Wouldn't it be fair for
some Europeans to visit Africans nations before they make sweeping
statements about out polity? Let them come and see the wreckage, desecration,
the reckless impiety that multinationals have perpetrated on our land. I
can speak of Shell, the Dutch oil company and how it has without remorse ruined
the lives of millions of Nigerians. Yet, this same company has gone on a
massive campaign to polish its reputation in the Netherlands. Dutch
people are actually proud of this company, in fact I was at a lecture where
some people made sweeping statements about how Shell is innovative, corporately responsible,
one of the top ten companies fresh graduates would love to work for and all
this crap. None-sense! After the lamentable lecture, I spoke with the tutor
expressing my views about Shell and how it had mutilated the Ogoniland.
All I heard were several hmm’s and ahh's! Patriotic Dutch man!
He refused to accept that Shell could do such a thing. The next day, the tutor
brought up our discussion. His aim was to cause a stir in the class; to invalidate my
comments. The class started with a picture: SHELL IS HELL!
He started by saying that some students
ventilated the opposite about Shell after yesterday's lecture and he found it
imperative to start today's class with a revisit to my comments. He went on to
say that Shell must have given back to the Ogoniland by way of scholarships,
building roads, hospitals and employing several young people. I responded by
saying I was not aware of this and even if Shell had done this, it would be
noting compared to the mess it left behind. One puerile student that
claims he works for Shell started in very high tone: Shell is the highest
employer of labour in Nigeria and they have done so much for Nigeria. I asked,
from where I was sitting how he knows this and he continued in his annoying high-pitched voice,
saying: I know! I work for Shell. The tutor looked satisfied but I was quick to
beacon the lecture back on course by saying: let start what we have come here
to do. I felt it was the right thing to do at that moment. They say pictures
say a thousand words, please look at these photos and tell me how innovative
this company has been since it came to Nigeria!
