Prevail on agric ministry, vet doctors to wait for court judgement – Pharmacists petition Makinde
The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) has asked the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde to prevail on the ministry of agriculture and veterinary doctors in the state to wait for the court judgement to determine who controls veterinary clinics in the state.
The association noted that this is necessary in order to avoid an impending crisis in the state.
News Menhad reported that the Oyo State government, through the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Olasunkanmi Olaleye, claimed that FinRel Pharmacy, Supermarket and Bakery in Ibadan was sealed because it was operating an illegal veterinary pharmacy.
But, ACPN, in an open letter addressed to the Governor, advised him to prevail on the ministry and veterinary doctors in the state to wait for the ongoing court judgement before further taking action on the control veterinary clinics in the state.
The association in the petition signed by its Chairman, Pharmacist Adebayo Gbadamosi, insisted that there is a pending court case; filed by the association at the Federal High Court in Ibadan over who has the right to veterinary clinics in the state.
He regretted that while the courts were on annual recess in the pendency of the case, officers of the Oyo State Ministry of Agric and Natural Resources, alongside the Veterinary Medicine Association went ahead to seal the pharmacy and harass members of the association.
Gbadamosi, in the petition, a copy of which was made available to News Men on Wednesday, said that in the recent past, there were litigations between the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association and Pharmacy Council of Nigeria under whose purview is the regulation of animal drugs in Nigeria.
He maintained that the judgement delivered by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court of Nigeria in the Abuja Judicial Division on Friday, March 24, 2017, affirmed that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria is the legal entity for the regulation of animal drugs and biologics and have the mandate to determine who is charged with the responsibility of storage, sale and dispensing of animal drugs and biologics.
Gbadamosi alleged that the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association in the state, sponsored a bill at the State Assembly, which was subsequently, passed into law, with the sole aim of attacking Community Pharmacists registered by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria.
He explained that the move was resisted by ACPN through a case filed at the Federal High Court in Ibadan, which is still pending at the court, insisting that the ministry and the veterinary doctors did not wait for the court judgement before sealing a pharmacy.
He called on Makinde to prevail on the concerned individuals to wait for the court judgement before further action is taken.
“In the recent past, there were litigations between Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria under whose purview is the regulation of animal drugs in Nigeria. The judgement delivered by Hon. Justice (Dr) Nnamdi O. Dimgba of the Federal High Court of Nigeria in the Abuja Judicial Division on Friday, March 24, 2017, affirmed that the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria is the legal entity for the regulation of animal drugs and biologics and have the mandate to determine who is charged with the responsibility of storage, sale and dispensing of animal drugs and biologics.
“Not satisfied with the outcome of the courts, the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association through their agents in the Oyo State Ministry of Agric and Natural Resources smuggled a bill into the Oyo State House of Assembly without due process, requiring public hearing and inputs from various sectors of the state. The bill was subsequently passed into law with the sole aim of attacking Community Pharmacists registered by the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria who undertake the sale and dispensation of human and animal drugs in Oyo State. On the premise of this law, the Staff of the Ministry of Agric and Natural Resources with their Veterinary Medicine practitioners began an onslaught against pharmacists by sealing their premises on the pretence that they deal in animal drugs and biologics.
“The move was resisted and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Oyo State branch filed a case at the Federal High Court, Oyo State Division against them for interpretation of the law and harmonization with previous judgements of the Courts of competent jurisdiction in the land. Unfortunately, while the case is in court, the Oyo State Ministry of Agric and Natural Resources trumped up a media trial against one of our colleagues; FINREL PHARMACY through a video purporting animal handling in his premises.
