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Ceres slams Opposition for not pushing renegotiation of Exxon contract
Kaieteur News- Geotechnical Engineering, Charles Ceres has slammed the Opposition, particularly its leader- Joseph Harmon for their lethargy in holding the government accountable and lack of zeal in pressing the government to renegotiate the lopsided ExxonMobil contract.
He said too that the agreement has disadvantaged future generations of Guyanese and confirms that both Harmon and Basil Williams who were key players in the Coalition have no ability to understand the concept of nation building and should not be allowed to lead the PNCR. Several ordinary Guyanese and civil society bodies have been calling for a renegotiation of the contract. Both the Coalition and the PPP/C have ignored those calls.
Geotechnical Engineering, Charles Ceres
Ceres made his comments in a wide-ranging statement he released on Sunday in which he addressed the state of affairs in the PNCR leadership race and his endorsement of Aubrey Norton for the top post. Government recently came out with a definitive pronouncement that it will not be renegotiating its contract with Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana, although on the campaign trail this was one of its promises. “Harmon, as opposition leader, has not even taken the time to remind the PPP of its 2020 election manifesto which promised a 50% salary increases, renegotiation of the ExxonMobil Contract and creation of 50,000 jobs,” Ceres said in his statement.
Only last week Canada-based Guyanese, Dr. Jerry Jailall said Harmon must also now come clean with the nation, and divulge who instructed the then Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, to sign the contract with ExxonMobil Guyana. Dr. Jailall was adamant that Harmon must now explain clearly, “If he and his PNC are now supporters of a better, fair deal for Guyana.”
Meanwhile, Ceres said too that the recent “correct indictment of former finance minister Winston Jordan is an indictment against both Joseph Harmon and Basil Williams.” Ceres said Harmon and Williams are both attorneys. “Harmon was the de facto leader while David Granger focused on the colonial trappings of office. Harmon failed to represent the interest of the State, since he was part of the cabinet which allowed the gifting of valuable state asset on the Demerara River waterfront to BK International. Basil Williams as the attorney for the state has equal responsibility for not ensuring adherence to minimum standards of care for state resources,” Ceres an outspoken critic said.
He said the action of these individuals cannot be dismissed when payments, withheld by the PPP Government, to BK International, for the Haags Bosch landfill, were made without allowing the courts to examine the merits of BK International claims and counter-claims compiled by the Ministry of Communities. “Please be reminded that the principal owner of BK International was on stage with Janet Jagan when the PPP launched their election campaign at Kitty Market Square in 1997. Charles Ramson must be regarded as being correct when he spoke about the PNC failure of its fellowship, since I see no similar action by Harmon and/or Williams to empower the African Guyanese members of the PNC,” Ceres said.
He said both Harmon and Williams were integral parts of the machinery which signed the agreement with ExxonMobil. “That agreement has significantly disadvantaged future generations of Guyanese. That agreement confirms their inability to understand the concept of nation building. Williams had responsibility to ensure the adherence of all state agencies to the laws of the land. He took no steps during his tenure to ensure the Environmental Protection Agency adhered to the Environmental Protection Act of 1996 and its amendments significantly contributing to the current state of affairs at that agency. Harmon’s inability to recognise the concept of nation building is exacerbated by his swearing allegiance to the United States to become a US citizen. He, an attorney, sat is parliament for more than five years fully aware that he was breaking the law. He is not smart enough to know that the framers of US constitution enshrined the three-fifths clause in the Constitution, to which he swore allegiance, which set the census value of an African person as 60 percent of the value of a free person. He willingly swore allegiance to a constitution with this clause enshrined which confirms his inability to analyze the consequences of his action,” Ceres said.
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