Royal Dutch Shell this weekend comes under renewed attack from pressure groups for its relationship with the Nigerian government. Documents to be released by The Body Shop, the UK cosmetics group which has been leading the campaign against the Anglo-Dutch oil group, are said to show links between the Nigerian government and Shell Nigerian executives.
Shell's role in Nigeria has been heavily criticised following the Nigerian government's execution of nine minority rights activists from the Ogoni tribe, including writer Mr Ken SaroWiwa. They had accused Shell of causing extensive environmental damage in the ogoni region, one of the main onshore oil producing areas in Nigeria . The Body Shop and other environmentalists and human rights groups have called for consumer boycotts of Shell for not using its position in Nigeria to put pressure on the government.
One document to be released tomorrow shows a Shell Nigeria manager writing in May 1993 to the governor of Rivers State, which includes Ogoni Land. "We humbly request the usual assistance of His Excellency to enable the project to proceed," wrote Mr J. Udofia in a letter dated May 4 1993. His letter followed heavy disruption to Shell operations in Ogoni Land, from which Shell has since withdrawn.
Mr Eric Nickson a Shell spokesman, said yesterday. The usual assistance means if there is an incident we are obliged to notify the authori- ties that there is a disruption in the supply of oil." He said. "Having done that, and it looked like there was going to be violence and crime, then we normally asked the governor to put the processes in place to stop that."
Asked if this meant military assistance, Mr Nickson replied: "It is not army." Other documents purport to show that Dr Owens wiwa I brother of Mr Saro-Wiwa, attempted to negotiate with Mr Brian Anderson, managing director of Shell's operations in Nigeria. Yesterday Mr Anderson said: "We did not negotiate. We were not in a position to negotiate his (Ken Saro-Wiwa's) release. We had no power to do so."
Shell and its partners in Nigeria's liquefied natural gas project yesterday announced that they had signed the main construction contract worth an estimated $3bn (1.0bn) with a consortium of Kellogg of the US, Technip of France, Snamprogetti of Italy and the JGC of Japan.
The LNG gas project is a joint venture between state owned Nigerian National. Petroleum Corporation, Shell Agip of Italy and Elf of France. Meanwhile, a broad South African coalition, headed by the African National Congress, yesterday called for a two-day local boycott of Shell products in protest at the company's alleged failure to put pressure on the Nigerian regime.
The South African Nigerian Democracy Support Group, which includes employers; organisations, unions,, churches and sports groups, said it would picket Shell outlets in South Africa.