By Rukayat Moisemhe
A Professor of Business Law and Ethics at James Hope University, Ehi Esoimeme, has known as for stronger collaboration to deal with counterfeit medicines in Nigeria.
Esoimeme made the decision on the investiture of Mrs Osita Chito, the eleventh President of the Rotary Club of Abijo, Ibeju-Lekki, and the Board of Directors on Saturday in Lagos.
He described substandard and falsified medicines as a serious public well being problem affecting developed and growing nations.
He mentioned the menace positioned huge strain on nationwide medicines regulatory authorities.
According to him, unscrupulous producers, importers and distributors intentionally goal medicines with excessive consumption charges, notably these used to deal with ailments of public well being significance.
“The targeted medicines include antimalarials, antibiotics, antihypertensive drugs, anti-diabetic agents and lifestyle medicines,” he mentioned.
The professor famous that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control was intensifying efforts, alongside different nations, to curb the menace.
He confused the necessity for acceptable coaching and consciousness programmes to equip staff and different stakeholders with abilities to establish and report unethical practices.
Esoimeme additionally recognized whistleblowing as an essential accountability mechanism, urging organisations to ascertain confidential channels for reporting suspicious actions.
He mentioned efficient whistleblowing methods ought to embody devoted phone hotlines, electronic mail addresses and digital platforms that permit nameless reporting.
The professor additional advocated collaboration amongst companies, suppliers, skilled our bodies, non-governmental organisations, commerce unions and regulatory establishments.
The newly put in president of the membership, Rotarian Chito Osita, pledged to prioritise membership development, strengthen assist for The Rotary Foundation and re-engage former members throughout her 2026/2027 tenure.
Osita mentioned her administration would give attention to maternal and little one healthcare, training, most cancers screening, environmental safety, vocational abilities improvement and neighborhood empowerment.
She listed proposed tasks to incorporate distributing maternal and nursing kits, prostate and cervical most cancers screening, scholarships and assist for exterior examinations.
Other initiatives embody free medical check-ups in communities throughout Ibeju-Lekki, provision of boreholes, environmental sanitation and tree planting.
She additionally listed the renovation of a police station, youth management improvement and vocational coaching for ladies and younger individuals.
Osita introduced plans to go to the Badagry Correctional Centre, present welfare supplies to inmates and facilitate the discharge of eligible inmates.
She mentioned the membership had earmarked N48 million for the proposed tasks.
Osita known as on members, company organisations and different stakeholders to assist the initiatives, stressing that their profitable implementation required collective dedication.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Investiture Committee, Rotarian Walter Idundun, counseled the outgoing president and board for his or her contributions to the membership’s development and neighborhood service.
He urged members and companions to maintain their assist for the membership’s humanitarian actions.
Idundun mentioned the membership’s achievements ought to be measured not solely by tasks executed but in addition by lives reworked and constructive adjustments created in communities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) studies that the investiture marked the start of Osita’s tenure because the eleventh president of the Rotary Club of Abijo-Ibeju Lekki. (NAN)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
