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Armtwisting Of Pfizer In Nigeria By Max U. Gbanite New Jersey, U.S.A.
I read with dismay an article culled from Washington Post, written by Joe Stephen, and published by Saharareports, an internet based publishing company, and other Nigerian Newspapers, about an impending law suit for 7 billion dollars brought against Pfizer by the departed Nigerian government of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
The Nigerian government charged that Pfizer were negligent in administering an untested drug ‘Trovan’ to an unsuspecting public in Kano State, the largest State in Nigeria during a meningitis outbreak in 1996. The government further claimed to have expended about $2 billion to support the families of the victims and to enlighten the masses, amongst other gimmicks. I say gimmicks because the government could not even afford to account for the billions of dollars it received between 1999-2007 in donation from various international donors to assist in the fight against polio, malaria, river blindness, HIV-aids, and other recognized diseases. However, the same government found a clever but corrupt manner to establish fathom expenditure in their attempt to scape-goating Pfizer.
What strikes one is why the government at the time led by the late General Sani Abacha did not bring charges against Pfizer, and the subsequent government of General Abdulsalami Abubakar never did same, but more than ten years after the incident an out-going corrupt administration of maximum-civilian-ruler, Chief Obasanjo decided to do so. This act is purely a distraction and a gross attempt to arm-twist Pfizer into settling a case that they were unjustly accused of.
In 1998, while on a visit to Kano-Nigeria, a friend whose family were victims of this unfortunate incident complained of how some scrupulous lawyers have been harassing their family to sign papers to institute a lawsuit against Pfizer on a matter their Islamic faith considers an act of Allah. He felt then, that had it not been an act of Allah, those that died would never have died. He, nevertheless, without exonerating Pfizer, felt that they Pfizer equally missed an opportunity to show how remorseful they were by showing some care to the bereaved families. Simply put; Pfizer missed the boat, and I will come back to that.
What Pfizer did was to retain high prized lawyers to confuse the issue, whether Pfizer’s lawyers tried to influence those in power through bribery is yet to be established, however, suffice it to say that their Nigerian lawyers’ have not done their home work properly, especially in the area of community relation in the Northern city of Kano. And today, Pfizer is yet to learn a lesson; they feel that retaining a highly corrupt lawyer like Chief Afe Babalola, a personal friend of former President Obasanjo and a traditional king from Delta state, and the retainership of Mr. Andrew Young for lofty fees will get them off the hook. Well, they are wrong, and this is why:
Chief Afe Babalola, Chief Bayo Ojo (the former Attorney General) who instituted the case,and Mr. Andrew Young are all friends and associates of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and it’s probably alright to smell a conspiracy here. The affected indigenes of Kano will reject anything associated with these characters. As one highly place Kano indigene said, “ Bayo Ojo hopes to come from behind and join Afe Babalola to settle this matter on behalf of Pfizer just to make hefty amounts of money, while the families of the victims are left to suffer; it’s all about Obasanjo and his friends benefiting from the misery of others.”
If you recall at the time of this incident, Nigeria had no enabling laws to checkmate any illegal or unacceptable drugs into the country. As a matter of fact, the idea of National Food and Drug Administration Commission (NAFDAC) was being considered and it was General Buhari, when he ran the Petroleum Development Fund (PTF) who introduced Prof. Dora Akunyili to Nigerians as a consultant to PTF.
Pfizer must do their best to get the Federal Government of Nigeria to show proof on how the funds claimed to have been spent was dispensed. I travel very often to Nigeria, and based on my calculation, this is a judicial arm-twisting or for lack of a better word ‘judicial 419’ being perpetrated against Pfizer.
The government of Nigeria should look at the influx of sub-standard medicines coming into their country from countries like India, China, Brazil, and Indonesian. These substandard drugs are known to have killed thousands if not millions, who drink placeboes not knowing that what the doctor prescribed is not what has been administered. These are the real culprits.
While at it, the government should also look at the degradation of the Niger-delta communities by the big oil companies whose lack of compassion for the oil producing communities have resulted to random kidnapping of foreign workers, and giving Nigeria a bad name internationally; these and their Nigerian collaborators are the real culprits.
Where Pfizer missed an opportunity is in not understanding the politics and behavioral dynamics of Northern Nigerians, especially that of Kano indigenes. The indigenes of Kano are the most independent-politically minded people in Nigeria, and they love Allah, first, and their Emir, second, in everything they do. However, the Emir respects their wishes and tries not to intervene in their political wishes. Therefore, to think that a traditional ruler from Delta state can lobby ands influence the Emir of Kano against his people is not going to happen in this case.
Whereas Pfizer may wish to tie up this case in court for the next ten years or more; while spending on lawyers to sustain the case; they may wish to embark on an alternative solution by seeking help from elsewhere, especially from the vicinage of the affected victims. Once that is done, the Government of Kano can be persuaded into withdrawing their case and settling out of court, and that will in turn persuade the Federal government of President Umar Musa Yar’Adua’s new Attorney General to file a non-Presque on the matter.
To identify those who might be helpful to Pfizer solve this matter, they may contact the writer for advice. Please, don’t misunderstand my intendments, it’s just that there’s something smelly and fishy about this lawsuit brought this late, especially, 11 years after the incident, and besides, the Islamic community from Nigeria are not known to seek benefit from acts of disaster, especially when Allah’s wish has prevailed, and that was the main reason why no autopsy was conducted. |