Emeka Offor warns benefiting institutions not to commercialise donated drugs

ORAIFITE EKWUSIGO, Anambra – Founder of Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, Sir Emeka Offor  has warned all benefiting medical institutions in the country not to commercialise  any of the drug donated to them by the foundation.

Offor who spoke through his Chief of Staff, retired AIG Chris Ezike at the second phase of  the foundation medical equipment/supplies and distributions programme  in Oraifite Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra State, said the drugs were purely meant for humanitarian purpose and should be used only to treat people at no cost .

According to him, the gesture was a humanitarian intervention at health services for the poor  who cannot access to quality healthcare services on their own across the  country.

“This is a humanitarian intervention in terms of health and must be used for the treatment of  poor people without charging them any money. When you are making donation and it is free and someone  sells them, it is immoral. We are making a caveat that on no account shall the drugs be  sold to the public. If  you sell it to the people, it will hurt us and if we discover that they were sold ,we will make a rethink whether it is right to donate for the poor through the organisations. We reiterate that these drugs are donated as a humanitarian gesture and strictly free of charge. They are not to be sold , resold or exchange for profit or gain. Therefore, they do not have any commercial value as post donation monitoring  team will ensure compliance with the rules of corporate governance” he said.

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Traditional ruler of Oraifite, Ekwusigo, Igwe  Dan Ugorji, while  extolling  sir Emeka Offor for his  humanitarian gesture, also urged  the benefiting institutions  to make judicious use of the drugs donated to them to help the less privileged in the society who will need medical assistance.

According to him, God will not forgive anybody who converts the gesture for money making venture.

“Please, use the drugs for the good of the poor. It is not for sell. It is not meant for getting rich. Be patriotic enough and use it for the public interest and do not use it to make money from the sick people” he said.

During the distributions 21 medical institutions across the country got drugs worth N100 million each. The institutions include , Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Anambra State, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital , Zaria, Kaduna State, The Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Gombe  State Specialist Hospital, Gombe, Federal Medical Centre Yola, Adamawa State, Kebbi State Medical Centre Kalgo, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital Maiduguri, Borno State, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State, University of Jos Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State , University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu.

Others are, Federal Medical Centre ,Owerri, Imo state, Alex Ekwume Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, Abia state, Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo, Taraba State, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Federal Medical Centre Yenogoa, Bayelsa State, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos, Muhammadu Buhari Police Hospital, Police Cantonment, Abuja, National Hospital Abuja, Federal capital Territory and Central Hospital Benin City, Edo state.