What: Photo opportunity – At the Shell Shareholder presentation, in London an oil activist from Niger Delta and watchdog group to present retiring Shell CEO with “polluted water” champagne bottle as a present
When: 9.30am Thursday 23 May 2013
Where: The Mermaid Conference & Events Centre, Puddle Dock, Blackfriars, London, EC4V 3DB

On Thursday morning in London, Celestine AkpoBari Nkabari, an environmental activist and human rights defender from Ogoniland in the Niger Delta will present Peter Voser, the soon to retire CEO of Shell, with a champagne bottle containing polluted water from his home and invite him to attend a retirement party in the Niger Delta, in recognition of the massive pollution that Shell has caused during its decades of operation in Ogoniland.

The protest comes almost two years after a damning report by the UN concluded that a succession of oil spills by Shell in Ogoniland over half a century will require $1bn start-up finance and take 35 years to clean up. One of the report’s findings was that communities’ drinking water was contaminated with dangerous concentrations of benzene and other pollutants. Celestine, who is from Ogoniland and works directly with impacted communities, had planned to travel to the Hague to attend Shell’s AGM but was denied a visa after stating his intention to attend the AGM.

Celestine said: “I have travelled all the way from the Niger Delta to ask Shell what it has been doing in the past two years since the UN report established their responsibility for the devastating pollution in my homeland. We see no evidence of Shell starting the clean up. The only evidence that we see is the oil in our water, the smoke in our air, the crops that die and our livelihoods and culture that are destroyed. All the things that Ken Saro-Wiwa was fighting for, we are still fighting for them. While Peter Voser is retiring to spend more time with his family, in Ogoniland we are still fighting for a livable environment for our families.”

For more information, comment or to interview Celestine, contact Sarah Shoraka – [email protected]

Print quality photos are available on request

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Platform is a charity that works on campaigning, education, research and arts projects with a special focus on the oil and gas industry. Platform works in partnership with Social Action a Nigerian organisation promoting increased citizens’ participation in policy and practices in energy and mining, trade and investments that affect human rights, democracy and livelihoods.

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UNEP: Environmental Assessment of Ogoniland report