Dear Editor,
On Friday, the 17th of January, the Department of Energy within the Ministry of the Presidency and the Stabroek Block Co-Venturers are having a Cocktail party at the Marriott Hotel to celebrate ‘first-oil’. A new era of elitism is beginning right before our eyes in 2020 Guyana.
The Department of Energy (DoE) continues to compromise its integrity by allowing the oil companies to co-host; organize or fund activities in which it (DoE) is involved. These joint activities violate good sense and ethics, the Office of the First Lady and the DoE were severely undermined when ExxonMobil paid for their respective jaunts to Singapore in June of 2019, it would seem that no lessons were learned from that embarrassing misadventure.
This type of event and the timing should be carefully noted by the Guyanese people. This is the first look ordinary Guyanese will have of what the ‘good life’ looks like with oil riches; us outside with noses pressed to the glass hoping for a glimpse as the elites make Cham-pagne toasts to ‘our’ glorious potential inside. David Granger recently said “there will be petroleum revenues but the revenues are not meant to fill the pockets of rich men” but Guyanese know actions speak louder than words and this event (and previous celebrations of discoveries) prove Granger’s words in December to be nothing more than platitudes; for this is the future envisioned for Guyanese by Granger being brought to fruition by his minions.
There is an alternative vision where such celebrations would be held outdoors and all Guyanese, from every sphere of life, would be invited to participate.
Yours faithfully,
Robin Singh
