Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government said it did not request for the Madagascar herbal remedy for COVID-19 but that Madagascar government donated to African countries in the spirit of African brotherly love and sent West African consignment to Guinea Bissau.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, made the clarification during yesterday’s briefing while responding to a question on when the consignment was being expected.
The SGF had said earlier in the week said President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the airlift of the Madagascar herbal medicine from Guinea Bissau where Nigeria’s portions were dispatched to for onward delivery to Nigeria.
But responding, Mustapha said: “Nigeria did not ask for the Madagascar solution, the Madagascar government decided to airlift quantities meant for African countries. That of West Africa was taken to Guinea Bissau so all the members of ECOWAS have their commodities offloaded in Guinea Bissau and that was the one I referred to that we were making arrangements to evacuate.
“But the impression out there is as if we abandoned homegrown solution and we were looking for Madagascar solution. We didn’t ask for it, but it was taken in the spirit of African brotherly love to Guinea Bissau and we’ve asked our ambassador there to establish the location, the quantity and he has done that.
“We have to make arrangements for its freighting out of Guinea Bissau but there are no flights. So, there are so many things we have to consider. If we are freighting it through air cargo, that has its process. So can you please help us explain it to Nigerians that Nigeria did not ask for it? It was brought for West African countries, similarly for other parts of Africa.
“The consignment meant for West Africa was dropped in Guinea Bissau and every ECOWAS member nation has been asked to go to Guinea Bissau and pick. It’s not our priority now, it’s not our focus, there are other things that we are dealing with to make sure that we contain the spread in our nation.
“We’ll do that but that does not in any way downplay what we’ve asked our researchers and scientists to do. In the last one or more week, I have consistently made this appeal, and for those that are in the field of development in medicine and different inventions, they know the protocol. I can tell you that I get letters on a daily basis telling me that ‘I have this invention’.”
An exasperated SGF, speaking on home grown solution for COVID-19, advised those with a cure to go through authoritised institutions to get certified.
“If you think you have a ‘cure’ for COVID-19, go to the institutions set up by government to do this, NAFDEC. Do not bring it to the Task Force; it is not our job or responsibility to validate these things.
“That is not the protocol, the protocol is to submit these things to the appropriate organisation that has the responsibility, that is established by government through an Act of Parliament, for it to go through the processes of validation. It is not the responsibility of the task force to validate these things.
“So my appeal to out scientists and our researchers; don’t bother sending them to the task force, send them to the institutions that have been set up by government to do their job and we know the institutions. NAFDAC is there, it’s a body recognised and acknowledged all over the world. Not only for homegrown cures, anything you want to bring into this country; be it food or drugs, you must subject it to the validation process of NAFDAC and that’s why all items carry NAFDAC number.”
He lamented the way Nigerian returnees from the UK, UAE and U.S were flouting the laws they had pledged to keep while in isolation centres.
The returnees are mandatorily subjected to 14 days isolation once they return to the country to ascertain their COVID-19 status.
“Nigerians have in recent days been served with different audio-visual clips by some of these returnees. The PTF is saddened by the conduct of some of the returnees who fail to adhere to the conditions attached to their quarantine. I strongly urge them to obey the rules in the facilities and also urge their friends and relations to recognise the contagious nature of the disease by desisting from visiting them. Complying is in the interest of the visiting relation and in the overall public interest,” he said.
Mustapha said the nation had begun the countdown to the end of the first phase of eased lockdown approved so that the economy could gradually reopen.
He said government would continue its assessment of the level of compliance with the guidelines and the impact on slowing down the spread of COVID-19.
The PTF congratulated all frontline health workers, who he said have collectively nursed them back to health.
“These health workers have put in all, even beyond the call of duty, to save lives. We also congratulate all those that have been discharged and urge them to come out and tell their stories. We need to tell Nigerians that COVID-19 is real, that it is deadly and that prevention is better than cure. There is no better convincing and compelling evidence of the reality of the dangers than your experience
“We also congratulate all those that have been discharged and urge them to come out and tell their stories. We need to tell Nigerians that COVID-19 is real, that it is deadly and that prevention is better than cure. There is no better convincing and compelling evidence of the reality of the dangers than your experience. We need to tell Nigerians that COVID-19 is real, that it is deadly and that prevention is better than cure. There is no better convincing and compelling evidence of the reality of the dangers than your experience,” Mustapha said.
According him, statistics on COVID 19 have continued to come out daily indicating that the testing strategy deployed is yielding results because, “we can now give care to those that need it.”