Thirty-six years ago, Nigeria established a National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development to “develop drugs, biological products and pharmaceutical raw materials from indigenous resources in Nigeria” (Premium Times).

The Institute has not had electricity in nine months. The Professor of Pharmacy who serves as its Director says he has no funds to buy diesel for the generator because the annual budget appropriation for the Institute hardly ever comes. When it comes, it is always partial.

Familiar Nigeriana scenario. Nothing new here.

It gets interesting when you hear how much has been proposed for the Institute in the 2017 Federal Budget: N711.6 million. You think Nigeria is unserious by allocating such a ridiculous amount to research on the development of life-saving drugs for her own people – an amount nearly inferior to the wardrobe allowance of some officials?

Well, that is not where I am going. I am going to His Excellency Chief Dr Alhaji Bukola Saraki’s bulletproof Range Rover. A cool N298 million – that is ferefe to N300 million.

In other words, that Range Rover is nearly half the entire amount that Nigeria has allocated to pharmaceutical research and drug development in one year.

Whether the law was broken or not, there is the question of a nation’s priorities. And the prelogical brutality of the Orangutans who rule that nation. And the complicity of the led.

President Buhari does not need anything produced by that Institute. Bukola Saraki does not need anything produced by that Institute. Even Dino does not need anything produced by that Institute. They go to London for their pharmacy needs.

Those who really need it? The people. Well, if the Institute is too broke to do research and produce drugs, the people can always rely on magnanimous government agencies like SON, CUSTOMS, NAFDAC, etc, to let in only minimally expired Tetracycline and Alabukun.

If expired Tetracycline and Alabukun prove too expensive, God bless Iya Oniparaga whose opa ehin and gbogbonise never fail.

Once Iya Oniparaga strengthens you with her products, you are good enough to return to social media in defense of Bukola Saraki whose latest toy just gulped nearly half the annual budget of a Pharmaceutical Institute serving 180 million people.

God bless Iya Oniparaga.