The ink used to write the story of the alleged breakthrough by the Dean of School of Basic Medical Sciences of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof. Isaiah Ibeh, had hardly dried when his claim to have come up with a possible cure for HIV/AIDS was rubbished by the school authorities.

Prof. Ibeh had announced the purported breakthrough two days ago in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin, capital of Edo State, South-South Nigeria.

“We are at threshold of making history in the sense that we seem to have with us something that will permanently take care of what overtime seems to have defied all solutions,” he had said, adding:

“We are talking about the latest discovery of an oral drug made from plant extraction in Nigeria for the possible cure of the pandemic, HIV and AIDS virus.”

But just as Prof. Ibeh was being celebrated, he was disowned today by his employers. Speaking with journalists in his office, the Provost, College of Medical Sciences of UNIBEN, Prof. Vincent Iyawe, said the university has not endorsed the claims of Prof. Ibeh for now because the institution was not “carried along” in the research.

“The school would like to take credit for a breakthrough, but the school cannot align with the breakthrough because the college was not consulted, the university was not consulted, he did not carry anybody along,” Prof. Iyawe was quoted as saying by the Lagos evening paper, PM News.

“There are protocols and procedures. Going from stage to stage, we give it clinical trials which will take it to the Federal Ministry of Health to do clinical trial and many other things involved. We will equally have to take it to NAFDAC, and many other things have to be done before you come out with your claims, and even take it to the World Health Organization,” Prof. Iyawe added.

He explained that UNIBEN’s reaction was aimed to protect Prof. Ibeh and the integrity of UNIBEN.

When asked for comment on his next line of action, the inventor of the alleged HIV/AIDS cure, Prof. Ibeh declined, adding, “I will naturally maintain a studied silence.”

News Express reports that Prof. Ibeh’s claim came n the heels of reports from the USA that, working with a team of researchers, Prof. Maurice Iwu, pharmacologist and former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had recorded a breakthrough in the formulation of an HIV/AIDS medicine.

Though various people claim they can cure AIDS, the dreaded disease has no officially accepted cure for now.

•Photo: Prof. Ibeh’s claim has been disputed by his employers.