Guyana Post Newspaper

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ONLINE DAILY NEWSPAPER

Tuesday May 4, 2021

GPA WANTS CRITICAL CHANGES ON WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

RAMESH PERSAUD JOINS DDL

GUYANA’S COVID-19 DEATHS PASS 300 MARK

TODAY IS PORTUGUESE ARRIVAL DAY

WOMAN SEES MISSING DAUGHTER IN ONLINE PHOTO AFTER FOUR YEARS

Tuesday May 4 ,2021

GPA WANTS CRITICAL CHANGES ON WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

The Guyana Press Association (GPA) joins with our colleagues in Guyana, the Caribbean, and around the globe in observing World Press Freedom Day 2021.

To media workers, we salute you, our photographers and

videographers, video editors, managers, and those who are not always visible but whose contribution adds value to the news product.

To our journalists and editors who continue to toil beyond hours to bring the news, we salute you on

this World Press Freedom Day. The theme of this year’s observance is simply “Information as a Public Good”. This ultimately means that State Parties have an important role and responsibility as do the disseminators to

The Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) yesterday announced the departure of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ramesh Persaud.

Persaud left the company after 11 years of service. He will now act as head of the Demerara Distillers Group.

This announcement came this morning, as Persaud was set to become the next new Managing Director, with effect from Monday, May 3, 2021.

In a letter, DDL noted that in the act of maintaining steady growth and expansion, the decision was made to appoint Mr. Persaud as Managing Director in light of this rapid development.

Mr. Persaud as Managing Director comes with the experience of being a

Chartered Accountant and the holder of an MBA from Heriot-Watt University.

He also comes with many years of executive experience, as he joins the DDL Group from IPED, in which he served as Chief Executive Officer since 2010.

During his tenure, Persaud transformed IPED in significant ways. In the last decade, 2011 to 2020 the value of the loans increased by $2B to $3.4B. He also oversaw the disbursement of 50,000 loans to a value of $30B At DDL Mr. Persaud will now for part of the executive team, which includes Ms. Allison Thorne, Director/ Company Secretary; Mrs. Sharda VeerenChand, Director of Marketing; Mrs.

Moneeta Singh-Bird, Director of Human Resources; Mrs. Sharon Sue-HangBaksh, Director of Technical Services; Mr. Shaun Caleb, Chief Production Officer; and Mr. Vasudeo Singh, Chief Financial Officer.

Mr. Persaud said that Demerara Distillers Limited is known for delivering impressive results for its shareholders through its visionary leadership, a committed team, and quality products.

The company is consistent in meeting and exceeding the expectations of customers both in local and international markets, and he is looking forwards to working to continue the progress and also adding more value to the company.

RAMESH PERSAUD JOINS DDL

ensure that we serve the public interest through our content.

This task has become most important in the period of the pandemic when the public depends on journalists to provide accurate information to counter not only the antivaxers but also those who churn out misinformation and disinformation.

States like Guyana have a critical role to facilitate this public good to the wider public. In this regard, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) urges the Guyana government to create greater public awareness about the Access to Information mechanism so that not only journalists but the wider public can maximise its use.

Additionally, the GPA urges the media corps to dedicate journalists to research particular topics and utilise the Access to Information mechanism that we believe needs to be revamped and made userfriendly in a simplified manner.

In an age when some media practitioners are driven merely by a few lines to catch Social Media’s eyes, we have to be more aware of the information we put in the public domain.

We have to be respectful of persons faced with trauma, our treatment

of victims of sexual assault, abuse, and human trafficking, and most importantly understand our role in the protection of minors and how they are portrayed in the stories we write.

The most pressing issue facing journalism is the viability of free and independent media because advertisers and sponsors believe that they get more returns on their dollars from Social Media, which, for the most part, is a minefield of misinformation and disinformation satisfied by how many likes and shares one gets.

Worryingly, too, are elected officials who are perpetrating these types of acts under the guise of influences. Influences for whom and for what? Just for votes?

In this context, media houses have a larger role to play by constantly educating the public that journalism standing on the pillars of fairness, accuracy, credibility, and verification is the basis for informing and educating the public.

We want to take this opportunity to request that the government as well as the opposition review the Cyber Crime Act with the intention to remove any clauses that restrict the freedom of expression.

We feel that any restriction on freedom of expression and the freedom to receive and impart information opens the door to abuse by officialdom.

Finally, if freedom of expression is to be the source of a meaningful public good, the State, the business community, and the practitioners must see themselves as being inextricably linked to the cause for the benefit of all.

The GPA also calls on political parties, state or otherwise to ensure all media have timely and adequate access for interviews as well as press engagements.

Over the past 24 months, officials of both political parties and others have used the pandemic as an excuse to avoid the media, avoid engagement on national issues and provide muchneeded scrutiny.

The GPA uses this opportunity to call for the return of the weekly postcabinet press briefing as well as more frequent press conferences by the Minister of Health and key health officials on the pandemic.

The GPA remains committed to media workers and the value we stand by, once again we salute you and your work on this day.

A businessman, who is also licensed firearm holder has allegedly shot a perpetrator who tried to break into his home at midnight, Monday.

According to the Guyana Police Force, 33-year-old, businessman, Sheldon Baharally, of Settlement, North West District, Region One, just after midnight, was confronted by an

unwelcomed guest trying to break into his home.

Mr. Baharally armed himself with his firearm and discharged several shots in the direction of the unknown guest, who managed to escape.

Police were immediately informed and investigations commenced. Acting on information, investigators picked up a 20-year-old

male at his home in the Barima River. He had three gunshot wounds to his arm, back and abdomen.

When questioned about his injuries the injured man said that he was at a home the night before and was shot. He is currently under guard in a stable condition at the Mabaruma Regional Hospital as investigations continue.

SUSPECTED HOME INVADER SHOT

Tuesday May 4 ,2021

TODAY IS PORTUGUESE ARRIVAL DAY GUYANA’S COVID-19

The People’s National Congress extends greetings to all Guyanese, especially those of Portuguese descent, on the occasion of Portuguese Arrival Day as the nation observes the 186th anniversary

of the arrival of the first Madeiran-Portuguese indentured immigrants.

David Granger, Leader of the People’s National Congress and as President of Guyana, issued a public notice on 27th February 2017 proclaiming

3rd May each year as ‘Portuguese Arrival Day.’ The intention then, as now, was to intensify national integration and foster social cohesion by according due respect and recognition to each ethnic group in society.

Portuguese immigration started in 1835 at a propitious moment in time marked by the anticipation of the emancipation of enslaved Africans.

Portuguese Arrival Day celebrates the contribution which persons of Portuguese ancestry have made to nation-building.

It is also a celebration of the plural character of the Guyanese nation and is intended to foster greater social cohesion.

Portuguese enterprise and their establishment of institutions to advance social development and social responsibility cemented their place in society. Migration and miscegenation have diminished their numbers but their contributions to the establishment of the Guyanese nation remain ineradicable.

The People’s National Congress wishes everyone a happy Portuguese Arrival Day

Woman sees missing daughter in online photo after four years

A New Amsterdam mother after four years of searching for her daughter is pleading with the public to help her locate her now 17-year-old daughter who went missing back in 2017 and was later seen in an online post.

The daughter was

reportedly seen at the Parika stelling in an online post, with two kids on the floor, after missing the boat.

With such publication, the mother at that time recognized her daughter and quickly contacted the police.

When a search party went looking for her, the young girl was long gone.

It is suspected that the young girl may have ventured off somewhere in the Essequibo Region.

As such, the mother Shabena Sheriff is seeking the public’s assistance to locate her.

The young woman goes by the name Davina Outar.

She has been missing since June 16, 2017.

According to Ms. Sheriff, her daughter at the time went to school on the said date and was never seen after along with another girl.

The other girl, who went missing, reportedly turned up sometime after but little Outar never did.

As time went by, information came that Outar was somewhere in the Leguan Area.

That search later came up empty, after which the mother began a back and forth with the authorities, and later gave up her search.

It is suspected that the young girl may have been living with someone and a secret was kept for many years.

However, Ms. Sheriff said she kept praying and saw the online post and later identified the young girl in the photo as being her daughter that was missing for some time.

She has indicated that she has so far contacted the police, as the search continues.

Ms. Sheriff is asking the public also that anyone with information on the whereabouts of her daughter can contact her on 592-644-6720 or the nearest police station.

DEATHS PASS 300 MARK

As of Sunday, two more persons who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) died. This takes the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 301.

The latest fatalities are, a 53-year-old female from Region 4 (DemeraraMahaica) and a 67-yearold male from Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Fifty-eight people died in April, the deadliest month since the first death was recorded in March 2020.

The Ministry of Health is also appealing to the general public to respect the confidentiality of the two deceased and their families and to allow them to mourn their tragic loss in peace.

Bartica man in hospital after machete attack

A Bartica man is now said to be a patient at the Bartica Regional Hospital, with several chop wounds about his body including one that severed one of his fingers.

That wounded man is 44-year-old, Andrew Hodge, a resident of Byderabo Road, Bartica, Essequibo River.

Initial reports suggest Hodge and his attacker, whose identity the Guyana Police Force has not revealed, were hanging out at Kalcoon Village, Mazaruni River about 17:30 hours yesterday when the

incident occurred.

At that time Hodge got into a heated argument with the suspect who later armed himself with a cutlass and dealt Hodge several chops to both his hands completely severing one finger.

Hodge was picked up and rushed to Bartica Regional Hospital, where he remains a patient in stable condition, while his attacker has not been seen since.

A police manhunt has been launched to catch the alleged Suspect, as investigations continue.

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