…in Parliament
Harry Truman was one US President who prided himself for being plain spoken. After his meltdown in Parliament Thursday night, Raphael Trotman could use one piece of Truman’s candid advise: “If you can’t take the heat…stay out of the kitchen!” It was clear Trotman couldn’t take Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo’s stinging critique in Thursday’s debate on the “Petroleum Commission of Guyana Bill”.
All Jagdeo did was echo the warnings of experts – as varied as those from the recent La Jolla oil conclave to the very expensive “foreign expert” Trotman himself hired. To wit, if the rest of the economy’s neglected – as the Government is doing – and all hopes are pinned on oil revenues, we might very well end up worse off because of “Dutch Disease”. As T&T’s now finding out with their oil gone.
Trotman couldn’t take that. He jumped up and started screaming, “How dare you lecture us? This honourable member is nothing but a doctor of doom…every sector you touched is down because of you… we will not be lectured by the Leader of the Opposition on good governance!!” Imagine that! Now what’s the Opposition Leader to do if not critique the Government – and in this case Trotman’s stewardship (if one can call it that!) of the oil sector?
And what makes Trotman getting his bukta all in a knot and throwing a hissy fit all the more ironic, is of all the Ministers, none of them are as adrift and at sea in their portfolio, as he is. How can he object to Jagdeo exposing the ridiculousness of him promising Essequibians gas from the Lisa field come 2010? He’s clearly totally clueless about the mechanics, logistics and especially the finances of constructing a 120-mile pipeline from more than one mile below the sea at Lisa to the Essequibo! Why didn’t he ask his expert?
And imagine, Minister Trotman has so much control over the Commission – which controls the sector – it might as well have been called “Trotman’s Creature”. And that’s scary as hell! It’s like putting Nagamootoo in charge of a moon landing!!
…in demotion
Now what is really going on here? Is this like “Alice in Wonderland” where it gets “curiouser and curiouser” or like “Genesis” where Cain betrays and kills his brother Abel? Roopnaraine and Rodney were like brothers who went through high school – Queens College – when one’s “word” still meant something.
From the moment Roopnaraine announced some years ago Rodney was collecting arms for a rebellion, your Eyewitness was troubled. Wasn’t that giving the PNC a lifeline – which they grabbed – that their killing of Rodney was self-defence? Kwayana had to quickly rebut that piece of mendacity. Next was Roopnaraine stalling the Rodney family requested Inquiry back in 2005. When would the timing NOT be “political”??
Did he think anyone in the PNC would have any respect for him after his act of betrayal? Especially when it was for filthy lucre and position? How much of that didn’t Rodney turn down before Burnham and the PNC snuffed out his life at 38?
Beware the Mark of Cain!
…on GECOM Chair
Today we should’ve heard the GECOM Chair’s “criteria” ruling but it’s been pushed back to July. Not a good sign. Another month to analyse the disjunctive “or”?
This country cannot take any more oleaginous weaselling!
