…says over N9 billion spent on the project

By Chimaobi Nwaiwu

NNEWI – THE Central Pharmaceutical and Allied Product Wholesale Limited, CPAPWL, yesterday said that it has resolved all the encumbrances that delayed the completion of its Federal Government directed Coordinated Wholesale Centre, CWC, located in Oba Idemili South Local Government Area Anambra State.

CWC Onitsha Anambra State, is one of the four pilot centers chosen by the Federal Government for the project designed by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, PCN, an organ of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to relocate trade investors from all open drug markets to a better location for better regulation, as drug is captured on the exclusive legislative list of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Four states including Kano, Lagos Anambra and Abia State, were selected to kick start the project, which has three major stakeholders, who include, the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, Anambra State Government and Subscribers, who are the traders. 

While Kano has started, Anambra State is still ongoing with constructions at the site. following its decision to expand the site of the project and to make it the biggest in the country.

Addressing newsmen during the site inspection of ongoing work in the CWC Oba, Chairman Board of Directors of CPAPWL, Uche Eze, said that the project has already gulped over N9 billion naira and expressed satisfaction with the peace and harmony that exist among all 

Eze who was surrounded during the project site tour by the Secretary of the Board, pharmacist Victor Okwuosa, a Director of the board, pharmacist Chinedu Nwankwo and other members of CPAPWL, said the delay on the project, apart from the difficulties they encountered in clearing the encumbrances on the land through AMCON, was because they wanted the project to be the best and the biggest in the country, by securing additional 25 hectares of land to make it 50 hectares for the project.

He said that CPAPWL, also encountered problem convincing the investors to move to Oba, just as it did in negotiating with banks and developers in line with the earlier mortgage design, approved by Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, for the project.

Also in a statement signed by the Board Chairman and Board Secretary, Uche Eze Okwuosa Victor, respectively’, entitled “Inspection of of the ongoing CWC, Oba project : Work in progress,” CPAPWL, disclosed that the harsh economic realities in Nigeria did not help matters, as it affected all aspects of the project, including cost of materials and contractual agreements, but noted that they have been able to navigate through the challenges and are today stronger and better.

“The game plan has just changed as the original mortgage design which kept us on the drawing table for long has been jettisoned for obvious reason, cost. Today we have mobilized enough individual developers and groups of developers to take up the development of trade blocks.

“We enjoy a cordial relationship with the former government which selected a preferred bidder and successfully negotiated the increase of the size of the land from 25 to 50 hectares. 

“We thank Governor Charles Soludo, whose regime assisted us with provision of the infrastructures, like roads on the site, and we pledge to partner with him to ensure win-win situation between the state and CPAPWL.

“We thank the Federal Government for conceiving the project as it is a major road towards the availability of safe medicine to improve the health of fellow Nigerians, the project will address and clear the already bad name and image the open drug market has given the country.

“We specially thank the Registrar of PCN, Pharmacist Ibrahim Ahmed for his fatherly advice and support, just as we than numerous subscribers and major trade stakeholders who have invested huge sums of money to see that this project takes off.”

Project Consultant to CPAPWL, Ofodile Anieto, an engineer, promised that in less than eighteen months, he will deliver the project in conformity with engineering standard and also to the standard provided by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria.

He said that funding has been regular and he has nothing to complain about financing construction in the site.