Danjuma Attah, Gombe
Traditional, Religious and Community leaders in Gombe State have vowed to sustain the campaign for ensuring that measures taken to reduce demand for tobacco products are fully enforced.
Nigeria is a signatory to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) charter and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) had in the past months sustained an Advocacy engagement with critical stakeholders on the need for these measures to be enforced and strengthened in Gombe State.
Some of these measures include taxation on tobacco products, ban on tobacco advertising, sponsorship, ban on sale of cigarettes sticks, prohibition of sales through and by minors as well as ensuring graphic health warnings on tobacco products among many others.
According to Solomon Adoga, CISLAC’s Senior Programmes Officer, the tax rate imposed in Nigeria on tobacco products are way below the benchmark required to bring about the needed change.
Evidence has shown that consumption of tobacco products, particularly cigarettes, poses very high public health challenge. Tobacco has also been reported to have caused the death of millions of Nigerians.
According to ‘Tobacco Atlas, 2018’ report for Nigeria, tobacco related death rate for Nigeria was on an increasing trend as 16,100 people die every year relative to the people in 2014 (NDHS, 2013/2018).
This calls for concerted action from duty bearers and right-holders to cub tobacco use which CISLAC has taken the lead.
Mr. Adoga also described the traditional, religious and community leaders as gate-keepers who are critical in achieving success of the campaign.
He told our correspondent shortly after a one day Multi-stakeholder engagement on tobacco taxation in Gombe State that, “CISLAC has been in Gombe a number of times with this campaign but this time we are focusing on the gatekeepers, that is, community leaders, religious leaders, youths and women representatives to advocate for the implementation of tobacco control laws.
“We consider these gatekeepers as strategic to pass this message to their constituents. They can’t do that without having good understanding of what the issues are. That is the reason for bringing them together to educate them to do effective sensitisation to their constituents”, Mr. Adoga explained.
Acknowledging the dangers of tobacco consumption and promising to take the message to his subjects, Alhaji Yaya Hammari, the Wazirin Yariman Gombe, said invitation will be made as well as make Advocacy visits to Emirates, District Heads and village heads who are at the forefront to propagate against the dangerous act especially by the youths.
Other stakeholders invited who spoke in the same manner with Alhaji Yaya Hammari were, Apostle Abraham Copla, representative of the State CAN Chairman and Ibrahim Audu, from the Jos National Headquarters of Jama’atil Izalatil Bid’a Wa’ikamatil Sunna (JIBWIS) and also added the stance of Christianity and Islam against the use or consumption of tobacco products promising to make the issues part of their sermons.
Mrs. Lydia Okio, who represented the women wing of CAN and also spoke as a parent, promised to do the needful by taking the message to all levels at home, in the church, at conferences and their various meetings following the importance to the moral and healthy development of the society especially the youths.
