President Goodluck Jonathan has named Maurice Iwu, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a member of a committee charged with shaping Nigeria’s response to the widening scare of the deadly Ebola virus.
Mr. Iwu’s appointment comes shortly after his announcement that he has the cure for the dreaded virus. The claims of using an extract found in kola nuts by the former INEC chairman and professor of pharmacognos, comes as Ebola virus, which has so far claimed over 700 in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone since its latest outbreak more than 30 years after.
Other members of the Ebola committee appointed by President Jonathan include S.K. Gamaliel, a professor and director-general of the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Development, and Innocent Uja, a professor and director-general of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research.
Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, who made the announcement, said the committee will expect to carry out research into the treatment of the Ebola virus; receive and verify claims relating to the treatment of the disease; collate and analyse related research findings, and advise the government on policy for combating the dreadful disease.
“The group does not have a limit to its work,” Chukwu said before adding that “The members will continue to work until there is result.
“However, in vitro research showed that some extracts from bitter kola tend to have some activity against the virus. The research was not concluded. I want to restate that taking bitter kola does not stop Ebola Virus Disease.”
