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ExxonM, EPA bosses facing arrest after failing to appear before Parliamentary Committee Aug 08, 2024 News …MPs unanimously agree to expedite process Kaieteur News – American oil major, ExxonMobil and regulator of the petroleum sector, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been dodging invitations from the Natural Resources Sectoral Committee of the National Assembly over the past seven months. Representatives of these agencies can however be arrested and detained until they can appear before the legislative body. This is according to the Evidence Act Chapter 1:08. This section of the legislation was quoted by Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs during the last Natural Resources Sectoral Committee, convened on July 19. Alliance For Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP), Catherine Hughes sought the guidance of the Clerk, after expressing her concerns over the stymied work of the Committee. To this end, Isaacs pointed out that, “a witness could be anyone in Guyana, either private or public sector able to give any information with respect to the subject matter of any question arising for its determination or has any books, plans, or documents in his possession or under his control in any way relating to the subject matter of that question, that body may cause a summons to be issued to the person in Form 1 in the Schedule.” In explaining the process, Isaacs noted that if the agency fails to appear after receiving an invitation issued by the Clerk of the Committee, the Clerk of the National Assembly would then dispatch a letter to the Agency emphasising the importance of their appearance before the Committee. Should the agencies still refuse to appear before the Committee, the Clerk of the National Assembly would seek assistance from the Registrar of the Supreme Court to garner momentum by issuing a summons for their appearance. The Summons would serve to inform in keeping with the Evidence Act that, “If any person summoned to attend as a witness before a legislative body, refuses or neglects, without sufficient cause, to attend at the time and place mentioned in the summons, that body may issue a warrant in Form 2 in the Schedule, or in any other form the circumstances require, signed by the person carrying out the functions of secretary to the body, authorising and directing the Registrar or any marshal to arrest that person and detain him in custody until he can be brought before the legislative body.” During the Parliamentary Sectoral Meeting, members unanimously agreed that the Clerk of the National Assembly should expedite the process for the agencies to appear. In April this year during an AFC press conference, Hughes explained that the Committee, through Isaacs, had written the request to Exxon, through the Prime Minister’s office to follow the established protocols. The MP however indicated that when the AFC enquired about the appearance of Exxon; they were informed that Isaacs requested copies of the correspondences from the Office of the Prime Minister that were sent to Exxon. At that time, she told reporters, “As a member of the Committee we know that we have been sending letters since November of last year so we are going over to six months and of course what has been told, is although we request that if you can’t make the proposed date, please recommend a date, the subsequent correspondence just says we are unable to attend.” The MP argued it was “wholly unacceptable” that Exxon and the EPA were dodging scrutiny since it impacts the tenets of transparency and accountability. Related Similar Articles

New Oil PSA toothless without Petroleum Commission – Glenn Lall says Aug 08, 2024 News Kaieteur News – Civil Society Advocate and businessman Glenn Lall is questioning the Government of Guyana’s reason to have in place oil laws and a new agreements but no governing body to enforce them, saying that the new Petroleum Sharing Agreement (PSA) is toothless without the Petroleum Commission. Businessman and publisher of Kaieteur News Glenn Lall. On his Monday August 5th edition of his weekly programme on the Kaieteur Radio, Lall played a clip of Jagdeo responding to the question on when the Petroleum Commission will be put in place. The question was posed by a reporter of this publication. Lall said that, “You heard him, you see how upset and evasive he became, we are asking him about the group of people to manage the oil sector, that he himself said is the government’s ultimate goal to put in place.  Today he running from that, telling us about what the PNC didn’t do into a new law he is putting in place.” Lall also questioned “You can have all the laws in place and if you don’t have the police and a court, then what do you have? Lawlessness and that is what we have in Guyana ever since we found that oil, lawlessness.” The VP had recently said at previous press conferences that the government is currently looking at building capacity in the relevant agencies to be able to better monitor the oil sector.  To this Lall asked “who in Guyana that has the expertise to manage this industry?  Let me tell you Guyanese – none, nobody.  The GRA doesn’t have anyone, the Energy Department has no one, and the EPA is a toothless poodle.” Explaining the purpose of the commission, Lall said “a Petroleum Commission is a body, a set of qualified and experienced people in the oil business, who can help us manage that oil the way it should be, that will make all Guyanese super rich.” This administration had given its word in its manifesto that if elected to office, a Petroleum Commission would be in place to facilitate better contract management of the oil sector, so Guyanese can benefit from that oil wealth. The businessman recalled, “President Ali, as soon as he took office, told this nation, a Petroleum Commission would soon be in place. VP Jagdeo said the same thing, the Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, when asked about it promised to get back to my reporter two years now, and to this day he never get back to the building, much less the reporter on this most important toolkit needed for this Oil bonanza we have.   Today, four years later, that same Bharat Jagdeo singing a different tune about that Petroleum Commission”. Lall reminded his listeners that, “a Petroleum Commission is the first thing you have to put in place when you find oil, noting that all other countries that want to get the best out of their oil have put that team of experts in place right away. Saudi Arabia, Norway, Kuwait, Brazil, name them, the biggest oil producing nations on earth for decades, still have international experts helping them to this day in every area to safeguard their oil assets from the hands of oil thieves, including the politicians.” However, Lall said Jagdeo “knows if he puts a truly independent team of experts to help manage that oil, it gon cut up all the darkness going on with them out there. A Petroleum Commission would shine the light in every corner, so we can see and know what is going on.” “A Petroleum Commission in place would ensure that the oil blocks that they gave away would have been sold in the open market and would have given us money to build highways all across Guyana already. A Petroleum Commission will tell ExxonMobil that the interest rates must be capped and they must let Guyana put meters at all the pumps or they have to stop pumping oil. A Petroleum Commission will instruct Bharat Jagdeo – we need a document signed by ExxonMobil to fully compensate Guyanese and anybody else who suffers damages from an oil spill,” he added. Speaking at his weekly press-conference on Wednesday, Jagdeo said the PPP/C-led administration has done enough already to transparently monitor the oil sector. “There is no magic with a Petroleum Commission,” Jagdeo told the media. Related Similar Articles

Massive protest over high cost of living grips oil-producing Nigeria Aug 08, 2024 News Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu faces a backlash over his government’s spending plans despite the country’s mounting debts and cost-of-living crisis. Kola Sulaimon/AFP/Getty Images Kaieteur News – Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies, blessed with abundant oil and natural resources, is currently grappling with one of its worst economic crises. The nation’s economic instability has led to widespread protests as citizens, driven by hunger and frustration, take to the streets, according to several international reports. With inflation soaring and the cost of living escalating, the once-thriving economy is now under immense strain, drawing significant international attention. Nigeria is the second largest oil and gas producer in Africa (after Angola). Crude oil from the Niger Delta basin comes in two types: light, and comparatively heavy – the lighter has around 36 of API gravity while the heavier has 20–25 of API gravity. Both types are paraffinic and low in Sulphur. Nigeria’s economy and budget have been largely supported from income and revenues generated from the petroleum industry since 1960.[3] Statistics as of February 2021 shows that the Nigerian oil sector contributes to about 9% of the GDP of the nation. A CNN report “Violence erupts as Nigerians protest hunger across the nation” highlights protest across multiple cities in Nigeria as frustrated citizens took to the streets, voicing their anger over increasing hunger and “bad governance.” Gunshots rang out in the capital Abuja and also in the neighboring Niger state as police lobbed tear gas to disperse defiant protesters. In Niger, at least six people are now feared dead, local media reported. The state’s police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun told CNN in a statement that operatives arrested 11 armed “hoodlums” who set fire to a government building after looting it. Abiodun said police officers also dispersed protesters who had occupied a major highway, adding that “there was no loss of life.” Dele Farotimi, a spokesperson for the coalition coordinating the protests, attributed the large nationwide turnout of protesters to hunger, which he says “unifies every Nigerian across the political, ethnic, and religious divides.” CNN reported that this is the first major coordinated protest in Nigeria since the deadly EndSARS demonstrations against police brutality in 2020, which resulted in deaths and injuries after security forces opened fire on unarmed protesters. Demonstrators gather during the ‘End Bad Governance’ protest at Ikeja, Lagos, on August 1, 2024. Benson Ibeabuchi/Bloomberg/AFP/Getty Images Farotimi added that Nigerians were also pained watching their leaders live in luxury while they struggled to make ends meet. “It has gotten to that point where the people just need to be heard,” he said. Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has faced a backlash over his government’s spending plans despite the country’s mounting debts and cost-of-living crisis. Last year, lawmakers rejected plans for a multimillion-dollar presidential yacht before approving a budget that allocated millions of dollars for a presidential fleet, including the purchase of SUV vehicles for the presidency and the First Lady’s Office. The budget also allocated funds to cover the cost of renovating the president’s residential quarters. Analysts told CNN at the time it was “hypocrisy” for the government to spend on luxuries while impoverished citizens suffer hardship. Moreover, DW a German-based media entity reported that Nigerians’ anger over rampant inflation and the spiraling cost of food and medicine has reached fever pitch. Toyin Ogundeko, a resident of Lagos and a caterer by profession, lives with asthma. Her son has the condition, too. But medicines have become so expensive in Nigeria that they can’t afford the inhalers they need. Amid a worsening economic crisis, Ogundeko isn’t sure how they will get by. “With the way the economy is going, things are really getting tough. You’re struggling to buy foodstuffs, and you’re also trying to stock up on your medication,” she told DW. “So, for me I can cut down on the inhaler for myself. I won’t cut it for my child,” she said. Furthermore, Nigeria also faces an energy crisis. President Bola Tinubu is trying to rejuvenate the national power grid by pouring in public money instead of subsidizing electricity for those who cannot afford to pay. After he scrapped fuel subsidies, Tinubu did away with a series of electricity subsidies. “If there is power in Nigeria today, all artisans that depend on power to do their business will go back to doing their business at a cheaper cost than they are doing now,” said financial analyst and former banker Aminu Philip Yado. Most business owners are forced to buy generators to keep operations going. This trend, the financial analyst told DW, is not sustainable. In the meantime, citizens like Toyin Ogundeko and her son are desperate. “People have all sorts of complicated conditions, and imagine how they’re coping?” she said. “So, for me it’s a plea to the government: Whatever needs to be done, first find a way to stabilize this economy. Things are getting out of hand.” Related Similar Articles

Venezuelan killed by countrymen in Diamond Aug 08, 2024 News …wife stabbed as attackers hijack car Kaieteur News – A woman on Tuesday night was forced to watch her husband being stabbed to death in Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD). Murdered: Venezuelan businessman, Ken Sookhoo One of the suspects still on the run. She too was stabbed in what is believed to be a robbery. Her dead husband has been identified as Ken Sookhoo, 32, of Herstelling, ( EBD). He was reportedly killed by two Venezuelan nationals. One of them according to information received has been captured and handed over to police while his accomplice remains on the run. Information reaching Kaieteur News states that the men had owed Sookhoo some money and he had gone to collect it from them at a location on the East Bank. He left his home in the company of his wife and daughter in their car and drove to a supermarket where he met them. Kaieteur News understands that the men paid him but then asked for a lift to Diamond. Sookhoo willingly agreed and they entered the car. Kaieteur News learnt that while they were passing through a lonely area in Diamond one of the men whipped out a knife and began stabbing Sookhoo. His wife was wounded while trying to protect her husband. She reportedly told family members that Sookhoo managed to escape the car and ran a short distance but fell to the ground.  The men chased him and continued stabbing a helpless Sookhoo. They then reportedly re-entered the car and drove off with his wife and daughter but somehow she managed to escape at a location where there were houses.  It is unclear how she managed to get out of the vehicle but according to reports she ran into a nearby yard and called for help. Kaieteur News understands that the residents came out to her defense and the suspects were forced to retreat but they did not get far because they later crashed Sookhoo’s car into a sand bank along the road and ran away. A police report was made and an investigation was launched.  It is believed that the suspects are known individuals in the Venezuelan community in Guyana. Sookhoo’s friends and family began searching for them and were able to locate one of the suspects during the wee hours of Wednesday. He was captured with Sookhoo’s pouch in his possession and handed over to police. His accomplice remains on the run. Related Similar Articles

Security guard jailed for beating wife Aug 08, 2024 Court Stories, Features / Columnists, News Kaieteur News – A 52-year-old security guard of Norton Street, Lodge Georgetown was on Wednesday sentenced to three months in prison after admitting to assaulting his wife. Marlon Burnette sentenced to three months imprisonment The man also faced two other charges, including simple larceny and damage to property. The accused Marlon Burnette appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Senior Magistrate FabayoAzore who read the three charges to him.  The first charge read that on August 5 at Lot 14 Norton Street he unlawfully assaulted his wife Johanna Burnette.  He pleaded guilty to the charge. According to the police case on the mentioned date and location, Johanna was called by Marlon to come home so that he can pick up his clothing. Subsequently she came home and both Marlon and Johanna entered when he started to pack his clothes. Thereafter an argument ensued between them and Burnette became annoyed and dealt Johanna several cuffs about her body. The woman managed to escape and went to the East La Penitence Police station and made a report. She said she was fearful of her life. Marlon was later arrested and charged with the offence. In addition to the assault charge, Burnette faced allegations of simple larceny and damage to property. It was claimed that he stole $267,000 from Johanna and damaged her television set valued at $60,000, and a fan, valued at $7,000. Marlon pleaded not guilty to both charges. During the court proceedings, Johanna requested that the charges of simple larceny and damage to property be dismissed, which the court granted. Burnette, having pleaded guilty to the assault and acknowledging the accuracy of the police statements, was sentenced to three months in prison for the assault charge. Related Similar Articles

CDB and global infrastructure facility forge new alliance to boost private sector Aug 08, 2024 News Kaieteur News – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB, the Bank) is in a new alliance with six International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and private sector interests to mobilise greater private investment in infrastructure projects and increase its access to technical expertise. The Bank has joined the Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF) as a technical partner.  GIF is an international initiative comprising governments, IFIs and the private sector, designed to support infrastructure development in emerging markets and developing economies by encouraging private investment. As a technical partner, CDB is responsible for the identification and implementation of projects, in collaboration with its member countries. Commenting on the milestone, CDB’s Acting Vice President of Operations, Therese Turner-Jones stated that “The Bank looks forward to accessing GIF’s resources. As we continue to reposition to more meaningfully advance the Region’s development priorities and better serve the needs of our clients, we anticipate that this new partnership will translate into improved financing and implementation capacities in nineteen Caribbean countries. Greater implementation means increased development.” This partnership aims to increase sustainable, high-quality infrastructure projects that attract private investment. CDB is now at the table with the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the Islamic Development Bank, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and the World Bank and an increasing number of private investors. Chief Strategy and Accountability Officer at CDB, Onika Miller, added that “This new partnership will provide increased opportunities to advance the Bank’s long-term objectives and address critical challenges related to private investment in infrastructure in the Caribbean.” As the gap in development financing widens and demands on the public financing increases, Caribbean governments and financial institutions require additional revenue streams and novel mechanisms to finance their development. GIF is one such resource. GIF Head, Astrid Manroth, commented “The GIF welcomes CDB as its 11th MDB technical partner and looks forward to our strategic collaboration in preparing sustainable infrastructure projects for scaled up private investment in the specific context of the Caribbean region, including island states. (CDB) Related Similar Articles