Guyana’s President on World Environment

Jun 10, 2022 Editorial

Kaieteur News – “We cannot address climate issues unless we address the fundamental needs and wants of human beings. We cannot even speak about climate change if we have people who are hungry, people who don’t have access to water, people who don’t have access to wages and earnings…”That was Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali on World Environmental Day (“Guyana must aggressively pursue oil revenue -Pres. Ali -says finances needed to combat climate change” -KN June 6). Our national leader opens his mouth before the world, and as his words spout, the questions follow.
Does this country’s President listen to what he is saying? Does this national leader understand the full meaning of what he puts out publicly? Or is Guyana’s head of state simply content to say (read) anything that is put into his hands just for the sake of saying something? Has he ever paused to gather the significance of what he relishes presenting publicly and then reconcile it with what is before him, the reality that his government lives with, but of which it does so little? The short answer to all of these questions is that he doesn’t, and he doesn’t care, and this is regardless of how inconsistent and self-contradictory he comes across.
We at this publication make something clear, so there is no misunderstanding, there is none of the usual rushing to misrepresent our stand with this oil. We agree with the President that this oil wealth and its associated revenues must be aggressively pursued. Of that let there be no difference. But we should not and must not pursues the exploitation of our oil resources in a reckless manner, without regard for the potential downsides of such aggressive pursuit. On this we are unmoving, and make that similarly clear. This country must have the needed protections for its environment, as borne by the oil companies. This nation must not be about producing at any cost, in casting aside of all caution in willy-nilly fashion to suit the visions and projections of rapacious oil majors operating here. We can never stand for that, or agree to that, or support such an attitude and practice.
Our still bigger focus, however, has to do with those specific ringing words of our President, as quoted above. A couple of examples are extracted to assist in clearing the air. President Ali said, “We cannot even speak about climate change if we have people who are hungry…” Those are his exact words, not ours. Dr. President, it shouldn’t be news, but we have people who cannot cope with the rising cost of living and the daily pressures of eking out the most meagerof existences. We ask our President who is prone to pretty speeches, what is he doing about those hungry Guyanese, who can’t even feed their children, much less themselves. So far, he hasn’t done anything comprehensive, something that is meaningful, in response to our almost daily appeals, continuing urgings, to give them a bit of an ease. For sure, he has helped his already rich private sector supporters, and his loyal insiders, but of the genuinely hungry and frightened, he has done next to nothing, save for a long ago $25,000 cash handout.
Another telling example of President Ali’s disconnect from reality, or disowning of his own actions is this beauty from his lips: “We cannot even speak of climate change if we have people who don’t have access to wages and earnings…” Is this leader a Guyanese, for real, from this planet? We help him by reminding him that we have been leading the call for a hand for our public servants and minimum wage workers, but which he has stubbornly ignored, or pretend not to hear. Those Guyanese (“people”) are struggling with the “wages and earnings” (his words, as highlighted) that they collect, if they do have jobs, and which forces many of them to manage on what Guyanese call “shine rice.” While the leaders of this land feast on its riches, many Guyanese live on “shine rice.”
It is wonderful to chatter about aggressively pursuing oil revenues, but that must impact positively those who could most use it. Dr. President, how about something for them.

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Guyana’s President on World Environment

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