President Muhammadu Buhari received samples of the Madagascan native formulation against the Covid-19 pandemic when he met with the president of Guinea Bissau, Mr. Umaro Sissoco Embaló at the state house in Abuja.
Personal assistant to the president on new media, Mr. Bashir Ahmad Buhari who announced this via twitter said: “President Muhammadu Buhari has received the Madagascan native formulation against the COVID–19 pandemic and reiterated that he will listen to science before allowing traditional or any new medicines to be administered on Nigerians.”
Later in a press statement, the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu said Buhari had told his Guinea Bissau counterpart that he will listen to science before allowing traditional or any new medicines to be administered on Nigerians.
“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,” said the president.
NewsGazette reported yesterday that the secretary to the government of the federation and chairman, Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mr. Boss Mustapha said Nigeria was yet to take delivery of its consignment of COVID-Organics, herbal medicine used by Madagascar to treat COVID-19 patients.
Speaking at the PTF COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Mustapha explained that Nigeria could not get its consignment domiciled in Guinea Bissau due to difficulties with international freight during the pandemic.
He said all West African countries were expected to reach out to Guinea Bissau to collect their allocation.
However, he said Buhari ordered the airlifting of the consignment from Guinea Bissau.
“Madagascar has made allocations to various countries and sent them to Guinea Bissau. 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.
“We have to make arrangements for its freighting out of Guinea Bissau, but there are no flights.
“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.
“We‘re supposed to make arrangements to freight Nigeria’s allocation from Guinea Bissau; it‘ll be subjected to the standard validation process for pharmaceuticals.
“Mr. President has given instructions for the airlifting of Nigeria’s allocation of the Madagascar COVID-19 Syrup; also given clear instructions that it must be subjected to the standard validation process for pharmaceuticals; there will be no exceptions for this,” said Mustapha.
Madagascar said the herbal potion is derived from artemisia annun, a plant with proven anti-malarial properties, and other indigenous herbs.
