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Ogoni Relaunch Protests Against Shell May 7, 1999 -- As the shareholders and directors of Royal Dutch Shell met today in London and Amsterdam for the company's annual general meeting, the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) will be protesting outside Shell's headquarters in Port Harcourt Nigeria -- for the first time since the repression of General Sani Abacha was lifted in May of last year. MOSOP, which is now allowed to hold environmental meetings in public without fear of military retribution, is expecting a crowd of tens of thousands to deliver their message to Shell. MOSOP is protesting the failure of the company to act on U.N. recommendations for an independent audit of the environmental impact of its operations and because of Shell's continued practice of avoiding all contact with community groups which do not promote its interests. Speaking in Port Harcourt Acting President of MOSOP Ledum Mitee reviewed his communities' plans. "True to our nature of non violence, MOSOP will match Shell's corporate irresponsibility with a remarkably responsible march. While even the current military regime has acknowledged that MOSOP has peacefully pursued the cause of the Ogoni people, Shell continues to hide from any meaningful dialogue." MOSOP has consistently been disappointed by the continued gap between the claims made by Shell to the international community and the reality of its operations. "Where it claims to spend $100 million on environmental improvements we find nothing on the ground to account for this claim other than the overdue replacement of old pipelines," said Mitee. "We must advise that there is no future for companies in Nigeria which seek to minimize their costs by applying divide and rule tactics to the Niger delta," said MOSOP UK President Lazarus Tamana. "The frustration which you now see spreading across the Niger delta is the direct result of this disastrous approach." The Sierra Club is supporting MOSOP in their struggle against Shell because most of Nigeria's oil is exported by Shell to the United States. In 1995, following the Nigerian military's execution of writer and MOSOP leader Ken Saro-Wiwa, the Sierra Club Board of Directors adopted a boycott of Shell because of the company's collusion with the Nigerian military. The Club's boycott of Shell will continue until the company has addressed MOSOP's concerns of cleaning up polluted farmlands and fisheries and adequately compensating affected villagers. Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) Nigeria, 27 Odu Street,
Ogbunabali, Port Harcourt, Nigeria: MOSOP International secretariat: e-mail: mosop@gn.apc.org Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
