By Sola Ogundipe

TWO pharmacists, Pharm. Ogbonnaya Emmanuel Nduka and Clifford Osonduagwuike Ogbonna, have been delisted from the Pharmacists’ Register for various offences bordering on gross professional misconduct.

The pharmacists who were arraigned before the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, PCN, Disciplinary Tribunal sitting at the Council’s headquarters, Idu, Abuja, will not be eligible to practice pharmacy anywhere in the country for a period of one year and two years respectively, starting from Tuesday, May 19, 2015.

The 7-man tribunal headed by the Chairman, Pharm. Bruno Nwankwo, last week found the duo guilty of the offences for which they were charged and ordered their names to be deleted by the PCN Registrar, Pharm. Elijah Mohammed.

From left: Tribunal member, Mrs. G.M.O Chukwuma; Tribunal chairman, Mr Bruno Nwankwo and Tribunal Assessor, Mr Thompson Olatigbe, during the PCN tribunal sitting in Abuja.

Nduka of 2, Similolu Close, off Sura Mogaji Street,Ilupeju Estate, Lagos, was arraigned on one count charge of fraudulently using Pharm Ikenna Ezeronye’s licence to register Phoster Pharmacare Ltd. in November 2014, thereby committing an act of gross professional misconduct, punishable under the PCN Act and Code of Ethics for Pharmacists.

Ogbonna, of Oso-Life Pharma Clinic, 161, Bode Road, Jattu-Auchi, Edo State was arraigned on a 4-count charge of operating an unregistered premises Oso-Life Pharma Clinic, located at No.161, Bode Road, Jattu-Auchi, Edo State, as a pharmacy and thereby committed an act of gross professional misconduct, contrary to and punishable under the Poisons and Pharmacy Act, PCN Act and PCN’s  Regulation gazette No 81 Vol. 92.

In the second charge, Ogbonna was accused of maintaining and  operating a clinic in an unregistered pharmacy shop and thereby committed an act of gross professional misconduct, an offence contrary to and punishable under the PCN Act and PCN’s Code of Ethics for Pharmacists.

In the third charge, the accused was guilty of operating a pharmacy without a superintendent pharmacist and thereby committed an act of gross professional misconduct, contrary to and punishable under Poisons and Pharmacy Act and PCN’s  Code of Ethics for Pharmacists.

According to the fourth charge, the accused unlawfully broke the PCN seal after it was placed on the main entrance of the said pharmacy by officers of the Council and thereby committed an act of gross misconduct in professional capacity, contrary to the PCN Act and PCN’s Code  of Ethics for Pharmacists. The offences were committed in 2013.

The cases of two other pharmacists, Pharm. Linus Agbo Joseph of Duru Pharmacy 21, New Road SabonGari, Kano, and Pharm. Iyekekpolor Williams Esosa of No 18, 2ndCementary Lane, Uzebu Quarters, Benin City, Edo State, charged with false and fraudulent presentation of registration, were adjourned till 25th-27th of May, 2015 for both parties to present their cases after the   respondents pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The tribunal ordered that the name of Pharm. Sunday Olajide Awofisayo struck off the PCN Register in 2004 be reinstated having served the mandatory punishment.

At the end of the sitting, the chairman stated that the essence of the punishment was to serve as a deterrent to others who might want to engage in such similar acts of misconducts.