Bitter Kola and Ebola: What Nigerians must know - Health Minister

Talking about Dr. Maurice Iwu’s thesis regarding bitter kola and Ebola (Iwu said Kolanut could cure Ebola - based on research), Nigerian Health Minister Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu said the government is considering making laws to arrest people who make bogus claims to have a cure for Ebola, and said Nigeria needs to work with Dr. Iwu. The Minister said told Vanguard;

Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu

"One of the things we decided to focus on by setting up that committee is to streamline claims of possible scientific cure, not a situation where pastors and imams claim  they can cure Ebola.   We might even go to the extent of making laws to arrest people with such bogus claims. We would take every suggestion seriously. About Professor Iwu, we know that quite a number of Nigerians accessed his article through the internet. Continue

What Professor Iwu and his research team proved in America is that in the laboratory test-tube – not in an animal or a human being –  bitter kola extract was able to hinder the growth of Ebola virus, that it was able to slow it down or kill it. That research was not concluded according to Professor Iwu himself and he says he is disappointed that the research was not taken to its logical conclusion.

We need now to work with him and that is why we need him.   He is a distinguished world renowned professor of pharmacognosy; and he is someone we value in this country because of his professionalism and working with others; we would be able to put all ideas to the test and see how far we go. This is a serious business.