Nigeria and Shell (aka To MEND or not to MEND!!!)
Last week a good friend and ex-teammate, Luis, asked for my opinions on the "crisis" in Nigeria with the kidnapping of 4 workers of Shell Nigeria, who have since been realeased, by an organisation called Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), over the operations of Shell in that area. This kidnapping caused Shell to withdraw most staff from that area and reduced the crude oil output of Nigeria by 10%.
Below is the response which I sent to my teammates on my views. I was then asked by another teamamate, Amit, to use this blog to share more of what my views and opinions are and perhaps spur debate and more education for those not familiar with this area and issue.
I know some of my numerous friends who work with Shell might stumble upon this...Well, just so u know, I have nothing against you personally, perhaps against your company...
Re: Nigeria and Shell
On the issue in Nigeria, you are really poking a stick at a bee's nest by asking me my view. For the answer to your first question which I think some of you guys already know, I personally detest Shell beacause of their operations in Nigeria and for the fact that they have used a CSR mask to cover from the view of the world their many atrocities in my country. As Rajiv, Lele and Artthur know, Shell is the one company in the world I have a vow not to work for.YES I believe they have (and still) exploited MY COUNTRY more than they can ever add to our development. Actually when I think of Shell, I curse the year 1956 when oil was discovered in Nigeria.
My country is widely known to be corrupt but personally, I think the biggest beneficiaries of our corruption is not our leaders that stash so much money in Swiss banks than they can spend in 3 lifetimes, but rather the many multi-nationals like Shell who gain profits from not being checked as a guzzle away greedily at our natural resources with absolutely no regard for the environment where they operate, the living conditions of the poeple in those areas or the general welfare of the country at large. Any attempt by them for us to be developed would be like taking the wool off our eyes and thus stemming the tremendous income they rip from us so of course, I don't think to consider them friends.
I agree the government doesn't work, but trust me, Shell and co would everyday prefer this government that doesn't work to a government that works 'cos a government that worked would throw them out head first.
Part of the big problems in Nigeria is our over-dependence of oil to run our economy without developing other sectors to run alongside. In the view of radical thinking Nigerians, forgetting that this resource exists, leaving it be in the ground and focussingon other sectors is our long term solution to growth and development. We have a population of about 150 million, which is immense human capital. We have abundant fertile land which can and should be exploited agriculturally. We have besides oil, mineable quantities of most miineable minerals -tin, gold, iron, platinum, bauxite,coal, which have all been forgotten in the quest for oil. We have potential to be another IT capital of the world which our very intelligent people who have no recourse but to channel their intellectual abilities into internet fraud.If we do not get over our overdependence on oil, we are doomed to ignoring the rest of our potential forever.
By kicking at Shell, MEND has succeeded in reducing our oil exploration capacity by 10%. They yesterday kicked at another oil company AGIP "successfully". Much as I abhorr violence, I am glad that now perhaps we'll be forced to start looking alternative income sources more closely.
Let me tell you something more about the Niger Delta or guide you to where you can find more info...Do a google search on Ken Saro-Wiwa. He was one of Nigeria's greatest writers and activist who was executed slightly more than 10 years ago after being framed for a murder in the Niger Delta with 8 others. HE was the head of a group that was seeking to resolve the condition of living of people in the Niger Delta and he had had high levels of interaction with Shell to get them to clean their shit. Instead, they went back to the government who they paid bribe to and he was set-up and killed. Because of his death, Nigeria was kicked out the Commonwealth for 4 years and the whole world had an inkling of what Shell had been doing in Nigeria.And instantly they started doing some cosmetic reporting and hired top gun PR experts to clean up their image so the world outside was lulled back to sleep but the condition of the people in the Niger Delta did not improve.
The Niger Delta has 90% of Nigeria's oil but even as a Nigerian who travelled wide in the country a la AIESEC, I can say that they live in the least developed part of the country. Part of the blame for this goes to the government, but it also goes to the oil companies who make a loot there without caring that the people live in conditions that they wouldn't allow in the countries they come from.
MEND's action should once again let the world know the problem in the Niger Delta is extremely far from over. Yes, they will be branded terrorists and insurgents and rebels, which is not at a good time considering Iraq and Afghanistan but then, weren't Nelson Mandela, ANC, George Washington etc all once branded terrorists, insurgents and rebels. Aren't they all revered today? MEND consider themseves freedom fighters and I buy into their cause. I believe the hostage taking is perhaps the only way they can get their case back on the world map and that's fine. The Shell staff taking hostage make more money daily than some of their captors would make in their life time. They took the risk to come out there and maybe they should sweat it out a bit...
I know it sounds harsh but that just my feeling and take on the issue.I am a sympathiser with their cause but would rather not be judged by that...
I'll be interested in hearing comments on this and I hope it motivates you to find out more so you can form an opinion.
3 Comments:
Having travelled around the Delta I agree the conditions that the local people live in are awful. However, you blame Shell, why? The Government allocation of it's "Oil Money" is not controlled by Shell, so blame your Governement. The polluton is mainly caused by local people trying to steal the oil. Look in other countries in which Shell operate. Fly from the Egyptian Western Depression upto Alexandria and you will not see one spot of oil stained sand. Why, because Shell clean up any accidental spills. If you guys didn't mess with the installations you would have no pollution problems. Area boys do not exist elsewhere, go and look how normal people behave.
Shell and the Federal government authorities are hand in glove with eachother. One can't point fingers at one party without acknowledging fault on the part of the other.
The militants had originally demanded the release of two of their leaders. However, without this condition having been met the hostages were released. The International Tribute claims that the government did infact pay them $770,000 (100 million naira) as ransom. What behind-the-scenes transactions between Shell and the government transpired no one can confirm.
There in lies the fundamental problem. Shell can afford to get away with murder (exploitation, bribery, environmental and social injustice..list goes on) without blinking an eyelid because it can and IS taking advantage of the corrupt government. Addressing the latter issue is a seperate beast in itself. But Femi is spot on when he says that using the facade of CSR and maintaing "good" relations with the government, Shell (and other multinationals) has exploited the country's largest natural resource at the cost of the local people who haven taken the brunt of it. The people of the Niger Delta continue to live in decrepit conditions where poverty, malnutrition and disease are widespread. If Shell truly embraced the ideals of CSR and "walked their talk" they would be doing a lot more to aid the plight of the locals. They would abstain from corruption and maybe even realize that the only hope for a country like Nigeria is if the country were to maintain its own refineries. Ken Sarowiva and the commonwealth boycott made headlines the world over in 1995. But since then very little has changed.
The Nigerian government are equally, if not more responsible for this. Mismanagement anc corruption has plagued the country since the day oil was discovered. Some argue that its so deeply engrained into society that it would take a miracle to change the status quo. Radical political reform is key. Since the onset of democracy there has been considerable change and development. Obasanjo's government has brought economic reform. But, without confronting corruption head on with an iron fist, all good achieved is overshadowed. To foster change the appropriate environment for change must prevail. The old factions in the government (at the higher level) who buy into corruption must go. The government should put restrictions on imports (gradually) while providing incentives to domestic businesses to grow. Sequencing and pacing in this vein is critical to foster indigenous growth. These are just the basic essentials to affecting change. Easier said than done indeed, but there is no other way out.
As per BBC, a number of Nigerian governors have shown support to a constitutional ammendment that could see Obasanjo stay for a third term. Sound familiar? Obasanjo, Abacha? This is the first time the country can switch from ruling government to another since the onset of democracy. This opportunity is invaluable to the country. I will steal a quote from Chipla (who's blog on Africa is super btw, http://chippla.blogspot.com/).
"One main difference between primitive and modern societies is that the latter gets to function even after its leader ceases to be, because society as a whole is viewed as something greater than any individual."
Nigeria has much to learn in this regard.
Hey ex-contrator, thanks for reading the blog and for your comments, a quick clarification, I AM NOT BLAMING SHELL AND EXONERATING THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT!!!
All I am saying is that Shell has laid their bed and should be prepared to lie on it the way MEND is making them.
And on pollution,gas flaring is a hideous practice that oil companies use to get rid of the natural gas at the top of oil fields so they can target the black gold which is their target. This continuous buring of gas causes acid rain amongst others, that destroy the soil. This is not the practice of militants but that of the oil companies. So I find it unfair to say the pollution is caused by bursting pipes only. Before the people knew they could burst pipes, there was pollution there. If you view pollution cases from spillage around the world, it is not all due to "area boys"...
Theres is more to this than the popular media shows, and it is our task to access this individually and synthesize our own views...
Femi
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