Magazine Issue 7 - Spring 1998
DELTA...

In Shell-backed Nigeria, General Abacha still plans to succeed himself as a civilian dictator this year. He and the military are encouraged by international investment, and Shell-guided economic policy plans which will insure that corporate oil piracy, and the illegal political structures that allow it, will continue well into the ne~xt millenium. This March the dictator even launched his own-brand of products; presumably 'Abacha soap' is to continue the sanitisation of Ogdni and the Niger Delta.

Iro-Abacha rallies have been organised by ~ front groups such as the enthusiastically~ named 'Youths Earnestly Ask for Abacha 98'. But opposition groups gathering under the banner of the newly active 'United Action for Democracy' have held counter-rallies. It is certain that this year will see a significant challenge to the state in Nigeria.

Due to growing poverty and anger within the Niger Delta, a number of Shell and Chevron flow-stations were occupied last spring and summer, forcing workers to shut down much of their oil production. But, encouraged by Shell and government manipulation of political differences, the Occupation soon disintegrated into ethnic conflict and up to 200 people were killed.

Last autumn saw the launch of Chicoco, named after the organic soil that sustains the mangroves. This non-violent pan-Niger Delta movement has challenged Shell's refusal to pay compensation for continuing oil spills, and the government's neglect of its people. Grassroots outreach to communities across the Delta and large rallies at sites of pollution have successfully brought people together, transcending ethnic divides and aiming at empowerment and further mobilisation.

Oil workers held a huge strike at the end of last year to demand the release of their imprisoned union oflicials, and their power for change should not be underestimated. In 1994 they held one of the most internationally~significa~~ oil strikes, an action with demands of social justice that echoed the Ogoni Bill of Rights launched a year before.

Shell's status of persona non grata in Ogoni remains, despite ongoing bribery. Last spring the Federation of Ogoni Women's Associations resolved that Shell must never be allowed back in Ogoni land.

This January Ogonis came out and rallied at the traditional Ogoni Day celebrations, Which lead to the predictable clampdown -Villages were raided, people beaten, raped, and detained. Batom Mitee, the brother of the acting president of MOSOP Ledum Mitee, was arrested and held in an unknown location.

There are real fears for his survival. Re is still being detained today. The 20 Ogonis being held hostage by the government are still in appalling conditions in Port Harcourt prison. There is an ongoing saga for bail application and requests for either a trial, or the prisoners' release. Countless other environmental activists and pro-democracy campaigners are in and out of detention all the time.

During January this year the Niger Delta suffered one of the worst oil spills in recent years, courtesy of Mobil. 90% of Nigena s coastline was affected and communities across the Delta have demanded compensation and a clean-up.

While the Commonwealth and consumers of Nigerian oil continue to wring their hands over the resource conflict in the Niger Delta, awareness is growing about the increasing number of armed corporate security, mercenary units and regular armies found at the oil wells and mines of resourc transnationals the world over. This direct repression, and the aggressive imposition of 'free trade' regulations, means that industrial culture and its shareholders are doing very nicely, thank you. Without them, Shell wouldn't have got to where it is today: billed by Fortune magazine as the world's most profitable company.

In Nigeria the growing Delta-wide resistance has led to further militarisation of oil-producing communities, and recent raids on environmentalists' homes. A new security operation was announced last August by government officials - in the presence of the oil companies themselves.

This year Shell has openly called for military shield to help them build an airport. I also shouldn't be forgotten that at the end 0 1996, after years of denial, that the compan' finally admitted to having paid the military.

Despite its PR, Shell is as arrogant inflexible, and ruthless in its colonial practic~ as ever. Its destructive performance does no change, and the Ogoni scenario 0 environmental devastation and corporate. backed killings will be repeated elsewhere in the world unless the resistance increases. Crucial to an international challenge is the current resistance in the oil-rich Niger Delta itself, supported by Western solidarity.

DELTA: News and background on Ogoni. Shell and Nigeria: Box Z, 13 Biddulph Street, Leicester LIE2 IBH, UK tel/fax: 0116 255 3223 e-mail: lynx@gn.apc.org web: www.oneworld.org/delta
Stop Shelling out!
Prior to the Kyoto climate talks, Friends of the Earth (FOE) realized that at both the Earth Summit in New York and in Kyoto, a group called the Global Climate Coalition', would be doing their utmost to ensure that no agreements were reached on reducing C02 emissions. FOE was keen to reduce the power of the Climate Coalition by bringing pressure to bear on them through shareholder action. With this iend in mind, FOE discovered that the membership of the Coalition was comprised of oil and car companies - eg. Esso, Shell, Texaco, Ford & General Motors.

Although all the companies had major operations in the UK, only Shell had a listing on the London Stock Exchange.

By default Shell became FOE's main target (BP had been a member but had wisely withdrawn their support). FOE quickly determined that some of Shell's major shareholders were life insurance and pensions companies, whose investments in the corporation exceed £650bn.

Although UK companies are reluctant to reveal where their major investments are made, FOE discovered that they are required to list all investments made in their Unit Trust division, by individual company, and by value. Furthermore, their Life and Pensions investments closely match their Unit Trust positions.

Thus, by knowing the relative values of the Unit Trust funds against pension fund, FOE was able to extraDolate that in the case of the Prudential, a 3% holding in Shell exceeded £lbn in value.

Having identified the major shareholders, FOE began attending their AGMs. At question time, these corporations were very embarrassed when asked if they knew that Shell was a member of a fossil fuel club dedicated to ensuring that C02 targets were not set. The attendant Press were also very interested in what FOE had to say, and in the case of the Prudential, the broadsheets covered the environmental issues that FOE had raised. Adrian Foster-Fletcher
STOP PRESS: On 12th April Shell announced that it was withdrawing its membership of the Global Climate Coalition.
No tax please - we're British Petroleum!
Why shut a petrol station when you can shut a refinery? This was the question seven concerned citizens asked themselves when they realised this March that the UK has only 15 oil refineries.

It was thus that the citizens found themselves blockading the only approach road to BP's Coryton Refinery, near Stanford- Ic-Hope in Essex.

Within seconds their antique deep green Volvo was straddling both lanes and two citizens were locked on underneath, one attached to the steering column with a serious motorbike lock, the other to the axle with some strengthened handcuffs. Banners with 'Oiling the World's Ills' and 'Tax Oil Now' written on them appeared. The tax message was particularly apt.

The following day Gordon Brown failed to impose any tax on North Sea oil in his corporate-friendly Budget.
During the last few months Gordon Brown has been subjected to perhaps the largest lobbying campaign ever by the UK offshore industry.

The UK gives its oil and gas FOR FREE to companies, for fields approved since 1993 - no royalties, and no tax except Corporation Tax (which Gordon Brown has dropped tojust 30% from the Tories' 33%).

The citizens insisted on meeting the refinery manager, Paul Maslin, to discuss their demands: closure of the refinery, and a bottle of organic champagne. Mr Maslin had to literally get on his hands and knees to talk to them. Strangely, he seemed to know rather less about the oil industry and its impacts than

our two citizens did. Still, he refused both demands. The police then stepped in with the largest pair of bolt croppers they could find, intending to liberate the two citizens. But the coppers' croppers proved unequal to the task. So the fire brigade were called out, who completed the job in about an hour.

All told, Coryton was inaccessible for over three hours, and more than 100 petrol tankers were backed up for three miles along the approach road. The oil press welcomed the opposition and the local Thu rrock Echo led with 'CHAIN GANG IN OIL PLANT DEMO'. And all this on the day BP's Annual Report was sent to its shareholders! The car cost _250 (including tax and MOT), but will be returned so that the money can be recouped.

The seven citizens were all charged with obstruction of the highway (even though five of them were standing on the grass verge at the time) - what sort of thanks is that for acting so nobly in the public interest?