Wales GTE Part 111: Jagdeo do the right thing

May 11, 2026 Features / Columnists, News, The GHK Lall Column

Kaieteur News- In the US, a president did the only decent thing left for him to do 50 years ago, after a spate of circumstances highlighted his chronic wrongdoing. Richard Nixon shouldn’t need any introduction. A man of darkness had to take a hard fall before peace and light came.
Then, another American was governor before he became Vice President of the United States. His history of shaky foundations, shadowy ops, and the questionable caught up with him. It was over and out for Spiro T. Agnew, a VP in love with alliteration, a literary device. In Guyana, there’s a national leader who is profuse in his employment of anaphora, another literary gadget that possesses much cachet. In America, a sitting president and a vice president lacking unspoiled leadership virtues were compelled to leave that Republic’s highest offices. With Guyana now more closely aligned with pleasing America, a celebrated adherent of the American Way, a test awaits. There’s US$2 billion Wales Gas-to-Energy treachery. In the US, someone would be made an example. In Guyana, the same standard should prevail. I am looking at Bharrat Jagdeo, the Wales GTE warrior and godfather. He knows what he should do. GO!
The Wales GTE began sweetly. Cheap electricity for Guyanese, a steady, dependable supply at half of current rates.
What began at under a half billion US dollars has now ballooned to almost five times as much (US$2 billion PLUS US$102 million dispute award PLUS US$250 million more than Lindsayca-CH4 contracted for at US$759 million). Apparently, there are some billion-dollar visionaries at Lindsayca-CH4 bent on milking Guyana dry.

Lindsayca-CH4 couldn’t be welcomed in Guyana, without the most powerful sponsors. Especially for a project of this size and sensitivity. Nothing is said today about its checkered record, and why it is here. The Wales GTE is Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo’s masterpiece. (Or his kind of masterpiece). From the inception, calls grew to a clamor, a crescendo: let Guyanese see the studies, any credible financial and technical studies. Studies that inspire confidence in the project, that it will get done, was as good as delivered. When pressed for these, Dr. Jagdeo was first friendly, then grew angry, last became profusely hostile, openly contemptuous of questioners seeking clarity, Guyanese hoping for some positive on which to hold. None was forthcoming. Jagdeo first shutdown all questions, and shut himself off from any further engagements.
A political leader may slip out of that self-drawn noose for US$2 million; and, pushing the envelope, maybe US$200 million.
The latter has happened before (Skeldon). But what about when US$2+billion (almost GY$500 billion) is at stake, and the project foundation is ramshackle, its architecture threatens to collapse on itself? A US$2 billion artifice that’s now too obscene to escape full-throated condemnation of its architect. Should Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, chief oil and gas policymaker, the chief inspiration behind the Wales GTE, be allowed another day, another hour, around the corridors of government? A leader with his awareness of how the world views him shouldn’t need any whisper of encouragement, any subtle push. BHARRAT JAGDEO MUST BE DONE WITH HAVING ANYTHING TO DO WITH GOVERNANCE IN GUYANA.

Pres. Ali is hobbled, but either he is a real president or he isn’t. The Wales US$2 billion hangs like a rotting corpse around the PPP Govt.’s neck. A project that’s loaded with Jagdeo’s prints, almost one-third of Guyana’s biggest national budget, should not be greeted by Guyanese with their usual indifference, their regular safe distancing. After all, they will be repaying US EXIM bank and other lenders. Guyanese must be responsible with their money, call for the best accounting of its billions.
Jagdeo owns the Wales GTE. Jagdeo must take responsibility for its discredited, derelict state. Pres. Ali should not allow him to hide, cover his face, turn his back, as if a stranger to Wales. Pres. Ali be presidential: give Jagdeo the boot.
If Bharrat Jagdeo could rise to a quarter of expectations, he would do the right thing and resign from all offices held. In so doing, he could salvage some decency from this US$2 billion plus national horror. Go, Jagdeo, go.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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Bharrat Jagdeo, Richard Nixon, US-EXIM bank, Wales GtE

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