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Having a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the house of one herbalist in a village has further projected not only the 90-year old herbalist, Pa Aliyu Giwa Ejivade, but also the powers of herbs.
Tell us about your origin, and the name Ejivade.
I was born and bred in Iriku, where Ebiraland expanded from. Iriku is in Adavi-Eba, in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State. The name Ejivade should not be mistaken for a stranger. Ebira people bear Ejivade and the Yorubas as well.
Did you learn the practice of traditional medicine from somewhere, or you came to life with the gift?
My father was into the practice, and I stayed with him to learn everything from him. After his death, I took over from him. I did not adopt the practice for commercial purposes, but to cater for my family and friends in their health challenges. But when many persons discovered the efficacy of the medicines, they came to me, and I helped them to the best of my ability.
From the information we got, you treat popular ailments like prostate cancer, stroke, diabetes and others. Do you treat these ailments with both herbs and spiritual consultations?
I don’t have shrine, and I do not know anything about consultations of gods. My patients would only have to describe the nature of their sickness before I know the kind of herbs to give them. I don’t tell my patients to bring duck, or any other thing for consultations.
How long have you been into the practice of traditional medicine?
You know I don’t have formal education, but since I am 90 years old now, I was about 40years when I started the practice, with my father alive then.
How about side effects?
The only challenge I had when I started was dosage, but I came over it by telling my patients to give feedbacks three days after taking the herbs. For instance, if a patient responded to treatment but complained about a minor effect, then I know the dosage was more than required. This is the only education I had. None of my patients ever came back to give negative feedbacks on the herbs I gave to them.
You learnt it from your father, is any of your children taking after you?
I have many of my children who know herbs, but the only one who has decided to practise it is Muhammadu Omeiza. Whenever I go into the bush, he goes with me, and he knows the herbs.
Since you were not commercializing the practice, how did you meet the Minister of Science and Technology and what prompted his visit?
First of all, I give God all the glory. Also, I appreciate Hajia Isah Jummai through whom I met the Minister.
Hajia Jummai Speaks:
Pa Giwa Aliyu Ejivade is my uncle. God sent us to meet ourselves. I have known him from childhood to be into this practice of traditional medicine, but no one knew about him. But since God has decided to project him to the whole world in his old age, I became an instrument.
Honourable Stephen Chika from Anambra State is the woman whose husband had been ill for about 10 years. She is my friend, and political mentor. She only told me recently that her 75 years old husband was about undergoing a surgery which made her restless. I told her casually to bring her husband down to Okene, but she should give me just two hours to get back to her. So I went to Pa Ejivade because I know God has gifted him with the abilities to treat numerous ailments. When I met him, explained to him that the man had prostate cancer, with such descriptions as the bloody urines, inability to urinate, inability to stand, and that he has lost much blood. He told me that they should not bring the man down to Okene, but made a collection of herbs into liquid and asked me to send it to them.
The following day, it was Chika herself that came to collect the herbs and took to her husband. Three days later, she called me on phone and screamed my name. I became scared, thinking the husband was dead. But she broke the news to me that her husband was healed completely, such that he can do all he couldn’t do before. She was overjoyed that she even gave me the credits of not allowing her husband to die, after God. From there, she began to tell people, especially political stalwarts, including the Minister of Science and Technology, Onu Ogbonnaya. She also sent the same herbs to a Hausa friend of hers, who was sick and admitted abroad, and he got healed.
As it is now, you are Pa Ejivade’s Manager. What are the plans in projecting the herbs, especially in reference to the Minister’s visit?
The Minister has promised to build house for him, and give him car such that he will be able to accommodate patients. He also promised to bring people from the Ministry of Health to come and learn from Pa Ejivade, improve upon it, especially the dosage, and make it available to Nigerians.
Credits: Ebira Reporters
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