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Show us the money
It is all about the money, and that is what three captions on our Monday’s Front Page emphasized. We are serious about the money, and we will continue to blow that trumpet and beat that drum until we get Exxon to come to its senses and give us more. Because there is this unerring truth that must be faced: the totality of our non-replaceable proven and unproven oil reserves is about money, as in how much money we can get from these rich holdings. We must maximize oil revenues and minimize related oil cost at every opportunity, to get the best from what comes to us.
First, we insisted that the government focus on the big money, the real money from our oil (“When will we get some sense?”). The government of today must cease concentrating on those areas that are about chickenfeed cash issues (elections hijinks accounted for using taxpayers’ dollars), while the grand prizes in our oil sweepstakes evade us and leave us poorer and angrier. Among those grand prizes are getting a better deal by pressuring Exxon relentlessly to renegotiate the more controversial and highly unsatisfactory components of that impoverishing oil contract. That is what must occupy the leaders in our current government, it must become what drives them night and day. Money talks, and regarding that all Guyanese are listening most keenly, constantly.
The second caption from Monday’ edition spoke more to the language that we understand “Exxon has to comply with fines imposed by EPA – Vice Pres Jagdeo. We want to hear more of this kind of talk, and we will push this government to deliver more of it. Whether the money has to do with less legal and auditing costs, the position must be the lesser, the better, with costs close to zero best of all.
And third, there was the Vice President again with this warning, “Jail time for people who keep oil money a secret -What happened with Exxon signing bonus should never happen again – Jagdeo.” To get to the heart of that specific piece of oil associated detail, our interest is for transparency at every turn, absolutely no secrecy on these things and, as always, working tirelessly towards a fairer deal. The more money Guyana gets from its oil assets, the more it can do to deliver on visions, the more it is that can be shared with citizens, whose expectations are sky high. When there is transparency of the clearest kind, then citizens know what is received and when; and the onus is all on government to do its part by handling the money honestly and delivering on its many promises.
On every count that there could be regarding our oil money, we agree completely, and watch for the government to do more, press more, and get more. We will support it when it does the right thing by our oil. We commit to calling it out and holding its feet to the fire when it goes in any other direction.
For us to get the best from our oil, all hands must be on deck and involved. We cannot afford a large part of Guyana looking over its shoulder at what went on during the elections. We must work together, so that everyone could be better. When we put our heads together, we stand a better chance of pushing Exxon to the table and to give us something more acceptable and more meaningful for all Guyanese. The money must come, whether in fines levied, terms revised, or concessions finalized.
We must get down and get to it. With strength and singlemindedness of purpose, by not allowing ourselves to be sidetracked or settling for the usual peanuts and chickenfeed. There are riches to be harvested from our oil wealth. We simply have to have the will to stay the course and run through walls to get our way, for what we want. Exxon will not yield without a fight or resort to cunning us. But if it must be forced to do so, then so be it. All Guyana must be ready. This is war, which can be waged by any number of means. Let us gird tightly our belly bands.
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