It has long been clearly established that tobacco consumption is a source of many deadly illnesses, ranging from various forms of cancer to fatal heart and lung diseases.
It has long been clearly established that tobacco consumption is a source of many deadly illnesses, ranging from various forms of cancer to fatal heart and lung diseases.
As a result, most responsible Governments all over the world have placed severe restrictions on the sale of tobacco products.
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It was therefore with utmost shock and disbelief that most public spirited citizens of our dearly beloved nation recently learnt from news media publications that the visiting Chief Executive of the British American Tobacco company was received in great pomp at the seat of power in Lagos state by no less a person than Governor Raji Fashola, from whom we have come to expect much higher standards of governance.
This is manifestly wrong: The Lagos State Govt. has a duty to safeguard the health and well being of the citizens of the state. This sacred duty cannot be compromised in pursuit of illusory business deals with purveyors of a product that has been proven to cause illness and death on a large scale.
To aggravate matters, the said BAT Chief Executive was reported to have taken advantage of this wholly undeserved opportunity
of an official audience with Governor Fashola to insult the intelligence of the good people of Nigeria by claiming that his company is making substantial contributions to our national income through peddling the deadly tobacco products that are directly responsible for the death of tens of thousands of Nigerian citizens every year!
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Who ever told this deluded individual that Nigeria stands to benefit from blood money obtained by poisoning our people on a massive scale?
Those Lagos State Govt officials who wrongly advised Governor Fashola to commit the grievous error of granting audience to the BAT Chief Executive in defiance of the norms that exist in most civilized nations should forever hang their heads in shame!
The Lagos State Govt. would be well advised not to compound this monumental error by allowing the British American Tobacco company killer crew to come and build their headquarters in Lagos. The good people of Lagos should be spared from being subjected to such an unforgivable atrocity!
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Ola Balogun
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