Chevron's Award for Corporate Citizenship in Nigeria:
The U.S Government is Self-Opinionated.

Ijaw Council for Human Rights

PRESS STATEMENT

We of the Ijaw Council for Human Rights (ICHR), committed to reclaiming the humanity of the Peoples of the Ijaw and other ethnic nationalities in the Niger Delta wish to draw the attention of peoples of good conscience to the so called ?award? of Good Corporate Citizen by the United States Secretary of State, to Chevron on October 15, 2003. This action by the United States government isnot only self-opinionated, but represents another clear demonstration of contempt for the peoples of the Niger Delta in preference for oil as it attempts todeny the atrocious activities of Chevron. We at the ICHR see the so-called award as the lie of a government that orchestrates a commitment to justice,sustainable livelihood and healthy environment. We recall that Chevron's Good Corporate Citizenship has been evident in the heavy clampdown on civil protestations over its operations and the resultant brutal assault and extra-judicial murders by military personnel at its behest. Chevron deserves anaward only on Bad Corporate Citizenship over •

The brutal assault and killing of civil non-violent protesters in May 1998 at its Parabe Platformfor which it has been dragged to court in the United States for corporate irresponsibility and Third Party liability.

The extra-judicial murders of civil protesters and total destruction of Opia and Ikinya in February 1999.

Several thousands in hospitals, clinics or at home, sick because of the polluted environment, or officially sanctioned violence as the oil flowsin the Rivers of Injustice. We wish to remind the United States Government that only in August 2002, a coalition of women from Ijaw, Itsekiri, Urhobo and Ilaje, some in their 60sand 70s, were brutalized following several weeks ofcivil, non-violent protest in Delta and Ondo statesover Chevrons destruction, over the years, of forest and mangroves, pollution from its gas flares,neglect of the communities in the areas of social infrastructure and intimidation of the local population with soldiers, naval and police guards. The estimated more than $90million investmentby Chevron since 1992 on its partners in the areasof education, health, infrastructure, developmentand income and employment-generating projects are further statistics of impoverishment even as it is a minute fraction of the several billions of dollars drilled from the bowels of the Niger Delta. The action of the United States Government is hypocritical and self-serving.

Patterson Ogon
Founding Director
October 20, 2003