Monday, November 29, 2010 23:04
Pfizer’s secret deal
Last week, the people of Kano State witnessed the foundation-laying ceremony of a multi-million dollar hospital in the ancient city. The facility is a fallout of the deal between the state government and the American drug manufacturer, Pfizer in which the government withdrew criminal and civil charges against the company for conducting clinical tests that resulted in the death of some children in the state.
In the wake of the failed tests, the federal government had filed a separate suit against Pfizer but the case was quietly dropped after a deal was brokered by the then Attorney General of the federation and minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa. . Yet, no official in our government seems to know the details of this agreement. Mr. Aondoakaa who was the arrow head of that transaction denies any knowledge of the money collected from Pfizer, claiming that counsels to the federal government are more acquainted with the case. However, both the counsels and officials of the pharmaceutical giant have refused to disclose the terms of the deal saying the settlement was “covered by a standard confidentiality clause and thus may not be disclosed”.
Back
Any deal brokered by Michael Aondoakaa is null and void. They have sold Nigerians to the butchers. Individually, each person can sue Pfizer or in America, that way they get their entitlemnet.
Posted by Okwuchukwu Ezeanyika on Nov 28 2010
Yes, the settlement could be covered by a standard confidentiality clause and may not be disclosed. But it behoves on the Federal Government of Nigeria to tell the public what it did with the monetary aspect of the settlement. It is not ethical for the government to keep mute under the guise of confidentiality clause in the agreement. Nigerians deserve decent treatment than that unnerving silence.
Posted by Akinima on Nov 28 2010
Another Aondoakaa deal? Is this the same man who brokered the "Hali-bottom" deal? Did anyone say this man is a trained lawyer charged with the responsibility to protect the interests of the nation at all times, fight for justice, equity and fairness for the nation and its people? How can it be said that Aondoakaa protected the interest of Nigerians or Kano people in both Halliburton and Pfizer deals if the people or their rulers does not know the basis of the so called deals. How will the people be in a position to evaluate whether or not the terms of these deals are in their best interests? How would Pfizer be held accountable in the event of a breach of the agreed terms if the people are not aware of Pfizer's obligations under the agreement. Aondoakaa now seem to seek refuge in confidentiality rule for not disclosing the terms of both agreements. It is terminally very sad that untrained politician and callous lawyers who disregard ethical standards are selling us cheap in the mix to multi-nationals. Time has come for the people to rise up and say no to the Aondoakaas and other ruthless politicians and leaders who seek self interests. God will pay them back for their evil deeds
Posted by KC on Nov 28 2010
Aondoaka again, this charge and bail lawyer at it again! God save Nigeria.
Posted by ochule victor from sagbama bayelsa state on Nov 28 2010
Its rather sad dat pfizer & the fed govt of nigeria are playin gymnicks wit the life of ordinary nigerians the'v vowed 2 safe.even though medical facilities are necessary,i urge the indigenes of kano 2 rise in protest through the relevant agencies & communal effort until the truth is unveiled.
Posted by Nnaendi Nwokoma on Nov 28 2010
This is one situation that must be thoroughly dissected before Michael Aondoakaa washes his hands and says that he does not know. He was in charge and so the "buck" stops with him. He can run but he cannot hide. Pfizer may have "settled" all the people they came in contact with but we need to know what Nigeria's "settlment" was and how this was determined. I will be shocked if the truth on this story ever get to see the light of day but I am hopeful for Nigeria...
Posted by Dewey on Nov 28 2010
Hey You NEXT, urbanised intellectuals, do you know that 80% of the population does not leave in Lagos or Abuja, the only cities where NEXT newspaper can be found!? So, either you improve the diffusion of the nexspaper in the country or you publish full paper on Internet. But this....... is unfair!
Posted by Ode omi on Nov 28 2010
Haahaaa, confidentiality agreement does not apply to settlement between government and private entity. Every Nigeria citizen is a party to the agreement and deserve to know what is in the agreement. The newspaper ought to bound together and sue on behalf of the public
• Aondoakaa’s secret deal with Pfizer
Monday, November 29, 2010
PFIZER : VICTIMS ABANDONED
Monday, November 29, 2010 23:01
Aondoakaa’s secret deal with Pfizer
By Musikilu Mojeed
The terms of the agreement reached between the Federal Government and pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer that led to the withdrawal of federal charges against the pharmaceutical giant over the deadly 1996 Trovan paediatric clinical trial in Kano remain unknown because of the nature of deal brokered by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mike Aondoakaa.
Last week, the Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, broke ground for the construction of a multimillion dollar hospital to be built by Pfizer as part of the agreement between the state government and the company. But nothing has been heard about the federal government deal.
Others involved in the deal, which saw Mr. Aondoakaa withdrawing the $6 billion suit the Federal Government instituted against Pfizer, were lawyers Maryam Uwais, Tunde Irukera and Yemi Osibajo, a former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
Ms Uwais, Mr. Osibajo and Mr. Irukera represented the government in the suit and thus negotiated the confidential settlement agreement with Pfizer on behalf of Mr. Aondoakaa and the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The withdrawal of the case, as well as the terms of settlement, is a highly guarded secret by the parties involved in the negotiation.
The amount of money that changed hands in the deal and the terms of the agreement are however not clear, as all parties to the deal insisted that the settlement was covered by a confidentiality clause.
They declined to disclose details of the agreement in spite of repeated prodding by NEXT that the Kano Pfizer case is of great public concern and that Nigerians, and indeed the world, need to know every detail of its resolution.
Genesis of the dispute
The Federal Government and the Kano State Government had filed two separate cases against Pfizer over the controversial drug trial. The company had tested the antibiotic Trovan on 200 sick children during a meningitis outbreak in 1996. Eleven children reportedly died and others were blinded, paralysed or brain-damaged.
In the cases, both filed in May 2007, the federal government sought more than $6 billion in damages and the Kano State government wanted $2.075 billion in damages for, among other things, the costs incurred to provide treatment, compensation and support for the alleged victims and their families; the costs of unrelated health initiatives that failed, allegedly due to societal misgivings attributable to the Trovan study; and general damages.
On July 30, 2009, Pfizer and Kano entered into a well-publicised $75million settlement agreement, pursuant to which Kano State agreed to dismiss the civil and criminal actions.
Pfizer in turn agreed to (i) establish a healthcare/meningitis fund from which participants in the 1996 study can receive financial support in an aggregate amount up to $35 million; (ii) fund, in the amount of $30 million within a two-year period, various healthcare initiatives chosen by the Kano State government for the benefit of the people of Kano State; and (iii) reimburse Kano State for $10 million in legal costs incurred in connection with the litigation.
Silent federal government
But the Federal Ministry of Justice, under Mr. Aondoakaa, did not announce at anytime that it had withdrawn the $6 billion case against the American pharmaceutical company.
Some Nigerians thus believed that the case was still in court.
However, investigations by NEXT revealed that the former minister and the lawyers hammered out a secret settlement in October 2009 and agreed to keep the deal under wraps.
Shortly afterwards, Pfizer, in a quarterly report on November 5, 2009, informed the United States’ Security and Exchange Commission that the Nigerian Federal Government had discontinued the litigation against it.
The report did not disclose what the terms of settlement are and how much was paid to the Nigerian government.
It only said, “In October 2009, the parties entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which the Federal Government of Nigeria agreed to dismiss the civil and criminal actions with prejudice. And Pfizer agreed to pay the legal fees and expenses incurred by the Federal Government in connection with the litigation.”
Our investigations indicate that no money was paid to government’s coffers in respect of the settlement, and it is not clear who received the payment made by Pfizer in lieu of “legal fees and expenses incurred by the Federal Government.”
Claims and counter claims
When contacted, Mr. Aondoakaa said it was Ms Uwais and her colleagues who negotiated with Pfizer directly, holding meetings with representatives of the pharmaceutical firm in London and Dubai and later receiving an undisclosed amount from the company.
“I don’t know about this money you are talking about,” Mr. Aondoakaa said on the telephone. “I didn’t touch a kobo. The initial proposal we sent was that Pfizer should do something at the National Hospital but President Yar’Adua said no, that Pfizer money was blood money. So, the lawyers were dealing with Pfizer directly and the matter was still on when I left office.” (A NEXT check proved otherwise: the agreement was reached in October 2009 and Mr. Aondoakaa was Attorney General till his removal on February 10, 2010).
The former minister directed further enquiries on the matter to the incumbent justice minister, Bello Adoke. But Mr. Adoke in turn said Mr. Aondoakaa was better placed to answer questions on the withdrawal of the case and the terms of settlement.
“He (Mr. Aondoakaa) is the person who decided the issues of the case before I came here as the AGF,” Mr. Adoke said. “As for the terms of the settlement ... what I am told is that the case was settled under a non-disclosure legal term.”
Mr. Irukera, one of the government’s lawyers, also debunked Mr. Aondoakaa’s claim that he (the former minister) was not involved in the negotiation, saying the former Attorney General held several meetings with Pfizer in the run-up to the withdrawal of the case.
“As counsel, we did not directly interface with Pfizer in reaching this resolution,” Mr. Irukera said in an interview. “However, we were informed as counsel that the FGN in its discussions with Pfizer agreed that in exchange for dismissing the civil action with prejudice and the criminal charges and executing a non-prosecutorial agreement, Pfizer will reimburse the FGN for its expenses in prosecuting the cases including fees to professionals and out of pocket expenses by the government. We only signed the agreement in support of the FGN’s signature and received our fees directly.”
The lawyer wouldn’t say how much his team received from Pfizer.
Oath of secrecy
The other counsel, Ms. Uwais, declined to respond to specific questions on the matter. “Unfortunately, responding to the thrust of your many questions would breach our confidentiality obligations,” she said in response to an email from NEXT.
Pfizer also insisted that the secrecy of the agreement couldn’t be broken. Marco Winkler, a spokesperson for the company, explained that in the settlement, “the Federal Government agreed to dismiss its civil and criminal actions with prejudice and Pfizer agreed to pay legal fees and expenses incurred by the Federal Government in connection with the litigation”.
Mr. Winkler wouldn’t disclose who received the payment made by his company and how much was involved.
“The specific terms and conditions of the settlement agreement are covered by a standard confidentiality clause and thus may not be disclosed,” he said in an email to NEXT from the New York headquarters of the company.
Our investigations however showed that such discrete resolution of cases have no place in Pfizer’s home country. Around the same time that Mr. Aondoakaa and the lawyers made the deal with the company, the U.S. Department of Justice forced the pharmaceutical giant to cough out $2.3 billion for off-label promotional practices involving four of its drugs (Bextra, Zyvox, Geodon and Lyrica) and allegations certain payments to healthcare professionals involving these and nine other Pfizer drugs.
In addition, in September 2009, the company reached agreements with attorneys general in 42 US states and the District of Columbia to settle state civil consumer protection allegations related to promotional practices concerning Geodon. The states wrested $33 million from the company for the violation. The terms of settlement of those cases are at the disposal of the American public.
Aondoakaa’s secret deal with Pfizer
By Musikilu Mojeed
The terms of the agreement reached between the Federal Government and pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer that led to the withdrawal of federal charges against the pharmaceutical giant over the deadly 1996 Trovan paediatric clinical trial in Kano remain unknown because of the nature of deal brokered by former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mike Aondoakaa.
Last week, the Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, broke ground for the construction of a multimillion dollar hospital to be built by Pfizer as part of the agreement between the state government and the company. But nothing has been heard about the federal government deal.
Others involved in the deal, which saw Mr. Aondoakaa withdrawing the $6 billion suit the Federal Government instituted against Pfizer, were lawyers Maryam Uwais, Tunde Irukera and Yemi Osibajo, a former Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
Ms Uwais, Mr. Osibajo and Mr. Irukera represented the government in the suit and thus negotiated the confidential settlement agreement with Pfizer on behalf of Mr. Aondoakaa and the Federal Ministry of Justice.
The withdrawal of the case, as well as the terms of settlement, is a highly guarded secret by the parties involved in the negotiation.
The amount of money that changed hands in the deal and the terms of the agreement are however not clear, as all parties to the deal insisted that the settlement was covered by a confidentiality clause.
They declined to disclose details of the agreement in spite of repeated prodding by NEXT that the Kano Pfizer case is of great public concern and that Nigerians, and indeed the world, need to know every detail of its resolution.
Genesis of the dispute
The Federal Government and the Kano State Government had filed two separate cases against Pfizer over the controversial drug trial. The company had tested the antibiotic Trovan on 200 sick children during a meningitis outbreak in 1996. Eleven children reportedly died and others were blinded, paralysed or brain-damaged.
In the cases, both filed in May 2007, the federal government sought more than $6 billion in damages and the Kano State government wanted $2.075 billion in damages for, among other things, the costs incurred to provide treatment, compensation and support for the alleged victims and their families; the costs of unrelated health initiatives that failed, allegedly due to societal misgivings attributable to the Trovan study; and general damages.
On July 30, 2009, Pfizer and Kano entered into a well-publicised $75million settlement agreement, pursuant to which Kano State agreed to dismiss the civil and criminal actions.
Pfizer in turn agreed to (i) establish a healthcare/meningitis fund from which participants in the 1996 study can receive financial support in an aggregate amount up to $35 million; (ii) fund, in the amount of $30 million within a two-year period, various healthcare initiatives chosen by the Kano State government for the benefit of the people of Kano State; and (iii) reimburse Kano State for $10 million in legal costs incurred in connection with the litigation.
Silent federal government
But the Federal Ministry of Justice, under Mr. Aondoakaa, did not announce at anytime that it had withdrawn the $6 billion case against the American pharmaceutical company.
Some Nigerians thus believed that the case was still in court.
However, investigations by NEXT revealed that the former minister and the lawyers hammered out a secret settlement in October 2009 and agreed to keep the deal under wraps.
Shortly afterwards, Pfizer, in a quarterly report on November 5, 2009, informed the United States’ Security and Exchange Commission that the Nigerian Federal Government had discontinued the litigation against it.
The report did not disclose what the terms of settlement are and how much was paid to the Nigerian government.
It only said, “In October 2009, the parties entered into a settlement agreement pursuant to which the Federal Government of Nigeria agreed to dismiss the civil and criminal actions with prejudice. And Pfizer agreed to pay the legal fees and expenses incurred by the Federal Government in connection with the litigation.”
Our investigations indicate that no money was paid to government’s coffers in respect of the settlement, and it is not clear who received the payment made by Pfizer in lieu of “legal fees and expenses incurred by the Federal Government.”
Claims and counter claims
When contacted, Mr. Aondoakaa said it was Ms Uwais and her colleagues who negotiated with Pfizer directly, holding meetings with representatives of the pharmaceutical firm in London and Dubai and later receiving an undisclosed amount from the company.
“I don’t know about this money you are talking about,” Mr. Aondoakaa said on the telephone. “I didn’t touch a kobo. The initial proposal we sent was that Pfizer should do something at the National Hospital but President Yar’Adua said no, that Pfizer money was blood money. So, the lawyers were dealing with Pfizer directly and the matter was still on when I left office.” (A NEXT check proved otherwise: the agreement was reached in October 2009 and Mr. Aondoakaa was Attorney General till his removal on February 10, 2010).
The former minister directed further enquiries on the matter to the incumbent justice minister, Bello Adoke. But Mr. Adoke in turn said Mr. Aondoakaa was better placed to answer questions on the withdrawal of the case and the terms of settlement.
“He (Mr. Aondoakaa) is the person who decided the issues of the case before I came here as the AGF,” Mr. Adoke said. “As for the terms of the settlement ... what I am told is that the case was settled under a non-disclosure legal term.”
Mr. Irukera, one of the government’s lawyers, also debunked Mr. Aondoakaa’s claim that he (the former minister) was not involved in the negotiation, saying the former Attorney General held several meetings with Pfizer in the run-up to the withdrawal of the case.
“As counsel, we did not directly interface with Pfizer in reaching this resolution,” Mr. Irukera said in an interview. “However, we were informed as counsel that the FGN in its discussions with Pfizer agreed that in exchange for dismissing the civil action with prejudice and the criminal charges and executing a non-prosecutorial agreement, Pfizer will reimburse the FGN for its expenses in prosecuting the cases including fees to professionals and out of pocket expenses by the government. We only signed the agreement in support of the FGN’s signature and received our fees directly.”
The lawyer wouldn’t say how much his team received from Pfizer.
Oath of secrecy
The other counsel, Ms. Uwais, declined to respond to specific questions on the matter. “Unfortunately, responding to the thrust of your many questions would breach our confidentiality obligations,” she said in response to an email from NEXT.
Pfizer also insisted that the secrecy of the agreement couldn’t be broken. Marco Winkler, a spokesperson for the company, explained that in the settlement, “the Federal Government agreed to dismiss its civil and criminal actions with prejudice and Pfizer agreed to pay legal fees and expenses incurred by the Federal Government in connection with the litigation”.
Mr. Winkler wouldn’t disclose who received the payment made by his company and how much was involved.
“The specific terms and conditions of the settlement agreement are covered by a standard confidentiality clause and thus may not be disclosed,” he said in an email to NEXT from the New York headquarters of the company.
Our investigations however showed that such discrete resolution of cases have no place in Pfizer’s home country. Around the same time that Mr. Aondoakaa and the lawyers made the deal with the company, the U.S. Department of Justice forced the pharmaceutical giant to cough out $2.3 billion for off-label promotional practices involving four of its drugs (Bextra, Zyvox, Geodon and Lyrica) and allegations certain payments to healthcare professionals involving these and nine other Pfizer drugs.
In addition, in September 2009, the company reached agreements with attorneys general in 42 US states and the District of Columbia to settle state civil consumer protection allegations related to promotional practices concerning Geodon. The states wrested $33 million from the company for the violation. The terms of settlement of those cases are at the disposal of the American public.
PFIZER VICTIMS ABANDONED
Gone but not settled yet
NEXT editorial
November 29, 2010
The settlement of the Trovan trials case brought by the Nigerian plaintiffs against the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has all the elements of a deal or no deal contest, at least on this side of the Atlantic. In this famous game show where contestants have to choose between a set of 26 identical briefcases holding anything from $.10 to $1million, Nigerians deserve to know the exact contents of the ones collected on their behalf by their "representatives" in the Kano State government.
The settlement of the case brought by the plaintiffs represented something of an achievement for Nigeria in the David and Goliath, Third World versus Multinational giant category if you could ignore the searing tragedy that led to it, both on the side of a rapacious multinational and the dubious tactics of Nigerian officials who signed first and asked questions later.
The real victims were the 30 families whose offspring were killed, maimed and paralysed by the drug Trovan that had never been administered to children. Pfizer hit on its idea to try it out in the midst of a raging meningitis outbreak in Kano in August of 1996 that led to 12,000 deaths in the country. The US Federal Drug Administration approved Trovan in 1998, two years later, for use on adults.
In May of 2006 a confidential report published by the Washington Post found that Pfizer had violated Nigerian and international law in its trials on 200 children in Kano in 1996. This finding led to criminal charges brought against Pfizer by the Federal government in 2007, which sued for $ 6 billion in damages.
But the issue here is not Pfizer, which argued in its defence that it had obtained approval from Nigerian officials to conduct the trial.
The Nigerian government system has been described as a kleptocracy and the handling of the details of the settlement of this Pfizer case look to be following that pattern.
Based on the broad terms of the settlement Pfizer is to pay $30 million disbursed over two years on heath care initiatives chosen by Kano State. Pfizer will pay $10 million towards the Kano State governments legal fees and $30 or $35 million, there is some discrepancy here, will be used to set up a fund for valid claims from eligible victims who were part of the trial. A six-person panel established by Kano State and Pfizer will determine the eligibility of the victims and the level of compensation.
In return Kano State will drop civil and criminal claims against Pfizer. Last year a statement in the Washington Post credited to Babatunde Irukera in who represented Kano State when the settlement was announced in August of 2009 said the Federal government's case against the company was not affected by this settlement But this paper has reported that an agreement brokered by former Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice Michael Aondoakaa has led to the withdrawal of the Federal governments $6 billion suit also. "People and entities can and must be held accountable for the consequences of their conduct," Mr Irukera was quoted as saying.
That same accountability we would say requires the Kano State government to be open and scrupulously detailed as it disburses the funds for the victims and for the healthcare projects, even before we begin to ponder the possible subterranean terms of the agreement brokered on Aondoakaa's behalf by a team of lawyers.
The issue here from the start was justice, on behalf of 200 sick children who were used as fodder for illegal clinical tests, not lawyers and their fees, government officials and secret ‘settlements' or a pharmaceutical giant anxious to ward off any bad publicity.
Full disclosure and transparent monitoring is what justice demands for the souls of the 11 children who died, and the rest who were paralysed or brain damaged by the administration of the experimental drug Trovan.
Back
Posted by Truck Pusher on Nov 29 2010
part of the settlement agreement stated that the contents of the agreement would not be made public...how do i know?...because that is standard judicial fare...
Posted by hC on Nov 29 2010
Truck Pusher forgot to add, "but as usual, nobody asked me". Kleptocracy is a very appropriate adjective.
Posted by Ajegunle on Nov 29 2010
It is not the duty of the government to sue Pfizer, the government should have aided the affected persons in fighting Pfizer. I am sure, each one of them will entitled to about $100m each, plus fines. Then the government can then sue and get money. Like I said before, these victims have been sold to butchers. I smell dollars here, EFCC should probe Kano and Federal Government officials, money has changed hand.
Posted by Louisiana Ibeh on Nov 29 2010
Nothing can be more baffling in the way we nigerians handle issues, especially serious ones that could upgrade our social and political and environmental status internationally. I think we need to make choicest decisions that would not only benefit ourselves but the other close and far. we are one and we need to act as one not necessarily the majority. Justice should prevail and not the "Millions of Dollars".
NEXT editorial
November 29, 2010
The settlement of the Trovan trials case brought by the Nigerian plaintiffs against the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has all the elements of a deal or no deal contest, at least on this side of the Atlantic. In this famous game show where contestants have to choose between a set of 26 identical briefcases holding anything from $.10 to $1million, Nigerians deserve to know the exact contents of the ones collected on their behalf by their "representatives" in the Kano State government.
The settlement of the case brought by the plaintiffs represented something of an achievement for Nigeria in the David and Goliath, Third World versus Multinational giant category if you could ignore the searing tragedy that led to it, both on the side of a rapacious multinational and the dubious tactics of Nigerian officials who signed first and asked questions later.
The real victims were the 30 families whose offspring were killed, maimed and paralysed by the drug Trovan that had never been administered to children. Pfizer hit on its idea to try it out in the midst of a raging meningitis outbreak in Kano in August of 1996 that led to 12,000 deaths in the country. The US Federal Drug Administration approved Trovan in 1998, two years later, for use on adults.
In May of 2006 a confidential report published by the Washington Post found that Pfizer had violated Nigerian and international law in its trials on 200 children in Kano in 1996. This finding led to criminal charges brought against Pfizer by the Federal government in 2007, which sued for $ 6 billion in damages.
But the issue here is not Pfizer, which argued in its defence that it had obtained approval from Nigerian officials to conduct the trial.
The Nigerian government system has been described as a kleptocracy and the handling of the details of the settlement of this Pfizer case look to be following that pattern.
Based on the broad terms of the settlement Pfizer is to pay $30 million disbursed over two years on heath care initiatives chosen by Kano State. Pfizer will pay $10 million towards the Kano State governments legal fees and $30 or $35 million, there is some discrepancy here, will be used to set up a fund for valid claims from eligible victims who were part of the trial. A six-person panel established by Kano State and Pfizer will determine the eligibility of the victims and the level of compensation.
In return Kano State will drop civil and criminal claims against Pfizer. Last year a statement in the Washington Post credited to Babatunde Irukera in who represented Kano State when the settlement was announced in August of 2009 said the Federal government's case against the company was not affected by this settlement But this paper has reported that an agreement brokered by former Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice Michael Aondoakaa has led to the withdrawal of the Federal governments $6 billion suit also. "People and entities can and must be held accountable for the consequences of their conduct," Mr Irukera was quoted as saying.
That same accountability we would say requires the Kano State government to be open and scrupulously detailed as it disburses the funds for the victims and for the healthcare projects, even before we begin to ponder the possible subterranean terms of the agreement brokered on Aondoakaa's behalf by a team of lawyers.
The issue here from the start was justice, on behalf of 200 sick children who were used as fodder for illegal clinical tests, not lawyers and their fees, government officials and secret ‘settlements' or a pharmaceutical giant anxious to ward off any bad publicity.
Full disclosure and transparent monitoring is what justice demands for the souls of the 11 children who died, and the rest who were paralysed or brain damaged by the administration of the experimental drug Trovan.
Back
Posted by Truck Pusher on Nov 29 2010
part of the settlement agreement stated that the contents of the agreement would not be made public...how do i know?...because that is standard judicial fare...
Posted by hC on Nov 29 2010
Truck Pusher forgot to add, "but as usual, nobody asked me". Kleptocracy is a very appropriate adjective.
Posted by Ajegunle on Nov 29 2010
It is not the duty of the government to sue Pfizer, the government should have aided the affected persons in fighting Pfizer. I am sure, each one of them will entitled to about $100m each, plus fines. Then the government can then sue and get money. Like I said before, these victims have been sold to butchers. I smell dollars here, EFCC should probe Kano and Federal Government officials, money has changed hand.
Posted by Louisiana Ibeh on Nov 29 2010
Nothing can be more baffling in the way we nigerians handle issues, especially serious ones that could upgrade our social and political and environmental status internationally. I think we need to make choicest decisions that would not only benefit ourselves but the other close and far. we are one and we need to act as one not necessarily the majority. Justice should prevail and not the "Millions of Dollars".
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Pfizer's Tale
Pfizer Starts Work on $30m Hospital in Kano
Multinational drugs firm, Pfizer Incorporated, has commenced work on the establishment of a $30 million medical facility at Dawakin Dudu, 15 kilometres from the Kano metropolis.
Ibrahim Shekarau, the state Governor, performed the foundation laying ceremony of the medical facility at the occasion. He said that the decision by Pfizer to establish the medical facility was in line with an out of court settlement reached between the state government, victims of the 1996 Trovan drug test and Pfizer incorporated.
Spokesperson for Pfizer, Chris Loder, said the decision to construct the medical facility underlines the commitment of the company towards ensuring the wellbeing of Nigerians. "The construction of a new state of the art medical centre in Kano is proof positive that Pfizer continues to fulfil its commitments to Nigeria and its people," he said. "This event allows the company to further its work on what really matters - improving the healthcare for all Nigerians." The medical facility is to be equipped with a centre for disease control, a public health laboratory, a diagnostic centre, a micro-biological reference laboratory and residence staff quarters.
The Trovan War
Hundreds of people died or took ill in Kano after they were administered by the drugs in a surreptitious test being conducted by the company on the efficacy and effects of the drug. It was later sued by both the state and federal government. The company reached an out-of-court settlement with the two parties.
Recalling how he led a delegation to the negotiation talks with Pfizer in the United Kingdom and America, Mr Shekarau expressed optimism that the medical facility would achieve the desired objective of proper diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases afflicting children in Kano and neighbouring states of Nigeria.
The chairman of the Healthcare Programme Trust, S.A.S Galadanci, said that it is unfortunate that the less privileged ones in the society had faced difficulties accessing treatment when faced with chronic ailments. He explained that the facility would redress the problems associated with the dearth of medical facilities and equipment at various healthcare centres in Kano and neighbouring states by the time it becomes fully operational next year.
Multinational drugs firm, Pfizer Incorporated, has commenced work on the establishment of a $30 million medical facility at Dawakin Dudu, 15 kilometres from the Kano metropolis.
Ibrahim Shekarau, the state Governor, performed the foundation laying ceremony of the medical facility at the occasion. He said that the decision by Pfizer to establish the medical facility was in line with an out of court settlement reached between the state government, victims of the 1996 Trovan drug test and Pfizer incorporated.
Spokesperson for Pfizer, Chris Loder, said the decision to construct the medical facility underlines the commitment of the company towards ensuring the wellbeing of Nigerians. "The construction of a new state of the art medical centre in Kano is proof positive that Pfizer continues to fulfil its commitments to Nigeria and its people," he said. "This event allows the company to further its work on what really matters - improving the healthcare for all Nigerians." The medical facility is to be equipped with a centre for disease control, a public health laboratory, a diagnostic centre, a micro-biological reference laboratory and residence staff quarters.
The Trovan War
Hundreds of people died or took ill in Kano after they were administered by the drugs in a surreptitious test being conducted by the company on the efficacy and effects of the drug. It was later sued by both the state and federal government. The company reached an out-of-court settlement with the two parties.
Recalling how he led a delegation to the negotiation talks with Pfizer in the United Kingdom and America, Mr Shekarau expressed optimism that the medical facility would achieve the desired objective of proper diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases afflicting children in Kano and neighbouring states of Nigeria.
The chairman of the Healthcare Programme Trust, S.A.S Galadanci, said that it is unfortunate that the less privileged ones in the society had faced difficulties accessing treatment when faced with chronic ailments. He explained that the facility would redress the problems associated with the dearth of medical facilities and equipment at various healthcare centres in Kano and neighbouring states by the time it becomes fully operational next year.
Pfizer compensation in limbo
Silence over compensation for victims: It has been a long, long road for the people of Kano. A people whose suffering has endured for over 12 years finally saw a chink of light in July 2009 when the announcement came through that Pfizer and Kano State government had finally settled the long awaited claims out of court with award of compensation totalling $75 million dollars.
The fanfare with which this was announced by both parties, was gladly received. Governor Shekaru even suggested that each victim would certainly receive $175,000 each for their punishing existence since Pfizer tested their drug; Trovan on the people of Nigeria during the Meningitis crisis that ravaged the country in 1996.
In April 2010, nine whole months on from the settlement being announced, Pfizer re-visited these shores to test the people of Kano again. This time under the pretence of extracting DNA to verify victims claims. Not only subjecting those who had already terrible experiences from these white coats to another round of tests, but also raising hopes and fears over the veracity of DNA, the veracity of individuals claims to compensation and placing further doubt in the minds of eople as to the honesty of Pfizer and their settlement.
It became clear that money was not available to deliver towards the true victims. Questions were asked and no answers were given, aside from vague claims that processing would occur and individuals would receive compensation graded towards their condition, nothing arrived.
And so to this week; Friday saw a press conference by the Trust Fund. Announcements with regards the main story were expected. None were received.
The only announcement that came was in relation to the building of a clinic. A wonderful project for the benefit of the people of Kano; at least on paper, but this is Nigeria and the 2.5 billion naira initial outlay of funds for contracts has funnily enough come at the time of elections, where all are looking for money. There was no word from the Trust Fund in relation to how the contracts were awarded and the usual connections are present within the companies awarded the jobs
The fanfare with which this was announced by both parties, was gladly received. Governor Shekaru even suggested that each victim would certainly receive $175,000 each for their punishing existence since Pfizer tested their drug; Trovan on the people of Nigeria during the Meningitis crisis that ravaged the country in 1996.
In April 2010, nine whole months on from the settlement being announced, Pfizer re-visited these shores to test the people of Kano again. This time under the pretence of extracting DNA to verify victims claims. Not only subjecting those who had already terrible experiences from these white coats to another round of tests, but also raising hopes and fears over the veracity of DNA, the veracity of individuals claims to compensation and placing further doubt in the minds of eople as to the honesty of Pfizer and their settlement.
It became clear that money was not available to deliver towards the true victims. Questions were asked and no answers were given, aside from vague claims that processing would occur and individuals would receive compensation graded towards their condition, nothing arrived.
And so to this week; Friday saw a press conference by the Trust Fund. Announcements with regards the main story were expected. None were received.
The only announcement that came was in relation to the building of a clinic. A wonderful project for the benefit of the people of Kano; at least on paper, but this is Nigeria and the 2.5 billion naira initial outlay of funds for contracts has funnily enough come at the time of elections, where all are looking for money. There was no word from the Trust Fund in relation to how the contracts were awarded and the usual connections are present within the companies awarded the jobs
Pfizer: Human hunters using cronies
Pfizer Settlement For Kano: White Coats or White Ghosts?
By Abdullahi Shinkaffi
Silence over compensation for victims: It has been a long, long road for the people of Kano. A people whose suffering has endured for over 12 years finally saw a chink of light in July 2009 when the announcement came through that Pfizer and Kano State government had finally settled the long awaited claims out of court with award of compensation totalling $75 million dollars.
The fanfare with which this was announced by both parties, was gladly received. Governor Shekaru even suggested that each victim would certainly receive $175,000 each for their punishing existence since Pfizer tested their drug; Trovan on the people of Nigeria during the Meningitis crisis that ravaged the country in 1996.
In April 2010, nine whole months on from the settlement being announced, Pfizer re-visited these shores to test the people of Kano again. This time under the pretence of extracting DNA to verify victims claims. Not only subjecting those who had already terrible experiences from these white coats to another round of tests, but also raising hopes and fears over the veracity of DNA, the veracity of individuals claims to compensation and placing further doubt in the minds of eople as to the honesty of Pfizer and their settlement.
It became clear that money was not available to deliver towards the true victims. Questions were asked and no answers were given, aside from vague claims that processing would occur and individuals would receive compensation graded towards their condition, nothing arrived.
And so to this week; Friday saw a press conference by the Trust Fund. Announcements with regards the main story were expected. None were received.
The only announcement that came was in relation to the building of a clinic. A wonderful project for the benefit of the people of Kano; at least on paper, but this is Nigeria and the 2.5 billion naira initial outlay of funds for contracts has funnily enough come at the time of elections, where all are looking for money. There was no word from the Trust Fund in relation to how the contracts were awarded and the usual connections are present within the companies awarded the jobs.
Again the Trust Fund has neglected to give an update on the DNA results or payment to the Victims of this disaster.
A cynic amongst us would suggest that the Clinic being built with Pfizers money is the perfect place for more White coats to enter the country and leave like Ghosts, testing and taking with them their results for what we don’t know.
A pessimist may suggest that the Contracts awarded and the project itself would never come to fruition, this being Nigeria the potential to ‘chop’ and not complete, especially through a transition of government is likely.
An optimist…? Is there any room for an optimist in this debacle?
Perhaps the optimists in all this are Pfizer themselves. The company is well practised at dealing with Governments and individuals who deem their Drugs to be substandard. Currently Pfizer has over 200 cases across the globe including Nigeria and a case currently in the Supreme court in the USA in relation to the Trovan issue. They have so many cases that one would be forgiven for thinking it was a sideline CSR project for the company. However the amounts that are paid out and the manner in which this is done varies according to what deal can be cut.
Pfizer have played a cunning game with Nigerians. Knowing that the country is prone to shooting itself in the foot in relation to distribution of money, where the elite benefit and the people suffer, its has set up a clever scheme whereby its hands are clean.
Their optimism was encouraged through the settlement with Kano state: While they were sued for over a billion dollars the settlement has come down to $75 million. A ‘cheap deal’.
It seems Pfizers settlement strategy while holding the purse strings is to have handed over responsibility to a Trust Fund, this fund manages the payouts, Kano state are paid off $10 million in legal fees which goes straight to the coffers of the Governor, the AG and his cronies.
If the Trust Fund fails, Pfizer are able to lay the blame solely at the feet of Nigerians themselves for mismanagement. If the Trust Fund succeeds it is a wonderful success for the company. Either way they have won their battle.
Meanwhile a year and a half on from the alleged settlement and over 12 years and counting there is still no end in sight for the real people who suffered at the hands of the men in white coats and their allies. The people of Kano have been conned, the people of kano are still waiting and the people of Kano are still expectant. Where is the settlement? When will this finally end? Will justice ever be served? Perhaps in some cruel way it is a world where the optimists win.
By Abdullahi Shinkaffi
Silence over compensation for victims: It has been a long, long road for the people of Kano. A people whose suffering has endured for over 12 years finally saw a chink of light in July 2009 when the announcement came through that Pfizer and Kano State government had finally settled the long awaited claims out of court with award of compensation totalling $75 million dollars.
The fanfare with which this was announced by both parties, was gladly received. Governor Shekaru even suggested that each victim would certainly receive $175,000 each for their punishing existence since Pfizer tested their drug; Trovan on the people of Nigeria during the Meningitis crisis that ravaged the country in 1996.
In April 2010, nine whole months on from the settlement being announced, Pfizer re-visited these shores to test the people of Kano again. This time under the pretence of extracting DNA to verify victims claims. Not only subjecting those who had already terrible experiences from these white coats to another round of tests, but also raising hopes and fears over the veracity of DNA, the veracity of individuals claims to compensation and placing further doubt in the minds of eople as to the honesty of Pfizer and their settlement.
It became clear that money was not available to deliver towards the true victims. Questions were asked and no answers were given, aside from vague claims that processing would occur and individuals would receive compensation graded towards their condition, nothing arrived.
And so to this week; Friday saw a press conference by the Trust Fund. Announcements with regards the main story were expected. None were received.
The only announcement that came was in relation to the building of a clinic. A wonderful project for the benefit of the people of Kano; at least on paper, but this is Nigeria and the 2.5 billion naira initial outlay of funds for contracts has funnily enough come at the time of elections, where all are looking for money. There was no word from the Trust Fund in relation to how the contracts were awarded and the usual connections are present within the companies awarded the jobs.
Again the Trust Fund has neglected to give an update on the DNA results or payment to the Victims of this disaster.
A cynic amongst us would suggest that the Clinic being built with Pfizers money is the perfect place for more White coats to enter the country and leave like Ghosts, testing and taking with them their results for what we don’t know.
A pessimist may suggest that the Contracts awarded and the project itself would never come to fruition, this being Nigeria the potential to ‘chop’ and not complete, especially through a transition of government is likely.
An optimist…? Is there any room for an optimist in this debacle?
Perhaps the optimists in all this are Pfizer themselves. The company is well practised at dealing with Governments and individuals who deem their Drugs to be substandard. Currently Pfizer has over 200 cases across the globe including Nigeria and a case currently in the Supreme court in the USA in relation to the Trovan issue. They have so many cases that one would be forgiven for thinking it was a sideline CSR project for the company. However the amounts that are paid out and the manner in which this is done varies according to what deal can be cut.
Pfizer have played a cunning game with Nigerians. Knowing that the country is prone to shooting itself in the foot in relation to distribution of money, where the elite benefit and the people suffer, its has set up a clever scheme whereby its hands are clean.
Their optimism was encouraged through the settlement with Kano state: While they were sued for over a billion dollars the settlement has come down to $75 million. A ‘cheap deal’.
It seems Pfizers settlement strategy while holding the purse strings is to have handed over responsibility to a Trust Fund, this fund manages the payouts, Kano state are paid off $10 million in legal fees which goes straight to the coffers of the Governor, the AG and his cronies.
If the Trust Fund fails, Pfizer are able to lay the blame solely at the feet of Nigerians themselves for mismanagement. If the Trust Fund succeeds it is a wonderful success for the company. Either way they have won their battle.
Meanwhile a year and a half on from the alleged settlement and over 12 years and counting there is still no end in sight for the real people who suffered at the hands of the men in white coats and their allies. The people of Kano have been conned, the people of kano are still waiting and the people of Kano are still expectant. Where is the settlement? When will this finally end? Will justice ever be served? Perhaps in some cruel way it is a world where the optimists win.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)