Trying to explain to an audience in Essequibo the PPP Government’s strategy for its using natural gas to diversify our economy, VP Jagdeo tried to use an example to bring home his point. “Because if we don’t do that, when the oil money goes, we’ll be poorer than many countries in the world. Look at what’s happening in Trinidad now…Trinidad is falling apart, and that’s putting it mildly – falling apart! No jobs, sustained periods of negative growth, and can’t see the light of day for the near future.”
Well, who told him to say that!!?? All hell broke loose, and the land of the hummingbird became “land of the vulture” with TT PM Rowley’s apoplectic reaction! He directed his Foreign Minister to immediately call his Guyanese counterpart to lodge a strong complaint!! The question raised, however, is whether Jagdeo was “telling lies on our fellow Caricom member”? Now that TT’s oil has run out, aren’t they scrambling around to prevent their economy from its free fall? Hasn’t their unemployment increased? Haven’t they been suffering from a constipated growth rate? And isn’t it all due to the PNM’s refusal to diversify from their one-trick-pony, oil-based economy?
Ahhh…but the truth hurts, especially now they’ve fallen from the contemptuous perch they’d placed themselves when dealing with fellow Caribbean “brothers and sisters”!! Remember Kamla telling Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean that Trinidad wasn’t their “ATM machine”?? And while your Eyewitness doesn’t think Jagdeo was deliberately throwing shade on Rowley or Trinidad, payback’s a bitch!! And it’s why Guyana shouldn’t get too cocky as it continues on its upward development trajectory. What goes up must come down – unless you’re Singapore!!
But Rowley’s reaction has a (testy) recent history. Just three weeks ago, UNC MP Julian Charles had chided Rowley in Parliament about his cozying up with Iran and Venezuela at a Gas Conference in Qatar – while refusing to attend GY O&G Conference. Said Charles, “We have much more to gain economically and otherwise from deepening links with Guyana and Suriname rather than with controversial Venezuela and Iran. Rowley, our ‘badjohn’ PM, must remember the local adage: ‘Cockroaches have no place in fowl business’.”
Charles also enquired about Rowley’s stance on the Food Security plan for Caricom proposed by Guyana’s Ali and Barbados’s Mottley. Rowley erupted, “What you have with Guyana? Why you don’t go to Guyana if you want to be in Guyana?” He insisted the food plan couldn’t be done with Guyana’s resources.
So, it looks like the “Trini” pique is more about Rowley’s sour grapes!! Or is Rowley concerned his warning to his friend Granger, that “things will end badly”, wasn’t heeded!!
… the rest of TT?
Well, if Rowley got his buckta into a knot over Jagdeo’s statement in remote (to him) Essequibo, how’d he react to Guyana’s Foreign Secretary’s recent foray into Trinidad?? In the heart of his opponent’s Chaguanas. Rowley’s favourite TT newspaper, the Guardian, reported that Persaud told an exclusive audience of Guyanese living in TT that he was inviting them back to their homeland – to share in its transformation into a land of milk and honey. Not to mention “industrialisation and agriculture”!! Which Persaud and his entourage – including Agri Minister Zulfikar – did happen to mention!
Bringing home, the travails of Trinidad’s unemployment woes, Persaud emphasised that his offer was part of the PPP’s estimation that there would be 100,000 jobs opening up in Guyana. This, of course, exceeds the 50,000 jobs promised by Pres Ali in the first 5 years of his first term, so Persaud would be looking maybe also at the second term!!
Your Eyewitness suspects Rowley must’ve gone totally ballistic at this bit of news!!
…the world
There’s always been a consensus among the experts that sanctions don’t really dissuade international transgressions. And there’s always the blowback. Now we’re hearing that the sanctions against Russia might throw the world into a recession!
If not depression.
