Govt. says all oil blocks gone … PPP says no, but fails to say what is left

Sep 16, 2017 News

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is denying that former President Bharrat Jagdeo has distributed all oil blocks in a manner consistent with how he distributed all viable forestry lands.

On Thursday, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, told the media that there are no oil blocks left to be distributed because Jagdeo had distributed all.

Yesterday PPP/C released a statement challenging Patterson’s disclosure.

However, more of the statement focused on discrediting Kaieteur News and painting ministers of the government in a bad light than actually addressing the issue. The PPP/C did not state anything to give credence to its statement that there are indeed more oil blocks available for distribution.

“The Coalition Government continues to peddle massive lies and misinformation unashamedly and with impunity. They continue to get the Kaieteur News to sensationalize these lies with blazing headlines on the front pages of the newspapers, all with the intention to fool, mislead and insult the intelligence of the public.”

PPP/C noted that Patterson was responding to disclosures made by Jagdeo “that a corrupt plot is afoot by friends and families of Ministers and other officials of the coalition government to acquire available petroleum-mining blocks, (which now have significant value with the discovery of oil in Guyana) which they intend to immediately resell on the international market.”

The statement continued, “We comprehensively reject the ridiculous contention of Minister Patterson that they (sic) are no available petroleum-mining blocks. Ministers have a responsibility to go to press conferences with a sober head and equip themselves with facts in relation to matters upon which they intend to speak and must refrain from vocally emitting every bizarre thought that comes to their minds.”

PPP/C contended that there are many more petroleum-mining blocks available. The party noted that only recently, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman referred to the existence of some petroleum-mining blocks when he spoke about how new oil and gas exploration and production licences should be granted.

He said, “Whether we go openly and publicly with international bids, or whether we have quiet and private discussions, will be determined by the national interest.”

PPP said that Trotman’s assertion by itself proves that Patterson is lying. “Moreover, everyone who has some familiarity with the sector knows that they (sic) are several petroleum-mining blocks available.”

PPP called on the government to make public a list of all the petroleum-mining blocks, the names of the persons or companies to whom they have been allocated and the date of allocation.

The party said that “this disclosure will alert the public to the fact that no new petroleum-mining blocks can be allocated in the near future.”

But while the PPP is contending that there are mining claims, it is not saying which claims are vacant. The society is none the wiser about the location of these claims.

PPP stated, “We ask that you note that after this lie of Patterson that all the petroleum-mining blocks have been given away is now debunked, you will not hear another word of it from the Government until another massive lie is unleashed on the nation, which again, will be sensationalized by a Kaieteur News front page headline. However, when the lie is unmasked it will not be carried by Kaieteur News at all, or if carried, it will be hidden in some obscure corner of the newspaper. This has long been the ploy of that news outfit.”