Native doctors in Anambra State, under the banner of the Anambra State Traditional Doctors Movement, have pledged to collaborate with the state government to align on shared goals, particularly in regulating their members.
The group made this known during an interaction with the Anambra State House of Assembly in Awka on Thursday when they visited the Assembly complex.
Chairman of the group, Innocent Okwundu, who spoke during the visit to the Anambra House of Assembly complex, said the new Anambra Homeland Security Law, which created the Agunechemba security outfit, has made it easy for the traditional medicine sector to be sanitized.
He said the body will ensure the safety of all genuine traditional medicine practitioners and residents of the state but will also help the government identify the fake ones among them.
He said: “We pledge to collaborate with the State Assembly to ensure that all grey areas are addressed and clarified to avoid unnecessary intimidation and rip-offs by some persons, especially in rural communities.
“We plead with the lawmakers to work towards giving us a law that would guarantee our independence and smooth operations. When this is done, it will also enable us to assist the government in identifying those who have bastardized the traditional practice through unacceptable means.
“I want to assure you that our members, under the umbrella of the Anambra State Traditional Doctors Movement, are genuinely practicing without aiding or involving in Okeite or money rituals, which many quacks are involved in.”
The Speaker of the House, Mr Somtochukwu Udeze, who was represented by Hon. Ikenna Ofodeme, thanked them for coming while highlighting that the new Anambra Security Law was for the safety of all.
Ofodeme said that currently, there is already a bill in the making to address some of the grey areas in the new law as identified by the group.
