By Spy Uganda
Kampala: While delivering his Presidential COVID-19 address last night, HE.Yoweri Kaguta Museveni sounded angry to the government institutions that have since turned guns against country’s inventors especially those in the medical field including Prof Patrick Ogwang the manufacturer of COVID-19 herbal remedy known as Covidex drug.
It is worth noting that ever since Prof.Ongwang announced that he had manufactured the magic drug, he has battled pressures from a couple of corners among them including Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) and some other government officials. Matters have since reached President’s office, which according to our sources, is the reason Museveni used last night opportunity and blasted them, telling them off that the inventors are owners of the interlectual properties of their inventions, and if those Universities (MUST and Gulu) want they can levy something on the agreement with the owners,but not to own their inventions.
Mbarara University management attempted to block Prof.Ogwang who is their lecturer, from taking sole ownership of the Covidex product citing that it was developed by the university under Pharm-Biotechnology and Traditional Medicine Centre but not Ogwang as a single person saying he didn’t even have machines to use.
“Institutions like Mbarara University should benefit from scientists’ work only through commissions or in form of royalties but not as owners. If the institutions that employ these scientists want to benefit from their innovations, they should levy sort of a tax, what the technology transfer experts refer to as sharing of royalties. Even then, much of the proceeds should go to the inventor so that we encourage our scientists to discover more,” said Museveni.
Museveni further said that ownership of the patents and trademarks belong to inventors who discover the drugs but not institutions as it has been alleged.
”I have heard of arguments around ownership of the patents and trademarks, but this is a straightforward issue. These belong to the scientists who discovered them,” he blasted them.
He also said that the government is working with many Ugandan scientists to ensure they follow the international standards and guidelines to avoid being labeled inferior and thereby being sabotaged by the international players.
”All our molecules, act in a similar manner like all the drugs that have been recommended by the World Health Organization,” said Museveni before mentioning; ”The one by Prof Patrick Ogwang of Mbarara University called COVIDEX; and Dr. Alice Lamwaka from Gulu University, Covilyce-1 have direct effects on the virus, as well as dampening ‘self-destruction’ effects of the virus (‘panic crisis’).”
Museveni further warned; ”Therefore, a few Ugandans and other international skeptics shouldn’t undermine our home-grown scientific efforts by telling lies about our efforts. Also, the scientists involved must follow the globally prescribed steps so that we don’t give our enemies the chance to shot down our products. Last and more importantly, we must protect the intellectual property rights of the scientists involved.”
