Ooni, Ayeni partner on herbal cure for coronavirus
The Chairman of Yem-Kem International, a herbal medicine production outfit, Prince Akintunde Ayeni, has urged government not to see Western medicines as the only means through which the COVID-19 pandemic can be contained.
According to him, traditional herbal medicines may eventually provide the breakthrough necessary to contain the pandemic and other deliberating diseases ravaging the world.
Ayeni, who stated this in Lagos, said he is collaborating with the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, to come out with a herbal solution to the pandemic.
He added that very soon, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control. NAFDAC, would be called upon to come and test his product before putting it on the shelves for sale.
Ayeni, who took a swipe at some public figures in the country who condemn traditional herbal products, explained that some of the personalities do patronise herbal products in America, China and Europe.
“What we are currently experiencing globally is nothing new. We had small pox and chicken pox many years back and the question is, how did our forefathers tackle such situations, how were they able to get over such pandemics? Our fathers used herbal medicines, no doubt about that”, he said.
“This COVID-19 started in China and I can tell you that they were able to tackle it by using traditional Chinese medicines. In China, before you see a shop selling Western medicines, you would have seen 10 shops selling Chinese traditional medicines. What some of our people don’t know is that herbal medicine is the father of orthodox medicine.
“Another reason why Nigerians look down on people practising herbal medicines is because they see such practitioners as primitive and fetish, which is not correct. In Germany, Britain and other places, herbal medicines practitioners are also called herbalists. There is nothing derogatory about that,” he noted.
On government’s disposition to herbal medicines practitioners, Ayeni decried the lack of support for the practitioners.
“We lack government support. Even now, the funds being disbursed to different sectors to contain this pandemic, nobody thought it necessary to include us. For my company, Yem-Kem International, where we are today is by God’s grace and the little efforts we have put in.
“Even in Lagos State where there is a board for herbal medicines, there is still a lot to be done to encourage us. Our government should bridge the gap between what they allocate to herbal medicine practice and the orthodox medicine,” he opined.