AKUNYILI:NOBEL PRIZE NOMINEE DIES IN INDIA
BY ABDULMUMINI ADEKU.
He is Nigeria’s version of Aung San Suu Kyi,remember her;that
Burmese political heroine who spent decades in prison for her political
beliefs.
To her country men, Dr Mrs Dora Akunyili needs no form of
introduction as her role as Director General of the now moribund National Agency
for Food and Drug Administration and Control showed clearly how dogged a spirited public official can be in a
nation where corruption is largely a national anthem or better still second
nature.
Soon after she left public space as a Minister in the government
of President Goodluck Jonathan to pitch her tent with the All Progressive Grand
Alliance where she felt she will be able to contest and win a senatorial seat,this
great daughter of the nation suddenly disappeared from the nations
consciousness until she was made a member of the National Confab now
deliberating on the nation’s constitutional future in Abuja and the cat was
finally let out of the bag.
Dr Akunyili was battling a terminal problem with many suggesting
that she was bewitched by the various group of cartels she took on during her
days at NAFDAC.
Sometimes in 2011 the good works and the goodwill there -of of
the spirited Nigerian public official was made public as an impeccable source close to a
non-governmental agency in Nigeria revealed exclusively about her nomination
for the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize on account of her contributions to
nationhood.
News filtering in from far away India couple of minutes ago
,suggests the lioness finally gave up the ghost after living 59 eventful years
on earth.
Dora Nkem Akunyili (born July 14, 1954 in Makurdi, [[Benue State]) was the former Director
General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
(NAFDAC) of Nigeria and former (December 17, 2008 - December
15, 2010) Nigerian Minister of Information and Communications. She is a
pharmacist and governmental administrator who has gained international
recognition and won hundreds of awards for her work in pharmacology, public
health and human rights.[citation needed]
Akunyili ran for election as Senator
for Anambra Central on the All Progressive Grand Alliance[APGA] platform in
April 2011 but was defeated by Chris Ngige of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN). She immediately sent a petition to the Independent
National Electoral Commission disputing the result.[1]
Since Akunyili took over leadership
of NAFDAC, she has established as a top priority the eradication of counterfeit drugs and unsafe food.[2] Before Akunyili assumed duty, Nigeria
became a place where fake and substandard foods and drugs were being dumped
without any form of regulations. She became angry because “so many of (her)
countrymen and women (were) fighting killer diseases like malaria and tuberculosis with little more than sugar syrup
and chalk tablets, cynically packaged to look like the real thing.”[3] Although Akunyili has faced considerable
risk to her personal safety in order to combat the issue of fake drugs, “She
[has been] dancing with danger. And she [has been collecting] very visibly
awards all over the world appearing with whomever has a smile to share.”[4]
Dr. (Mrs.) Dora Nkem Akunyili, who
assumed office on the 12th of April 2001, as the Director General of National
Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), is a Pharmacist,
Pharmacologist, Erudite Scholar, Seasoned Administrator, and a visionary
leader. She was a Senior Lecturer and Consultant Pharmacologist in the College
of Medicine, University of
Nigeria, Nsukka (U.N.N.), Enugu Campus, before she became the NAFDAC
boss.
She was born in Makurdi, Benue State
(Nigeria) on the 14th of July 1954, hails from Nanka and married in Agulu, both
in Anambra State of Nigeria. Dr. Akunyili’s educational career started with her
passing the First School Leaving Certificate with Distinction at St. Patrick’s
Primary School, Isuofia, Anambra State in 1966, and the West African School
Certificate (W.A.S.C.) with Grade I Distinction in 1973 from Queen of the
Rosary Secondary School, Nsukka, both in Nigeria.
These exceptional results in the
First School Leaving Certificate, and W.A.S.C. earned her the Eastern Nigerian
Government Post Primary Scholarship and the Federal Government of Nigeria Undergraduate
Scholarship. She got her First Degree in Pharmacy B.Pharm (Hons) in 1978 and
her PhD in 1985 from U.N.N. Dr. Akunyili was a Post Doctorate Fellow of
University of London and a Fellow of the West African Post Graduate College of
Pharmacists. To prepare her for Managerial positions, she was trained on Senior
Management skills Course in RIPA, London and Computer Education Programme by
WHO/UNDP/World Bank Sponsored, Enugu in 1998 and 1994 respectively. Dr.
Akunyili has enjoyed many academic awards and recognitions.
Dr. Akunyili started her working
career as a Hospital Pharmacist from 1978–1981, in the University of Nigeria
Teaching Hospital (U.N.T.H) Enugu, after which she ventured into academics as a
Graduate Assistant (Research Fellow) in Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
U.N.N. from 1982-1986. In the University system, she made a steady progress
from Lecturer I in 1986 until she was made Senior Lecturer in 1990. She
transferred to College of Medicine, U.N.N. in 1992, where she was made a Consultant
Pharmacologist in 1996, a position she held until 12 April 2001. Due to her
love for teaching and nurturing young ones, she was also a part-time lecturer
of the West African Postgraduate College of Pharmacists Lagos, Nigeria from
1992-1995.
Dr. Mrs. Dora Akunyili was also
prepared for the present Administrative position by her four years stint as
Zonal Secretary of Petroleum Special Trust Fund (P.T.F.), coordinating all
projects in the five South Eastern States of Nigeria (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi,
Enugu and Imo States).
She also served as a Supervisor for
Agriculture and Member of the Caretaker Committee for her Local Government,
Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State from 1994 to 1996. From 1992 to
1994, Dr. Akunyili served as a member of State’s Hospitals Management Board and
State Advisory Council for Women Commission both in Anambra State of Nigeria.
As a Scientist and a Scholar, she
has presented 19 papers in various local and International Scientific
Conferences, and published a book and 18 Journal Articles. She has supervised
PhD and Masters candidates in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka and U.N.N.
respectively both in Nigeria. Even as the Director General of NAFDAC, Dr.
Akunyili still finds time to supervise six Postgraduate students in the College
of Medicine U.N.N. She has also been Chief Examiner in Pharmacology for 3rd
M.B.B.S College of Medicine, Abia State University Uturu, Nigeria.
Dr. Mrs. Dora Akunyili is also a
very active member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (P.S.N.) where she
has served in the following capacities:
P.S.N. Education Committee as
Secretary from 1994–2000
Organizing Committee for Enugu State
P.S.N. Annual Conference as Secretary 1995
Nigerian Association of Academic
Pharmacists as National Asst. Sec. from 1990–1994
Association of Lady Pharmacists as
National Vice-President from 1992–1995, National Ex Officio Member
1995-2000 and President of Enugu State branch from 1992-1998.
She is a member of other learned
societies among which are Nigerian Society for Pharmacology, West African
Society for Pharmacology, International Union of Pharmacology and International
Pharmaceutical Federation.
Dr. Akunyili held positions of
responsibility in University of Nigeria Nsukka Senate in the following
capacities:
Senate Careers Board Committee -
Member 1986–1993
Board of Institute for Development
Studies-Member 1986 - 1993
Senate Representative for Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences 1990 - 1992
Staff Welfare Committee for Academic
Staff Union of Universities, Nigeria - Member 1991 - 1993
Investigation Committee on Alleged
Examination Malpractice in Drama 202 Re: Ugwuja C., 86/49917 of Sub-Department
Dramatic Arts, U.N.N. – Secretary 1991-1992.
Dr. Dora Akunyili’s high sense of
responsibility led to her being made a member of the following Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences Committees (U.N.N.) from 1986-1992:
Medicinal Plant Committee
Examination Committee
Continuing Education Committee
Publications and Colloquial
Committee
Committee on Specialization Courses
for Pharmacists
Consultancy Management Board.
Dr. Akunyili is a devout Catholic
and is happily married to Dr. J.C. Akunyili, of the University of Nigeria
Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria and they have 6 children together.
Her hobby includes reading and
writing.
Awards
received
Some of the awards Prof. Akunyili
has received are:
- Time Magazine Award 2006( "One of the eighteen heroes of our time")- Time Magazine Inc.
- Person of the Year 2005 Award - Silverbird Communications Ltd, Lagos, 05-01-2006
- Award of Excellence - Integrated World Services (IWS), Dec. 2005
- Award of Excellence - Advocacy for Democracy Dividends International, Lagos, 17-12-2005
- Meritorious Award 2005 - St. Michael’s Military Catholic Church, Apapa, Lagos, 04-12-2005
- African Virtuous and Entrepreneurial Women Merit Award 2005 - African Biographical Network, Dec. 2005
- Award for the Best Government Parastatal - National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), December 2005
- An Icon of Excellence Award - The African Cultural Institute and Zenith Bank Plc,[5] 08-12-2005
- 2005 Grassroots Human Rights Campaigner Award London Based Human Rights Defense Organization. 08-12-2005
- Most Innovative Director Award Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos. Oct. 2005.[6]
- Integrity Award 2003 - Transparency International.[7]
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