Latest update December 19th, 2024 3:22 AM
“It turns my stomach to hear Trotman quote scriptures and praise ExxonMobil as a saviour”- Jagdeo
Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo
By Abena Rockcliffe-Campbell
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo cannot stand to hear government ministers, particularly Raphael Trotman, sing praises to oil giant, ExxonMobil. It turns his stomach.
At least this is what he told the Press yesterday.
Jagdeo was at the time responding to a question posed by Kaieteur News.
Jagdeo was notably absent from recent oil and gas fora. In fact, this Tuesday saw the official launch of Liza Phase One Development and ExxonMobil held a cocktail reception at Cara Lodge. Jagdeo did not attend.
It was after he was asked whether he refused to attend the event to make a statement or if it were a case where he was not invited, Jagdeo revealed that it brings him great physical discomfort to have to listen to certain ministers speak in the manner they do.
Jagdeo said, “I cannot handle the platitude and the small talk sometimes.”
“I do not want to disparage activities…but I cannot listen to Trotman quote the scriptures. With all the illegalities he has presided over, he still quotes the scriptures extensively. It turns my stomach to have to go through that sort of thing.”
Jagdeo went on, “I am glad I did not have to be there and listen to Trotman praise Exxon like our saviour.”
The politician said that it would be misguiding for Guyanese to look at any external company as a saviour.
He was adamant, “We have to be our own saviour. The people of this country, we are our own saviour, but we can also destroy our country. We have a common future.”
Jagdeo said that people and companies who venture to Guyana in search of our natural resources should be the least to be regarded as saviour.
He said, “We welcome them but they have a motive to make money. That is not bad but we have to determine where our country is going and I am not in favour of treating anybody who comes here as our saviour and let’s go down on our knees and be beholden to them simply because they spent a little money in our economy. Our ancestors fought hard to come out of slavery and indentureship and we became independent…I cringe, literally, when I see people, who are supposed to represent us, say these things. It makes the others laugh at us. There is no end to the sycophancy that goes on.”
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