Rowley’s Qatar “Joyride”

What kind of leader would ignore a next-door country with the largest discoveries of oil and gas in recent times, for an exhibition thousands of miles away? 

A bungling and hopeless leader like Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley! 

Rowley and his Government have refused to engage Guyana in discussions despite the obvious and immediate benefits in production, refining, technology and skills transfer, deepwater harbour use, downstream activities, and much more. 

The Rowley regime was noticeably absent from the recent high-powered energy conference in Georgetown, which attracted Saudi Arabia, Ghana, Suriname, Barbados, and representatives of more than 150 international organisations. 

ExxonMobil, which has been exploring the abundant Stabroek Block, was involved at the highest level at the conference and was seeking business partners as it explores 10 billion barrels of crude oil. 

Little Barbados found synergies with the respective countries and institutions, but Trinidad and Tobago ignored the conference in the way it has been cold-shouldering the Dr. Irfaan Ali Government. 

Instead, Rowley and a team of fellow jet-setters headed off to Doha, Qatar for what was essentially a lavish exhibition of entrepreneurs. 

The Prime Minister’s proud boasts of achievements at that parley would be as blank and as unfilled as his earlier promise of lucrative trade with Ghana. 

Trinidad and Tobago taxpayers have simply funded an international joyride for its under-achieving Prime Minister and some of his liming buddies.