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Saturday May 15, 2021
ONLINE DAILY NEWSPAPER
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MINISTRY LAUNCHES ALTERNATIVE MEASURE TO DELIVER EDUCATION
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TREVOR BENN CHARGED AGAIN
CONDOLENCES POUR IN AT PASSING OF VIC PERSAUD
Saturday May 15, 2021
MINISTRY LAUNCHES ALTERNATIVE MEASURE TO DELIVER EDUCATION
As the Ministry of Education seeks alternative and innovative measures in the delivery of education during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Ministry in collaboration with the Guyana Learning Channel (GLC) and National Center of Educational Resources Development (NCERD) today launched a National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) Booster. h his wife and son The Booster is aimed at providing Grade Six Students with the requisite knowledge that is needed for them to be prepared for the exams. While the Minister of Education in the past has
provided the student will be learning packages, this programme is set to more enhance the way students learn by way of having the lessons taught on two media platforms. Those platforms are said to be on National Television through the learning Channel and through YouTube. Speaking at the launch this morning, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand said that this programme by way had to be introduced knowing the present circumstances of COVID-19 but how empathizes that this is no way looking to replace face-to-face interaction
but at the moment, the Ministry must think of new ways of learning to not deprive any student of learning. Ms. Manickchand added that the aim of the programme is to have each student through the platform, have the same learning area taught from a 20-week curriculum that was made due to COVID-19. “This programme here today is a programme, where every single topic in that 20-week curriculum is going to do on video by your local teachers, who understand you, who’s the accent you understand and who understand the
concept we created in that curriculum because they have been teaching it for years, and who are very nice to look at… “So, the shows, the videos, are going to be videos that reflect every single topic in that 20week curriculum,” Ms. Manickchand explains She added that while students are tested in the past with questions from Grade Six, this year they will only be tested with a question from grade one to five, and withstanding such the frequently asked question through the years will be a highlight in the video presentations. Even with such
innovation, hinterland communities will be catering according to the Minister with an ongoing assessment of homes that are deprived of such amenities. This the Minister said will lead the provision of television, satellite, and solar panels by the end of the year. This however said that remains a challenge and the ministry has to now improvised and find ways to get to those communities. “In the meanwhile, this is a challenge how do we reach those communities. We are presently doing an audit of some communities don’t have satellite and
learning channel but they have a TV. So, we are looking to see how we can download put all of these on flash drive go into the communities and give them that.” The Programs shown on the channel will be created by the GLC in a collaboration with teachers from across Guyana. With daily advertising of the topics being taught, students will be told when to tune in, as teachers present their topics in innovative ways. Those Grade 6 Six Exams are set for August 4 and August 5.
has built its corporate headquarters on the land and has entered into a lease agreement with two other major companies for them to establish branches on the same stretch of land. Mr. Archer even added it is unclear why such an action was taken knowing that he has been in construction for a while and no one raised the objection. Since taking Office the PPP/C Government maintained that it will go after properties that were allegedly given away by the former APNU-AFC Government.
That has led to several portions of land including of a portion of land in Ogle, another on the Aubrey Barker Road, and several other lands under the microscope of an investigation into those deals. Mr. Benn is facing several court matters. But he has insisted over time that he is prepared to challenge any and all allegations, which will likely continue to be made against him. He said that he is not fearful of the attempts to discredit his character.
TREVOR BENN CHARGED AGAIN
Already facing several charges of misconduct in office and accused of allegedly selling portions of land with the authority, Former Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission, Trevor Benn, was this morning
hauled to the court this morning. This time the charge is over the sale of land to the Cevons Waste Management Company. The new charge is related to the sale of land which is located at Track B Le Repentir when he had no authority to do so,
according to Attorney General Nandlall. Mr. Benn appeared before Magistrate, Leron Daly. He was represented by Attorney-at-Law, Keoma Griffith. It is alleged that Benn between the 1st October 2018 and the 31st August 2020 sold the portion of land to Cevons Waste Management, at a cost of $80M without any reasonable justification, when he had no authority to do so and as such, misconducted himself in office as a public officer. Benn was granted $100,000 bail and was ordered to return to
court on June 18 for the continuation of his matter. The purchase of the land was recently was defended by the Chief Executive Officer Of Cevons, Morris Archer, after he was handed a letter from the Government for his removal after his investment. He argued that nothing was done illegally. Mr. Archer explained that while the property was valued at $47 million, his company ended up paying $100 Million, which was more than double the value. He said since the purchase, the company
Saturday May 15, 2021
CONDOLENCES POUR IN AT PASSING OF VIC PERSAUD
public servant who served his country for over half a century. He was not only a colleague but a friend and mentor to many, Harmon said. He possessed an
unmatched wealth of knowledge and his passing will leave an immense void in the area of protocol affairs, he added. “I had the pleasure
and honour of working closely with Vic during my tenure at the Ministry of the Presidency. I found that he possessed the highest integrity and unflinching attention to detail. “He was a reservoir of knowledge and history within the public service and the protocol department.” And former President David Granger said that the death of Mr. Eshwar Vevekanand ‘Vic’ Persaud at the age of 82 has robbed the country of the service of a conscientious, stalwart, and scrupulous public servant. “Mr. Persaud, with more than sixty years in the public service – as an accountant, Foreign Service Officer, Chief
Company removing sand from 63 Beach on the reef leading to the beachfront and taking the sand to a Sea Defence construction site in Corriverton. As such a cease order was given, Indar said. “This is a reef, it’s not privately owned; it’s a sea defence reserve protected
by law and they were digging it out, as you can see a whole pond of it. “They dug it out and they took these large trucks and they use the font close to the sea defence and they destroy that piece too by the heavy truck moving through the earthen dam that was made by a previous contractor, a different contractor, who built that sea defence,” Indar explained Minister Indar said that he wrote to BK to place back the sand and fix the damaged dam. But Minister Indar was either unaware of his location or he had another motive for his reaction. He must have been told that his visit took him to Number 59 Village where the excavation was being conducted. This village is four villages, about two miles, from Number 63 Beach. The location of the
excavation was private property, owned by Mr Dalton Angel. Mr Angel produced the deed to prove his ownership. When questions were raised as to how such an event happened under the watch Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Indar said that NDC does not have the power to grant such approval and BK had only requested to use the access road. That was correct. The NDC, by way of compromise with the Project Coordinator Ron Archer, suggested that the all-weather road at Number 63 be used to access the site at Number 59 Village. There was no need to seek permission to remove the reef sand or to have any discussion with the Sea Defence Board since the matter involved a private transaction. BK International has since issued a statement
Mr. Eshwar ‘Vic’ Persaud former Chief of Protocol.
Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon has said that he is deeply saddened by the news of the passing of one of Guyana’s most revered and outstanding public
servants, Mr. Eshwar ‘Vic’ Persaud, the Advisor on Protocol Affairs at the Office of the President and former Chief of Protocol. Vic was an exceptional
of Protocol and Advisor on Protocol Affairs – accumulated vast experience and expertise in his field. He was a mentor to new entrants to the service and was a reservoir of knowledge on governmental affairs. “Mr. Persaud had the privilege of serving every Executive President of Guyana from Mr. Forbes Burnham to Mr. Irfaan Ali.” Mr Granger described Persaud as a man of natural good humour and cheerfulness. “He will be remembered fondly by all who knew him in the Public Service. I extend sincere condolences to Carol, his widow, and children at this time of their bereavement.”
that nothing was done illegally. “We have receipts of purchase for this material from private land which is proven by a certificate of Transport by its owner. This land is located approximately 400 feet inland from the river defence and therefore not part of any coastal defence or breach structure.” Minister Indar said the matter will be resolved this week, adding that BK International will also have to provide a progress report on the ongoing sea defence works at Corriverton. The progress report should indicate, among other things, the source of the materials for the works, he said. Observers now wonder whether there would be a retraction by the government of the accusation that was featured prominently in sections of the media.
Minister Indar might have been misled on source of reef sand to BK International
Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, says that he will launch an investigation into an alleged removal of sand from 63 Beach by the BK International company. In a walkabout in the region on Wednesday, Minister Indar noted that info@guyanapostonline.com
after numerous complaints about the removal of the sand that could cost the foundation from the river bank to break causing flooding, he had to visit the site for himself. On his visit, Minister Indar explained that his ministry had some reports of the BK International
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Saturday May 15, 2021
THREE MORE DEATHS, 186 NEW COVID-19 CASES WITHIN 24H …34 fatalities in 12 days The Health Ministry on Thursday announced that the death toll for the novel coronavirus in Guyana up to Wednesday is 334. Among the latest fatalities are two males: a 64-year-old and a 55-year-old from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), who both died on Wednesday while receiving care at a medical
facility. Another person died on Thursday. For May, 35 deaths have been reported. The deadliest month has been April 2021, with 66 reported deaths. On Thursday, 186 new cases were detected from 1364 tests. The updated Health Ministry dashboard showed the total confirmed cases moving up to 14,845. There are 12 patients
in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 111 in institutional isolation, 1696 in-home isolation, and eight in institutional quarantine. Active cases are now down to 1819 while 12,693 recoveries were recorded. Since the pandemic started, 133,695 individuals have been tested locally – with 7429 males and 7416 females returning positive results.
VACCINATE OR SUFFOCATE – THE STARK CHOICE
Sir Ronald Sanders
(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own) Sections of the population in many of the 14 independent CARICOM countries are in grave danger of undermining their own health and economic interests by their refusal to be inoculated against the coronavirus, COVID-19. At the time of writing (May 13), 159.5 million persons have been infected with the virus worldwide. Of this number, almost 3.4 million have died. Shockingly, the countries of the Americas from Canada to Argentina, including the Caribbean, account for almost half of the global infections and deaths – 64.1 million infections and 1.5 million deaths. While this persistent rate of infections and deaths continues, the entire Hemisphere, except info@guyanapostonline.com
for the wealthiest nations, will continue to experience a health and economic crisis. All who yearn for a return to the pre-COVID period of unrestricted activity will not only endure an exceedingly long waiting period, but they will also experience increased numbers of infections and deaths. The latter will overburden already fatigued medical capabilities and strain morgue and burial facilities. Figures from Caribbean countries are worrying, despite the efforts of governments and their medical authorities, to prevent infections and deaths. The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) records community spread in eight of the 14 independent CARICOM countries – Barbados, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Vincent, and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. Cluster cases are registered in two countries, namely Antigua and Barbuda and The Bahamas. The other three countries – Dominica, Grenada and St Kitts-Nevis – report sporadic cases. While it is not a magic
bullet that will eliminate the coronavirus, the antiCOVID vaccine is the best solution for the people of CARICOM countries to save themselves, their families, and their friends, and to place themselves in a position to recover from their present health and economic crises. Those who refuse to be vaccinated or propagandize against it, are endangering themselves and all who live in their countries. Indeed, they could be described as choosing to commit suicide and to take along with themselves many other people. This not only lacks good judgment in personal terms, but it is also a clear and present danger to their entire societies. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, all nations cried out for vaccines. The wealthier nations invested billions of dollars in the big pharmaceutical companies to develop and test vaccines. Four types were quickly developed and approved after extensive testing by AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson. On May 7, the World Health Organization also approved the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from China. Fear has been expressed about taking any of these vaccines based on the relatively rapid rate in which they were developed in comparison with vaccine development
in the past. This trepidation should take account of the fact that unlike as in the past, science and technology have vastly improved, allowing for reliable results to be obtained faster. Further, at no previous time in human history has such large sums of money been devoted to the research and development of a vaccine. Regarding those who take the simple view that they reject vaccines as unnecessary and harmful, Caribbean history reveals that what made Caribbean people survive and lead productive lives, were vaccines against mumps, measles, chickenpox, Hepatitis A and B, diphtheria, whooping cough, polio, and tetanus (lockjaw). These vaccines were administered and accepted routinely because they saved lives. What those vaccines have done in the past, and still do, antiCOVID-19 vaccines can do today. But, vaccination rates in CARICOM countries are too low. The antivaccination propaganda seems to have overtaken government information and education machinery – something governments must reverse swiftly, including by better use of social media platforms and by direct communication with influencers in communities. Thus far in the vaccination success table, Antigua and Barbuda (31.74%), Barbados
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(26.9%), Dominica (26.2%), St Kitts-Nevis (24.3%), Guyana at 19.16%, and Grenada (11.1%) are the six leaders; all others are below 10% and four of them Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines are at less than 5%. Where countries such as Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados have some vaccines, but people are falling prey to propaganda, endangering their own and other lives, as well as the recovery of their countries, they weaken considerably the argument that CARICOM governments have been advancing in the international community that we need access to more vaccines. Ten wealthy countries have secured 75 percent of the 1.36 billion doses already administered to vaccinate 8.6 per cent of the world’s population. Other countries are struggling. There is a strong moral argument for equitable distribution. But, if Caribbean countries have vaccines that are not being taken up and which must be discarded because they have expired, the argument about being deprived of vaccines by rich countries will quickly be discounted. A few politicians in some countries, such as Antigua and Barbuda, while publicly supporting vaccines, have joined the anti-vaccination propaganda behind the
scenes with what appears to be an intent to promote circumstances to blame the governments for a lack of progress. In Antigua and Barbuda, for instance, the political focus has been placed on its Prime Minister Gaston Browne who was gifted with the Moderna vaccine which he took to try to allay fears. Now, even with other safe and reliable vaccines available, some politicians are putting politics ahead of patriotism by promoting the idea that the only acceptable vaccine is Moderna. From my own discussions with Moderna and Pfizer, I know that no new supplies will be available until January 2022 at the earliest. None of this antivaccination propaganda is helping the Caribbean. The region needs to reach herd immunity soon if economies are not to decline and wither, affecting everyone. The fate or the future of the region is now in the hands of the region’s people themselves – rejecting vaccinations is a sure way of widening the path to misfortune. The words of Dr. Carissa Etienne, the Director of PAHO, should be the clarion call – “The best vaccine is the vaccine that is available”. The alternative is a prolonged period of misery, including an increase in infections and deaths. None of this is exaggerated.
SPORTS
BJ WATLING: NEW ZEALAND WICKETKEEPER TO RETIRE AFTER ENGLAND TOUR
New Zealand wicketkeeper BJ Watling will retire from all cricket after the Kiwis’ tour of England in June. Watling, 35, will
play in the World Test Championship final against India at the Ageas Bowl, and then against England at Lord’s from 2 June and Edgbaston
from 10 June before retiring. He has played 106 times for the Black Caps across all three formats, scoring 4,384 runs and
taking 282 catches. “It’s the right time,” said Watling, who made his New Zealand debut in 2009. “It’s been a huge
honour to represent New Zealand and in particular wear the Test baggy. Test cricket really is the pinnacle of the game, and I’ve loved every minute of being out there in the whites with the boys. “Sitting in the changing rooms having a beer with the team after five days’ toil is what I’ll miss the most.” South Africa-born Watling moved to New Zealand aged 10 and made 73 appearances in Test cricket with a batting average of 38.11, his highest score of 205 coming against England at Mount Maunganui in November 2019. He also appeared in 28 one-day internationals, averaging 24.91,
and five Twenty20 internationals - as well as featuring in two County Championship matches for Durham in 2019. He was also involved in New Zealand’s record sixth and seventh-wicket Test partnerships, sharing an unbroken stand of 365 with captain Kane Williamson for the sixth wicket against Sri Lanka in Wellington in 2015, before adding 261 with Mitchell Santner for the seventh wicket on the way to that double century against England at the Bay Oval. In his entire firstclass career, he scored 10,017 runs and took 442 catches.
Champions League final: Portugal set to host final rather than Wembley
Portugal is set to host the Champions League final after Uefa failed to receive the guarantees of info@guyanapostonline.com
exemptions it wants if it is to move the game to Wembley. Uefa, UK government officials and the Football Association met on Monday to discuss moving the game between Chelsea and Manchester City from
Istanbul. be allowed to attend on U e f a 29 May. h a s Porto’s Estadio do Dragao is expected to be named as the venue on Thursday decided because Uefa would it will prefer not to stage the be moved match in Lisbon, which after Turkey was put on hosted last year’s final. England’s red travel list European football’s meaning fans cannot governing body travel. Portugal is on the believes holding the green list so fans would match in Portugal will
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make it easier to gain access for sponsors and broadcasters, who would need to be compensated if they were unable to attend the game. However, Uefa is still not in a position to confirm the switch, which would see Istanbul given the 2023 final, having originally been due to host last year before the move to
Lisbon. The match could still be played at Wembley but it would require a major shift from the UK government, which has so far failed to reach an agreement with Uefa. Travellers from England to green-list countries must follows rules before departure but do not have to quarantine on their return.
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