So who are behind the LNG prospects?

By JAMES WANJIK

 

LIQUEFIED Natural Gas (LNG) is a big multi-billion dollar project in any country.

 Papua New Guinea is vying to make it into this private investment business.

Two separate prospects are rearing for Waigani’s full support.

The Exxon-led consortium has Public Enterprise Ministry support.

All things were done contrary to law to prop up Waigani’s support.

Public Enterprise Ministry was not the legitimate State nominee prior to May 22, 2008.

The Oil and Gas law was amended to legitimise it.

It also amended the law on public enterprises to legitimise appointment of a manager of Oil Search Limited as the chairperson of the Public Enterprise Corporation.

Public Enterprise Corporation held shares in Oil Search Limited on behalf of the State of PNG prior to disposal of those shares to Oil Sheiks of Abu Dhabi.

The last we heard of this was that the proceeds were parked in a Singapore account.

Now InterOil is very diplomatic in its paid advertisement in the Sunday Chronicle (Sunday, 27 September 2009, p.28).

It says it has the support of the Prime Minister.

It hopes other Ministers will support.

The InterOil-led consortium has Petromin in it.

Petromin is the State nominee.

It abandoned its legal right in the Exxon-led consortium.

Had it pursued its right it would have exposed the LNG rot.

 It counted on the Prime Minister as owner and Minister responsible for Petromin to bring on the InterOil-led LNG prospect.

Susuve Laumea is also very diplomatic in his commentary in the Sunday Chronicle, “PNG at risk of losing two LNG projects” (Sunday, 27 September 2009, p.16).

Slowly we are seeing the rot in LNG business and politics being exposed.

 Lot of rumours we have been hearing looks like are real.

Leaders want pay before service.

And they are using position power to be lustful and greedy.

Politicians, be they old or young, are trustees of people power.

As trustees they are duty-bound to make decisions and take actions for the benefit of the people.

 If Susuve Laumea’s assertion is true that leaders and bureaucrats have lost their way then people must demand change.

People power movement ought to be encouraged.

The open letter to the people of PNG by InterOil is a step in the right direction.

It looks like we will see more of these in the not-too-distant future.

When all is said and done, PNG will be free of manipulation and control of leaders, bureaucrats, and big businesses.

God bless PNG and her people.

 

27 September 2009