Environmental action group says military on Shell's payroll

Nigerian News du Jour, Friday 23 April 1998

Shell's public relations specialists are pushing a new image for the oil company as a human rights defender, at the same time, they maintain the myth of the communities as tribal warmongers wielding cutlasses and automatic weapons, attacking each other and carrying out sabotage on oil facilities, Environmental Action group (ERA) has said This chance response by the oil giant to our report to the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) (also reflected in our Monitor Report No3) has given environmental human rights activists useful information on a number of previously denied incidents, ERA said.

The group gave an example of an incident in which Shell paid money to Major Paul Okutimo formerly of the dreaded Rivers State Internal Security Task Force for the purpose of invading Korokoro village in Ogoni. The environmental group said Okutimo was quoted in a memo he was said to have forwarded to the then military Administrator of Rivers State that Shell's should make monetary input into its wasting operations. The recent Shell confirmation of payment to Major Paul Okutimo will give further insight into Shell's role in the various raids and massacre in Ogoni land.

Independent sources put those killed in Ogoni between 1993 and 1997 as nearing the 2,000 mark'' the group said adding that Shell executives now claim in their response to ERA report to ECCR that the payment was given under duress and that it will not happen again. According to Shell, the payment of field allowance to Nigerian military personnel happened only once, under duress at Korokoro in 1993. SPDC has made it clear that it will not happen again. ERA investigation reveal that such payments are continuing through Shell contractors as demonstrated in monies paid to soldiers guarding Shell's new airport project at Osubi, in Delta State last month.