"We'll be available to offer guidance"

“We’ll be available to offer guidance”

Nov 28, 2020 News

– Trotman, Patterson on absence from Parliamentary Natural Resource Sub-committee

Former Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson.

Kaieteur News – Though being the most au fait with the oil and gas sector during their tenure in government, former Ministers David Patterson and Raphael Trotman were not included on the Parliamentary Natural Resources Sub-committee.
However, even in this absence, both men have given assurances that they will be ready and able to give support and guidance to the members of the said subcommittee.
During an Alliance For Change (AFC) virtual press conference, yesterday, the question was posed to both Patterson and Trotman about whether they were disappointed and concerned about their exclusion from the parliamentary sub-committee.

Former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman.

To this, both of the former ministers replied in the negative.In his explanation Kaieteur, Trotman who held the position of Natural Resources Minister articulated that the party took the decision to allow “fresher faces” to hold the fort, while he and Patterson assumed a ‘behind the scenes’ roles.
To this Trotman said, “The thinking behind it was that we would allow fresher faces, a fresh look at that committee, which was buttressed by the understanding that we [he and Patterson] both would make ourselves available for guidance and support for all of the new members.”
When pressed as to what areas Trotman would be focusing on, he indicated that he will be heading a cluster in areas of foreign affairs, economic and business-related matters. This cluster will see the support of Attorney-at-Law Amanza Walton-Desir and the former Business Minister, Khemraj Rajkumar, Trotman pointed out.
The former Natural Resources Minister further indicated that he hopes to act as a bridge between the opposition and the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government for some matters, which are in the “national interest”.
Meanwhile, Patterson, who was the former Minister of Public Infrastructure, reminded the press yesterday that he still holds the position as shadow minister for oil and gas. These questions were fueled after Patterson had resigned as the AFC’s General Secretary in late September. Notably, Patterson highlighted in yesterday’s press conference that he has rescinded that resignation, but that he only holds the position temporarily. In a Facebook post after the press conference, he clarified further that he would retain the position until the party’s conference next year.
Questions were posed to other AFC Executive Catherine Hughes, who now serves as an opposition member of the sub-committee, along with Former Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams and Members of Parliament (MP), Vincent P. Henry and Deonarine Ramsaroop.
Hughes was asked what issues are on the front burners as a member of the sub-committee, to which she said that their primary focus will be providing “very strong oversight at a parliamentary level of some of the current issues regarding oil and gas industry.”
Against this, she highlighted her concern over Exxon’s increased flaring, which has taken Guyana as now one of the top five countries in the world for volume flared per year, per capita. Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sharifah Razack, had provided that Exxon flared 16.496 million standard cubic feet of gas per day in October – up from 15 million cubic feet per day before.