…after all these years
There was a soiree in Buxton dubbed “The Coming Elections and the African Guyanese Emancipation Agenda”. Your Eyewitness was intrigued by one of the speakers on the panel, Carl Greenidge, who’s now “Foreign Secretary” – after he refused to give up his British citizenship and had to (supposedly) relinquish his job as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
At the time he resigned, Greenidge insisted he’d renounce his British citizenship after the Court cases on the NCM were done with. But that just didn’t make any sense, did it? After all, no one had challenged the clear declaration of the Constitution – affirmed by Justice George in the High Court – that dual citizens weren’t eligible to become MP’s. The reassignment was just a sleight of hand to let him have his cake and eat it too – with just a little less of the icing that came with the Ministerial designation.
But the question that popped into your Eyewitness’ mind was how could the organisers of the Buxton Emancipation event invited a fella who put his British citizenship ahead of his Guyanese one, to pontificate on an “African Guyanese Emancipation Agenda”?? What was the point of Emancipation if not for us as Guyanese to proudly rule our own country?? Were they comfortable with the fella’s divided loyalty – even when the Constitution of our land isn’t??
Well, it soon became clear those concerns were spot on. In his presentation, Greenidge absolutely rejected the notion that some of our poor should get an annual lump-sum stipend from the coming oil revenues. But that wasn’t all – he claimed the reason for his stance was that the folks who were working would be resentful of those who got this “free money” …and it would be a disincentive to them to keep on working!! Did he ever think that the “free money” he and the rest of the Cabinet received in their 50% unilateral salary increase, might’ve been a disincentive to all of Guyana??
But there was more to come. Greenidge had the gall to tell the Buxtonians that Guyana should use its oil revenues to invest in Exxon stocks!! No wonder this guy presided over the bankruptcy of Guyana in the 1980’s. Did he read the latest assessment of Exxon’s stock?
“Exxon stock is on a downward trend with no pattern in sight, and the Dow Jones component has a very weak long-term RS line. Exxon earnings are volatile. Both earnings and XOM stock swing with crude oil prices. That can mean rapid short-term gains but also abrupt sell-offs.
Investors can find companies with stronger, more-consistent earnings growth and better stock technical.
Bottom line: Exxon stock is not a buy”. But not to clueless Greenidge!!
…on sugar
The strike by the cane cutters at Albion emphasised the cluelessness of the Government on sugar. Imagine there’s been no revision of their harvesting rates since 2014 and now the powers-that-be insist the weekly targets to earn their API must be increased!! More work for less pay…while the public servants have now been promised a five-year wage package by Winston Jordan!!
At the stratospheric levels of the SPU that was formed to divest the four closed estates, that’s ground to a halt after prospective bidders showed no slightest interest in what Winston Jordan described as “scrap iron”!! What did they expect to happen to factories that are abandoned for years to the elements?? It’s a good thing they didn’t take the marks to see the abandoned cane fields— they would’ve needed St Patrick to drive out the snakes from the “bush”, which the fields have deteriorated into.
And let’s not talk about the interest on the $30B borrowed to “diversify” the industry. Another $1.5Billion due…and not “hassa” produced!!
…on crime
Public Security Minister must’ve given up on his 2 am curfew to solve Guyana’s crime tsunami. According to the Chronic, he’s got a new “exciting” plan—
“…to use primary and secondary school children to help determine the root causes of crime”!!
