Private sector, opposition should have been on Exxon Mobil HQ visit

Dear Editor,
I believe that the visit by the five ministers, and other government officials to the Exxon Mobil site was good in theory, but the way it was done causes one to wonder whether it is the beginning of the end for transparency and accountability in this country.

My intention is not to point fingers at the ministers, not at all! However, there are a few questions which are relevant to this matter. Why wasn’t there any representative from the private sector or the many Chambers of Commerce selected to travel with the ministers? This would have displayed elegance, class and balance to the taxpayers of this country. It is well known that in the past on many occasions Former President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, took various experienced businessmen on state trips. I recall prominent businessman, Capt. Gerry Gouveia, being one of those persons. At times, he would even select religious leaders depending on the nature of the trip and one can safely conclude that this was done mainly for specialisation and inclusivity.

Moreover, why couldn’t they include a representative from the main opposition party? After all, the party represents 49.4 % of Guyana’s electorate and also, Guyana’s oil wealth belongs to the entire country. This would have shown what President of Russian Federation (during the cold war era), Mr. Mikhail Gorbachev termed “Glastnost” (pronounced /Glast-nost/) which means Openness. Even during that period, it meant citizens would be free to discuss the problems of the country so that they could best determine the correct solutions. At this juncture in Guyana, Guyanese should feel in control of their resources. Guyanese must be the managers of ANY wealth found in Guyana. Having widespread representation and discussion would dispel any form of accusation which may emanate from the populace.

I was surprised several years ago when Dr. Vinayak Joshi, former Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, hosted a luncheon to welcome certain important visitors from India. The guests were the Opposition Members of Parliament who were handling external affairs. No, it was not the foreign affairs minister of the Government, but it was the opposition who was sent to gather information and report back to the Parliament in India. Do we as Guyanese have that mental capacity to think and operate in such a fashion? Do we have a desire to create harmony and peace between our political parties? Currently, many are in pain and confused; unsure about where we are going.

This is occurring among the supporters of both sides of the parliamentary house. Unfortunately, the Opposition now has all the answers; however, when they were in Government, the many problems we faced could not be solved. An example is the Former Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nandlall’s stringent call for “coroners” to be appointed since he claimed that a year has elapsed. While this is a good call it must be questioned, what were they doing for all that time to amend the act and appoint new coroners?

My wish is for our politicians to mature and grow to such a level that they utilise certain institutions and federations of peace in order to create a nexus between their two parties. As I observed the five ministers that were sent to Texas, I was completely flabbergasted, even disappointed, since they were all political personalities of Government (not that I disrespect any). Having a specialised, balanced team would have taken away much doubt from the minds and hearts of Guyanese.

Exxon Mobil is an outstanding and successful multinational corporation which has helped numerous economies around the world. The company has provided meaningful employment to qualified and unqualified persons. Sadly, Exxon Mobil being a supergiant is targeted by certain corrupt public officials in countries where they operate.

My recommendation to Exxon Mobil is to use Guyana as a springboard for itself to eliminate the negative name that it has among poor nations; take the oil find in Guyana as an opportunity to get rid of the suspicion and fear that citizens may possess. Because of Exxon Mobil’s experience in the petroleum industry, its counsel on state resources and non-renewable energy could be rewarding, as many governments still pursue unsustainable growth. In Guyana, we need to provide incentives for eco-friendly businesses, agricultural farming and cattle-rearing. These are the few ways I see Exxon Mobil creating a positive image for itself and our country on the world stage.

As a result of confusion in the mind of the average Guyanese who may not have the facts or information on oil, the Government should play an active role by hosting workshops. I would call on this APNU+AFC coalition government in cooperation with the Chambers of Commerce, private sector, civil society and Exxon Mobil, to meet the average Guyanese where they are: at street corners, bottomhouses, under trees, to meet the farmers in their areas while they work, in the very way they do when they want votes during elections. This would be a great public relations benefit for both the Government and the Exxon Mobil corporation.

This can be done not just for education, but also for feedback and new perspectives. Recently in an African nation, according to the media, there was a huge scandal where it was discovered that a private bank account belonging to the Head of State of the country had allegedly received payment from a senior functionary of the corporation.

For the record, I am not accusing our President of any such act, since I know he is an honourable man. However, his entire Cabinet and the entire infrastructure of the Government is not His Excellency, (Ret’) Brigadier David Arthur Granger. In certain fields of public office, it is possible that some may be lured into corrupt transactions; some in the governmental structure may even subconsciously work against their own administration when they hurt decent and hardworking citizens; and then there are public officials with private businesses who clandestinely award themselves, their families and friends contracts.

Therefore, as a concerned Guyanese who is in love with his country, I believe it would have been advisable that His Excellency select representation from the Private Sector Commission and more importantly, from the constitutionally elected, Opposition party (and we must note in fairness that it was the former PPP/C administration which brought Exxon Mobil to our shores) since the matter involved the state and its resources.

I encourage the Government to think in this manner toward the future, so that harmony and unity will become the pillars of our oil wealth. We know the case studies about oil and corruption, we have the research on the ‘oil curse’, and we have heard and seen where mismanagement of resources leads a nation. Let us learn from these mistakes and write a new chapter that our future generation may be proud to read. The undersigned welcomes Exxon Mobil to Guyana, let the partnership grow for mutual benefit.

Regards
Roshan Khan Snr

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.