“African states must unite (for the continent) or sell themselves out to imperialist and colonialist exploiters for a mess of pottage…”: Kwame Nkrumah. Or as our own Cheddi Jagan told the National Assembly in 1983 in a speech following the invasion of Grenada: “Right now Washington is …hoping to get these puppets one by one to sell their souls for a mess of pottage.”
Introduction
As this column reaches its 150th instalment on this Old Year’s Night, one cannot help but imagine Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan turning restlessly in their graves at Seven Ponds and Babu John. Whatever their later differences, policy pursuits, missteps and mistakes, these giants of our independence movement shared an unshakeable commitment to Guyana’s sovereignty and resource nationalism. Today’s betrayal of our oil patrimony, first by the APNU + AFC Coalition and now egregiously by the PPP/C, would have been unthinkable to them.
How far have we fallen from those days of nationalist and principled leadership? President Ali’s and Vice President Jagdeo’s transformation from fierce critics of the 2016 Agreement while in opposition to its most ardent defenders in government represents more than mere political expedience – it strikes at the heart of decency, accountability and the nation’s sovereignty that our founding leaders fought so hard to establish and preserve.
From Renegotiation to Sanctity
The same voices that denounced the 2016 Agreement now defend its every Article. The same legal minds that found constitutional heresy in the stability Article now justify the effective suspension of Parliament’s authority until 2057. Even more disturbing, they privately extend benefits to Exxon outside of the Agreement and publicly seize every opportunity to take the exploiter’s side against Guyanese and the national interest.
In its 2020 manifesto and speeches during the campaign, the PPP argued for and committed to renegotiation. President Ali and Vice President Jagdeo condemned the Agreement’s terms as unconscionable. They built expectations of better royalty rates, explicitly introducing ring-fencing provisions and removing the tax arrangements requiring Guyana to pay ExxonMobil’s taxes.
When in power, that commitment conveniently evaporated. First, President Ali and VP Jagdeo converted to a new religion – the sanctity of contract, which they embraced for nearly four years. As that faith was exposed as false religions do, they now claim that they have kept their promise and passed a new Petroleum Activities Act. Guyanese know the meaning of “renegotiate” and that the new Act does not affect pre-existing Agreements.
To EXX-ONe GUYANA
VP and oil czar Jagdeo struggles to rewrite his bold statements about renegotiation and now engages in all kinds of prevarication. When in opposition, he specifically cited the discovery of 3 billion barrels in the Stabroek Block as justification for renegotiating the 2016 Agreement. Now, with discoveries exceeding 11 billion barrels, he claims his words meant something entirely different. Guyanese may be naive and even gullible, polite and non-confrontational, but stupid. No. They know what they saw with their own eyes and heard with their own ears. They know how to distinguish equivocation and obfuscation from what they saw and heard.
By his refusal to establish an independent Petroleum Commission, the President has ceded to the Vice President exclusive and unquestioned authority over all decisions concerning the petroleum sector. In doing so, his once imaginative and insightful motto of One Guyana is fast evolving into EXX-ONe GUYANA.
From Critics to Defenders to Enablers
The pattern of betrayal goes beyond mere policy reversal. The government has become ExxonMobil’s most reliable defender, ignoring or dismissing those who dare question the company’s incorrect accounting, made-up cost recovery claims and unsupervised operations. They resist meaningful environmental oversight and delay promised sector reforms, including establishing a Petroleum Commission, again publicly committed to by Ali and Jagdeo, or holding a Commission of Inquiry into the Agreement’s negotiation despite former Minister Trotman’s willingness to testify.
Their resistance to investigation suggests they fear what might be revealed about the previous administration’s actions and perhaps their own role in maintaining these arrangements. We recall that in his book “From Destiny to Prosperity,” Raphael Trotman, then oil Minister, revealed that Jagdeo, as Leader of the Opposition, had secretly agreed with the APNU + AFC Government not to oppose the Legislative Order granting the ultra-generous tax measures in the 2016 Agreement. Now, the talkative John Hess announces that the oil companies have been assured that the “fiscal terms” in the 2016 Agreement — translated to Guyana will pay their taxes – will continue until 2057 at the very least. Who else but the top echelon of the current Administration could give such an assurance?
The Opposition
And where does the current Opposition fit into all of this? The APNU+AFC coalition’s failure to hold the government accountable compounds this betrayal of trust. Having been part of the government that signed the original agreement, it now appears paralysed by its role. Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton’s lack of knowledge and interest in this crucial issue is extremely disturbing. His failure to articulate any coherent position on renegotiation, inability to effectively challenge the government’s reversals, and apparent disinterest in the technical details of oil governance suggest a profound lack of understanding or a deliberate abdication of responsibility.
Conclusion
The surrender of parliamentary sovereignty through the stability clause until 2057 represents a constitutional crisis unprecedented in resource agreements globally. Our founding fathers fought for permanent sovereignty over our natural resources and parliamentary supremacy. Their successors have traded both for a mess of pottage.
As the final hours of 2024 tick away, we stand at a cusp. We can look back on a year and period of shameful capitulation by our political leadership, or we can look forward with hope that the Guyanese people will finally say “enough” and reclaim the patrimony that their founding fathers would have insisted upon and is guaranteed by our Constitution.
One thing for sure: The 2016 Agreement allows for renegotiation. Ali and Jagdeo, with the tacit agreement of the leading opposition, have done more than turn their backs on Guyana. They have sold the country for a mess of pottage. They want to shut down the voice of the people. They will not allow a referendum.
Elections 2025 offer the people the opportunity to respond. Will they support any political party that sells out their birthright? Or will they reject them for any party committed to renegotiation?
The year 2025 will provide the answer.
Happy New Year to all Guyanese, especially our readers.
Chris Ram
