Sunday, August 4, 2013

ENGR RABIU SULAIMAN BICHI KNSG Secretary to the State Government task to look into the process aspects of some critical issues raised at the EXCO MEETING



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Today Wednesday 5th September, 2012 (18, TH Shawwal, 1433 AH) the Kano State Executive Council  held its Sixty Third (63rd) sitting in continuation with sequence of previous sittings during which important policy issues and programmes that positively impact on the quality of lives of our citizenry were deliberated upon.  Authentic, indelible and easily retrievable records show that since inception of its second tenure, the current administration pursues tangible projects spanning all sectors putting emphasis on its commitment to fulfilling campaign promises driven by the general resolve to providing good governance characterized by exemplary leadership in which utilization/deployment of resources, though conspicuous, is guided by prudence and transparency.
 
It is delightfully encouraging to witness the reawakening of the hopes and fulfillment of the aspirations of the people of Kano State as depicted in the glaring progress  achieved in the improvement of the quality and quantity of services provided by Government across all sectors – especially education, healthcare delivery, water supply, agricultural production, environmental sanitation and refuse disposal, beautification  of urban Kano, provision of skill acquisition and employment opportunities, installation/repairs of street and traffic lights, road construction/repairs, provision of security etc.
 
Importantly, in Sixty Two (62) sittings the present administration approved a capital expenditure of over N203 billion of which N1,785,189,960.07 was approved for the execution of 30 projects by the Council during its most recent 62nd sitting.
 
Today, Council sitting was presided over by the Governor Engr. RABIU MUSA KWANKWASO FNSE during which 24 memoranda were submitted by10 MDA’s for deliberation by the Council. An expenditure of  N2,508,567,848.00  covering 14 projects was approved for execution by the Council.
 
1. Office of the Secretary to the State Government.
The office of the Secretary to the State Government submitted 12 memoranda for deliberation by the Council as follows:
 
a)   Submission of a proposal for the enrolment of the recently sponsored Government married Zawarawa into either the Kano Poultry Institute Tukwui (Makoda LGCA) or Kano Poultry Institute or both:
The present administration is commended over its recent approval and execution of the Zawarawwa Marriage programme successfully, by contents of this memorandum. Nevertheless, the Hisbah Board proposes for the establishment of a Zawarawa Training center meant to serve as a source of economic empowerment to the beneficiaries or any other interested House wife. Careful perusal of the propose informed the Office of the Secretary to the State Government to recommend that they can be enrolled either into the Kano Poultry Institute Tukwui or Kano Fisheries Institute or both.
Council noted, considered and directed the Chairman State CRC to study the matter/issue and advise Government on the way forward. Again, Council directed the Honorable Commissioner Ministry of Project Monitoring and Evaluation to include among skills and craft acquisition
 
b)   Request for operational funds as well as utility vehicles in respect of the State Post Graduate Medical College operating at Murtala Mohd. Specialist Hospital:
The Hospital Management Board politely notified the attentive Council, through contents of this memorandum that the Post-Graduate Medical College was established in 2009 so as to address the high demand of Medical Consultants across the State. Presently the college is headed by a Director/Coordinating with one consultant as Head of Department, three (3) visiting consultants as well as ten (10) resident doctors who have already passed their examinations. Currently, the college is planning to setup a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in addition to the already existing family Medicine training being conducted in the college. So, this position of the College makes it imperative for the Hospitals Management Board to request for the Council to consider and approve the provision of operational vehicles for the college by Kano University of Technology, while more comprehensive memorandum on the procurement of equipment should be presented by next Council sitting.
 
c)   Request for assistance on Logistics to enable the implementation of capacity building programmes in collaboration with Cooperative Societies nationwide:
Attention of the Council was politely drawn, by the contents of this memorandum, to the provisions required for the take-off of the National Policy on ethics and values piloted by the Office of the Special Adviser to the president on ethics and values. An approval was granted by the Council for the conduct of the exercise. Accordingly, Kano State has been selected as the permanent Headquarters of the North-West zone while at the same time it is a zone of its own standing. So, to ensure prompt take-off of the project, certain requirements need to be provided-Thus:
S/N
ITEMS
RECOMMENDATIONS
I
Official Zonal Liaison Office
 
 
Official State Office
To be provided by the ministry of Commerce, co-operatives and Tourism.
Same as above
II
Provision of Land for the CTC (1-1000 Hectares) in each LGCA in the State.
To be provided by each of the LGCA’s in the State
III
Provision of Land for Farming of different crops.
Same as above
IV
Provision of two utility vehicles
To be provided by AGS and SSG’s Office.
 
Council noted, considered and directed the Office of the Secretary to the State Government to look into  and process aspects of the issues raised in collaboration with the Office of the Deputy Governor/ Honorable Commissioner for Local Governments. Representation of this memorandum with more comprehensive contents is expected subsequently.
 
d)   Request for funds to facilitate for the settlement of outstanding water bill arrears in respect of the permanent NYSC Orientation Camp, Kusalla, Karaye LGCA:
Council noted and considered contents of these memoranda which prompted for the Council to direct the Secretary to the State Government to write a letter instructing the water board for a waiver considering the significance of the NYSC Programme.
 
e)   Submission of an alert for the likely occurrence of flood disasters from the Office of the Special Adviser:
Office of the Special Adviser on environment drew the attention of the State Government through the contents of a submission that “a serious flood disaster might occur” for which there is an urgent need to take appropriate measures so that lives and property as well as the socio-economic activities of the citizenry could be saved. The following recommendations were presented for Council’s consideration:
     I.        An ad-hoc Committee needs to be enacted under the Chairmanship of the Special Adviser on Environment with membership from SARERA, Ministries of Environment, Health, Agriculture, CRC and SSG’s Office to study the alert report.
   II.        The Committee is to implement pro-active assessment of areas, structures and plants of strategic significance prone to destruction or suffer on account of the current unsuitable weather condition resulting from GLOBAL warming.
Council noted the presentation.
 
f)    Request for funds to facilitate for the upgrading of the Outside Broadcasting (OB) van of ARTV:
N7,998,000.00 was approved for release by the Council to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government for onward payment to the management of ABUBAKAR RIMI Television to facilitate for the upgrading of its obsolete OB van which was locally constructed since the year 2006. The van is in a state of disrepair for some time now due to the unavailability of spare parts which indeed crippled the station in disabling the transmission of live out-of-station events.
 
g)   Request for funds to facilitate for the building of classes at Fatima Islamiyyah School situated within Bukavu Barraks of the 3RD Brigade Nigerian Army:
The responsive Council was politely reminded of the request submitted by the Ministry since November 2011, by contents of this memorandum which prompted the approval for the release of the requested sum ofN8,140,676.25 to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government to facilitate for the construction of additional classrooms at Fatima Islamiyya School in Bukavu Barracks. The gesture is in line with the policy of the present administration on qualitative provision for education in all ramifications. And, Council directed the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to supervise the project.
 
h)   Presentation of the final report submitted by MESSRS Ancover Investment Limited on the Sale of Government Property (GP) houses:
Contents of this memorandum adequately presented highlights of the final report detailing information about observations and recommendations as reviewed by the consultant on the State of the referred houses. Main recommendations consist of six (6) items for which the Council was requested to consider and approve for adoption.
The responsive council was adequately informed of progress achieved so far on the referred issue. Meanwhile, beaconing of the houses and issuance of grant letter to beneficiaries will soon commence as reflected along with other issues raised in this memorandum.
 
i)    Request for clearance to arrange a tripartite meeting among the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and cooperatives, KNUPDA and officials of the Business Works Enterprises Association:
Council was informed of the receipt of a complaint letter, from the Business Works Enterprises Association, against the notice/directive to vacate the premises they are currently occupying and operating business along Yahaya Gusau Road behind Kano State Polytechnic in Gwale LGCA. The letter was served by KNUPDA.
Clearance was granted by the considerate Council which directed the Office of the Secretary to the State Government to arrange for and supervise proceedings at the tripartite meeting so as to observe and present recommendations on next action to take by the Government.
 
j)    Presentation/introduction of a non-governmental organization (NGO) named “Association for the Development of Education in Africa(ADEA)”:
Contents of this memorandum amply intimated the Council of the existence of an NGO named ADEA along with its proposal to explore the possibility of engaging its services in mutually beneficial relationship in the education reform effort currently undertaken by the State. The association was established in 1988 as an NGO policy dialogue agency on education supported by Africa Development Bank (ADB). The state stands to gain immensely from interacting with the association considering its performance in other African countries especially Burkina Faso. Notably, the association is based in the U.S.A. As such, council considered contents of this memorandum and approved for enaction of a consultative team consisting of the Honorable Commissioner Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Education, Chairman SUBEB, the Executive Secretary KSSSMB secretary science and technical schools board and the executive   for official discussion areas for intervention in the educational sector of the State. The team will also embark on a performance appraisal visit to Burkina Faso and Tunisia to assess the activities of the association.
 
k)   Request for funds to facilitate for the conduct of capacity building for teachers and Head teachers using 2012 UBE/FGN intervention Funds:
Council was notified by contents of this memorandum of the release of the sum of N140,000,000.00 by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) for the conduct of 2012 Teacher Professional Development Program. The Commission also approved for the execution of the action plan submitted by SUBEB and gave guidelines which emphasize use of Colleges of Education, Universities and specialized training providers such as ESSPIN, DFID, SMASE, HCA, British Council and NTI for the conduct of the exercise.
Council did not hesitate to approve for the permission to utilize the already released N140,000,000.00 by UBEC for the conduct of the training program.
 
l)    Request for funds to facilitate for the payment of Sitting allowances to members of the Committee on the establishment of Kano College of Nursing and Midwifery Madobi:
The sum of N1,200,000.00 was approved for release by the Council to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government to facilitate for payment of the five (5) committee members on the establishment of the referred College for the period November, 2011 to June,2012.
 
3. Office of the Head of Civil Service
Three (3) memoranda were presented for deliberation by the Council from the office of the Head of Civil Service as follows:
 
a.    Request for funds to facilitate for the settlement of claims for bereaved family allowance received from various organizations:
Council was politely reminded, by contents of this memorandum, of its approval for the release of the funds that facilitated for the payment of the ninth 9th batch (2012) of bereaved family allowance to the tune ofN3,090,000.00 disbursed to heirs of 56 deceased Civil servants. Office of the Head of Civil Service went further to request for payment of the tenth (10th) batch (2012) bereaved family allowance to the tune ofN5,490,000.00 for disbursement to bereaved families of one hundred (100) deceased civil servants across the entire service. Council noted, considered and approved for the release of the requested sum of money to the office of the Head of Civil Service to facilitate for the payment of the referred allowance while commiserating with the respective bereaved families of the deceased praying for the divine mercy of the Almighty Allah to grant each of them the strength to bear the loss.
 
b.    Presentation on posting of Directors and other Centrally Controlled Staff:
The office of the Head of Civil Service presented, through contents of this memorandum, a situation report on the current posting/deployment of Directors embarked upon since the inception of the present administration. Council was notified of eight (8) important issues highlighted in this memorandum that guide the process so as to uphold the established standards usually applied in staff re-alignments. Deviation from the etiquettes is not allowed due to its negative impact. So, the desired transformation of the State Civil Service into a purposeful and result oriented machinery of Government is tactically being achieved. Council directed the Head of Civil Service to submit the names of Directors with professional area’s for Council’s clarification and consideration.
 
4.Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
Request for funds to facilitate for the renovation work and provision of new structures at the premises of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development Headquarters:
The sum N13,913,570.73 was approved for release by the Council as requested by contents of this memorandum, to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development to execute the referred projects as detailed in this memorandum.
 
5. Ministry of Project Monitoring and Evaluation.
Submission on the need for MDA’s to comply with due process and existing regulations for the Award of Contracts for better service delivery:
Attention of the Council was respectively drawn, by contents of this memorandum to the State of affairs in the Directorate of Project Monitoring and Evaluation as affects its relationship with MDA’s. Our slow and bleak performance center on noncompliance of majority of the MDA’s to the due process guiding award of contracts. As such, the Ministry of project Monitoring and Evaluation requested for the Council to consider and approve/direct the following:
      i.        Direct all MDA’s to adopt due process features in the award and management of contracts, procure and other public works by effective liaison with the Directorate of Project Monitoring and Evaluation.
     ii.        Direct the MDA’s to obtain CERTIFICATE OF NO OBJECTION from the Directorate of Project Monitoring and Evaluation before submitting any request to the Council for approval to award contracts.
Council noted, considered and directed all MDA’s to abide by (I and ii) above.
 
6.  Office of the Deputy Governor/Honorable Commissioner of Local Governments.
  Two (2) memoranda were presented for deliberation by the Council from the Office of the Deputy Governor/Honorable Commissioner Ministry for Local Governments as follows:
 
a.    Request for funds to facilitate for the foundation laying ceremony of North-West University Kano:
Council was adequately reminded by contents of this memorandum, enaction of a Committee for organizing the Foundation Laying Ceremony for the North-West University, Kano inaugurated by His Excellency the Deputy Governor/Honorable Commissioner for Local Governments on 1stMarch,2012.
The Committee has done its job commendably and only awaits the new date (Saturday 29th September, 2012) slated for the foundation laying ceremony. Nevertheless, the necessary financial requirements to undertake the activities of the ceremony (as highlighted in 16 items) cost the aggregate sum ofN62,351,962.40 which was requested for release by the Council.
Council noted and considered significance of the activity and approved for the release of the requested sum of money to the Office of the Deputy Governor/Honorable Commissioner Ministry for Local Governments to enable the Committee organize a befitting foundation laying ceremony of the North-West University, and directed the Committee to draft invitation letters and submit for the signature of the Governor RABIU MUSA KWANKWASO FNSE.
 
b.    Request for funds to facilitate for the  purchase of Instructional materials and payment of facilitators and Monitoring Officers of the Mass literacy campaign programme:
Council was adequately reminded by the contents of this memorandum, of its directive to the Office of the Deputy Governor/Honorable Commissioner for Local Governments (13th June,2012) facilitate for the purchase of Instructional materials and payment of facilitators and monitoring officers allowances. So, Council noted, considered and approved for the release of the requested sum of N520,825,506.66 to the Office of the Deputy Governor to facilitate for the entire duration of the referred programme.
 
7. Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youths, Sports and Culture.
Request for funds to facilitate for the participation of Kano State contingents in the preliminary stage of National Sports Festival at Zonal Headquarters Kaduna State:
The requested sum of N7,313,600.00 was approved for release by the Council to the Ministry of Information, Internal Affairs, Youth, Sports and Culture to enable the participation of Kano State contingents at the referred festival in which the State will be represented in five (5) events namely Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Handball and Hockey. The Kano State Sports Council is represented for presenting suitable contestants at such events. So, the Council wish them good luck in the impending endeavor coming up in Kaduna State (16th – 20th September,2012).
 
8. Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport.
Two (2) memoranda were submitted by this Ministry for deliberation by the Council-thus
a.    Request for funds to facilitate for the construction of 200 two (2) bedrooms and Zaure houses under the Model village programme as phase one at Warawa Kunchi and Makoda towns:
Cost of one house, as presented in this memorandum is N753,341.40.council noted, considered and approved for the release of the sum ofN152,000,000.00 to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to facilitate for the construction of 203 such houses using sandcrete blocks. The houses should be distributed thus:
i.        Warawa – 94
ii.        Makoda – 48
iii.        Kunchi – 61
Total = 203
 
b.    Request for funds to facilitate for the execution of the phase 1 Development works at the proposed Governors Lodge, Office at Kwankwasiyya city, Umarawa/Riga fada alond Zaria-Kaduna Road express way Kumbotso LGCA:
The requested sum of N500,065,730.41 was approved for release by the Council to the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport to Execute the referred construction project in view of its significance to the resolution of the present administration to transform Kano into a better place to live in. And, transformation the referred location is paramount so as to make it an inviting place for the business community across the world.
 
 
9. Ministry of Health.
Request for funds to facilitate for the rehabilitation of the existing Patient Relation(s) shed, Toilet and additional Landscaping/Interlock Tiling work at the Maternity Unit of Murtala Mohd Specialist Hospital:
The laudable achievements recorded by the present administration from its first to the present second coming in the total reinvigoration of the health sector was acknowledged by contents of this memorandum. Especially Accident and Emergency unit which is presently receiving a befitting renovation/interlock tiling works supported by the supply of medical equipments to the tune of an appreciable sum of money. The Ministry of Health profusely extends its gratitude to the Council and yet requested for the release of the sum of N13,507,802.26  to facilitate for the rehabilitation of the existing patient relation(s) shed, toilet and additional landscaping/interlock-tiling works at the Maternity Unit of the Murtala Mohd Specialist Hospital.
Council noted, considered and approved for the release of the requested sum of money to the Ministry of Health to facilitate for the execution of the referred project in view of its significance.
 
10. Ministry of Land
Request for funds to facilitate for the payment of compensation for Market extension and new Juma’at Mosque at Kwankwaso town:
The sum of N15,005,525.00 was approved for release by the council to the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning to facilitate for the payment of compensation for land, economic and structures acquired for the referred project thus:
      i.        Land (1.43he) * N600,000/ha = N858,000.00
     ii.        Economic trees                         = N73,000.00
    iii.        Structures                                = N14,074,525.00
TOTAL         =   N15,005,525.00
 
11. Ministry of Education.
The ministry of Education submitted two memoranda, as follows:
 
a)    Request for funds to facilitate for the Construction of 1000 classrooms:
Contents of this memorandum requested for the release ofN1,066,549,347.98 to facilitate for the construction of 1000 classrooms across the State in order to provide for the vitally required accommodation for school attending children in the society especially at basic, middle and intermediate level stages where congestion and overcrowding seriously hinder the teaching and learning process. Council noted, considered and approved for the release of the requested sum of money to the Ministry of Education to facilitate for the stated project.
 
b)   Request for funds to facilitate for the settlement of annual rental fees on PMB owed NIPOST by 55 Schools:
Council approved for the release of N1,328,400.00 as requested by contents of this memorandum, to the Ministry of Education to enable the settlement of three (3) years P.M.B rental fees owed NIPOST by 55 government (public) schools. This is to ensure continuity in the usage of the service by the beneficiaries.
 
 
UPDATE ON ACTIVITIES.
Council acknowledged and appreciated the under listed noteworthy happenings-viz:
 
1.    The “August” revalidation of the inherited contract awarded for the construction of 1000 classrooms by the previous admission. Part payment was made on the awarded contract  leaving the sum of N1,066,549,347.93as outstanding balance.
The Council magnanimously approved for the release of the stated balance on the liabilities so as to ensure continuation to completion of the project which will surely provide solution to the congestion problems in our schools and ease for the entire education sector.
 
2.    The conferment of National Merit awards to two glorious indigenous citizens of Kano State in the persons of:
a)    Senator Hamisu Musa : Conferred the National Honor of the rank CON.
b)   Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed: Conferred the National Honor of the rank MFR.
Council wish them success in all their under taking.
 
3.    Presentation of Award of Excellence to His Excellency Governor RABIU MUSA KWANKWASO FNSE on his excellent contributions and general effort in the promotion of training programme(s) for piloting by the Air Services Communicators of Nigeria (30,08,2012).
 
4.    The signing of agreement between the State owned Kano State Housing Corporation and the private firm “Urban Shelter” construction firm for the construction of 400 housing units at loko goma Abuja at zero cost to the Government on completion of the project, 60 of the houses will be donated to the state.
 
5.    The victory of the Kano Pillars Football Club in the final Match scheduled between the club and Sunshine Football Club which absconded from the encounter. This is the National Premier League final which makes the Kano Pillars Football the current National Champions. This is an honor to the Government and the State in general.
 
6.    The appointment of principal officers to run the affairs of the Kano North-West University.
I.        Professor Dato Muhammad – Vice Chancellor
II.        Umar Farouk Yanganau – Registrar
III.        Mohd Sunusi Nassarawa – Librarian
IV.        Yusuf Isa  - Bursar
Council wish them good luck and success in the discharge of their duties.
KWANKWASO LAUNCHES STREET NAMING PROJECT IN KANO
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KWANKWASO MEETS PROSPECTIVE INVESTORS IN KUWAIT
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KNSG sponsors 100 graduates for pilot training abroad
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KNSG to establish Small Scale Industries
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The state governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso made this know today when
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Kwankwaso tasks Nassarawa state government on prudence
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Kwankwaso launches Malaria Control Programme
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Kwankwaso inspects first Kano flyover project
Kano state governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso on Monday paid an unscheduled visit to the site of the multi billion Naira flyover project from Silver jubilee roundabout to Ibrahim Taiwo road in Kano city at the cost of over N6 billion.
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KNSG signs MOU with Dangote BMG Foundations
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GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES

KNSG, BANK OF AGRIC TO SIGN N2 BILLION MOU FOR AGRIC DEVELOPMENT
Created on Friday, 26 July 2013 22:12
Kano state and the Bank of Agriculture, have consented to sign a N2 billion Memorandum of Understanding for the development of agriculture, through supporting farmers’ cooperative societies in the state. Under the agreement, each of the two parties involved would make available a counterpart fund ...
KWANKWASO FLAGS-OFF DISTRIBUTION OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT
Created on Friday, 19 July 2013 10:25
Kano state government on Thursday flagged-off the 4th phase of DFID-PATHS 2 supported distribution of medical equipment and consumables to healthcare facilities and launched another programme for control of neglected tropical diseases and distribution of related drugs to 18 endemic local government ...
KNSG TO CONVERT SANI ABACHA YOUTH CENTER TO A TECHNICAL COLLEGE - KWANKWASO
Created on Monday, 15 July 2013 09:49
Kano state government has taken over Sani Abacha Youth Center, in the outskirts of Kano city and converted it to technical college, to boost technical education in the country, the state governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso disclosed.During an official visit to the center, originally a non-governmental...

COUNCIL EXTRACT

108TH KANO STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING
Typical of Governor Engr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, FNSE the pledge made to members of the Kano Pillars Football Club (KPFC) in 2012 was made true at the 107th Kano State Executive Council Sitting during which an aggregate sum of N79,389,200.00 was approved for release by Council to the Office of the Secretary to the State Government to enable positive response to the pledge. Twenty eight (28) play...
107TH KANO STATE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING
 Kano State is covertly tagged “the Center of Commerce” in comparison to its counterparts which is appropriate and deserved. The manufacturing capacity of the State is conspicuously omitted due to its seeming current poor performance attributable to inadequate access to finance/capital and unreliable supply of electricity from PHCN, among other reasons. These affect the medium and small s...

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Pfizer’s image damaged due to ongoing cases

Settlement
Written by Elombah.com
Friday, 10 December 2010 23:10

Classified By: Economic Counselor Robert Tansey for reasons 1.4(B&D)
¶1. (C) Summary. In an April 2 meeting with the Ambassador, Pfizer lawyers Joe Petrosinelli and Atiba Adams reported that Pfizer and the Kano State government had reached a preliminary settlement on lawsuits arising from medical tests conducted with Trovan (oral antibiotic) on children living in Kano during a meningitis epidemic in 1996. Petrosinelli said Pfizer has agreed to the Kano State Attorney General’s (AG) settlement offer of $75
million, including a $10 million payment for legal fees, $30 million to the Kano State government, and $35 million for the participants and families. According to Adams, several final details need to be worked out on the mechanism for payment. Pfizer strongly recommends setting up a $35 million trust fund for the participants to be administered by a neutral third party and for the $30 million for the Kano State government to be used for improving health care in the state. Pfizer underscored that the Nigerian representatives wanted lump sum checks and that Pfizer is concerned with potential transparency issues. The next step is a meeting between high-level Pfizer officials and Nigerian side at a neutral location to work out the final details. End Summary.
¶2. (SBU) On April 2 Pfizer lawyers Joe Petrosinelli and Atiba Adams and Pfizer Nigeria Country Director Enrico Liggeri met with the Ambassador and EconDep to discuss the status of settlement negotiations. Four lawsuits were brought against Pfizer stemming from medical tests with the oral antibiotic Trovan conducted on children living in Kano during a meningitis epidemic in 1996. In Kano State Court there is one civil suit and one criminal case and in the Federal High Court there is one civil suit and one criminal case. Since 2006, Petrosinelli and Adams have been briefing the Mission on the status of the cases.
Settlement Reached
------------------
¶3. (C) Petrosinelli reported that Pfizer had tentatively reached “an agreement in principle” on the Kano AG’s settlement offer of $75 million. Adams explained that the parties agreed that the $75 million would be broken down as follows - a $10 million payment for legal fees; $30 million to the Kano State government; and $35 million to participants and families. Petrosinelli noted, that Pfizer has worked closely with former Nigerian Head of State Yakubu Gowon and that he has played a positive mediation role with Kano State and the federal government. Petrosinelli said Gowon also spoke with Kano State Governor Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, who directed the Kano AG to reduce the settlement demand from $150 million to $75 million. Adams reported that Gowon met with President Yar’Adua and convinced him to drop the two federal high court cases against Pfizer. (Comment: In 1966 Gowon became the head of state following a military coup that deposed Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi who had come to power via an earlier military coup. He was head of state from 1966 to 1975. He now plays an elder statesman role in Nigerian politics. End Comment.)
More Discussions Needed
-----------------------
¶4. (C) According to Adams, details need to be worked out on the mechanism for payments to the Kano State government and participants because Pfizer is unwilling to give a lump sum payment. Pfizer is concerned with transparency issues and is pushing for a $35 million trust fund for the participants to be administered by a neutral third party and the remaining $30 million to be used for improving health care in Kano state. Pfizer underscored that the Nigerian representatives were pushing for lump sum checks and Pfizer will not agree to that. Pfizer is considering rebuilding Kano’s Infectious Disease Hospital where the trial was conducted and working with health care nongovernmental organizations. Adams suggested that the trust fund for participants be administered by a neutral third party because he expects “additional” participants to come forward after they hear about the settlement. The Ambassador suggested Pfizer work with NGOs already working in Kano State and for Pfizer to consider working with local NGO implementing partners that the USG has used because of their transparency record.
ABUJA 00000671 002 OF 002
EconDep provided Pfizer a copy of the U.S.-Nigeria Framework for Partnership document as a guide for existing projects and partners in Kano. Petrosinelli explained that the next step was a meeting at a neutral location between high-level Pfizer officials and the Nigerian side to work out final details and conclude the settlement.
Pfizer Exposes Attorney General
-------------------------------
¶5. (C) In follow up to the April 2 meeting, EconDep met with Pfizer Country Manager Enrico Liggeri in Lagos on April 9. (Note: Liggeri has years of experience in Nigeria because his family operated a business in Lagos from the early 1960s to the late 1980s. He spent most of his childhood in Lagos. End Note.) Liggeri said Pfizer was not happy settling the case, but had come to the conclusion that the $75 million figure was reasonable because the suits had been ongoing for many years costing Pfizer more than $15 million a year in legal and investigative fees. According to Liggeri, Pfizer had hired investigators to uncover corruption links to Federal Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa to expose him and put pressure on him to drop the federal cases. He said Pfizer’s investigators were passing this information to local media, XXXXXXXXXXXX. A series of damaging articles detailing Aondoakaa’s “alleged” corruption ties were published in February and March. Liggeri contended that Pfizer had much more damaging information on Aondoakaa and that Aondoakaa’s cronies were pressuring him to drop the suit for fear of further negative articles.
¶6. (C) Liggeri commented that the lawsuits were wholly political in nature because the NGO Doctors Without Borders administered Trovan to other children during the 1996 meningitis epidemic and the Nigerian government has taken no action. He underscored that the suit has had a “chilling effect” on international pharmaceutical companies because companies are no longer willing to conduct clinical testing in Nigeria. Liggeri opined that when another outbreak occurs no company will come to Nigeria’s aid.
¶7. (C) Comment: Pfizer’s image in Nigeria has been damaged due to this ongoing case. Pfizer’s management considers Nigeria a major growth market for its products and having this case behind it will help in efforts to rebuild its image here. Final discussions on the $30 million and $35 million are likely to be tricky because the Nigerian side wants to control who gets the money, not Pfizer. The U.S. Mission will continue to advocate for transparency in settling the case and also note to GON authorities that Pfizer must abide by the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and cannot simple hand over large sums of money to state and local officials. Petrosinelli and Adams will get back to the Mission on what further assistance may be needed. End Comment.
¶8. (U) This cable was coordinated with ConGen Lagos. SANDERS

Satanic Drug Lords: pharmaceuticals are the most profitable sector in the world

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Sunday, January 02 2011 @ 04:40 PM CST

Satanic Drug Lords

Thursday, December 23 2010 @ 02:24 AM CST

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Health15 Dirty Big Pharma Tricks That Rip You Off and Risk Your Health for Profit

Even during a recession, pharma is still the nation's third most profitable sector. Here are some of the dirty tricks it employs to stay on top.

By Martha Rosenberg

Even during a two-year recession with people losing their homes and jobs, pharma is still the nation's third most profitable sector. How does it do that? In part by cheating the government, misrepresenting science, bribing doctors, patients and pharmacies, and squeezing the FDA. Other than that, the industry plays completely fair. Pharma has often been criticized for lack of creativity in developing new drugs. But these dirty tricks show its creativity is alive and well when it comes to putting the public at risk just to turn a profit.

1. Astroturf Patients?

Pharma promotes fake patient advocacy groups to lobby for its interests.

These front groups often push the FDA to approve an expensive drug that has acceptable, cheaper alternatives. Or, they'll try to prevent Medicaid from switching to the less pricey drug. One of the largest faux groups, the "grassroots" National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), was investigated by Sen. Charles Grassley for undisclosed pharma links. He found the 10 top NAMI state chapters received $3.84 million from pharma in less than five years, the biggest largesse from Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

How else can you tell an astroturf group? Their Web sites look just like the pharma companies that fund them.

2. Cheating the Government

Pharma is now a top defrauder of the federal government. “Desperate to maintain their high margin of profit in the face of a dwindling number of important new drugs,” pharma illegally promotes unapproved uses of drugs and deliberately overcharges Medicare and Medicaid, says Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group. Pharmaceutical companies have been hit with $14.8 billion in wrongdoing settlements in the last five years. But that's still cheaper for Big Pharma than going about things the old-fashioned, legal way. So the fraud continues.

3. Trials and Fibulations

Presiding over clinical trials can make a doctor thousands per patient. But they wouldn't compromise patient safety just to make a buck, would they? Medical College of Georgia psychiatrist Richard Borison and his colleague Bruce Diamond did 13 years ago when they tested Zyprexa, Risperdal and 20 other drugs and ended up in jail. So did Baystate Medical Center's Scott Reuben, who went to prison earlier this year for fraudulent Celebrex, Neurontin and Lyrica trials. And a Tucson facility testing asthma drugs Symbicort, Advair and Singulair doctored data and risked patients' health to net as much as $10,000 per patient, according to a whistleblower and government and court documents. How many other drugs were tested for such fiscal outcomes? Not counting recalled ones, of course.

4. More Trials and Fibulations

Even without fraud, pharma-sponsored studies can deceive. Trials that only determine that a drug is "not worse" than another one or impute safety before real data are available -- as in the case of Vioxx and Avandia's threat of heart attacks -- can skew results. And some research is not meant to be accurate to begin with. The Johnson & Johnson Center for Pediatric Psychopathology Research at Massachusetts General Hospital was founded to "move forward the commercial goals of J.& J." according to unsealed court documents. Its head, Harvard's Joseph Biederman, promised J.& J. a proposed drug trial "will support the safety and effectiveness of risperidone [Risperdal] in this age group," before it was ever conducted. Why leave things up to science?

5. Overseas Adventurism

As pharma increasingly eyes poorer countries for new markets and cheaper manufacturing it also eyes them for cheaper clinical trials. In 1996, 11 Nigerian children died in trials testing Pfizer's not-yet-approved antibiotic Trovan. While Pfizer paid the Nigerian government and state of Kano millions in a settlement, documents released by Wikileaks show that Pfizer tried to extort Nigeria's former attorney general to drop the lawsuits. Trovan was withdrawn from U.S. markets in 2001 for liver toxicity, though "safety signals" may have appeared sooner.

6. Clueless Institutional Review Boards

Institutional review boards, charged with overseeing clinical trials, should catch the unsafe drugs and shady trials. But a Congress and General Accountability Office sting conducted last year on a Colorado review board raises serious doubts. When asked to oversee a study of Adhesiabloc, a product designed to reduce scar tissue after surgery, Coast Independent Review Board said...when do we start? Even though the product did not exist -- nor did its developer or lead researcher!

7. 'Previous Government Experience Desirable'

In the fight against medical fraud, the Justice Department is beginning to file criminal, not just civil, charges against pharma. More employees also are turning whistleblower thanks to provisions that entitle whistleblowers to 15 and even 30 percent of fraud settlements, in some cases. But the other side has a big advantage. As long as politicians like former Louisiana Rep. Billy Tauzin, who left government to head the industry trade group PhRMA, and former CDC director Julie Gerberding, now head of Merck vaccines, are willing to commit a career's worth of knowledge, judgment and relationships to sell product, the government is fighting itself.

8. Double Dealing at the Pharmacy

The best thing that ever happened to pharma (after direct-to-consumer advertising) is Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). Their job is to negotiate the best drugs for their clients, which are heath and pension plans. But they seem far more adept at taking money to push pharma’s top branded drugs, regardless of the cost.

Recently CVS' pharmacy benefit manager, AdvancePCS, sent letters to doctors extolling the benefits of the expensive drug Zyprexa on behalf of drug giant Eli Lilly. Had a generic drug been prescribed over Zyprexa, savings would have been huge.

9. FDA Foreplay

A sneaky way pharma tries to get FDA to approve a drug -- even when the science isn’t there -- is to float the drug to the public. That's where directed marketing comes in. When “patients” (these are often astroturf groups), really want a drug approved, it puts huge pressure on the FDA to be sensitive to the public’s wishes. This tactic famously flopped for Boehringer-Ingelheim this year when it tried to sell a medication for "hypoactive sexual desire disorder" (HSDD) in women (first it had to sell the disease itself). Even though BI debuted its pink Viagra at a medical conference last year and rolled out its elaborate "Sex Brain Body: Make the Connection" Web site with TV personality Lisa Rinna soon after, FDA said no. Seems even though Boehringer-Ingelheim was effective in "raising awareness" about female sexual dysfunction, something else wasn't effective: the drug. And when it came to foreplay, the FDA had a headache.

10. Pharma Service Announcements

Public service announcements are messages for your own good, like, "Do You Know the Seven Warning Signs of Cancer?" But a lot of the awareness messages and warning signs you hear now are not from the government or medical groups, but pharma.

“Voices of Meningitis” ads on mom sites and online TV, for example, look like they are raising awareness of meningitis, but they were actually funded by maker Sanofi Pasteur, which makes a meningitis vaccine.

"Unbranded" advertising appears to have legit origins, like the National Association of School Nurses, which sponsors the Sanofi Pasteur’s meningitis ads. But when TV, radio and web messages push "awareness" of diseases like ADHD, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), restless legs syndrome (RLS) or excessive sleepiness (ES), be suspicious. Real diseases aren't given initials for quick recall and easy reference. Nor do they come with snappy self-quizzes and pretty patient models. Unbranded messages also pimp the PSA (public service announcement) money that media outlets have for actual public issues.

11. National 'Interests' of Health

The National Institutes of Health are supposed to fund research for the public health with the public's tax dollars. But recently, a researcher who was stripped of his own NIH grant because of his huge financial links to pharma, is ruling on other researchers' grants on NIH committees, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education. The researcher, psychiatrist Charles Nemeroff, was also allowed to keep NIH funds when he moved to the University of Miami after being disqualified from them at Emory University. Clearly, when it comes to conflicts of interest at the top of level of government research, the fox is guarding the henhouse (or pork house).

12. Big Pharma Sends Schools Doctors

Continuing Medical Education (CME) are courses that doctors are required to take to keep their state licenses and stay up-to-date with current practice and treatment guidelines. But many are created by pharma, which covers the cost of the course for the doctor in exchange for unvarnished sales pitches. Worse, many are embarrassingly dumbed down.

A recent "course" offered by Medscape was titled "Quadrivalent HPV Vaccine May Be Effective in Women 24 to 45 Years Old." Participants were told that after taking the course, they would be able to "specify the currently recommended age range" for the vaccine (especially if they could read the title!). Another course manipulates participants to "lobby your legislators" for pharma-related Medicare funding. Congress recently investigated the billion-dollar continuing education industry for illegal marketing -- too bad Congress couldn’t investigate for stupidity.

13. Ghostwriting

Ghostwriting -- papers written by medical marketing writers, with doctors only posing as the authors -- was rampant until 2008 Congressional investigations. But even though it's now prohibited, few journals have retracted ghostwritten articles that sold Vioxx, Fen Phen, Prempro and probably Avandia. Asked about the papers ghostwritten "by" Lila Nachtigall, a professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Deborah Bohren, vice president for public affairs at New York University's Langone Medical Center said, "If we had received a complaint, we would have investigated."

A Congressional investigation doesn't qualify as a complaint?

14. Crooked Books and Slanted Messages

Pharma is often accused of ghostwriting articles that end up in medical journals under doctors' names who had nothing to do with the writing or research. But this month an entire textbook was accused of being funded and approved by pharma. The 1999 textbook, written to help primary care doctors diagnose psychiatric conditions, was funded entirely by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) -- which makes pills for... psychiatric conditions! Nor were its authors, two prominent psychiatrists, strangers to GSK. Alan Schatzberg is on GSK's speakers bureau and Charles Nemeroff was investigated by Congress for undeclared GSK income. Did the authors write the book themselves or was it ghostwritten by pharma or its marketing company? Does it matter?

15. May I Take Your Order?

Have you ever waited in a doctor's office with a 102-degree fever, only to have pharma reps swinging Vytorin totes see the doctor first, just because they brought free samples or lunch and are dressed for a music video (pharma tends to employ attractive people to hawk their wares)? Until Congressional investigations brought about the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, some doctors in medical centers say they never paid for a meal. Nor did pharma largesse end there. One doctor told AlterNet her entire group was jetted to a Caribbean island courtesy of her Paxil rep. Even medical students were schmoozed until the 62,000-member American Medical Student Association (AMSA) sought to end the pharma practice of gifts and free meals. Now pharma must report what it spends on doctors.


Martha Rosenberg frequently writes about the impact of the pharmaceutical, food and gun industries on public health. Her work has appeared in the Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune and other outlets

Trovan issue remained mired in controversy

Despite an agreement between the Kano State government and Pfizer Inc that the latter should pay compensation to victims of the 1996 clinical trial of its drug, Trovan, the issue has remained mired in controversy with the pharmaceutical manufacturing...

Pfizer Inc a leading pharmaceutical company in the world conducted a clinical trial on 200 patients in Kano State. About 110 of the participants took Ceftriaxone; prided as the gold standard medicine for the treatment of meningitis, while 90 others were treated with Trovan.

Of the 200 participants, eleven persons died; six from those who took Ceftriazone and five from those who were administered with Trovan. Many others survived with some degree of incapacitation

The incident became a subject of litigation as the Kano State government dragged the company to court. In July 2009, both parties reached an agreement on how to settle the matter.