Osinbajo Hosts Covid-19 Researchers

• They reported innovations in testing and vaccination

BY OJUDU BABAFEMI

Prof Oyewale Tomori in company of other researchers on Covid 19 had a meeting with the Vice President and other government officials yesterday to review and suggest further steps to be taken to mitigate the effect of the infectious disease on Nigerians and stem the spread.

Prof Tomori came out of his retirement as a virology expert to collaborate with Prof Christian Happi of the Redeemer University, a world renowned researcher on Infectious diseases.

Their collaboration is yielding significant results and being recognized by colleagues across the world.

One of the landmark achievement they have recorded is the development of a procedure that enables results of tests to be out in five minutes. This requires no equipment Prof Happi said . The saliva of a subject , according to them, is collected in a test tube and the test is conducted and result comes out.

The other giant leap made by their team is a formula for a home grown vaccine. All they require now is the fund to carry out tests as required.

Prof Osinbajo promised to brief President Mohammadu Buhari on their efforts and thank them profusely for their patriotism.

Concluding his presentation yesterday, Prof Tomori became emotional and broke down sobbing.

The country , he said, gave him a lot of opportunities by educating him but unfortunately the situation over the years never allowed him and his generation to give their best to the country.

“ I am ever appreciative of what this country has done for me”, said he. “
I will never ever be able to pay back what I owe this country”, he added.

“ It is this that gives me the ferocious passion that this country can do much better for the current generation, which is more smarter than my generation.”

He thanked Prof Osinbajo for giving him and his team the rare opportunity to present their work and urge him to “ create the environment for this generation and see Nigeria move to world class level”.

On vaccine, Prof Tomori said he is “ looking into the future… now is the time to prepare for the future”. “ At the end of the epidemic Nigeria’s vaccine production facility should be roaring to go… Nigeria must not let Covid go without having our vaccine facility operational”