Kaieteur News

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AIETEUR

Bandits interrupt

August 28, 2021 - Vol. 14 No. 32

post mortem examination to rob dead’s relatives

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GWI was in a state of crisis - Infested with corruption, bankruptcy, mismanagement - Minister Rodrigues p. 2

West Dem Hospital employee remanded for stealing p. 17 COVID-19 booklets

Man in soldier’s 14p. uniform robs betting house with accomplice

Berbice youth remanded p. for rape of minor 9

Woman trails three bandits who robbed her; slams one into gutter with car p.17

Man busted with 0.6 grammes of cocaine tells cops:

“I was only trying to take p. home food for my son”12

EPA, other stakeholders examining legal framework for EIAs p. 8

@11:00hrs on K/News owes ex Pres. Donald Ramotar Kaieteur Radio and Winston Brassington $55M for Libel 99.1/99.5FM

Saturday August 28, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 02

GWI was in a state of crisis - infested with corruption, bankruptcy, mismanagement - Minister Rodrigues

By Kiana Wilburg

W

hile it is well known that the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) offers crucial support for the nation's economic wellbeing, it appears that post 2020, it was not managed with any regard or reverence for its role.

Expressing this viewpoint among others was Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues. During her maiden appearance on Kaieteur Radio's Programme, Governance, Corruption and Justice, the Minister noted that GWI was found in a state of crisis; it was fraught with mismanagement and corruption.

The Minister said, “When we took office, GWI was in crisis, it was bankrupt, it had not received a subvention for five years and so it owed the Guyana Power and Light over $7B…The bank balance for GWI was reduced by $1.8B in five years. From August 2015 to 2020, the operational costs had increased by $1.1B and this was regardless of the two tariff increases, one in October 2018 and October 2019, almost 100 percent it

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues increased by.”

She added, “I don't know if people realised that and also not just the bank balances and increase in spending but GWI owed suppliers over $800M and 80 percent of that was long overdue. And of course, the company was infested with corruption. One of the biggest scandals involved the purchase of the SeaQuest.”

In June, Kaieteur News had reported that the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) has been called in to investigate suspected financial irregularities at the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) and among them was a US$9M contract for a water

treatment chemical called SeaQuest.

These financial irregularities allegedly took place while the coalition government was in power, under ex-boss, Dr. Richard Van West-Charles.

Informing media

operatives of the development was the current Managing Director (MD), Shaik Baksh, who also detailed that a forensic audit of the company is currently ongoing. Baksh had pointed out that there was a questionable water chemical contract, which cost Guyana some G$1.8B over a fouryear period, or almost US$9M. According to Baksh, the money was used to solesource the water purification product, SeaQuest, through a middleman, from the manufacturer, an American company called Aqua Smart Inc. The product is a trademarked combination of chemicals used to reduce or separate the iron content from the water as part of the purification process.

“They have a middle company doing the

procurement and then mixing, batching the product and transporting it to all Regions. So a middle man was there sourcing (the product) from Aqua Smart and this was sole sourcing,” the GWI boss had told reporters.

Baksh said that by doing this, the then management of GWI breached all the tender processes, both at GWI and the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).

Further to this, Minister Rodrigues pointed out that GWI was without the necessary materials to do basic connections thereby leading to an application backlog of over 5,000.

She said, “There were no basic spares, parts, pumps, supplies, no materials. There were 5,200 applications for new water connections that were sitting there and they

couldn't do anything about it because simple hardware they did not have in the inventory. The company was just bare, it was a shell.”

The Junior Minister added, “There was not a single meter in the inventory so they couldn't install any meters or service connections too. Since coming into office, we have been through the application backlog and it was cleared. We now have over 2,000 new connection applications and we are working on that.”

Rodrigues was keen to note that measures in the 2020 and 2021 budget have also allowed for her Ministry to be able to restock GWI's inventory and get the agency up and running efficiently. “…Management is now doing a good job in that regard,” the Minister concluded.

Bandits interrupt post mortem examination to rob dead's relatives

R

egion Four police are hunting three men who reportedly interrupted a post mortem examination that was being conducted yesterday at the Memorial Gardens in the Le Repentir Cemetery, Georgetown, so that they could rob the

The Memorial Gardens that the bandits entered to rob the relatives of the deceased relatives.

A police report identified the relatives as a 24-year-old female vendor and a driver, 34.

The two victims were robbed by the three men reportedly armed with a gun around 08:30hrs.

Investigators reported that the victims were in the Memorial Gardens waiting for the autopsy being performed on the body of their relative to be completed.

During this time, the men barged in.

One of them took out a handgun and held them at gunpoint while the others relieved them of their gold jewellery worth some $127,000, smartphones valued at a total of $75,000 and $50,000 cash.

After robbing them, the men fired two shots in the air before escaping and allowing them to continue with the autopsy.

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 28, 2021

PAGE 03

Elections fraud cases…

Trial deferred, prosecution to properly catalogue SOPs and SORs T

he trial for the persons charged with electoral fraud will commence only after the prosecution properly indexes and labels the Statements of Polls (SOPs) and Statements of Recounts (SORs), so that it can be disclosed to the court and defence.

This is the latest development on the matter, which was yesterday called in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan. It was adjourned to October 11, 2021.

The trial was expected to commence yesterday for Chairperson of the People's National Congress (PNC), Volda Lawrence; former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo; A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) activist, Carol Smith-Joseph; GECOM's Information Te c h n o l o g y O ff i c e r – Enrique Livan and GECOM Clerks: Michelle Miller, Sheffern February and Denise Bab-Cummings.

However, when the matter was called, the court heard that there is additional evidence to be disclosed.

The matter was faced with delays since it was held via Zoom, which had proven to be difficult for some of the defendants who had a hard time logging on to the online platform.

The Chief Magistrate and the junior prosecutors in the matter appeared from in the City court, while the defendants, their lawyers, attorney-at-law Darshan Ramdhani, who is the head prosecutor in the matters and reporters joined the hearing virtually.

Ramdhani in his address to the court explained that after copying the SOPs and SORs and going through it in its entirety, they noticed that some of the pages were not copied properly and found to be indecipherable. As such, he made an application to the court for more time to sort out the thousands of copies for each constituency.

The head prosecutor further noted that they made nine copies of the SOPs and SORs, but unfortunately, only three were deemed to be legible. He added that the three bundles were sorted

PNC Chairperson, Volda Lawrence

Former GECOM Region Four RO, Clairmont Mingo

Denise Bab-Cummings Michelle Miller out and is ready to be handed over to the court and defence along with video evidence.

Those three bundles of the SOPs and SORs were brought to court in three clear containers, however, when Magistrate McLennan enquired if they were properly labelled and separated so that the court can easily document it; she was informed that it was parceled off but not to the extent she had queried about.

Chief Magistrate McLennan then suggested that the evidence be properly sorted out and that bolder labels be put on the containers and each parcel of SOPs and SORs before disclosure is made – both the prosecution and defence agreed with this.

The matter will continue in October before the Chief Magistrate and by then the prosecution is expected to be ready to hand over the properly sorted out and indexed SOPs and SORs, so that full disclosure can be made to the court and the defence.

The court heard that after disclosure is made, a decision will be taken on how the trial will be conducted since some of the

defendants have joint and individual charges. Lead prosecutor, Ramdhani, yesterday attempted to make an application in this regard but Chief Magistrate McLennan suggested that, that will be done after full disclosure is made.

Prior to the discussion on the indexing and sorting out of the SOPs and SORs, the matter was delayed for over 30 minutes since some of the defendants were left in the Zoom waiting room due to the fact that they failed to join the virtual meeting using their correct name making it easy to identify them.

Earlier this year, the Chief Magistrate had ruled on the mode of trial for Lawrence, Mingo and Smith-Joseph's court matter.

The Magistrate had ruled that the matter will be tried summarily.

Kaieteur News had reported that the Defence Attorneys had asked the court for the matters to be tried indictably, which means, that a preliminary inquiry (PI) will be conducted in the Magistrates' Courts and if

APNU+AFC Activist, Carol Smith-Joseph

Sheffern February

Enrique Livan

sufficient evidence is found, the matter will then be sent to be tried before a Judge and Jury in the High Court.

However, the special prosecuting team objected to the matter being tried indictably and had asked the

court for the matters to be tried summarily, which means, that the matter will be (continued on page 18)

PAGE 4

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 28, 2021

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

Oil companies and honouring responsibilities The State of Louisiana along America’s Gulf Coast has a problem. Louisiana’s severe environmental problem poses significant risks to its coastal communities, as reported in a Washington Post article, and shared with Guyanese under the title, “In Louisiana, oil companies seek bankruptcy, sells assets to evade cleanup bill” (KN August 8). Our fear is that what is happening in Louisiana could occur in Guyana, with dire consequences to this poor nation.

In a prior editorial “How the real Exxon operates” KN July 19, we used a Wall Street Journal article as basis, to enlighten readers how big-name, deep pocketed oil companies drain places of oil riches, then pack their bags, and leave the garbage and costly headaches behind for the locals to cleanup. Now, the Washington Post story go to lengths in revealing the rate of coastline loss, impacts on communities, and the reactions of the private oil companies and the overseeing Federal government. In sum, companies have not been held accountable, and the public is left holding the huge costly bag.

Chevron, BP, and Shell are oil companies with a global reach and footprint. In their time, each explored, discovered, produced, and reaped rich results from oil finds in the Gulf of Mexico. To produce the oil, the three companies dug canals “through the wetlands to build and service pipelines.” As should be expected, it is an extensive network of canals laced with pipelines, which inflicted two dangers and disasters on Louisiana.

The first is that the canals opened pathways for saltwater to flow into the marshes, which accelerated the spreading coastal erosion; while the second, is that the spider webs of oil pipelines “are hindering the solution.”

There is a third problem meaning, that BP, Chevron, and Shell which own the pipelines do not want to be saddled with the responsibility to decommission the pipelines. All three companies are seeking protection from Federal Bankruptcy courts to evade their obligations, now that the fields have been fully exploited. The obligations to decommission the oil infrastructure is a costly one, and to the tune of US$9 billion. It is one that BP, Chevron, and Shell are determined not to pay, which is why they are selling assets and seeking bankruptcy protection, so as to shirk footing the multibillion-dollar decommissioning bill.

For its part, the Federal government, which has oversight responsibility in these matters, has also been a shirker in enforcing the rules and regulations in place. Agency after agency have been slow in drawing the line, with the result is that powerful corporate oil behemoths collect the sweetness of oil production, and having drained that dry, they leave the bitterness of costly decommissioning behind. In the end, when all the foot-dragging and finger pointing have been exhausted, all roads end up at one place: the public pays, meaning taxpayers are held to ransom, with oil fortunes gone.We took the time to lay this out to illustrate the power of oil companies, their rapacious and self-serving culture, and the collaboration of willing governments made weak by oil lobby, oil money, and well-placed oil assets, human and otherwise. If this can happen in America, the odds are higher that it can happen in Guyana. That is, where the poor and strapped Guyanese taxpayers are left holding the bag to take care of the detritus (garbage) that Exxon and others leave behind. We are not comforted, and no Guyanese should be, with the US$220M to be reserved by 2024 by Exxon to cover decommissioning costs. This is with good reason, on which we now expand.

Exxon has not been straight up in its dealing with this country (costs). Exxon has not been fair with this country (contract). Exxon has not partnered honestly with Guyanese, but has manipulated and controlled Guyana’s political leaders (gas-to-shore). Exxon has not been clear and convincing on environmental best practices (flaring). Exxon has not been a trusted partner, but a shady conspirator with political leaders and private sector cum civil society operators. Because of all this, Guyana sits on potential environmental problems, of which it does not know, and seem not to care. After all, the taxpayers will always absorb the bills, just like in the United States.

Public Works Ministry lacks competency to execute development projects DEAR EDITOR, In an article which appeared in the news media on August 24, it was reported that the Public Works Minister (PWM) exhorted Guyanese to ensure that contractors produce superlative projects and that they should report instances of sub-standard works executed within their communities.

Firstly, contractors do not execute development projects to produce superlative showcases in order to satisfy their whims and fancies, but do so in accordance with their contractual obligations, as they are specified in their contracts’ drawings and specifications. Secondly, construction sites could be dangerous areas and generally, the public is not allowed to wander around them because of safety and liability concerns. Therefore, it appears that the minister is opening a ‘can of worms’ for the Government when he should be addressing the problems his Ministry faces.

Further, it is difficult to comprehend how the public’s oversight of the construction of development projects for the Ministry of Public Works

would give Guyana value for money, as the minister claims.

The minister expressed his concern about the overpayment to contractors for contract works not done.

However, it seems that he has failed to address the problems at its source and is skirting the issues with extraneous proposals instead of employing competent professionals, discipline corrupt staff and award contracts only to qualified contractors.

A development project is usually designed by competent professionals, who prepare the drawings and contract specifications. A contract for construction of the project is then put out to tender.

A qualified, not necessarily the lowest, bidder is then selected who should, among other qualifications, have the experience and financial capability to execute the works. Supervision of construction is done either inhouse or by selected competent professionals. A development contract would be either lump sum or itemised with each item priced accordingly.

Before construction starts on a lump-

Alternative route needed for sand trucks damaging Diamond Scheme roads DEAR EDITOR, Land preparations for housing as well as the construction of bypass roads behind DDL and north of the established Diamond Housing Scheme are in progress.

For months now huge sand trucks in sporadic convoys deliver sand to this site every day and sometimes at nights. They use the Diamond Scheme roads, particularly Third Avenue and the northernmost perimetre road for this activity.

To date this ongoing exercise has caused severe damage to the named roads. Huge craters, cracks, depressions and shoulder breakages are now pervasive along the route.

The trucks are now seeking out the new connecting roads to avoid the ones they have damaged and find difficult to navigate.

As a long-standing member of the community in the Diamond area, I would like to h u m b l y (Continued on page 5)

sum contract, the contractor should be required to itemise his contract with appropriate cost and time. This itemised breakdown of his lump-sum contract with respect to cost and time is then reviewed by the client. Both parties have to be in agreement with this document before construction starts and then it becomes part of the contract document.

The supervisor monitoring construction uses this document, together with the contract drawings and specifications, to check construction progress and authorises partial payments to the contractor.

He also recommends to the client when the contractor fails to perform and clauses in the contract document would state the penalties to be applied, including cost recovery for non-compliance.

The minister has the responsibility to check that development projects are designed, and their supervision of construction is carried out by qualified professionals. If overpayment to any contractor is found, the minister should check if any malfeasance was committed. If found, he

should have then taken appropriate disciplinary action, including cost recovery, against those responsible; but he should not expect the public to do the work what the Ministry of Public Works has paid contractors to do.

It is evident that the Ministry of Public Works as well as other Government ministries lacks the technical competence to execute development projects, as many of the contracts being executed throughout the country have been suffering from large cost and time overruns, as well as the execution of sub-standard work.

Therefore, there is urgent need for the minister to institute a system to vet the quality and competence of contractors, as well as the Ministry of Public Works personnel responsible for the planning, design and contract execution of development projects. Where applicable, appropriate action should be taken against those who fail to perform in accordance with their mandate.

Yours truly, Charles Sohan

GTT’s response to customer’s troubles DEAR EDITOR, I write in response to a letter published in your newspaper on August 27, 2021, under the caption ‘With GTT I thought my troubles were over, but it only got worse’

by Dale Thorne.

Again, I would like to thank the customer for highlighting this issue and giving us the opportunity to resolve the matter affecting him. I regret that our valued customer, Mr. Thorne, was greeted with an unfortunate experience upon visiting our office to resume his service.

We have personally

contacted him and have since restored his service.

At GTT we are working diligently to improve our processes in line with our new company mission, and key customer promises to reliably connect our customers, strengthen our community, and innovate for all in our country, as we pivot GTT to become a 21st century customer centric organisation.

Sincerely, Eshwar Thakurdin Chief Operations Officer Home & Fixed Services, GTT

The Congressman should extricate himself from Guyana’s Crab Dance DEAR EDITOR, Recently, a racist demonstration was organised against the Government of Guyana and the PPP/C Party in New York.

In addition to the wild unsubstantiated racial talk, this group has been attacking American policy of firmly establishing and defending democracy in all countries of the Americas and in particular Guyana.

Their attacks have been focused on American Ambas-

sador, Her Excellency Sarah Ann Lynch, who in the best traditions of the Star Spangled Banner courageously defended her country’s policy.

Her defence of democracy has won the admiration and support of the entire world - The European Union; the ABC countries; CARICOM; the OAS; and the British Commonwealth.

This racist group had managed to enlist a Congressman in its demonstration and inveigled him into attacking

American policy of defending democracy in Guyana.

We would strongly hope the Congressman would (1) ascertain the bona fides, past reputation and present mo-

tivation of those with whom he is “tying bundle” (associating). (2) do due diligence and ascertain the factualness of the racial abuse to which he seems to have given some endorsement (3) to note that the entire Diplomatic Community supported Ambassador, Sarah Ann

Lynch, in her defence of America’s democratic policy (4) the complaints by some American citizens to the Democratic and Republican parties that the Congressman had attacked America’s policy of supporting democracy in

Guyana and making unsubstantiated racist statements.

It may be wise for the Congressman to extricate himself from this Guyana Crab Dance.

Yours sincerely, Paul Validum Ramlochan

Saturday August 28, 2021

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

IN SUPPORT OF THE VACCINE TO PROTECT THE NATION DEAR EDITOR, As I travel coast to coast interacting with people for a survey, I uncover mixed feelings about taking the vaccine and the public’s view on the state mandating it for government services. I need government services. I am fully vaccinated. So I have been able to gain entrance in all government offices to avail myself of varied services. Those not vaccinated have been stranded outside of government offices.

I support vaccination and urge the public to take the vaccine. However, as my interaction with the public and as respondents in a survey I am conducting have revealed, people are hesitant to take the vaccine. People are also misinformed and confused about vaccines including its potential effects and which one to take or reject.

Preliminary findings of a survey I have been conducting over the last two weeks indicate that the greater number or majority of the population is in favour of taking the vaccine and believe that everyone should take it. Those who are vaccinated also support government policy of mandating vaccination for accessing state services or employment. Most, but not all, supporters of the PPP endorse government policy on the vaccine and in taking it.

But a large number of the public is also opposed to vaccination and most are supporters of the official opposition PNC (APNU); AFC supporters are in favour of taking the vaccine. More than half of the supporters of the coalition opposition are in

favour of taking the vaccine.

Most of the opposition politicians have taken the vaccine. Many of their supporters say they were told by political leaders not to take the vaccine and to resist government efforts to mandate it.

There is no sensible, scientific reason for the opposition to discourage their supporters from taking it.

It is not known how many people have been administered with at least one dose of the vaccine and the infection rate among the varied ethnic groups. But survey data suggests over 50 percent are vaccinated, more Indians and Mixed than Africans. The poll was not able to query too many people in hinterland or outlying regions.

It also appears that the infection and death rate is lower among Indians and Mixed than among Africans, not surprising since more Indians and Mixed appear to have been vaccinated than the other groups. More data is needed to draw exact conclusions on vaccination, infection, and deaths among the various groups. In the US, Blacks and Hispanics have the highest un-vaccinated rate. They also have the highest infection and death rates.

In Guyana, people have resisted taking the vaccine for various reasons – religious, political, health, mistaken belief of its impact on sex (virility) or births, freedom to defy government, democratic rights, etc. As a political scientist, I subscribe to the view that people have fundamental democratic rights but these are not absolute when the national safety of the citi-

zens is at stake. Government has the power to and can curtail rights. As someone who studied and taught US Constitutional law, the court, Congress, or parliament (with a bill) can limit these rights when national security is invoked as US Supreme consistently ruled over the last 245 years. The state has the power to mandate certain actions in order to secure the lives of citizens. Fundamental rights are suspected during war and pandemic.

All civil rights are restricted in an emergency medical situation.

Thus, because of the deadly Delta and Lambada variants, the state can claim emergency authority to mandate vaccination to protect the public. The public and staff need a safe working environment. Employers have a statutory duty to provide a safe working environment.

Requiring vaccine for service and for employees is a greater good for the public. It can be mandated as reasonable since this pandemic threatens our safety. But it is better to convince people to take the vaccine rather than mandate it.

Vaccination should be undertaken through moral suasion rather than coercion.

Lives are at stake. In order to avoid lengthy litigation, government should have doctors and health specialists speak with and convince labour leaders, opposition politicians, and religious leaders about the safety of the vaccine and how it will not affect peoples’ health or violate their religious beliefs.

False information is being spouted out especially

among Africans; they are being misled by their political leaders who are discouraging them from taking the vaccine although they themselves took the vaccine. The WHO recommends vaccine. It is not a threat to one’s health. The vaccine itself does not kill.

Related health issues kill people. As an illustration, a popular pandit from Bush Lot succumbed to the virus out of misunderstood effects of the virus. He encouraged followers and his family to take it. But he himself did not and died from COVID. His family members who were vaccinated survived the COVID infection. Had he taken it, he may very well have been around with us.

The public must be exposed to the facts of the vaccine. Less than one percent of those vaccinated have suffered adverse effects. Efficacy of some vaccines (produced in India, US, and Europe) is very high.

The efficacy is as high as 95 percent, except for the Chinese, which is substantially lower. Some five percent of those vaccinated may not be helped by the vaccine, but they will not die from taking it. Chinese vaccines have lower efficacy rates than the others and many have died from COVID even after being vaccinated with them. But they did not die from the vaccine. The Chinese vaccine it is better than no vaccine. For people who are vaccinated, death may be avoided if they are infected with Covid if they don’t have other underlying conditions. As US stats have shown, when people are vaccinated, hospitalisation de-

clines. Death rates also decline. And vaccination rate is going up in parts of the US. Where there is low vaccination, hospitalisation is high as well as deaths. The government must make every effort to convince the opposition to join it in the effort to get the supporters of the latter to take the vaccine.

Most, but not all of the opponents of the vaccine in Guyana and the US, as well are Christians and oppose it because of their faith. They are opposed to the COVID vaccine in a contradictory position on being vaccinated.

These very same individuals took other vaccines like rubela, yellow fever, hepatitis, polio (a tongue drop), etc. It is a contradictory position. Or is it a political position just to oppose the government?

As a Biochemist scientist, I can say that the science on vaccination is very clear. I believe in the science. The nation must be guided by the science.

Opposition affiliated labour unions should re-consider their position and join government effort to vaccinate the population. More and more countries are issuing mandates that one can’t travel to certain countries without the vaccine. I should note that the US government has mandated that no visas

to the US will be issued to anyone who is not vaccinated.

Those very people opposed to taking the vaccine would do so to get the US visa. Is that not political or religious hypocrisy? I also note that negative COVID results of tests are mandated for travel into the US. Also, businesses are requiring the vaccine or the PCR test.

Delta requires all employees to be vaccinated or leave the job.

One can’t cry that civil rights are being violated when you threaten other peoples’ rights. These same unvaccinated individuals also don’t wish to mask up or social distance. If you don’t wish to take the vaccine, what is the alternative to stem COVID infection?

Mandates and passing bills may not convince people to take vaccines. And even if a bill is passed, how does one overcome religious objection? Incentives should be given to take the vaccine. The public should reconsider resisting taking the vaccine; since they are exposing themselves, families, and the public to infection and death by not getting vaccinated. I had both doses since February and have not suffered any adverse effects.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Alternative route needed...

From page 4 suggest that the trucks be made to use the road between Toolsie Persaud New Building and the DDL compound where there are no residential homes.

Editor, I would be most grateful if you publish my letter so that the relevant agencies can take note and action for an alternate solution to this problem.

Yours faithfully, Randolph Giddings

PAGE 6

Some attention is needed

DEAR EDITOR, Could the present Minister of Health say what is the present status regarding the Specialty Hospital? I wrote in the year 2018 and the then Minister of Public Health replied stating that the present government is trying to locate a piece of land on the east coast of Demerara to build the hospital.

The Specialty Hospital is an arrangement between the government of India and the Guyana government.

For a long time now, most of the tradesmen in Guyana are of the shortcomings as stated below.

-Dishonest in their dealings with clients, taking money advances in order to purchase materials, -And never showed back with the materials.

-Unreliable in meeting agreed timelines.

-Sometimes slip shod work performance.

I would suggest very strongly that thru the consumers’ association, and government, that a code of con-

Saturday August 28, 2021

Kaieteur News

duct be established, and if on default penalties should apply, they should all be licenced.

On the Georgetown Seawalls, I have written three times on this subject most recently, last week. I wrote on the lawlessness that goes on.

On the seawall on a daily basis, trampolines, unruly vendors, loud, loud music, etc. I said before now, that there is a lot of space on the western side of the Georgetown Seawall, and therefore all the vendors, trampolines, music should be moved down there.

As I said before, that an enhancement programme was undertaken by the First Lady, she did a good job with millions of Guyanese taxpayers’ money spent on this project.

I now got the feelings that this project was just a “show” by the First Lady. My question to her is, when last did she visit the Georgetown Seawall to see the lawlessness that goes on? she must go there on a visit, unannounced.

Best regards, Senior citizen

GTU is ‘messing around’ and not being honest DEAR EDITOR, I find it most preposterous that “With immediate effect, the Guyana Teacher’s Union (GTU) announced … that it is withdrawing from participating in the present assessment of schools and all other planned engagements with the Ministry of Education over the recent vaccine requirements put in place.”

Like to be defiant is one thing, but to be so, in the face of common sense and at the risk of endangering a nation is quite another.

I go back to December 2020, and I hope to enlighten the entire GTU. I remind all that at the time, UNESCO and Education International (EI), the global federation of education unions, issued a call to governments and the international community, to consider the vital importance of vaccinating teachers and school personnel.

The message was clear and resounding. It stated that “Reopening schools and education institutions safely, and keeping them open as long as possible is imperative.

In this context, as we see positive developments re-

garding vaccination, we believe that teachers and education support personnel must be considered as a priority group.”

So, it is not a Guyana thing.

The international cry is “… that countries should take critical measures regarding teachers, in the global pandemic, including the protection of teachers and students’ health, safety, and well-being.”

So, to the GTU, and its Head, Mark Lyte, I say ‘wake up and quit the machinations.

The Education Ministry is spot on with its policy of urging “… teachers who are yet to get vaccinated, to use this period to do so before the reopening of schools. ” Attaching some conditions is perfectly in order too, so I am with the Ministry, as it also outlined that “… teachers who do not wish to get vaccinated, are required to submit a negative PCR test once per week.

Those who do not report for duty will be marked as absent.”

For Mark Lyte and those he is speaking for, I again highlight that Guyana’s situ-

THE UNION IS IN DISARRAY DEAR EDITOR, First the union walked away from schools’ assessments and is now seeking free PCR tests for those of its membership not desirous of taking the vaccine.

The walking away from the assessment of schools has to be seen as petty and anti-national, while its free PCR test is just ludicrous.

The union is in disarray as that side promoting disunity and disharmony through its anti-vaccination stance.

Shamshun Mohamed

ation herein is a bit tardy.

Guyana should have been embarking on mandatory vaccination for the teaching fraternity some time ago.

As far back as April 2020, at the global level, it was pointed out that “… school closures disrupted the learn-

ing of almost 90 percent of students worldwide … (and) while that number has dropped since, there

continues to be an unsupported assumption that closing schools may slow the spread of the disease, despite increasing evidence schools are not the driver of community mission.”

This explains

that main transwhy

“UNICEF is calling for teachers to be prioritised to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, once frontline health personnel and high-risk populations are vaccinated.

This will help protect teachers from the virus, allow them to teach in person, and ultimately keep schools open.”

Who can debate that the longer children remain out of school, the less likely they are to return, and the more difficult it is for their parents to resume work?

I submit, therefore, that in the light of scientific, medical, and social evidence, that GTU is ‘out of order.’

For your consideration, Erin Northe

Natural Resources Ministry needs to explain “50 mmscfd of associated gas” DEAR EDITOR, Could the Ministry of Natural Resources explain where the ‘guaranteed minimum of 50 mmscfd of associated gas’ (Ministry of Natural Resources public notice 25 August 2021) will come from if ExxonMobil has only four percent to spare of the 75 mmscfd of gas after the FPSOs Liza Destiny and Liza Unity and Liza Prosperity are re-injecting 96 percent of the associated gas back into the source rocks of the Liza-1 and Payara oil fields by the end of 2024 to maintain reservoir pressure? That four percent from the three Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels totals 3.0

mmscfd (four percent of 75 mmscfd = 3.0), a big difference from 50 mmscfd in the MNR’s advertisement. Are the ExxonMobil field development plans wrong about the amount of associated gas per production well?

Has ExxonMobil changed its intentions of re-injecting almost all associated gas, for which there is effectively no international market? Has the Government of Guyana failed to measure how much associated gas has actually been produced and flared by FPSO Liza Destiny since December 2019?

Yours truly, Janette Bulkan

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Saturday August 28, 2021

Kaieteur News

Guyanese academic, Dr. Terrence Blackman, informed Guyana and its Vice President, what should be done and the examples to be followed, to avoid the dreaded resource curse.

Sadly, Dr. Blackman could have saved his wisdom and his breath.

We say this, because it is now crystal clear that the PPP Government and Bharrat Jagdeo don't listen to Guyanese whose insights clash with whatever exists in the heads of their inner circle, and what could disturb Exxon's visions.

This reality in our dear land, we must stand up against!

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

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Saturday August 28, 2021

EPA, other stakeholders examining Legal Framework for EIAs S

taff members at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Ministry of Legal Affairs, and other related stakeholders, recently participated in a virtual workshop focusing on the Legal Framework for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) in Guyana. The activity got und e r w a y o n M o n d a y August 23 and concluded Wednesday August 25.

The workshop was executed by the Improved Access to Justice in the Caribbean (IMPACT Justice) Project, which is a regional civil society justice sector reform project funded by the Government of Canada.

IMPACT Justice has been operating from within the Caribbean Law Institute Centre at the University of

the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus, since 2014.

Recently, the importance of EIAs has come to the forefront in Guyana as the country navigates its newfound oil wealth and considers the environmental, economic and social implications on its growth and development.

It is Canada's hope that this development will be sustainable and supported by the appropriate legislative and policy frameworks to protect the environment for generations to come. EIAs are an important tool in ensuring this sustainable development.

In 2018, IMPACT Justice conducted a review of Guyana's EIA model as part of a wider analysis of Caribbean EIA provisions, which was shared with local stakeholders in 2019.

Subsequently, in 2020, the project worked with the EPA to review its Environmental Protection Act. This current workshop was a follow up to that review and addressed topics such as “An Overview of the Guyana Environmental Protection Act,” “Emerging Issues in EIA Litigation,” “Shortcomings of the EPA Provisions,” “Policy Review of the Guyana EPA” and more.

Canadian High C o m m i s s i o n e r, M a r k Berman, in delivering the feature address during the o p e n i n g c e r e m o n y, explained, “The aim is not to impede development, but rather to predict potential environmental impacts in the early stages of project planning and design in order to find ways to reduce adverse impacts and to

provide decision-makers with solutions. In effect, EIAs serve as a policy tool for governments to weigh the environmental, economic and social pros and cons of development.”

“Failure to undertake this type of due diligence could result in costly and harmful effects down the road,” he added.

High Commissioner Berman also spoke about other support Canada provides to environment and climate protection in Guyana including the $20M CanadaCaribbean Resilience Facility with the World Bank, which provided technical expertise to improve the construction methodology of the East Demerara Water Conservancy dam, speed up its construction, and reduce the risk of flooding in affected communities.

In responding to High Commissioner Berman, Executive Director of the Environmental Protection A g e n c y, M r. K e m r a j Parsram, stated that the

workshop is a “timely collaborative effort” as the EIA is a critical component of the EPA's statutory mandate and functions.

“The importance of understanding this legal framework which governs EIAs cannot be overstated and it is important that we continue to be engaged in improving our processes in keeping with the Environmental Protection Act - more so, in the light of Guyana's new and developing petroleum sector which brought with it concerns about new and potential significant impacts on the environment,” he stated.

“Such realities require our staff at the EPA, members of its Board of Directors, members of the Environments Assessment Board, our colleagues from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other sister agencies to enhance their understanding of Guyana's EIA framework,” he added.

The facilitators of the

workshop were Dr. Fiona Pompey-Handl, an attorney specialising in environmental and development legislation, who worked as a legal advisor on environment, sustainable development and health issues for the Government of Guyana from 1990-1995, Ms. Christine Toppin-Allahar, an attorney-at-law who prepared environmental, planning and coastal zone legislation for countries such as Guyana, Grenada, St. Lucia and Antigua & Barbuda, and Dr. Thérèse Yarde, an environmental specialist with over 20 years experience in the biodiversity and environmental sector of the region.

This Environmental Impact Assessments workshop is the second major workshop that IMPACT Justice has conducted in Guyana since the start of the year. The “Sound Policy for Better Law” workshop for Permanent Secretaries and other senior public officials was held in May.

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 28, 2021

PAGE 09

IS THIS HOW IT IS DONE? I

have noticed that some policemen driving around in their fancy vehicles are stopping cars on the road and instead of approaching the driver with whatever requests they have, are sitting in their vehicles while the driver of the stopped vehicle has to exit his or her vehicle and approach the parked police car to find out why the police stopped them in the first place.

This is not standard operating procedure. The recommended manner for a patrol – whether or not driving in a luxury vehicle – is for them to signal by means of a siren that they wish the driver of the vehicle to pull over. When this is done, the driver of the stopped car should never exit the vehicle.

This is a dangerous practice since a police vehicle noticing that a driver who has been pulled over has exited his vehicle may come

to the wrong conclusion, either that the driver is about to make a run or is about to do something dangerous.

Thus, the correct procedure is for a policeman from the patrol car to cautiously approach the stopped car and to then speak to the driver of the stopped car, who should at all times remain seated with his/her hands where the officer can see them.

This positioning gives the rank a distinct advantage in the event of any hostility.

What we are witnessing however in Guyana are police ranks in bulletproof vests having motorists run to them as if the motorists are their children. This should not be, and I hope that the Commissioner of Police makes it clear to his officers about the standard operating procedure when pulling over a vehicle.

The police ranks must be the ones getting out of their

car. They are not on a joy ride and they must not have the drivers of the stopped vehicles running back and forth with the various documents that they are requesting.

It is equally important at this time, also, that the Commissioner of Police makes an unambiguous statement concerning whether traffic cops can hold on to the driver's licence of a motorist that they have stopped. It seems to be quite common these days that the first document that many traffic ranks request when they stop either a motor car or a motor cycle is the driver's licence.

Many traffic ranks have a habit of holding on to this licence and ordering the motorist who may have breached the law to go down to the station. The holding of the licence is used to ensure that the person turns up at the station.

Berbice youth remanded for rape of minor

T

wenty-one-yearo l d A r f a n Shasudeen, of Port Mourant, East Berbice, Corentyne, was on Monday placed on $120,000 bail when he appeared in court for allegedly raping a minor.

Shasudeen appeared in the Whim Magistrate's Court

Dem

boys seh...

D

em lil picknee putting dem elders to shame.

Dem lining up fuh tek dem jab while some ah dem parents mekin all kind of styles and excuse.

But dem children tekin in dem ABC and dem know more about de virus dan nuff ah dem parents wah does play experts.

Dem lil picknee nah frighten needle. Dem boys see how dem sit down bravely and tek dem jab. But nuff adult run when dem see needle! When dem boys went fuh tek dem vaccine, dem had a man in front of de

before Magistrate, Renita Singh. He was not required to plead to the indictable charge, which alleges that he raped a child under the age of 16.

Magistrate Singh placed the defendant on bail and the matter was adjourned to September 23, 2021.

Charged, Arfan Shasudeen

Dem children putting nuff adults to shame line. He stand up by de door and he watching when another man tekkin de jab.

He see when de needle bore de man. Is den and there is he tun to dem boys and seh “Ah want get something fuh eat before a tek dis vaccine.”

Dem boys never see he back!

Dem boys see another strapping woman guh fuh she vaccine. And when de nurse sterilise she hand with a cotton swab, she tun and start grimace. And when de needle bore she, she holler and was nuff laugh. But she smile when she done…out of embarrassment.

Nuff a dem, wah sehing

dem nah tekking de vaccine, afraid. Some of dem is weak heart.

And some ah dem mekin' excuse about how dem waiting fuh see how de vaccine gan wuk. Dem boys seh hundreds of thousands of Guyanese done tek de vaccine and none ah dem nah end up in hospital with blood clot or inflamed heart or any other serious problem. So what dem anti-vaxxers waiting pun? Dem waiting fuh get infect and fuh ventilator tube fuh push down dem throat?

Talk half and tek you jab like a man!

There are some drivers who, when they are asked to accompany a traffic rank to the station, can be rude and bold enough to advise the police officer that he cannot travel down to the station in their vehicle. If the rank is on foot, it would mean that in this case he would have to walk down to the station so as to file charges.

Most motorists, however, would not object to the police rank travelling in their vehicle because they do not wish to rile the officer lest he be less sympathetic in dealing with them. However, there are some motorists who are not willing to transport the police officer.

Why lend support to someone who in any event is going to throw the book at them?

This is one of the reasons why this column has insisted in the past that the police must walk with their ticket books and should issue the charge sheet right on the roadway. This is going to save a great deal of time and inconvenience since in many instances the person to be charged will have to spend hours at the police station waiting for his charge to be written up when he could have simply been issued a ticket on the road.

There is also the problem of detention of vehicles. I

hope that the Commissioner of Police, someone who has done an excellent job since he took over, would take steps to reduce the unnecessary detention of vehicles, particularly public transport vehicles, since it results in a financial loss to the owners of those vehicles (and police officers are also owners of minibuses) when their vehicles are detained.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Kaieteur News

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Saturday August 28, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Recording historical notes for posterity A

number of f o r m e r executive members of the AFC have indicated that they would like to reflect on their roles in the AFC so that their participation in what they consider a historical moment that went terribly wrong could become part of Guyanese history.

Today we start with the reflections of Rajendra Bissesar (RB). A student contemporary of mine at UG, Bissesar spent a long time with the PPP, then with the formation of the AFC he became an executive, and was one of the negotiators in the composition of the Cummingsburg Accord of February 2015. We sat down

under a huge tree in the National Park while my dog slept in my car. The interview follows.

FK – Given your political background and vast work experience, you were not assigned any substantial position after 2015. What happened?

RB – Here is an opportunity to tell my story.

We met at the AFC head office to choose our ministers. The leaders called a certain woman and offered her the portfolio of the environment. After she declined, I asked to be considered. Moses Nagamootoo told the gathering that he has me in mind as junior minister for agriculture. There was

consensus and that was that.

But I never got the job because Nagamootoo reported that President Granger did not want me.

The AFC did not pursue the matter, months and years went by, and I was left without any substantial offer.

FK – You need to explain to readers why with your status in the AFC, a position for you was no longer tenable.

RB – I am going to say things here that need to be part of our country's political history. The AFC announced itself as different from the two historical giants – PPP and PNC – but were worse.

As soon as we took power, I began to critically look at some mistakes and wrongdoings of the

government. I have always maintained an independent mind even when I was with the PPP and an aide to President Bharrat Jagdeo.

Ramjattan would insanely confront me each time I spoke up. His sermon was the same on each occasion – Bissesar wants to break up the coalition. So excessive was Ramjattan's fulminations against me that I would like you to publish what Nigel Hughes once asked me – What was wrong between me and Ramjattan?

FK – So no one stood up and openly said – “We can't treat Bissesar like this.”

RB – That is absolutely right. You have to be in the leadership of a political party to see how a core of leaders conspires with each other to silent independent minds.

They are incestuous. The second tier leaders were afraid to speak out because they were looking for their opportunities.

FK – Tell readers more about the conspiracy and the incestuous behaviour.

RB – I'm glad you ask so these notes here can be used by researchers. Here is what this core group of leaders did. In between meetings of

the national executive, decisions Frederick Kissoon are made by the m a n a g e m e n t executive - was not committee (MC) that met weekly. But the edict contacted. I know this w a s l a i d d o w n t h a t because at the time I was on government business cannot the executive and the MC. F K – We r e A F C be discussed by the MC only party matters. This was not ministers corrupt?

RB – Just look at that oil only asinine but undemocratic. How can you contract and you have your have a party in power and answer.

FK – Time is going, you when its executives meet they have to go and my dog is in cannot discuss what the car. How do you feel government is doing.

But there is more. At the about that period, 2015 – 2017 congress, a group of us 2020 and that core group?

RB – Four things need to got the congress to endorse a decision to expand the MC. b e s a i d . O n e i s t h a t First, the core group did not Ramjattan chopped down act on it and when they did, any Indian with a high they expanded it to include profile in the AFC because m i n i s t e r s a n d he lived in fear of being parliamentarians thus challenged by such. shutting out independent Secondly, I cannot bear to minds. I can distinctly recall even look at people like Raphael Trotman proposing Nagamootoo, Ramjattan and two more ministers to sit in Trotman. Thirdly, I think these three persons are among the MC. Here is what the core the worst this country has group did at the AFC's retreat produced. Finally, the AFC a t t h e A r t h u r C h u n g betrayed this country in ways Convention Centre in April that has affected its future.

(The views expressed in 2016. They chose not to invite people who were not this article are those of the parliamentarians and a u t h o r a n d d o n o t ministers. So the leadership necessarily reflect the of the party – the national opinions of this newspaper.)

Three more persons succumb to COVID-19

T

he Ministry of Health yesterday reported that three more persons who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease have died. As a result of this, the country's COVID-19 death toll has moved to 609.

According to the Ministry, the latest fatalities are that of two women, a 67-

year-old and a 28-year-old both from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and a 72-year-old man from Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara). All three persons died on Wednesday while receiving treatment at a medical facility.

Further, the Ministry via its daily COVID-19 dashboard yesterday recorded 103 new infections,

bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 24,967.

Presently there are 22 patients who are admitted in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 105 in institutional isolation, 1,555 in home isolation and nine in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 22,676 persons who had tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered.

Saturday August 28, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Saturday August 28, 2021

UG begins discussions on reviewing, enhancing Master of Social Work prog.

T

he University of Guyana's (UG) Department of Sociology, Social Work Unit, along with key national and international stakeholders, on Tuesday August 24, 2021, started strategic discussions aimed at reviewing and enhancing the institution's Master of S o c i a l Wo r k ( M S W ) programme.

This, according to release issued by the institution, is in keeping with the university's 2040 Blueprint which essentially aligns UG as a key national development partner.

The virtual retreat, which ran for three days, was declared open under the theme, “Professional Social Wo r k i n G u y a n a : Reimagining education and practice to achieve planned change and promote social, e c o n o m i c a n d environmental justice, and human rights.” It was also held in celebration of 50 years of social work education in Guyana.

Students, social workers, educators and various key s t a k e h o l d e r s l o c a l l y, regionally, and internationally were engaged on ways to further enhance the Master in Social Work programme offered by UG. Discussions were also had on establishing the role the University of Guyana through the Department of Sociology Social Work Unit will play in ensuring the enactment of Social Work

UG Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paloma Mohamed-Martin

Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr. Vindhya Persaud

Legislation, Licensure, and establishment of an Accreditation Council.

Delivering the feature address, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Honourable Dr. Vindhya Persaud, said: “Fifty years ago the University of Guyana responded to a need that existed and launched the Diploma in Social Work.

This programme has produced generations of social workers, who currently form the body of our social workforce.

With great wisdom from the University of Guyana, the programme morphed into a Bachelor's Degree, and in 2017 the Master of Social Work was launched under a servicing arrangement with York University and support from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).”

The Minister noted that the Ministry of Human

Services and Social Security and many other institutions in both the private and public sectors have benefitted from the hundreds of students who graduated from this programme.

She highlighted that the profession of social work is multi-dimensional and requires an inter-sectoral approach to re-imagine the education and practice of social work in Guyana and urged the participants to seriously explore ways in which the programme at UG could be improved.

University of Guyana's Vice-Chancellor, XI, Prof.

Paloma Mohamed-Martin, in her remarks recognised the contributions of the many stakeholders, locally and internationally; whoat contributed and continue to contribute, to the Social

Work Programme at the University. In particular those who contributed are UNICEF and early pioneers like Sybil Patterson, Patrice LaFleur, Jospehine Whitehead, Dr. Janice Jackson, Barbara Thomas Holder, and Christine King, to name a few, along with others who, according to the release, were specially honoured.

The Vice Chancellor noted, in particular, the unwavering support from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Prof.

Barbara Heron and her team from York University, UNICEF, and the team from the Department of Sociology from UG. The VC explained: “Our second aspirational goal in the 2040 Blueprint is UG being a centre for excellence for some very specific areas.

One of the exciting emerging areas that we are developing

is human resiliency systems.

It has become very important for us as human beings to not only be physically resilient but to be mentally and emotionally resilient in every way.

This is why the University of Guyana has framed its resiliency programme as human resiliency systems because we want to look at all of the systems.” She also said that this review is programmed at a time when the University had launched its Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Research (CeBRES) which will teach and research psychology, criminology, social work and psychiatry and whose dedicated counselling centre will roll out UG's new inclusion policy, which emphasises strongly students with mental health and physical vulnerabilities.

Head of the Department

of Sociology, Mr. Andrew Hicks, in his remarks said: “We are deeply appreciative for the work of our local partners and other members of our local academic community who have remained steadfast in their support for our academic activities as a department.

I am particularly delighted for the enthusiasm and interest of our partners in the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security under the leadership of the distinguished Minister, who is also a former member of the faculty of the University of Guyana, Minister Vindhya Persaud.”

Mr. Hicks also acknowledged the support of Prof. Barbara Heron and her team from York University in Canada whom he said demonstrated consistent passion and commitment to the efforts of the University of Guyana in providing graduate social work education to local practitioners.

In her brief remarks, Prof. Heron pointed out that in spite of the challenges brought on by COVID-19 which affected her team's ability to travel to Guyana to teach the new cohort of students in face-to-face mode, there is an opportunity now to “really give some thought to how the programme continues and I really look forward to participating with (continued on page 18)

Man busted with 0.6 grams of cocaine tells cops, “I was only trying to take home food for my son”

A

seaman who was arrested on Thursday for being in possession of only 0.6 grams of suspected cocaine had told the cops that he was only carrying the illegal drug “just to catch a day's work” so that he could buy some food for his son.

The seaman identified only as a 26-year-old male was busted around 15:30hrs. at the Parika Fisheries Road, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), Region Three.

According to a police report, cops had received a tip that he was selling drugs at the location. Police ranks headed down to the area immediately and located

him.

The seaman was confronted with the accusation and the ranks decided to conduct a search on him.

In his pants waist they found a white plastic tube containing the pieces of suspected cocaine. He was cautioned about the offence he had committed and in response, the seaman reportedly said, "Sir is just a day work I did want catch before I go back sea. I did want buy something (food) for my son."

He was arrested and taken to Parika Police Station where he remains in custody.

The 0.6 grams of cocaine that was found in the seaman's possession

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 28, 2021

PAGE 13

1,000 families allocated house lots at Plantation La Reconnaissance S

ome 1,000 Guyanese have been allocated house lots as the Central H o u s i n g and Plannin g Authority (CH&PA) on Friday rolled out another of its 'Dream Realised' housing drive, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal.

The low-income earners have been allocated lands at P l a n t a t i o n L a Reconnaissance, East Coast Demerara, at a cost of $200,000. The recipients expressed elation that the long wait is finally over.

Patrick Stark had applied for a house lot in 2010. He explained the difficulties of not having a house lot.

“This is one of the most important things for me and my family in Guyana here.

We applied since 2010 and was back and forth, back and forth, some time you think like you wouldn't get it, we wouldn't get it, you know, like you does lose it.”

“We went and look around for my private lands and you will get some land like five, six, seven million and when you see the land is like a small jungle…and today is a dream, that's what I have realised, and I can't thank them more for what they did for me.”

Ms. Benjamin, who applied more than 20 years ago, described how important it is to be the owner of a house lot.

“I'm feeling good; elated …It is very important because I'm in my forties now, I have a child and it's time that I started

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal hands over a certificate of title to Motilall Permaul developing my skills myself so that my child can inherit.”

Another recipient, Johnnell Henery, said her life is now changing for the better and she feels empowered, now that she has been allocated the land.

“It's the start of a new life; it means the end of paying rent, the beginning of ownership. Now, you have something that is more of an asset… it's a way of building your future not only for myself but for my son.”

Some 403 land titles and transports were distributed at the exercise.

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, MP, said the distribution is in keeping with the promise of President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, to allocate 50,000 house lots in five years.

At the end of today's

distribution, some 2,000house lots would have been distributed so far for the year. There was an earlier allocation of 1,000 lots at Plantation Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara.

Minister Croal said the Government has a packed housing agenda for the remaining of the year.

“We are on track in keeping to our commitment of 50,000 over this first five years and is expected by the end of 2021, from now, to the end of the year, we are targeting another 7,000 allocations.

“It would be remiss of me, if I do not also use this opportunity to bring awareness to the more than 6,500 allottees that we have allocated in just over one year...”

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues,

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, addressing the concerns of a citizen

MP, said the Government would be distributing lands equitably.

“We have to ensure that all Guyanese regardless of your geographical location, or your race, your political affiliation, and your income, regardless of all of

that we have to help all Guyanese move forward.

We have to do it equitably and we have to do it at the same speed of development, so that nobody is left out of the growth and the progress that Guyana will see.”

The Government will be

investing $2.75 billion to develop Plantation La Reconnaissance. The community will be equipped with a primary school, police station, buspark, five places of worship and a market, among other amenities. (DPI)

Saturday August 28, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

GNBS holds session to help hollow block makers raise the bar T

he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) on Thursday August 26, 2021, conducted a sensitisation session with nine small-scale manufacturers of concrete hollow blocks. The session which emanated from collaboration with the Small Business Bureau (SBB), was held in the Conference Room of the GNBS' head office at the Sophia Exhibition Complex.

The Bureau conducts testing and certification of concrete hollow blocks based on the requirements of the Guyana Standard Specification for Load Bearing Masonry Concrete Units (GYS 215:2003).

During Thursday's session, Acting Head of the Certification Services Department, Andrea

Mendonca, noted that the aim is to ensure all block makers understand the services of the GNBS and take advantage of these services.

She explained that with the certification of their concrete hollow blocks, small and large block making businesses would be able to increase customer confidence thereby increasing sales. “GNBS Product Certification helps you to acquire and use the certification mark which indicates to customers that a product is meeting the requirements of the National Standard,” Mendonca noted.

Block makers desirous of joining the voluntary certification programme can fill out an application form, which is accessible on the GNBS' website, and submit it to the Certification Services Department.

Officers of the Bureau will

The Acting Head of the Certification Services Dept. makes a presentation to Block Makers contact the interested businesses to conduct a preliminary analysis of their products against the requirements of the standard and associated tests. Once all requirements are fulfilled, concrete hollow blocks can

be certified by the GNBS. Also addressing the session was Laboratory Te c h n i c i a n , Vi s h n u Matbadal, from the Industrial Metrology and Testing Department, who explained the process of conducting concrete hollow block testing. Firstly, he advised that blocks should be in good condition when submitted to the GNBS for testing.

Secondly, the process of preparation, testing and analysis of the product takes approximately six days to be completed. Mr. Matbadal added that apart from the testing of samples submitted by block makers, his department is carrying out tests on hollow blocks with different combination and ratio of materials.

Block makers who participated in the half-day session, were also educated on

all the requirements of the standard, and the scheme of testing and inspection, which was developed for any product certified by the GNBS. Further, a video specifically produced to show the step-by-step process of block making, was shown to encourage hollow block makers to improve their processes.

Finally, at the session, block makers expressed a number of aspects that need to improve for them to consistently produce blocks meeting the standard. These aspects included the quality of cement available on the market and the willingness of some customers to

purchase blocks produced at a higher cost.

Concrete hollow blocks have been used as a building material for more than a century, and in Guyana, it is the most common material in the construction of homes and commercial buildings.

Using from cement, different aggregates and water, more persons have joined the trade of manufacturing concrete hollow blocks locally.

However, in some cases, the units are not as durable as they should be, and the GNBS has commenced the testing and certification to improve the quality of hollow blocks offered on the local market for construction.

Man in soldier's uniform robs betting house with accomplice

A

Superbet outlet located at Bladen Hall, East Coast Demerara, was on Thursday night attacked by armed bandits. A 20-year-old cashier was robbed of $220,000 by the two men who also robbed three other persons of cash and other valuables including a car valued $2.6M. Investigators were informed that the two men, one of whom was dressed in a camouflage outfit, attacked the cashier at gunpoint while she was closing up and told the three men who were in the betting shop at the time to lie on the floor and empty their pockets.

The suspect who was dressed in a soldier's uniform then approached the cashier and pointed the gun at her.

He told her to open the door, which she did. He then pulled open the drawer and removed a large sum of cash.

The other victims were relieved of their items, following which the suspects made good their escape with the car heading west, the Guyana Police Force said.

The men took one black S5 Samsung Galaxy valued $45,000 from a 29-year-old man, who is an upholsterer and one red A10 cellular phone with a red casing valued $46,000. In addition, $46,000 in cash, one gold chain valued $30,000 and one car key was taken from a 49-year-old man.

A 33-year old taxi driver told police that the men stole his white Fielder Wagon car, registered HC 7599 valued $2,647,000, driver's licence, and several other documents for the vehicle.

When Kaieteur News made contact with the Superbet Head Office, a representative claimed that they are unaware of the robbery.

Saturday August 28, 2021

Kaieteur News

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WANTED LEGAL NOTICE

WANTED 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.

LAND FOR SALE 8 acres farming land at KuruKururu good road access nearby creek.Contact:6813512.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Ist car for sale.Call:6918420.

Sale of property at Lot 87D Albert St Alberttown.3 building from Lamaha. 24M,Price negotiable. Tel:675-9217.

Mitsubishi Pajero I.O clutch pressure plate 6493 engine.

Lot 32 Public Road Grove/ F&L Hardware. Contact:664-9701/642-6056.

SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 Installation, Repairs and parts for AC,Fridge, Washing machine, Stove etc.Call Nick#656-0110.

FOR RENT

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.

Wanted Masons, Carpenters, Labourers & Welders.

Contact: 602-9469, 657-5800, 666-2887.

Experienced general domestic to work in G. Town,must know to press. Call:615-3379 for more info.

One male able bodied clerk.

Call:693-8462/231-2029.

Experienced cook,must have be able to lead a shift.

ExperiencedSecurity Guard.

H e r d m a n s t o n Lodge,PeterRose Lamaha,225-0808.

2 bedroom apartment at Herstelling.Tel:#601-0223 1bedroom apartment,single person. Price $23000, call7am-7pm.Tel:656-3879/2340965.

VACANCY Porter and Welder/Serviceman. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 231-2250.

FOR SALE

TO LET

Pure breed german shepherd pups,11 wks old. Price $100,000.Call:615-6589/6500347.

One bedroom apartment with bathroom & living room, Cummings Lodge E.C.D. Call:222-0401 or 673-2467.

For Sale – 4.018 acres of prime land in New Amsterdam,Berbice.Price reduced/negotiable.Call 592 679-2497.

1 6x6 Truck,1 Freightliner,1 Sylphy,1 Hilux LN 172,1 JCB loader.Tel:673-4002/6653676.

1-16ft boat,1 5 HP Tohatsu engine,4-20ft Hauling seine(Shrimp), 200lb 5" Nylon Seine complete. 6703912.

1 Jet Boat $30,000,000.

Call:695-1356/671-2486.

Large Property with Huge Concrete Bond, Prime Location Cumberland, Canje.

Ideal for Business.Price reduced/negotiable. Call:6792497.

Roadside land for sale @ GoodHopeMahaica 500ftx42ft. Call:691-8420.

Mining property located, K u r u p u n g River,Umbambaru Creek area. Contact:681-3512.

Cook/Baker,Kitchen assistant & Pitmen for interior location.Applicants must be experienced.Call:231-2250.

Security officers male & female 18+. Lamaha St between Waterloo & Parade.

Call:223-4172/632-0510.

1 western union representative 5 CXC inclusive Maths &English,3pump attendant,sound secondary education. Tel:646-3117/2740144.

WANTED Taxi driver & dispatcher at Princess taxi.Located at RamadaPrincess Hotel.Tel:616-5419,2657075,265-7076.

One clerk for TSI Eccles office.English& Mathematics,grade 1 or 2.

Email application:techserigy @yahoo.com or call 6429823.

Gardener for Subryanville.

Must be able to work with dogs. Contact:225-5818.

Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles,age 25-50,Car/Van licence.Call:642-9823.

Live in domestic,Lusignan E.C.D. Tel:662-1883.

Vacancy for Night handy man. Call:637-6700.

Experienced cook,bartender and waitress for newly openedLounge Bar. Attractive salary.Call:610-3974.

In all departments: Prep,Meat, Service, Kitchen.

Apply:Bettencourt's Diner.

Call for information:2311368/223-1938.

Male seeks common law wife,ages 18-38. Light housework,salary $80,000monthly. Call:6039085.

LAND FOR SALE

Saturday August 28, 2021

Kaieteur News

Delivery,Lorry license driver.Tel:621-9336.

WANTEDporters Able body needed.Apply@Why Pay More Trading,7 Public RD Houston E.B.D with application.

Senior accounts & Sales Clerk & Cashier,must have 4 CXC subjects.Apply at Alabama Trading,65-66 Robb St Bourda.

For Carpenters.Apply at Alabama Trading,65 Robb St Bourda.

For Security Guard.Apply at Alabama Trading,65 Robb St Bourda.

LEGAL NOTICE 2021-HC-DEM-CIV -FD933 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION PETITION NO.: FD- 933 BETWEEN:WALKER (SHINESE LA TOY A) nee GONSALVES Petitioner/Applicant -vWALKER (RANDOLPH ANTHONY) Respondent TO: RANDOLPH ANTHONY WALKER (Last Known Address) Lot 336 Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara TAKE NOTICE that on the 14th day ofJuly, 2021 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by SHINESE LA TOYA WALKER nee GONSALVES, the Petitioner/Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court inGeorgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 23rd day of July, 2021, the Petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News Newspapers, a daily Newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web (Online).

AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court atGeorgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHERTAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Tuesday the 19th day of October, 2021

at 9:15 am before the Honourable Madam Chief Justice Roxane George in the High Court 1 of the High Court at Georgetown.

IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts Georgetown, Demerara.

The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed.

Dated the 27thday of July, 2021.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCEAND MATRIMONIALJURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION PETITION NO.: FD- 358 BETWEEN:- (PLASS) CRYSTAL EZRALEEN nee WAYNE Petitioner/ Applicant -and- (PLASS) THAKEDE DERVILLE Respondent BEFORE THE HONOURABLE MADAM JUSTICE PRIYA SEWNARINEBEHARRYDATED THE 21ST DAY OF MAY, 2021 ENTERED THE 3rd DAY OF JUNE, 2021 UPON READING the Without Notice of Application on the part of CRYSTALEZRALEEN PLASS nee WAYNE, the above named Petitioner/ Applicant filed herein on the 29th day of April, 2021 AND the Affidavit of the said Petitioner Applicant sworn to and filed herein on the 29th day of April, 2021 in support thereof AND the Supplementary Affidavit in Support of Application sworn to and filed herein on the 13th day of May, 2021 IT IS ORDERED that personal

WANTED LEGAL NOTICE Proceedings and Acknowledgement of Service by a person authorized by the Registrar be and is hereby dispensed with AND that a mode of substituted service of the said Petition with Affidavit in support of, Notice of Proceedings and Acknowledgement of Service be effected on the Respondent by way of advertisement of a Notice of Petition in 2 (two) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News Newspapers, a daily Newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana and on the Worldwide Web. AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Respondent be and is hereby granted thirty-five (35) days after the date of the final publication of the said Notice to file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend, an Answer and/or Cross Petition. AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that an Affidavit of Publication sworn to by the Attorney-at-Law for the Petitioner/Applicant with copies of advertisement exhibited thereto be deemed sufficent proof of service of the Petition herein.

AND IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this matter is fixed for Directions Hearing on Monday the 4th day of October,2021 at 11:15am in Family Court.

Saturday August 28, 2021

West Dem Hospital employee remanded for stealing COVID-19 booklets

Remanded to prison, Avinash Ramaherwar.

An employee attached to the West Demerara Regional Hospital was yesterday remanded to prison by Magistrate, Zameena Ali-Seepaul, after he was charged for stealing 12 COVID-19 booklets belonging to the Ministry of Health.

Twenty-seven-year-old Avinash Ramaherwar made his first court appearance in the Leonora Magistrate’s Court where he was not required to plead to the charges of simple larceny and forgery.

Last Tuesday, Ramaherwar, a bus driver and two other employees were arrested after they were found with four blank COVID-19 booklets, 17-stamped sick leave forms, a stethoscope, and other items in their possession.

According to initial reports from the police, on the day in question, a female nurse of the hospital was on duty when two of the suspects approached her with their COVID-19 booklets asking for it to be stamped. They further informed her that a third employee was waiting to take them to the Diamond Diagnostic Hospital.

The nurse told police that when she checked the booklets she observed that they were blank. Knowing that the suspects were not supposed to have the books, she immediately brought it to her supervisor’s attention who then reported it to the Vreeden-Hoop Police Station.

Acting on information received, the police contacted the three employees and placed them into custody.

After questioning the workers, police stated that checks were made on the third suspect’s motorcar and they found a gold and black stethoscope, the sick leave forms with the hospital’s stamp, and one unstamped COVID-19 booklet bearing a

person’s name and address.

Police ranks also conducted checks at the third suspect’s home in his presence where they discovered one pressure testing kit and a sugar testing kit in his bathroom. When police questioned him about the items, he informed them that he bought them in Georgetown, to which he could not produce the receipts.

Searches were also conducted at the other two suspects’ premises but nothing was found. They were all escorted to the station and placed into custody.

On Wednesday, the police again took the men back to the hospital where searches were conducted on a minibus, which one of them usually drives.

Police there found seven more blank COVID-19 booklets between the driver and passenger’s seat. When the three suspects were questioned about the books, they bowed their heads and remained silent.

One of the suspects later admitted to investigators that he would usually uplift the booklets from the Ministry in Georgetown and take it to the hospital. He also admitted that during the process he would have taken out 12 of the booklets.

As investigation continues, a nurse of the hospital was interviewed about her signature, which was found in one of the booklets the suspects had in their possession. The nurse told police that the signature was not hers and so the men were escorted back to the station.

The investigation led to Ramaherwar being the only one detained and he was subsequently charged.

After remanding him to prison, Magistrate AliSeepaul adjourned the matter to September 20 for report.

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Kaieteur News

Woman trails three bandits who robbed her; slams one into gutter with car A group of men are now living in abject regret and a great deal of pain after a woman they assumed was an easy prey to rob, retaliated with an unexpected level of vengeance. After being robbed of a large sum of cash, the woman reportedly trailed the men. Upon spotting them in their getaway car, she fearlessly drove her Audi SUV into them, which caused the car to turn turtle.

The woman reportedly ran them off a street located in the Golden Grove Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, around 14:00hrs. According to eyewitness, the incident took place in the vicinity of Mark’s Poolside. Kaieteur News understands that the woman had gone to a bank in the Diamond area earlier that afternoon to withdraw in excess of $300,000.

Just as she was about enter her car, three armed bandits pulled up in a silver Toyota 212 and relived her of the cash and drove away.

Angered by the situation the woman decided to follow them in her SUV. When they noticed she was trailing them, they tried to increase their speed but it was futile.

Eyewitnesses said that she caught up with them and slammed into the rear end of their car. The impact caused their 212 to topple over into a gutter.

The eyewitnesses said the three men exited the car and decided to run but one was not so lucky. The woman

The Bandit who got ran over in the drain

sped behind him and knocked him over. Eyewitnesses said the impact “pitched the man from the road into a nearby gutter where he remained stuck.”

Based on the video that was recorded of the aftermath, it could be seen that his body was bent into the shape of the letter “C” in the gutter.

It appeared as if he was barely breathing and his whole body was covered in mud. One of the residents who lived nearby went to his aid. She was seen giving him water because he told her that he was thirsty.

The woman’s son showed up shortly after and began to interrogate the bandit but be-

cause of his condition, he could not respond.

Residents then called and reported the incident to the Guyana Police Force. Upon arrival, ranks placed a handcuff on the bandit as they awaited the arrival of an ambulance to take him to a hospital.Investigations are on-going.

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Kaieteur News

Trial deferred, prosecution to properly catalogue...

From page 3 tried and disposed of in the Magistrates' Courts.

The Chief Magistrate had then ordered both the prosecution and the defence attorneys to make their submissions, and had set a date for the ruling on the mode of trial.

This resulted in her ruling in favour of the prosecution, and as such, the matter will be tried in the Magistrates' Courts as opposed to going to the High Court for trial.

Some of the charges the defendants are facing are misconduct in public office, conspiracy to commit fraud, forg-

ing a document and forgery.

Mingo faces a joint charge with Lawrence, another with Smith-Joseph and two separate joint forgery charges. In addition to the joint charge with Mingo, Smith-Joseph also faces two individual charges. Moreover, Livan, who was named in a USB flash drive scandal surrounding the tabulations of votes that happened on March 5, 2020, was slapped with one fraud charge,

and February, another GECOM employee, is facing two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud. Miller and BabCummings, who are GECOM

clerks, were both slapped with two fraud charges each. The Police had announced in August 2020, that they will be conducting a comprehensive investigation into the criminal conduct of former Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield; former Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers; Mingo and others, in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that fol-

lowed. During the ongoing probe, several GECOM officials were arrested and placed before the court for electoral fraud charges.

Saturday August 28, 2021

UG begins discussions on reviewing, enhancing...

From page 12 everyone.”

The MSW programme was implemented in August 2017. The University's Department of Sociology currently collaborates with York University as a strategic partner to deliver the teaching aspect of the MSW programme.

The programme was developed in response to the prevailing demands from the government, the international community and non-governmental agencies. Stakeholders saw the need for higher levels of skills amongst practitioners in order to effectively respond to the needs of persons. Key partners include; the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the Child Care & Protection Agency, ChildLinK, and UNICEF. According to the Coordinator of the programme, Mrs. Debbie Hopkinson, the intent of this virtual retreat is twofold: Firstly it seeks to reevaluate the Department of Sociology, Social Work Unit's programme relevance in the changing landscape of the employment industry with the aim of introducing additional modules that are fit for purpose, and secondly, it is a critical juncture to undertake a review of the Social Work Standards and commence prelimi-

nary discussions on Social Work Legislation, Licensure and accreditation in Guyana.

Mrs. Hopkinson noted: “Having trained an estimated 70 students, it is now an opportune time to review this programme to ascertain how it is meeting the needs of our stakeholders. It is also critical at this juncture to determine how the curricula in its present construct are relevant to the new and emerging needs of Guyana.”

Dr. Paulette Henry, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences thanked all the stakeholders for their support and their commitment to ensuring that the Master of Social Work Programme continues to improve.

Director of Children Services, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Ms. Ann Greene, and retired educator, Ms. Sylvia Conway, were honoured for their years of selfless service in the area of social work.

Ms. Greene, a driving force and advocate for the protection of children's welfare in Guyana, has been in the Social Work field for over 50 years. “For me, it is a privilege to have served as a social worker. People ask me, I say I never see what I did as a job, it was never a job, I have never

worked one day in my life.

What I have done all the years, it was a mission I was on. To me, it is a mission and I'm still on it today,” Ms. Greene related.

Ms. Conway has served as a teacher, lecturer, and strong advocate for human rights for several years.

She currently sits on Guyana's Adoption Board, the Parole Board, DDL Foundation, and the St Anne's Orphanage Board. Ms. Conway was unable to join the ceremony but recognition was given to her for her contributions in the area of social work in Guyana.

Persons interested in applying for any of the University's degrees in Social work, psychology or psychiatry can use the following link to do so: Associate of Social Science (Social Work) – https://uog.edu.gy/srms/departments/65/programmes/ 778/details; Bachelor of Social Science (Social Work) – https://uog.edu.gy/srms/departments/65/programmes/ 781/details; Bachelor of Social Science (Sociology) – https:/ /uog.edu.gy/srms/departments/65/programmes/94/details; Master in Social Work https://uog.edu.gy/srms/departments/65/programmes/ 856/details

Saturday August 28, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday August 28, 2021

Saturday August 28, 2021

GGA/Nexgen Golf Academy partners with Texila American University The Texila American University (TAU) has yet again raised its standards for delivering quality rounded education for its more than 800 students including Business and Public Health studies, as it signed a partnership agreement with the Guyana Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy on Thursday.

The University will now be able to offer its alumni, current and new students’ full access to the only fully covid19 compliant sport when classes resume this semester.

The Nexgen Golf Academy team will be at the TAU Career Day in Providence today from 09:00hrs to 17:00hrs to introduce the sport to incoming students and attendees.

TAU Career Day allows prospective students and graduates to interact with uni-

versity department heads as well as potential employers to discover career opportunities, whilst exposing them to a variety of extracurricular activities such as Golf, Archery, Yoga and table tennis.

Attendees will also get access to covid vaccines, blood drives, motivational seminars, recruitment opportunities by top Guyanese and international companies and career counseling with university staff.

TAU spokesperson Mr Jesvin Pradeep said “our students must be given the best opportunities in all areas including non-academic activities. We are extremely happy with the program that Nexgen Golf Academy is offering since Golf is a sport that enhances mental acuity and focus, along with stress relief, something

that students and doctors need. It also offers great business networking opportunities.”

President of the GGA Aleem Hussain commented “Golf has seen an increase in interest by many current medical professionals and we look forward to developing a structured program for higher education students.” The partnership will allow students and alumni to receive preferential rates at all Nexgen Golf facilities and participate in intercollegiate tournaments.

Hussain said that the Golf Association and Nexgen Golf Academy will be offering putting lessons and prizes to participants who attend the Career Day at the TAU campus starting from 9 am today.

NGA Head Coach Dr. Joaan Deo added “as a young

Saturday August 21, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A short trip might be necessary today, Aries. This could be disheartening, as it takes you away from your current love interest, but perhaps it's just as well.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) The strange behavior of a romantic interest may have you confused, Taurus. Is your partner avoiding you? Do phone calls go unanswered?

Forget it.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Have you invited some friends over for a celebration tonight, Gemini? If so, your guests are going to keep you hopping! That's all right. The day is filled with love and joy.

CANCER(June21–July22) Other responsibilities might keep you away from your loved one today, Cancer. If you have plans for tonight or even if you don't - you might find this rather depressing.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) The absence of direct expressions of love might make your life seem rather empty today, Leo. If you're single, there may be nobody around to have fun with.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) You may decide to duck out of extra responsibilities today, Virgo, perhaps to have a private celebration at home with your love partner! The fun might be delayed if your beloved is unexpectedly called away for a while.

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Kaieteur News

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You may feel neglected and unloved today, Libra. If you're single, you may feel worse. Cheer up. If you're running around with such a depressed and dramatic expression on your face, nobody will feel like asking you out.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Are you worried that your romantic partner doesn't love you as much as you love him or her, Scorpio? Love has many facets.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) If you're single, Sagittarius, you might feel a little down today. All your friends who are in relationships may have plans while you go home alone.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Today you may substitute chocolate for a lack of love because you feel tempted to treat yourself to something good.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) If you're not married or engaged, Aquarius, you may feel that your current love interest is avoiding you.

However, this is just your imagination.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You may be a bit depressed today if you and your partner are going through a difficult time. Maybe there's something unspoken that brings tension and awkwardness into your

life together.

professional woman golfer, I am glad to see the sport reach the highest levels of the education system and I look forward to working with TAU to help add to the skills of their students.”

TAU commenced operations in Guyana in 2010 and has rapidly grown to become a leading force in providing top medical education to hundreds of students. The University recently opened its state-of-the-art campus in Providence and has now added Masters in Business Management studies to its curriculum through a partnership with Monroe College in the United States.

Golf has continued to expand its reach around Guyana since the GGA was launched just over a year ago. Over the past few weeks, the Guyana Golf Association has donated millions of dollars in equipment and balls to schools in Regions 3, 6, and 10, held two Junior Golf Camps and will commence training for an additional 50 PE teachers in Regions 2, 4 and 5 in its efforts to expand the game with the MOE Allied Arts Unit.

BCB President Meets quit...

From page 25 the game during the prolonged break and special emphasis should be placed on their junior teams to attract new members.

He informed them that tournaments would be played at the Under 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 23 levels while tournaments would also be played at the internal zone, female, second division and first division levels. All junior tournaments would be played using the 2021 cut-off date.

Foster announced that for the first time, the Board would provide West Berbice Sub Association with a developmental grant of $100,000, which clubs agreed would be used to purchase balls for the eight active clubs in the area.

Among the other major announcements made were the hosting of a two-day Mini Academy for 40 youths, the donation of a pitch cover (valued $324,000), and the hosting of a special tournament in memory of the late Coach, Michael Hyles.

Foster also informed clubs that over 30 youths would benefit from personal gears shortly as part of a massive investment in promising youths across the county

while great effort would be made to obtain cricket nets as well.

Blairmont receive grass cutter - The BCB handed over a grass cutter to the Blairmont Ground under its Ground Improvement Project which has distributed a total of 25 grass cutters, county wide including five clubs in West Berbice; they were all urged to take care of the equipment.

The West Berbice Cricket Association was also mandated to select a young player to receive a cycle under the BCB Michael Ramdeen Memorial Trust Fund while the BCB head informed the gathering that the Board was working hard to attract funding to assist first division clubs.

Clubs were also urged to select one person within their membership to be trained to become an Umpire while they were also informed that their players above the age of 18 years would have to have at least one dose of the covid19 vaccine in 2021 and two doses in 2022 to play in tournaments.

Youth players in 2022 would have to get at least one dose to play at the junior level as the Board strives to protect its officials and players from the deadly covid disease.

Foster, at the conclusion of the successful meeting congratulated WBCA President David Black on his leadership of the game in his area and urged the clubs to uphold their high standards.

Representatives of the clubs were given the opportunity to raise matters of concern to the BCB leadership and numerous queries were raised and answered by Foster and his team. Black, on behalf of the teams expressed gratitude to the BCB delegation for the meeting and noted that he is consulted on all decisions regarding West Berbice cricket

by Foster, who strongly believes in seeking advice as much as possible.

Patriots sound warning with...

From page 24 high-risk shots.

Jason Holder and Kyle Mayers fell without making a significant indent on the scorecard and although Shai Hope anchored the innings with a well-constructed 44 his dismissal with six overs to go left too much to do for the remaining batsmen.

Azam Khan showed a few signs of his potential with some late blows, but the Patriots closed out the Royals innings with minimum fuss.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 175/5 (Rutherford 53, Bravo 47*; Cottrell 2/39, Drakes 2/ 13) beat Barbados Royals 154/ 7 (Hope 44, Khan 28; Thomas 3/21, Amir 1/20) by 21 runs.

Kaieteur News

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Saturday August 28, 2021

Kieron Pollard cuts loose to seal chase after Isuru Udana’s five-wicket haul ESPNcricinfo - Kieron Pollard turned what had looked an uncertain run chase into a canter for Trinbago Knight Riders after the defending champions had been set up for their opening victory in this year’s

tournament by Isuru Udana’s career-best five-wicket haul.

It was a good game for leftarm seamers with Mohammad Amir responding with three wickets in his opening spell, but from 38 for 4 in the

eighth over Knight Riders were taken to victory by an unbroken stand of 87 in nine overs between Pollard and Denesh Ramdin. The target was hauled into view with a barrage of sixes - the last of them taking Pollard to a 29-

b a l l f i f t y .

Barbados Royals had made a reasonable start in the Powerplay but things then started to go wrong in the space of consecutive overs from Udana.

His first wicket was fortuitous as Johnson Charles was given caught behind pulling only for replays to show it came off the shoulder.

Then in four balls of his next over, Udana had Jason Holder and Glenn Phillips caught in the deep to leave Royals 42 for 3.

There was something of a recovery from Shai Hope and Azam Khan before Hope was brilliantly caught by Darren Bravo running in from long-on against the excellent Akeal Hosein.

Udana completed the first five-wicket haul of his T20 career when he returned for his last over and had Khan

slicing to short third man and his fellow Sri Lankan Thisara Perera held in the deep.

Pollard was also rewarded for aggressive captaincy when Kyle Mayers edged Sunil Narine to slip in the 16th over. In the end Royals were unable to bat out their 20 overs with their last six wickets falling for 19.

They hit back strongly in the Powerplay through Amir who removed Narine first ball, miscuing to mid-off, extracted Lendl Simmons’ middle and leg stumps then had Colin Munro taken at slip when he was cramped by a shorter delivery.

There was some awkward bounce to contend with while the ball was new with Holder and Oshane Thomas causing a number of uneasy moments. The pressure that was built in the

first half of the chase resulted in Tim Seifert’s wicket when he top edged to deep square.

At that stage Royals were firmly in the contest, but with such a small target - and Pollard’s ability to change gear - the required rate was never a problem. Royals were also hampered by a loose first over from Hayden Walsh with Holder then not confident to give the legspinner another bowl.

Ramdin, who had taken a thudding blow on the arm guard from Thomas, was content to play second fiddle once Pollard was settled.

Amir was brought back for his last over in the 13th to try and conjure a wicket but was seen off and from there Knight Riders did not look back.Trinbago Knight Riders 125 for 4 (Pollard 59*, Amir 3-21) beat Barbados Royals 122 (Udana 5-21) by six wickets.

Andre Russell and Chadwick Walton at the crease.

Tallawahs smash Kings in record win CPL - Records tumbled at Warner Park as the J a m a i c a Ta l l a w a h s destroyed the Saint Lucia Kings by 120 runs, the biggest win in Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) history.

T h e Ta l l a w a h s h a d contributions throughout their side, but it was Andre Russell who was the most brutal, scoring fifty from just 14 balls, another Hero CPL r e c o r d .

The Kings were given a mammoth target of 256 runs to win the game and they never really found partnerships that would see them get close to the Tallawahs efforts.

The Tallawahs were put into bat by the Kings and were given a lightning start thanks to Kennar Lewis who smashed 48 runs from just 22 balls in an innings that

include five massive sixes that soared out of Warner Park.

Lewis was well supported by Chadwick Walton who was measured while his opening partner was scoring so freely but he opened his shoulders soon after Lewis was dismissed by R o s t o n C h a s e .

The Tallawahs lost Walton for 47 but that did not slow them down with fast runs coming from Haider Ali and Rovman Powell.

The finishing touches to a fantastic Jamaica batting performance come from Russell who scored at a strike rate of 357.14.

The power with which Russell struck the ball was nothing short of remarkable with the Kings bowlers unable to find any answer to his brutal hitting. When the Kings innings got underway

there were some lusty blows from Rahkeem Cornwall but then wickets began to fall regularly.

The Kings lost Cornwall and Faf du Plessis in the first over and by the end of the PowerPlay they were 66/6 and all chances of an improbable win were gone.

It was Hero CPL debutant Migael Pretorius who was the star with the ball for the Tallawahs, returning figures of 4/32.

The only standout batsman was the inform Tim David who made 56 from 28.

He was sadly lacking for support as the Kings stumbled to 135 all out.

Jamaica Tallawahs 255/5 (Russell, 50*, Lewis 48: Pretorius 4/32, Khan 3/) beat Saint Lucia Kings 135 all out (David 56, Riaz 26; McCoy 3/52, Chase2/33) by 120 runs.

Kaieteur News

Saturday August 28, 2021

PAGE 23

Guyanese Nandu, Thorne in West Indies Rising Stars U19 18-member squad for tour of England St John’s, Antigua – Guyanese batsman Matthew Nandu and fast bowler Isai Thorne have been named an 18-member West Indies U19 squad for the upcoming tour of England. The squad will be led Ackeem Auguste with Giovonte Depeiza as vice-captain. Auguste is a left-handed top-order batsman while Depeiza is a right-handed middle-order batsman and left-arm spinner.

Robert Haynes, Lead Selector for U19 Rising Stars said: “This trip to England is part of the preparation for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup next year and will prove valuable experience for these young men.

We have a very good combination, and it is really pleasing to see we have quality all-round cricketers in the group, which gives us more options.

The conditions in England will be challenging, and they know that, but they have fantastic management support in the set-up, including Sir Curtly Ambrose whose experience and knowledge will be an asset.”

Haynes added: “We started the

selection process four weeks ago, with 60 very talented youngsters from all across the region. It wasn’t easy cutting the squad down. But if you look at the balance in the bowling attack we have now selected, with six fast bowlers and three specialist spinners, you can see we have selected a quality attack. We also have some talented batsmen who we expect to perform well. The work that everyone has put in to get these guys here to this level has been exceptional.”

Rohan Nurse will lead the coaching staff as the Acting Head Coach, as Floyd Reifer is unavailable due to prior contractual arrangements with the Caribbean Premier League.

The tour will feature six Youth One-Day Internationals at The County Ground, Beckenham and The Polo Farm, Canterbury from Saturday, September 4 to Friday, September 17.

The West Indies Rising Stars U19s squad was selected following an eight-match trials series with 60 players. From there the squad was reduced to 26 players who were

Giovonte DePieza – VC West Indies Rising Stars U19 Team then involved in more intensive t a rg e t e d h i g h p e r f o r m a n c e coaching and simulation sessions.

The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup will be hosted by Cricket West

Indies from January 4 to February 3, 2022.

West Indies U19 ‘Rising Stars’ Squad Captain: Ackeem Auguste Age: 17 (Left-hand bat/right-arm leg-spin), Vice Captain: Giovonte Depeiza Age: 18 (Right-hand bat/left-arm spin), Onaje Amory Age: 17 (Right-hand bat/right-arm off-spin), Anderson Amurdan Age: 18 (Right-hand opening bat), Justin Beckford Age: 17 (Righthand bat/right-arm off-spin), Teddy Bishop Age: 18 (Right-hand opening bat), Carlon BowenTuckett Age: 17 (Right-hand bat/wicket-keeper), McKenny Clarke Age: 18 (Right-hand bat/right-arm fast), Rivaldo Clarke Age: 18 (Right-hand bat/wicket-keeper), Nathan Edward Age: 16 (Left-hand bat/left-arm fast-medium), Andel

Gordon Age: 18 (Right-hand bat/left-arm medium-pace), Sion Hackett Age: 18 (Right-hand bat/right-arm medium-fast), Justin Jagessar Age: 16 (Right-hand bat), Johann Layne Age: 17 (Righthand bat/right-arm fast-medium), Anderson Mahase Age: 18 (Lefthand bat/left-arm spin), Matthew Nandu Age:18 (Left-hand bat/right-arm off-spin), Isai Thorne Age: 16 (Right-hand bat/right-arm fast), Vasant Singh Age: 17 (Right-hand bat/right-arm leg-spin).

Team Management: Rohan Nurse (Acting Head Coach), Sir Curtly Ambrose (Assistant Coach), Steve Liburd (Assistant Coach), Junie Mitcham (Team Manager), Avenesh Seetaram (Analyst), Alex Forde (Strength & Conditioning C o a c h ) , Ly n d o n K n i g h t s (Physiotherapist).

Match schedule: Saturday, September 4: 1st Youth ODI – Beckenham Monday, September 6: 2nd Youth – Beckenham Wednesday, September 8: 3rd Youth ODI – Beckenham Friday, September 10: 4th Youth ODI – Canterbury Tuesday, September 14: 5th Youth ODI – Canterbury Friday, September 17: 6th Youth ODI – Canterbury

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Saturday August 28, 2021

Patriots sound warning with dominant win over Royals CPL - St Kitts & Nevis Patriots got their 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign off to a winning start with a comprehensive 21 run win over the Barbados Royals.

Barbados Royals won the toss and put the Patriots in to bat but despite a flurry of

early wickets, a fantastic 11 5 r u n p a r t n e r s h i p between DJ Bravo and Sherfane Rutherford ensured the Patriots set the highest total of the tournament so far with 1 7 5 / 5 .

In reply the Patriots were never under threat as they

produced an excellent bowling display to keep the shackles on the Royals throughout. The Royals took full advantage of their decision to field first by removing both openers, Evin Lewis and Devon Thomas, in the first three overs before Oshane

Thomas bowled Chris Gayle to leave the Patriots teetering at 38/3 at the end o f t h e P o w e r P l a y.

Bowling with real zip, Oshane Thomas was to strike once more removing Asif Ali in the eighth over as his hostile spell resulted in exemplary figures of 3/22 from his four overs.

Patriots captain Bravo entered at the fall of the fourth wicket and along

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots celebrate a wicket.

with Rutherford they consolidated the innings before exploding into life in the final seven overs.

Their 115 run partnership in 70 balls ensured the Patriots laid a platform for Fabian Allen to add late fireworks at the death to power the Patriots to a very imposing 175/5. Much like the Royals, the Patriots made early inroads with their bowling dismissing both

openers inside the first three overs. Although they needed a calamitous runout to get them on their way when Johnson Charles found himself at the same end as Glenn Phillips.

Through the middle phase overs the Patriots put a stranglehold on the game forcing the run-rate up and putting pressure on the Royals batsmen to play (Continued on page 21)

Saturday August 28, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 25

Govt. assesses grounds for possible hosting of ICC Youth World Cup

A

ssessments of several cricket grounds in Region Four were on Thursday conducted, as Guyana prepares for the possible hosting of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Youth Wo r l d C u p i n 2 0 2 2 .

Acting Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Kwame McCoy, MP, led a team of officials to conduct the assessments of the Demerara Cricket Club, Georgetown Cricket Club, Everest Cricket Club and La Bonne Intention Community Centre grounds. ”The team here came out this afternoon to make our own assessment and to get an idea as to what the possibilities are for the usage

of any of these facilities and which might be in shape, notwithstanding minor works in some instances, to be able to get it to the fit and proper category more or less.”

A team from the ICC is expected here next week to undertake their own assessment of the grounds.

Minister McCoy said he is optimistic that Guyana will be able to secure the bid to host the games.

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle who was part of the team expressed similar views. “I think our chances are as good as any other country. Guyana has hosted several international events including cricket. We have the facilities… We will have a team from the ICC here

next week, they will spend three or four days here and they will have the final say in the determination of whether or not these facilities that we have, if they have made the grade that they will accept,” the sport director said.

Also accompanying Minister McCoy were Chairman of the National Sports Commission Kashif Muhammad, Assistant Director of Sport, Melissa Dow-Richardson and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Melissa Tucker a m o n g o t h e r s .

The ICC Youth World Cup will feature 16 teams who will be competing in the 50 overs format of the game for one month. This is the first time that the West Indies will

GFF launches talent ID ahead of Concacaf Men’s U20 Qualifiers Commences today at Providence

T

he Guyana F o o t b a l l Federation will assess potential new national U20 male players at a series of “talent ID” sessions in Guyana and the United States in August and September, as the Technical Department prepares for the 2022 Concacaf U20 Championship qualifiers in November.

The first talent identification sessions will take place at the GFF National Training Centre (NTC) in Providence, East Bank Demerara today and tomorrow.

All players must provide evidence of a negative covid-19 PCR test. ”We are looking forward to seeing new players emerge through these sessions, so that we can ensure our U20 squad represents the very best young talent Guyana has to offer as we work towards qualification for the 2022 Concacaf U20 Championship,” said U20 Head Coach Wayne Dover. ” We w i l l m a k e a n announcement on the selection of the squad shortly after this talent identification process is complete in Guyana and the United States,” he said. Players born on or after January 1st, 2003, who have been proposed by eight of the GFF’s regional associations, will take part in

Wayne Dover - National U20 Head Coach

the trials at the NTC as part of the first steps in the long journey towards the FIFA U20 World Cup 2023.

Boys from the Georgetown Football Association, the East Bank Demerara Football Association, the East Coast Demerara Football Association and the We s t C o a s t D e m e r a r a Football Association will participate today, between 0900 and 1100 hours.

Talent from the Upper Demerara Football Association, the Bartica Football Association, the Berbice Association and the Essequibo/Pomeroon

Football Association will be assessed tomorrow, between 1300 and 1500 hours.

A separate talent ID process for the Rupununi Football Association will be conducted in Region 9.

Other areas of the hinterland will be catered for via player recommendations f r o m t r u s t e d representatives across the country.

B e t w e e n F r i d a y, September 24th and Sunday, September 26th, the technical department will oversee a similar scouting process in the United States, led by Dover and his team.

Acting Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Kwame McCoy, MP and team conducting an assessment at the Everest Cricket Club. host the tournament which they first won in 2016.

Guyana, back in June, submitted its bid to Cricket West Indies (CWI) to host matches in the ICC Youth World Cup to be held in the Caribbean in early 2022.

Countries are required to demonstrate their ability to stage the matches by providing adequate match and training facilities, undergo a venue inspection, provide immigration, customs, medical and

security support. The countries must also meet other operational and logistical requirements such as accommodation for the members of the teams, match officials and broadcast crew.

(DPI)

BCB President Meets with West Berbice clubs - Developmental programmes unveiled; Blairmont receive grass cutter ”Th e Wes t B er b ice Cricket Association has never supported me and my slate at BCB elections but that has not stopped me from reaching out to them on a daily basis to seek ways of how to develop cricket in the area. My duty is to spearhead the development of the game in every area, whether they vote for me or not and your sub association has benefitted from that policy, just like the rest of the county. I want you to work as a collective body as there is no place for settling of scores, petty attitudes or indifference in the administration of sports. I want to reassure you that

West Berbice is not only a vital piece of the BCB plans but that you would continue to benefit from our hard work in the future.”

Those were the words of President of the Berbice Cricket Board Hilbert Foster as he addressed representatives of cricket clubs in the West Berbice Sub Association. The President and several of his executive members including Secretary Angela Haniff and Competition Chairman Leslie Soloman met with the clubs at the Hopetown Community Center in the first of many more face the club meetings that would be hosted across

the county.

Since his election as President, Foster has held numerous meetings with representatives of clubs each year to listen to their concerns and also to discuss areas of cooperation as part of the BCB policy of transparency and accountability.

The clubs were informed that the pro active cricket board would be seeking to restart its 2021 cricket season in early October and as such, they should seek to have their venues in order.

Foster urged the clubs to focus on their membership as several players might have (Continued on page 21)

BCB Vice President Robby Saywack hands over grass cutter to Blairmont officials in the presence of BCB officials and representatives of West Berbice Cricket Association affiliates.

Tallawahs smash Kings in record win

Isuru Udana took 5-21

Kieron Pollard on the go

Kieron Pollard cuts loose to seal chase after Isuru Udana’s five-wicket haul

Andre Russell during his record breaking 50 from 14 balls.

t r o p S

Guyanese Nandu, Thorne in West Indies Rising Stars U19 18-member squad for tour of England

Akeem Agustee - Captain West Indies Rising Stars U19 Team

Matthew Nandu

Isai Thorne

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