Monrovia – In the aftermath of Liberia’s brutal civil struggle, Nigerian businessman Prince Arthur Eze made thousands and thousands. According to the London-based watchdog group, Global Witness, Eze bribed his approach by means of the legislative department of presidency, paying solely US$10,000 registration payment for every block and a mere US$200,000 (200 thousand {dollars}) in different charges for oil blocks in offshore 11, 12, and 14, benefiting from governance lapses and vulnerabilities in a nation transitioning from struggle to peace.
By Rodney D. Sieh, [email protected]
The LB 11, LB12 and LB14 offshore blocks are situated on the shelf and continental slope of Liberia between 0 and three,000m of water depth overlaying greater than 9,560km2 of space. After the sale, Chevron operated the three blocks and had 45% curiosity in them, whereas Oranto held 30% and the Italian agency, Eni had 25% curiosity.
In 2010, years after securing these blocks from Liberia, Eze flipped them to Chevron Corporation, a US multinational vitality company engaged in oil, fuel, geothermal vitality industries, exploration and manufacturing; refining, advertising and transport; chemical compounds manufacturing and gross sales; and energy era. The sale of that deal was US$250 million. Eze reportedly pocketed $US200 million from the sale.
Now, fourteen years later, FrontPageAfrica is studying that two individuals performing as aides to the Liberian President, Jacob Kabakollie and the previous head of the National Oil Company of Liberia, Dr. Christopher Neyor have emerged because the brains behind the resurfacing of Eze in Liberia. The pair has in latest weeks held a number of conferences with Eze in Lagos and Abuja – and even managed to host him in Liberia just lately the place he met President Joseph Boakai, Vice President Jeremiah Koung and high-ranking officers of the Unity Party-led authorities. However a number of sources near the Presidency, talking on situation of anonymity, mentioned President Boakai is just not too eager on doing enterprise with Eze, owing to his earlier unscrupulous enterprise wranglings in Monrovia, particularly, the thousands and thousands he walked away with.
Eze’s pursuits this time round are offshore oil blocks 15, 16, 22 and 24. Ironically the identical blocks the federal government of Liberia introduced in April that Exxon had utilized for prequalification. Once prequalified, Exxon is predicted to be invited to barter Petroleum Sharing Arrangement within the Liberia basin, the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority introduced in April.
In 2007, the General Auditing Commission in Liberia reported that ruthless Nigerian oil magnate, Prince Arthur Eze and his Oranto Petroleum firm licensed what was perceived as bribery cost to the Liberian legislature so as to safe oil blocks No. 11, 12, and 14. In truth, FrontPageAfrica reported on the time that Mr. Eze’s first cheque for the oil block really bounced. Years later, in 2010, Eze would flip the block he bought for a reported US$200,000 to Chevron for a whopping US$250 million. Now fourteen years later, a FrontPageAfrica investigation has uncovered that Mr. Eze is again in Liberia, courting officers in President Joseph Boakai’s authorities in a bid to safe oil blocks – 15, 16, 22, 24 – which the Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority introduced in 2023, that the US large, Exxon was already prequalified for.
FrontPageAfrica has additionally realized that officers of each the National Oil Company of Liberia and the LPRA had been absent from Mr. Eze’s latest assembly with the President and his prime officers, elevating eyebrows over the motives of those that organized the assembly.
Eze’s newest try to rewind his dealings in Liberia comes simply months after the federal government of Senegal put the brakes on his dealings in that nation. In May, Eze managed a quick assembly with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, however regardless of two journeys to Dakar since then, the Nigerian has didn’t get hold of one other appointment with the brand new president, or his prime minister Ousmane Sonko. Eze, whose firm is current in over half a dozen African nations, together with Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Uganda, South Sudan and São Tomé and Príncipe, is claimed to be paying a excessive value for the departure of former President Macky Sall, with whom he had a heat relationship.
FrontPageAfrica has gathered that many are puzzled concerning the boldness of Eze to enterprise again in Liberia, the place he reportedly owes almost US$20 million in capital beneficial properties tax.
FrontPageAfrica has additionally realized that Senegal is just not the one nation the place Oranto is lagging behind on its contractual obligations. In Uganda, Oranto got here very near dropping its Ngassa license, having after it didn’t conduct enough prospecting. It took a last-minute push on the block, which it obtained in 2016, for the corporate to carry on to its allow.
On April 17, 2007, the London-based watchdog group Global Witness famous Leigh-Parker co-signed a disbursement voucher authorizing the cost of US$1,500 to the Clerk of the House of Representatives for the cost of “lobbying fees for the ratification of contracts”. On the identical day she additionally accredited the financial institution cost voucher for this cash. James R Kaba – House of Representatives chief clerk – wrote a receipt documenting that he was paid this cash. According to GW, each Oranto and NOCAL made funds in extra of $120,000 to members of the Liberian legislature so as to facilitate approval of oil contracts. Chevron holds a 70% stake within the nascent exploration enterprise, Oranto 20% and NOCAL 10%.
In September 2010, in accordance with GW, the Liberian Legislature ratified three “addenda” to Oranto’s offshore blocks 11, 12 and 14, approving the 70% buy of LB 11, LB12 and LB14 offshore blocks.
At the time of the sale to Chevron, former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf issued a verbal mandate to the administration of NOCAL to create a complete native content material coverage that covers native participation from companies and provides to the awarding of drilling contracts to firms which have Liberian presence.
Industry observers contend that what makes Eze’s newest try to enterprise in Liberia much more troubling, is the truth that Eze has a historical past of not finishing up any company and social accountability tasks in nations the place he has secured oil blocks. Recently, the federal government of Equatorial Guinea, raised considerations when it turned clear that Eze wouldn’t contribute to the event prices of the Venus oil subject, during which he holds a 20% stake.
Since the departure of Macky Sall in Senegal, Eze and Oranto have struggled in Senegal as the brand new President Faye seems to haven’t any intention of coping with Eze.
In truth, the Senegalese authorities in a letter signed by the vitality, oil and mines minister Birame Souleye Diop, was decidedly forthright in its choice shunning strikes from Eze and Oranto. The letter despatched to Oranto on August 8 this yr and revealed by Africa Intelligence, was meant to sign a brand new period in Dakar following the swearing in of a brand new president, Faye, in April.
Interestingly, AI reported that when the Senegalese authorities prolonged its exploration permits for Cayar Offshore Shallow and Saint Louis Offshore Shallow in June 2023, Oranto and its proprietor, Eze promised to offer the state with a financial institution assure of $US25M. The agency was additionally presupposed to submit by final October its 2024 works schedule and prospecting finances for these two websites.
AI reported that neither of those obligations has thus far been met. However, the publication famous that Senegalese Mines & Energy minister Diop, issued a warning to Oranto that until it takes acceptable motion inside three months of receipt of the letter, its two licenses will likely be withdrawn. Although it has held the Cayar Offshore Shallow and Saint Louis Offshore Shallow permits since 2008 and 2015 respectively, the agency has by no means allotted enough sources for his or her exploration. This is partly on account of its incapability to seek out companions who’re keen and in a position to co-invest within the enterprise.
This brings the saga to Liberia the place one diplomatic observer identified Monday, there seems to be ulterior motives behind these making an attempt to resurrect Eze and Oranto in Liberia, particularly after what occurred throughout his final enterprise within the aftermath of the civil struggle. With President Boakai reportedly not too eager on an Eze resurrection, it stays to be seen how far the Nigerian’s newest enterprise will go.
