Oil-rich, speech-poor!
Mar 23, 2025
Kaieteur News- Guyana got oil. Nuff oil. Big, big executives flying in from Texas, London, and who-knows-where, standing up pon fancy podiums, drinking champagne, and boasting how Guyana is the new oil paradise. Dem seh we got more oil than Kuwait, bigger potential than Venezuela, and more reserves than dem ever imagine.
But guess who quiet like church mouse? Is we own leaders!
Dem oil magnates talking about how much oil we gat and how much profit dem making. But we leaders nah know how much reserves we gat. Dem depending on de oil companies.
Dem boys seh when Exxon man talk, yuh could hear de excitement. He does seh, “Guyana is the crown jewel of our portfolio!” But when yuh ask we own leaders bout ring-fencing, dem does suddenly get amnesia. One even had de temerity fuh seh, “When we get into office, we will implement ring-fencing.”
Well, well, well! That sound familiar! Dem boys remember another man who seh, “When I get in, I will renegotiate the contract.” But when he get in, is not contract he renegotiate, is he mouth he shut tight!
We muss ask we self why dem tekkin this disinterest. Is it that they don’t care or something else?
Dem boys want to know how come dem executives always know how much oil we got, how much money Exxon making, and how much de project expanding—but we own people cyan’t answer one simple question bout we wealth?
One man seh we shouldn’t rush to change things because we attracting investment. Dem boys seh if we keep waiting, is we pockets gon be empty while de investors laughing all de way to de bank!
Dem boys seh is time Guyanese stop tekking sweet talk and start asking hard questions. If oil executives could boast, why we leaders cyan’t talk? Maybe is because de only fence dem interested in is de one keeping we out de oil wealth!
Talk half. Leff half
(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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