Doctor Abdul Akeeem Ibrahim is a traditional medical practitioner of over 20 years, a profession he claims he inherited from his forefathers. His company name, Ayobi Therapy Herbal NATURE, is well known as far as herbal nature is concerned in Nigeria especially in Alimosho area of Lagos State where he is the chairman of Physiotherapist Association of Nigeria (PAN). He is the chairman of task force for the national body of the association. In this brief chat, Dr. Akeem Ibrahim spoke on many issues especially on the Covid-19 epidemics and other sundry issues.
What can you say about Covid-19?
We thank God for everything. If we are talking about epidemics or disease it has been there years back. Since year 2000 things have changed, that covid 19 if we are to call it in a local terms it will be “Sopona” (Sopona means is an erratic manifestation of disease, a sudden calamity, is the god of smallpox in the Yoruba religion.) and in those days of yore there are sacrifice that our fore fathers do perform to tackle it. They will do a sacrifice at the two borders that lead into the country that is the both end of the country, for instance Nigeria boarder is in Maiduguri (Borno State) and Badagry, (Lagos State) so both end there will be a kind of sacrifice. We thank God for our father Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, who alongside some respected obas performed some rituals around the country. With this type of a thing be done I believe this corona virus will be defeated. But the tragedy is that our government does not want to hear anything about us the traditional healers everything is just about other profession.
You as a traditional doctor d,id you see any solution to this epidemic or have you discovered any?
There is a solution to this epidemic, which we are very sure about it.
What is the solution?
The solution is herbs.
What are the steps you are taken to make it effective?
We have many steps we are taken, but like I told you earlier our leaders are not encouraging the locals. Ditto to Madagascar government they appreciate their local one hence they told World Health Organization (WHO) not to interfere in their affair, and I am not blaming Madagascar government they knew WHO was only looking for where they can gain. To me I believe WHO should have invited the traditional doctors all over the world and seek their helping hand or opinion. We thank God for our late national president, Alhaji Fatai Yusuf Oko Oloyun may he continue to rest in peace he tried very well for this association ( Physiotherapist Association of Nigeria pan) his death spoilt many things during his life time; he has many plans for the association before he was cut down in his prime. I am also one of the ministers of the reign; I am the chairman of Task Force, and we are number one in whole Africa as far as Physiotherapist is concerned. I am also chairman of Alimosho zone; we have gone to countries like china, Indian, Brazil Ghana Cotonu, Togo, Lagos state board of traditional for medicine for a certificate and seminar
Lagos state government knows how much they are gaining from our students every three months.
There is a report that doctors are demanding for a huge amount of money to tackle the epidemics. How is that?
You can imagine how I felt when I read that the doctors are demanding for billions of naira to contain the widely spread disease, I laughed. If government could give half of the money to us traditional doctors I can tell you for free that these epidemics will be defeated. And it will interest you to know that most of these doctors do come to us for help. And if I tell you this, that most of the people that complained of one ailment or the other especially men when they used the prescribed drugs for them most of them always become their wives enemy they will be useless because it does killed their manhood. Government need to respect us the traditional doctors.
