The herbal taskforce chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP), South East Zone, Chief Dr. Cletus Okafor, has said it is only traditional medicine practitioners that can identify the fake and differentiate them from the real.
Okafor who stated this in an interview in Enugu, said that police cannot know who is real or fake in traditional medicine except the taskforce members which he is heading.
“No police will know who is fake Okeite or fake Ezenwanyi or not. We have the means. We know how to handle it. We know all the fake Ezenwanyis.
“We can arrest all of them and hand them over to the police. Police cannot know who are fake but we know. It is our duty; it is our job as taskforce members,” Okafor said.
The taskforce chairman however said that what they need to fish out fake Ezenwanyis and Okeites is to have an operational vehicle that will enable to move around.
“Once we are given an operational vehicle, we shall move into action and fish out fake medicine men and women. Our problem is motor. When they give us motor, I have been doing this work since 1990. I am the taskforce chairman since 1990 up till today,”he said.
Speaking with particular reference to Anambra State where government is making effort to root out fake native doctors, Okafor said this would not bear the desired objective unless it done by experts.
“This thing now is like when the governor of Anambra State, Soludo said that nobody should do Okeite. I told him that police will not know the Okeite that is fake or that has side effect.
“We, the herbal taskforce know. Immediately I see them with my eyes, I’ll tell you that this or that Okeite has side effect.
“So, that is the problem we are having. If we have a vehicle now, it is a small thing. I know how to handle all the Ezenwanyi and fake native doctors,” he declared.