By SOLA OGUNDIPE
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has been enjoined to wade into the lingering crisis that is threatening to boil over and engulf the nation’s pharmaceutical sector as a result of non-resolution of what has been described as the defective composition of the Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria, PCN – a  parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Health.

In a letter on the protracted crisis that is already upsetting the fragile peace of the PCN and the health sector as a whole, Pharm. Azubike Okwor and Pharm. Gbenga Olubowale, President and National Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, respectively, prayed the President to implement a memo earlier initiated by the Federal Ministry of Health requesting for a resolution of all issues on the PCN.

In the petition dated 7th October, 2011, the PSN top hierarchy protested the wrong appointment of eight persons not elected and recommended by PSN as members of the Board of the PCN, which provides the template for employment of the Registrar of Pharmacists Council of Nigeria states.

They said; “Your Excellency, we solicit an immediate retirement of Pharm. A.T Mora as Registrar/Secretary of Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria (PCN) in tandem with Public Service Rule 020810 which states that all Directors, Salary Grade level 17 (HATISS 15) and its equivalent shall retire from the service upon serving eight years on the post. Given that his position as Registrar/Secretary is on HATISS 15 is equivalent to a Director.”

In their argument, they said it had become necessary to once again draw the attention of the President to the crisis which has been on since July 28, 2009 when the Federal Ministry of Health published the membership of various boards and parastatals under the ministry.

Noting that the pharmacy profession had never had it so rough especially with an avalanche of wrongful appointments and other acts of injustice which continue to distract our mandate to Nigerians, the duo pointed out that the body of pharmacists felt it was only through the office of the President could justice be obtained in beginning the process of re-building an enduring professional practice in public interest.

In their words: “The fundamental distortion which arose from that exercise was that a salient provision of the law which allows the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) to recommend eight  members for appointment on the PCN was violated.

“In the last few days the various aberrations at the PCN have been amplified as the Registrar/Secretary of the PCN, who was due for retirement on September 30, 2011, continues to operate in that capacity.”

They said the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HOSOF) has made it very clear in two different but obviously unambiguous memoranda following the PSN requests for clarification that Pharm. A.T Mora is bound by the Tenure Policy to retire. “Even when we have communicated these positions to the Federal Ministry of Health and the Chairman of PCN, Pharm. A.T Mora is hanging on tenaciously to the office of Registrar.”

On what it described as the defective composition of the PCN, the letter stated that in line with the PCN Decree 91 of 1992, now Cap P.17 LFN 2004 Section 3(1)f, which provides for eight nominees of the PSN, the procedure had always been obeyed since inception of PCN in 1991, except for the pending case  before the  President.

“On July 28th 2009, the PSN’s attention was drawn to the Federal Ministry of Health’s public announcement inviting stakeholders to the inauguration of the Boards of Parastatal/Hospital Boards of the Federal Ministry of Health. In the said publication, the eight names we sent were curiously replaced with eight persons that were not recommended by the PSN.

“On the same 28th July, 2009, we made a protest to the Hon. Minister of Health, rejecting the eight persons published to represent the PSN and that the Board of PCN should not be inaugurated until this was sorted out.”

But, according to the statement, regardless of the protest, the Board was inaugurated 30th July 2009, and the PSN filed a suit in the Federal High Court, Lagos challenging the illegal representation and requesting dissolution of the Board.

“It is very sad, Your Excellency to put on record that despite these series of events, the wrong appointment of eight persons not elected and recommended by PSN has not been addressed,” they noted.