ZHUL-HAJJ 5, 1429 A.H.
TUESDAY DECEMBER 2, 2008.
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Pfizer’s out of the court settlement with trovan victims: Things to be considered
By MUHAMMAD NAZIR FAGGE
08080331233 allama81@yahoo.co.uk
‘It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it’ -Joseph Joubert
The ongoing out of the court settlement between Kano state and federal government on behalf of the Trovan victims family and the Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company based in America on the cases of human right abuses that resulted into death, handicap, partially impaired etc; deserved justice and scrutiny for the sake of humanity and to prevent the future reoccurrence.
It could be remembered that sometime in 1996, the Pfizer Pharmaceutical Company carried out a drug test in Kano state in the so-called helping to curb the Cerebro Spinal Meningitis(CSM), outbreak whereby they used such opportunity to test their new product (Trovan) to the victims without consulting the victims’ family or the state government for their approval.
As a result of such violation of human right, ungodly act and merciless drug test carried out by the Pfizer Company, eleven children died and over 100 became paralysed, dump, deaf and partially impaired.
Despite such consequences of Pfizer Trovan drug test, the company did nothing to help or compensate the victims’ families and the subsequent state and federal government of that time paid no attention to protect the right of its poor citizen by prosecuting the Pfizer company in order to halt another drug test in our country.
Lately, around 2005/2006 after almost 10 years without justice to them, a call for justice to the poor victims’ families was started by the foremost Northern human right activist, Comrade Shehu Sani to bring the end of injustice by sanctioning the Pfizer Company and paying the victims family adequate compensation. He also advised the shekarau’s government to sue the Pfizer Company for a hidden agenda, breach of trust and illegal, unapproved drug test. And later, the federal government filed another suit against the company claiming millions of dollars as compensation.
Over two years of court hearing between plaintiff and the defendant, it was reported last month in some newspapers that in one of the court’s hearing the counsel of the defendant opted and advocated for out of the court reconciliation and settlement of that heinous crime.
The Pfizer decision to settle the case out of the court, translates their approval for their gravious mistake perpetrated deliberately or otherwise and this will not go unpunished. I also realized that the company used out of the court settlement to hide their unforgettable atrocities to the Nigerians and the world in general. If not, why are they afraid of the outcome of the court’s decision? And why did they not contact the victims’ families and the state government immediately after the outcome of their hidden drug test for settlement?
Or are they still exploiting and subjugating us after decades of abolishing of slavery and colonialism? Why settlement now instead of waiting for the final court decisions? Perhaps they want to manipulate the out of the court settlement in favor of their company.
The best solutions, particularly to Malam Ibrahim Shekarau’s-led government, is to appoint dedicated, honest, educationist, resource person God-fearing and outspoken people as representatives in the Pfizer’s proposed out of the court settlement.
If Governor Shekarau of Kano state followed the above mentioned criteria in appointing representative in the so-called out of the court settlement, the state’s representatives will not be used by the Pfizer company as a tool to attain their set-up conclusion – that favours them.
I opined that, the services of Comrade Shehu Sani of Civil Rights Congress is urgently needed in this out of the court settlement either directly or indirectly, because he had the above criteria and will not be used by Pfizer to attain their wish lightly. Since before the Kano state and federal governments filed a suit against the Pfizer, Comrade Shehu Sani became the first person that pioneered the call for justice and prosecuting of the Pfizer pharmaceutical company.
I could remember in September 2006, the young Comrade organized a powerful rally in the nation’s capital, Abuja, whereby he invited people that included local and foreign journalist to protest and criticize the company for their violation of human right, and also insisted that to compensating the victims’ families is compulsory.
Though I attended the rally from Kano , I immediately asked him why he did not protest such inhuman act at the accurate time. He swiftly responded that he was detained and regained freedom after serving four years in prison and later started consulting the victims for compiling the adequate data.
The likes of Col. (Dr.) Ibrahim Adamu Yakasai who is the Director-General of Kano state Hospitals Management Board shall be among representatives of the state, because of his hardworking, transparency and also as a medical doctor, a consultant gynecologist, Dr. Yakasai is a resource person and nothing will be hidden from him.
The state and federal governments will not live these case unpunished if not, history will testify against those in the helm of the nation’s affairs for their negligence to protect the life of a common man? perhaphs they want the Pfizer and other world Pharmaceutical Companies to continue testing their new products on our local people since the so-called leaders do not care to protect their lives.
The pfizer company shall apologize to the victims’ families and the entire nation and also promise that they will be sincere and faithfull in their future donation. Therefore, the pfizer's insincerety and ill-intention should serve as a lesson to states and federal governments to change attitude in accepting any Western so-called donation.
Lastly, the state government should work tirelessly to ascertain the real victims of the pfizer Trovan drugs test, because there are fake so-called victims’ families that are parading their deformed children to claim compensation as reported in FRESH FACT newspaper (Vol. 2 No 46 november 24, 2008). This might have happened as a result of government’s negligence in keeping records.
