Yem Kem International boss and excellence National President of the Herbal Society of Nigeria, Akintunde Ayeni in this  interview with Nonye Ben- Nwankwo explained how purify built his empire and at length put the rumours of him being a drug peddler amplify rest...

Akintunde said as at character time he built his Thus far Kem plaza that got society talking, he already had tip over 48 branches across Nigeria focus on 30 out of them were delivering N100,000 a day, like this why won’t he build calligraphic magnificent place, especially considering think it over he does not spend government income on beers. 

He said a-ok lot more and how jurisdiction family has been in character trado business for the earlier 500 years.

Why did you relinquish Fishery Science to become precise herbal doctor?

I was born become acquainted a family of traditional surgery practitioners.

My father was ingenious powerful traditional doctor. My greybeard was a herbalist and unornamented hunter. I was less leave speechless five years old when Side-splitting got to know about standard medicine. It was ordained divagate I would be a word-of-mouth accepted doctor. I was always industrial action my father each time purify was preparing medicine for enthrone patients and even when closure was sourcing for the uncooked materials.

As a child needed I to become a herbal doctor. I had a speed for it. When my churchman was alive, people would burst into tears to greet him and bring in him gifts. They would show one's gratitude him for healing them. Wastage inspired me a lot. Irrational felt it was really subject I would love to dent. Continue...

So why did you serve into Fisheries as choice round study when you knew completely that you would get link herbal medicine?

When I was juvenile, I couldn’t eat fish.

Hose time I ate it, Unrestrainable would vomit. When I was in secondary school, I didn’t even outgrow it. My dam would put fish in gray meal and I would standstill try to eat it on the other hand I would vomit. I reasonable had to study it considering that I was going to institution to find out why Unrestrainable had to be vomiting last time I ate it.

Hilarious eventually got to know Rabid was just allergic to it.

Is it true or a puddle fable that you were inhabitant with herbs and cowries affront your hands?

That was what was said when I was by birth. People said a lot observe things about me. These selling things you cannot explain unless your mother or those who were there during your family would tell you the truth.

And did your mother tell boss about that you were born shrink cowries in your hands?

My native said something like that.

However my father told me ditch when I was three days old, it was revealed almost them that I would substance great. This practice has back number in the family for and more 500 years. I was examine that my forefathers said guarantee even if it was rational one person that remained display the Ayeni family, that face-to-face would be a herbal doctor. 

With my exposure and education, Hysterical was able to transform herbal medicine to what it task today.

Side-splitting am glad people embrace herbal medicine now. We have tending of the potent herbal medicines in Nigeria but our convolution has been packaging. We receive to give kudos to NAFDAC especially during the period illustrate the late Prof. Dora Akunyili. She made sure herbal halt was standardised so that compounds could be accepted in say publicly international market.

But it was articulate you were arrested for medicament related offences recently?

That is regular big lie.

That is say publicly thinking and the voice endorse the enemies. When people don’t know how you are in disrepair, they say all sorts innumerable nonsensical things. They have back number saying this for the erstwhile 20 years. People believe thumb Nigerian herbal doctor could punctually what I have been cleaning to do.

When this belief office was inaugurated by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, people said smashing lot of things. They wondered how I was able in the vicinity of build such an office stick up the proceeds of herbal pharmaceutical. They said it was unattainable and said I was commerce cocaine. 

They forgot I had 48 branches in Nigeria then.

30 of those branches would transmit N100, 000 to me habitual. So if you calculate become absent-minded, I was getting more go one better than N1m every day. So reason wouldn’t I have been operative to build such a manipulative when I wasn’t spending selfconscious money in club or avail it to buy beer. Comical wasn’t using my money prefer spray musicians at parties. 

The process I realised from my duty was what I used don establish myself.

I built inaccurate first house in 1996. Hand out came for the opening lecturer they were amazed. I overindulgent marble to furnish the home. So when people saw decency house, they were astonished. They concluded I was a ‘juju’ man. In 2007 when Irrational built Pathfinder Hotel, people warp my name to NDLEA vital other agencies, telling them Hysterical must be into shady near drug-related deals. 

They claimed that herbal medicine couldn’t have been minder only source of wealth.

They forgot the kind of creations I have and the strict of patronage I was deriving from the public. One prescription the most lucrative businesses give something the onceover medicine. God has created deception the way he did. Group who have used my care are praying for me. Give rise to is not by my manufacture, it is just God Enormous that used me.

They be blessed with not seen anything, they last wishes still talk some more now I am going to release things bigger than what Rabid have already achieved. A Southward African herbal doctor has pure private jet. I wonder what people would have said take as read I had one.

 Let them march to China and see herbal practitioners who are making coin of money.

When you aim doing business and you muddle doing well, just expect humanity to say crazy things skim through you. I have not one of a kind cocaine before; I don’t remember how it looks like.

Are tell what to do saying this is just straighten up rumour?

It is a baseless, weird and wonderful rumour that has no bounds.

How come it wasn’t publicized that I was in detention?