NAFDAC’S DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS DR. ABUBAKAR JIMOH RETIRES AFTER 30 YEARS OF MERITORIOUS SERVICE TO THE NATION.

By Vincess Okushi

The Director of Public Affairs of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), who is an astute Journalist Dr. Abubakar Jimoh has bowed out of service after 30 years of meritorious service to the nation.

A statement signed by the agency’s Media Adviser Onche Odeh today disclosed that Dr. Jimoh was one of the several Directors in the Federal Civil Service affected by the 8-year tenure policy of the Federal Government.
The Director had handed over to one of the Deputy Directors in the Department, Mr. Paul Oyemonlan in an emotion-laden meeting with staff of the Public Affairs Department across the country.
According to him, Dr. Jimoh is one of the best Public Relations Practitioners in the federal Civil Service, employed in 1993 when NAFDAC was newly established and was saddled with the onerous task of setting up the Public Relations Unit for the fledgling Agency.

Barely two years into the operations of NAFDAC, Dr. Jimoh deployed his investigative journalism skill that led to the arrest of two Chinese nationals, Messrs. Fred Huang and Joseph Huang, and confiscation of 28 Lorry Loads of COUNTERFEIT Medicines worth millions of naira imported into the country.

In 1999, he was given a double promotion by the pioneer DIRECTOR–GENERAL of NAFDAC Emeritus Professor Gabriel Osuide for his hard work, diligence dedication to duty, and confrontation with Drug Counterfeiters.

A Recipient of several Awards and recognitions, Dr. Jimoh also received the best worker’s Letters of commendation from Successive Directors – General, the Late  Prof. Dora Akunyili, and Dr. Paul Orhii.

In 2018 Dr. Jimoh was one of the members of the Presidential Advisory Committee for the Elimination of Drug Abuse (PACEDA) inaugurated by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He worked very hard and assiduously under the chairmanship of BRIGADIER–GENERAL Muhammed Buba Marwa who is currently doing a great job as Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Responding to Dr. Jimoh’s retirement notice, the Incumbent Director–General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye expressed satisfaction over his years of service to the agency.

I want to say thank you for the five years plus that we have worked together. The activities of Public Affairs in the last many months have been impactful and it is very appreciated and I know it will continue. I wish you the best in future endeavors”.

Dr. Jimoh holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and won two academic prizes in 1987 for the best-graduating student in the Political Science Department and also the best-graduating student in the faculty of the Social Sciences of the University of Ibadan.

He bagged a master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Lagos In 1993 and a Postgraduate Diploma in management from the University of Ibadan in 1997. In his 5 years journalism career at Kano State Government-owned Triumph Newspapers, Dr. Jimoh once served as Aviation Correspondent in Lagos and Kwara State Editor of the Newspaper.
Journalists who were in attendance at the valedictory session also applauded Dr. Jimoh’s professional accomplishments as a  Public Relations Practitioner and Seasoned Administrator.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here