By: Domingo Dargbeh
The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) has strongly condemned a recently signed Production Sharing Contract (PSC) between Atlas/Oranto Petroleum and the Boakai administration, warning that the deal threatens Liberia’s economic future and undermines the rights of its citizens.
In a press release issued over the weekend, signed by Chairman Mulbah K. Morlu, Jr., STAND said the contract, covering offshore oil blocks LB-15, LB-16, LB-22, and LB-24, is valued at over one billion United States Dollars but labeled the deal as a “brazen attack on Liberia’s sovereignty.
The organization claimed that the deal was executed in secrecy, without competitive bidding or public accountability, representing a significant reversal in the country’s governance and natural resource management.
In a detailed statement, STAND said its investigation revealed that the agreement, reportedly negotiated in Paris, violates multiple Liberian laws, including the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act of 2019, the Public Procurement and Concessions Act of 2010, and the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI) Act of 2009.
It further noted that these laws mandate transparency, competitive bidding, and public disclosure of contracts, all of which were reportedly ignored by the Government of Liberia.
“This corrupt deal is a ruthless betrayal of the Liberian people, a shameless plunder by a cabal of political elites,” said Morlu
“It compromises the rule of law and mocks Liberia’s commitment to good governance,” he noted. The organization has also raised concerns about Oranto Petroleum’s dubious history in Liberia, noting that between 2004 and 2007, the company acquired several oil blocks through bribery and opaque negotiations, later selling them for substantial profits without delivering any tangible benefits to the nation.
“Today’s deal follows the same path of corruption and deceit, designed to enrich a few well-connected individuals while robbing the Liberian people of their rightful inheritance,” Morlu claimed.
STAND has demanded the National Legislature to immediately reject and cancel the contract, and called for a series of actions, aimed at restoring transparency and accountability in Liberia’s natural resource sector.
The demands include the full publication of all existing and pending Production Sharing Contracts, an open and competitive bidding process for future oil blocks, and an independent investigation into the officials and entities involved in the negotiation of the deal. “Liberia’s natural resources belong to its people, not to corrupt elites,” Morlu noted.
“They must not be bartered away through secret agreements that violate the law and betray the public trust,” STAND stressed.