TheCable

Peter Obi, former Anambra state governor, says he supports President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision on Madagascar’s COVID-19 herbal drug, Covid-Organics.

Obi expressed his support for the president’s decision in a tweet on Tuesday.

The tweet read: “I firmly support the authorisation of @MBuhari for importation and subjection of the Madagascar #COVID19 Syrup to standard validation process for pharmaceuticals, and possibly for use in the cure of this virus.

“Similar authorisation and encouragement should be given to local inventions. This will save us scarce forex and will give confidence to domestic researchers and inventors.”

I firmly support the authorisation of @MBuhari for importation and subjection of the Madagascar #COVID19 Syrup to standard validation process for pharmaceuticals, and possibly for use in the cure of this virus.

— Peter Obi (@PeterObi) May 12, 2020

Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation, said at the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 media briefing on Monday, that the president directed the task force to pick up the herbal drug.

Mustapha said Madagascar donated some of the products to Nigeria, and that arrangements were being made to pick them up.

He also said Buhari ordered that the products be subjected to analysis after they have been picked up.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said Covid-Organics is an unproven drug for COVID-19 and warned against “adopting a product that has not been taken through tests to see its efficacy”.

Some African countries such as Tanzania, Congo-Brazzaville, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal have demanded Madagascar’s herbal drug.