Location: Still on some west coast...but a bit further south
Age: 38
Posts: 512
The messhall malandro
What really got me revved up was that I know people who got kidnapped. Thus the statement "there is no such thing or activity" .. made it tough on me not to take action
I've spent the weekend mulling over the issues that have arisen on this thread, following my tardy deletion of some inflammatory posts.
One of the devils of moderation is getting it right, or as near right as possible, for all Rotorheads. There will always be conflicting opinions and demands from contributors, and I will not always please all the Rotorheads all the time. In an attempt to "moderate gently", I probably erred by not deleting the offending posts earlier, relying on a ban on the poster (olaolu Jacob) instead.
I did, however, delete the ensuing argument, which was largely irrelevant following the requested removal of the offensive posts. There was no intent to become "heavy handed" in this moderation, and there was no intention of offending those whose posts were deleted. I apologise to those who took this moderation as offensive, it was not intended as such. MM's post has been reinstated, but the rest remain irrelevant following the deletion of the offensive posts.
This thread has been long running and informative for many years, thanks to the contributions of many Nigeria hands. It has reached the status of belonging to all, and does not deserve to be deleted or distorted such as to lose its continuity.
__________________ Senior Pilot
Rotorheads Moderator
Shell 'played role in activist executions'
Royal Dutch Shell is due in court on Wednesday this week to face charges of being complicit in the execution of Nigerian activist Ken Saro-Wiwa 14 years ago.
By Mike Pflanz, West Africa Correspondent
Last Updated: 5:53AM BST 26 May 2009
The Anglo-Dutch petrochemicals giant will be accused of asking Nigeria's military dictatorship to silence Mr Saro-Wiwa and other activists campaigning against ecological damage allegedly brought about by oil extraction.
Mr Saro-Wiwa and eight other campaigners were executed by hanging in November 1995 after being found guilty of what were widely seen as trumped up murder charges.
If found liable, Shell would be forced to pay damages that amount to hundreds of millions of dollars.
"While Shell didn't tighten the noose or pull the trigger, they played a critical supporting role for which they must be held accountable," said Jen Nessel from the Center for Constitutional Rights, one of the organisations involved in the trial, which opens in New York on Wednesday.
"May 27th will see Ken Saro Wiwa's prophesy fulfilled that Shell would one day be on trial for what it did to the Ogoni people."
The plaintiffs in Wiwa v Shell, a consolidation of several long-running cases, will also argue that the company is guilty of crimes against humanity, torture and illegal detainment.
Royal Dutch Shell vigorously denies all the allegations, which are being brought by relatives of Mr Saro-Wiwa and other victims of Nigeria's military dictatorship.
Mr Saro-Wiwa co-founded the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, established in 1990 to fight against alleged exploitation of the inhabitants of Nigeria's oil-rich Ogoni region by oil multinationals. Shell has since stopped working there, but still has large operations elsewhere in south-eastern Nigeria.
Mr Saro-Wiwa's vociferous campaigning brought a greater international awareness of environmental damage said to be caused by oil extraction, especially details of repeated oil spills and the practice of gas-flaring.
"Shell refuses to apologise for its role in the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa," said Ben Amunwa, of Platform, a British pressure group involved in the case.
"Worse still, Shell continue to pollute and flare gas with impunity in the Niger Delta, poisoning land and aggravating locals.
"The legitimate grievances of Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni remain unaddressed, Shell's ongoing environmental abuses fan the flames of conflict between oil companies and host communities."
Nigeria's military has recently launched its heaviest crackdown yet on militants in the Niger Delta, bombing their creek-side camps and reportedly killing key rebel leaders.
Amnesty International says there are reports that "hundreds" of civilians have died during the operation, although Nigeria's government denies this.
"The allegations made in the complaints against Royal Dutch Shell concerning the 1995 executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa and his eight fellow Ogonis are false and without merit," a Shell spokesman said.
"Shell in no way encouraged or advocated any act of violence against them or their fellow Ogonis. We believe that the evidence will show clearly that Shell was not responsible for these tragic events."
The trial could result in the first successful prosecution brought under the Alien Torts Statute, which gives non-US citizens the right to file suits in US courts for international human rights violations.
The trial comes after a 12-year legal battle in which Shell has made repeated efforts to have the case thrown out of court in the US.
So the American legal system is running out of ludicrous lawsuits to keep their court rooms busy and lawyers cashed up?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but a Dutch company is tried in an American court for alleged violations in Nigeria?
WTF?
One would imagine the Nigerian judicial system might be “influenced” by the nature of the alleged offense, but surely the matter could be resolved in the Netherlands? I will rather stick with things I understand, like African politics........
O, and the International Criminal Court is based in the Netherlands, with jurisdiction over Crimes Against Humanity, which is part of the rap sheet........I rest my case your Honour!
A lot of information and personal stories have been passed on this thread. "Thanks for the read." I'm not currently working in Africa, although I have worked in several countries on the eastern and western side. My question is are most of you ready to leave? Like anyone who has been in Africa, I find myself looking in that area for work again. There is still oil inland and off-shore, and dispite the economy, lots of consumers around out there. How do the lot of you feel when getting ready for your next tour? Still worth it?
I have been working in Africa for close to 3 years now. I find the worst is the countdown to the number of days before your flight. to start the tour....... It is always the same feeling...has to be done...BUT..rather would stay..BUT.cant ..........have to go. Goodbyes to my family are never changing.,,,,,,,,difficult... BUT...........get in...........eat...work..sleep................go HOME.YAH..........YAH...never-ending story.
Like sharpcollector I've been working in Nigeria for a few years now. I see the entire touring routine as an attitude of mind, one which people either accept or move on. Even with the ups and downs of the industry there is always a choice.
Touring to Nigeria has changed beyond recognition with all the security concerns and countermeasures. One regret is that those who started more recently, while not having a past Nigeria to miss (they weren't here), can sometimes think that the armed convoys and guarded compounds are protecting them from ALL those bad Nigerians, when in fact the vast majority are just normal people doing their best to get by. They are among the friendliest people I have come across and considering the history of Nigeria since Independence how they still manage to smile is beyond me.
So the answer to your question is that until and unless things deteriorate further I still feel the same getting ready for my next tour as I did 17 years ago.
Human beings are among some of the most adaptable creatures on Earth, given enough time we can get used to just about any environment. Case in point: Nigeria.
After almost 3 years here I find that I still tolerate this place but that's about it. I don't know what the "good" old days were like but now days touring out of Nigeria is a chore period.
In my time here I've met some great people but all the same if I never saw this place that would have been fine too. Sharpcollector put it best: get in, do your time, and go home to cotinue with your life because there ain't much of one here - unless you're into the liquor and whores in which case you may want to think about permanent residence
I seem to recall a wee young feller being more than a bit intimidated by it all....especially when I agreed to leave him behind with one of those "friendly" police officers so long as I got a receipt for my "left property"!
NEO,
I couldn't agree with you more. I've been there for more than a few weeks, and, yes, we all had so much fun before the present problems beset us, soggyboxers has said the same on another occasion. I do understand about Port Harcourt and Ekit, but thousands of expatriates live in Lagos and have a normal (?) life. Some of the 'restrictions' in place, I believe, were put there to justify certain peoples existence, and only serve to p*** people off. Provided you use some 'common dog' you should be able to move around freely as the other expatriates do. What I find difficult to understand is why the people who are complaining and think it is so bad keep coming back. If you dont like at least stop dripping !
Sorry to interrupt the liquor and whores discussion; But, aside from the endless media about kidnappings and evil oil companies how is the world of Bristow and CHC these days in Nigeria?
Last i heard was Aero still owed CHC $100M US (or whatever the amount really is) and The american company that owns them was gonna pull CHC out?
I also heard some rumors that Bristow is picking up the contracts now and hiring the guys from CHC?
Next African Tour
Linear Mode
