Stakeholders in the pharmacy profession and other eminent personalities in the country, including Senator (Pharm.) Matthew Urhoghide, chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts; Dr UNO Uwaga, chairman, Board of Trustees, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN); and Justice Esohe Frances Ikponmwen, chief judge of Edo State, have called for unity and harmony among community pharmacists in the country, as the ACPN elects new executives to pilot its affairs for the next three years.
Speaking at the closing banquet of the recently concluded national conference of the ACPN, held at Thames Event Centre, Benin City, Edo State, Senator Urhoghide of Edo South Senatorial District, who was the chairman of the occasion, urged community pharmacists nationwide to speak with one voice and help the newly elected executives to succeed in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Corroborating the senator’s admonition, the duo of Dr Uwaga and the chief judge of Edo State, who was represented by Hon. Justice Anthony Erhabor, further appealed to the pharmacists not to relent in their efforts toward ensuring professionalism in whatever they do, while urging them to shelve the rancour that marked the last elections of the association and resolve to work with the newly elected executives.
While announcing the result of the election, the Chairman, ACPN Electoral Body, Pharm. Yunusa Mohid Nasir, a fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, declared Pharm. Samuel Oluwaoromipin Adekola, a former national vice-chairman of ACPN, as winner of the national chairmanship position, beating his opponent, Pharm. Chima Ogbu with a total of 292 to 288 votes.
The electoral body chairman also announced Pharm. Sunday Ike, a community pharmacist from Abuja, and former chairman, ACPN-Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, winner of the national publicity secretary post with 331 votes, beating his opponent, Pharm. Babatunde Samuel, popularly known as ‘BABSAM’, also a community pharmacist from Ilorin, and former chairman, ACPN-Kwara State, with 244 votes.
Speaking further, the respected pharmacist noted that, of the available seven slots, the remaining five, which were national vice-chairman, national secretary, national assistant secretary, national treasurer, and national financial secretary, were contested unopposed.
According to him, Pharm. Abosede Idowu and Pharm. Wuyeb Nankap, the national secretary and national assistant secretary respectively, were returned unopposed, while Pharm. (Rev.) Dan Ajayi, national vice-chairman; Pharm. Ashore Omokhafe, national financial secretary; and Pharm. Ambrose Eze, national treasurer, contested unopposed and were declared winners of the elections.
Speaking during his acceptance speech, the new ACPN chairman, Pharm. Samuel Adekola, gave thanks to God for granting him success in the election to aggrieved members of the association to bury the hatchet, noting that any conflict would be detrimental to the ACPN and community pharmacy practice in the country.
“As I dedicate this success to all community pharmacists in the country who trusted and believe in my ability to lead this association, I want to say I am truly blessed and humbled by this divine favour, while I specially appreciate my campaign team which stood by me through the darkest moments of this exercise; you have remain my pillar of strength,” he said.
The highpoints of the event were the presentation of certificates and swearing in of the new executives, which was conducted by the representative of Justice Ikponmwen, Erhabor, assisted by Sen. (Pharm) Mathew Urhoghide and (Dr) Albert Kelong Alkali, outgoing, ACPN chairman.
 Matthew Urhoghide, chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts; Dr UNO Uwaga, chairman, Board of Trustees, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN)){kind=link}