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E-Networks raises bar again in telecoms sector - announces major upgrade for business customers; takes Fiber Optic Internet services to more rural areas E-Networks Inc., the country’s only locally owned telecommunications provider, recently announced that it has increased its fiber-optic business service, OnFiber Business Ultimate, from 475 Mbps to 675 Mbps for the same monthly subscription f e e o f $ 2 9 , 9 9 0 ( VAT inclusive). With these faster speeds which are among the most competitively priced in
the region, E-Networks said local businesses can easily harness the opportunities provided by advanced technological breakthroughs such as cloud services. In a missive to the press, newly appointed Chief Commercial Officer of ENetworks, Abu Zaman, said this improved access to the cloud and reliable connectivity will enable
businesses to achieve a competitive edge by tapping into evolving software, services and industry platforms while managing costs, as has been shown in other developing countries. He also indicated that ENetworks has recently secured a partnership with Microsoft as a Cloud Service Provider (CSP) to support and drive cloud adoption while ensuring its customers receive the best value, options, and pricing. It should be noted that this 42% speed increase is the third time in three years that the company has significantly improved its business packages and is another example of ENetworks’ commitment to supporting the business community’s ability to leverage technology for progression. Furthermore, the company’s business services also support Wi-Fi 6, the next generation in wireless internet. Wi-Fi 6 emphasises better efficiency, capacity and all-around performance, allowing your network to harness the full potential of E-Networks’ internet services. Since the liberalisation of the telecommunications sector in October 2020, ENetworks has been setting standards as the leader in
Chief Commercial Officer of E-Networks, Abu Zaman local telecommunications. The company has landed its own subsea international cable from Barbados and the first submarine fiber optic cable to Essequibo. ENetworks’ fiber network is also continually expanding, with recently opened coverage areas in Berbice and on the Essequibo Coast. In these areas, the company has noted that customers can access the same speeds at the same pricing as available in Georgetown. These moves have enabled E-Networks to deploy high-capacity fiber services, 5G and 4G Networks, across Guyana’s most densely populated areas, including rural areas, such as on the Essequibo Coast and in Berbice. These networks have increased access to faster, more reliable internet at affordable pricing to the Guyanese people.
India to assist Guyana with software to digitalise - Health vaccination records Minister Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony on Sunday last, said India has pledged to assist Guyana with the recently developed COVID19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) software. The Minister while speaking during the observance of India’s 75th Independence Anniversary at the India Cultural Centre said this software will be used to digitalise the c o u n t r y ’s v a c c i n a t i o n records. According to research, the Co-WIN software, which was created in India is an open-source application that
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony has been developed to monitor the progress of the vaccination programme. Continued on page 3
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Gas is not a bridge to Trinidad’s “economic meltdown” caused by overdependence on oil cleaner energy; it’s a wall · - Guyana will avoid similar fate – VP Jagdeo Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo is blaming the economic troubles currently facing Trinidad and Tobago on the Dutch Disease. The Vice President made this statement during an interview with News Room, as he explained the Government’s plan to build a diverse economy to ensure the country avoids a similar fate. “Look at Trinidad and Tobago, what they’re having now, an economic meltdown because they didn’t have the foresight to invest in the non-oil and gas sector. And so many countries have suffered this. It’s called the Dutch disease. So that is what we’re examining carefully.” Since 2019, Kaieteur News pointed out the state its sister CARICOM country found itself in, trapped in years of declining growth. With dwindling oil production, the country had no choice but to start restructuring its economy away from oil. Dr. Jagdeo said Guyana
Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo will have to ensure it utilises its oil money to build a strong non-oil economy. “We have to build, utilise those funds to build the conditions for a progressive, prosperous non-oil economy so that when the oil disappears, we still have a booming economy with jobs for all of our people, unlike many of those countries that utilise all the money, not for the oil and gas sector or for welfare and didn’t build the fundamentals of a non-oil economy, so that when the
oil and gas resources became depleted, they’ve ran into serious trouble.” The Government intends to overhaul the Natural Resource Fund, which was put in place by the previous D a v i d G r a n g e r administration. The Vice President said the Irfaan Ali administration will come up with a programme for spending that will go through a parliamentary process. “Any time we utilise funds from that pool of resources, they will have to go through a transparent process. And the process will be publicly identifying the project, saying how much money will be utilised from the fund for that project, ensuring that the auditor general is also aware of what, how the process is involved, it will require parliamentary approval.” He said the process will allow scrutiny, where all the questions can be asked by the public before implementation. He reminded that right Continued on page 8
India to assist Guyana with software... From page 2 Open-source means that the copyright holder grants users the right to use, study, change and distribute the software and its source code to anyone and for any purpose. The software, which would help significantly in combating the global pandemic, the Indian Prime Minster, Narendra Modi had announced will be made available to all countries free of cost. Minister Anthony who previously mentioned the software in one of his daily COVID-19 update stated that it would allow the Ministry to observe trends and patterns in the country’s vaccination drive and that it would be of good for future use. “So it would make aggregating these numbers quite easy and we will be able to track on almost a minute-by-minute basis how the vaccination is going because that’s how the software is built. Of course they will be customising to suit our purposes here in Guyana,” he explained. According to the Health M i n i s t e r, a l r e a d y h i s
Ministry has been keeping comprehensive records of COVID-19 patients and vaccines administered. So with this new
software, it would allow the Ministry to input the data and have these records in a more user-friendly manner, he concluded.
- Senior Policy Advisor warns Following the crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, many leaders across the globe have renewed their intentions to lead economies that run on cleaner energy. But instead of an immediate switch to renewable projects to prove their pledges are sincere, policy leaders such as those in Guyana have said gas will be used in the interim as “the bridge” to realising their clean energy goals. Upon noting this, one international advisor has publically stated that citizens ought to hear alarm bells when such statements are made since gas is not a bridge but rather, a wall. Specifically making this comment in recent times was Greg Muttitt, a Senior Policy Advisor on Energy Supply at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The IISD is an independent think tank founded in 1990 and headquartered in Canada. Muttitt categorically stated in his written commentary that gas impedes rather than enables the energy transition. Further to this, he said the idea of gas acting as a bridge to the “clean energy transition” is just obsolete
thinking and for three main reasons. Expounding in this regard, he said, “First, after decades of continually rising carbon emissions, there is no longer room for more fossil fuels of any type: the International Energy Agency argued in May that to meet the Paris A g re e m e n t g o a l s ( o f lowering global temperature), there should be no investments in new gas, oil, or coal production.” Muttitt added, “Second, the costs of renewable energy have fallen d r a m a t i c a l l y, a n d renewables are now cheaper than fossil fuels in most of the world. Third, recent findings on the extent of methane leakage from gas infrastructure undermine claims of environmental benefits over other fossil fuels.” With those three critical points in mind, Muttitt argued that the world has already missed the opportunity to cross over to cleaner energy via a gas bridge. But what is more important to understand he said is the fact that the world does not even need a gas bridge given the
Greg Muttitt, Senior Policy Advisor, Energy Supply at IISD declining costs of renewables and their unmatched environmental benefits. He said, “Gas is therefore more like a wall than a bridge, impeding rather than enabling the energy transition by competing with renewable energy for investment and policy support.” Muttitt also contended that there should not be further investments in gas as it is a poor use of public money and serves only the interests of powerful and polluting companies. As economic resources remain constrained in the coming years, Muttitt said it is vital that scarce public funds are devoted to building economies that are powered by renewables as opposed to fossil fuels.
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Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
From admiral of the atmosphere to enslavement There is an old saying and test about what to do and how to get to the depths of what is the true mettle of humans. After all their talking and posturing, put them to the test to see what they are made of, how they will respond before temptations placed before them, and under the microscope to measure their reactions, as to who and how they really are. The temptations can come in different shapes and forms, such as the opportunity for huge amounts of personal prestige, bigger quantities of cash placed at disposal, or the overpowering charms of warm flesh and cooling chemicals that are there for the taking, and can be had, one doesn’t even have to ask. For a long time, this country had a leader who was in the forefront of all things related to climate and environment. This Guyanese leader gained such names (some rather dismissively) as admiral of the atmosphere, friar of the forests and, in general, emperor of the environment. He was so good at it, at least on paper and from the ringing sounds that came out of him, that international recognition and accolades were his. It was all good and grand while it lasted, for it was nothing more than a masquerade and the shallowest of deceptions. For today, the same leader, when measured against his words and wisdoms of a prior time, is a completely different creature. It is surprising in the things that make men forget what they stood for, once said, made a lot of mileage from, and how poorly they generally fare, when compared to what they were about before, made great big speeches about before, and represented before. It is this rich dark substance gushing from the bowels of the earth that make a supposedly strong and invulnerable Guyanese leader stumble and fall to his knees in abject homage. Whether of the thick heavy sulphureous variety, or that of the light sweet crude texture, oil has made many a man mad, and an unrecognisable monster in front of his fellows. And wherever oil is, that is where an American company called ExxonMobil usually is. Exxon has all the oil weapons known to man, most of which it created in a century of global exploits, all of them deployed against societies on which the company did cast covetous eyes, and against which societies the first targets were leaders. The big stick and brass knuckles were brought out and wielded against one government, and it fell to pieces without too much of a fight. The suspicion is that government and leaders were helped to see the bright side of the oil business, meaning, from a personal perspective. It is called a corporate quid pro quo; the derogatory term is compromising and corrupting political leadership to gain criminal advantage. From every indication, Exxon has worked wonders with the prior government, and now today’s. The way has been cleared for the company to plunder and reap at will, and at minimum out-of-pocket cost, which is the first slavery. Another is of a leader, who spoke glowingly about transparency and accountability, but now is speechless, a man-made mute by the magic of oil. Still another is the leader, much more powerful, who was once the darling of the climate conscious and climate change world, but who today exhibits the worst of capitalists’ instincts and practices. In so doing, another old standard is again now proven accurate. That is, the one about the converted always being more committed than the original, where onetime Guyanese Marxistscommunists-socialists are more capitalist than the capitalists themselves. This is today’s situation, where a leader who was all about climate change is now all helplessly enslaved and overtaken by the seductions of black gold, namely, Guyana’s oil. Instead of conserving better, there is more producing and flaring. Rather than the old commitment to environmental protections, that same leader is now only about oil collections, and for whose benefit is anybody’s guess. Emissions and pollutions that were once harsh words, now have neither meaning nor traction, such have been the leadership reversals, the public enslavements that come with a certain kind of partnership with a juggernaut like Exxon.
The PPP hierarchy and “double speak” The de facto State organ of the government of the day, Guyana Chronicle, reported on August 19, 2021: “VICEPRESIDENT, Bharrat Jagdeo, has received two separate certificates of Special Congressional Recognition from the United States of America.” for “…promoting friendship and economic exchange between the United States of America and the Republic of Guyana...” And for “his commitment to the environment, sustainable development, and green energy.” Granted. Bharrat Jagdeo was a ‘Hero of the Environment’ (2008) and ‘Champion of the Earth’ (2010) for efforts in the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project and Low Carbon Development Strategy, over ten years hence. Now, there appears to be a retrograde somersault vis-à-vis Bharrat Jagdeo’s role in fossil fuel/gas exploration, and the wholesale avaricious and rapacious devastation of Guyana’s natural patrimony. It appears to me that the bestowers were/are not aware of Mr. Jagdeo’s role in the current state of affairs of Big Oil in Guyana. Maybe they were not advised; maybe they
were ignorant of all the facts of Jagdeo’s role; maybe they were deniers; either blind or myopic and/or and hypocritical. Maybe some or all of the above. On July 9, 2021, Guyana Chronicle reported, “President Ali says nations share common goals … for committing to the reduction of greenhouse emissions by 50 percent by the year 2030.” In a very good article, Guyana Chronicle (July 25, 2021) touted, on World Mangrove Day, the value of mangrove in the ecosystem; yet the government is deliberately destroying mangrove trees to make way for Big Oil and Gas. Also, Stabroek News (May 11, 2021) carried a piece, “Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill [stubbornly] defended the removal of mangroves at VersaillesMalgre Tout, West Bank Demerara, for the development of an oil and gas shore base as necessary…” for development (sic) and “to facilitate and properly service what is taking place in the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone.” My comments: These high-ranking individuals seem to be fixated
in a Kafkaesque bureaucratic surrealist never-never land, devoid of the facts and reality, of truth and truthfulness. They make statements espousing green energy, CO2 emission reduction, and acknowledging climate change and emergency. To the contrary, they act and do things inimical to the basic principles and dire warnings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The actions do not always match faithfully with the words! The PPP has always stood firmly on the side of democratic principles. They support the working class people especially, the ordinary grassroots – for bread and justice. Gradually, those lofty ideals, foundational in the PPP, are alas being eroded, and mutely replaced by a neoliberal mantra, Jagdeo being the prime mover. The year is 2021, but it seems like 1984. Beware of “double speak”. Truth is based on empirical analysis, but truthfulness is based on principles, virtuousness and honour. I wrote the following in October 2007: Exploitation of Guyana’s Resources, “The
current PPP government must not betray the people and the land, but should stand tall and steadfast to the principle of good governance… and to call for a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach.” The PPP has done lots of good and continues to do good in many aspects of life in Guyana. It must now continue to be the standardbearer. And not be misguided! Every major publication and organisation in the world recognise that Climate Change: [is] An Existential Threat, (quoting Guyana Chronicle editorial [August 15, 2021]). Ha! We are reminded by Martin Luther King, Jr., “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” I end with these enduring words of John Wesley: “Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” Yours truly, Gary Girdhari
Let’s ensure oil and gas work to all our benefit Dear Editor, In a letter in the Stabroek News, written by Ms. Janette Bulkan captioned “Proposed Gas to Shore Pipeline appears to be not viable” dated 21/08/04... She stated that the gas availability may be quantified as 50 million standard cubic foot per day (SCFPD). She concluded that the gas to shore pipeline project in question is not viable; it is premature and shortsighted. She supported her conclusion by arguing that Exxon is reinjecting 95 percent of the 50 mscfpd gas back into the wellheads under pressure to enhance well production. As a lay person, I saw reason to put on paper as I understand the issue. There is no question as to Guyana’s need for a resolution, which would be beneficial to Guyanese. One which addresses the efficacy of a power generating facility capable of producing low cost energy to everyone, while concurrently protecting the environment. There is no question that burning cleaner, cheaper fuel, providing more reliable electricity, addressing a present hazardous environmental problem, should be the focal point. At the same time, the population would benefit from cheap cooking gas. There is no question that
this project would enhance the quality of life of Guyanese by the provision of low-cost energy while simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint by the burning of cleaner fuel. While arguments can be made that gas injection at associated well heads may be necessary to maintain a reservoir to extract more petroleum and that deviation may cause oil to eventually leaked out of the capped well, polluting the ocean, is there an alternative to the method stated by Ms. Bulkan. However, before I examine this, I would like to discuss the problem. Guyana has Oil & Gas, lots of it. It’s here to stay for several decades. Let’s ensure it works to all our benefit. . The Solution to providing sufficient Gas to sustain a Gas to Shore Facility can be a simple fix. The life cycle of any oil well has 3 stages of hydrocarbon production, 1) Primary Oil recovery 2) Secondary Oil recovery 3) Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) . EOR becomes essential when there is a decline in reservoir pressure and primary and secondary recovery methods are unable to sustain profitable production. Another commonly used hydrocarbon recovery
technique is Water Injection. This technique is suitable for both onshore and offshore oil production and would resolve not only the Gas supply for the power generation but an inherent environmental issue that presently exists. Water is produced in large volumes in Oil & Gas production better known as Produced Water. It is classified as a by-product or wastewater during the production process and contains several toxic substances such as Sulfates, Chlorides, Aluminum, and Sodium due to chemical introduced into the wellbore during production operation. Production water is referred to as brine and is as much as 15 times saltier than sea water. It is potentially hazardous and impacts the environment and the marine ecosystem negatively. Substituting the gas injection methodology with the injection of produced water would ensure adequate gas for domestic consumption and even export eliminating the problem raised by Ms. Bulkan while at the same time mitigating the polluting effects of the produced water which is usually released into the ocean causing damage to the marine ecosystem. Note produced water injection is used commonly
in the US (volume 45%). The technology is presently available. Ms. Bulkan suggested that instead of moving ahead with the gas to shore project, the country should invest in renewables. Hydro is renewable but has its own problematic and the time frame is futuristic. However, natural gas is here. Solar is renewable but it is not 100% reliable. Arguing that Guyana is in the tropics, with the benefit of sunlight has merit but there is always heavy overcast, too many rainy days, panels are still inefficient, costly and to compound it all, there is only 5-6 hours of effective sunlight per day for power generating. It’s just not a simple fix. Hydrogen is gaining substantially and may be the future. Having said the above, it is my opinion that we should not rush through with the deal for US$900M. We need to reexamine the price so we are not shafted. In its study of infrastructure through 2035, the American Petroleum Institute estimated average U.S. pipeline costs of $178,000 per inch-mile for 2016 (in nominal dollars) for large gas transmission pipelines. Limited research indicates that the Norway (Continued on page 6)
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Avoiding misinformation and disinformation on COVID science Dear Editor, It is downright shocking that a few lines on Facebook or Twitter from an “influencer’ with zero scientific or medical background is given more credence than researchers who spent decades studying and researching vaccines and viruses down to a single molecule. A study by the Kessler Foundation in Italy found that more than 46,000 Twitter posts a day were linked to COVID misinformation. Avoiding misinformation and disinformation on COVID science can be quite the task in the age of social media so I recommend the following: 1. How do I know the science is sound? How do I separate strong research from weak? Science is an iterative process and it allows for itself to be questioned and corrected. Simply put, the scientific method starts with a question or observation from which a hypothesis is developed. This is then tested via experiment from which data is collected, analysed and conclusions drawn. The hallmark of assessing good science is the peer-review process where other scientists not involved in the work get to scrutinise and criticise it – basically double checking the work before it is published. This review usually takes months, even years if you want it published in a prestigious journal like Science or Nature. If there are issues with the study, reviewers can ask for more experiments and data to prove a particular hypothesis is true or can downright refuse the manuscript for publication. If errors and flaws are discovered after publication, the published research can be retracted. This is something to watch out for as retractions don’t
often make it to the mainstream. Note, studies can be published online before peer-review as pre-prints since researchers want credit for being the first on a topic. Of course, no one expects the public to have expert knowledge on highly specialised areas in science so when trying to figure out if the science is of high quality ask yourself the following. Is the study peer-reviewed? Are the authors credible and from a recognised institution? Is the research published in a journal of good repute? If the study is reported in the mainstream, what do other independent publications say? Is there high consensus from credible experts on the topic? If some experts express concern check Retraction Watch to see if the published paper has been removed or if a pre-print made it to journal publication. If there isn’t consensus, look at the sample size (how many people or data points were involved), is it large enough to be extrapolated to the general population? Were there properly designed controls? For example, a control in clinical trials of vaccines/ drugs would be a placebo – if you give everyone in the study the vaccine or drug, how would you be able to tell that the outcome was indeed due to the vaccine or drug (alone)? 2. A professional in health care or science said X or Y based on their experience This is an anecdote or generalised observation and not vetted science. Generalised observation is only the beginning of the
scientific method, a lot more has to be done to claim proven science. Check the vetted peer-reviewed science on the topic. 3. How do I know if a science infographic, chart, image on social media is credible and reliable? Check the source. In this pandemic, credible sources include the World Health Organisation (WHO) or a health authority like the Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in the US. If there is no source, look for an explanation and associated research citation/study, look at the study and ask yourself the questions in point 1? 4. How do I know the science in a news article is sound? Most importantly, don’t just read the headlines! Check to see if you recognise the author and are they usually credible (You’ve vetted them and the information they presented in the past)? Are they sourcing major health organisations such as the WHO, CDC or the peer-reviewed work of known credible experts (Experts whose science you’ve vetted already)? If major organisations and known experts are a source then it’s
easy to go check their individual pages to double check the information you are reading. For example, take the myth on COVID vaccines causing infertility. When the first mRNA COVID vaccines were being administered, women wanted to know if it could impact their menstrual cycles so this was being monitored by researchers. Online forums and groups popped up on Facebook in which this was discussed. While some women had legitimate concerns, there were many anti-vaccine ‘activists’ who were part of this group (a red flag). One of these ‘activists’ was Naomi Wolf (now banned from Twitter for spreading anti-vaccine misinformation). She had garnered credibility from her feminist writings (some viewing her as a feminist icon) supporting women so many took her at her word (the wrong thing to do!). Vetting her would reveal that she is
an anti-vaxxer who has promoted outlandish conspiracy theories like the 5G wireless network transmitting the virus. She kept raising doubts without presenting specific facts and added more myth to the concerns over menstruation: Can vaccines cause infertility? Can vaccines cause miscarriages? The science shows no evidence that vaccines can cause any of the above and these theories have since been discredited by scientific community numerous times; millions of women have been vaccinated with mRNA vaccines to date without these issues. However, these ideas were amplified by social media influencers, went viral and the damage in spreading vaccine misinformation was
done. Pseudoscience consists of beliefs, practices and blanket statements claimed to be fact and scientific but it does not follow the scientific method. If blanket claims are made in a dogmatic manner without recognising uncertainties and caveats then these are highly questionable and perhaps too good to be true. As a rule, don’t just rely on one source. Look for consistency in the information presented and look for references to peerreviewed research. Also, check the date to make sure the information is not outdated and of course vet your source. Sincerely, Jacquelyn Jhingree, PhD.
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Cammie Bishwaishwar Ramsaroop was a PNCR political icon Dear Editor, It is with deep sadness that I pen these lines to reflect on a true PNC/PNCR stalwart, and intellect. He was an ardent public servant, distinguished orator, astute legal mind and former chairman of the PNCR. Comrade Cammie Bishwaishwar Ramsaroop was a comrade of no ordinary means. I have known Cde. Ramsaroop for all of my, almost 3, decades of PNCR activism. He was a humble, friendly and thoughtful comrade who was always willing and ready to give of his expertise and advice. A few days ago, one of my sisters called and informed me that Mr. Ramsaroop had passed. She knew that I had a great admiration for him. After the call, I felt instantly hallow inside as I began to reflect on his contribution to the PNCR Party, Guyanese politics and public service. Cammie Ramsaroop has made significant contributions in all these areas. He was a true Guyanese patriot. During the PNC’s continuous 28 years of government, Mr. Ramsaroop held several important offices. These included; Minister of Housing and Reconstruction, Minister of Trade, Vice President among others. During the coalition government’s tenure in office, he served as the High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago. He was a man of tremendous talent and skills. I met Mr. Ramsaroop during my early days as group chairperson of the Werk-en-Rust GYSM. Prior to then, I heard a lot about him. Comrades spoke of him in glowing terms. One of the things, which they boasted about was his oratorical skills and his conversational approach to problem solving. I was eager to meet this man ‘Cammie’, as he was fondly called. So, not long after I was elected group chair, I finally met Cde. Ramsaroop at a General Council Meeting of the Party. He was truly one of the most distinguished, but yet humble people I have met.
His charisma and interactive style were fascinating to watch. As he approached the entrance to the auditorium, someone yelled “Cammie” and he instantly turned in the direction of the person and began to walk towards him. Once he was done chatting with the man, he turned to a woman and greeted her. He stopped and greeted people before he could take his seat on the stage; this seemed to have been his style. When the meeting broke for lunch, it was my time to meet him. So, I walked towards the stage before he came down and waited at the steps to meet him. He saw me waiting there and hasten his steps to reach me. As he approached me, I said, Hello Mr. Ramsaroop, and he immediately responded in his usual soft tone “no, no, call me Cammie man, Cammie is alright”. I smiled and introduced myself and told him of the GYSM group, which I was a member of. We chatted for a while before he went to get his lunch. He was down to earth and friendly. Since that initial meeting, Comrade Ramsaroop became one of my favourite PNCR politicians. His humility and charisma stuck with me. He never missed the opportunity to ask how I was doing, personally or to find out about my wellbeing. During those long nights at central executive meetings, he would often ask how I was getting home and I would let him know that I was either driving or that someone was taking me home. Many of us in the executive of the GYSM were very fond of Mr. Ramsaroop. We, in the leadership, disagreed on many things and root and align ourselves with many different candidates who vied for internal political office, but Comrade Ramsaroop was that one person whom many of us had little or no disagreement over. He was an icon and the consensus guy for many of us. Comrade Cammie, was a friend of the GYSM. When I
served in the leadership of the GYSM, Mr. Ramsaroop was among some of our most devoted contributors to events organised by the organisation. Whether we were having a leadership retreat or a fund raiser, his donation was secured. He was so eager to give to the GYSM that he would call to let me know that his donation was not picked up by anyone. On occasions, Comrade Ramsaroop also served as a facilitator at the organisation’s leadership retreat. He knew many of the leaders of the GYSM by name, this was how close and intimate he was to the organisation. In 2002, when I was elected as National Chairperson of the GYSM, Cde. Ramsaroop ensured he reached out to congratulate me. He made sure to let me know I was making history and stated how proud he was of me. He was one of my silent but loyal supporters! He was resolute not loud! Comrade Ramsaroop was an elegant and eloquent speaker. He would deliver the most complex and controversial topics with such poise and ease he left his audience in awe, craving more. A few days ago, I called the chairperson of the Washington DC PNCR Chapter, Valda Forsythe, to inform her of Cde. Cammie’s passing, and she began to reflect on when she first heard him speak. She recalled that it was at a general council meeting. She remarked that she was almost at the edge of her seat watching every word as it came out of his mouth. She stated that her attentiveness to his presentation was captured by another comrade who came over, after the speech to touch her and remarked that; she didn’t miss a word. She said she was captivated by the delivery! Comrade Ramsaroop’s command of the English Language, coupled with his sophistication in delivery and style was always flawless. He spoke effortlessly with poise and
confidence. His, almost, poetic technique drew his audience in, as vague ideas became almost photographic and technical jargons come alive. His diction was deliberate and captivating. Listening to Comrade Cammie speak was one of the things, which I made every effort to be present for. I recalled listening to him deliver the feature address at the National Congress of Women’s LFS Burnham remembrance event at the Kitty venue, a few years ago. He delivered a speech on Burnham’s, and the PNCR’s ideology, vision and policy. He spoke for more than an hour without referring to written notes. His knowledge and intimate connection to the facts were evident and he believed in what he was saying. He was invested in his presentation. His explanation of Burnham’s, and the PNCR’s, political ideology and the connection of that ideology to government’s policies and programmes stuck with me. I watched him as he spoke with much depth and conviction about the information he was presenting. It was clear, Cde. Ramsaroop was a man who was invested in the work of his government, and believed in the vision associated with the policies of that government. He connected all the dots for those of us who were wondering or had little or no knowledge behind the thinking that led to specific government policies and programmes. I left there with a clear understanding of the importance of political ideology and its relevance to public policy. After his speech, many people approached and greeted him. I saw him after and told him that I heard he used to rival Burnham with his speeches. He laughed and said, “Lurlene not at all, Burnham was the best, I can’t reach Forbes there, man, that man used to mesmerise you with his brilliance and skills. I don’t know who can talk like Burnham”. He spoke of LFSB with much admiration, reverence and respect! I fathom, he was a real Burnhamite. He was steep in PNC and Guyana’s politics; he was one of those people in whom the institutional memory of the PNCR lay.
Every time Comrade Cammie spoke, it was an opportunity to learn, I never wanted to miss those opportunities, and there were several. People like Cammie Ramsaroop represented the best of PNCR leadership. During the period he served as chairman of the party, he took a decision to share the chairing of the CEC meeting with the then Vice Chairperson of the party. I was there when he made this announcement. I believe it was him recognising that the party can only grow if we build capacity and provide opportunities for others to develop, and demonstrate their abilities to lead. He was not consumed by the office nor did he allow himself to be controlled by the enormity of the title. He was that humble! He was also quite grateful and jovial. I recalled that at the 2011 party congress Cde. Beni Rayman, a close ally of Mr. Ramsaroop, advised me that Cammie was running for chairman of the party. She knew of my relationship and belief in Cde. Ramsaroop and knew that I would immediately drop what I was doing to campaign for his election. However, about 30 minutes into my campaigning activities, I was told that Cde. Ramsaroop had withdrawn from the election, so I ended my canvassing exercise. After the elections, I saw Cde. Cammie and before I could say anything he said, “Lurlene thank you”, I told him I didn’t do anything he didn’t contest. He told me he knew I was canvassing for him and he appreciated it. We shared a joke about him withdrawing from the race before we went our separate ways. He saw me several times after that congress and every time he saw me, he was sure to thank me for campaigning for him. He said thank you for the smallest of kind gesture done. Cammie Bishwaishwar Ramsaroop was a true stalwart and public servant. He was a true servant of the people. His lengthy, stellar and unblemished public service career is a testament to his character and talent. I witnessed his brilliance and political savviness on display, on many occasions. He was calm, steady and deliberate with his words and demeanour. He was a good
listener and loved to hear peoples’ opinions. He was thoughtful and kind. The PNCR is a better party because of the efforts and decades of political work of people like Comrade Cammie Ramsaroop. It is therefore, incumbent upon those of us who remain to preserve their legacies and work. The institution of the PNCR must be preserved as a reservoir that hold their contribution and as a monument of their work. Cde. Ramsaroop was a true PNCR icon; he was a loyal comrade, in season and out of season. I am glad that I was able to meet and know him. He earned my respect, from the day I met him and he had never disappointed me. He was a true leader. The PNCR has lost a part of its most long standing and trusted comrade, and Guyana has lost a humble statesman. We’ve lost one of Guyana’s most eloquent orators. We have lost a true servant leader and political icon. A humble icon who always insisted that I just call him Cammie, something I could not do given my great respect and admiration for him. We will forever, remember our fallen comrade, his portrait on the walls of the auditorium at Congress Place will remind us to speak his name at every party forum and in every group meeting. We must tell both the young and the new members about the contributions of Cammie Ramsaroop. They must know on whose shoulders they stand; they must understand that there are many who worked and sacrificed so that they can be; that they can aspire for political office because of the work of those who came before them. We must never take the sacrifices of those who came before us for granted. We should be forever grateful for their leadership and service. Albouystown gave us one of its finest sons! He was our Cammie! Sincere condolences to the wife and family of Comrade Cammie Ramsaroop, thanks for sharing him with the PNCR family and Guyana. Condolences to the PNCR family, Cde. Ramsaroop will be greatly missed. Rest in peace Cde. Cammie, until we meet again. Yours truly, Lurlene Nestor
...Let’s ensure oil and gas work to From page 4 gas pipeline price was about $3. 8M per mile and that was over 44 inches. The Langeled pipeline was 725 feet with about 239 ft under sea was about $3.5M and it was between 42 and 48 inches. From what I gather, ours would be underwater for
about 120 miles and some overland. With regard to the gas generating plant one was constructed in 2015, was over 6500 MW and cost about $812/KW. It is estimated that a new gas generating plant should produce electricity at about 7 cents per KWh. All the more reason to go this
route. Are we going to pay for our gas? Should Exxon not share in the cost as this would save them from having to flare? These and many more questions need some answers. Yours truly, Rajendra Bisessar
Monday August 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Trinidad’s “economic meltdown”.. From page 3 now, the funds in the NRF are transparent, adding that that will continue. Dr. Jagdeo considers the current amount in the fund, US$436M, to be de minimis (meaning negligible). So, it will not be used. However, his expectation is for the flow of money into the funds to increase significantly around 2025/2026. Speaking on plans for use of the oil money, the Vice President said that though some say the money should all be saved, the Government intends for there to be a balance. “We cannot have poor people; people who don’t have water and electricity and basic minimum, and not address those concerns whilst we are saving for intergenerational equity,” the Vice President said.
Kaieteur News
Monday August 23, 2021
Woman among four to be charged for murder of her son-in-law A woman is among four persons to be charged for the murder of her son-in-law, Keron McPherson, 24. McPherson is the Sophia man who was found dead in a yard with gunshot wounds to his body. According to a police
report sent out yesterday, the Director of Public Prosecutor (DPP), has advised that McPherson’s mother-in-law, Brenna Nurse along with Devon Harry, Nicholas Hercules aka Bucko, and Peter Lam, be charged with his murder. Kaieteur News understands that the three men to be charged along with Nurse are her son’s friends. McPherson of Lot 687 ‘D’ Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown was found dead by police around 04:00hrs lying in a yard in ‘C’ Field, Sophia. A post mortem had later revealed that he was killed by a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Police had believed that his death stemmed from a triangular love affair and had arrested McPherson’s girlfriend and her other love interest. The girlfriend has since been released from custody by police. Kaieteur News subsequently learned that McPherson was reportedly lured to his death by a phone call in retaliation to an altercation, which he had during the early evening
Shot Dead, Keron McPhersoon
To be charged with the murder of her son-in-law, Keron McPherson, Brenna Nurse
understands that the woman had lashed him to his face with a beer bottle while one of the men had chopped him to his chest. McPherson had managed to escape and went home that evening. Relatives related that after he freshened up himself, McPherson began to drink and they assumed that he was probably trying to console himself following the argument with his girlfriend and the altercation that followed. Kaieteur News had
he never did. Family members had added too that initially, they were not bothered because although McPherson would have fights with his girlfriend, they would makeup and be merry again but this time was different. Around 06:00hrs on S u n d a y, M c P h e r s o n ’s brother received news that his brother was found dead in a yard. Although McPherson’s girlfriend is not in police custody and is home, his
To be charged with McPherson’s murder, from left: Devon Harry, Nicholas Hercules aka “Bucko” and Peter Lam. hours on Saturday. McPherson’s family members had told this newspaper that he had gotten into a heated argument with his girlfriend over money that she had allegedly squandered. They claimed that the argument turned physical between them, and McPherson was attacked by one of his in-laws and some other men. As investigations progressed, it was revealed that the in-law who had attacked him with the men was Brenna Nurse, his mother-in-law. Kaieteur News
reported that close to midnight, McPherson had received a phone call from a woman. That woman who had called him that night, according to relatives, was his girlfriend. He had related to them that she wanted to meet with him. At first, his family members had recounted, he was reluctant to go but she kept calling his phone and eventually, he left his ‘D’ Field, Sophia home for a location in ‘C’ Field. “He had left home in long-foot shorts,” one family member had said. They were expecting him to return but
family members still believe that she might have played a role in his murder by luring him out of his home via her numerous phone calls. McPherson’s family members had alleged too that a few months ago, he was involved in another dispute with his girlfriend during which she had allegedly used a knife to stab him in his back. Despite the many bloody battles they had, McPherson often told his family members that he loved her. All was usually forgiven after a love spat.
Monday August 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
Suriname is going to make rings around Guyana! Make no mistake about it. Suriname came very wellprepared during the official visit of President Santokhi to Guyana last week. The Surinamese Head of State came with a high-level team and a well-set agenda. Guyana did not have its act together. The only agreement which will mean any benefit to Guyana over the next six months is the agreement on fisheries. All Guyana took to the table were talks and plans. Nothing concrete, apart from the fisheries agreement as finalised. Last November, the Guyanese Head of State, Irfaan Ali, paid an official visit to Suriname during which talks and discussions were held on collaboration between the two countries. It was to be expected that during this reciprocal official visit by the Surinamese President, that the groundwork would have been laid for announcements to be made about the progress made since. The fact that the two sides had to bunker down to long hours of talks during an official visit showed the glaring shortcomings of the preparatory works. The two leaders should have only had to meet to iron out contentious points but it appears, at least from the Joint Communique issued, that some of the discussions were preliminary in nature and that tangible cooperation has not gone very far except in relation to the proposed bridge across the Corentyne River. The Joint Communique shows how ill-prepared Guyana was for the almost three days of talks which took place between the two sides. The Communique noted with satisfaction the collaboration and coordination initiatives in Foreign Policy Coordination and Political Dialogue; Environment; Security; Health; Infrastructure and Transportation; Agriculture;
Investment, Trade and Enhancement of the Private Sector. However, no mention was made of any tangible outcome resulting from this so-called collaboration. Ten months after President Ali’s visit to Suriname, the two sides are only now talking about a possible framework for joint actions/strategy, joint ventures and the promotion of local content to maximise the benefits from the oil and gas sector. So what ever happened to President’s Ali’s vision of an energy corridor between Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana if only now the discussions are about a framework about cooperation in the sector? Why only now is a joint Working Group being formed to establish a joint gas strategy? Guyana has not yet developed a national gas strategy, much less to have a joint strategy with a country, which is likely to be a competitor in the sale of natural gas and its derivative productions. It is not clear how the two sides can have a joint gas strategy. Guyana does not even have a Petroleum Depletion Policy. Its objective is to maximise oil production as much and as fast as possible. And when it comes to gas, Guyana is expected to re-inject as much as 90 percent of associated gas back into the oil wells so as to raise the pressure of these wells. Interestingly, the two sides agreed that an expert mission to Suriname would be led by Bharrat Jagdeo, “given his experience, international visibility and profile in the areas of the environment and climate change mitigation to advance the agreed bilateral agenda regarding the development of a joint strategy for environmental services and climate change.” There is nothing Bharrat Jagdeo can tell the Surinamese, which they do not know. Suriname is far more advanced on the environmental front than
Guyana is. Suriname has a more development environmental programme than Guyana, which is relying on a half-baked programme called the Low Carbon Development Strategy which is nothing but a crude plan to obtain financial resources from reduction emissions from deforestation. The PPP/C does not have an environmental programme. Seven months ago, the President announced that Guyana would broaden its Low Carbon Development Strategy to include environmental services, water resources management, climate resilience, biodiversity, renewable energy, and the marine economy. This promise in itself is an admission of the palpable limitations of the original Low Carbon Development Strategy, which Jagdeo had planned to showcase to the world as a model for reducing emissions while promoting economic development. But that plan collapsed after the disappointment at Copenhagen where Jagdeo was hoping that an agreement would have been reached to compensate countries for keeping their forests intact. Suriname, unlike Jagdeo, did not go after any pipedream. Suriname, like Guyana is a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change. Suriname has leapt ahead of Guyana. It has updated its National Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. What has Guyana done as regards its NDCs? Nothing! And Guyana is sending an expert mission to Suriname? It should be the other way around. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Dem Boys Seh…
De Vee Pee went to Texas Dem boys happy dat de Surinamese President pay a visit to Guyana last week. Was nuff food and drinks pass. And dem local hotel mek money because dem Suriname people come with big delegation. Suh dem private sector people bin happy. Suh happy dat dem put banner over de President table at a breakfast wah dem host. Suriname come well prepared. Dem gat wan top class Foreign Minister. De man is a career diplomat. He wuk with de Caricom Secretariat. He wuk with de OAS. He wuk in he country Foreign Ministry. And now he is de Suriname Foreign Minister. De man is a heavyweight when it come to diplomacy. And Suriname come well-prepare. Dem come with a well plan agenda. Dem come fuh talk bout oil, bout de environment and bout energy. All ah dem area de Vee Pee gat he foot in. But instead of staying hay fuh
help Prezzie with de talks, he jet off to Texas fuh give lecture. But fuh add insult to injury, he carry de Foreign Minister with he. And leff Frank fuh hold de fort. Now dem boys wan know in which country, a Head of State does visit and de Foreign Minister gone with de Vee Pee fuh give lecture. Suriname know wah dem doing with dem oil. Suriname get a beautiful oil deal, Dem get 36 percent taxes; Guyana get zero. Dem get 6.25 percent royalty; Guyana get 2 percent. Dem get 50/50 profit sharing. We get de same. Dem gat 20 percent share in de oil blocks. We hand over we oil blocks fuh free. So while we kowtowing in Texas, Suriname sitting comfortably with dem oil deal and seeing how dem can benefit from we own too. Talk half and find out wah de Vee Pee bring back from Texas!
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Kaieteur News
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Monday August 23, 2021
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Was the “consummate professional” at the New York rally?
I
n response to my column, “Can someone define what a consummate professional is?” last Saturday, I received a number of images of Dr. Vincent Adams which the senders informed me were taken at the PNC/Hakeem Jeffries rally in Brooklyn. These images do not depict Adams against the backdrop of the rally. Adams is posing with Sherod Duncan without the rally attendees in the background. But in the background are
about five persons exhibiting Guyana flags and the place they are standing next to is certainly not in Guyana as far as I can see. But both Adams and Duncan have hanging on their necks blue ID badges that are identical. Duncan w a s a t t h e r a l l y. I n t e r e s t i n g l y, A m a n z a Walton Desir (AMD) is posing with Jeffries with the same ID card around her neck. Adams with the same blue badge is posing with two other persons and that temple-like structure I don’t
think is in Guyana. From the images sent to me, I would say that logical deduction would put Adams at the rally but that may not be so. If political observers want to know if Adams was there then I guess examining the Facebook pages of Duncan, AWD and Adams may tell us. My interest in Adams b e i n g a t t h e J e ff r i e s pantomime is three-fold. First, with the Stabroek News frenetically arguing that he is a consummate professional why would he jeopardise the possibility of being asked to serve again in the state sector in Guyana? Obviously, if he was at the PNC/Jeffries show, then he has dented his opportunity. Secondly, that dented opportunity is easy to understand because the PNC/Jeffries rally is a straightforward anti-Indian demonstration that had two purposes – to help Jeffries
get re-elected in forthcoming congressional elections in the US where his district is predominantly African and West Indian Blacks and also to rally PNC supporters in the diaspora against the Granger leadership. Thirdly, if Adams was there who invited him and if he was invited, did he represent the AFC? Adams currently sits in the AFC’s executive. No high-profile AFC person was noticeable at the rally although Duncan was there. Now here is interesting information I received from a source that I trust and that has given me lots of credible information in the past. The next congress of the AFC is way past its due date. It was to be held last June. My source is 1000 percent sure that Raphael Trotman is not contesting any senior position because of ill health. If Ramjattan runs again for the leader role, it means that would be his fourth stint and the feelings among the remnants of the AFC’s hierarchy is that Ramjattan should give way to another candidate. The talk among these remnants is that Adams should contest either as leader or chairman. My sources tell me that Ramjattan is running again. If that is so then Adams will
not oppose Ramjattan. In the internal politics of the AFC, Adams is seen as one of Ramjattan’s b i g g e s t supporters. Frederick Kissoon Adams will settle f o r t h e chairmanship or criteria and moral laws. The t h e p o s t o f G e n e r a l - group’s shape constitutes a Secretary. The Stabroek violation of the constitution. News keeps referring to It should contain 30 percent Adams as a consummate of women. There are only professional. two women. Five of the nine Adams is not even a parliamentarians are from consummate executive Georgetown not the wide member of the AFC. Adams territory of Region Four but lost whatever admiration the the city of Georgetown. second-tier leadership of the There is no AFC politician AFC had for him when he going into parliament from voted in favour of a highly Regions One, Three, Five, unfair list of those who were Six, Eight, Nine.” accredited to represent the It is left to Adams to AFC in parliament. Please inform the Guyanese people see my analysis of the hand- if he was at the PNC/Jeffries picked process in my column anti-Indian rally. It is left to of Tuesday, August 18, 2020, Adams to explain if he will “PNC should reject the be contesting for top posts in A F C ’s s e l e c t i o n s f o r the AFC’s hierarchy. I guess parliament.” the best person to ask those The list was perhaps the questions is the journalist or most skewed selection in the editor of the Stabroek News history of party politics. who thinks Adams is a Here is what I wrote back consummate professional. then on the issue, “Last Sunday, the AFC has (The views expressed in s e l e c t e d i t s n i n e this article are those of the parliamentarian and it is a a u t h o r a n d d o n o t sordid violation of the necessarily reflect the constitution, elections opinions of this newspaper.)
Monday August 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Monday August 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
Monday August 23, 2021
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Despite Guyana’s inability to meet Liza I demands alone...
Jagdeo dismisses slowing down Exxon’s pace in order to build local capacity D e s p i t e G u y a n a ’s inability to meet the challenges of regulating and managing the operations of the Liza I oilfield in the Stabroek Block alone, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo believes the government cannot stop the pace with which the ExxonMobil led consortium oil companies are developing the Stabroek Block in order to build its country capacity to manage and monitor the industry effectively. This, according to Jagdeo, who on Tuesday was asked about the country’s preparation to manage the industry effectively in light of the rapid pace of development taking into account the country’s limited legislative and other regulatory capacities. ExxonMobil Guyana has to date made some 21 successful discoveries in the prolific Stabroek Block Offshore Guyana already confirming in excess of nine billion barrels of oil equivalent crude with ongoing appraisals expected to increase that amount. The company announced its first discovery in 2015 and four years later in 2019, began producing oil from the Liza I offshore field utilising the Liza Destiny, Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana—has since that time boasted of its record pace developments in the ultradeep offshore Stabroek Block and since received approvals for the setting up of two more oil fields—the Liza II development and the Payara. The Liza II development will be utilising the Liza Unity FPSO currently undergoing its final installations in the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore before setting sail for Guyana before year end where it will be hooked up to the subsea connections for official start up early next year. T h e t h i r d development—Payara—is also currently being developed with its FPSO Hull currently at the same Singapore shipyard for its topsides installation. Plans for a fourth development—Yellowtail—
is considerable advanced. To this end, the Vice President was adamant; the growth of the industry cannot be stopped simply to build capacity as a country, since in his opinion, the two can be achieved in tandem with each other. According to Jagdeo, “for a small country that is moving at the pace at which it is moving, it takes a bit of doing, so we have local people but we are also importing some of the capability and the capacity to do this, we can’t stop the growth of the industry to do this, we have to do it in tandem with the growth of the industry.” To this end, the Vice President noted that as part of the country’s capacity building process, “we have to reform the legislation, the Petroleum Act in Guyana was passed in 1986, now we are busy working to ensure we have a modern petroleum act.” Additionally, the Vice President divulged that as it relates to “the Petroleum Commission, hopefully by the end of this year, early next year, Parliament comes out of recess, we are going to go with legislation on the Petroleum Commission.” As it relates to the nation’s natural Resources Fund commonly referred to as its Sovereign Wealth Fund, the Vice President reiterated this “has to be improved, we have to make it more arm’s length, we were critical of it when we were in opposition.” He qualified his position explaining that the fund is currently not structured in a way where it keeps the politicians away in an arm’s length from the management of the resources, “that has to evolve into a model similar to the Norwegian model not identical.” According to Jagdeo, the country is busy building the management architecture and regime, in addition to strengthening the Environmental Protection Agency, and that “all of this is done not to penalise the sector but to ensure we have predictable regimes.” He spoke to the need for predictable fiscal regimes through and updated production sharing agreement and Continued on page 17
17 well subsea system tied back to FPSO: 8 production, 6 water injection and 3 gas injection wells 5 manifolds: 2 production, 2 water injection, and 1 gas injection 3 production risers, 2 water injection risers, and 1 gas injection riser in lazy wave SCR configurations One dynamic control umbilical tied back to FPSO and 3 static infield umbilicals
LEGEND Production line Umbilical Water Injection Line Gas Injection Line
An artistic rendering of the Liza I oil field set up.
Kaieteur News
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Monday August 23, 2021
Malnutrition, severe dehydration and intestinal parasites among conditions seen at Region One outreach
The GSMSG team at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport before take-off. Tooth Extractions at the Port Kaituma Secondary School. Malnutrition, severe dehydration, internal parasites and bacterial infections accounted for a majority of cases seen at a recent medical outreach held in two Region One communities earlier this month. The outreach was held by the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) and the US Embassy’s Civil Affairs Team in collaboration with their partners. It began on August 2 at Port Kaituma and ended on August 6 at Mabaruma. As a result of the exercise, almost 2500 Region One residents, specifically 1234 from Port Kaituma and 1226 in Mabaruma , received free medical services in various areas such as general m e d i c i n e , o p t o m e t r y, pediatrics, internal m e d i c i n e , d e n t i s t r y, obstetrics and gynaecology, COVID-19 vaccination, COVID-19 testing and HIV testing.
In a recent interview with three of the main players behind the outreach, Shameena Haniff, the General Manager of CIOG; Greg Calbert, the Director if the US Embassy’s Civil Affairs Team; and its medic Roberto Ruiz Acededo, Kaieteur News learnt that a large number of those persons who benefitted from the services provided had conditions of malnutrition and severe dehydration. Acededo, said, “A majority of the cases that we saw had to deal more with malnutrition and severe dehydration and intestinal parasites and a large variety of bacterial infections.” These cases, he continued, were more prominent among the Amerindian population in Region One. He said however that there were similar cases among the local populace whether it was the Guyanese locals or Venezuelan refugees living the area. Apart from noting these
Scores of Port Kaituma residents lining up at the Port Kaituma School to receive the medical services provided. cases, Acededo related, that the medical team also conducted COVID-19 and HIV testing. From these tests, one positive COVID19 result returned and there was also one positive HIV result. Acededo noted too that
US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Ann Lynch visiting Mabaruma alongside the First Lady Arya Ali during the outreach.
Pharmax had also accompanied their team, which consisted of local doctors, nurses and US medical professionals to provide a large variety medication for the patients. Some of the medication provided by Pharmax
consisted of antibiotics and antiparisitics. Available too at the outreach were both doses of the Sputnik and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines and according to Acededo, persons were vaccinated. Greg Calbert, the
director of the US Embassy’s Civil Affairs Team, said that the decision to hold such a large scale medical outreach in the Region One district came as a follow-up to an education training event held in the area in March by Continued on page 17
Persons receiving medical attention at Mabaruma.
Kaieteur News
Monday August 23, 2021
K/News’ security guards charged with murder…
Paper committal process begins The paper committal process for Kaieteur News’ security guards who are charged with murder has commenced in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly. Charged with murder are Yan Licorish, 49, and Tony Waldron. This publication had reported that the two Kaieteur News security guards who are on remand for allegedly killing a homeless man, would go through the paper committal process. A paper committal sees the witnesses’ statements and documentary evidence being tendered to the court without the witnesses being present in court. These pieces of information are inventoried and marked as exhibits. Based on the written records, the Magistrate will take approximately 45 days before giving a ruling on whether there is sufficient evidence for a prima facie case to be made out for the defendants to stand trial in the High Court. Paper committal is one of two methods that are used by Magistrates for serious offences like murder; the other method is a preliminary inquiry (PI). For most cases, a PI is conducted. For a PI, the witnesses are present in court
On remand Yan Licorish (left) and Tony Waldron. to give evidence and the documentary evidence is exhibited to the court before being tendered and marked as exhibits. On their first court appearance in March 2021, Licorish and Waldron were not required to plead to the charge which alleges that between March 15, 2021 and March 16, 2021 at the Kaieteur News’ Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown office, they m u r d e r e d 5 8 - y e a r- o l d , Mohabir Singh popularly known as ‘Emile’. It was reported that around 08:30hrs on March 16, 2021, Singh’s lifeless body was found by an employee under a shed on the Kaieteur News’
premises. The employee had gone to remove a truck when he saw Singh’s body lying in its tray. As a result of the discovery, the matter was reported and the police arrested the two security guards. Both men were subsequently charged with murder. A post-mortem examination had revealed that Singh died as a result of brain haemorrhage due to blunt trauma to the head. This publication had reported that Singh had been homeless for some 25 years due to his drug addiction. His son, Mohinder Singh, had told this newspaper that his father was a wealthy gold smith who owned his own Continued on page 17
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Man who went to court with cutlass in search of Magistrate jailed Thirty-nine-year-old Julius Anthony Mootoo, who went to the Whim Magistrate’s Court armed with cutlasses in search of Magistrate Renita Singh, was jailed for his actions. The incident occurred on August 9, 2021, around 8:05hrs. According to the police, Mootoo, of Lot 80 Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, Corentyne Berbice, concealed the weapons and e n t e r e d t h e c o u r t ’s compound through the front gate. It was reported that the defendant posed as a person attending court to gain entry. However, upon entering the compound, Mootoo started wielding the cutlass while enquiring about the
Jailed, Julius Anthony Mootoo whereabouts of Magistrate Singh. As a result, the clerk of court raised an alarm and summoned a party of police who immediately intervened
and secured all the persons in the compound. Efforts were made to arrest him, but Mootoo managed to escape. On August 13, 2021, police acting upon information received, went to Miss Phoebe Port Mourant, Corentyne Berbice, where they saw Mootoo armed with a cutlass. The ranks managed to arrest him and he was placed in custody. Mootoo was subsequently charged with causing public terror and carrying an offensive weapon. The charges were laid under Section 137 (1) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:02. Mootoo later appeared at Continued on page 17
Kaieteur News
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Human Services launches first business incubator dedicated to women - Free WIIN App also takes off
Inside the newly launched business incubator of the GWLI located at Cove and John, East Coast Demerara. The country’s first ever business incubator dedicated to women was launched last Monday under the auspices of President Irfaan Ali and Human Services Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud. The facility by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security is poised to help thousands of women in the coming months to start up, sustain, and market small businesses. The event also saw the launch of the Ministry’s free WIIN App that will link women from all across the country, allowing them to promote their businesses and garner support from both local and international markets. The App which will be managed by the
women business owners is expected to be available on phones in a few weeks. The idea of supporting women in this manner was conceptualised by Minister Persaud during the height of the pandemic last year when she recruited 120 women from across the country to produce thousands of face masks for various agencies. During the launch held at t h e G u y a n a Wo m e n Leadership Institute (GWLI), Cove and John, East Coast Demerara, Minister Persaud reflected on how she thought that the paid initiative with the women should not stop there; thus came a series of other rollouts by her ministry, including the
recently launched Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN), a free comprehensive training programme with no admission criteria that is open to women of all ages. All the courses are accredited too. S o f a r, t h e W I I N programme has seen more than 4,000 applicants countrywide with over 500 already trained in Regions Three, Four and Five, Six in I C T, g r a p h i c s d e s i g n , professional care, among others, and according to Minister Persaud, the remaining number of women will receive their training before the end of this year. “I wanted women to Continued on page 17
Monday August 23, 2021
Youth who allegedly stabs drinking buddies killed with his own knife Roy Boston who allegedly stabbed three of his drinking partners during a brawl on Saturday night was reportedly killed by his cousin at a rum shop located in Swan Village, Linden/Soesdyke Highway. According to police reports, sometime around 22:15hrs that day, 18-yearold Boston was among his family and friends at the shop when a heated argument turned deadly. It was reported to the police that Boston pulled out a knife and dealt one of the men there a stab to his left side waist and another to his left side back. A resident of Swan, who resides just opposite the shop, told Kaieteur News yesterday that it was Boston who started to behave in a disorderly manner, which escalated things. According to the woman, the young man who was armed with a knife started to
Roy Boston at the scene where he collapsed after being fatally stabbed.
Dead, Roy Boston cause trouble with some of the men who were at the shop. There she said a fight broke out which caused Boston to inflict the injuries on three of the men. She added that the Boston’s cousin, who was there too, was trying to get him to control himself by attempting to take away his
knife. The resident recalled that Boston ended up attacking his cousin and in a bid to defend himself, the cousin got a hold of the knife and reportedly inflicted the fatal injuries about Boston’s body. Police reports revealed that Boston received a stab wound to his left side chest and a cut to his right thumb finger. His body was taken to the Diamond Hospital where he was pronounced dead by a doctor. Police sources confirmed that Boston’s cousin who reportedly escaped in an unknown direction that fatal night, turned himself in yesterday morning and is in custody assisting with the investigation. The 18-year-old’s body is presently at the Memorial Gardens where it is awaiting a post mortem examination.
Monday August 23, 2021
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Kaieteur News
...Malnutrition, severe dehydration and intestinal parasites among conditions seen
T&T joins UK’s 30by30 alliance for marine protection NEWSDAY - Trinidad and Tobago has become one of the latest country to join the Global Ocean Alliance and the High Ambition Coalition (HAC) for Nature and People, an environmental initiative developed by the United Kingdom. Planning Minister Camille Robinson-Regis and British High Commissioner Harriet Cross made the announcement on Saturday. The alliance now consists of 54 countries, which aims to protect at least 30 per cent of the global ocean in Marine Protected Areas and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures, two separate designations, by 2030, a programme referred to as the “30by30 target.” Robinson-Regis issued an official letter to the UK’s Minister of State for Pacific and the Environment Zac Goldsmith committing the TT government’s support for the target. She said joining the alliance bolsters the government’s efforts towards conservation and sustainable use of the country’s biodiversity resources. “The Cabinet of TT recognises that by joining the Global Ocean Alliance and the High Ambition Coalition, the Government of TT will
support the adoption of a ’30 by 30' target for land and ocean in the post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, under the Convention on Biological Diversity.” British High Commissioner Harriet Cross congratulated the country for joining the alliance and coalition, saying, “When we protect our natural environment, we protect people and animals and help develop resiliency to climate change in TT and globally. “It is only through global alliances and cooperation that we can reach the target to protect at least 30 per cent of the global ocean by 2030. “The UK reaffirms its commitment to working with TT to increase protection of its precious marine environment and wildlife.” In a release the Ministry of Planning and Development noted that, “TT’s membership of the (alliance and coalition) will serve to benefit the country’s environment as well as its economic activity.” Since 80 per cent of socioeconomic activities and 70 per cent of the country’s population are located along the coast, becoming a member of the HAC, the release said, “will demonstrate multilateral
and cooperative global leadership, and thereby afford TT a voice in advancing the need for support to achieve its own conservation and preservation objectives, and effective management of protected and conserved areas, including through financing efforts.” The HAC for Nature and People is an inter-regional group, led by Costa Rica, France and the UK established to reverse the trend of biodiversity loss and revive ecosystems that are critical to the survival of species and humanity. “It will also promote the integral role that additional terrestrial and marine protection must play in the mitigation of greenhouse gases under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,” the release said. “Scientific evidence indicates that effective protection of at least 30 per cent of the global ocean will help to reverse adverse impacts, preserve fish populations, increase resilience to climate change, and sustain long-term ocean health. It also serves as a good example of a naturebased solution/ecosystembased approach.”
...Jagdeo dismisses slowing down From page 13 acknowledged that the country has “had some criticisms of that too, Guyana did not get enough in the first one we sign, so we make sure that we are going to improve that.” He said that as it relates to the safety, regulatory and environmental aspects, the revamps are meant to ensure that “the company know what they can expect and this is good because it helps them too for planning purposes and it helps the country to safeguard its asset …we are in the process of dealing with it all.” To this end, he reaffirmed, “we can’t stop the growth of the industry to do this; we have to do it in tandem with the growth of the industry.” The reality on the ground however exposes Guyana’s glaring capacity deficiencies as was recently highlighted by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), Country Manager Sophie Makonnen. The IDB Country Manager in an interview with this
publication had said, “…I know that people are worried and I understand. I understand how the world works and why they are worried. But there has been, maybe not enough work done. I think that the next two or three years is critical. The pace to prepare has to speed up. It cannot be what it has been in the last one to five years. It had to speed up.” Asked to say why she highlighted the next two to three years as critical, Makonnen posited, “I am just looking at the cycle of when the other oil fields are coming in, cycles of development, political cycles and all of that. So I am saying that it cannot take 10 years to get ready. You can’t…It took a long time to get Guyana where it is in terms of what has been done and there’s still a lot to do. So you cannot take another five years to continue.” The IDB has been one of Guyana’s key partners in developing its capacity to manage the oil sector. To this end, it has given Guyana several loans, one of
which included strengthening the Technical Functions of the Department of Energy. This was approved on December 17, 2019 and totaled US$ 606,062. The objective of this project is to provide immediate support to operationalise protocols for management and compliance monitoring of the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) through improvements in general monitoring and enforcement standards during administration procedures, production control and verification processes. It is also intended to provide general training and support to key agencies within the oil and gas regulatory framework with specific attention to the use of the contract management systems; and provide a platform for the dissemination of best practices for software solutions for compliance monitoring and for operating requisite internal control systems to maintain data integrity and accuracy in the sector.
First Lady Arya Ali posing for a group photo with the team during the medical outreach. From page 14 his team and the Global Surgical and Medical Support Group (GSMSG), a US based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) . “When we went there in March, we identified the services that were needed and we came back to Georgetown and worked with CIOG and several other organisations who all came together to provide medical support to the residents of Region One”, Calbert told Kaieteur News. Calbert added that US Civil Affairs team has been in Guyana since 2004 and is hoping to continue with the same momentum of holding such large-scale outreaches at least
two to three times per year across the country. He explained that previously, his team did smaller outreaches in the country but this was the first one of such a large scale and he is hoping that they can pull off another one together with CIOG early next year. According to Calbert, the team is aiming to visit the Region Seven district next. Meanwhile, Haniff, CIOG’s General Manager related that her organisation has been collaborating with US Civil Affairs team for more than a decade now and is looking forward to continue working together to provide such services to Guyanese in the
future. Haniff also expressed gratitude to all of CIOG’s partners who assisted in making the Region One medical outreach a great success. Among those partners were the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Office of the First Lady, Arya Ali, Pharmax, the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS), the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Cancer Society, GSMSG, a medical team that came from the United States (US), the Cheddi Jagan Dental Scholl, MEGATRON Guyana, the Diaspora Auxilium and all of the relevant authorities of Region One.
...Human Services launches first business From page 11 move away from conventional types of employment; to start to think like bosses. But it’s not only about the training. Do you train people and then just leave them? What next?” she said. The Minster said the business incubator is the next step, allowing those who come through the WIIN programme with an official certificate to start up a business with assistance from qualified personnel attached to GWLI. In fact, the beneficiaries of the incubator do not
necessarily have to do the WIIN programme. Women will be assisted to source funding and networks to improve and expand their businesses. President Ali noted that Government is trying to create a winning culture among women. He noted that the country’s booming economy will necessitate all that the incubator is providing for and noted how the economy is transitioning into a level of sophistication that will require “an ordinary task to be done extraordinarily.”
In order to meet the demands of the sophisticated companies that will come to do business in Guyana, the president said these initiatives and programmes are critical to giving entrepreneurs the early advantage, which they need to build their brand so it can be sustainable. “In creating a winning culture in Guyana, we have to move from the ‘I’ concept to the more ‘we and us’ concept. The changes and opportunities that will come...are coming for all of us,” he said.
...Paper committal process begins From page 15 business at West Ruimveldt, Georgetown. However, because of a drug addiction, which he developed in his 30s, Singh
ended up losing everything and eventually he became homeless. He was placed in rehab twice and came out a “brand-new man” but soon returned to his old habits,
Mohinder had related. The son also revealed that his father had even spent some time in jail, where he wrote the CXC exams and was a high achiever.
...Man who went to court with cutlass in search From page 15 Whim Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Ravindranauth Singh, who read the charges to him and he pleaded guilty.
As such, he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment on each charge, the terms of imprisonment will run concurrently.
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Monday August 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
Body of unidentified man found in Vreed-en-Hoop PROPERTY FOR SALE
VEHICLES FOR SALE
Robb,Charlotte,Norton,Mc Doom,Betterhope, Enterprise,East Coast,Zeelugt, Uitvlugt & Adventure Essequibo. Ray's Realty,627-9685.
Toyota Tacoma (year 2011) GXX series excellent condition. Call:610-4242 or 6266722.
WANTED
SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040
Puri Roti Cooks.Apply @Shanta's,225 Camp & New Market Streets. Experience welders between ages30-45.MechanicDoosan & Excavator operator. Tel:223-5273/74. Taxi driver & dispatcher at Princess taxi.Located at RamadaPrincess Hotel.Tel:616-5419,2657075,265-7076. S e a m s t r e s s , Ta i l o r w a n t e d . Te l l : 6 9 1 - 1 9 1 8 whatsapp.
FOR SALE Pure breed german shepherd pups,11 wks old. Price $100,000.Call:615-6589/ 650-0347. 1 6x6 Truck,1 Freightliner,1 Sylphy,1 Hilux LN 172,1 JCB loader.Tel:673-4002/ 665-3676.
Wanted Masons, Carpenters, Labourers & Welders. Contact: 602-9469, 657-5800, 666-2887. Counter attendants.Apply @Shanta’s,225 Camp & New Market St. One mature general domestic.Must be able to cook.Must be COVID vaccinated.Tel:628-6724;MF,5-7pm. Experienced cook,bartender and waitress for newly openedLounge Bar. Attractive salary.Call:610-3974.
FOR RENT Unfurnish 3 bedroom upstairs & 3 bedroom downstairs house.New Road Vreed-en-hoop.Call:6433170 or 688-4604. Furnish & unfurnish apt 1 bedroom,2 bedroom,3 bedroom. Diamond,Providence & H e r s t e l l i n g E.B.D.Call:682-6238. Business:Hadfield St,Garden of Eden & Paradise.Residence: Meadowbank,Ogle & Paradise. Contact Ray's Realty 627-9685.
Gardener for Subryanville. Must be able to work with dogs. Contact:225-5818. Taxi and Minibus drivers to work and keep. Call: 2253234/628-1183. Able body porters needed.Apply@Why Pay More Trading,7 Public RD Houston E.B.D with application. Chowmein machine operator/steamer.Apply in person R.P Enterprise area 'k' L e R e s s o u v e n i r E.C.D.Call:220-2818/3710. Boy and girl to work in factory. Applyin person. R.P E n t e r p r i s e a r e a 'k'LeRessouvenir E.C.D. Call: 220-2818/3710.
LAND FOR SALE C a r m i c h a e l St,Queenstown,Middle Rd,Bartica,Friendship,Garden o f E d e n , Ya r a k a b r a Soesdyke Highway. Ray's Realty 627-9685.
Police ranks at the Vreeden-Hoop Police Station are currently investigating the circumstances that led to the death of a man whose body was found on the side of Vreed-en-Hoop New Road, West Coast Demerara (WCD) on Sunday. According to a police report, an unknown caller reported that the body of the unidentified man was discovered around 07:30hrs. He was clothed in a brown short sleeved jersey, blue jeans and white sneakers. The man was immediately rushed to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) by public spirited citizens where he was examined by a doctor and pronounced dead. No marks of violence were found on the man’s corpse, which is lying at the WDRH mortuary awaiting identification and autopsy. The deceased is of East Indian descent and appears to be in his 30s. Investigations are ongoing. WANTED VACANCY C l e a n e r, m a i n t e n a n c e worker,labours to work with P.S.G.C.S.Call:621-6969 or 615-7784,7-4pm. Porter and Welder/Serviceman. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 231-2250. One female cashier & one malewelder/fabricator@Del ice Co.Call:642-9191/2311408,8am-1pm. Auto Electrical apprentice age 19-25 yrs.Apply in person, Lot 120 Forth Street Albertown G/Town or call 610-0340. Person to assemble bicycles. Apply in person at Alabama Trading.65 Robb Street Bourda. Cook/Baker,Kitchen assistant & Pitmen for interior location.Applicants must be experienced.Call:231-2250. One clerk for TSI Eccles office.English& Mathematics,grade 1 or 2. Email application:techserigy @yahoo.com or call 6429823. Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles,age 25-50,Car/Van licence.Call:642-9823. Maid to cook and clean for East Bank.Call:615-9132. 1 part time experienced canter driver.Call:626-6722. Security officers male & female 18+. Lamaha St between Waterloo & Parade. Call:223-4172/632-0510. S&S security service having vacancy for security officers. Contact urgently:6916081/226-8645.
The body of the unidentified man
COVID-19 death toll moves to 594 The Ministry of Health yesterday reported that three more persons who contracted the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease have died. As a result of this, the country’s COVID-19 death toll has moved to 594. According to the Ministry, the latest fatalities are that of a 75-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man both from Region Three
(Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and a 62-year-old man from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). It was reported that all three persons succumbed to the virus last Friday while receiving treatment at a medical facility. Further, the Ministry via its daily COVID-19 dashboard recorded 112 new COVID-19 i n f e c t i o n s ,
bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24,336. Presently, there are 16 patients who are admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 102 persons in institutional isolation, 1,260 in home isolation and six in institutional isolation. To date, a total of 22,364 persons have recovered from the disease.
Police forced to quickly dispose of unidentified bodies to cut cost The Guyana Police Force (GPF) recently hinted that it is moving to dispose of unidentified bodies as quickly as possible just to cut cost. Kaieteur News was able to obtain this bit of information after a post mortem examination was conducted on an unidentified accident victim last Wednesday. The victim, according to police, is a male in his late 60s who was reportedly struck down by a car around 20:20hrs on Monday August 9, along the Better Hope Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD). The Force is also seeking the public’s help to identify the remains as soon possible. If no one comes forward within two weeks, it will be buried by the State in an unmarked grave following approval from the court. The move by the Force to perform an autopsy on the man’s remains so quickly without it being identified caught Kaieteur News’ attention, as it is not a common practice by GPF. Normally, unidentified bodies would remain stored for long periods, sometimes years before an autopsy is done or they are disposed of. A former divisional commander and a serving Assistant Commissioner of Police, explained that the reason why investigators would opt to not perform autopsies on unidentified bodies is because there would be no name available
The man who was killed in a tragic car accident is yet to be identified.
Deputy Director of the Force’s Corporate Communication Unit (CCU), Stan Gouveia.
to file an official report for the records. In other cases, especially those of suspected murders, investigators would prefer to not dispose of the corpses right away because should they do that, there would not be any further investigation into the matters. In seeking answers regarding the force’s rush to dispose of the accident victim’s body as soon as possible, this media house made contact with the GPF’s Corporate Communications Unit (CCU). In response, the Deputy Director of CCU, Stan Gouveia pointed out that to store a body, it costs money. He explained that the longer the body remains stored, the cost keeps going up while
adding that it is proving to be a financial burden to the GPF. In this recent case of an autopsy conducted on the unidentified accident victim, Gouveia explained that a court order was granted by a judge. The judge, he continued, signed the legal documents for the autopsy to be conducted on the body in the presence of police officers. After determining his cause of death, the corpse was handed over to State and will be buried in an unmarked grave if approval is granted. Gouveia said too that due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the GPF is trying to conduct autopsies on identified bodies as quickly as possible so that they can be handed over to their family members for burial.
Monday August 23, 2021
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Kaieteur News
Fawad 124*, bowlers give Pakistan control
Jayden Seales is pumped after making a breakthrough Aug 22, 2021 © Getty Images
ESPNcricinfo - Pakistan find themselves on top at the end of day three thanks to Fawad Alam’s unbeaten 124, but they have both the opposition and time if they are to level this series. Things went reasonably enough to plan for Babar Azam’s men in the 53.2 overs that were possible, with West Indies’ top order desperately engaged in damage limitation against Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Afridi at twilight. The openers and Roston Chase were already back in the pavilion, with the hosts trailing by a further 263 runs with two days to go. The West Indian innings might have spanned merely 18 overs on Sunday, but felt like it would be the defining period. Pakistan had to press
Monday August 22, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Some technological gadgets that you make copious use of may go out of whack today. This could prove frustrating for you, but don't vent your frustrations on them. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) If you're single, you might meet someone new and exciting today. You might feel this is the perfect partner for you. Be cautious! This wonderful new person may have money problems or be jealous and possessive. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You might have some important work to do at home, Gemini, but unexpected visitors might have other ideas for your day. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Electronic communication could be difficult today, Cancer. Everything that can go wrong might go wrong phones, email, copiers. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Money problems may seem to be escalating, Leo, and you could be hard-pressed to find a way to deal with them right now. The situation is temporary. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Some technological gadgets that you make copious use of may go out of whack today, Virgo. This could prove frustrating for you, but don't vent your frustrations on them. That wouldn't help! Stay calm and call in a professional to fix the problem.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Sudden psychic insights that seem important could come your way today, but you could be confused about their meaning. This might bother you today unless you write your thoughts down. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You and some friends might spontaneously decide to do something adventurous, such as take a trip out of town. This might be fun. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) News of an unexpected career break could come your way, Sagittarius. This can be exciting and it should make a big difference in your life. This time definitely calls for some modesty. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Are you taking a long-distance trip by air? Postpone it if you can. It might end up being slow and tedious. If you must travel, be prepared for delays, lost luggage, or bad weather. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Your subconscious mind is active today. You might have psychic insights and some odd dreams. However convoluted they may be, they're trying to tell you something. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) This isn't a good day to get together with your romantic partner, Pisces, or even talk on the phone at length. Keep your conversations brief and make arrangements to meet in a few days.
the issue as they look to level the series, and a solid passage of play here for the hosts might well have dealt a decisive blow to those hopes. Kieran Powell has been out of form for a while now, and when he offered his front pad to a Shaheen Afridi delivery that looked like it had been programmed to hit middle stump, it was little surprise. Kraigg Brathwaite’s dismissal felt like a bigger moment, the West Indies captain playing all around a textbook left-arm inswinger that crashed into his stumps. West Indies were down two wickets for nine, and there was still an hour to go. These are dream bowling conditions for Mohammad Abbas, and a blank wickets column should not detract from his devastating ability. The subtle seam movement that threatens both edges of the bat was on full display; at times the batters looked as at sea about the direction of travel as they might to a welldisguised googly. There were thick edges through the slips, stifled lbw appeals, and just brilliant intensity when he had ball in hand. That Chase and Nkrumah Bonner found a way to hang on seemed like it might be vital, but Abbas had softened Chase up for Faheem Ashraf. It was the sort of dismissal Abbas might be proud of, with a length ball shaping back in off the seam, keeping a shade low and ripping past a bat Chase could not get down in time. Under rapidly deteriorating light, Alzarri Joseph was sent out to be the nightwatchman, and managed to stave off further damage to his side. Despite bright sunshine on a day where 98 overs were originally scheduled to be bowled, only eight balls were possible before lunch had to be taken. A wet patch around the bowler’s run-up at the Michael Holding end was the culprit, with Jason Holder
...‘I wasn’t watching Sha’Carri’…’ From page 22 Jamaican 100m medallist, who in total have 8 Olympic medals between them and three of the four fastest times in history, might have been a stretch. “I didn’t hear much of that,” Thompson-Herah said when quizzed on the American’s pre-race comments. ”No comment on that,” the athlete added when asked for her assessment of Richardson’s performance.
bowling only two balls from that end before asking for the umpires to get involved. Lengthy discussions that involved the captains, coaches, umpires and match referee followed, before officials decided to break for lunch early. The middle session was at times as soporific as the weather delays over the past four sessions had been, with just six runs scored in the day’s first ten overs. Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf eventually brought up the 50run partnership, but were, in truth, going nowhere, even though Pakistan needed to force a result. Much of that was thanks to regimentally disciplined bowling, with the quick bowlers allowing few run-scoring opportunities. Those wicket-to-wicket lines paid off, with both men dismissed lbw. Faheem was the first to go, leaving a gap between bat and pad that Seales hones in on, while Rizwan moved too far across to Holder and caught himself stuck in front. Nauman Ali was dispatched for a first ball duck, and suddenly Holder found himself on a hat-trick, while West Indies sniffed a collapse. The man of the day for
Pakistan, though, is indisputably Alam, who continues to make a mockery of his decade-long exclusion from the national side with his fourth hundred this year. He had come back on after retiring hurt on the first day, and following the flurry of wickets at the other end, realised it was time to kick on. A flick of the wrists that brought him four broke the shackles, and he found himself inching towards three figures. A pull to midwicket took him to the landmark, and as the dressing room rose as one, Fawad raised his bat; he had overseen a Pakistan fightback in the session and ensured they ended the innings on their terms. After tea, he kicked on in an entertaining 35-run stand with a cavalier Shaheen Afridi, and when the number 10 batter fell, Babar called his players back in. It felt only right that Fawad went in undefeated, and, ever the team man, might have set Pakistan up for a remarkable series-salvaging win in the time that remains. Stumps: West Indies 39 for 3 (Afridi 2-13) trail Pakistan 302 for 9 dec (Alam 124, Azam 75, Searles 3-31) by 263 runs.
Kaieteur News
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Monday August 23, 2021
Yordenis Ugas upsets Manny Pacquiao via unanimous decision Yahoo Sports - LAS VEGAS — The WBA took the belt that Manny Pacquiao won in the ring away from him in January and gave it to Yordenis Ugas. But on Saturday at TMobile Arena, Ugas won the welterweight title fair and square, landing at a far
higher percentage than the 42-year-old Filipino senator in what may have been his final fight. Judges had it 116-112 twice and 115-113 for Ugas, who is now 27-5 and was a 41 underdog. “He’s a great competitor, but I won the fight,” said
Ugas, who credited his jab with helping him to win the fight. Ugas landed 59 percent of his power shots, touching Pacquiao repeatedly down the stretch with his right hand. His size and reach seemed to cause Pacquiao difficulty and Pacquiao had a
tough time getting inside. Ugas used the jab early to keep Pacquiao on the outside. After the seventh round, he started to go more and more to the right hand and was landing the better shots. Pacquiao, who was supposed to fight Errol Spence Jr. on this night, was philosophical after the loss. “That’s boxing,” he said. Pacquiao said he had
difficulty moving the way he wanted. He didn’t look as quick or as flashy as he did during the bulk of his legendary career, when he became one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport and one of the most popular of his era. Pacquiao, who may run for the presidency of the Philippines, said he wasn’t sure if he’d fight again. “I need to relax and then
make a decision,” he said. He said he’d make a decision on a presidential run next month. His future is clearly in politics at this point. He’s certainly not the fighter he was and though he would have beaten many fighters on this night, he wasn’t enough this time to beat the man who was standing in front of him. Pacquiao fell to 62-8-2.
Manny Pacquaio (right) was good but not good enough, not at 42, not against an opponent as capable as Yordenis Ugas.
18th IPF/NAPF/Pan American Regional Powerlifting C/ships
DoS Ninvalle applaud Team Guyana on their performance, commits to Govt. continued support By Franklin Wilson in Orlando, Florida compliments of Pele Alumni, Fitness Express and the Trophy Stall Following the excellent performance of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) seven member team at the 18th Annual NAPF/FESUPO Pan-American Regional Powerlifting Championships which ended on Saturday evening here at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Orlando International Airport, Florida, Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle has congratulated the team for representing the nation well. Team Guyana won a total of eight (8) medals (6 gold, 2 silver) during the three day competition with a number of the athletes setting new Pan American records whilst also achieving Personal Best lifts. The lone female on the team, 47 year-old Nadina Taharally (76 kg Masters 1 Classics) started off competition on Thursday last with a Gold medal, with 52 year-old Franklyn BrisportLuke (66 kg Masters 2) copping Silver medals in
both the Classics and Equipped segments of the championships. Gold medals were also won by the elder of the team Nairanjan Singh in the 83 kg Masters 4 Equipped, Gordon Spencer (93 kg Masters 3 Equipped), debutant Roger Rogers in the 120 kg Masters 2 Classics and the baby of the team, Carlos ‘The Showstopper’ Petterson who copped two Gold medals in the 93 kg Open Classics and Equipped competitions. Speaking with Kaieteur Sport, Ninvalle, on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana said that they are overwhelmed with the performance of the team in Orlando where six out of the seven members medaled; noting that such a performance must be applauded. “Over the years, the powerlifting federation has been continuously putting out excellent medal performances at this level and we at the NSC will continue whatever we can to make sure that this sport keeps on developing. Of course the NSC would have provided support for
this team to get to the championships and we want to congratulate each and every member of the team starting with the President, Mr. Spencer who would have led from the front himself with a gold medal. We want to salute the team and let them know that they have made Guyana proud. You’ve made the NSC proud, you’ve made the Federation proud and you’ve made yourselves proud.” Ninvalle also shared that the NSC is looking forward to engage the Federation and team on their return to Guyana and to initiate discussions on the way forward and how the NSC can further assist in the continued development of the sport. “The NSC would also like to specially single out Mr. Naranjan Singh, the eldest member of the team at age 77 years-old for his awesome performance. There aren’t many sports that you have athletes at this age participating and again, on behalf of the government and people of Guyana, we would want to congratulate Mr. Singh.”
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Monday August 23, 2021
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Jamaica’s girls set 4x100m world U20 record on final day as country end championships with 11 medals
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portsMax Jamaica had a medal-filled final day of the 2021 Wo r l d U n d e r 2 0 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya yesterday capped by a gold-medal run in worldrecord time by the Women 4x100m team. Jamaica won seven medals on the final day and 11 medals overall that included two gold medals. The team of Serena Cole, Tia Clayton, Kerrica Hill and Tina Clayton, clocked a world-record 42.94 to win by about 10m over a fastfinishing Namibian team that ran 43.76 for the silver m e d a l . I n t e r e s t i n g l y, Namibia’s anchor Christine Mboma clocked an astonishing 9.86s on the anchor leg. Nigeria ran a season-best 43.90 for the bronze medal. Jamaica’s winning time broke the previous world record of 43.27 set by Germany in 2017. The time also erased the championship record of 43.40 set by Sherone Simpson, Kerron Stewart, Aneisha McLaughlin and
Simone Facey when the championships were held in Kingston in 2002. It was Jamaica’s third gold medal of the championships following those won by Tina Clayton in the 100m and Ackera Nugent in the 100m hurdles. Earlier, Jaydon Hibbert jumped a personal best 16.05m to win the silver medal in the triple jump competition won by Sweden’s Gabriel Wallmark with a mark of 16.43m, a Swedish national U20 record. Frenchman Simon Gore jumped a personal best 15.85m for the bronze medal. Jamaica also won a silver medal in the discus in the form of Ralford Mullings who threw a personal best 66.68m to finish behind the now two-time champion Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania who won with a new championship record of 69.81m. Raman Khartanovich threw a personal best 62.19m for the bronze medal. Devontie Archer was an unexpected medalist in the
Jamaica’s girls set 4x100m world U20 record at the 2021 World Under20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya. 400m hurdles after he finished fourth in a new personal best of 49.78. However, Sweden’s Oskar Edlund, who crossed the finish line first was disqualified which meant that Archer was promoted to third and a medal. Neutral athlete Denis Novoseletsen won the silver after he too ran a personal best of 49.62 with the gold
going to Turkey’s Berke Akcam whose winning time of 49.38 was a national U20 record. Jamaica mined three additional silver medals in the relays as the 4x100m team of Alexavier Monfries, Bryan Levell, Andrew Gillips and Sandrey Davison clocked an area record 38.61 behind South Africa World U20 record of
38.51. Poland was third in 38.90, which is a new area record as well. The final two medals came in the 4x400m relays in which the teams delivered strong performances. The girls ran 3:36.57 to claim silver behind Nigeria’s winning time of 3:31.46. Italy was the other team on the podium clocking
3:37.18. The boys clocked 3:05.76 in a valiant effort to finish second to Botswana, who took the gold medal in 3:05.22. Kenya clocked 3:05.94 for the bronze medal. Overall, Jamaica finished fifth on the medal table with three gold, six silver and two bronze medals at the championships.
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Monday August 23, 2021
Romelu Lukaku: Striker ‘unplayable’ on second debut for Chelsea in win over Arsenal
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BC Sport - It was a move seven years in the making and 10 years since he last wore the shirt, but Chelsea proudly declared on their website earlier this month that Romelu Lukaku had “come home”. His second debut, against Arsenal yesterday, turned into a dream afternoon as Lukaku opened the scoring in an “unplayable” performance which the player himself described as “dominant”. His strike was his first goal for the club, having failed to hit the net in his three years and previous 15 appearances at Stamford Bridge between 2011 and 2014, when he was a peripheral figure and never given a Premier League start. European champions Chelsea coasted to a 2-0 victory over their wellbeaten London rivals and the early signs are Thomas Tuchel’s side will take some stopping this season with Lukaku on board. ‘What a start for Lukaku’ Belgium international Lukaku returned to “the club
he supported as a kid” for a second spell after moves to Everton, Manchester United and most recently Inter Milan, to whom the Blues paid a handsome £97.5m. That fee made Lukaku, 28, the Premier League’s second most expensive player of all time, after Manchester City’s £100m Jack Grealish. Against Arsenal he did not disappoint, showing the kind of form that saw him rebuild his reputation in Italy - scoring 64 goals in 95 appearances and helping Inter Milan to a first title since 2010 - after a difficult time at Manchester United. Lukaku began in perfect fashion, tapping in after just 14 minutes with his third touch of the game and celebrated by putting his finger to his lips. Only a superb save from Bernd Leno denied him a second, touching Lukaku’s diving header onto the bar. Overall, he completed 19 of his 20 passes against the Gunners and contested 15 duels, more than any other player. “What a start for Lukaku,” boss Tuchel told BBC Radio 5 Live. “In the
beginning he struggled to touch the ball a little bit. Then he was very well integrated. “He proved his value for the squad already. He linked really well with Mason Mount and Kai Havertz up front and gave something to the game that we did not have already.” Asked about his performance, Lukaku told Sky Sports: “Dominant, I would say. I try to improve every time. I have a long way to go but today was good to win. “I worked hard throughout the week. We knew it was a big game and we did well. As an individual, I want to help the team and I want to continue doing that.” ‘His touch was immaculate’ L a s t s e a s o n , Ti m o Werner scored just six times in the top flight, despite having an expected goals (xG) rate of 11.5, whereas Lukaku netted 24 goals from an xG of 23.8. As a team, Chelsea scored 58 goals in the league with a conversion rate of 10.4%, down on Inter Milan’s rate of 16.1% as they
Lukaku (right) gave Arsenal defender Pablo Mari a particularly torrid afternoon. (EPA)
netted 89 goals in winning the title. Lukaku impressed with his main strength, holding up the ball with his back to goal, and gave Arsenal defender Pablo Mari a torrid time. He was serenaded by the Blues supporters situated in a corner of Emirates Stadium, who continued to sing his name long after the final whistle. Lukaku responded by waving and applauding before patting the badge on his shirt. “I think it has been a brilliant debut from Lukaku,” said BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Clinton Morrison. “He went away and improved his game. He
‘I wasn’t watching Sha’Carri’…’ - Jamaican sprint queens mum on No comment’disappointing Richardson performance
Ashleigh Barty, of Australia, holds the trophy after defeating Jil Teichmann, of Switzerland, to win the women’s single final of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament, Sunday, Aug. 22, 2021, in Mason, Ohio. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Last placed Sha’Carri Richardson after the race during an interview as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and others are in the background. of Tokyo after returning a positive test for marijuana. Ahead of the Wanda Diamond League, many framed the race as an Olympic do-over for the American, who certainly headed into the event skyhigh on confidence with plenty of pre-race chatter to boot. It did not go to plan. Richardson finished last in 11.14, and at the end of the race, the Olympic do-over had the same three medallists as the original. On Richardson’s placing and p r e - r a c e c h a t t e r, t h e decorated sprint queens had
no comment. “I wasn’t watching Sha’Carri to be honest,” Fraser-Pryce, who went viral for a cheeky post-race smirk as she passed by the American being interviewed, said. “No, you shouldn’t have,” Fraser-Pryce replied when anyone should have really been surprised by another Jamaican sweep. Fraser-Pryce may well have a point, perhaps expecting Richardson, who is yet to win a major medal, to match up to the in-form (Continued on page 19)
Chelsea finished fourth last season, 19 points adrift of winners Manchester City, but lifted the Champions League and have started this season with two victories from their opening two games without conceding a goal. Tuchel added: “We are still in reality. We were fourth last season and we needed help from our rivals. We are capable to produce top performances - this is what we have proved in the last half a year - and we would like to continue. “We have the feeling that we have something to improve and we just want to close the gap.”
Barty makes short work of Teichmann in Cincinnati final
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portsMax Jamaica double O l y m p i c champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah, had no comment regarding the prerace comments of Sha’Carri Richardson after handing the American a crushing defeat at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday. Thompson-Herah clocked a new personal best of 10.54 in the women’s 100m, just outside of the longstanding world record set by Florence GriffithJoyner in 1988. Similar to the finish at the Olympics a few weeks ago, her compatriots Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.73) and Shericka Jackson (10.76) were second and third. Heading into the race, however, the focus had been on the return to the sprints of American Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson had run 10.72 in April and won the US trials to set up the prospect of an intriguing match-up at the Olympics. T h e 2 1 - y e a r- o l d w a s , however, suspended ahead
knew what he had to work on. “People used to complain when he was at Manchester United that he did not have a great touch, but today his touch was immaculate. He knows when to pass the ball, when to run with the ball and was unlucky not to get a second. He is going to be a brilliant signing. “Last season when the ball was coming out, Werner was not holding it up and I think with Lukaku in the team it will help the likes of Werner, who is not a natural number nine. Chelsea have that now and Lukaku was unplayable.”
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P - MASON, Ohio (AP) — Top-ranked Ash Barty won her fifth title of the season, taking eight of the last nine games from wild card Jil Teichmann for a 6-3, 6-1 victory in the Western & Southern Open final yesterday. Barty, who won her first Wimbledon title in July before getting upset in the first round at the Tokyo Olympics, now has plenty of
momentum heading into the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 30 in New York. Te i c h m a n n h a d a surprising run to the final, upsetting second-ranked Naomi Osaka, Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic and fourth-ranked Karolina Pliskova. “This is where you belong,” Barty said to Teichmann during the postmatch ceremony. “You played exceptional tennis
this week.” Barty, of Australia, broke Teichmann’s serve to take a 5-3 lead in the first set, then won the next six games. In the second set, the Swiss player received medical attention on her heavily taped right foot during a changeover. Men’s Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev was facing Andrey Rubliv in t h e m e n ’s f i n a l l a t e r yesterday.
Monday August 23, 2021
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