Dear Editor,
Guyanese ought to know that the APNU/PNC/AFC Government stifled democracy when it signed a contract with EXXONMobil but refused to disclose its details.
Such abuse of power enables Government to evade accountability. What else? Like most Guyanese, I am befuddled why this contract is not available through the Freedom of Information Act.
Government’s dysfunctional decision is unsurprising. A review of a series of questions arising exclusively from Government’s reprehensible track record reveals why it is necessary that Government must disclose the full details of this contract. First, how can any Guyanese trust this Government when it abused over billion from the Contingency Fund? Second, how can any Guyanese trust this Government when it purchased a whopping .6 billion in pharmaceutical supplies in 2016 without tender? Third, how can any Guyanese trust this Government when it purchased from ANSA McAL another 5 million in drugs without tender? Fourth, how can any Guyanese trust this Government when it awarded hush-hush scholarships exclusively to its ministers and to its military friends, while our youths live in despair? Fifth, how can any Guyanese trust this Government when it uses scarce dollars from a 14% VAT on education to rent a useless bottom house drug bond from an alleged political donor for at least 12.5 million per month? Sixth, how can any Guyanese trust this Government when its vindictive minister was caught pelting bottles at citizens to cause injury in an ugly street brawl? Seventh, how can any Guyanese trust this Government when it abuses its powers to silence citizens? Last but not least, how can any Guyanese trust this Government when it selfishly awarded itself a whopping 50% salary increase, but gave the working poor a meagre increase of only 5%?
Government needs to release the full details of this contract amid its moral shortcomings and mental anguish in this country.
Another review of Government’s notorious track record makes a compelling case why Government needs to disclose the oil contract in its entirety. Editor, how can any Guyanese trust this Government when its hiring practices are discriminatory? Yet another review of Government’s diabolical track record reveals that Government is two-faced and has an affinity for double-standards. We all know that when Government was the Opposition, it vigorously and compulsively fought against lack of transparency and authoritarianism, etc. Today, Government revels in such flaws. For example, Government’s failure to disclose the full details of the ExxonMobil contract is a clear case of a lack of transparency. Also, Government’s repeated rejection of qualified candidates for the GECOM chairmanship is a clear demonstration that Government has no regard for democracy.
Clearly, Government’s lack of consistency, credibility and unethical standing render it untrustworthy. Further, social cohesion can never flourish under this Government because Government lacks transparency, accountability and integrity.
This contract belongs to every Guyanese, not Government. Government must release it in its entirety.
Moreover, Government needs to drop its absurdity. ExxonMobil will never drill in disputed waters, that is not how Exxon
Mobil operates. Government’s contention that if this contract is made public it will cause disputes is simply a deceitful ploy to evade accountability. Government’s behaviour is powered by dysfunction. The citizens of this country will not buy any fiction from Mr Trotman. Guyanese cannot afford to swallow any more lies from this government. Government needs to release the full details of this contract.
Editor, how can there be any incentives to keep such a dysfunctional Government in power? Absolutely, there are none. But countless incentives abound when power is stripped away from such a destructive Government. And this we need to do for the betterment of our country and its people.
Yours sincerely,
Annie Baliram
