Opposition Parliamentarian, Juan Edghill believes there is a coordinated attempt at the level of the executive to mislead the public on the availability of oil blocks onshore and offshore Guyana.
Despite a map by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) showing that there are still blocks available, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson and Minister of State, Joseph Harmon maintained that all the concessions were given out under the previous administration.
Edghill, during a news conference at the Leader of the Opposition’s Church Street Office on Friday, expressed alarm by this position taken by the coalition government.
“If ya get ketch lying, at minimum say sorry nuh…But you know what we’re seeing now, the government is prepared to stand with a Minister who lied to this nation and is now part of a cover-up,” Edghill stated.
The Parliamentarian believes government is creating confusion about the availability of the blocks as a diversion from an issue raised by Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, who claimed that an elite group persons close to the APNU+AFC coalition formed companies to acquire petroleum blocks to resell for huge profits.
After Patterson and Jagdeo were advancing differing arguments on the issue, Harmon was asked for clarity during a post-cabinet press briefing on Thursday.
He defended Patterson, insisting that, “when Minister Patterson speaks as a Minister of the government, he speaks on behalf of the coalition government and I am quite sure Minister Patterson is quite aware of the statements he made with respect to the offshore concessions.”
But according to information reaching News Room, ExxonMobil was given concession by the late Janet Jagan in 1999 and eight were given by former President Donald Ramotar.
These are to Mid-Atlantic and Retio in 2015; CGX, Repsol and On Energy in 2013; and CGX again, Anadarko and Nabi in 2012.
