FINANCIAL TIMES: NIGERIAN PROTEST SHUTS DOWN RIVERS STATE OIL PRODUCTION
Published: August 18 2005
Shell yesterday shut down 14,200 barrels of daily oil production in Nigeria after community groups surrounded two of its facilities in Rivers State, in the oil-rich south-east of the country.
Shell normally produces more than 1m barrels of oil a day in Nigeria as part of a joint venture with Eni of Italy, Total of France and the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Shell is Nigeria’s largest oil producer.
The community groups from Rukpokwu, Rivers State, surrounded the Agbada 1 flowstation in the Niger delta, said Shell, shutting down 14,200 barrels of daily production.
It was reported that the groups were protesting about a lack of compensation following an oil spill at the end of 2003.
Articles ends
by Alfred Donovan: Quite correctly, citizens in the oil rich Arab nations have benefited from their own natural resources and are now among the wealthiest people in the world. They have considerable power, influence and respect. It is impossible to reconcile that situation with what has happened in Nigeria where the population has been oppressed and exploited by Shell and successive Nigerian regimes and Ogoniland has been subjected to long term ecological degradation. While the Ogoni people sit on top of oil fields, but remain abysmally poor, the disgraced Sir Philip Watts sits on an $18 million (US dollar) pension pot. It is simply obscene and indefensible. After yet another document meant for consumption solely by Shell management was leaked to the press in mid June 2004, Shell was forced to admit that its actions in Nigeria fed “a vicious cycle of violence and corruption”. The continuing protests should be viewed against that backdrop.
Some related newspaper reports are accessible below.
Mail on Sunday: Shell chief ‘had a private army’
Daily Times: Shell’s corrupt shell game in Nigeria
The Observer: UK firms face lawsuits as Watts quits ICC post
London Evening Standard: Shell facing court over ‘rights abuses’
The Independent: Shell faces human rights grilling
BBC2 TV “Newsnight”: Oil gangs threaten Nigerian unity: 17 Nov 04
RELATED CONFIDENTIAL REPORT:ShellNews.net: LEAKED SHELL CONFIDENTIAL INTERNAL REPORT ON SHELL’S ACTIVITIES IN NIGERIA BY WAC Global Services Dec 03: “PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE NIGER DELTA”.
This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
EBOOK TITLE: “SIR HENRI DETERDING AND THE NAZI HISTORY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
EBOOK TITLE: “JOHN DONOVAN, SHELL’S NIGHTMARE: MY EPIC FEUD WITH THE UNSCRUPULOUS OIL GIANT ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
EBOOK TITLE: “TOXIC FACTS ABOUT SHELL REMOVED FROM WIKIPEDIA: HOW SHELL BECAME THE MOST HATED BRAND IN THE WORLD” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
