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FNM Statement (8/8/97)Oakland and Shell Oil



  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.
  
  
  ---
  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 
  -------
  
Title: Board holds off on Shell decision


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