Dear Editor,
In 2015, I had the good fortune to join some colleagues in a series of meetings they had with key players in the natural resource sector. The single item on the agenda for every meeting was oil and gas. The lead person on the team was the former chairman of a state-owned oil company involved in the exploration, development, and production of hydrocarbons as well as the manufacturing and marketing of petroleum products. This colleague had extensive experience in negotiating oil contracts within and outside his country.
At the meetings, the team leader explained to the senior local officials how his country received the ‘short end of the stick’ because they entered many negotiations without the support of technical experts. He also had discussions with the persons he met, including those from Exxon, on how they could provide scholarships to young professionals who could protect our interest in the future. As a Professor, my colleague offered to assist in procuring the relevant courses/programmes through an accredited university.
Not much enthusiasm was on display by the local officials at the meetings. At one of the sessions, however, the only thing that seemed exciting was the food available for consumption. I was fasting that day and couldn’t eat anything, but found it hard to ignore how the local officials focused on the menu. It mirrors the story in the Global Witness Report regarding the feast some officials enjoyed during the negotiations of Exxon contract that will cost Guyana $55 billion.
While many persons may want to argue that we did not possess the resources (technical expertise) to negotiate a better deal with Exxon for the Stabroek Block, I beg to differ because of my experience during 2015. Since then, I did not doubt that some senior officials in our country were uninterested in getting the best deal for Guyana. Like Global Witness, I am curious about this strange lack of interest and unwillingness by our local officials to engage technical experts. The scent emanating from the deal is obnoxious and requires an extensive post-mortem exercise.
Yours faithfully,
S. Pasha
