Dear Editor,
I read with interest some of the coverage on the 2016 UG Graduation address by Dr Vincent Adams. He was a timely and wise choice for speaker. Even though he was limited to twenty minutes, it was enough. I understand that it was a soaring, rousing moment. Now I write to caution.
I hear of oil-rich Guyana, and that Guyana can be one of the richest countries on the planet; it brings a glow. While I agree, great care must be taken through emphasizing that this richness is a depleting one, hence temporary. It can be due to market prices or market forces or dry wells. It could also be geopolitics and petro-politics; neither of which should be ignored. Therefore, every sinew and synapse must be strained to extract and to utilize sensibly every cent from every dollar for the benefit of every citizen of this impoverished society.
It might be impractical, unheard of, and contradicts all that has characterized the tawdry history of governance and finance in this country, but every drop of oil should be leveraged for the uplift of the peoples of this land, all the peoples. This means more than sweet talk, and more than good intentions and good feelings. Rather, it is imperative that this be about practices and the incontestable realities of political promises doggedly pursued, faithfully fulfilled.
Amidst the euphoria, and the lush gushers of words, a start must be made to build infrastructure from this day, particularly human ones to position for placement in and taking full advantage of what comes. I remember LFS Burnham and still hear echoes of “commanding heights of the economy.” That thinking, that start must be part of the vision even from now, and even with Exxon in the picture. I say: why not? I think that the oil giant could be enticed to partner in building from the ground up, a faculty at the University of Guyana that is dedicated to developing skills related to the oil sector, be they engineering, marketing, transporting, and all the downstream activities that accompany oil finds.
Further, there must be a start in conditioning the populace that though the oil is there for the producing and the collecting, there are other demanding aspects to its production. It is that there is also real hard work, heavy responsibilities, and the need for impeccable political and commercial husbandry to be part of the product’s extraction and nurturing, if it is to be a boon to this place. This is a baby to be handled gingerly. If not cared for wisely, then Guyana could be in that sorry state encapsulated by the greedy Midas and his hapless daughter.
Guyana’s leaders and Guyanese citizens must learn from Midas, the Middle East, Nigeria and the other nations. And if those are too distant and murky, then they should simply look across the border and the increasing wretchedness of the Venezuelan people. The precedents and harsh unforgiving lessons are there for the scrutiny and learning. There must be unswerving determination, high and low, that such must not be the fate of this already problem plagued society. This determination must, of necessity and by hard choice, flow from stewards dedicated to the highest ideals, the noblest of purposes, and patriotism of the purest. The will follows in due course. A lifeline has been discovered; it could haul to high ground; it could also tumble overboard.
Last, I heard that Dr Adams’ travel to Guyana and his lodgings were paid for out of his own pocket. He did not receive nor would accept an honorarium. This is special and speaks volumes. This is the kind of Guyanese needed in this place; the kind that is about giving and not grasping. I salute the man.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
