Speaking yesterday at the first meeting of the new National Oil Corporation (NOC) board of directors headed by Farhat Bengdara at the NOC’s Tripoli headquarters, incumbent caretaker Prime Minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba said changing the board was not a political deal with external states.
Sanalla and his board were appointed illegally
Clarifying, Aldabaiba said the previous board chaired by Mustafa Sanalla was assigned in 2013 by an Undersecretary of state and was not procedurally legal. The current Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun has regularly requested that the NOC board be reformed, reconstituted, or even legalised. We have been thinking about this for a year and I took the decision to reform the NOC board. It has raised many questions.
I consulted widely on the deal
‘‘I want to say today that this decision was not a political deal, and it won’t be a political deal. The decision came based on an agreement between the parties all over Libya. when we thought about changing the NOC board, we consulted all the parties in the political and practical arenas, and especially in the oilfields. Agreement was reached on this (new) board in full harmony.’’
There was no external interference in the agreement
Responding to outgoing NOC chairman Sanalla that he was removed in a political deal struck with the UAE, Aldabaiba said ‘‘no country interfered in this decision as it is rumoured. There was no coercion or actions or anything. This is a slanderous lie and insult to the (new) board and its chairman. I have known the chairman for years and I am confident in his and the board’s patriotism. They cannot be accused of being put in place by certain states or external parties. What has cost this nation is these lies and slanders.’’
Bengdara is a trustworthy person
‘‘I am honoured that I know them from the past headed by chairman Farhat bengdara. I trust his patriotism and his ability to manage the NOC. In the past he was the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, managed some companies and he was in charge of one of the largest investment portfolios, the Internal Investment Portfolio (Libya Internal Investment and Development fund). All Libyans know him and know his trustworthiness.
Meddlers should go away
I say to the meddlers to go away from the board and this man. At the end, the truth is what remains and those that leave a positive effect and always remain patriotic and positive.
An agreement to reopen oil production and exports
The board was agreed upon by several parties and this is an agreement and not a deal. In return for this agreement, we requested the reopening of oil production and exports. Cryptically, he said ‘‘We need to open it for reasons that are sometimes known and sometimes unknown. Today the oilfields opened and exports started and this is a positive thing all states welcomed this. Electricity will now return
If some institutions and individuals fell as a result of this deal, there is nothing I can do to them. The project’s (to reopen oil production and exports) intention is really to serve the Libyans and their services, electricity and their food.
Today, the oil (price) is (US$) 110, 120 and it reached even 130 (per barrel) and our oil (production) was still closed. This forced us to think deeply about resuming this vital matter for Libya.
Beware Facebook rumours!
Facebook leads to believe that this was an international project (conspiracy) and will lead to the downfall of other institutions. I tell you in all honesty we want to start electricity production, so we agreed on a new (NOC) management for the reopening of oil (production/export) and electricity. And that is the story. This is its beginning and its end
Libyans should not listen to the news that it involves a political deal. We said from the beginning that politics and political deals are through elections. It is not possible that we will fabricate over the libyan people’’.
Libya’s oil blockade lifted 24 hours after Sanalla’s removal (libyaherald.com)
Bengdara installed into NOC Tripoli headquarters as new chairman (libyaherald.com)
Defiant Sanalla refuses to handover NOC chairmanship (libyaherald.com)
NOC lifts force majeure at Brega and Zueitina oil ports (libyaherald.com)
Aldabaiba agrees to replace Sanalla as head of NOC: News and analysis (libyaherald.com)
Aldabaiba’s Aoun-Sanalla crisis summit: Kiss and make up or slap on the wrist? (libyaherald.com)
