Pharm. Obinna Emmanuel Ekwom, is the Founder Pelf & Fortunes International Limited. He has the training and qualification to practice Pharmacy in Canada and the United States of America. He also obtained a Masters Degree in United Kingdom, University of Liverpool to be precise. He is equally an Engineer by training which made him to work with the Telecommunications Industry for over ten years.
In this interview with FirstNews, Ekwom called on Enugu State Government to look inwards and invest in palm plantation and cassava production as these crops has the capacity of creating employment for the teaming unemployed youths in the state. He maintained that pharmaceutical companies import products extracted from this two crops for drug production among other human needs.
Excerpt:
How has it been practicing pharmacy after working with a telecommunication outfit?
It has been quite interesting. There is this joy that I derive after attending to someone who come to my office very sick and the next day the person comes back happy looking hale and hearty indicating that he has recovered from the health challenge. I see my job as a call to serve and that is why I do follow-ups to ensure that my clients and customers get the best of service.
What Do You Think About The Issue Of Fake Drugs In The Market?
Fake drugs exist because the environment allows them. In UK for example, you cannot find such because the environment is highly regulated. To eliminate that in Nigeria, we have to make sure that drugs come from the right channel, which is the producer. The masses patronize patent medicine because they are not informed about the difference.
What Is Your Advice To The Public As Regards Their Health And Taking Drugs From Unqualified Practitioners?
The public should make sure they get their medication from qualified and approved pharmaceutical premises. They should also make sure they do not abuse drugs by asking for drugs on their own or what we call self medication. If the public insist on seeing a qualified medical practitioner, a lot of these things will disappear on itself. For example, let the government do the same thing they have done in Petroleum Industry by checking lifting of petroleum products from unauthorized source. If same is done in the case of drugs distribution, it would help a lot and control cases of drug abuse.
What is your take on cases of quacks in drug sales?
We have the right platform now which is the Pharmacist Council of Nigeria that can address the issue of drug sales. In Enugu for instance, we have over 100 men strength and with a law, we shall have a minimum of 200 meters out of each Pharmaceutical shop. That is to say that there is no need for patent medicine practice in Nigeria. Currently, we are advocating taking some Pharmacists into remote areas with incentives to push them there to improve the health services in the rural area. There is no need for patent medicine or medicine vendors as of today. For example, I am the only Pharmacist in Abakiliki Road here but go to New Haven; you will see more than 70 in less than 3 kilometers of the road. I give counseling to patients; I revive their hope when they think they have no hope again and teach them on the usage of drugs for treatment and appropriate time to take them which the patent stores hardly do. Before now patients will come and ask me to mix drugs for them but after much counseling they no longer ask for such and hardly take drugs unless in severe cases. I mostly advise them on the best habits to live. With this most of my customers are not quick to taking any kind of drugs without proper recommendation from a professional.
What is your take on the current administration of His Excellency, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi?
I will say, indeed, His Excellency is under very difficult times because the economic indices that would have made governance easy is not there as it suppose to. But I can still say that difficult times call for difficult measures as well. I believe that government can re-invent itself if it goes back to look at what it has on hand, get the people who have the interest and the skill to run the government and put things in order. Some certain things should be left for the professional. I believe Enugu State is endowed with human and natural resources. It is just for us to play it right. Enugu State has all it takes to create wealth just like Anambra State which makes billions of dollars on Rice, vegetable and tomatoes exportation. The government needs to go back, re-invent itself and do the right thing. Generally speaking, I can say that administration of Gov. Ugwuanyi has been fair but still need serious improvement on security because robbery cases is fast coming back.
As a pharmacist how would advice the government of Enugu State as regards industrialization particularly investing in Cassava production and Palm plantation which are base for drug production?
Fore mostly, crops like cassava and palm fruits can form the base of production for any country. If you recall in 1967, the South-East Nigeria was the fastest growing economy in the world under the regime of late Michael Okpara who was then Governor-General of the region. As of that time, a group of Malaysians and Indonesians came into the country around 1970s and took some seedlings of palm trees to their country and today they are doing great in these areas as their economy has grown to super economy in the world today.
When you process the palm product, nothing there is a waste. The whole thing from the fiber to the stem, the fruits etc, are so useful in the Pharmaceutical Industry and in nutrition as well. The same thing with cassava, everything about cassava is very essential. In the field of Engineering and Construction, palm is very essential and even in the Garment Industry. Well, as we proceed, I will tell you a lot of things that can be done with palm. It saddens my heart that Nigeria used to be greatest exporter of palm oil between 1967 and 1975 but right now, we import those items into the country. One of the basic essential ingredients that we have in Pharmaceutical Industry is starch. There is virtually no drug that comes out without 80%-90% involvement with starch. We have several manufacturing outfit in Enugu and in Nigeria but we still import starch products from foreign countries especially from Indonesia. This is because we have refused to promote the right values.
When you try to create wealth without a formidable foundation, it is going to be a loss but if you have a firm foundation, you are going to grow from it. The average Indonesian will pride himself with his size of plantation for his use in his factory with the ones to be used and sold in the market. The average Nigeria will weigh himself with wealth acquired without basis. So we have lost it and it is something that we can’t gain back easily. The gain Enugu state can make from cassava could actually strengthen our economy more than what we get from crude oil exportation if we put ourselves together.
Palm Trees and cassava are renewable and can always be increased and grown. You can mill cassava, take out the water and produce different degrees of starch. The first product of starch, the second can be used for food; the others can be used for pharmaceutical purposes and animal consumption. The machinery needed to do all these things are easy to come by, the training can be done and without waste of time, those trained will become good millers. We can start milling cassava which is an annual crop; and can be cultivated 2 – 3 times in a year.
What Is Your Advice To The People?
The advice is very simple, go to these nations, Indonesia, Malaysia via sending the youths with passion there to acquire the knowledge, bring them back so that they will train others in the field.
In A Lighter Mode, What Made You To Go Into Reading Engineering In School?
I have always loved technical things, and you know that there is also technicality in Pharmacy. I did Engineering in U.K and that is how I worked with a telecommunications company between 2004 and 2014.
Behind every successful man is a woman, who is your wife?
My wife is Mrs. Chinyelu Obiamaka Ekwom. She has been very supportive in everything I do, she is prayerful and an entrepreneur at heart. She is a public servant at the federal level. She is always with me.
