By Abiodun Alade

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Phillip Morris International, has faulted claims by Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), that the company illegally imported cigarettes into the country.

ERA/FoEN has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to order a full probe of the entire transaction with a view to bringing to justice any government official that compromised his office in the process of the importation while calling for the prosecution of PMI.

However Phillip Morris has denied any wrongdoing in the transaction, insisting that it operate in accordance with national laws and regulations.

The Environmental Rights activists noted that from findings, there are clear indications that Philip Morris has contrived a scheme to secretly undermine the National Tobacco Control Act.

“In continuation of our activities to monitor unending efforts by the tobacco industry to undermine tobacco control efforts in Nigeria, we undertook a close scrutiny of PMI recent re-entry into the Nigerian market. Our findings are as shocking as they are very disturbing as it revealed plans to import cigarettes from Senegal,” Akinbode Oluwafemi, Deputy Director of the group noted in a statement.

He added that PMINTL Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Phillip Morris has gotten approval to import 122 million “Units” of cigarette from Sept 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 from Philip Morris Manufacturing Senegal Sarl.

He argued that “PMINTL has deliberately flouted the National Tobacco Control Act 2015 by flooding this country with unlicensed, tax-not -paid cigarettes”.

“Through this illicit import, PMINTL Nigeria Limited will assault our public health with 122 million Units of the identified cigarette brands within seven months”

The General Manager, PMINTL Nigeria Limited, Mrs  Vera Nwanze‎ faulted the claims of the group, stressing that the company act in compliance with all statutory requirements of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“PMI is the world’s leading tobacco company, with products sold in over 180 countries. In every market where we do business, we operate in accordance with national laws and regulations, including in Nigeria. PMINTL Nigeria Ltd is an affiliate company of PMI and has been an established legal entity for a year in compliance with all statutory requirements of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and meeting all legal requirements for product’s registration and importation including the payments of all relevant taxes to the concerned authorities,” she noted.