Police arrest Briton, four others as Ogoni riot at Shell's office
From Chido Okafor (Warri) and Kelvin Ebiri (Port Harcourt)
THERE was a stir again in the oil industry yesterday when two unrelated groups staged simultaneous protests in Warri, Delta State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Warri protest by fitters was for Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, to intervene in the grievance of the workers over alleged preferential employment of Indians and Filipinos in the oil industry. No one was hurt, although the 100 placard-carrying workers caused palpable anxiety.
Not so in that of Port Harcourt, where the Ogoni took their grievance to the doors of Anglo-Dutch multinational, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC). The protest over alleged resumption of oil and gas production in Ogoniland by Shell turned violent and several people, including a Briton, were injured.
For several hours yesterday the governor's office annex in Warri, venue of the weekly state security meeting was thrown into disarray by the protesters who said they were members of the Nigerian National Fitters Association (NNFA).
The protesters had entered the governor's premises when soldiers appeared from different locations of the annex, cocking their rifles simultaneously, pushed the protesters back to the gate, where they stood and chanted solidarity songs.
Although the security meeting was yet to begin at the time the protesters entered, it created a tense atmosphere.
The workers, who were over 100, carried placards with several inscriptions, protesting sharp practices by some oil construction firms in Warri, which hire Indian and Filipino welders instead of available and well-trained Nigerian welders and fitters.
According to Mr. Moses Onakpojeda, the secretary of NNFA, the oil construction companies, particularly one of the engineering companies, were marginalising Nigerians and that they had marched to the annex to draw the attention of the governor, Chief James Ibori, to their plight.
Also, the chairman of the association, Innocent Ihekwoaba, said the situation was no longer acceptable as many Nigerian welders were laid off, with their families hungry, for Indians and Filipinos, whom he said were flown to the site with helicopters.
In Port Harcourt, presumably a peaceful demonstration by members of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) at the corporate office of Shell yesterday turned violent when the police forcefully tried to stop them.
The policemen who resisted the protesters from penetrating the company's premises fired tears gas and used baton to disperse them. Several people sustained injuries and at the end, five of the activists, including a Briton and a woman whose head was battered, were arrested and detained. The Briton's identity was not clear as at press time. Meanwhile, MOSOP has threatened to go to court.
As early as 8.00 a.m. yesterday, scores of Ogoni activists arrived at Shell's office to protest the company's attempt to begin oil and gas exploration in Ogoni area. One reason for the protest was that Shell under the guise of protecting her facilities had in the past deployed paramilitary forces to some Ogoni communities.
Led by some MOSOP leaders, the demonstrators tried to enter the premises but the police forcefully pushed them out of the premises.
The protesters and the police were consequently locked in fierce altercation following which the policemen fired tear gas. The policemen freely used baton and gun butts on the people. In the process, some people's heads were battered. The smell of tear gas caused several shops within Shell's office to shut down.
In his reaction, MOSOP President, Mr. Ledum Mitee accused Shell of resorting to intimidation and brute force in its bid to return to Ogoni. Mitee, who spoke to The Guardian on phone explained that the Ogoni people had given the oil firm a week ultimatum over a month ago to withdraw the paramilitary forces in their communities but to no avail.
The company, according to him, had been sponsoring armed youths to harass those perceived to be opposed to its return without meeting the demands of the people as contained in the Ogoni Bill of Rights presented to the Federal Government and Shell in 1993. He explained that the protest became necessary because the people were not satisfied with the situation on the ground.
He alleged that MOSOP had written to Shell to formally complain about the deployment of troops to the area, but the company had opted to remain mute on the matter. He described yesterday's protest as peaceful and condemned the police for using force to disperse the people.
"The demonstration was peaceful and yet the police decided to brutalise our people. It was completely reminiscent of what we used to see in the dark days of Abacha and it shows clearly that Shell is disposed to violence. They have not changed. People have a right to do what they want to do so far as they did not commit offence," he said.
Mitee decried the alleged brutalisation of some women who participated in the demonstration by the police. According to him, the attitude of the police raises a lot of questions about the nation's democracy. He then disclosed that MOSOP had contacted its lawyers who were in the process of pressing charges against Shell and the police for violation of the fundamental rights of the people.
A source in Shell told The Guardian that efforts to talk to the perceived leaders of the demonstrators proved abortive as they flatly refused to negotiate. He denied that the company's management ordered the police to use force to disperse the Ogonis. He confirmed that five persons were arrested and taken to Mini-Okoro Police Station for interrogation.
"They wanted to cause confusion at the gate and block people from going in and coming out. At that point the security men who were there had to disperse them".
Mitee told The Guardian that the police had refused the Ogonis bail and access to medical attention.
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