Kaieteur News

‘Govt. lacks urgency in recovering

US-millions from ExxonMobil’

- Opposition says audit duration unacceptable

The political Opposition the observation that a progress of the review important to note the government in ensuring is of the view that the preliminary audit report, process, conducted by the magnitude of the sums that these costs are not recovered Government of Guyana which has been leaked to auditing firm IHS Markit, have so far been flagged as bytheoilcompany (GoG) is uninterested in another section of the media hired by the former A questionable. He explained, According to him, recovering US-millions that and reported on, has shown Partnership for National “For perspective, Guyanese “Despite the magnitude of the country may have lost that US$214M in costs are Unity+AllianceForChange should note that the the sums involved, the due to unfair practices by oil disputable as they could not (APNU+AFC)government. questionable US$214M (or government’s attitude reeks giant, ExxonMobil during be verified by supporting He told reporters, “The G$46B) is close to 6 percent of collusion, negligence and theperiod1999-2017. documents. The Economist PPP government is showing of the total 2023 national recklessness We must receipts must be based on Opposition Economist, said this is alarming as the a marked lack of urgency to budget; but it is bigger than therefore be fearful with ” a n a s s e s s m e n t o f Elson Low at a press administration chose to keep complete the audit cycle and the 2023 budget for the regards to the second audit reasonable and competitive conference yesterday made citizens in the dark on the to engage ExxonMobil in Ministry of Human Services being conducted by VHE prices.” If properly done, we recovering all disallowed by$6billion;biggerthanthe Consulting for the period expect the second audit to expenses.” In pointing to the budget for the Ministry of 2018-2020, which involves reveal greater amounts of unacceptable duration of the Agriculture by about $13 the sum of US$7.3B — that contestable expenditures ” review, Low pointed out that billion, and bigger than the is, a sum over four times Lowadded,“Guyanesemust the first audit report was budget for the Ministry of largerthanthefirstaudit.Let demand that the PPP release submitted in March 2021- Culture, Youth and Sport by us recall that at our Press all the audit reports and over two years ago. In this $39billion.”

recover all invalid expenses. regard, he urged that the

protect the interest of the left to fear what the audit of

agreed to conduct this country’snationalpatrimony peopleofGuyana. Exxon’s US$7 3 billion second audit only after will cost Guyana tens of While the audit report in expenses can uncover, and persistent public pressure. billions of dollars This question is a preliminary

Opposition Economist, Elson Low

Govt. engaging in ‘cover-up’ of

financial skullduggery exposed in

audit report on Exxon’s US$1.6B costs

Alliance For Change contest.

opposition, it had launched theExecutive. (AFC) Leader, Khemraj Ramjattansaid:“wenow serious attacks against the T h e M e m b e r o f Ramjattan is convinced that know that the PPP was 2016 Stabroek Block Parliamentalsocriticisedthe the PPP/C Government is handed the report since Production Sharing government for failing to obsessed with using March 2021. And it must A g r e e m e n t ( P S A ) take any action against disinformation and outright have known that expenses Ramjattan said the PPP had Exxon for the disputed costs lies to hide from the totalling US$214M were deemed the PSA to be raisedinthereport. Guyanese people the questionable,andthatExxon rottenest of deals and Ramjattan said, “When a financial skullduggery was also in breach of its promised to renegotiate it little East Indian or Black exposed in an audit of insurance requirements once they assumed office. boy snatches your chain for expenses incurred by among other findings. The “Well it got into office and $25,000 that is called ExxonMobil and partners AFC has been indicating for now sanctity of contract has larceny But when an oil from1999to2017. some time now that the replaced its promise to giant denies a country this

Those costs total government has become renegotiate. Its relationship massive sum, it is called US$1.6B and were reviewed strange bedfellows with the with the oil companies is economics it is now by British firm, IHS Markit. Exxon.” now almost incestuous,” incumbentongovernmentto

At a press conference on Hesaidthegovernment’s Ramjattansaid. release this report for public

Thursday, Ramjattan rush to find excuses for its He said too that the deliberation.” He said the referenced several stories failure to release the government has avoided failuretomakethedocument which were published by document, exposes its close chastising Exxon for public will only lead to a Stabroek Block. “Now it is Markit,”Ramjattansaid. Stabroek News in the past ties with oil companies as environmental violations deformed transparency and engagedinapatheticdisplay The AFC Leader then week regarding the audit well as its interests in concerning flaring activities accountabilitysystem. of covering up from the reiterated calls for the report The media house shielding them from public on the Liza Destiny vessel The AFC Leader also Guyanese public, the release of the report, adding exposed that IHS flagged scrutiny and even for contract concluded that the earlier reprehensible financial that every passing day this is

TheAFCLeaderrecalled violations pertaining to its Jagdeo is removed from conduct (by Exxon and not done, it reinforces the costs which the State has that when the People’s failure to provide full office, the better it is for partners as) revealed by IHS corruptandlawlessnatureof reasonable grounds to Progressive Party was in coverage insurance for the Guyana.

US$214M as questionable

Balwant Singh Hospital says removal of woman’s organs was necessary to save her life

he Dr. Balwant besenttothe

Tnt, the Inc. where the medical team Singh’s Hospital Georgetown Public surgeries were performed on there told her that the Inc. said on Hospital for testing. The June 9, 2021 and Kellman- ultrasound revealed that her

Thursday that the histopathology report from Hallwasdischargedfromthe cervix and ovaries were decision to remove the the Georgetown Public hospitalonJune11,2021. removed. reproductive organs from Hospital confirms the August 23, 2022, Thewomansaidshethen Ms. Wonder Kellman-Hall position of the Dr Balwant Kellman-Hall underwent an revisited Balwant Singh wasnecessarytosaveherlife Singh’sHospital.” ultra sound at Balwant Hospital and confronted Dr duringsurgery According to the court Singh. The woman claims Singhwiththeinformation.

Kellman-Hall accused documents seen by this that Dr Singh told her that She said that it was then the hospital of causing her to newspaper, Kellman-Hall everything was “normal” Dr Singh explained that she suffer, “physical and outlined, she visited the with her body Still, at that had bleeding on one of her emotional” damage. In court private hospital after she point,nothingwassaidabout ovaries and she decided to papers drafted by Attorney, started to encounter health the removal of her cervix or removeitduringthesurgery Sanjeev Datadin, the patient issues. She claimed that she ovaries. Kellman-Hall said she said that the doctors was advised by Dr Madhu Kellman-Hall said that r e q u e s t e d a l l t h e removed her ovaries and Singh, a gynaecologist who sometimeafterthesurgeries, documentation from the c e r v i x w i t h o u t h e r is also the Chief Executive she started to experience hospital concerning the permission. She is suing for Officer (CEO) of Balwant some strange symptoms surgery however she has not in excess of $6.6 M worth in Singh, that she had fibroids which included extreme r e c e i v e d a n y s u c h damages. andanumbilicalhernia. sweating, pains, hot flashes, i n f o r m a t i o n o r

In a statement release on that Ms. Kellman-Hall was benotedthattheprocedureis Kellman-Hall who chills, lack of energy, lack of documentation to date. As Thursday, the hospital said fully informed of the risks a routine one and the organ described herself as a concentration and mood such, she has hired a team of Ms. Kellman-Hall had been and benefits of the removal poses no long-term married woman in her mid- swings. attorneysanddecidedtotake a patient of Dr Madhu recommended procedure, effects to her ability to 40’s with two adult children, However, when she the private hospital to task in Singh, Obstetrician and and she gave her consent. continuehernormallife. saidthatthehospitalcharged visited the private hospital, thecourt. Gynaecologist, and Chief Ms. Kellman-Hall’s consent Post-surgery, Dr Madhu her $650,000 to perform two Dr Singh never told her of Executive Officer, since was voluntary and informed, Singh informed Ms operations; one to remove the additional procedure to May 2014 She was and at no time did the Kellman-Hall of the her womb, the other to remove her organs The diagnosed with a condition hospital or its employees circumstancesandexplained removethehernia. woman said it is until she in 2021 and surgery was breachanydutyofcareowed that, despite the action that She said that she agreed decided to get a second recommended as the best to was required during surgery, to pay the sum but was opinion owing to the courseofaction. her,” the hospital added. the overall goals of the adamant that she did not persistentsymptomsthatshe

The procedure, the According to the hospital procedureweremet,andthat want her ovaries and cervix discovered that her hospital said was conducted during the surgery, however, h e r p o s t - s u r g e r y toberemoved. reproductive organs were on June 9, 2021 “Ms there was uncontrollable expectations have not She claimed to have missing Kellman–Hall Kellman-Hall made a bleeding from one organ changed.

“expressly informed” Dr divulged that the discovery complaint about the posingarisktoherlife.“Asa The post-surgery action Singh of her decision was made after she took procedure in August 23, result, it was necessary to required that everything that A c c o r d i n g t o t h e another ultra sound at the 2022. It is important to note remove the organ. It should was removed during surgery information outlined in the Cancer Institute of Guyana

AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan

Wonder Kellman-Hall

Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456

Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS

Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

AMERICA’S INTERESTS VS JAGDEO’S INTEREST

Bharrat Jagdeo risks driving himself crazy when he becomes so consumed with extending his propaganda. He went to commemorate a true Guyanese man, Cheddi Jagan, andthebestthatJagdeocandowastoincitepartyfaithfulto run to Facebook and let their messages fill up that space, overwhelm the complaints of naysayers, critics, and dissidents.

Inhiscalltosocialmediaaction,Jagdeothrowscautionto the winds, exposing his growing nervousness. Meanwhile, AmericaisconcernedaboutitsbusinessinterestsinGuyana, butJagdeoismostfocusedongettingfollowerstoFacebook, sothathispoliticalinterestssucceed,viz.,stayinginpower

AfterallthebigtalkaboutwhatthePPP/CGovernmenthas done, how much it has done, and how great it is when measured against its political opponents, Jagdeo still needs whathebelievesisarousingcalltoarmstohiscomradesto take the battle to the open frontier, the more or less uncontrolledsphere,ofFacebook.

What is conspicuous about this call from Jagdeo, especially at such an event, is his urgency The PPP/C Governmentisdoingallthesewonderfulthingsthatbenefit allGuyanese,andyetFacebookisneededtobetheproving ground. Thatishisinterest.

Clearly,Guyana’sVicePresidentisnowfullycommitted to taking a page out of that of another former president, himselfundersiege,butoneresortingtoallkindsofdodges and manoeuvres to shake off the ants clinging to his mismanagementofoil. Whatwehavenoticedisthatformer PresidentBharratJagdeoisfocusedtooheavilyandsharply atlashingoutingrowingrage,ratherthangenuinelyengage. Inhisevaluationofhispredicament,madebyhisownhand, Jagdeo clearly has now settled for political operations intendedtodistractorintimidate.

It is a numbers game, and some of the faithful are beginning to have doubts about him. Hence, the Vice President’s call to rally the shaky, through emphasis on quantityoverquality. Inotherwords,floodeveryavailable channel with government half-truths, questionable truths, andtruthsthatarenothingbutdeceptions. Thereisonlyone definitionoftruth,anditisthattruthistruth,anditstandsup toanykindofscrutiny,anyattack,andanyforce,nomatter howoverpowering.Thefullnessoftruthandfactshavetheir own persuasive power, unchallengeable light. There is no need to scurry over to Facebook to broadcast how the PPP/C’s record is so good; it speaks for itself, or it doesn’t. Thisismoreofhishidingfromtheindependentmainstream media, and using Facebook proxies to load up with what hatesanylight.

As he knows very well, in the sometimes murky and open-ended realm of Facebook, it is anything goes, with people saying anything, no matter how inaccurate, and the effectsregister Itiscalledthepowerofthecrowd,whichis what we think that Dr Jagdeo, when cornered, seeks to instigate. Insum,whatJagdeodidatBabuJaanwasengage in some good old-fashioned rabblerousing. If the record of the PPP/C Government in this time of oil is so clean, so transparent, and so beneficial to all citizens of this country, thenitstandsanywherebeforeanyone,naysayersandothers of like kind. Citizens do not need convincing, nor do they need any reminding, for they would have been living with governmentopenness,leadershipcredibility,andastreamof programs that speak to monies cleanly spent. Most of all, citizenswouldbefamiliarwithhowthePPP/CGovernment in general, and the Vice President himself, has managed or mismanaged the rich oil sector This same oil isAmerica’s primary interest, a worrying one, which he calls serious. WhatJagdeoshouldbestrongandseriousaboutheisrunning scared.

What is conspicuous about the Vice President is that he singsmanysweetsongs.Whencalledupon,however,toface themusic,hedisappears. Hisgrowinghandicapisthatmore andmoreGuyanesenowrecognizewhentheyarebeingused byJagdeoforhisownpurposes.Heispushingsupportersto Facebook; why not push them into the streets for Guyanese interests,andnothisown?

are the PPP/C nominated Commissioners objecting to measures that can enhance transparency at GECOM?

DEAREDITOR, Commissioner Rohee has kept up with his letter writing on GECOM in an attempt to sway public opinion although much of what he writes is public misinformation and/or propaganda.

His latest letter seeks to establish that GECOM‘s systemscannotbebreached. It is not my intention to dispute the various mechanisms that GECOM has in place, which are intended to prevent multi voting However, I will simply pose the following questions:

1. How unbreachable is the existing system, which according to the evidence, provided by the Chief Immigration Officer, verified that votes were cast for voters who were out of the country In one instance, outoftwohundredandseven (207) ballots cast, one hundred and thirty-five (135) of those voters were out of the country In the secondinstance,outofthree hundredandten(310)ballots cast,twohundredandeleven (211) of those voters were outofthecountry?

2.WhyhastheAttorney-

General gone patently silent on this matter after requesting that all of the information on the alleged multi-voting, including the informationalreadyverified, beturnedovertohim?

3. Why did the PPP/C nominated Commissioners, after the last elections, opposeaninternalreviewof GECOM‘soperations,when such a review is routine and provides an opportunity for GECOM to identify and remedy flaws/weaknesses that could have been uncoveredduetothereview?

4. Why did the PPP/C nominated Commissioners object to the introduction of the electronic capture of fingerprints in the registration process and the useofelectronicfingerprints (biometrics) for voter identification at the place of poll?

5.Inessence,whyarethe P P P / C n o m i n a t e d Commissioners objecting to measures that can enhance GECOM‘s operations and ensure the integrity of its processes,whileRoheetouts the absolute integrity of the system although valid questions related to the inhibition of multi voting

remainunanswered?

I will now address Rohee‘s eight (8) point diatribe: “APNU‘s shenanigans at GECOM havefailed,allisnowsetfor LGE”Attheoutset,itshould be noted that most of the issues raised by the Opposition nominated Commissioners were reluctantly but eventually addressed.Addressing those issues have contributed significantly to GECOM‘s proclaimed state of readiness, albeit the reluctance to address them resulted in the delays and pushingbackofthepossible dateoftheelections.

Rubbishing of Rohee‘s eightpoints.

1 The Opposition appointed Commissioners rightlyobjectedtotheuseof Section 5(6) for the extractionoftheRegistersof VotersbecausetheOfficial List of Electors does not provide the required information for the compilation of the Voters Registers for local government elections Information that would allow for the registers to be localandconstituencybased are not available in the

OfficialListofElectors.

2.TheAPNUwouldhave to approach the court to ensurethatthecorrectsource is used for the extraction of the Registers of Voters for localgovernmentelections.

3. The LocalAuthorities ElectionsActclearlyprovide for voters to be “ordinarily resident” A Claims and Objections exercise is the mechanismthatprovidesfor persons not “ordinarily resident”toberemovedfrom theRegisterofVoters,while their names are retained on the National Register of Registrants.

4. The CEO‘s guidance to the Logistics Coordinator and subsequently to the Registration Officers, and nottheReturningOfficersas erroneously stated by CommissionerRohee,hadto becorrected.

In the first instance, the Guidance Note merely required the Logistics Coordinator to verify the acceptabilityoftheunlawful order of the Minister of Local Government by determining whether divisional boundaries had been violated. The second GuidanceNoteerroneously (Continuedonpage6)

The true Father of the nation can draw the map

DEAREDITOR,

Acolleaguealertedmeto a new feature on Google Earth.Thespaceweknowto be Guyana appears to be threecountries.Onzooming in, the yellow international boundary line with Venezuela disappears and relocates to red lines between the border and the Essequibo River Likewise, the yellow boundary line with Suriname disappears from the Corentyne River and shows up red at New River The boundary with Brazilremainsunchanged. Meanwhile, back in real space time much is being said about who is the father ofthenation.ThePPPwants Cheddi and the PNC wants Forbes.And so, we go back inhistorytotrytojustifythis and that. The Europeans, lastly the British, took over Indigenous lands and enslaved mostly Africans to extend their civilization into whatbecameBritishGuiana. At the same time, they conquered India to enrich themselves while driving those people into poverty, aided primarily by vastly unfairtariffsandsecondlyby

the machines of the industrial revolution. When slavery of Africans became uneconomical, it was replacedbyindentureshipof t h e c o n s e q u e n t l y impoverished and mostly illiterate Indians, who got a little better deal when indentureship was over and they were in the majority Whenitbecametooonerous to keep the colony, political independence was granted, but economic slavery continued through the monetary system of the world.

So who should we blame? The British? They were themselves once illiterate slaves to the Vikings, and before that to the Romans, during which timeshighcivilizationswere flourishing in Africa and India (and China and the Americas). There was a pressure on them to defend themselves against rivals whomightbecomeinvaders.

That motivated their adventures into conquest, so that they could keep down potential enemies, while exploiting them Other nations had the same

motivation, so history is repletewithwarsandtherise andfallofempires.

ButwhyweretheBritish so successful and powerful enough to draw our map? Andbeforethemthoseother empires,someforaslongas athousandyearsinoneform or the other? The scriptures tell us that God has made of one blood all the nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the Earth, and has determined the times before appointed,andtheboundsof their habitations [Acts 17:26].Butthegreedyworld wants to take our minds awayfromthisandtoreplace it with a recent, wholly materialistic,vainversionof science that scientists like Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton and Louis Pasteur would not recognise. We become hell bent on acquisition of material wealth at the expense of the welfareofothersofthe“one blood”God,ourtrueFather, madeusof.

So at this confluence of the Christian repentance seasonofLent,whichrecalls when God took the blame and shed His own blood for

all who would believe, the Muslim spiritual growing season of Ramadan, and the Hindu Rama Navami festival of the victory of goodoverevil,letusturnour heartsandmindsbacktoour Maker Allahbestowsfavour on whom He will [Sura 16:80-81; 39:47-53; 62:4], so let us ask Him to bestow on us the noble Sattvic character in the Upanishad that Krishna sings toArjuna in Chapter 18 of the BhagavadGita.

Therefore, stop this endlesstitfortatthatbenefits only our exploiters, publicly repentofthesinscommitted against our country and ask the one living and eternal Father of all nations, who is capable of recognising true repentance, to be gracious and merciful and use His absolute power to draw authoritative national boundaries wherein we can truly praise Him together in our diversity Work at doing the right thing, people, or else Google will reflect our divisions. Life is short and eternityislong.

Regards, AlfredBhulai

Why

Without transparency and accountability, One Guyana will become None Guyana

DEAREDITOR, In school, we were taught there was Dutch Guyana,FrenchGuyana,and British Guyana where we Guyanese lived Growing up, I observed, there were rich Guyana, poor Guyana, PPP Guyana, and PNC Guyana, and you can also addExxonGuyanatothislist as Exxon will have its own country within Guyana. The President has now introduced One Guyana, whichwewanttosucceed,so the citizens and country will benefit.

When the government makes deals in secret with Guyana’s assets, refuses to hold proper consultations with all citizens for ongoing andfuturebusinessprojects, refuses to provide information on Guyana’s Businessdealings,andwhen government rules as if they are the only ones entitled to make decisions for Guyana without Public input, accountability, and transparency then One Guyanaisonlyapropaganda slogan.

TherealOneGuyanacan only be achieved with Guyana’s rightful wealth, public input, transparency, andaccountabilitywherethe governmentistrulyengaged with its population on business affairs of the country and all Guyanese who are the real owners of Guyana’swealthgetstohave an input where critical questions and concerns get the necessary attention and resolutions.

The VP who said the contract signed under the coalition should make Guyanese sad every time thereisanoilfind,nowheis administering the same contractwiththesameterms andsayingGuyaneseshould behappywithoilfinds,what kindofhypocrisyisthis?

A n d w h y t h e government’s refusal to hire competent auditors who have gladly offered their services to correct this? The president said people should focus on how oil developed

other countries and not oil spill liability, Mr. President those countries you talk aboutgottheirrightfulshare of their oil from their royalties, profit-sharing taxes,andring-fencing,they had accountability, transparency and yes, they have full-cover insurance which you and the VP are vehementlyopposing.

The current oil contract hasGuyanagetting14.5%of 11 Billion Barrels over 25 years,atthecurrentoilprice of $69.26 per barrel, this works out to 4.5 Billion US DollarsannuallyforGuyana, Guyana is currently getting 1.5 Billion US$ per year, so why is Guyana’s take missing two thirds currently of3Billion$USDannually?

Countries that got good oil contracts lose out to oil companies due to bad monitoring, auditing, and bad oil law enforcement, what do you think will happen to Guyana that got a bad contract and have bad monitoring,auditingandbad oil law enforcement for oil companies?

T h e l e a d e r s i n government, the opposition leaders, and their foreign cohortsdon’twantGuyanese to talk about oil, what is wrong with all you all? Oil wealth now is the holy grail to Guyanese now and you willbehearingfromallofus, as each day, Guyanese are becomingmoreawareofthe theft of their country’s oil andresources.

The announcement from OPEC that they will be cutting oil production will createasignificantriseinoil prices meaning Guyana should be entitled to more than the US$4.5B annually with the current oil contract oristhereaclausetoointhe contract preventing Guyana from benefitting from oil priceincreases?

Iwouldn’tbesurprisedif there are, thanks to the agreements signed blindly bythepreviousgovernment.

TheGuyaneseCriticand other people posting videos on the internet love to show

the nice big houses in Guyana calling this economic progress as One Guyana, yet they, unlike other people don’t show the poor housing areas where Guyanese live in shacks and use dirty trench water for survival in the ‘Othered Guyana’. Fine if big houses are the gauge for economic progress, then how many of these big houses are built with foreign money? How many are built with debt? How many are built with proceeds from crime or corruption? And how many areactuallybuiltwithhonest earnings from money generated from Guyana’s economic boom? The last reason will tell if there is really an economic boom if the majority of the big houses are built because of thisreason.

Like transparency, accountability too is nonexistent in Guyana The amount of money the army receives for 3,500 soldiers then each soldier should be getting 4 times their salaries plus equipment to do their jobs,thesamecanbesaidfor the police for their budgets, sameforhealthcareworkers for their budgets, same for public servants for their budgetsandthemoneygiven to regions per citizen since Burnham regionalized Guyana should have eradicatedpovertybynowin Guyana.

When last Guyanese had public consultations with their regional officials who are getting money from the government to look after theirinterests?Ordocitizens evenseeregionalofficialsin

their area? So where is the accountabilityforthemonies allocatedinalloftheabove?

Since the elections in Guyana are now razor-thin (decided by one or two seats), governments don’t want to go after regional officials and state entities thinking this may cost them the elections, so money sent totakecareofGuyanesejust disappears leaving the people forgotten, frustrated andindirestraits.Almostall the complaints from citizens to media on their issues happen due to failures from state entities and regional officials.Sowhat’sthepoint ifthegovernmentannounces billions for this and that and the life of the poor is not improved? I again urge independent media to track these monies, since this is our wealth distribution system for citizens to get their rightful wealth and services.

Mr President for your own good, you to ensure state entities and regional officials are transparent and accountable for the monies beinggiventothemtobetter the lives of Guyanese which currentlyisnothappening.

The current way Guyana’sBusinessDealsare operating without Public C o n s u l t a t i o n s , Transparency, and Accountability, leaves Guyana’s doors wide open, Parliamentarians’ legs wide open and their eyes tightly closed to foreign exploiters, and if this does not change, One Guyana will become NoneGuyana Regards,

R.David

DEAREDITOR,

GeraldA. Perreira wrote a piece in KN 4/4/23. It was lengthyandmoreofthesame regurgitated rhetoric from people who oppose the PPP He also contradicts the heading of his letter: “For healing and national reconciliationtooccurandto eradicate racism in Guyana, all sides must let go of their prejudice concerning the past,”ashesoughttodefend Burnham. Here is a news flash to this person and anyone else who professes the desire for peace and r e c o n c i l i a t i o n i n Guyana...DO NOT PRAISE

BURNHAM!! No matter howmuchyouheroworship him,heisthepersonification ofallthatiseviltothesilent majorityofGuyana.

Secondly, by the mere glorification of Burnham, youaredoingthesameasthe members of the PPP are doing with Dr Jagan. So much for reconciliation for you are no better than the very people you seek to criticise.

ANYONEwholovesand caresforGuyana,willrealise that neither Burnham nor Cheddi,deservestobecalled FatherofourNation.

What is their legacy to Guyana? Division and hatred.Inmyhonestopinion, Guyana and Guyanese would have fared much better had they remained undertheruleoftheCrown.I have heard my mom and many from her generation who lived under the British Raj, expressed this same opinion.

None of our politicians really care about ONE

Guyana and it is just mere grandiloquence when they speak. To demonstrate that you really care means making the lives of the ordinaryfolksbetterbyyour actions. While many of the supporters of both races follow their respective race whentheyvote...Iaskanyof them this—what has either partyreallydonetomakelife easierforyourkids;theones whoaretherealinheritorsof theland?

Guyana will never progress because the respectivemajorracesdonot want to face the reality of them being used by the partiesoftwofake“Fathers” who have bequeathed only hatredtotheordinarypeople ofGuyana.

“Fake” fathers who used and abused the ordinary people to further their own selfish agendas as we all suffered. The people who have inherited their respective parties, continue tofanthoseflamesofhatred as it keeps them in their grand lifestyles. In the end, the regular kids suffer and will continue to suffer as politicians fight over the spoils that come with their positions.

Oil has driven you all insane and the recent shenanigans on both sides have revealed your soiled underpants for the World to see.

Yourstruly,

N.Sahadeo

Neither Burnham nor Cheddi deserves to be called Father of our Nation

Why are the PPP/C nominated...

Frompage4 referenced the unlawful order, Order 50. That was subsequently corrected. The final Guidance Note did not providefortheapplicationof criteria in the demarcation process as is provided for in Article 72 (2) of the Constitution.

5. As far as I know, the APNU scrutineers were not withdrawn from the exercise.

They stood down pending the rectification of the second Guidance Note. The exercise was hastily recommenced while they were standing down, thus their immediate presence was not feasible or facilitated.

They subsequently participated in the flawed exercise.

6. The objection to the C E O ’ s R e p o r t i s unapologetic, since the

exercise, on which he was reporting,wasnotconducted in conformity with the provisiontoexpungepeople, notordinarilyresident,from theRegisterofVoters.

7. Voluminous evidence exists to show that the Commission, over an eightmonth period in 2009, discussed the criteria to be used. A minute from that period documented that those criteria had been approved.Moreimportantly, there is extensive documentation to show the actual adoption and application of the discussed criteria,in2010.

The CEO had proceeded based on his own erroneous conclusion that there were no record referencing criteria.

Thatwasprovennottobe the case, since the relevant documents were presented, afterwhichthegoalpostwas

shifted to indicate that no such documents had been referenced in the minutes, albeit a minute did record that those criteria had been approved.

Reference to the provisionoftheConstitution on this matter was also ignored and the CEO‘s unilateral and arbitrary approach was approved ex postfacto.

8 The Claims and Objections exercise that Commissioner Rohee objectedto(see1above)was conducted in a manner that flies in the face of the intention of the law Double standards were observed in its execution. This matter is stillunderscrutiny

Clearly, the Opposition appointed Commissioners raised valid concerns. Some were addressed beneficially to the integrity of the process.

The proclaimed state of readinessfortheelectionsis largely attributable to the objective contributions made by the Opposition appointedCommissioners.

The delays which were experienced are attributable to the PPP/C appointed Commissioners, who doggedly pushed back on doingwhatisright.

Yourstruly, VincentAlexander GECOMCommissioner

Deplorable condition of sections of De Hoop Branch Road

DEAREDITOR,

The De Hoop Branch Road is the main artery servicing residents as far inland as Biaboo, Mahaica Creek.

Thisisaveryproductive area when it comes to rice and cash crop production. So, it is only logical that thereshouldbeaproperfarm to market access road at all times.

Currently, rice is being harvested and the road is very busy with trucks transporting paddy to the factories. However, there are sections of the roadway

that are in a very poor state. Infact,onesectionissobad that a lorry could easily tip over with a load of paddy. The said section has caused damages to many residents’ carsresultinginthousandsof dollarsinrepairs.

Onlylastyear,thosevery areas of this roadway were repaired, but it seems as though the contractor did a very poor job since it is the same areas that have deteriorated to an almost impassiblestate.

I spoke to an official in Region #5 this morning, querying if any money was

budgeted by the region or in the national budget to rehabilitatethisroadwayand was surprised when he said no. Should the rainy season commences without the roadway being fixed, the residents of this area will be faced with severe hardships. Thus, I am calling on the Honourable Minister of Public Works, Bishop Edghill,whoIknowisavery proactive individual, to take urgent action in order to bringrelieftotheresidentsof thiscommunity

Yourssincerely,

JanaknauthPanchu

Red Thread will continue to advocate as our resources would allow

DEAREDITOR, Mr Randolph Persaud, Advisor to President Irfaan Ali,madeaviciousresponse to Red Thread’s letter that was published in the Stabroek Newspaper of March 29, 2023 asking for clarification about whether our concern about our environmentandourcountry makesushypocrites. Ourletterwasexpressing a genuine question to our Head-of-State who seemed tosuggestthatanyGuyanese asking unpopular questions isahypocrite.

Mr Randolph Persaud’s response takes this a step further with his tirade about who or what Red Thread is. Just to let him know, Red Thread is a small grassroots women’s organization and our goal is to organise with women, beginning with

grassroots women, to cross divides and transform our conditions.

We provide services to women and children exploited in unequal power relationsandsimultaneously work to change those relations.

Weorganisearoundthree main priorities which we think are critical to our lives asgrassrootswomenandour families:

1.AgainstALLforms of violence

2. For a living income and affordable to access to goodsandservices

3. For grassroots to gain politicalvisibilityandvoice.

Mr Persaud are you sayingthatgrassrootsshould only be concerned about scrambling to take care of our families and not be concerned about what is

happeninginourcountryand should not have the time to engage in what is affecting us? Mr Persaud should broaden his horizons to understand that the term grassrootsisnotrestrictedto hislimitedinterpretation.

Aswehavesaidoverthe past thirty-seven years, we are NOT affiliated to any political party and we are very proud not be a part of anyofthem.

We therefore don’t have to ask anyone’s permission to voice our concerns or opinions. We are a group of womenwhoarenotafraidto speakourtruths.

Andwewon’tbackdown from bullies, no matter how many letters they come with behind their name Mr Persaudneedstofindamore useful occupation than attacking Red Thread. We were very happy to read about the Presidential outreachtoensurethatsome basic everyday needs were addressed for the people of Leonora.

We want to state clearly that we are not interested in any back-and-forth engagement/argument with Mr Persaud or anyone else who might believe that they canmuzzleus.However,we want to say thank you Mr Persaud for informing the people in Leonora about the existenceofRedThread.

RedThreadwillcontinue to advocate as our resources wouldallow

Sincerely,

Wintress White, Halima Khan, Joy Marcus, Shirley Ault, Susan Collymore, Vanessa Ross, Maeve Ramsay, Jonel Perreira, MichelleJohn

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MARRIOTT - PROFITS NOT A BENEFIT

The Marriott is now making money.

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Now is when Jagdeo decides that he must sell.

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Who sells a big, fat, milking cow?

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Why think of selling a property that is now hugely profitable?

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Is it so that old and new secret investors can prosper?

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Concerns about length of time to complete audit of Exxon’s US$1.6B costs justified

By Kiana Wilburg

fair but this audit is being

while it is going slowly, it is regime Stabroek News

Some individuals have done between GRA and the gettingtherequiredattention comprehensively, and said, for example, that Vice President, Dr Ministry of Natural at the technical level,” the clearly, outlined that there authorities should properly Bharrat Jagdeo said Resources with a minimum

Vice President said He were some US$214M in explain why it is taking so yesterday that citizens are of 20 technical staff categorically stated that the costs that could be contested long to complete an audit for justified in being concerned (overlookingtheprocess)for relevant authorities have byStateauthorities. a company when the Audit about the length of time it is two years. It is not secret…It z e r o i n t e r e s t i n GRA’s boss did not Office of Guyana takes taking authorities to is available to the technical rubberstamping Exxon’s denounce these figures as approximately 12 months to complete the audit of staff.” costrecoverybills. inaccurate He did note auditandproduceareporton US$1.6B in expenses racked Earlieryesterdayaswell, It is now more than three however that IHS’report, as thenation’saccounts. up by ExxonMobil’s the People’s National yearssinceIHSMarkitisyet is being quoted, is not the There are also concerns subsidiary, Esso Exploration Congress Reform (PNCR) to complete an audit of final document, adding that about the accelerated pace at and Production Guyana held its weekly press US$1.6B in expenses for the government is now at the which government is Limited(EEPGL). engagement where it oil-rich Stabroek Block stage of awaiting feedback approving oil projects and

The official was keen to addressed the released Those costs were incurred from Exxon’s subsidiary He the difficulties that would note however that the findingsoftheauditreport. during the period 1999 to also did not provide a ensue for cost regulation and Guyana Revenue Authority Specifically, the party’s 2017byEEPGL. timeline on when this monitoring since it is still (GRA) as well as the economic advisor, Elson

Confirming the status of processwouldbecompleted. stuck at auditing costs Ministry of Natural Low said the current

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo

the audit was Commissioner Statia also noted that the associated with the 1999 to Resources, is taking every slothfulness of the General of the Guyana government will make the 2017era. possibleprecautiontoensure government in addressing Revenue Authority, Godfrey report public at the A second audit is the country does not allow thefindingsoftheauditisthe gotowardsprofitsharing.” S t e v e n S t a t i a H i s appropriatetime. currently underway for costs inflated or scrupulous cost kind of approach that could The Vice President clarification came on the The length of time the totalling US$7 3B which claims to slip through the result in billions of dollars in further noted that it is heels of two articles audit report is taking to be were incurred from 2018 to proverbialcracks. revenue leakages for future actually about US$180M in published by the Stabroek completed has caused some 2020 That contract was

The chief policy maker audits. expenses for which Exxon NewsonIHSMarkit’sreport degree of concern among awarded last year May That for the country’s oil industry Jagdeo was keen to point has to provide justification that it provided to the PPP/C observers. tooisstillongoing. s a i d t h e f o r e g o i n g out however that such a for statements at a press statement is baseless while He said, “Exxon has to conference that was held at noting that only US$214M p r o v i d e a d d i t i o n a l FreedomHouse. has been flagged as documentation so let us be

ThePeople’sProgressive questionablecostsbyBritish fair about this.” The official Party’s (PPP/C) General auditor,IHSMarkit. said this aspect of the audit Secretary dismissed Jagdeo said, “The audit has to be completed before accusations that the said it is about US$200M of onecanfullyassumethatthe government is hiding the expenditure that is being full US$214M can be r e p o r t w h i c h w a s challenged. Not billions. contested. comprehensively reported You cannot lose it because it Jagdeo also noted that onbytheStabroekNews. is identified as potentially a government has been

The Vice President said, sourceoffundingthatifthey pressing its technical “The criticism about the c a n ’ t g i v e p r o p e r officerstogetthisauditdone length of time it is taking is explanation, it will therefore as soon as possible. “So

VP Jagdeo uses party press conference to attack media houses

- single out GPA head, KN Publisher for abuse

By Shervin Belgrave powers that be would come attacks Mr Lall said: “At out and say it’s their right to almost every press

In what appears to be a hold a press conference and conference over the years, return to his old ways, Vice what not and we have been Jagdeo would use it to cuss President Bharrat Jagdeo on saying that they are not down Kaieteur News He Thursday used a People’s holdingpressconferences.” cannot stomach the truth Progressive Party (PPP) Raghubir noted that if He will not distract the press conference to attack the government and media from doing its the independent media here President in particular wish work” Lall stated The KN and singled out Publisher of to engage the media, it must publisher pointed out that the Kaieteur News Glenn be in an environment that is Jagdeo told the media at the Lall and the President of the both conducive and first party press conference Guyana Press Association professional Contrary to held in his capacity as forhisabuse. that, she said what occurred General Secretary of the Jagdeo who is notorious a t L e o n o r a w a s a PPP/C, that he will not be forcallingreportersvultures demonstration of no regard “entertaining questions and carrion crow when he forthemedia. outside of party issues” but was president, continued a “There is just a push to had promised to host patternofsinglingoutmedia h a v e t h i s o n e - w a y another one the following personality here for his conversation and it is week to deal with national attacks Only last week embarrassing because the issues reporters attached to this President started off his “At his second party newspaper were subjected campaign in 2020 talking pressconference,hestilldid to taunts and bullying at a about accountability and not do this. Aware that the P r e s i d e n t i a l p r e s s transparency and to this most of the frontline conference, where PPP/C date, he is yet to have a reporters covering the oil supporters were present. Cabinet Secretary to host sectorwerenotatthesecond Those actions were roundly PostCabinetPressBriefings press conference, he chose condemned by the GPA, to be held to that to open the floor, inviting President Nazima Raghubir a c c o u n t a b i l i t y a n d questions outside of party She said, “It boggles my transparency standard,” the matters. That is the game mindthatwearebacktothis GPAPresidentpointedout. Jagdeo is playing with this typeofenvironmentwhereI Jagdeohasfailedtohost nation” Lall said. “He then feel like if the President a p r o m i s e d p r e s s held the third press wanted to make a statement conference dealing with conference at Freedom among his supporters, he national issues but has House and having seen that could have made the found the time to attack the again,thefrontlinereporters statement and invited the media at three consecutive were not there, he chose to media to (cover) the PPP/C press conferences speak on certain national statement. I don’t think that held at the party’s issues. This is the game was the place for a press headquarters, Freedom Jagdeoplayingwithour conference. Then again, the House Commenting on the (Continued on page 19)

GOOD FRIDAY MUST NOT BECOME BAD FRIDAY

Good Friday is a Christian holiday which marks the death of Jesus Christ by crucifixion some two thousand years ago. For Christians,itisasolemnday in which they recap the events of Calvary, the place whereJesusmethisdeath.

GoodFridayusedtobea daywhenChristianswentto church and then hurried homeinsilencetomournthe death of Jesus; it was a day for churchgoers It was almostunheardofforagood Christian to miss a Good Friday service. On Good Friday, many persons who have not, all year, seen a Churchdoor,flockedtotheir churches.GoodFridayisone of those days in which attendance at Church is unmatched.

Traditionally,inGuyana, t h i s u s e d t o a l s o unquestionably be the quietest day of the year. On Good Friday, if a pin dropped,youcouldhearit.It was a day in which the countryhalted.

The British and Dutch who colonized our country ensured that certain

practices, related to

C h r i s t i a n i t y w e r e incorporatedintothelawand were part of national customs. They ensured that this was a solemn day regardless of whether or not youwereaChristian.

OnGoodFridayofyore, everything shut down Businesses – big, small and tiny–closedtheirdoors.The factories did not grind, workersdidnotwork,shops did not open and the streets were mainly deserted since persons did not venture out oftheirhomesexcepttogoto Church. This latter exercise wassosolemnthatthegoing andcomingfromchurchwas a hush exercise. Schools were in recess but strict restrictions were imposed uponthechildrenonthisday. They could not go outdoors to play. And indoors, they were required to be extremely quiet. This was not a day for playing music,

Dem Boys Seh...

games or for dancing. That w o u l d h a v e b e e n unthinkablefortyyearsago.

The streets were barren for most of the day No alcohol was sold on Good Friday The bars were shut tight. There was no noise nuisance on Good Friday

Not a kite was to be seen in thesky Peoplestayedlocked away in their homes. Most Christiansdidnoteat“rank” on Good Friday Cross buns and vegetarian meals were consumed in austere amountsonthisdaybyboth Christians and nonChristians.

OnGoodFriday,persons stayedhomeandtriedtopass the day away quietly It was usually hard to avoid boredom. The radio – there was no television in those days – added to the somberness of the day by mainly playing only religioussongs.Itwasaday to remember and in many ways, a day to endure The quietness and confinement are long gone.

WHEN WE GAN GET A GOVT. PRESS CONFERENCE?

Is how much press conference de Vee PeeganbecallingindecapacityasGeneral Secretary of de Pee Pee Pee? Dem boys can’t stop count de number of party press conferencedatcalling.Itmoredandepress conferencesdatdePrezzieholding.

Dem reporter should be keeping dem fingerscrossthough. Demstillwaitingfuh de press conference in de capacity as de personresponsiblefordeoilsector Because dereportergatnuffquestionsfuhask.

Dem nah too excited fuh hear no cuss out of de Hay Eff Cee, de Pee N Cee or de Waterfallbossman.

Demtiredofhearingaboutdemparties. Demwanaskquestionaboutdeauditreport and de field development plans and de full liability insurance coverage. But dem can’t askdatatapartypressconference.

Datiswhyisonlyahandfulofreporters turnupyesterdaytoheardeusualbuseoutof de Opposition and de waterfall newspaper Dem reporter nah gat time fuh silliness. So demnahgoingtoFreedumbHousefuhhear aboutpartymatters.

But what gat dem boys’antennas up is howawholesetofpeoplecomedownfrom New Amsterdam to meet with a party official. But dem boy want fuh know how come de meeting keep in a government building.

DemboysknowdatdeFreedumbHouse in New Amsterdam did undergo major renovations. And so dem boys wan know how come all dese people travel all dis distanceandhowdemdoingpartytalksina state-ownedbuilding.

Talkhalf.Leffhalf!

Today Good Friday is still solemnbutthisdoesnotstop persons from being on the streets. It will also not stop many shops from opening for the day so as to make a dollar

This raises a most importantissue.Guyanaisa land of many religions. Not all Guyanese observe Good Friday.Forobviousreasons, itisnotaholydayforHindus and Muslims So what shouldpreventapersonwho is not a Christian from havingaccesstothemarkets, shops and stores? After all,

should a person in a free society not have the right to c h o o s e ?

One of the reasons why despite Good Friday not being a holy day for nonChristians, stores and shops generallydonotopen,isout of respect for the religious feelings of Christians. But mainly because of tradition. Every person should respect the religious observances of others. And thus, even if there is no law against certain practices, citizens should by their own actions ensure that no disrespect is

brought to any religious grouping.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

BYGHKLALL

H@RD TRUTHS

BY GHK LALL

DISAPPOINTED IN THE PRESIDENT

As Guyana’s President goes, so do most of the rest

of Guyanese. His

Excellency, President Dr Irfaan Ali has a great responsibility placed on his aginghead,inhishandsnow knotted into the tightest fists. Regrettably,Ihearand read of verbal fists of fury fromPresidentAli’speople, and no objection from him. His Excellency Ali represents the nation’s presidency; he is not Bruce Lee. Leonora! Leonora! Oh,Leonora!

In one’s hometown, in the sacred sheds of one’s homesteads, there is an abiding, expansive hospitality extended to sojourners, seafarers, wanderers, and all those who fall under the umbrella of strangers. I mention this, because of President’s Ali now known and growing affinity for things and people in the lush Middle East, particularly those of the UAE, which holds a specialplaceinhisheart;as partnered with, in his calculations,too. Thedesert

sands of Arabia and Palestine are hallowed ground, and it is territory famedforitshospitality

Will somebody please domeandourdearPresident thefavourofwhisperingthat tohim,sothathecanabsorb. So, that he may grow with true graciousness. Of all places, and in all its considerations, Leonora should have been a welcoming ground for all those who came. All, I repeat,asIincludethepress.

It is President Ali’s homeland, and even amid the intrusively vulgar (as interpreted), or the crassly unbecoming (again, as monitored and concluded), there ought to have been whathonouredthefavourite son of the Leonora soil.

Oncemore,allareextended a warm hand, even to those with their hard questions, their unwanted presences, their discomforting unveilingofwhatisbestleft intheshadowsofdarkness.

Yes, President Ali’s people got excited and a shade carried away, leading

tothemcarryingonatarate. Ah,thisthing,thisideal,this mystery that is called democracyanditsfreedoms. I nervously venture to mention its obligations, whileatit. Ihopethatisnot considered an obscenity A great American President, Franklin Roosevelt, once said that “the only thing to fear is fear itself.” With respect to FDR, there is another fear, and it is a greater fear: it is the fear of truth. Now that I am on a roll,thereisthefearoflight, for light is about transparency and fidelity to duty, and responsibility to each citizen in this country, including each held as an adversary

I trust that I did not offend the President with that little lecture; or his people, either Presidents setthestandards. Presidents stand in front and lead forward; it must be always, everupward. Presidentsare p a c e s e t t e r s a n d gamechangers and trailblazers.

To my shame and

sorrow, His Excellency President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali did not identify with, nor idealized, nor inspired with any of these absolutely vital leadership attributes. My president failed me, failed Guyanese, and failed his erring, agitated brethren in Leonora. President Ali had to arrest the aggression (he didn’t).

His Excellency Ali had tocalmtherabble(hedidn’t; mayevenbesaidtocondone its excesses). PresidentAli had an opulent opportunity to personify how much of a Statesmanheis,withaglint inhiseye:letthemasktheir questions, any question about anything (but he didn’t).

Instead of being a StatesmaninLeonora,when theoccasiondemandedsoof our beloved President, he was content with the pale beautyofbeingashowman.

SittingPresidentsdonot tacitly energize mobs, no matter how helpful, or protective, their intentions. WhenasittingPresidentAli

stands for such, then he stands on nothing but sawdust and silt, which has its o w n r e v e a l i n g leadership sponginess, telling slipperiness There is no traction, Dr President. Indeed, we have oil and by the ballooning billions in this Easter season, this season of unease, this season of inquiry about what is happeningwithit. Toobject to,totrytrickswith,andfind fault with, questions about oil is tantamount to an archbishop or ayatollah or acharya refusing to share answers about heaven and paradise Possibly Hades andpurgatory,too.

For, oil is now all of those things to Guyanese, especially the ones who don’t know, but want to know a little more. Oil is heaven and paradise, in its promise. If PresidentAli is allowed to have his way, thenitbecomesanunspoken one; a word not worthy of utterance in his regal presence. Oil is feared also

to be of hell and its heat, if handled poorly and uncleanly Presidentsdonot take the Fifth, not even considerdoingso.Iconsider all this, and offer President Ali my humble thoughts. Notonmywatch! Notinmy space! Notbeforemyface! Those were what should have been his language and attitude to his own. Let the questions come. If not, President Ali comes dangerously close to imitating the Guyana’s Parliamentary Speaker, and allthatgoesonthere. Inall courtesy, President Ali, be the bar Lead by example. Standtallest. Theonlything tofearisthefearoftruth.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

ICJ throws out Venezuela objection to border controversy case ...President Ali welcomes the ruling

ByRehannaRamsay

The International Court ofJustice(ICJ),onThursday dismissed Venezuela’s preliminary objection in the Guyana/Venezuela border controversycase.

Venezuela in its preliminary objection submitted that the United Kingdom (UK) is an indispensable third party to theproceedingsandthatthe Court cannot decide the question of the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award in the United Kingdom’s absence.

Venezuela argued that a judgmentoftheCourtonthe merits in this case would involve,asaprerequisite,an evaluationofthelawfulness of certain “fraudulent conduct” allegedly attributable to the United Kingdom in respect of the 1899Award.

However, Guyana argued that Venezuela’s preliminary objection concerns the exercise of the Court’s jurisdiction and should be rejected as inadmissible, because it is jurisdictional in nature and not an objection to admissibility

Guyana submitted that

theCourt’sOrderof19June 2018, in which the Court decided that the written pleadings were first to be addressed to the question of its jurisdiction, required the Parties to plead “all of the legalandfactualgroundson whichthePartiesrelyinthe matterofitsjurisdiction”.

Thursday’s decision pavesthewayfortheICJto move forward with hearing Guyana’s substantive case.

Guyana has asked the International Court to rule onthevalidityoftheArbitral Awardanditsdetermination of the boundary between

GuyanaandVenezuela.

Guyana has also prayed for the Court to determine whether the boundary established by that Award and the 1905 Agreement demarcatingit,isthelawful boundary between the two countries.

In delivering the ruling, President of the Court, Joan E. Donoghue, said that the court made a majority decision in favour of Guyana.

President Donoghue disclosed that out of the panel of 15 judges that adjudicated the matter; 14 ruled in favour of Guyana while one judge ruled against.

Venezuelahad sought to havethecasethrownouton the basis of its objection. But the ICJ did not agree with that contention and ruled that Venezuela participated in discussions with Guyana during the Mixed Commission and the Good Offices process and never requested the involvement of the United Kingdom.

“The court concludes that the Geneva agreement specifiesparticularrolesfor Guyana and Venezuela, and

that its provisions including Articleeight,donotprovide a role for the United Kingdom in choosing or in participatinginthemeansof settlement of the dispute

pursuanttoArticlefour,”the ICJfound.

Donoghuesaidthatthecourt considers that the Scheme established byArticles Two

HARDTRUTHS

The Peace Palace, which houses the ICJ in The Hague, Netherlands.

Attorney General and Minsiter of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall (center) with Agent Carl Greenidge (left) and Co-Agent Elisabeth Harper (Right) with other members of Guyana’s team at the International Court of Justice, Hague, Netherlands. (Photo taken from Anil Nandlall’s Facebook page)

President of the International Court of Justice, Joan E. Donoghue (Reuters)

OgledaycareownerremandedfordeathofbabyOriyah

The day care where the incident occurred

The owner of Little remanded Benn to prison that the day care owner be Learnings Day Care, Denise and the matter was chargedwithmanslaughter Benn was on Thursday adjournedtoMay10,2023. Baby Oriyah died after remanded to prison for the F o l l o w i n g a falling off a bed at a day care

Remanded: Denise Benn

Dead: Oriyah Gravesande

During an emotional was pronounced dead on an employee of the day care deathof7-month-oldOriyah collaborative investigation andsuffocating. interview, Gravesande had arrival due to suffocation,” hadtoldher,“Yourbabyisin Gravesande. conducted by the Guyana She was pronounced said, “I was made to the distraught mother safehands.” BennofOgle,EastCoast Police Force (GPF), the dead at the Georgetown understand they murder my shared. A p o s t - m o r t e m Demerara (ECD), appeared Child Care and Protection Public Hospital some two daughter, they murder my “How can a day care be examination (PME) was a t t h e S p a r e n d a a m Agency, and the Ministry of weeksago. daughter.” soirresponsible,toallowmy conducted on baby Oriyah, Magistrate’s Court before Human Service and Social Oriyah was the daughter

Accordingtothewoman, child to fall down and revealing that she died from Magistrate Alisha George in Protection–afilewassentto of Shavannie Gravesande her daughter fell into the suffocate?” the young h a e m o r r h a g e a n d the company of her lawyer the Director of Public and Odysseus Clement. The corner of a bed in a sheet motherquestioned. compressiontotheneck.The DexterTodd.

Prosecution (DPP) Shalimar grieving parents had which reportedly suffocated “First thing, the day care PME was conducted by

The day care owner was Ali-Hack, S.C, for advice. revealed that their child was her “So, by the time they lady deprive me entrance to GovernmentPathologist,Dr charged with manslaughter However, the file was sent dropped off at the day care could have called me to see how and where my child Nehaul Singh, at the Shewasnotrequiredtoplead b a c k f o r f u r t h e r located in Ogle, on Tuesday come down, she had arrived really fell, telling me how G e o rg e t o w n P u b l i c to the indictable charge investigation. morning (March 21) “in at the Health Center child care does come every Hospital’sMortuary which stated that on March Kaieteur News had good health” not knowing unresponsive. By the time day to inspect so there is no Moreover, officials had 21, 2023, she unlawfully reported that after reviewing thatwouldhavebeenthelast they could have bring her to need for me to come in,” the revealed that while the day killedbabyOriyah. the case file for a second time they saw their baby girl Georgetown Hospital, she mothersaid. care had been operating for Magistrate George time, the DPPrecommended alive.

Accordingtothewoman, the past 27 years, the owner her daughter had gone home was not licensed to do so. with a swollen head, prior to The day care has since been her death. She recalled that closed.

Mother caught stealing toothpaste, soap from store

A mother was reportedly caught on Wednesday stealing Colgate toothpaste, soap and other personal items from a Supermarket at Farm, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Security cameras showed that woman picked up food items in her shopping basket while stashing the stolen items inablackplasticbag.

Kaieteur News understands that the mother paid for the items in her basket but attempted to escape with the stolen itemsintheplasticbag.

Shewasdetainedbythestore’ssecuritypersonnel.

Govt’s push for faster oil extraction is a formula for billion-dollar losses and disaster

Low was referring to the thecountry also allow the country to Jagdeo recently signaled the

Vice President Bharrat ofthepeopleofGuyana.”

As such, the Opposition fact that the oil contract Low told reporters, “Of build its institutional government’spositiontofast proposed that the nation allows Exxon to first deduct necessity, allowing profit oil capacitybuildingtomonitor, track the petroleum sector develop a strategy to phase 75 percent of the oil towards to grow from 25 percent evaluate, and audit the over the next 15 years, but the development of new repaying its investment would require a measured offshoreoperations.Assuch, g i v e n t h e c u r r e n t projects in the Stabroek (known as cost oil) and the s p a c i n g - o u t o f t h e he stated, “Jagdeo’s position management regime, the Block.Lowsaidthismustbe remaining 25 percent (profit company’s expenditure on that Guyana must extract its Oppositionbelievesthismay done in a manner that allows oil) is then shared evenly new developments so that it oilasfastaspossiblewillfail very well set the nation up to the country to increase its between the government of can recover its earlier to fully serve Guyana’s lose billions of dollars and take, through higher profit Guyana and Exxon (12.5 investmentcostfaster Atthe interest as it is a formula for even expose the nation to a oilalso. percent) With more end of the day, Guyana’s oil billion-dollar leakages, greaterriskofdisaster

Economic Advisor to the Opposition Leader, Elson Low

He explained, “At the investments being made lifts must increase due both losses, missed opportunities,

During its weekly press moment, the 50/50 split gets daily, he has made the point to higher oil production and and disasters. The proper conference, the Opposition Guyana only 12 5 percent of that Guyana’s share of profit to a greater share of that balance must be found shared this view, suggesting oil revenues–a percentage isnotlikelytoincreaseinthe production Importantly, b e t w e e n c o n t i n u e d that the government instead that seems unlikely to budge near future, especially with such negotiations between expansion of oil production take a step back in Exxon PSA in parallel with under the ongoing oil rush the policy maker’s recent the government and the and a greater share of the production activities, to efforts to ensure the people With five (Floating announcement to fast track operator could occur within profit for the country With allow for the country to of Guyana obtain the Production Storage and such development. In this the framework of the good faith negotiations, the benefit greater within the maximum benefit that we Offloading vessels) FPSOs regard, the Opposition is existing2016PSA.” company can still get high existing provisions of the can get.” He said that the already in operation or calling for a phased The Economist was keen returns on its investment, Stabroek Block contract VP’s statements as reported alreadyapproved,thecountry developmentplanthatwould to note that a measured pace while Guyana can maximise signed with ExxonMobil in Thursday’s edition of is now well-positioned to allow for greater profits for ofnewoildevelopmentswill itsoilproceeds.” Economic advisor to the Kaieteur News, announcing seek a larger cut of the pie In Opposition Leader, Elson plans to fast track the oil terms of numbers, the 25 Low explained, “Guyana industryforaminimumof15 percent profit oil must be must urgently exercise years is “reckless, wild and a allowedtoincreasesothatthe intelligence and foresight to recipe for massive loss and 50/50 split would earn maximise the country’s oil leakages of revenue that is Guyana an increase of more revenues under the current needed for the development than12 5percent ”

Over$1.3MstolenfromFortOrdinanceNDCbyarmedmen

Police are investigating an

Meanwhile, according to the out, the bandit went in and alleged robbery under arms NDC’s Chairman Roy Jafarally, he according to the guard, it was two committed on the Fort Ordinance was told by the former Overseer ofthemonbicycles. Neighbourhood Democratic that lives next door that he had just One had a gun and had him Council in Region 6, Berbice on arrived from the airport and spoke inside the guard hut and the other Wednesday. with the security guard before onewentupstairs,wrenchedoutthe

Police said the robbery took heading over to his house. He said hasp and staple, went into the place at approximately 02:15hrs by he heard a loud banging shortly overseer’s office and broke open two unidentifiable males that were after but became scared and waited the canister and took the contents.” armed with handguns. The men for a bit. He subsequently ventured The NDC Chairman disclosed. He carted off with over $1.3M in cash over to the NDC and was informed further stated that the considerable which were payments for part-time by the guard that the NDC was just sum of money was collected on workers, stipends for councillors robbed.“…afterhewentovertothe Wednesday to be dispersed andratesandtaxescollected. NDC, he was told by the guard that yesterdaymorningat9:00amtothe

The security guard on duty at a gunman had him inside of the part-time workers Jafarally the time of the robbery, Chola guard hut and one went upstairs, revealed that $1.2M in cash (partPanday told police that he was in and he subsequently called the time workers’ salaries) was the guard hut situated in the overseer and the police ” collected yesterday Wednesday, compound of the NDC. He said he Jafarallysaid. April 5, 2023, and was to be paid heard a loud knocking at the gate

Upon the arrival of the NDC out this morning at 9:00 am to the andwhenheventuredoutofhishut, Overseer, she discovered the cash workers. He also disclosed that he was confronted by the two men andtheotheritemsstolen,Jafarally approximately $141,000 in taxes who were masked, dressed in dark broke into the NDC and gained monies were kept with other said. “She found that the canister and stipend for councillors were clothing,andarmedwithahandgun access to the overseer’s office by valuables. They took the cash, the with the money, chequebook, and also stolen from the canister Staff each. breaking the hasp and staple. The keys to a tractor and a chequebook. keys for our tractor was all gone members were questioned by the

He said one of the gunmen held perpetrator broke into the canister The men then escaped on their missing. The front door had a hasp police as the investigation him at gunpoint while the other located in the said office where the bicycles(blueandblackincolour). and staple and that was wrenched continues.

The Fort Ordinance Neighbourhood Democratic Council office

Regions Two & Four copped top spots at National STEAM Fair

Abram Zuil Secondary

When the curtains came Turkeyen for three days generating electricity in an inverter, the inverter builds down on Wednesday at the (Monday to Wednesday). At inexpensive way So the upthevoltageupto110volts N a t i o n a l S c i e n c e the CPCE compound, over wind blows causing the and converts DC current Technology, Engineering, 177 projects were presented bladesintheturbinetorotate back to AC current. The Arts and Mathematics for judging by schools from and that generates AC inverter is connected to (STEAM) fair, it was across the 11 education current also known as power strip which you can revealed by the Ministry of districts. alternative current The charge and power multiple Education that Regions Four On Tuesday, Kaieteur alternative current goes devices and appliances that and Two have emerged as News visited the various through the wires to the are 110 volts, ” she winnersatthisyear’sevent. booths and interacted with

rectifier The rectifier explained.

In a statement from the students of Abram Zuil converts AC current to DC When asked what led her Education Ministry, it was Secondary of Region Two, current also known as direct school to pursue this project, stated that Region Two Hampton Court Primary of current. The direct current little Baksh related that emerged as the overall Region Two and No 67 runs through the wire to “because we know that a lot champion district in the Nursery who elaborated the charge the battery up to 12 of people get trouble with Primary category, while concept of their projects in volts and the 12 volted electricitybillsthatarevery which falls under the electricity “This is the wind Region Four copped the thisyear’sfair batteries is connected to the (Continued on page 19) Environmental Science turbine and it’s used for overall prize in the Explaining how her category was dubbed Secondarycategory school’s project can impact ‘Producing an alternative

Eshan Deen of No.67 Nursery School

This year, the National people lives if implemented source of power from STEAM fair returned after a was Tahira Baksh, a Grade discharged materials,’ at five-yearhiatusandwasheld Five student of Hampton which they used a wind at the Cyril Potter College of CourtPrimary turbine to demonstrate how E d u c a t i o n ( C P C E ) , Her school’s project it turns wind energy to

KidsFestreturnswith‘DinosaurAdventure’EasterWeekend

Kids Fest has Promenade Gardens, has a has now grown to be the museum, where children can to provide an interactive and memorable moments that returned this packed two-day list of premier event for the exploretheprehistoricworld engaging educational will last a lifetime. Thomasyear with a activities including a childrenduringEaster and learn about the different experienceforchildren.” Small also disclosed the

s p e c t a c u l a r PrincessPageant,wherenine

collection of dinosaur keepers,throughthecreation

Thetwo-dayactivitywill species of dinosaurs that She continued: “By launch of two special “Dinosaur Adventure” littlegirlswillvieforthetitle allow children to embrace onceroamedtheearth. learning about dinosaurs, projects that will happen at theme that will be the first of of “Miss Kids Fest Dino their creativity and The museum will feature children can develop an the event; the ‘Baby 2 Baby’ its kind in Guyana and Princess2023”. imagination, while learning interactive exhibits, life-size interest in science and InitiativeandGenomatics. promises to be exciting and Kids Fest is an idea about the values of (20ft-30ft), inflative history, which can have The ‘Baby 2 Baby’ is an educational for the entire birthed five years ago, by a confidence, courage, and dinosaurs, and informative long-lasting positive effects initiative that encourages family. young woman who wanted grace. The highlight of the displays that will spark the on their lives. Our museum philanthropy and reminds us Kids Fest which is slated to fulfill the childhood event however, will be the imagination and curiosity of will feature a diverse to be our brother’s or sister’s th th for April 9 and 10 at the dreams of others. The event educational dinosaur youngminds.

CreativeDirectorofKids exhibits, including life-size of a charity bank that offers Fest, Natalya Thomas-Small replicasofvariousspeciesof essential care and products said that in choosing the dinosaurs and interactive for babies, to give to less theme each year, she thinks displays, and we’re very fortunatemoms. outside the box to offer excitedaboutthat.” Meanwhile, Genomatics families, particularly the In addition to the is a stem-based project that children, experiences dinosaur museum, the event engages the minds of the they’veneverhadbefore. will also have plenty of fun younger generation

She said, “It’s important gamesfortheentirefamilyto encouraging futuristic to educate children about enjoy, including face thinking, expression of dinosaurs and we don’t have painting,trampoline,bouncy uniqueness, creativity, and thatkindofexposureherefor castlesandmore. exceptionalexecutionskills. our children. One of the Parents and children can Admission is $1000 for primary goals of having the bond over these fun children and $2000 for kiddies dinosaur museum is activities, creating adults.

One of the life-size (20ft-30ft), inflative dinosaurs, and informative displays that will be on showcase at the Kids Fest event.

GWI ‘hat-it-up’ during Easter scavenger hunt

The Guyana Water Inc company’s Shelterbelt locations at the GWI completed, they quickly Corporate Services and the Capacity while employees (GWI) on Thursday capped location, ahead of the Easter headquarters and to most rushed to design a hat that H u m a n R e s o u r c e s of the Human Resources their work week with a holidayonMonday artfullydesignahat. will capture the hearts of the departments Corporate Department walked away scavenger hunt at the T h e f u n - f i l l e d “The search was hectic. judges,” GWI said in a Services also won the prize with the prize for Most competition saw maximum It saw the employees statement. for Best Team Building OrganizedTeam p a r t i c i p a t i o n f r o m scurryingfromtoptobottom In the end, all the ‘hats employees of various of all the buildings at i n t h e r i n g ’ w e r e d e p a r t m e n t s , w h o Shelterbelt, searching every outstanding but the boisterously tried to out nook and cranny to locate Information Technology compete each other to locate colour-coded clues and Department emerged as clues concealed at different when this exercise was champion, followed the

An employee of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) showcases an Easter hat during a scavenger hunt at the company’s Shelterbelt location.

Employees of the Human Resources Department with their prizes

Executive Director of Corporate Services/Company Secretary, Nigel Niles (third left) with colleagues of his department proudly display their prizes

VPJagdeousespartypressconferenceto...

From page 8 Kaieteur News and Stabroek dayonthissector.” you quote Vic (Guyana’s future. All he is concerned News-bylabelingthemliars The following week on N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s about is his party and votes and accusing some of being March 30, Jagdeo attacked Minister), I do not trust rather than securing our politically-influenced. the media house again when KaieteurNewstoquoteVic” future with the vast amount At his first party press asked questions on the oil and refused to say anything of resources unearthed in conferenceheldonMarch23 and gas sector While further this country,” continued Lall last, Jagdeo accused responding to one of the Jagdeo hosted his third before adding “I will be S t a b r o e k N e w s o f questionsposed, hewas sure party press conference, on looking and waiting to see publishing an editorial that t o m e n t i o n , “ T h e Thursday and continued his when he will host his was not factual and when a newspapers lies on a daily attack on the media. Not promised press conference Kaieteur News reporter basis. Last week, I even only did he attack Kaieteur to deal with national asked him if his party would mentioned this every single News and Stabroek News interests”. support the release of oil headlineisdistorted”. but also accused the

It should be noted, company’s expenditure to The attack did not end President of Guyana Press however, that since Jagdeo the public for scrutiny he there. The KN reporter tried Association (GPA), Nazima started hosting party press responded, “Which media toaskonelastquestionabout Raghubirofbeingpolitically conferences three weeks house you from?...Kaieteur the “Payara and Yellowtail affiliated. His accusations ago, he has been using the of course, Kaieteur I am not project audits” before he came after the GPA issued a platformtoattackthemedia- dealing with that again. You ended his party’s press statement about reporters specifically two of the have this obsession and the conference and his response being intimidated by PPP/C nation’sleadingnewspapers, lies y’all keep telling every was “I don’t trust you when supporters.

From page 15 fuel,itreleasescarboninthe high,”soshementionedthat air, we don’t want that so their project can be a what we are doing is solutiontothat. capturing the carbon

Meanwhile, explaining directlyfromthefactory…” Abram Zuil’s project was Eshan Deen, of No 67 Gesha Ramkellawan. She Nursery School explaining said, “Our project is based his school project stated, on getting rid of carbon “My project is about the dioxide from the air and green initiative, the green using it to produce dry ice. initiative is steps everyone The reason we were so must take to protect our invested in this project is environment Plant more because it gives us a chance trees, don’t cut down trees to reduce air pollution and because trees give us also create something that oxygen and we need would be beneficial for the oxygen to breathe.” He country.” continued, “The carbon

Explaining how the dioxide from us goes to the project works, she said, trees and make the air “When factory burn fossil purer ”

China’s countermeasures will definitely make provocateurs lose more than gain

Under the guise of in the phrase “relying on the elections through her US USpoliticiansmaysay,what warm welcome from his internal secessionists “transiting” through the US, US to seek independence” - “transit.” Unfortunately, she they care about the most is mainland compatriots waiting for an opportunity to regional leader of China’s those who betray their was “cold-shouldered” at their own interests. When it ComparedtoTsai’supsetting take action and external Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen had a country cannot have dignity many events in New York. comes to interests, there are experiences in the US with forces trying to avail “meeting” with US House in front of Washington The demand by the US side various calculations and full political calculations, themselves of every Speaker Kevin McCarthy politicians like McCarthy, forTsai to keep a low profile comparisons based on their whatMafeltonthemainland opportunitytointerfere.This amidprotestsinLosAngeles and without integrity, they and remain secretive not own needs, and the well- was the warmth of “people is why China, while striving on Wednesday local time. can only “rely on” others. It only fully exposed her being of the people of on both sides of the Taiwan for a peaceful reunification

AlthoughTsaiandMcCarthy is evident that McCarthy political nature of “relying Taiwanaswellasthedestiny Straits are of the same with the greatest sincerity boasted that the bonds allowing Tsai to “rely on” on the US to seek Taiwan of the island will inevitably family ” Tsai’s “sneaky and utmost effort, makes no between the two sides had himself is only a temporary independence, ” and be sacrificed. It is a pipe transit” in the US was aimed promise to give up the use of “never been stronger” and move.

“flattering the US to sell out dream to seek peace and at using foreign forces to cut force and retains the option “Taiwan is not isolated,” it Moreover, it is with Taiwan,” but also provided a avoid war in the US off the blood ties across the of taking all necessary was clear that those words ulterior motives and is firsthand example of the chessboard This is why Straits, while Ma’s “roots- measures. carried little weight ultimately unreliable predicament of becoming a Tsai’s trip to the US was met seeking journey,” as the E v e r y s o - c a l l e d Especially for Tsai, they McCarthy wanted to “top up pawn for the US to play the with indifference and name suggests, is an action breakthrough made by the perhaps have no effect other his political career” by “Taiwan card ” The condemnationontheisland. to show all Taiwan residents collusion between the US than cheering herself on. A provoking other countries to “historic” meeting with On the contrary, former that Taiwan’s roots lie in the and Taiwan island will be poll within the island of create the risk of conflict. McCarthy lasted less than Taiwan regional leader Ma mainland, and that met with our resolute Taiwan shows that nearly 70 But if it transcends the scope twohours,whichonlynailed Ying-jeou’s visit to the compatriots on both sides of countermeasures to ensure percent of Taiwan residents of risks that the US can bear, her to the pillar of historical mainland during almost the theStraitsareChinese. thattheirlossesoutweighthe don’t think Tsai’s trip will a more likely result will be a shame. same period as Tsai’s Tsai is a disloyal gains. Just like last year’s help the island’s relations continuous devaluation of Asweallknow,avoiding “sneaky transit” in the US descendant, while Ma is a countermeasures against with the US, which is his political career until war and seeking peace is the has received completely returning hometown man. Nancy Pelosi’s provocative undoubtedly a very blunt bankruptcy At that time, his mainstream public opinion different attention and One is on a dead-end path, visit to Taiwan, they will not response. only option is to abandon on the island Tsai’s evaluation Many foreign whiletheotherisontheright beone-offbutwillbecarried

Contrary to Tsai’s Tsailikeanoldshoe. cooperation with the US’ media outlets also noticed path, which one is popular out in our determined way expectations, more people To be frank, Tsai, who political agenda and the stark contrast between and what the overall trend of andrhythm. are concerned about what behaves sneakily, had a provocations will only bring thetwo.WhenTsaiactedlike history is are all revealed in The result of the risks her provocative move pretty miserable trip this about another round of a rat crossing the street, thesecomparisons. countermeasures will ensure to collude with the US and time.Sheoriginallyintended conflicts and crises. In the humbly begging for a The meeting between thatthemainland’sdominant “rely on the US to seek to gain some so-called eyes of the US, Taiwan is meeting with her foreign McCarthy and Tsai also position and initiative in the independence” will bring to political capital for herself essentiallyjustapawnthatis master during her sneaky reminds us that in the great Taiwan Straits situation will Taiwan. The meeting also and help boost the sagging used to contain China’s transit, Ma, “a Xiangtan journey of national be further consolidated and showed the world what situation of the Democratic development, and no matter boy” as Ma called himself in r e u n i f i c a t i o n a n d strengthened. (Republished “relying on” exactly means Progressive Party in local how many beautiful words the local dialect, received a rejuvenation, there are from the Global Times)

$32M estimated to repair Covent Garden Secondary, Primary Schools

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is set to execute works at the Covent Garden Primary and Secondary Schools which are located on the East Bank of Demerara, for an estimated cost of $32 million.

Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development General rehabilitation of Covent Garden Secondary.

WANTED VACANCY

Skilled Carpenters, Masons and Labourers needed. Call: 602-9469, 660-6385 or 6257642.

One Female able-bodied Clerk required. Call: 2252313, 226-1497/ 658-8559.

Canter and Truck Drivers needed, must have at least 3 yrs experience. Call: 6447088/ 624-7248.

Excavator Operators required, must have at least 3 yrs experience. Call: 6447088/ 624-7248.

Office Clerk wanted, must have experience in Microsoft Excel and Words. Call: 6447088/ 624-7248.

Urgent Truck Drivers needed at Platinum Investments. Call: 624-2234.

Mechanist needed, must know to work on engine head. Call: 223-5273/ 2235274.

3 Receptionists, ages 25-35 yrs & Security Guards - 40 yrs & older. Experience working in the Interior will be an asset. Call: 688-9506.

Experienced Mechanic/ Welder (must hold qualifications) and Servicemen wanted for mining operation. Call: 697-2533.

Experienced male Cooks and Medic/ Camp Attendant wanted for mining operation. Call: 697-2533.

Wanted: Experienced Cashier, Cooks, Counter Person, Supervisor and Labourer. Apply @ Shanta's, 225 Camp and New Market Sts. or WhatsApp: +592-6541361.

Urgently needed one female Bartender to work in the Interior. Ages 21-30 yrs. Call/ WhatsApp Ms. Johnson: 698-5526.

Experienced Land Dredge workers needed. Call: 6841030 between 8am-4pm.

One live-in Domestic partner, light house work. Salary $80,000 monthly. Call: 603-9085. Canter/ pick up Drivers needed. Call: 223-5273/ 223-5274.

FOR RENT

One bedroom house for rent at 18th Av Diamond, E.B.D, $45,000. Call: 657-2951, 6129697.

Wash bay for rent at Mandela Avenue. Call: 675-3093.

Prime business property next to Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station. Call 626-0718.

Able-bodied live-in female Housekeeper to work in Virgina, U.S.A. Between the ages of 30-50 yrs. Call: 845325-8241/ 592-615-5476.

Maid needed to cook and clean in East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.

At the recent opening of tenders, it was revealed that general rehabilitation at the secondary school is pegged at $17 million, where a total of 19 contractors have applied for the works.

PEN PAL

Male seeks female for relationship. Ages 35-55 years. Call: 608-6017.

Two-1-bedroom apartment for rent in Diamond Housing Scheme. Call: 645-7933.

As for the primary school, the ministry’s engineer estimated that the works would cost $15 million. A total of 18 contractors are vying for the project.

FOR SALE

One double Lot 80x160 on the east side of Friendship, Public Road, $12M GYD neg. Call: 626-4234/ 628-6212.

Prime business spot, 45x500 located at Parika, 4 house lot together at Blankenburg. Call: 652-0251/ 650-0402.

3 pure bred black and tan German Shepard pups, fully vaccinated, 8 weeks old. Call: 626-0953/ 650-9998.

One small Toyota Dyna Lorry, ideal for food truck. Diesel engine, needs body work and price negotiable. Call: 667-7602.

Apartment for rent at West Minister, First Bridge. All utilities included. Call: 6745779. Pure honey, wholesale and retail quantity. Call: 6214273.

1 General Domestic needed to cook & clean, Mon- Fri and preferably living within East Bank Area. Apply at Keyfood, Mc Doom Village next to the post office.

Experienced Waiter/ Waitress, Counter Server & roti/ puri Cook. Apply @ Hack's Restaurant 5 Commerce St.

Western Union CSRS, am/ pm Sales Clerks, Cashiers, Bond Clerks, Porters and Packers required @ Survival Shopping Complex, 173 Sheriff SR. Call: 609-2995, survival.humanresources@ gmail.com

Factory Worker needed. Must have a sound secondary education. For more information Call: 227-8041/2.

Accounts Clerk needed. Must have a sound secondary education and 1-2 years Accounting experience. For more information Call: 2278041/2.

Operator for excavator/ bobcat, semi-skilled Workers, Office Assistant and time keeping/ tool issuing Clerk Call: 621-6969/ 615-7784.

Pump Attendant needed at Shell Station, Providence, E.B.D. Working shift (6am2pm and 2pm-10pm). Email: Shellramsburg@gmail.com

Experienced Hair Colorist, Hairstylist, Receptionist/ Massuese and Nail Tech needed. Call/ WhatsApp: 649-5005/ 226-6705.

Kaieteur News understands that these works are being done so as to ensure the structure is properly maintained for the learning environment.

This project will form part of the $94 billion which was allocated for the education sector this year.

Out of that, some $12B was set aside for the rehabilitation, construction and maintenance of educational facilities across the country.

Below are the companies and their bids:

General rehabilitation of Covent Garden Primary School.

Experienced Sales Girls required. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St, Bourda.

Receptionist and Desk Staff needed at 233, South Road Lacytown, GT. Preferably males, 25-50 years old. Call: 225-0198.

General rehabilitation of Lusignan Primary School.

SERVICES

Visa Application: Canada and U.S.A. Graphics design & advertisements. Wedding decorations & elderly grooming: hair, nail etc. Call: 626-7040. For low cost repairs for AC units, refrigerators, freezers, gas stoves, washing machine, dryers, etc. Call: 629-4946, 225-4822.

Vacancy exists for Sand Truck Driver, pay per load. Call: 231-1408/ 642-9191 7am to 1 pm.

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 6190007, 629-5526.

Immediate vacancy exists for male Ice Handlers @ Crystal Ice House, Blairmont. Call: 618-3800 or visit office between 8am- 12 noon.

One Plumber needed. Call: 615-9132.

Driver needed. Must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, ages 23-50 yrs, Car/ Van licence. Call 6458443 or 642-9823.

FOR RENT

VACANCY

One CRV Honda, $3.3M negotiable and 1 Toyota Allion, $3.350 M, fully loaded immaculate condition, low mileage . Contact: 649-0956.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

Three mining blocks in Kurupukari, Rupununi mining district to sell or rent. Call: 649-7371.

Two dead in three separate house fires

Three separate house fireswithinthelast48hours havelefttwopersons-oneof them a pastor dead and a dozenhomeless.

The first fire took place around 16:01 hrs on Wednesday at Fairfield Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and resulted in the death of 75year-old Sammy Munian Munian’s one- flat wooden house, according to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), caughtfireaftersomeoneset apileofrubbishablazeclose to his home. “The incident wastheresultofadeliberate setting of fire to rubbish, which subsequently spread tothehousethatwasinclose proximity,”GFSstated.

Firefighters were called to the scene but could not save the house from being destroyed Sadly, Munian was unable to escape the burning building and when the blaze was fully

extinguished, firefighters recovered his charred remains. Hours later on Thursday, the GFS was alerted to another fire, this t i m e a t L o t 11 A Williamsburg Corentyne,

Berbice Region Six KaieteurNewslearntthatthe fire began around 07:44hrs and claimed the life of a pastor and businessman, 64year-old, Herman Perreira and left his family of six

homeless.

The dead man’s wife, Patricia Perreira, told investigatorsthatshelefther husband sitting in their dining room and went downstairs with her two

grandsons. Her grandsons went on the street to play while she sat in her hammock underneaththehouse.

A short while later, she got up and returned upstairs after one of her sons begged to use the hammock. When she entered, the woman reportedly saw smoke emanatingfromawallwhere their air condition unit was located and recalled her daughter immediately shoutingfire.

Patricia said she became afraid and ran out of the house leaving her husband behind. Withinminutes,the house was engulfed in flames trapping Herman Perreirainside.

The fire service in Berbice was summoned to scene and did their best to savethebusinessman.

They managed to enter the building as quickly as they could and found the

badly burnt body of Perreira lyinginthediningroom.

He was picked up and rushed to the Port Mourant Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

TheGFSsaidthefirewas electricalinorigin. “Thefire was caused by the overheating of an AC conductor, which ignited nearby combustibles and spread to the entire building”,GFSsaid.

Mere hours later on Thursday, another fire erupted at West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

A c c o r d i n g t o information received by this media house, the fire started just after midday and gutted at least three homes leaving more than a dozen persons homeless.

The GFS is presently i n v e s t i g a t i n g t h e circumstances surrounding thisfire.

ICJ throws out Venezuela objection to border controversy case...

Frompage10 existed between the United Kingdom and

Venezuela on 17 February

1966 would be settled by Guyana and Venezuela through one of the Dispute Settlement Procedures envisagedintheAgreement.

The Judge also said that both parties were in agreementthatGreatBritain had no role to play in the s e t t l e m e n t o f t h e controversy

“The Court concludes thatbyvirtueofbeingaparty to the Geneva Agreement, the United Kingdom accepted that the dispute between Guyana and Venezuela could be settled by one of the means set out by the UN Charter. If the court on the judgment of its merits were called to pronounce on certain conduct attributed to the

United Kingdom, which cannot be determined at present, this would not preclude the court from exercising its jurisdiction which is based on the application of the Geneva Agreement.ThePreliminary objections raised by Venezuelamustthereforebe rejected,”shesaid.

This is the second time the International Court has rejected jurisdictional objections raised by Venezuela In December 2020, the Court overruled Venezuela’s objections by a vote of 12-4 On that occasion, Venezuela argued that the ICJ did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.

In June 2022, Venezuela raised a new objection. Oral hearings were held in November 2022, during which both parties appeared and presented their

argumentsbeforetheCourt.

Thursday’s ruling rejected that objection, and will now require Venezuela to submit its written pleadings on the merits of the case –the validity of the ArbitralAward.

Meanwhile, President Irfaan Ali welcomed the Court’s ruling In a video statement, the Guyanese leader said the ruling paves the way for the Court to proceed to decide on the controversy between Guyana and Venezuela on meritand“ultimatelyissuea f i n a l a n d b i n d i n g determinationonthevalidity of the 1899 Arbitral Award that fixed the land boundary between Venezuela and then-BritishGuiana.”

“Venezuela and the UnitedKingdomrecognised the validity of that Arbitral Award and the resulting

international boundary for morethan60years.Uponits independence in 1966, Guyana also recognised the Awardandtheboundary,but Venezuela had changed its positionandbegunclaiming more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory west of the Essequibo River,” the Head-of-Statesaid.

President Ali said too that “Guyana remains c o n f i d e n t t h a t i t s longstanding international boundary with Venezuela will be confirmed by the Court ” He reminded that Guyana has always been “fully committed to the peaceful resolution of the dispute with its neighbour and sister Republic in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h internationallaw.”

Similarly,theOpposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the

Alliance For Change (AFC) welcomedtheICJdecision.

Inastatement,theparties said that the Court’s rejection of Venezuela’s preliminary objections has clearedthewayfortheICJto adjudicate on the merits of thecase,inpursuitofafinal andbindingjudgmentonthe m a t t e r “ To d a y ’ s [yesterday’s] decision is further proof of the validity andrightnessofourposition. WejoinwithallGuyanesein praising the excellent work of our legal team and representatives Guyanese willcontinuetostandunited on the issue of defending its territorial integrity and sovereignty,” the statement said. Guyana is being represented by Carl B Greenidge, as Agent; Ms Elisabeth Harper, as CoAgent;Mr PaulS.Reichler, Attorney at Law, Mr

Philippe Sands, KC, Mr Pierre d’Argent, Christina L.Beharry,FoleyHoagLLP, as Advocates; Mr Edward Craven, Matrix Chambers, Mr Juan Pablo Hugues Arthur, Foley Hoag LLP, member of the Bar of the State of New York, Isabella F Uría, as Counsel; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, Gail Teixeira, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance;RonaldAustin, Ambassador, Adviser to the Leader of the Opposition on Frontier Matters, Donnette Streete, Mr. Lloyd Gunraj, First Secretary, chargé d’affaires, Embassy of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union, and as Advisers; Nancy Lopeza and Foley HoagLLP

Firefighters on the scene at West Ruimveldt

Scenes after a fire destroyed a house at Fairfield Mahaica killing its owner

The remains of the house at Berbice after a fire claimed the life of its owner

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream & Qualitea Café Cup Golf Tourney set for tomorrow

Tomorrow, Saturday, the Lusignan Golf Club will come alive as they prepare to host the third annual Bruster’s Real Ice Cream & Qualitea Café Cup Golf Tournament.

The action will tee off at 11:00 hrs and the format will be medal play over 18 holes in two (2) flights and shotgun start. The two (2) flights are: 0-16 handicap and 17-36 handicap. (Subject to Change)

The annual spectacle will see up to $150,000 in prizes up for grabs. There will be prizes for

…150k in prizes to be won

Best Net in each Flight (1st – 3rd), Overall Best Net and Overall Best Gross.

The Nearest to Flag Competition will commence after the completion of the tournament on the 19th hole as will the Longest Drive Competition.

All participants are advised to contact the club’s manager on the day of the tournament to collect their scorecards, pay their tournament fees and proceed to their allocated tee boxes to begin play at 11:00hrs. Once on their respective tee boxes, players

Friday April 07, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

In order to reach your destination, you may have to take an unusual route today, Aries. Zigzag your way to the finish line. Don't automatically assume that this is a bad thing.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Get out of the doldrums and enjoy life, Taurus. The situation is such that if you remain stagnant for a little while, you will soon sink into a spiral of depression and downward thinking.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

This morning is your time to shine, Gemini. You should be in a good mood, with a positive outlook that helps you attack the day's tasks with vitality. Elements of the unexpected.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

You may get a bit frustrated in the morning because of a lack of commitment on the part of others, Cancer. You may find it hard to pin down an answer when everything seems to be up in the air.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

The energy you put out today will most definitely fuel the fire, Leo, so make sure you have an extinguisher within reach.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

You may feel indecisive today, Virgo, especially in the morning. Other people's actions may confuse you. Don't worry. Concentrate on your projects and goals.

Berbice Women thrash

Essequibo by six wickets

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Senior Female Inter County Super-50 cricket tournament continued yesterday with Essequibo Women going up against Berbice at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground, Bourda. Berbice Women defeated Essequibo by six wickets.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Emotionally, you should be feeling quite good today, Libra. This is important since you may get thrown off balance by a strange, unexpected force. The more stable you are on the inside,

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Free your mind and consider alternative options, Scorpio. This is a time to throw away the old to make room for the new. There's a distinct advance in original and forward thinking today.

. SAGIT (Nov.22–Dec.21)

You might find your energy comes in strong, erratic bursts today, Sagittarius. Don't be surprised if you're high as a kite one moment and down in the dumps the next. Even if you're driving everyone.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The

You may feel a tendency to do things the same old way today simply because it's what feels most comfortable, Capricorn. Even though the familiar route may be tempting now,

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

An extra log has been thrown on your fire today, Aquarius, so don't be surprised if you burn especially hot.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

Don't feel like you have to rationalize everything, Pisces. Accept the fact that there are some things in life that occur without a specific logical explanation. More than likely these are the most interesting

must await the sounding of the horn or siren as indication to begin teeing off.

Presentation of prizes will be held at the completion of the tournament at approx. 5:30pm.

All trophies will be complemented with a Bruster’s product. The presentation ceremony was held at Bruster’s Store new store at MovieTown Mall. They will feature a wide variety of ground coffees and bush teas along with Bruster’s ice cream, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The Essequibo Women won the toss and decided to take first strike on a dry and hard GCC wicket. Batting first, the Essequibo Women were rooted out for 86 runs from 39.3 overs. Nafeeza Sabar was the only batter to get into double figures with a gritty 20 runs as Essequibo’s batting continue to crumble. Ashmini Munsair had a brilliant bowling performance; picking up 4-7 from 8.3 overs including three maidens. Plaffiana Millington was also among the wickets picking up 3-15 from 10 overs to help her side restrict Essequibo Women to a small total of 86-10.

In reply, Berbice Women rushed to 87 runs in 19.3 overs losing four wickets in the process. Berbice Women lost both openers cheaply,

Grimmond being the first wicket to fall; LBW to Nafeeza Sabar for 12 runs. Marian Samaroo who featured in a forty-two run partnership with Katana Mentore was the next wicket to fall as the Berbice pair pushed the target closer into their reach. Samaroo were eventually dismissed for 13 runs.

While Mentore’s innings of 31 runs which included three beautiful fours set up an easy run chase for the Berbicians.

The final run came off the bat of Ashmini Munsair as Berbice Women wraps up another convincing win heading into the last game of the tournament. Laurene Williams was the most economical of the Essequibo’s bowlers taking 2-4 from her two overs. While Nafeeza Sabar and Kumarie Persaud picked up one wicket apiece.

The GCB Senior Women Inter County Super 50 cricket tournament concludes on Sunday 9th April as the Demerara Women battle with Berbice Women at GCC, Bourda.

LGC Captain Videsh Persaud receives the sponsorship cheque from a Bruster’s staff in the presence of Director of Bruster’s Real Ice Cream, Paton George and LGC Secretary Chet Bowling.

CWI Rising Stars U-15 Championship…

Guyana stun Jamaica to record first win Banks DIH Limited among major sponsors for Port Mourant Turf Club Easter

Guyana pulled off a miraculous one-run win in the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 Championship on Thursday, when they faced Jamaica at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North South, Antigua They took first strikeandweredismissedfor 121 in 42.2 overs of the allotted 50 overs, as Romario Ramdeholl led the way with a monumental effortofanunbeaten54from 123deliveries. InJamaica’s reply, they were halted on 14-0inthreeoverswhenrain intervened for over an hour, w h i c h c a u s e d t h e Duckworth/Lewismethodto revise the target. Jamaica’s new target was 97 from 33 overs. However, a tidy bowling effort saw Guyana restrict the opposition to 96 in 32.1 overs to record their firstwinintwomatches.

Tyson Gordon (23) was

Jamaica’s top scorer and he was supported by Joel Williams (19 not out) and DemarcoScott(16),theonly other batsmen to enter double figures, but their efforts proved futile as Dhanesh Persaud and captain, Dave Mohabir, claimed two wickets each while Shain Prince and AdrianHetmyerbothpicked up a wicket. Guyana were also tidy in the field as the other four wickets were effectedbyrunouts.

Earlier in the day, apart from lower order batsman

Sohail Mohamed’s score of 10,nootherbatsmangotinto doublefiguresforGuyanaas number three batsman, Ramdeholl,triedvaliantlyto weather the storm while his team mates crumbled at the other end. Extras was the second highest scorer of the inningswithatallyof28.

For the Jamaicans,

Nicoli McKenzie was the pickofthebowlerswith4-25 from eight overs, Demarco Scottsupportedwellwith321 from 10 overs while Adrian Silvera and Jahdae Moorebothclaimedawicket each Meanwhile, the tournament continues tomorrow, April 8, from 9:30hrs as Guyana face Windward Islands, T&T oppose Barbados and Leeward Islands tackle Jamaica In Guyana’s opening match against Trinidad & Tobago at CoolidgeCricketGroundon Tuesday last, the latter recorded a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Guyana, who were dismissed for 75. In reply, T&Tcruisedto76-3off15.3 overs. The top bowlers for the victorious side were Yasir Deen with 3-8 and Darrius Batoosingh with 310.

Sunday Horserace meet

Beverage Giants Banks DIH Limited is collaborating with the Port Mourant Turf Club for their Grand Easter Sunday horseracemeet.

TheBeverageGiantshascomeforward in a big way to help bank roll the event which is slated for the Port Mourant (Big Yard)TurfClub,PortMourantCorentyne.

Eight races are listed for the day with over $6M in cash, trophies and other incentives up for the takings The feature event, dubbed the Easter Cup over one mile, is open to all horses in Guyana.Atopnotchfieldhas beenentered and with the winning purse being a whopping $2M and trophy and scorching battleisanticipated.

Nextinlineisthe6.75furlongseventfor three-year-old Open Guyana and West Indian-bredhorsesforawinningpurseof$1 Mandtrophy

There is the event for the E and North American nonstarters for a top prize of $600,000andtrophyover6furlongswhich

isthedistanceforalltheotherevents. Animals classified H and lower will be racingforawinningpurseof$500,000and trophy

TheJclassopenracewillseethewinner takinghome$300,000andtrophy

ThewinneroftheLclassopenracewill alsorunawaywith$300,000andtrophy

The horse first to the line in the J & Lower maiden event collects $250,000 and trophy

The top horse in the event for Threeyear-old Guyana-bred maiden animals will runawaywith$200,000andtrophy

Theday’seventwillbeconductedunder the rules of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA).

Among the sponsors are Banks DIH Limited, KP Jagdeo General Contractors, Trophy Stall, Kascon Engineering, Delmur CompanyLimitedamongothers. Over 60 horses have entered so far and bugletimeis12:30hrs. (SamuelWhyte)

Guyana’sJuniorWomen’shockeyteamdepartstoday

- Sabor Restaurant & Catering adds more flavour

AstheGuyanaUnder-21 women’s hockey team prepares to make their first ever international appearance, which takes placeatthe2023JuniorPan American Championships scheduled for 10 – 18 April in Bridgetown, Barbados, SaborRestaurant&Catering

has thrown its support behind the young Guyanese group.

Just as the girls will be t h e n e w f a c e s i n international hockey, Sabor isayoungandverytrending food outfit making a splash inthelocalfoodmarket.

The Guyana team

features six players with prior international experience in Captain and sweeper Makeda Harding, defender Kirsten Gomes, midfielders Madison Fernandes,ClayzaBobband Sarah Klautky and striker AbosaideCadogan.

The rest of the team

featuresadiversegroupwith ages ranging from 20 down toMakaylahPooleatjust13 yearsofage. Whiletheteam intends to do its best to represent Guyana well, the youthful age of many players make it a perfect developmental squad for future international

competitions as they gather experience.

Proprietor of Sabor, JanielLee,indicatedthatthe company was excited to be able to contribute to the wellbeing and betterment of young Guyanese He indicatedthatthereareoften not enough opportunities

especially for your girls to participate in sport and competeinternationally. The team travels out to Barbadostodayandwillface Canada in their opening matchonTuesday,April12, after a few training sessions ontheartificialhockeypitch inBarbados.

GDF girls romp to GFF Women’s League title with 3-1 win over Fruta Conquerors FC

The much anticipated finaloftheGuyanaFootball Federation (GFF) Women’s Development League between Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Football Club and Fruta Conquerors Football Club at the Eve Leary Sports Club ground liveduptoexpectations.

GDFFCdefeatedtheFruta

girls 3-1 in fantastic finals in front of scores of supporters

TheFrutaConquerorsfemale’s lookedagoodunitinthefirst half besides the very costly mistake in the sixth minute of the game Fruta Conquerors FC give GDF girls the upper hand; after their forward Jessica Teasdate played a clumsy

ball back to the goalkeeper, the ball eventually rolling intothenettogiveGDFFC a1-0lead.Teasdate‘paidher dues’16minuteslaterasthe vibrant Fruta Conquers side were rewarded a penalty in the 22nd minute. Teasdate however made no mistake hitting into the back of the nettolevelthescore1-1.

Despiteabreachofdefence moments later, Fruta Conquerors goalkeeper managedtodenyGDFaneasy opportunity with a brilliant save GDF later took the second half lead when Abioce Yearwood forced one through to the back of the net to put GDF in a commandingpositionat2-1.

FrutaConquerorsgirlshad a few attempts at GDF’s goal thatweredeniedbythekeeper as Cloella Dublin later netted GDF FC third goal, 13 minutes before the end of regulationtimetoseala3-1 victory, as GDF football Club roared to the 2023 Women’s league title. Meanwhile, the third place playoff was a one-sided affair betweenGuyanaPoliceForce (GPF) Football Club and Pakuri Jaguars Football Club. GPFFCheldPakuriJaguars FC to a heavy defeat as Lakeisha Williams and Fiona Benjamin both mustered match winning hat-tricks(21",47",47")and (20", 51", 56") respectively

While Shontel Greene and TandiSmithscoredonegoal each to help GPF girls to an 8-0 demolition over the Pakuri Jaguars FC. GPF girl’s ravaged Pakuri Jaguars FC defence; commanding most of the possession, scoring three goals in the first 45 minutes against a solid Pakuri defence during the first 20 minutesofplaybeforeFiona Benjamin bore the net to registerthefirstgoal.

Lakeisha Williams scoredherfirstgoal;through an almost nothing passage between Pakuri Jags goalkeeperandthenearpost tosendGPFFC2-0.

GPFfollowedwithanother

goalfromTandiSmith Smith receivingalongpassfromthe centerassherifledhomeGPF’s thirdtoincreasetheirleadto30athalftime.

The second half producedanotherfivegoals.

LakeishaWilliamswithonly twominutesintothesecond half made Pakuri Jaguars defenders paid for their mistakes Williams, who foundherselfinthereceiving end of a major ordeal as she received a loose ball inside eighteen-yard box She made nomistaketocenteringhome GPF’s fourth goal at the 47th minute, a minute later she hit thebackofthenetforthethird timeoftheeveningtocopthe first hat trick of the match

FionaBenjamincamebackin the 51st and 56th minute to registerherthirdgoal Shontel Greene also joined in the fun pickingupherfirstgoalinthe 63rdminutetowrapupan8-0 victorytotakethirdplacespot attheendoftheGFFWomen’s Development League championship.

Players were presented with first, second and third place medals as well as championship trophy at the closing ceremony Ruth George copped the Best Goalkeeper award, Juliani Trim got the Most Goals award and Glendy Lewis walked away with the MVP award.

Proprietor of Sabor, Janiel Lee, had an opportunity to meet Guyana’s Junior Women’s Hockey Team prior to their upcoming Pan Am Championships participation.

Kevin Joseph U-23 Basketball resumes with double headers tomorrow and Sunday at Retrieve Hard Court

More cricket gear for Project “Cricket Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana”

Parmanand Dhaniram akaRudyofFlorida,USA,is on board with this joint initiative ofAnil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA Dhaniram has contributed one pair of batting pads and one pair of battinggloves.

The presentation was done recently during Orlando Cup, 2023 He said that he is happy to give back to young cricketers in Guyana, his country of birth Beharry, in response, thanked him forhiskindgesture

Four more matches will be played this weekend starting tomorrow (Saturday) as the Kevin Joseph Under 23 basketball roundrobinplaycontinuesat theRetrieveHardCourt.

Tomorrow (Saturday) winless Sixers after two losses for two points will take on Kings who have threepointsonewinandone loss for three points in the firstgamefrom6.00pm.

The other game tomorrow is between Victory Valley Royals who

Neil

have three points also from one win and one loss, face Block22Flameswhohavea similaronerecord.

On Sunday joint leaders Kid Rock and Retrieve Raiders squarepff from 6.00pmandbothareonfive pointswithtwowinsandone loss. The other game from 8.00pm will bring Royals afteronewinandonelossfor threepoints,faceSixerswho are looking to rebound from their two losses last week andhaveameretwopoints.

Last Saturday Block 22

Flames scored a 59-34 win against Sixers with Jafan Reynolds getting 14 points, KenroyJusie12andJumane Reynolds1.

The Sixers best player were Damian Allen with 15 points and Shemol Jackson supportingwith10points.

GametwosawtheKings scoringa58-54winoverKid Rock as Carmelo Man-SonHing’s hitting 20 points as Ming Wong had 14 and for Blazers, Teishawn Kitt led with 24 points as Shauntese Campbelladded11.

Total cricket related items received/purchased so far: Thirteen colored cricket uniforms, two trophies, seventeen pairs of cricket boots, thirty pairs of batting pads, thirty one cricket bats, twenty eight pairs of batting gloves, twenty one thigh pads, three pairs of wicket keeping pads, four arm guards, two boxes, nine cricket bags, six bat rubbers and six helmets. $330,000 in cash was raised as well. In addition to the above, $600,000 worth in gear was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former N a t i o n a l w i c k e t keeper/batsman

To date, fifty two young players from all three counties of Guyana have benefited from three junior gear bag, two trophies, four armguards,twentyonebats,

two boxes, four helmets, nineteen pairs of cricket shoes, thirteen pairs of batting pads, two thigh pad, one bat rubber and nineteen pairsofbatting gloves

In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon

area benefited from

t w o u s e d b a t s

Pomeroon, Leguan and Wa k e n a m C r i c k e t Committees and Cotton

Tree Die Hard also received one box of red cricket balls each while RHCCCC received two, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicket keeping gloves and a set of stumpsandbails.

The Essequibo Cricket

Board also benefited along with the Town of Lethem Cricket related items, u s e d o r n e w, a r e distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketersinGuyana Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist to i d e n t i f y t a l e n t Progressive and well managed clubs will also benefit Anyone interested to contribute can contact AnilBeharryon6236875or Kishan Das on 1 718 664 0896.

GCB/GOG/MCYS Under-19 Inter-Club Super-50 Tournament…

Hutton 115, Indergeet Nanan 5 for 34, and Malteenoes

female player Tilleya Madramootoo 38 highlight performances

The Guyana Cricket Board(GCB)Governmentof Guyana (GOG) Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Under-19 InterClub Super-50 Tournament

2023, continued on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, with Neil Hutton 115, IndergeetNanan5for34,and Malteenoes Female Player Tilleya Madramootoo 38, being the Highlight of Performances, as Transport, Agricola, and Lusignan registered wins in the Demeraramatches.

TransportbeatDCC by 2 wickets Transport won the toss and inserted DCC who were bowled out for 145 in 36.1.JaydonCampbellhit48

and Jonathan Vanlange chippedin22while22extras addedtothetotal.Transport’s bowlingsawStephonSankar snatch 4-6 runs, as support came from Shaquan Walters and Renaldo Grenville who had2wicketseach.

finished nicely on 146-6 in 39.3 overs, led by Alvin Mohabir (49) who missed a half-century,andRiyadLatif 27*, who helped carry their team over the line. Indergeet Nanan looked to stall a possible Transport victory which was inevitable in the

end, returning good figures of 5-34. Lusignan defeat Buxton by 6 wickets After making just 91 in 221 overs batting first, Buxton had minimal contributions from their batters like, Steven Hyles had 35 opening the batting but nooneelsemanagedtoimpact

the scores Lusignan bowlers were effective, led by Alex Datterdeen (4-12) and Chanderpaul Ramraj (2-13)

Chasingalowscore,Lusignan reached92-4injust134overs

Some mature batting from Tularam Chintamani (29) and Ramraj (19) who showed their

skill with the willow, and saw their team to a win, as Tyrone Prince(2-22)toiledforBuxton AgricolabeatMalteenoes by134runs

Neil Hutton stroked a majestic115totakeAgricola 264-8 after 30 overs. Andel Manoharlall (31) and Dantè Deabreu (26) Malteenoes were then bowled over for 130 in 28 overs. Demerara

Female Player Tilleya Madramootoo, playing for the Malteenoes Sports Club in mal

Tournament, top scored for Malteenoeswith38.Bowling

was 2-5., while Alex Thomas also grabbed twowickets.

On the boards Kings and Kidrock players look for rebound.

Dhaniram on the left handing over the gear to Beharry

Indergeet Nanan

Alex Datterdeen StephonSankar

Neil Hutton

The Rupununi Ranchers Rodeo has evolved to becomeanimportantannual event on the national calendar, attracting mainly three segments of people: Rupununi communities, Coast landers (Guyanese & ex-pats) and tourists from neighbouringBrazil.

It is the biggest event on the calendar for the RupununiRegionandapeak for businesses in the region. It is expected to draw the largest turnout in the last decade,withLethemalready booked out and packed with coast landers who have had to take up residence in neighbouringBrazil.

The event is a major economic boost for the Rupununi region and highlights the unique lifestyleofthevillagers. The rodeo in region 9 at Tabatingaisnothingshortof a celebration, with rodeo

competitions, music, food andotherfestivities.

This year, the event has seen unprecedented support from corporate Guyana and the Government of Guyana throughitsministries.Weare grateful for their commitment to helping us createamemorableeventfor allinvolved.

The coordinating team RLPA and the Rodeo Committee wishes to recognise and thank their partners and sponsors for being a part of Rupununi Rodeo 2023. This year they have focused on garnering sponsorship to revamp and develop the ground so that the animals, vaqueros, and visitors will be much more comfortable.

Sponsorship Manager –Maria Munroe indicated the cost for the infrastructural work is exceptionally high, but thanks to our partners/sponsors who have investe

Responsibility

I am heartened by the positivity of all the businesses and ministries that said yes immediately Companies unable to come on board this year have pledged their support next year,andthisyear’ssponsors have committed to supporting in a much larger wayinthefuture.

Through the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), Ministry of Tourism and Amerindian Affairs, the Government of Guyana contributed one million dollars,respectively

Corporate Giant

DemeraraDistillersLimited, under its El Dorado Rums brand, has partnered with us asoneofourGoldSponsors and long-standing partner, DIGICEL.

Our silver sponsors are the Ministry of Natural Resources and first-timer

FrontierPharmacy

Frontier Pharmacy has already pledged its support in writing for the next three years Our BRONZE sponsors are Superbet, Banks DIH, GTT and Team Mohamed’s.

Our bronze sponsors have all expressed their continued support for next year more extensively We have 14 main events sponsored by businesses within Lethem and Georgetown, namely Trans Guyana,GBTIandRepublic Bank.

Through this event, the Rupununi Livestock Producers Association (RLPA) is committed to celebrating the people, animals, land, and values thatmakeuptheRupununi. Guyana, we are ready to showyouagrandtime,come April 8th and 9th, Rodeo 2023‘Dust‘TilDawn.

SponsorsshowsignificantsupportforpotentialgreatestRodeo CARIFTA Games team in limbo

overtime to find flights to The Bahamas for 16 team members

ByRawleToney

T h e A t h l e t i c s Association of Guyana (AAG) is now keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that 16 members of their contingentcanleaveGuyana today for the Bahamas, where the country will compete at the 50th edition of the CARIFTAGames, set forApril7–10.

Aubrey Hutson, AAG’s president, told Kaieteur Newssevenathletesandone official departed Guyana, Jamaica and the US yesterday, while the others were scheduled to travel to Antigua to connect with a charterforTheBahamas.

Among the athletes in Guyana are Attoya Harvey, Narissa McPherson (400m, 800m), Javon Roberts (800m, 1500m) Tianna Springer (200m, 400m, 4x100)and(EzekielNewton 100mand200m).

Harvey grabbed three medalsyear,winninggoldin the 1500m, silver in the 3000m, and bronze in the 800m, while Springer and Newton are two of the country’s brightest sprinting prospects.

“The athletes and one coach left Guyana through the US because they had a visa,andtheotherswehadto b o o k t h r o u g h t h e

Caribbean, ” Hutson explained. The breakdown,

however, Hutson said, happened at the travel agency after receiving the exemption on taxes on the ticketsfromGovernment.

Hutson said the flight was overbooked and could not have accommodated all the remaining athletes, putting the AAG in an uncomfortable position

since they now have to find alternative routes When Kaieteur News visited the AAG’sofficeinAlberttown, parents and athletes all gathered hoping for positive news. The team’s manager, Keith Campbell, explained that they will leave Guyana today for Cuba, where they willthentakeachartertothe

Bahamas.

Hutson said the AAG is working overtime to ensure theathletesarriveintimefor their events, where the countryisexpectedtomedal inseveralevents.

Hutson is adamant that funding is not the issue this year, with the AAG being able to secure the approximately$9Mneeded.

National Javelin record holder Anisha Gibbons, who’s based in the USAand competing on the collegiate circuit is en-route to the Bahamas, where she will have a chance to secure a third consecutive gold at the C a r i b b e a n ’s m o s t prestigious track and field event.Gibbonsclaimedgold at the 2022 CARFITA Games, her second at the Championships, following her first Javelin Gold in 2021. Athaleyah Hinckson (100m, 200m, 400m) will join sprinting sensation and medal hopeful Tianna Springer, Tamara Harvey (long jump, 4x100m), and Adessa Albert (100m, 4x100m) Malachi Austin (200m, 400m), Ezekiel Saul (triple jump, high jump), Duel Europe (long jump), and Immanuel Adams (high jump) are the U17 boys’ athletes heading to The Bahamas. US-based Wesley Noble Jr (400m), and Seon Booker, based in Jamaica,

will run 800m and 1500m, while Odida Parkinson (5000m), Trevon Hamer (longjump)andOmarJames (long and triple jumps) are the other athletes for Guyana.MarkScott,Keisha Burnett, and Linden Phillips are the coaches while Keith Campbell will serve as the Team’sManager

At the 2022 games in Jamaica,Guyanaendedtheir participation with seven medals– two gold, three silver, and two bronze –while finishing fifth in the medal standings behind Trinidad and Tobago (23), British Virgin Islands (7), The Bahamas (17) and Jamaica(92).

Varsha Deonarine, Marketing AssistantSuperbet hands over sponsorship cash to Maria Munroe, Sponsorship Manager

Guyana’s Attoya Harvey crossing the finish line at the 2022 CARIFTA Games to win the Girls U20 1500m.

Ezekiel Newton will be looking to add CARIFTA Gold to his growing list of track and field accomplishments.

Tucker’s debut hundred leads Ireland fightback in Dhaka

Shaw wins Barclays WSL

Player of the Month for March

SportsMax - Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw has been named Barclays Women’s Super League Player of the MonthforMarch.

The Jamaican grabbed five goals in three appearances as Manchester Cityfinishedthemonthwith a100%recordintheleague.

TheWSLtopscorerwith 16 goals, Shaw grabbed a hat-trick in City’s 3-1 comeback win over Tottenhamandfollowedthat up with a brace in a 2-1 triumph away to Brighton thefollowingweek.

AFP - Debutant Lorcan Tucker became only the secondIrishmantohitaTest century, ably assisted by Andy McBrine’s unbeaten 71, to lead a tenacious f i g h t b a c k a g a i n s t Bangladesh in Dhaka yesterday

Ireland reached 286-8 at stumps on the third day to lead the hosts by 131 runs after resuming on a precarious 27-4 in the oneoffTest.

Tuckermade108off162 balls before falling to the bowling of Ebadot Hossain, with Shoriful Islam taking thecatchatextracover The wicketkeeperbatsman hit 14 fours and a six and was brilliantly assistedbyHarryTectorand McBrine in partnerships of 72 and 111 to put the p r e s s u r e b a c k o n Bangladesh.

“It is obviously pretty special. It wasn’t something that I thought would happen today,”Tuckersaid.

“We were under a lot of

pressure. We tried to take it ball-by-ball and bat for as longaswecould.Itwasvery special to get a personal reward.

“The team is also in a great position We are looking forward to tomorrow,”hesaid.

Tector resumed from overnight for a 28-run partnership with Peter Moor before left-arm pacer Shoriful gave the hosts their firstbreakthroughoftheday Moorwasgonefor16but TectorandTuckerstavedoff further damage with their stand.

Tector departed after he wasfoundlegbeforewicket off Taijul Islam, but his 56 made him the first Irish cricketertohithalf-centuries in both innings of a Test match.

Tucker brought up his century with a cover drive for four off left-arm spinner Taijul, raising his bat after huggingMcBrine.

Mark Adair was next to bat,accompanyingMcBrine

in a 31-run stand before he was removed by Taijul, the most successful Bangladesh bowleroftheinningswith486.

“No one said Test cricket’s gonna be easy,” said Bangladesh bowling coachAllanDonald.

“I thought they grinded out the day beautifully and yes,onceagain,onemassive tick to Ireland. They fought hardtoday.”

Kevin O’Brien is the only other Irishman to hit a Test century, scoring 118 against Pakistan during Ireland’s 2018 maiden Test inDublin.

Irelandhavelostallthree of their previous Tests since becoming a full member of the International Cricket Councilin2017.

Scores: Ireland 214 and 286 for 8 (Tucker 108, McBrine 71*, Tector 56, Taijul 4-86, Shakib 2-26) lead Bangladesh 369 (Mushfiqur 126, Shakib 87, Mehidy 55, McBrine 6-118) by131runs.

It is the second time she hasclaimedtheprize,having

also been named Player of theMonthforNovember Her goals in that victory overBrightonbroughtabout another impressive milestonefortheforward,as

she became Manchester City’s highest-scoring women’s player across a single campaign, surpassing therecordpreviouslyheldby NikitaParris.

Hope joins Yorkshire for stint of County Championship

Shai Hope has joined Yorkshire for a three-match stintastheiroverseasplayer for the start of the English County Championship. He has been picked in the starting XI for the opening f i x t u r e a g a i n s t L e i c e s t e r s h i r e a t Headingley

Yorkshire managing director Darren Gough hailed the signing ofWest I n d i e s O n e - d a y International captain after the club made the a n n o u n c e m e n t on Wednesday

“ H e i s a g r e a t signing,” Gough said “He brings so much experience – one thing we

are lacking is just a little bit of experience, so he just givesusthatandcomes into the squad for this first game.”

Hope will have fond memories of Headingley, where six years ago he

became the first player to score two hundreds in the same first-class match while playing for West Indies against hosts England.

Hope scored of 147 and 118notout,andWestIndies pulled off a remarkable victory

“We felt we needed just the one experienced face in and we went for Shai,” Gough added “He has been playing well for West Indies in one-day matches, he has gotarecordofplayingTest cricket – he had his two hundreds at Headingley beforefortheWestIndies ” (CWI)

FIFAfreezesfundforIndonesia’sfootballassociationafterU-20WorldCupfurore

JAKARTA, (Reuters) -

Developmentfundallocated for Indonesia’s football association is being frozen by FIFA after the country was stripped as hosts of this year’sUnder-20WorldCup, soccer’s governing body saidyesterday

FIFA barred the

SoutheastAsiannationfrom staging the May 20-June 11 event after the country’s football association (PSSI) in the predominantly Muslim country said it had cancelled the draw because the governor of Bali refused tohostIsrael’steam.

Last month protesters marched in the capital

Jakarta waving Indonesian and Palestinian flags, demandingthatIsraelshould notbeallowedtoparticipate.

The removal of the Under-20 event caused anger and dismay among fans and players in the soccer-madcountry

FIFA said in a

s t a t e m e n t t h a t i t

“ p r o v i s i o n a l l y r e c o m m e n d e d a restriction on” the use of FIFA Forward development fundsforthePSSIandwould reconsider lifting the sanction after reviewing Indonesia’s plan to improve onIndonesiansoccer

T h o h i r s a i d i n a statement that the “administrative sanction” would impact PSSI’s “operational needs” but did not give further details, reiterating President Joko Widodo’sinstructionforhim totransformthesport,which includes renovating over 20 stadiums.

“Indonesia could avoid the severe penalty of being exiled from worldsoccer,”hesaid.

“This is more like a yellowcard,notaredcard.”

FIFA banned Indonesia fromplayingininternational events in 2015 over governmentmeddling.

Khadija ‘Bunny’Shaw

ShaiHope

Lorcan Tucker celebrates his ton with Andy McBrine. (BCB)

Aman walks past FIFA U-20 World Cup banners outside Indonesia’s football federation (PSSI) office, after the country was dropped as host of the under-20 soccer World Cup, following outrage among politicians in the predominantly Muslim country about Israel’s participation, in Jakarta, Indonesia, March 30, 2023.

(REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan)

GDF female team Captain receives championship trophy from WFF PresidentAndrea Johnson.

Ramesh Rupchand, Marketing Manager hands over cheque and handsets to Maria Munroe, Sponsorship Manager

Maria Munroe, Sponsorship Manager receives cash sponsorship from Team Mohameds,Azruddin Mohamed