Dear Editor,
GHK Lall and Moses Nagamootoo seem to be getting their information from the same source, TNN, aka the Taxi News Network; for the ludicrous position that the new petroleum exploration agreement signed by Raphael Trotman for the Government and People of Guyana and by Nigel Hughes, on behalf of ExxonMobil, was done expeditiously for fear of Venezuelan invasion is a version of geo-politics is one that you would expect in a rum shop, not in the hallowed halls of the Prime Ministerial office nor from a reputed ‘Wall Street financial analyst’. If there was fear-mongering in the Granger Administration that was putting pressure on the President to get the new agreement signed, then the actions of those driving that vehicle (fear) should be closely examined.
Those speaking in defence of the Government’s actions seem to be saying the Granger Administration was ignorant and afraid but not corrupt. I believe that a faction of the Administration, led by Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge, played on the fears and ignorance of Granger and the others to force an agreement that lost the nation US$ 55B or more.
I believe that perspective is key in the examination of the new (2016) petroleum exploration agreement referred to as ‘the bridging deed’. Global Witness is a corruption watchdog organisation and the loss of revenue calculation was made with an eye on royalties and profit-sharing. The lack of ring-fencing provision is equally damning as it allows the operator to commit virtually unlimited funds towards exploration, secure in the knowledge that these would be recovered by Liza 1 and subsequent discoveries. The Operator will drill a further thirty-one wells in 2020 as they rush to do as much risk-free exploration before the agreement comes up for re-negotiation in November 2020. A total of over US$12 billion in additional exploration costs will be recovered from existing wells because of the poor ‘bridging deed’.
The question of motivation for the fear-mongering by the small cabal needs no gloss and the old school tie is front and centre for those who have eyes to see. It is information I will hold in escrow until circumstances change and real investigations begin; when stocks and shareholdings of ‘the few’ and their family will be examined. This cabal of cunning and experienced operators continues to play ‘puppet master’ as they place GHK Lall and Moses Nagamootoo in the firing line.
GHK and Nagamootoo have been trotted out to parrot lines and ludicrous tales; manipulated and brought low by overestimation of their IQs and an underestimation of their egos, pawns, unwitting and ignorant, filled with fear, not of Venezuela, but of loss of power, perks of living the good life off of the public purse. Patriotism sold for seats in the peanut gallery in the grand petro-theatre.
Respectfully,
Robin Singh
