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Ray Daggers, KN publisher walk 38 villages on day three of protest against “Exxon Contract”
BY: SHERVIN BELGRAVE
Kaieteur News – Ray Daggers, accompanied by Kaieteur News’ Publisher, Glenn Lall on Saturday completed over 20 miles on the third day of Daggers’ walk against what he labels a “barefaced and lopsided Exxon Contract”.
KN Publisher, Glen Lall applauds Ray Daggers for completing day three of his journey
His journey on Saturday morning started at Philippi Corentyne (No. 32 Village), Berbice, Region Six and ended at the 99-glass-window-house located at Number 19 Village Corentyne.
Daggers, a 65-year-old man is walking from East Berbice – Corentyne to Charity on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two against the Lopsided ExxonMobil Contract for its operations in the Stabroek Block. The operations in the Stabroek Block has been seen the American oil company and its partners earning billions of US dollars in profits.
Daggers started his journey on Thursday at Moleson Creek, East Corentyne. According to Google Maps, walking from Moleson Creek all the way to Charity represents a total of 186 miles across the two counties- that is minus the distance from Parika to Supenaam by boat.
According to Columnist Peeping Tom, Daggers is the second man to undertake such a walk. The first, according to the column published in Kaieteur News’ Friday edition, was Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine. That walk was reportedly completed in 1985.
According to the column, Roopnaraine called it the “Freedom Walk” and completed a feat of 260 miles in 17 days at an average of 15 miles per day.
So far, Daggers has completed just around 50 miles within three days. He told Kaieteur News on Saturday that he hopes to complete his walk from Berbice to Essequibo in 12 to 13 days.
“I expect to complete the entire journey in 12 to 13 days, it is an onward trek; I am not stopping but continuing until I arrive at Charity”, Daggers said.
Currently, he is averaging 16.6 miles per day and if Daggers maintains the same pace, there is a possibility that walk could be completed in 11 days.
Daggers told Kaieteur News that he was unaware that someone completed a similar walk. Notwithstanding, he reminded that his aim is not to break a record but to ensure that the Government of Guyana does not hold Guyana and Guyanese at ransom by sticking to the lopsided ExxonMobil Contract.
The 65-year old man said that despite intense heat he is “feeling great.”
“I am feeling great, as I continue the muscle is getting into the rhythm” he said while adding that each day he is being motivated to carry on with his journey for the renegotiation of the contract in the interest of Guyana.
Daggers said during his journey, he has heard horror stories of persons affected by poverty.
“Poverty is prevalent, you could see poverty in every village, we were told that they are villages behind Albion such as “Little Africa” where the living conditions and standards are poor… young children are not even going to school. They stay home and catch crab,” Daggers told Kaieteur News.
Majority of the Berbicians have been supporting Daggers on his walk not only providing him with water but also with words of encouragement.
“They would tell us ‘We are happy you are doing that. You are doing this. We sorry that we cannot join you.’ There were even persons that would run out and give you a pat on the hand”, Daggers said.
Some individuals even formed a motorcade with their vehicles behind Daggers and tooted their horns to support him along his journey.
Born in Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD), Daggers lived for quite some time overseas, but kept in touch with current affairs in Guyana.
Daggers had said before starting the journey that he was inspired to walk against the barefaced and lopsided contract by the unrelenting efforts by Businessman and Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall.
On the issue of government’s reluctance to renegotiate the Exxon contract, Daggers had said, “When the government of a nation allows foreign corporation or foreign governments access to the people’s resources without their approval, it’s a hostile act and in the process of extracting those resources, if you destroy and pollute the environment, it’s another hostile act and both of these are treasonous.”
Lall in throwing his support behind Daggers, said if 65-year-old Daggers is ready to walk across Guyana: “I want to go beyond my talk, and join him in this fight for a better Guyana and a better future for all.”
Dagger’s ‘Walk for a better Oil’ deal continues today from Canje, Berbice.
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