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Oil block awards should be nullified

Oct 14, 2020 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – The government should move to reclaim the oil blocks. The law is on our side for nullification of any block awards given out.
With reference to filed lawsuits and threatened suits of libel, and amidst claims by Donald Ramotar, Robert Persaud, and the PNC (APNU) that they knew nothing about the oil blocks, then the blocks are unoccupied, free, and available for bidding and exploration. And since the awarding of the blocks did not follow proper procedures, then all such awards and associated contracts and agreements relating to them must be considered nullified and of no effect.
Ramotar and Persaud blame each other for whatever went wrong with the giving away of blocks in which the country played no role in the bidding process. Some are so barefaced that they don’t even want the public to know the truth. Any little exposure of corruption and they threaten a lawsuit.
Since neither Robert nor Donald knows about the blocks, and since the current government as well as the preceding PNC-led government have washed its hands of who are owners of the blocks, it sounds to reason that there are no owners. Then by logical deduction, the blocks are free. It means Dookie and others didn’t get any block. It means the blocks are available for ownership. Nah so Dooks!
The country did not benefit from the blocks. Dookie and others did not pay taxes in transferring ownership. And in fact, ownership should not have been transferred. The country did not agree to transfer of ownership. So any awards, by law, are nullified. Those blocks should be put up for tendering under public watch. The government should proceed immediately to advertise for bidding. This should be done quickly to allow for immediate drilling given the small window of opportunity to cash in on oil resources before oil gets overtaken by alternative energy systems.
Our country has people of competence, and where lacking, the Guyanese diaspora has competent lawyers, engineers, and professionals to reclaim the blocks for the nation and to recommend prosecution against those who misleadingly acquired blocks and those who received kickbacks for the blocks.

Yours truly
Shawn Simmons

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