Govt. disclosed full details of Amaila Project to Opposition - Attorney General

By Kiana Wilburg, July 22, 2013, By KNews, Filed Under News, Source

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall has referred to the reasons submitted by the Joint Opposition for their non support of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project as “acts of desperation”.

Attorney General, Anil Nandlall

He added, “These attempts at manufacturing reasons are a demonstration that the politicians have now recognized the gravity of the wrongs they have done and rather than stand up like big men and accept their error they are engaged in machinations.”

The Minister made mention of two comments, the first by the leader of Partnership for National Unity (APNU), David Granger who stated, “If the Project is badly managed, Amaila could do severe damage to the National Economy”. The second comment was expressed by APNU’S shadow Minister of Finance, Carl Greenidge who pointed out that the “irregularities” with regard to the project are somewhat worrying. Nandlall noted that these very comments “constitute a weak, feeble and disgusting attempt to justify their non support of the Hydro Project”.

“Fortunately, the Guyanese people are not that gullible. In simple terms, they appreciate that the Amaila Falls Project will result in a reduction of their light bills by a minimum of 25 percent and will contribute significantly to the building and growth of a manufacturing sector that will propel Guyana to economic prosperity.”

According to Nandlall, every conceivable detail with regard to the Amaila Falls Hydro Project was disclosed to the Joint Opposition by the Government and that engagements between the Government and the opposition on this matter began on March 2012, until last Tuesday.

“Therefore, to convey the impression that the government has not been full and frank in their disclosures of details is a rank deception. Several meetings were held. Every single document was handed over. An opportunity was presented for the Opposition to meet with representatives of Sithe Global, the IDB and consultants who worked on the project.

A trip was arranged for them to physically inspect the site itself as well as the road leading to the site. At none of these engagements did they convey the impression that they were dissatisfied with any aspect of the project. Significantly, in the National Assembly none of the reasons which they have now concocted were advanced. In other words, they did not even feel obliged to offer the Guyanese people an explanation for their callous rejection of the project.

The opposition should now be concerned with how they will justify to the Guyanese people that they killed a project recognized by Dr. Cheddi Jagan and L.F.S Burnham and every intelligent Guyanese as a vehicle to catapult the ordinary working class out of poverty.

The opposition should now be concerned with how they will convince Guyanese of the millions of US dollars that have been wasted in the Amaila Falls Project, including nearly 25 million dollars on a road network that will now lead to nowhere.”

Nandlall said that the notion raised by the leader of the Alliance for Change, Khemraj Ramjattan, that raising the country’s external debt ceiling to $150B is not a requirement of the Inter-American Development Bank, is a “manifest absurdity since all contractual documents expressed that it is a requirement which is a condition precedent to the project. Again this adds probative value to a statement I earlier made that Khemraj Ramjattan has a comprehension problem. All of this pandemonium and confusion is generated because of their desperate attempts in conjuring up justification for the greatest betrayal ever committed against the Guyanese people by those who profess to be their leaders.

“In 20 years in government and while we were a majority in parliament we never sought to raise the debt ceiling before. The People’s National Congress Reform (PNC) did it five times in nine years in 1971 to 1980. Why would this administration seek to do it now if it is unconnected with the Amaila Falls project? The statements by Ramjattan are utter nonsense.

“Every time Guyanese citizens face a blackout and they are confronted with an electricity bill that is exorbitant, they should remember that it is the Joint Opposition which is holding them captive in that predicament. History will absolve those who supported the Amaila Falls project and will condemn those who rejected it.”