Dear Editor,
However insignificant I may be in the scheme of things, I love ExxonMobil and I think they’re a great company and I am very happy that they are here since we, obviously, cannot drill Guyana’s oil by ourselves and I can see in no forseeable time when we will be able to do so ourselves. In any event, even if we could drill it at some point in the future, it would be most cost effective to outsource the drilling to the experts i.e. ExxonMobil.
But, Editor, did ExxonMobil not realise that someone who was supposedly an expert after one week of high-end training was deliberately giving away all of our patrimony? I will not go into the why’s at this point but why did ExxonMobil allow it? 12.5% of total profits accruing to Guyana? Editor, you and I know that such a percentage is the stuff of dreams for any oil company. Why did ExxonMobil go along with it? If someone is that stupid, ExxonMobil have every right to milk them as much as possible, of course.
But Editor, it was our money that was given away to ExxonMobil by someone who did not have the authority to give it away. Various financial experts, from around the world, have estimated that Guyana will lose a total sum of US$55 billion over the term of our contract with ExxonMobil because of what that person did. Editor, please think of what that amount of money could do for hungry and even well fed Guyanese.
ExxonMobil’s friends in Government all over the world laugh at us and call us names which liken us to hungry dogs of some sort, though they are too polite to actually say so and use euphemisms instead. Editor, how could this be fair? We welcomed ExxonMobil to our country and celebrated their arrival and ExxonMobil allowed an unauthorised person to give them all our money? Please, ExxonMobil, reconsider those percentages.
ExxonMobil will be heroes across the world if they increase our share voluntarily instead of being vilified as a company which exploits poor people. I would even volunteer my services to help ExxonMobil ensure that every country in the world learn of their noble gesture. Thank you, ExxonMobil, in advance for your kind consideration.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Alleyne
