The National President of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Dr Samuel Adekola has disclosed the rationale behind the National Award given to the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN in Abuja.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu was honoured with a National Award by ACPN at the Abuja International Conference Center (ICC) at the Opening ceremony of the 39th National Scientific Conference of the body.
Dr Adekola said the giant strides recorded by the governor in Ondo State in the last four years most especially in the health sector deserves commendation and national honour.
He described Governor Akeredolu as a focused and listening leader that is so passionate about the well being of the people of Ondo State.” Since I met the governor, every matter we brought before him as a body, he assented to”.
The National President further said the award was in recognition of the contribution of the governor to the progress and development of pharmacists in Ondo State and ACPN in general.
While talking about the achievement of the Governor, Dr Adekola said under Arakunrin Akeredolu led administration, Ondo State has become the first to have a separate department on Logistics and Pharmacy Investment, adding that the state is number one in terms of logistic in the health sector across the country.
He commended the Governor for his approval and increase in the number of pharmacist internship from ten to fifty.
” Before now, only ten slots of internship was approved for pharmacists since the creation of Ondo State in 1976; when I approached the Governor with our request, he graciously apporoved that the internship of pharmacists should be increased. Today we have 50 space for pharmacists internship in the state”.
Dr Adekola said another major achievement of the governor was the approval for employment of pharmacists in the state health sector.
” The last time pharmacists were employed in Ondo State was during Governor Adebayo Adefarati led administration. And a lot of the pharmacists in the service were either retired or died. I told the Governor about the need to employ pharmacists and fill the vacant spaces. He directed immediately that all the consequential vacancies should be filled; as of today, over 50 pharmacists have been employed in the state.
