Ahmed Yakasai award produces first winner

pharmacy

(By Adebayo Oladejo)

          A community pharmacist from Ibadan, Oyo State, Pharm. Kunle Amusan, has been announced winner of the maiden edition of the Ahmed Yakasai Community Pharmacy Practice Support Award.

The award was presented at the Arca Santa Event Centre, venue of the opening ceremony of the 33rd annual national conference of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN).

Beaming with smiles and waving to the applauding audience, Pharm. Amusan received the award, which comes with an award plaque and a cash prize of 300,000 naira.

Expressing his delight, Pharm. Amusan, who is the managing director of Pharmalot Pharmacy, Ibadan, described the award donor, Pharm. (Alh) Ahmed Yakasai, as a man who truly had the love of pharmacy at heart.

Amusan attributed his emergence as winner of the award as an act of God. “I give God the glory for making me the first beneficiary of this award,” he said,” and I say a big ‘thank you’ to Alhaji Yakasai for putting a smile on my face, even at a time that I thought there was no hope again.”

National chairman of ACPN, Pharm. (Alh) Olufemi Ismail Adebayo, noted at the event that the Ahmed Yakasai Community Pharmacy Support Award was a timely and significant intervention for community pharmacists.

“It was a big coincidence because the National Executive Council (NEC) was discussing how we were going to start assisting community pharmacists that having challenges.The donor just came without discussing with anybody and without knowing what we were discussing in NEC and decided to institute that award; and true to his word, the promise was fulfilled,” he said.

Adebayo further added that Alh.Yakasai, had through the presentation of the maiden edition of the award to a pharmacist outside of his state and tribe, portrayed himself as a truly forthright and detribalised Nigerian.

In his own remarks, Alh.Yakasai, who was once Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, and later, Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives & Tourism in Kano State, disclosed that he organised the award to give back to the profession that had benefitted him over the years.

“ I felt I have to contribute to the development of Pharmacy from the token God has given to me and that is why I decided to give a meagre300,000 naira only for the next ten years. And to further prove my love for Pharmacy, my first daughter is rounding off her Pharm.D programme,” he revealed.