COVID-19: Indigenous scientist claims production of effective remedy

An indigenous scientist, Chief Apollos Keniyinbo, on Tuesday solicited the support of stakeholders to showcase a solution, he claimed to have found for the novel coronavirus.

Keniyinbo, who heads the Centre for Creative Scientists in Niger Delta, spoke with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa.

He said that there was need for Nigeria to look beyond the developed countries for a vaccine and cure for the virus.

“I am appealing to government at all levels to create an environment that will let the science community to verify and validate what I have done so far.

“From when the pandemic broke out in China, I started working on a solution and in February 2020, my formulation was ready, but as we speak, I have not been given the opportunity to present my findings for scrutiny,” he said.

Keniyinbo, who studied analytical chemistry, said he was conversant with the procedures and processes for vaccine production.

” I am very willing but I have not been given the attention.

“I have approached the Bayelsa Office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, and my interactions with it showed that it is positioned for drug manufacturing process inspection, registration and regulation and not research findings.

“The stage of this (the solution) has not got to mass production yet, so I have approached the Southern Ijaw Local Government and Bayelsa Government to help me to get the attention of relevant authorities to look at my remedy.

“I am very sure that my solution is effective and I have even administered it on myself and it is not toxic at all.”

He told NAN that the solution had four components that formed the therapy which he was ready to produce for validation and trials.

“The solution I have developed is effective for prevention and cure, and by using, it I have no fear whatsoever of COVID-19.

“Mine is a combination therapy administered by injection, and the samples I produced are still available.

“The process has been documented in the scientific format; all that is left is to mass produce the documentation which includes the formulae and dosage modules,’’ Keniyinbo said.

He said that he was being hampered by his inability to get approvals for trials, claiming that he would have gone far if the scientific validation process had taken off when he formulated the remedy in February.

Keniyinbo told NAN that indigenous scientists not in the medical science field faced obstacles in submitting their remedies for evaluation and validation.

He noted that research was capital intensive, and appealed to the three tiers of government to make grants available to scientists with prospects and encourage collaboration among indigenous scientists.

By Nathan Nwakamma