00:00Former Senator Taharqa Obika, in responding to the announcement of another state of emergency, argues that the move may go
00:08beyond crime-fighting.
00:09He points to recent public protests over the Joshua Samaru police shooting, the deployment of the riot squad to manage
00:17the demonstrators,
00:18the agitations of Tutor and the Nurses' Association, and what he describes as censorship during the Carnival Calypso competition,
00:26suggesting that the SOE could be used to suppress dissent and silence those opposing the government's actions.
00:35What this will do is it will stamp out protest, and as a citizenry, it's like a pressure cooker, you
00:42can keep the pressure on, it's a powder keg, it will explode at some point, you must allow the people
00:47to express themselves.
00:48He also questions the leadership response to the Samaru incident, saying the police executive failed to adequately address public concern
00:58at the highest level, further eroding trust.
01:01Bottom line is the citizens do not trust the police service, and what made it worse was that the police
01:08commissioner himself,
01:09despite the abundance of video evidence, may declare that there was no need to suspend the officers, kept them on
01:17active duty.
01:17On foreign policy, he calls the government's support of recent United States military action reckless.
01:24He also questions the optimism surrounding a projected billion-dollar energy boost, noting ongoing instability in the petrochemical sector, including
01:34issues involving proven and nutrient.
01:37So maybe there are interests being supported, but I can't see the termination or the potential termination of 700 employees
01:45at Nutrien and the knock-on effect that will have or has already had on joblessness, growing joblessness in the
01:52economy.
01:53I can't see that as being in our country's interest. It has to be in someone's interest that is not
01:58connected to us.
01:59So therefore, the government is operating recklessly in that manner.
02:03With the government approaching one year in office, Obika contends the economy is weakening and questions how any new revenue
02:11from increased gas prices will be used.
02:15So this government has been in office going on a year, and the largest sector of the economy, natural gas
02:25and petrochemical sector, has taken a hit, not by virtue of anything more than recklessness on the part of persons
02:34administering state enterprises.
02:36So, and then we have mass joblessness and no remedy in sight.
02:43So you say, okay, you don't want a nation of grass cutters, all right, but what do you have as
02:49the alternative?
02:50In a newspaper article on Monday, Energy Minister Dr. Rudal Munilal is quoted as saying,
02:55In terms of the local energy sector increases in oil prices will result in higher government revenues from exploration and
03:04production licenses through taxes and production sharing contracts via an increased profit share.
03:12He also pointed to the strategic restructuring of Atlantic LNG in allowing this country to benefit from global price volatility.
03:22Nicole M. Romani, TV6 News.
03:25I think Everybody .
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