Guyana Chronicle E-Paper 10-11-2022

‘Game over for racism as political weapon’ - President Ali

- Gov’t working with all communities

- Widespread condemnation of APNU+AFC MP’s conduct

- Mocha women’s group stands with Minister Parag

GUYANESE from every community will be met where they are by the Presi dent and the government so that their welfare needs are met, and all citizens can enjoy the benefit of ‘One Guyana’ unified in devel

opment.

This was the sentiment shared by President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Wednesday in a video statement where he strongly condemned the tactics of the opposition A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance

For Change (APNU+AFC) in their recent ploy to block Public Service Minister Sonia Parag from accessing a public space in Belladrum, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

Incidentally, the action comes after a public meet

ing at Mocha, on the East Bank of Demerara a few nights ago where Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton made statements about how com munities could respond to government ministers.

Jones confesses APNU+AFC MPs defied Speaker’s order

Court says ‘no’ to request for judge’s recusal in NRF case

OPPOSITION Chief Whip, Christopher Jones, admit ted to the court on Wednes day that the behaviour of parliamentarians from the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) during the

December 2021 debate on the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill was defiant of Orders by Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir.

Jones made this disclosure while answering a series of

rigorous questions from At torney General Anil Nandlall S.C., when the hearing into the challenge of the NRF Bill con tinued before Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court.

Historic transformation underway in Guyana

- US Ambassador Lynch says

THE United States Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch has said that Guyana’s transfor mation is going to be “absolutely historic,” especially if the coun try continues to di versify its economy.

The ambassador made these remarks during an appearance on the Plaza Central podcast, where she ad dressed Guyana’s de velopment trajectory and partnerships with the United States.

Speaking of Guy

ana’s meteoric rise, Ambassador Lynch stated that Guyana’s growth has been un precedented and his toric.

She added that oil giant ExxonMo bil has made over 30 discoveries here, and the country has some 11 billion barrels of oil reserves, which could make Guyana the country with the highest oil reserves per capita in the world.

She noted that while Kuwait is currently in the top spot, Guyana may soon surpass it.

In terms of general growth, Ambassador Lynch said that for this year alone, Guy ana is on course to growing almost 60 per cent, according to the International Mon

etary Fund (IMF)’s recent report. This, she said, is a “staggering” growth for a small na tion, and that based on the IMF’s projections, Guyana is on course to growing at about 30 per cent over the next few years.

Ambassador Lynch remarked that much of this growth has been in the oil-and-gas sector, but not exclusively. She told the podcast that Guyana grew at about seven per cent in the non-oil sectors, and is projected to continue its growth at around five per cent per year.

She added: “As long as Guyana diversifies its economy and con tinues to invest in its infrastructure; invest in key institutions, and, most importantly, invest in its people, I think the transformation will be incredible, and its future very bright.”

Addressing the US’ partnership with Guy ana, the ambassador said that the North American nation will continue to work with Guyana in several ar eas, including govern

ance, economic devel opment and security.

On the governance front, which she ex pressed is key to the country’s success, she noted that the US has been working with Guyana to improve transparency and ac countability.

Lynch said that the US has provided as sistance from the US Treasury to the Guy ana Revenue Authority (GRA) to help with the auditing of large contracts, and to fur ther improve human resourcing efforts.

The ambassador went on to highlight that the US has also worked with Guyana to help improve elec tions management, along with assisting with improvements in the Judicial system, to digitise cases and more.

On the economic growth front, Ambas sador Lynch told the host of the podcast that the US has done quite a lot to highlight the investment opportuni ties in Guyana, through conferences, trade mis sions and conferences.

She underscored that the US has also partnered with Guyana to assist in ensuring that certain security as sets that are needed in the country to combat transnational crime, and improve border security are there.

“We find that all these things are very welcomed by Guy ana; they’re also very important to us. I mean, this is our neighbourhood, so the success of Guyana is our success, and we hope to have an even better partner in the future,” she said.

US Ambassador to Guyana Sarah-Ann Lynch

‘Game over for racism as political weapon’ - President Ali

- asserts gov’t working with all communities

GUYANESE from every community will be met where they are by the President and the government so that their welfare needs are met, and all citizens can enjoy the benefit of ‘One Guyana’ unified in development.

This was the senti ment shared by Presi dent Dr. Irfaan Ali on Wednesday in a video statement where he strongly condemned the tactics of the opposition A Partnership for Nation al Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) in their recent ploy to block Public Service Minister Sonia Parag from ac cessing a public space in Belladrum, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).

Incidentally, the ac tion comes after a public meeting at Mocha, on the East Bank of Demerara a few nights ago where Opposition Leader Au brey Norton made state ments about how com munities could respond to government ministers. This, however, is not the way the President Dr. Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government in tends to do business.

“This government is going to work in eve ry single community,” President Ali asserted, noting that what bothers him is that there appears to be political opera tives “at the behest of a central command” who have been obstructing the

work of the government in different communities.

Repeating, as he did during an engagement in Mocha-Arcadia in Sep tember, that no political party controls any com munity, President Ali said those obstructing the work of the government have “used the propa ganda of race and the propaganda of division so intensely in their polit ical work that the sight of ministers of government working in every com munity and destroying that narrative… is really hitting them hard”.

“Your political nar rative of using race as your mobilising tool has come to an end! Game over!” President Ali said, adding:

“We are going to de stroy it, and bury it in the ground. As President, I am going to work in eve ry single community.”

The President called on Guyanese to recog nise that his government is intent on embracing every citizen on devel opment. “Many per sons who are seeing and working with us on this massive agenda in these very communities are be ing ridiculed,” the Head of State said, urging those persons to remain committed to their com munity’s development.

Calling on Guyanese to reject those he called a “selective group” who obstruct the work of the government, but also claim that the ministers

are not visiting the com munities, President Ali denounced the utterances of that group as false.

Minister Parag’s visit to Belladrum on Tuesday when the incident oc curred was a follow-up visit from a community outreach that was held by President Ali last month in the West Coast Ber bice village.

Minister Parag was tasked with engaging residents in that commu nity on the development initiatives the President committed to last month.

Speaking with this publication in a tel ephone interview on Wednesday, Minister Parag said that she was not entirely surprised by the behaviour of the APNU+AFC activists

in Belladrum, which in cluded APNU+AFC par liamentarian Vinceroy Jordan.

“Their modus oper andi are really terrible politics; gutter politics is what they play.

“So, I’m not surprised by what they would do to try to keep this gov ernment out of a com munity. But that is not a problem, because I’m still going to go and try to help; and our govern ment is still going to commit ourselves to help all Guyanese in all com munities,” Parag com mented.

Minister Parag said her main concern with the situation is that the Opposition members are doing more harm than good in trying to hinder

development in commu nities, and by trying to dissuade residents from working along with the government.

“We are going to move past this by going into the communities, and continuing to listen to the people, and, as best as we can, help to develop those communities along with the residents,” she said.

“All these com munities that we go in, we find that the people want develop ment. They’re calling for it; they are not on the same page as these few persons [associated with the APNU+AFC] who are trying to sty mie the development,” she adde4d.

President Dr. Irfaan Ali engages a group of women during his recent community outreach to Den Amstel, Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) (Office of the President photo)

Facebook-owner Meta to cut 11,000 staff

(BBC) - Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced that it will cut 13% of its workforce.

The first mass lay-offs in the firm’s history will result in 11,000 employees, from a worldwide headcount of 87,000, losing their jobs.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the cuts were “the most difficult changes we’ve made in Me ta’s history”.

The news follows major lay-offs at Twitter, which cut about half its staff, and other tech firms.

“I know this is tough for everyone, and I’m especially sorry to those impacted,” he wrote in a statement.

Mr Zuckerberg blamed massive long-term expec tations for growth based on the firm’s rise in revenue during the pandemic.

“Many people predicted this would be a permanent acceleration,” he wrote, “I did too, so I made the deci sion to significantly increase our investments.”

Instead he said “macro economic downturn” and “increased competition” caused revenue to be much

lower than expected

“I got this wrong, and I take responsibility for that,” he said.

The announcement of job cuts was widely ex pected.

Mr Zuckerberg told hun dreds of Meta executives of the plans on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Mr Zuckerberg said the company would focus on high-priority growth ar eas, like artificial intelli gence, advertising, and “our long-term vision for the metaverse”.

Meta will also cut costs

elsewhere - including reduc ing its spending on buildings and offices, and increasing desk-sharing.

Affected Meta employ ees will receive an email soon, he said, and will have an opportunity to ask ques tions.

US employees will re ceive redundancy payments worth 16 weeks’ pay plus a week for every year worked. Additional benefits will also include continuing to pro vide family health insurance for six months.

Support outside the US will be similar, but there will

be a separate redundancy process to take into account local employment laws.

Meta’s European head quarters are based in Dublin, where according to local reports it directly employs 3,000 people and many more contractors.

According to a Com panies House filing, Meta employed more than 5,000 people in the UK as of De cember 2021.

But Meta has so far de clined to release the number of redundancies it will make in either country.

Kevin Poulter, an em

ployment lawyer at Freeths, said it was important Meta followed UK laws on redun dancies.

He told the BBC that confidence in the tech job market and the opportunity to move freely and easily between established and start-up companies “had been diminished if not wholly undermined within a week”

He warned that “if the leading lights of Twitter and Meta are now ap proaching the future cau tiously, others are likely to follow”.

Parish judge shocked that man kicked girlfriend in face

Judge orders rapist to register as sex offender, report to police for 15 years after release

(Trinidad Guardian)

- A man serving a nineyear sentence for raping a teenager during a home invasion almost a decade ago, has been ordered to register as a sex offender and report to the police every month for 15 years after his eventual release.

(Jamaica Observer) - A Senior Parish Judge was visibly upset when she learned that an unem ployed 20-year-old man kicked his girlfriend in her face after allegedly break ing into her house.

The man, Norman Dick ens, pleaded guilty to mali cious destruction of proper ty and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. How ever, he pleaded not guilty to the house-breaking and larceny charge, when he ap peared in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court, on Tuesday.

For destroying his girl friend’s cellular phone, he was ordered to pay $30,000 to replace it. Dickens was also ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution for assault ing the woman, totaling $110,000.

Allegations are that Dickens broke into the complainant’s house by picking the lock. He told the court that he saw her speaking with a man and they looked “close.” Ac cording to Dickens, he saw this as disrespectful and an argument erupted between the two, resulting in him assaulting her.

The complainant told presiding Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague, that Dick ens, whom she is no longer in a relationship with, “him lick mi all over mi body.”

When asked what Dick ens used to hit her, the woman said, he used his hands and feet.

“You don’t work, but

your foot is all over this young lady,” the outraged judge said.

The complainant re vealed that the man who visited her was unable to assist her during the assault because he has a broken leg.

Denying the accusation that he broke into the com plainant’s house and took her cellphone, Dickens said the complainant called him “’round her yard and disre spect him.” However, the prosecution said he actually left with the cell phone then it was destroyed.

The complainant de

nied ever calling him to her house.

A fingerprint order was made for Dickens, and con ditions were added to his bail. He was ordered to report to the nearest po lice station on Tuesdays and Thursdays between the hours of 6:00 am and 6:00 pm. Dickens was also ordered to have no contact or communication with the complainant, and he is not to visit the complainant’s home.

Dickens is to return to court on November 22 for sentencing.

High Court Judge Hayden St Clair-Douglas made the order against Keon Fernan do during a virtual hear ing on WednesdayIn July, Justice St Clair-Douglas sentenced Fernando to nine years with hard labour for rape and five years for grievous sexual assault.

He is expected to be released after serving the larger sentence as St Clair-Douglas ordered that the sentences run concur rently.

Fernando committed the attack in Diego Martin on October 16, 2012.

In issuing the order, Jus tice St Clair-Douglas noted that it was also “highly traumatic” for the victim’s mother, who was at home at the time.

He noted that under the

Sexual Offences Act both offences Fernando was convicted of were regis trable and he should have his information listed on the sex offenders’ registry website.

As Fernando indicated that he plans to reside with a relative in Wallerfield after his eventual release, St Clair-Douglas ordered that he report to the Arima Police Station once month ly within seven days of completing his sentence.

Justice St Clair-Doug las also warned Fernando that he would have to indicate if he intends to move from the location so the order could be varied.

Hayden St ClairDouglas (Photo credit: TT Guardian)

Politics of Confrontation

THE APNU+AFC, from all indications, seems bent on pursuing a confronta tional path of politics in the country. What is even more disturbing is the fact that such a form of politics is based on lies, deception and half-truths, which bear little, if any, semblance to objective reality.

After having failed to return itself to power by undemocratic means in the 2020 General and Regional Elections, it is continuing to peddle a false narrative of being “cheated” out of office despite the fact that all local and international observ ers including CARICOM observers, have pronounced that the elections were free, fair and credible.

Based on such an ap proach, the APNU+AFC is finding fault with everyone

and everything that is op posed to its baseless and preposterous claims. No one is spared the “wrath” of the APNU+AFC coalition. The Chairperson of the Guy ana Elections Commission (GECOM), retired Judge, Justice Claudette Singh, is now the subject of daily protest actions and there are calls for her to go, even though she was appointed by former APNU+AFC Presi dent, David Granger.

It would seem that in sofar as the APNU+AFC is concerned, the only accepta ble way is its way or, the pro verbial highway. Needless to state, such an attitude makes it difficult for any form of meaningful engagement with the political opposition. Its recent walk-out from parlia ment after a motion on the voters’ list was disallowed

by the Speaker is yet another testimony of such disruptive political behaviour.

Such behaviour is cer tainly unwarranted and also not in the best interest of the people whom the coali tion purportedly claims to represent in the National Assembly. This is, in effect, an important abdication of its duty as important bills were slated for discussion, includ ing constitutioal reform, sui cide prevention and criminal justice reform bills.

The opposition, accord ing to Minister of Parlia mentary Affairs and Gov ernance, Ms Gail Teixeira, is becoming more and more irrelevant.

“Walking out of parlia ment when these major is sues are before the House is indicative they really more and more are becoming ir

relevant, in that they are not prepared to stand up in the House and be able to defend their positions” Ms Teixeira lamented.

Politics, it is said, is the art of the possible. What the APNU+AFC is attempting to do is to seek to bend the arc of parliamentary norms and procedures to facilitate a pro cess of partisan self-interest and one that seemingly fits into its false narrative of a “bloated voters’ list.” The fact that the list is being updated on a regular basis through the continuous regis tration mechanism appears to be of no consequence to the political opposition.

The APNU+AFC coali tion appears incapable of coming to terms with a basic reality, namely, that it is no longer possible to ob tain power by undemocratic

means as it did for 28 years during the 1968-1992 period. It is simply not helping its own by its refusal to partici pate in the work of important bodies, including that of the National Assembly, which is the supreme decision-making body in the country.

Meanwhile, the PPP/C administration is pushing ahead with the issue of con stitutional reform and the House, at its most recent sit ting, has given the green light with passage of the Con stitution Reform Commis sion Bill, 2022. The political opposition, true to form, has failed to offer any contribu tion to the Bill, both at the parliamentary committee level and during the debate on the Bill, as the entire main opposition walked out of the National Assembly before the Bill was debated.

The refusal of the APNU+AFC to participate in discussions on the way forward as it pertains to the issue of constitutional reform speaks to a degree of political immaturity and their commitment to the important task of governance in the country.

What the country needs now more than ever at this conjuncture in time is the politics of consensus and reconciliation along the lines of the One Guyana vi sion as articulated by Presi dent, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. The current mode of adversarial politics prac tised by the APNU +AFC coalition is not only unfor tunate but dysfunctional to the process of national unity and reconciliation set in motion by the PPP/C administration.

Dear Editor,

MY attention was adverted to an article in the Kaieteur News edition of November 6, 2022, titled, “As another foreign company boasts of “gold fever in Guyana,’” in which certain representa tions were attributed to a company, Alerio Gold Corp.

The representations sug gest, inter alia, that the said Alerio Gold Corp “entered into a property purchase agreement to acquire a 100 per cent interest in five gold prospecting licences in Guy ana, known as the Puruni Gold Property.”

Research conducted re veals that the said information was replicated from articles posted on the company’s

website, www.aleriogold. com, which details the prop erties as follows: Mining Permits:

1. A-14/MP/000, 2. A-14/ MP/001, 3. A-14/MP/002, 4. K-11-MP/000, 5. K7-MP/000

Prospecting Permit Me dium Scale: 1. 574/2003 (File No. A298/001)

Inquiries at the Guyana Geology & Mines Commis sion have revealed that the said properties are still held by Henry Alphonso, who is a Guyanese miner involved in the extractive industry for over two decades.

I am adamant that I have not sold, leased or in any oth er way alienated my rights, titles and interests held under the permits aforesaid.

In this regard, I retained GUNRAJ & CO., Attorneysat-Law, which has been in structed to take all necessary steps, including but not lim ited to, the following:

1. Communicate these developments to the local regulatory agencies, includ ing the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission

2. Communicate these developments to the Canadian regulatory agencies, includ ing the Canadian National Stock Exchange on which the company is listed

3. Explore litigation and alternative remedies against Alerio Gold Corp, in respect of the said rep resentations.

Yours respectfully, Henry Alphonso

APNU+AFC’s intimidation of media workers must be condemned by everybody

Dear Editor

I’VE noted APNU+AFC denying that they har assed NCN’s cameramen who were doing their jobs by covering the party’s recent meeting in Mocha. I also saw APNU+AFC admitting that they asked the cameramen where they were working.

I believe that is intimi dation since it was a public meeting on the street. I also noticed that the NCN statement said that the cameramen were attacked by APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Nima FlueBess, who was asking who the cameramen were and

where they are working.

As a resident of Mocha, I know that Miss Flue-Bess lives in the same street in Mocha along with one of the cameramen. She knows that he works at NCN and she knows his family. So, for Miss Flue-Bess and APNU+AFC to say they don’t know the cameraman or where he is working is totally wrong and dishon est.

The way I see it is that APNU+AFC just wanted to stop NCN from filming the meeting. Why would they stop NCN and then say they don’t get cover age?

In this modern time, APNU+AFC must know that people get the news right away on things that are happening. That is im portant and APNU+AFC must also know that media people must be free to do their jobs. The way Miss Flue-Bess acted in Mocha that day is not how a Mem ber of Parliament must behave.

What she and APNU+AFC did must be condemned by every body.

Sincerely, Ryan Newton Mocha-Arcadia resi dent

To those who cry ‘apartheid!’

Dear Editor, Those who cry “apart heid” in Guyana have failed to make a scien tific analysis of the politi cal situation obtaining in Guyana at this time as well as a study of the cur rent alignment of class forces in the country.

They have mistakenly and mechanically char acterised the liberal dem ocratic establishment in Guyana as ‘apartheid’ with out taking into account the specific features of a system they claim exists in Guyana.

As a result, they have foolishly and erroneously caricatured those govern ment policies and measures they disagree with as a manifestation of ‘apart heid.’ This narrative suits a self-serving and divisive agenda of an Afro-centric petit-bourgeois elite who have set themselves up arbitrarily, up as spokesper sons of a section of Guya nese society.

The premise upon which the “ole talk” about “apartheid” in Guyana is based, is completely false, misconceived and unevi dencial.

Described in some cir cles as quasi-intellectu als, the small elitist group has latched on to the label “apartheid,” hoping it will secure them a place in the orbit of relevancy.

Recognising that every thing they tried in the past failed, and refusing to make any constructive contribu tion towards the social and economic advancement of “all” Guyanese, the group ing finds it convenient to cough up an improvised theory, which, in effect, is the same old wine but in a different bottle.

One is left to wonder why, during the Burnham, Hoyte and Granger presi dencies, this peculiar char acterisation of the Guya nese society never surfaced but that it only did just one year after the PPP/C was elected to office.

In other words, between 1964-1992 and from 20152020 there was no “apart heid” in Guyana, but in a matter of just two years, beginning with the assump tion of the PPP/C to office in August 2020, BOOOM! ‘Apartheid’- a political sys

tem based on racial segre gation and discrimination is suddenly part of the Guya nese reality!

Apartheid is not just a metaphor to be used loose ly. An apartheid regime is sustained by three key sets of laws. “The first of these divides the country’s popu lation into distinct racial groups, and grants superior rights and privileges and services to one group over another.

“The second is reflected in laws that segregate the population into distinct geographical areas that are allotted to different racial groups

“The third is reflected in a matrix of draconian security laws that legalise unlimited administrative detention, torture, censor ship, banning and assassi nation of opponents of the regime.”

No such policies nor laws can be found in the statute books nor the Con stitution of Guyana.

But the objective of the proponents of the apartheid narrative is plain and sim ple; to whip up emotional ethnic sentiments and fo ment discord within Guya nese society.

Like modern-day sha mans, the grouping pushes the “apartheid” narrative, seeking primarily, to ex ploit human gullibility by taking advantage of pre vailing ethno-psychological biases and to organise the unsuspecting and gullible around a common belief in a non-ordinary reality.

But this group is not alone. There were propo nents of different ideologi cal hues in the recent past who sought to impose false and simplistic notions upon us as a nation. Depend ing on their ideological orientation, but knowingly anti- PPP/C, these indi viduals would characterise Guyana a “co-operative socialist state,” a “PNC dictatorship,” a “full blown fascist state,” a “narcostate” a “failed state,” now an “apartheid state,”

The logical question is; what next?

In order to demolish this notion about Guyana being an “apartheid state,” it is necessary to highlight some of the concrete initiatives implemented by the PPP/C

administration in pursuit of its manifesto promises and contrary to the distractive gaffe about “apartheid” being practised by the Dr. Irfaan Ali administration:

REGION ONE MABARUMA July, 2021: $9M sub vention for Town Council WHITEWATER June, 2022: New vehi cles costing a total of $7.3 million provided to boost transportation; May, 2021: Electricity provided;

CHINESE LANDING

September, 2022: Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System installed at Primary School; KUMAKA May, 2021: $70M in investments for Kumaka hospital

REGION TWO ONDERNEEMING

September, 2021: 650 persons commenced home construction;

QUEENSTOWN June, 2021: sports ground upgraded September, 2021: Con tract signed for a new sluice; February, 2022: Up grading of Bridgemohan Street and Masjid Street to asphaltic concrete surface AFFIANCE June, 2021: Upgrading of sports ground; March, 2022: Upgrad ing of North Dam streets

REGION THREE HUBU

Hubu: September 2022; Distribution of $150,000 grant to fisherfolk; June, 2022 wharf con structed to facilitate greater market access for farmers; March, 2022: Close to $600M spent to rehabilitate Naamryck, Hubu access roads;

MORA September: 2022; $150,000 grant distributed to fisherfolk; August, 2022; Damaged Mora Bridge repaired DE WIILEM September, 2022 Distri bution of $150,000 grant to fisherfolk EDINBURGH April, 2022; 2,000 house lot allottees in Re gion Three begin construct ing homes

BUXTON September, 2022; 25 Buxtonians sign $56M in contracts to rehabilitate bridges July, 2022; Small busi ness training for Buxto nians; assured of employ ment through community projects; And in October, 2020; Buxton, Friendship farmers receive news about jobs and plans for drainage;

MELANIE DAMIS HANA

Melanie Damishana: July 2022; US$8M treat ment plant to improve qual ity of water commissioned; July, 2022; Regularisa tion of untitled East Coast lands commenced in midAugust; July, 2022: ‘Melanie’ to benefit from community improvement projects; July, 2021; Fire station, ambulance service commis sioned at Melanie;

SOPHIA

Sophia, July, 2022: 100 Sophia residents benefit from gov’t’s business grant; September, 2021: $59 Million in Home Improve ment Subsidies Distributed to 118 Sophia Families; June, 2021: $51M mod ern recreational facility for Sophia May, 2021: Sophia cat tle farmers granted assis tance with pasture lands;

ECCLES: March, 2021: New play ground to be developed at Eccles New Scheme June: 2022: $640M con tract signed for consultancy service for Ogle to Eccles Road; June, 2022: New $37.8M Eccles fire station commissioned;

REGION FIVE FORT WELLINGTON

May 28, 2021 Over 4,800 acres of land identi fied to address Region Five housing needs; Five Co-op societies to be revitalised SHIELDSTOWN May, 2021: Over 4,800 acres of land identified to address Region Five hous ing needs;

HOPETOWN

June, 2021: Contracts signed for expansion and rehabilitation of Hopetown practical instruction Centre; ONVERWAGT September, 2022: $150,000 cash grant dis tributed to fisherfolk;

REGION SIX NEW AMSTERDAM February, 2022: $41 million Infectious Unit commissioned at New Am sterdam Hospital; April, 2021: Smart

TO PAGE 9

Climate change hurting but Caribbean not heeding!

WITH the COP27 Climate Change Summit underway in Egypt, Caribbean del egations have yet another perfect example to share about the vulnerability of developing nations and small island states to the perils of 21st Century cli mate change, while rich na tions continue to stall and renege on their 12-year-old pledge to have dedicated a US$100 billion fund by 2020 to help the most vul nerable nations survive and revive from the damages caused by those now want ing to blame COVID-19 and the Ukraine War.

Saint Lucia, Dominica and Martinique last weekend got (yet another) hurting les son of what climate change feels like in these times, after a few minutes of rain ruined lives and property forever and caused everlasting dam age in ways never seen or felt before -- and that everyone hopes never to experience again.

But they/we may just be hoping against hope.

Why? Because we take too long to learn, thanks to

our dangerously stubborn brand of hardheadedness.

Let me explain.

After Saint Lucia’s Gov ernment was criticised by working parents for “closing school without enough no tice” ahead of an unexpected weather phenomenon, a call er on the popular daily Saint Lucia TV vox pop series, “Street Vibes,” said: “We behave like we have forgot ten that we only have two seasons, and not four….”

And he’s right… Caribbean people know only two types of weather -rain and sun; and two seasons -- wet and dry, with the first six months of every year fea turing sunny weather and the second bringing more rain, including a hurricane season.

Nothing’s changed – ex cept the climate and the en vironment…

The effects of Global Warming on the environ ment have been widely and deeply studied and climate change has become more of an often-repeated trending brand phrase than something Caribbean people need to know affects their lives every

minute, every day.

The modified technical and scientific terms used to describe important projects and projections, the language behind definitions and titles often detract, distract and dissuade the ordinary man, woman and child who feel detached from those highflying issues, while they remain the most-affected victims, especially in small island developing states (SIDS) of the Caribbean and the world.

And while the phrases change and the rich nations causing the changes that most affect SIDS and other developing nations continue to break promises to as sist the most-vulnerable and least-able victim nations and people, Caribbean nations and people have had to learn from repeated bitter experi ences that only get worse by the year, like what happened Sunday.

But nothing about the changing weather patterns is new, as it’s all happened before in every CARICOM state, one way or another, the region now visited by

more Tropical Storms, Hur ricanes, Earthquakes and Volcano eruptions per year, alongside more droughts with water scarcity and crop failures, unseasonal heavy rains resulting in floods and landslides with greater feroc ity and greater incidents of Sahara dust covering Carib bean landscapes.

Before last weekend’s brief but heavy rains that caused more damage in less time than ever experienced in neighboring Dominica, Martinique and Saint Lucia, the world news was inundat ed with horrendous images and reports from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America and the Caribbean, showing heatwaves along side severe rainfall, forest fires alongside floods, rivers running dry and crops dying by drying-out, while main ly elderly people virtually baked and roasted to death.

Unfortunately, in the midst of it all, Caribbean na tions and people, in the main, still tend to largely blame the weather for (us) not un derstanding its message, instead suffering its wrath while engaging in related phraseology, like whether to characterize current events as “climate change” or “cli mate range” – both of which are true.

Last weekend’s unwel come Sunday lunchtime

weather phenomenon was strange in many respects: it only affected the north ern half of the island, with roads in communities below and between hills turned into raving rivers of muddy water that flooded homes and businesses alike, de stroying household items in deprived and depressed com munities just as it also turned swimming pools muddy and drowned golf courses.

I saw video and pho to images of cars floating down what used to be streets, houses more-than-half under water, people desperately try ing to save what they could while the rivers of rainwater flowed to and fro, in every direction.

Before the day was over, I’d seen enough to know many, many people and families were dealt hard blows, but I shivered to also conclude that too many Saint Lucians and Caribbean peo ple still haven’t learned the climate change reasons be hind what many feel is God’s punishment for our sins.

The comments I heard about what concerned peo ple most also helped further convince me that too many simply refuse to accept that our two seasons have in the past four decades changed for the worse and what we’re seeing happening elsewhere is also happening here -- like

how the rising tides from melting icebergs and moun tain glaciers in the North Pole and Africa are reflected in the ever-rising tides being measured in Caribbean har bours today.

We continue to be satis fied with counting our losses and considering the causes than taking the age-old pro verbial precaution that a stitch in time saves nine.

Unfortunately, many still see these as ‘Acts of God’ instead of the result of ac tions by humankind, from how we dispose of plastics to the way the rich nations build industries that accelerate the climate change disasters [that] UN Secretary General Antonino Guterres has been warning about at COP27 in Sharm El Shaik.

Guterres said, on Mon day, incidents like that expe rienced above last Sunday in one small part of the Carib bean that caused unprec edented havoc in the lives of so many more, was clear indication that “The world is heading for a climate catas trophe, with our feet still on the accelerator.”

But never mind how late, something can always be done about everything – including the guilty rich nations fixing the dam age from climate change by simply honoring their promises.

To those who cry...

Classrooms commissioned at secondary schools;

WILLIAMSBURG

June, 2022: 59 more homes slated for housing development; FYRISH

March, 2022: Fyrish Main Access roads slated for rehabilitation HAMPSHIRE

March, 2022: Hamp shire roads slated for reha bilitation

REGION SEVEN

DAAG POINT

August, 2022: $166M for road upgrades at Daag Point; BARTICA June, 2022: 500 homes among major development plans for Bartica; April, 2021: 1.5MW solar farm to boost business development; November, 2021: resi dents receive land titles after years of waiting; May, 2021: $177M modern Magistrate’s Court commissioned;

REGION EIGHT POTARO/SIPARUNI

May, 2021: $94M in vested to improve delivery of potable water; June, 2022: Residents welcomed $290M road de velopment for the Region; April, 2022: $162M to improve water distribution; KATO

July, 2022: CSOS trained to maintain Water Systems;

REGION NINE LETHEM

November, 2020: Land Titles granted to residents after lengthy wait; March, 2021: $185 mil lion aerodrome runway commissioned; May, 2021: $27.7M Maternity Waiting Home commissioned; October, 2021: Regional Hospital commissioned a SMART facility. Further enhancement in the pipe line; November, 2021: 500 house lots distributed to

residents; March, 2022: $23M Housing Office to be launched; April, 2022: New Senior Citizens’ Centre commis sioned; August, 2022: $472M one megawatt solar farm commissioned; August, 2022: 600 resi dents to receive $1M each for home construction; September, 2022: 200 residents receive house lots; SANDCREEK September, 2022: New wells to be drilled; PARABARA September, 2022: Pri mary school and health post commissioned;

REGION 10 WISMAR

August, 2022: Major road rehabilitation works to be carried out; May, 2022: New Wis mar/Mackenzie Bridge among major infrastructural works in the pipeline; July, 2021: $30M awarded to commence Wis

mar/Mackenzie waterfront enhancement projects; KWAKAWNI

July 20, 2022: Over 200 Region 10 residents to ben efit from ‘skills-for-job’ training; June, 2022: $300M road upgrade for priority areas; April, 2022: $37.8M Magistrate’s Court, living quarters commissioned; August, 2021: sport and recreational facilities to be assessed for upgrades; LINDEN/WATOOKA May, 2022: 200 resi dents benefit from small business grant; February, 2021: Con tracts signed for construc tion of $174M conservancy

in West Watooka; May, 2022: $800M for housing development in Linden; October, 2021: $5.4B spent in first six months of 2021 for drainage and ir rigation upgrades at Amelia’s Ward; January, 2021: Con struction of 50 young pro fessional homes in Region 10 by end of October 2022; November, 2021: $346 million primary school for Amelia’s Ward/Bamia; July, 2021: $300M to construct 40 houses at Ame lia’s Ward, Linden April, 2022: Over $600M to be spent on roads in Linden;

These concrete ac tions by the government makes the claim about “apartheid” not only bi zarre but meaningless in a Guyanese context. But the more important lesson to be learnt is that when notions like “apartheid,” inapplicable to Guyana, are peddled by persons who have a political axe to grind and is amplified by sections of the media, as well as social media, the harm caused can be extreme. It promotes eth nic insecurity and hurts democracy.

Yours respectfully, Clement J. Rohee

APNU+AFC does not care about communities - Minister Rodrigues

in a line of attempts by the APNU+AFC members to disrupt development.

She pointed to a similar situation in Mocha on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) where a group of squatters are being relo cated.

According to Rodri gues, the squatters were offered lands to remove from the area which lies in the path of a new four-lane East Bank highway that is being built.

MINISTER within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues took the opposition A Partnership for Nation al Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) to task for putting their politics before the devel opment of communities.

Minister Rodrigues made the comments on Wednesday evening dur ing her “Making A Case” programme on Facebook.

The incident in Bel ladrum, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) where APNU+AFC activists blocked Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag, from using a communi ty building has received widespread condemnation.

Minister Rodri gues lambasted the APNU+AFC supporters for stymying the initiative rather than trying to work along with Minister Parag and the government to bring development to the community.

“They don’t care about the people in the commu nities to say to the Minis ter, ‘let’s join hands with her, let’s let her know what

our needs are, what our challenges are and see how she can help and how the government of Guyana can help.’ The people who were preventing the minis ter from doing their work, they don’t care!” Minister Rodrigues said.

“Minister Parag went there to visit the centre be cause it lacks basic facili ties. It once had computer systems and equipment in the building that the young people could have used for their own personal development,” Rodrigues added.

The Housing and Wa ter Minister further rea soned that the opposition APNU+AFC is scared of the government’s wideranging development plans which will see all Guyanese benefit since the Opposition has no plans.

“They are very scared of this government. They are mortified because they have nothing to match us with; they have nothing to come with, and they’re desperate.

Minister Rodrigues noted that this latest inci dent is just the most recent

She noted that the gov ernment’s offer included land in a developed hous ing scheme which has the infrastructure, including access to utility connec tions. The offer also came with compensation and assistance to the squat ters to build their lives in a structured way and in a struct ured community, where they can improve their standard of living.

However, while most of the squatters have accepted the offer, oth ers have refused it after being influenced by an APNU+AFC Member of Parliament.

“How can you look at their [the APNU+AFC] action and think that they have the best at heart for the people of our country? They don’t even care about their own supporters; how would they care about anybody else.

“They don’t even care about the people who they claim to love and represent; how can they govern for all Guyanese?” Minister Rodrigues questioned.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues

Jones confesses

MPs defied Speaker’s order

- Court says ‘no’ to request for judge’s recusal in NRF case

he had made an application to the court to appear virtually, Pieters informed him that that request was made to the Judge’s clerk.

This led the Judge to further inform Pieters that as a formal ity, an application would have to be made to appear virtually, especially in in-person civil cases before him.

The AG also agreed with the Judge’s reasoning and ex pressed his disappointment in the way Pieters had chosen to ventilate the issue.

“It could have been done

much more civilly and elegant ly… the law is very clear upon what grounds one can allege bias… and upon what grounds a tribunal can recuse itself,” the AG said.

He added that such an al legation against a sitting judge is “serious” and added that Pi eters’ arguments lacked proper basis especially since what hap pened in the Judge’s chambers is “completely irrelevant” to the case before the court.

“I don’t see any basis what soever for the allegation to be made and no basis for it to be

sustained,” Nandlall said as he urged the judge to dismiss Pieters’ application.

The judge, in his ruling,

declared that Pieters’ con tentions were meritless since there was no clear demon stration of bias.

OPPOSITION Chief Whip, Christopher Jones, admit ted to the court on Wednes day that the behaviour of parliamentarians from the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) during the December 2021 debate on the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill was defiant of Orders by Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir.

Jones made this disclosure while answering a series of rig orous questions from Attorney General Anil Nandlall S.C., when the hearing into the chal lenge of the NRF Bill continued before Justice Navindra Singh at the Demerara High Court.

Jones and trade unionist, Norris Witter, had moved to the court in April claiming that the Bill was not properly passed in the National Assembly last De cember, due to the absence of the Speaker’s ceremonial Mace.

The Attorney-General, Parliament Office of Guyana, the Minister of Finance, the Speaker of the National As sembly, and the Clerk of the National Assembly are all listed as respondents in the case.

The Guyana Chronicle had previously reported that, on December 29, 2021, while speaking on the landmark Bill, which has since been assented to by President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with respon sibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, was interrupted by what was referred to as the unparlia mentary actions of members of the APNU+AFC.

The second reading of the Bill was objected to during that time by Jones, who requested that it be sent to a special select committee.

However, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Man zoor Nadir, indicated his pref erence for listening to the argu ments from both sides, before determining whether or not the Bill should be sent to a select

committee.

Minister Singh then took to the podium, but his presentation was interrupted by members of the APNU+AFC who kept banging their desks and chant ing demeaning words about the Bill.

After they failed to prevent Senior Minister Singh from speaking, an APNU+AFC par liamentarian, Annette Ferguson then went for the Mace. It was a parliament staff who chal lenged the APNU+AFC rabblerousers.

In the court on Wednesday, Jones and Witter, through their attorneys, Roysdale Forde, S.C, and Selwyn Pieters, were cit ing constitutional grounds for their case.

During the court hearing for the civil action in his name, Jones was grilled by the AG on the events which unfolded in December 2021. He admitted that APNU+AFC MPs blew whistles, left their seats, and paraded around the dome of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), where Sittings of the National Assembly have been held.

He said Khemraj Ramjat tan, now-leader of the AFC, remained in his seat. The trial will continue on December 9.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Attorney Pieters had made a preliminary appli cation asking for Justice Singh to remove himself from presid ing over the trial.

Pieter contended that Jus tice Singh refused to shake his hands when they were being introduced in the Judge’s cham bers on Tuesday.

He argued that Justice Sin gh is “biased” toward him and his client has “no confidence” in having a fair trial.

Pieters’ also claimed that Singh’s behaviour towards him was “hostile” since he did not allow him to appear virtually via the ZOOM for previous hearings of the case

However, when Justice Singh inquired from Pieters if

Attorney-General Anil Nandlall, S.C.

Attorney-at-law Selwyn Pieters

Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones High Court Judge, Navindra Singh

Mocha women’s group condemns APNU+AFC’s obstruction of development in Belladrum

THE Mocha Women on Track group on Wednesday came out in defence of Minis ter of Public Service Sonia Parag, who was

obstructed by per sons associated with APNU+AFC while at tempting to carry out the government’s de velopment work in the village of Belladrum, Region Five.

Minister Parag, on Tuesday, along with a team, visited the com munity for a follow-up meeting with residents to fulfil a commitment by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who previously visited the community.

Among the com mitments made by the President were scholar ship opportunities for youths, and various skills training and job opportunities.

When Minister Par ag made her way to the community centre in the village, she was met by Opposition Member of Parliament Vinceroy Jordan and others who, reportedly, denied her entry to the building. Much of the interaction was caught on camera and circulated on social media.

In response to what occurred, the Mocha

Women on Track cat egorically condemned the “disrespect” that was meted out to the minister during the visit.

In a statement, the group said: “We par ticularly wish to reg ister our gross disap pointment with the shameless actions of Opposition Member of Parliament Vinceroy Jordan, and the overall attempt by him and a few to hinder develop ment intended for our sister community.”

The group of 40-plus women said that while it is not politically af filiated, it has worked along with Minister Parag to develop Mo cha, and hopes that all other villages across Guyana are able to ben efit in a similar manner.

Considering its de sires, the group said that any attempt to hin der this development will be rejected.

“It is our hope that her [Minister Parag’s] efforts will be duly welcomed by residents,” the group said.

‘False, misconceived’

PERSONS who have mistakenly charac terised Guyana as an “apartheid state” have failed to make out a scientific analysis of the real political situation obtaining in the coun try at this time, Peo ple’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Executive Member, Clement Ro hee, has said.

Rohee, in a letter on Wednesday, said that per sons have “erroneously” caricatured government policies and measures, which they disagree with as a manifestation of “apartheid,” to create a narrative that suits a self-serving and divisive agenda of a few.

“The premise upon which the ‘ole talk’ about ‘apartheid’ in Guyana is based is completely false, misconceived and

unevidencial. Described in some circles as quasiintellectuals, the small elitist group have latched on to the label ‘apartheid’ hoping it will secure them a place in the orbit of rel evancy,” Rohee said.

Apartheid is a system

of institutionalised racial segregation, characterised by an authoritarian politi cal culture, and a state of social stratification.

According to Rohee, an apartheid regime is sustained by three key sets of laws, none of

which could be found in the statute books nor the Constitution of Guyana.

“The first of these di vides the country’s popu lation into distinct racial groups, and grants supe rior rights and privileges and services to one group over another. The second is reflected in laws that segregate the population into distinct geographical areas that are allotted to different racial groups. The third is reflected in a matrix of draconian se curity laws that legalize unlimited administrative detention, torture, censor ship, banning and assas sination of opponents of the regime,” he said.

Rohee added that the proponents of the “apart heid narrative” in Guyana are promoting the rhetoric

to whip up emotional eth nic sentiments and foment discord within the Guya nese society.

Since other tactics have failed them, Ro hee said, the proponents have decided to support this rhetoric as a strategy, even as they refuse to make any constructive contribution towards the social and economic ad vancement of the country.

He questioned why there was no talk of “apartheid” state during the reign of former Peo ple’s National Congress (PNC) Presidents, Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoy te and David Granger.

“In other words, be tween 1964-1992 and from 2015-2020 there was no ‘apartheid’ in Guyana, but in a matter

of just two years, begin ning with the assumption of the PPP/C to office in August 2020, BOOOM! ‘apartheid’- a political system based on racial segregation and discrimi nation is suddenly part of the Guyanese reality,” Rohee said.

According to the PPP/C executive mem ber, in order to demolish this notion about Guy ana being an “apartheid state,” it is necessary for citizens to remem ber the many initiatives implemented by the PPP/C administration in pursuit of its mani festo promises, which run contrary to the dis tractive “gaffe” about ‘apartheid’ being prac tised by the Dr. Irfaan Ali administration.

- Rohee says in rejection of claims that Guyana is an ‘apartheid state’

PPP/C Executive, Clement Rohee

Widespread condemnation of MP

Jordan’s obstruction of Minister Parag

THE government and members of civil soci ety have condemned the recent actions of APNU+AFC Member of Parliament Vinceroy Jordan, who physically blocked Minister of Pub lic Service Sonia Parag from entering the commu nity development council building in Belladrum, Region Five.

The minister and a team ventured into the commu nity to deliver on promises made by President Dr. Ir faan Ali during a recent visit to the area. Among the opportunities for residents, as outlined by the President, are skills training, scholar ships and jobs.

Just after Minister Par ag’s follow-up visit, reports surfaced in the media, which noted that Jordan and a team of APNU+AFC activists obstructed the minister from entering the building to advance work in the com munity.

The People’s Progres sive Party/Civic (PPP/C), in response to the incident,

said that APNU+AFC has demonstrated, time and time again, that it is incapable of offering meaningful leader ship to their constituents or anyone, and is, therefore, in its familiar “obstructionist mode”, with racism being its tool of choice.

“While in office, they took multimillion-dollar scholarships for themselves and their relatives, and de nied ordinary Guyanese these very opportunities.

“Their attempt to ob struct the PPP/C govern ment’s housing drive at Amelia’s Ward in Linden,

Region Ten and at Mocha Arcadia on the East Bank of Demerara are just a few ex amples of how they wanted development to bypass cer tain communities, so that they can continue to peddle false claims of discrimina tion,” the governing party said.

It went on to state: “The blame for this worrying development should be laid squarely at the feet of PNC and Opposition Leader Mr. Aubrey Norton, who has been unabatingly setting a tone of racism and ag gression towards the legiti mately elected government and its officials. Norton has also started pivoting his poisonous rhetoric and con frontational tone towards

members of the media, as was recently witnessed dur ing a community rally in the East Bank Demerara com munity of Mocha Arcadia.”

The PPP/C unequivo cally condemned Jordan’s “cowardly behaviour” and “bullying tactics” towards Minister Parag.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, in weighing in on the mat ter, said that he was dis appointed that an elected opposition member, who is tasked with representing the business of the people, sought to prevent and with hold development from the communities.

“I join with every rightthinking individual in Guy ana to condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the obstruction of the Hon. Sonia Parag in carrying out her duties, and that of the government at Belladrum,” Minister Edghill said.

He added that no village is the personal property of any political party, and as such ministers and other officials must have access to provide services to these communities through direct engagements.

Meanwhile, Minister

within the Office of the Prime Minister with respon sibility for Public Affairs Kwame McCoy called the act one that is “cowardly”, and stated that it qualifies for the strongest condemna tion from all progressiveminded Guyanese.

This behaviour by Jor dan, he said, represents a distinct form of bullyism known to be the PNC’s brand.

“There is equal scorn for the arrogance that ac companied his action by presumptuously concluding that the people of Belladrum did not want government intervention to improve their individual and collec tive conditions,” Minister

McCoy said.

Added to this, the Asso ciation For Democracy and Human Rights (Guyana) Inc., in a statement, related that confrontational, hostile and obstructionist posture towards a sitting minister was unacceptable.

The government, the or ganisation said, was elected fairly and should be allowed to operate unencumbered and without petty malice meted out towards its func tionaries.

The group went on to say that it supports the efforts being made by the government to foster a conducive environment for a robust transforma tional agenda.

Minister Teixeira challenges Opposition to submit SoPs to ongoing CoI

MINISTER of Parliamen tary Affairs and Govern ance, Gail Teixeira, on Tuesday, challenged the Opposition, APNU+AFC to submit their claims of voter impersonation and their Statements of poll (SOPs) from the 2020 General and Regional Elections to the ongoing Presidential Com mission of Inquiry (CoI).

At a press conference on Tuesday, the minister said that while the Opposition continues to claim that there was voter impersonation, the opportunity is there for this claim to be examined through the CoI.

This issue of impersona tion, she said, continues to be raised by Norton and was again brought up on Monday, in the National Assembly.

Teixeira said the Opposi tion has not submitted any in formation or a list of persons who they believe were part of voter impersonation, to the

police for an investigation to be launched.

In addition to this, she added that there should be another investigation into the issue of SoPs from the March 2, 2020, General and Regional Elections.

The Opposition, Teixeira added, still has not made

these documents available in order to substantiate their claims of differences in figures.

The minister said: “So, my advice to Mr. Norton is that it may be wise for them to submit their Statements of Poll to the Commission of Inquiry.”

She then added that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry is the body that will be examining all the claims and issues related to the en tire elections process.

Meanwhile, Minister Teixeira said that if there are claims of voter imper sonation, the Opposition should also provide that list of persons to the police and same should be provided to the CoI.

Also, earlier this week, Chairman of the Commis sion, retired Judge, Stanley John, said that anyone who is interested in appearing be fore the Commission should write to the secretary of the commission expressing their interest.

Further, he added that as the inquiry continues, the Commission will write to persons against whom allegations have been made and invite them to take the stand.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira

Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill

Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister Kwame McCoy

$950M wasted from 2015-2019 due to expired, spoilt, damaged health supplies - audit report finds

managed, given that over $3 billion was spent from 2015 to 2017 to buy supplies.

POOR storage practices at the former Ministry of Pub lic Health and other health facilities, resulted in $950 million being wasted over three years, due to expired, spoilt and damaged drugs and medical supplies.

The situation, which oc curred under the APNU+AFC administration’s time in of fice, left many Guyanese without needed supplies, while essential items were out of stock for long periods, and several suppliers did not deliver items valued at hun dreds of millions of dollars.

Over 4,000 spoilt vac

cines were seen among usable supplies. Supplies were dam aged in private warehouses because there were no agree ments specifying storage con ditions

This was revealed in a Performance Audit done by the Auditor General’s Of fice on the “Management of Drugs and Medical Supplies at the Ministry of Public Health and Regional Health Facilities.”

The performance audit, which covered the period January 1, 2015 to August 15, 2018, was done to assess how well the supplies were

“The purpose was to de termine whether the Ministry of Public Health and the Re gional Democratic Councils procured drugs and medical supplies in an economic man ner and managed the receipt, storage and distribution ef ficiently and in compliance with policies, international best practices, relevant laws, regulations and guidelines,” the audit report stated.

The Ministry of Public Health and the Regional Democratic Councils are re sponsible for buying and distributing drugs and medi cal supplies to citizens. And, according to the audit report, the audit work was hampered repeatedly because the min istry and the councils did not provide requested documents and did not respond to the audit reports.

It was stated too that

poorly written contracts led to over $300 million being paid out without receiving the drugs and supplies purchased.

“As a result, the health of citizens was at risk when there were shortages due to the delays,” the report said. There were several cases of drugs and medical supplies being out of stock.

“Poor inventory man agement and the absence of buffer stock at the Materi als Management Units and regional health facilities led to frequent stock-outs of es sential drugs and medical supplies. The units were un able to supply 43 per cent of requests from health facili ties. Further, health facilities

had to wait as long as 50 days to collect much-needed supplies,” the report outlined.

The report made 11 recommendations to the Permanent Secretary and the Regional Executive Of ficers (REO) to address the situation in the short term, to better manage drugs and medical supplies.

Damage to boxes caused by termites at the Ocean View Hotel (Photos: Audit Office of Guyana)

Drugs and medical supplies being stored haphazardly at a drug bond in Region One (Barima-Waini) (Photo: Audit Office of Guyana)

Man confesses to 2014 murder of businesswoman

EIGHT years after businesswoman Bibi Shaniza Khan-Bhola was brutally mur dered in her Rock Creek, Region Seven (Cuyuni/Mazaruni) shop, her killer has finally confessed to the gruesome crime.

The convicted man, Nathan Anthony Stoute, formerly of Helena No.

2 Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was arraigned before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow for the murder indictment.

Stoute, 24, opted to plead guilty to the capi tal offence, admitting that, between Febru ary 26 – 27, 2014, he murdered Khan-Bhola during the course or furtherance of a rob

bery.

Stoute’s sentencing was deferred until De cember 7, 2022 for a probation report.

The Guyana Chroni cle had reported that Bhola, of La Parfait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was bludgeoned and stabbed multiple times by two men who re

portedly carted off her cash, gold and other valuables.

The gruesome dis covery was made on February 27, 2014, af ter someone had looked through a window, and saw Khan-Bhola lying motionless on her bed

room floor.

Stoute was em ployed by the now-dead woman. He fled the ju risdiction to Suriname after the murder.

According to re ports, Khan-Bhola had even bought equipment for the men, to assist

them in prospecting. It is alleged that the men also sold the equipment after killing her.

Investigators arrested Stoute on De cember 31, 2018, at a Berbice location after he had returned to Guyana.

Nathan Stoute and the late Bibi Shaniza Khan-Bhola

Mingo, other GECOM staff used photocopied SOPs to tabulate results

THE General Sec retary of the United Republican Party (URP), Rawle Aaron, witnessed employees of the Guyana Elec tions Commission (GECOM) using photocopied Statements of Poll (SOPs) to tabu late results for District Four.

He gave testimony to this effect yester day, as he appeared be fore the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the March 02, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Aaron told the Com mission of the instances when GECOM offi cials, including Return ing Officer, Clairmont Mingo, attempted to use information from a spreadsheet for the tabulation and verifica tion process.

He recalled that there was then a Court Order that mandated GECOM to use the original SOPs.

According to Aaron,

on March 06, when the tabulation and verifica tion process was moved to GECOM’s Head Of fice, Kingston, Mingo, and other GECOM staffers began using SOPs.

He said, however, that those SOPs had numbers which did not correlate with the fig ures on SOPs in the possession of party agents.

Aaron said that he, and other party agents objected and pointed out the inconsisten cies. He testified that they were told that they could follow on their SOPs, but GECOM was using its own SOPs.

The URP General Secretary said that he and other party agents requested to see the SOPs that were being used. He told the CoI

Pensioner gets 15 years’ jail for rape; claims “erectile dysfunction”

JUSTICE Jo-Ann Bar low on Wednesday sen tenced a 61-year-old man to 15 years in jail for three counts of rape committed on a 15-year-old boy.

The man, however, claimed he suffered from erectile dysfunction and is incapable of committing the crime.

In October, Laldeo Jagdeo called ‘Basha’ was found guilty by a 12-mem ber jury of engaging in sexual penetration with the 15-year-old boy be tween September - Octo ber 2019, in the county of Essequibo

During the sentencing hearing on Wednesday at the Suddie High Court, Jagdeo swore before the court that he was innocent of the crime, stating that he has problems with erec

tions.

“Ma’am, my erection gone since I turn 55,” the now-convicted man told the court.

In handing down her

sentencing, Justice Barlow considered the prevalence of such offences here in Guyana, and the fact that Jagdeo took advantage of the closeness he shared with the victim and his family.

She highlighted that the victim worked with Jagdeo on weekends and holidays to earn an income to help support his family.

Jagdeo was sentenced to 13 years in prison on the first charge, 13 years on the second charge, and 15 years on the third charge.

However, given that the sentences will run concurrently, he will only spend 15 years behind bars. The judge further ordered that Jadgeo un dergoes counselling for sex offenders while in prison.

- URP Leader tells elections CoI

that those SOPs used by Mingo did not carry distinct features of an authentic SOP.

“They were photo copies, they felt differ ent and looked differ ent,” he recalled.

Aaron said that he, therefore, objected to the use of the SOPs and “withdrew” from the process after the state of affairs continued.

He then took his concerns to the media

after which he had to be escorted home by police, because persons who are believed to have been support ers of APNU+AFC made threats of bodily harm towards him.

Laldeo Jagdeo called ‘Basha’

The General Secretary of the United Republican Party (URP), Rawle Aaron

Bomb threat at Ashmin’s building was a hoax

CHIEF Security Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Ronald Stuart, has pro vided intimate details of how the now infamous bomb threat was designed to remove party agents from witnessing the tabu lation process for Region Four during the 2020 Re

gional and General Elec tions.

Stuart testified on the fourth day of hearings be fore the Presidential Com mission of Inquiry (CoI) into the 2020 elections, particularly the events at the Ashmin building at the corners of Hadfield and High Streets in George

town, which was the main administrative centre for the overall elections and also housed District Four operations.

According to Stuart, on March 05, 2020, he was summoned to the Ashmin building by Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers.

While there, Myers con tacted Stuart on his cellular phone. He told the Com mission that Myers identi fied herself and he knew her voice well.

Myers instructed Stuart to get everyone out of the tabulation room because they were interfering with the work of the Returning

Officer, Clairmont Mingo.

Stuart said he saw no proof of the alleged in terference and, therefore, refused to carry out the task assigned.

“I told her that that in struction was inappropriate and I am not going to carry it out. She said, “Okay”, and she terminated the call,” Stuart recalled.

He testified that about 15 minutes after that phone call ended, two male ranks entered the building and identified themselves as being from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Guyana Police Force.

The ranks informed Stu art that a bomb was planted in the building.

He said that shortly after that, then Divisional Com mander, Edgar Thomas, went into the tabulation room, informed the oc cupants of the bomb threat and asked that they vacate the premises.

Stuart said that Thomas then left the tabulation room after the persons refused to leave. Thomas himself then left the building.

Stuart said that Myers came downstairs and said: “Mr. Stuart you sitting there and a bomb is planted in the building; please get the people to evacuate.”

But he again refused.

The Commissioners asked Thomas about the reason he refused such an instruction from his supe rior.

He replied: “I felt as if those people were invited, accredited and if Ms. My ers wanted them out, she should have been the person to go in there and tell them to come out, not me.”

Pressed again about re

fusing to get the people out of the building despite there being a bomb threat, Stuart said that he noted the failed efforts of Com mander Thomas and felt as if a senior officer failed in that feat, there was no way he could have succeeded.

DCEO WENT BACK TO ‘BOMB AREA’

Stuart said that after failing to get him to com ply, Myers went back up stairs where the bomb was allegedly planted.

He said that he found it odd that GECOM’s hi erarchy was notified that a bomb was planted in the building yet they all remained in the building and were only interested in getting party agents and observers to leave the build ing.

He said: “Everyone knew it was a setup…they said plain they not moving, let the bomb blow and kill them we want to see what Mingo doing.”

Stuart said that soon after, he heard the people break into loud protest.

“They were shouting, no, no, no,” he said.

After that, Stuart said he got up and left the building. He went home and testified that he walked off the job in the height of controversy at the Ashmin building.

He felt as if his integrity and reputation were at stake and he did not want to be dismissed.

“I knew that was cer tainly coming and I did not want to be dismissed. I wanted to resign,” Stuart said.

He related he resigned the following day, March 06, 2020. He was rein stated this year after reap plying for the job.

– GECOM Security Chief tells elections CoI – recalls Myers returning to area where bomb was reportedly placed

Chief Security Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Ronald Stuart

RACING TIPS

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American Racing Tips

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CRICKET QUIZ CORNER

(Thursday November 10, 2022)

CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) Quinton De Kock-8 dismissals (6 catches; 2 stumpings – SA)

(2) 152 for the third wicket – Alex Hales & Eoin Morgan (ENG vs SL, Chattogram)

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Which two teams are set to contest the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022?

(2) Who are the losing semi-finalists in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022?

Answers in tomorrow’s

Rizwan, Babar haul Pakistan into ICC Men's T20 World Cup final

(ICC) - Mohammad Riz wan helped Pakistan in setting the tone for their seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Sydney yesterday.

New Zealand had lost three key wickets for just 49 runs when Mitchell joined skipper Kane Williamson at the crease. Mitchell went on the charge straightaway whereas Williamson played second fiddle, as the duo put on a stand of 68 runs for the fourth wicket.

Williamson departed for 46 from 42 deliveries just when their innings entered the death-over but Mitchell carried on and made his way to a superb knock of 53* from just 35 deliveries to help New Zealand cross 150.

For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4-0-24-2 to his name. But the entire unit delivered a disciplined performance on a used track to restrict the Kiwis to a chase-able target.

Babar Azam and Mo hammad Rizwan set the tone for Pakistan.

Pakistan needed a steady start to chase down

the target but they got much more than that as Babar and Rizwan put on a show to lay the base for their victory.

The duo put on a stand of 105 runs, with both batters making their way to well-deserved fifties. While Rizwan scored 57 from 43 deliveries, Babar made his way to a 42-ball knock of 53.

Pakistan needed just 48 to win from 44 deliver ies when their partnership came to an end and the middle-order finished the job off with perfection, chasing the target down with seven wickets and five balls to spare.

What next?

This is a tremendous achievement for Pakistan considering that they lost their first two matches in the Super 12. They bounced back from there, registering three wins on the trot, and made their way to the semi-finals. And now they are in the final having beaten New Zealand comprehensively.

Pakistan already had the mental edge coming into this contest as they had also beaten the Kiwis in the final of the tri-series ahead of the tournament. Now, they will take on

either India or England in the T20 World Cup final at the MCG in Melbourne on November 13.

What the Captains said Kane Williamson: We are gonna have a bat. This is a used surface, not much grass on it. We're going with the same team. it's the same pitch but different I reckon. It's im portant we adjust to those changing conditions and assess quickly. There are a few unknowns, so it's important that we stick to our plans. Our focus is on this game, what we want to do here and really try and express ourselves with the cricket that we've been playing Babar Azam: Even we would have batted first. We'll try to take advantage of the ear ly conditions and put pressure on them. Same team. We lost our first two matches but the way the team played in the last three games, we are confident as a team and we'll look to carry that momentum forward. New Zealand have quali ty players, we'll try to be calm and play according to the situation. We are trying to focus on this match.

Pakistan players celebrate getting into the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final

20th South American 10k scheduled for November 20

ATHLETICS Guyana (AG) is moving full steam ahead for the 20th edition of the South American 10k race. The event which was ini tially scheduled to speed off last Sunday, Novem ber 6, will now see the top roadrunners in Guyana and possibly the regional line-up at Montrose for the 15:30hrs start.

The race begins on the East Coast of Demerara and will finish at the National Park. About 200 athletes will vie for millions in cash and prizes.

Head of AG, Aubrey Hut son, had divulged: “This year, it’s going to be the 20th anniversary (of the event), so we’d like to put a little more into it, and we’d like this event to look as professional as we could in Guyana."

He continued: “There are quite a few changes that we have made to the race in terms of where we run it. We

know we would’ve tried the East Coast, then we went to West Demerara, and we continued to face the issue of traffic congestion and traffic encroaching into the event. So, we decided to use the World Athletics’ standards and standards used across the

world in running this event against the flow of traffic.

“So, what we’re actually doing is forcing the Police and all that are involved in this event to actually close the route down for the run ning of this event,” Hutson explained.

The event will cost Athletics Guyana around US$60 000 to organise, and apart from the top prize purse of US$1000 for the winners in the respective male and female categories, top performers will also re ceive 18 carat gold medals.

Pooran, Goolie pound Harpy Eagles

CMC – Trinidad and Tobago captain Nicho las Pooran finally tast ed form in gathering his first half-century of the Super50 campaign, as he helped guide his side to a six-wicket win over Guyana Harpy Eagles here Wednes day.

The left-hander, who oversaw West Indies’ failed Twenty20 World Cup campaign in Aus tralia last month and had struggled for scores since returning, punched an unbeaten 56 from 47 deliveries which saw Red Force overhaul a modest 183 at Queen’s Park Oval.

He was joined by 25-year-old rookie Jyd Goolie who lashed a runa-ball unbeaten 58, the

pair putting on 95 in an unbroken sixth wicket stand.

Having earlier called correctly and chosen to bowl, Red Force limited Harpy Eagles to 182 in the 46th over, leg-spin ner Yannic Cariah claim ing three for 34 and fast bowler Shannon Gabriel (2-25) and left-arm spin ner Akeal Hosein (2-52) chipping in with a brace apiece.

Not for the first time, Harpy Eagles were let down by their top or der and required another bailout from efferves cent all-rounder Romario Shepherd who lashed a high quality 56 from 50 balls at number eight –his second fifty in four innings – to rally the innings.

Number 10 Gudakesh Motie also contributed, carving out an unbeaten 39 from 47 deliveries to follow up starts by Tevin Imlach (34) and Kemol Savory (32) in the top order.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein knocked over Anthony Bramble cheaply for one with the score on three after being handed the new ball be fore Savory and Imlach breathed fresh life into the innings with a 59run, second wicket stand.

Comfortably placed at 62 for one, Harpy Eagles suffered a stun ning collapse to lose six wickets for 15 runs to find themselves suddenly tottering on 77 for seven in the 26th over.

Shepherd arrived to

launch a counter-attack, clobbering four fours and three sixes in adding 20 for the eighth wicket with Veerasammy Per maul (5) and a crucial 79 for the ninth with Motie who counted three fours and a six.

In reply, Red Force got 27 from the in-form opener Kjorn Ottley and 25 from Jason Mo hammed but the innings lacked real partnerships and was suffering at 88 for four at the end of the 20th over.

The revival came through left-hander Goolie who struck two fours and five sixes and Pooran, who lashed a four and five sixes, to erase any hopes Harpy Eagles entertained of further breakthroughs.

Chanderpaul inducted into ICC Hall of Fame

The 48-year-old was late Monday named by the ICC as inductee 107 and was joined by iconic Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir and England’s multi-time World Cup winning captain Charlotte Edwards.

A former West Indies captain, Chanderpaul plundered 11 867 runs from 164 Tests with 30 hundreds at an average of 51.37. In One-Day Internationals, he gathered 8 778 runs from 268 matches with 11 centuries at an average of 41.60.

Chanderpaul is second on the all-time West Indies run-scor ing list in Tests and is one of just two players – along with Brian Lara – with over 10 000 runs. The Guyanese lies third on the ODI run-scoring charts behind Chris Gayle and Lara.

“It’s an amazing honour to follow the footsteps of many legends and so many other great cricketers of the past,” said Chanderpaul, who played his last game for West Indies seven years ago.

“I’m grateful for the recognition and would like to enjoy the moment with family, friends and most importantly the West Indies cricket fans and fans around the world who passionately supported me throughout my career.”

Cricket West Indies, on Tuesday, hailed Chanderpaul as “the man for all seasons”,, stressing that his “commitment and adaptability” had been two of the qualities behind his outstanding career.

“On behalf of all West Indies cricket stakeholders, I congratulate Shivnarine ‘Shiv’ Chanderpaul for receiving the highest honour of his career to date,” said CWI president Ricky Skerritt.

“Shiv’s story exemplifies all that is good about him and the game of cricket – his hard work, commitment, adaptability and his resulting growth and achievements on and off the field.

“His love for the game is unmatched, and he demonstrated throughout his two decades on the field that he was the man for all seasons.”

He continued: “From the early days in the Under-19 setup in Guyana, Shiv showcased his immense batting talent. He honed his skills and worked tirelessly to become the number 1 ranked batter in the world.

“He embodied the statement ‘heights of great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight’. Shiv toiled hard to improve and at every stage was able to re-invent his game to meet the demands.

“We salute Shiv for his immense contribution to West Indies cricket and world cricket.”

ICC chief executive, Geoff Allardice said Chanderpaul, along with Edwards and Qadir, were great “ambassadors” of the game.

“The ICC Hall of Fame continues to celebrate the iconic individuals that have shaped the history of cricket,” he noted.

“Only the very best are honoured in this way and it is won derful to commemorate the lasting contributions of Shivnarine, Charlotte and Abdul.

“These three ambassadors of our great game enjoyed tremendous success on the international stage and are richly deserving of their status as ICC Hall of Famers.”

(CMC) – Legendary left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul has become the latest West Indies player to be inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame.

From left, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Charlotte Edwards and the late Abdul Qadir's son, Usman Qadir, pose with the ICC Hall of Fame trophies (ICC via Getty)

20th South American 10k is now set for November 20

Trophy Stall continues sponsorship for PM T20 Softball tournament

THE Prime Minister T20 Softball tournament, which bowls off tomorrow, has been obtaining generous sponsorship from Trophy Stall since its commence ment in 2017.

That sponsorship is set to continue for the sixth edi tion which will see teams battle for supremacy in four categories, including an inaugural women’s division. The other categories are Open All Stars, Masters Over40 and Legends Over-50.

According to Trophy Stall’s proprietor, Ramesh Sunich, Trophy Stall will be sponsoring the winners, runners-up and Most Valuable Player (MVP) for each of the four categories.

At a simple presentation ceremony, held at its Bourda Street and South Road location in George town, Sunich handed over the trophies to George town Softball Cricket League (GSCL) president Ian John.

BCB obtains sponsorship for school cricket tournaments

THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) as part of its countywide crick et developmental pro gramme intends to host cricket tournaments at the school level.

The proposed tourna ments are to be played at the primary and sec ondary levels in four sub-associations before the champions from each area move on to play for the overall Berbice championship.

BCB president Hil bert Foster stated that the sub-associations would be West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne. A to tal of 23 secondary and over 50 primary schools would be involved in the countywide tournaments.

The board has al ready obtained pledge of support for a secondary school tournament in the Upper Corentyne area and last Sunday, with the assistance of government Member of Parliament, Faizal Jafferally, cement ed two major sponsor ships for both levels.

Mr Sudesh Persaud of Latchman Construc

… hails MP Jafferally

tional Milling Company (NAMILCO).

The BCB president expressed thanks to the three sponsors for com ing forward to support Berbice cricket and hailed the contribution of Mr Jafferally, who he described as a true friend of Berbice cricket.

Foster, who was first elected in 2018 stated that his administration was determined to make sure that the rich lega cy of John Trim, Rohan Kanhai and Basil Butcher is kept alive.

President Ali congratulates Chanderpaul on ICC Hall of Fame induction

PRESIDENT Mohamed Irfaan Ali has congrat ulated Guyanese and former West Indian batter Shivnarine Chanderpaul on his induction to In ternational Cricket Council (ICC) Hall of Fame.

The President, an avid lover of the sport issued the following congratulatory message:.

“I join all Guyana in offering congratulations to Shivnarine Chanderpaul on his induction into the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame.

His place amongst the immortals of cricket is richly deserved and a fitting recognition long over due to one of the game’s most durable batsmen. His record speaks volumes of his service to cricket, and justly accords him a revered place in the pantheon of all-time cricketing greats.

‘Shiv’, as he is often referred to by cricketing fans and colleagues, has been one of the game’s most versatile batsmen. He placed a high premium on his wicket, never prepared to easily surrender it. Known for his dogged batting, supreme powers of concentration and tenacious spirit, he was a great accumulator of runs, ever prepared to occupy the crease for extended periods.

But Shiv was equally adept at changing gears as the circumstances dictated and to essay seamlessly into attacking stroke-making. His fans and foes alike will recall his ability to blend impregnable defence, with deft touches and, at times, flamboy ant stroke play.

tion and Landscaping would be sponsoring a 30-over inter-secondary school tournament for six schools. Among the schools would be Rosig nol, Fort Wellington and Belladrum.

Mr Beesham Ram of Caribbean Motor Spares and Mr Dhanpaul Sukhra would stand the cost of hosting a primary school 10 overs tournament for 14 schools - Itha ca, Blairmont, Rosignol, Cotton Tree, No. 8, No. 5, Woodley Park, Hope town, Bath, Latchmans

ingh and No. 29.

Foster disclosed that the main objective of the primary school tourna ment is for it to serve as a nursery for the Under-13 system in the county.

The board also in tends to organise coach ing sessions in the schools for a selected group of the most prom ising primary school stu dents.

The BCB has already obtained funds for a countywide secondary school coaching pro gramme from the Na

The BCB has already started the distribution of cricket gear, balls and uniforms to secondary schools in preparation for the tournaments.

Mr Jafferally, in brief remarks, stated that he was delighted to offer any form of assistance to Berbice cricket as he was very happy with the direction it was heading under the current lead ership.

The three sponsors also stated that they were delighted to sup port the development of the game at the school level.

His commitment and dedication to Guyanese and West Indian cricket is unquestionable. Shiv has been a faithful, loyal and devoted member of West Indian cricket.

Shiv stands as a role model for young crick eters.

His approach to training and his discipline are exemplary and worthy of emulation by all upcom ing and aspiring cricketers.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s love for the game is limitless, as is his commitment to contribute his vast cricketing experience and knowledge to helping West Indian cricket soar once again to the heights it once enjoyed.

On behalf of the government and people of Guyana, I wish him continued success in his service to cricket.”

‘Impregnable defence and deft touches’

Trophy Stall proprietor, Ramesh Sunich (right), hands over the winner’s Legends Over-50 trophy to the GSCL president Ian John

BCB president Hilbert Foster, MP Faizal Jafferally and Sudesh Persaud launches secondary school tournament while other BCB executives look on

From left, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Charlotte Edwards and the late Abdul Qadir's son, Usman Qadir, pose with the ICC Hall of Fame trophies (ICC via Getty)

Red Force captain Nicholas Pooran. (file photo)

Story

(From left) ICC Hall of Fame inductee Shivnarine Chanderpaul, First Lady Arya Ali, and President Irfaan Ali (Office of the President photo)