DNA stoppage: Shooting ourselves in the foot
Before the ruling, it had been the hope of all those who had subjected themselves to the test that the results would be announced within eight weeks and those verified as genuine Trovan participants would be compensated by the Board of Trustees saddled with the task. Now, the problem is not the Board but the […]
Before the ruling, it had been the hope of all those who had subjected themselves to the test that the results would be announced within eight weeks and those verified as genuine Trovan participants would be compensated by the Board of Trustees saddled with the task. Now, the problem is not the Board but the so-called Trovan Victims Forum led by Alhaji Mustapha Maisikeli. The TVF boss had gone to court to seek an injunction stopping the DNA tests. He was told on the first day to put all the parties on notice. When the case came up on 29th June, the collection of DNA samples had been completed in respect of over 300 claimants. Only the Maisikeli group refused to submit themselves to the test. One of their primary claims was that they could not trust the outcome of the tests, even suggesting that the universally acclaimed Bode Laboratories contracted to do the tests was ill-qualified to handle the exercise.
Although on the surface, it looks as if the recent court ruling is a slap on the face of the Trovan/Meningitis Trust Board, the real victims of the ruling are the genuine ones among the claimants. Those who truly participated in the 1996 Trovan tests carried out by Pfizer at the height of the meningitis epidemic in Kano in 1996 are the real losers, even if temporarily. The winners, if they can be so described, are all those who were scared of the DNA tests on account of the fact that they never participated in the Trovan trials in the first place.
Imagine that over 600 people applied for compensation whereas only 200 participants went through the Trovan trials. Where did the over 400 other ghosts come from? To forestall that kind of situation, the settlement agreement stipulated that claimants would have to be verified through DNA tests. If a particular participant was deceased for example, his blood relation could make claims because DNA would establish that relationship. Many watchers of the Trovan drama were actually happy with the fact that claimants would be scientifically screened. But not so the TVF which has from the onset, opposed any scheme aimed at establishing the veracity or otherwise of claims.
It is difficult to understand how a person who is sure that he actually participated in an exercise would be reluctant to subscribe to a scheme meant to establish the truth of his claim. One does not need the gift of prophesy to know that the reasons behind the fear of the DNA are less than altruistic. Many commentators within the last one year have suggested that the TVF is an association of carpetbaggers who are intent on simply benefitting from the settlement funds without being Trovan participants. The leader of the group, Maisikeli himself claims to have lost two children during the meningitis epidemic, but would not agree to a DNA verification to prove his claimed consanguineous relationship with the allegedly deceased participants.
Many of us don’t like how these unseemly developments have rubbed off in an ugly manner on our national image. If this is not an orchestrated 419 attempt, what then is? Some of our disreputable countrymen have been giving the country a bad image on account of their fraudulent activities globally. So pervasive is their reach that our people are viewed with suspicion everywhere in the world as if we are all criminals. There is no country in the world without its own quota of criminals and many of us have always pointed this out to those who try to misbrand our country as a den of thieves.
Having said this, I don’t know what to say in a situation where somebody says he does not want to be scientifically verified, yet he wants to claim money meant for those who participated in a scientific exercise. We all know that even in the case of paternity dispute, the best way to find out the truth is via a DNA test. Knowing this country as I do and knowing the dramatis personae as I do, I am convinced that the TVF strategy is based on blackmail and shakedown. The issue has even gone beyond Pfizer, the global pharmaceutical giants who carried out the Trovan trials.
For a couple of months, the TVF unleashed media terror on the respected members of the Board of Trustees. The Chairman, Justice Wali, was singled out for the greatest attack. Board members were accused of feeding fat on monies meant for the Trovan claimants. But this was found to be false as records indicated that the compensation funds would not be released to the Board until the DNA results are out – and even then, only the Board will determine who to benefit from the funds and by how much, based on the set of criteria already agreed upon, including the results of DNA testing.
It is quite strange that a settlement agreement entered into between the Kano state government, Pfizer and the Trovan participants is now being called into question on the eve of DNA results being released and compensation money being paid. The details of the settlement were even shared with the traditional authorities in Kano before the implementation began. I recall that the respected Emir of Kano lent his voice to the need for DNA tests to be done in order to establish the genuineness of claimants. Is TVF saying the Emir does not have the people’s interest at heart?
It is quite saddening that the Abuja High Court decided to grant the injunction requested by Maisikeli and his TVF to suspend the release of DNA results. One wonders on what leg TVF is standing since they were not participants in the DNA testing from which they withdrew voluntarily. My reasoning is this: If you refuse to participate in a football match while others agree to go to the pitch to play, can you now go to court to insist that the result of the match should not be released?
It is also interesting that whereas the Trovan tests were carried out in Kano, the TVF travelled all the way to Abuja to file their case. What are they running away from in Kano? Are they scared that the real, genuine, authentic participants would mob them for attempting to scuttle their compensation payment?
The real interpretation of delaying compensation payment by even one single day is that the misery of the poor genuine claimants will be extended at the whims of some greedy schemers. Many of us in civil society groups have publicly advocated a speeding up of the compensation process. We have gone on record for calling on the Meningitis Board to expedite action on their verification exercise and start paying compensation to give succor to the affected families. We didn’t reckon that anyone in his right senses would be intent on stalling the compensation process.
Shehu M. Dikwa contributed this piece from Kano