[By Pewu Y. Sumo]
Monrovia, Liberia — Former Speaker of the 55th House of Legislature and Grand Kru County District #2 Representative Jonathan Fonatti koffa has declared his support for two of the three recently summited bills by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to the House for possible consideration.
In a statement today, via his official Facebook page, Rep. Koffa endorsed the TotalEnergies Production Sharing Agreement and the HPX Concession Agreement, branding them as “solid investments for the future of Liberia’s resources.”
However, Rep. Koffa reserved his endorsement of the Atlas Oranto Production Sharing Agreement, vowing to oppose its ratification.
The Grand Kru lawmaker cited a poor corporate track record and concerns over capacity, stating, “Oranto, by its track record shows that it does not mean well for Liberia. It does not have the capacity to engage in the activity for which it has been contracted.”
Koffa further alleged that the company’s previous dealings in Liberia were marred by corruption. “The last time Oranto got a production sharing agreement from Liberia it was so corrupt that it had to be ‘cleaned’ through a Canadian company in order for it to be purchased by Chevron,” he claimed. He characterized the company as a “flipper to avoid transparency and accountability”, that, according to him, would “benefit only a few Liberians which they will never name.”
The former House Speaker also questioned the executive branch’s decision to pursue the Atlas Oranto deal, noting that the same offshore block had previously been under negotiation with a different company.
“This same block was the subject of negotiations with Exxon Mobil, an American company with a solid record of production,” Koffa pointed out. He challenged the government to “explain why it walked away from Exxon Mobil for a more dubious arrangement with a 419 company.”
The three concession and production sharing agreements were recently submitted by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to the National Legislature for ratification, where they are expected to undergo rigorous scrutiny and debate before any final vote. Rep. Koffa’s strong stance signals that the ratification of the Atlas Oranto contract will likely be a contentious issue in the coming weeks.
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