President Muhammadu Buhari, Saturday, at the State House, Abuja, weighed in on the Madagascan native formulation against the Covid-19 pandemic, and declared that he would rather obey the voice of science rather than emotion before he could allow any traditional remedy in the ongoing war against COVID-19. Pointedly, Buhari said the voice of science would prevail before he could consider any new medicine to be administered on Nigerians. According to a release by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, Buhari made the declaration at a meeting with President Umaro Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau who brought along with him samples of the traditional medicine for the treatment of COVID-19 shared to African nations by Madagascar. While receiving the samples of the herbal preparation, Buhari said: “We have our institutions, systems and processes in the country. Any such formulations should be sent to them for verification. I will not put it to use without the endorsement of our institutions.” On his primary reason for the visit, President Embalo said having stabilized his own country after the tussles that attended the general elections won by him, he had come to seek counsel from his “father,” President Buhari, on his plan for a “government of national unity” and a proposed war against corruption in his country. He also said that his new government met a country beset with a number of issues and problems, the resolution of which would require tremendous assistance from the “big brother,” Nigeria. “Problems of Guinea Bissau are problems of Nigeria,” President Embalo declared. “I have come to you as your son. I need your help and assistance to make the people happy. I will not let you down, neither will I put you in any difficult situation.”. In response to these demands, the Nigerian leader commended “General” Embalo on his confirmation as President and for stabilizing the country. “I commend your political dexterity in getting the opposition to join the proposed unity government,” Buhari said. The Nigerian leader restated the determination of his country to keep West Africa politically stable and promised to support the new government in Guinea Bissau. “I will cooperate and help in every way possible,” Buhari assured. President Buhari also used the opportunity of the visit to praise the good work that the President of Niger Republic, Mahamadou Issoufou, the current Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), is doing in the sub-region, and commended him for keeping him informed of all that is happening around. |