Page 36 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 14

Wholeness

machines into our hospitals (most bo people.
of which do not even have mosqui-
to netted windows, regular electric- Even our institutions of higher
ity, and well-trained technicians) learning are called local universities,
translated into more efficient health native schools etc. Our local kings
care and treatment? Does bigger are called ‘traditional rulers’, while
spending really translate into better those in the western world are sim-
health services? ply called Kings, Queens, Prices or
princesses.
In villages where there are no
roads, no electricity, no hospitals, This is what I referred to as mindset
what form of health care should problem. You can see evidence of
government put in place? Since the it in our fascination with foreign
current health system in operation made, imported goods. We import
in Nigeria has not fully met the everything: Pencils, razor blade,
health needs of the people, what Yam, Pineapple, Beans, tomato,
alternative do we have? Is govern- wine, cloths, shoes, music, books,
ment ready and willing to explore economic theories, politics. Every-
and embrace the alternative? Do we thing. If some Nigerians have their
honestly believe that the health care way, they will import themselves.
model of the developed and indus- Who will help us solve this prob-
trialized countries of Europe and lem? Nobody but we ourselves
America is suitable to, or is practica- can do this. Political freedom and
ble in Africa? economic freedom are not enough.
The most vital freedom we need in
The term ‘traditional’ tends to Africa is epistemic freedom. The
suggest something illogical, irra- time is now.
tional, unscientific, mysterious and
old fashioned. Therefore, ‘tradi- Fr. Anselm Adodo is a catholic priest and di-
tional medicine’ conjures images of rector of one of Africa’s largest phytomedicine
paganism, fetishism, idol-worship,
and ritualism in the minds of the company, called paxherbals, and Director of
educated and the religious elite as Pax Centre for Integral Research and Devel-
well as the public. Perhaps it is time opment. His most recent books include ‘The
to discard this term and replace it
with something else. Idea of the Communiversity’ (Beacon academic,
2019), and ‘Healing Plants of Nigeria’ (Rout-
Why is it that it is only when we ledge, 2020). Anselm is a visiting lecturer at
talk about AFRICA that everything Nigeria’s premier University of Ibadan, Nige-
suddenly becomes TRADITIONAL
and NATIVE? : Native language, ria, a Fellow of the Nigeria society of Botanists
native medicine, native doctor, and an adjunct research fellow of
native dance, native food, native Nigeria Institute of medical Research.
dress and of course, native human http://www.paxherbals.net/
beings. When an African demon-
strates exceptional academic and
innovative brilliance, we say that he/
she has ‘native intelligence’, while
his/her western counterpart is called
a ‘genius’. Unconsciously, you and
I grew up with a tendency to regard
ourselves as inferior people, local
people, native people, traditional
people, second-hand people, Tokun-

36 | we tell the true afrikan story
Source: www.factretriever.com