Group Chairman of the Tobinco Group of Companies, Dr. Samuel Amo Tobbin, has expressed profound gratitude to President John Dramani Mahama for the critical support his administration provided during its first term, a move he says transformed Tobinco from a drug importation firm into a major pharmaceutical manufacturing company.
Dr. Amo Tobbin made the remarks during a visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health to the Entrance University of Health Sciences on Thursday, a new health training facility under the Tobinco Group.
According to him, the Mahama administration, acting through the Ghana EXIM Bank, provided invaluable financial support that enabled Tobinco to shift from retail and wholesale operations into full-scale drug production.
“He gave us support through the EXIM Bank, and that support really boosted Tobinco to come out of retail business and wholesale business to the potential we have now — manufacturing,” Dr. Amo Tobbin noted. “For myself, my company and the pharma industry, we remain extremely grateful.”
He described the assistance as the foundational push that set Tobinco on its current trajectory as one of Ghana’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Dr. Amo Tobbin, however, stressed the need for stronger financial support to sustain growth in the pharmaceutical industry, especially with President Mahama’s vision of making Ghana a pharmaceutical hub in the West African sub-region.
He stated that many local manufacturers require soft loans to expand production and improve competitiveness. He appealed for similar support EXIM Bank support, including guaranteed facilities and loans with minimal interest rates, to help the local firms scale up and meet national and regional demand.
He explained that both the University and pharmaceutical ventures were inspired by a desire to curb unsafe migration by offering employment opportunities for young people in Ghana.
“We’ve invested in all this because of our love for our mother, Ghana and also for not letting our young ones travel abroad through dangerous routes where some die in the desert,” he said.
Dr. Amo Tobbin also raised concerns about significant unpaid pharmaceutical bills owed by several West African countries.
“When we supply to most of our neighbouring countries, the payments do not come. The payment delays,” he stressed.
He listed Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Togo, Benin, and Gambia as countries with outstanding debts to Tobinco Pharmaceuticals.
“They owe us a lot of money,” he stated and appealed to the Parliamentary delegation to relay the concern to the President. “If he has connections, he can talk to the other presidents. Kindly extend our plea to His Excellency.”
Dr. Amo Tobbin expressed his gratitude to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health for choosing to visit the university and for their continued oversight of the health and pharmaceutical sectors.
The Committee’s visit forms part of its national oversight responsibilities to assess progress in health education, pharmaceutical production, and Ghana’s broader health-security goals.