By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu
The Registrar of Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, Pharm. Ibrahim Baba-Shehu Ahmed FPSN, says there will be no going back on the relocation of Bridge Head Drug Market, Onitsha to Oba, in Idemili South Local Government Area, even as he absolved the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo of any blame.
Addressing newsmen in Awka shortly after a closed door meeting with the stakeholders, Pharm. Ahmed said that the project was private sector driven and that the government was there to provide infrastructure while they ensure that proper things were done, saying that the project would be completed in the first quarter of next year, adding that they were impressed with Governor Soludo’s willpower to carry out the relocation.
“We are building a Coordinated Wholesale Centre,CWC that will be adequately regulated. Drug distribution should be appropriately streamlined. Governor Soludo has been magnanimous. We are to ensure that the directive is achieved. We are meeting with different stakeholders as well as the government.
“The relocation issue is not just in Anambra State. We are doing the same in Idumota, Lagos State; Sabongari, Kano. We were so happy when the Governor of Anambra State carried out the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the new Drug Market site located at Oba, Idemili South Local Government shortly after he came into power. We have been following up since then and we are here to address the issue. We supervise and ensure that the laid rules are strictly adhered to. It is no longer business as usual”, he said.
He said that they would interfaced with the government and the project when completed would benefit Ndi Anambra and that it would reduced crime, create employment and restore people’s confidence towards drug administrations and control, stating that the meeting would help to sensitize the stakeholders. He added that all the obstacles preventing the actualization of the project would be uprooted.
“The government will help to facilitate it. The business as usual will not continue. The mandate is reserved with PCN. There’s a need for government action. We have met with the government before the meeting. The CWC project is private sector driven. We have a drug management Agency. The Government provides the infrastructure. They are taking it up”, he stated.
The Pharmacist attributed the challenges and bottlenecks holding back the project to lack of understanding, saying that they had a timeline and that they must work ahead to have the project completed in record time.
“The Project is a mixture of government-Private Project. Any establishment in PSN premises is regulated. It is not going to be run by individuals. We are working against an open drug market. We are working with those who are not trained but are into drug business. We are communicating and interacting with their representatives. We will continue to sensitize the people”, he concluded.
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