Dr. (Alhaji) Abdulmumin Muhammad is a traditional medicine practitioner based in Tikka, Abuja, in this interview with Usman Shuaibu, says herbs are the natural medicine from God. Excerpts:
Briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Dr. (Alhaji) Abdulmumin Muhammad . I am an indigene of Kano state from Karaye Local Government. I was born in 1941. I am a traditional medicine practitioner and that I inherited the traditional medicine from my late Mother, Hajiya Hafsat. I am a member of the National Association of Nigeria Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP). I am a highly intellectual personality in Qur’anic education. I had used the traditional medicine to cure ailments or diseases for many people in Nigeria. I am married and blessed with many children and grandchildren.
What is your message to traditional medicine Practitioners in Nigeria?
My message to the traditional medicine practitioners is that they should come together. They should not use the traditional medicine to extort money from the people. They should avoid using fake herbs to treat the people. I want to tell the traditional medicine practitioners and the generality of Nigerians that herbs are the natural medicine from God.
Do you have any request from the government?
In fact, I am calling on the Federal Government to liase with the state governments to allocate a large plot of Land to the traditional medicine practitioners where they will plant different types of herbs for the use of mankind. The government of the day should deem it necessary to unite the traditional medicine practitioners in the country. In fact, government should always embrace traditional medicine practitioners to enable them to discharge their talents of the natural herbs they inherited from their forefathers. If the government of the day allocates land to the traditional medicine practitioners, it will ginger them to purchase grinding machines to modernise herbs medicine. At this juncture, I am calling on traditional medicine practitioners to support the government in all ramifications.
What is your appeal to the Federal Ministry of Health?
My appeal to the health ministry is that the ministry should endeavour to call on both educated and uneducated traditional practitioners together to enlighten them on the importance of herbal medicine to humanity. Health ministry should organise seminars for herbal practitioners across the country. In fact, it is obligatory for the ministry of health to organise workshops/seminars for the traditional medicine practitioners in order to update their knowledge on the modernization of herbal medicine.
How do see the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Traditional Medicine Practitioners (NANTMP) in Nigeria?
The leadership of NANTMP in the country is doing fine in terms of its mandates. The only message I have for the leaders and trustees of NANTMP is that they should continue to work for the progress and development of the association interest of the members. Also, the leaders and trustees of NANTMP should not relent in their efforts to lay a solid foundation for the members. I strongly advised all the executives/members of NANTMP to go school because, with the knowledge they can handle the herbal medicine for better. I want to tell the people categorically that in China and Pakistan use herbal medicine to cure any type of disease for their citizens, even though they are hospitals there.
In a nutshell, what is your sound warning to the fake traditional medicine sellers in the FCT?
I will continue to warn the traditional medicine sellers to desist from using fake herbs to treat people in our society. They should use the herbs they know to treat people. And they should liase with genuine traditional medicine practitioners on how best to go about the traditional herbs.
