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Guyanese in NY escalate protests demanding new Exxon contract
…says both PPP, PNC ‘selling out’ Guyana to the oil companies
Kaieteur News – Guyanese based in the United States, under the auspices of the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN), continued their series of protest action in ‘Little Guyana’ in Queens, New York, pressing for the Guyana Government to renegotiate the oil contract with the oil companies.
See pix as little Guyana
Caption:
This, in addition to launching a petition calling on the Government of Guyana to renegotiate the oil deals with the numerous oil players in Guyana, including the ExxonMobil led consortium including China’s National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) and Hess Corporation.
OGGN has since committed to continuing its campaign every Friday afternoon for the rest of the summer.
The group in a recent statement qualifying their actions noted that several persons from the Diaspora “vented, accusing both the PPP (People’s Progressive Party) and PNC (People’s National Congress) governments, of ‘selling out’ Guyana to the oil companies.”
The grouping will be conducting their weekly Friday afternoon “Hold the Banner and Leaf-letting Campaign” utilising flyers “educating Guyanese on the unfairness of the oil contract” were passed out to those who passed by, in addition to other activities.
The action by members of the Diaspora joins a growing domestic chorus that has been resonating across the public strata calling for the renegotiation of the ‘lopsided’ Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) commonly referred to as the contract, that was signed between government and Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited—ExxonMobil Corp. Guyana subsidiary—and its partners, CNOOC and Hess Corp.
That deal was initially signed in 1999 under the guises of then President, the late Janet Jagan, and renegotiated in 2016 and signed by then Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman.
The oil contracts were subsequently made public by then President, David Granger, one the advice of his then Petroleum Advisor, Dr. Jan Mangal.
That PSA has since been condemned by all and sundry as being lopsided and unfair and designed in such a way as to benefit the oil companies.
As it relates to the OGGN’s petition drive, the appeal is directed at the Head of State and reads, “Dear President Irfaan Ali: The Oil Contracts are very lopsided against Guyana. Global Witness calculates Guyana loses (US) $55 billion on 8 billion barrels when compared to a fair contract. Compared to Suriname’s, on the Royalty alone, Guyana loses (US) $25 billion on 9 billion barrels. These sums of money are a windfall to the shareholders of the Oil Companies at the expense of Guyanese citizens. The Contract provides for renegotiation providing both parties agree. Just ask ExxonMobil to come back to the negotiation table. We, the signatories urge you to take the first steps today to get a FAIR DEAL CONTRACT.”
OGGN’s goal is to collect thousands of signatures from Guyanese residing in New York, Canada and elsewhere to support their call for renegotiation that will result in Guyana getting more money to fund its long list of urgent needs such as flood control, sea defences, education, health, housing, a living wage for the working poor.
The petition drive on the ground follows up on previous OGGN online petitions that garnered a few thousand signatures.
According to OGGN, its key objective “is to encourage the government to renegotiate one of the worst oil contracts in the world and support the Government fully as it becomes empowered and emboldened to request Exxon to renegotiate.”
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