-As Apakama Set to Strengthen the Board
Dr Joel Adagadzu, the immediate past chairman (IPC), Board of Fellows (BOF) of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), has formally handed the baton of office to the newly elected BOF chairman, Pharm. Uchenna Apakama, on Monday, 25 November, 2024 at the BOF Secretariat, Lagos, as he enumerated the accomplishments of the Board under his watch.
The handover ceremony, which was an hybrid event, was graced by both old and new executives of the Board, including Dr Rametu Momodu, vice-chairman; Pharm. Damian Izuka, secretary; Pharm. Ngozi Onuorah, asst. secretary; Pharm. (Princess) Jaiyeola Osaretin, treasurer; Dr Margaret Obono, financial secretary; Dr Maria Opara, auditor; Prof. Noel Wannang, unofficial; Pharm (Dr) Kingsley Amibor, unofficial; and Prof. Mbang Femi-Oyewo, for chairman.
Giving the stewardship of his three-year tenure, when he and his executives assumed office, an elated Adagadzu, expressed his profound gratitude to the Almighty God for His guidance and to all Fellows for the opportunity to serve in such capacity.
“Three years ago, my outgoing executives and my humble self were elected to serve the Board of Fellows of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (BOF-PSN) and to manage its affairs. We are grateful to all the Fellows for the opportunity granted us to serve. The experiences gained during our tenure are quite rewarding and amazing. We above all give thanks to the Almighty God for guiding us through these three years and we sincerely hope that we have put in our best and have not disappointed the BOF,” he recounted.
Some of the achievements of the BOF during his leadership were listed as follows: Inauguration of BOF Mentorship Programme; Visits to elderly Fellows across the country; Presentation of BOF Awards to exceptional Pharmacy Graduates from faculties of Pharmacy, with N50,000 cash prize; Fulfilled commitments to the families of deceased Fellows; Sustained flagship Drug Abuse Campaign; Successfully remodelled the BOF office in Lagos, Succeeded in maintaining absolute peace among the NEC members, among others.
The outgoing PSN-BOF boss also mentioned some of the challenges encountered by his administration, especially as it regards funds for the running of the Board, noting that he inherited N4 million from his predecessor, but handing over less than N2 million to the new chairman. He emphasised the need for incoming chairman to embark on aggressive drive for the recovery of outstanding annual dues from Fellows.
“The financial situation is that bad that those who may not be privy with the situation at hand will start asking questions. The new chairman will do well to explain the situation from his point of view after taking over and studying the accounts in details,” he explained.
He continued, “Due to the poor financial position of the BOF-PSN at the time of our taking over in December of 2021, we barely managed to hold our first MYM in 2022 in Abuja where we had pledges of N20m. Sadly, only N8m was redeemed. We virtually came out of that MYM bruised. In 2023, the MYM was held in Lagos. Due to poor resources, there were frantic calls for the event to be suspended, but we insisted that it must hold. The situation after the event was not impressive. By the time we held our 2024 MYM in Awka, Anambra State, we dreamt of a good outcome in terms of expected income because of the relatively brighter financial space in Anambra. Sadly, the outcome was also discouraging and even worse in terms of what accrued.”
Adagadzu, who also decried the poor performances of most of the committees constituted during his tenure, except a few which performed exceptionally, offered some recommendations to the new executives. Some of his suggestions were, preparation of annual budgets; Maintenance of proper accounting or financial records to facilitate easy reporting; Early planning of MYMs and avoid expensive venues to cut costs; Membership of Committees should follow consideration of commitment to serve; Identify other sources of income and intensify revenue drive, among others.
Shortly after his decoration as the new chairman, Apakama appreciated all Fellows who gave him their mandate at the polls in Uyo, where he and other new executives were elected. He promised to run an inclusive administration that will bring all Fellows, even those candidates who lost in their elections will be given responsibilities provided they are available to work.
He highlighted some grey areas in the activities of the Board that require urgent overhaul, noting how he is determined to strengthen the dignity and status of the Board that will command respect from all quarters. He charged his executives on brainstorming of ideas to build the Board into a strong institution, that is financially vibrant.
The newly installed Board Chairman hinted on his plan to active a vibrant health insurance policy for Fellows, especially those who are not financially buoyant to access healthcare on their own, saying that life insurance alone is not sufficient, that ensuring optimal health for the Fellows is crucial. To do this, he explained that funds is required, and that will warrant the publication of Fellows financial status on their platform, to enable them pay up.
The Vice – Chairman, Dr Rametu Momodu particularly observed gaps in the planning of the last Mid-Year-Meeting, which could be prevented with early plans and arrangements for the programme, as she proposed a year-long planning ahead of every MYM, to forestall last minutes disappointments.
Also presenting reports of the state of accounts in the last adminstration, Pharm. Osaretin Jaiyeola, the treasurer mentioned the need for the Board to upgrade to online banking which will save them time and resources in moving from one place to another in order to sign and present cheques to people. She further charged the chairman to ensure proper documentation of assets of the Board, which should be made available whenever it is needed.
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