PSN Fumes as FG Inaugurates Mora as Pharmacists Council Chairman

pharmacy

• Ehanire charges Mora to harmonise issues in the Council
• PSN rejects Mora’s appointment as Council Chairman
• Mora expresses delight with the new position

The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN, has expressed total rejection of the newly installed Chairman of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria, in the person of Prof. A. T Mora, following several allegations levied against him by the leadership of the Society.

The Society took the decision after receiving notice of the inauguration ceremony of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria with its chairman as Mora, from the Federal Ministry of Health, FMoH, on Saturday 13 June 2020, prior to the inauguration on Monday 15 June 2020.

Officially establishing the Council and swearing in the Chairman, Prof. Mora on Monday, through a ZOOM conferencing, the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire charged the chairman of the Council to bring all stakeholders on board in the newly formed Council, while he ensures that no arm of the Society is left out.

PCN Governing Council Inauguration Ceremony 

Ehanire noted that the Council inauguration should have be done since 2019, but due to various issues well known to all stakeholders in the Society, the occasion was kept until the inauguration today.

He said: “The FMoH recognised that the PCN Governing Council should have been inaugurated long ago in 2019, but due to reasons known to all of us, it was kept on hold until today. Leadership cannot be achieved in a state of disharmony and rancour. I hereby urge the Council under the chairmanship of Prof. Mora to work with all stakeholders for the resolution of all conflicts in the Society.

“You have the responsibility to recreate a new Pharmacy family, as the chairman of the Council, the ball is in your court to bring all members together without any faction in the family”, Ehanire said.

PSN orders pharmacists to boycott PCN inauguration ceremony 

Responding to the invitation to participate in the inauguration of the PCN Governor Council as scheduled for Monday, the Society, in a statement signed by the PSN National Secretary, Pharm. Emeka Duru, expressed her grievances with the development, saying Mora has no good records with the PSN, thus said the Society will not participate and also urged all pharmacists to boycott the meeting in line with Council and AGM resolutions.

The statement reads in part:” This is in complete disregard and disrespect to the position of the leadership of PSN on the matter. There was no recent discussion or communication with the leadership of PSN, nor did A.T. Mora take any of the steps recommended to him by the Minister of State for Health before the Minister of Health took the decision.

“This is therefore to inform all pharmacists that the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria at different meetings with the Minister of Health made its principled position known about their choice of A.T. Mora as Chairman of PCN Council – to wit that A.T. Mora is not in good books of PSN, having been de-fellowed and put on PSN roll of dishonour.

“We state that he does not have the right moral standing to chair a council that regulates a Society he is not a member and which he holds in utmost contempt. The PSN will not participate in the inauguration on Monday and all members of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria are advised not to attend or participate in line with Council and AGM resolutions”, the Society maintained.

PSN rejects Mora as PCN chairman, writes an open letter to Buhari

In an open letter written to President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) on the development, titled:” Rejection of A. T. Mora as chairman Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN)”, the Society highlighted various allegations against Mora, why he should not be made the PCN Chairman.

The open letter, which has the signatures of the PSN President, Pharm. (Mazi) Sam  Ohuabunwa, and eight former presidents of the Society, stated that the PCN Act was originally crafted as Decree 91 of 1992 which has now metamorphosed into Cap P.17 LFN 2004. Section 1(1) (d) of the enabling Act gives the PCN a specific approbation in law to regulate and control Pharmacy Practice in all its aspects and ramifications in Nigeria. The three major thrusts of the Council revolve around Practice (Section 1(1) (d)), Education and Training (Section 1(1) (a)) and Disciplinary Matters (Section 17 (1-6)).

Some of the allegations levied against him by the Society are: “Unauthorised alteration of portions of the PCN ACT in PCN’S compilation of pharmacy, drug & related laws and rules in Nigeria in 2009; Mora’s role in changing the names of PSN’S statutory nominations to the PCN Council in 2009 and his subsequent efforts to cover up many controversies surrounding his career pathway”, among others.

The Society therefore maintained that the FMoH should suspend or cancel the inauguration while they consider other candidates for the position. :“In the interim, we strongly enjoin the FG to indefinitely suspend or cancel the inauguration of the PCN Governing Council with Pharm. A. T. Mora as Chairman for the reasons earlier stated.

“We believe that whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters. The Buhari Administration is believed to promote integrity and courage over comfort and sentiments.

“We therefore, in unequivocal terms, demand that Pharm. A. T. Mora should not be inaugurated as Chairman, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH)”.

A.T Mora’s post-inaugural speech 

Meanwhile, the newly installed PCN Chairman, A.T Mora has showed his gratitude to almighty God for making him witness the occasion, while pledging to cooperate with all members of the Council for the success of his tenure.

Acknowledging that the Council consist of 37 Directors of Pharmaceutical Services and Deans of Pharmacy Faculties, Mora said PCN has never witnessed challenges more than the ones experience this time, while he was optimistic of resolving all issues with the cooperation of all members of the governing council.