News and other Busyness

Watchdog Slams Shell's Lies

Squall 14, Autumn 1996, pg. 6.

ADVERTISING watchdogs reprimanded oil giants Shell in July for making false claims about its role in Nigeria following the execution of activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.

The Advertising Standards Authority criticised the multinational for using quotes from Saro Wiwa’s daughter out of context.

The quotes were used in adverts published shortly after the Ogoni leader’s execution.

They backed up Shell’s claims that the military government responded badly to threats and diplomacy was the best hope of saving Saro Wiwa’s life.

Shell were further reprimanded for failing to prove claims that the Ogoni people had sabotaged pipelines, leading to pollution; and that the Ogoni people had denied access to the company to sort out problems.

Shell were heavily criticised earlier this year for doing nothing when Saro Wiwa, a renowned writer and leader of the Ogoni people, was hanged with nine other activists by the Nigerian military regime.

Saro Wiwa had strongly opposed Shell’s involvement in oil extraction from Ogoniland and the company’s relationship with Nigeria’s military rulers.