President of the Senate, Senator David Mark on Wednesday disclosed how ban on cigarette was stalled by powerful cabal in the sixth Senate.
Mark who revealed while making remarks on National Tobacco Control bill which passed through second reading for further legislation, added that lobbyists were all over the place when the Bill was being debated.
Senate President explained that prohibition on smoking of cigarette is far more important because there are a lot of countries that have tried to debate the issue of total ban on cigarette and smoking.
His words, “My prayer is that this time around once we pass this Bill I hope that it will be signed because we were just left hanging at the moment. It is neither here nor there. Nothing has been done.
“Hopefully this time around, the executive would be able to sign it. Those who would determine will be the general public – Nigerians – but let me remind us also that this Bill is not just a Nigerian Bill. It is far more important because there are a lot of countries that have tried to debate the issue of total ban on cigarette and smoking.
“Powerful groups are behind the Bill and I remember that in the Sixth Senate a lot of lobbyists were all over the place when this Bill was being debated. So I am not surprised that we eventually didn’t sign it but we should have courage to at least do something. I don’t think we should just leave it that way this time around.”
Mark said further, “We have gone one step further to well ban it also but when it goes to public hearing then we will get public opinion on that.
Mark who revealed while making remarks on National Tobacco Control bill which passed through second reading for further legislation, added that lobbyists were all over the place when the Bill was being debated.
Senate President explained that prohibition on smoking of cigarette is far more important because there are a lot of countries that have tried to debate the issue of total ban on cigarette and smoking.
His words, “My prayer is that this time around once we pass this Bill I hope that it will be signed because we were just left hanging at the moment. It is neither here nor there. Nothing has been done.
“Hopefully this time around, the executive would be able to sign it. Those who would determine will be the general public – Nigerians – but let me remind us also that this Bill is not just a Nigerian Bill. It is far more important because there are a lot of countries that have tried to debate the issue of total ban on cigarette and smoking.
“Powerful groups are behind the Bill and I remember that in the Sixth Senate a lot of lobbyists were all over the place when this Bill was being debated. So I am not surprised that we eventually didn’t sign it but we should have courage to at least do something. I don’t think we should just leave it that way this time around.”
Mark said further, “We have gone one step further to well ban it also but when it goes to public hearing then we will get public opinion on that.
“Let me remind us that we passed this Bill actually in the Sixth Senate and Senator Olorunmibe Mamora was the sponsor. He talked extensively and we had a similar debate the same way we talked now: ‘people who want to go to hell and they see it, if they want they want to walk in there, we should allow them to walk in there.
“Others said no ‘it is strident, don’t let them walk in there.’ When it goes to public hearing they will tell you whether people should really be allowed to walk to hell or we should restrain them from walking to hell. But the dangers inherent in smoking are very obvious and I think that at the end of the day we would be able to get feelers from the general public.”
After extensive debate on the bill sponsored by Senator Gbenga Kaka by other senators who supported total ban on smoking of cigarette in the Nigeria, the bill was passed and sent to Senate Committee on health and any committee who has something to contribute on passage of the bill into law.
“Others said no ‘it is strident, don’t let them walk in there.’ When it goes to public hearing they will tell you whether people should really be allowed to walk to hell or we should restrain them from walking to hell. But the dangers inherent in smoking are very obvious and I think that at the end of the day we would be able to get feelers from the general public.”
After extensive debate on the bill sponsored by Senator Gbenga Kaka by other senators who supported total ban on smoking of cigarette in the Nigeria, the bill was passed and sent to Senate Committee on health and any committee who has something to contribute on passage of the bill into law.