Dear Editor,
Now that the “inaugural” Inter-national Energy Conference and Expo is over, I thought a few words should be said about what some are calling a “brouhaha” that erupted relative to the exclusion of the official Opposition from formal participation in the activities. The issue is way more than superficial, however, and is therefore more than a brouhaha. Firstly, I believe it should be recalled that in 2018, Guyana held the first Oil and Gas Expo under the banner of “GIPEX” and this was successfully repeated in 2019. This year’s expo appeared to have been successful, and kudos are extended to the organisers and participants. However, the exclusion of the opposition left an unnecessary and unwanted stain on an otherwise pristine event.
The record would show that in 2018, when we held our first Oil & Gas Expo, every effort was made to ensure that the world saw Guyana’s best face featured, despite our age-old quarrels. To this end, we ensured that the opposition PPP/C was invited to participate – not just as guests but as panellists. To this end, Charles Ramson Jr. was nominated by the PPP/C to participate, and did so, on a panel discussion on the theme: ‘Effective Management of Guyana’s Oil & Gas Resources’, and likewise, Robert M. Persaud, immediate past Minister of Natural Resources, presented under the theme: ‘Global Experiences in Developing An Oil & Gas Sector’. That is the stark difference between then and now.
Today, we are told that you have to be “qualified” to even be invited to view the Expo. So much for building a modern inclusive and cohesive “One” Guyana.
Back then, the coalition mandated Exxon to provide timely updates to the Leader of the Opposition and his team so that they were kept abreast of developments in the sector. Today, the opposition has to resort to submitting motions and questions in the National Assembly in the hope of getting some sense of what is happening.
Disappointingly, the international oil companies and local embassies are complicit in the tearing of the social fabric even more – by giving their silent consent and encouragement to this insidious practice of exclusion. We are either going to work towards achieving the ‘One Guyana’ we hear about daily, or we will not. Ultimately, it’s our choice to make.
Sincerely,
Raphael Trotman
