The Bayelsa State Government has reaffirmed its commitment towards supporting research activities in its tertiary educational institutions to promote innovation and tradomedical health practices in the state.
The Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, gave the commitment, on Monday, while speaking as special guest of honour at the 4th Niger Delta University Public Lecture at the Law Campus of the University in Ovom, Yenagoa.
In a statement made available by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Doubara Atasi, the Deputy Governor equally indicated the state government’s readiness to partner the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) in the production of herbal medicine.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo noted that Nigeria had not made appreciable progress in health and other critical sectors because of over dependence on foreign products and inability to utilize the benefits of good research.
He called on private organizations, particularly oil and gas companies operating in the state to align their corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects towards addressing challenges facing the people.
While commending the Niger Delta University for its recent innovations and inventions, the Deputy Governor promised that government would support the Natural Medicine Institute of the university in terms of training and distribution of its products.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo, who announced that each local government council would sponsor at least ten Bayelsans at the institute annually, indicated government’s readiness to also partner the University of Africa, Toru-Orua to ensure the availability of “Bayelsa Suya” at all seasons.
His words: “My presence here today is to show the support of the state government. We want everybody to know that government is behind the NDU in this particular endeavour.
‘Let me again call on Shell and the other oil companies to come up and see how we can partner. The oil companies should stop seeing their CSR as being entirely at their instance.
“Their CSRs are now at our instance because it is what the child cries for, that you use in calming the child who is crying.
“I’m also here to show that we cannot remain where we are and expect to get to our destination. We have remained where we are for too long. Benefits of research are not made public and utilized. We are ready to put a stop to all that.
“And that is why I want to challenge the University of Africa to come out with the capacity and capability for us to improve on its innovation and ensure that we have a laboratory to produce the Bayelsa Suya and make it available in and out of season.”
In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of NDU, Prof. Allen Agih, noted that Bayelsa has comparative advantage in natural medicine which must be harnessed to enhance sustainable development of the state.
To achieve this, Prof Agih, disclosed that the NDU had taken some necessary steps including the establishment of a new faculty and institute of natural medicine to contribute towards providing affordable and accessible healthcare to the people of the state and beyond.
Delivering the public lecture titled, “Natural Medicine: The Mainstream of Global Systems of Medicine”, Prof. Kolawole Ajibesin, described Bayelsa as the hotspot of biodiversity with multifarious flora and fauna that support the production of world class natural medicine.
Prof Ajibesin, who is the Director, Natural Medicine Institute of NDU, stressed the need for Nigerians to patronise well researched and produced indigenous herbal drugs, pointing out that most industrialized countries have herbal medicine as an integral part of their healthcare systems.
While calling for government and private sector support, he particularly appealed to the Bayelsa State government to establish the ministry of natural medicine to ensure aggressive research and development of indigenous herbal products to promote healthcare in the state.
On his part, the Director General of the Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA), Prof. Martins Emeje, urged Nigerians to liberate themselves from all vestiges of colonialism which inhibit self reliance and national development.
According to Prof Emeje, most Nigerians are still suffering from the mental slavery occasioned by the long period of colonial rule such that they see what is theirs, including the traditional medicine bequeathed to them by their forebears as being inferior to imported goods and cultures.
The NNMDA Director General, who described Bayelsa as world number one in traditional orthopedics, said his agency will promote the recruitment of traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and bone setters in teaching empirical traditional healing methods in various institutions across the country.
Highpoints of the event included the signing of a memorandum of understanding between NDU and the NNMDA as well as unveiling and launch of the NDU-produced tea known as Wilberforce Herbal Tea by the Deputy Governor, Senator Ewhrudjakpo accompanied by the Commissioner for Education, Dr Emelah Gentle, his Agriculture and Natural Resources counterpart, Prof Beke Sese, and other dignitaries.
Signed
Mr Doubara Atasi
Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State.
