It seems as though ExxonMobil was made to pay a signing bonus of US million (more than GY billion) when it signed a licence agreement with the Government of Guyana. I heard this several months ago. Many people have told me they have been told by persons close to the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) and the oil company that the US million payment is true. Chris Ram about three weeks ago courageously wrote a story stating that he heard that the oil company paid a bonus of US million. The Leader of the Opposition has vowed to seek answers, even requesting answers from the oil company. In doing so, the Leader of the Opposition is fulfilling his obligation to represent the Guyanese people and demand accountability of the Government. Social media has been buzzing about this payment.
President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Ministers Joseph Harmon, Raphael Trotman, Winston Jordan and the APNU/AFC machinery have been totally, painfully, awkwardly, silent. It has been weeks. Not a word.
Even when a truthful story has some inaccurate elements, the APNU/AFC propaganda machinery is usually out in full blast, denying and denouncing the stories and the people behind the stories. Why the silence in this instance? They know they cannot lie because the oil company will not be able to lie.
Confronted two days ago, Minister Jordan remained silent, shamefully claiming that he cannot confirm or deny such a payment, insisting that he has to ask about it. He is the Finance Minister, the Chief Financial Officer of our country. It is therefore outrageous that he cannot answer this question. He is accountable for any money that is received by Guyana. I have to assume that any payment from Exxon as a bonus has to be to Guyana. Where then is the money?
Why is it that APNU/AFC cannot say unambiguously that Guyana received or did not receive US million from Exxon? Exxon must come clean and say it paid or it did not pay, in accordance with the contract they signed.
Minister Trotman and his APNU/AFC colleagues have been trying to convince the nation that it is against the interest of Guyana to release the Exxon contract. They have argued that scrutiny of the contract is against the security interest of Guyana and somehow that it will provide advantages to Venezuela in that country’s absurd claims on Guyana’s territory. They even tried to cast blame on the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), that the contract was signed under the PPP and included a non-disclosure clause. No one is buying APNU/AFC’s spurious explanations. The more they defend their stubborn refusal to permit scrutiny of the contract, the more people are convinced they have something sinister to hide. It maybe they want to hide the US million bonus as part of the deal.
Minister Trotman and his colleagues have essentially told the nation that we ought to be patient and trust them. How can we trust them when they will not permit anyone outside their own small group from examining the contract? It is a contract that should be at least examined by the Leader of the Opposition and members of the Parliament. Oil does not belong to APNU/AFC; it belongs to the people of Guyana. If there was a bonus for Guyana, there is nothing to stop them from informing the people that Guyana’s Consolidated Fund is US million richer. It has to enter the records somewhere. Hiding it is a certain sign of sinister intentions.
