FOR the enlightenment of the OGGN based somewhere in a place named Hollis (I don’t know where that is or care to know), the adjective, “ogygian” means ancient or primeval. And this is the most appropriate adjective to describe an aging group of diasporic Guyanese who left these shores as we say in common parlance, “donkey years” ago and from their base in Hollis want the Guyana Government to confront Exxon (EMGL) to renegotiate the oil contract.
So why this obscure cabal can be described as ogygian? Because it has no clue as to what international relations look like in the 21st century. It is doubtful any of these men had any training in international relations, thus their ideas about what the world is like is based on ogygian thinking. We need to remind this cabal that we are living in the 21st century.

I have seen powerful academic arguments why Guyana cannot renegotiate the oil contract. I have done a column on that subject using international realpolitik as my basis. I have read where lawyers and businessmen in Guyana have argued that demanding EMGL to renegotiate is not possible in the real world we live in. The latest position that renegotiation cannot be forced upon EMGL is the General Secretary of the opposition party, ANUG. Kian Jabour said on the Freddie Kissoon Show that an international contract should be respected.

I am not going to regurgitate the arguments against forced renegotiations because it will not make any difference to the ogreish group under the name OGGN. They are looking for relevance and will cling irrationally to the thing that brings them alive. What I will do in the rest of the column is examine a letter in the opposition-aligned private media in which Joel Bhagwandin was heavily criticised by OGGN.
I will fare better than Joel because I have no consultancy with any person, organisation or government. I do not work for any entity in Guyana and I have no political attachment. I write for the Chronicle in an unpaid capacity and that was my decision and I am not unhappy writing for free. I don’t know if OGGN share two negative descriptions about me.
One is from the Editor-in-Chief of the Stabroek News who referred to me as a lap dog for the PPP. The other is from Dr. Nigel Westmaas, perhaps one of the darlings of OGGN that describes me as an attack dog for the PPP. I don’t know if OGGN accepts the exclamation of one of their favourite Guyanese, Kaieteur News owner Glenn Lall who said on his show that I am in receipt of millions of dollars from Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo. I don’t know what you will think of me, but based on how many millions are offered, I may take it if it is really offered.

Now for the letter attacking Joel Bhagwandin. One of the signatories is Andre Brandli from Germany. Dr Brandli is still to respond to me about the German state’s harassment and victimisation of speeches, written words and physical protest in favour of the Palestinians. The German Government has officially stated that Israel is Germany’s reason of state. Does Brandli know what that means? If he doesn’t, he should look it up and when he does, leave Germany for Guyana immediately. It is a frightening statement.
Next is a function OGGN will be having in Hollis and will be inviting two opposition personalities from Guyana to address the gathering – Dr Vincent Adams from the AFC and Christopher Ram. But why hold the event in New York and not Guyana, where a local hotel, a local food caterer, local PR firm and local security company could benefit? This is what I mean by OGGN being an ogygian entity.

So really who are these ogygian personalities who will be holding a function to press for the renegotiation of the oil contract, but will be doing so in a foreign place named Hollis? Next is one of OGGN’s guests – Vincent Adams. He symbolises the power of the adjective, ogygian. Dr. Adams returned to Guyana as a retiree at age 70 after living in the US all his life.
But he has something going for him that the ogygian personalities in OGGN do not have – he has returned. When are they going to follow Adams and come and live here? Finally, a few brief questions for the ogreish OGGN: can they ask Dr Adams who is the person in the

AFC who advocated in July 2020, the racial separation of Guyana to which Adams objected.
Should such a person not be exposed? Secondly, what does OGGN think about the journalism of the private media? Isn’t professional journalism more important to Guyana’s stability than renegotiating the oil contact?

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.