What Lagos pharmacists must know!
In the past, it was Professor Dora Akunyili who was the subject of persecution and attacks with a very intense hate by this cabal. Now it is A. T. Mora, the Registrar of PCN. The sustained manner in which newspaper advertorials are used by this cabal under the guise of the Lagos branch of the […]
In the past, it was Professor Dora Akunyili who was the subject of persecution and attacks with a very intense hate by this cabal. Now it is A. T. Mora, the Registrar of PCN.
The sustained manner in which newspaper advertorials are used by this cabal under the guise of the Lagos branch of the Pharmaceutical Association of Nigeria (PAN) to criticize Pharmacist Mora with incredible venom, is as reckless as it is warped in logic. Though I can understand their frustration, it is ardent naivety for a non-governmental organization like the PSN to insist on determining how a government agency like the PCN founded on the premise of law, should be run. This fight this cabal took to Mora’s door-steps is certainly not for the best of reasons. I fault this campaign on the grounds that pharmacy is a profession of honour and its practice is bound by ethics and enduring values. As practitioners, they must not abuse the liberty conferred on them by the profession to act a script.
Unlike sister organizations such as the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), or the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), whose leadership could emerge from any part of the country during their elections, the cabal in the PSN determines who becomes elected into its executive. This is compounded by the fact that annual conferences are held without recourse to due process. Worse still, perhaps due to sheer intellectual paucity, they forget that Mora is not their employee and therefore, cannot be answerable to them.
Severally, his employer, the PCN has had cause to commend Mora whose first tenure as Registrar/CEO commenced in May, 2007. PCN is currently working on his second term of four years in office as registrar. Needless to state, however, the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with the office of the Head of Service of the Federation, has undertaken to resolve the issue of Mora’s second tenure in line with the newly promulgated Act which is certainly not within the purview of PSN’s competence to determine. The PSN has no statutory right to interfere with the running of PCN, a government-owned agency that operates within the civil service rules, guidelines and regulations. This is what Mora stands for.
In truth, their discomfort stems from the fact that for the first time since PCN was established 84 years ago (1927-date), the Lagos cabal and their cohorts, are having a registrar they cannot manipulate. Interestingly, none of them is questioning his competence or credentials. His only crime is that he hails from the other side of the divide. This is uncharitable, tragic and buccaneering. It is also not a good commentary in a nation as diverse as ours that is in dire need of unity in diversity.
As registrar, Mora has done a lot to the PCN and to the society. He has realised that the quality of human capital is critical to developing a nation’s competitiveness. Consequently, on assumption of office, he swiftly repositioned the PCN for more effective regulation and control of the practice and education of pharmacy in Nigeria. He decentralized the control mechanism by creating a PCN office in every state of the federation thereby bringing pharmacy practice closer to the people.
He increased the staff of the PCN from 99 to about 260, creating employment forteeming pharmacy graduates. Mora has created a robust training and development unit at the registry aimed at enhancing the capacity building of staff. Nigeria surely needs such interventions for effective and efficient investment in its youth population so as to acquire competitive advantage in a world where availability of talents separates successful nations from failed ones.
What is more? Apart from the three zonal offices that existed in Lagos, Enugu and Kano, Mora created additional three in Uyo, Minna and Bauchi. This brings the offices to a total of 44 from the four he met on ground. This is phenomenal because all geo-political zones now have a sense of belonging with more than 50 vehicles currently in PCN’s fleet.
We must end the PCN – PSN imbroglio and allow pharmacy practice in Nigeria to flourish for the benefit of mankind.
Dr. Mohammed wrote from Abuja