Osun State Employs Herbalists to Curb Coronavirus

Against the backdrop of the ravaging coronavirus disease and the index case recorded in Osun, the state chapter of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has urged Governor Gboyega Oyetola to lock down the state.

They contended that though the measure may be hard, it would go a long way to checkmate the widespread of coronavirus in Osun State.

In a letter forwarded to the governor, dated 25th March 2020, with reference number OSUNNMA/SEC/2020/066 co-signed by the chairman, Dr Edward Komolafe and secretary, Dr Taofeek Akinniyi which was made available to Tribune Online in Osogbo on Friday, the NMA lauded the efforts of the state government in containing the spread of the disease. 

This development came as herbalists under the auspices of Traditional Religion Worshippers Association, Osun State chapter offered sacrifice to tackle coronavirus in Osogbo on Friday.

The NMA letter reads ” The state branch of Nigeria Medical Association Osun state expresses her satisfaction towards the proactive measures employed by Governor Gboyega Oyetola.”

“The Nigerian Medical Association, Osun State branch being a major stakeholder in delivery of quality healthcare to the people of the state, inaugurated an ad-hoc committee ably led by Dr B.A. Afolabi, the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Osogbo on the spread of this deadly virus and other diseases.” 

“We also consider it necessary to advise the government to institute a total lockdown of all public avenue of contact now that the state has an index case currently at our isolation bay in General Hospital Asubiaro Osogbo. This would minimize the potential casualty that could arise from this outbreak having in mind the peculiarity of our state.”

“This step might not go down well with the people of the state but the containment of the spread of the virus can be achieved by doing the needful without entertaining emotional sentiments.”

The association also noted that the posterity will remember Oyetola if he applied the hard measures to protect the lives of the people describing it as humanitarian measures that would remain indelible in the sand of time.”

“We are doing our best and ever ready to joining force by using our expertise, professionalism, and hard work, with the state in kicking out COVID-19 from our dear state, the country by extension and from this planet earth at large”, the letter concluded.

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists after the conclusion of the sacrifice inside the residence of the Araba of Osogbo, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, the vice president of Traditional Religion Worshippers Association, Osun State chapter, Chief Ojebowale Olojede said: “the implication of the propitiation is to allay the coronavirus pandemic.”

According to him, “since 2019, nobody knows that the virus could spread the way it is now spreading.
The recent spread to Osun made us swing into action. We deem it necessary to call the herbalists to consult the oracle for us and any sacrifice that the oracle directs us to do, we will do it and this is what we are doing now.”

“We have consulted Ifa and it has made its prescription which is Ose Bala. The herbalists have told us to do some sacrifice and it has been done accordingly. The sacrifice is for the whole world. Although the sacrifice is done in Osun. Wherever anyone cast IFA, its prescription is potent in the world to China where it emanates from.”

“Egungun(Masquerader) is very important among the gods in Yorubas, in our Ifa stanzas wherever there is a kind of pandemic like this, Egungun is very important without casting Ifa to use masquerades to strip all the pandemics away from the world. It is embedded in Ifa since the beginning of the world.”

“We first forecast to use masqueraders for the pandemic but when Ifa was consulted he prescribed for use through one of the stanzas that we should use Masquerades with five kola nuts. According to our own deity, the entire world is divided into five, including Apa Okun, ilameji Osa, Arin Opon, Ita Opon and Ita Orun. That kola nut will go to each side of the world. The herbalist in charge of the oracle told us that we will use four heads kola nut to send away the pandemic that is why we did it according to what was instructed”, Olojede remarked.