Litany…

…Nagamootoo’s larwahs
Imagine Nagamootoo giving the PNC the 11% to break out of its historic best — securing 42% of the votes to win the 2015 elections, and just getting a newspaper column (in the Chronic!!) for his efforts. Well, his old comrade, Donald Ramotar, did predict he’d get “larwah”!! And boy, did he ever get larwah; in fact, a whole litany of them!
Your Eyewitness doesn’t have space (or time) to go through the (sordid) list. And in any case, he wants to examine Nagamootoo’s column this week. Captioned “A litany of lies”, it’s obvious he has “litany” on his mind!! And why not? Larwahs aren’t that easy to ignore!! And seems he can’t ignore Bharrat Jagdeo either! He claimed Jagdeo and the rest of the PPP are telling lies on him!! Awww…poor sod!
This brought to his mind, Nagamootoo said, that on a trip to the Rupununi, Cheddi Jagan expressed frustration about “congenital liars” in general, and one of his ministers being one in particular! Your Eyewitness would like to know if this was the same trip Jagan told him on a campaign stage in the Rupununi that he, Nagamootoo, was his (Jagan’s) designated heir!! There were at least a dozen persons on stage, but only Nagamootoo heard THAT promise!!
No wonder everyone concluded he was just using the great man’s name to feather his own nest. But seriously, did it ever cross Nagamootoo’s mind (vacuous as it is!”) that Cheddi was ever so gently enquiring as to why he, Nagamootoo, was such a congenital liar??!!
But Cheddi was a fella who, when given lemons, didn’t bitch and moan; he just made lemonade! And with the inveterate liar Nagamootoo, what better use than put him in charge of “propaganda”!! Did Nagamootoo ever wonder why he never got a REAL Minister “wuk” from Jagan?
So, with this as background, let’s look at the lie Nagamootoo claims Jagdeo told on him — that he gets G$100 million annually. Nagamootoo’s being like Jordan, who claimed he didn’t lie when he answered in the negative the question, “Did the Government receive a US$20 million bonus from Exxon?” The reporter didn’t ask whether he’d received US$18M!!
Nagamootoo would not have Jagdeo so narrowly construe his income by restricting it to his salary — which in any case isn’t peanuts at G$22 million annually. Did he think the G$22 million spent on flying; the G$40 million on his accommodation at Main Street (with his AC/servants/meals/ gardeners /guards/outriders/cooks/etc., PLUS his G$20 million on his specially appointed SUV appeared like manna from heaven? It’s all money from the Government to Nagamootoo!
Shouldn’t Nagamootoo now be wondering what his PRESENT boss, Granger, is thinking about HIS Ministers who’re congenital liars??
…of mea culpas
Awwww…isn’t he sweet? Well, that’s what Trotman would want you to think with his request for a reduction of powers conferred in the new Petroleum Act, wouldn’t he??!! And of course this has nothing to do with his posterior being in a sling for lying through his teeth on the Exxon bonus! Point of the matter: there’s only so much mediocrity that can be covered up under the Nassau Accord.
And when that’s combined with the very strong possibility that the mediocrity is combined with venality, then Trotman has very excellent reasons for pulling out all the stops for saving the aforementioned posterior! Your Eyewitness, of course, is alluding — ever so circumspectly — to the US$18 million bonus from ExxonMobil.
Not about breaking the law by hiding the payment — but the ridiculousness of a 3billion bbl field getting only a US$18 million bonus.
Expect more cute doggie tricks!!
…of quibbling
Min of Public Infrastructure, Patterson, rejects suggestions that the extra G$150 million requisitioned for the CJIA expansion isn’t worth it.
He pointed out that on the Arrivals Area, “the square footage will be higher than that of the original contract; the original contract was 14,347 sq. m while the final scope will be 14,430 sq. m.”
G$150 million for an extra 83 sq. m??