Testimony of Jennifer Davis in support of New York City Resolution 1082-A which urges the New York State Congressional delegation to support U.S. economic sanctions on Nigeria contained in H.R. 2697 and S. 1419. Davis pointed out that she has often appeared before the Council as an advocate for municipal action against South Africa. Davis says most Americans learned about General Abacha and his military regime only because of the brutal November 10 execution of environmentalist and human rights activists Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists. The testimony says that Nigeria is one of the largest oil producers in the world and the U.S. is by far the single largest buyer of Nigerian crude....
Testimony of Jennifer Davis in support of New York City Resolution 1082-A which urges the New York State Congressional delegation to support U.S. economic sanctions on Nigeria contained in H.R. 2697 and S. 1419. Davis pointed out that she has often appeared before the Council as an advocate for municipal action against South Africa. Davis says most Americans learned about General Abacha and his military regime only because of the brutal November 10 execution of environmentalist and human rights activists Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other activists. The testimony says that Nigeria is one of the largest oil producers in the world and the U.S. is by far the single largest buyer of Nigerian crude. The testimony discusses the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and international oil companies Shell Oil Company, Mobil Oil Company and Chevron. Davis discusses a British documentary, Delta Force, that graphically reveals the extent of Shell's abuse of the Ogoni people and its close ties with the Nigerian military. Mobil Oil Company also played a role in breaking the historic 1994 strike for democracy by Nigeria's oil workers union. Davis says The Africa Fund is in possession of a document from a leading Nigerian human rights group, the Civil Liberties Organization, charging that Mobil flew in foreign workers to replace the strikers. The testimony reports that 18 months later troop still occupy union headquarters, elected union officials has been removed from office, and the leader of the strike, Chief Frank Kokori, remains imprisoned without charge. African democrats such as South African President Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have joined such prominent Nigerians as Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka and the imprisoned winner of the aborted 1993 Presidential election, Moshood Abiola, in calling for U.S. sanctions. The testimony includes A MESSAGE FROM CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS PROJECT, CRP NIGERIA by Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director, Constitutional Rights Project.
