Nigerians and their Allies demand Respect for Human Rights, Increased Investment in Local Community Development

Tunde Okorodudu speaking outside the Chevron Shareholder meeting

May 27,2009 – San Ramon, CA, Chevron’s annual shareholder meeting today became a referendum on the company’s global operating practices, with hundreds rallying outside the meeting against the oil giant’s environmental and human rights record, and representatives of Chevron affected communities inside the meeting speaking directly to the company’s senior executives, board of directors and key shareholders. Present were representatives or allies from communities in Nigeria, Burma, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Canada, the Philippines and Richmond, California.

Inside the meeting Tunde Okorodudu, a pro-democracy activist and former Senatorial candidate for Delta South, in the Niger Delta of Nigeria pronounced powerfully, “what is bad for my people is also bad for business. Communities where Chevron extracts oil have made it known to the company for many years that they were suffering as a result of Chevron’s operations. When villagers ask for jobs, environmental remediation for pollution the company caused, electricity, investment in education and healthcare and environmental audits and mitigations, Chevron responded with minimal investments in community projects that have not dented the community needs.”

“Chevron has known for years that an insurgency was building among frustrated residents of the Niger Delta as a result of the lack of development and environmental harms caused by oil development,” said Okorodudu.  “And now, the company’s practices in the Niger Delta have contributed to harm their bottom line, with the attack yesterday of a major oil pipeline in Abiteyeye, which the Wall Street Journal reports reduced Chevron’s output by 100,000 barrels per day.” The company’s 10k report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in February 2009 states that its Nigeria oil production for 2008 was 154,000 barrels per day. This means that the current instability has reduced the company’s production by almost two thirds.

Laura Livoti, founder of Justice in Nigeria Now said “Chevron has a responsibility to its shareholders. In order to ensure security and stability for its operations the company must step up and promote development and adequate living standards in the communities from which they are making their profits.”

In addition, Okorodudu addressed the current humanitarian crisis in the Delta stemming from the Nigerian military’s attacks in Delta and Rivers State which have uprooted and displaced villagers, with reports of civilian deaths and starvation as a result. Okorodudu declared “the company must end its relationship with the notoriously brutal Nigerian military. As a 40% partner with the Nigerian government it must bear some responsibility for the destructive actions by the military and its brutal and notorious Joint Task Force (JTF)”.

Outside the meeting protestors carried colorful placards parodying Chevron’s Human Energy advertisements with beautiful photos of a Nigerian villager that read “I will give my baby contaminated water: Chevron refuses to clean up its mess in Nigeria” and  another  with a photo of a Nigerian boy reading ”I will continue fishing even though the fish are gone: Chevron pollutes fresh water in Nigeria.”

The coalition of groups and Chevron affected communities yesterday released an alternative annual report and a series of parody ads that address the company’s worldwide issues. The entire report and advertisement series can be found at www.TrueCostofChevron.com

Kerry Statement on Need to Protect Civilians in the Niger Delta

“The Niger Delta is home to massive oil reserves, but these resources have brought

Displaced women and children taking refuge at the relief camp at Ogbeh-Ijoh

more suffering than wealth to the people of the Delta through corruption, environmental destruction, and lack of development. Reports of growing civilian casualties and displacement in the latest clash between the government forces and armed groups are extremely disturbing. Civilian protection and humanitarian needs must be prioritized in the current offensive, and all parties to the conflict should engage in a process to bring an end to the widespread violence and criminality that have long plagued the region and to address the needs of the population.”

U.S. Senator Russ Feingold issues statement on Niger Delta crisis and current attacks by Nigerian Military

May 22, 2009, Seattle – U.S. Senator Russ Feingold today issued a statement on the nine-day, continuing Nigerian military offensive in the Niger Delta. Feingold expressed concern about civilian casualties and refugees, and called on the Nigerian government to address underlying causes of the crisis in the region. He also urged the Obama administration to enjoin a multilateral effort to help end the crisis. Feingold is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

The attacks by the Joint Task Force (JTF) of the Nigerian military began May 13th. Unconfirmed reports put civilian casualty figures as high as 2,000 and the number of refugees as high as 20,000. It’s reported that at least five villages have been razed by the JTF. At last report, the region was blockaded by the Nigerian military and aid workers were unable to get food, water and medical assistance to the injured and displaced, many of whom have fled into the bush. Journalists and human rights groups have also been barred.

“We applaud Senator Feingold’s statement. It’s critical that high profile people speak out in this moment calling for an end to the violence and highlighting the tragic toll on civilians,” says Sandy Cioffi, filmmaker and director of Sweet Crude, a documentary about the Niger Delta currently screening at film festivals. “I am heartened by his understanding of what it will take to achieve peace in the region and encourage the U.S. government to get involved as he urges. I believe that can be very influential. The region is on the brink – we must pay attention before it devolves into full-scale war.”

“The military attacks in the Niger Delta are a tragedy for local villagers that is becoming a humanitarian crisis,” says Laura Livoti, founder of Justice in Nigeria Now (JINN). “I hope more U.S. officials will take the lead from Senator Feingold and work toward a negotiated peace settlement between all parties in Nigeria that promotes justice in the region. The United States is heavily dependent on Nigerian oil for its own energy needs, and a resolution to this crisis is in the long-term interest of the United States as well.”
Click Here for more information or go to  Sweet Crude
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Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold

On the Nigerian military’s ongoing offensive in the Niger Delta

“I am very concerned by reports that hundreds of civilians have been killed and potentially thousands displaced by the Nigerian military’s ongoing offensive in Nigeria’s oil-rich Delta region.  Some military actions may be justified to stop the criminality, kidnappings and killings by militants in the Niger Delta, but such measures should be accompanied by a larger political strategy.  Genuine peacemaking will require not only legitimate political negotiations but a convincing case for transforming the illicit war economy into one of peace.  The Nigerian government needs to undertake a serious and sustained initiative to address the underdevelopment of the region.  I urge the Obama administration to think creatively about how we can work multilaterally to help end this long-standing crisis in the Niger Delta.”

On Wednesday, May 13, 2009 the Nigerian military Joint Task Force (JTF) commenced the land, water and aerial bombardment of a large area in the Niger Delta called the Gbaramatu Kingdom. The violent attacks have been ongoing since then. There are reports that thousands of civilians have been killed by the military violence and several villages have been razed.

Click here for organizational statements, news coverage, press releases and more information on the recent attacks

Starting on May 13  several villages in the Niger Delta have been attacked by the Nigerian military under the guise of searching for militants.  Hundreds are feared dead and villages are being destroyed every day. On May 20 we learned that several villages have been razed: Opuye, Okerenkoro, Kurutie and Oporoza, where the film Sweet Crude was filmed, was razed by the Joint Task Force of the Nigerian Military. Through unspeakable heartbreak, the Sweet Crude crew and all who care about justice are continuing an all-out effort to get the U.S. government and international community to pay attention.

If you want to help, please send the below message or wording of your choosing to:

John Kerry, chair of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Or call the Committee Majority office at 202.224.4651

Or Senator Kerry at 202.224.2742.

If you know people of influence, please tell them what’s going on. They can contact  leslye@sweetcrudemovie.com  or sarah@JusticeInNigeriaNow.org.

You can also find resources at  sweetcrudemovie.com and on the JINN site

PLEASE consider helping — these people have no one who would be listened to standing up for them. Thousands are huddled in the bush, injured and scared, many now with no homes to go back to.

SAMPLE TEXT TO JOHN KERRY:
I am shocked and saddened to learn of the attacks on civilians in the Niger Delta by the Nigerian military. It is reported that as many as 2,000 people were killed and as many as 30,000 are now displaced refugees.

I urge you and your fellow U.S. lawmakers to speak out immediately to stop the current bombardment and hold the Nigerian government accountable for its authorization. I ask that you call for:

• An immediate cease fire
• Safe access into the area for humanitarian organizations and journalists – to assure the safety of the refugees, medical treatment for the injured, and an accurate assessment of the conditions and casualties
• An investigation into the attacks
• Action to pave the way for legitimate, third-party-monitored talks

May 21 – We Resist! Benefit Party

A Night of Art and Musical Resistance to Support the True Cost of Chevron Campaign 111 Minna Gallery  (111 Minna St.  San Francisco) – Map 9pm – 2am

May 27 Chevron’s Shareholder Meeting

I Will Protest the Chevron Shareholder Meeting.  Will You Join Us?

Rally at their Headquarters in San Ramon, CA on the morning of Wednesday May 27 7am to 10:30pm