This was made known to newsmen on Tuesday in Awka, the state capital by the state Executive Director of Indigenous Medicine and Herbal Practice, Dr. Ejie Daniel, who said that the government decided to implement the idea as part of efforts to rid the state of criminals who are using the profession to commit crimes in the state.
The Anambra State Government has started the implementation of the bio-data capturing (registration) of indigenous medicine and herbal practitioners popularly known as native doctors in the state.
This was made known to newsmen on Tuesday in Awka, the state capital by the state Executive Director of Indigenous Medicine and Herbal Practice, Dr. Ejie Daniel, who said that the government decided to implement the idea as part of efforts to rid the state of criminals who are using the profession to commit crimes in the state.
Recall that the state Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, had earlier announced the state’s plan to register all the herbalists in the state after some of them were reportedly arrested when the police busted some camps of gunmen terrorising the state.
According to the director, it was discovered that some bad elements either infiltrated or collaborated with authentic practitioners, noting that they would be fished out as they had no hiding place.
Daniel maintained that the government’s target is only on those who prepare bullet protective charms for criminals and terrorists under the pretence that they are indigenous medicine and herbal practitioners.
“Whoever kills is not supposed to be called a member of the herbal practicing association,” he said.
The Director disclosed that as part of proactive measures to contain insecurity in the state by Governor Soludo-led government, the state government adopted the bio-data capturing, adding that the exercise is designed to check the list of practitioners, screen them and have their data analysis to know their areas of specialties in terms of herbal practice.
Daniel further explained that with the data analysis, the government would be able to identify who does what in the state.
According to him, the data validation started earlier before Governor Soludo was inaugurated on March 17, this year, and that the practitioners have been given till November this year to complete their registration, warning that anyone who fails to meet the deadline would be sent out of the state.