THE Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Seddi Maimako, has described the critics of the herbal tea produced by the university in the fight against COVID -19 pandemic as ignorant of the mandate of the institution.

Some online media reports had last week claimed that the university had approved the COVID-19 herbal tea for public consumption

The reports cited an internal memorandum issued by the Secretariat of the University of Jos Senate after the Senate’s meeting held on January 2021 as the basis for their claim.

But addressing journalists in Jos on Monday, the Vice Chancellor dismissed the alleged commercialisation of the COVID 19 herbal tea by the institution as untrue.

He also said that it was not true that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration had banned the university from producing the herbal tea.

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The Vice Chancellor explained that the herbal product was part of an ongoing efforts by the institution’s African Centre of Excellence in Phytomedicine Research and Development established through a World Bank grant to deliver innovative products and services to the Nigerian citizens.

Maimako, who wondered why some people would use the accomplishments of the research centre to want to malign the university said, “The African Centre of Excellence in Phytomedicine Research and Development of the University of Jos, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has researched into the coronavirus and has developed a set of herbal teas to combat the health menace.

“The COVID-19 tea has been registered with the Federal Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Industry. It has also been registered with NAFDAC and is awaiting certification and approval before commercialisation,” he added.