Coil: ‘Na mek de guvament fool yuh, na mek nobody fool yuh”
by Vidyaratha Kissoon
“Na mek de guvament fool yuh, dis oil is a waste of time..we were in Suriname in 1981 when the Oil talk started.. now look how tings bad in Suriname,” . The man and his wife sell fruits in the market. He was talking about Guyana and oil and resources. “Why dem nah a develop wid odda thing..like land.. oil alone cyan wuk”?
There are probably a few people who don’t believe in the oil dream. There are probably few people who are not wondering about ‘odda ting’.
The Minister of National Resources had said that the Exxon oil deal would come out in bits. Lying and withholding facts are different things, but the impact is the same. We learn for example that the transparency standard will take four years to implement, and that there is a ‘plus’ with more of the stuff which should come out. I could imagine that after the oil starts coming out, we will start to argue about the standard and whether it is being implemented rather than actually have real transparency.
Does EITI and EITI plus allow for bits and pieces of the Exxon contract to be withheld?
“Asset”
The man in the market was not believing in oil as an asset to Guyana. Asset is one of those words which sounds positive.
In 2013, Mr Joseph Harmon now Minister of State, warned people that APNU would not honour any commitments to the Marriott., reportedly saying that “The project lacks economic justification, does not enjoy Parliamentary approval and confidence and is generally not in the best interest of the people,”
This week, the only story of reconciliation is the news from the Minister of Finance Winston Jordan.
According to the Guyana Chronicle, ““Who is going to pay so we don’t lose the asset of Marriott, “Jordan asked as he noted that the US$1.1M is payable every six months for a 13 year period.”
Language is important. He said ‘asset’, not ‘failed project’ or ‘burden’ or even ‘liability’ or ‘goadie’
And it seems that the Minister has hope in the Marriott too ”
According to the Minister – “It doesn’t matter if it does well, remember it’s the entertainment that was going to make it (loan payments)”.”
Politicians words
The Leader of the Opposition used words about another citizen, the media faithfully repeats the claims and it is left up to the citizen to dispute the claims.
There is no way to hold the Leader of the Opposition l accountable for the words, and the claims are given more life than the denial of the claims.
A regional councillor has threatened to sue a media outfit which claimed that he was detained for questioning on fraud. He has denied that he was arrested and that he is on bail.
The Guyana Police Force has neither confirmed nor denied. Stabroek News carries a story about “”Two local government councillors were detained and subsequently released on bail “ They do not name the councillors. Surely elected officials who are being detained and are on bail can be named?
‘War on Words’
The media continues to report on the “war on words” between the Attorney General Basil Williams and the former Attorney General Anil Nandlall. The Attorney General might have said in court that a magistrate who had cited him for contempt is now dead. This is probably true. The former Attorney General heard a threat. The two men have their supporters who will swear to everything they say.
Like the blind men describing the elephant, everything is probably true to the persons who will swear..
So now, it is up to Justice, to not be blind. It is up to Justice now to describe the whole elephant , and to talk about being threatened versus being irritated and whatever other emotions he felt when he left the courtroom.
Hopefully, more courts in Guyana will have recorders in the courts so there can be some evidence of words which were used.
Otherwise we continue to swirl in the madness of distrust and disrespect without any chance of moving forward.
“Experts”
I saw a Carter Centre invitation people to a symposium on Constitutional Reform. Stabroek News reports that the panel will include “International Constitution Reform Experts: Dr Jacqueline Hanoman and Geoffrey Weichselbaum”
My cynicism about experts (I have been called expert a couple of times too) instinctively led me to an Internet search.
There is a LinkedIn profile for a Dr Jacqueline Hanoman which speaks to experience in sociology, education, community activities in the USA, South Africa and Venezuela. There is no visible reference to law, constitution writing or making or constitution reform. The profile could be incomplete.
The Carter Centre would probably have a different expectation of the word “expert”.
There is no indication if any of the experts in the Government or the Opposition can be bothered seriously with Constitutional reform beyond voting a big budget for the Office of the Prime Minister.
The man in the market said that ‘it nah mek sense fuh guh anyway, is best yuh stay hey and mek do.. me and dis gyal walk all ovah fuh 24 years ..”
His truth is different from the truths of the others who left and made it elsewhere.
His expertise – that oil did not work where he came from , that there is potential in Guyana which is beyond oil – would probably not count in any symposium on the future of Guyana
His message – to not believing everything – is important though, if we are to become experts at “mekig do” in Guyana with each other.
(This was corrected on 27 March, 2017 to reflect Mr Joseph Harmon’s designation )
“Na mek de guvament fool yuh, dis oil is a waste of time..we were in Suriname in 1981 when the Oil talk started.. now look how tings bad in Suriname,” . The man and his wife sell fruits in the market. He was talking about Guyana and oil and resources. “Why dem nah a develop wid odda thing..like land.. oil alone cyan wuk”?
There are probably a few people who don’t believe in the oil dream. There are probably few people who are not wondering about ‘odda ting’.
The Minister of National Resources had said that the Exxon oil deal would come out in bits. Lying and withholding facts are different things, but the impact is the same. We learn for example that the transparency standard will take four years to implement, and that there is a ‘plus’ with more of the stuff which should come out. I could imagine that after the oil starts coming out, we will start to argue about the standard and whether it is being implemented rather than actually have real transparency.
Does EITI and EITI plus allow for bits and pieces of the Exxon contract to be withheld?
“Asset”
The man in the market was not believing in oil as an asset to Guyana. Asset is one of those words which sounds positive.
In 2013, Mr Joseph Harmon now Minister of State, warned people that APNU would not honour any commitments to the Marriott., reportedly saying that “The project lacks economic justification, does not enjoy Parliamentary approval and confidence and is generally not in the best interest of the people,”
This week, the only story of reconciliation is the news from the Minister of Finance Winston Jordan.
According to the Guyana Chronicle, ““Who is going to pay so we don’t lose the asset of Marriott, “Jordan asked as he noted that the US$1.1M is payable every six months for a 13 year period.”
Language is important. He said ‘asset’, not ‘failed project’ or ‘burden’ or even ‘liability’ or ‘goadie’
And it seems that the Minister has hope in the Marriott too ”
According to the Minister – “It doesn’t matter if it does well, remember it’s the entertainment that was going to make it (loan payments)”.”
Politicians words
The Leader of the Opposition used words about another citizen, the media faithfully repeats the claims and it is left up to the citizen to dispute the claims.
There is no way to hold the Leader of the Opposition l accountable for the words, and the claims are given more life than the denial of the claims.
A regional councillor has threatened to sue a media outfit which claimed that he was detained for questioning on fraud. He has denied that he was arrested and that he is on bail.
The Guyana Police Force has neither confirmed nor denied. Stabroek News carries a story about “”Two local government councillors were detained and subsequently released on bail “ They do not name the councillors. Surely elected officials who are being detained and are on bail can be named?
‘War on Words’
The media continues to report on the “war on words” between the Attorney General Basil Williams and the former Attorney General Anil Nandlall. The Attorney General might have said in court that a magistrate who had cited him for contempt is now dead. This is probably true. The former Attorney General heard a threat. The two men have their supporters who will swear to everything they say.
Like the blind men describing the elephant, everything is probably true to the persons who will swear..
So now, it is up to Justice, to not be blind. It is up to Justice now to describe the whole elephant , and to talk about being threatened versus being irritated and whatever other emotions he felt when he left the courtroom.
Hopefully, more courts in Guyana will have recorders in the courts so there can be some evidence of words which were used.
Otherwise we continue to swirl in the madness of distrust and disrespect without any chance of moving forward.
“Experts”
I saw a Carter Centre invitation people to a symposium on Constitutional Reform. Stabroek News reports that the panel will include “International Constitution Reform Experts: Dr Jacqueline Hanoman and Geoffrey Weichselbaum”
My cynicism about experts (I have been called expert a couple of times too) instinctively led me to an Internet search.
There is a LinkedIn profile for a Dr Jacqueline Hanoman which speaks to experience in sociology, education, community activities in the USA, South Africa and Venezuela. There is no visible reference to law, constitution writing or making or constitution reform. The profile could be incomplete.
The Carter Centre would probably have a different expectation of the word “expert”.
There is no indication if any of the experts in the Government or the Opposition can be bothered seriously with Constitutional reform beyond voting a big budget for the Office of the Prime Minister.
The man in the market said that ‘it nah mek sense fuh guh anyway, is best yuh stay hey and mek do.. me and dis gyal walk all ovah fuh 24 years ..”
His truth is different from the truths of the others who left and made it elsewhere.
His expertise – that oil did not work where he came from , that there is potential in Guyana which is beyond oil – would probably not count in any symposium on the future of Guyana
His message – to not believing everything – is important though, if we are to become experts at “mekig do” in Guyana with each other.
(This was corrected on 27 March, 2017 to reflect Mr Joseph Harmon’s designation )
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