By Alieu Jallow
Opposition Leader Mama Kandeh of the Gambia Democratic Congress has demanded answers on the country’s oil drilling process.
In 2004, former President Jammeh announced the discovery of oil in the Gambia’s offshore waters and that drilling would commence in 2009 following what he claimed to be a failure in contract terms with drilling companies.
In light of this, the GDC leader has underscored his party’s welcoming of the news of possibilities in The Gambia and the prospect of oil.
Kandeh noted that his party has learned about the existence of energy group BP from The Gambia, relinquishing its stake in Block A1 after it agreed to pay the government for suspending drilling at the license, the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy said on August 12th.
“BP relinquished its stake in offshore oil block A1, which was supposed to contain 1 billion barrels, paid off D1.5 billion to the government as per its contractual obligations according to the licensing agreement, and exited the country,” he outlined.
The GDC leader said the exit of BP Energy sounds illogical as it obtained a license for Block A1 well only and quit due to low carbon energy for such a reason, asserting that BP is said to have paid all its obligations to the government, raising concerns as A1 is said to contain 1 billion barrels of oil.
“How come BP didn’t know the facts before signing a contract with the government for the block? What happened to the other offshore oil blocks identified as A2, A3, A4, 5, etc.?” he asked.
Mr. Kandeh explained that the saga surrounding the oil in The Gambia has raised more questions than answers due to insufficient transparency from the government, notably the Ministry of Energy.
“Senegal is exploring theirs, and ours is characterized by a lot of unmatched stories. The GDC would welcome full details of our oil prospects and disclosure of all efforts and transactions of the exploration.”
The opposition leader alleged that they have realized many new forged relationships the Gambian government has with other countries that might be backed by their interest in the news of oil possibilities in The Gambia.
The GDC Secretary-General calls on the state to provide a detailed explanation of the contents of the press release it published on the oil contract with BP and overall oil prospecting and licensing of foreign energy companies over the years.
“We would demand information as the state issued a license to African Petroleum Company, which was later revoked by the government. We believe it must have legal implications, and we expect an explanation on this matter,” he decried.
The GDC leadership asserts that Gambians are seeking a clear explanation of the arrangements binding the government and BP Oil on contract terms, conditions, and licensing, emphasizing citizens’ awareness of such deals.
“For a very long time, there have been talks about a lucrative oil portion in our waters very near to where our neighboring country discovered their offshore oil resources. Furthermore, we demand from the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum details of all the oil companies that visited the country and were involved in our oil prospects before BP’s engagement in the business.”
The GDC party leader challenges the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy to provide full details surrounding our oil prospects and the country’s offshore oil resources.
