Is we own. It belongs to us

Oct 10, 2017 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Guyanese do not need a fortune teller to read their minds. Exxon Mobil most not arrogate to itself, the role of peering into the minds of Guyanese and to tell us that what we need are jobs. This is an imperialist attitude.
A foreign investor comes into our country and decides what is good for us and what we want. The days for such thinking are long gone. Guyana is no longer a colony or an imperial subordinate. Guyana is an independent state.
The resources of Guyana belong to the people of this country. The oil that Exxon Mobil claims that it has found is not their oil, it is our oil. Is we own. It belongs to us.
There has to be a change in the mindset of Guyanese when dealing with this company. Exxon Mobil must not come here and say what it feels that Guyanese want. Exxon Mobil is an investor into Guyana’s oil and gas sector. It does not own this sector.
In fact, whatever monies it is investing is going to be charged against Guyana. In other words, whatever Exxon is spending is going to be reimbursed under the deal which they have signed with the government of Guyana.
It is therefore for Guyana to tell Exxon what we want; not for them to state what they want. We are going to pay them for whatever funds they sink into the exploration and production processes. Guyana therefore needs to assert itself in its discussions with Exxon Mobil.
It is not as if them walking away is going to leave Guyana any worse off. They cannot take the oil with them. It is our oil and they know this. But Guyanese for some strange reason are behaving as if they have to kiss Exxon’s rear end. They do not have to. If Exxon walks, somebody else is going to come here and drill for the oil, and that may be better, because right now Guyanese are not sure whether the government has sold out the interests of the country to Exxon.
All manner of dodging is taking place over this oil contract with Exxon. What possible explanation can be justified for not making public the oil deal?
This is an area in which a change in mindset is also needed. The government does not own this oil. They are agents of the people. The people have to be consulted and told about the deal. The terms of the deal cannot be kept from the people, because the government does not own this oil. They are acting on your and my behalf when dealing with Exxon, and since Exxon has no problem with the terms of the deal being made public, there cannot be any impediment to the terms of contract being made public.
Guyanese must therefore demand that the deal be made public. The problem with Guyanese is that they believe that merely stating their demands is enough. The people have to lawfully and peacefully agitate for what they want. If Guyanese sit back and do nothing, the government will not have any compulsion in making the deal public.
It was public pressure by citizens engaged in peaceful and orderly protests which led to the suspension of the parking meter contracts. It was public pressure, through action, which led to the terms of that contract being revealed.
The same people who came out against the parking meter contract should come out against the secrecy with this oil deal. Something is not right. Something is smelling stink about this deal and the source of the rankness should be made public.
Has Guyana been sold out? Has the oil been given away for chicken feed? Guyanese are entitled to know the answers to these questions, but if they continue to believe that they will get those answers without peaceful public agitation, they are wrong. No good has ever come to this country without effort.
Exxon Mobil has place centrespread advertisements trying to lull Guyanese into believing that jobs are going to be created for them through oil and gas. The bottom line is that Exxon Mobil themselves have warned against high expectations in terms of jobs in the sector.
And let me end by saying something that Guyanese may not want to believe, but which is a reality of the business world. If tomorrow, Venezuela patches up its differences with Exxon, that company is likely to drop Guyana like a hot cake.

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2 thoughts on “Is we own. It belongs to us”

Juan Allicock October 10, 2017 at 10:30 am

The alternative is to let the resource stay where it is or the government put some skin in the game by ponyinp up a couple hundred million to cover exploratio and recovery cost.
Pam October 10, 2017 at 2:46 pm

So true!

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