http://biz.yahoo.com/finance/97/07/23/chv_cpq_f_1.html > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Wednesday July 23 1:39 AM EDT > > California city boycotts Nigeria > > By Adam Entous > > BERKELEY, Calif. (Reuter) - The California city of Berkeley Tuesday > adopted a ban on doing business with companies that operate in Nigeria > because of the country's alleged human rights violations. > > The city council voted 7-0 for the ban with two abstentions. > > The resolution -- which blasts Nigeria's military for alleged human > rights abuses -- bans the city from buying products from Nigeria. It > also prevents it from contracting with companies that do business in > Nigeria or with the country's military government. > > ``There is a strong consensus in the city that we should take a moral > stand on this issue ... It's a very small price to pay. It's a price > that we are willing to pay,'' council member Kriss Worthington said. > > Supporters of the resolution said Berkeley was the eighth U.S. city to > boycott Nigeria. > > ``This is a springboard. It could literally erupt into a nationwide > movement. Berkeley sets the trend,'' said R. Tunde Okorodudu, > president of the Free Nigeria Movement, a Nigerian pro-democracy group > which co-sponsored the resolution. > > The ban means the city will not be able to buy from Chevron Corp., > Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch/Shell Group, BankAmerica Corp. and Coca-Cola > Co., city officials said. > > Berkeley, a liberal university town with about 100,000 residents, is > famous for taking political stances. Some critics say the city is too > involved in international issues. > > Council member Polly Armstrong, who abstained on the Nigeria ban, has > said she believes Berkeley has enough problems of its own. > > Similar resolutions already bar the city from doing business with > companies that operate in Burma and Tibet. > > The main impact of the Nigeria ban will be on buying fuel for the > city's fleet of 500 garbage trucks, police cars, fire trucks, street > sweepers and other vehicles. The city spends about $500,000 a year on > fuel. > > The Nigeria ban, coupled with other boycotts, could leave Berkeley > struggling to find a fuel supplier. The city is already barred from > buying from Unocal Corp., ARCO and Texaco Inc. And Berkeley is > unofficially boycotting Exxon over its response to the 1989 Exxon > Valdez oil spill off Alaska. > > Frances David, Berkeley's acting director of finance, said the city > should be able to find an alternative bulk supplier for gasoline. > > Other city resolutions bar the purchase of rainforest hardwoods, > virgin redwoods and El Salvadoran coffee. > > The city has effectively cut off ties with Motorola Inc., > Hewlett-Packard Co., NEC Corp., International Business Machines Corp., > Compaq Computer Corp., Federal Express Corp. and United Parcel Service > of America Inc. > > The boycotts create a headache for city employees who have to check > they may order products from a certain company. > > ``The administrative burden is much greater but whether the city has > gone too far is really based on your perspective,'' David said. > > City officials are proud that Berkeley was among the first U.S. cities > to boycott South Africa in the 1980s, fueling a movement they believe > contributed to apartheid's demise. ----------------Title: Yahoo! - California city boycotts Nigeria
![[Etrade]](/web/20020113202328im_/http://images.yahoo.com/adv/etrade/yahoo_468.gif)
By Adam Entous
BERKELEY, Calif. (Reuter) - The California city of Berkeley Tuesday adopted a ban on doing business with companies that operate in Nigeria because of the country's alleged human rights violations.
The city council voted 7-0 for the ban with two abstentions.
The resolution -- which blasts Nigeria's military for alleged human rights abuses -- bans the city from buying products from Nigeria. It also prevents it from contracting with companies that do business in Nigeria or with the country's military government.
``There is a strong consensus in the city that we should take a moral stand on this issue ... It's a very small price to pay. It's a price that we are willing to pay,'' council member Kriss Worthington said.
Supporters of the resolution said Berkeley was the eighth U.S. city to boycott Nigeria.
``This is a springboard. It could literally erupt into a nationwide movement. Berkeley sets the trend,'' said R. Tunde Okorodudu, president of the Free Nigeria Movement, a Nigerian pro-democracy group which co-sponsored the resolution.
The ban means the city will not be able to buy from Chevron Corp., Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch/Shell Group, BankAmerica Corp. and Coca-Cola Co., city officials said.
Berkeley, a liberal university town with about 100,000 residents, is famous for taking political stances. Some critics say the city is too involved in international issues.
Council member Polly Armstrong, who abstained on the Nigeria ban, has said she believes Berkeley has enough problems of its own.
Similar resolutions already bar the city from doing business with companies that operate in Burma and Tibet.
The main impact of the Nigeria ban will be on buying fuel for the city's fleet of 500 garbage trucks, police cars, fire trucks, street sweepers and other vehicles. The city spends about $500,000 a year on fuel.
The Nigeria ban, coupled with other boycotts, could leave Berkeley struggling to find a fuel supplier. The city is already barred from buying from Unocal Corp., ARCO and Texaco Inc. And Berkeley is unofficially boycotting Exxon over its response to the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska.
Frances David, Berkeley's acting director of finance, said the city should be able to find an alternative bulk supplier for gasoline.
Other city resolutions bar the purchase of rainforest hardwoods, virgin redwoods and El Salvadoran coffee.
The city has effectively cut off ties with Motorola Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., NEC Corp., International Business Machines Corp., Compaq Computer Corp., Federal Express Corp. and United Parcel Service of America Inc.
The boycotts create a headache for city employees who have to check they may order products from a certain company.
``The administrative burden is much greater but whether the city has gone too far is really based on your perspective,'' David said.
City officials are proud that Berkeley was among the first U.S. cities to boycott South Africa in the 1980s, fueling a movement they believe contributed to apartheid's demise.
| Additional news and quotes: | |||
| CHV | Chevron Corp | ||
| CPQ | Compaq Computer Corp | ||
| FDX | Federal Express Corp | ||
| HWP | Hewlett-Packard Co | ||
| IBM | International Business Machines Corp | ||
| MOB | Mobil Corp | ||
| MOT | Motorola Inc | ||
| NIPNY | NEC Corp | ||
| TX | Texaco Inc | ||
| UCL | Unocal Corp | ||