Ayade halts traditional medicine fair in Calabar

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, on Friday, ordered the immediate stoppage of the Traditional Medicine Trade Fair at the Cultural Center, Calabar.
The Director of the Cultural Centre, Mr Gabriel Arikpo, told journalists that following the governor’s directive, the board ordered the traditional doctors to vacate the premises with immediate effect.
“We have carried out the directive with immediate effect”, Arikpo said.
He described the fair as illegal and unhealthy to the general public.
However, one of the participants, Mr Ogedengbe Fabiyi, said that contrary to insinuations, their business was genuine and in the interest of the general public.
“We tried to showcase the efficacy of traditional African herbs and many people have accepted it as very effective and curative’’, Fabiyi said.
A resident, Mrs Theresa Akpet, who said she had patronised the fair, lauded the action of the government, saying that the traditional healers were only out to dupe the public.
“I bought some traditional drugs for cancer for my aged mother. She died later. So, they should go, they are doing nothing good but rather, they are harming the public”, Akpet said.