…on our war chest
If anything illustrated the “schupidness” this Government is on, it was reiterated by Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman when he once again claimed “opposition forces” – read his one-time bestie, Christopher Ram – was unpatriotic when they revealed Guyana had stashed away a small piece for defending our rights against Venezuela’s bullyism.
Of course, the matter wasn’t so simple as Trotman was letting on!! After all, if as he admitted, Guyana would need at least the US$12 million it forked out on the CGX case against Suriname, wouldn’t Venezuela know this?? Maduro might’ve been a bus driver, but he and his Government have certainly been embroiled in litigation in international law. They know international lawyers don’t come cheap. Trotman surely had to have a clue as to the hourly rates of the big firms.
Then there was the not-so-small matter of the source and quantum of the “small piece” – which is what Guyanese were most upset about!! OK…you need money for legal fees to settle once and for all the Venezuelan land-grab. But why demand as a bonus just the amount the legal fees will eat up, when you have a billion-barrel oil find on your hands??!! Compared to the bonus other companies – and indeed Exxon itself – paid as bonus for smaller fields, Guyana was short-changed by at least a factor of 30!!
The question is why can’t Trotman admit he was an extremely poor negotiator for Guyana – if he didn’t have his hand under the table?? He now admits he was pressured by the fact that Guyana needed a company of Exxon’s clout to hold off the big-bad Venezuelans who were huffing and puffing at our western borders. He’s conceding Janet Jagan faced the same imperative back in 1999 when she gave the oil giant 600 blocks.
Hey!! There’s nothing to be ashamed about if you need a bruiser in your corner! But in negotiations you just don’t drop your pants to the fellow across the table, just like that! You have to figure out what kind of hand he was holding, also!! In 2016, Exxon has lost its Arctic reserves (American sanctions against Russia) and Alberta oil sands reserves (environment concerns). Its asset base was precarious – especially after Maduro kicked it out of Venezuela!! Exxon had its own axe to grind against Maduro!!
Trotman should be grateful the oil portfolio was seized by his “Nassau” partner. While some PNC boys have their knives out for him – that’s because of his own ambitions within the PNC.
Trotman should know when to hold it…and when to fold it. He should now FOLD IT!!
…on clean-up
If Independence Day is coming up, you can be sure City Hall’s getting ready for its annual clean-up operation. You know…getting another $500 million for starters to spruce up around the Stabroek Market area and doling out the contracts to friends and family. That’s the real clean up!! Your Eyewitness has been thinking about the OPENESS OF THE THING!! This kind of greed and avarice is something to behold, isn’t it dear reader?
WE know some serous thiefin’s going on…THEY know the thiefin’s going on…but somehow nothing’s done about it!! Fact of the matter is the motive for all the shade thrown by the PNC-AFC combine at the PPP during its turn at the wheel,, wasn’t about corruption per se. It was about they weren’t getting their hands on the big bucks, Well…now we know and it ain’t pretty! It reveals a situation that’s not going to be changed soon. The PNC-officials are convinced whatever Guyana has it’s theirs.
Why then be embarrassed about just taking what’s yours??
…of SARA
All the naysayers who said SARA, under its geriatric head, Clive Thomas, hadn’t done squat about what they’re actually mandated to do – have stolen State assets brought back into Government hands, have to now shut their mouths.
They recovered their laptop that was filched by a bum…didn’t they??
