By ABEL KOLAWOLE

Certain ailments that defy western drugs are believed  to respond  to  African herbs and roots.
And only  a handful of  herbalists  have successfully broken that natural health code.

Chief (Prof) Elias Egoigwe Osinkennia  is among the few. He has distinguished himself in the application of natural roots and herbs for the cure and treatment of  ailments; thereby  proving that such could be flushed out of the human system completely.

In an interaction during a  conference entitled, “Way forward for natural African herbs and roots”, in Lagos,  Osinkennia disclosed: “With proper diagnosis, meticulous administration of the right herbs, doses and period of administration, a sickness could be eliminated from a patient’s system completely and he/she becomes fully fit again”.

Blaming quackery, seeming government’s lack of interest, foreign influence/campaigns for the relegation of African medicine and treatment to the background, he said  all hopes are not lost.

Throwing more light on the issues he identified as the collective key impediments to the growth, development and standardization of local medical roots and herbs research, production and administration, the acclaimed Egbengwu Nimo, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State-born herbalist blamed the infiltration of the profession by unregistered and untrained hands as a major drawback.

He, however insisted that quackery is not enough reason for the authorities to throw away the baby with the bath water. According to him,  every forward looking society must provide for ways to fight  deviants within its fold.

He described the use of natural herbs and roots as one of the age-long methods to cure ailments.. And that it clearly worked for our forebears without side effects.

His membership registration certificate as an authorized and recognised herbal medical practitioner which he said reinvigorates and reaffirms the confidence of those who come to consult him from foreign countries and all parts of Nigeria was conspicuously displayed amongst other such important notices in his consulting room.

Describing his professional calling as hereditary, Osinkennia disclosed that his father and grand-father were all reputed herbalists in their days, with their feat reverberating beyond the frontiers of Eastern Nigeria. And that so far, two of his own sons-David and Emmanuel- are  taking after him.

Osinkennia, who stated  herbal practice under his father(Egoigwe) in 1964, said  he has received many awards for professional ethics, community service, leadership and industry.

Botanical gardens
Saying his involvement in herbal healing is a mystery that no one including himself could ever fully understand, he says whoever the gods want they take. “The gods actually approached me through several means but since I was unable to decipher the signs, life became Herculean for me until I yielded to the natural calling for service to humanity.

My accomplishments can only be  testified to by the public who are the greatest beneficiary.”  Osinkennia presented more than 126 awards he has received over the years.

There were also commendations by eminent Nigerians including a former Anambra State Chief Judge, Justice Godwin Ude Ononiba; St Mary’s
Catholic Church Nimo where he is patron; and  Igwe John Okoye-Agilo of Nimo in whose palace  Osinkennia is a titled cabinet member.

The very low level of government interest in herbal research and roots development, he pointed out, was the main reason for the lack and near absence of botanical gardens around, that would readily have been providing local herbalists with necessary ingredients.

Such gardens as could be seen in places like India, Pakistan, Indonesia and even Switzerland enable the drug manufacturers with easy access to the roots and herbs they require for their products.

Osinkennia disclosed that what we have today as “food supplements” are granulated natural roots and herbs tactically packaged in fashionable presentations by smart herbalists from other countries.