Are we Celebrating Independence or Dependence?

May 28, 2026 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists

Dem Boys Seh…

(Kaieteur News) – Dem boys seh every year when Independence come around, politicians does pull out de flag, de speeches, de cultural show and de same tired line bout “true freedom.” Is only de ordinary man who still trying to find where de freedom hiding. Some people searching for El Dorado; de average Guyanese searching for affordable groceries.

Dem boys seh long ago we had sugar plantation economy. Whole country was built around cane. If sugar sneeze, Guyana catch cold. Booker was king. Dem boys used to seh “Booker own Guyana.” Is like if yuh spit in de trench, yuh had to ask Booker permission first.

Now fast-forward sixty years after Independence and people asking if we really get independence or if we just switch plantation owner. Instead of cane field, is oil field. Instead of overseer on horseback, is oil executives flying in private jet. Instead of Booker’s Guyana, is Exxon Guyana. De plantation change owners but is de same old exploitation.

Dem boys seh before, workers used to wait pun crop money. Now whole country waiting pun cash grant. Every election season got more grant than Santa Claus sack gat toys. People lining up for “Because We Care,” grant, another set waiting for “Cash Grant,” and some praying for “Everybody Hold a Envelope Day.”

One old man seh Guyana become de only country where billion-dollar oil wealth got citizens behaving like contestants on a game show: “Congratulations! Yuh win one black water tank and a bag ah fertilizer!”

And de funny thing is everybody boasting bout prosperity while still importing nearly everything from toothpick to thyme. We producing millions of barrels of oil but can’t guarantee steady water pressure. Is like owning a rum shop and borrowing neighbours sugar to make lime juice.

Dem boys seh independence was supposed to mean standing on we own two feet. But nowadays it looking more like standing in line waiting pun handout while multinational companies carrying out shipload after shipload from de seabed.

So one man ask de real Independence question: “We free… or we shackled with a shinier chain?”

Talk half. Leff half.

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Dem Boys Seh, Dependence, Exxon Guyana, independence

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