In a blistering critique of the government’s handling of the ExxonMobil audit, Shadow Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Roysdale Forde SC, in a statement, has called on Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat to step down. Forde cited his reason as the failure of Jagdeo and Bharrat to honour their oath of office to protect the resources of the country, the laws, rules of government institutions and the Guyanese people.
Both men have portfolios in the oil and gas sector that continues to be plagued by poor decision-making and most recently an audit of ExxonMobil spending where the cost figure is disputed by a variance of approximately US$211.4 million. The audit is part of an ExxonMobil agreement with the Government of Guyana that will determine how much revenue the company has to pay Guyana.
The Government has accepted the US$3 million as the final audited costs. Last Thursday Jagdeo, at a press conference, doubled down on government’s position, stating the government is “not taking any blame” for the reduction in the audited cost from US$214M as flagged by IHS to reduced US$3M. the VP also make known the government’s position remains where the audit closed out at, i.e. US$3M.
Forde, in rejecting Jagdeo’s position, stated the government is lawless, anti-Guyana, corrupt and bent on short-changing the Guyana people. According to the shadow minister, the position on the audit that should matter is the statement issued by Mr. Godfrey Statia, Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). In that statement Statia made known the $214.4M cost bank adjustment is the accepted final figure.
Digging down on his position that Guyanese deserve answers on what went wrong, the senior counsel stated that his letters seeking information on the head of the Petroleum Unit, Mr. Bobby Gossai Jnr’s. contract and scope of work remains relevant. According to him “the information sought is to carefully evaluate the processes through which the head of the Petroleum Unit, Mr. Gossai was appointed and ensured that it was conducted in a fair, transparent, and merit-based manner. In addition, it will allow for a fair and objective assessment of the terms of employment and ensure they align with industry standards and public interest.”
Going further, the parliamentarian said: “This is not merely a matter about ExxonMobil and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), but more that of the Government of Guyana and its ministers that are failing to adhere to the Constitution and Laws of Guyana, the rules of the institutions of state and ensure ExxonMobil concurs. For whereas ExxonMobil has a legal and corporate responsibility to Guyana-as with every country the company operates in- these can only be upheld by the Government of Guyana, acting in accordance with the Laws of Guyana on behalf of the People of Guyana. No one else.”
The full statement follows:
STATEMENT BY ROYSDALE FORDE S.C, M.P
SHADOW ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER OF LEGAL AFFAIRS
Minister Vickram Bharrat and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo must resign, forthwith
-Guyanese cannot trust the PPP Govt with our money and management of oil and gas resources
Those entrusted with the responsibility to manage Guyana’s affairs based on the oath of office must be held accountable to the spirit, intent and letter of said oath. “I do hereby solemnly declare that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the People of Guyana, that I will faithfully execute the office of……without fear or favour, affection or ill-will and that in the execution of the function of that office I will honour, uphold and preserve the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana” are not mere words, they represent the foundation of what good governance in Guyana must look like; a foundation that must be preserved and strengthened for current and future generations if this beloved country, bequeathed by our forebears, is to thrive.
Efforts by Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo to trivialize a most egregious act that could rob the Guyanese people the full benefit of their share of the oil and gas revenue is sufficient to demand their resignations, for they have failed us and betrayed their oath of office to serve this nation and protect its people.
Daily, these gentlemen are demonstrating their unfitness to hold constitutional offices, at least not the ones they presently hold. We cannot trust them with our money and management of our oil and gas resources. The revelations in relation to the audits being conducted into ExxonMobil Guyana’s spending here, and the disputed costs (US$3M vs US$ 214. 4M) coming out of the IHS Markit Audit are disturbing and alarming, to say the least.
Were the nation in doubt, none other than Mr. Godfrey Statia, Commissioner General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), stated on 18th October, 2023:
“The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has noted the several statements in the press related to the above cost oil audit, the most recent attributed to the CEO of ExxonMobil Guyana Ltd (EMGL). The Authority wishes to categorically reiterate that it stands by its advice to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Government of Guyana that the cost bank adjustment of US$214.4M as reported in the ‘Audit Report Recommendation Final’ by IHS Markit is the accepted final figure. Further the Authority unequivocally states that its correspondence HIS seeking clarity to the said ‘Audit Report Recommendation Final’ and copied to EMGL should in ‘no way or form’ be construed as a change in the Authority’s position that the cost bank adjustment of US$214.4M be adjusted, nor to reopen the process as intimated by the CEO of EMGL.”
In short, Mr. Statia has advised, ‘The $214.4M cost bank adjustment is the accepted final figure.’
Hadn’t Messrs. Bharrat and Jagdeo played fast and loose with the truth, allowed the GRA to do its work, and stood steadfast to the Constitution and Laws of Guyana and ethical business practices, we would not have been in this situation today. Should their lawlessness and misplaced loyalty succeed, these will pose threats to good governance.
Last Thursday, 19th October 2023, Mr. Jagdeo at his press conference informed the Guyanese people the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government is “not taking any blame” for an act it has committed and proceeded to further ill-advised “the fact is our (PPP government’s) positions remain consistent from the beginning and it remains until today that that is where the audit will be closed at.”
Mr. Jagdeo’s statements came after: i) Mr. Bharrat (mis) handling of the oil and gas sector in general, and specifically the contentious audits, where US$214M in disputed costs flagged in the Audit was reduced to US$3M and after much public criticism of Mr. Bobby Gossai Jnr; and ii) Mr. Statia’s re-statement that ‘the $214.4M cost bank adjustment is the accepted final figure.’
On 7th October 2023, Messrs. Charles Ramson Snr. and Minister Bharrat were both written to by yours truly, seeking inter alia, information pertaining to Mr. Gossai Jnr’s. contract and scope of work. The information sought is to carefully evaluate the processes through which the head of the Petroleum Unit, Mr. Gossai was appointed and ensure that it was conducted in a fair, transparent, and merit-based manner. In addition, it will allow for a fair and objective assessment of the terms of employment and ensure they align with industry standards and public interest.
Mr. Ramson Snr. was asked to produce the documents within three weeks. There is expectation the goodly gentleman will discharge his responsibility under the Freedom of Information Act. These requests remain relevant to Guyanese unearthing the truth and getting to the bottom of the matters. As grave as these matters are, it is important that we proceed in a deliberate manner, and in so doing no stone should be left unturned.
This is not merely a matter about ExxonMobil and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), but more that of the Government of Guyana and its ministers that are failing to adhere to the Constitution and Laws of Guyana, the rules of the institutions of state and ensure ExxonMobil concurs. For whereas ExxonMobil has a legal and corporate responsibility to Guyana-as with every country the company operates in- these can only be upheld by the Government of Guyana, acting in accordance with the Laws of Guyana on behalf of the People of Guyana. No one else.
The PPP government, headed by President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Jagdeo, is lawless, anti-Guyanese and corrupt. The PPP leaders, supported by some agency personnel have failed us, and we must direct blame and our annoyance where they ought to be placed. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister Vickram Bharrat cannot be trusted with our money and the management of our oil and gas resources. They must resign, forthwith.
Roysdale Forde S.C, M.P
Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs
