Approfondimento

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Fornisco un breve approfondimento per cercare di dare una visione oggettiva di questa situazione in Nigeria. Perche’? Per due motivi. Il primo e’ che mio padre lavora per la compagnia Shell ed ho avuto modo di sentire da lui discorsi sul disastro in Nigeria e riflettere sulle complicazioni apportate da una mancata efficienza governativa nel gestire equamente e proteggere le risorse del paese. Il secondo e’ che questo blog vorrebbe fermare in sintesi le piccole ricerche quotidiane che compio tra i siti della mia scheda di controinformazione e mettere un po’ di ordine nella mia mente.

Talvolta ci sentiamo obbligati a trovare subito risposte, opinioni, punti di vista a dilemmi in vero molto complessi. E’ molto piu’ difficile invece mettere ordine tra le informazioni che gia’ si hanno senza pero’ ancorarsi ad esse. Proprio l’altra sera mi son trovata a discutere sull’inesattezza della scienza politica. Discussione non seria e ancor meno approfondita, poste le circostanze del dibattito: il luogo, una fiat uno assolutamente poco seria e l’orario, le 3 di mattina, ancor meno consono ad una giusta concentrazione.

Si discuteva ieri sera, in rientro dalle campagne modenesi, piu’ per tener sveglio l’autista che per il gusto a me estraneo d’imbattersi in dissertazioni politico-filosofiche nelle albeggianti mattine Bolognesi, sull’inefficienza delle scienze politiche e quindi di ogni disciplina che stia a corollario della gestione dell’amministrazione pubblica, nella gestione equa ed efficiente di risorse e potenziale umano per perseguire l’obiettivo del costante miglioramento delle condizioni di vita di ciascuno… secondo un’utopia Paretiana forse. E’ vero, un ingegnere non puo’ permettersi che un ponte non si regga in piedi, ma questo e’ un esempio usato ed usurato nelle contestazioni di stampo illuminista alla new age generation del volontariato e delle organizzazioni non governative che sono accusate di non avere una corretta chiave di lettura in materia di stato sociale, “altrimenti al mondo non vi sarebbe tanta gente che muore di fame….”

Io intanto non credo che la societa’ di oggi sia in regresso. E poi la grande piaga e’ l’ingiustizia sociale. Ma questa non esiste per mera inadeguatezza delle scienze politiche ad affrontarne le manifestazioni. E’ piuttosto frutto di un comune spirito di arrivismo e della mancata importanza attribuita ai valori dell’altruismo e del sacrificio. Il sacrificio soprattutto. E io, agiata studentessa universitaria, ne sono la prima rappresentante.

Sono fortemente convinta che la maggior parte di quelle che noi chiamiamo “ingiustizie sociali” sono per l’appunto ingiustizie di una societa’ immatura. E queste esistono non per un sistema economico non giusto piuttosto che per l’inadeguatezza della disciplina politica, ma per la semplice corruzione dei diversi ambiti societari. Nel caso del Delta del Niger, interesse economico della multinazionale Shell e interesse politico-economico dei vertici governativi non si sarebbero potuti portare avanti l’uno in mancanza dell’altro. Il problema non sta in questo sistema economico o in quel sistema politico, ma a valle: quanto presente e’ l’ideale del potere e del successo nelle nostre vite quotidiane? Quanti sacrifici di vite dovremo avere ancora prima che in un qualsiasi testo universitario di economia si affronti con ugual peso produzione e spartizione del profitto??!

Riporto due estratti per cercare di fornire spunti migliori dei miei blah blah blah ad una riflessione piu’ oggettiva della tragedia in Nigeria. Il primo viene dal sito internet in ricordo di Ken Saro Wiwa, il secondo da un’archivio della compagnia Shell dal 1993.

“The people of the Delta endure poverty, pollution and conflict despite the billions in oil revenues that have been extracted from their land.

Following the executions in 1995, Shell, the oil industry and many transnational corporations announced new policies and procedures. These were aimed at repairing the public image of big business so badly tainted by Ken Saro-Wiwa's struggle and the damage in Nigeria and elsewhere. Shell's slogan became ‘Profits and Principles’.

But, 10 years on, the façade of corporate social responsibility is nowhere more exposed and challenged than in the polluted, impoverished and conflict-torn villages and towns of the Niger Delta.

[…] While all of Nigeria has suffered from this waste, the oil producing regions of the Delta have borne an even greater burden. The pollution of air, land and water has been ceaseless for over 45 years. Conflict has plagued the region as the powerful few vie for the spoils from oil.

As traditional livelihoods of fishing and farming have been decimated by oil spills and precious little development has resulted from oil revenues, so the growth of disaffection and criminal activity has spread throughout the region.

The foreign oil companies blame the government. But the people see the government and the companies as inseparable sources of their problems – the companies work with the government at every level.

[…] over 2 million barrels of oil a day are pumped from the region providing more than US$100 million a day to be shared between the companies and the government.”

“Shell Nigeria remains firmly committed to the long-term future of the country and its people.

We believe our most useful role is helping Nigeria overcome its economic problems and creating wealth that will give the people of Nigeria a better living standard and open up for them more options for progress and development. We will continue to try to perform this role with efficiency and integrity and without becoming involved in politics.

Calls by some for Shell to 'pull out' of Nigeria are not helpful. This would not hurt the Nigerian economy because Nigerian Shell staff, who make up 97 per cent of our workforce would have to continue oil operations or face extreme sanctions.

[…] We have never denied that there are some environmental problems connected with our operation and we are committed to dealing with them. However, we totally reject accusations of devastating Ogoni land or the Niger Delta. This has been dramatised out of all proportion. The total land we have acquired for operations to build our facilities, flowlines, pipelines and roads comes to just 0.3 per cent of the Niger Delta. In Ogoni land we have acquired just 0.7 per cent of the land area. These are very small figures that put the scale of our Niger Delta operations firmly in perspective.

We believe significant environmental problems in the delta are caused by other factors, such as rising population, deforestation and over farming. However, we are aware that there are very few facts available for informed debate and to decide how best to manage the needs for resource development and for sustaining the ecosystem of the Niger Delta. That is why we launched, and are helping to fund, a comprehensive and independent environmental survey of the Niger Delta area. This survey is under way and will begin delivering data in about six months' time.

From our side, we continue our own policy of social investment and this year we are spending more than US $20 million on roads, clinics, schools, scholarships, water schemes and agricultural support projects to help the people of the Niger Delta.

During the MOSOP campaign we have also been accused of colluding with the military to subdue the Ogoni's campaign for a better deal. This charge is totally false and the facts, where they do not suit the agenda of some activists, have often been distorted or ignored.

We withdrew all staff in January 1993 from Ogoni land in the face of increasing intimidation and attacks from some members of MOSOP. Since then we have repeatedly and publicly stated we had no plans to move back into the area and restart production and that we would return only when we are assured of the co-operation and support of all the Ogoni communities. In addition we stressed we would not return behind guns. This has been known to MOSOP and the government for a long time.

We have no links with the military and have repeatedly spoken out against violence by all parties.

Following the sentencing to death for murder of Mr. Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others at the Ogoni Civil Disturbances Tribunal, Shell appealed for clemency to the Head of State on humanitarian grounds. Our view was that a commutation of the death sentence would have helped towards the process of ultimate reconciliation in Ogoni land.

[…] We are prepared to contribute to the debate, and to take positive action with the agreement and support of all the people of Ogoni land.”