Nigerian environmental activist Nnimmo Bassey of Friends of the Earth International has been awarded the prestigious Right Livelihood Award -

“…for revealing the full ecological and human horrors of oil production and for his inspired work to strengthen the environmental movement in Nigeria and globally.”

Nnimmo Bassey’s work as Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action in Nigeria and Chair of Friends of the Earth International has turned him into one of Africa’s leading advocates and campaigners for the environment and human rights. Indefatigably, Bassey has stood up against the practices of multinational corporations in his country and the environmental devastation they leave behind destroying the lives and ignoring the rights of the local population.

See the more on Nnimmo Bassey and the award, from the Right Livelihood Award website.

Since December 2009, Exxon has had six oil spills in one small area in the Southeast.

Photo credit: Sahara Reporters

The latest on July 18th follows spills previously reported on December 4, 2009 and March 24, May 1, June 20 and June 21, 2010.  Read more here from Nigerian media news site 123Next :

“We got reports of crude floating on the waters in the high seas at the weekend and verified the report before contacting the Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) and Mobil officials,”  [the Secretary of the Artisan Fishermen Association of Nigeria] said. “By Monday, the oil spill had landed on the coastline. Officials of the company and the agency, had come to see the site, our fishermen that came back from the sea had their nets and fishing gear contaminated by crude oil.”

Mr Irvin Obot, the Zonal Director of NOSDRA, confirmed that the agency had received reports of the oil spill incident at the Qua Iboe oil fields. “We got a report from the community and visited the site; there were traces of crude oil on the shoreline but we are yet to get a report from the operator of the oil fields,” he said.

The Senate, in a 60-39 vote today, gave its final approval to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer  Protection Act–which includes a landmark provision requiring energy and mining companies to disclose how much they pay to foreign countries and the U.S. government.

The provision, based on the Energy Security Through Transparency Act (S. 1700), covers all oil, gas, and mining companies registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. This applies to companies from around the world like the major oil companies operating in Nigeria: Chevron, Shell, and ExxonMobil.

For the people of the Niger Delta, this legislation will provide access to information that can be used to combat corruption, seek a fair share of revenues from oil extraction, and bring communities a step closer to holding companies accountable for paying the brutal Nigerian military to suppress dissent.

On June 30, the House of Representatives passed the same legislation that the Senate passed today. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law next week.

JINN and its members pioneered a U.S. grassroots strategy in support of the work of the U.S. and global Publish What You Pay Coalition, by mobilizing support from the cities of Berkeley, Oakland and Richmond, California. Each of these municipalities adopted a resolution in support of the Energy Security Through Transparency Act (which was the basis for the language that was passed today). These resolutions were used by the lobbying team on Capitol Hill.

More information below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2010

CONTACT:
Abby Rubinson, abby@justiceinnigerianow.org, (415) 990-0792
Isabel Munilla, imunilla@pwypusa.org, (202) 525-2754 / (202) 680-4606

U.S. legislation shines light on billions in oil and mineral payments

Measure sets new global standard for corporate transparency

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 15, 2010 — The Senate gave final approval today to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act with a landmark provision requiring energy and mining companies registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to disclose how much they pay to foreign countries and the U.S. government for oil, gas, and minerals.

This historic measure gives citizens in resource-rich countries information they need to combat corruption in the oil and mineral sector and to demand government accountability for responsible resource use. The House passed the same legislation on June 30, and it is expected to be signed into law by President Obama next week.

Read the rest of this entry »

Photo credit: Kendra E. Thornbury for Sweet Crude

After his assault and arbitrary detention on April 5, Asume Osuoka reported the following incident, which he says “may or may not be linked to” those events:

“On Wednesday 7 April I was held by the Nigerian State Security Service (SSS) for an hour and half at the Port Harcourt International Airport as I was trying to check into an Air France flight out of Nigeria. SSS officials searched my bags and picked out copies of publications of Social Action and Niger Delta Citizens and Budget Platform including

• Beyond Amnesty: Citizens Report on State and Local Government Budgets in the Niger Delta, 2009
• Carry Go: Citizens Report on State and Local Government Budgets in the Niger Delta, 2008
• Fuelling Discord: Oil and Conflict in Three Niger Delta Communities
• Communities and the Petroleum Industries Bill
• Flames of Hell: Gas Flaring in the Niger Delta

I was taken to the Director of the SSS at the airport who insisted that I don’t travel with the reports, which portrays the country in bad light and would “discourage foreign investors”. I responded that those portraying the country in bad light are the leaders of the ruling PDP that loot public funds and prevent free elections.

I told the SSS director that I would prefer to be arrested than to travel without my literature. After long discussions the SSS requested for assurance from me that copies would be sent to them for “analysis”. I later invited my colleague Ken Henshaw (who accompanied me to the airport) to meet with the SSS director. Ken Henshaw’s phone details and office address were extracted from him before I was allowed to travel with my documents. My passport details were also recorded by the SSS.

After this and the experience of Easter Monday it is clear that there is need for vigilance.”