VP Jagdeo more concerned about filling Exxon’s pockets than ensuring Guyanese eat – Glenn Lall

Jun 05, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo recently made it clear that the government will not engage oil giant, ExxonMobil to renegotiate the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), as this could impact the momentum of the developments currently taking place in the country.

Kaieteur News Publisher and Radio Host, Glenn Lall

His response came on the heels of a statement made by President of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), Alistair Routledge who told reporters during a press conference last month that it would not turn its back easily on Guyana if its government demands more from the massive discoveries in the Stabroek Block. See link below for the full article. https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2023/05/21/exxonmobil-would-not-walk-away-easily-if-govt-demands-changes-to-contract-exxon-guyana/

Jagdeo formerly argued that asking for a renegotiation could chase investors away. He also said his party believes that the ‘sanctity of contracts’ principle must be upheld.
Businessman and Publisher of Kaieteur News, Mr. Glenn Lall during his Friday radio programme, aired on 99.1 and 99.5 FM, said he was blown away by the response given by Jagdeo when asked again about his position on renegotiating the contract, even after Exxon said it will not turn away easily from Guyana.

He said, “As I listened to his answer to this simple question about getting more for the Guyanese people, I was blown away with his answer. After telling us about sanctity of contract and chasing investors, the man now using a new excuse. This time the new one he come up with is that changing the contract will kill the momentum of projects.”
See link for article: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2023/06/02/jagdeo-changes-tune-to-avoid-renegotiation-with-exxon/

Lall argued, “He is not worried about killing the hopes and dreams of the Guyanese people; he is more concerned about killing the momentum of foreign investors who fetching away everything. Jagdeo is running out of room to hide and excuses to make, so anything that comes to he head, he spitting out.”

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

The businessman told listeners of the programme that the Vice President is more concerned about filling Exxon’s pockets, than he is worried about the hungry Guyanese and their pockets.
The Publisher reasoned, “Jagdeo was upset with the two mangoes we getting from Liza 1 and 2. He was so disappointed with the PNC but he still approving more and more projects getting the same two mangoes from all the mango trees and has the nerve to tell Guyana that he don’t want to slow down Exxon to get more…. isn’t this the highest crime and the worst betrayal by a leader to his country?”

Lall said that while Jagdeo is preparing Guyana to compete with 85 other countries to attract oil investors, he is ready to give away everything from our country that has the sweetest and cheapest crude to develop.

As such, the businessman said, “I want to know if Jagdeo does listen to himself or if he understands himself when he say things like these. Uncle, you know when you find yourself cornered and you are being confronted with facts it’s a difficult thing to speak straight. You have to manufacture what you hope fools would accept. This is what Jagdeo is now coming up with. One concoction after another. He is getting desperate, he is in a dark place and he has backed himself into a corner with all the lies he told this nation about this oil contract. What other scheme will he come up with? What new things will he come up with to continue misleading us? First was sanctity of contract – you can’t break that…then he move to chasing investors away if we ask for more.”

Lall believes that the Vice President is misleading Guyana with his excuses, pointing out that these very investors Jagdeo is afraid of chasing away has sold and dropped its operations around the world to invest in the ‘crown jewel- Guyana’.
To this end, he asked, “This man should still be sitting there? Does he really want what’s best for Guyana? Does he even want anything for Guyana?”

• concern, Contract, investors, momentum, renegotiation