As the settlement of the Pfizer Trovan case was announced around 3 months ago, some sectors of the Media and fellow Nigerians had misgivings over the validity of payments to be made by the two committees that have been set up to facilitate the various projects and payments to Trovan test patients.

These misgivings were founded on the propensity for Nigerians to 'chop' contracts from the funds or to somehow misappropriate the funds and divert them away from the intended direction.

It is therefore understandable that first Pfizer then Kano State recognized the importance of transparency of disbursement and wholeheartedly pushed this agenda.

The recent disquiet over the distribution of the funds to the Trovan test patients is testament not to the lack of action on the part of either Pfizer or Kano state, rather due to controlled nature of disbursement and the wish that the funds be disbursed in a careful and controlled manner.

Our fellow Nigerians are wont to take what is not theirs; as has been proved recently in the failed banks fiasco and the Trovan case is no different.

After all many in Kano and beyond see an opportunity to avail themselves of this windfall whether entitled to it or not. $75 million dollars is not a small amount of money.

The report carried in various papers this time last year over the misappropriation of a 'Salah gift' to test patients is also an example of such wanton greed by those seeking to benefit from the situation. It may be remembered that the finger was pointed towards the Trovan Victims Forum; an organization set up with the apparent aim of representing Trovan test patients was allegedly used as a conduit for some to benefit financially and politically from the issue.

Such was the furor over the misappropriation of the gift that the TVF leader Alhaji Mustapha Maisikeli was in effect ostracized for a while from the settlement process. However since the settlement has been agreed and the realization that $35 million was to be made available to Test patients the TVF has once again made a push for the limelight and in recent weeks begun to suggest that Pfizer and indeed Kano state are delaying payment on purpose.

Though the Governor of Kano was himself quoted as saying around $175,000 would be due to each patient or their family, the TVF headed by Maisikeli held a press conference last week decrying the process. Maisikeli is seen in one news report making a presentation where the figure of $165,000 dollars per 'victim' or family is mentioned. This begs the question where is the extra $10,000 going to, a very obvious answer occurs when one considers the antecedents of the TVF and its Salah gift distribution.

A media blitz has been engaged by the TVF stating their threats to take Pfizer back to court if payments are not made, stating that DNA testing is wrong and that the Settlement Committees are intending on spending the funds themselves.

Various sponsored features and News programmes have appeared in the Nigerian press which not only demonise Pfizer but contradict Kano state Governments desires.

While any misappropriation as yet, has not happened, there is public confusion as to who is responsible for the disbursement; Pfizer directly, the committee, Kano state government or indeed the Trovan Victims Forum; as set up by Maisikeli.

In reality it is the Pfizer/Kano State committees who are indeed responsible for payments, Pfizer are to provide the money, and Kano state and its people are to benefit. At no point has a committee member come out to say that Pfizer or Kano state have held up payments

The sticking points now seem to be not if but when will the money be available and how will the test patients be identified.

This last point has always been an issue within the history of the Trovan cases. Numerous lists have been bandied about by various groups, and it would be naive to think that these groups did not have an agenda.

200  patients were selected from thousands of individuals sick from the outbreak of Meningitis in 1996, of which 110 of them were administered with Ceftriaxone, the gold standard medicine commonly in use against CSM till date; 90 others took Trovan, the new test drug from Pfizer.

Now the facts become sketchier; in a recent article in another Nigerian  paper last week; Alhaji Maisikeli claims that 97 patients died of Trovan and numerous others have been left deformed from the Trovan drug.

Pfizer on the other hand claim that 6 of the patients administered with Ceftriaxone died, while 5 others who took Trovan died, a total of eleven deaths. There is a stark difference in numbers here, one which bares closer analysis.

If as Maisikeli states 97 have died of from Trovan, then the initial number of 90 Trovan test patients is in doubt. However documents pertaining to the case by Kano state, the Federal government, WHO and Pfizer all state that 90 were tested with Trovan out of a test base of 200. Is Maisikeli disagreeing with the overall numbers of test patients. Or is he making a wider claim that even the Gold standard Cetroflaxine was tainted? If so this has much wider implications than was first thought.

There is obviously a long way to go with regards the settlement process and payment of funds to those in need.

What is clear is that the members of the committee must be steadfast in their approach to equitable settlement where the real victims are given full and fair treatment.

This should therefore involve a number of differing methods of verification.

It is undeniable that in the past many false claims have been made in relation to trial participants. After all with so much life changing money seemingly available and so much poverty within the region what other means is there?

Let not the trial participants be victims of fraud or domineering by groups out for their own gain.

The duty of the committees is to be steadfast in the storm and hold true to the values of both Kano State and Pfizer; equitable, honest and transparent disbursement to those that are qualified - the real test patients.  Only then can closure be made on this sordid tale.

Asad, IT specialist wrote in from Kano State