Monrovia — Members of the Liberian Senate have demanded the original signed copies of the offshore oil agreements between the government of Liberia, Atals Oranto Petroleum, and French-based oil giant TotalEnergies.
Both offshore agreements are currently awaiting Senate approval and cover four blocks for each company.
Senators expressed concern after discovering that the documents presented to them were unsigned and contained various discrepancies.
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Maryland County Senator J. Gbleh-bo Brown was particularly vocal, questioning representatives from the government, including the Ministries of Justice, Finance and Development Planning, and Mines and Energy, the Liberia Revenue Authority, the Liberia National Oil Company, and the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority.
Sen. Brown highlighted the procedural importance of having signed agreements: “Normally, when they are signed, they are signed by the sector’s Ministries or agencies and the President, while the concessionary is also signed before it comes to the legislature. Now, are you saying all of these steps have been taken?” he queried.
Cllr. N. Oswald Tweah, representing the Ministry of Justice, confirmed that the agreements had been signed in Paris, France, during a presidential visit.
He stated, “Senator, the Atlas Oranto and TotalEnergies agreements were signed in Paris, France, during the president’s visit. I attended the signing ceremony and acted as a proxy for my boss.” However, he could not confirm whether the President himself had signed the agreements, adding to senators’ concerns.
Following this response, Sen. Brown moved that the Senate committee formally petition for the original signed copies of the agreements. He asserted, “I want to place this on record that what we have in our hands are not the signed copies. To be adequately informed and in the position to vote for these concessions, I want the signed copies to be submitted to the legislature before our final votes.”
Bomi County Senator and Committee Chair, Edwin Melvin Snowe, acknowledged the gravity of the senators’ concerns, describing the situation as “troubling and grave.”
The failure to provide signed agreements was not the only issue highlighted during the hearing. Other significant concerns included:
·Clarification on Company Presence: The government failed to clarify the establishment and presence of Atlas Oranto’s local subsidiary, Oranto Liberia Limited.
·Oil Block Locations: There was a lack of clarity on the exact locations of the oil blocks, with initial mentions of Maryland, Rivercess, and Sinoe counties proving insufficient.
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·Economic Benefits: Senators questioned the economic advantages for Liberia, particularly since the agreement grants the companies exclusive rights to sell oil.
·Financial Status and Operator Changes: The government did not provide a comprehensive financial status of Oranto’s previous operations in Liberia.
Additionally, the agreement reportedly allows the operators to change within a ten-year period and sell to any group, raising further questions about oversight and stability. -Edited by Othello B. Garblah.
