"My dad is the reason I can never smoke or marry somebody who smokes" - Uche Jombo

" My dad died at 57 but he smoked actively for 35 yearsMy father’s death is something I don’t want to talk about (sobbing). My dad is the reason I can never smoke or marry somebody who smokes. I don’t want to talk about my dad (crying). My dad didn’t die by accident. He died of bronchitis. That is what you get when you smoke for too long. He lungs were infected. In this industry, most people feel they have to smoke to be hip.I was shocked when someone called me to say they wrote that I smoke. I had a good laugh. I could do any other thing but smoking is something I will never do because it killed my dad. Those close to me that smoke don’t feel comfortable doing it around me. Smoking is not something people can give up for you. My dad was still smoking while undergoing treatment because it was an addiction. My dad died at 57 but he smoked actively for 35 years. The man smoked a major part of his life. I always argued with him not to smoke. If you presented your reasons against smoking, he would tell you he had been smoking before you were born."

SOURCE

Ex-FCT minister Modibo wins WHO Award

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has recognised former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Aliyu Mddibo, with a Special Director-General Award for... his contributions to tobacco control in Africa.

The prestigious WHO yearly award is given to eminent personalities, who have made a mark in tobacco control, during the World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) celebrations.
The award is the first of such to be won by any former Nigerian Government official.
The award, which was announced on the WHO website, also listed the former minister among the six recipients in Africa.
During his time as the FCT minister, Moddibo was instrumental to tobacco control measures aimed at reducing the smoking prevalence in the federal capital city, especially among the youth.
One of his major achievements is declaring the FCT smoke-free on June 1, 2008.
Through that, it became an offence to smoke in designated public places, such as playground, restaurant, schools and other public buildings.
Moddibo, a former smoker, has also given presentations at various tobacco control meetings and seminars in Abuja and called for increased taxation on cigarettes as a way of reducing access to the youth.

A non-governmental organisation, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) in April was among the four global recipients of the prestigious Bloomberg award.
The award was given during a presentation at the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Mumbai India.

It was in recognition of ERA’s contribution in monitoring the activities of the tobacco industry and reporting on such.

Nigeria is one of the few West African countries that have made great strides in public health and tobacco control.

SOURCES:

COMPASS NEWS

THISDAY BRIEF: scan copy.

ERA commemorates World No Tobacco Day 2009

Environmental Right Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA/FOEI) commemorates the WNTD 2009 with the theme "Tobacco Health Warnings". This is as appear on packs of cigarettes and believed to be the strongest defences against the global epidemic of tobacco.

According to Akinbode Oluwafemi, Programme Manager, ERA/FOEI, "the WNTD 2009 focuses on the importance of using graphic images on cigarette packaging to aggressively discourage smoking. Nigeria is a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and therefore cannot remain indifference while other signatory countries are adopting pictorial warnings to save lives. Picture-based health warnings on tobacco packages have been found to work in countries like Canada, Brazil, Singapore and Thailand. The World Health Organisation particularly approves of tobacco health warnings that contain both pictures and words because they are the most effective at convincing people to quit. This according to him contrast with the glamorous cigarette packaging on display in Nigeria.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control obligates its more than 160 countries parties to require "health warnings describing the harmful effects of tobacco use" on packs of tobacco and their outside packaging and recommends that the warnings contain pictures. On World No Tobacco Day 2009, and throughout the following year, WHO through its Tobacco Free Initiative department represented by various anti-tobacco NGOs in 160 countries will encourage their governments to adopt tobacco health warnings that meet all the criteria for maximal effectiveness, including that they cover more than half of the pack, appear on both the front and back of the pack and contain pictures.

Adeola Akinremi, African Regional Coordinator, Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) speaking on the occassion insists that, "Nigeria must act now as a mark of respect for International Agreement contained under Article 11 of the FCTC, in which parties agree to require all packages of tobacco products to carry Pictorial health warnings describing the harmful effects of tobacco use, or other appropriate messages. This information "should be 50percent or more of the principal display areas but shall be no less than 30percent of the display. He explains "principal display areas" as the front and the back of most cigarette packs. “We are aware the Nigeria Senate is under pressure from British American Tobacco (BAT) and other tobacco companies over the current Tobacco control Bill before its health committee, but we urge the Senate to keep to its promise to legislate to protect its citizens. ” He added.



Campaign materials for World No Tobacco Day 2009, including posters, flyers, stickers, mouse pads, fact sheets, graphs, and a 24-page brochure, are available for free download from the World Health Organization

Gombe files N591 billion suit against tobacco companies

By Auwal Ahmad,


THE Gombe State government has dragged five tobacco companies before the Gombe State High Court on charges that they have been targeting minors with their products in the state in the last 20 years with a view to making them addicts.
In the suit before a high court judge, Abdul Hamed Yusuf, the state government is demanding N591 billion from British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Ltd, International Tobacco Limited, British America Tobacco Plc, British America Tobacco (Investment) Ltd, and Philip Morris International.
It is one of several class action suits filed by some states and the Federal Government against tobacco companies operating in the country.
Gombe is asking for N10.1 billion as special damages for negligence, N521 billion as anticipatory damages for future expenses, N50 billion as punitive damage for wrongful conducts and N10 billion as restitution and disgorgement of profit for unjust enrichment.
The case has been adjourned to July 2, 2009 to allow the plaintiff serve all the parties in the suit.
Counsel to the state government, Babatunde Irukera, had prayed the court to grant him four weeks to allow his clients conclude the process of service on all defendants.
Irukera said: "The plaintiff is diligently pursuing service to all the defendants with the help of the ministry. We would, however, pray for an additional four weeks in order to conclude service to all the parties."
The four defendants present in court raised no objections to the application. But the fourth defendant asked the court to be allowed to file a written application on preliminary objections, a request rejected by Yusuf because all the defendants have not been served and not fully represented in court.
Speaking with The Guardian at the court premises, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi of the Environmental Rights Action/Friend of the Earth Nigeria said they were in court to show support for the Gombe State government in the case.
His words: "We are very much in support of this suit. Over the years, we have seen that the tobacco industry cannot be trusted, so there is need for strict control of the manufacturing and sale of cigarettes in this country."
Also, Co-ordinator, Coalition Against Tobacco (CAT), Toyosi Onaolapo, upbraided the tobacco companies for alleged targeting young Nigerians to make cigarette addicts out of them.

SOURCE: Guardian News


Gombe files N591bn suit against tobacco companies
By - Ishola Michael

Gombe State government has dragged five tobacco companies before the Gombe State High Court on the allegation that they have been targeting and addicting minors in the state for the past 20 years.
In the suit filed before Justice Abdul Hamed Yusuf, the state government is demanding the sum of N591 billion from British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Ltd, International Tobacco Limited, British America Tobacco Plc, British America Tobacco (Investment) Ltd, and Philip Morris International in a suit number GM/177/208.
The suit is one of the several suits filed by several states and the Federal Government against tobacco manufacturers operating in the country.
Gombe is asking for N10.1 billion as special damages for negligence, N521 billion as anticipatory damages for future expenses, N50 billion as punitive damage for wrongful conducts and N10 billion as restitution and disgorgement of profit for unjust enrichment.

SOURCE: Nigeria Tribune

Gombe State government has dragged five tobacco companies before the state High Court, on the allegation that they have been targeting and addicting minors in the state for the past 20 years.

Sitting before Justice Abdul Hamed Yusuf, the state government is demanding N591 billion from British American Tobacco (Nigeria) Ltd, International Tobacco Limited, British America Tobacco PLC, British America Tobacco (Investment) Ltd, and Philip Morris International, in suit number GM/177/208. The suit is one of several class action suits filed by several states and the Federal Government against tobacco manufacturers operating in the country.

Gombe is asking for N10.1 billion as special damages for negligence, N521 billion as anticipatory damages for future expenses, N50 billion as punitive damage for wrongful conducts and N10 billion as restitution and disgorgement of profit for unjust enrichment.

Speaking to newsmen at the court premises, Akinbode Oluwafemi of the Environmental Rights Action/Friend of the Earth Nigeria, said they were in court to reiterate support for Gombe State government in the case.“We are very much in support of this suit. Over the years, we have seen that the tobacco industry cannot be trusted, so there is need for strict control of manufacturing and sale of cigarettes in this country," he added.

Also speaking, Coordinator, Coalition Against Tobacco (CAT), Toyosi Onaolapo, berated the tobacco companies for deliberately targeting young people, in order to make them addictive.

SOURCE: Thisday Newspaper Tradingmarket

NGO rejects Oyo gov‘s threats over BATN

By Agency Reporters
Wednesday, 27 May 2009

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Journalists for Health and Environment, has rejected threats by the Oyo State Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, to oppose any attempt to close down British-American Tobacco Nigeria through the anti-tobacco bill currently before the National Assembly.

Tribunal commences trial of Amosun’s petition against Daniel
The Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Abeokuta, on Wednesday, commenced the trial of the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party in the April 2007 election in Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, against the declaration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel of the Peoples Democratic Party as the winner of the poll.
At the preliminary hearing of the case on Monday, the Justice Suleiman Ambrusa-led panel granted the prayer of the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove the names of the fourth to 259th witnesses from the petition.
The affected witnesses, according to INEC’s counsel, Mr. Oluyele Delano, who were electoral officers, were expected to be joined individually. Ambrusa had promised that the case would be given accelerated hearing from Monday to Thursday.
PDP chieftain criticises Obi over Aguata erosion site collapse
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Anambra State, Dr. Alex Obiogbolu, has blamed the recent partial collapse of the Umuchiama-Ekwuluobia erosion control project on lapses by the state government.
Obiogbolu said in Onitsha on Wednesday that the project had been doomed to fail from the outset, as due consideration was not given to the specialised nature of the job. He said the job called for expertise in its execution.
The site is a key environmental project of the Anambra State Government to check the increasing menace of gully erosion in Aguata and Anaocha local government areas.
NLF tackles Nigerian mission, UK over May 29 symposium
The Nigeria Liberty Forum has accused the British government and the Nigerian High Commission in London of planning to stop its May 29 symposium titled, ”State of the Nigerian Nation.”
The symposium, which is scheduled for Friday at the London Metropolitan University, London is expected to be addressed by the former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; former member of the House of Representatives, Prof. Sola Adeyeye; and Jean Lambert of the British Green Party.
The NLF said in a statement sent by email that the Nigerian mission held a meeting with officials of the LMU on Tuesday to try and convince them to cancel the booking for the event. It alleged that the move failed because it was able to meet the deadline for the payment of a high fee for the use of its facilities for the programme.
The NLF is a Nigerian pressure group, which organised the picketing of President Umaru Yar‘Adua last year in London and his predecessor, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, in March.

Group chides Alao-Akala over BATN

A Non Governmental Organisation, Journalists Action on Tobacco and Health (JATH) yesterday chided Oyo State Governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala over his statement that his administration would resist the closure of British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN).
The Oyo State governor had said that the tobacco company was contributing to the economy of his state and that he would frustrate moves to close down the company.
JATH, in a statement signed by its Programme Manager, Mr. Yinka Olugbade, said that Alao-Akala’s statement shows that he was not well-informed by his advisers.
According to the group, "what the governor is interpreting as moves to close down BAT is the National Tobacco Control bill sponsored by Senator Olorunimbe Mamora, which has passed the second reading at the National Assembly, which has nothing to do with the closure of BATN."
The group said that Governor Alao-Akala ought to have found out the real intent of the bill before attempting to shoot it down.
"This bill is all about properly regulating the activities of tobacco companies operating in Nigeria and not only BATN. The bill seeks to prohibit sale of cigarette to underage. It seeks to make it an offence to sell cigarettes in pieces. It seeks to make tobacco companies put graphic warnings telling people of harmful effects of tobacco smoking in order for them to make informed decision about whether to smoke or not. It also seeks to ensure that tobacco products are not readily available because of its cheap prices," said JATH.
The group described as unfortunate that Alao-Akala has allowed himself to be used by BATN as part of its propaganda to escape regulation.
The group faults Alao-Akala’s claim that BATN has contributed to job creation all over the country, arguing that more people have lost their lives as a result of smoking of cigarette.
The group said "BATN has only employed about 1,000. Countless others have died directly or indirectly through cigarette consumption. So, Governor Alao-Akala should find ought his facts before commenting. That he made the comment after embarking on a facility tour of BATN also shows that he was out on a mischief mission. He should go and get a copy of the bill and read before making comments."

http://thenationonlineng.net/web/articles/4695/1/Group-chides-Alao-Akala-/Page1.html

Child's Slavery in BAT's Farm

A new form of child labour is slowly emerging in Oyo state tobacco growing communities’
-Nigerian Compass investigation reveals.

By Seun Akioye

The day starts before cockcrow in Pa Adebisi Amusan’s household. Being the oldest and most prosperous tobacco farmer in Irawo Owode tobacco farming community in Oyo state, such early rising is hardly surprising. Nowadays, the old man hardly visits his vast expanse of tobacco plantation, according to him, he has paid his dues over the years and should sit back and enjoy. He scarcely remembers his age but remembered the first time tobacco was introduced to the community in commercial quantity (around 1939). However, the arduous task of overseeing the vast tobacco fields rests squarely on the shoulders of his grandchildren and other kids living under his tutelage.
At seven in the morning children in that household as well as many others in the village are awake. There is only one item on the agenda for each day and that is to report to the tobacco farms at seven to terminate in another twelve hours. Naturally the horde of children who doubled as tobacco farmers would meet somewhere along the way. In their midst and to also coordinate this crowd is Fatai Amusan. He is twenty years old and the most experienced farmer of the children.
“ This is how we work everyday. BAT (British American Tobacco), does not want us to leave the farm they want us to work here from 7:am to 7 :pm. That is strategic to come before the sun comes up and leave after it sets. Anytime some of their officials are here and they met nobody, there is always a complaint.” Fatai said when Nigerian Compass visited the tobacco farm.

Unlike other food crops, tobacco farming is no mean task; it involves endless weeding and painstaking application of skill and manpower for the leaves will survive. In the morning, the children are hard at work, either applying the necessary fertilizers or insecticide to the plants in the nursery or busy weeding and transplanting the plants from the nursery to the field. Another difficult aspect is the seemingly endless trip to the stream a few meters from the plantation. This is done by children under the age of ten years old who are too young to weed. One of the kids explained the process involved in the early stages of planting. “This is the most sensitive time and it requires a lot of efforts. What we do now will determine the quality of the leaves at the end and if the leaves are not of good quality, then you will never be able to pay your debts.”
Indeed it has become a common trend for tobacco farmers in the developing world to be highly indebted to the tobacco company. Amusan explained how his parent debts to BAT turned him into a farmer. “When BAT official come, they want to know if you are ready to start the business. Then they make available a form of loan for the seeds, the fertilizer and every other thing that you need. Sometimes we would have amassed about N250,000 debts even before we began to plant.”
This is the beginning of the cycle of poverty often experienced by tobacco farmers in the developing countries. Nigerian Compass gathered that determination of the prices of tobacco leaves does not come from the farmers but from BAT. “After each harvest, we will take the leaves to Ago Are where BAT has their warehouse and the officials would weigh what you have brought according to the quality of the leaves. Whatever you have will be deducted from the debts you have acquired and many times the balance would have to be paid through the next harvest” Amusan explained. But it is curious though that while the prices paid for the leaves always depreciate the prices of seedlings and other supplies from BAT always appreciates. “ our fathers have talked to the officials about this matter of low prices for the leaves, but BAT always tell them that things will improve soon” one of the kids said.
Instructively, trapped in an endless cycle with the debts , the farmers have no choice but to enlist the services of their children and none is excluded. “ I pay my children who work for me” Pa Amusan said. When asked how much the children earn on the tobacco fields, he looked up and pointed at an 11 year old “like this one, I can pay her N100.00 per day. It depends on how big they are , because that would tell how much they can work.”

But the children explained that the money is never the motivation for the work. “ Many of the boys you see on these farms are only helping their parents because many of them are old and cannot do the farm work alone. “ how will our parents feed us if they cannot pay their debts on the tobacco leaves and make money. Everybody has to sacrifice and that is why we have decided to help.”
It was a huge sacrifice. School work suffered. In a farming community that cannot boast of the best facilities for conducive learning, the children would have to split their time between the tobacco farms and the school. Some of the kids insist that they still attend the local school and have not dropped out completely. “We still go to school here. What we do is that we come here in the morning before school and return here after school.”
The challenge of the task the children face is telling. At the beginning of most planting season, they have to go in search of fertile land since most of the farming lands are barren. Every search takes them further away from the village. When a suitable land is found then the cultivation starts. After a successful transplant the bigger task of weeding and fumigation will start. “At that stage, it is most critical part. We have to continually weed the leaves; we cannot afford to be lazy about it because BAT will be angry. A mistake at this point will be costly. In fact they asked us to treat the leaves like a child. It is our first born.” Amusan said.
BAT has a long history of encouraging child labour on many of its farms in the developing world. In Malawi, for instance which is reputed as one of the poorest countries in the world has one of the biggest tobacco farming estates in African, child slavery is an everyday phenomenon. According to a study by the Centre for Tobacco Control Research and Education (CTCRE) based at the University of California, a minimum of 78,000 children are working on full or part term basis in the tobacco fields. According to a survey by CTCRE, 45% of the chid workers are between 10-14 years of age and 55% are 7-9 years old. It also said tobacco companies have received nearly $40 million in revenues over a period of four years from using unpaid child labourers.

How children became tobacco slaves in Malawi is instructive. The tobacco business is run like an estate. A rich landowner gets the deal from BAT and allocates land to tenant farmers to cultivate tobacco. The landowner provides seedlings and other logistics in loan which is deduced from the price of the leaves after harvest. More often, these tenant farmers have no profits after each harvest and in order to be able to achieve the basic necessity of life, children are dragged into the tobacco farms as unpaid labour.
Though the child labour situation in Nigeria is not yet up to the level of Malawi, there are disturbing scenarios to suggest Nigeria may not be too far from that brink. According to Amusa, the children are largely responsible for the farming of tobacco plants to the last stage of curing and packaging. When Nigerian Compass visited the farm the children were excited to show off their expertise at tobacco farming. Going through the rows of tender, young tobacco plants they explained how the leaves survive the initial weeks. “Come and look at this. We just reset this, we transplanted it from that point to this place which is the second planting place. Now, there is no evidence that it will survive, but after we have removed the shade and expose it to sun for two days ,then it will take root.”
After harvest, the children are also responsible for curing the leaves before they are sold to the tobacco company “ This is the barn where we cure. We lit the fire through that furnace and after about five minutes the heat becomes unbearable. It is not advisable to stay in this barn for more than five minutes but most times we have to do that.” Amusa explained.
Children are put at a particular risk because growing tobacco exposes them to damaging problems like pesticide exposure to nicotine poisoning. But are the children aware of the great danger they are exposed to farming tobacco leaves and the ultimate harm the end product causes. All replied in the negative. Also when asked if they knew that cigarettes were made from tobacco leaves Amusa replied. “That was our concern, but when we mentioned it to BAT we were told that was not true. BAT said there are over 100 products which were good for human consumption that the leaves are used for. BAT said they don’t produce cigarettes. But when you look at a dried tobacco leaf, you will see that it resembles what you normally see in cigarettes. We are very confused.”
BAT chairman, Jan du Plessis said the company is tackling child labour problems. “We work with farmers through our leaf growing programmes to try and eliminate child labour, we have established the pioneering Elimination of Child Labour in Tobacco growing Foundation in partnership with the International Tobacco Growers Association and the trades Unions in our sector.”
BAT also listed on its website “We are committed to the principles of protecting children from child labour exploitation, believing that their development- as well as that of their communities and countries- is best served through education, not child labour. We do not employ children in our operations.”
Managing Director of BAT Nigeria Nick Hales also once said at a conference “We insist that none of our farmers uses child labour at all. We actually held a conference on that in Abuja recently- if any farmer does use child labour, then he is no longer our farmer. We are a responsible company.
When contacted the Head of communication BAT Nigeria Aliyu Maaji, in an email response directed the reporter to his old interview in the media, preferring not to give any response. But Hales assertion fell flat when contrasted with the reality in the tobacco growing communities. Child labour is rampant and BAT officials knew about it. “ The officials always come here in the planting season, even the big man in the office, when we make mistake, they shout on us and threaten us. They do not want us to be lazy at all in the farm.” One of the child farmers said.
BAT has a long standing links to Nigeria. Its business presence dates back to around 1911. Its ties became closer when it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nigerian government to establish a $150 million cigarette manufacturing factory in Ibadan Oyo state.
The company enjoyed a period of prosperity until civil society groups began to campaign against its practices of marketing and targeting young people. In 2007, the Lagos state government and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA/FOE) in an unprecedented move instituted a cost recovery suit against the tobacco industry. The state was asking for reliefs mandating the company from marketing, advertising or selling tobacco products to youths. The state also want a ban on cigarette sales within 1000 metre radius of any school , hospital, playground, religious houses or anywhere that young people frequent. It also wants the company to pay punitive damages in excess of two billion naira.
Lagos state said it has received the result of a survey of eleven hospitals in the Lagos metropolis which indicates that at least two persons die each day from a tobacco related disease in Lagos hospital. The state also said in the year 2000 alone, there were 9527 reported cases of a tobacco related disease and the state has spent N216,000 every month on these diseases.’
Other states were to follow, Oyo, Kano, Gombe, and the Federal Government have all instituted different cost recovery suits all totalling about ten trillion naira. A year into the legal tussle however, none of the cases is yet to come to trial. BAbatunde Irukera is one of the lead counsels for the plaintiffs. He told Nigerian Compass “ As expected, the tobacco companies have hired the best lawyers around to defend them. They have come up with all manners of preliminary objections based on technicalities. Their ploy is to prevent the cases from getting to trial and waste as much time on it as possible. But we are undaunted, we knew tobacco industry will play this card, it is a well known ploy of the industry and we are in it. I can assure you that the cases will get to trials and then we will nail them.”
The tobacco industry has been succefully tried in the USA leading to one of the largest settlements in history. A $368.5 billion to be paid over 25 years, was that the incentive? Irukera said “ We have evidences from BAT documents that shows clear target ting of young people in Nigeria. There are places where references were made to ways of targeting young people. We believe and have evidences that the tobacco industry is targeting our young people, children between the age of 8 and 9 and if they can be stooped and made to pay for their errors in one part of the world why can’t they be stooped here as well, after all they are all children.”
Akinbode Oluwafemi of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FOEN) said the pauperization of tobacco farmers by BAT is largely responsible for the emerging trend of child labour on the tobacco farms. “ BAT must abide by its own code of conduct and eliminate all forms of abuse not only on the tobacco farms but also change its marketing strategy of targeting Nigerian children in the hope of recruiting them as lifelong cigarette smokers.”

In the months to come, faced with litigation and campaigns by anti tobacco activists whose mould seem to swell by the day, BAT may have to submit to stringent public health control in its marketing and distribution of its product. That shouldn’t be a problem however to the multinational company as long as business is allowed to go on. Meanwhile at the tobacco farms more children will end up on the farms for the paltry sum they will get out of a day’s work. To Pa Amusan, he is only “empowering the kids.”