Shell is the Worst Company on Earth I Would Say

As at October 2012, the Ogoni people still live without good drinkable water, no electricity, no roads, no schools, no hospitals, the land and streams had been polluted and the entire area is lifeless with people living with very high risk of cancer.

In 1993, led by the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Ogoniland erupted in protests against Shell oil’s devastation of the land.

Conscious of its records and desperate to coverup her evil deeds, Shell quickly drafted government troops and Ogoniland became militarized. Over 4,000 Ogoni persons were killed in the process with no apologies from Shell and the government.

On November 10, 1995, leader of the Movement for the Survival fo the Ogoni People, Ken Saro-Wiwa along with eight of his kinsmen were gruesomely murdered by the Nigerian state in an attempt to weaken the Ogoni resistance and give way for Shell’s re-entry into Ogoniland.

Within the period, the company repeated similar brutality on neighboring communities in the Niger Delta with the backing of the Nigerian government.

In 1979, the Nigerian government passed a law transferring ownership of all subsoil resources to the Federal Government. The revenues were to be fairly distributed throughout the states. Unequivocally, the Ogoni people whose land generated the revenue were left with nothing because they do not have a recognized status or state in Nigeria. So the Ogoni people suffer all the environment hazards associated with oil mining and the rest of Nigeria take the benefits. Till date, the Ogoni people do not have a state of their own as a viable nationality in Nigeria.

On January 26, 1990, Ogoni leaders signed the Ogoni Bill of Rights (OBR) which called for “Political Control of Ogoni Affairs by Ogoni People, Control and use of Ogoni economic resources for Ogoni development. adequate and direct representation as of right for Ogoni people in all Nigerian National Institutions and the right to protect the Ogoni environment and ecology from further degradation. The OBR was presented to the General Ibrahim Babangida government on October 2, 1990.

These actions sent a clear signal to Shell that the oil-bearing communities were getting prepared to take their destiny in their hands. Shell’s determination to crush the people’s resolve against the company’s irresponsible business practices became clearly evident when on October 29, 1990, the company invited Nigerian security forces to crush a demonstration by the people of Umuechem community in Etche Local Government Area.

In its letter to the government, the company wrote:
“Threat of Disruption of Our Operations at Umuechem by members of the Umuechem Community”. The letter added: We request that you urgently provide us with security protection (preferably Mobile Police Force) at this location.

The consequence of this request was the killing of eighty people and destruction of 495 homes. In their presentation to an official enquiry, the Umuechem community wrote:
“Shell Petroleum Development Company drilling operations have had serious adverse effects on the Umuechem people who are predominantly farmers, in that their lands had been acquired and their crops damaged with little or no compensation, and thus left without farmlands or means of livelihood.

In March, 1992, an independent report into the conflict between Shell and another community, the Omudiogo Community in Imo State, concluded that “Shell Petroleum Development Company has been indifferent, insensitive to the requests and plight of the people of Omudiogo”. It continued that “the conflict could have undoubtedly been averted if Shell Petroleum was responsible and conscious of her social obligation to the host community” (See E.A.Bello, et. al. “On The War Path, African Concord, August 1992).

In July 1992, the Mobile Police Force was again drafted in to quell a demonstration against Shell on Bonny Island, Rivers State.  A 21year old man was killed and 30 others people had injuries from the shooting.

Within the period, Ogoni campaign had gained global attention and Ken Saro-Wiwa had been kept under security watch. Extra judicial killings had become commonplace in Ogoni.

On January 4,1993, about 300,000 Ogoni people demonstrated against Shell Oil and about 2 weeks later, the company was compelled to withdraw from Ogoniland.

On April 21, 1994, a memorandum was sent from Lieutenant Colonel Dauda Musa Komo, the then military Governor of Rivers State to Major Paul Okuntimo, the then head of the newly-formed Internal Security Task Force, entitled “Restoration of Law and Order in Ogoniland.  The memo gave details for an extensive military presence in Ogoni, drawing resources from the Army, Air force, Navy and Police including both the Mobile Police force and Conventional Units (The Commissioner of Police, Restoration of Law and Order in Ogoni, Operation Order No. 4/94, April 21, pp 1)”

On May 12, 1994, Major Paul Okuntimo sent a ” restricted” memo to Lt Col. Komo remarking that ” Shell Operations still impossible unless ruthless military operations are undertaken for smooth economic activities to Commence.”  Okuntimo recommended ” Waiting Operations during MOSOP and other gatherings making constant military presence justifiable.

It is pertinent to note that all  these killings, torture, destruction, rape and other forms of abuse had taken place because of Shell’s presence in Ogoniland.

Rather than admit publicly, its fallibility and seek appropriate measures to reconciliation, the company shamelessly denies liability for the devastation of the entire Niger Delta of which Ogoniland is one component.

A recent independent United Nations Report which audited the Ogoni area noted the following:

To the Ogoni, it is instructive that they sustain their resistance against Shell and not condone any negotiation with a company whose actions has cost them over 4,000 lives including those of their best men.

Shell’s practices in Ogoni are simply racist, irresponsible, inhuman, condemnable and they do not deserve any further patronage in Ogoniland.  Shell is no doubt the worst company in the world.

As Written by Davio Teniente, a member of the editorial team of Ogoninews.com  To contact Davio, email davio@ogoninews.com

Source: OgoniNews