As the Anambra State government continues to wage a crackdown against fake religious practitioners, native doctors in the state have pledged to partner with Governor Chukwuma Soludo to regulate their members and weed out fake practitioners.
The traditional medicine practitioners under the auspices of ‘Anambra State Traditional Doctors Movement’ who made this pledge during an interactive session with the members of the State House of Assembly in Awka on Thursday, said as much as they appreciate the efforts of the government to regulate their members, they are also willing to play their part to help in the effort.
The Chairman of the native doctors in the state, Chief Innocent Okwundu, while addressing the lawmakers, hailed the establishment of the Agunechemba security outfit, describing it as a welcome development aimed at ensuring the safety of all genuine practitioners and residents of the state.
“We have pledged to collaborate with the State Assembly to ensure that all grey areas are addressed and clarified to prevent unnecessary intimidation and exploitation, particularly in rural communities,” Okwundu said.
“Once this is achieved, it will enable us to assist the government in identifying individuals who have corrupted traditional practices through unacceptable means.
“Our members, under the Anambra State Traditional Doctors Movement, are genuinely practicing without engaging in activities like “Okeite” or money rituals, which have been associated with many quacks.”
The native doctors further appealed to the lawmakers to work toward enacting a law that would guarantee their independence and smooth operations.
The Speaker of the House, Somtochukwu Udeze, who also addressed the traditional medical practitioners, highlighted the benefits of the new Anambra Security Law, assuring them that the current administration and lawmakers are committed to the welfare of the people.
He stressed that the registration of practitioners by the state government is free of charge, and cautioned community leaders against exploiting the situation to extort people, warning that the government will not tolerate such actions and will not hesitate to take strong action against anyone caught.
