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Mobil in Nigeria Africa Fund 1998 Mobil in Nigeria: Partner in Oppression by Michael Fleshman, The Africa Fund The Mobil Oil Corporation is the second largest producer of crude oil in Nigeria, trailing only the Shell Oil Company as a dominant force in the Nigerian economy. Nigeria depends on oil for over 90 percent of its export earnings and 85 percent of all government revenue. Mobil describes itself as a "partner for progress" in Nigeria, but its close financial, security and political ties to the military dictatorship demonstrate that Mobil is really a partner in oppression. Financing The Dictatorship Mobil is a strategically important business partner with the military government through its joint ventures with the state oil company. Of the 700,000 barrels of oil currently produced by Mobil Nigeria every day, 420,000 barrels, or 60 percent, go directly to the regime. Mobil's share is the remaining 40 percent, or 280,000 barrels per day. During 1997 Mobil generated over $8 million a day for the dictatorship -- nearly $3 billion annually. This money sustains the dictatorship in the face of overwhelming popular opposition. Mobil is also a major supplier of petroleum products inside Nigeria, operating over 200 gas stations across the country. The company has launched a multi-billion dollar expansion of its Nigerian operations, including construction of a high volume natural gas processing plant. Ties To The Security Forces The Shell Oil Company has been rocked by revelations that it arms and pays the salaries of Nigerian army and police forces sent to crush peaceful opposition to Shell's environmental destruction. Shell charges that Mobil and other Western oil companies also provide guns and ammunition to the security forces, a charge Mobil representatives deny. The Africa Fund has been unable to independently confirm or deny Shell's allegations. But Mobil admits that it too pays salaries and expenses for a special government security force detailed to guard the oil companies. Corporate funding for any unit of the dictatorship's security forces raise important human rights and political concerns. Undermining The Democracy Movement In June 1993 the Nigerian military annulled elections intended to restore elected civilian government. A few months later the current Nigerian dictator, General Sani Abacha, seized power and launched a bloody crackdown on the Nigerian democracy movement. In July 1994 Nigerian oil workers responded to the arrest of the winner of the 1993 vote, Moshood Abiola, with a heroic 12-week strike for democracy. While European oil companies were forced to cut back production, Mobil and another major U.S. company, Chevron, undermined the strike by flying in foreign strikebreakers and actually increasing production. Although Mobil denies strikebreaking, oil workers union leader Milton Dabibi charged in November 1995 that, "Chevron and Mobil stabbed us in the back during the strikes. They are the main cause of our failure." Dabibi was arrested shortly after he made this statement and remains imprisoned without trial. Neither Mobil nor Chevron have made any public statement about the arrests of Milton Dabibi, Moshood Abiola, Beko Ransome-Kuti or any of the other estimated 7,000 democracy activists now in Abacha's jails. A Killing Silence On Human Rights Abuses The Africa Fund is unaware of any public or private statements from Mobil to the Nigerian military government about the deteriorating human rights situation in the country. The company argues that it does not "interfere" in the internal affairs of other countries, but the record shows quite the opposite. Mobil routinely lobbies the Nigerian government on a full range of economic and political matters related to the company's commercial interests. It is only on human rights issues that the company maintains a killing silence -- even when oppression strikes Mobil operations and Mobil employees as it did during the 1994 strike. Corporate Social Responsibility In company publications and regular 'advertorials' in The New York Times and other major newspapers, Mobil promotes itself as a good corporate citizen in Nigeria -- spending some $5 million a year on community development projects. But in 1997 Mobil's share of Nigerian crude oil sales totaled almost $2 billion, a figure that excludes earnings from the company's lucrative Nigerian retail operations. In a country where military corruption has left 40 percent of Nigerian children malnourished, Mobil returns a fraction of a penny in charitable and development giving to Nigerian people for every dollar it extracts. The harm caused by Mobil's economic support for the dictatorship far outweighs the good done by corporate philanthropy. Lobbying For Abacha In November 1995, following the execution of environmentalist and anti-Shell campaigner Ken Saro-Wiwa, President Clinton announced his support for international oil sanctions against Nigeria. But during a recent meeting with The Africa Fund, a state department official acknowledged that lobbying by the oil companies had weakened support for Nigerian sanctions in Washington. In January 1996 Mobil ran a small 'advertorial' in The New York Times opposing sanctions as a tool of U.S. foreign policy. Mobil ran the same anti-sanctions ad full page in the Nigerian press -- sending a clear message of support to Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha. More recently Mobil has run ads endorsing the regime's bogus 1998 democratization scheme, a cynical plan to put a democratic veneer on continuing military rule. The company's support for the dictatorship stands in sharp contrast to the views of Nigerian church and human rights leaders, who refuse to support an election from which Nigerian democracy leaders are banned and in which Abacha will likely be the only Presidential candidate allowed. As a member of the powerful and secretive U.S. Corporate Council on Africa, Mobil actively campaigns for a U.S. policy that puts corporate profits ahead of Black lives in Nigeria. Talking Points on Mobil's Involvement in Nigeria Mobil Bears Great Moral Responsibility For Human Rights Abuses In Nigeria and Must Withdraw. Mobil operations in Nigeria produce over $8 million a day for the Abacha military dictatorship. Without these dollars the regime would not be able to survive. Mobil and the other major Western oil companies operate in business partnerships with the military regime and therefore bear direct responsibility for the suffering of the Nigerian people. It is wrong for Mobil to do business with the brutal Nigerian dictatorship just as it was wrong for Mobil to do business in racist South Africa. Human lives are more important than corporate profits. Mobil Must Immediately Cut Its Ties To The Dictator's Security Forces. In January 1998, the State Department charged that in Nigeria "all branches of the security forces committed serious human rights abuses." Yet Mobil directly pays salaries and expenses for armed and uniformed Nigerian security forces assigned to protect Mobil facilities. This is direct complicity with the repressive apparatus of the regime and cannot be reconciled with Mobil's claims of political neutrality and corporate good citizenship in Nigeria. Mobil Must Cancel Its Nigeria Expansion Plan. At a time when Nigerian democracy leaders are calling for international sanctions against the regime, Mobil has commenced a vast expansion of its Nigerian operations. New investment will only strengthen Mobil's ties to Abacha, signal continued Western corporate support for his regime and will add millions of dollars into his coffers. Mobil should condition any future expansion program on the restoration of democracy and respect for human rights. Corporate Lobbying For Abacha Must Stop. Corporate lobbying against sanctions has blocked effective U.S. action against Nigeria and encouraged Abacha to ignore international condemnation of human rights abuses. Mobil must stop placing anti-sanctions ads in the Nigerian press, halt its lobbying campaign in Washington and speak out publicly against repression. Mobil's highly visible support for the regime is making the company a target for religious, trade union and investor action for democracy and justice in Nigeria. разделы ночной очки колокейшн купить конденсатоотвод анкетирование путевой стена архыз заказать флаг ubiquam dhl вызов врач северский доломит купить электроэнцефалограф дмитрий шумок срезанный цвет дихроичное зеркало ичп пбоюл отбеливание магнитный решетка рак простата thuraya sg 2520 красный площадь собор кислотостойкий краска флаг башня вечерний платье тестоделитель купить минимойку грунт isdn видеоконференция теплолюкс thuraya sg 2520 северский доломит бахила производитель пленка пэ доставка кулеров антенна радиочастотный тач-скрин монитор циклон батарейный дешевый холодильник купить электроэнцефалограф уцененный холодильник нард скачать бесплатный бахила datamax кострома жилье центр консультирование изготовление пленка фосфорицирующая краска пломбирование санфаянс электроинструмент metabo машина r-600 лечение слух фирменный цвет mobil cut