Divide and rule…and then conquer

Dec 25, 2019 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The political debate surrounding Guyana’s oil resources is self-destructive. It leads to a dead-end. That debate has been reduced to one about who should be allowed (or not allowed) to get their hands on the oil revenues.
The supporters of the PNCR do not wish to see the PPPC get their hands on the oil. The supporters of the PPPC do not wish the PNCR to get their hands on the oil. And so the narrative of the 2020 elections has already been framed – it is about who should get their hands on the oil.
The oil companies understand this narrative. They are cunning. They have dealt with foreign governments before, and they understand that in any country where there are two major political blocs, there will be this rivalry to control the oil revenues.
The oil companies know just how to manipulate this competition. Do you really feel that it was just a coincidence that just days before the 2015 general and regional elections, Exxon announced its oil find? This announcement galvanised both of the rival political camps. As a result, the elections were the closest-ever in the country’s history.
Do you think it is a coincidence the start of oil production was announced on the day prior to the 1st anniversary of the no-confidence motion, and weeks away from the start of an election campaign? Do you think it is a coincidence that days after the start of oil production a 15th oil well was also announced?
The stakes for the 2020 elections have been increased. And this is what the oil companies want. They are using a typical colonial strategy of divide and rule. While the two rivals are busy arguing about who was responsible for bringing oil to Guyana, and who can better manage the industry, the oil companies are having things their way. Divide and rule and then conquer. That is the tactic which is being deployed in Guyana.
Guyana has to be careful about this form of entrapment. They have to be cautious about not being led into fighting over who should get their hands on oil revenues.
Guyanese know they are being ripped-off by the oil companies. A recent opinion poll was conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA). 88% of those polled felt that the oil agreements should be renegotiated.
NACTA has a credible track-record of polling in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. The polling group accurately predicted the outcome of elections in Guyana and the twin-island Republic using opinion polls. Its prediction for the recent local government elections in Trinidad and Tobago were within the range predicted.
When the group therefore says that almost 90% of Guyanese feel that the oil deal should be renegotiated, the government should take note. It shows that the people are reading Kaieteur News.

Guyanese are being shortchanged by the oil companies. But instead of Guyanese banding together to help ensure that the country gets a better deal, Guyanese have retreated into their respective political camps. They are hotly debating who should get their hands on the oil.
The real debate should be about how much oil should be in our hands. Right now Guyana is obtaining a mere 14.5% of the oil which is being produced. Two percent of that is royalty, and then 12.5% is Guyana’s share of oil after production expenses have been deducted. Exxon and her partners are sitting pretty on rights to billons of barrels of our oil. And all Guyana could have asked Exxon for is US$18M as a signing bonus.
The biggest insult of all was when a Trust Fund linked to Exxon donated US$10M to Conservation International to do work in Guyana. Conservation got US$10M and Guyana got US$18M.
Guyana placed itself in this ignominious position. It was Guyana who negotiated the signing bonus, and the principal consideration was not to obtain a fair return for a wasting asset – which is what a signing bonus is all about. Guyana’s principal objective was to find money to pay the lawyers who are handling Guyana’s case before the International Court of Justice.
The oil companies have us where they want us. They know that the more we fight over who should get their hands on oil, the less time there is to debate how much oil we should have in our hands.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

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