By Teddy Nwanunobi, Abuja
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Wednesday, disclosed that it has petitioned the duo of the Presidency and the National Assembly to compel the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, to revise the tax policy that raised the duty payable on imported medicaments such as anti-malarial and antibiotics.
It would be recalled that a circular by Adeosun to the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS) raised the duty payable on imported medicaments such as anti-malarial and antibiotics.
Described as an “anti-poor” policy, HURIWA claimed that the policy, which imposed a 20 percent tax on imported medications, will lead to unwarranted deaths of hundreds of thousands of Nigerians.
“The group (HURIWA) has also written a presentation to the Acting President, Yemi Osinbanjo, and the leadership of the National Assembly (Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker Yakubu Dogara) to compel the finance minister to revise this anti-poor tax policy, which has led to the multiple hike of prices of drugs that are essential.
“Poor but sick Nigerians may soon die in their numbers because of astronomic review of over the counter medications.
“The recent directive by the Federal Ministry of Finance to hike duties/taxation charged pharmaceutical importers of essential medications into Nigeria will result in unwarranted death by hundreds of thousands of indigent Nigerians, who can’t afford the high costs of drugs,” HURIWA said in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.
The Rights group also affirmed that the absence of an effective and efficient national health insurance policy in Nigeria has made healthcare very expensive and out of reach of the common man.
It, therefore, urged the Federal Government to fulfill the social order, which is provided in Section 17(3)(d).
The Section states that the Nigerian government must ensure that: “there are adequate medical and health facilities for all”.
“We are massively receiving complaints from all parts of Nigeria from struggling masses that the costs of essential drugs have shut up beyond their reach even as the majority of Nigerians exposed to poor nutrition and hunger are on the verge of death because they can’t afford these essential medications.
“The problem of mass unemployment has further compounded the health crisis afflicting most poor Nigerians,” the statement read in part.
HURIWA made further claims of its findings, following extensive investigation.
“We have found out that as soon as the communication from the finance ministry was made, the asking prices of common over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as antibiotics, anti-malarial and antipyretics were multiplied by sellers.
“Report reaching HURIWA from multiple source, including vastly knowledgeable investigative health reporters, we discovered sadly that in a number of pharmacies, chemist shops and other drug retail outlets across the federation, prices of these drugs have gone out of the reach of the average Nigerians.
“Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians already absolutely impoverished by the current excruciating economic recession can’t afford these essentially lifesaving medications, and the grave consequences that would follow is that several sick Nigerians suffering from otherwise treatable ailments may die sooner than later. This indirect mass murder by government through evil taxation must be halted now,” it said.
