Abdulrahman Zakariyau
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government for allegedly discounting the development of home-grown remedies for coronavirus.
It slammed the federal government for resorting to seek solution from Madagascar even when the nation brims with curative resources against ailments such as COVID-19.
The PDP in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said though it had nothing against any genuine effort to secure therapeutics for COVID-19, but insisted that such solutions as developed by Madagascar abound in Nigeria.
The party regretted that the federal government has failed to encourage indigenous experts to come up with needed remedies for coronavirus. He said home-grown cure had remained untapped because of the failure of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to heed to wise counsel to look inwards for answers.
The PDP said it had been urging President Buhari to acknowledge indigenous potentials and mobilize home-grown solutions, given our abundant curative flora, globally recognized healing traditions as well as experienced researchers and experts in various institutions across our country, but to no avail.
“Instead, the Buhari Presidency and its inept Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 sat on our national potentials to wait for foreign solutions, while other African leaders are busy looking inwards for remedies.
“It is indeed despicable and shameful that instead of leading other African countries for solutions, as the Giant of Africa, President Buhari’s incompetent, lethargic, indolent and aimless administration is going to Madagascar to purchase remedies that abound in our country.
“The Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration had continued to snub entreaties by Nigerians to mobilize our abounding indigenous manufacturers and researchers for production of therapeutics, including ventilators, kits and medicines just like Madagascar and Senegal.
“If the leaders of Madagascar did not lead from the front and looked inwards to produce the CovidOrganics, would President Buhari be running to them for solution?
“Our party therefore calls on the Buhari administration to end its unnecessary political parochialism and mobilize our indigenous researchers for homegrown solution in the interest of our nation.
“The PDP believes in our national potentials in all spheres of life including therapeutics and calls on our researchers not to allow such to waste.
“The PDP, however, urges Nigerians to intensify their efforts towards personal health protection as well as observing the health safety directions of social distancing, personal hygiene and other restrictions by health authorities, as we collectively check the spread of COVID-19 in our country”, the statement said.