Latest update June 1st, 2026 12:37 AM
Jun 15, 2018 ExxonMobil, News
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.”
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Your children are starving, and you giving away their food to an already fat pussycat.
Jun 01, 2026
Kaieteur Sports – West Ruimveldt Primary, a consistent face in the Future Warriors Tapeball for Primary Schools tournament, powered by ExxonMobil Guyana, overcame their final-round jitters from...Jun 01, 2026
(Kaieteur News) – There are a great many children each day who are not attending school. When some are asked why they are not at school, they lie by claiming that their parents do not have money to send them to school. The blame is rightly placed on the parents, but for the wrong reasons. It...May 31, 2026
By Sir Ronald Sanders (Kaieteur News) – Signed on 15th May, 2026 and released on 25th May, 2026, Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, marks a significant moment in the long reckoning with slavery. It contains the clearest papal acknowledgment to date of the Holy See’s role...Jun 01, 2026
Hard Truths by GHK Lall (Kaieteur News) – First, it was a sacred emblem, the National Flag during the Diamond Jubilee Independence celebrations, which showed its opposition to being pushed around and treated like a yoyo. From there things went from a national embarrassment to a national...Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: glennlall2000@gmail.com / kaieteurnews@yahoo.com