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.