How I will pilot Edo PHC agency to greatness as chairman, governing board – Okojie

Kentimu Okojie, a pharmacist by profession, was on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 screened and confirmed by the Edo State House of Assembly as the chairman, governing board, of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (EDSPHCDA).

At the screening, the pharmacist of over twenty years in practice, said the profession was what she does with passion.

Okojie, a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 state legislative election for the Esan North-East constituency II, said she worked passionately with pediatricians as well as taking care of the elderly.
The pharmacist, a member of the Edo State Assets Verification Committee, promised to give policy directions on how best Primary Healthcare would be run in the state.

While opining that Primary HealthCare is about giving health to the grassroots people, she noted that to function effectively, the board would ensure that there are capable hands to work in the health sector as well as to ensure that the environment is conducive for work.

“I have looked at what we have before now, it is ideal for us to work and bring effective health services to our people. Effective health delivery will not go with what we have now, but we are going to ensure that the places that are not functional, we will make them functions, and those that cannot exist we will take them off and build those that will work.

“Fortunately, too, I know that you can use PHCs as your constituency projects, so, I am coming for you so that we will work together because we want to make drugs available to the PHCs, so that we won’t have empty health centres.

“If you agree with me doctors are not available to work in PHCs, that is the force I am going to drive to ensure that doctors will come to their localities or are willing to stay in their environment and be employed and deplored there.

“Also, there are issues of availability of affordable drugs. We are going to ensure that we talk to companies directly because, I already have contacts with different companies who will be willing to come and give the drugs to us at a price that our mothers at home will be able to afford and also the children will be able to administer their immunisation as at when due because we are going to ensure that all hands will be on deck.

“On telemedicine, we are going to look into it as well, so that if we do not have doctors on ground, you will be able to come to the hospital and somebody will be available to advise, diagnose and give support to any staff that will be on ground”, she said.

In his remarks shortly after the screening and confirmation, Blessing Agbebaku, Speaker of the Assembly, urged the new chairman, governing board of EDSPHCDA to ensure that Edo State has

better policy formulation, better direction that will help make the people have better healthcare.

According to the Speaker, “I also want to, as a person that represents a constituency and from a senatorial district, in this assignment of yours, make sure that there is equity and fairness to the three Senatorial districts.

“Don’t say because you are from Edo central Senatorial district you would want to lay more emphasis there and possibly leave out the other senatorial districts. I want to appeal to you that all the senatorial districts should be taken care of in the course of your assignment,” he stated.

According to her, “Pharmacy is what I do passionately, I take care of people that I can confirm that I do personally and well.

“I have worked personally with the pediatricians as well as those who take care of the elderly. So, I have a passion for children and the elderly which I have done for over 20 years,” she said.