Guyana Post Newspaper

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Thursday Oct. 07, 2021

ONLINE DAILY NEWSPAPER

GUYANA, SURINAME MEET ON CANAWAIMA FERRY SERVICE

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CUBANA 455 – WE SHALL NEVER Pg3FORGET THEM

ANOTHER MAN IDENTIFIES DENNY KILLERS AS PEOPLE WHO ROBBED HIM

Thursday Oct. 07, 2021

GUYANA, SURINAME MEET ON CANAWAIMA FERRY SERVICE

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, led the team of Directors from the Boards of the Canawaima Management Company and the Canawaima Ferry Service Inc. for a joint meeting with their Surinamese counterparts on Monday.

The meeting discussed

the operations of the ferry plying the Moleson Creek-South Drain route. The Surinamese delegation was led by Minister of Transport, Communications and Tourism, Albert Jubithana.

Among the agenda items discussed was the readiness of the

Canawaima to resume operations after an extensive period in drydock, the development of an online booking platform, the auditing of the accounts,l management, operational and financial matters, all to improve the service and the management of the company.

M i n i s t e r Edghill lauded the cooperation between Guyana’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Suriname’s President, Chandrikapersad Santokhi.

The Minister informed the delegation that it is important to have a service where there

is a greater level of accountability, transparency, and shared information. Under these objectives, there is a need for a new approach on how Canawaima Ferry is managed and dealt with.

Despite historical issues, under the new administrations of both countries, a new approach and cooperation built on shared partnership will be instituted. Guyana’s minister lauded his counterpart for embracing this approach.

“At the end of the day, it is about the interest of the people of both countries and as such the transportation system linking both sides must be developed,” Minister Edghill said.

It was agreed that: § Effective from Monday 11th October 2021 the M.B. Sandaka

which is currently plying the route will operate three (3) times per week, being Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The vessel is currently operating twice per week. The increase in service will follow all COVID-19 regulations from the health authorities in both countries. § Subject to a joint final inspection and approval from regulatory maritime authorities, the Canawaima Ferry will resume daily service on 24th October 2021. § A joint Terms of Reference will be drafted and advertised for the hiring of a consultant to assess the booking systems with a view to proposing an online booking platform.

CUBANA 455 – WE SHALL NEVER FORGET THEM

“They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

On Wednesday 6th October 1976, Cubana Airways Flight CU-455 was scheduled to fly the following route: Guyana to Trinidad, Trinidad to Barbados, Barbados to Jamaica, and finally Kingston to Havana, Cuba.

At 13:24, nine minutes after takeoff from Barbados Seawell International Airport (now Grantley Adams Airport) and at an altitude of 18,000 feet, a bomb

located in the aircraft’s rear lavatory exploded.

Captain Wilfredo Perez- Perez, radioed to the control tower: “We have an explosion on board, we are descending immediately!…we have fire aboard! We are requesting immediate landing! We have a total emergency!”

The plane went into a rapid descent, while the pilot unsuccessfully tried to return to Seawell Airport. A second bomb exploded during the following minutes, causing the plane to crash.

Realizing a successful landing was no longer possible, it appears that the pilot turned the aircraft away from the beach

and towards the Atlantic Ocean, saving the lives of many tourists. This occurred about eight kilometers short of the airport.

All 48 passengers and 25 crew members aboard the plane died; 57 Cubans, 11 Guyanese, and five North Koreans.

Among the dead were 24 members of the 1975 Cuban National Fencing Team that had won all the gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Championships.

The Guyanese were mostly young students, heading to Cuba to study medicine, engineering, and other disciplines.

Two Venezuelan nationals, Hernán Ricardo

Lozano and Freddy Lugo, joined the flight in Trinidad and Tobago. They left the bombs on the plane, before disembarking in Barbados. Lugo later told police officials that Ricardo boasted that the 73 people he killed on the plane were “more than the Jackal,” alluding to the famous terrorist Carlos the Jackal.

“Now I’m the one who has the record because I’m the one who blew up that thing,” he allegedly told Lugo.

Ricardo confessed to Barbadian and Trinidad officials who were investigating the crime that he and Lugo bombed the plane and that they worked for Luis Posada Carriles. He even drew a diagram for them of the detonator he used to ignite the C-4 explosives he placed in the aircraft.

He admitted to receiving $25,000 for downing the plane.

This was an act of terror; the first act of terrorism against civilian aviation in the western hemisphere.

Four men were arrested

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in connection with the bombing and a trial was held in Venezuela.

Freddy Lugo and Hernan Ricardo Lozano were each sentenced to 20year prison terms. Orlando Bosch was acquitted and later moved to Miami, Florida where he lived until his death on April 27, 2011. Luis Posada Carriles was held for eight years while awaiting a final sentence but eventually fled. He later entered the United States of America where he was held on charges of entering the country illegally. Carriles was released on April 19, 2007, and lives as a free man in the USA, today “We will never forget this cowardly and dastardly act of terror perpetrated on the Cuban, North Korean, and Guyanese passengers of Cubana Flight 455. On this somber occasion, Guyana affirms our solidarity with the people of Cuba with whom we have shared a great friendship and fraternal bond,” the then Prime Minister of Guyana, Forbes Burnham

told a crowd at the 1763 Monument.

“On this infamous day, we call on all Guyanese to remember our brothers and sisters who were murdered. Eric Norton 18 years old- Student; Ann Nelson 18 years old-Student; Seshnarine Kumar 18 years oldStudent; Jaqueline Williams 19 years oldStudent; Rawle Thomas 18 years old- Student; Margaret Bradshawthe wife of a Guyanese Diplomat; Gordon Sobha- Economist; Violet Thomas; Rita Thomas; Sabrina Harripaul age 9 years old- related to Violet and Rita Thomas.

“They died because there are some in this world, and more particularly in this hemisphere, who do not accept the right of a people to fashion their own destinies and to dictate their own goals.” ~ Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, Prime Minister of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Excerpt from Statement, Wednesday 6th October 1976.

Thursday Oct. 07, 2021

ANOTHER MAN IDENTIFIES DENNY KILLERS AS PEOPLE WHO ROBBED HIM The taunt over calling a miner a ‘Mad man’ or ‘Anti-man’ caused one miner to be stabbed to death and another injured after a fight.

According to reports, the police identified the dead man as 38-yearold Eon Anthony Ramnarine, of Third Avenue, Bartica.

The police also noted that the incident occurred at Obanna Backdam/ Kurubrong, Potaro on October 4, just around 11:00 hours.

The police further explained that Ramnarine and his alleged 25-yearold killer were known to each other since they both resided near each other.

The alleged killer’s stay at the camp was not so comfortable, as

the suspect was known for being in the habit of cursing and talking to himself. Ramnarine would throw hints at him

and call him names such as Mad man or and Antiman among others.

On the day of the murder, the suspect

was passing next to Ramnarine’s camp to go to his work ground to take a knife for his father to sharpen on an engine

head. As the suspect was passing Ramnarine’s camp, he ended up in an argument with Ramnarine.

It is alleged that the now-dead Ramnarine picked up a piece of wood (a pick axe handle) and lashed the suspect to his head and left foot.

That resulted in them fighting.

The suspect who was armed with the knife dealt the deceased several stab wounds to his body causing him to fall to the ground motionless.

Later, the suspect went to his father and told him what had transpired. A man who was passing in the area and saw Ramnarine’s body called the police and reported the matter.

At the scene, the suspect was arrested and he handed over the knife to the police. He was told of the allegation, cautioned and he admitted to stabbing the deceased during a fight.

The body was then examined and eleven suspected stab wounds were seen to the left hand, chest, abdomen, and back. A piece of wood was also found next to the body.

Ramnarine’s body and the suspect were both escorted to Mahdia Hospital. where the suspect was seen and examined while the body of Ramnarine was pronounced dead.

The suspect was then placed into custody as further investigations are in progress.

USAID FUNDS TRAINING FOR HIV/AIDS FIRST RESPONDERS

Health Frank Anthony and Director of Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), Dr Rosmond Adams.

The eight-week training was completed by the University of Washington in the U.S. together with representatives from CARICOM and healthcare providers at the National Care and Treatment Center and St Joseph’s hospital.

Ann Lynch attended “The partnerships A graduation ceremony workers who were trained training program for HIV/ the ceremony with the of events like these was held on October 1, under the USAID-funded AIDS. for 18 frontline healthcare clinical management Ambassador Sarah- Honorable Minister of are a testament to our

common goal to improve healthcare and the health delivery systems, for the benefit and prosperity for all,” said Ambassador Lynch.

The United States has provided Guyana with over US$185 million to fight HIV/AIDS since 2004, mostly through the U.S. President’s Emergency Action for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which is the largest commitment by any nation to address a single disease in history.

Post mortem finds 13-year-old died from brain haemorrhage Health has promised a Following reports of the death of 13-year-old, Joshua Henry hours after taking the second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Monday in Region One, a post mortem examination has found the child died from a massive brain bleed and heart disease.

This was revealed by Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, who explained that the child

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suffered from massive bleeding in his brain when he collapsed and died.

It was explained by the parents of the young boy that Henry was well until returning from the vaccinating site and told his parents he was feeling unwell.

Sometime later, Henry collapsed and died, even as dark colors appeared on his skin close to his joints The Ministry of

full investigation into the matter. Additional tests are to be done to find out whether his death was related to the administration of the vaccine.

A team has been dispatched to the area to investigate the matter.

Thursday Oct. 07, 2021

MAN ACCUSED OF STARTING BRICKDAM FIRE DENIES CONFESSION STATEMENT

In the wake of allegations leveled against Clarence Greene for burning the Brickdam Police Station to the ground on Saturday, Greene has now indicated to his Attorney, Ronald Daniels, and others, that he never started the fire and that he was beaten to sign a confession statement.

Greene is accused of setting the building on fire with the use of a wire, and a piece of sponge that was then ignited with the use of a lighter.

The contention was that Greene placed the conflagration through ventilation into a room filled with documents.

The fire quickly spread through the entire compound leaving some 80 percent of the Brickdam Police Station

in ashes, and the head office of the largest police division in the country in a shamble.

That recollection of the incident involving Greene has however been debunked by his lawyer, Daniels, who related during an interview that his client never admitted to setting fire but was beaten into a confession.

Daniels insisted that his client was searched before entering the prison on a robbery allegation, and nothing was found on his person. He said that about an hour later Greene complained that he smelled something burning but the officers paid him no attention.

Mr. Daniels said that Greene told him that the other inmates also told the police about the smell

of something burning but they did not listen, since at the time no smoke was seen. He then went to sleep and was later awakened with water by another inmate who told him that there was smoke coming through the vent.

Greene recalled that by then they were released and started a bucket brigade with water from the bathroom in the presence of officers.

He later noted that he along with the 17 other prisoners was taking to the area where reporting was done and they were checked again, and then again check when moved to another building where nothing could have implicated him or the other prisoners with starting the fire.

Fire Chief proceeds on leave

Following criticism from President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, over the Brickdam Police Station fire operation under the watch of Fire Chief, Kalamodeen Edoo, Edoo has been sent on administrative leave.

It is unclear, however,

who will now take the post as Acting Fire Chief.

Sources close to the fire service department have indicated that it might be Deputy Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham, who will take up the post.

Over the weekend, President Ali expressed

disappointment in the response to the Brickdam fire “in their own back yard”.

President noted that the response was inefficient and cannot be allowed to continue. As such steps have to be taken to correct the issues and ensure that they do not occur again.

“If you do not want to provide public service then do the honourable thing. Don’t take a job in the Fire Department and believe it’s a part-time job.

“Don’t take the government’s assets, safety gear, and leave it home when you are an emergency worker.

Subsequently, Daniel said, they were then taken to the school, checked again, then Greene was taken to a bus.

On the bus, Greene said that all of them were having a conversation as to how the fire started and one inmate that was next to him indicated that he smelled smoke before he arrived and nothing was done even when he told the police.

Greene added that they were told to shut up and were later taken to the Sparendaam Police Station, where a statement was given on his recollection of the fire.

Greene further noted that the following day, the party of policemen including Criminal Investigation Department

(CID) ranks and others took him and others, to the headquarters to make further statements. He recalled his very statement from before and signed it.

According to Greene, he was taken to a room along with three officers.

There he again said what happened without changing his story.

He was then told that he was lying and needed to speak the truth.

Greene said as time went by an inmate that was next to him indicated that Greene said he started the fire, which he denied.

Greene then further explained that he was then taken into another room to do a video interview, and did not change his story.

Sometime after, Greene

explained that he was then hit constantly by an officer and was told they speak the truth.

He said that he was then presented with a statement and told to sign it. Greene said he then asked the officers to read the statement since he could not have done so well but was told to hurry up and do so.

Green insisted that in fear for his life he signed the statement even though he did not know what was on it.

Later, Green said he was taken back to Brickdam and placed into the cell where he stayed. He told them that his hands cannot even fit through the area in which the vent was even to start a fire.

Another man identifies Denny killers as people who robbed him Days after two men who were responsible for killing 19-year-old Joshua Denny were shot dead during a shootout with law enforcement, the now-dead men are being fingered in another robbery in which a motorcycle and other items were taken from a Lodge resident.

According to the statement from the police, the force indicated that on October 4, 2021, a 40-year-old man from Lodge visited a nearby station.

He reported that on September 27, 2021, at about 19:30 hrs, he was in Campbellville when he was robbed of

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$25,000 cash, a Samsung Galaxy A20 phone valued at $28,000, and his black HAOJUE UF115 motorcycle bearing registration number CK 8784 worth $200,000.

The Lodge resident at the time also explained that the men identified as the killers of Joshua Denny – namely Quacy Jupiter and David Smith – were the ones who robbed him.

According to the Lodge resident, he was beaten

by Jupiter and Smith during the robbery and he sustained injuries to his lower abdomen.

He added that after the images of the men (Quacy Jupiter and David Smith)

were released by the Police on social media, he recognized his motorcycle and immediately informed the police at Prashad Nagar.

The man was shown the Samsung Galaxy cellphone retrieved from Quacy Jupiter along with the motorcycle found and he identified both items as the items he was robbed of.

Quacy Jupiter and David Smith were fatally shot by the police during a confrontation last Saturday evening in the vicinity of UG Access Road.

They were reportedly wanted for killing Denny over a gold chain during a robbery

Faulty electric point causes fire scare at NIS head office

Days after the Brickdam Police Station went up in flames, National Insurance Scheme (NIS) went on high fire alert and called in the Guyana Fire Service after an overloaded loaded switch started to smoke on Monday.

operations started to change the damaged points.

Later when everything was under control, some staff operating in the affected area were told to take the rest of the day off, as power was expected to

The NIS was said to be the third fire emergency call for the day. There was another at the Guyana Post Office.

Speaking to the media after the incident, the Divisional Commander of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), Hemchandra Persaud, said that with such high fire risk the GFS remains on high alert also.

“We have seen an increase in calls especially from (Monday). We had three calls. We would have responded to the GPO, NIS, and a bridge in Campbellville where there was a rubbish fire lit by someone.

that GFS due to the high risk has also shifted its approach due to high-level risk.

“We are going to raise the level of preparedness; we are at the drawing board right now with senior officers knowing that we had a serious fire at the Brickdam Police Station. Of course, in life, we have to go through the vicissitude of life and there are always changes that we have to adapt to.

“So, we are working as it is right now to look at our resource and to see what necessary we need, especially in this point in time, when we

According to the Guyana Fire Service, just before midday, in the Office of the General Manager, Holly Greaves, an electrical point started to smoke.

The fire service responded with three fire trucks, an ambulance, and the ranks from Guyana Police Force.

On arrival on the scene, firefighters explained that a point in the room was indeed smoking. With the aid of the policemen and women, the building was cleared of staff and others.

With smoke still emanating from the point, prompted the shutting off the power to the building, they quickly tackled the affected area and the situation was quickly brought under control.

The police also indicated that later the NIS Electrical Engineer quickly took over and

out for some time.

The police advised the NIS to check the entire power supply chain to ensure that the problem does not occur again.

The police also with safety in mind, to avoid a recurrence of the Brickdam Police Station fire a fire tender was left on standby.

“That fire was extinguished by the Campbellville units at GPO because it’s a high-rise building, it’s a Government building with lots of occupants.

We would have sent a full response so that nothing got out of control,” Mr. Persaud explained.

Mr. Persaud added

have a very hot weather and of course what is unfolding currently we have to first start thinking ahead and anticipate any eventuality.”

This comes as the President, Mohammed Irfaan Ali blasted the GFS on its preparedness for the Brickdam Police Station fire.

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Guyana to release CSEC, CAPE and NGSA results

by Oct. 15.

The Ministry of Education announced on Saturday, that the Caribbean Examination Council has chosen Guyana as the host country to ‘release’ this year’s CAPE and CSEC results on October 14, 2021. In addition, NGSA is expected to be released on October 15; with raw exam scores coming from Barbados.

The Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certification (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) were written during June -July this year. The examinations were written at a later date this year due to the effects, consequences, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Caribbean and the world.

The Ministry of Education announced on Saturday, that the Caribbean Examination Council has chosen Guyana as the host country to ‘release’ this year’s CAPE and CSEC results on October 14, 2021. These results will be available to candidates on the CXC’s online portal from October 15, 2021.

The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) was equally affected by the pandemic and was written on August 4-5 of this year. Since 2016, CXC was contracted by the Government of Guyana to develop, administer and mark this examination/assessment annually.

This year to further

advance the transparency and integrity of the examination/assessment, CXC’s responsibilities were extended and increased to include verification of raw scores. Additionally, to conduct and manage all reviews or appeals after the results are published and further to present the data and analysis of each year’s assessment.

The Ministry of Education has been informed by CXC that the raw scores will be ready and sent from Barbados to Guyana by Tuesday, September 28, 2021, after which the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) will standardize the scores and offer placements according to the scores, and print results’ slips.

In addition, from this year: 1. NGSA candidates will NOT be penalized with their raw scores because they were older than 12 years 6 months at the end of March of the year, the examination was written.

2. The standardized scores per subject will be rounded up to the nearest whole number and the TOTAL score will be given as a decimal number thereby offering candidates more fairness.

The Education Ministry also encourages this year’s NGSA, CSEC and CAPE candidates to return all textbooks and resource materials to their respective schools.

Failure to do so may result in being unable to access results

Temporary home for Brickdam police up and running close to the lockups.

When they arrived the fire seemed coming from the sections close to lockup.

The fire, however,

Following the fire which destroyed 80 percent of the Brickdam Police Station Commander of the Division, Simon McBean, has noted that despite the setback the force is ready to serve the community.

This response comes as ranks of the division, particularly from the Brickdam Police Station, are affected in terms of accommodation after Saturday’s fire took out most of the complex, destroying files, offices, properties of civilians, and the force.

The Brickdam police are relocated to St. Stanislaus

College where they will accommodate the public and by extension ensuring that the laws are upheld.

Commander Mc Bean has insisted that the police are now up and ready to serve the community from all various departments.

“The inquiries department is up and running, traffic service is up and running, the Criminal Investigation Department is up and running. Those are our primary areas of operation.

The patrols are out in full force,” Mr. Mc Bean said.

He added, “All of our services are up and

quickly spread with the aid of wind to other sections of the building.

At the scene, members of the force were seen saving what they could

running. We are trying.

There are some minor works going on to get the ranks comfortable The Commander’s office will be fully operational.”

Commander Mc Bean says while the space may not be adequate it remains workable. The ranks are now getting comfortable in their new spaces.

Just Saturday the Brickdam Police Station went up in flames leaving nothing but two buildings in the compound.

According to the Guyana Fire Service, the fire started just before midday around a section

Another fire threatens a government building

The building that houses the Police and Public Service Commissions has become the fourth government building in four days under fire watch after an overloaded wire called for the presence of the Guyana Fire Service(GFS).

Following the fire, which ravaged the Brickdam Police Station, a fire scare at the Guyana Post Office (GPO) and at the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) in the past few days, the fire service was once more on high alert, today, as the smell of smoke emanated from the PSC building.

According to reports, it was just around midday, when the staff of the Local Government and Regional Development building, who share a compound with the PSC said that info@guyanapostonline.com

they smelled something was burning.

In the midst of taking precautionary measures, the fire service was called in. Also turning up was the Guyana Power and Light (GPL).

On arrival, fighter fighters and the GPL staff later identified the fault and quickly moved to cut power to the building.

After accessing the situation, it was found that an external wire that leads to the PSC building was overheating and required immediate attention.

The worker from the GPL then changed the faulty wire, as an overassessment of the entire electrical grid is expected to be done to ensure that issue does not occur again.

The copper of the wire was seen burning and it was removed from the

building.

This happened after over 80 percent of the Brickdam Police Station was allegedly set by a Lodge resident, Clarence Greene, and small electrical fires at the GPO and NIS. Divisional Commander of the fire service, Hemchandra Persaud, said on the heels of the fire at the NIS building, there is a need for an assessment of the building with the old electrical set, to prevent any fire.

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have. The fire continued to travel, burning several shops nearby and an old gas station on Hadfield Street, aback by the police station.

SHUNNING PROFESSIONALISM FOR POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY

Adam’s

note book

Guyana is probably the country with an abundance of talented people. The reality is that the man in the street does not see these talented people.

In fact, older people are now wondering whether it would not be long before mediocrity becomes the new norm.

The government must have determined that there was more than enough talent to keep the wheels of the country turning because it quickly removed some of the talented people who were in the system.

It then set about replacing them with people it feels comfortable with. Of course, some of these new employees are the beneficiaries of elections promises.

I listened to the former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Dr. Vincent Adams, talking about his removal from office.

Undoubtedly, he has been the most qualified head of the EPA. He resurrected a dead agency at a time when Guyana is preparing to become an oil-producing nation. He spoke of the EPA is a revolving door info@guyanapostonline.com

for staff members who simply wanted a stepping stone.

The result is that precious little got done.

In fact, the EPA was largely ignored by all and sundry. It was merely required to rubber-stamp certain government pronouncements.

Vincent Adams changed that to the point where the EPA began to make an impact on national life.

It challenged Exxon Mobil to do the right thing by paying for its indiscretions in the industry. It flared gas to the extent that the environment was threatened. The Vincent Adams-led EPA made the company pay. It even threatened to take the company to court for some other indiscretion.

That has changed.

I am left to wonder whether Dr. Adams’s removal was due to pressure on the government.

Of course, the government claimed that Dr. Vincent Adams was a political appointee. It did not stop to consider that Dr. Adams had responded to an advertisement for the job, that he was interviewed by a panel,

and that he was the most qualified applicant.

There is a new Director of the Environmental Protection Agency but the EPA is once more a toothless poodle.

In fact, it has lapsed into obscurity and the government seems content. At least it does not have to pacify Exxon Mobil.

It is the same in numerous other areas. In the field of communication, English has all but disappeared.

There is no relationship between subject and verb, no question of tense, and of course, pronunciation is no more a sign of knowledge.

There are new heads in radio, television, newspaper, and public information, all chosen by the government.

The COVID-19 situation is horrible. I am not sure whether it is due to the absence of a national plan or simply a case of Guyanese bad luck. Not so long ago I complained that people were no longer dying by the twos but by the fours.

I should have shut my mouth. People are dying in droves. More than 100 people will die this month.

The irony is that the government is linking the deaths to the vaccination. You die if you are unvaccinated.

But people also die if they are vaccinated.

That is when the government talks about underlying conditions.

The records will show that about 60 percent of the population is either diabetic, hypertensive, or both. Most of us have underlying conditions.

So vaccination or not we are likely to die if infected. At least the Minister of Health said as much when two fully vaccinated people died from COVID-related illness.

Yet, there is the drive for everyone to be vaccinated. I am vaccinated.

There is talk about herd immunity.

There will be no herd immunity because the variants are different from the original virus.

But we can only hope that there will be some protection against COVID. The authorities are saying that wearing a mask, washing hands, and social distancing is not enough.

There is another issue that I find worrying.

There was the COVID relief distribution.

Some people got and many did not. Both President Irfaan Ali and the Opposition Leader called for an audit. The AuditorGeneral has come back to say that COVID has impacted his ability to audit the distribution.

So as long as there is COVID-19 there can be no successful audit. Many dishonest people would be able to escape. However, this should not be the end of the audit. My belief is that even if the auditors take two years, they must complete this audit.

A lot of money was voted for the relief.

It is now the same thing with the flood relief. A lot of money has been set aside.

Some people are complaining that they have been badly assessed. If indeed COVID is a limiting factor, how could anyone be successfully assessed? But the Agriculture Minister says that he would correct the situation.

Would he go into the fields to visit every affected farmer despite COVID? He may wish to take the Auditor General with him.

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Guyana to release CSEC, CAPE and NGSA results

by Oct. 15.

The Ministry of Education announced on Saturday, that the Caribbean Examination Council has chosen Guyana as the host country to ‘release’ this year’s CAPE and CSEC results on October 14, 2021. In addition, NGSA is expected to be released on October 15; with raw exam scores coming from Barbados.

The Caribbean Examination Council’s (CXC) Caribbean Secondary Education Certification (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) were written during June -July this year. The examinations were written at a later date this year due to the effects, consequences, and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Caribbean and the world.

The Ministry of Education announced on Saturday, that the Caribbean Examination Council has chosen Guyana as the host country to ‘release’ this year’s CAPE and CSEC results on October 14, 2021. These results will be available to candidates on the CXC’s online portal from October 15, 2021.

The National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) was equally affected by the pandemic and was written on August 4-5 of this year. Since 2016, CXC was contracted by the Government of Guyana to develop, administer and mark this examination/assessment annually.

This year to further

advance the transparency and integrity of the examination/assessment, CXC’s responsibilities were extended and increased to include verification of raw scores. Additionally, to conduct and manage all reviews or appeals after the results are published and further to present the data and analysis of each year’s assessment.

The Ministry of Education has been informed by CXC that the raw scores will be ready and sent from Barbados to Guyana by Tuesday, September 28, 2021, after which the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) will standardize the scores and offer placements according to the scores, and print results’ slips.

In addition, from this year: 1. NGSA candidates will NOT be penalized with their raw scores because they were older than 12 years 6 months at the end of March of the year, the examination was written.

2. The standardized scores per subject will be rounded up to the nearest whole number and the TOTAL score will be given as a decimal number thereby offering candidates more fairness.

The Education Ministry also encourages this year’s NGSA, CSEC and CAPE candidates to return all textbooks and resource materials to their respective schools.

Failure to do so may result in being unable to access results

Email or text your letters to us, we would be happy to have publish them ExxonMobil Oil Rig

lendellnurse6995@gmail.com

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