Dear Editor,
I am a simple man in its original sense but certainly not a stupid person and following this prelude I will ask the State two questions towards the end of this letter.
As a prelude, Dr. Jagan talked about the need for us to take control of the “commanding heights” of the economy. With a similar and equal patriotism, Burnham asserverated the idea of ownership and control of our natural resources.
In an address, one day Forbes Burnham vowed that the descendants of slaves and indentured laborers should never cede control of our God-given natural resources to neither of our erstwhile masters nor anyone else.
I recalled that when prices had gone up with just about everything else, Burnham kept the price of sugar at two pounds for thirteen cents. To the young, this is not a typographical mistake, two pounds for thirteen cents. Because we felt this was some compensation to those who worked on the sugar plantations with nothing and later, little for years.
But due to an unscrupulous group of citizens making fantastic sums by trading our sugar across our borders for high prices and of course, a near rebellion by the management of Guysuco, Burnham was forced to allow the price of locally produced sugar to level off.
Earlier, exchange in the US dollar was 4-1 , and increased because Guyana was not earning much foreign exchange from its main exports then, bauxite, gold, timber, marine, rice etc.
When OPEC tripled the price of oil, it was a telling blow to all non-oil producing countries, such as Guyana. For example, as a hypothetical case, we earlier could sell six tons of sugar to buy a barrel of oil, we then had to sell 18 to 20 tons of our sugar to buy a barrel of oil.
Dear Editor, I ask to obtain from the appropriate authorities a clear and truthful answer.
Guyana is now producing thousands and thousands of barrels of oil per day and we are now in the big league. Both the oil giants operating here and our President and Vice President Jagdeo boast that we are the fastest growing economy in the world. Globally oil, gas, gold, manganese etc. are traded either in US dollars, Pounds, Sterling, Canadian dollars or EC dollars. Therefore, why the exchange for US dollars today is two hundred and eight dollars to one. For me this is an absurdity for an oil producing country. This is the question of a simple man.
Next question, OPEC was established in the 1960s for the sole purpose of oil producing nations being a bulwark, being a sentinel against the big oil giants in the world. Therefore, why Guyana has not indicated or open the question for public debate why Guyana has not considered joining OPEC.
These questions, if answered will speak to the philosophical issue of whether we own oil, gas, gold, manganese, bauxite etc. and whether as predicated by those of us, who sought and fought for Independence have even a modicum of control. I hate to think that the struggle for Independence and the end to imperialist exploitation exists.
A few days ago, His Majesty King Charles III of Great Britain paid a State visit to Kenya. His address to the Kenyans was carefully worded but fell short of an apology by the British for the role they played in Kenya.
Our young people from primary to tertiary level must be taught to examine these speeches carefully and equip themselves to deal with certain beliefs that existed centuries ago and still exist.
The Late Queen Elizabeth was on holiday in Kenya, when her father King George VI died in early 1952. Later that same year, the demand for self-governance manifested itself in violent clashes between the native population and the British imperial establishment. The leader of the native uprising was Jomo Kenyatta, also known as Burning Spear and leader of what was known as the Mau Mau uprising. The western media referred to the Mau Mau as terrorists.
As young activists, we were told that these people were Freedom fighters and should not be referred to as terrorists. Those who stood on the side of the British, we referred to them in uncomplimentary terms as the loyal kikuyus.
I mentioned this recent visit by His Majesty, the King to send a strong message to the young people of Guyana that history is a powerful source of education and we must learn from it. I say beware today of the loyal kikuyus who line up behind those with imperialist designs and a belief that ordinary Guyanese and their God-given resources are theirs to be exploited, primarily for their benefit and not for the benefit of ordinary folks. I beg you to be wary of the loyal kikuyus, similar mentality to the house slave.
Dear Editor, when answers are obtained to my two questions above, I will go further into this matter of who should control the use and disposition of our natural resources.
Yours truly,
Hamilton Green
Elder
