THE National Coordinating Coalition Inc. (NCC) has distanced itself from the Global Witness [GW] report on Guyana’s oil contract with ExxonMobil, stating that no representative of its over 30-civil-society-member organisations had been contacted for the company’s investigation.

“Considering the impact such a report can have on our citizens, particularly in the light of the upcoming elections, GW in their concern for the interest of the Guyanese people must be keenly aware of the effects such a report can have,” the NCC said in a release on Wednesday.

“NCC therefore wish to state emphatically that neither this organisation nor any representative of our 30+ civil society member organisations was contacted by GW in the compilation of their ‘objective’ report.”

The NCC also stated that it took note of the fact that GW indicated in its report the need for processes which involve meaningful and transparent engagement with civil society. It stated that the NCC is therefore taking the opportunity to express its intent as the voice of its own constituents as Guyana moves forward in the petroleum sector.

The Coordinating Coalition explained: “The NCC and its members have a long history of bridging the society’s ethnic and political divides and of working successfully and collaboratively with governments, past and present, on urgent socio-economic issues regardless of ethnicities, religion and political affiliation of the peoples we serve. We are cognisant of our limitations due to inadequate resources, and those we serve are equally limited, or have little or no capabilities to voice their concerns. This challenge allows those with the resources to shape a biased narrative, while claiming to be the representative voice of civil society.”

The NCC also stated that it will build on past successes and lessons learned and remains fully capable of engaging meaningfully with government and private sector jointly on matters related to the management of Guyana’s oil resources.