Dear Editor,
This may sound hilarious but as a child growing up, I remember my grandmother telling me that some fishes die in water because of thirst. How was this possible? I asked her. Her response was simple: the bigger fishes always hinder the smaller fishes from drinking water- eventually, the smaller fishes die of thirst. This is common in African and now Guyana waters. The world Bank estimates 35% of Guyanese to be living below the poverty line. Even without oil, Guyanese are supposed to be filthy rich people especially after the end of the cold war in 1991. However, while the ‘small fishes’ are thirsting and some protesting for risk allowances, the bigger ones, like their previous identical have signed away Payara. But again, poor people are easy to rule. They are easily manipulated and distracted. The distraction in Guyana has been about race.
Will oil quench our thirsty? I doubt. A poor and divided nation is easy to exploit. In the name of democracy and human rights, powerful capitals will always find excuses to continue to manipulate and divide us. In such circumstances, statesmen and visionaries rise beyond petty politics and embrace dialogue for the nation’s sake.
Regards
Joseph Wangija
