Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has instructed for Nigeria’s allocation of the Madagascar syrup to be airlifted to the country.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce (PTF) on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, at Monday’s briefing of the Taskforce, made this disclosure.
Recalled that the Madagascan President Andry Rajoelina has three weeks back officially launched a medicine he believes can prevent and cure patients suffering from COVID-19.
Developed by the Malagasy Institute of Applied Research and branded COVID Organics, President Rajaolina while presenting the remedy to the media, said it contains Artemisia, a plant cultivated on the Big Island to fight against malaria.
“All trials and tests have been conducted and its effectiveness in reducing the elimination of symptoms has been proven for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 in Madagascar,” President Rajaolina had said.
Mustapha while responding to a question on if Nigeria had ordered for the syrup said:
“It’s been sent to Guinea Bissau by the President or Prime Minister of Madagascar and certain allocations have been made to different countries. We have an indication of the quantity that has been allocated to Nigeria and we are supposed to make an arrangement to freight it out of Guinea Bissau to Nigeria.
“I’ve received instructions from Mr President to make arrangements to freight it home, with a clear instruction that I should subject it to the validation process similar to what will happen to any other medicine or syrup or vaccine that is discovered or created internally. So it will be subjected to the same process before it is put into any form of use. There’ll be no exception for that”, he said.
“Madagascar has made allocations to various countries, and sent them to Guinea Bissau. 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.”
The SGF reiterated that Nigeria has only one National Response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him: “Where there are differing Strategies is in the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions. But as far as the (Health) Response is concerned, there is only one National Response.”