|
Licensed
to Kill
Lagos,
Nigeria March 1, 2004:
Tobacco Control advocates from the United States of America and
Canada break new grounds in Nigeria with the opening of a new tobacco
factory, Licensed to Kill, reports SEUN AKIOYE
 The
invitation clearly stated that Executives of a giant Tobacco company
were going to be in attendance. The suspense of the press conference
was further heightened, as the so-called executives will be coming
from the United States of America. Added to this, the name of the
Tobacco Company raised a little suspicion, Licensed To Kill, a registered
Tobacco company that tells the truth. The Tobacco team was dressed
in very funny attires, bowler hats and funny inscriptions on suites
and curiously consists of Messrs Gray Vastone, who is the Nigerian
director, Rich FromDeath, the Chief executive officer, and Corrie
Prustspin, the senior vice president alongside other members of
the company's board.
Moreover, this
company already plans to open a corporate office in Nigeria, with
a brand new cigarrete especially for Nigerian men called Weak Organ.
The new company
had more curious packages for those present at the press conference
on February 20th 2004, in Lagos. Corrie Prustpin, during the introduction
of the company said Licensed To Kill (L2K) is the only tobacco company
in the world that tells the truth about its products. She said the
company is aware of the grave danger tobacco causes for its users,
but the company's priority is to make profit even though few thousand
Nigerians will die in the course. Rich FromDeath also added that
the company is poised to provide over 1000 jobs and his company
is set to improve the lots of tobacco farmers by giving them loans
which they may never be able to repay and developing 1000 model
farmers. This he quickly added is subjected to how much profit the
company is able to make. A new corporate slogan is also adopted
Proudly Killing Nigerians, and making profits. No surprises, the
company's motto is We're Rich, You're Dead. The new cigarette Weak
Organ, he said was developed based on a British study that Cigarette
causes impotence in men. He also appealed to the press to raise
awareness on the new product and advise Nigerian male smokers to
make it their new choice.
The above scenario
is the press conference ending a week of activities by tobacco control
advocates from the United States of America and Canada. Leading
the team of ten advocates are Anna White of the Essential Action
and the coordinator of Global Partnership for Tobacco Control (GPTC)
in Washington DC, Ken Dahlgren from Reality Check New York, Felicia
Aniniba, Denver Health Council and Theresa Oghide, Baltimore City
Health department. The advocates were in Nigeria on the invitation
of the Nigerian Tobacco Control Alliance (NTCA) to assess the level
of tobacco havoc. According to White ´We are here in solidarity
with our Nigerian colleagues. We know that our advocacy in the United
States have pushed the tobacco industry to Africa and we feel it
is our duty to help our African colleagues fight for their rights.
We are not asking for a total ban on tobacco, we want proper regulations,
in advertising and other areas' She also explained the idea behind
L2K. ´ it is a registered company, though we do not produce cigarettes'.
She explained it is a spoof on Tobacco Company to show people the
real picture of the tobacco company and what they do. Dahlgren who
coordinates a youth group Realty Check said, it is time the tobacco
industry stop targeting youths with glamorous adverts and movies.
The youths, he noticed are the main target because they are the
next generation of tobacco industry's customers. He said, Nigerian
youths must be empowered to recognize the antics of the adverts
and fight for themselves. Coordinator of the NTCA, Akinbode Oluwafemi
said Nigeria will surely achieve tobacco regulations, though it
may take time.
The priority
now, he said is that Nigeria should sign the Framework Convention
on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a global treaty for tobacco regulations.
During the week, the group launched the Nigeria's first website
dedicated to tobacco control www.jathng.org by the Journalists Action
on Tobacco & Health (JATH). There was also a youth awareness rally
where hundreds of informative materials were given to eager youths.
The team also visited media houses, while urging the media to join
in the fight against the looming tobacco epidemic. A major highlight
was the visit to the Tobacco growing communities of Saki, Elewure,
and Ilua etc in Oyo state.
According to
Oluwafemi, the communities are a picture of poverty and deprivation.
"The community is deprived of any trace of civilization, no pipe
borne water or electricity. We also discovered that the idea of
1000 model farms by the British American Tobacco (BAT) is a ruse.
The farmers are neglected. A farmer told us that he has not received
any money for four years, and right now the farmers are planning
to go on strike until there is a proper pricing of tobacco products"
Interestingly, tobacco control issues are taking front burners in
the polity. With unrelenting campaigns by the tobacco control groups
with strong backings from international advocates, many are taking
the issues more seriously. The stakes are now in two folds; the
health of the people and profits of the tobacco industries. Nevertheless,
the $150 million investment in Nigeria by the BAT, the activities
of the tobacco company has merely sidestepped the "people over profits".
|
