by Maxwell Fabilola
Having read and researched about culture and its development (particularly our languages) for years now, I have come to the conclusion that people have no idea the abyss we are staring into or the nature of the world we are leaving for our children to endure and most people don’t seem to care. They would much rather ignore the obvious and go into denial of a truth that is splatting them between the eyes. “Tèmi ò ṣòro”, tí kì í jẹ kọ́mọ alágbẹ̀dẹ ní idà (“Mine is not urgent.” which prevents the son of the blacksmith from owning a sword) because Africans would rather develop others and his own undeveloped. But if Africans lifted their eyes from the latest soap opera (say…telemundo) or game show for long enough to engage their brain,they would see that African culture extinction are not just going to happen – they are happening.
Who will defend culture in a society where everything African is termed either as old school or fetish? I will. Culture is my life. Culture is my passion. Cultural development will be my contribution to this generation and beyond.
I have always maintained that the problem of Africans is majorly ‘entity inferiority complex’. A situation where we see our own as ‘old school’ and unworthy of usage. We appreciate and approve Western ideologies at the expense of our very own. We deceive ourselves a lot in this continent. Recently some US researchers said they’ve made the cure for Ebola from Tobacco plant– what’s the difference between bitter Kola and Tobacco plant? Africa and America. Instead of asking how Bitter Kola would cure #Ebola, we laughed it off. America said they have made the cure from Tobacco plant, it is now Science abi? They said “Using plants this way – sometimes called “pharming” – can produce complex and valuable proteins for medicines”. Using plants/herbs in Nigeria is called “Old school” “fetish” “unlearned” “Ignorant”. But some companies and academic labs in America are pursuing using PLANTS to create medicines and vaccines against such targets as HIV, cancer.
Again, it is also possible that the exogenous nature of our people which makes us respect only foreign claims is playing some roles. Is there nothing good about Africa? Do people realize that western constructs are not favourable to African issues; otherwise why is it that it is only African names that the computer sees as faulty?
Hand sanitizers filled banks, not one Bitte Kola- total write off. Now that America has made the cure from Tobacco Plant, it’s Science shey? What’s the difference between EBOLA and SOPONA? I hope folks begin to see beyond western ideologies in finding solutions to our woes. I saw Sopona on US national library of Medicine website. What’s the relation between Sopona and Ebola? If our fore-fathers were able to cure Sopona without America, why should we depend solely on America to find cure to Ebola?
It is a shame we have to beg America to give us #Ebola drug again, can’t we just think for ones? Let us come to term that we can research too. America shouldn’t have monopoly of research and cure for #Ebola. ona kan o wo oja (One road does not lead to the market)! God said the herbs are for us to use. Why do we think all the drugs and vaccines from US are made of metals? Let’s find cure the African way.
Sango is synonymous with Orogbo (bitter kola) and Sango used to spit fire, okay do the maths, can’t fire kill Ebola virus? Entity inferiority complex is worse than #Ebola. It makes able continent of Africa depend on America for solutions. Must we make use of America’s machines to carry out our research? Ki lo sele si ewé ati egbò?
We have a common a problem, oya let individuals find the solution in their own way. Not necessarily the same way! There is this leaf called ewé Akintola, it heals wounds faster than any Western medicine… No scientific proof, but it works wonders bro.
Quoting Tonnie Iredia, “Some 15 years ago, Dr. Jeremiah Abalaka, Chief Medical Director of Medicrest Specialist Hospital in Gwagwalada, Abuja claimed he could cure the dreaded HIV Aids. The authorities denounced him because his drugs did not pass through some required stages but no one successfully refuted his claim that Nigerian soldiers who had just returned from ECOMOG mission in Liberia were cured by Abalaka.
Last year, the Dean of the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Benin Professor Isaiah Ibeh reportedly announced that he had discovered an oral drug made from plant extraction which could cure HIV/ Aids. Within a moment, the Provost of the College of Medical Sciences of the same university dismissed the claim on the grounds that Ibeh did not carry the university along! No one responded to inquiries from this column on whether Nigerians were interested in who was carried along instead of the cure for HIV!
In any case, why would a strong professional like Ibeh who holds the high office of Dean breach his own professional ethics and procedures? Could it be that in these days of materialism, our scientists are playing politics with such delicate matters? Or, are some professionals hustling for research grants while others are obstructing the grants by pulling down their colleagues? We can only hope that our medical experts in their bid to protect us are not behaving like robots who, as slaves to rules, turn the means to an end. They need to note that procedures are good but results are better.
Again, it is also possible that the exogenous nature of our people which makes us respect only foreign claims is playing some roles. Is there nothing good about Africa? Do people realize that western constructs are not favourable to African issues; otherwise why is it that it is only African names that the computer sees as faulty?
Why can’t we research into the herbs which kept our forefathers healthy and strong without western endorsement? Of course it is time for us to rise up to the trend where it is only African diseases that have no cure.”
—————
Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.
Leave a reply