|
Trovan Saga: Not Yet Uhuru?
By Yaya S. Ibrahim
Newsdiaryonline Sat Sep 10,2011
Kano Gov Rabiu Kwankwaso
I read Malik Mohammed’s article titled “Brila FM, Trovan,
Technology and all that…” (Published in Sunday Trust, 28 August
2011) with keen interest. He is well entitled to his celebration
of the restoration of sanity to what has become the Trovan Trial
Saga. Maybe he should tarry a little before taking to the dance
floor, because the truth is that the dust hasn’t completely
settled on the issue.
We know as a matter of fact that the Board of Trustees continues
its analysis of claims to identify additional persons qualified
to receive compensation from the Healthcare/Meningitis Trust
Fund has already announced that so far, 14 individuals -- out of
547 applicants – have been successfully identified as having
passed the
DNA testing. Four out of the 14 have already been compensated to
the tune of $175,000 each (about N26, 250,000 per beneficiary)
on the strength of their DNA test-validated claims that they are
next-of-kin to persons who did indeed participate in the 1996
Trovan study. The process of compensating the 10 other persons
has reportedly commenced.
We also know that DNA is only one of the various criteria for
establishing proof of participation in the 1996 study. The Board
also took account of identification cards, physical appearance,
medical records, photographs from the 1996 clinical trials and
whether a claimant’s initials, age, and gender match those on
record. In
addition, facial resemblance to photographs on file was
considered together with possession of relevant verification
materials or objects such as the Trovan trials pink card issued
to participants in 1996.
What this means is that anyone staking a claim to compensation
is expected to pass the DNA and also meet these other criteria.
The 14 claimants so far confirmed passed the scientifically
verifiable process.
The sad story, however, is that there remains some spanner in
the wheel, the type that should dampen the mood of Malik
Mohammed and all those craving for a speedy conclusion to the
long-drawn saga. Remember
that last year, an organization known as Trovan Victims
Foundation (TVF) got a court injunction to prevent the Board
from processing DNA test results on the first 355 claimants to
the Fund. This resulted in a long delay of the exercise until
earlier this year when the injunction was lifted and the Board
was able to continue its work.
It appears – again – that TVF may be attempting to frustrate the
Board’s work to compensate valid claimants. This time around,
one hears that the organization isreversing itself on the DNA
testing procedure. Interestingly, however, six members of this
group passed the DNA test. The word in town is that the TVF is
not satisfied
with having only six of its members successful. They want money
to go round all their members as if this was a jamboree.
It is difficult to determine whose agenda the TVF is pursuing,
considering that the group agreed that the Board’s identity
verification process was fair, and all 192 TVF members submitted
saliva samples for DNA testing. In fact, right from the
beginning, the TVF’s legal actions have always smacked of
sabotage. Why would the
organization now think of discrediting a process it endorsed and
was a part of? Some observers have suggested that its negative
position on the process is as a result the disqualification of
the majority of persons it presented for the testing process.
That sounds like sour grapes!
And talking about stories doing the rounds in Kano, is it true
that members of the TVF, including their leader Alhaji Mustapha
Maisikeli, already have been each compensated $5,000 (US) before
they agreed to cooperate with the process? Is it true that, in
signing the releases, the TVF members agreed that they are not
entitled to any additional money and promised to abide by the
Board’s decision as to the use of DNA testing to determine
compensation?
Does its present opposition to the process not amount to
reneging on an agreement that it has entered into? Isn’t there a
word like honour in their dictionary? Whatever its answers are
to these posers, it is clear that TVF wants to undermine the
Board, which has taken steps to make the people of Kano aware of
its work and educate them on the verification process. As
persons in the Kano area will attest to, there have been huge
efforts in the area of public awareness. These have included
massive media publicity. I live in Kano and have been following
these developments with interest.
Perhaps we should remind ourselves that it has been more than 15
years since the Trovan clinical study took place. Many of the
people involved have since moved on – relocation, deaths to some
who managed to survive the 1996 epidemic, etc. There is also the
fact that many of the people who travelled to Kano’s Infectious
Diseases Hospital (IDH) in 1996 were from outside Kano State,
and mostly from rural areas.
They would not know about the settlement agreement without the
kind of widespread publicity which the Board has taken care to
provide. Indeed, in
spite of such publicity, it is totally conceivable that many
would still
be left out for a variety of reasons, including misconceptions
about DNA testing which some believe is invasive of their
privacy or even injurious. It is the same way in which people
refuse to take part in immunization. As one of those involved in
National Community Mobilization towards Universal Child
Immunization (UCI) 1990, I
can recall the difficulty of persuading populations in rural
communities to make their infants and children available for
vaccination. Roles were identified for traditional rulers,
religious leaders, artistes, social groups, including women’s
groups, professional groups, etc.
In the end, not all of these efforts paid off as expected.
Similarly, despite the best efforts of many prominent Nigerians,
including our revered father, the Emir of Kano, large numbers of
participants in the Trovan trial may not be found. This is not
to discountenance Malik Mohammed’s valid point about some valid
claimants
refusing to come forward on account of their religious belief
that Allah gives and Allah takes and that one shouldn’t be seen
to be profiting from ‘blood money’.
For Allah’s sake, let
those who have been scientifically verified come forward and
collect their compensation while the Board sorts out other
issues connected with the life-changing settlement process.
Enough of the TVF’s antics!
Yaya
S. Ibrahim is a development worker based in Kano
|
