Former Anambra State Governor, and Atiku Abubakar running mate under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2019 Presidential elections, Peter Obi, has commended the Federal Government for the importation of the COVID Organics from Madagascar.
The Crest reports that the Chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, had on Monday, said at the press briefing of the PTF, that President Buhari had given the order to airlift the COVID Organics from the island of Madagascar.
“On the Madagascar’s syrup, it is being freighted to Guinea Bissau by the President of Madagascar. Certain allocations have been made to different countries. We have an indication of the quantity for Nigeria.
“I have received instructions from Mr President to freight it home with a clear instruction that I should subject it to the validation process similar to what will happen to any medicine, vaccine or syrup that is discovered internally,” Mustapha stated.
The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire also said at the briefing that the herbal ‘cure’ would be subjected to clinical research and validation before it is prescribed to coronavirus patients in the country.
“With regard to the cure from Madagascar, it is making the news and we have promised of being able to get samples of the botanical products… We will also give it to the research community here to examine and see what they can do with it. We understand that it is something called artemisia annua which also grows here… But before we give it to our people, we will make sure that it is actually safe and it actually works,” the minister said.
Commenting on the development, via his Twitter page, Peter Obi said local inventions like the Malagasy cure should be given priority too, so as to boost the confidence of researchers and inventors alike.
“I firmly support the authorisation of President Muhammadu Buhari for importation and subjection of the Madagascar COVID-19 Syrup to standard validation process for pharmaceuticals, and possibly for use in the cure of this virus.
“Similar authorisation and encouragement should be given to local inventions. This will save us scarce forex and will give confidence to domestic researchers and inventors,” he tweeted.