Here is that story, which can be read in conjunction with an earlier post here citing the warning issued by Abubakar Tanko, a high-ranking Nigerian foreign ministry official and a member of the JDA's ruling Joint Ministerial Council:
THE PUNCH, Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Oil blocks: Nigeria alerts Sao Tome
by Michael Faloseyi
ABUJA -- The resumed meeting of the Joint Ministerial Council of the Nigeria-Sao Tome and Principe started on a cautious note on Tuesday, when Nigeria warned her partner not to bow to external influences in arriving at a decision.
The meeting was expected to determine winners of the five oil blocks put on offer during the 2004 bidding round but could not start until very late in the day, as representatives of each country met privately before the joint deliberations.
Earlier, there had been widespread media reports that both parties could not agree on the ratifications of the winners of the blocks as recommended by the technical committee of the Joint Development Authority.
The parties were said to have accused each other of exerting undue influence in the determination of the winners recommended by the technical committee.
The leader of Nigerian delegation on the JMC, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Tanko, while declaring the meeting open, acknowledged that the meeting had been unusually delayed.
According to him, “We met here on April 26 and 27, 2005 and took some far reaching decisions which are expected to chart the way forward for the activities of the JDA to proceed for endorsement of the winners in the bids without encumbrances.”
“One of the crucial decisions was arriving at a harmonised position on the award of blocks in the JDZ 2004 licensing round, which was forwarded to our heads of government for endorsement before announcement.”
The minister, however, said that the delay was as a result of some technical hitches, even as he cautioned Sao Tome not to allow external influences to becloud her judgement.
He said, “It is pertinent to note that the more delays that are experienced, the more the credibility of this laudable partnership and brotherhood is eroded.”
“If we continue to allow extraneous factors to guide our thoughts and decisions it will seriously affect the bond of our partnership and our brotherhood which has started becoming the envy of many countries with similar situations.”
The two countries have decided to float a common vehicle, the JDA, to manage the resources in their overlapping border areas, which is now reputed as one of the prolific hydrocarbon laden zone in the Gulf of Guinea.
11 comments:
I think that's true, Art. But as I read it, we would be the subject of the changes.
Joe,
where do you get "we" as the problem or subject to changes?? I respect you and try to give you the benefit of the doubt but sometimes it really looks like you are bashing for some reason... as has been noted in many different articles, the "technicals" are other nigerian indies. i read it totally differently and in much better light....
“It is pertinent to note that the more delays that are experienced, the more the credibility of this laudable partnership and brotherhood is eroded.”
aka, let move on with this thing before we all look like the village idiots.
Mike
Hell, every guys got his dream, am I right? Between you, me and the wall I had a doosy myself last night. Get this--a corn-fed harvest mouse, a hooker, a nun, a Flemish peasant woman, whips, chains, whistles, yo-yos, a circus midget, my grandmother riding by on a bicycle giving me the finger, and a duck. Now I don't know...are you crying? Oh my lord! I am sorry honey...please, could you get your daddy on the phone?
Hi Joe,
Just curious. When you read the full context of Tanko's comments and his references to "brotherhood" between the 2 countries, you still stand by your statement that Tanko meant that the JDA could be dissolved?
Thanks
Doug
Without such distortion his blog won't be able to draw any attention and he will be devastated.
I really dont see where either country as any choice but to get these awards done.
The interest is already waning and if they were to cause another delay and a rebid, there would be very few companies interested in bidding in this area. Companies are fed up with the constant delays and the infighting.
So IMHO they have no choice but to work out a deal. These countries need to put on a brave face and start working in harmony or they will seriously damage their ability to garner interest in future JDZ and EEZ rounds.
Dont think of it from an ERHC perspective. Think of it from an overall industry perspective.
What company would bother get involved in this circus again if they were to cancel this round and do a rebid?
Answer: Very few refutable companies would. Why waste valuable time and resources tied up in an area where things can never get done.
These companies have board of directors and shareholders to answer to, not to mention wall street. And they cannot and will not waste valuable resources when their are plenty of other opportunities available elsewhere in the world.
Looks like JMC will meet again today at 1:00 PM. That is promising. At least they are still talking.
Im sure they are well aware they need to get this thing done.
what these guys need right now is a good pep talk. Bring in Knute Rockne or Vince Lombardi and say:
"Fellas, the world is watching and everyone is doubting you. Nobody thinks you can get this thing done."
"Go out their and prove them wrong and win one for the gipper."
Gentleman of the JMC,
No one in the world thinks you can get this thing done. Go out and prove to the rest of the world they are wrong!!
They don't call him walldog for nothing...
Delays are not deadly.
Too often we equate delay with defeat. Frequently the best thing that can happen to us is a wise delay in our plans. If it's worth having, it's worth waiting for...and often its value is enhanced by delay. Delays
are often God's way of teaching us the virtue of patience. And patience is more than a virtue; it is a
required course in the school of life.
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