The rewards of oil belong to ALL Guyanese

Apr 22, 2022 Letters

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Dear Editor,

It’s usually not my style to directly reply to or attack individuals who express their opinion, but after reading a recent letter written by Lenox R. O. Shuman, MP Deputy Speaker and another letter in support of Shuman’s opinion written by one Gloria Holder, I decided against my beliefs and express my opinion. Firstly, the responsibility lies squarely at the feet of the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C, for whatever scrapings Guyana is receiving from her ‘Oil Boom’, because of their choice to work for the best of their interest, instead of Guyana. Regarding the infrastructure development in an earlier Letter to the Editor, I’ve used our neighbour Venezuela as an example, showing how they were one of the biggest oil producers, embark on massive infrastructural work, which remains a white elephant today, and today hunger, lack of jobs is some of the main reasons its citizens are fleeing from there. Trinidad & Tobago also slowly seems to be edging towards being in a similar economic situation as Venezuela and that could be another embarrassment for an oil-producing country. The failures of such wealthy countries are solely the responsibility of greed, corruption, and lack of careful long-term planning which is mainly the Government’s responsibility that is entrusted to them by the citizens of the country. The rewards of the oil belong to ALL Guyanese, but the Government that is elected by Guyanese to manage our affairs of Guyana strongly believes that they are the owners, and without proper consultation, running around the country, giving their friends and families contracts under the guise of development, finding ways to dole out money to selected party supporters and having the citizens sitting like begging puppies, waiting for the impossible. It is atrocious to believe that newly discovered oil will move Guyana forward, before, Guyana was producing bauxite, rice, sugar, gold, timber, etc. The PPP and PNC are mainly responsible for the state Guyana is in presently by dividing its people using racism, whilst they mismanage the country, squander her wealth, and enrich themselves, friends and families during the process.
Infrastructural work was going on before the discovery of oil, and most of these works were being executed by friends/families of the ruling parties, massive corruption was continuously being exposed, whilst inferior work continues and the Guyanese populace have to sit and watch as money is being given away because they are so divided by racism, they cannot unite and challenge these vultures. We are in such an embarrassing state, that someone barefacedly writes an obnoxious letter, ridicules us, and tells us that we are not entitled to any free money!
Editor, Shuman catapulted himself towards politics under the guise of representing the Amerindians in Guyana, and so far, has successfully attained the position of Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker. At the inception, he started as a genuine person, but along the way, I lost interest in his political journey based on his behaviour towards his ambitions. Today, he seems to be following the government’s pattern of gloating at others, which is very childish, very supportive of the infrastructural work government is embarking on, and using the few developed countries he’s fortunate to visit as examples for development. I find it very hypocritical of Shuman to pen a letter praising this government’s intention of building a stadium and airport in Berbice, amongst others, and go beyond the limits to explain how it would benefit the country, when the majority of Amerindians he is supposed to be representing, are living without electricity, proper medical facilities, roads and lack of jobs proper access to technology, etc. I’m assuming that his agenda has been fulfilled, so their well-being will have to be represented by another ambitious political opportunist.
Finally Editor, Gloria’s missive seems to fully support the government’s intentions of spending Guyana’s money the way they want to. No mention was made about the heavy spending on buildings that are being left alone to rot away. The building on High Street, where the old GBC use to be housed, is the call centre that is supposed to create jobs in Tuschen/Zeelugt. What about the contracts that took years to complete, costing more money than what the contracts were signed for, and at the completion, it’s not what was supposed to be delivered. Then the various roads that are being built have to be redone without any proper service. Here’s another interesting point to note. Because of the lockdown arising from the COVID, many radio and TV channels were set up to broadcast throughout the country and special emphasis was placed on riverain and hinterland areas to broadcast the Guyana Learning Channel. Maybe the writer should investigate how many of these stations are functioning and to what capacity. How many are broadcasting 25 percent of their expected power and the cost? There’s more to this broadcasting story which I will address at another time. What I am certain of, is that Government is rushing to spend Guyana’s money foolishly, and selected people are benefitting whilst the majority of the people in Guyana are complaining about the economic situation here.
So, yes, the tone of Gloria’s letter seems to suggest that Guyanese don’t deserve any money, it’s just to develop infrastructure. Let’s support them and create another Venezuela!

Sahadeo Bates

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