An Exxon Valdez sized oil spill has occurred on average every year for the past 50 years in the Niger Delta. Exxon is responsible for 6 spills in the same area of the Niger Delta since December 2009.
“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.
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.
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.
"SHELL, COME TO TERMS WITH NIGERIA" Photo Credit: Radio Netherlands Worldwide
On December 30, 2009 a civil court judge in the Hague ruled that Royal Dutch Shell can be sued in the Netherlands—its corporate headquarters—for pollution it caused in Nigeria.
Four Nigerian villagers and Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) brought the claim, forcing Shell to face up to charges of environmental and social damage it has caused in the oil-rich Niger Delta. Estimated damage from pipeline spills and gas flaring caused by the oil industry as a whole amounts to up to $20 billion, according to a variety of independent organizations. Royal Dutch Shell is the largest oil company operating in Nigeria.
The case charges Shell with environmental degradation arising from its oil operations in the village of Oruma, where a high-pressure wellhead spewing oil and gas ran uncontained for 12 days, polluting land and drinking water in nearby communities, with “clean-up”—comprised of dumping toxic waste into pits and burning them—beginning four months later. Shell also faces claims for damage in Goi, where in 2005, Shell’s Trans-Niger pipeline caught fire and destroyed farmland and homes and polluted fisheries, with the mess remaining for 33 months, as well as for an enforcement action of a court order against Shell to stop the illegal practice of gas flaring, which the federal high court of Nigeria declared a violation of human rights in 2005.
The first substantive hearing, which pertains to the Oruma oil spill, is slated to begin in the Hague Civil Court tentatively in spring 2010.
Royal Dutch Shell continues to deny responsibility for, and contest jurisdiction abroad over, its actions in Nigeria.
Militancy and amnesty aside, the challenge of resolving the puzzle that has denied the many communities and clans of the resource rich Niger Delta has reached emergency levels. Although the crisis was easily predictable, successive governments had treated the anger and protests as mere irritations that can be brushed aside with warning shots, arrests or in extreme cases, devastating attacks on communities.
For scholars and survivors, there is something new that should worry all lovers of peace and livelihood – the completed project of the regionalization of anger and the now emerging nationalization of grievances anchored on stubborn defiance.
In the early days of the struggles by our people against the corporations and governments, the focus of mobilisation remained in islands of clans with small numbers of dedicated individuals and rarely was cross clan collaboration involved. In the renewed agitations of the 1990s, the idea of clan collaboration began to take firm root with the emergence of the Chikoko Movement and several groups worked like this. Read the rest of this entry »
Sweet Crude Playing at United Nations Film Festival – SF screening, Free Admission
Sunday, October 18, 2009 at 2:50pm
San Francisco, Variety Screening Room
582 Market Street, San Francisco -Map
Sweet Crude, is playing for FREE on Sunday October 18th in San Francisco as part of the United Nations Film Festival. The award winning documentary captures the complex reality of how the oil industry and the Nigerian government have left the Delta in such desperation that some have turned to militancy while others struggle to survive. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with the Director and experts and activists focused on the issues in the Niger Delta.
Stay for the panel discussion with film’s Director Sandy Cioffi, Nigerian activist Suanu Bere, Professor Michael Watts who is featured in the film and Daniel Volman, Director of the African Security Research Project.
This film gives one of the best historical contexts to the current conflict in the Niger Delta, where oil companies and the Nigerian government have left the region in abject poverty, created major environmental disasters and a history of human rights abuses.
“Good characters make good docs, and Cioffi is fortunate to have thoughtful men and funny, feisty women (and sometimes vice versa) to ornament a film that provides enough history to make sense and enough humanity to wash it down. Despite the utter destruction of their environment and the fact that mothers now have to describe to their children the animals that once ran free around their homes, a sense of despondency and/or resignation is absent from what Cioffi presents. There are plenty of reasons for dread; the speed with which the air quality rots the zinc roofs of the houses makes one shudder to think what it’s doing to the inhabitants. But the mood is generally upbeat and optimistic, despite anyone’s prognosis”
When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua on Wednesday August 12, she will discuss what JINN thinks are some of the most important and interconnected issues facing the country today: electoral integrity, corruption and the Niger Delta. We hope she sends a strong message that reform in all three areas is necessary for Nigeria to continue functioning as a State and to continue as a key U.S. ally.
Nigeria is known for its fraudulent elections and politicians who employ armed thugs to ensure votes are cast in their favor. The Nigerian government faces a crisis of credibility that has the potential to become volatile, if members of minority communities and residents of the politically disenfranchised economic engine of the Delta continue to feel that they do not have any real power or say in their own governance. In fact, the armed insurgency that gained world attention by disrupting oil operations in the Delta has its roots in the gangs armed by political candidates. Electoral integrity and the ability for all citizens of Nigeria’s democracy to participate meaningfully should be high on Secretary Clinton’s agenda.
Legendary for its high levels of corruption, Nigeria must institute real reform. For those living in the Niger Delta, corruption means that the majority live in poverty while the approximately $700 billion in oil revenues earned over the last fifty years was split between the Nigerian government and the oil companies, with which the government partners. Although the Nigerian government claims to send a small percentage of its oil revenues to the communities where it is extracted, and although oil companies claim to provide local community benefits, the majority of those living in the Delta’s oil producing communities live on less than $1 per day and have seen their living standards decline over the years. Secretary Clinton must insist that the Nigerian government institute measures to ensure greater transparency and accountability, which are critical to ensuring that the country’s revenues benefit the many and don’t just line the pockets of a few. Ultimately, U.S. businesses will also find it easier to operate in a less corrupt environment.
The Niger Delta and its oil resources fuel the Nigerian treasury, which depends upon oil for 80% of government revenue. The oil of the Delta is important to both countries. In 2006 more then 40% of Nigeria’s oil was exported to the U.S. and it represented 15% of the U.S. supply. However, a political militancy has reduced Nigerian output for the last few years. Output has been even more dramatically reduced since May of this year when militants began blowing up oil installations in reprisal for an ongoing series of attacks by the Nigerian military claiming to be rooting out militants, but destroyed local villages and displaced, killed and injured innocent civilians who still cannot return home. The political militancy of the last five years arose after 45 years of peaceful protest by villagers yielded no major improvements for local communities whose quality of life was decimated. When Secretary Clinton meets with President Yar’Adua it is imperative to U.S. economic and energy security, to the stability of Nigeria and to the lives of those who live in the Delta that she urge President Umaru Yar’Adua to:
Withdraw the Nigerian military forces from the Niger Delta and institute an official ceasefire;
Initiate third party monitored diplomatic talks that include all stakeholders;
Allow free and unfettered access to all parts of the Delta by journalists, humanitarian aid groups and human rights organizations;
Make real investments in the development of the Niger Delta and rebuild villages destroyed by the recent military attacks.
Electoral integrity, transparency and accountability and addressing the root cause of the troubles in the Niger Delta are interconnected issues that we applaud the Obama administration for publicly stating are on its agenda. JINN hopes that in her discussions regarding the Niger Delta that Secretary Clinton recognizes the imperative of seeking long term solutions that will meet the real needs of villagers in oil producing communities while once again increasing production output and oil revenues.
Nigeria: Petroleum, Pollution and Poverty in the Niger Delta
On Tuesday June 30, Amnesty International released a major report detailing the the pollution and environmental damage caused by the oil companies while the Nigerian government continues to favor the oil companies and not the people of the Niger Delta.
“Oil companies have been exploiting Nigeria’s weak regulatory system for too long,” said Audrey Gaughran of Amnesty International. “They do not adequately prevent environmental damage and they frequently fail to properly address the devastating impact that their bad practice has on people’s lives.”
This 143-page report covers explains how decades of neglect, human rights abuses and environmental damage has contributed to the current crisis in the Niger Delta.
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
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.”
San Francisco, CA: Judge Susan Illston, on Wednesday, denied Chevron Corp’s request to recoup over $485,000 in costs associated with a human rights case filed by Nigerian villagers.The corporation said the plaintiffs owed them the costs – including the cost of photocopies and deposition fees – after they were found not liable last fall. However, the judge disagreed.
Lead Plaintiff Larry Bowoto with Attorney Bert Voorhees
“The economic disparity between plaintiffs, who are Nigerian villagers, and defendants, international oil companies, cannot be more stark,” Illston stated in her brief.
Illston compared Chevron’s 2008 earnings of $23.93 billion to the income of the villagers who were plaintiffs in the case citing their respective jobs at a gas station – (earning as much as $100 per month), operating a kerosene business ($867 per month), and odd jobs that involve cutting or selling firewood, fishing, and construction ($60 per month), among other low paying jobs, and stated that ten of the plaintiffs were minors who have no income.
The judge also cautioned against Chevron’s efforts to use the threat of a cost order such as the one requested by Chevron to deter future human rights litigation.
“At root, this case was an attempt by impoverished citizens of Nigeria to increase accountability for the activities of American companies in their country.Plaintiffs’ ultimate failure at trial does not detract from the fact that this was a civil rights case.The threat of deterring future litigants from prosecuting human rights claims in the future is especially present in a case such as this, where plaintiffs have paltry resources and defendants are large and powerful economic actors,” she continued in the brief.
The lawsuit was filed 10 years ago by Nigerian villagers who were peacefully protesting Chevron for the lack of jobs and environmental damage caused by the company in their communities.To quell the protest, Chevron paid for and transported the notoriously ruthless Nigerian military to remove the protesters from an oil platform where the villagers had staged a sit-in. As a result, two villagers were killed and several others were injured and tortured.
On December 1, 2008 a San Francisco jury found Chevron not liable.The plaintiffs have since appealed the decision in the 9th circuit court of appeals.
