K
AIETEUR “Lover” assists
February 13, 2022
in hanging woman after husband knocks her unconscious
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Exxon's CEO, Pres. Ali and VP Jagdeo owe it to Guyanese to revise the lopsided oil deal - Christopher Ram …history will look most unfavourably on them if this is not done
-A
rti
cle
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Govt. sets aside GYD$22.4M also pay to to revise future …to update to old 'billion- dollar’ Petroleum Law oil contracts - Min. Bharrat Gas-to-Shore project binds Guyana to fossil fuels until 2049 Use oil money to fight poverty...
US$60M out of US$630M oil money - Glenn can double all public servants’ Lall salary and senior citizens’ pension Listen to The Glenn Lall Show @ 11am, 4&7pm on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM
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Kaieteur News
Sunday February 13, 2022
Kaieteur News
Sunday February 13, 2022
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Use oil money to fight poverty...
US$60M out of US$630M oil money can double all public servants’ - Glenn Lall salary and senior citizens’ pension Years after promising citizens that Guyana’s new found oil wealth will be spent on bettering their lives, the government’s first move on the oil resources will be to fund a controversial gas-toshore project and other schemes mired in controversy. Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall, who has been pushing for responsible management of the petroleum sector and spending of the oil resources said that of the US$630M (GYD$126B) the government will be withdrawing from the Guyana Natural Resources Fund, US$60M alone could be used to double public servants’ salary and the monthly old age pension which is pegged at $28,000. In wrapping up the examination of the $552.9B budget last week, Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh told the National Assembly that $126B coming from the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) will be pooled with other revenue streams in the Consolidated Fund, to pay for government’s programmes for the year—all of which are considered, “national developmental priorities,” and as such, could not be disaggregated and identified as financing a specific project. It would be apposite to note that despite the fact that some $126B of this year’s Budget is being funded with monies to be withdrawn from the NRF for the first time, t h e r e w a s n o mention—despite promises made—of which programmes specifically in this year’s budget would be funded using Guyana’s oil resources. In fact, he intimated that the money is in fact being used as budgetary
support. Dr. Singh when first pressed on the matter was reminded that “…we were being told that we have to ask the Minister of Finance, which are the projects that would be utilising the NRF amounts.” To this end, Dr. Singh was adamant that the new Natural Resource Act that had been approved provides a mechanism that the money be withdrawn and placed as a lump sum into the Consolidated Fund. He explained further that the new Act established a mechanism whereby transfers come into the Fund in its entirety then appropriated. However, speaking on his weekly Radio Programme, the Glenn Lall Show on Friday, the Kaieteur News Publisher predicted that the $126B will be spent on a selected few government officials through inflated projects. “…President Ali is going to put $100M into the Gas-toshore Project what Guyanese know nothing about and got Ashni Singh telling this nation how it’s too early to say, whether the public servants can get an increase in their salary. This country can’t be real…” Mr. Lall told his audience. He said the NRF Act, which governs the country’s oil resources is very specific about what the money should be spent on, and what portion of it should be saved. “Anyhow them twist it, anyhow you turn it, our oil money will be spent on all the projects in 2022 and nothing will be left in the
Living between Vreed-en-Hoop - Parika
account for our children,” Lall noted. POVERTY IN THE COUNTRY Lall spoke about intense poverty in Guyana, referencing a visit to his office by a woman he knew. He stated that the woman has five children and was begging him for help because she has to Continued on page 60
Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall in protest mode.
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Kaieteur News
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
Vice President’s bribery stain
W
e are appalled at what has surfaced and could lead to an enduring stain on Guyana’s Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo. We make no defense for him or rush to no judgment on his guilt or lack of such that besmirches ordinary citizens, but leaves a more lasting and pungent odour when placed against the name of a leader. This allegation of bribe taking on the part of the Vice President is not to his credit, whether true or false, be it trumped up or what can be trampled down. The reality is that it is there, and it will not go away. And if the Vice President did, then that is to his perpetual damnation, and if he didn’t, then the stain and the shame of it remains as it is no longer erasable, which is the trouble with these things. It is known that we have had our differences with the Vice President when he was President. Now that he is Vice President, which for all intents and purposes makes him President of Guyana’s Oil Management, Oil Visions, and Oil Actions, Standards, and Practices, and transforms him into this country’s de facto President and leader. Some of those differences have been severe and wounding, as originating from his side over the years, but we have a mission and that is to serve the peoples of this country. So, we have persevered to this day. Today we do not seize the opportunity to judge him and condemn him, even though it is our belief that he deserves both for some of the things he has done to this country. No! He has the chance to come clean and offer himself up to be judged and condemned; or upheld, sympathised with, and pardoned. Truthfully, Dr. Jagdeo is not a sympathetic figure. He cuts an unheeding, impatient, arrogant, troubled figure of a leader, who has fallen prey to a failure and folly as old as man. He allowed the trappings of power to get to his head, control his mind, and dictate his feet in directions which he should not have gone. He has been a picture of inconsistencies, evasions, suspicions, the worst of speculations, and now they are back to haunt him with the ferociousness of a Category-5 hurricane. He comes across, in this his hour of public trial, as unsteady in defense, unconvincing in presence, and unsettled in resolve. It is as if he is a man searching for the elusive in the dark, which makes his lacklustre stumbling and erratic pawing representative of inconvenient truths of a savaging kind. As said before, in the strength of his posture he will persuade, in the feebleness of his energies he will raise eyebrows, which is the least of his concerns, or compel others to assume the worst, from which he may likely never recover. The whispers were always there, and so are sturdy convictions that the Vice President did not do his best to deliver the best for the hopeful, trusting people of Guyana. We confess that, as time went by, whatever trust we had for the Vice President evaporated. His ways and wiles left us no choice, but to be true to what we believe. Malice is not a part of our makeup, and there is no delight at the plight in which the Vice President finds himself. How he handles this, how he comports himself, will either clear him or convict him in the vigilant, critical, sometimes helpful, sometimes hostile court of public opinion. Vice President Jagdeo has a lot to live down, which is one way of examining the ugly developments involving him. On the other hand, he has the opportunity to approach his leadership responsibilities in a different way on a different plain with different degrees of ethics. Persuasive personal honour must be embedded irremovably in the new framework that he adopts and embraces for himself. If the Vice President is guilty as alleged, only he would know, and he should do the right thing and take the dignified road. Go. If he isn’t, then he must move heaven and hell to clear his name. He owes himself that, and Guyana is due that, more than he.
Sunday February 13, 2022
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News, 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
Guyana must not rush, make bad decisions regarding energy mix DEAR EDITOR, As the Energy Conference gets underway, Guyana continues to experience the phenomenon of blackouts. Only last week, the national grid ran into trouble and they had to bring in experts to diagnose the problem. They had to shut down the five dual-fuel power-generating sets at GPL’s Garden of Eden power plant, to prevent a looming disaster, the Department of Public Information (DPI) said. That’s where we are after 60 years of both PNC and PPP in CARICOM’s richest country. The power monopoly has been a perennial nightmare for the Guyanese people. Supply is unreliable and expensive. GPL is quick to disconnect you for non-payment and slow to reconnect although they charge hefty fees for reconnection. And the Public Utilities Commission gives them a free pass. The script never changes.
We need change in a hurry but we must not make bad decisions that would end up creating and multiplying new problems. The Government is poised to embark on the Amaila Falls project, which was killed by the PNC government after the “Fip” problems. The government is also rushing ahead with the gasto-shore/gas-to-power project. None of these projects has bipartisan support. Civic society groups and environmental groups have questioned the haste with which the Government is rushing to do these projects despite large question marks about increasing costs, environmental concerns, long-term viability, and its poor governance of oil. While local experts such as Alfred Bhulai argue that solar energy is cheaper than gas or hydro, at this point, the Government prefers the bigticket items of gas-to-shore
and Amaila. There are no big solar power projects on the horizon. Speaking at the Conference is the Ghanaian President whose country has a bad deal with the gas company. Ghana’s failure to conduct proper gas-to-shore studies resulted in hundreds of millions of US$ in yearly losses. So, I am not sure what the Ghanaian President can tell us, unless he will be saying to our Government don’t make the mistakes that we made. Ghana signed a long-term “take-orpay” Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with gas and power suppliers, through which it would have to pay for a significant portion of the produced gas from their fields. Ghana was billed US$250M for unused gas in 2019. Studies say that Ghana is in this situation because it did not sufficiently study the project. Ghana failed to properly assess its energy demand, and
is now up to its neck in annual losses. One headline said, “Ghana’s Sankofa gas project – backed by World Bank – brings fiscal pain.” Here in Guyana, there are more questions than answers for the proposed gas-toshore/power project. We demand full disclosure from the Government. Guyana’s resources belong to the people, not a party. Secrecy fuels the notion that maybe corruption is taking place. The Suriname President is here also. Maybe some of his smartness can rub off on our leaders. Hope he tells us how they got better “signing bonuses,” bigger royalties, and tax payments from the oil companies. Similar to the gas-to-shore project, the Amaila Falls project is another rushed project and full disclosure has not been made. Will we buy excess power from the Chinese owners of the (Continued on page 6)
Sunday February 13, 2022
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Kaieteur M@ilbox
Who is Su and how come Vice News?
Honourable Vice President Jagdeo, M.P. on Indigenous Peoples in Vice interview
DEAR EDITOR, We have two mysteries in three dimensions. As Churchill would have said about this bribe taking scandal, it is a mystery wrapped in a riddle that is an enigma; I say, go figure. Who is telling the truth? And a la Pontius Pilate, what is truth? I narrow this down to the marrow with two questions. First, who is Comrade Su? And how come VICE News? Comrade Su is now one of those faceless characters of espionage fiction, the nameless men of MI5 and MI6, also descriptive of CIA spooks. Thank God, he has a name, and address in a rich property section; now the grand lord of Guyana, the Vice President, is a landlord, too. I think his official title was well chosen, as it fits to a tee; and a man is entitled to his peculiar truths. I wait on a photo of Comrade Su; expect nothing but curious cartoon sketches in the skilled lines of funny cartoonists. Thus, Guyanese will have one more shadow of a silhouette to study. I believe that Guyana is not North Korea; now I must enlarge thinking, this is Red China and not Guyana. For everywhere there is this Chinese Invasion, while we watch the Venezuelans. With the straightest face, Chinese Politburo officials reassured that their companies operate within the law. I am not a man to doubt officialdom, but this is asking too much of even a dreadful guy like me. As interpreted, operating within the law means: just get the job done, baby, do whatever it takes. I have to admire that fluency with the English Language, which I hope didn’t get distorted in translation. Perhaps, their teacher is His Excellency, a leader who
breaks new ground cleaning up the English Language to suit his purposes. Now for some questions. First, how come VICE News was able to zero in on Comrade Su, and so unerringly, what was the source of its intelligence? Second, why did Comrade Su spill the beans, violating custom and practice? Third, did he have the goods on what was coming down with contract cancellations, and gave the VP the goods, as in preemptive dirty business? If nothing happened why cancel contract(s)? Regarding Comrade Su himself, why is he renting, doesn’t own, in treasured Chinese fashion? Sixth, was that one million purportedly for rent, or disguising thank you? Seventh, did the VP cancel, compliments of AB (C&E) guidance to limit the ubiquitous Chinese? I struggle. We are in awe of the Chinese Dragon, but we have a Chinese octopus, which tentacles reach high (look how high) and far. Too far, for my fellow Americans comfort. For me, too, which brings me to this other curious apparition. It targeted the Vice President, this mystery news apparition with its choice name, VICE News. This is not a fly-bynight, but a real American Airlines winger with a stinger that left a stinker. Thanks for nothing, VICE News. But like the immortal Sam Cooke crooned and did crescendo, it’s been a long time coming… But I don’t think any change is going to come. The VP denied, Comrade Su denied (did he, really?), and His Excellency himself is in denial of what could be reality. Somehow, Hannibal Lecter giving a testimonial for Ted
Bundy comes to mind. Again, since all is kosher, why kill the contract? I am a simple man and I hope that Guyanese (leaders) are not going to try to stuff my throat, and that of the nation, that these lovely Americans came up with this eureka moment to go to Guyana and get the VP’s goat. Out of nowhere, out of all places, and of all world leaders, they targeted the hapless VP, then stripped him naked. I think I detect shades of Belshazzar of Babylonian and Biblical illustriousness, with that frightening writing on the wall. I recall Johnny Cash of Country and Western fame and “A Boy named Sue.” For there was VICE News and a man named Su, which might just be the role of the dice. Well, it was unlucky for Guyana’s mighty one, the VP. Talk about sweating, stammering, and stumbling. I share FDR with the VP, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself. We don’t have any high crimes and misdemeanours here, so I wouldn’t worry. Still, the question remains, who sent VICE News and who is Su? I think mischief is afoot; I study A and B, speaking boldly about procurement recently. I want to proceed, but B is my alphabetical limit. Mystery matters. Money is magic. Sincerely, GHK Lall
DEAR EDITOR, I have listened to the portion of Mr. Jagdeo’s interview with Vice News, during which he spoke to Indigenous Guyanese issues. He said the following among other things: 1. “When we assumed office in 1992, Indigenous People had titled lands, about 6%. By the time we left office in 2015, we had titled Indigenous communities with lands that amounted to over 14% of Guyana.” 2. “We are one of the few countries in the world that gave the Amerindian communities on titled lands subsurface rights…so now they have subsurface rights in as part of the legislation that we passed.” 3. In Parliament, we
went and created an Amerindian Act when there was none. In that Act, we gave the communities greater self government…subsurface rights, um, greater access to forested lands and a pathway to getting titled lands.” I believe that it is necessary, in the interest of the history of Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples that I address Mr. Jagdeo’s statements above. Land titling and the Amerindian Act: Editor, there was an Amerindian Act even before Independence. That Act was
promulgated in 1951. The 1951 Amerindian Act was adopted by Independent Guyana. The Amerindian Act of 1951 was amended on 21st April 1976 to facilitate the titling of the first set of Amerindian Villages in Guyana. The amendment was by way of inclusion of a schedule of the sixty three (63) Villages and two (2) Districts which became titled owners of their lands for the first time in Guyana. The Amerindian Act of (Continued on page 6)
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Kaieteur News
Sunday February 13, 2022
Kaieteur M@ilbox Honourable Vice President Jagdeo... Guyana must... Kaieteur M@ilbox
From page 5 1951 (amended in 1976) was further amended in 1991. On this occasion, the amendment was also by way of inclusion of a schedule of villages, which were also now made titled owners of their lands for the first time. The 1991 amendment titled an additional ten Villages and two Districts. This took the titled Amerindian lands to a total area of 9,915 square miles or 11.9% of Guyana’s lands. The records will show that, the PPP in their 23 years issued first time titles to a grand total of 2,829 square miles of lands to Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples. This represents 3.4% of Guyana’s lands. What the PPP did was to issue Land Titles under the Land Regis-
try Act (5:02), replacing Absolute Grants issued in 1976 and 1991 in accordance the State Lands Act (62:01). In short, our people were given titles to lands for which they already held legal inalienable titles (Absolute Grants). The action taken to title Amerindian lands in 1976, 1991 and onward to current day, flows from the work of the Amerindian Lands Commission. The Amerindian Lands Commission Act, Chapter 59:03 of the Laws of Guyana defined the composition, scope and functions of the Commission. It was passed into law on 20th May 1966 and had an effective date of commencement of 26th May 1966. Between 2015 and 2020, the Government of Guyana
received several reports from Indigenous Peoples in the villages regarding the validity of Absolute Grants issued pursuant to the 1976 and 1991 amendments to the Amerindian Act. They allege that visiting PPP activists (some of whom are ministers of government today) told them that Absolute Grants were not a valid form of title to lands. This of course is untrue. It is true to say that, the Amerindian Act currently in force was promulgated in 2006 and that it repealed and replaced the Amerindian Act of 1951 (amended in 1976 and 1991). It is not true to say that there was no Amerindian Act prior to 2006. Subsurface rights: The Indigenous Peoples
of Guyana have long advocated for rights to subsurface mineral. Their advocacy in this regard was rejected and omitted from the Amerindian Act of 2006. The State Lands Act was never amended to accord this much desired right to Guyana’s Indigenous Peoples. It cannot be fair to cause Guyana’s international partners to believe that our Indigenous citizens enjoy a right which they do not and have never enjoyed. It is widely believed by Indigenous Peoples that, the PPP is avoiding a national review of the Amerindian Act because of the strong advocacy for subsurface rights among other things which the PPP is unwilling to grant. Yours faithfully, Mervyn Williams
From page 4 Hydro-Project as Ghana did with its gas? It cannot be that one man in the PPP’s Engine Room is smarter than all of Guyana, and he alone knows what is good for all of Guyana in all things. That would be sad if it were true. “None of us is as smart as all of us.” We want the Government to be very successful in its endeavours, but we also want the Government to listen to the voice of the people. As KN and Mr. Glenn Lall remind us daily, it’s “Our Wealth, Our Country!” We cannot fund our energy
mix and accelerate our development unless Government renegotiates the bad oil contract signed by the PNC so we can get more money. Will our President and VP make a public appeal to Exxon’s Darren Woods who will be in attendance at the Conference? N a t i o n, should they call for renegotiation, proper insurance coverage and a better deal given all the pending lawsuits on taxes, flaring, and environmental concerns? The time for our poor people to get rich is now! Open your eyes people! Take a stand! Sincerely, Dr. Jerry Jailall
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N B T . U . L . L T B . . N . U N U T L N B . U T . . L N N U T B . U . N L U BL BLUNT. B . . T . T T N N U . U L . . L B . T B . . . . N . T U T N N T U N U L L U B . L B . . . . B . T . . T . N N T U N L LU U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B . T L . . N B T . . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B . T . U . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . B . UN .BLUNT. L . . B T . . . N T U N L . . U B T . L . B . UN .BLUNT. L . . B T . . . N T U N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L B T . U . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T ... N must andLUwillNcome! LU ...BLUChange B T . . . T N U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T . U B . . N L T U B . N L . . U B T . L . . N B T . U . . N L T BB T...BLU U N L U B . L . . B . T . . N N T T L U U N L L U B U T...BLU B L . . N . B . T . . N T U N N N U L U U B L . BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Sunday February 13, 2022
Kaieteur News
Guyana is currently on the map for striking it rich with black gold. This only added to the abundant wealth, which the Creator has bestowed upon us in this land.
But if not managed properly, far too many Guyanese will remain dirt poor.
We are praying at this publication that the Creator will give our leaders a heart, for the people whose votes allowed them to be in office and can remove them just the same, so that they would see the dire need to manage our wealth so that future generations can benefit.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
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Exxon's CEO, Pres. Ali and VP Jagdeo owe it to Guyanese to revise the lopsided oil deal …history will look most unfavourably on them if this is not done - Christopher Ram
A
t t h e International E n e r g y Conference and Expo 2022 which gets underway at the Marriott Hotel from February 15 -18, the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of ExxonMobil, Darren Woods is slated to make a feature address alongside President, Dr. I r f a a n A l i a n d Vi c e President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. Taking this into consideration, Chartered Accountant and Attorney-atLaw, Christopher Ram states it is incumbent that the trio discusses and moves to revise the lopsided Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) which was signed in 2016 by the Granger administration. In an invited comment,
Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo
President, Irfaan Ali
ExxonMobil CEO and Chairman, Darren Woods
Ram noted that Woods is scheduled to speak immediately after Jagdeo who exercises supervisory control over the petroleum sector. The lawyer said this order of speaking is not
without meaning. Expounding further, the Chartered Accountant said, “After the President, Jagdeo is the most powerful member of the Government. He must know that the Petroleum
Agreement signed by the Coalition Government in 2016 was the greatest giveaway of a country's patrimony, in the history of this country, including the colonial era.”
Ram added, “And as he [Jagdeo] would know from the report submitted to the former Coalition Government by Clyde & Company, the British law firm, Exxon put extreme pressure on the Coalition Government, including blatant threats, to sign the Agreement.” It was entered into under duress. Ram articulated that Woods will no doubt meet privately with senior members of the government, including the President and the Vice President. As a measure of respect for the citizenry, Ram said, “They have a duty to raise with Mr. Woods, first privately and then publicly at the Conference, the unfair and lopsided Petroleum Agreement, and most significantly, that the Agreement suspends Guyana's sovereign right to make any law which affects the economic rights of Esso and its partners Hess and CNOOC.” That would not be possible even with the smallest State in the USA, let alone federally, Ram added. To be fair to Mr. Woods, Ram said, citizens ought to bear in mind that he was not CEO and Chairman when the infamous contract was signed; he came to the position months later. Ram reminded that Wo o d s n o w h e a d s a company that likes to boast
Chartered Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram of its corporate social responsibility, a term that extends accountability beyond the company's shareholders to include stakeholders, the public and the environment. He said too that Mr. Woods must be aware that there is no group of stakeholders to which Exxon currently owes greater accountability than the Guyanese public. Ram said the Exxon boss must also be aware that no less than the President of his country, Joe Biden, has pushed the G 20 countries into multilateral coordination requiring major corporations – without exception - having to pay from 2023, minimum 15% tax wherever they operate. “For Exxon, under Mr. Woods to maintain that, (Continued on page 63)
Sunday February 13, 2022
Dem
boys seh... De more four lane highway de guvament build, de more accidents dem gan gat. Some drivers using dem new road like if is wan airstrip. Dem driving as if dem flying. And dem end up flying off de road. De new Sheriff/Mandela Av e n u e c a u s i n g n u f f accident because people driving fast pun de shiny new surface. Was de same thing with de East Bank, East Coast and West Coast Roads. New road mean plenty accident and plenty deaths. Speeding kills and suh dem drivers gat fuh learn
Kaieteur News
Dem drivers gat fuh slow down fuh slow down. Guyana is nat a real place. We nah accustom to four-lane highway. We accustom to we two-lane and one lane pothole roads. De Popo dem does gat dem speed gun and dem does hide around bend and dem does be stopping in crack pun de road waiting fuh pounce on dem drivers. Dem nah know dat de regulations require dat dem aim de gun in front ah de car and not from around a turn or at de side of de road. And dem nah interested in any excuse. If one ah dem catch
you above de speed limit, cat eat yuh dinner. But dem gat some drivers dem gat some excuse dat does blow yuh mind. One time a traffic cop stop a man and tell he: “If you can give me an excuse I've never heard before I gan let you go.” De driver tell de cop, “A few years ago meh wife ran off with a traffic police. I thought you were him trying to bring her back to me.” De traffic officer tell de man, “Slow it down and have a nice day!” Talk half. Leff half.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
==The Court Journal===
Extradition Matters
By Renay Sambach Extradition is an action wherein one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or is convicted of a crime in another jurisdiction, over to the other's law enforcement officials. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdictions and depends on the arrangements made between them. Shawn Neblett In this article, I will highlight some matters in relation to extradition. In November 2020, expoliceman, Shawn Neblett, was handed over to United States Federal Officers to be extradited to face a series of drug related charges in the United States (U.S.).
He was wanted in the U.S. for conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute, importation of cocaine, and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The extradition hearing was carried out against Neblett after a wanted bulletin was issued on June 10, 2016, for him in the U.S. in connection with a matter involving trafficking of narcotics through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri. According to the indictment, between August 2015 and September 2015, in the Eastern District of New York, Neblett conspired to smuggle cocaine into the US
Marcus Bisram from Guyana.In August 2015, he was accused of arranging for a courier in Guyana to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. in exchange for US$8,000. More than a year after,
Shawn Neblett Troy Thomas the extradition matter commenced in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty. The Magistrate ruled that there was sufficient evidence against Neblett for him to be extradited to face the court in the U.S.During the hearing of the matter, Neblett was being represented by attorney-at-law Darren Wade while attorney-at-law
Stacy Goodings represented the Government of the United States.The Guyana Police Force had issued a wanted bulletin for Neblett on February 2, 2017, but he was arrested in May, 2019 at Moleson Creek, Berbice while illegally attempting to cross over to Suriname. Troy Thomas In another matter, US fugitive Troy Thomas, was extradited to the United
States in April 2019, to face charges for the murder of a 20-year-old Guyanese man eight years prior. A U.S. Embassy release had stated that Thomas was en route to the U.S. to face justice “for criminal acts he allegedly committed in New York in 2011.” It noted that he was in the custody of the N e w Yo r k P o l i c e Department and was slated (Continued on page 59)
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BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCY! In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated SUNDAY Almost a year ago, a young man was gunned down a short distance from the Head-of-State's official residence. It was a crime that was captured on CCTV camera but yet no one has been brought to justice. Of what use then are those tasked with serving and protecting us when criminals are allowed to walk freely among us? This begs the question: Has our country descended into anarchy? MONDAY The Irfaan Ali administration likes to boast about transparency. We at this newspaper know otherwise and have written at length about this. To d a y, t h e s a i d administration is going to Parliament to approve spending the proposed sum in the $552.9B budget. And what has it done? 1. Reduced the time for scrutiny for certain spending, 2. Reduced the number of days for scrutiny of the biggest budget. So much for a transparent government. TUESDAY In seven months, the PAB motor vehicle series was
completed; a staggering development indeed. This, however, is likely to create an even greater problem. Already our roads are congested, and with plans for only a few new roads, congestion is likely to remain a staple. Where are the visionaries? Where is the wisdom needed to properly guide the decisions taken in this land?Will we forever have many tiny, inferior roads overflowing with vehicles? Come on leaders, if you are going to lead, do so in every sense of the word or do the decent thing and step aside. WEDNESDAY The review of Field Development Plans (FDPs) for ExxonMobil's multibillion dollar projects has been one of the most troubling exercises conducted by the former and current administration. Both have exhibited a proclivity to rush a process that takes several months to properly complete; a process that allows us the power to reduce costs and challenge the company to be more economical. Both have also displayed
absolute recklessness, and perhaps, a troubling degree of ignorance in their failure to use the FDP approval process to demand from ExxonMobil, full coverage insurance for Guyana. As if the foregoing transgressions were not insulting and damning enough, both the coalition and the PPP/C Governments have used ExxonMobil's well-known client, Bayphase Limited, to review that company's FDPs on four occasions. The latest contract award to Bayphase was for the review of the Yellowtail documents. Guyanese, do you believe ExxonMobil's well-established client can be trusted to take care of our interest? Certainly, this does not auger well for the transparency and accountability that should rule Guyana's oil sector. THURSDAY From time immemorial, we have embraced the maxim: practice makes perfect. H o w e v e r, h e r e i n Guyana, it would seem, the maxim has been revised to: practice or not perfection will never be attained. This is especially
our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecency in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation. worrying when we take into consideration some of the poorly constructed roads across this country. Many citizens have complained about this state of affairs but little is done to appease their concerns. With a barrage of roads being built, we at this publication ask: Is this the legacy the PPP/C Government wishes to have? With more vehicles flooding our roads, it is hoped that the 'visionaries' in office would see the need to improve the quality of our road network. FRIDAY Guyanese, it is time that
we stop being mere observers in our own land. If we continue to accept whatever morsel is handed out to us, we will, soon enough, become secondclass citizens in the land of our birth. We must be determined to understand what is going on around us; have a desire to know what decisions our leaders are making in the name of development. Pay attention Guyanese, stand up for your rights! SATURDAY Leave Vice News alone!! Not surprising, we are witnessing a government in panic mode following
damning allegations that Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo is linked to bribery. They are attacking a journalist, from the USbased media agency, Vice News Media. What is her crime? Daring to ask Mr. Jagdeo about allegations that he receives kickbacks from Chinese companies in exchange for lucrative government contracts? We here at Kaieteur News urge the government to leave the journalist alone and instead launch a full-scale investigation into the allegations to determine whether what the journalist presented to the VP is true.
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Over 800,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered to date - Ministry Friday marked one year since the Government commenced its COVID-19 vaccination programme, and to date, a total of 850,735 doses have been administered to individuals countrywide. This was announced by Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, who noted during his COVID-19 update on Friday that “we are one of the countries in the Caribbean that would have vaccinated a substantial portion of its
population.” On February 10, last year, the President announced the arrival of 3,000 doses of the OxfordAstraZeneca vaccine, Guyana's first batch of COVID-19 vaccines, which came as a donation from Barbados. As many can recall, when the programme started, priority was placed on frontline workers first, the elderly and persons with comorbidities.
Since then, the government was able to source almost all the available vaccines to help with the fight against the virus. The vaccines currently being used in the rollout programme are AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson (J&J), Moderna, Pfizer, Sinopharm, Sinovac and Sputnik V. With over 800,000 doses of vaccine administered to individuals (Continued on page 57)
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony receiving the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines last year.
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“Lover” assists in hanging woman after husband knocks her unconscious A By Shervin Belgrave
twist in the case of Edith Reuben, the Soesdyke woman who was found dead on Tuesday, hanging from a mango tree, revealed that an alleged decision she made to cuddle with her lover while her husband was asleep led to her being strangled to death by both of them. Detectives were able to learn of this twist after they received a confession from both men on Saturday. Reuben, age 48, was reportedly found dead around 06:30hrs hanging from a mango tree in her yard at Yarrowkabra, Soesdyke-
Linden Highway. Her feet were touching the ground. Her husband had initially denied having anything to do with her death and had told the cops that he had found her dead after waking up from a hangover. Although it appeared as though Reuben had committed suicide, investigators from the inception suspected that she was murdered. Crime scene experts had pointed to the fact that her feet were still touching the ground and explained that while not impossible, it is extremely difficult for someone to die from hanging if their feet are still on the
ground. An autopsy later conducted on her remains revealed that she was strangled and this was compounded by blunt trauma to the head. The results from the autopsy only added to the detectives' suspicions that someone had murdered the woman. They believed that she was knocked unconscious with a blow to the head before being hanged. The Commander of the Division, Mahendra Siwnarine had told this publication that, “while the hit did not kill her, it may have rendered her
incapacitated before she was hung.” Kaieteur News was told that the detectives had further questioned her husband about her death but he had maintained his story. However, he had revealed that a man who had slept over at his house after a drinking session with him and his wife. That man, he told police, had left their house around 04:00hrs and he found his wife dead about two hours later. Police hunted that man until they found him and while interrogating him, they learnt that he was Reuben's lover.
It was revealed that on Monday evening, he had attended a drinking session at Reuben's home with her husband and some of their neighbours. After the neighbours left, the lover continued to drink high wine with the couple until the husband retired to bed. Sometime later, the husband awoke and found them together in a comprising position. Reuben's husband in his confession stated that he had become angry and located a piece of wood, which he used to strike his wife to her head. She fell and became unresponsive.
Believing that she was dead, the men claimed that they panicked and decided to help each other in order to avoid going to jail. The husband, detectives were told, came up with a plan to hang her on the mango tree to make it look like a “suicide case”. Her lover reportedly agreed and decided to assist the husband in hanging her. After hanging the woman, the lover left around 04:00hrs and the husband went back to bed. He woke up hours later ready to perform the role of a distraught husband who had just found his wife's lifeless body hanging from a tree.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
New water well at Wakenaam to be commissioned soon A new well drilled at Noitgedacht on the island of Wakenaam in Region 3 has been activated, resulting in residents in areas such as Sans Souci, Belle Plaine, Noitgedacht and Good Success receiving a level of service that has more than doubled. At least this is according to a release the Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) shared with the media on Friday. The cost for completing the well was not stated. The release however noted that Chief Executive Officer of GWI, Shaik Baksh and a technical team recently visited the island to assess the performance of the new well which was found to have high production. Visits were also made to several of the areas which are benefiting from the new well and some residents were receiving such a high level of service that they were able to do away with the need to pump water into their water tanks. However, residents in Caledonia, Zeelandia and Maria’s Pleasure are not yet benefitting from the new well. In this regard, an action programme is being
GWI’s Technical team and CEO, Shaik Baksh observe a sample of water from the new well. implemented to improve the efficiency of the distribution network. This includes extensive leak repairs, installation of air valves, piloting for all existing valves on the island and service connection upgrades. Given the significant improvement in the water pressure, GWI’s team is
closely monitoring the distribution system for leaks. In addition, customers in areas which are receiving a good supply of water will have metres installed to monitor water losses. A Water Treatment plant currently being designed will be constructed on the island at the back of the
Noitgedacht well station in order to reduce iron content, thereby providing a better quality of water The new Wakenaam well will be commissioned in a month’s time. Meanwhile, the team also visited the island of Leguan to survey possible sites for the construction of a
new Water Treatment Plant. The new plant is one of five to be constructed along the coast by GWI with funding from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Neighbourhood Democratic Council Chairman, Lachhman Dwarkha as well as Leguan’s Regional Democratic
Council representative, Shaik Ayube, both welcomed the construction of the plant. The officials praised GWI and by extension the Government of Guyana for bringing treated water to Wakenaam. They took the opportunity to also highlight that the island’s water pressure is excellent.
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President urges UG graduates to use newly acquired skills to “Revolutionise Guyana’s Development” - businessman and leading Scientist deliver uplifting speeches
Education Minister, Priya Manickhand delivered the charge to the graduates. President Dr. Irfaan Ali delivered congratulatory remarks to the UG Class of 2021.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali, in a message to the University of Guyana (UG) graduating Class of 2 0 2 0 / 2 0 2 1 , u rg e d t h e graduates to use their newlyacquired skills to develop themselves and to help “revolutionise Guyana’s development”. President Ali underscored that Guyana needs the expertise of all of the graduates as the future of the country now rests in their hands. “You the graduates of the Class of 2020/2021 have successfully equipped yourself with the most potent arsenal of change ‘a University education’. You
must now use the knowledge, the skills, and the values that you would have acquired to change your personal circumstances and revolutionise Guyana’s development,” the Head of State urged the graduates. “Your country needs your expertise. Guyana is on a transformative path of development towards a modern and diversified economy. One which will attach extreme importance to the development and retention of these highly skilled and knowledgeable graduates. Your education will unlock doors and open windows of opportunities for
you to contribute to national development,” the President told the graduates. The Head of State heaped praises on the University of Guyana for the excellent work it is doing in building the human resources capacity of the nation and pledged his Government’s continued support in ensuring the institution is provided with the resources to carry out its mandate. “It is because we believed in the transformative power of education that my Government is devoting increased resources towards improving our education system including University education. We remain committed to equipping the University of Guyana with the tools needed to respond to the needs of an
increasingly knowledgebased society,” President Ali stated. Minister of Education, Ms. Priya Manickchand in delivering the charge to the graduates said: “I charge you to always embrace the reality that you stand on the shoulders of giants; and as they did, you now have a responsibility to share the knowledge, skills, and dispositions acquired here with your fellow citizens.” She added: “I charge you to embrace the concept of ‘One Guyana’ and actively seek out ways in which we
respectively. They both urged the graduates to think beyond themselves and encouraged them to invest in the University that has shaped and moulded them to be the individuals they are today. GRADUATION CEREMONIES UG, last weekend (February 4 and 5), kicked off its first two virtual graduation ceremonies with powerful and uplifting speeches from two well respected and influential leaders in the fields of business and science – prominent businessman
Faculty of Engineering and Technology graduating its first batch of students with the Associate of Science in Petroleum Engineering. A t t h a t c e r e m o n y, renowned businessman, former politician, philanthropist and champion racer, Mr. Stanley Ming delivered a stirring address in which he urged the graduates to remain in Guyana and, “engage in activities and careers that will be fulfilling to you and be beneficial to your families as well as our national development.”
Guyana-born scientist at Pfizer; Mr. Vidia Roopchand
Businessman, Stanley Ming can advance our ability to not merely coexist, but to do so in genuine harmony, with respect, and general goodwill towards each other despite our differences.” “I also charge you to be intrepid, imaginative, and innovative. Dream the big dreams and be bold enough to pursue them at all costs. Envision a Guyana at the pinnacle of progress and endeavour to fully contribute to attaining such,” the Minister urged the graduants. Representatives of the UG Alumni Association, President of the Georgetown Chapter, Sarah Bharrat and Somattie Seranje delivered remarks at the first and second ceremonies
Stanley Ming and leading Guyana-born Pfizer scientist Mr. Vidia Roopchand, respectively. UG, the nation’s apex state University is currently hosting a series of online graduation ceremonies which will see close to 2,600 graduants walking the virtual graduation stage. The ceremonies are being held in clusters. At the first ceremony, a total of 635 students graduated – 367 from the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, 218 from the School of Entrepreneurship & Business Innovation, and 50 from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry. This ceremony presented the
Mr. Ming left three main pieces of advice with the graduates: “First, my advice to you is to establish partnerships with your fellow graduates and with Guyanese of all races. I repeat all races both from within and from abroad. Second, surround yourselves with friends and colleagues who know much more than you do and collectively you will do significantly more than just as individuals. And third, give back. Make it a habit. Make it part of your philosophical view of life. Make it part of your daily life.” The accomplished businessman then added: “If and when you start a Continued on page 61
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A PRESIDENT OF SMALL THINGS When the PPP returned to power in 1992, there was an immediate reduction in the prices of a number of consumer items. This happened because the then president was a man who was concerned about the small man. The problems he faced were formidable. This required him addressing the larger economic concerns but Cheddi never neglected the little things which matter to the average citizen. Almost immediately upon his assuming office, there was a reduction in the price of flour and rice. Other prices also came down. Cheddi Jagan then removed the means test for old age pensions. Prior to this, in order to qualify for an old age pension, you had to establish a need, and many persons who were indeed needy found themselves excluded by the a d m i n i s t r a t i v e requirements. Cheddi Jagan decided that everyone aged 65 should qualify for a pension, whether they wanted it or not. He was the one who also started the housing drive for low income families, and in
support of this, he also implemented a number of measures aimed at keeping construction costs low. So he was a president that tended to the small man. While he addressed the bigger problems, he never lost focus of the importance of the small things, the things that matter to the small man. The economy then was in a poor state. Guyana was one of the most highly indebted poor nations in the world. The infrastructure was run down and tax collection was poor. Guyana has made the sacrifices over the years. The economy has been repaired and with the discovery of oil, our leaders are ready to think and act big. As such, a number of mega projects are lined up. Some of these, such as the deep water habour and the Lethem/Brazil road, have been touted for a long time. But those mega projects matter little to the small man because the small man does not see the immediate benefits of such projects to him or her. At present consumer prices have been rising. The consumers are feeling the squeeze. The measures
which have been taken and which have been announced have not been impactful. It would help if some ways can be found to look at specific consumer items – cooking oil, rice, flour, vegetables, poultry, toilet paper, tomato paste, and bread – along with cooking gas and kerosene to see whether these prices can be subsidised or kept low. The concessions in the form of the payment of taxes on pre-pandemic freight costs, is also being applied to electronic items, imported furniture, imported beverages and luxury items. Instead of offering subsidies in the form of duty remissions to the private sector, the better approach would be to focus more on basic consumables to see how these can be reduced. Quite a large portion of the cost of food in Guyana is attributable to the hefty markups that are charged by middle men, those who buy from the farmers then resell to retail vendors. We have heard about a plan to establish farmer markets across Guyana. But nothing has been done so far. President Ali should
introduce some competition here and allow for small farmers to market their produce directly. The large farmers are not interested in this, but prices for consumers can be reduced if small farmers are encouraged through farmers’ markets to sell directly to consumers, thereby cutting out the middlemen who make the bulk of the profits from the same agricultural produce. The second area is wages. The situation which now faces the incombent president is far different from what Cheddi Jagan faced in 1992, when there was very little money to spread. Yet the PPP still found a hefty increase to give to workers in its first Budget. Since then, and especially during the Presidency of Bharrat Jagdeo, the increases have been indexed to inflation rather than to a living wage. At the minimum, a
working-class president would want to ensure that within the three years Guyana is able to pay its lowest paid worker a living wage. This means that a living wage has to be calculated, and this should be a priority. A third area of focus should be the removal of the destitute off the streets. There have been too many starts and stops in this regard and all those presently sleeping on the streets should be encouraged to move to shelters where they can be provided with a hot meal and a soft mattress to sleep. This would be a good start to help those in need. But the greatest area where the public would want change is in the harassment by traffic police. The Traffic police rank is the citizen’s worst nightmare and there is a great deal of corruption within the system, simply because the fines are so prohibitive that many
motorists prefer to leave something for the cop than to fork out the large fines that are charged. Technology needs to be the answer to speeding on the roadways. There are radars equipped with cameras that can record the speed of vehicles and this is the way to go, not to leave it to traffic cops. If there is anything that the public would want the new administration to deal with immediately, it is the harassment that takes place on our roadways and which really needs to be brought to an end. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Caribbean cannot ignore escalating tensions over Ukraine By Sir Ronald Sanders Global tension is rising concerning Ukraine, the second largest country in Europe after Russia which it borders. Ukraine was a part of the defunct Soviet Union, declaring its independence in 1991 when the Union dissolved. Should regions, as geographically distant from Ukraine as the Caribbean, care about the hostility that is escalating over it between Russia and the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) which includes the United States (US) and Canada? The short answer must be yes. Every region in the world would be impacted by a conflict over Ukraine. The Caribbean would be affected by higher prices for oil and gas which would result from
Russia cutting off oil supplies to Europe and the consequent competitive bidding in the markets from which Caribbean countries now purchase these commodities. This would have been bad news for Caribbean economies at any time but, coming in a period when these countries are still struggling to recover from the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, higher oil and gas prices would plunge many economies into further decline. There would also be a knock-on effect on the cost of imported goods and services, including food and the provision of vital utilities such as electricity and water. Beyond the economic and financial impact on the region if oil and gas prices are raised, small Caribbean
countries which came to independence by exercising the right to selfdetermination and which treasure their sovereignty and territorial integrity, would have to be very concerned should Russia invade Ukraine to bring it back under Russian control. Any diminution in the sanctity of these norms of international law would pose a threat to Caribbean Community (CARICOM) states, such as Belize and Guyana, which are faced with territorial claims. The root of the problem in the Ukraine rests in two things: the belief by the Russian government and especially President Vladimir Putin that Ukraine is, historically, part of Russia and President Putin’s further conviction that NATO countries wish to use
Ukrainian territory as a staging post against Russia. Putin had repeatedly said that “we (Russia) are categorically against any further NATO expansion eastwards because it poses a threat to us”. He adds, “It’s not us who’s advancing to NATO, it is NATO coming to us and it’s illogical to talk about Russia’s aggressive behaviour”. In 1991, when Ukraine became independent from the dissolved Soviet Union, it declared itself ‘neutral’. No doubt, it did so, because even then it was wary of Russian ambitions to control its neighbouring states. Ukrainian concern turned out to be justified when, in 2014, Russia encouraged forces in Crimea to declare it an independent Republic effectively annexing it to Russia. The Crimea is physically a peninsula of Ukraine where Russia has, traditionally, stationed its Black Sea Fleet at the Port of Sevastopol. Russia’s annexation of the area appears to have been a response to the Ukrainian government’s attempt to join the European Union (EU) – a move that was seen as a further step to link Ukraine to European countries that are also part of NATO. In recent years, Russian unease about Ukraine increased with the Ukrainian government’s expressed desire to join NATO, and the latter’s pledge in 2008 to allow it to do so, although no date was set and still does not exist. Russia has now amassed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine and sent a
detachment of warships into the Black Sea. All this has been interpreted by the Ukrainian government, NATO and the Western media as intent by Russia to invade. Putin appears to have two objectives. The first is to stop Ukraine from joining NATO and the second is to limit the expansion of NATO to include any countries other than its present membership. For their part, leading NATO nations, including the US, have made it clear that they will not n e g o t i a t e N AT O ’ s membership with Russia. T h u s , t h e s t a n d o ff continues and tensions heighten amid recent efforts from NATO leaders to engage Russia in a dialogue. An encounter between the Russian and British Foreign Minister was summed-up by the Russian as “a mute talking to a deaf person”. And a visit to Moscow by French President Emmanuel Macron for talks with Putin showed no sign of a solution. Russian-US talks also proved unproductive. The danger of the Caribbean region being thrust into this row became evident when Sergei Ryabakov, who led the Russian delegation in a meeting with US officials on January 12, said he would not confirm or exclude Russia sending “military assets” to Venezuela and Cuba. US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, described the Russian statement as “bluster”. Bluster or not, the Caribbean cannot ignore events surrounding Ukraine
Sir Ronald Sanders – a country with which all CARICOM countries have diplomatic relations as they do with Russia and the NATO member states. C o n s i d e r i n g contingency arrangements for oil and gas supplies – and their prices – is one thing that Caribbean governments should be collectively considering. They should also be jointly indicating their concern to Russia, that however tempted it may be to do so, military intervention in Ukraine should not be contemplated and would not have the support of governments that uphold and respect international law. In every international forum, Russia and the NATO nations should hear Caribbean governments, in a unified voice, calling for diplomatic engagement, and not conflict, to reach a solution to this problem that would leave Ukraine’s territorial integrity intact. (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the OAS. He is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are his own) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com
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THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
Black my story, not his-tory:
An Indian on Black History Month
I
could not get a job in 1978 even in the private sector despite the fact that, I had won more university awards at the time than any other previous best graduating student at UG. An African Guyanese president declared me persona non grata in my own country. I remember talking to the then Minister of Education about Burnham's fatwa on me. Vincent Teekah could not look me in the eyes. Teekah knew that I knew that Burnham was a con artist and he, Teekah was Burnham's jackass. I married Janet Mohamed, and left Guyana for post-graduate studies in Canada without giving my mom and dad a cent after failing to find employment. My father died within months of me leaving. My mother went through déjà vu in 1984, after I returned from studies abroad, and after a short stint with the Maurice Bishop Government in Grenada. Burnham renewed his employment fatwa against me. This time, he included my wife. What a despicable, demonic creature Burnham was. Why bring my wife into his horrible focus? I am now in advanced
age and I will go to my grave never knowing if Burnham was afraid of me. If he were, he was a fool and I don't think Burnham was ever a fool. So maybe the only conclusion was that he was afraid of me. Why victimise me in 1978, then again in 1984 and add my wife to the embargo? Of course, there was no reason to be afraid of me in 1984. I had a wife to look after so I was not interested in a violent overthrow of Burnham. My father died in 1979 without me giving him a cent. My mom died in 1985 without me giving her a cent. Burnham died the same year as my mom. That is part of my story in Guyana. Ziggy Marley wrote the song: “Black my story, not his-tory” and my friend Professor Hubert Devonish of UWI in Jamaica, titled his Bob Marley Memorial lecture, “Black my story, not his-tory: The Walter Rodney Story.” Maybe I should write about what Burnham did to me and title it, “Black my story, not his-tory: The story of Burnham's fear of me.”
In this month, Black History month, there are a lot of stories to be told of violence, exploitation, manipulation and betrayal of Black Guyanese by Black Guyanese. And also Black violence on Indians which must be part of the counter-narrative that young African Guyanese must be introduced to. Why can't the counternarrative be written by a Guyanese who is not African? I didn't spend time at three universities, lived all my life in my country, for someone to tell me: “You can't write about Black people in Guyana because you are not Black.” My answer is I can write about the history of the Guyanese people because I lived in Guyana and I know it. The opposing narrative must be composed to counter who will use Black History Month to fool African Guyanese as David Hinds did last week. Here is Hinds; Africans in Guyana continue to feel the “crack of the whip” in the form of economic policies, cultural alienation and structural racism,
which permeate the institutions of the society. Our Guyana is a perfect example of the unfortunate persistence of anti-Black racism in a non-white environment. We observe Black History this year as the universal cry of Black agony fills the air in Guyana. From the extrajudicial killing of Orin Boston to the racially tinged murders of the Henry cousins to the official persecution and prosecution of Black political leaders…” There must be a counternarrative to this fetid, fictionalisation of Guyanese history. The counter-narrative is that from the Wismar massacre at the beginning of the 1960s right up to the anti-
Indian mayhem in September 2021 in Region 5, Indian people have seen unlimited violence thrown on them w i t h h o r r i b l e manifestations. This columnist investigated anti-Indian insanities in Buxton from 2002-2006.If a person comes from another planet and read Hinds, that person will never believe that Black leaders proclaiming the entitlement of Black Guyanese ruled Guyana for 33 years from 1964 to October 1992 then again from 2015 to 2020. In that latter part, David Hinds' party, the WPA, was in power and that power was used to arrest and charge Indian politicians who appeared handcuffed in all the newspapers and on
Frederick Kissoon
te le
vision. And as 2021 was about to end, an Indian Finance Minister couldn't speak in parliament; denied his right by African Guyanese politicians. Black my story not his-tory. His-tory is the denial of Black violence on Indian people. His-tory is the continued manipulation of Black Guyanese by Black Guyanese. His-tory is false and fraudulent. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the
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Coronavirus: This is how you prevent yourself from dying from COVID-19 By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
E
ver so often, as the data changes, I would update on options that decrease one's risk of dying from COVID19. While some factors were obvious from the initial stages of the pandemic, others have become evident as the virus evolves. Deaths in Guyana are at its highest, and many could have been avoided if we had practiced the measures I will mention today. Minimise the “dose” of the virus you're exposed to It is obvious that if we avoid the virus altogether we wouldn't have to worry about getting sick or dying from it. However, this virus has evolved and is making it more difficult for us to avoid it while carrying out daily activities. Data has shown a correlation between severe disease or death and the amount of virus (viral load) an infected person was exposed to. We should therefore
practice the following measures to ensure that we avoid the virus or decrease the load that we are exposed to in the event of us coming into contact with it: ● Proper mask wearing: Ensure you and those that you are interacting with, all wear your mask. Also, using two masks (cloth or surgical) or an N95 mask when you are in high risk settings. ● Avoid high risk setting. Choose spaces that are large and open, have good air circulation and are not crowded to carry out daily interactions. The best environment to carry out interactions is therefore the outdoors. ● Time spent around others: Limit the time you spend close to others, especially those that you do not have certainty of their status. G e t Va c c i n a t e d : If you look at the data in Guyana, more than 95 percent of the COVID-19 deaths are persons that were unvaccinated. As a doctor who works on the frontlines, I can also tell
you that the vaccinated persons are faring very well with the disease when compared with the unvaccinated that undergo long bouts of intense suffering. The evidence is in front of our eyes to see, vaccines are doing what they were designed to do; save lives and decrease hospitalisation. Do not let a post on social media drive fear into you and prevent you from being vaccinated. Following a post from a disreputable site can cost you your life, as it has for so many others. Begin early treatment: While the treatment options I will mention below may be controversial in some parts, I am sticking by it because of my personal experience with close to 100 patients who have fared well with it, and because of the data in many countries that have shown its effectiveness. We are in a world where profitability often determines which treatments get more attention. Ivermectin and Azithromycin are drugs that have been around for decades
and are no longer patented. They are therefore cheap and are likely not to get the attention that the more expensive, patented drugs get. However, when used within the first three days of COVID-19 infection, the disease did not progress to the severe form but rather regressed. I will therefore continue to advocate for their use EARLY in the disease along with vitamins C and D and zinc supplementation. Ensure your immune system is primed: The virus thrives on the weak and data has shown that it is more likely to kill those that have weakened immune systems than those that do
not. We should therefore ensure that our body is ready for battle and ensure we practice the following to ensure that our immune system is primed in the event that we come into contact with the coronavirus: ● Eat healthy and ensure we meet our daily vitamin requirements’ ● Minimise stress and ensure we get enough sleep; ● Exercise and try to keep our weight in check; ● Use food rich in antioxidants; ● Avoid social activities that weaken our bodies (smoking, alcohol consumption, etc.); I am optimistic that if we
practice these measures, we can beat COVID-19 and be able to finally, turn the tide against this dreaded disease.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
Kaieteur News
DEAR READER, IN LIGHT OF THE ECONOMIC IMPACT CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, OUR PUBLISHER, WITH YOU IN MIND, HAS TAKEN THE DECISION TO EXTEND OUR WEEKLY REVIEW OF SOME OF OUR MAJOR STORIES IN THEIR ENTIRETY. SUNDAY PUSSYFOOTING CONTINUES… JAGDEO SHIFTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE FROM EXXON TO EPA In November 2021, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government is working to get ExxonMobil to acknowledge its commitment to provide Guyana with full coverage insurance. But when asked on Thursday last for an update on these discussions, the Vice President’s tune carried a different note. The official suddenly shifted the attention from himself and government, by extension on the matter to say, it is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is handling this crucial insurance negotiation with Exxon. The Vice President said, “This is an ongoing discussion and it is done mainly at the EPA. So that was their position on the table, in trying to get US$2B but they have been negotiating this and at the end of the day we will see…I don’t want to give a ball by ball blow but you know the intention and you will see the final product when it comes out and we are pressing hard for that sort of commitment.” Even though American oil explorer, ExxonMobil has faced five years of unrelenting criticism for refusing to provide Guyana with full coverage insurance on its Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two and Payara Projects, the company appears hell-bent on continuing this trend for its fourth development—the $1.8 trillion Yellowtail Project. Currently, Guyana only has insurance from the subsidiaries of the ExxonMobil, Hess Corporation, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or CNOOC Group on the Stabroek Block. Given that these companies hardly have any assets or cash, the insurance coverage in the event of an oil spill would be miniscule, to say the least. As a result of this, local stakeholders have urged the
government to not only correct this state of affairs by tying the parent companies to full coverage insurance for the first three sanctioned projects, but they have also demanded better arrangements for Exxon’s Yellowtail Project, which the government is now racing to approve by March. The continued calls for full coverage insurance have also intensified as more global cases of oil spill disasters come to the fore. Just recently, Kaieteur News highlighted two key cases in this regard. In Peru, this newspaper reported that a judge barred four executives from Spanish oil company, Repsol, from leaving the country amid the devastating oil spill, which saw more than 6,000 barrels of crude contaminating the shores of Peru. Kaieteur News reported that the oil spill occurred on January 15, 2022, at one of the La Pampilla refineries off the coast of Ventanilla in the region of Lima, Peru. It was reported that the oil spill was caused by shock waves from an undersea volcanic eruption near Tonga in the South Pacific Ocean. At the time of the undersea eruption, Suezmax tanker, Mare Doricum, was unloading a shipment of Brazilian crude oil at one of La Pampilla refinery’s offshore mooring buoys, and as such a quantity of the cargo was released. Kaieteur News also reported on another environmental disaster that occurred recently when an aging tanker called the Trinity Spirit that was operating as a floating production and storage vessel (FPSO) exploded and caught fire before sinking off the coast of Nigeria. Ten people working aboard the vessel were reported missing and presumed killed. Shebah Exploration and Production Company Limited (SEPCOL), which was the
operator at the Nigerian oil field, reported that the FPSO was serving as the primary production facility for the OML 108 in Nigeria’s offshore Ukpokiti oil field, located near the Niger Delta. The company indicated that the Trinity Spirit could process up to 22,000 barrels per day as well as inject up to 40,000 barrels with water per day. Its storage capacity was 2 million barrels of oil, although it is not known how much was aboard at the time. The Nigerian oil ministry indicated that the Ukpokiti oil field was not in production in 2020 and 2021. Some reports are indicating that the company was in financial trouble and that the Nigerian authorities revoked the production licence in 2019. It nonetheless exploded and an investigation was launched to determine the true cause. In the meantime, international reports cited that it will lead to an environmental disaster in Nigerian waters. The country is now potentially facing its second environmental disaster in three months after a vast oil spill from a disused wellhead spewed the equivalent of 20,000 barrels a day into waterways in the town of Nembe for weeks. In fact, the Nigerian government described the spill as being “like Hiroshima” after it devastated marine life, mangroves and water resources. Diane Hoskins, from the ocean conservation nonprofit Oceana, said in a statement: “The explosion of Trinity Spirit, an offshore production vessel, is horrifying for the crew on board and tragic for the local environment. “No offshore oil and gas operator can guarantee this won’t happen. Despite repeated promises that spill disasters are rare, industry proves again and again that where they drill, they spill. This is the reality of the oil and gas industry and it’s time to end drilling for oil in our
oceans.” The explosion of the Trinity Spirit is the fourth major oil disaster this year, following incidents in Peru, Ecuador and Thailand. In spite of the foregoing, Guyana continues to pussyfoot with securing full coverage insurance from oil companies to protect its people and environmental resources. MONDAY CALLS GROW FOR FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE FROM EXXONMOBIL – TO TABLE MOTION IN PARLIAMENT TO ADVANCE POSITION “Guyana obtaining full coverage insurance for the oil and gas sector is very important and we have always wanted that for Guyana; to protect us in the event of an oil spill.” These are the words of Opposition Member of Parliament and Shadow Oil and Gas Minister, David Patterson. In fact, during an interview with Kaieteur News, Patterson noted that among the several motions that he has in store to be tabled in the National Assembly is a motion calling for full coverage insurance. He noted that this is part of his efforts to secure full coverage insurance for Guyana, before an oil disaster strikes. Since 2015, ExxonMobil Corporation, the parent company of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), has steered clear of being tied to full coverage insurance for its Stabroek Block projects, which are certain to deliver multi-billion dollar profits on an annual basis. Instead, it has placed only its subsidiary (EEPGL) on the hook if such an eventuality occurs offshore. This is the state of affairs with its Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two and Payara Projects.
During the interview, the Opposition MP underscored the importance for Guyana to obtain the maximum insurance coverage, from the parent company of the subsidiaries that are operating in our back yard, and highlighted measures that will be taken by the Opposition to secure same. Patterson said, “EEPGL is just a subsidiary of Exxon, they have no asset in Guyana and not much can come from there. In the event of an oil spill or any accident out there, they [EEPGL] can just declare themselves bankrupt and pack up and go with no liability.” “An oil spill is something major, the ecological disaster it causes, and we also have our fishermen who depend on their catches to support their families,” Patterson added. To this end he explained that without full coverage insurance, in the event of an oil spill and the company declaring bankruptcy, Guyana will be put in a chokehold to not only foot the expense to clean up the spilled crude but to also get the company to pay for the damages caused. Moreover, during his presentation in the National Assembly last week, Patterson said that on assumption of office, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration reversed the position that Guyana should be financially covered for any and all spills, to little or no coverage at all. “When they reversed the Agreement between the Coalition and Exxon for the company to obtain the maximum insurance coverage on the market with the remainder being covered by the three parent companies,” he added. According to Patterson, the limited insurance coverage, as against full or unlimited liability coverage “against all risks poses a most severe risk to Guyana, leaving us vulnerable to financial bankruptcy without the
means to cleanup any oil spill. Not to mention the nation’s exposure to lawsuits from bordering countries.” To this end, he used the occasion to remind of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which costed approximately US$70 billion, “and the environmental damage persists.” Patterson posited: “it is rather stunning that with the proposed increase in production, the government is now talking about having Exxon obtain insurance to the value of $2 Billion.” Such a position Patterson said, begs the question, “did Exxon cancel the $2.5 Billion in private insurance that was put in place under the Coalition? Why would the government feel satisfied with only $2 Billion worth of liability coverage, when the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico costed more than $70 Billion?” Additionally he queried, “…if the government is satisfied with only the $2 Billion coverage, how would any costs over and above that be covered?” Questioned about this issue last week during a news conference, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo shifted the attention from himself and government by extension on the matter to say that it is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that is handling this crucial insurance negotiation with Exxon. The Vice President said, “This is an ongoing discussion and it is done mainly at the EPA so that was their position on the table in trying to get US$2B but they have been negotiating this and at the end of the day we will see…I don’t want to give a ball by ball blow but you know the intention and you will see the final product when it comes out and we are pressing hard for that sort of commitment.” Even though American oil explorer, ExxonMobil has faced five years of unrelenting criticism (Continued on page 29)
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From page 28 for refusing to provide Guyana with full coverage insurance on its Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two and Payara Projects, the company appears hell-bent on continuing this trend for its fourth development— the $1.8 trillion Yellowtail Project. And while Guyana’s government continues to be noticeably silent on the need for full coverage insurance from the parent companies of the subsidiaries operating in Guyana’s basin – making headline in recent news are three oil spill disasters. The recent one in Nigeria has resulted in approximately 60,000 barrels of crude and a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel going up in flames, and the 10 member crew feared dead as their whereabouts remain unknown. There was also an incident in Peru which saw almost 12,000 barrels of oil being spilled in Peru waters. The Peruvian government has since suspended the operation of the company responsible and imposed an 18month travel ban on four executives of the company, to ensure that they are in the country in the event of criminal proceedings being brought against them. There was also a recent oil spill in Ecuador which resulted in the Amazon being contaminated. A mudslide which was caused by heavy rainfalls caused a pipeline to burst resulting in two hectares of the Ecuador Amazon and 130 miles of a river being contaminated with crude. Even as the company that owns the pipeline promised to clean up the oil, the country vows to take legal actions against them. TUESDAY GOVT. SELECTS EXXON’S CLIENT OVER INDEPENDENT FIRMS TO REVIEW US$9B YELLOWTAIL PLANS The Government of Guyana has once again selected ExxonMobil’s client, Bayphase Limited, to review the field developments plans for the Yellowtail project. Bayphase, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom, won with a bid totalling US$423,360. The contract for the consultancy was awarded to Bayphase since January 21, 2022. The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) had disclosed the list of interested bidders on January 20, 2022. The other companies that submitted bids are as follows: Infinity Services in collaboration with XWells Mexico – US$617,500; Orwell Offshore-US$617,650; MSI International-US$817,761; Endeavour Management – US$598,934; Future Energy Partners Limited US$901,482; IHS Global Inc. – US$1,493,502; RPS Energy Consultants Ltd. – US$494,000; Sunstone Energy Advisory Service –US$785,040; Sproule – US$661,440; and StratOil Energy Services – US$324,080. Kaieteur News previously
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including cost effectiveness, and potential alternatives; engineering, geological and geophysical interpretations, simulations, and estimations, including recovery factor efficiency using natural gas injection and available natural gas for export; and the well and reservoir management strategy, taking into consideration the government’s objectives of maximising the recovery of hydrocarbon resources and having no gas flared.
reported that Bayphase is a well known client of ExxonMobil. In fact, Bayphase also works for Exxon’s subcontractors which include Schlumberger and Technip FMC. (See link for full list of clients: http:/ / w w w. b a y p h a s e . c o m / c l i e n t s list2.php) Further to this, none of its reports are ever unflattering on its clients. (See link to view their published reports: http:// w w w. b a y p h a s e d a t a . c o m / reports.php) Be that as it may, the company has said it offers several services on a consultancy basis which include: resource auditing and valuation, cost auditing and estimation, reservoir modelling and strategic study. It said, too, that it has carried out this work in accordance with standards set by these bodies: The Petroleum Resources Management System (PRMS), the Securities and Exchange Commission, the London Stock Exchange, the Alternative Investment Market and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. In the area of Cost Auditing and Estimation, Bayphase boasted of having over 30 years experience in developing independent cost estimates, verifying cost estimates and the development of software for cost estimating for oil and gas projects. It claimed to be a recognised leader in the assessment of all costs associated with oil and gas projects. It said that its experience in developing accurate cost estimates covers all phases of oil and gas extraction including: Exploration, Appraisal, Development, Production and
Abandonment. Bayphase said it has also been called on to audit project expenditures on behalf of stakeholders including: Partners in hydrocarbon development projects, Banks providing loans to Oil and Gas projects and Governments who wish to understand the revenue flow in such projects. TENDER DETAILS It was on January 8, last, that Kaieteur News published the government’s request for financial and technical proposals from qualified firms to review the Yellowtail Field Development Plan (FDP). The project documents note that the duration of the assignment is expected to be 50 days, with the possibility of work starting by February 7, 2021, should all go as planned. The bid documents state that the firms are required to consider Guyana’s legislative and contractual framework, international best practices and industry standards, and the specific conditions present in Guyana, then proceed to conduct an in-depth review of the Yellowtail FDP. Government said that the review must include all supporting and reference documentation, along with the related Environmental Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) submitted by the Stabroek Block Licensees. It was further noted, that the review must include at minimum, an assessment of the strategy and the development model, as well as the criteria for the choices that have been made by the Licensees,
Furthermore, Kaieteur News understands that, the successful applicant would be required to prepare a report, setting out the opinions formed in the evaluation of the FDP and ESIA, addressing at minimum, compliance or noncompliance with the requirements of the existing legislative and industry standards including any deficiencies, unresolved issues and areas of additional assessments or technical analysis that the government should request before making a determination on the FDP. According to the government, it expects support for the Natural Resources Ministry through engagements and information exchanges, with the Licensees as well as the provision of on-the-job training to Guyanese during the FDP evaluation process. TRILLION DOLLAR PROJECT Kaieteur News previously reported that development costs for the Yellowtail project are poised to exceed US$9B or GY$1.8 trillion. According to project documents, Yellowtail will consist of drilling approximately 41 to 67 development wells; installation and operation of Subsea, Umbilicals, Risers, and Flowlines equipment; installation and the operation of a Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in the eastern half of the Stabroek Block; and— ultimately—project decommissioning. The FPSO will be designed to produce up to 250,000 barrels of oil per day. The initial production is expected to begin by the end of 2025–early 2026, with operations continuing for at least 20 years. The project is expected to employ up to 540 persons during development well drilling, approximately 600 persons at the peak of the installation stage, and 100 to 140 persons during production operations. $20.8B APPROVED FOR GASTO-SHORE PROJECT …AS PRIME MINISTER REFUSES TO PROVIDE ANSWERS On Monday, government using its one-seat majority in the Committee of Supply considering the $552.9B Estimates of Expenditure for this year, approved $20.8B allocated for the much vaunted Gasto-Shore project but at the end of the process parliamentarians and Guyanese were left none the wiser on the project, its source of funding—whether the oil revenues were being used—or even its scope. This, since Prime Minister, Mark Phillips was “woefully unprepared”
for the line of questioning on what is Guyana’s single largest project in its history. He has since, committed to laying over the requested information on the project to the House at some point in the future and additionally, bluntly refused to provide any answers on whether the project was being funded using the Natural Resources Fund. Having told the House this is the year of the commencement of many mega projects in Guyana that fall under the Prime Minister, Shadow Minister with responsibility for the Oil and Gas Sector, the Alliance for Change’s David Patterson sought to illicit answers from the Prime Minister .According to the Prime Minister, the $20.8B was for phase one of the gasfired electricity plant to be constructed at Wales. FUTURE Asking for the spending of the $20.8B to be disaggregated, such as what amounts would be used for land clearance and such like, Patterson was told bluntly, the disaggregation will be submitted to the House in future. As such, Patterson queried whether the Prime Minister is “saying to this assembly the $20.8B, the single largest in his portfolio, that he has no information to provide to this assembly” and was told that “there is a provision for the laying over of information and what I am saying is that will be done.” To this end, he said it is clear that the Prime Minister is “woefully unprepared” for the questions. Coalition Member of Parliament, Annette Ferguson in her line of questioning for the Prime Minister acknowledged a slew of projects under the particular head—power generation—as such, she sought to find out which of the projects will be funded by the Natural Resource Fund. According to Phillips, however, “that is not a question for the Prime Minister.” It was at this point that Patterson reminded that during the course of the debate last week, a number of government speakers had said that during the Committee of Supply stage, the budgetary approval process, the opposition would be able to ascertain which particular projects are funded through the NRF. OIL MONEY To this end, he repeated the question, but on behalf of the populace, whether the gas-to-shore project was being funded from the NRF. According to Prime Minister Phillips, “I already answered that any question pertaining to the NRF, I as Prime Minister, am not prepared to answer those questions” to which Patterson responded “I do hope the Guyanese people are listening.” Reminding that it has been stated that additional studies on the gas-to-power project have to be executed, Patterson sought to query whether these studies have been completed or whether they would be dealt with using the $20.8B. (Continued on page 30)
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From page 29 According to the Prime Minister, however, “in the interest of being accurate, I ask that the honourable member pose the question in writing.” Ferguson as such quipped, “I must say how surprised I am with the responses being provide by the Prime Minister of this nation” and asked whether he believed he was in contravention of the NRF Act by not providing the National Assembly with the required “information we are seeking.” According to Patterson, “it is obvious that the Prime Minister, aka superman, can’t fly here today” even as he sought to query what method of procurement will be used and what execution timelines are there for the $20.8B expenditure this year. Again, the Prime Minister refused to provide a direct answer telling the Members of Parliament instead, “at the opportune time, the House will be informed, this is not the time.” Patterson used the occasion to again point out that while the Prime Minister was in the House defending the $20.8B allocation, the money will be approved and the nation is none the wiser as to even the execution timelines. AMAILAABSENT Having referenced the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project for which monies have been allocated to hire consultants, Prime Minister Phillips was asked to point to the allocations being made for that project since it could not be found by perusing the document. Despite having his technical officers present to provide information, it was the Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, who whispered the answer to the Prime Minister that it is a Build Own Operate Transfer Project (BOOT) and as such, the capital works would not be included in the Budget. Recently, elected Chairman of the People’s National Congress Reform, Shurwayne Holder, at this point dismissed Prime Minister Phillips’ answers to the House as unacceptable, adding that “this is the largest project in the history of this country and the people of this country deserve answers.” When asked how the administration arrived at a total project cost of $104B for the gas-to-shore power plant, the Prime Minister again committed to providing those answers at a later date but with expediency. During the Prime Minister’s defense of the
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allocations for his Ministry, another bone of contention was a $5B allocation, listed under the line item “other’ and for which there was no clear outline of the objective. To this end, he told the House the government is “still to decide on what specifically this money will be used on.” According to Prime Minister Phillips, however, there is no need for concern, and drew reference to the initial Budget presentation where Dr. Singh mentioned that there is requirement for other cost of living measures to be provided. He told the House, the $5B being questioned is money there for ministerial intervention to help the most vulnerable in our society. The Prime Minister qualified the opaqueness of its representation by pointing to the fact that the specific intervention measures to be had would be decided on through further consultations and as such refused to lay over any information to the MPs with regard that allocation. AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan contended that such interventions should have been met out of the contingency, provided for under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act. Emphasising that money was being allocated for which nothing has been identified, he questioned rhetorically why not $25B, and condemned the allocation by saying “this is wrong.” The observation was complemented with a heckle from Opposition MP, Ganesh Mahipaul, who from the opposition benches said “you pilfering from the taxpayers.” By the end of the process, each allocation was approved but Guyanese are still to hear whether the gas-to-shore project is in fact being funded in part using the oil revenues. WEDNESDAY EXXONMOBIL, PARTNERS TO MAKE NO LESS THAN US$5.7B THIS YEAR FROM STABROEK BLOCK …BUT DENY GUYANAFUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE The Liza Unity, Guyana’s second floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, comes into operation no later than next month. Once this occurs, it will complement activities at the Liza Destiny FPSO, taking production to 340,000 barrels of oil. Importantly, this new
development in the Stabroek Block will also allow the Exxon Mobil-led consortium to collect eighty-one (81) lifts at approximately 1 million barrels of oil per lift for this year. Calculated at an average price of US$70 Brent, the Stabroek Block partners inclusive of Exxon Mobil Corporation, Hess Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum, will walk away with no less than US$5.7B in profits. Despite being able to make multibillion dollar profits for its shareholders via its prime Guyana asset, Exxon and its partners continue to deny the country full coverage insurance which is a fundamental right so that nations can cover any costs associated with an oil spill or other type of disaster. Since 2015, Kaieteur News has been at the forefront of reporting that ExxonMobil Corporation, the parent company of Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited, has steered clear of being tied to full coverage insurance for its Stabroek Block projects. Instead, it has placed only its subsidiary (EEPGL—a company that holds very little assets) on the hook if such an eventuality occurs offshore. This is the state of affairs with its Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two and Payara Projects. It seems to be eager to continue this trend for the fourth project called Yellowtail. WHAT OTHERS ACCEPT When one examines what other administrations across the world demand from ExxonMobil in the area of insurance, there is a noticeable difference when
compared to Guyana. In Liberia for example, ExxonMobil is not allowed to provide the authorities there with insurance coverage from its subsidiaries. To prevent Exxon from using this loophole, the authorities there have demanded that the company provides insurance coverage without limitation. Such insurance can therefore, only be provided by the parent company and not its subsidiary, which has little to no revenue. The clause in one of the Production Sharing Agreements, which Exxon is tied to in Liberia says, “The Contractor shall take out and cause to be taken out by its contractors and subcontractors, in respect of the Petroleum Operations, all insurances of the type and for such amounts customarily carried in accordance with Good International Petroleum Industry Practice, including without limitation, third party liability insurance and insurances to cover damage to property, facilities, equipment and materials, without prejudice to such insurances, which would be required under Law.” Importantly, Liberia makes it categorically clear that evidence of full coverage insurance by Exxon, its partners and subcontractors, have to be provided “before Petroleum Operations begin and thereafter at least annually.” Closer to home, Suriname has been very resolute in its position to not accept anything but full coverage insurance from the parent companies operating in their basin. WORLD BANK URGES In previously published
Sunday February 13, 2022
articles, Kaieteur News placed the spotlight on the devastating economic, social and environmental impacts oil spills have had on many parts of the world. In some cases, the effects are irreversible. Considering this, international bodies have stressed on the need for countries to ensure the parent companies for subsidiaries provide “comprehensive insurance” to at least cover the costs associated with dealing with such events. One of the many advocates on this matter is the World Bank, one of Guyana’s development partners. According to the organisation, it is expected that oil companies take out insurance for their operations in any country. However, the World Bank warned that operators have often sought insurance via their subsidiaries, which only covers certain activities. These may include third party legal liability and control of wells, re-drill, and cleanup of sudden and accidental pollution from a well out of control. It cautioned that industry regulators must ensure that an operator’s insurance covers every possible eventuality since “for some operators, their insurance excludes blowout or subsurface pollution or below-wellhead risk.” The World Bank highlighted that there is insurance that covers a blowout from an oil project. It is referred to as Operators’ Extra Expense (OEE) insurance. The World Bank said that emerging oil producers such as Guyana would want to ensure that this
is in place and had from parent companies especially when one considers how other nations suffered in the absence of this. In this regard, the financial institution cited the case of the major oil spill, which occurred in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill led to a loss of 53,000 barrels of oil a day for many weeks. It covered 6,500 square kilometers and involved five million barrels of oil. The source, the Deepwater Horizon field, was operated by British Petroleum under a joint operating agreement with Anadarko Petroleum and Mitsui Oil Corporation. The financial consequence of the spill was more than US$8 billion. Unfortunately, the insurance of the oil companies did not cover pollution that occurs following a blowout. It eventually led to a whirlwind of court battles and legal maneuverings to get the oil companies to pay up. Payments were stretched out for years, and the environment continues to suffer from the effect of that spill to this day. In spite of the foregoing warnings, among others, Guyana’s authorities continue to pussyfoot with demanding full coverage insurance to protect the environment and its people. GOVT. GIVES EPA THOUSANDS TO MONITOR BILLION-DOLLAR OIL OPERATION Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (Continued on page 31)
Sunday February 13, 2022
From page 30 (EEPGL)—ExxonMobil Guyana—first announced the discovery of commercial quantities of hydrocarbons (sweet light crude) in the Stabroek Block in 2015. Production or ‘First Oil’ was had in December 2019 but from then to now, Guyana’s monitoring of the crude being extracted from the Stabroek Block has been largely dependent on the information provided to the local authorities, primarily the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is the government agency responsible for the monitoring of the operations and according to Minister with responsibility for Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, this year the administration is investing a miserly few thousand US dollars to monitor the production of US billions in crude being extracted from Guyana Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). This much was made clear to the Members of the National Assembly on Monday when the Legislative Body met in its Committee of Supply to consider and approve the expenditure identified under Office of the President for which the EPA would be receiving in excess of $100M (US$500,000) to boost its capacity in this regard. With in excess of 10 billion barrels already discovered in the Stabroek Block alone thus far, Guyana’s oil and gas section is essentially a US multi-trillion dollar operation. The House was at the time considering a US$1.5B allocation for the Environmental Management and Compliance department of the Office of the President when Members were told that the EPA would be receiving G$48M or US$240,000 for training at the EPA. Minister Teixeira, when queried on the allocation, informed the House that this money had to do with training the EPA staff for the remote real time monitoring of the operations in Guyana’s EEZ and other sectors falling under its remit. When asked by opposition Member of Parliament Tabitha SaraboHaley, to be provided with a work programme for the year for the EPA, Minister Teixeira told the House, she could give no such commitment at the time since that would have to be a decision taken by the EPA Board. Additionally, it was pointed out to the House that there was an allocation of some $100M set aside for the EPA, but the Budget
document did not provide much information and as such MP, Annette Ferguson asked that it be disaggregated since, “this is tax payers’ money and it must be accounted for.” It was at this point Minister Teixeira informed the House that of the $100M, some $74.9 will be spent on digital monitoring, geographic information systems, remote monitoring systems and dashboard and other equipment. She was quick to point out however that the equipment will not be used exclusively for oil and gas in terms of dealing with surveillance and tracking the operations of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels in the EEZ, such as its flaring—a bone of contention since operations began. She said too, the EPA would be using some of the money to purchase some scientific and laboratory equipment that would be needed by the EPA. Guyana currently produces some 120,000 barrels of crude daily from the Liza Destiny FPSO. However, as a result of problems being experienced with its Flash Gas Compressor on the FPSO, it has been unable to re-inject the Natural Gas into the reservoir and has instead resorted to flaring. The second production ship, the Liza Unity, is also gearing up for production as it is in its final stages of hooking up for commissioning. Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, in presenting the Budget to the National Assembly on January 26 last, had indicated that ongoing exploration activities have continued to yield positive results, with 28 commercially viable oil discoveries to date in the Stabroek Block and an estimated recoverable resource of over 10 billion oilequivalent barrels, “a mere 6 years after first discovery.” The Stabroek Block currently has three identified production areas Liza I, Liza II, and Payara. Production capacity is currently at 120,000 bpd with the Liza Destiny FPSO in operation. The coming into operation of the Liza Unity FPSO, according to Dr. Singh, “early in 2022 will raise capacity to 340,000 bpd, and the deployment of the Liza Prosperity FPSO in 2024 will further raise capacity to 560,000 bpd.” Additionally, he told MPs, “with the anticipated fourth production area, Yellowtail, estimates are poised to reach 810,000 bpd by 2026/27 and additional
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developments under consideration could see us reaching 6 FPSOs producing 1 million bpd by 2030.” According to Dr. Singh, “with two FPSO vessels expected to be in operation this year, it is anticipated, that there will be 94 lifts from the Stabroek Block, 13 of which will be Government lifts.” From this, he said, it is estimated that deposits into the Natural Resources Fund for 2022 will total some US$957.6M, comprising some US$857.1M earned from the Government lifts of profit oil, and an additional US$100.5M from royalties. Under the Production Sharing Agreement, Guyana is paid a two percent royalty and profits split 50/50 but not before ExxonMobil deducts 75 percent of the total production for each month to pay back costs, fund daily operations and other expenses, such as the repayment of loans. At the end of the first day of the consideration of the estimates for this year’s G$552.9B biggest budget ever, for allocated spending for the agencies and departments falling under Office of the President were all approved. This year’s Budget is being financed in part by the earnings had from Guyana’s oil production since its commencement in December 2019, identified at $126B. THURSDAY ‘NOT SO FAST JAGDEO’ – GLENN LALL CALLS ON GOVT. TO CORRECT FLAWS IN OIL CONTRACT BEFORE APPROVING EXXON 4TH PROJECT – STRESSES NEED FOR FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE; FAIR PAYMENT OF TAXES Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall has once again called on the government to delay the approval of ExxonMobil’s fourth project –
Yellowtail until a full review of this country’s oil sector is done and the necessary safeguards, including higher royalty payments and full coverage insurance are in place. The Government of Guyana said it will approve the Yellowtail Project next month. This newspaper had previously reported that even though the Yellowtail Project, the fourth to be developed in the Stabroek Block, is poised to see its costs going beyond US$9B, it is still regarded by Hess Corporation as having “outstanding economics” that will work in the company’s favour. The American oil producer, which holds a 30 percent stake in the Stabroek Block, made this disclosure during its 2021 third-quarter earnings call. Specifically, the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Greg Hill, disclosed that the final numbers have not been decided for the project, as this would only follow approval by the government. Be that as it may, it has predicted that inflationary pressures on the market will push the cost beyond the preliminary estimate of US$9B. Hill was keen to note, however, that the “superefficient” provisions of the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) will allow for all expenditure to be recouped. At a news conference last week, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo said there was the expectation that the review of the Field Development Plan and subsequent issuance of the environmental permit and licence would have been completed since December 2021. He said this did not occur as there were some setbacks. In spite of the internal challenges, Jagdeo said, “…We are working more, and we are anticipating the completion of everything by the end of March latest. We have consultancies in place and the Ministry of Natural Resources (in review mode).”
Jagdeo said too that a draft licence is already worked out and a parallel process is being conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency for an authorisation permit. The Government of Guyana has once again selected ExxonMobil’s client, Bayphase Limited, to review the field developments plans for the Yellowtail project. Bayphase, which is headquartered in the United Kingdom, won with a bid totalling US$423,360. The contract for the consultancy was awarded to Bayphase since January 21, 2022. The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) disclosed the list of interested bidders on January 20, 2022. The other companies that submitted bids are as follows: Infinity Services in collaboration with XWells Mexico – US$617,500; Orwell Offshore-US$617,650; MSI InternationalUS$817,761; Endeavour Management –US$598,934; Future Energy Partners Limited US$901,482; IHS Global Inc. – US$1,493,502; RPS Energy Consultants Ltd. – US$494,000; Sunstone Energy Advisory Service – US$785,040; Sproule – US$661,440; and StratOil Energy Services – US$324,080. Kaieteur News previously reported that Bayphase is a well known client of ExxonMobil. In fact, Bayphase also works for Exxon’s subcontractors which include Schlumberger and Technip FMC. Meanwhile, speaking during The Glenn Lall Show radio programme (99.1, 99.5 FM), Lall who is also a prudent businessman and an advocate for a better oil deal for Guyana, emphasised that with a good oil deal every Guyanese can live the life of an oil producing country. He iterated that the Irfaan Ali administration could have and should have used the third project as leverage to rake in the billions lost in Liza
1 and 2. “Instead Jagdeo gave away that project in one day to ExxonMobil and say fatten your shareholders and left the citizens of Guyana starving… And now they got to go borrow money for the 2022 Budget…” Mr. Lall told his audience, explaining that the project is certain to rake in billions of US dollars for the citizens. Lall underscored that having been short-changed on the Lisa 1, 2 and 3 projects, Guyana is running full speed with the 4th project, which can be used “as the trump card to bring in billions in US dollars in this project that we lost out in the other three projects.” Noting that the government is yet to check Exxon’s US$20B expenses from its first three projects, Lall asserted that instead focusing on doing those audits that can save Guyana billions of dollars, the Vice President is running full speed ahead to approve the 4th project with another US$10B Field Development Plan and Cost. “My fellow Guyanese listen to me carefully, Mr. Jagdeo, can put a hold on this project and force ExxonMobil to deal with Guyana the way they dealt with other countries. Exxon needs Guyana more than anything else on earth. Guyana is their lottery, their saviour, and Jagdeo can do so many things to make Guyana the Dubai the world is talking about,” Lall stated. Additionally, Lall said the government can use this 4th project to stop this country from paying the US billions (of dollars) to the oil companies searching for oil immediately. “Our neighbour Suriname says plainly, oil companies have to suck up every cent they spend drilling, looking or searching for oil. Why is Jagdeo approving this 4th project for ExxonMobil and Guyana has to pay for another 70 holes at US$100M each, minimum, they plan to drill in this 4th project, can somebody help (Continued on page 32)
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From page 31 me here?…” Lall said too that the government can use the approval of the fourth project, to guarantee ring-fencing provision now, which will protect and safeguard Guyana with billions of USD in savings from oil companies. Lall noted that presently “ExxonMobil is spending anywhere and everywhere then dumping those bills on Liza 1 to pay – this is why Guyana is getting little or nothing from the oil.” The newspaper publisher argued that every country has ring-fencing provision in place including Suriname, even as he drew attention to remarks recently made by Jagdeo where he said that the administration will ensure ring fencing provision goes into place with the other oil companies, but not with ExxonMobil. “You believe this man? Bharrat Jagdeo is giving ExxonMobil a free reign to do Guyana and its people what they feel like doing to us. Can you believe that?” Paying their fair share of taxes Turning his attention to the vexed issue of taxes, Lall said that the government can use this 4th project to ensure that ExxonMobil and the others pay their rightful taxes on every drop of oil coming out from Guyana. “We already made ExxonMobil walk away with US$720M in 2020, over a quarter of our 2022 Budget. Come 2023 that figure might double the 2022 budget.” For the period 2019 to 2020, Guyana gave away $327B in tax exemptions in the oil sector and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has predicted that these exemptions will only continue to balloon if urgent policy changes are not made. The authority made these and other remarks in response to queries from the Auditor General’s office in its 2020 Annual Report. The Auditor General had found that tax exemptions for 2020 alone totalled $137B in foregone revenues, representing 62.75 percent of total collections by the authority. Meaning the $137B forgone by government through tax exemptions for that period, amounts to 62.75 percent of what was actually collected by the revenue authority. Moreover, Lall said the government can remove all the high interest rates taken on loans by those oil companies to which Guyana has to repay. “No country takes on that burden – oil companies when they go to invest in oil countries, they go with their own money and take their own risks. Guyana
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allowed them to take all their billions on Liza 1, 2 and 3 and agree to pay back the loans with an interest rate that we don’t even know…” Lall noted that the interest rate is another major issue that can be corrected before granting not only the 4th project but all future projects even as he questioned, “Is Jagdeo ready to do this?” Touching on another vexing issue, Lall pointed out that Government should seek to change the two-year time limit for Guyana to audit Exxon’s expenses – something which came into sharp focus when this country last year missed the deadline to conduct cost audits. This will allow ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Ex p l o r a t i o n a n d Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), to recover all stated costs for its Liza P h a s e O n e a n d Tw o Projects. Both projects total approximately US$9.5B. G i v e n t h e n a t i o n ’s capacity deficiencies, international transparency bodies have strongly contended that the twoyear deadline the government has accepted, along with the fact that it can only do one audit per year, is not sufficient. They have stressed that the timeline should be extended. Specifically making this point is Oxfam America. It has made this perspective known since 2015 alongside the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Oxfam America, a confederation of 20 charitable organisations which seek to fight poor governance of extractive wealth, has said that the expiration periods for audit rights are set out in petroleum contracts and tax laws. It stressed, h o w e v e r, t h a t t h e s e deadlines differ from one
country to the next. It noted that in Ghana and Kenya for example, the authorities there retain the right to complete auditing companies within seven years. In Peru, the time limit for audits is a minimum of four years. Even in the USA, the transparency body highlighted that audits are allowed to be completed within a minimum of three years. Oxfam warned however that even a three-year deadline is not advisable for developing countries such as Guyana, given the limited financial and human resources that are likely to delay the audit process. Further, the organisation said it is equally important to keep an eye on recordkeeping provisions in the petroleum contracts and tax laws. It said, “Oil companies should be required to keep all their records in-country for easy access by the auditors during the audit period. But once that period expires, it becomes very costly to access records and therefore practically impossible to audit them…” Oxfam warned that Guyana needs to take the auditing timeline for these costs as a matter of grave concern as it could cost the nation billions more. To this end, Lall said if done right, the 4th oil project – Yellowtail can give every adult Guyanese a brand new car, a house and land, triple public servants salary and also triple the minimum wage in this country. He said it is time citizens make their voices heard on these issues and push their government to demand more from the oil companies operating. “You have to take a stand, we all have to take a stand because unless we do so we will
remain paupers in a country teeming with wealth…” the newspaper publisher said. FRIDAY ASHNI SINGH CONFIRMS $126B OIL MONEY IS BUDGET SUPPORTED …UNABLE TO PINPOINT SPECIFIC PROJECT FINANCED THROUGH NRF …SAYS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE PAY INCREASE FOR PUBLIC SERVANTS THIS YEAR The $126B coming from the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) will be pooled with other revenue streams in the Consolidated Fund, which will pay for government’s programmes for the year—all of which are considered, “national developmental priorities,” and as such, could not be disaggregated and identified as financing a specific project. This was among the conclusions made when the Members of the National Assembly met Thursday for the final day of the Consideration of the National Estimates for 2022— $552.9B—and approved the expenditures for the year. It would be apposite to note that despite the fact some $126B of this year’s Budget is being funded with monies to be withdrawn from the NRF for the first time, there was no mention—despite promises made—of which programmes specifically in this year’s budget would be funded, using Guyana’s oil resources. In fact, Minister within the Office of the President, with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, intimated that the money is in fact being used as budgetary support. Dr. Singh, when first pressed on the matter was reminded that “…we were being told that we have to ask the
Minister of Finance, which are the projects that would be utilising the NRF amounts.” NRF FUND Shadow Minister with responsibility for the Finance Portfolio, for the coalition A Partnership for national Unity Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), Member of Parliament, Juretha Fernandes, during the session reminded that MPs were told that during the scrutiny of the specific expenditure, they will know what specific projects will be utilising monies from the NRF during the Committee of Supply stage of the Budget approval process. To this end, Dr. Singh was adamant that the new Natural Resources Act that had been approved provides a mechanism that the money be withdrawn and placed as a lump sum of money into the Consolidated Fund. He explained further that the new act established a mechanism whereby transfers come into the Fund in its entirety then appropriated. As such he was adamant that during the course of the past four days the MPs would have been engaged in the scrutiny of the expenditure. According to Dr. Singh, once placed into the Consolidated Fund it forms part of the pool of resources available for this year, then “national developmental priorities” are appropriated for, through the budgetary process. He said that under the 2019 legislation a number of loopholes had been left in place. He stated that the money will further be subjected to external audits and further scrutiny such as the Public Accounts Committee. According to Dr. Singh, “this government is committed to the highest level of transparency and accountability.” He stated that with withdrawals deposited into the consolidated fund,
national development priorities are developed through Budget Process. According to Dr. Singh, the Budget during that process is subject to scrutiny throughout, implementation and execution and subsequently subjected to audit and scrutiny by PAC. At the end of the evening however, it could be concluded, as was explained by Dr. Singh, that the $126B was not funding a specific project but pooled together with the $552.9B, to fund the government’s national and developmental priorities that are then appropriated through the budgetary process. PAY INCREASE With more than $15B allocated in this year’s Budget for the payment of ‘other employment costs,’ Singh, also informed the House, that it is too early to pronounce on what level of salary increase would be provided to public servants for this year. The contentious issue was raised during consideration of the more than $31B that has been allocated for current expenditure under the Ministry of Finance Policy and Administration Department. Fernandes, at the time observed that last year public servants had enjoyed a seven percent increase in wages and salaries and that this was reflected in the Budget Estimates. She said that last year the amount used was some $10B, since increased to in excess of $15B and queried whether public servants would enjoy a higher than seven percent increase. Providing a response for the House, Dr. Singh indicated that at present it is too early to determine the specificity with which any increases would be paid this year. According to Dr. (Continued on page 33)
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From page 32 Singh—responding to MP Fernandes—”as to specificity of salary increase” it is far too early to determine. He sought to assure however, that as long as this is determined—salary increases that will be paid—it will in fact be met from the provision. The Minister did seek to provide clarification on the increased amount over the previous year by pointing out that the allocation does in fact cater for multiple purposes. This, since it is the budgetary line item that has historically met the cost of miscellaneous costs to be met by government. He cited as example the payment of salaries not budgeted for, such as for new recruits in the public service, promotions and other such changes in the employment structure. On the policy side of it, Fernandes sought to ascertain from the Minister whether the administration would be meeting with Teachers Union or Public Service Union on increases projected in the budget for this year. Dr. Singh responded saying: “…let me assure the House that this PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party/ Civic) government is firmly committed to working closely with all stakeholders in society including organised labour on all matters of national importance.” Pressed on when these talks would commence, Dr. Singh retorted that his government, throughout the year, “is open, available and eager” to meet with all stakeholders in society. Dr. Singh had by way of a public broadcast in November last, announced that, “your Government will be paying an across-theboard increase of seven percent to public servants, teachers, members of the disciplined services, constitutional office holders, as well as government pensioners.” PAY DISPARITIES The increase, he said, will be granted retroactively to 1st January 2021, and work will start immediately to ensure that it is processed and paid to eligible employees together with their December salary and in time for the festive Christmas season.” During his Budget presentation in January last, in which public servants were eagerly awaiting an announcement with regard a pay hike for this year, Dr. Singh said, “our Government remains firmly committed to improving the lives and livelihood of all Guyanese.” He reminded that in 2021, a seven percent across the board increase was paid to
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over 50,000 public servants, teachers, members of the Disciplined Services, and Government pensioners. “We also committed at the end of 2021 to seek to resolve the disparities that exist across positions in the public service salary scale to ensure parity and consistency with which persons with similar qualification are paid. The required work to support this process will be undertaken this year.” By the end of Thursday’s consideration of the Estimates, the $552.9B Budget was approved for spending under the authority of the Appropriations Act for 2022 providing for the lawful withdrawal of $126B from the Natural Resources Fund. SATURDAY GUYANA BEGINS OIL PRODUCTION AT LIZA PHASE TWO WITHOUT FULL COVERAGE INSURANCE American oil giant, ExxonMobil Corporation, announced Friday that it has commenced oil production at Guyana’s second offshore development area called Liza Phase Two in the Stabroek Block. Along with the Liza Phase One Project, this will bring total production capacity to more than 340,000 barrels per day. This second project comes only seven years since the country’s first discovery in 2015. Exxon said production at the Liza Unity floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel is expected to reach its target of 220,000 barrels of oil later this year, as operations continue to be brought safely online. It adds to the more than 120,000 barrels per day of capacity at the Liza Destiny FPSO, which began production in December 2019 and is now delivering at better than design capacity. “We are collaborating closely with the government and people of Guyana to develop this world-class resource responsibly. Helping to meet the world’s energy needs and delivering enhanced value for all stakeholders at a record pace and well ahead of the industry average,” said Liam Mallon, President at ExxonMobil Upstream Oil and Gas. He added, “With unparalleled project execution, we now have two production facilities operating offshore Guyana.” ExxonMobil said it anticipates that four FPSOs with a capacity of more than 800,000 barrels per day will be in operation on the Stabroek Block by year-end 2025. Expounding on upcoming projects, the American company
said Payara, the third project in the Stabroek Block, is expected to produce approximately 220,000 barrels of oil per day using the Prosperity FPSO vessel, which is currently under construction. The field development plan and application for environmental authorisation for the Yellowtail project, the fourth project in the block, have been submitted for government and regulatory approval. Exxon said timely development of these additional projects and continued exploration success offshore will enable the steady advancement of Guyanese capabilities and enhanced economic growth while adding that more than 3,500 Guyanese are now supporting ExxonMobil’s activities in Guyana. Kaieteur News previously reported that the Liza Unity arrived in Guyana in October 2021. It is moored in water depth of about 1,650 metres and will be able to store about two million barrels of crude. The Liza Unity is also the world’s first FPSO to be awarded the SUSTAIN-1 notation by the American Bureau of Shipping in recognition of the sustainability of its design, documentation and operational procedures. Importantly, operations have commenced at the Liza Phase Two project in the absence of Guyana being provided any full coverage insurance to cover costs associated with an unmitigated oil spill or similar environmental disaster. Following the announcement by ExxonMobil, its partner in the block which holds a 30 percent working interest, Hess Corporation, said it is proud to be involved in the successful development of a world class oil resource. The
entity’s CEO, John Hess in brief remarks said, “We look forward to continuing to work with the Government and the people of Guyana to realise the remarkable potential of the Stabroek Block for the benefit for all stakeholders. The world will need these low cost oil resources to meet future energy demand and help ensure an affordable, just and secure energy transition.” As for the Ministry of Natural Resources, it welcomed the operationalisation of the Liza Unity FPSO while noting that
it increases earnings from the oil sector. Specifically, Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat said earnings from the new FPSO coming on stream will drive Guyana’s infrastructure development and improve the delivery of services to all citizens. Minister Bharrat pointed out that the increased total daily capacity of oil augers well for Guyana, especially on the heels of operationalising the Local Content Secretariat and the Natural Resources Fund, in keeping with the Santiago Principles of
transparency and accountability within the petroleum sector. He said the government will continue to work closely with the Stabroek Block partners to ensure the safe development of the country’s oil resources. ExxonMobil affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is operator of the Stabroek Block and holds a 45 percent working interest. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 percent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited holds 25 percent interest.
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>>> ENCOURAGING EVENTS, DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS <<<
Vice President’s travails I feel for the Vice President (VP), really do. Now he knows what possible slander, libel is like. Only he knows about the wrongness or rightness of the bribery allegation hurled at him. It disturbs no end that such a devastating development should surround any leader and none more so than this Guyanese leader, at this sensitive time. People under his watch, close to him, have executed the injurious against his perceived enemies, only to be forced to skulk away in cowardly retreat. The VP has no such luxury because the axes he handed out have been grinded down, and now return to chip away at him, knock him off his blocks. He doesn’t have much going for him in this alleged sordid affair, those usually done undercover and in darkness. Disturbingly, these have been some characteristics of the VP’s governing style and business mannerisms. He has been called out, only for him to curse out
critics. Genuine critics (not farcical and imported comical ones). I am troubled by what he puts on the table in his defense. They don’t further his cause. They diminish them. He is already Guyana’s oil lord, finance ($2000 note) lord, and lord of its political ring. It is how he thrills to making rings around the people. At least, he believes that he succeeds in doing so. Now we find out that he is another kind of lord, a landlord of all things. A former President, a current Vice President, is a landlord (many times over I understand). I thought that public service and political office were charity occupations, meaning, they don’t pay and the office holders barely make ends meet. Then I remember that interest rates and mortgage rates are favourable. Perhaps, property ownership came about through cash on the barrel, and no questions asked or answered, which is another fine kettle of fish.
Meaning, to croon after the Merrymen of Barbados, ‘tell me weh yuh get dat money from…’ Of course, there is always generous help from foreign relations, or fabulous inheritance. Regarding the former (foreign relations), they are not necessarily biological, which brings the Chinese back into play, with developments that will not die, no matter how hard the VP tries. He said that his assets and income reconcile. I am surprised, even disturbed. Because this supposedly stupendously bright man cannot be making his defense on that premise, which no longer has much recognition in today’s world. Sophisticated people are too slick to make that mistake. They are wiser to the ways of sleuths and scrutineers, and become more skilled at concealing ill-gotten gains. Family surrogates are the vehicles of choice to launder and layer (compartmentalise) rich pickings, and there are always those offshore havens. My recommendatio n to the VP is he must do better. Assets and
income matching is old hat, since nobody with any sense goes that route anymore. Too revealing (like landlordism). As to that one about Guyana is tiny, has to be friendly with all countries, and careful not to be caught up in some new and developing Cold War climate, the VP clearly has now lost his marbles. He is nervous and his words betray him, undermine the sum of his prior commitments. Guyana engaged the Chinese here in years past when he ruled the roost, so they were a settled corporate presence. Then, along came the elections of 2020, with his greatest mentor, protector, and power of a helper being not the Chinese, but the Americans. Whether the VP agrees or not, it is beside the point, for he already accepted American gifts, so he had to be irreversibly attached to their side, and their way of seeing things. The Americans see too many new Chinese operations here, which means less American
By GHK Lall presences, which cannot stand. The VP is smart enough to know that he is a Cold War prisoner today, and by his own hands. Take gifts from godfathers (Don Corleone) and it is eternal indebtedness. The VP must start over. Stop digging deeper holes for himself with these paltry defenses, all which only disturb. And that is even if he didn’t take a cent. He is trying too hard, which exposes him more. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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E-Networks to air three romantic movies On AMC Channels Valentine’s is coming and @amcchannels is showing you the best romantic movies to fall in love with! Grab your bae and your popcorn, as you’re about to #AMC & chill in this month of love! Here’s what’s on ! A happy couple adds palaver to their lives when they both decided to run for the position of governor of Ondo state. Watch#AMCSaturdayMovie “Love is War” February 19 at 3 PM on @amcchannels The Best Nollywood Content. Only on E-Networks! E-Networks customers can access AMC Movies and AMC Series on DreamTV Wireless
Love is in the air! & Enetworks has got a never before seen romantic #AMCOP movie heading your way! Watch “We Did It For Love” debuting on @amcchannels Friday 18th February at 4 PM.
A fake handyman goes around robbing people in the neighbourhood. It is soon discovered that he is not just targeting random homes, but is a man on a mission. Watch “Handy Man” Thursday February 17 at 2:30 PM on @amcchannels
Lessons from a Lashpreneur!!!
Colored Eyelashes and why they are the secret to making your eyes pop By Latoya Zephyr Whether the craze was born from the mermaid beauty trend or not, it doesn’t really matter. What is of importance is that colored faux eyelashes and colored eyelash extensions are the secret to making your eyes pop. Think I’m crazy? Honestly, when I first saw this trend dominating the Internet, I wasn’t so convinced I’d ever want to add in baby purple hairs or rainbow colors to my lash line either. But as it turns out, besides being a photo op, they can do a lot for your look—perhaps even more than your standard tube of mascara. The #1 benefit to getting colored lashes is that they are designed enhance your natural eye color and shape of your eyes even more that traditional lash extensions,” she tells us. “Colored lashes also help you express your individuality, the subtle pops of color creates a flirtier, sexy appearance.” While you can opt for any color you want and the percentage of colored lashes verses standard black lashes applied, and even customize a multicolored look, another approach is to choose in a way that will enhance your natural eye color. For exa m p l e , p u r p l e makes green eyes appear much more intense and also works well on brown eyes to create the illusion of bigger eyes,” explains Richardson. “Green works best paired with hazel eyes for a beautiful wash of color, while blue helps blueeyed girls make a bigger impact and also brings out the natural beauty of brown eyes. So if you have blue eyes and decide you want them to pop even more, your lash tech would apply 20 percent of the faux lashes in black and then 60 percent in blue. You’ll also probably be in the studio a little longer than usual. “Unlike applying tradition black lashes, colored lashes requires a little more thought in placement and creativity, “Creating symmetry on both eyes is important,it’s an art.
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==CONSUMER CONCERNS== By Pat Dial To m o r r o w, 1 4 t h February, Saint Valentine's Day will be celebrated in
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St. Valentine's Day reminds of the delights of romantic love as well as of its societal importance most parts of the world but especially in Englishspeaking countries. The origin of the festival lies in the obscure mists of
History: There are at least three Catholic Saints who bore the name of Valentine but the one who is generally b e l i e v e d t o b e
commemorated on Saint Valentine's Day lived in the third century in the Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Claudius II.
In the third century, the Christian religion had begun to make inroads into the Empire and the Christian ethic was not as militaristic as the older Greco-Roman religion. This was a troubling trend to government administrators as men of military age increasingly began to prefer staying at home with their wives and families rather than enlisting in the army. Recruitment to the army began to suffer badly and the Emperor was at his wits end to know what to do. He therefore hit upon the plan of banning marriages and forbade all priests from performing marriage ceremonies. Valentine, a Christian priest, some traditions claim he was a Bishop, decided to risk his life by defying the Emperor's orders. He secretly began to marry couples but was discovered after some time and arrested. When he was taken before the Emperor, he was given the choice of renouncing his Christian Faith and reverting to the older Roman religion. He stoutly refused to give up his Christian Faith and was accordingly sentenced to death. While awaiting his execution, he became very friendly with his jailer and was able, through God's power, to restore the sight of the jailer's blind daughter, Julia. The jailer and his family, impressed with this miracle, became Christians. On the night before his execution, he wrote Julia a farewell letter ending with the words "Your Valentine" which phrase came to be perpetuated through all time i n Va l e n t i n e ' s D a y communications. On 14th February, 270 AD Bishop Valentine was first bludgeoned then executed and when he was canonized by the Catholic Church, he was made the Saint of Marriage and Love. The Love envisaged by the Church then was not 'romantic love' but the love of family, friends and community. The concept of 'romantic love' only came into European culture in the
Middle Ages. Today, this concept is only now beginning to affect the nonWestern societies of Asia and Africa. In the Middle Ages, the Age of Chivalry with its Knights and their Ladies, the concept of courtly or romantic love emerged and flourished. In the Middle English Poet, Geoffry Chaucer's story of the Parliament of Fowls, the concept of birds and all other creatures pairing off romantically on 14th February was further propagated. In the 19th century, 'romantic love' began to be vigorously resuscitated as Valentine's Day came to be commercialised and this trend continued into the 20th century when a "Valentine industry” emerged, producing decorations, cards, chocolates and candies worth nearly two billion dollars. There are other socioeconomic related offshoots of 'romantic love' such as the film industries of Hollywood and Bollywood where the theme of 'romantic love' is celebrated in numerous popular films. There are two other societal impacts - In NonWestern societies, the concept of 'romantic love' has been a liberating force and the traditionalists have been waging a losing battle against it. In many Western societies, the populations have become stable and not increasing and even beginning to decline with the aged now beginning to outnumber the younger economically productive members of society. It is now beginning to be generally accepted that the St. Valentine's Day ideal of marrying and rearing families is a necessary imperative if Western societies are to continue to survive at the level they are and to be creative. St. Va l e n t i n e ' s D a y w i l l therefore continue to be celebrated with greater verve and commitment. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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=GNBS IN FOCUS= As one of the pioneers of low carbon development, Guyana is moving ahead with plans to develop its natural resources - one being natural gas. In fact, the Government in its 2022 national budget, under plans for the transformational Gas-to-
Sunday February 13, 2022
Critical National Standards developed to guide Petroleum Industry Energy project, recognises natural gas as a transition fuel to phase out the use of expensive and carbonintensive heavy fuel oils. With this and other developmental projects set to take off, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is continuously developing new National Standards to meet the needs of
stakeholders across the various industries. In 2021, the Standardisation Department of the Bureau developed 11 new Standards and updated 11 others in keeping with its mandate. Of the 11 new standards now available at the GNBS, four relate to the petroleum industry. These are the Natural
Gas for use as a compressed fuel for vehicles —Part 1: Designation of the quality, Specifications for Natural Gas - quality designation, Specifications for Liquefied Petroleum (LP) Gases and Specifications for Fuel Oils. In partnership with local stakeholders, these Standards were all developed
at the request of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) to effectively monitor the sector. The National Standard Natural gas for use as a compressed fuel for vehicles — Part 1: Designation of the quality, was adopted from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO 15403). It is intended for use in the evaluation and assessment of the physical and chemical properties of compressed natural gas used for various industrial applications. The standard aims to provide manufacturers, vehicle operators, fuelling station operators and others involved in the compressednatural-gas vehicle industry with information on the fuel quality for natural gas vehicles (NGVs), required to develop and operate compressed-natural-gas vehicle equipment successfully. Implementation of the standard will help manufacturers, retailers and drivers to ensure safety of vehicles and associated equipment needed for fuelling and maintenance, and to protect fuel systems from the detrimental effects of corrosion or damage. Further, adherence to the requirements of the standard should ensure the NGVs provide satisfactory vehicle performance under all conditions of climate and driving demands. The Specifications for Natural Gas - quality designation standard was also adopted from an ISO Standard (ISO 13686:2013). It specifies the parametres required to describe finally processed and, where required, blended natural gas. Further, the document addresses calorific value, d e n s i t y, o d o r i s a t i o n , composition and other key factors. Both National Standards outlined above are voluntary while the Specifications for Liquefied Petroleum (LP) Gases and Specifications for Fuel Oils are compulsory standards, as recently gazetted by the GEA.
The LPG Standard is an adoption of ASTM D1835 and is intended for use in the evaluation and assessment of the physical and chemical properties of liquefied petroleum gases used for various industrial applications. This specification covers those products commonly referred to as liquefied petroleum gases, consisting of propane, propene (propylene), butane, and mixtures of these materials, to be used as domestic, commercial and industrial heating, and engine fuels. H o w e v e r, i t i s t h e responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Meanwhile, the Specifications for Fuel oils is intended to allow petroleum refineries, and other chemical processing plants to appropriately examine and process fuel oils to ensure quality towards safe and efficient use. This National Standard is a modified adoption of the ASTM Standard D396-18a. This specification covers grades of fuel oil intended for use in various types of fuel oil-burning equipment under various climatic and operating conditions. It is for use of purchasing agencies in formulating specifications to be included in contracts for purchases of fuel oils and for the guidance of consumers of fuel oils in the selection of the grades most suitable for their needs. The GNBS encourages fuel dealers and other stakeholders within the Petroleum Industry to acquire and implement any of these National Standards relevant to their operation and use. Copies can be purchased from the Bureau at affordable costs. For further information, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 2190062, 219-0065 or 219-0069. Please visit our website: www.gnbsgy.org and like our Facebook page: gnbsgy
Sunday February 13, 2022
Kaieteur News
Tails of Hope MEDEXES - ACCORD...
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Twenty Valentines by Marion Mallette Thornton "Oh," said Millicent, watching the postman's blue coat up the street. "I wish he would come here day after tomorrow and bring me twenty valentines!" "Will he, Mitty?" JimmyBoy asked eagerly. Millicent shook her head. "'Course not, Jimmy-Boy. I know only six little girls; I couldn't get but six." Aunt Sara was listening. She was Millicent's very prettiest auntie from the city, and she nearly always found a way to help. "How would you like to send twenty valentines?" she asked. Millicent laughed. "Why, auntie, I couldn't send but six, either. I don't know any more girls. Besides, I haven't any more valentines." "Suppose I should show you how to make twenty valentines, and find twenty little girls to send them to; would you like, to do it?" Millicent came running from the window with JimmyBoy close behind her. "I'd love to, auntie! Please show me right away." "Love to, auntie, right
away," echoed Jimmy-Boy. "You can help," Aunt Sara promised. "You can bring the mucilage while Millicent gets the scissors." When they came back with these, Aunt Sara had a pile of gay pictures on the table, and some sheets of thick white paper. "We will cut this into hearts," she said, "and you can cut out these birds and flowers and paste them on. Let's see which can make the neatest and prettiest ones." Jimmy-Boy had to be helped a little in cutting out pictures, but he had learned to paste neatly at kindergarten, and his valentines were so pretty it was hard for Aunt Sara to choose between his and Millicent's. It was such fun making them that Millicent almost forgot about the twenty little girls they were to go to. "Who are they, auntie?" she asked when she remembered. "Where do they live?" "Away down in the city," Aunt Sara explained. "Each one in a little white bed in a Children's Hospital. I don't know their names, but I'll send
them to the superintendent, and they will get them safely on Valentine's Day. You can't think how happy they will be." "Oh, I just like to try to think!" cried Millicent. "I'm glad we made them so nice." The twenty valentines went off in their white envelopes the next morning. On Valentine's Day the postman brought Milly six from the six little girls and two from Jimmy-Boy and Aunt Sara. They were lovely, and there were some for JimmyBoy, but they did not please the children nearly as much as a letter that came a week later. It was from the hospital superintendent and said: "I wish you could have seen my dear little sick girls smile when they saw their pretty valentines. They looked at them all day and slept with them under their pillows at night. One tiny girl kept hers in her hand. They all send a big 'Thank you' to Millicent and Jimmy-Boy."
Junior page
Materials* Cardboard Yarn Heart Shape Pen & Scissors Masking Tape Print out and cut out heart shape trace onto cardboard Cut out cardboard hearts. Use a piece of masking tape to tape end of yard to cardboard heart. Wrap yarn randomly around the cardboard heart. Continue until cardboard is completely covered. When covered, cut off yarn and then loop the end through another piece of yarn and knot. Cut off excess length. And you're done.
"Next year we'll begin sooner and make forty," Millicent decided; "it's lots more fun than getting them, isn't it, Jimmy-Boy?"
FUN WITH POETRY
Early to Bed We all know of what they say: “Early to bed, early to rise”, But many children usually get up late, And do not heed this wise advice. Rising after the sun is up Is not good for your eyes and body; The bright light and heat that you meet Can make you suffer terribly. But when you get up in the early morning, The air is so fresh and sweet, Your whole body feels so great, And your mind is clear and neat.
by Uncle Roy
So try this out and you will find Your life becomes so much better; You will be able to do so much more, And everything will become much easier.
Each 5-square partition must contain all five pictures. Identical pictures may not touch horizontally, vertically nor diagonally. The puzzle has only one solution.
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TEEN TIME
Our main purpose in life is to become better as we move on, so keep on with the steps to improve yourself Here are some very important ways to become better: 1. Use your resources wisely Another thing we need to do is to ensure that we do not waste our time and resources in unnecessary pursuits, and to keep a focus on what is good and positive, rather than allowing the negative things to cloud up our actions and our mind. As I mentioned last week, whatever you determine to do sincerely, your subconscious mind will keep working on it, even when you are not thinking about it, to bring about the result you want. This means that if you start on some project and do not have the confidence that you will succeed, your subconscious will obey and not work as hard to get you to your goal. Have a positive outlook, move forward with confidence, and things will work out. 2. Have patience Remember also that “Rome was not built in a day”. This means that everything worth getting takes some time in the making. Therefore we always need to be patient and not expect the exact results we want to be accomplished in a short time. As long as you know that you are doing your best, the results will come in good time. By
T
Positive Thinking Keep thinking positive and know that, in life, Sweet and bitter, both things do survive; So when we do not lose hope in the test, Then God will surely give us the best So don't let a gray or a blue mood prevail, Make best use of time, and avail The nice opportunity that is given to you To take every test and get through. So in life, if ever in your pace, You see troubles standing face to face, Then don't lose hope or ever sigh, Just cling on to your dreams and ever try. To smile and then strongly stand In front of troubles, and understand That joy and sorrow are the things That both come to us in life's ring. So it's better to face all with a smile, You will walk steadily for many a mile; Keep thinking positive and know, in life, Sweetness and bitterness both need to survive.
practising patience, you are also developing your personality in many ways that will prove a help to you in other efforts. 3. Be resolute in pursuing your goals It is very important to try to stick to your plans. As long as you feel you are on the right track, do not let a few setbacks, or the doubts of negative people, deter you from your purpose. This is not to say that you do not need to assess your progress when you come up against criticism or some
he heavy lines indicate areas, called cages, from one to six squares in size.
Fill each cage with unique digits, counting up from 1.
obstacle and see if you need to adjust these plans. But once you are sure, try not to give up on what you really value and feel is our mission. 4. Clean up your messes It is a common thing to hear parents complaining about their children leaving things in a mess, whether it is their clothes, school books and equipment, or toys and other things they use. Leaving your things in a messy manner is not only bad for the time, but it also contributes to the formation
of a bad habit that is hard to break out of. This can cause problems later at your workplace, at home when you have your own as well as a spouse and children and, in general, life in your society. Keep your surroundings clean and your stuff tidy always and you will do the opposite – develop a good habit that will serve you well. Keep on this path to being your best by following the advice in these articles in the coming weeks.
So for example a 2-square cage contains the numbers 1 and 2; and a 6-square cage contains the numbers from 1 to 6. Adjacent (touching) squares, even ones that touch diagonally, may never contain the same number.
Keep positive about your efforts to improve yourself, and it will become a part of your character. TELL IT TO UNCLE ROY I would like to inform our readers that the Uncle Roy email address is temporarily unavailable. So please send any contributions you would like to make to this page to roypaul2002@yahoo.com
Solutions to last week’s Slitherlink Puzzle
Kakuro puzzles
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Remedies for Dark Spots, According to a Dermatologist Exfoliate with Papaya It is very effective in breaking down skin cells and also increasing collagen production because of the removal of dead particles. Papaya specifically will help brighten and give the skin a youthful radiance.” To treat your dark spots with papaya, simply mash ripe papaya in a bowl and apply as a mask to clean skin. When removing the mask, you can also use gentle, circular motions for a bit of added exfoliation to that dead top layer of skin cells. Use Turmeric to Even Skin Tone To fade dark spots with turmeric, make a mask using one part turmeric to one part honey. If you wish, you can enhance the lightening process with a few drops of lemon juice, as long as your skin isn't too sensitive, and the citrus won't come into contact with open skin, like recently broken pimples. Soothe Skin and Reduce Spots with Almond Oil “The presence of Vitamin E and niacin help with hyperpigmentation and improving skin tone,” she says. Because sweet almond oil is generally viewed as non-comedogenic (meaning it won't clog your pores) you can add it to your nightly routine as a makeup remover or moisturizer meant to help protect the skin barrier. Brighten with Yogurt Another naturally skin-brightening item you may already have in your home is yogurt, which may work to fade dark spots by exfoliating the skin. Like the chemically exfoliating properties found in papaya, yogurt may break down dead skin cells thanks to lactic acid, which is found naturally in dairy products: “Using a yogurt with cow's milk could be effective in calming the skin, since it has lactic acid. Lactic acid is an AHA, which improves discoloration and age spots,” Engelman says. “This acid is gentler on the skin than other chemical exfoliants. Reverse Photo Damage with Tomatoes Rather than slather this ingredient on your face, tomato works best when taken systemically. According to a 2011 study, participants who ingested between around 55 milligrams of tomato paste with olive oil per day saw protection from acute and long-term photo damage brought on by UV rays4. Reduce Scarring with Aloe For some people, dark spots aren't the result of hyperpigmentation, but scarring, which can be especially apparent on those with more melanin-rich skin: “Scars are unpredictable, which can make them difficult to treat. The most important thing is to treat right away,” Engleman explains. Keep Skin Healthy with Vitamin C According to the American Academy of Dermatology, vitamin C is one of the more effective natural ingredients that you can count on to lighten existing spots, and potentially prevent new ones from forming6. “For a dark mark scar, look for AHA peels or retinol that will help promote cellular turnover to remove the top layers of the skin,” Engelman suggests. “To fade hyperpigmentation, look for brightening ingredients like hydroquinone, kojic acid, phytic acid, and L-ascorbic acid.” Know When to Turn to Formulated Products The DIY routine isn't for everyone, including some skin care professionals like Engelman, who says homemade remedies allow room for error as they aren't formulated with the same ratios as formal products. If the natural masks and scrubs aren't for you, there are a number of products designed with the same ingredients and packaged to last for more than a day or two.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
Sunday February 13, 2022
g tin s... s e e er tur t In rea C
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Termites
ike ants and some bees and wasps from the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide as “workers” and “soldiers” that are usually sterile. All colonies have fertile males called “kings” and one or more fertile females called “queens”. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material and cellulose, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung. Termites are major detritivores, particularly in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and plant matter is of considerable ecological importance. Termites are among the most successful groups of insects on Earth, colonising most landmasses except Antarctica. Their colonies range in size from a few hundred individuals to enormous societies with
several million individuals. Termite queens have the longest known lifespan of any insect, with some queens reportedly living up to 30 to 50 years. Unlike ants, which undergo a complete metamorphosis, each individual termite goes through an incomplete metamorphosis that proceeds through egg, nymph, and adult stages. Colonies are described as superorganisms because the termites form part of a selfregulating entity: the colony itself. Termites are a delicacy in the diet of some human cultures and are used in many traditional medicines. Several hundred species are economically significant as pests that can cause serious damage to buildings, crops, or plantation forests. Some species, such as the West Indian drywood termite
(Cryptotermes brevis), are regarded as invasive species. PREDATORS Te r m i t e s a r e consumed by a wide variety of predators. One termite species alone, H o d o t e r m e s mossambicus, was found in the stomach contents of 65 birds and 19 mammals. Arthropods such as ants, centipedes, cockroaches, crickets, dragonflies, scorpions and spiders, reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs and toads consume termites, with two spiders in the family Ammoxenidae being specialist termite predators. Other predators include aardvarks, aardwolves, anteaters, bats, bears, bilbies, many birds, echidnas, foxes, galagos, numbats, mice and pangolins.
The aardwolf is an insectivorous mammal that primarily feeds on termites; it locates its food by sound and also by detecting the scent secreted by the soldiers; a single aardwolf is capable of consuming thousands of termites in a single night by using its long, sticky tongue. Sloth bears break open mounds to consume the nestmates, while chimpanzees have developed tools to “fish” termites from their nest. Wear pattern analysis of
bone tools used by the early hominin Paranthropus robustus suggests that they used these tools to dig into
termite mounds. Among all predators, ants are the greatest enemy to termites.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
Human Services Ministry facilitating entrepreneurs through free ‘WIIN GY’ App
I
n another ground breaking advancement through digitalization, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has launched a free ‘WIIN GY’ App to promote womenowned businesses. This is according to a release issued by the Ministry on Friday. ‘WIIN,’ an acronym for the established Women’s Innovation and Investment Network, is designed to facilitate both the advertising and marketing needs of women-owned businesses across several sectors in Guyana. Not only does it provide opportunities locally, but may open doors globally since it is available for free download anywhere. Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud said, “The WIIN App is perfectly poised to tangibly support women in growing their businesses by increasing visibility and raising their business profile using an ICT platform at absolutely no cost to them.” Minister Persaud went on to add, “I urge women across the country to use this App to allow more and more people to appreciate the excellent work they have been doing and to use the high-quality products they have developed. I am proud of where our Guyanese women entrepreneurs are and I want the world to see them and applaud them too. Share the WIIN app, use it and let all see that it’s “made by Guyanese women for the world.” The purpose of the app is to ensure women owned businesses gain the visibility they need to succeed in the economy. Over 80 businesses across all the regions are already listed on the app.
both regionally and internationally. The entrepreneur revealed that she is inspired by Minister Persaud and has taken the initiative to help women owned business grow with over 15 women-owned businesses coming under her umbrella including areas such as construction, sewing, catering, décor and event planning. For persons interested in using the platform for their business, registration can be done by simply clicking the ‘register business’ icon after downloading the app. After that, entrepreneurs will be required to complete their profile with particulars such as The WIIN App is location, service type and contact while also having perfectly poised to the option to upload their tangibly support brand logo and photos of their work. women in growing After registering, a their businesses by team from the Ministry increasing visibility will review each application and provide and raising their approval for their business business profile to be listed. Registrants will be notified via email using an ICT that their application has platform at been approved and listed. Registrants can then view absolutely their profile and make no cost to them. updates as needed since each business will be allowed to manage their own business information provided on the app. The app can be highlighted that she was thankful for Minister Persaud’s work in downloaded from the link, helping empower women to https://wiin.gov.gy/#/ or through the Google Play Store using any become independent. Constantine explained that she android device. Persons who own has already finished two courses an Apple device are asked to wait a through the WIIN programme and little longer as the app is being has decided to sign up with the further developed to allow for WIIN app for her business to grow access on those devices. turn, increase sales and brand value with sales globally. “I think that the initiative of this App is a great initiative to the Ministry and to women owned businesses because at the end of the day both parties win supporting the Ministry’s push towards creating a strong business environment for women,” Layne added. Another business owner, Indra Constantine of Crisel’s Enterprise in Region Three
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud (left) and B Socially Intact founder, Brittany Singh exhibits the WiiN App. Primarily, the App caters to participants who would have benefitted from the extensive training done in their respective fields through the Ministry’s platform but can also be utilised by all women to showcase their ventures. The categories featured on the app include but are not limited to Health, Beauty and Wellness, Fashion, Food, Arts and Craft, Event Planning and Décor, Media, Graphics Designing, Photography and Videography, Printing, Stationery, Janitorial, Academic, Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n , G a r d e n i n g , Landscaping, Construction, Tech and Media, Entertainment, ECommerce and even Automotive
Repairs. With Valentine’s Day on Monday, it is the perfect place for consumers to visit at their convenience and see a host of products sold by local womenowned businesses. It is as simple as downloading the App and searching through the various categories to select a product or service that is right for you and available to you. Annisha Layne, the owner of Craft’N’Love that is located at the Little Otter Giftshop and specialises in personalised handmade crafts as well as décor for events, expressed the App offers her the opportunity to give her business a wider exposure and in
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Guyana’s Eddy Grant’s ‘Electric Avenue’ featured in this year’s Super Bowl By Davina Bagot Iconic Guyanese artiste, Eddy Grant has given his fans yet another reason to brag as he continues to display his talent on the international stage. This year, Grant, a singer/song writer, was privileged to have his song used in one of the advertisements played during the airing of the Super Bowl, viewed by millions globally. Since its emergence in the late 1960’s, the United States (US) playoffs would see the best teams in the football sport meeting to defend or battle for the title, and given the importance of the game to the US, millions of dollars would be pumped into various aspects of the event. Grant’s song, ‘Electric Avenue’, was featured in a Super Bowl advertisement, which utilised the acting prowess of seasoned Hollywood stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek, showcasing the German manufactured BMW iX, released only this year. The song was ideal for the advertisement, as the BMW iX is fully electric. During the minute-long video, the two actors gleefully sang along to the legend’s ‘Electric Avenue’. On Saturday, Kaieteur News was able to speak with the international star, who said it was humbling to know that his song, released over 40 years ago, is still relevant and talked about, even with the many new artistes currently in the entertainment spotlight. “Songs especially great ones don’t get old…the industry has changed and now instead of people selling millions of records, they do other things with music which is what I have been doing with Electric Avenue and so many other of my songs,” Grant explained. He added, “There is a greater value in a great song than in most things whether it be real estate or whatever,” as he pointed to the importance of music. Grant said he was particularly pleased that his song was selected twice by BMW to be featured in a
commercial for the Super Bowl, as he recalled that back in 2015, Electric Avenue was featured in another advertisement. “It’s not once that BMW has chosen me and this particular song. It’s twice and that must be a world record in itself because I can’t think of anybody else in the space of five years who had the same song used by a company for the Super Bowl. It’s a massive stage and every artiste, every writer, would like to have
brother’s talent could be featured. Rudy Grant told Kaieteur News that his iconic brother was contacted through his agents about his song being used and a cost was negotiated. He said, “It feels good to know that your brother with whom you sat down with for years can have his song featured on such a grand stage. They could have used any song, but using his was just a blessing.” Back in 2015, ‘Electric Avenue’ was also used in a commercia l for the i3 electric car.
It’s not once that BMW has chosen me and this particular song. It’s twice and that must be a world record itself because I can’t think of anybody else in the space of five years who had the same song used by a company for the Super Bowl. It’s a massive stage and every artiste, every writer would like to have this opportunity. – Eddy Grant
The iconic Eddy Grant is a proud Guyanese.
The ad featured two of America’s best known television presenters, Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric, who were seen dancing to the song at the end of the ad. Back then, Grant said, “I have been in the music industry for over 40 years and it is nice to know that a song I wrote and
recorded 33 years ago is still in demand and could still be r e l e v a n t i n t o d a y ’s commercial market.” In 2020, Grant and former US President Donald Trump had faced off, after the US official included ‘Electric Avenue’ in his campaign without first consulting the superstar.
Electric Avenue became an International hit, first in England and Europe in 1982, then went on to take America and Canada by storm – No.1 on the Cashbox Charts and No.2 on the Billboard Charts in America – and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best R&B Song category.
Actors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Salma Hayek sing along to Eddy Grant’s ‘Electric Avenue’ during the Super Bowl commercial.
t h i s o p p o r t u n i t y, ” h e detailed. The sought-after song was released in 1982 and was nominated for a G r a m m y Aw a r d t h e following year. The song remained at the top of music charts for weeks and has been recognised across the world. Brother of the singing sensation, Rudy Grant, on Saturday too told this newspaper that he is proud of h i s s i b l i n g ’ s accomplishment. He pointed out that some US$7 million would be paid for a 30 seconds advertisement and it was refreshing to know that his
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Sunday February 13, 2022
Speaker Manzoor Nadir accused of being bias …as Parliament approves billions while scrutinising thousands By Gary Eleazar Legislative bodies are by their very nature combative, sometimes civilised but often times not. There has, in the past, been physical violence in Parliaments across the world and during his tenure as Speaker of the National Assembly, Raphael Trotman concluded that Guyana’s Parliament would soon descend into physical violence in the House. Heckling has also been a feature of Members of Parliaments (MPs) across the globe and Guyana’s legislative body is no different—an art form mastered by long time parliamentarian Gail Teixeira and the late People’s National Congress Reform Member, Debbie Backer to name just two. BIAS This past week the 65 MPs concluded the Budgetary Approval Process for the Fiscal Year 2022, approving some $552.9B in spending from the national coffers to be executed by the government of the day, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C)
APNU+AFC MP, Natasha Singh-Lewis, who was verbally attacked by Minister Dharamlall administration. The first day of the debates set the tone for the proceedings to follow when Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton dismissed the opposition members as “fluttering headless yard fowls.” By the end of the proceedings parliamentarians had descended to such vulgarity, that instead of the billions of dollars
in tax and oil dollars being allocated for spending this year, at least one Opposition MP was suspended from the House for four days. The events cemented in the minds of many Guyanese however, that the current Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir’s, ‘slip is now showing’. A colloquial Guyanese proverb meant to convey to whomever it is Speaker of the National directed, that something such as a woman’s Assembly, Manzoor Nadir “half-slip”—an undergarment meant to remain hidden from public view or hurling taunts, to which he responded by private—was on display. Speaker Nadir has, from the inception of telling the MP she is in need of a ‘dildo.’ It would be apposite to note that during the this session of Parliament, been accused of demonstrating an open bias towards members course of the approval process, Speaker Nadir had repeatedly circulated a list of words of the PPP/C and against the opposition. His actions on December 29 last helped to considered “unparliamentary language.” solidify this view for some, when in one of the What was also unambiguous was that despite more raucous sessions of the National upbraiding opposition MPs on numerous Assembly the Natural Resource Fund Bill was occasions, including Ganesh Mahipaul, who was reprimanded by the Speaker for his passed. That Bill was passed despite a deliberate repeated heckling, none was applied to commotion being orchestrated in the House by government MPs. The same yardstick did not apply to coalition Members. government members even while making HONOURABLE Annette Ferguson had even grabbed the presentations, including remarks uttered by Mace—the symbol of the Speaker’s the Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Anthony Phillips, and authority—but Nadir Minister with pressed ahead with a re s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r replica Mace in place, Finance, Dr. Ashni held on to by himself and Singh, and the now two other parliament infamous ‘dildo’ staff. remark uttered by The Late Cheddi Minister Dharamlall. Jagan had himself, while About 10 minutes in opposition in 1991, after Minister also grabbed the Speakers Dharamlall’s remarks mace during one sitting. went unchallenged, the Political pundits boisterous opposition argued that the Speaker could have, at any point in Minister of Local Govt. and Regional MP, Sherod Duncan Development, Nigel Dharamlall returned to the time suspended that Chambers and from his sitting in order to restore seat, proceeded to order and decorum to the chambers since the members of the House are reprimand, the Minister. SUSPENDED elected representatives of the people and are Though seated and without an activated considered ‘Honourable.’ What obtained this week however, was microphone at the time, Duncan could be that instead of skillfully scutinising the heard loudly protesting Dharamlall's $552.9B allocations, MPs were treated to utterances against a female MP calling him a privileged information such as who copied “nasty man” and that his action was being notes from who in school, who ran out of toilet condoned by the Speaker. Nadir at the time paper while in Law school, one only has one called on the opposition member to withdraw subject passed, who is a nasty man and who himself from the House. Importantly, the National Assembly had needed a dildo (a sex toy). at the time resolved itself into the Committee UNPARLIMANETARY LANGUAGE On Wednesday when the House resolved of Supply, nonetheless, seemingly oblivious into Committee of Supply to consider the to this fact at the time, the Speaker proceeded Estimates, events took a turn for the worse, as to direct the government Chief Whip, to Minister of Local Government and Regional move a motion under the relevant standing Development, Nigel Dharamlall, sought to orders to have the MP suspended for four days. Minister Teixeira complied with the defend his ministry’s allocation. The Minister—true to form—did not miss Speaker's instruction and moved the motion on any opportunity to fire back at his which was, without surprise, approved. The following day however, MPs would opposition MPs, including A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change learn that in the haste of the events, the MP had not actually been properly suspended. (APNU+AFC’)s Natasha Sing-Lewis. The matter was brought to the attention of The opposition MP while heckling the Continued on page 62 Minister was seen waving a bag of mints while
APNU+AFC MP, Ganesh Mahipaul
Suspended MP, Sherod Duncan
Sunday February 13, 2022
3 more COVID-19 fatalities recorded - 65 new cases Yesterday, the Ministry of Health recorded three more deaths due to COVID19 complications. The latest fatalities are that of three women who died over the course of three days. Two of the women, an 80-year-old who died on February 10 and a 57-year old who died on February 11, were unvaccinated and hailed from Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10). The third woman, a 49year-old from DemeraraMahaica (Region 4), was
fully vaccinated and passed away on February 12. Their deaths have pushed the national COVID-19 death toll to 1,193. The Ministry also recorded 65 new infections, bringing the overall total to 62,221. Some 59,012 persons have recovered. Currently, there are 11 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 1,927 individuals are in home isolation, 78 are in institutional isolation and 14 are in institutional quarantine.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
Gas- to-Shore project binds Guyana to fossil fuels until 2049 – Article 13
C
ivil society group, Article 13, has warned that the Gas-to-Shore Project will tie Guyana to fossil fuel more than 20 years down the line, even as government steams ahead with its “green agenda”. The body made these observations in a statement to the media on Friday, as it reacted to the passage of Budget 2022. According to Article 13, “Budget 2022 contains a provision of G$20.8 billion (for the) Gas-to-Energy project, as a core component
of the still to be adopted Low Carbon Development Strategy. By approving G$20.8 billion for this project, Guyana is bound to a dependence on fossil fuels to 2049.” During his Budget presentation, Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, explained that “the current estimate of the gas reserve is 16 trillion c u b i c f e e t ( Tc f ) w i t h projections from Liza 1 and 2 likely at 50 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd), and Payara will bring an additional 20 mmscfd.”
The project, he said, will allow the country to phase out the use of expensive and carbon-intensive heavy fuel oil and is targeted to reduce costs substantially below the current levels. According to Dr. Singh, the project encompasses the establishment of a power plant to generate 300MW of power as well as a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) plant that will cover domestic demand. The project also entails the construction of a 225 km 12inch pipeline to transport the guaranteed minimum of 50 mmscfd of natural gas from
offshore Guyana to the Wales Development Zone. The civil society group, which comprises of transparency advocates and analysts, such as Attorney-atLaw, Christopher Ram and Yog Mahadeo, has clearly registered their concerns about the 2022 Budget. For instance, Article 13 said it was particularly concerned that several areas for which billions of dollars are being appropriated, vague details were made available for public scrutiny. “For example, there is G$22 billion for “payment of
retention and completion, construction and rehabilitation of roads” which does not detail the network of roads being undertaken,” the body highlighted. Similarly, there are areas of non-capital allocations made into the capital budgets, such as media campaigns as well as cash provisions for “humanitarian and other activities” which are not clarified, Article 13 noted. “These need careful examination,” the advocates posited. On the other hand, the
organisation complained that this year's Budget seems to be aimed at serving the business class, while the average Guyanese does not appear to benefit in the same degree. To this end, the body has contended that businesses and oil companies will receive tax breaks on vehicles and equipment, meanwhile a mere $3,000 is offered to pensioners who are barely managing to feed themselves. “Article 13 welcomes the emphasis on food security as a priority but wonder whether (Continued on page 61)
Sunday February 13, 2022
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Over 800,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines... From page 16 12 years and older, health officials have been able to disburse, on average, a total of 2,330 vaccines per day. In providing a breakdown of these vaccines per age cohort, the Minister noted that the older population has a higher inoculation rate than that of the younger age group. “When we look at the vaccine, we administer so far in terms of 60 years and over first dose, we are at 83.1 percent, second dose we are at 73.1 percent and for the booster shot we are 20.6 percent,” he shared on Friday. In terms of the 40 to 59 age cohort, 82.8 percent of persons received their first dose, 67.7 percent received their second dose while 10.1 percent received booster
shots. As it relates to the 18 to 39 age category, he noted that the first dose stands at 80.8 percent, second dose at 56.5 percent, and the booster shot at 4.6 percent. For the children population, ages 12 to 17, Minister Anthony noted that 45.3 percent of this population received their first dose and 32.4 percent received their second dose. For this age cohort, their vaccination programme began in August, last year in order to facilitate a safe return to face-to-face learning. No booster shots have been given to children in this age group. Notably, the government is still trying to source a vaccine for children five to 11 years. With regard the regional
breakdown of vaccines administered, the Minister said that Regions Seven, Four, Two, Five and 10 are still lagging behind in the vaccination programme. He noted however, that Region Nine has exceeded in terms of first dose, adding that 85.6 percent of individuals there have been also been vaccinated with their second dose. “In fact, they have gone more than a 100 percent in their first dose, meaning that they have given out a lot more and that might be because persons are coming over from Brazil, who would have access to the vaccine,” he stated. As it relates to the other regions and their figures, he said that Region Eight has 63.2 percent of persons with first dose and 48.9 percent
with secon d d o s e . I n Region One, the administration of the first dose stands at 61.2 percent with 31.5 percent for the second dose while the first dose in Region Six is at 48.8 percent with the second dose being 33 percent. In Region Three, the first dose is at 46.2 percent and the second dose is at 33.8 percent, in Region Five, the first dose is at 44.2 percent and the second dose is at 35.8 percent. The first dose in Region Four, according to the Minister, stands at 41.7 percent with 29.9 percent being recorded for the second dose, which he noted is below the average. For Region Two, 41.5 percent of the population has received the first dose and 29.9 percent received the
second dose while in Region Seven, the first dose is at 36 percent and the second dose is at 25.9 percent. In Region 10, which has the lowest vaccination rate in the country, the Minister said that only 12.3 percent of the residents received their first dose, and 6.9 percent received their second dose. Appreciative that many people have been inoculated against the disease, the Minister expressed his gratitude to countries such as India, China, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United States of America, and COVAX for their assistance and donations. “Because of this assistance, we have been able to have a strong vaccination programme,” he commented. Further, he expressed sincere thanks to the health
workers who have been involved in the vaccination programme. The Minister's sentiments were echoed by Advisor to the Ministry of H e a l t h , D r. L e s l i e Ramsammy. Dr. Ramsammy via a statement explained that the President had declared that the country's goal is for more than 70 percent of the population to be fully vaccinated by the end of June this year. “As we mark one year since the COVID-19 vaccination programme started, we are in a position to achieve this. I am hopeful that we can surpass the goal of 70 percent. The President and the Government of Guyana have done their part. We the citizens must do our part,” he said.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday February 13, 2022
Govt. sets aside GYD$22.4M to revise future' billion- dollar’oil contracts - Min. …to also pay to update to old Petroleum Law
Much has been said over the years with regard the one sided deal—Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) or oil contract—that was inked between the Guyana Government and ExxonMobil Guyana back in 2016. The criticisms levied against the then administration—under whose auspices, the PSA was
inked with then Minister Raphael Trotman at the helm of the Natural Resources Ministry—had reached a point where the then opposition had committed to remedying the state of affairs.Such was the importance of 'getting it right' with Guyana's PSA Model that the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration had included
in its last elections manifesto, the commitment to establish a PSA, “based on industrywide standards and best practices.”The purpose, the PPP/C said, “is to ensure that Guyanese receive maximum benefit from these contracts without disincentivising foreign investors in the s e c t o r. ” T h e p a r t y h a d committed to establishing a (Continued on page 63)
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat (right) along with Permanent Secretary, Jocelyn McKenzie
Bharrat
Kaieteur News
Sunday February 13, 2022
Extradition Matters From page 8 to appear in court before an American judge.The Embassy stated that Thomas' extradition reflects over one year of close coordination between the Government of Guyana and the U.S. Embassy. Thomas, also known as Marvin Williams, was implicated in the December 11, 2011 murder of 2 0 - y e a r- o l d K e i t h F r a n k , a Guyanese, who was shot and killed outside a party in Richmond Hill, New York.He allegedly fled to Canada and was apprehended in 2018 in Guyana. He was first ordered extradited on November 30, 2018 by Principal Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus. But he filed an application at the High Court, challenging the Magistrate's authority to conduct the committal
proceedings. The murder suspect maintained that he was Marvin Williams and argued also that Justice Barlow erroneously made the ruling that he was Troy Thomas. That appeal was dismissed.In its statement, the U.S. Embassy thanked the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Prison Service, the Minister of Public Security, and the staff at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, “for their close cooperation and commitment to justice.” Marcus Bisram Also in 2019, US-based Guyanaborn businessman, Marcus Bisram, was extradited from the U.S. Two police officials were sent to the U.S. for the businessman.He was immediately handed over to federal
authorities and was escorted to the JFK International Airport on a flight to Guyana. It was a long haul for Bisram. He had been in custody since July 2017.He had asked the New York courts to set him free on the grounds that there was no extradition treaty between the U.S. and Guyana. However, lawyers for the U.S. government successfully argued that a longstanding agreement between the U.S. and Britain, which had ruled Guyana up to the 1960s still holds.Bisram had attempted a number of legal manoeuvres to escape extradition to Guyana.In September 2019, according to the summary order of the US Court of Appeals, it had considered all of Bisram's remaining arguments and found them to be without merit.“Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court.”In
PAGE 59 January 2019, in an ongoing saga, a New York court allowed an extradition appeal by Bisram.According to court documents of January 24, the US Court of Appeals ordered that the extradition be stayed during the appeal. The Clerk of Court was directed to place the appeal on the expedited calendar.Bisram was in the custody of U.S. authorities, after being arrested on July 2017 based on a request of the Guyana government.He was being accused of ordering a hit on a Berbice carpenter, Faiyaz Narinedatt, a guest at a party he hosted back in late 2016.Narinedatt was alleged to have been beaten by several men, at the behest of Bisram.He was pushed into the trunk of a car, taken to the Berbice public road, dumped and run over to make it appear as if it was a hit-and-run.Bisram was reportedly
a close friend to Berbice police, contributing significantly to community policing.After the incident, police had said, Bisram flew to New York and was not arrested until months later, in July 2017, at a New York beach front property.The Guyana government had asked the U.S. authorities for his extradition. An order was made for him to be sent back in 2018 but he immediately appealed. Bisram had migrated to the U.S. years prior, and struck it rich there, travelling back and forth and becoming involved in charity.His case was being closely watched as it was arguably the first time in many years that someone with U.S. citizenship would be extradited back to Guyana to face charges.Five other persons were charged for the murder of Narinedatt and have been sent to the High Court for trial before a jury.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
US$60M out of US$630M oil money can double all public... From page 3 move from where she is living. “She barely making money to feed her children and pay her rent. She said 'Glenn this had happened to me one time before in which I had to beg friends to keep the older children and I used to take the two smaller ones and go in the nights at the emergency unit of the Georgetown Hospital, cover my head and sleep there until morning'.” “She said after a couple nights they (hospital staff) caught her and she was so shame to tell them she got nowhere to go with the two children, but she is not a beggar, she's a public servant who just can't make ends meet.” Lall said the dilemma of that woman and her family mirrors that of thousands of Guyanese across this country who cannot make ends meet. “Yes this is happening in an oil-rich country, the second fastest growing economy on earth today.” “Mr. President Ali, Mr. Norton and Mr. Jagdeo - US$60M out of that US$630M oil money should have been used to double all the public servants' salary, and double every senior citizens pension for the whole year already, so that woman's salary could have been doubled and she didn't have to walk
around the place in tears, begging for anything that can help her move.” Despite boasting the double digit GDP, the World Bank has classified Guyana as one of the poorest countries in South America, with 43.4 percent of the population living on less than US$5.50 per person a day in 2011. The country, the Bank stated, has one of the highest emigration rates in the world – roughly half of its nationals with tertiary education leave Guyana and more than 39 percent of its citizens reside abroad– placing it among the largest recipients of remittances relative to GDP in Latin American and the Caribbean. According to the World Bank, recent increases in active cases of COVID-19 and deaths are cause for concern. The Bank said as the government begins to develop the oil and gas sector, ensuring governance mechanisms that adhere to international environmental and social standards is critical to avoid many of the issues resource-rich countries have faced. Unfulfilled promises Meanwhile, still on the topic of higher pay for public servants, Lall alluded to remarks by Dr. Singh
during the budget examination in which he said the People's Progressive Party/Civic government is firmly committed to working closely with all stakeholders in society including organised labour on all matters of national importance. However, Lall asked where was the principle when the government arbitrarily imposed increase on the workers? “When you listen to these people, you have to ask yourself many questions. One of them is - are these people for real, can they be trusted, can they see the creator's face?” The newspaper publisher recalled President Irfaan Ali previously saying that “he supports far more than 20 percent increase for them; public servants…but today this young man sits down as the lead man, passing a budget with the people's own oil money, without a blind dollar in it for them. The same people he was screaming his support for. That is what you call trust, that is what you call leadership? No, that is what you call an honest, trustworthy and a believable politician, all they give you is empty promises, about what they are going to do for you and what
they wouldn't do for you…” Lall said as an opposition Member of Parliament, Ali was on top of his voice in parliament calling on the then Coalition administration to increase wages for public servants, at a time when there were no oil resources. “He was supporting giving more than 20 percent increase to the civil servants. Now the oil money come in his hands, and he is in the driving seat, in total command and control, throwing US$30M, which is just over half the money for public servants' salary, on a bush road,” Lall stated, making reference to the Linden-Mabura Road. He added, “Throwing away a full seven percent of the oil money again on that milking cow (Cheddi Jagan Airport) that will never be completed.” In addition to Lall, the prodemocracy group, Article 13 also flagged government's $552.9B budget, saying that too much of the country's architecture seems designed to serve the business class, with emphasis on growing certain types and classes of businesses while the average Guyanese does not appear to benefit to the same degree. “We note too that while businesses and
oil companies are getting tax breaks on vehicles and equipment, the average Guyanese is paying a larger percentage of their earnings just to feed themselves while our pensioners will receive a mere $3,000 (approx. US$15) per month in increase. These need careful examination,” the group said in a statement reacting to the budget which was approved by the National Assembly Thursday evening. The main opposition, APNU+AFC, has decried the estimate as anti-working class. Opposition frontbencher, Senior Counsel, Roysdale Forde, during his budget debate presentation said the budget will widen the economic gap between the poor, the working class and the rich. He said government, in presenting the $552.9B Budget, has thus far failed to provide a blue print for the equitable distribution of the country's resources. Forde said Guyanese, in 2021, witnessed and experienced a rapid deterioration of the social and economic conditions which were further compounded by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Sunday February 13, 2022
Kaieteur News
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President urges UG graduates to use newly acquired skills... From page 22 company, make sure your employees are happy. Make sure you give back to them through good salaries, benefits, and most importantly, give back by respecting them. Dignity is a critical element in how you give back. Respect everyone from the domestic assistant and security guard to the CEO.” M r. M i n g f u r t h e r admonished the graduates to become servant leaders. “I hope some of you will seek the sacred job of becoming servant leaders…the hand that serves is holier than the lips that pray. This is the sign of a servant leader,” he expressed passionately. YOU ARE NOW MEMBERS OF A UNIQUE COMMUNITY Meanwhile, the second ceremony which was held on Saturday, February 5, saw a total of 552 students graduating – 274 from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, 223 from the College of Medical Sciences and 55 from the College of Behavioural Sciences and Research. This ceremony also saw the College of Behavioural Sciences and Research graduating its first batch with the Diploma in General Psychology. At that ceremony, another powerful and uplifting address was delivered by Guyana-born scientist at Pfizer; Mr. Vidia Roopchand. Mr. Roopchand rose to
international fame for his role in the development of the Pfizer vaccine which is currently being rolled out in countries, including Guyana, to help fight the dreaded Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. Mr. Roopchand, who is originally from the I s l a n d o f Wa k e n a a m , congratulated the graduating class for persevering to the end in challenging and difficult circumstances. “You are now members of a unique community. The community has never more desperately needed the benefits of science and technology, newly discovered knowledge and pursuit of truth.” “We live in a world that is rapidly changing and one that is being defined more and more by technology. I would venture to say that we are in the fourth industrial revolution. And like all other industrial revolutions, adaptability will be key to societies at large in the future,” he noted. “This is an opportune time in history to start establishing the foundation for the technologies which will define the fourth industrial revolution in Guyana. Guyana has the potential to be a major player in renewable energy and biotechnology,” the scientist said. Mr. Roopchand, who is also an alumnus of UG's Faculty of Natural Sciences, encouraged the graduates to be open-minded and teachable throughout their
Gas- to-Shore... From page 56 the key focus on nontraditional crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, spices and fresh flowers destined for overseas markets offers any such security. Worse, such a policy can have the potential of reducing the availability and increasing the price of traditional agricultural products for the average Guyanese,” the advocate group pointed out. Even more importantly, Article 13 said it was very concerned about several open provisions in the Budget, involving billions of dollars of cash spending, without adequate guardrails to prevent malpractices and
corruption. This is so even as the Public Procurement Commission for example, is yet to be established to ensure government contracts are properly awarded. In this regard, the transparency body has concluded that a mere four days were not enough for a credible review of the country's largest Budget in history. “Finally, Article 13 considers the existing arrangements for the presentation and consideration of the National Budget to be inappropriate in the modern era. An urgent revamp is necessary,” the body urged.
lives as science is everevolving. He emphasised: “Your friends will correct you when you engage in selfdestructive behaviour. Do not limit your conversations only to people who agree with you, diametrically opposed
views should be heard and debated. Avoid the cancel c u l t u r e , i t i s counterproductive…. admit when you're wrong, learn from your mistakes, accept your failures, and embrace them as learning
opportunities and move on.” The top scientist admonished the graduates to ensure they have a balanced life, “Seek to find balance between your personal life and your professional life. You will find fulfilment
when both of these aspects of your life flourish. And most of all, lead with potential, integrity, compassion, a sense of duty, and a sense of purpose, it will define you in the years ahead.” (University of Guyana)
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Sunday February 13, 2022
Speaker Manzoor Nadir accused of being bias... From page 54 the House by the AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, and the matter was later rectified when the Speaker was forced to take the House out of the Committee of Supply in order to properly move the motion and this was done. Opposition Chief Whip, Christopher Jones, following the initial motion for suspension—since it was determined to be improperly moved and approved—protested the action of the Speaker and his misapplication of the Standing Orders. VIDEO EVIDENCE Jones in a letter to the Speaker contended, “we the APNU+AFC Members of Parliament formally wish to bring to your attention issues of grave concern that have occurred as a result of the events of last evening which took place in this Honourable house.” According to Jones, “of most concern is the misapplication of the Standing Orders
in relation to the suspension of Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan.” He noted that “…you may recall on review and there is enough video footage to support this, that the suspension was done while in the Committee of Supply instead of the larger National Assembly giving the sanctity of the Standing Orders of the Parliament of Guyana we feel this error must be corrected for the record.” Jones in his lamentations noted “…your decision to suspend Member of Parliament, Sherod Duncan, but find it interesting that the same level of sanction has not been applied to Minister Nigel Dharamlall who is on public record as uttering, while on the floor, one of the vilest comments that could be directed to any female member of Parliament anywhere in the world.” According to Jones, “this we find totally unacceptable and expect that the same level of censorship will
be applied to the offending Minister. It is our hope that you will review your position on both these issues as we understand the difficulty of managing the situation at the time and that you may not have been in possession of all the facts.” Notably, Minister Dharamlall himself did, subsequent to the incident, conceded to the offending nature of his remarks and apologized, both to the House and on social media, to those who might have been offended. At the end of the 10-day long process— five days for debates, four for Committee of Supply and one to present—$552.9B was approved for spending by the PPP/C administration, large amounts of which had been approved en-block given the time restrictions compounded by the fact that time was wasted interrogating as little as $2,005 dollars in a $552.9B Budget inclusive of $126B of oil revenue.
Sunday February 13, 2022
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Kaieteur News
Govt. set aside GYD$22.4M to revise future'... From page 58 regulatory framework, which is independent of politicians; build strong national capability to hold oil companies accountable, and to verify production and other expenditures. During the course of scrutiny of the Estimates of Expenditure for this year, the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat had been asked to provide clarity on a specific allocation under this Ministry when Members of Parliament were told that the sum of $22.4M (US$112,000) had been set aside in this year's budget to meet the outlined objectives. He was at the time responding to questions posed by his shadow counterpart, the Alliance For Change General Secretary, David Patterson. According to Bharrat, the substantive Minister for Natural Resources, the budgeted sum under his Ministry for which Patterson was seeking clarity for, was in fact monies set aside for the
hiring of a law firm. This, he said, was meant to assist government with enhancing Guyana's legislative and regulatory framework for the sector, in addition to the revision of the PSAs to internationally recognised criteria and standards. The objective, he repeated, is to end up with a model PSA/oil contract for future deals with oil companies operating in Guyana's Exclusive Economic Zone EEZ, offshore in order to, “bring far more fiscal benefits to the people of Guyana. “Work will have to continue to ensure we have a model PSA than Stabroek PSA” He indicated to the Members of the House that under the provision “we promise to (also) look at the Petroleum Production and exploration Act of 1986,” saying it needs to be updated, and that “this provision will start that process.” During the discourse, Minister Bharrat had lamented that up until recently, there had not been any commercial discoveries of hydrocarbon outside of the
Stabroek Block by any of the other operators, a situation which changed on Monday last when CGX Energy Inc. announced that it had discovered crude in commercial quantities in the Kawa-1 Well in the Corentyne Block. It would be apposite to note that Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had last week, subsequent to the announcement by CGX, told members of the media, government is prepared to rise to the occasion to ensure the model PSA will a d d r e s s i s s u e s s u c h as higher royalty rates, the need for ring-fencing provisions, as well as those related to taxes. “CGX Energy Inc. has found oil and there may be now increased pressure because if they move swiftly to production then we will have to get a model PSA in place,” he told members of the media during a press engagement at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) this past week.The former Head-ofState was adamant work on the PSA was put on the back
burner since ExxonMobil was the lone explorer marking all the commercial discoveries in the Stabroek Block. According to Vice President Jagdeo, with the CGX discovery, “…there is urgency now to move to a model PSA that would correct many of the things we find are wrong with the last one that was signed
with Exxon (the Stabroek Block PSA). And all new entrants would have to subscribe to the new conditions. I don't want to get into too many details but issues raised such as high royalty rate, and ring-fencing, those have to be looked at; tax treatment and a whole range of other issues have
to be looked at.” He elucidated saying, “there are about 10 or 11 areas we identified to look at and they have to do with the fiscal terms.”According to Vice President Jagdeo, when the time arrives, the government would be ready to engage with CGX and its partner, Frontera.
FExxon's CEO, Pres. Ali and VP Jagdeo... from page 8 Guyana must pay the taxes on the income from its most prolifically profitable operation defies logic, reason and fairness, and of course the G 20 position,” the lawyer
stated. Ram concluded that while this is a test for Mr. Woods, the PPP/C, the fair-minded President and the proud Vi c e P r e s i d e n t m u s t recognise that this is a
seminal moment and unique opportunity for them to stand up for Guyana. “None of them should fail Guyana. If they do, history will look most unfavourably on them,” the lawyer concluded.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday February 13, 2022
“Career bandit”, accomplice remanded for ‘choking and robbing’ man A 20-year-old man described as a “career bandit” since he has been to jail at least five times since 2018, is once again behind bars after he and an accomplice was remanded on Friday for allegedly choking and robbing a man along Croal Street on Tuesday last. The “career bandit”, Chris Pollard of 53 David Street Kitty, Georgetown and his accomplice, Jamal Anthony Delph, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts before Magistrate Leron Daley. They were jointly charged with robbery with aggravation committed on Riad Ahamad, a businessman, around 11:45hrs on Tuesday last. It
is alleged that Pollard and Delph robbed him of a cellular phone worth $48,000 and $700. They both pleaded not guilty and were remanded until March 11, 2022. The robbery of Ahamad was caught on CCTV camera and police were able to positively identify the perpetrators seen in the footage as Pollard and Delph and later arrested them at a David Street, Kitty address. Based on footage seen, it appeared as though the perpetrators were trailing their victim. It was also revealed in court that the two suspects are acquainted with Ahamad. As Ahamad walked along
the pavement, the suspects attacked him from opposite directions – one came from behind and the other approached from the front. The one who was walking behind picked up his pace and suddenly choked the unsuspecting businessman. Even as the bandit wrestled his victim to the ground, the other ran up to them and began searching the victim’s pockets taking whatever he found. They then escaped by running away. Ahamad told investigators that he was choked into a state of unconsciousness by the delinquents. He said that he only recalled being wrestled to the
pavement and two men searching through his pockets. Ahamad remained unconscious for a few minutes during which the perpetrators made good their escape. Meanwhile, it should be noted that Pollard is no stranger to the law and has been in and out of jail since 2018. As a 17-year-old, he was charged for stealing his own father’s gun, a .32 Taurus semi-automatic pistol valued at $250,000. His father reportedly decided to give him a second chance and decided to drop the charges and he was released. But Pollard did not change his ways. The following year in March, he was slapped with five robbery charges with violence. The court remanded him first but later he was released on bail. Pollard, however, shortly
Career bandit, Chris Pollard who is yet again behind bars for another robbery.
after began robbing again and was eventually jailed one year for a robbery he committed in September 2019 with two accomplices. Pollard and his accomplices ambushed the individual, Sachin Narine, on Camp Street, Georgetown, and stole his cell phone worth $45,000.
The man recalled that while being attacked Pollard had ordered him not to shout otherwise they (he and his accomplices) “will do him something.” The youth served his sentence and was released in late 2020. Pollard would take a break but he continued to rob again and was labelled by one media outfit as a “court regular” after he was charged for committing more crimes that year. His criminal ways continued in 2021 – in July 2021 he snatched a woman’s gold chain worth $70,000 in the Stabroek Market area – and was once again behind bars. He reportedly spent the remainder of the year in jail until he managed to secure bail. Perhaps preferring a life of crime, Pollard is once again behind bars for yet another robbery.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
Sunday February 13, 2022
Guyana Harpy Eagles commences with thrilling last-wicket win over... From page 72 catch himself to claim his first five-wicket haul, a run later, the pulsating game had taken another turn and was now favouring the Volcanoes who were threatening to erupt as six Harpy Eagles wickets tumbled for 51 runs. Pestano clobbered Dember for six to bring up the 150, but was dropped by Edward off the next ball as he tried to repeat the shot. Singh, who struggled to get the ball away at the other end, engaged in a painstaking stand before Pestano (20) was caught in deep off Edward at 1687.
Permaul joined Singh with 35 needed and it seemed that the Guyanese were playing for draw but Singh, who opted to pull Edward, was caught at 178-8 after taking 75 balls for his 24. Gudakesh Motie (3) was removed by Edward at 183-9 as Permaul and last man Smith, who arrived with 18 to win from the 15 mandatory overs, began the much welcomed partnership that achieved victory at 5: 39pm. Guyana will play the Leeward Islands at same venue on Tuesday in the second round match. (Sean Devers) Scores: Volcanoes (338 & 190) Harpy Eagles (327 &203-9)
Kaieteur News
Chelsea beat Palmeiras... From page 68 close with a shot from distance after a smart lay-off from Lukaku as the English side looked to cement their control. But just past the hour, Palmeiras restored parity. Thiago Silva was adjudged to have handled in the area after a check on the pitch-side monitor and Veiga converted emphatically from 12 yards to send the game into extra time. With a penalty shoot-out looming, Chelsea secured the trophy with a penalty of their own. Luan’s handball was also checked on the monitor before Germany playmaker Havertz fired home. Luan was then dismissed for a foul on the match winner in the final minute, after
Sunday February 13, 2022 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Group activities might prove a little unsettling for you today, Aries. Animated discussions could turn into angry quarrels and this could offend your desire for harmony. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) A member of your household is likely to be in a very strange mood today, Taurus. This person has heard some news that is confusing and probably untrue. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Attempts to contact others in different states or foreign countries today could go awry, Gemini, as technology that we tend to take for granted, such as telephones and the Internet, could malfunction, perhaps due to solar flares. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Machines involved in financial transactions, such as ATMs, phone systems, or banking websites could malfunction today. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) This might be a good day to take some time for yourself, Leo. Contact with others, no matter how much you love them, isn't likely to go well. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Today you might be trying to learn about a new form of modern technology, perhaps computer related, and you could find it too confusing for words. Your brain could be going into overload, so it's probably best to take it one step at a time!
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Weirdness is the keyword for today, Libra. You could be flooded with information from newspapers or the Internet that seems very strange to you. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Rumors may be circulating today, which could cause a certain panic. Some of your friends and colleagues could be calling you at home to discuss the matter. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Bizarre news that comes to you from far away, possibly via email or the Internet, could be spreading like wildfire among the people you know and causing a lot of excitement, Sagittarius. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Some rather disturbing news about trends in the world economy could have you and everyone around you worrying about your financial future. Have faith. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Get-togethers with friends today could prove a bit unsettling, Aquarius, as someone who attends them could throw out an opinion or possibility that seems rather shocking. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Someone close to you could develop some strange symptoms that cause this person to panic. It never hurts to consult a doctor, but when this person does, he or she is likely to find that these problems are probably nothing more than stress, too much work.
the referee was told to consult with his monitor for a third time.
...Fitness Express From page 70 provisional list of athletes that are yet to meet qualifying totals has also been developed. These athletes have another opportunity by Intermediates 2022 to meet the qualifying mark. Drug testing of athletes across all disciplines are now taking centre-stage and the GAPLF will not be left behind in the Government’s quest to aid the governing body, World Anti-doping Agency (WADA), in achieving its objective of a level playing field for all athletes.
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Chelsea beat Palmeiras in ET to claim Club World Cup (BBC Sport) - Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup for the first time after an extratime win against Brazilian side Palmeiras. A 117th-minute penalty in Abu Dhabi by Kai Havertz - who scored their 2021 Champions League winner means the Blues have now won every possible trophy under owner Roman Abramovich. Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring with a header in the second half before Raphael Veiga levelled from the spot. Palmeiras defender Luan was sent off in added time. Much like in their semifinal victory against AlHilal, Chelsea dominated possession but struggled to create chances for much of the game.
Kai Havertz also scored the winner in the Champions League final (Getty Images)
Sunday February 13, 2022
Hetmyer goes to Rajasthan Royals - Pooran tops West Indian purchases
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Their cutting edge did not improve when Mason Mount was forced off through injury, as he was in their recent FA Cup tie with Plymouth, as Romelu Lukaku continued to cut an isolated figure up front. Palmeiras, meanwhile, looked to make the most of their threat on the counterattack, with the pace of Rony and Dudu stretching the
Blues defence but clear-cut chances were hard to come by. Nine minutes after the break, Lukaku made the breakthrough when Callum Hudson-Odoi sent in a pinpoint cross for the first time and the striker powered a header past Weverton. Christian Pulisic, Mount’s replacement, went (Continued on page 67)
est Indies star b a t t e r Shimron Hetmyer was acquired by Rajasthan Royals for INR 8.50 crore (US$1,130,500) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction on Saturday. Hetmyer scored 242 runs last season for Delhi Capitals at a strike-rate of 168.05. Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Capitals were the two teams most interested in purchasing the left hander, and he became one of the most expensive purchases from West Indies, alongside Jason Holder and Nicholas
Pooran. Holder was purchased for Rs. 8.75 crore (US$1,161,000) by the Lucknow Super Giants while Pooran topped the West Indian charts on the opening day after being bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs. 10.75 crore (US$1,427,000). Veteran Dwayne Bravo was the other West Indian player to be bought on the first day. Bravo returns to the Chennai Super Kings for another season at a cost of R s . 4 . 4 0 c r o r e (US$583,953). Meanwhile, I n d i a ’s 2 3 - y e a r- o l d w i c k e t k e e p e r- b a t s m a n ,
Ishan Kishan, was the most expensive player bought on the opening day. Kishan was repurchased by Mumbai Indians for INR 15.25 crore (US$2,090,000), making him the second-most expensive Indian player in IPL history. Yuvraj Singh still holds the record for his Rs 16 crore in 2015, when he was bought by Delhi Daredevils. This year the IPL will start on April 2 and run until June 3, with Lucknow Giants and Ahmedabad Titans pushing the total number of teams in the tournament to ten.
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AG conducts successful PVC bow making seminar with School of the Nations
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rchery Guyana continues to make progress in the development stage of the sport in Guyana as the organization recently conducted a 3-day PVC bow making seminar with School of the Nations in the latter stages on January and early February. The seminar began on January 29, proceeded to the following day and then concluded on February 5, 2022. This was in keeping with an agreement to jumpstart archery in the school, since they formed the first school archery club in the country in August 2021. According to Archery Guyana, “the participation and enthusiasm by the students and parents was overwhelming and heartening. They were excited to learn how a simple PVC pipe could be transformed into a bow capable of teaching the sport
of Olympic recurve archery. This is the same type of bowbuilding seminar that was conducted with Archery Guyana by World Archery Americas Coach Diego Torres in 2015.” The seminar was conducted by Archery Guyana’s Head Coach, Nicholas Hing, with the assistance of School of the Nations’ Physical Education teacher, Kenrick Cheeks and Mathematics and Physics teacher, Stefan Farier, who also documented the event with video photography and interviews for the school. At the end of the seminar, the students were introduced to the actual use of the bow when they were taught the basics of archery. The school’s archery club will now organize practice days and times with their student members so that Archery Guyana’s coaches will help with their development of the sport.
Archery Guyana’s coach Nicholas Hing (2nd left) watches onlookers observe one of the PVC made bow.
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Sunday February 13, 2022
Guyana’s 1st IGG swimming Gold Medalist to be laid to rest today
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ormer national s w i m m i n g champion Dexter ‘Presser’ Joseph who died on January 10, 2022 in the United States of America will be buried today (Sunday) at the Christianburg Cemetery after his remains were brought home. The Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) President Dwayne Scott, when contacted said “it’s a sad situation and it was shared amongst the entire GASA fraternity. We are extremely saddened by his passing.” After the news broke that the man who is credited as being the first Guyanese swimmer to win an individual Gold Medal at the Inter Guiana’s Games the GASA was among others from the swimming fraternity, both at home and overseas, who expressed regrets on the passing of former National Champion swimmer, Joseph, who died while on vacation in Atlanta, Georgia. The GASA on behalf of its executives and affiliated swim clubs paid tribute to the legacy of the former swimmer stating that “Dexter who is a Lindener, made massive contributions in the swim arena during the mid 1970s and early 1980s,
when in 1978 he won a Gold Medal in the 50m freestyle sprint at the Inter Guiana’s Games in Suriname. He swam both individual and relay races and is reported to be the first swimmer to achieve the feat of breaking the one minute time in the 100 yards freestyle sprint. Dexter was also known as Guyana’s best breaststroke swimmer.” “Most sincere condolences to Dexter’s family, relatives, friends and affiliates who joined in this, our bereavement period; rest in peace Dexter, your memory and contribution to the swim arena lives on.” Former National swimmer, Roger Harris, who resides in Canada, recalled “I remember him and Peter McLintock coming from Linden to swim as I lived in Georgetown at the time. In those days in the 1970s we even represented Guyana.” “I remember him being a very good and excellent swimmer who had great technique in the pool. On the personality side he was very competitive but at the same time he was an agreeable personality very approachable and someone you can easily get along with. The swimmers today with all the facilities at their disposal, would have stood
on the shoulders of people like Dexter.” Another past National swimmer Charlie Alexander remarked: “We started doing competitive swimming in 1975 at school level where we had a team that went to Nationals in Georgetown and from 1975 to 1981 we never lost any of those championships. We even had inter clubs rivalry because we represented the YMCA through the Baracuda Swim Club.” “Apart from Nationals we always won the inter club competitions and always dominating. There were times when we won gold silver and bronze medals in every age groups at inter clubs at Luckhoo Pool...We also dominated the river swims. But Dexter was always outstanding especially as a sprinter. He had extraordinary hand speed. He stated working on cruise ships a day became “a certified chef.” Another outstanding swimmer who represented Guyana during that golden period of the mid 1970s and early 1980s was another Linden champion swimmer, Yvette London-Dublin. “I remember him, he was not a selfish person. He had ability and encouraged us to push hard. I remember when
we were in preparing for inter Guiana Games on the warm up some guys cheated and I was arguing with the coach. Dexter came to me and said don’t worry with them do the other two laps and it will benefit you. And that was the year when I did exceptionally well. I always remembered him for that,” said London-Dublin. The former swimmer now pastor pointed out that Dexter relished the freestyle and breast stroke events but he would also do the individual medley race. Ms. Mary ChungPhillips, yet another excellent champion swimmer of that period also had prized memories of the early days with Dexter. “Growing up in Christianburg, Wismar, Linden I remember rubbing shoulders with Dexter Joseph from Prep A throughout standard four. We even acted in a skit in a Christmas play acting as Mary and Joseph and I said to him, ‘Joseph I am tired my baby is about born and Dexter said to me as a child, come on Mary let’s go to the Inn,’ and so I remember those days as kids when we acted.” “In 1975 we started competing together with the Baracuda Swim Club and participated at the Inter
Guiana’s Games in 1976. We also participated in 1977, 1978 and 1979. And I remember Dexter won the first individual Gold Medal in the 100m freestyle event for Guyana. We also participated in the Caribbean Swimming Championship in Trinidad in 1980; and in the Clubs Championship in Suriname in December 1980.” “Dexter was a brother to all the swimmers in his time. We remained friends we also did the Bronze Medallion Course with Carl Waterus from Canada and the FINA Coaching Clinic in Georgetown for three weeks in Georgetown, and that was in 2000.” Another Canada-based past National swimmer Mrs. Grace Yhap-Roberts has pleasant memories while representing Guyana with Dexter Joseph. When contacted yesterday she said “Dexter was like a big brother to my sister (Audrey) and I. He guided us in many aspects of
Dexter Joseph
our early years, not only ensuring that we swam straight in the narrow lanes of the pool, but also ensuring that we kept in the straight and narrow paths of life. He always had our backs and many would share the same sentiments.” “Dexter was an outstanding athlete, popular, very competitive and loved by his teammates and competitors. He was known as an exceptional person: warm, funny and kind. His sudden passing is a huge loss to the sport, his family, friends and the town of Linden; specifically Christianburg. Rest In Peace, Dexter.” The remains of the late Robert Dexter ‘Presser’ Joseph will be taken to the Christianburg Community Centre ground at Wismar where it will be from 12:30hrs to 13:15hrs and at 13:30hrs. The funeral service will be held following with the internment at the Christianburg Cemetery.
Fitness Express on board GAPLF Novice/Junior Championship - action commences at 09:00hrs today
GAPLF President, Gordon Spencer (left) receives a cheque for an undisclosed sum from Fitness Express proprietor, Jamie McDonald.
Fitness Express has thrown its support behind the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) for the staging of the Novice/Junior Championship which is set for today at St. Stanislaus College Auditorium. The entity’s proprietor, Jamie Mc Donald, recently presented a cheque to the President of the GAPLF, Gordon Spencer. The event, which commences the GAPLF’s calendar of events for the year, will have a prompt start at 09:00 hrs. Athletes are asked to present themselves for weigh-in and equipment check between 06:30 hrs and 08:00 hrs.
The Novices gives athletes an opportunity to showcase their ‘lifting’ abilities as first-time competitors. The Juniors/Sub-juniors Category allows the younger athletes, who are not necessarily first-timers, to compete on the ‘big’ stage. T h i s y e a r ’ s Championship will not be short of excitement and expectations as these athletes will spare no effort to catch the judges’ and selectors’ attention for future competitions. Information reaching the competition coordinators suggests that all gyms that participated at the recently held Senior Nationals will be
represented at these Championships in the persons of the younger athletes. Powerhouse gyms such a s R o y ’s G y m f r o m Essequibo, Hard-Core Gym from Berbice, Exodus Gym from Georgetown and Life Gym from the East Coast of Demerara have all signaled their intention to participate. More importantly, the GAPLF has shortlisted athletes for international duties for 2022. These athletes would have all achieved qualifying standards/totals at Senior Nationals 2021 for their respective category and weight divisions. Further, a (Continued on page 67)
Sunday February 13, 2022
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Thorne’s talent prompted historic BCB Fast Bowlers Clinic Having witnessed the immense potential of Rose Hall Canje Cricket Club’s young fast bowler, Isiah Thorne, on duty with the West Indies Under-19 Team that toured England in 2020, D r. F r a n k D e n b o w, cognizant of the fact that Berbice has not produced many fast bowlers, felt it was time to change those fortunes. So, the former Queen’s College Alumni whose desire is always to help empower, bring talent to the fore and give back, decided to contact the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) which is led by President, Hilbert Foster. Dr. Denbow made the necessary contact with the indefatigable Foster and put the proposal to him based on what he would have seen in young Thorne. Little did he [Dr. Denbow] know that there is never a challenge that Foster does not take on, especially when it comes to youths and their development. “It all started last year (2020) August-September, I saw a young man bowling very well with lots of potential, I got in contact with Mr. Hilbert Foster and told him what I thought about having a fast-bowling camp and if he gets Sir Curtly I would bank roll the whole deal; so said, so done.” Targeting the inspirational personality of Sir Curtly Ambrose to be the facilitator of such a camp was a huge vision but not impossible, so Foster took on the challenge and succeeded in making the historic undertaking, reality. Being modest in sponsoring the entire event, Dr. Denbow stated that it is his, “Little contribution to cricket in Berbice.” The Demerara born and bred Doctor continued, “I’ve contributed to Demerara cricket, in terms of Essequibo, I contribute to them in other ways and I have not contributed anything to Berbice, so I am making a clean sweep now, all three counties now benefitting.” The work of the BCB over the years, especially under the astute leadership of Foster, a household name in Berbice and Guyana, now a Director of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), has been nothing short of extraordinary, Dr. Denbow posited. “I am very impressed with the work of the BCB,
particularly Mr. Foster, here is a man who is clearly innovative thinker, somebody who gets things done and I saw a kindred spirit. I live in the USA and I do work in the Caribbean both Jamaica and Guyana and one of the things I always say is that, if you are in the so-called developed world and you are trying to do something in the developing world, you have to have a partner who shares your ideals, your attitudes, your drive, your enthusiasm and I saw that in Mr. Foster.” The subsequent relationship and partnership with the BCB and Foster, was made easy given the qualities that the leading BCB Administrator possessed, Dr. Denbow noted. The humble Doctor noted that recognition of being deliberate in giving back should be part and parcel of those who have made it to the highest level. “People do not need a hand out, they need a hand up and that is what life is all about. It’s about helping people accomplish their goals and fulfill their potential. As you have seen here at this camp, there are lots of young fast bowlers with tremendous natural talent but this talent needs to be nurtured; it needs to be fine-tuned.” D r. D e n b o w m a d e reference to the fact that the sport is now very analytical, since teams record matches of the opposition to study their strengths and weaknesses as a means of planning to overcome them. “We have to do the same, we cannot just go on natural talent; natural talent is not enough. That natural has to be taken and mad better for us to be able to compete internationally.” Zooming in on the fact that he was humbled by Sir Curtly Ambrose accepting the invitation to do the clinic/camp, Dr. Denbow said that it is obvious that ‘Ambi’ is not just a legend; he is somebody who is deeply passionate about West Indies cricket. “Anything he could do to help West Indies cricket get better; I know he would. I saw him with a young fast bowler on the opening day of this camp, and in five minutes that young fast-bowler was able to accomplish something that he hadn’t accomplished before in just five minutes, so I am elated.”
“We would not see a whole lot of Berbice fast bowlers playing for the West Indies in the next year but, what I would say is, we have laid the ground work with this camp for the future of fast bowling in Berbice that’s going to permeate Guyana’s cricket and hopefully, West Indies cricket.” ‘Following up’, Dr. Denbow re-iterated, is vital. He has taken contact info for some of the players he would have chatted with during the camp and has promised to keep in contact with them. “The thing is to keep them motivated, to keep them working hard and working smart. At the end of
- Dr. Frank Denbow
Dr. Frank Denbow (left) observes as Sir Curtly Ambrose assists a young fast-bowler to get his run up right and he did get it correct. the day, all I ask people to do is to do their best and let’s see what happens. I cannot ask anybody to do more than their best, once you can honestly put your hand on your heart and say I tried my best, that’s all I am asking and that’s the goal.” Dr. Denbow has already
spoken to some other folks about physical therapy for players who are injury prone. He will also be looking at injury prevention methodologies as well as nutrition which are quite important. “I am a scientist and it is clear to me that the way
cricket is played in 2022 is different cricket was played in the 1970s. In today’s world, when you go out to play for the West Indies the opposing teams study every area of your game as they want to get you out and that’s what we need to be doing as well, being more analytical.”
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Kaieteur News
Sunday February 13, 2022
West Indies First-Class 4-Day C/Ships...
Guyana Harpy Eagles commences with thrilling last-wicket win over Volcanoes - Permaul stars with bat & ball
Veersammy Permaul plays the winning shot for Guyana against the Windward Islands Volcanoes
In sweltering heat, it was Tanti Merle at the Oval as the Guyana Harpy Eagles, led over the line by 32-year-old Veerasammy Permaul, who remained unbeaten on 20, clawed their way to a thrilling last wicket victory against the Windward Volcanoes on the final day of their opening round match of the West Indies First Class tournament in Port-of-Spain on Saturday. It became the tenth time
in the last 12 matches that Guyana has beaten the Windward Islands, while the other games ended in a tie and a stalemate. Guyana’s target of 203 was set after dismissing the Volcanoes for 190 in the second innings. Guyana reached 203-9 with Permaul unbeaten scoring being crafted from 43 balls while, the final wicket, Nial Smith was left unbeaten on five. The 11-time champions made an auspicious start to the tournament which has been reduced from 10 to five rounds due to the pandemic. On the final day at the first water break, the lead was 194 with the Volcanoes on 182-8. Kenneth Dember (14) was removed by Permaul as Volcanoes’ first innings top scorer, Preston Mcsween, joined the Larry Edward who was looking well set for his maiden fifty. However, that was not to be as he pulled Permaul to mid-wicket to leave his side on 190-9, before Permaul removed Mcsween to claim his fifth wicket and give him his 31st First-Class fivewicket haul. When Guyana began their chase, Chandrapaul Hemraj got going with a hooked boundary off Sherman Lewis before executing an imperious cover driven boundary in Lewis’ next over. He then deposited Lewis for six over long-on while Tagenarine Chanderpaul supported at the other end with his dogged approach and came off the mark off his 20th delivery. Hemraj took a liking to Lewis and hit him over cover for another boundary, then pulled him for six before smashing him over his head for four. Guyana was pushed to 32 without loss after that with Hemraj on 28. Ryan John was introduced into the Volcanoes’ attack that Hemraj kept hammering while Chanderpaul was content to play the sheet anchor role. At Lunch, Guyana were 40 without loss with Hemraj on 37 from 36 balls and Chanderpaul on two from 31 balls, with Guyana needing 162 runs more to win. After the Interval Hemraj
continued to play his shots on the fast outfield which Chanderpaul, the son Shiv Chanderpaul, was rock solid and the perfect foil for Hemraj, who played a loose cut at a wide ball from John that flew over the slip cordon for a fortuitous boundary to post his 12th fifty at this level. Hemraj celebrated by hitting John back over his head for four before Chanderpaul played a rare aggressive drive and drilled a catch to cover where West Indies U-19 player Teddy Bishop held a brilliant catch to break the 89-run stand. Chanderpaul was Kenneth Dember’s first in five-wicket haul. Chanderpaul’s carefully constructed innings of 28 lasted 77 balls before his first injudicious shot orchestrated his demise to bring Shimron Hetmyer to the crease. Shortly after, off-spinner Dember enticed Hemraj to loft a ball that had nice flight high into air to be caught at long-on, 40 runs short of what would have been his second century. With victory 109 runs away, both openers had thrown their wickets away. Skipper Leon Johnson joined Hetmyer at 94-2 and together tried to stage save further damage. Johnson and Hetmyer played cautiously to take the deficit into double figures. Dember, bowling beautifully, struck again when Hetmyer (9) pushed forward to one that bounced and turned; edging it to slip at 110-3. Johnson used his feet nicely against Dember and clipped him for four off the penultimate ball before Tea when Guyana was 120-3, with their two most experienced batsmen at the crease. Johnson (18) and Vishaul Singh (1) were unbeaten at Tea with 83 required in the last session. In the first over after Tea, Johnson was bowled by Mcsween with one that came back at 124-4. He contributed 21 from 44 balls. When Dember removed Anthony Bramble (7) at 1395 and Paul played a nondescript shot and skied the ball for Dember to take the (Continued on page 65)
Sunday February 13, 2022
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GFF & Blue Waters sign MoU for National U-15 girls’ league
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he Guyana F o o t b a l l Federation (GFF) and Danishbased, Blue Water Shipping, yesterday announced a fiveyear partnership to create Guyana’s first national under-15 league for girls, which will rapidly accelerate the development of women’s football across the country and establish girls’ teams permanently within all clubs. The GFF-Blue Water Girls’ U15 Development League, with the tagline ‘empowering girls through football’ will give an unprecedented boost to participation in women’s football, with ten clubs in each of the GFF’s nine regional associations and around 1,000 players expected to sign up. Training programmes run by the GFF Technical Department will also up skill large numbers of female match officials and coaches across the country in preparation for the competition. “On behalf of the entire football community and
every young girl that will benefit from Blue Water’s investment over the next five years, I want to use this occasion to say thank you to the management of Blue Water,” GFF President Wayne Forde told a press conference and memorandum of understanding signing ceremony at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown. “We trust that the work we do over the next few years will be worthy of the generous investment you are making.” “This tournament will positively impact the lives of hundreds of girls across Guyana and supercharge the development of women’s football, by providing an important talent pathway for players, spurring clubs to establish teams for girls and strengthening our pool of female match officials and coaches,” Forde added. The event was attended by Blue Water Shipping’s Regional Director Brent Patterson, Regional Marketing Manager Jenny Pisio and Country
Manager Richard DeNobrega, as well as GFF 1st Vice President Brigadier (rtd.) Bruce Lovell and GFF Executive Committee member Dion Inniss, a former FIFA match official and current GFF Head of Referees. The partnership with Blue Water Shipping, a leading global transport and logistics provider with offices in Georgetown, b u i l d s o n l a s t y e a r ’s collaboration to support the broadcast of FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Blue Water has a strong track record in supporting football in Europe and sponsors the Blue Water Arena, which is home to Esbjerg fB and the fourth biggest stadium in Denmark. “We take great pride in supporting the football federation and anything that brings the community together, especially in Guyana, where we know how dear football is to our country,” said DeNobrega. “Like the GFF, sport and football is very close to our
GFF President Wayne Forde (left) and Blue Water Shipping Country Manager, Richard DeNobrega, complete the signing of the MoU to create Guyana’s first U-15 league for Girls company culture, and we feel privileged to be a part of this initiative and very proud to be doing this in Guyana.” “We see this as just the start, and we are happy to support Wayne and his entire team. We look forward to the talent that this league will bring – this will be a launchpad to select the national team – and, for the ladies that are going to be a p a r t o f t h i s , i t ’s a n opportunity to showcase
themselves to the world and to be the beneficiaries of a plethora of opportunities,” De Nobrega continued. The annual tournament is scheduled to commence this April, with kit and equipment distributed by the GFF to participating clubs alongside pre-season training matches in March. The GFF will coordinate girls’ football festivals across the country to promote the tournament and
to encourage girls from all backgrounds to participate. Following an intraassociation phase across Guyana, the GFF will host national play-offs and finals at the GFF National Training Centre in July to decide the winners of the inaugural 2022 title. The competition will provide the basis for talent identification and squad selection for the Concacaf U15 Girls’ Championship in August.