The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde
Fashola, says the government is prepared to provide funding for any
research endeavour that can lead to finding a cure for the Ebola Virus
Disease.
The beneficiaries are those whose research proposals have been approved by the Lagos State Research and Development Council.
The governor urged Prof. Maurice Iwu to
come up with a lucid proposal on his Bitter Kola theory, adding that the
government would be willing to sponsor it.
Fashola said, “Ph.D holders and scholars
are respected not because of the finery of their titles, but because of
their intelligence and what they have to offer the society. The state
has taken a giant step by disbursing research grants to scientists and
researchers who have proposals on what can move our society forward.
“I am curious about Prof. Maurice Iwu’s
research on how Bitter Kola can help cure some diseases. I am
challenging him that he should reopen the frontiers of that research and
present it to us. It is something that we would be looking at.”
The governor said it was disappointing
that when the country was faced with the problem of Ebola, none of the
much talked about probable solutions came from Nigeria or Africa. He
added that Ebola scourge presented opportunities for researchers and
scholars to write their names in the book of history.
“If you look at the last epidemic
challenge that we faced, all of the offers and solutions ─ ZMapp and Dan
─ among others, came from outside Africa where the problem is. And we
have scientists here who carry all sorts of titles.
“This is the time to earn your titles.
All the Ph.D and professors must now live up to their names. There will
be no more excuses. I don’t have even masters, I am ordinary. We must
know the people that have contributed to the development of our country ─
Not all these awards that are given, all these doctorates that have not
really advanced our development,” he said.
Earlier, the Chairman of the state
research council, Prof. Olufemi Bamiro, said the grant ranged between
N3m and N5m per beneficiary.
