Nigel Hughes not in conflict with ExxonMobil – Routledge

Last Updated on Tuesday, 9 July 2024, 17:42 by Writer

The President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge on Tuesday said well-known Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes and his law firm are not in a conflict of interest because he is now the leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) political party.

“We comply with all laws and regulations here and internationally and we don’t believe we have any conflict of interest, any issues,” he said when asked by Demerara Waves Online News after he addressed a brief ceremony at Guyana Shore Base Inc to showcase a capping stock that is on standby should there be an oil well blowout offshore.

Mr Hughes had come in for sharp criticism by the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) after he publicly stated that he would not affect the quality of his representation to ExxonMobil and other clients in the oil and gas sector.

The Attorney-at-Law, who has also not ruled out being the consensus opposition presidential candidate, had also said that if he wins the 2025 general and regional elections, he would only then give up all ties to his law firm, Hughes, Fields and Stoby (HFS), and government would establish the Petroleum Commission. Mr Hughes said law partner, Attorney-at-Law Andrew Pollard has been handling ExxonMobil’s portfolio for the past 20 years.

Between now and then, he said the AFC has set up a three-man internal committee on oil and gas with which he would have no ties. The members are party Chairman David Patterson, geological engineer Dr Vincent Adams and AFC executive member Professor Shamir Ally.

However, the PPP General Secretary had since questioned what leadership Mr Hughes would be providing if he excludes himself from decision-making at the party level in the oil and gas sector.