Deployment of navy a gross over-reaction by Government

by observer Sat Aug 30, 2008 19:54

Shell and other oil companies in the Niger Delta called upon the Nigerian dictatorships to supply a special military force - the Joint Task Force - made up of feared military police, the army and several naval vessels which are currently trawling the delta areas, now like combat zones after years of not listening. Even the British and US Governments have denied that they intended to help with police and military supports in the Niger Delta even though requested it seems by the current President. How big it can get when the first calls for proper honest dialogue and consultation are over ridden.
Was Pat O Donnell, a prominent stake holder as is now shown, consulted and his agreement sought 8 years ago when the plan was drawn up - were all the other local citizens and the Irish owners - also stakeholders - honestly represented by their elected representaives who hurried to pass law after law to progress Shell ignoring their own people. Lisbon-time! Why were these agreements not cleared up years ago? And not on the swell of the ocean today! Unbelievable!

by Tom Tom Sat Aug 30, 2008 21:29

Our Government's failure to ratify the United Nations Aarhus Convention Agreement, which it signed in 1998, needs to be raised in the very worst of a way at this stage.

Even though it has not ratified it, our Government is still obliged -- having SIGNED this international agreement, which is possibly the most environmentally-friendly and socially benign agreement in human history -- to abide by it.

Instead, our Government has been consistently ignoring and undermining it: and getting away with it.

"It (The Aarhus Convention Agreement) links environmental rights and human rights."

"It links government accountability and environmental protection."

"The subject of the Aarhus Convention goes to the heart of the relationship between people and governments."

The full text of the UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making, and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (i.e. The Aarhus Convention Agreement) can be found via the following United Nations page address: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/treatytext.htm

As can be seen on the following United Nations list, the Republic of Ireland (listed simply as "Ireland") signed the agreement on June 25th 1998: http://www.unece.org/env/pp/ctreaty_files/ctreaty_2007_03_27.htm

by Sevinch Karaca - WSM-Personal Capacity Sat Aug 30, 2008 22:44

You intend to raise it with the government? Are you joking us? I am not suprised the slightest that Shell is able to get the Irish Navy serve for them against whoever attempts to stop this project . Your party's spinless inaction in preventing this in the first place is what you should be raising with Labor. You didn't think it would happen here that ruthless corporations like Shell can hire the entire security forces of a country to go ahaed with yet another illlegal profit project. They hired this state for this project to use all its resources, services and powers. Do a bit of reading councillor, start with the violence against people in Niger Delta, Kurds who were poisoned by Shell with oil rafinery waste in mid 1990s in Diyarbakir, Turkey are to count a few. It is simply a case of our turn has come.
Your headline grabbing exercise is not likely get applauds neither from the activists nor from the community who endure harrasment, intimadition and violance on daily basis. We were pushed, pulled, kicked and verbally abused by Garda this morning while you were typing away your self-righteous condemnation. Your condemnation delivers nothing to prevent Shell to invade public land, pollute the environment and bully any opposition to it to this extend.