…into Trotman
Raphael Trotman really has a lot of chutzpah…or, as they say in the vernacular, “more seeds than baigan”! Imagine, when asked about his infamous signing away of our great opportunity to break out of the cycle of poverty with a bang – the Exxon oil contract – the man said he wants an “international investigation”!! Really? Isn’t that what was done by Global Witness in their report, “Signed Away”, which could’ve been more appropriately labelled “pi55ed away”??
More precisely and damningly, the report of the respectable watchdog group concluded, “Trotman failed to capitalise on Guyana’s strong bargaining position. During negotiations, he knew that the company was analysing a new possible oil find. Trotman had even thought the company would announce its results on a specific day, June 28 2016. But the Minister did not wait for these results, which would have allowed Guyana to assess Stabroek’s true value – which turned out to be one of the world’s largest finds of recent. Instead, on June 27, Trotman signed Exxon’s licence.”
The company was later more explicit: “Trotman – rushed to sign Exxon’s deal despite knowing the company would soon announce new oil find results and while experts were telling him to seek more information. During negotiations, Trotman also suffered an apparent conflict of interest as he was close political allies with one of Exxon’s Guyanese lawyers. The lawyer – Nigel Hughes – has denied he represented Exxon on the deal, but admitted that his firm had represented Exxon since 2009, and that he has worked for the company on other matters.”
Global Witness claims that Guyana presented feeble terms to Exxon – a mere 1% increase on the existent 1% royalty, and half of the profits – and that expert advice that more financial information was needed was ignored by Guyana’s team. And Guyana lost, according to calculations by the fiscal analyst firm OpenOil, US$55 billion – just like that! – because of Trotman’s whimsical action!! But was it just that? Whimsy?
Finally, without imputing any wrongdoing on his part, in the run up to the last elections, Global Witness called for the new Guyana Government to investigate the role of Trotman in the negotiation. The subtext was “where there is smoke there is fire”! So here we are, Trotman himself is now calling for an investigation. So the question is: What exactly is the Government waiting for? The caution in these matters is “Be careful what you ask for”! And that’s exactly the lesson Trotman needs to be taught.
He thinks himself a “strategist” in the mould of Burnham, and has carefully covered his tracks as he works insidiously to become leader of the PNC and then President of Guyana.
The investigation into his “sell out” will be his Waterloo!
…into “The Bishops High School”?
Your Eyewitness is completely nonplussed: the teachers of “The Bishops High School” (don’t you DARE forget that particle “the”) striking against what a “FORMER” student of the school wrote about them?? Forgetting for a moment the substantive matter of their gripe, exactly how is their strike (which affects only present students in this COVID-19 crisis) going to right the situation? Is this responsible behaviour on the part of teachers? your Eyewitness doesn’t think so.
Now, back to the substantive matter. Seems the teachers are apoplectic about the student writing that they were “homophobic” and “verbally abusive” to them.
More specifically, the Old Students Associations said, “The stories shared portrayed multiple instances of emotional abuse, bullying, trauma, public humiliation, and anger, along with harmful after-effects had by many of these victims. As concerned alumni, we acknowledge and recognise that many of the stories shared have now found an outlet which is free and fair from perceived retribution.”
And the teachers are striking? Oh tempora! Oh mores!
…into Sharma’s allegations
Jaipaul Sharma has now apologised for his atrocious libel against AG Nandlall. His statements were repeated by his PNC colleague James Bond. Is he also going to apologise?
But regardless, Nandlall should not relent! A lesson must be taught.
