Forcing the politicians to bite the bullet!
I have already stated in several letters in the media and public pronouncements about my faith in ExxonMobil and large oil companies trekking to Guyana.
ExxonMobil, as I have previously stated, is one of the largest, if not the largest, oil and gas companies in the world. However, when we read things like, “ExxonMobil Projects in Papua New Guinea, is an economic parasite,” and statements about, “the disappointments and letdowns to nations and countries by oil and gas companies in Australia, Ghana, Nigeria and other African Nations,” it is something that scares me and other like-minded Guyanese about our chances of development and for our people’s upliftment.
I had already asked, in one of my many writings to the media, “Guyana presents ExxonMobil with a gem of an opportunity to erase its negative image,” published in the February 4th, 2018 edition of the Kaieteur News, where I reiterated that ExxonMobil should make Guyana an example of perfection in oil and gas administration and management. Simply because we are new and fresh in oil and gas! And, where we, the citizens of the host country or owners of the resource are given fair due, so that we can have a good life — one in which our people’s education and standard of living could be propelled to such a state that ExxonMobil itself would have its reputation repaired or corrected.
What boggles my mind is the fact that a country like Guyana, which is in a state of poverty, is constantly regressing more and more into poverty. Instead of prospering with all of our enormous resources in gold, diamond, bauxite, manganese, freshwater, sugar, rice and other agriculture — we keep on regressing instead of progressing. Guyanese, even without oil, should have already been enjoying one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean — the people in Trinidad told me this, decades ago.
In Guyana, we are so fortunate that Liza Phase 1 will alone produce more than what a hundred and twenty five wells produced in Trinidad and Tobago per day. Our returns should be more because we have sweet, light crude, compared to Venezuela, Trinidad and other countries. In many cases, where this corruption and disappointment with oil and gas is a concern in the Caribbean, South America and Africa, it is also due to poor governance and dishonest politicians. It is already highly suspect that we were sold out in Texas by a Minister of Government, who is also a lawyer, having failed to read the document properly before signing (he publically admitted so). And in my opinion, the government should have sent someone from the opposition’s legal fraternity to work along with the government’s legal fraternity to ensure that we are not given the big stick.
I always wondered why rich countries and rich corporations of said countries always try to eke the juice out of poor countries. And, then make it look like they are giving you little pieces of gifts or some aid for development, as if they are doing so much. Do not get me wrong, I appreciate those aids, but why is it that these big countries and major corporations do not want us to have a good life? They do want us to prosper but want to keep us at the periphery of failure. Many times they are involved in clandestine political activities, even at times causing disruptions in society, like penetrating certain personalities and causing riots and havoc in certain societies.
Anyway, I am asking the government of Guyana to study what Saudi Arabia is doing! To study, very deeply, what Saddam Hussein was doing in Iraq! To study, intensely, what Gaddafi was doing! Also, what Kuwait is doing! And, most of all, what Norway is doing! Norway — where the citizens standard of living is so high and where the oil and gas resources are so well managed.
It appears to me that some persons in the political dimensions of our country, opposition and government, are more bent on wanting to control the resources as though it is their personal property and not that of the peoples. I am highly suspect of politicians. I do not have much faith in politicians after what I have seen over the last 50 years. But as a patriot, I will work with any politician in government or out of government for a better, prosperous and great Guyana. This is why I keep on insisting that we need the opposition and government to sit on boards so that the government has a free watchdog, so to say, to ensure that its people are well supervised. And, this should be made an aspect of law, that even if the current government should lose power, in opposition, they must be given some authority to sit on these boards to ensure that these manipulations and thieveries from which oil and gas are known around the world in some countries, will not happen here.
So, I call upon the government and opposition to wake up and smell the coffee. Take a deep hard breath of that powerful, strong, black coffee and think Guyana first.
I will let this rest for now, but I had the intention of starting a movement to boycott this election by telling the people to stay at home so that we can see the power with the intent to force the Government and the Opposition, to work as one team for Guyana, but I will let this rest for now and see what happens in the next five years, hopefully, if I am still around.
Politically, I may make my mark in this manner, fighting and insisting (not for me to become a politician) but forcing the politicians to come together and bite the bullet!
