By Hussaina Yakubu
Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State has urged pharmacists to protect the integrity of their profession by waging war against quackery to safeguard public health and ensure effective healthcare delivery.
Sani gave the charge at the public presentation of a book titled “Professor Ahmed Tijjani Mora: A Pillar of Pharmacy Regulation in Nigeria” organised to mark the 70th birthday of Prof. Ahmed Tijani Mora, a renowned pharmacist in Kaduna.
Represented by his Principal Private Secretary, Prof. Bello Ayuba, the governor said pharmacists must jealously guard the profession against impostors and unethical practices.
He added that there was also the need to monitor other professionals in the health sector to strengthen the overall healthcare delivery system in the country.
The governor described Mora as a colossus in the pharmacy profession whose contributions would remain indelible in Nigeria’s healthcare and academic sectors.
“It is gratifying that the book has saved us the embarrassment of regrets over missed opportunities of transmitting the thoughts of this academic giant to generations unborn.
“With over five decades of teaching, mentorship and leadership, we salute Prof. Mora and the authors for preserving such a legacy,” he said.
Speaking on his administration’s achievements in the health sector, Sani disclosed that 255 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) had been upgraded to Level 2 status across the 255 wards in the state.
He added that the 300 bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, abandoned by previous administrations, had been completed and was now operational.
According to him, the government has also upgraded 15 General Hospitals across the state to strengthen secondary healthcare services.
The governor further said that his administration had improved the welfare of health workers through the implementation of CONHESS and CONMESS salary structures.
On education, Sani said the administration had built 62 new science secondary schools while also refurbishing dilapidated ones across the state.
“These measures in the education sector have boosted learning outcomes, resulting in tremendous improvements in the performances of our students in national examinations,” he said.
The governor also disclosed that the administration had been supporting farmers with agricultural inputs, noting that smallholder farmers had received free fertilisers for two consecutive years.
He said the restoration of peace and harmony across Kaduna State remained one of the administration’s greatest achievements.
“In the last three years, not a single incident of religious or communal clash has been recorded in the state.
“This has liberalised the atmosphere of the state, resulting in free movement, improved inter communal trade and commerce, and increased inflow of local and foreign investments,” he said.
Sani added that the prevailing peace had paved the way for legacy projects such as mass transit buses and terminal projects, as well as three Skills Acquisition Centres located in Soba, Rigachukun and Samaru Kataf.