Gov Abiodun Extols Prof Salako, Says He’s Blessing to Mankind

Rebecca Ejifoma

 The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, yesterday described the late emeritus Professor of Pharmacology, Lateef Salako, as a blessing to mankind during his life time, “whose impact will remain indelible in the sand of time.”

He made this remark at the memorial lecture of the late Salako with the theme: ‘The Science of Pharmacology in Health Care: The Nigerian Scene’.

In his remark, Abiodun acknowledged

Salako, who passed away in 2017, as a physician of international repute, adding: “His quest for knowledge, love for mankind and desire to be a thorough professional took him around the world, thus making a positive impact on humanity.”

According to the governor, the memorial is a viable platform not only to celebrate Salako’s fulfilled life but also his contributions to humanity and the course of mankind.

He emphasised that the theme couldn’t have been more appropriate, “as ever before our country needs more research into drugs or medication action and its agenda effect on the human body system.”

Earlier in his keynote address, the Guest Speaker and Pro-Chancellor of the Kogi State University, Prof. Ibrahim Abdul-Aguye, called for the establishment of more clinical trial centres across Nigeria, to help detect local toxins and ease referral.

Abdul-Aguye said although there is a wide gap in the number of residents willing to take up pharmacology in Nigeria and the West African Postgraduate Medical Colleges in comparison to those willing to enrol in other specialties in internal medicine.

He said: “The infrastructure needed for both training and practice is grossly inadequate. Drugs and medicines whose plasma levels need to be routinely measured for efficient therapeutic outcomes are not handled properly.”

The pro-chancellor, however, recommended that the government and other stakeholders, including the Nigerian Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (NSCPT), “re-introduce a 12 to 15-month professional Master degree in Clinical Pharmacology, establish national clinical trial centres, and establish a national toxicology centre.”

Abdul-Aguye, therefore, called on the government and all stakeholders to team up and restore pharmacology in the country for better healthcare.