煙草在線據《每日時報》報道編譯　　煙草控制聯盟組織——尼日利亞控煙聯盟稱，英美煙草尼日利亞投資400萬英鎊在拉各斯設總部的提議是不可接受的。

　　英美煙草尼日利亞的董事總經理基斯·格雷頓在拜訪拉各斯州州長巴巴圖德·法斯霍拉（Babatunde Fashola）先生時表示，該公司每年向聯邦政府繳納150億奈拉的稅收。

　　他補充說，該公司耗資400萬英鎊在拉各斯設總部，是其對尼日利亞所做的長期承諾的證明。

　　但是，尼日利亞控煙聯盟主席Nurudeen Ogbara，在周四（9.19）的一份聲明中，要求法斯霍拉和拉各斯州議院拒絕煙草業的新投資。

　　他還反駁了格雷頓所說的英美煙草尼日利亞每年向聯邦政府繳納150億奈拉的說法，稱尼日利亞為受到吸煙影響的人們支付更多的醫療費。

　　他說：“英美煙草尼日利亞討論如何增加在尼日利亞的額外投資，盡管事實上，其在伊巴丹的1.5億美元的卷煙生產工廠，帶給尼日利亞的只有死亡和貧窮，因此這是不可接受的。我們完全拒絕它，即在拉各斯為煙草業建立另一個總部。”

　　“煙草業宣稱它支付稅收，這是絕對的謊言。沒有公司支付稅收，它只代表政府收集稅收，如果尼日利亞人不買煙草的話，他們仍將通過其他途徑支付稅收。”

　　他認為，拉各斯的與尼日利亞煙草使用所相關的死亡率和患病率很高。

　　他說，在2006年拉各斯的11家綜合醫院的一項研究表明，每天有2人死于煙草相關疾病。

　　他說：“我們呼吁政府履行其職責，通過保護煙草法案不受行業干擾，保證居民最佳健康狀態。《煙草控制框架公約》的第5.3條禁止這種干擾。我們呼吁政府把人民的健康放在跨國公司的利潤之前。”

　　“拉各斯一直在接收終端煙草業活動所導致的拉各斯人的大規模死亡，在2006年，每治療9000個病人，政府就花費21.6萬奈拉。州長法斯霍拉必須拒絕這起新投資。”

Nigeria: NTCA Rejects ￡4m Tobacco Investment

　　A coalition of tobacco control groups in Nigeria, Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance has described as unacceptable the proposal by the British American Tobacco Nigeria to build A ￡4m headquarters in Lagos.

　　Managing Director of BATN, Keith Gretton during a visitation to the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, said the company remitted about N15bn in taxes annually to the Federal Government.

　　He added that the company was constructing its ￡4m headquarters in Lagos as a demonstration of its long term commitment to Nigeria.

　　But, Chairman of NTCA, Nurudeen Ogbara, in a statement on Thursday, asked Fashola and the Lagos State House of Assembly to reject the new investment of the tobacco industry.

　　He also faulted the claim by Gretton that BATN remitted N15billion tax to the Nigerian government, saying Nigeria pays more in healthcare costs for people affected with tobacco smoking.

　　He said: "It is unacceptable that British American Tobacco Nigeria should be discussing how to make additional investments in Nigeria despite the fact that its $150million cigarette manufacturing factory in Ibadan has brought nothing but death and poverty to Nigeria. We reject in its entirety, the proposal to build another headquarters for the tobacco industry in Lagos.

　　"It is absolute falsehood for the tobacco industry to claim that it pays taxes. No corporation pays taxes, it only collects the taxes on behalf of the government and if Nigerians don't buy tobacco they will still pay the taxes through other means."

　　He argued that Lagos has recorded high deaths and sicknesses associated with the tobacco use in Nigeria.

　　According to him, a study in 11 General Hospitals in Lagos in 2006 revealed that two persons die every day from a tobacco related disease.

　　He said: "We call on the government to fulfil its mandate of ensuring the best quality of health for the residents by protecting the tobacco bill from industry interference. Article 5.3 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control forbids this interference. We call on the government to put the health of the people before the profits of multinational corporations.

　　"Lagos has been at the receiving end of tobacco industry activities resulting in massive deaths of Lagosians and the government spent N216, 000 to treat each of the 9,000 cases recorded in 2006. Governor Fashola must reject this new investment." Enditem