The telephone calls I had last week from a Nigerian male in London, a woman in Abuja and other compatriots in different parts of the country, make it necessary for me to restate the diseases Pa Aliyu Giwa treats and cures and the fees he charges for each of them. I am also doing so because I left out in the article tuberculosis, stroke and sex organ infection from the ailments the old man takes care of. The other reason for the write – up is the new information I have that the liquid medicine prepared by the legendary herbalist can be delivered to people in cities and towns across the country besides Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.
I had in last week’s column stated that apart from these three cities, that Pa Giwa’s medicines to anyone in any other place in the federation could only be sent as raw leaves or in powder form, with the buyer doing the mixing himself or herself as instructed by the old man. This did not go down well with some readers who said they wanted the one wholly prepared by the herbal icon.
The reader in the British capital city reached out to me with regard to his wife’s lung cancer, while the woman in Abuja did so concerning her husband’s cancerous liver. As they found out from Pa Giwa, whose telephone number I made available to them at no cost, the old man does not treat the two diseases and kidney problem.
Here now are the ailments the herbal icon tends and his fees for them. For each of diabetes or stroke, a patient pays thirty – five thousand naira. Twenty – five thousand naira is charged for prostate cancer or enlargement and sixteen thousand naira for tuberculosis. The fee for each of high blood pressure (hypertension) and arthritis is fifteen thousand naira. Ten thousand naira is taken for each of pile, stomach ulcer, erectile dysfunction and sex organ infection and five thousand naira for typhoid fever.
As I later found out, Pa Giwa’s assistant gave the information in last week’s column that the liquid medicine the herbal genius prepares in bottles, can only be sent to people in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt, because these are the places the commercial vehicle drivers he knows in Okene travel to. When I realized this was the reason for mentioning the three cities, I advised him on Friday to go and find out the other towns Okene commercial vehicle drivers travel to in the country and get some of them to serve as courier in getting Pa Giwa’s medicines to people in as many places as possible.
As at two days ago, Monday, January 15, the old man’s aide said he had met and reached agreement with Okene bus or taxi drivers traveling to Akure, Ikare, Benin, Onitsha, Ibadan, Lokoja, Minna, Kaduna and Kano. He promised to come up with more towns and cities for next week’s column.
Under the transport arrangement, Pa Giwa’s assistant would make available to the Okene driver concerned the telephone number of the person to whom the bottles of medicine would be delivered. When the man arrives in the town or city he would phone the patient or the representative to know the garage to collect the medicine and the time. With this, the people living in cities, towns and villages near the ones listed in this article can now easily get Pa Giwa’s medicine. For instance, those in Abeokuta, Sagamu, Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry can collect theirs in Lagos or get someone in the city to do it for them. While those who got in touch with me from Asaba, Awka and Nnewi or even Enugu can collect theirs in Onitsha.
Now to why I am demanding the payment of five thousand naira from anyone who wants Pa Giwa’s telephone. Something I did not ask for when I wrote about the herbal medicines of Dr. Adeola Odeyemi and Mrs. Folarin. The first reason is that unlike when I did the Odeyemi series (September 2015 – February 2016), the Daily Sun in January 2017 stopped paying artiste fee to its free – lance columnists.
I was paid ten thousand naira per article and as a well – bred and responsible citizen and someone who knows about civic duties, I made this known to the Lagos State Government Inland Revenue Department and was paying tax on the income. I wonder if any other free – lance columnist with a newspaper or an artiste with a radio or television station has ever paid tax to any government on such a fee in the 92 years of print journalism history in this country or 85 years of broadcasting.
To be continued next Wednesday
Colonel Clark, here is my CV (10)
The lesson to learn from the success achieved by the Board of Directors of the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja which I headed from January 1989 – January 1991, and which I wrote about last week, is that one must have good knowledge of the assignment he or she has to perform well or outstandingly. In other words, the person must be a specialist in that field, and if not, must consult the experts for advice.
Today, the lesson to learn from my achievements as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the Akure Local Government (August 1995 – March 1996), is that an administrator must constantly consult or meet with the leaders and ordinary folks at the grass roots level to make an impact or do well. This had been lacking in the actions of many State Governors and Heads of State in this country since independence.
The acts of terrorism by herdsmen has been on for more than one year. Is it not incredible that up till now that President Muhammadu Buhari has not called a meeting of State Governors, traditional rulers and political leaders to find solution to the problem? Is it also not bewildering that he has not organized such a meeting with the State Governors and yet his government wants to create cattle colonies in all the states of the federation? Are the Governors not the ones to make land available to his government?
I had good knowledge of grass roots administration before I became the Chairman of the Akure Local Government in 1995. My father after being a pioneer member of the nation’s House of Representatives (1954 – 59) was elected and served as the Chairman of the Akure District Council (1961 – 63) and the Akure Divisional Council (1963 – 64). So, I was able to observe him at work and at home when I was on holiday from school.
Continues next week