Guyanese, meet your newest partner…

Dec 28, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

They are alleged to have bribed officials and technicians on the rigs to steal billions of barrels of oil from Nigeria. They reportedly did it for many years undetected – all it takes is the cooperation of a few people on the rig to allow an extra 20,000 barrels to be pumped into the tanker holds without notice. The wells are always pumping oil into the tanks; a few thousand barrels were never missed when monthly production runs into millions.
It took international cooperation to expose this; the discrepancies between what they took from Nigerian wells and what they declared at US ports made for compelling evidence of theft. They are being sued in London and are facing criminal prosecution in Milan and Amsterdam.
Guyanese, meet your newest partner, Shell Western Supply & Trading Ltd., handpicked after face-to-face meetings.
As Guyanese focused on the Christmas festivities, Retired Brigadier David Granger led an ambush on the nation’s psyche and resources. Ever since Bloomberg confirmed suspicions of unusual approaches made to select international oil companies, there was an outcry by anti-corruption, Pro-transparency persons, groups, and media outlets.
At 10.30 PM, Friday the 20th, David Granger announced that oil was flowing from the Liza 1 well-head and Guyana was an oil-producing country; Granger then decreed the 20th would henceforth be known as “National Petroleum Day”. It must be good to be the King; I know it’s terrible to be a ‘subject’.
The government informed the ‘subjects’ who were chosen to sell Three-Million plus Barrels of oil on our behalf on the 23rd, all the chastising, good advice and dire warnings were ignored, and a known bad actor was engaged as our partner.
The Christmas ambush did not end there, before the end of the day we learned of a Compulsory acquisition order for over one-hundred and twenty-three acres, ostensibly, to facilitate the erection of a high-span bridge over the Demerara River; no plan of the area to be utilized accompanied the order; no feasibility study was quoted, for none has been completed with regards to a high-span bridge.
I can only presume the Gods of Gazettes and Acreage have again been at war with the Printer’s devil and have transformed twelve and three tenths (12.3) acres into an area well beyond what would ever possibly be required by way of errant decimal point. However, this is APNU/AFC and there may be imaginary shopping malls at both ends of the bridge or even a small airport complete with roundabouts and runways designed by the APNU Ministry of Magic.
Our day was not yet done, we had a tragi-comical statement from the Head of the Department of Energy, Dr. Bynoe, who provided information that loans made to Guyana are not subject to our laws, but are in fact, available for use as the lender saw fit.
I can understand this being the case with a grant that would not have to be repaid by our hard work and taxes, but a loan? I would advise Dr. Bynoe to seek legal counsel tout suite.
Editor, given the illogical moves to sell our share of profit oil not to the highest bidder, but to someone who will refine it, tell us how great it is and even sell it at their gas stations, I fully expect to see David Granger cutting a ribbon on a gas pump in Hoboken New Jersey early February, as the ‘first gallon’ of Liza grade gasoline hits the world market.
Elections are on the 2nd of March; let us vote to see the back of Granger and Shell Western. No more rule by decree. Long live the Republic.
Respectfully
Robin Singh

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