Date Published: 06/24/09
SHEKARAU AS SAVIOUR OF PFIZER’S POLIO VICTIMS
By Bar. Rafindadi Muhammad
It is important to start this piece with a background of what happened in 1996 in the ancient city of Kano. Kano state has in the last 13 years been under the spotlight since the inhuman and illicit Trovan vaccine trial on some innocent Kano children afflicted by polio, a deadly viral disease. Pfizer, an international pharmaceutical giant at the centre of the storm administered the drugs on more than 200 children with the active connivance of some state employed top medical doctors. The trial in 1996 led to the death of more than 200 children and the deformed hundreds more. Disturbed by the wide public outcry that puts the credibility and intentions of the polio vaccination to doubt as an insincere attempt to scuttle the fertility of our children, Shekarau took the bull by the horn and ordered that the administration of polio vaccines on Kano’s children be stopped immediately he took over the reigns of power in 2003.
It is interesting to state that since he came on board as Governor of Kano state; Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau has not hidden his desire to see that victims of the Pfizer trial in 1996 were not left to suffer the consequences of the illicit trial without some compensation. As a result of this he set up a committee in consultation with the federal government on how to secure monetary compensation from Pfizer for victims of the trial and at the same time drag to court all state and federal officials who had a hand in the trial.
After an unprecedented local, national and international campaign for justice embarked upon by Shekarau, he on May 9 this year in London through his untiring efforts and concerns paid-off when he forced Pfizer arising from an out of court settlement agreed to pay $75million as compensation to all the victims- dead or alive of its illicit drug test in Kano. There is no doubt that this is an unprecedented out of court settlement of international note anywhere in the world. In order to confirm his transparency, Mallam had since constituted a board of trustees comprising of state officials, Kano Emirate Council, families of the victims and Pfizer to preside over the disbursement of the $35million to families of the victims and $30 million meant for the state to formulate and monitor the provision of health and other social service infrastructures in the state.
The efforts of Shekarau in this regard must be commended by all and sundry. He had through days and nights tried his best to see that justice comes the way of the victims of the Pfizer in human trial. There is also no doubting the fact that Pfizer had agreed to parting with millions of dollars because of the relentless, selfless, patriotic and committed efforts of Governor Shekarau Today, he is regarded as one politician who has discharged the trust and confidence reposed in him by the people from a ‘privileged position of personal integrity’ as their leader through the years of the negotiations in and out of the Kano High Court.
Mllam Skekarau’s personal interest and intervention in this matter that led to its final settlement is not only timely and appropriate but also one that had boosted his repute and profile in Nigeria’s history.
This singular achievement has further confirmed Mallam’s place as a leader of repute, honest, transparent and compassionate leader. He has further proved that leaders can be trusted as long as the people are convinced that their lifestyles are exemplary and dedicated to the causes of the public.
Mallam’s name will continue to reverberate in and outside Kano even after he must have completed his two terms as Governor of the most populous state in the country for showing rare qualities of leadership in trust, courage, transparency and self less service. As his Press Secretary, Sule Yau Sule said recently ‘ Mallam has an exemplary Spartan life style and unfaltering dedication to public cause’.
But for Mallam’s role in this regard, the story of the lives of victims of the Pfizer mayhem would have been different. Indeed Shekarau has rescued the victims and their families like he has always done with public funds in the hands of vicious politicians and civil servants since he came on board on May 29, 2007.
Bar. Rafindadi Muhammad
( rafindadimohd@yahoo.com)
20, Daura Street
Katsina
