Granger’s Overture to Jagdeo should be Commended

Oct 10, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor,

John Updike’s fictional character, Colonel Hakim Felix Ellellou, notes that his country has been “engulfed by Gulf” and “Xed out by Exxon”. He speaks about the exploitation of his country’s oil: they make from your sacred blood slippery green bags in which they place their garbage … toys that break in their children’s hands, and hair curlers [for their] brides … [who] parade in supermarkets buying food wrapped in transparent petroleum and grown from fertilizers based upon your blood! Of your blood they make deodorants to mask their God-given body scents and wax for the matches to ignite their death-dealing cigarettes and more wax to shine their shoes while the people of Kush tread upon the burning sands barefoot!
And while he rages, ironically, he smells American cookies and begins to salivate.

This fictional character, like our lawyers, accountants and engineers who are negotiating on Guyana’s oil, is aware of Exxon’s tenacity to get their pie by whatever insidious means they need to employ. Knowing this, our negotiators need to be vigilant of their basic instinct when “cookies” are thrown their way. Our negotiators need to be in constant control of their collective reason and faculties when dealing with a powerful company that may use all the foibles of their counterparts to get what they want. Plainly speaking, the country has to be united in its negotiation with a company like Exxon.
President Granger sees the need for us to be united as a nation and has made an overture to the opposition leader, former President Jagdeo, who has not reciprocated in kind (Guyana Review October 3, 2018). President Granger, without malice, also pointed out that he, as Head of State, was not given the opportunity to be heard at a General Assembly. President Granger’s magnanimity should be noted because he has risen above partisan politics (or do I dare say racial politics) and is trying to engage with the opposition so that the many urgent needs in governance are addressed. Why the opposition would squander this opportunity raises the question of their priorities – is it personal?

Sincerely,

Stanley Niamatali

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