From Greenpeace:
A guest blog from Ben Amunwa, campaigner with oil industry watchdog Platform.
A recent video published online shows a Shell executive admitting that the oil giant could easily be funding what he describes as “warlords” and militants in Nigeria. You can watch the video here, (see 57mins – 1hr). The admission comes soon after the announcement that 11,000 Nigerians are due to take Shell to court in London over two major oil spills in the town of Bodo in 2008 to 2009. Shell has refused to pay adequate compensation for the destruction caused to the environment and livelihoods of local residents.
The new video shows the Managing Director of Shell Nigeria, Mutiu Sunmonu, speaking in central London on 9 February 2012. During the question and answer session, Tom Burgis of the Financial Times asks Mr. Sunmonu about the company’s financial relationships with armed militant groups in the Delta. Mr. Sunmonu responds:
“I believe that some of the things we do in the Delta could indeed unintentionally provoke conflict.”
Those “things”, says Sunmonu, include awarding contracts to militant groups:
“[…] as far as Shell is concerned, our business principle is very clear. We do not pay protection money. However, you also have to admit, that except a guy has a label on his foreheard say[ing] “I’m a militant”, you do not know who is a militant and who is a genuine contractor. So there could be cases in the past where you have thought you were employing, you know, a genuine, bona fide contractor, and yet he is probably a militant or a warlord. So I will not argue that such a situation, you know, could have arisen in the past. But it’s always with the best of intentions.”
Greenpeace – Shell admits funding Niger Delta “warlords”
I’m linking to the Eirenicon Africa Public Lecture again because it’s quite engaging and interesting to see how some Nigerians in the private sector make excuses for oil companies. Tsk, tsk…
Niger Delta fish farmer remembers oil spill tragedy