MONROVIA, Liberia – Former House Speaker and Grand Kru County District #2 Representative, Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa, has renewed his opposition to the proposed production-sharing agreement (PSC) between the Government of Liberia and Atlas Oranto Petroleum, characterizing it on Facebook as a deal with a “zogo” company and calling on the Legislature not just to amend it — but to reject it outright.
In his November 5 post, Koffa wrote that the contract is with an entity named Oranto Petroleum Liberia Limited — which he described as “a shell company to shield Atlas Oranto … from any liability in Liberia.” He contends that key components of the agreement are blank or meaningless:
“Article 33 of the agreement says Oranto Nigeria has to guarantee the deal. The problem: the guarantee in Annex III … is a template and also empty: no guarantor named, no amount guaranteed, no signature on the guarantee. It is just an empty template.”
He added:
“So, we basically just have an agreement with a zogo oil company owned by Prince Eze and some unnamed Liberian partners. Aye meh! Even if you’re going to fleece your own country, can’t you put a small grease there?”
Why Koffa Claims the Deal Is Dangerous
Koffa’s objections mirror earlier critiques — that Oranto lacks the technical and financial capacity to execute ultra-deepwater exploration, that the contract terms are inconsistent with Liberia’s petroleum laws, and that the corporate structure permits risk and liability to be off-loaded from the main company onto Liberians. Sources confirm he relies on analyses from civil-society groups and media investigations.
He warns that the Legislature is entering uncharted ground with this deal and urges lawmakers to treat their deliberations as a decisive test of Liberia’s resource-governance credibility.
Voices from Both Sides
Koffa’s criticism has drawn pushback. Legal scholar Cllr. Kanio Bai Gbala, in an opinion piece, argued that citizen participation shares managed via the national oil company National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) are valid, saying:
“Claiming that citizens are excluded because NOCAL manages the share is misleading. The petroleum laws give flexibility for negotiation based on project risk.”
Meanwhile, opposition figure Jefferson Chesson called any defense of the deal a betrayal of national interests.
“Defending a US$1.2 million signature bonus by saying ‘we are poor’ shows a slave mentality,” he said. “Our unexplored resources are our leverage, not our weakness.”
Background on Koffa & the Oranto Record
Cllr. Koffa, a lawyer and seasoned politician, served as Speaker of the House in 2024 and currently represents Grand Kru County District #2.
His renewed stand against this oil deal comes amid a wave of concerns that Liberia’s extractive-industry agreements historically favour foreign investors at the expense of national benefit.
Atlas Oranto Petroleum has been linked to past controversies — including alleged license-flipping deals across Africa — which critics say raise questions about transparency, capability, and benefit to host states.
What Comes Next
With the contract now before the Legislature for ratification, key committees will evaluate the terms, capacity issues, and contract architecture. Koffa has threatened legal action should the deal proceed unchanged. He is calling for full publication of the agreement, independent due-diligence, and guarantee clarity before any vote. The decision ahead is more than a contract—it may signal whether Liberia is serious about recovering value from its natural resources. According to Koffa, the Legislature now holds the balance of responsibility: approve a flawed deal or demand stronger safeguards for the Liberian people.
