Kolade charges NAP awardees on professionalism, leadership

Former Nigeria Ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK), Dr. Christopher Kolade (CON) has urged the new awardees of the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAP) and other key players in the industry to imbibe the practice of professionalism and good leadership when caring out duties and services.

Kolade who stated this in his speech as a guest speaker at the Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy (NAP), Investiture/Award Dinner in Lagos, over the week end, said the value of the award is not only from the wealth of specific knowledge acquired about the field; “it confers a certain confidence in how to approach problems,” he remarked to the large audience gathered at the event.

“So, I believe having been given the opportunity to urge leading Nigerian pharmacists to begin to pay attention to ethical issues associated with selling prescription drugs over-the-counter because the damage this is doing, really, is going to be phenomenon. It needs to be addressed appropriately.

“I hope my suggestions will find receptive ideas. But, it is not just the pharmacists alone, the society needs to start addressing this issue by regulation”, he said.

He urged the country to take a cue from other countries that have a functional policy to guard against purchase of drugs over-the-counter.

“In our country, regrettably, we are very complacent on this process. And that is why, as my contribution, I have drawn attention to this phenomenon and the need to urgently do something to tackle it,” he said.

He said Nigeria needed progress in many fundamental areas of the health sector.

“If you look at the statistics, whether it is infant or maternal mortality, our incidences are very high and we need to do something serious and I hope that the current Minister will be able to pay a lot of attention to address some of these challenges and to generally re-position the health sector so that Nigeria can become a leading country in terms of health provisions, “he said.

According to him, it was shameful that most Nigerians travel abroad for ailments that could easily be treated in the country.

The Federal Government, Kolade said, has the responsibility of creating a legal/policy framework and enabling environment to ensure that those challenges are adequately addressed.

In his opening remarks, the President NAP, Pharm. Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, explained that the role of the Academy is to help bring the Pharmaceutical research development and other pertinent issues to the fore. “In so doing, we will prod not only the government but also the wealthy in society to avail pharmaceutical and related research of appropriate funding and support”.

He noted that at a time in which old paradigms in the treatment and management of diseases are fast-changing, it has also been their lot at the academy to help examine the training of pharmacists and ensure that it is apace with the needs and expectations of a world in rapid flux.

Adelusi-Adeluyi, congratulated the new awardees and urged them to add real value to their quest to enhance the health and wellbeing of their fellow men.

The highlight of the event was the investiture of Pharm. Olu Akanmu; Pharm. Emmanuel Ekunno; Pharm. Charles Esimone; Pharm. Elijah Mohammed; Pharm. Augustine Okhamafe and Pharm. Amina Zakari.