Guyana surrenders almost US$10B

Nov 07, 2021 Editorial

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Kaieteur News – No country can be so unconcerned, as to stand aside quietly and resignedly, and allow US$9.5 billion in unaudited bills be paid just like that. No leader worthy of any respectable stature can be so limited, so obtuse, so asinine, as to preside over such a multi-billion-dollar giveaway, and in American dollars, too. But this is what Guyana just did, what its Vice President for Oil presented in groping, uneasy fashion to the citizens of this poor and needy country. When developments like these come to light, it conforms that Guyana is not a country, it is a joke, maybe one of the biggest there ever was. And, if there are any doubts about that, simply look at the quality of political leaders that we have had, and have even more plentifully today.
Astute businesspeople fight tooth and nail, spend endless amounts of time and energy, sometimes go to heavy expense, to cut their costs, and save a dollar. When they gain a well-earned reputation for such financial wisdom and personal strength, others hesitate, actually fear, to mess with them, through either pulling fast ones, or daring to get to the better of them. But this is exactly what Exxon has done before, and could be doing again.
Think of this: NINE AND A HALF BILLION AMERICAN DOLLARS PROVIDE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AND ROOM TO PAD THE UNDERLYING BILLS. Exxon, a global multinational oil power of a century standing, did not hesitate to do just that before, when it smartly covered up over US$90 million in prior expenses. This is how sleazy and tricky the operators at Exxon are, and which they have demonstrated globally, when they are dealing with coloured and non-white people. This is how the descendants of the old American slave masters today enslave Guyanese for our oil.
Exxon was so barbaric that it gave us a paltry two percent and a measly US$18 million and a lousy 50/50 deal for the rich oil beneath our seabed. All the rest these greedy and uncivilised barbarians grabbed, with our leaders helping them. The profanities of the foreign vandals commenced with the PPP late in the last decade of the last century, continued with the APNU+AFC Coalition for five years, and now flourishes even more incredibly under this current PPP/C Government.
This is what Guyana’s self-appointed Oil Czar, Vice President, Bharrat (Dr. Billion-dollar Santa) Jagdeo presided over before, and comes today with this utter foolishness about lack of local content capacity and capability. He just insulted a slew of accounting and auditing professionals, who have possibly centuries in combined experience in their fields. But insult aside, the PPP/C did not even make an effort to aggressively go after those who could have worked alongside Guyanese auditors, to get through some of that US$9.5 billion in expenses submitted by Exxon.
The Vice President is all energy and speed with shady arrangements for dubious projects, such as the resurrected Amaila Falls Hydro and the secretive Wales Gas-to-Shore undertaking. Yet, he has been the extreme opposite about diligently assembling a crack team of local and foreign auditors to delve through those billions in bills. No leader of any standing can be so “irresponsible and misleading” (KN November 5).
Armies of foreigners fly to Guyana for an opportunity to be of service, but we never prioritised engaging the big names that come, or network to get available outsiders and this is after almost two years with US$9.5B in bills hanging over this country’s head. Somehow, Guyana’s zealous leaders can’t locate people who have worked in petroleum accounting overseas (not even from friendly Trinidad or the in-favour Arabs) to scrutinise these billions in bills from Exxon. They are almost guaranteed to be riddled with what is politely called padding and inflated. We call those bills for what they possibly largely are: foreign thievery, corporate banditry, and oil skullduggery. Like cheap prostitutes, Guyanese political leaders can’t remove their clothes quick enough for Exxon to take advantage of this country. But, like the pimps they are, Guyanese leaders join with foreigners, who exploit the riches of this country, to ravish it. The lame surrender of US$9.5B in unchecked bills speaks for itself.
Guyana’s political leaders have been scheming and conspiring with Exxon and others to rob this country blind. Unaudited bills totalling near TEN BILLION (so far) offer proof. Our pensioners struggle, our mothers daily feel pain to put their children on a minibus, our mentally ill and street addicts roam at will, and all for want and lack of leadership honesty. But these same mindless political misfits could collaborate with foreign oil companies to cheat us. We borrow millions here, there, and everywhere, while our leaders senselessly (and criminally) giveaway US$9.5 billion. That is TWO TRILLION GUYANA DOLLARS, fellow citizens, think of that, then decide how long passiveness and blind sheeplike docility before crooked leaders stay in place.

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