Norton defends APNU/AFC’s secrecy of US$18M signing bonus

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton, in a virtual press conference on Wednesday, defended the previous APNU/AFC government’s disastrous handling of the US$18 million signing bonus from ExxonMobil, as well as their initial reluctance to release the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with the oil giant until facing significant public pressure.
Norton’s remarks came alongside the unveiling of a new 20-point plan titled “PNCR/APNU Policies, Strategies and Principles for the Development of the Oil and Gas Sector.” He described this document as the party’s blueprint for managing the oil and gas industry going forward. Among the list of policies is a pledge to “institute a Publication of Information Protocol, ensuring that all information, including but not limited to contracts, agreements, contractors’ quarterly reports, new discoveries, updated reserves and production data, be made available and accessible to the public conveniently and timely”.
However, his current assurances of full transparency contrast sharply with the APNU previous record in office. Questioned on how the APNU main opposition would garner confidence in promises for full disclosure from the APNU, given the parties track record, Norton would only say that everything the party did was legal.
“I would say to you that the signing bonus was taken and it went to what it was intended for. That alone should reassure people that we are people to our word… there is no contradiction,” Norton said.
During the tenure of the APNU+AFC coalition government, the renegotiated PSA with ExxonMobil and its partners, finalized in June 2016, was not made public until December 2017 — months after Government had faced intense criticism for its secrecy. Officials cited national security concerns as the reason for withholding the contract.
In addition to the PSA controversy, the APNU+AFC government was embroiled in a scandal regarding an US$18 million signing bonus that was included in the PSA. Despite reports about the bonus emerging in early 2017, it wasn’t until mid-December of that year that the APNU+AFC government confirmed its receipt of the money before the National Assembly.
Many Government ministers, including then Finance Minister Winston Jordan, had initially denied or sidestepped questions regarding the bonus. Jordan was quoted as saying, “I cannot confirm anything. Somebody said we have received US$20 million. I will check and see whether we did receive US$20 million… and how much it was, if at all.”
Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman had also avoided directly answering inquiries about the bonus.
This history of opacity raises questions about Norton’s promises for a more transparent future under a new APNU leadership. As the leader of the PNCR, the largest party in the APNU coalition, Norton’s recent declarations seem to conflict with the party’s past approach to transparency in the oil and gas sector.