Arthur Eze Signs Again—Will Liberia Gain or Be Shortchanged One More Time?
- Michael T
- Sep 23, 2025
- 3 min read
Liberia’s freshly inked oil deal with Oranto Petroleum, signed in Paris and trumpeted by President Joseph Boakai as a new chapter for the country’s offshore hopes, draws sharp scrutiny against the backdrop of the company’s fraught legacy and the tangled currents of Liberian resource politics.
Key players in the deal—Joseph Boakai Jr., Walter McCarty, Jake Kabakole, and Dr. Christopher Neyor, along with influential actors from both the lower and upper house of the Legislature—have operated largely out of public view, fueling suspicions of backroom bargaining with Oranto’s Prince Arthur Eze. Powerful senators and representatives are alleged to have smoothed the legislative path, but the process remains dogged by serious concerns over secrecy, favoritism, and whether Liberia’s interests were truly protected.
Oranto Petroleum, fronted by Nigeria’s Prince Arthur Eze, has rarely strayed far from headlines in West Africa, and seldom for unalloyed successes. The company’s record in Liberia is especially contentious: In the late 2000s, Oranto acquired prime offshore blocks for a comparative pittance—reportedly just $200,000 apiece. What followed was a textbook case of asset flipping, with Oranto selling those stakes to major firms like Chevron for sums that reached $250 million, all while Liberian state coffers saw barely a trickle.
The stench of impropriety clung to those deals, not least because investigative reports and watchdogs outlined a pattern of cash payments, described as “lobbying fees” or outright bribes, flowing to Liberian lawmakers ahead of legislative ratification. The ensuing uproar tarnished NOCAL’s reputation and left many Liberians with a jaundiced view of foreign oil bidders and their local facilitators.
Flash forward to September 2025: Oranto resurfaces, now promising signature bonuses of $16 million and investments valued at $200 million per block. Yet, these headline numbers cannot obscure widespread skepticism over whether this iteration will genuinely reverse the country’s chronic pattern of resource dispossession.
Prince Arthur Eze’s own record is hardly a confidence booster. While feted in some circles as an African energy baron, his reputation for transactional quick-turn deals, murky negotiations, and alleged behind-the-scenes payments has led international organizations, including Global Witness and ProPublica, to sound repeated alarms. “Flipping” oil assets—locking up blocks through well-timed political ties, then selling them on to major multinationals—has created windfall profits for the few, with the public left to tally the losses.
Despite official pronouncements about “transparency, responsibility, and accountability,” practical mechanisms enforcing these ideals remain murky. National participation quotas, environmental protections, and local content requirements written into previous contracts were often skirted or ignored in execution.
For President Boakai and his ARREST Agenda, which hinges on resource-led growth, the Oranto contract is a high-wire act. The country’s disillusioned electorate will watch for signs of genuine benefit: direct local employment, infrastructure, transparent accounting, and tangible public revenue. Anything less will reinforce the narrative that Liberia’s oil is more valuable to foreign middlemen than to Liberians themselves.
While Oranto and its CEO may promise compliance and responsible stewardship, the history of fast deals, insider negotiations, and missed opportunities provides a sobering reality check. Until full details and independent oversight accompany government announcements, skepticism among Liberia’s citizens and its veteran industry watchers will remain not just justified but necessary.
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