Dear Editor,
The revelation that ExxonMobil paid the travelling expenses of the Minister of Petroleum’s wife, First Lady Sandra Granger; Head of the Department of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe; and that of the entourage is extremely disappointing to learn. It would seem that the Granger Administration is incapable of comprehending what constitutes ethical and acceptable behaviour.
In sports coaching, we look for ‘teaching’ moments, and then there are times when repetition of mistakes is so glaring that the coach must take the ‘hairdryer’ approach, made famous by Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United fame, and bellow at players.
This is not a teaching moment; that was in 2017, when five members of Granger’s Cabinet went on an all-expenses-paid junket to ExxonMobil’s headquarters in Houston for as yet unspecified reasons. First Lady Sandra Granger should have been better advised, and her office should have stood all expenses for her participation in this ceremony.
The naivety of the Minister of Petroleum, President Granger, is stunning, and again raises questions in regard to his competence in any area of governance.
Dr Mark Bynoe, who has spent his time as Head of the Department of Energy engaged in talks with primary school children and in churches delivering sermons on ‘Christian oil and gas’, has seminally failed the people of Guyana by not producing a working Local Content Policy, regulations, and enforcing legislation.
Dr Bynoe is a professional, and must have known that he cannot, and must not, accept any gift, paid expense, or reimbursement of any kind from any entity, more so one which he is expected to regulate. Dr. Bynoe has compromised his office and himself beyond personal repair.
Arguments about the suitability of the First Lady for the launching of the FPSO are a distraction, for that is not in question. The facts are that the Head of the Department of Energy and the wife of the Minister of Petroleum accepted an improper gift of travel; these are unquestionable facts, damming ones.
Editor, Mrs Granger and Dr Bynoe, no doubt, met with officials from companies such as SBM (Liza Destiny Constructor) who are notorious for bribing government officials all over the world. For example, SBM ordered a hull for the Liza Destiny weeks before being awarded the contract by ExxonMobil; and, six months later, were charged under the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act by the United States Department of Justice.
Other countries have had cause to prosecute SBM for corruption: The SBM Offshore probe in Brazil is referred to as Operation Black Blood. Brazilian prosecutors allege that at least US$46 million in “undue payments” were made in Switzerland between 1998 and 2012 in relation to contracts for floating oil production, storage and offloading ships (FPSO).
Renato Duque, former Petrobras executive, allegedly asked SBM sales agents for US$300 million for the ruling Workers’ Party, to fund its 2010 election campaign.
SBM has been awarded another contract by ExxonMobil to build the second FPSO vessel. These are costs that would be repaid by Guyana. We cannot become blind to the dangers posed by acceptance of gifts from those we are entrusted to do business with on behalf of the people of Guyana.
ExxonMobil officials are aware that gifted travel compromises Government officials, and yet they continue to dangle carrots. The deep waters of oil production are filled with sharks; let us use every caution of ethics and anti-corruption to avoid the fatal bites.
Respectfully,
Robin Singh