Oil will do nothing for Guyana. This is a bold, thought-provoking, fear-inducing and disconcerting statement. But is there any truth to it? Most Guyanese are not economists or financial analysts. Most are not politicians or lawyers. Most will probably never see or read the Petroleum Agreement though anyone can access it. In short, most will depend on the media and the voices of their leaders for accurate information about oil, while some are waiting for wealth to magically appear and others expect nothing.
We have been told about the certainty of oil wealth despite those who have been whispering and shouting warnings; those who say that oil exploration and production is terrible for the country, not only because of the terms of the Petroleum Agreement, but because of environmental risks and the damage that will occur.
But do we simply dismiss the voices of the critics or treat them like conspiracy theorists? Or do we, the people, listen to all the voices, familiarise ourselves with the agreement and formulate our own conclusions?