May, 22 2009, 03:59pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
Nigeria Violence and Oil
WASHINGTON
Limited human-rights and press reports indicate a substantial escalation of violence in the oil-rich Niger Delta region in Nigeria. Amnesty International reports: "Hundreds of people are feared dead. ... Thousands have fled their communities and are unable to return to their homes."
JOEL BISINA
Currently in the U.S. (until June 1), Bisina is founder of Niger Delta Professionals for Development. He said today: "The continuous raids by the Nigerian military on villages and communities populated by innocent civilians [do] not justify their claim that they are trying to purge the region of so-called militants. ... We need to ensure not only humanitarian access to the region, but full and free access by the media to ensure accurate reporting of the situation."
Bisina is prominently featured in the new documentary "Sweet Crude."
LAURA LIVOTI
Founder of Justice in Nigeria Now, Livoti said today: "We are calling for an immediate ceasefire and monitored independent third-party negotiations to seek a permanent solution to the inequities that are the root cause of the problems in the Niger Delta. ...
"Chevron and Shell have made record profits in recent years from the region. Yet the oil-rich Niger Delta remains impoverished, with no schools, no health facilities or basic infrastructure."
DAPHNE WYSHAM
Wysham, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, said today: "Due to the media blockout, Americans may not realize that a rise in the price of gas at the pump is related to bloodshed in the Niger Delta."
A nationwide consortium, the Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA) represents an unprecedented effort to bring other voices to the mass-media table often dominated by a few major think tanks. IPA works to broaden public discourse in mainstream media, while building communication with alternative media outlets and grassroots activists.
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Civil liberties defenders on Thursday decried the U.S. Senate's advancement of the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act, which critics say lawmakers are trying to ram through without protection against warrantless surveillance and with a provision that would effectively make every American a spy whether they like it or not.
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