Commentators Challenge Ali Government Over Guyana’s Oil Wealth Management

This opinion column warns that Guyana risks repeating the failures of its gold era as oil and other resources expand, citing Rev. Jim Jones’s history and UN chief António Guterres’s call for producing countries to capture more value. It argues that without stronger deals, local industries, jobs, transparency and environmental safeguards, resource wealth could again leave ordinary Guyanese worse off.

In an October 4 commentary, GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis warned that Guyana’s oil-fuelled growth must be matched by social inclusion, fair access to jobs and stronger democracy or inequality could deepen. He questioned whether rising migration and the emigration of Guyanese could leave citizens sidelined in their own country and called for policies that strengthen participation, trust and upward mobility.

This opinion column argues that building Guyana is the responsibility of the government and elected leaders, not Exxon, and says President Ali and other politicians have failed to lead forcefully. While the writer criticizes Exxon Guyana head Alistair Routledge on several issues, he agrees with Routledge that Exxon was not elected to represent Guyanese people.