Free Nigeria Movement
P.O. Box 441395
Indianapolis, IN 46244
Phone/Fax (3170216-4590
Email: FNM@ix.netcom.com
Listserv: Maiser@listserv.butler.edu, text of message "SUBSCRIBE
FREENIGERIA"
Radio Station: Voice of Free Nigeria (VoFN) 11.680 kHz, every
Saturday
at 1900Hrs GMT (8:OOpm Nigerian Time)
"Nigeria; Nazi Germany of the 90s"
-Ibrahim H. Muhammed
For Immediate Release
(Please distribute widely)
Oakland Unified School District Board postpones decision on accepting
a $2,000,000 endowment from Shell Oil
Contact: Nasiru Ikharo at (317)216-4590 or FNM@ix.netcom.com
Friday, August 10th 1997
The Free Nigeria Movement is pleased to announce that the
Oakland
Unified School District Board on Wednesday, August 6th, 1997 postponed
its decision on accepting a $2,000,000 educational endowment from
Shell Oil, in order to enable the board to thoroughly investigate the
activities of Shell Oil in Nigeria.
Although going into the board meeting, it was believed that
only one
District Board member would support FNM's request of voting against
accepting the endowment; after very eloquent and passionate appeals by
members of the FNM, and more importantly the FNM Youth Congress (some
of whose members are students in Oakland grade and high schools), we
were successfully able to able to get three board members to support
the FNM position, thereby creating a tie, in which the Board President
very wisely refused to vote either in support or against the motion,
thereby tabling it for at least one more month during which research
would be conducted by the school board members to investigate the
issue of Shell Oil's activities in Nigeria as presented by the FNM.
The FNM intends to mount an intensive educational
grassroots
campaign directed at the board members and voters in their
constituencies in order to bring about full support for the FNM
position, and the people of Nigeria by the time of the next vote.
FNM is also working to stop similar activities on the part of
Shell
Oil in other cities, such as Los Angeles, California, Washington
D.C., and London, England with the intention of blocking such
endowments.
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http://www.cyberia-ang.com/webnews/tribune2/o_s1bs308.htm
Board holds off on Shell decision
Friday, August 08, 1997
By
Jonathan Schorr
STAFF WRITER
OAKLAND -- After a wrenching debate over what activists called
"blood money," a divided
Oakland school board Wednesday night put off a decision on
accepting more than $2 million
in partnerships with Shell Oil.
The discussion led the board to ask that future agreements be
screened for political
implications.
The board was considering two items: formal acceptance of $100,000
in scholarships, and
creation of a Shell Youth Training Academy. The scholarships were
awarded to students last
month, and plans for the academy are well in progress after two
years of cooperation between
the school district and Shell.
Wednesday night, however, Nigerian activists succeeded in blocking
a decision after
impassioned speeches over Shell's alleged connection to human
rights violations in that
country. Activists argued Shell was giving the money to improve its
public image.
"Children in Nigeria don't have an opportunity to get a scholarship
from Shell," said Tunde
Okorodudu, president of the Free Nigeria Movement and an Oakland
parent. "We really need
money for the children, but we don't want blood money."
In an unusually somber session, the board debated whether it should
consider political matters
when accepting funds. Board members were angry that objections had
not been raised earlier in
the process, and that they had not been informed of the allegations
against Shell.
Human rights groups have made charges against Shell, such as
complicity in the execution of
activists, which the Nigerian unit of the company denies. Shell's
American subsidiary says it
has no control over the activities of the Nigerian subsidiary of
Royal Dutch Shell.
The charges have received substantial press coverage, and the city
has a policy boycotting
companies that do business in Nigeria, including Shell. That policy
does not affect the school
district.
Ultimately, the seven-member board split 3-3 with board President
Jean Quan abstaining and
declining to break the tie. She said she refused to allow a 4-3
vote to decide "on an issue this
important."
The tie vote sends the matter back to committee, delaying the
decision for a month or so.
Board lawyers say, however, that if the board refuses to accept the
agreement, students will
have to return their scholarships.
Okorodudu hailed the derailing of the decision as a victory.
"It was supposed to be a done deal," he said. "Their conscience is
bothering them."
© 1997 Alameda Newspapers, Inc.
All rights reserved
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Title: Board holds off on Shell decision
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Board holds off on Shell decision
Friday, August 08, 1997 STAFF WRITER OAKLAND -- After a wrenching debate over what activists called "blood money," a divided Oakland school board Wednesday night put off a decision on accepting more than $2 million in partnerships with Shell Oil. The discussion led the board to ask that future agreements be screened for political implications. The board was considering two items: formal acceptance of $100,000 in scholarships, and creation of a Shell Youth Training Academy. The scholarships were awarded to students last month, and plans for the academy are well in progress after two years of cooperation between the school district and Shell. Wednesday night, however, Nigerian activists succeeded in blocking a decision after impassioned speeches over Shell's alleged connection to human rights violations in that country. Activists argued Shell was giving the money to improve its public image. "Children in Nigeria don't have an opportunity to get a scholarship from Shell," said Tunde Okorodudu, president of the Free Nigeria Movement and an Oakland parent. "We really need money for the children, but we don't want blood money." In an unusually somber session, the board debated whether it should consider political matters when accepting funds. Board members were angry that objections had not been raised earlier in the process, and that they had not been informed of the allegations against Shell. Human rights groups have made charges against Shell, such as complicity in the execution of activists, which the Nigerian unit of the company denies. Shell's American subsidiary says it has no control over the activities of the Nigerian subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell. The charges have received substantial press coverage, and the city has a policy boycotting companies that do business in Nigeria, including Shell. That policy does not affect the school district. Ultimately, the seven-member board split 3-3 with board President Jean Quan abstaining and declining to break the tie. She said she refused to allow a 4-3 vote to decide "on an issue this important." The tie vote sends the matter back to committee, delaying the decision for a month or so. Board lawyers say, however, that if the board refuses to accept the agreement, students will have to return their scholarships. Okorodudu hailed the derailing of the decision as a victory. "It was supposed to be a done deal," he said. "Their conscience is bothering them."
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