added that the firm is committed to ensuring the development of the communities where it operates.

BATN said it embarks on continual sustainable agricultural development that entrenches modern farming techniques among farmers.

SOURCE

Anti-tobacco groups task media on control bill

ANTI-TOBACCO campaign groups have urged the Nigerian media to intensify efforts at ensuring that the National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB) becomes law and promote public health in the country.
The campaign group under the aegis of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) and Environmental Right Activists/ Friend of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) noted that the media had a duty to hold public officials accountable to the health of Nigerians and expose the rising incidence of “tobacco-related diseases, disabilities and deaths.”
The international advocacy group, CTFK, expressed concern that despite the central role that Nigeria occupies in the tobacco-control campaign in Africa, several “profit-based forces” had prevailed against the passage of the NTCB into law.
Director of CTFK programmes in Africa, Joshua Kyallo said in Lagos at a roundtable meeting with the media that tobacco-related sickness was already an epidemic around the world and six million people die from tobacco-related diseases yearly.
“In the couple of years to come, eight million people will die every year from these tobacco-related diseases. Eighty per cent of these will come from the less developed economies; most of them possibly from Africa,” he said.
Noting that there are other continents where tobacco-related illnesses are much higher than is the case in Africa, Kyallo therefore said that Africa has one unique opportunity on epidemic prevention.
His words: “We have an opportunity to act now and prevent it from becoming an epidemic. Our fear is if this becomes another epidemic we do not have the resources for all the work we have to do to deal with it.
“We see the passage of the NTCB will make a huge difference to the lives and the economy of this country and Nigeria can become a real model in Africa in tobacco-control and we are hoping that all of us can act together.”
The activist said further that it was rather disappointing that very few of the 41 African countries (Nigeria inclusive) that were signatory to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2004 had till date not domesticated its provisions.
He stressed that it was, however, imperative for all, especially the media, to come together on awareness creation among the populace, on the harmful nature of tobacco use.

By GUARDIAN

In Lagos: Smoking Drivers To Pay N20,000

By the time Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State, finally signs into law the new bill that will repeal and re-enact the road traffic law and make provisions for road traffic and vehicle inspection in the state, motorists and commercial motorcyclists, popularly called “Okada” including bullion van drivers, might be in for a very tough time with law enforcement agencies in the state.

The Lagos State House of Assembly, last Thursday, July 12, passed the bill , ready for Fashola’s assent.

The bill which emanated from the executive arm, is aimed at regulating vehicular movement and to impose strict sanctions and enforcement on any erring vehicle operator in the state.

1.Riding a motor-cycle against traffic
2. Riding on the kerb, median or road setbacks
(Penalty) 1st time offender –  N20,000.00 subsequent offender N30,000.00 or the riders motor-cycle will be impounded
3.One way driving
(Penalty) 3year jail term after psychiatric  examination
4. Smoking while driving
(Penalty) N20,000.00 fine ( Any driver in Lagos State caught smoking while driving will now be made to pay N20,000 as fine in the new traffic law recently passed by the state House of Assembly.)
5. Failure to give way to traffic on the left at a roundabout

(Penalty) N20,000.00 fine

6. Disobeying traffic control
(Penalty) N20,000.00
7.Violation of route by commercial   vehicles
(Penalty) N20,000.00 fine.
8. Riding motor-cycle without crash helmet for rider and passenger
(Penalty) N20,000: 00 or 3years imprisonment or both.
9. Under aged person, under 18yrs old  riding a motorcycle
(Penalty) N20,000.00.
10. Driving without valid driver’s license.
(Penalty) Vehicle to be impounded.
11. Learner driver without permit
(Penalty) N20,000.00
12. driving with fake number plate
(Penalty) 1st offender N20,000.00 and 6 month  imprisonment or both.

Stakeholders’ react

ACCORDING to Nurudeen Owodunni, a motorist; “for me, I support the decision of the state government. This is because Nigerians especially motorists need laws like this to abide by the traffic law of the state. The havoc created by one way driving is more than the benefit that it may bring to those engaging in it.

It causes accidents and it is the genesis of traffic in Lagos state. But the aspect of the law that states jail term for anyone who drives against traffic is cruel. If the government is bent on going ahead with the law, they should also not spare officers of the Nigerian Army, police and other security agencies in the state.

Mr. Gbenga Adebayo “For me it is good because it will bring sanity to Lagos roads. They should arrest and impound any vehicles caught driving against the traffic in the state.

A commercial driver, Mr. Samuel Anthony, “the government should not think of introducing such law because those who drive against the traffic do not do it out of proportion but because they are frustrated with the level of traffic in the state caused by bad roads.

Whenever it rains in Lagos, larger percent of roads in the state will not be motor able. Before the rain, some of these roads are in poor condition. And when it rains, the some sections of the road are totally out of use because it is either water-logged or damaged by the flood.

Mr. Ishaq Jato, “Before the law can be effective, there is need for the government to provide certain things. First, the state government needs to revitalise the water and rail transport system to serve as alternative means of transportation in the state.

Mr Andrew Oke, an Okada rider, said: “Lagos state is looking for a way to ban us the Okada that is why they are coming out with this stringent law. It is unnecessary and anti people. If a ban is placed on Okada operation, movement within the congested city of Lagos will be hampered while many will be thrown into unemployment market. We are not armed robbers. After all, many of the Okada riders are unemployed graduates.”

     SOURCE 1
     SOURCE 2

‘Tobacco will kill one billion people this century’

Director, Africa Programs of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CFTK), Mr. Joshua Kyallo, has disclosed that no fewer than than one billion people will be killed globally by tobacco in the 21st century. 

Kyallo stated this in Lagos at the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) media chat. 

He said Tobacco use was the number one cause of preventable deaths around the world and that it killed 100 million people worldwide in the 20th century. 

According to Kyallo, “every year, tobacco kills more than five million people worldwide and majority started smoking as children. If current trends continue, it will kill one billion people in the 21st century. The tobacco industry’s insidious and even illegal practices are directly responsible for this evil. 

“The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is a leading force in the fight to reduce tobacco use and its deadly toll around the world. We advocate public policies proven to prevent kids from smoking, help smokers quit and protect everyone from second-hand smoke. 

“The fight has being brought to Africa and Nigeria. Factually, all our development sector ranging from health, economy to education is suffering here in Africa but now we have the opportunity to support the tobacco control bill in Nigeria and rescue our future.” 

Kyallo urged President Goodluck Jonathan “to assent to the Tobacco Control Bill that has been lying on his desk since last year.” 

He added: “Truly, they argue that the tobacco industry provides employment but this is not a sufficient point for the industry not to be regulated because Tobacco kills, causes diseases and disabilities.” 

SOURCE

Tobacco smoke exposes children to chronic respiratory diseases – Study

As the World Health Organisation celebrates the World No Tobacco Day, MAUREEN AZUH examines a study that focuses on the hazards of exposing children to tobacco smoke

 On Thursday, May 31, the World Health Organisation celebrated the World No Tobacco Day with the theme ‘Tobacco Industry Interference’. The campaign focused on the need to expose and counter the perceived tobacco industry’s attempt to undermine WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control — WHO FCTC — because of the danger they pose to public health.

According to reports by WHO, tobacco use is one of the leading preventable causes of death. The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly six million people yearly, of which more than 600,000 are people exposed to second-hand smoke. The reports indicate that unless a drastic action is taken, it will kill up to eight million people by 2030 and 40 million people — who also suffer from tuberculosis — by 2020 of which more than 80 per cent  will live in low- and middle-income countries.

But beyond WHO’s report and campaign, researchers in their bid to find a lasting solution to tobacco-related diseases say children exposed to tobacco smoke may face long-term respiratory problems. In a report by the American Thoracic Society, published online on May 20, 2012,  it was found that there are potential health risks associated with exposure to environmental tobacco smoke – ETS – especially among children whose parents smoke.

The study conducted by researchers from the University of Arizona, US indicates that the health risks persist beyond childhood, and are independent of whether or not the individuals involved end up becoming smokers in life.  The researchers posit that exposure to parental smoking increases the risk of the persistence of respiratory symptoms from childhood into adulthood independent of personal smoking.

Research specialist at the university, Juliana Pugmire, says “persistent respiratory illness in childhood and young adulthood could indicate an increased risk of chronic respiratory illness and lung function deficits in later life.”

Pugmire notes that earlier studies established a link between parental smoking and childhood respiratory illness, but the current one seeks to demonstrate whether these effects persist into adulthood.

 “A handful of studies examined whether children exposed to parental smoking had asthma that developed or persisted in adulthood but most did not find an association. We examined asthma as well as other respiratory symptoms and found that exposure to parental smoking had the strongest association with cough and chronic cough that persisted into adult life. Exposure to parental smoking also had effects, although weaker, on persistent wheezing and asthma in adulthood,” she says.

The researchers drew data from the Tucson Epidemiological Study of Airway Obstructive Disease, a large, population-based, prospective study initiated in 1972 that enrolled 3,805 individuals from 1,655 households in the Tucson area,  in an effort to assess prevalence rates and risk factors of respiratory and other chronic diseases.

Participants were asked to complete questionnaires that were issued every two years until 1996. But for the present study, the researchers used data from 371 individuals who were enrolled in the TESAOD as children.

Pugmire and her colleagues looked at the reported prevalence of active asthma, wheeze, cough and chronic cough, which was defined as a persistent cough that had occurred for three consecutive months. They divided the data into four categories: never, which included individuals who had not reported that symptom during childhood or adulthood; incident, which included individuals who had never reported the symptom in childhood, but had reported at least one incident in adulthood; remittent, including participants who reported at least one incident in childhood and none in adulthood; and persistent, which included individuals who had at least one report of a symptom during both childhood and adulthood.

With the data, the researchers determined that 52.3 per cent of children included in the current study were exposed to ETS between birth and 15 years. After adjustments for sex, age, years of follow-up and personal smoking status, the researchers found that ETS exposure in childhood was significantly associated with several persistent respiratory symptoms, including persistent wheeze, cough and chronic cough.

Pugmire states that persistent wheezing from childhood into adult life has been shown to be associated with lung function deficits. Chronic bronchitis – defined as chronic cough and phlegm – is a significant risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease development later in life.

“The persistence of symptoms like chronic cough and wheeze into young adulthood may indicate a susceptibility to lung function deficits and chronic respiratory illness with age,” she adds.

Perhaps in a likely search for a lasting solution to the menace of tobacco smoking, yet another study says anti-Tobacco television adverts may help adults to stop smoking. The study published in the online journal, American Journal of Public Health, in April, finds that though some adverts may be more effective than others, all anti-tobacco television advertising help reduce adult smoking.

The study looked at the relationship between adults’ smoking behaviours and their exposure to adverts sponsored by states; private foundations; tobacco companies themselves or by pharmaceutical companies marketing smoking-cessation products. The researchers  analysed variables such as smoking status, intentions to quit smoking, attempts to quit in the past year, and average daily cigarette consumption. The report says they found that in markets with higher exposure to state-sponsored media campaigns, “smoking is less, and intentions to quit are higher.”

The researchers, however, say an unexpected finding of the study was that adults who were in areas with more adverts for pharmaceutical cessation products were less likely to make an attempt to quit.

Meanwhile,  as WHO and other countries move to fully meet their obligations and counter tobacco industry’s efforts to undermine the treaty,  the World No Tobacco Day 2012 – according to WHO – educated policy-makers and the general public about the tobacco industry’s nefarious and harmful tactics, as well as reinforce health warnings of tobacco.

SOURCE

Senate Vs Jonathan: Now The War Drum Beats

President Goodluck Jonathan last week stoked the fire when he accused the National Assembly of tearing budget bills to shreds. The National Assembly has returned the fire asking Jonathan to sit up. UCHENNA AWOM, in this diary, suggests that the war drum beat, after all,may be sounding fast and aloud.

These are heated times in Nigeria’s socio-political environment. It is a period that could alter the once chubby relationships and can also bring out the best in institutions. That being the case, is the once rosy romance between the National Assembly and the Presidency going awry? Indications to this emerged last week during the democracy day celebrations.

President Goodluck Jonathan first stoked the fire at the Democracy Day symposium last week Monday, the President accused lawmakers of “tearing” the budget bill and of acting against the manifesto of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). By inference, he implied that the National Assembly frustrates the implementation of the budgets.

Though Jonathan was said to have squared up with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, over the bills that have stayed for a long time in the President’s in-tray at that occasion, but his vociferous approach to the issue underscores the emerging gulf between both institutions. In that case, it was potent enough to ignite a caustic response from the parliament no matter how uncoordinated. The response did come and of course it has elicited several interpretations ranging from some that suggests ‘no-love-lost’ between both arms.

First, Tambuwal pointedly said at the occasion that Jonathan was shirking his constitutional responsibility by sitting on many bills passed by the National Assembly.

His remark was seen as a forerunner to a planned coordinated response by the National Assembly.

So, it was not surprising when the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, took on President Goodluck Jonathan last Wednesday over his failure to assent to some bills passed by the National Assembly.

He also claimed that the President “distorted facts” when he said on Monday that the lawmakers tore up the budget proposal sent to them; thereby, making it difficult for the executive to implement it.

“A number of bills that would have changed a lot of things for this country have not been signed”, Ekweremadu said using the opening of a public hearing by the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology on a bill to set up an erosion control commission to hit back at the Presidency.

“So, my advice to the executive is to dialogue with the legislature in matters like these and find a common ground instead of shifting blames”, he added.

Continuing, Ekweremadu warned, “We expressed our displeasure over some of the bills which we have sent to the Presidency for assent since last year that have not received presidential assent. And in response, the president said that it is because we are creating agencies. We will continue to create agencies if it is important, because that is why we are here.

“So, we have to do our job. Most of those bills have nothing to do with agencies. I remember we have the State of the Nation Address Bill, it has nothing to do with any agency and it has not been signed. We have the National Health Bill. It has nothing to do with an agency. It has not been signed. We have the Air Force Institute of Technology Bill and Tobacco Bills.

“If institutions are to be created, they will definitely be created. So any person who thinks that the creation of institutions should stop is wasting his time. It would not stop because the society itself is dynamic”.

On the budget bill, Ekweremadu declared, “I also believe that the issue which he (Jonathan) also raised regarding the Appropriation Bill was also a distortion of facts. The president said that we tore the Appropriation Bill into pieces which made it impossible for implementation. Certainly, that is not so.

“I am aware that the 2012 Appropriation Bill was returned to the executive substantially the same way they brought it. So, we are challenging them to ensure that the 2012 Appropriation Act is fully implemented.

“They have been complaining that they could not implement the budget because of the inputs of the National Assembly.

“So, this year, we said we are not making any input, we are going to give you the bill the way you brought it as a challenge to ensure that it is implemented. So, we expect them to implement it 100 per cent because that is their own vision.

“Of course, he also made reference to a point where they wanted to go to court to challenge the role of the National Assembly in altering Appropriation Bills. Well, that will be a welcome development.

“So we want to suggest that the executive should please take that step of going to the Supreme Court or any court they wish to look at the constitutionality of our role in terms of appropriation for this country. We will be happy to see the outcome, and of course, we will obey whatever the court says.

“But we believe the National Assembly has the ultimate say when it comes to the appropriation of funds because that is what the constitution says. If the Supreme Court or any other court says otherwise, we would succumb to it and do exactly what the court says.

“Some of these things I think are things we should be able to discuss with the executive. There is need for closer collaboration between the parliament and the executive because if we are close to each other, we can always discuss, we can always dialogue. But if we are far in between, of course, we will be shouting at each other because for you to hear me if we are far between, I have to raise my voice. So, I don’t think that is good for democracy”.

The spat is perhaps the first open show of tacit disagreement between the Presidency and the National Assembly. Though there had been instances where the Presidency and the House of Representatives disagree openly, but such altercations have never exceeded the boundaries of both chambers. In most of such cases it was the Senate that mediates. But the situations have changed and there is unanimity of purpose, defence and response in the National Assembly.

The implication is that we may again witness a situation of serial overriding of a seeming presidential veto of any of the bills lying in the President’s in-tray. Doing this, which was last witnessed in the first session of the National Assembly when they overruled ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo’s veto on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) Bill, will reinvent the national parliament as peopled by serious minded individuals who are ready at all times to check the excesses of the executive.

For now, the beat goes on and the chicken is coming home to roost.

SOURCE

Jonathan-NASS cold war: President to return 12 bills

• Wants to avert override by National Assembly • House leadership to consider line of action next week

The cold war between the Presidency and the National Assembly over unsigned bills has forced President Goodluck Jonathan back to the drawing board.

 He met with his key strategists at the weekend to review complaints by the Senate and the House of Representatives over   his refusal to sign 14 bills passed by them.

The review session was aimed at averting the resort to override by the legislature.

 Two of the bills may now be signed by the President, it was gathered yesterday in Abuja while the remaining 12 could be returned to the legislators for reconsideration.

A principal officer of the House said the chamber may meet soon on their next line of action on the unsigned bills.

Speaker Aminu Tambuwal of the House of Representatives and Senate  Deputy President  Ike Ekweremadu last week  joined issues with the President on bills awaiting the President’s signature.

These include: Public Procurement Amendment Bill; Legal Aid Council Bill, National Health Bill; the Bill on People with Disability; National Assembly Budget and Research Office Establishment Bill; Tobacco Bill, State of the Nation Address Bill; FCT Area Courts Bill; and National Assembly Service Commission Repeal and Re-enactment Bill.

The rest are: National Bio-Safety Management Bill; River Basin Development Authority Amendment Bill; Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency Bill; FCT Board of Internal Revenue Bill; Harmonized Retirement Age of Tertiary Institutions Workers Bill; and Police Act Amendment Bill.

The President and his strategists are believed to have discussed the constitutional status of each of the bills and resolved to act on some of them with a view to averting a confrontation with the National Assembly. 

The Senate and the House of Representatives, one source said, were spoiling for war with the executive over the unsigned bills.

 Speaker Tambuwal, at a National Symposium on the occasion of Democracy Day in Abuja last Monday accused the Executive arm of shirking its responsibility of assenting to bills passed by the legislature.

This, he said, was not in the best interest of the country and did not augur well for the relationship between the executive and legislative arms.

The  President  acknowledged ‘a major conflict’ between the two sides and explained that this was brought about by the insistence of the legislators to hijack the budget proposals submitted every year for approval.

He said the National Assembly had formed the habit of tearing and distorting such budget proposals.

“We even wanted to go to the court, so that the Supreme Court would tell us if it is the duty of the National Assembly to plan the economy,” he said, adding: “Let them do the budget, hand over to us we will implement, but if it is our duty, then they should listen to us because the executive arm of government has a ministry of planning and finance and works with the Central Bank..”

The Chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Albert Tsokwa (PDP, Taraba), said the National Assembly might override the bills in line with Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution.

But it was also discovered at the meeting that some of the bills have been overtaken by events.

A top presidency source said: “Contrary to insinuations, the President had, a few weeks ago, asked the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN) and his aides to compile and bring outstanding bills to him.

“But a review of the bills indicated that some of them have been signed into law by the President. These are Harmonized Retirement Age of Tertiary Institutions Workers, the 2012 Appropriation Act and the Transfer of Convicted Prisoners amendment Act.

“The President does not just rush into signing any bill into law; his administration must ensure that a bill will promote development and ensure public peace and safety. It is not as if this administration is out to undermine the National Assembly.

“For instance yesterday (Friday) he met with his team on these outstanding bills and their status.”

Asked what the President would do in view of the position of the National Assembly, the source said: “He (Jonathan) will soon sign one or two of these outstanding bills into law, including the Tobacco Bill.

“The bills passed by the National Assembly so far this year may also be signed into law.

“We have however discovered that most of the bills have passed the statutory 30 days required of the President to sign them into law. Some of them were also passed by the Sixth National Assembly confirming that they have been overtaken by events.

“If you go through the rules of the National Assembly, there is no way the Seventh National Assembly would have inherited the bill liability of its predecessor because of the time factor.

“What the government will do is to resend these bills to the National Assembly for reconsideration. After the reconsideration, the President will now assent to the bills. So, hope is not lost.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “The government will not allow the situation to degenerate to the use of override by the National Assembly. Instead, the government will engage the legislature on the way out.

“I can assure you that we will not allow the use of override, we will rather lobby National Assembly members to appreciate the observations of the government on these bills.”

But a principal officer of the House of Representatives, who spoke in confidence, said: “We are in full support of what Tambuwal said because he tried to protect the integrity of the National Assembly.

“We will however meet on the issue next week to determine our next line of action.”

Section 58(4-5) of the 1999 Constitution reads: “Where a bill is presented to the President for assent, he shall within 30 days thereof signify that he assents or that he withholds assent.

“Where the President withholds his assent and the bill is again passed by each House by two-thirds majority, the bill shall become law and the assent of the President shall not be required.”

Another presidency source however added that the use of override is cumbersome and drew our correspondent’s attention to Section 59(4) of the Constitution.

The source said: “We won’t allow Executive-Legislature face-off but the truth is that the use of veto is not as easy as some are trying to claim.

“Just read Section 59(4) and you will discover that there must be a joint session of the National Assembly to pass any outstanding bill into law by the lawmakers. We won’t allow that at all.”

The section says: “Where the President, within 30 days after the presentation of the bill to him, fails to signify his assent or where he withholds assent, then the bill shall again be presented to the National Assembly sitting at a joint meeting and if passed by two-thirds majority of members of both Houses at such joint meeting, the bill shall become law and assent to the President shall not be required.”

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World unites against tobacco, US decries drug menace in Africa

COUNTRIES of the world yesterday united against tobacco and the industries, promising to save humanity from the myriad of health hazards associated with consumption of the product.

Meanwhile, worried by the scourge of drug trafficking in Nigeria and Africa, the United States (U.S.) has called for concerted efforts to eradicate it.

The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Terrence MCCulley, gave the advice yesterday during the commissioning of one scanning machine donated to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Lagos airport.

McCulley explained that drug trafficking was a multi-billion dollar investment that destroyed lives, adding that the U.S. had watched youths induced with drug money.

“We have seen the deaths of innocent neighbours caught in the cross-fire of drug wars. We have watched our youths seduced by dealers promising escape from life’s challenges and easy money as ‘mules’ to transport their deadly poison across the world’s borders”.

At events to commemorate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2012 themed “Tobacco Industry Interference”, the countries spoke with one voice against interference by international tobacco campaign (Big Tobacco) in laws controlling consumption of the product towards achieving public health that is free of tobacco-related sicknesses and deaths.

Activists in Nigeria also took turn to recount the interference of tobacco industries in Nigeria and several attempts to “derail health policy.”  They called on President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently sign the National Tobacco Control Bill (NTCB) into law.

At events in Washington and Geneva, the World Health Organisation (WHO), Corporate Accountability International (CAI) and partners across the globe launched a campaign to expose and challenge the industry’s interference in the global tobacco treaty (formally known as the WHO Frame-work Convention on Tobacco Control FCTC) and related policies.

Their findings revealed that even as tobacco’s yearly death toll soars beyond six million globally, “Big Tobacco has stepped-up its efforts to prevent proven tobacco control laws from taking effect. Highly visible examples include lawsuits by Philip Morris International and its competitors against countries like Australia, Norway and Uruguay for implementing strong tobacco control laws.”

Executive Director of CAI, Kelle Louaillier, stated: “Big Tobacco is very publicly bullying countries in hopes they will cave, their neighbours will cave, and treaty implementation will cave. But the tobacco industry’s intimidation has only strengthened the international community’s resolve,” she said.

CAI also released a report titled: “Cutting through the Smoke,” documenting global stories of tobacco abuse and grassroots victories. Stories from the report include “Ending the ‘cancer breaks’: NGOs challenge PMI’s influence in the Philippines” which documents the impact of tobacco’s marketing tactics aimed at women and girls in the region, and the use of corporate social responsibility programmes to protect the corporation’s image.   Also, there is “Shielding the youth: Tireless grassroots groups go up against Big Tobacco in Nigeria” which showcases the industry’s violations of international law in its direct marketing to young people.

Director of Corporate Accountability and Administration of Environmental Rights Activists/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Mr. Oluwafemi Akinbode, told The Guardian that the tobacco industries in Nigeria were interfering in areas that include finding loopholes in control laws, political influence peddling, excuses of creating job employment and tax remittance to the Federal Government and Corporate Service Responsibility (CSR), among others.

He noted that the guidelines for implementation of WHO tobacco control are clear. For instance, “Article 5.3 of the Convention requires that ‘in setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law’.”

Oluwafemi urged President Goodluck Jonathan to speed up the process of signing the NTCB into law, to avail a frame-work for control of tobacco-related health issues in the country and join the comity of nations that have remained committed to public health.

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National Tobacco Bill missing on Jonathan’s table

As Nigeria marks the World Tobacco Day today, the National Tobacco Bill which was passed to law by the sixth Senate on March 9, 2011 has developed wings as reports said the bill was missing on the table of President Goodluck Jonathan.

This was the conclusion of stakeholders who met at a round table conference organised by the Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FOFN) in Lagos on the implementation of the National Tobacco Control Bill.

Director Corporate Accountability and Administration in ERA/FOFN, Mr. Oluwafemi Akinbode, lamented that despite the fact that the bill was passed to law about 13 months ago, the president refused to append his signature for it to become law.

According to him, all efforts to know the whereabouts of the bill in the president’s office proved abortive and all those who should know its whereabouts claimed ignorance.

“The information at our disposal indicates that the bill has completed its circle at the National Assembly and has been forwarded to the office of the Presidential Liaison Officer in the National Assembly, Senator Joy Emordi. We are expecting that the bill should be sent to the desk of the President,” he said.

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Senate tasks Jonathan on unsigned bills

Senate President, David Mark

National Assembly has insisted that it will create agencies through legislation when necessary despite the failure of the executive to sign some bills passed by the legislature.

While declaring open the public hearing on the Erosion Control and Prevention Commission Bill, Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, said agencies would be created if they needed to be created, regardless of the current posture of the executive.

He recalled the exchange between members of the National Assembly and President Goodluck Jonathan at the Democracy Day symposium, where members complained of the failure of the President to sign crucial bills passed and sent to him by the legislature.

He said, “And in response, the President said that is because we are creating agencies. We will continue to create agencies if it is important because that is why we are here. So we have to do our job.

“If agencies are to be created they need to be created. Just to add to that most of those bills have nothing to do with agencies. I remember we have the State of the Nation Address Bill, it has nothing to do with agency and it has not been signed.

“We have the National Health Bill; it has nothing to do with an agency. It has not been signed. We have the Air Force Institute of Technology Bill and Tobacco Bill. A whole number of Bills that would have changed a lot of things for this country have not been signed.

“So, my advice to the executive arm of government is to dialogue with the legislature in matter like this and find a common ground instead of shifting blame because the making of laws is dynamic.”

He said the issue raised by the President on the Appropriation Bill was also a distortion of facts.

Ekweremadu said, “The President said that we tore the Appropriation Bill into pieces which made it impossible for implementation. That is not so. I am aware that the 2012 Appropriation bill was returned to the Executive substantially the same way they brought it.

“So we are challenging them to ensure that that Bill, the 2012 Appropriation Act is fully implemented.

“We did that, we gave them back the Appropriation Bill the way it came mostly because all the years they have been complaining that they could not implement the budget because of the input of the National Assembly.

“So this year we said we are not making any input, we are going to give you the Bill the way you brought it as a challenge to ensure that it is implemented. So we expect them to implement it 100 per cent because that is their own vision.”


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Nigerians at risk of looming tobacco epidemic

In recent times, the issue of uncontrolled tobacco use has continued to attract comments from public health experts globally. This is so, following the high morbidity and mortality associated with tobacco use compared to any other risk factor.

While 2011 World Health Organisation (WHO) report revealed that tobacco currently kills over 5.4 million people annually; it also disclosed that tobacco use was the second cause of death globally (after hypertension).

Currently, it is responsible for killing one in 10 adults worldwide. Tobacco use is the number one preventable epidemic that the health community faces.

As Nigeria joined the rest of the World to mark ‘World No Tobacco Day’- a day set apart to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and its lethal effects, as well as promote adherence to WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), environmental and health experts have tasked government at all levels to adopt preventive comprehensive health education programmes on smoking cessation and control even as they urged President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the National Tobacco Bill (NTCB).

In an interview with BusinessDay, Akinbode Oluwafemi, director, Corporate Accountability & Administration, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), disclosed that countries across the globe have made strategic efforts to combat the dangers of smoking, especially among the youth by putting laws in place to regulate the production and marketing of tobacco products.

While the enactment of national laws and domestication of WHO’s FCTC are singular efforts in this direction, Akinbode revealed that the National Tobacco Bill, which was passed by the Senate on March 15, 2011 and concurred by the House of Representatives on May 31, 2011, is awaiting the President’s signature in order to make the bill a law.

According to Akinbode, “Nigeria has made giant strides in fulfilling our international obligations by attempting to domesticate the FCTC through the National Tobacco Control Bill. The bill seeks to end advertisement, sponsorship, promotion and prohibit the sale of cigarettes to minors. It recommended pictorial warnings on cigarette packs and ban smoking in public places.

“More importantly, the bill seeks to create a committee, National Tobacco Control Committee which will serve as an advisory role in terms of reviewing the policy. That, essentially, is what the bill is all about.”

Akinbode explained that while the bill seeks 50 percent pictures of the health implications on cigarette packs, Mauritius has already enforced 70percent and Ghana thinking of about 60 percent.

“In fact, some countries like Australia have even gone beyond the pictures and talk about plain packaging. They know it that they cannot debate this because the international community has moved beyond what is even in the bill as at today. This is a bill that has direct impact on Nigerians but we are afraid these gains that we have worked for as civil society organisations, legislators and the Ministry of Health may become futile if the President does not sign the bill. We need to save Nigerian youths from the looming tobacco epidemic,” Akinbode concluded.

Sylvester Osinowo, Africa Regional president, World Association of Family Doctors, (WONCA), pointed out that smoking had been identified to cause the heaviest burden of morbidity and mortality on Nigerians compared to any other risk factor.

Osinowo stated that smoking causes coronary heart diseases, cancer and reduction in fertility for women and poses adverse social, economic and developmental effects on the lives of individuals, their families and the community at large.

“Tobacco consumption causes multiple health risks as cigarette smokers are 2.4 times more likely to develop coronary heart disease than non-smokers. WHO’s cancer agency also indicates that smoking has been linked to about 90 percent of all lung cancer cases. The economic burden includes direct medical care cost for tobacco-induced illnesses, absence from work, reduction in productivity and death,” Osinowo stated.

The physician hinted that the primary health care (PHC) centres nearest to the people should be empowered to do push programmes with vigour to catch the youths before they adopt the serious health hazard habit.

The WONCA president, however, recommended that anti-smoking clinics be established in the PHCs and sickbay of colleges and tertiary institutions to rehabilitate those who were enmeshed already in the habit. He also appealed to family physicians and general medical practitioners to disengage themselves from habits such as smoking so as to be good role models for the society to follow.

While the intervention of the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu is a singular action that many generations of Nigerians will not forget, it is believed that safeguarding the health of Nigerians from the dangers of tobacco use remains critical in view of rising communicable and non communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer of different types, etc.

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UNSIGNED BILLS: Mark hits back at Jonathan

Senate President David Mark yesterday took on President Goodluck Jonathan over his failure to assent to some bills passed by the National Assembly.

Mark also said the President “distorted facts” when he said on Monday that the lawmakers tore up the budget proposal sent to them thereby making it difficult for the executive to implement it.

“A number of bills that would have changed a lot of things for this country have not been signed,” Mark said at the opening of a public hearing by the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology on a bill to set up an erosion control commission.

“So, my advice to the executive is to dialogue with the legislature in matters like these and find a common ground instead of shifting blames,” he added, speaking through his representative, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

At the Democracy Day symposium on Monday, Jonathan squared up with Speaker of the House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal over the bills that have stayed for a long time in the President’s in-tray.

Tambuwal said Jonathan was shirking his constitutional responsibility by sitting on many bills passed by the National Assembly. In his response, Jonathan accused lawmakers of “tearing” the budget bill and of acting against the manifesto of the ruling PDP.

Yesterday, Mark joined the fray.

“We expressed our displeasure over some of the bills which we have sent to the Presidency for assent since last year that have not received presidential assent. And in response, the president said that it is because we are creating agencies. We will continue to create agencies if it is important, because that is why we are here,” he said.

“So, we have to do our job. Most of those bills have nothing to do with agencies. I remember we have the State of the Nation Address Bill, it has nothing to do with any agency and it has not been signed. We have the National Health Bill. It has nothing to do with an agency. It has not been signed. We have the Air Force Institute of Technology Bill and Tobacco Bills.”

He added: “If institutions are to be created, they will definitely be created. So any person who thinks that the creation of institutions should stop is wasting his time. It would not stop because the society itself is dynamic.”

On the budget bill, Mark said, “I also believe that the issue which he (Jonathan) also raised regarding the Appropriation Bill was also a distortion of facts. The president said that we tore the Appropriation Bill into pieces which made it impossible for implementation. Certainly, that is not so.

“I am aware that the 2012 Appropriation Bill was returned to the executive substantially the same way they brought it. So, we are challenging them to ensure that the 2012 Appropriation Act is fully implemented. They have been complaining that they could not implement the budget because of the inputs of the National Assembly.

“So, this year, we said we are not making any input, we are going to give you the bill the way you brought it as a challenge to ensure that it is implemented.  So we expect them to implement it 100 per cent because that is their own vision.

“Of course, he also made reference to a point where they wanted to go to court to challenge the role of the National Assembly in altering Appropriation Bills. Well, that will be a welcome development.

“So we want to suggest that the executive should please take that step of going to the Supreme Court or any court they wish to look at the constitutionality of our role in terms of appropriation for this country. We will be happy to see the outcome, and of course, we will obey whatever the court says.

“But we believe the National Assembly has the ultimate say when it comes to the appropriation of funds because that is what the constitution says. If the Supreme Court or any other court says otherwise, we would succumb to it and do exactly what the court says.

“Some of these things I think are things we should be able to discuss with the executive. There is need for closer collaboration between the parliament and the executive because if we are close to each other, we can always discuss, we can always dialogue. But if we are far in between, of course, we will be shouting at each other because for you to hear me if we are far between, I have to raise my voice. So I don’t think that is good for democracy.”

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