Challenge universities, research institutes on disease cures, vaccines – Prof. Ayodele

By Bashir Adefaka

The Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Ibadan, Professor Abiodun Emmanuel Ayodele, has asked the Federal Government to challenge the universities and research institutes, in its bid to looking inward for nation’s medical and pharmaceutical needs, by committing massive resources into the sectors and giving mandate.

The university don stated this as an interlocutor in a discourse on coronavirus remedy, the African way, saying Nigeria, indisputably leading light on the continent, has no problem of human resources bringing about successful discovery and reproduction of cures and vaccines for disease of any kind, coronavirus inclusive, but that what is required is purposeful leadership to propel the process.

He said: “What is needed in this country is not human resources, no, we have them. It is purposeful leadership.

“Let the government for once challenge the universities and research institutes by commiting massive resources into the sectors and give a mandate on National objectives.

“If after the moratorium, nothing good comes out of the investment, then the govt can focus elsewhere,” he said.

Professor Ayodele said: “However, there must be sincerity of purpose, not when you release 5 billion naira on paper and only 2 billion is actually released. And out of the 2 billion, government officials collect 1 billion as bribes from the sectors. We can’t get anywhere with such an attitude.”

Confident that Nigeria has capacity for achieving its need in terms of locally made drugs, having been challenged by such feat in Madagascar where cure for coronavirus has not only been tested and put to use but also found to be fast slowing down the pandemic in the country, the professor wanted government of Nigeria to do its best first and let the universities and research institutes prove themselves worthy or not.

“You’ll be surprised about the quantum of research results on the shelves of academics and in the research institutes today. To harness them and use for national development require the will, determination, and doggedness on the part of leadership.

“I can vouch for my University, Faculty of Science and Department of Botany if challenged,” Ayodele, whose area of specialisation is in Plant Taxonomy and Systematics, confidently said.

The DEFENDER reports that vaccine for HIV AIDS was discovered in Nigeria as far back as 1999, according to the claim by Dr. Abalaka who had never wavered in insisting that his vaccine was real, but that it was rejected by World Health Organization (WHO) and President of the time in Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, chose to agree with WHO which at that time saw things only in the lens of America, the only country that had fielded Nigeria with what it announced as authentic vaccines.

Madagascar, recently, did not allow WHO’s rejection of its claim of discovered herbal cure for coronavirus stop its launch in the country and, having publicly drunk the herbal cure, Madagascar is a prude of Africa lately as report says many coronavirus positive patients have been healed and discharged after administered with the cure, a development that, we gathered, must spur President Muhammadu Buhari to gave an human face to his policy which favours that health solutions in Nigeria would now be sources within.