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 Commercial Medicine Stores Limited 

Details
Type: Private Limited Liability Company

Industry: Retailing

Founded: Lagos, Nigeria July 1950

Founders: Solomon Tanimomo Hunponu-Wusu &Robert Olatunji Adebowale

Existence: July 1950- December 2012 (Voluntary Wind-up)

Headquarters: 23 Nnamdi Azikiwe Street Street Lagos Nigeria

Area Served: Lagos Municipality

Locations: Three Retail Stores

Motto: Service, Civility, and Satisfaction

Products: Omorela Baby Mixture, Commercial Pile Mixture, Chinopoduim Worm Expeller

Overview
Commercial Medicine Stores Limited was a retail pharmacy establishment registered and operated in Lagos, Nigeria from the period 1950 to 2012. The Motto of the company was service, civility, and satisfaction. The mission of the two founding fathers was encapsulated in the above three words of the Motto.

History
Commercial Medicine Stores Limited started as a partnership venture between two eminent Lagos pharmacists, Mr. Solomon, T.Hunponu-Wusu, and Mr. Robert O. Adebowale. Both of them had met and worked together as pharmacists with West African Drugs Company (a British subsidiary) in the 1940’s and Mr. Hunponu-Wusu and Mr.Adebowale at WAD Co was of great significance to both as that was when and where the idea of partnership venture came about. There was a close relationship between them despite the 10 years age difference between them. They both decided to leave and establish a pharmacy company to be called Commercial Medicine Stores. It was a partnership venture and not a limited liability company initially. The company made giant progress and became a registered of their friends Mr. O.Onayemi and Dr. (Mrs) A.Awoliyi were invited as share-owners and made non-executive directors of the company. Memorandum and Articles of association were prepared and signed by the four of them. A fifth shareowner/director, Chief A.I. Kinoshi was later appointed in 198-. The pioneer executive chairman of the company was Mr. S.T. Humponu-Wusu. Writing the history of commercial medicine stores limited is in essence writing the history of Mr. R.O. Adebowale as his commitment to the company was total and his life activities were centered around the company. His name was synonymous with the company. Mr. Adebowale being a pharmacist and an opinion introduced optical services into the company. The practice of optical services together with pharmacy was however later outlawed by the pharmacist’s Council of Nigeria.

Chief Soloman T. Hunponu-Wusu (1900-1977)
Born into the renowned Hunponu-Wusu family of Badagry on 28th June 1900, Solomon Tanimomo was naturally gifted child. He attended the Saint Thomas School Badagry from 1905-1908 and Tinubu Methodist School Lagos from 1908-1918. He later proceeded to the School of Pharmacy and qualified as a Chemist and Gruggist in 1924. He won the Martindale Prize for excellence.

He started his work life at the West African Drug Company Ltd as a Pharmacist. He served the company meritoriously for 26 years and was the first Nigerian to be made the General Manager of the Company. When he retired, he was presented with a Gold wristwatch with initials and years of service. He left the company in 1950 to find the Commercial Medicine Stores Ltd, a leading pharmaceutical retail group. Thereafter his business interest became varied and he was at one time or the other the Chairman Board of Director of Wusu Treading Company, Director, West African Pictures Company Ltd and Director of Oshodi & Apena Investment Company Ltd. He was also for many years a Director of National Bank of Nigeria Ltd.

He was honored many times over, first by the Council of Traditional Chiefs of Badagry with the title "The Mayito of Badagry" 1957 and was appointed a Member of the Order of the Niger (M.O.N) in 1965. He was elevated as a Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (F.P.S.N) in 1975. In 1959, he harkened to the clarion call of his people and was elected an Honorable Senator and a Zonal Leader the Senate. As a Parliamentarian, he was instrumental to many forward looking policies of the government.

He moved the motion for the construction of Eko Bridge and also for the construction of many overhead bridges across Iddo, Yaba, Western Avenue and Agege Motor Road. When he retired from active service he was usually invited by the Lagos State Governor to carry out non-stipendiary and honorary assignments. He was member of Lagos State Lottery Committee; Member Badagry Textile and Dye Industry Committee.

Robert O. Adebowale (1910-1978)
Born into the Adebowale family of Ijedbu-ode, Nigeria on 10th March 1910, Robert Adebowale was passionate and determine visionary pharmacist, optician, and businessman. He was one of the pioneering pupils of St. Gregory College of 1928 set, was a renowned pharmacist and optician, the founder and managing director of Commercial Medicine Stores, Lagos in 1940. He was also the founder and managing director of Robert and Fulani Properties Lagos, Real Estate Business. Around 1944-1947, He went to London to study optics. He also served as National Treasurer of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria from 1955-1965. He was among the second batch of 19 elected Fellows of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria in 1972.

Robert first store as a dispenser was situated at 10 Victoria St. (now Nnamdi Azikiwe St.) opposite the final site which was no 23. He moved to the final site in the late fifties of early sixties. His first residence in Lagos was 92 Ondo St., Ebute Meta.

Devolution to Second Generation Pharmacists
After the demise of the founding fathers, the mantle of operation of the Company devolved on the children. Mr.David. B. Hunponu-Wusu, a pharmacist was appointed Chairman/ Managing Director, and Mrs. A. Onayemi-Adebutu, Mr. S.O. Awoliyi, Miss A. Adebowale, a pharmacist, and Mr. O. Kinoshi who inherited their parent's shares were made shareowners/directors. By this devolution to the second generation, the company succeeded in giving 62 years (1950-2012) of unbroken community pharmacy service to the people of the city of Lagos, Oba Adeyinka Oyekan II bestowed a chieftaincy title of “The First Baamogun” of Lagos on the Chairman/CEO of the company, Mr. David. B. Hunponu-Wusu in April 2000.

Professional Honors
The two founding fathers of the company Chief S.T. Hunponu-Wusu and Mr. Robert O. Adebowale were in their lifetime honored with the highest professional award of Fellowship of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, FPSN. The successor Chairman/Managing Director, Chief David. B. Hunponu-Wusu was equally honored with the fellowship award of the society in 1992.

Company Brand Products
a) Omorela Baby Mixture

i. Omorela Baby Mixture was a formula incorporating chloroquine and paracetamol as main active ingredients. It soon becomes a house-hold name for teething and feverish problem in babies and childish. It was patent and manufactured for Commercial Medicine Stores Limited by - in Ireland. It contributed a sizeable amount to the fortune of the company. The product had to be taken off the market, however, when the Federal Ministry of Health enacted the Essential Drug List (EDL) which prohibited combination components in many products. The company as low abider, destroyer over the one-million-naira worth of the imported mixture.

b) Commercial Pile Mixture

c) Chinopodium Worm Expeller

Corporate Operations
This is the aspect of our professional services to Corporate Bodies. The Corporate Bodies we served include Cappa & Dalbarto Construction Workforce, The Anglican Communion Cathedral Priests, Private Doctors Hospitals and Clinics, Banks, and many others.

Participation in Government Businesses
The company participated in a major supply of Drugs during the Petroleum Trust fund. (PTF) to 24 of the 36 States in the country. The company was a registered service-provider of drugs to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and to many Federal and State Government Hospitals by Tenders supply.