Shell’s response re allegations it paid the Nigerian military to put down protests
4 October 2011
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Shell to respond to three items alleging that it paid the Nigerian military to put down protestsagainst its operations. The items are available at the following links:
Shell oil paid Nigerian military to put down protests, court documents show, John Vidal, Guardian [UK], 3 October 2011
Shell accused of fuelling violence in Nigeria by paying rival militant gangs, David Smith, Guardian, 3 October 2011
[PDF] Counting the Cost: Corporations and human rights abuses in the Niger Delta, Ben Amunwa, Platform, October 2011.
Shell sent the Resource Centre the following response:
Shell respects human rights throughout the world. Our Code of Conduct prescribes the high ethical standards that all our staff are expected to maintain. We support the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, and we recognize that these principles help maintain the safety and security of our operations in a manner consistent with upholding human rights. We also investigate grievances under the VPSHR.
We are committed to working with the government and people of Nigeria to ensure that the country benefits from its natural resources. Good relations with host communities are very important to SPDC. We however recognise that working in the Niger Delta presents significant challenges, including those of security and community relations.
We have long acknowledged that the legitimate payments we make to contractors, as well as the social investments we make in the Niger Delta region, may cause friction in and between communities. We nevertheless work hard to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of the benefits of our presence.
In view of the high rate of criminal violence in the Niger Delta, the Federal Government, as majority owner of oil facilities, deploys Government Security Forces to protect people and assets. Suggestions in the report that SPDC directs or controls military activities are therefore completely untrue.
“It is unfortunate that Platform has repeated several old cases, some of which are unsubstantiated and some proven inaccurate, because doing so obscures the good work which has been going on for many years. However, we will carefully examine its recommendations and look forward to continuing a constructive dialogue with the Nigerian government and other stakeholders to find solutions to these issues.”