Shell destroys livelihood and environment in Niger Delta, Nigeria

"I don't think anything will grow there in the next 20 years. Nothing planted will grow. The land is wasted. Oil kills everything."

[A resident in Bodo, Ogoniland, Niger Delter, told Amnesty International, May 2011].

On 20 April 2010, what became widely known as the "BP oil spill" took the world by storm. It all started when the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, killing 11 people in what has been termed the "largest oil spill in US history." The role of the media, pressure from environmentalists and bold action by the Obama administration culminated in BP, the oil company involved, setting aside a huge sum of money - $20 billion - to compensate victims. One year after the disaster, BP had spent more than $13 billion on clean-up their mess. [Source]. Elsewhere, in a "forgotten" part of the world, thousands of people and businesses affected by oil spills are not that "lucky" to have wide media coverage of their plight and a government that protects them. In the Niger Delta, an oil-rich region in Nigeria, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, is getting away with oil spills that have reportedly harmed thousands of people and destroyed their livelihoods.

According to a report (in PDF format) by Amnesty International, there have been two "major" oil spills that have disrupted the lives of 69,000 people in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Three years after the spills, Shell has failed to clean up the mess and compensate the victims. This is a far-cry from the situation in the Gulf of Mexico where BP was forced to setup a compensation fund and clean-up within months.

Amnesty International USA reports that the lives of thousands of poor Nigerians, including farmers, fishermen and people who trade fish, have been "directly affected" by the oil spills of August and December 2008. Oil pollution poses a health risk in the region.

Shell's failure to clean up the oil spill violates international standards, Nigerian law and the right to health and safety of thousands of Nigerians affected by the oil spill.

Shell has violated its corporate social responsibility in the Niger Delter. In the words of Amnesty International USA, the company should own up and pay up to clean up the Niger Delta.

The administration of President Goodluck Jonathan should emulate the bold and swift action taken by the Obama administration against BP, and restore the rights and livelihood of Nigerians in the affected region.

According to Amnesty International USA, "significant responsibility for the ongoing human rights abuses in the Niger Delta rests with the government of Nigeria" and "substantial responsibility also rests with Shell."

African leaders should do more to protect their people from violations perpetrated by big oil and mining corporations.

You are encouraged to take action to help restore the economic, social and cultural rights of victims of Shell oil spills in Nigeria. Tell Shell to "own up, pay up and clean up their mess." Sign a petition by Amnesty International USA addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Shell.

Side note: The next time you stop at a Shell gas/petrol station to buy fuel or lubricants for your car, remember that the company has contributed enormously to environmental damage and human suffering in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, and is reluctant to clean up and compensate victims. If you care about human rights and the environment, and dedicate time to read more about Shell and its operations in the Niger Delta, precisely in Ogoniland, you'd be so outraged that you'd reconsider fueling your car at Shell.

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Nigeria: Goodluck Jonathan declares presidential candidacy on Facebook

It was announced on the 3:00 pm newscast on CRTV that Nigeria's acting President - Goodluck Jonathan - on September 15, 2010 declared his candidacy for the 2011 presidential race on his Facebook page. This might be no news in the West - where many leaders have Facebook accounts, but it is breaking news in Africa - where in a bid to evade accountability, leaders distance themselves from social networking sites and from the people they lead.

You would agree that creating a Facebook page means Goodluck Jonathan is open to suggestions, criticism and is ready to listen to Nigerians on the social networking giant.

In a Facebook note entitled, "Declaration of Intent For The 2011 Presidential Race," Goodluck Jonathan reminded his "dear compatriots" that four months ago "providence" made him president following the death of his predecessor - Umaru Musa Yar'adua, and called on Nigerians to give him their "support" and "prayers."

I have read the declaration of intent and I was sincerely impressed by what the President said, amongst other things:

"Today, I confirm that after wide and thorough consultations spanning the six geo-political zones that make up Nigeria, with members of my family, my party, the opposition, civil society, the Private Sector, members of the Labour Unions, religious leaders, youths and student groups and our revered traditional institutions, I Goodluck Ebele Jonathan by the grace of God hereby offer myself and my services to the Nigerian people as a candidate for the office of President in the forth coming 2011 elections."

I noted that Goodluck Jonathan refrained from making many promises in his declaration of intent to run for president. Talking about promises, he simply said: "The only promise I make to you my friends, fellow citizens and Nigeria, is to promise LESS and deliver MORE if I am elected."

Pundits would term the creation of a Facebook page a "tactic" and an attempt to score political points, but without going into politics, permit me to reiterate that by creating a Facebook page, Goodluck Jonathan has demonstrated skills of good governance, leadership, transparency and accountability.

It is worth mentioning that president Goodluck Jonathan joined Facebook on June 28, 2010 in fulfillment of a promise made to students at the University of Port Harcourt in May 2010. As of today, 211, 682 people like Goodluck Jonathan's Facebook page.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Goodluck Jonathan represents a new generation of African leadership? Besides inspiring hope on Facebook, would Goodluck Jonathan deliver democracy, peace , human rights and development in Nigeria - if elected in 2011?

By the way, on May 6, 2010, BBC stated that "as his name suggests, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has a habit of being in the right place at the right time."

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Police corruption fuels human rights abuses in Nigeria

In a news release published on August 17, 2010, Human Rights Watch took the Nigeria Police Force and government officials to task for institutionalized corruption, including extortion, embezzlement and bribery in the police force. The rights group expressed concern that endemic corruption in the Nigeria Police Force fuels human rights abuses in the West African country.

Following a research based on interviews with more than 145 victims and witnesses of corruption in the Nigeria Police Force, Human Rights Watch noted with  dismay that armed police officers commonly extort money, on a daily basis, from drivers and civilians at police roadblocks all across Nigeria. Unsuspecting people who resist extortion risk arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention. In some cases, people who refuse to pay bribes are subjected to assault and police brutality. Worst of all - some civilians who refuse to pay bribes have been shot to death.

In a report entitled, "Everyone's in the game: Corruption and Human Rights Abuses by the Nigeria Police Force," the rights group highlights the following ills in the Nigeria Police Forces, amongst other things:

• Extortion and bribery
• A system of "returns" in which enlisted officers are required to pay a portion of extorted money to senior police officials
• Embezzlement by senior police officials
• Justice and public safety for sale by police officers
• Failures of oversight by government ministers and officials

More importantly, this detailed report on police corruption and human rights abuses in Nigeria makes recommendations on how police corruption - a deeply embedded problem in Nigeria could be rooted out.

It is true that police corruption is endemic in Nigeria and fuels human rights abuses, and it is also true that police corruption is not limited to Nigeria. The practice prevails in different forms in various parts of the world.

Irrespective of where police corruption prevails, one thing is clear - it fuels limitations on basic human rights, and undermines the Rule of Law.

While reading the news release about corruption fueling police abuses in Nigeria, I came across cartoons that capture police corruption in Africa's most populous nation. Make sure you check out the cartoons.

I also found it embarrassing to note that Nigerian police officers often allegedly ask ordinary citizens a shameful question: "anything for the boys?"

*Photo of Nigerian Policemen: NaijaFeed.

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Nigeria: Bring Senator to Justice for Child Abuse!

Nigerian Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, 49-year-old former governor of the northwestern state of Zamfara, has outraged human rights, women's rights and children's rights advocates, by marrying a 13-year-old Egyptian girl, in a mosque in the nation's capital. He allegedly married the 13-year-old after paying a dowry of $100,000. Following an unprecedented public outcry from hundreds of activists and petitions to the Nigerian Senate to investigate the report, Ahmed Sani Yerima justified his unlawful conduct by saying he is only following in the footstep of the Prophet Mohammed. The good news is, Nigeria' Senate has made a move in the right direction - it has ordered an investigation into the allegations, in a bid to bring Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima to justice.

Nigeria is party to international human rights conventions that guarantee the rights of children, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC).

Article 21(2) of the ACRWC expressly outlaws "child marriage" and "child betrothal" and calls on states parties to take action to specify the minimum age of marriage to be 18 (the Senator's wife is only 13). Numerous articles of the CRC are relevant to child marriage, including Article 19 (1), which states that:

"States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child."

Nigeria clearly has an obligation under international law to protect children within its jurisdiction from all possible violations of the rights of a child. The state is obliged to protect and guarantee the rights of the Senator's "child bride" and to bring the lawmaker to justice for abusing and violating the rights of a child.

Child and forced marriage is a shameful practice! It violates human rights and the consequences of the practice are far-reaching. Nigeria's authorities, including the new President - Goodluck Jonathan, should ensure that the investigation does not "die a quiet death" before justice is served.

Photo of Ahmed Sani Yerima from Wikipedia.

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What happened to Religious Freedom in Nigeria?

Do you worship or practice your religion freely? If you do, count yourself lucky because in some parts of the world, religious freedom is a luxury many can't afford.

Roughly defined, religious freedom is the freedom of a person or community to believe in, practice and promote the religion of their choice without interference or harassment. It is a fundamental human right and ranks up there with other basic rights and liberties like freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly; enshrined in many human rights documents, including the landmark Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Article 18 of the UDHR states:

"Everyone has the right of freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, or freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance."

You'd agree that it took decades of religious wars, bloodshed and persecutions for states to realise that one of the major roles of modern governments is to protect the religious choice of people within its borders. Unfortunately, some states, including Nigeria are yet to fulfil this moral and legal obligation. The question is - what happened to religious freedom Nigeria?

Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation, with a population of more than 150 million. The country is almost evenly divided between Muslims and Christians - with the former predominantly in the north and the latter in the south.

Outburst of violence between Muslims and Christians is not uncommon and the city of Jos, the capital of Plateau State happens to be a notorious battleground, recording bloodshed from religious violence since 2001. In September 2001, sectarian violence claimed more than 1,000 lives; in May 2004, more than 700 died; in 2005, up to 500 deaths were recorded; in November 2008, at least 700 people were killed in Muslim-Christian riots; in January 2010, violence between Muslims and Christians broke out in the same city. This time, at least 70 people were killed and about 600 injured. Most recently - March 7, 2010, at least 200 Christian villagers in Plateau State were brutally killed, according to Human Rights Watch.

How does this concern you? Well, I asked myself the same question before I watched the following videos. Viewer discretion is advised!

What are your thoughts? Do you think the government has done enough to guarantee religious freedom in Nigeria? It is worth mentioning that some of the atrocities are allegedly committed by government forces, but as you'd expect, the government refuses to shoulder responsibility. Below is Part 2 of the video:

I have not independently verified the allegations, but one thing is indisputable - for many people in Nigeria, religious freedom is an illusive concept.

Nigeria has a moral obligation to comply with the principles of the UDHR. Moreover, the government of Nigeria is party to the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and has a legal obligation to guarantee religious freedom to all individuals within its territory and to provide effective remedy to victims of violations of the rights recognized by the Covenant.

Do you think Nigeria is doing enough to curb sectarian violence? Is the government culpable? Above all, where is the international community?



Is this not massacre?

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An Opportunity in the Nigerian Telecommunications Market

The Nigerian telecommunications market is the fastest growing telecommunications market in Africa and eighth in the world. It's on the verge of further growth.

Statistics from the Information Economic Report (2007-2008), compiled by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) show that Nigeria has a 125% average annual growth rate in the number of subscribers for mobile and fixed lines. Subscription figures climbed to 45.7 million in the first quarter of 2008. This qualified Nigeria as the biggest market in Africa, overtaking South Africa.

Statistics from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) show that the number of mobile subscriptions in Africa increased from 15.6 million to 189.4 million, between the year 2000 and 2006. The Nigerian telecommunications market has contributed immensely to this unprecedented growth. In Nigeria alone, there was an increase from 400,000 fixed lines and 25,000 analog mobile phones in the year 2000. These figures skyrocketed to 57 million digital mobile and 2 million fixed lines in 2008. Whether you understand this or not, the bottom line is, the potential of the Nigerian telecommunications market is enormous.

Today, we have video phones, a technology which is not yet common. This spells OPPORTUNITY. Do you remember when the camera phone was a big thing? Well, the video phone is the next big thing and guess what, video phones have just made an entry into the biggest market in Africa - Nigeria. It even gets better - ordinary people have the opportunity to invest in video telephony in Nigeria (and worldwide). This is hugh.

In the business world, it takes a visionary to predict the future. I'm sure you agree that the video phone is the future of telecommunications, and if you can predict what people will be buying a few years from now, you stand a great chance to create wealth. No doubt, everyone will have a video phone a few years. The question is, will you be a consumer or a provider? The consumers enjoy the service and pay the bills while the providers make all the money (just for the records).

One company is leading the way in video phone technology in the Nigerian market. This company could as well do what other companies do - simply provide the service. But this company is different. It gives ordinary people the opportunity to make a minimal investment in telecommunications and build wealth. Such opportunities rarely come around.

Imagine this article was about cell phones and traditional landlines hitting the Nigerian telecommunications market. Knowing what you know today, would you have taken it seriously?

Believe it or not, the video phone is the future. I'm ready to work with any visionary who sees what I see happening in the Nigerian telecommunications market and other markets around the world, a few years from now. You're welcome to leave a comment below if you need more information.

Read more about the Nigerian telecoms market, here.

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