By Dr. Vincent Adams- Christopher Ram’s survey indicating an overwhelming 94% of the people wanting renegotiations of the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), and the daily commentaries that followed, have put the Government in a state of utter confusion and madness undermining arguably the most consequential issue facing our nation. By its deeds, this Government has brandished its inbred authoritarian instincts abrogating its solemn duty to the people to represent and respect the voices and will of the majority.
They have failed us badly and not fit to continue ruling a democracy; but what else could one expect from those who have reveled in a lifelong reverence to the Marxist/Leninist ideology as its guiding principle, and went so far as to expel Khemraj Ramjattan from the party for his advocacy to remove such an ideology from their constitution. A tiger cannot change its stripes, so, we will not be fooled when we see for ourselves, the misery of over 50% of our people living in dire poverty on less than $5 USD per day, while the Government breeds its oligarchy of friends, families and cronies.
Fortunately, Ram’s survey has flared up what 2nd VP Jagdeo thought he had doused with his diversionary scheme pointing to the new oil blocks’ PSAs as satisfying his pre-2020 election avowals to renegotiate the Stabroek Block PSA, when he fully well knows that the two PSAs have no connection whatsoever; but gladly, no one takes him seriously anymore, for the whole nation and beyond know that this man’s character is rooted in lies, manipulation, deviousness and propagandizing.
This renewed pressure tied to the renegotiations/referendum must be sustained and not let Jagdeo and Attorney General Nandlall (AG) off the hook with their cunning aim to distract from the one and only question to which the people deserve an immediate answer – Per the PSA, why hasn’t the Government done its job representing the people by taking the first step requiring them to write Exxon requesting renegotiations?
The VP would wish we forget his foaming at the mouth while donning his red shirt battle gear, barking that “they sold us out to the foreigners…sold out our patrimony…our people should be sad every time there is an oil find out there because nothing is coming our way and we are going to renegotiate that contract”. Though his raging is on video for all to see, this man can’t help his bred-in-the-bone narcissism as he so confidently lies that he never said such a thing; and that the PPPC manifesto says that they will not renegotiate, when it plainly says the opposite that they will renegotiate. Fortunately, we have eyes to see, ears to hear, and brains to think, to know that his cowardly fat talk is all bark and no bite when it comes to his bossman Routledge who controls his every move.
Upon taking office, he and cohort Nandlall suddenly became inseminated with religion about “sanctity of contract” and “rule of law” to bamboozle and cover-up their protection of Exxon while leaving Guyana defenseless and to God’s mercy. Maybe an investigation is warranted to find out what brought about such a monumental Judas-like change of heart after the elections. Nevertheless, despite their deluded belief that Guyanese are fools, all are very much aware of the “sanctity” of Clause 32.1 of the PSA enshrining that changes cannot be made without “consent” of Exxon.
The learned AG and the Honourary Doctor should at least possess the faculty to grasp that in order to have “consent” from Exxon, Guyana has to first seek that “consent”. In other words, to educate the gentlemen, “consent” cannot be given by Exxon without a request for that “consent” from the Government. Therefore, to repeat, the question demanding an answer, is, why has this request for “consent” not made to Exxon after over four full years in office? Instead, the Government prefers to engage in deceptions, lies and betrayal of our people in habitually going to bat for Exxon against us. In stark contrast, all of the Opposition parties, APNU, AFC and WPA are on record giving their full-throated commitment to renegotiations.
Just like in the past when he fiercely battled in court on Exxon’s side, to overturn the Coalition’s requirement for an Exxon guarantee to cover all costs from an oil spill that could bankrupt Guyana and the Caribbean without the guarantee, Nandlall carries on as Exxon’s mouthpiece publicly voicing that “regardless of a referendum Exxon has to consent to change oil deal”. Is Nandlall so daft that he cannot fathom he has to request consent before it could be given? Or is he just tekkin his eyes pass people believing that we are so dumb not to figure out his submissiveness to Exxon against his people?
As for his “rule of law” contrivance, doesn’t the AG know that under his watch, for the 2023 Rule of Law Ranking by the World Justice Project, Guyana was ranked 76th out of 142 countries with a score of 50 out of 100? Does this man bear no shame with an F– score of 50 out of 100! As if that’s not bad enough, the AG ignorantly mouths off his nonsense berating APNU/AFC for what he impresses to be the biggest sin ever in the APNU/AFC writing of the “Stability“ Clause in the 2016 PSA requiring that Exxon be compensated for any negative impacts caused by new laws, regulations, etc.
The fact is that except for more wording in the 2016 PSA, the PPPC’s 1999 PSA enshrines the very same Clause with the very same meaning. I have previously written about this learned Attorney’s demonstrated vacuousness and practice to deceive and kerfuffle the Guyanese people whom he thinks are fools and not paying attention, hence, engages in his crackpot verbiages, so much so, that Attorney Melinda Janki had to take him to school on the PSA of which he has embarrassingly proven over and over again to be unknowledgeable. Addedly, it can’t get any worse for Nandlall when Jagdeo of all people, as insincere as it was, had to publicly scold and cut him down to size telling the public that Nandlall’s thoughts are not sensible enough to be a reflection of the party. I daresay that any self-assured professional would have taken a hint and resign!
Not to be outdone with this idiocy, Jagdeo yakked that the referendum would be “too complex” to handle, insultingly judging the intelligence of GECOM and the Guyanese people by his level of intellect. Except for the Honorary Doctor, what could be so “complex” to any breathing human being about a question asking “Should the Government renegotiate the 2016 Stabroek Block Petroleum Agreement?” As if that’s not enough disrespect for our intelligence, in vintage Jagdeo foxiness, he laughably promises to hold the referendum after the elections.
Most distressingly, as evidenced by the innumerable chronicling from the myriad of highly credible professionals and organizations, nationally and internationally, this particular backstabbing of our people via submissiveness to Exxon by these chaps, is not an aberration, but rather now appears to be an unwritten policy openly executed for the past four years; and we must not fall for Jagdeo’s latest fakery that he is getting tough on Exxon by giving the impression that there is doubt about approving Exxon’s 7th project. If anyone even slightly believes that, I have the Demerara bridge to sell them.
To reiterate, I beg the media and others to not be trapped by the slick distractions; but rather, hold their feet to the fire on the one and only question needing an immediate answer – Per the PSA, why hasn’t the Government taken the first step requiring writing Exxon requesting renegotiations?
