More than the series on the herbal practice and drugs of Dr. Isaac Adeola Odeyemi and Mrs. Oluwasola Folarin, I am sure this article on Pa Aliyu Giwa of Adavieba village, near Okene in Kogi State, will gladden more readers of this column because unlike the two alternative medicine experts, the old man can also cure diabetes. It is common knowledge that diabetes is a disease that affects a greater number of people in Nigeria than any other ailment and one that orthodox doctors and most herbalists cannot cure. In fact, Pa Giwa is the second herbalist I have come across who can heal the disease. The other person was late Pa Mustapha of Ado – Ekiti who cured mine in 2002 when he was in his late nineties.
What’s more, because of the combination of his age and limited worldly requirements plus his nearness to the materials he needs to prepare his medicine and the cost of living in his village, Pa Giwa’s fees for healing diseases are very cheap. For the cure of diabetes he charges thirty – five thousand naira while that for prostate cancer is twenty – five thousand naira. The latter is seventy – five thousand naira less than the one hundred thousand naira Mrs. Folarin charges for prostate enlargement and one hundred and twenty – five thousand naira less than her one hundred and fifty thousand naira fee for curing prostate cancer.
Since colonial times (Thursday, 1, 1914 – Friday, September 30, 1960) through today, a period of one hundred and four years, Pa Giwa is the only herbalist in this country that I know the Federal Government has given official recognition as someone who cures diseases and reached out. Thanks to Dr. Eno Abasi, a herbalist in Abuja, who on July 26, last year drew my attention to a story about the old man in the Punch newspaper the previous month, which I went to read online.
It was the visit by the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, to Pa Giwa after a traditional ruler in Abia State he cured of prostate cancer told him of the feat by the old man. The titled Igbo dignitary was diagnosed with the disease and had been undergoing treatment with an orthodox doctor for about a year to no avail.
During the visitation, Dr. Onu thanked Pa Giwa for curing people of prostate cancer and the other diseases he treats and promised that the Federal Government would build a four – bedroom bungalow clinic for the old man, buy him a vehicle to enhance his herbal practice and help in marketing his drugs at home and abroad, particularly in Europe and the Americas.
So impressed was I with what Dr. Onu said that I wrote an article which ran from October 4 – November 1 with the headline: Buhari’s promotion of herbal medicine. In the series I commended the Federal Government for what the Minister pledged that their administration would do for Pa Giwa. And recommended that the ministry’s officials go out to find other herbalists with proven records of curing diseases and also give them assistance in marketing their drugs, after ascertaining that they are produced scientifically and meet international standard for sale anywhere in the world.
My joy knew no bound two weeks ago when I phoned Pa Giwa and he told me that diabetes was one of the eight diseases he cures. He charges fifteen thousand naira for each of high blood pressure and arthritis; ten thousand naira for each of pile (haemorrhoids), stomach ulcer and erectile dysfunction (penis erection problem) and five thousand naira for typhoid.
I was extremely happy that Pa Giwa listed diabetes among the diseases he cures. This is because since 2012 when I wrote about what Pa Mustapha, who died in 2005, did for me in 2002, many readers had been asking if I knew another herbalist who can end their high blood sugar nightmare. A disease that is not only expensive to treat or control, but is also one that can kill or make one blind or affect such other organs as the liver and kidney that may prove incurable and lead to death within a short time.
To be continued next Wednesday
Colonel Clark, here is my CV (8)
One of the reasons why I decided to write this series is to enable people learn lessons from how I was able to achieve results and leave my footprint on the sands of time, when I served as the Chairman of the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja (January 1989 – January 1991) and from August 1995 – March 1996 as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the old Akure Local Government (now Akure North and South Local Governments).
The first factor for my success was my having direct access through the telephone to Governor Olabode George of old Ondo State when I was the Chairman of the Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja which he nominated for. And with Colonel Ahmed Usman who was the Military Administrator of the state when I was the Chairman of the Akure Council.
I got the latter’s direct telephone numbers from Major – General Tajudeen Olanrewaju who was the Minister of Communication in General Sani Abacha’s Federal Cabinet at the time and who nominated me for the appointment. As a matter of policy, I cannot and will never accept to serve in the cabinet of any President of Nigeria or any Governor of Ondo State, if I will not be able reach them directly on phone or visit them in the office or at home when they find it convenient for them to meet me. I had these privileges with Navy Captain Bode George and Colonel Ahmed Usman.
Also, I can never agree to serve on a Board of Directors of a government – owned company or parastatal if I would not be the chairman. The reason is that the success of such a body depends on who is at the helm of its affairs not the members. Neither will I ever accept to be the Chief Press Secretary or Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to a President or a State Governor. Because I see the position as a ‘boy – boy’ or his master’s voice appointment in which one has to support whatever the boss does as correct. And when he changes the same policy one also has to back the new one again. If the first one the press officer praised to the heavens and defended was good, why did the boss have to change it? And is it not ridiculous for the officer to issue statements supporting the two decisions?
For me, it is wrong for a President or Governor not to give his or her direct telephone numbers to all members of the cabinet or the Chairman of a Board of Directors. All that needs to be done if the boss is sick, is for those who have his numbers to be told not to phone him or her until they are given the green light to do so by the Chief of Staff.
I am also of the opinion that it is not appropriate for cabinet members or the chairman of a board who will not have direct access to the boss, to accept such appointments. But people do because they see the offer as an opportunity to become important personalities in the society and also become wealthy through corrupt practices.
More to come next week