Somebody has to take a clear and strong stand

Sep 16, 2024 Features / Columnists, News, The GHK Lall Column

Hard truths…

Kaieteur News – First, it was the British.  His Royal Highness, Her Royal Highness, the King, the Queen, the Governor General, the powers and principals in and all over Guyana.  The Brits are gone now.  Well, not quite, since they enjoyed a resurgence when the oil started gushing.  Now it is Exxon.  Exxon is in.  Exxon is it.  Exxon is here, there and everywhere.  Exxon is up.  Exxon is around.  Exxon is supersize.  Where is the Guyanese leader, the Guyanese group, the Guyanese man or woman, who will bring Exxon down to size?

Exxon’s presence here is mandatory, and with that, there is neither discussion nor negotiation.  I stand where I stand.  But Exxon must not be allowed to stand over Guyana and stand on Guyanese.  Exxon is a colossus.  But Guyanese are not crapauds, what the Creole tongue makes sound as crapo.  No Guyanese-not even the most impoverished, nor the most unlettered-should flatten their backs and submerge their minds in preparation for Exxon to stamp on them, then stand on top of them.  What Exxon has been allowed to do here, and get away with, has been allowed to go on for too long.  Guyanese are neither slaves nor serfs, and it is time that they stand and begin to show what they are about.  Truly, completely, unequivocally, and immovably about.

Now I introduce Guyana’s four top leaders.  President Dr. Irfaan Ali.  Vice President, former president, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.  Opposition Leader, Mr. Aubrey Norton.  Opposition Leader AFC, Mr. Nigel Hughes.  Each one of them, all four of them must take off their soft white gloves and come out swinging.  Not at me for saying this.  But at Exxon that is standing on the heads of Guyanese.  Their words have been too measured, too carefully crafted and polished, as if they are putting on display some rare family jewels.  This is the oil wealth of the Guyanese people that is at stake, which all four of them know.  It is not ballet.

There is the fullest appreciation that they each have their political considerations, and their ambitions.  But those should not take precedence over the interests and welfare of the Guyanese.  Short-term, as in now, and long-term, as in generational, what is wrapped up in the national destiny.  In the context of Oil Guyana, political leaders must shelve diplomacy, distance from their present timidity, and project genuine bravery.  The oil wealth of Guyana is more than remaining in power or rising to power.  It is generations of Guyanese who need economic fairness from their oil asset.

Excellencies Ali, Jagdeo, Norton, and Hughes are not hoping and pleading and waiting for a job on one of Exxon’s offshore oil rigs.  Nor some cushy corporate position in Exxon’s Guyana High Command.  Each of the four of these illustrious sons of Guyana has stepped forward, raised their hands, and swore that they are the best to lead this nation and do their best for its people. So that they can get the best out of their many endowments, most of all the natural resources.  This is what they must manifest in unambiguous and unyielding terms before Exxon, before America, before the world.  They must be warriors.  Guyana does not need diplomats nor missionaries nor wimps today.  They need warriors relentlessly advancing for the national cause.  In Exxon’s face, if that is what must be.  They must be prepared to command with their presences.   They must not fear being crushed by Exxon (or America).  America will have to make Guyana a vassal state, if it wants this oil so cheap and so readily available, while its power is expressed through Exxon.

The singular mentality of brothers Ali, Jagdeo, Norton, and Hughes must not be that their future and their ascendancy are dependent on the benevolence of Exxon (and America).  NO! Their future and success hinge on the goodwill of the Guyanese people.  Take a stand for them, my brothers.  Be ready to lay everything on the line before Exxon, leaders of Guyana.  Everything with power, pride, and perspicacity.  Stop this pussyfooting around with clever words fellow Guyanese Ali, Jagdeo, Norton, and Hughes: stand like men and speak like men.

Messrs. Ali and Jagdeo transform into Conan the Barbarian and Ivan the Terrible when dealing with local infidels.  But remake themselves into Winnie the Pooh and Mother Theresa when they must face Exxon.  What happened to their manhood?  Where is their brotherhood with Guyanese?  Messrs. Norton and Hughes hold themselves as the better alternatives to the Ali-Jagdeo axis.  It cannot be by being imitations of them.  The same walking on verbal eggshells, tiptoeing in velvet stockings, for fear of upsetting Woods and Routledge.  I say damn these white enslavers and exploiters.  I denounce their Guyanese schemers and collaborators.  It is time for somebody, some citizen, if it cannot be some leader, that takes the bull by the horns and takes the fight to Exxon.  Guyana’s Fab Four must advance on the front foot, and discard kowtowing on their backbones.

Too many have groveled too long before Exxon.  It is time that this national self-castration cease.  Either Ali, Jagdeo, Norton, or Hughes step up.  Or some new Guyanese introduce themselves to those disillusioned and disgruntled Guyanese voters.  There are enough of the latter who need but don’t have.  They know what is there and theirs but are neither seeing nor getting any of it.  The four stand, or they fall.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

• Ali, America, crapauds, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Exxon, Hughes, immovably, Jagdeo, Norton, Oil Guyana