Send a message to Chevron about their human rights and environmental abuses.
Sign a letter to Chevron’s CEO calling on Chevron to stop paying, transporting and housing the Nigerian military and police forces who shoot, injure and kill innocent unarmed protesters in Nigeria. Sign Letter!
Emem Okon spoke for the women of the Niger Delta to Chevron shareholders on May 25, 2011. After the meeting, she came out to speak to the crowd rallying to support her and others who had traveled from locations around the world impacted by Chevron’s practices. Hear her response to what Chevron had to say.
LAGOS – Nigerian authorities plan to charge ex-US vice president Dick Cheney in connection with a bribery scandal allegedly involving energy firm Halliburton, a spokesman for the anti-graft agency said Thursday.
Cheney served as head of Halliburton before becoming vice president under George W. Bush. (AFP)
Asked whether Cheney would be charged over the investigation into construction of a liquefied natural gas plant in southern Nigeria, Femi Babafemi said, “it’s true … definitely.”
The spokesman could not give details on the charges that he says are likely to be filed next week, but said “they are not unconnected to his role as the chief executive of Halliburton.”
A prosecutor on the case said Cheney would be charged jointly along with the former and current leadership of Halliburton and others.
Officials from companies in a consortium involved in the LNG plant would also be included in the charges to be “placed before the court at the latest by Tuesday of next week,” said Godwin Obla.
Cheney would face conspiracy charges and a Nigerian judge would be asked to issue an arrest warrant for him that would be transmitted to Interpol, said Obla.
“As the CEO of Halliburton, he has the responsibility for acts that occurred during that period,” Obla told AFP.
Nigeria’s Guardian newspaper also reported that Cheney would be charged. Halliburton’s office in Lagos would not comment when reached by phone.
Cheney served as head of Halliburton before becoming vice president under George W. Bush in 2000.
The LNG case involves an alleged 182 million dollar cash-for-contract scandal over 10 years until 2005 over construction of the LNG plant in southern Nigeria. Halliburton has denied involvement in the allegations.
US authorities said last year that Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR) had agreed to pay 579 million dollars in fines related to the case.
It was one of the biggest fines ever paid by US companies in a foreign corruption case.
Compelling new evidence suggests the Nigerian military killed four Ogoni elders whose murders led to the execution of the playwright and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995.
image credit: Ken Saro-Wiwa from remember saro-wiwa, http://remembersarowiwa.com
The evidence also reveals that the notorious military commander Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Okuntimo, whose troops were implicated in murder and rape, was in the pay of Shell at the time of the killings and was driven around in a Shell vehicle.
Since the time of Saro-Wiwa’s death, Shell has insisted that it had no financial relationship with the Nigerian military, although it has admitted paying it “field allowances” on two occasions. It has consistently denied any widespread collusion and payments. However, The Independent on Sunday has gained exclusive access to witness accounts that were to be used in evidence in the case of Wiwa vs Shell, brought by Ken Saro-Wiwa’s family. The case was settled last May for $15.5m, just days before it was due to start in New York. The settlement meant the testimonies were never made public.
If you didn’t already know, Nigeria is renowned for its film scene. Every Thursday in February, the Smithsonian features Nigerian movies as part of the Nollywood Film Festival.
Chevron is a key sponsor of the event. Chevron’s track record inNigeria of human rights and environmental abuse makes it a bad choice for a sponsor.
When JINN phoned the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art Corporate Membership office to express concern about Chevron’s sponsoring of the event and to ask about the criteria for evaluating prospective sponsors, the Smithsonian replied that it could not divulge its criteria; that they are aware of Chevron’s track record inNigeria, but that they did not concern themselves with the political ramifications of what their funders do, since the Smithsonian’s objective is to fund art.
JINN, Rainforest Action Network (RAN), and Global Exhange created a postcard (see photos above and below). At each Thursday event, RAN will distribute, collect, and deliver postcards to the Smithsonian.
If you are in DC–or know people in DC–JINN encourages you to attend the festival to support Nigerian filmmakers, but be sure to let the Smithsonian know that you disapprove of Chevron as the sponsor for this event.
JINN has been nominated as a Human Rights Hero through Global Exchange’s Human Rights Heroes website!
We have a chance to earn $1000 toward our important work, but we need your VOTE. Go to http://green.myhumanrightsheroes.org/entries#7325 and vote for us. Please spread the word and encourage your friends to vote for us too.
MyHumanRightsHeroes.org is an interactive site designed to honor the unsung heroes working for human rights here at home and around the world! The site allows you to nominate and/or vote for your Human Rights Heroes from now until October 5, 2009. There are three categories: Peace, Economic Justice and Green Alternatives. Global Exchange will award one hero in each category with $1,000 toward their work.
Please help spread the word. Post MyHumanRightsHeroes.org on your FaceBook page, Twitter, or website. The more web BUZZ we can generate about our nomination, the better chance we have to be honored.
Don’t forget to check back October 22,2009 to find out who won!
We’re honored to be recognized through Human Rights Heroes at Home, and we hope you’ll take the time to nominate, vote, and spread the word.
Richmond, CA – Hundreds of Richmond community members joined climate change advocates, public health experts, local government and labor leaders today in a colorful march, protest and non-violent civil disobedience at Chevron’s Richmond refinery. After a festival outside the Richmond BART station with music, dancers and speakers, and an hour-long march that wound through the city streets, a mass die-in and nonviolent civil disobedience took place at the refinery gates. Thirteen people were arrested.
The actions outside Chevron were organized by a new coalition–The Mobilization for Climate Justice-West–whose goals are to get Chevron to “cap the crude” at its Richmond refinery and to get al l corporations, including Chevron, out of the international climate talks in Copenhagen in December. Chevron wants to process heavier crude at its Richmond refinery. Refining heavier crude will result in more air pollution, greater greenhouse gas emissions and disease.
“Chevron has the opportunity to do the right thing,” said Mayor of Richmond, Gayle McLaughlin. “They just need to agree to capping the crude at the level they currently refine. We want them to put Richmond’s residents to work modernizing and replacing the 80 year old boilers, which sadly they chose to remove from the project several months ago. ” “We want Chevron to build a cleaner and safer refinery,” said Ana Orozco of Communities for A Better Environment. ”We want the union jobs to continue to build a refinery that is cleaner and safer for our community. Our community has been put at risk for too long.”
