Penultimate Wednesday, August 2, 2017 was a day that cannot be forgotten in a hurry by this very well known and renowned pharmacist, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi. But many in the social circle were wondering why the very first and only pharmacists to become Minister of health in the history of Nigeria did not celebrate his birthday elaborately.
Society Gists gathered that it was just for him to make a statement , and he is no longer the bubbling type we all know before now, as age is already telling on him.
He was appointed Minister of Health and Social Services during the interim government of Dr Ernest Shonekan in 1993. He is also the chairman of Juli Plc (formerly Juli Pharmacy Limited), the first indigenously promoted company in Nigeria to be quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).
Society Gists gathered reliably that the man of many honors prefers to celebrate with the less privileged and giving thanks to God for a good life on earth.
Adelusi-Adeluyi was born into the royal family of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on 2 August, 1940. He had his elementary education at St. George’s Catholic Primary School, Ado Ekiti, from 1946 to 1952. He attended St Thomas Aquinas College, also in Akure (1953 – 1957) for his secondary education. From there, he got admission to the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan (1959– 1961).
His venture into pharmacy began in 1962 when he was admitted to study pharmacy among the pioneering set of students into the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife), from 1962 to 1965.
Prince Juli is a prolific writer and consummate reader. He has, to his credit, several publications in health and pharmacy, among which are Drug Control, Import and Storage (Continuing Education, Ife, 1976); You Are Welcome To My Profession, Pharmacy (television broadcast, 1979); Public Relations in Pharmacy (PSN, 1979); Medicines: Practical Problems Involved In Their Delivery to the Patients In Developing Countries (International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) Madrid, Spain; Pharmacy in the West Africa Region: Problems and Prospects (W.A.P.F 1986); and The Pharmacist and Private Sector in Essential Drugs Programme (PSN, Benin, 1986).