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Liberia in lucrative oil contract with Nigeria
THE ANALYST — The Gov-
ernment of Liberia and the Federal Republic of Nigeria have committed themselves to what appears to be rewarding contracts through which their two oil companies, the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC) and the Nigeria Na- tional Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), will collaborate effec- tively and meaningfully.
During the signing ceremo-
nies which took place in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Liberian government was represented by Justice Min- ister Cllr. Christina Tah and LPRC’s managing director T. Nelson Williams.
By the scope of the “pur-
chase and sale contract” signed and entered into by the two nations, the LPRC is being provided the opportunity now to allocate 20,000 barrels per day of Nigeria crude oil from the NNPC.
The news of the signing of
the contract was revealed at a news conference attended by members of the LPRC Board in the persons of Prof. Wilson Tarpeh as chairman, Cllr. David A.B. Jallah and Samuel P. Jackson, William Smith as well as Justice Minister Cllr. Christina Tah.
The contract, which is ex-
pected to last for a period of twelve calendar months ac- cording to the management of the LPRC, is also renewable for an additional period of twelve calendar months upon negoti- ations between the LPRC and NNPC.
The contract brings with it
huge revenue benefits to the Liberian government which in return will be used for other construction projects.
“This manifestation of as-
sistance will enable the gov- ernment of Liberia to accrue about US $120,000 per month, an amount that will be used for national reconstruction projects,” a prepared state- ment read by the Managing Di- rector Williams revealed.
Most importantly, owing to
the fact that the LPRC does not have refinery facilities, it has signed what it calls “Manage- ment Service Contract” (MSC) on the same day it signed the contract with the Nigerian government with the Sahara Energy Resource, Ltd.
As for the terms of reference
agreed between the MSC and the Sahara Energy Resource Ltd, the company will have oversight in the managing the operations, logistics and ar- rangements for lifting the oil, including programming, load- ing, transportation and trad- ing of the crude oil.
Sahara is an international
oil trading company conduct- ing business in several coun- tries around the world. Sahara is currently involved in similar arrangements in several West African nations.
According to the LPRC,
Sahara shall be responsible to provide a monthly report to the LPRC on allocation from the NNPC. The process that following awarding Sahara the contract, the LPRC said, met all of the requirements. MD Wil- liams said four companies bid for the contract out of which Sahara was declared winner based on its rich credentials, as confirmed by authorities of other countries in which the company has assets.
At the same time, while
responding to inquiries as to whether the new contract is an extension of the one signed by his predecessor, the LPRC boss said the contract in ques- tion, so far, is independent, and has nothing to do with the controversial contract Harry Greaves, former managing di- rector, signed two years ago.
Relishing the contract as
major breakthrough, the LPRC management said the signing is a goodwill of the govern- ment of Nigeria, as Liberia or the LPRC will not pay a dime for the lifting of the oil. At the same time, the LPRC manage- ment said efforts are under- way to embark on it robust rehabilitation work in order to return the entity to its pre-war status.
South Africa under pressure
to take action in Zimbabwe land reform
SW–RADIO AFRICA — The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
South African government is coming under increasing pres- sure to take action against Robert Mugabe and his land reform program, after more South African farmers were arrested in Zimbabwe.
The farmers, Gary Godfrey
and Nigel Fawcett, together with Fawcett’s manager Russel McCormack, were arrested in Nyamandlovu after more than a month of police harassment and intimidation. The farmers are being charged under the Gazetted Lands (Consequen- tial Provisions) Act for occu- pying so called “State Land” illegally. Both Godfrey and Fawcett have been arrested before on the same charges, which were dropped.
According to the Southern
African Commercial Farmers Alliance in Zimbabwe, the ha- rassment against the farmers began in late May, with police cutting off water supplies to Godfrey’s Highfields farm. The move left all of Godfrey’s staff and their families without water, as well as his livestock. The police also stopped the staff from working, resulting in none of the livestock being fed for several days.
At the same time, police
went to Fawcett’s Kennellys farm nearby and also instruct- ed the staff there to cease work. It was only after the intervention of the SPCA that staff on both properties were allowed back on the farms, and the livestock received water and food.
An arrest warrant was
issued for the farmers, who did not return to their properties. In retaliation, police banned the sale of any produce from the farms, in what the Com- mercial Farmers Alliance said was to “bankrupt them into surrender.”
“In an act amounting to in-
citement to commit theft, the staff at Highfields have just been authorised by the police to sell the farm produce on condition they do not hand the proceeds over to Mr. Godfrey,” the Farmers Alliance said.
The farmers eventually
handed themselves over to police and were immediately jailed at gunpoint.
“Initially the Lands Depart-
ment stated that they had in- structions that only six White farmers were to be left farming in each district. The rest had to go. Now it appears that this partial ethnic cleansing has been sharpened and refined to leave only two White farmers per district,” said the Farmers Alliance.
The treatment of the South
African citizens is causing worry and the police have re- fused to bring them before the Magistrates court. In a move described as “vindictive,” As- sistant Inspector Monyera claimed there were no dockets for the two and insisted they should remain in custody. Also, when the farmer’s legal representative asked Monyera whether Debbie McCormack could return to the farm to collect clothing and food for her jailed husband, he merely said “I am not hearing you.”
The South African govern-
ment has previously been urged, to no avail, to intervene on behalf of its citizens facing prosecution and harassment in Zimbabwe. South African Civil rights initiative Afri- Forum is now seeking legal action to force its government to protect the farmers.
AfriForum CEO Kallie Kriel
told SW Radio Africa that the government has “demonstrat- ed a lack of commitment to its own citizens by turning a blind eye to what is happening in Zimbabwe.”
Kriel also expressed anger that Robert Mugabe was invit-
Goodluck Jonathan
ed to attend the football World Cup final earlier this month, and yet no measures have been taken to protect South African farmers in the country.
“Rolling out the red carpet
for Mugabe sends out the wrong message that the (South African) government doesn’t have a problem with what is going on,” Kriel said.
Kriel explained that Afri-
Forum is exploring a number of legal routes to force the government to intervene, in- cluding possible court orders listing the government’s com- mitments and holding them to account.
Kriel explained that politi-
cal will was needed to ensure that South Africans in Zimba- bwe are properly protected.
The AfriForum head re-
ferred specifically to the case of a German citizen in Zim- babwe, whose property was invaded late last month. His government threatened to withdraw aid to Zimbabwe unless the land invaders were dealt with.
The government immedi-
ately responded and the land invaders were ordered to leave the farm.
AfriForum’s Kriel said this
would be possible for South African citizens too, if the gov- ernment demonstrated com- mitment to its citizens.
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July 21-27, 2010 Page A-2
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