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AIETEUR NEWS

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Suriname Oil Boss...

We used

Guyana’s discoveries

Sunday Edition February 07, 2021 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

to demand “harsher” terms from oil companies p.

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Price $140

Online readership yesterday, 88,519

ExxonMobil US$ 67 billion in debt p.

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- Intends to use Guyana to bail itself out

Our leaders Belle West man stabbed 40p. Police promotion have sold us out! p. over old football grievance 10 - Three men in custody

talks collapse

With no backup equipment, Exxon will flare every time it does routine maintenance- Industry Expert

p.

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Guyanese p.

Study commences into p.3 fishermen 8 mammal biodiversity in back home Barima-Mora passage from Venezuela

Man sues fake Oil and Gas University owner

p.

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What is happening with our oil is so dirty and stinking that ‘it nah gah watah fuh wash am.’ For that, we condemn and blame our political leaders. We hold them responsible for betraying the public’s trust and, specifically, for licencing the barefaced plunder of our oil.

Our leaders have sold us out! They have proven themselves unworthy of the respect of decent people. They have entered into secret deals behind the people’s backs. These deals amount to highway robbery. They have given away our oil blocks to their friends and front men who will then unload these assets to the oil companies for a private fortune, while the people are left empty-

handed.

Regrettably, elements of our professional class and leaders of some of our representative organizations are giving tacit consent to this rascality. They are all part of the ‘duttiness’ which has enveloped our country.

It has been this way for centuries. Foreign exploiters always find cooperating domestic stooges who are more than willing to become c o m p l i c i t i n impoverishing their own brothers and sisters.

The people must expose and condemn all those who have jumped into bed with our leaders to help rape our country and to destroy the dreams, which we had for our children.

Govt. has no right to gamble Guyana’s - International future on Exxon Lawyer p.

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Hear how Senegal’s Gas field giveaway resembles Guyana’s Kaieteur & Canje Oil Blocks giveaway @11:00AM & 7:00PM on 99.1/99.5FM Kaieteur Radio

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Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 03

With no backup equipment, Exxon will flare every time it does routine maintenance - Industry Expert W

ithout backup on standby at its Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, ExxonMobil will flare every time it has to execute routine maintenance. Making these and other critical points is an expert in the oil and gas industry who spoke to Kaieteur News on the condition of anonymity.

“The solution is to have a redundant backup or two smaller compressors, each with greater than 50% needed capacity, working side by side, so you can have at least that amount of compression available, should one go offline,” the expert indicated to Kaieteur News.

Their comments come on

Exxon flaring at its Liza Destiny vessel offshore Guyana

the heels of Exxon's increased flaring from pilot levels at its Liza One operation offshore, which the oil giant reported over a week ago.

Exxon finally came out

to the press on Friday, where it gave an update on their defective gas compressor which had led to the increased flaring.

The oil giant had stated that a technical team had

removed the “3rd stage compressor from the package enclosure” on the Liza Destiny FPSO, and was preparing it for transport onshore. The oil company further stated, that an initial

examination had determined that the unit had to be sent for repairs in Germany and expected to arrive there on February 9.

“The full extent of the damage will not be known until a detailed inspection of the compressor can take place at the workshop of the manufacturer, MAN Turbo in Germany,” Exxon said.

These details, however, are in dissimilarity to what was told to Kaieteur News by the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sharifah Razack, earlier last week.

Razack had told this publication that an internal inspection of the equipment will be done onboard the FPSO, with aims of determining whether the defective internal

mechanical seal, which led to the increased flaring, could be reseated or needed replacing.

The Director mentioned too, that if the equipment needed replacement, a backup seal was present in Guyana.

It is unclear why the equipment needs to be sent to Germany, especially if backup equipment is already in Guyana.

This could indicate that during the initial inspections of the gas compressor, faults that are separate from the defective seal were discovered by the technical team.

Efforts were made to ascertain those details from Razack, but up to press time, this publication had received no response from her.

Study commences into mammal biodiversity in Barima-Mora passage The Barima-Mora passage

T

he Guyana M a r i n e Conservation Society (GMCS) said that it commenced a study in collaboration with a few environmentalist allies into mammalian biodiversity in Guyana's Region One mangrove forests, on Friday.

The study involves having cameras in key areas to capture animal movements.

The GMCS and its partners intend to collect data on medium and large mammals such as peccaries,

- GMCS aims for area to be UNESCO World Heritage Site deer, agouti, jaguar and howler monkeys.

President of GMCS, Annette Arjoon, said “Barima-Mora is home to rich biodiversity and incredible indigenous culture. We must act to protect it to ensure it remains resilient to the threats of climate change."

Understanding the

prevalence of the animals among the mangrove forests will be critical to conservation and climateconscious efforts, as they are inhabited by endangered animal and bird species, and the data will inform mangrove protection efforts.

In addition to being way better at carbon sequestration than regular

rainforests, GMCS says mangroves provide vital (continued on page 14)

Vagrants run away after fire erupts at abandoned Celina's Resort

V

a g r a n t s occupying the abandoned Celina's Resort located at the Kitty Seawalls, Georgetown, were forced to run away after a fire erupted there on Friday night.

When Kaieteur News arrived at the scene, firefighters had already extinguished the blaze, which destroyed the middle of the three-section, benabstyled, two-storey wooden and concrete building.

Speaking with reporters, new Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo, said that the fire department received a call around 20:28 hrs. informing them of the blaze.

Firemen responded promptly and began their work.

Edoo said that the swift response allowed them to extinguish the fire quickly, preventing it from spreading to other sections of the building.

Based on the firemen's

investigation so far, Edoo said that they learnt that it might be vagrants who started the fire.

According to reports they received, the vagrants who occupied the building were cooking inside the middle section at the time.

The flames they lit might have ignited some combustible material and the fire erupted.

Realizing the fire was spreading quickly and beyond their control, the

firemen were told that the vagrants were forced to run away leaving the building to burn.

Celina's Resort, which included a restaurant and bar, was a popular spot where many gathered to socialize against the backdrop of a view of the Atlantic Ocean.

However, the business was closed, and the building has been left abandoned for several years now.

It has since been inhabited by vagrants.

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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

Guyanese beware, more than one powerful enemy Guyanese are familiar with one adversary with which we are locked in a longstanding border controversy. That adversary is visible and loud and, all too often for comfort, what it can be about is more than sabre-rattling – it has been openly hostile, with accompanying belligerent actions.

But the known menace of Venezuela is not the only one, for there is another, and it is in America.

In fact, that more subtle, but no less undermining presence to Guyana’s interests is not only headquartered in America, but it also has huge and formidable footprints in dozens of countries dotted across the globe. Those footprints should remind of the Yeti, aka the Abominable Snowman. That adversary of things beneficial to Guyanese welfare is the incomparable global titan called BlackRock, Inc. To furnish some context for the ordinary citizen, BlackRock has over eight and a half trillion American dollars of assets entrusted by its shareholders to its skilled and sophisticated management. Those deep-pocketed investors are all about yields: that is, they want rich returns from every dollar that they invest.

What should be particularly noteworthy to Guyanese, who follow our oil story and all of the related developments, BlackRock is one of the top three investors in oil giant ExxonMobil, with an equity stake of almost three hundred million shares (over 6%) of the company. To cut this to a very fine point, BlackRock owns more oil and gas reserves than any other company in the world; and it is also the biggest investor in polluting coal plants.

BlackRock’s portfolio managers do not weigh so heavily in favor of any company or sector, unless they are near certain of its prospects. After all, it is answerable to its own shareholders, who are all about better and better returns, and have been clamoring for more. Stated differently, the underlying investors in BlackRock (and other hedge funds and private equity funds) are not happy with how Exxon has performed, and where it stands regarding future dividends, and possible share appreciation for capital gains.

This has placed BlackRock on a tightrope, which its top management has been careful to navigate smartly. Early last year, the company’s CEO, the well-respected Laurence Fink, took a position that “environmental sustainability” would be a cornerstone of where, how, and with whom BlackRock’s investment funds could be placed. That was all well and good, and led to warm feelings for BlackRock, but its subsequent actions have not been enough to continue the former confidence that was manifested, regarding the company’s seriousness and real priorities.

For the facts are as follows: BlackRock had committed to offloading US$500M in coal holdings, which is an encouraging start, but still only a drop in that polluting bucket; but there is something else which must be given close attention. According to Morningstar, in 2020 shareholder resolutions (concerns, priorities, and so forth) fell to 14% from 25% in 2019. In other words, less of BlackRock’s investors held climate change as high as before, falling from 1 in 4 to 1 in 7, which is almost a 50% decline.

Now, all of this forces to a sobering reality. Although concerns about climate change have been an unfaltering presence, from a company (and investor and Wall Street) perspective, this truth should be faced straight up: it is a pain, a distraction, a nuisance, and a dilution of the best that can be had from money invested. To some extent, it can be posited that concerns about climate change are more of lip service, and less of determined actions to remedy the situation. This is what Guyanese of every walk of life in this country have observed of Exxon.

There is indifference to the point of disinterest, even stubborn resistance, by Exxon over its damaging and costly gas flaring activities. Exxon’s aggressive attitudes, and uncaring actions, are hostile to what is beneficial to Guyana.

Exxon’s quiet, but no less determined; gas flaring production

Sunday February 07, 2021

Guyana’s reality as a hotspot places it in a delicate situation DEAR EDITOR, Guyanese were privy to the ominous development that occurred over Taiwan last week. It is more than a momentary simmer in a saucepan; it is of trouble that is intricate and woven with the many predicaments faced by this country, most of which are of its leaders’ making. I foresee interesting times ahead, none of which is wholesome, given the pawn that Guyana has become.

I ponder and conclude that this is more than a misstep over Taiwan; one which had

to be pleasing to America, and which it had to have had some considerable interest in making happen. It is part of the burgeoning weight - most of which is outside the public domain - that America brings to bear on this country, via compromised local leaders.

But with that mistake coerced and made, mainland China wasted no time to demonstrate its own considerable clout in this country, and over our feeble leaders. It compelled them to backpedal in the blink of an eye.

The Chinese sat

practices in our recently discovered fields fly in the face of what the world is pushing for with increasing urgency. Because Exxon is of what does not diminish, but helps to boost, the company’s bottom line. This is what makes it an enemy of Guyana; one that is inside our gates, and that is already wreaking a trail of destruction that spirals into environment and atmosphere.

Exxon’s investors ought to be very pleased, since this helps the oil giant to be restored to its former place at the top

Guyanese leaders down and made them face facts and reality. This is how much is on the table; this is how much Guyana is in up to its neck.

Now, whatcha gonna do about it? Guyana leaders did a double take, the 21st century version of political kowtow, through a meeting of the minds.

Editor, when I speak of Guyanese leaders, I do not speak of the Hon. Foreign Minister, or His Excellency, but of the only political mandarin here that matters, who was sure to see the light, and made to understand: no games, be done with such.

When answers are required immediately, when caving in must come, only the top will do. There is the glorious and celestial Vice President, who the Chinese wisely recognize is the only power source that matters in this town; after all, he has monopoly and veto power over every portfolio.

But I detect a problem, because Guyana is not India, which can dance around between Russia and America, and decide selectively on certain crucial matters, like jet fighters or endorsements or relationships. Guyana-little, belittled, and whittled down (Continued on page 6)

of the oil powers’ hill, and where it counts. That is, through earnings and investor returns. Of course, this comes on the backs of Guyanese, the drain on the national purse, and the blot on our reputation as an oil-producing nation. When all this is considered by Guyanese, it should be clear that we do not have only Venezuela breathing down our necks, and throwing around its weight. We also have Exxon ripping our guts out and draining our lifeblood’s away, while pretending to be a saviour and friend to this country.

Sunday February 07, 2021

Valuing trade with Taiwan does not compromise relations with China DEAR EDITOR, Regarding your news report (Feb. 5) and commentaries (Feb 6) on trade agreement with Ta i w a n , o n T h u r s d a y morning I received phone calls from friends on my views of Wednesday’s announcement of an agreement for the establishment of a Taiwan trade office in Guyana.

Having done a doctorate in International Relations and specifically studied and taught courses on the ChinaTaiwan dispute, I was taken aback by the Guyana government’s announcement of a Taiwan trade office, given Guyana’s official ‘one China policy’ and deep trade links with the mainland.

Nevertheless, I welcomed the establishment of such an office to bolster trade with Taiwan, which can provide funding for the transformation of Guyana a n d a l s o p u r c h a s e our products.

Anyone who studies foreign policy would be able to figure out what led to such a trade agreement between Guyana and Taiwan. I saw no harm in relations with China in trading with Taiwan or encouraging Taiwanese to invest in Guyana.

I saw the Guyana government announcement in the context of Guyana deepening its relations with the US and Western democracies and our c o u n t r y ’s o w n g e o strategic interests –

America is the guarantor of democracy in Guyana. It installs and removes governments.

Last Wednesday, the international wire, Yahoo News, carried reports that President Biden would visit the State Department on Thursday for a major policy announcement on China and the dispute with Taiwan. China was rattling the swords on closer Taiwan-US relations and threatened invasion were Ta i w a n to declare independence.

The US would not sit by idly and allow Taiwan, a long-term ally, to be bullied or invaded.

The US flexed its m u s c l e s i m m e d i a t e l y.

President Biden redirected two US aircraft carriers in the Taiwan Straits.

Some African and Middle Eastern countries also announced linkages or trade relations with Taiwan in recent weeks – would not have come about without some US nodding.

The US “is upping” the pressure on China, which recently began pursuing an activist foreign policy and naval presence in waterways dominated by the US. The US President does not routinely visit the State Department; his visit would have important implication.

It was a major China policy announcement by the US Administration.

Biden would continue the

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Trump policy of cementing the alliance with India, Australia and Japan to c o n t a i n C h i n a ’s r i s i n g ambition in the greater Pacific and Indian Ocean areas.

On Thursday evening, the government cancelled (reversed) the planned agreement of the Taiwan trade office, calling it “a mistake.”

The phone calls came in again for my view on the policy reversal. Having made the agreement, there was no need to reverse course.

Taiwan is a developed nation. It is the largest investor in China – has been so over the last twenty years with tens of billions in American dollars invested annually all over China.

If Taiwan can invest in China without any problems, there is no harm done in Guyana trading with Taiwan.

At any rate, since China considers Taiwan as part of its territory, a renegade province, should the Taiwan treaty not been seen as a trade agreement with China? Trade with Taiwan should not lessen relations with China.

I should note that Taiwan lost its status as a sovereign entity in 1971 when the US and UN recognized China as the representative of all of China.

Since the 1990s, Taiwan has not challenged the

legitimacy of China as the representative of all of China although it still sees itself as a separate state from the mainland.

It is critical for Guyana to choose allies wisely. A country must have permanent interests’ not necessarily permanent allies.

If there is one thing I learnt in my studies on foreign policy and strategic interests, Guyana must not get on the wrong side of the US. We remember all too well what happened in 1953, 1964, 2015, and 2020. Governments paid dearly for crossing with the US. Also, there are more Guyanese and their children living in America than in Guyana; they value close relations with America.

Cementing ties with the US and opening trade links with Taiwan would not compromise our recognition of China as the representative of all of China or our “one China” policy.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

Please invest in Berbice DEAR EDITOR, Thank you for allowing me this opportunity to inspire our foreign and local friends who might be looking for an idea for their next big investment.

One word, “BERBICE!” We in Berbice, specifically those of us on the Corentyne, have always felt a bit left out of all these grand developments that have been taking place in Guyana.

The average Berbician travelling from the Corentyne to Georgetown to conduct business, spend on average $10,000 on each trip.

If our investor friends consider building one of these fancy malls, or any place that can satisfy ones recreational needs in Berbice, I’m sure profits will be just as attractive if not better as when one chooses to build in Georgetown.

See, all the money that we spend on transportation alone can be spent in such a place if one were to invest in one, here in Berbice.

E d i t o r, I a m n o t qualified in economics, but don’t be misled by this, as

I am one of the average Berbicians who will travel with my family to “Georgetown” just so that my family can enjoy a little bit of the better part of what Guyana has to offer; specifically using the escalator at the Giftland Mall, eating at one of the many food joints in the food court or even the fun rides at “Fun City.” (Oh, how I wish we had even one Burger King, DQ or Pizza Hut here, as I am sure do so many others.) As petty as it might sound, the deficiency in recreational activities (pandemic aside) has created a great demand for same in this county, and having a great demand for a service would be good for business, don’t you think?

Kind regard, Hopeful Berbician

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Sunday February 07, 2021

Unite the Diaspora and Guyanese at home to fight Corruption DEAR EDITOR, If corruption is allowed to grow in Guyana, it would deny life-changing benefits for the majority of workers, farmers, the unemployed, the poor and the marginalized, especially among women, youth and seniors.

The great scientist and humanist, Albert Einstein, warned humanity “the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything.” If we are bystanders to corruption, most of us will become victims and accomplices in Guyana’s c o n t i n u i n g underdevelopment.

To become effective hunters of corrupt activities,

Guyanese at home and in the diaspora have to develop a closer partnership.

The diaspora, “Region 11,” is strategically located in major global centres like New York, Toronto and London. At least 550,000 persons are first generation, that is, they were born in Guyana. There is also a second generation, who are eligible for Guyanese citizenship because one of their parents was born in Guyana.

In addition to being citizens in their host country, many diaspora continue to be Guyanese citizens with deep and binding ties to Guyana.

About 80 percent of the Guyanese diaspora lives in the USA and Canada, 12.4

percent lives in Latin America and the Caribbean (Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Aruba, Venezuela and Brazil), 5.9 percent lives in the United Kingdom and Northern Europe, and 1.7 percent lives in Australia, Asia and Southern Africa.

Every year, between two percent and four percent of Guyana’s population emigrates. The emigrants come from all ethnicities, classes, religions, genders and ages including teachers, nurses, students, doctors, academics, business people and skilled labourers.

Compared to the size of its population, Guyana has the

Is parliament about to descend into a street side rum shop?

DEAR EDITOR, Is parliament about to descend into chaos, or is it about to descend into the realms of a street-side rum shop where all you can hear is loud babble with nothingconstructive coming out of it?

Well I am afraid, this is the state of affairs of the Guyana Parliament, or should I say, this is the National Assembly that the PNC Led Coalition is carving out for us. Then it behooves me to call on Speaker Manzoor Nadir to take note of this and put the corrective measures in place immediately.

No form of mediocrity or no state of lawlessness should be tolerated in the hallowed house of parliament.

We want a house that is free of wanton politicking, simply put, we want a house where the people’s business is paramount, and therefore all parliamentarians who come within its ambit must conduct themselves in an orderly and dignified manner.

On the same note, parliament should not be used as a political football, that is, for campaign purposes or a forum to get one’s own narrow myopic views across; no, not at all! It is a forum for healthy debates on matters of national importance and nothing else. Therefore, my message to Mr. Harmon and company, you are charting a course which would not have good graces in the speaker’s book and my advice to him is to desist from that course of

action.

But if we should delve back into the recent past of their own PNC Speaker, one gets the picture of a house where the then PPP/C Opposition had to endure the pressures of the day, we had to toe the hard line of being put down at every turn, while the government side could have done virtually anything.

The speaker then ensured that the noble principles - at least on paper - were adhered to, so there is no need for Harmon to speak out against them now. A case in point was the censoring of the Honourable Bishop for not taking his seat when called upon to do so, the end result of that was the calling in of the police and his further disbarment from participating on matters in the house. So Mr. Harmon should be very mindful of this and stop ‘acting up.’

Now, the matter they are demanding that the speaker address has to do with the Henry Boys’ Murder, something that the speaker denied. Mr. Nadir denied it from the sole standpoint that The Executive has no jurisdiction on a matter engaging the attention of the courts; he could not allow this matter to be heard in parliament and prejudice the case. However, the PNC wanted a political showdown to exploit these boys’ deaths for their own political purposes, but the speaker would have none of it. This

angered the Opposition thus opening the floodgates of their depravity.

But if we should dwell just a little longer on this topic, one will see the twisted and diabolical schemes of the PNC in full display. They love to exploit morbid matters making them into political messages or opportunities to spur up racial hate. I make mention of the Bartica Massacre, the Lindo Creek and Lusignan Massacres and the killing of 23 policemen, in all of these incidents the sick sadistic hand of that party is manifested. Further, and most significantly, these matters would not have occurred if the political interference that is so evident of that party were kept out of it. In fact, there would have been closure in these matters if that party stayed clear of it.

In like manner, the Henry Boys’ case is not a political one and politics have to be kept completely out of it. This matter is in the hands of the courts, which is the place where it belongs. So, the PNC and their cohorts must realize that parliament is not a place for political posturing or political histrionics; it is a place for serious business and not a court to try cases.

This party and its followers have to be respectful of the standing orders of the house and this we are going to uphold come what may.

Respectfully Submitted, Neil Adams

highest emigration rate and ‘brain drain’ (including 80 percent of University of Guyana (UG) graduates and at least 40 percent of graduates from secondary schools and technical institutes).

The diaspora has impressive skills and expertise in all levels of education, in health services, in business management and sales, in information and communications technology (IT), in hydro and solar energy, in agriculture, in construction, in mining, in environmental protection, in industrial engineering including in the oil and gas sector, and even in the political arenas of their countries of residence.

This means that the diaspora can contribute enormously to the rapid development of Guyana especially in key priority areas such as power generation, infrastructure, information and communications technology, construction, the environment and the oil and gas industries.

Thankfully, for over 50 years, Guyana is blessed with an unselfish diaspora that ‘gives back’ regularly for community development and poverty reduction, and by transferring knowledge and skills.

Hundreds of school alumni groups, hometown associations and religious organizations donate to schools in the communities where they received their primary and secondary education. Their support includes: school supplies; computers; learning materials; books for libraries; funds for

repairing and upgrading school buildings; University of Guyana scholarships; and academic/teacher training exchanges.

Dozens of groups donate to healthcare. Their support includes: beds and medical equipment for hospitals and clinics; medical missions of doctors and nurses from the USA and Canada to rural and hinterland communities; training programmes for local doctors and nurses in maternal care, mental health and suicide prevention; and financial funds and medical expertise to the Georgetown Hospital for maintaining the Burn Unit and improving the Maternity Ward.

Hometown associations, religious organizations and other groups also give their time and money to support community projects, sports clubs, human rights programmes, disaster relief and cultural exchanges.

Most importantly, financial remittances total an annual average of sixty billion Guyana dollars (G$60 Billion); Guyanese-born diaspora tourists spend an annual average of thirty billion Guyana dollars (G$30 Billion); investors from the diaspora annually invest about fifty billion Guyana dollars (G$50 Billion) to set up businesses in the tourism, mining, agriculture, information and communications technology (IT) and the forestry sectors; diaspora in the USA, Canada and the Caribbean purchase fresh and processed food exports from Guyana that annually total about five hundred million Guyana dollars (G$500,000,000).

As Guyanese, we should

follow the advice of Mahatma Gandhi: “we must be the change we want to see.” At home and in the diaspora, we have to empathise and “walk in each other’s shoes” by positively discussing our feelings and perceptions so that we can overcome any suspicions and resentment of each other, and move forward.

Many in the diaspora feel guilty about leaving the country and know that, while many Guyanese at home admire them, they feel they are resented, distrusted and seen as just ‘cash cows.’

On the other hand, many Guyanese at home feel that many persons from the diaspora want special privileges, ‘talk down’ to them, act like know-it-alls, see them as inefficient and underqualified. They believe that some of the diaspora transfer illegal practices to Guyana.

The main challenges for the diaspora are how: [1] to better understand the real complexities in administering and governing underdeveloped countries; [2] to better coordinate and balance their support across Guyana for more equitable development in hinterland, rural and urban communities; [3] to involve many of the younger diaspora generation in the leadership of their organizations; and [4] to better unite the Guyanese diaspora communities by including all ethnicities, classes, genders and religions. The next letter will explore what measures the diaspora and Guyanese at home could employ together to resist corruption.

Sincerely, Geoffrey Da Silva

...Guyana’s reality as a hotspot From page 4 to size recently - is caught between a risen and still rising Chinese Dragon, and a highflying, but descending American Eagle. Horns of a dilemma is a start, but it leaves much ground to be covered.

For here were citizens minding their own business, but who made the fatal error of trusting in corrupt and selfserving leaders, who promptly pursued their own selfish interests (not national ones), and now Guyanese are caught like grasshoppers under the feet of squaring off elephants.

Having sold this country out for their own pockets, they indebted us in many ways, and beyond what was prudent to China. Last week, the mainland Chinese Shylocks came calling with reminding and bringing about complete understanding.

That is putting it nicely for family and wider public

consumption. On this, I do not spare my former friends in the PNC, for they were part of the welcoming parade, which when examined now, reveals the magnitude of the excesses overseen, the Chinese extravagances we must live, and deep national hole dug for us, where our destiny is not in our hands.

Editor, I put in a wider frame. The Chinese have no intentions of retreat from ensnared Africa, or the South China Sea corralled at most cardinal points. But, at the risk of being considered callous, that is a concern for the good folks in those dependent habitats.

I am concerned about this Guyana that I have made my home. I do not envision the Chinese retreating from stake(s) in Guyana, or its larger geopolitical objectives in the Latin Quarter. Similarly, I cannot visualize those power broking capitalists and

military strategists from the American home I left giving ground willingly and without a struggle.

This is their lake, their backyard; if they cannot dominate here, then there are few places left to challenge and confront the expanding Chinese.

Editor, the problem with all of that is that Guyana (we) are in the middle. We have no say on how events unfold, we lack the kind of meaningful posture, both home and abroad, that brings listening, that encourages pausing by the powers. We are not India.

We are Guyana with maritime agreements, national debts, and crippling leadership secrets.

The Chinese exposed those. The tumult over Taiwan made that clear.

Guyana is paradise lost, not to be regained.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

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Sunday February 07, 2021

Guyanese fishermen back home from Venezuela

The fishermen making contacts with family via phone after arriving at charity.

Finally, on home soil are the 12 Guyanese fishermen who were detained at Port Guiria, Venezuela along with their respective vessels, Lady Nayera and Sea Wolf, for almost Two weeks.

Kaieteur had reported that the men were expected to arrive in Georgetown on Friday, However, they docked their Vessels at the Charity Wharf located on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two. According to information reaching Kaieteur News, one of the vessels arrived sometime after 22:00Hrs, on Friday, while the other docked early yesterday.

The men had been wrongfully intercepted on January 21, by the Venezuelan Navy Vessel Comandante Hugo Chavez GC 24, while fishing in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at Waini point just off the Coast.

That area is a part of the Essequibo a Guyanese territory that Venezuela wants to claim.

The illegal detention of the fishermen had gained attention from the international community who supported Guyana in calling for their immediate release. Venezuela finally decided to heed to these calls on February 2.

In fact, the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, himself, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, had ordered the release of the

Guyanese fishermen.

The men began their journey back home from Port Guiria, on the morning of February 3.

Kaieteur News had received information that they were escorted up to a point by the Venezuelan Military and continued the remainder of the journey alone.

By Thursday they were already back in home territory and finally docked at Charity on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Upon their arrival however, Kaieteur News was told that they were ordered to remain on the vessels, until they had been screened by healthcare providers for COVID-19.

Kaieteur News in order to learn of their experience during their unlawful two-week detention was granted the opportunity to speak with several of them.

The men related that they were quite grateful to the Venezuelan authorities for respecting their human rights.

Orlando Roberts, a crew member of the Sea Wolf, said that they were treated kindly, “more like humans than prisoners.”

Roberts added, “We spent the whole time in Venezuela on the two fishing boats, so we had all the accommodations there so we didn’t really feel uncomfortable.”

Michael Domingo, a Lady

Nayera crewman, recounted that the only time they had left the boats, was for their court appearance.

Domingo continued that he was initially scared, since he and his crew were clueless of what to expect.

“The Venezuelan army boat pick we up at a point off Waini, and then they carry we over to Venezuela, at first we didn’t know what to expect but then when we get there they treat we really nice.”

The formerly detained crew man pointed out, however, that their catch was never returned to them.

“They take away the fish and discharge the fish we ain’t know what happen to it but we had nuff fish like snapper and gilbacker.”

Domingo was further asked to describe his reaction when learnt that they were officially released.

The crewman replied, “As much as I was comfortable and not being ill-treated I still wanted to see my family back in Guyana again.

So when I hear I getting released I feel really happy that finally I getting to go back home, because is me is the sole bread winner.”

Despite the unfortunate situation that befell them, the fishermen said that fishing is their only livelihood and will return to sea and hopefully not get detained again.

Docked boats at the charity wharf

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 9

We used Guyana’s discoveries to demand “harsher” terms from oil companies When Guyana discovered large reserves of oil in the Stabroek Block in 2015, Guyanese saw the golden opportunity for the government, through robust fiscal provisions, to reap billions of United Stated (US) dollars from its new resource. Instead, what the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) regime did was sign one of the worst oil contracts in the world with ExxonMobil, thereby seeing the potential loss of US$50B in the lifetime of the Stabroek Block agreement.

And that is just with the Stabroek Block.

There’s also the giveaway of the Kaieteur and Canje Blocks, with unproven reserves of 12 billion barrels oil equivalent.

Even with high-quality oil that is coupled with a low breakeven cost, it is clear that the Guyanese government did not cease the opportunity to capitalize on its petroleum resources.

This mismanagement, however, is one that Suriname promises to steer away from, as the Dutch-speaking country used Guyana’s discoveries to demand “harsher” fiscal provisions from oil companies looking to explore and produce oil in their country.

By demanding better terms, Suriname is securing a better life for its citizens and future generations.

Revealing these impressive details is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Suriname’s Staatsolie, Rudolf Elias.

During an interview last Thursday on Kaieteur Radio’s Guyana’s Oil & You with Senior Journalist Kiana Wilburg,

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Staatsolie, Rudolf Elias

the CEO indicated that when Guyana struck oil, Suriname “automatically knew” that oil would be found in their land as well. This is because the two countries share a source rock, or the Guyana-Suriname Basin.

Against this Elias articulated, “We were lucky that Guyana found oil. Because of the fact that Guyana found oil in the source… in the deep parts, we said ‘Hey, we also have these deep parts.’ And so a lot of companies got interested again, even though we had harsher fiscal terms.”

These “harsher terms” Elias referred to, ensured that Staatsolie leaves no stone unturned when it comes to securing benefits for his country, he said.

He stated that if oil companies wish to look for oil, it has to cover all exploration expenses. This is dissimilar to Guyana’s deal with

ExxonMobil, which states that we have to stand all exploration and production costs that total to billions of US dollars.

When oil companies find the oil, Elias went on to share that Staatsolie is set to receive a 20% participating interest with the companies as a way of monitoring all costs, and to also ensure a transparent process.

In the beginning, the CEO recalled, their participating interest was just 10%, but when Guyana found oil discoveries one after the other, the Dutch-speaking country increased its stake to 20%.

“Companies also have to pay a certain amount of profit oil, and that’s besides the 6% royalty they have to pay and the 36% in taxes. So, in the end, we had very harsh fiscal regimes,” he stated.

These percentages are in (Continued on page 14)

Dem boys seh...

Robby climbing de ladder!

Dis country gat nuff laugh.

Imagine de Georgetown Hospital appoint wan Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Dem boys wan know how much deputies dem gat because if it is only one, it mean one deputy reporting to one CEO. Dem bin have de same situation at de Ministry of Health.

Dem had a Chief Medical Officer and den one Deputy Chief Medical Officer. Is suh when yuh creating position fuh people.

Dem boys seh Robby gat to be a stellar worker. He start at de bottom and in 13 years he gone almost to de top. Dem boys bin wuk fuh

30 years and all dem mek is foreman.

De government mekkin all kind of appointment and some of de new appointees get power drunk even before dem finish de first day pun de wuk.

It remind dem boys about de time Burnham tek a man wah used to fetch fish and mek he de head of a company.

He tell de man de workers too indiscipline and he want de fish man fuh straighten dem out.

De first day de new CEO decide fuh walk around de office. He see a young guy standing by de door. He ask de guy, “How much money do you make a week?”

De fellow look at he and seh, “I does mek $30 per week.”

De new CEO hands the guy $120 and says, “Here is four weeks pay in lieu of notice. Now GET OUT and don’t come back. You are FIRED!” Feeling pretty good about his first firing, de CEO looks around de room and asks de rest of de staff, “Does anyone want to tell me what that lazy chap did around here?”

One of de other workers mutters, “ He was the food delivery boy from the restaurant up de road.”

Talk half and wait fuh de next firing and hiring!

PAGE 10

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

FRONT PAGE COMMENTS RECAP As we continue our mission to enlighten you about issues of importance to this nation, we at Kaieteur News, have been publishing a series of front-page comments in hopes of having our leaders take the necessary actions in order to realize the desired outcome.

Today, we recap the front-page comments that were published during the past week.

WE DESERVE OUR LEADERSHIP IS BLIND ON SATISFACTORY INSURANCE EXXON’S ESCALATING COSTS SUNDAY

Our political leaders are exposing us to grave danger. They have failed to secure meaningful insurance coverage to provide robust protection if and when an oil spill occurs.

The local-registered subsidiaries of Exxon, Hess, and CNOOC are paper tigers. They lack the finances to provide satisfactory coverage should liabilities from oil spills accrue. Our leaders must demonstrate the courage to the oil companies’ parent bodies to demand insurance protection to cushion the effects of any oil spill.

On Friday, Nigerians won a court award for oil spill compensation against Royal Dutch Shell. It took 13 years for justice to prevail in a Dutch Appeals Court. The Friends of the Earth Organization was instrumental in mobilizing legal representation for four poor farmers, who were among many affected by oil pollution in Nigeria.

The court ruling has implications beyond Nigeria.

The court case provides precedent. It is an emphatic ruling that stresses the necessity of corporate responsibility in countries in which oil companies operate.

If only Guyana’s spineless political leaders could act similarly as the Friends of the Earth and those four farmers, there could be greater confidence in the response to any oil spill disaster.

Our leaders must pressure Exxon to obtain satisfactory insurance to compensate us in the event of an oil spill. Our leaders must stop begging and bowing to the oil companies.

They must insist that unless there is satisfactory insurance in place, they will place a halt on oil operations. Let it come to that if this is what it will take to protect us.

WEDNESDAY

leaders have made many costly past mistakes with our oil. Instead of learning from those mistakes and working tirelessly to correct them, our leaders continue to walk this same wretched path.

The coalition leaders had approved a provision, which said that Guyana would accept a measly 2% take for all of the oil to be produced in the Stabroek Block.

Several world-class experts advised them to increase this to 10 or 12 percent.

But the coalition ignored this advice.

The PPP is doing same.

PPP leaders had the opportunity to wield a menacing sword over Exxon’s head and squeeze the company where it hurts when the company desperately needed approval for the Payara project, the third to be developed on the Stabroek Block.

But it let the opportunity slip through its fingers. It refused to use other opportunities

when granting permits and approving other projects, as bargaining chips for better contract terms for Guyanese.

Our leaders had Exxon bent over their laps, and did absolutely nothing to benefit Guyanese handsomely.

The reverse occurred, with Exxon dropping the cash hammer on us, through increasing costs. Liza-1 started at US$3.5B, Liza-2 went to US$6B (70% more), and Payara expenses currently are estimated at US$9B (over 250% of Liza-1 expenses, and 50% of Liza-2).

The oil companies are having a feast, while thinking of Guyanese as dumb and foolish.

As our leaders refuse to claw back value, do an independent review of our resources, provide the studies on the gas-to-shore project to be landed at Wales, leave key projects without comprehensive or full insurance, among other things, we are left vulnerable to massive scales of abuse. Our leaders need to stop being so blind, dumb and foolish. If they don’t act differently, all of Guyana will be doomed without resources.

High Court to proceed with case over Sen. Cops promotions after AG, PSC talks fell through With talks of a settlement between the Attorney General and the Police Service Commission (PSC) yielding no fruit, the High Court has set timelines for the continuation of the matter filed to block the promotions of several senior officers within the Guyana Police Force.

The matter came up before Chief Justice (Ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire on Friday, with Deputy Solicitor General (S.G) Deborah Kumar informing the court that despite efforts to reach an amicable resolution, the talks fell through.

The Deputy S.G informed that the court should therefore proceed with the judicial process towards resolving the matter.

The Chief Justice acceded to the request and set timelines for the filing of written submission.

The Court also set a date for the matter to commence on April 9 at 10:00 am.

At the interim, the court order directing that promotions of several senior officers be put on hold remains in force until the hearing and determination of the court case.

The court order follows a request by Senior Superintendent of Police, Calvin Brutus, who moved to the High Court to block promotions for senior members of the Guyana

Senior Superintendent of Police, Calvin Brutus.

Police Force (GPF) until the decision not to promote him is recanted. Brutus’s case is among a series of lawsuits filed in the High Court by police officers to block the promotions.

In the Fixed Date Application (FDA) Brutus outlines what he calls an irrational and unlawful practice of the PSC in the deliberation of its annual year-end promotions.

According to FDA filed by his attorney, Brutus contends, among other things, that the practice of the Commission not to promote police officers with pending disciplinary complaints regardless of the nature or seriousness of such complaints perpetuates a permanent injustice against him and others who are scheduled for promotions.

He is therefore seeking several declarations from the Court, including a declaration that the policy of the PSC not to promote, or consider for promotion, ranks with pending disciplinary matters before it, is unlawful; a declaration that he is entitled to be promoted to the office of Assistant Commissioner of Police; and an order of Certiorari quashing, nullifying and/ or cancelling the decision of the PSC denying his appointment to the office of Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Additionally, the officer wants the Court to give several orders, including an order of Certiorari quashing, nullifying and/or cancelling the decision of the PSC to promote Edmond Cooper, Philip Azore and Kurleigh Simon, Senior Superintendents of Police to the office of Assistant Commissioner of Police; an order of Mandamus compelling the Commission to reconsider its decision not to promote him in accordance with law and in accordance with his legitimate expectation; a declaration that he was entitled to be heard in accordance with the principles of natural justice prior to the decision taken by the Commission denying his promotion to the office of Assistant Commissioner of Police; and (Continued on page 12 )

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

Education Ministry releasing official CSCE and CAPE results may be reckless - Assistant CEO Students of Queen’s College and The Bishops’ High School protesting in solidarity

The Acting Assistant Chief Education Officer (CEO) at the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ameer Ali has stated that it may be reckless for the Ministry to release official results from the 2020 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) examinations.

His statement came as a response to a letter published in another section of the media titled ‘We urge Ministry of Education to ensure the release of Official CAPE and CSEC results.

Following the release of results for the 2020 CSEC and CAPE examinations which are administered by the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), many issues arose.

Among the discrepancies was the issue of students receiving ungraded marks despite sitting their exams and submitting their SchoolBased Assessments (SBAs) in a timely fashion. Another issue highlighted, was that students who would have excelled in their year one CAPE scored low grades in year two.

The discrepancies resulted in massive region-wide opposition to the results and reviews were requested.

In his letter, Ali lamented that while the Ministry understands the frustrations of parents and students regarding the delayed results, the Ministry does not review CAPE and CSEC results, a responsibility for which the Council is solely responsible.

“An official release by the Ministry of Education cannot be done until the review process is completed by CXC, and this process is ongoing.

Additionally, top performers cannot be officially determined and released due to this incomplete process. Under ordinary circumstances the Ministry would let the nation know of the unofficial results as soon as they get them in or around August of every year. This year however, almost as soon as the

results were announced there was mass complaints and the Ministry announced that it would hold its hand as it worked with CXC to have the students’ queries addressed and answered,” Ali noted.

Further, he highlighted that the Minister herself, Priya Manickchand, has been continuously demanding an expeditious end to this process like every other Caribbean territory that sat the examinations.

Students received their preliminary results through the CXC Students’ portal in September 2020 and the majority that requested a review received a change in their grades/ profiles through the same portal according to the acting Assistant CEO. Ali highlighted claims made in the letter that the MOE has been “silent” on the official release of the results, stating that “The Ministry of Education, from the inception of queries and challenges to grades, has been updating and advising all stakeholders of CXC’s decisions and outcomes of this process. So, to say the Ministry is silent, indifferent is totally untrue, inaccurate and perhaps mischievous.”

He said that CXC is still in the process of reviews and they stated that they have completed approximately 96% of the reviews Caribbean wide. Ali said that they would have committed to completing the process by the end of January 2021 but failed to do so. Adding to that, he stated that the Council is currently in lockdown due to COVID19, as the headquarters is in Barbados which has been placed on lockdown following a spike in cases.

Since the review process is incomplete, Ali argued, top performers from Guyana and the Caribbean cannot be determined and released officially and for the MOE to do so, it may result in them being reckless since the review is completed many students will have a change in grades.

High Court to proceed with...

From page 10 a declaration that he is entitled to be heard in person on any reconsideration of the matter; a declaration that the Commission contravened his fundamental right to equality and equal protection of the law guaranteed by Article 149 D of the Constitution of Guyana; a declaration that the

policy of the Commission not to promote or consider for promotion ranks with disciplinary matters is irrational and unlawful; and consequential order pursuant to Article 153 of the Constitution directing the Commission to appoint him in the office of Assistant Commissioner of Police.

Sunday February 07, 2021

PAGE 13

Kaieteur News

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 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.

SUNDAY Imagine having a President who walks to press conferences with a strict script from his subordinate(s) and clear instructions not to say anything further.

Now, stop. You don’t have to imagine. That’s the reality.

MONDAY ExxonMobil is less concerned with the safety of Guyanese and the safeguarding of our environment than

the pockets of its shareholders.

Let us be clear. Every action of ExxonMobil is a smokescreen for ulterior intentions.

What it wants is to avoid the cost of protecting Guyana’s environment.

Like all abusers, ExxonMobil is pushing us to see what we will accept.

It is time for us to push back!

TUESDAY Guyana’s international reputation and the safety of its citizens are being bastardised by ExxonMobil, and the APNU+AFC is silent.

Could Guyana be anymore neglected by its political opposition?

If the APNU+AFC demonstrated even half the determination to stop flaring, as was demonstrated to rig the 2020 elections and destabilise Guyana’s democracy, flaring

Carib Cement Company donates $5.1M in school and technology supplies to students

Education, Youth and Information Minister, Fayval Williams (4th left) with (from left): Principal of the Donald Quarrie High School, Talbert Weir; student Ceandra O’Connor; Acting Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr Kassan Troupe; General Manager, Carib Cement Limited, Yago Castro; University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona students, Kyle Service and Shanna-Lee Clarke and Donald Quarrie High student, Gavin Millwood. (Photo: JIS) KINGSTON, Jamaica — Carib Cement Company Limited has donated vouchers, valued $5.1 million, for the provision of technology and general school supplies to 44 students.

The beneficiaries are drawn from communities in proximity to the company’s plant and quarries in east Kingston, Bull Bay and Clarendon.

Some of the students will receive vouchers for laptop computers and MiFi internet connectivity devices, along with data credit for six months, while others will be able to access general school supplies.

All vouchers are redeemable at select bookstores and computer outlets.

Additionally, 10 laptops will be donated to teachers to assist with the delivery of online instructional delivery.

The symbolic handover of

the provisions took place at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information in Kingston Friday.

Portfolio Minister, Fayval Williams, commended the corporate entity for its philanthropic efforts and encouraged the students to utilise the gifts wisely.

“We want to ensure all our students are connected and gain the skills they need to operate in a world that is becoming more technology infused. We have to ensure that you become the next set of productive Jamaicans who are going to help us move our economy and development forward,” she said.

In his remarks, Carib Cement General Manager, Yago Castro, said the gesture forms part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

“As part of our programme which, this year, has been impacted by the

coronavirus (COVID-19), we have been trying to do our best to allocate funds for something as important as education,” he said.

Noting that the company invested approximately $10 million in support to the sector during 2020, Castro said the entity also donated health and safety items, valued $2.3 million, to schools.

These include sinks for hand wash stations, hand sanitisers and soap, thermometers and automatic hand sanitiser dispensers.

Additionally, Castro said $2.5 million was allocated to purchase uniforms for several schools.

The company also donated $1 million to the MultiCare YUTE Foundation and $250,000 to expand the delivery of an online Math learning programme developed by the Rockfort Youth Development Council. (JIS)

WEDNESDAY Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, wants the public to be more serious about COVID-19.

Meanwhile, he continues to relax the very guidelines he is calling on the public to strictly adhere to.

Mek it mek sense.

ourselves what went through the minds of our leaders when they agreed to give away so much of Guyana’s entitlement and wealth, that the country, now oil-rich, is still running to banks in every direction for handouts.

Guyanese, we really need to ask our leaders: ‘How much dirty money is worth the prosperity of this country’s children?’

THURSDAY As its most profitable business, Guyana is the jewel in ExxonMobil’s crown.

In spite of this, the company paid US$5.6 billion in income taxes globally last year, and Guyana received zilch.

Guyanese, we need to ask

FRIDAY Guyana’s international reputation and the safety of its citizens are being bastardised by ExxonMobil, and the APNU+AFC is silent.

Could Guyana be anymore neglected by its political opposition?

If the APNU+AFC demon-

would have been a thing of the distant past.

strated even half the determination to stop flaring as was demonstrated to rig the 2020 elections and destabilise Guyana democracy, flaring would have been a thing of the distant past.

SATURDAY ExxonMobil has shown such scant disregard for the safety of Guyana’s citizens and its environment, it is no surprise that it is giving conflicting reports to the government and the public about its operations, where it is polluting our air by burning gas.

The lies have become so plentiful that they are difficult to keep track of.

May ExxonMobil get its story straight, moving forward.

PAGE 14

Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

Study commences into mammal biodiversity...

From page 3 ecosystem services including coastal shields, protection of biological diversity, and forest products.

“Despite their benefits,” GMCS noted, “mangroves are under severe threat in Guyana.

Incre ased population in

coastal areas has led to the conversion of many mangrove areas for other uses and increased demand for wild meat, further endangering over half a dozen IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Redlisted animal species that live there.

If mangroves are not protected and hunting for wild meat is not managed at sustainable levels, wildlife populations will decline, and rural communities will suffer increased food insecurity.”

GMCS says that the data

will make up crucial support for conservation efforts and the growing understanding of mammal species in the region. The goal is to have the Barima-Mora passage be considered for inclusion as a World Heritage Site.

“This project brings together a diverse group of sci-

entists, researchers, indigenous communities and local government to generate critical data that will inform efforts to sustainably restore and conserve Guyana's mangroves and thus contribute substantially to climate change mitigation.” GMCS said in a release.

“The team will also train community members in Region 1 on scientific tools and methods, creating opportunities for cross-cultural exchange and building a talent pool for future biodiversity surveys.”

The study is being supported by the German nongovernmental organization

(Arbeitsgemeinschaft Regenwald und Artenschutz) ARA or Working Group on Rainforest and Species Protection, which focuses on rainforest conservation and indigenous peoples.

The study is being undertaken in partnership with the University of Florida, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, the Rupununi Wildlife Research Unit and the Region One Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

We used Guyana’s discoveries ...

From page 9 stark contrast with Guyana’s, which states that Guyana only collects 2% in royalty, that is coverable; and as well as the fact that Exxon does not pay taxes since Guyana has offered to pay their side of the taxes.

The Managing Director shared that Guyana would be wise to establish a national oil company that will be a partner of the people and be part of the oil projects offshore to ensure the prudent management of the lucrative sector.

Should the government move in this direction, he advocated the need for proper capacity building. He said this cannot be done in Government Ministries and Institutions alone.

The Managing Director stressed that the capacity to address commercial aspects of the oil industry must not be overlooked.

Elias said, “The basis of dealing with the oil companies should always be commercial because at the end of the day, we must ensure that we get as much money as practically possible for the people; and the government should have policies guiding spending.”

He concluded, “Guyana should start building knowledge for a NOC because when you start building capacity you make better deals with the international oil companies and you are able to better understand what they are doing.”

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

Miss Divya Yabindranauth

Meet the dazzling Miss Divya Yabindranauth.

Divya is an aspiring model, humanitarian, and dreamer who is always eager to represent Guyana on the international platform.

One of her favourite quotes is, “Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.�

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Sunday February 07, 2021

Filling a critical gap in the childcare protection and family development sphere…

Local activist and Blossom Inc.'s founder,

Ayodele Dalgety-Dean,

By Rehanna Ramsay

I

t was six years ago, that local child protection advocate, Ayodele Dalgety-Dean, embarked on a project that changed the trajectory of how survivors of rape, sexual assault and other types of trauma receive support to recover and lead somewhat normal lives.

Since then, the Blossom Incorporated founder has been leading her team of very committed counsellors and support officers to conduct successful interviews, therapy sessions and outreaches aimed at helping children and families overcome the deep psychological trauma, they

sustained through some of life's horrific experiences.

Dalgety-Dean told Kaieteur News this week, that her advocacy work was spawned out of her passion for addressing the full spectrum of child protection issues.

That passion has thrust her into the spotlight of child protection efforts in Guyana.

Her move to create and

is a 'Special Person' sustain Child Advocacy Centres (CAC) across the country has been lauded by those in her field.

This week's 'Special Person,' is not just a social entrepreneur but a loving mother of her three children –Thandi, Mya and Zion, and

“

Lots of education needs to be done in our society to educate people of the effects of trauma and how it manifests so that society at large, including family and friends, resists the victim blaming that is so prevalent, even when dealing with children.

”

With her husband and youngest child

'Special Person' Ayodele is a 'Special Person' Dalgety-Dean

dedicated wife to Gregory Dean – Chief Executive Officer of telecoms giant, Digicel (Guyana).

Despite her steadfast commitment to family, Dalgety-Dean has sacrificed time away from the comfort of her home in Georgetown to travel to several remote locations in the hinterland and even rural Guyana to host interviews, therapy sessions and training to support survivors of trauma.

Her work with childcare services started long before Blossom Inc. was even thought. She said that the idea was actually birthed many moons ago, while she was in the United Kingdom—a place that she once called home.

Dalgety-Dean started off her career in the UK after she completed her studies at a number of prestigious

Mrs. Dalgety-Dean addresses staff during a meeting

Universities in London, but she is not yet finished with her acquisition of knowledge to sharpen her activism. The family therapist is currently a PhD candidate researching suicide in Guyana.

This week's 'Special Person' is a holder of a degree in political studies from the London Guildhall University, certified in financial management and holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Systemic Therapy with Families and Couples from University of London, Birkbeck College.

The latter is where she said she found her life's calling.

FIRM VALUES Dalgety-Dean told Kaieteur News that she grew up in a secure home circle of strong values, which served as a compass for finding her life's work.

She told this newspaper that her father, Tom Dalgety, a chemical industrialist and businessman and her mother, Ernestine Dalgety, a former social services officer, instilled in her and her four siblings, the firm principles they needed to lead meaningful lives.

Mr. Dalgety, a proud Pan-Africanist (a person who believes that people from Africa and their descendants should be united), who is credited for introducing African films to Guyana through his selftitled cinematic venture Dalgety-Dean and her team out in the fields serving in hinterlands

“Dalgety's Africa,” was the driving force behind ensuring that his children understood their African heritage and were proud of their roots.

“For instance, my father always found ways to incorporate our African heritage into our lives. We all have afro-inspired names.

My name Ayodele is from Nigeria, the Yoruba-tribe and it means “joy comes home,” asserted DalgetyDean.

Added to this, she said, “My father would always say that we should strive to be our own boss because as Africans, we are born leaders. You must be employers not employees!”

“He said that we are not

to work with others but rather we should be the ones providing them with employment,” DalgetyDean said, adding that on the other hand, her mother, though she held some ideals, was not so stern on what they choose to do for a living.

“She had worked in the civil service for many years, so she would advocate for us to get a good civil service job and settle down,” the family and childcare advocate added with a smile.

Dalgety-Dean recalled, however, that her parents gave her and her siblings the scope they needed to develop their individuality.

“My father in particular made no distinction between us because of our genders, he made sure we had the same opportunities,” she said.

Given the family's solid values, the Dalgety clan took their education seriously.

The young Ayodele secured (continued on page 55)

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

Democracy is alien to the APNU+AFC T

he APNU+AFC does not belong within the National Assembly. While it is indisputable that the Coalition earned its seats in the House, its politics makes it incompatible with the country's foremost democratic institution.

The APNU+AFC by its actions, following the elections of 2nd March 2020, has morally disqualified itself from parliamentary politics.

The APNU+AFC attempted to steal an election which it did not win and which it knew it did not win.

Such reprehensible conduct goes against the grain of democratic norms and effectively confirms the autocratic nature of the parties belonging to the Coalition.

The APNU is the PNC/R which was formerly the PNC. The PNC was never a democratic party. It rigged elections in 1968, 1973, 1978 (referendum), 1980 and 1985. In 1997 and in 2011, it showed resistance to accepting the democratic will of the people. The PNC/R therefore does not have a history of adherence to democratic norms.

Internally, the party has always been authoritarian.

Its Founder-Leader was treated with the reverence of a demi-God and his word was unchallengeable.

That authoritarian culture still exists within the party to the extent that even now there has been attempt to force political succession within the party through selection rather than election.

A party with such a history, and given its attempt at gerrymandering the results in 2020, cannot be expected to operate within the democratic framework.

The AFC is no different.

While in government, it sided with the government in railroading the Constitution, in concocting fuzzy

mathematics and in denying the democratic expression of the National Assembly by frustrating the effect of the no-confidence motion. Its leaders, except for one, refused to condemn the attempt to pervert the results of the 2020 elections.

The party even sided with some of the dubious elections' challenges. The AFC therefore cannot be considered as being committed to democratic governance.

The APNU+AFC therefore represents a rouge element in local politics, far divorced from democracy.

Democracy has now become alien to the Coalition. The APNU+AFC has no place being in a democratic institution.

The APNU+AFC has proven inept at parliamentary practices. The recent tabling of its own Marijuana Bill is a case in point. The Attorney General of Guyana had to point out that the APNU+AFC did not even think how to present its own motion and had to be corrected.

But this ineptitude reached new heights in the legislative drafting. The APNU+AFC was proposing to make possession of small amounts of marijuana legal but to deem illegal smoking or inhaling marijuana.

Its proposals would have removed custodial sentences not only for small amount of marijuana but also cocaine and other narcotics.

No wonder the former school teacher was in fits of laughter. It was highcomedy at its best.

What is no laughing matter is the disrespect which the APNU+AFC has been showing to the Speaker and by extension the National Assembly.

Some of its leading lights have launched scandalous attacks on the Speaker. They have done this in public and on social media. This attack on the integrity of the

Speaker is in direct contradiction of the appeal it had made in 2017 for the then Speaker to be respected.

The APNU+AFC is behaving like a spoilt brat.

But it is also underestimating the Speaker. Manzoor Nadir is no pushover. He is a hardened Albouystown boy who is quite capable of handling dockyard bullies

and street-smart roughnecks.

One of the sources of discontent with the Speaker was the refusal to allow a debate on a matter which is before the Courts.

The APNU+AFC ought to know better. Standing Order 26 (g) prohibits debate on any matter which is before a Court of law.

Parliamentary precedent in other parts of the

Commonwealth also supports this prohibition.

The APNU+AFC has now decided, egged on by a discredited leader of the Working People's Alliance, to launch a People's Parliament. This is foolish political theatre. It is also absurd because a People's Parliament is for the people not for parliamentarians.

The APNU+AFC should

remain at Stabroek Square.

They will fit in nicely with the confusion and chaos.

They certainly do not deserve to be in the National Assembly.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Sunday February 07, 2021

CARICOM united voice urgent in COVID Vaccine Crisis

By Sir Ronald Sanders

D

eveloping countries, including the member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), are being left behind in the rollout of vaccinations against COVID-19 that is now underway in rich countries.

The most recent

information from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is that 36 countries in the Americas, including the 14 independent CARICOM States, have been notified that, between the end of February and August 2021, they will be receiving only a small percentage of AstraZeneca vaccines that they ordered and for which, in some cases,

they have already paid under a World Health Organization (WHO) arrangement called COVAX. According to a COVAX statement, it is estimated that around 35.3 million doses will be arriving in the Americas in this first stage – a drop in the bucket or just five percent of the 630 million people of the area from Mexico to Argentina,

including the Caribbean.

There is also no indication of what happens after August, but what is clear is that these countries will not get enough vaccines to inoculate their populations in 2021.

For developing countries taken collectively, the situation is even more dire.

Reports indicate that 90 percent of persons in

d e v e l o p i n g countries will not have access to any COVID vaccine in 2021, and those rich nations, representing less than 15 percent of the world's population, have already purchased more than 50 percent of the most promising vaccines.

PAHO Director, Carissa Etienne, has made it clear that “with more than 45 million confirmed cases and more than one million deaths, countries and territories throughout the Americas, particularly the poorest among them, are experiencing an unprecedented health, economic and social crisis."

This is a matter that demands an urgent response from all developed countries acting in concert.

There has been no such collective response to date, and no obvious machinery for doing so.

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), which once spoke effectively for developing states, is now a shadow of the powerful body it was at its formation under the leadership of India, Egypt, Ghana, Indonesia and Yugoslavia.

The global south is voiceless as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to infect and kill millions of people and decimate economies and livelihoods.

There is also no unified response from the 36 countries of the Americas, including CARICOM, although they collectively need to immunise approximately 500 million people to control the pandemic – and they need to do so fast.

A r e s e a r c h s t u d y, sponsored by the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research in Massachusetts, states that: “In monopolizing the supply of vaccines against COVID-19, wealthy nations are threatening more than a humanitarian catastrophe: The resulting economic devastation will hit affluent countries nearly as hard as those in the developing world.”

The study, entitled “The Economic Case for Global Va c c i n a t i o n s : A n Epidemiological Model with International Production Networks,” also points out that even if wealthy countries are fully

Sir Ronald Sanders vaccinated by the middle of this year, and poor countries remain largely shut out, “the global economy would suffer losses exceeding $9 trillion, a sum greater than the annual output of Japan and Germany combined.”

Developed countries are, therefore, not immune from the consequences of failing to help inoculate developing countries.

This is now the world's problem and the world should be tackling it.

However, that is not happening. Instead, we have seen a rush to “COVID nationalism,” with the richest and most powerful nations focusing only on themselves.

If this continues, there will be a terrible price to pay.

At a meeting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on January 27, after a presentation by PAHO officials on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which I described as 'chilling,” I called for action in all international fora, including the OAS, to tackle the problem of neglected countries urgently.

Encouraged by CARICOM Ambassadorial colleagues in Washington, Antigua and Barbuda's delegation to the OAS drafted a Resolution on the urgency of delivering vaccines to the 36 developing countries in the Americas, including CARICOM States.

That draft resolution, once agreed by CARICOM countries, will be put to the OAS for adoption.

The resolution will, among other things, request those member states with the capacity to do so, to take actions to facilitate equitable distribution of vaccines globally and in the Hemisphere.

It will also encourage the International Financial Institutions to provide lowcost funding to all developing countries, particularly small states, to help address the subjugation of the coronavirus and the rebuilding of economies.

This is not a matter for (continued on page 54)

Sunday February 07, 2021

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 EXXONMOBIL’S FUTURE EXPANSION PLANS MUST BE REVIEWED IN WAKE OF FLARING – WORLD WILDLIFE FUND The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Saturday (Jan. 30) day joined criticisms of ExxonMobil’s continuous gas flaring offshore Guyana, calling for the company to be held accountable. It is specifically advocating for the company’s future development operations offshore Guyana, intended to expand current production, to be reviewed in the wake of the continued flaring. The international conservation non-governmental organization (NGO) has taken the position that ExxonMobil cannot be allowed to get off Scott-free after its continuous gas flaring offshore Guyana.

First oil was achieved at Liza Phase One – ExxonMobil’s first oil development – in December 2019, and it has reported steady issues with its defective gas compression equipment, resulting in flaring through almost all of 2020.

After reporting that it fixed its equipment late last month, ExxonMobil briefly achieved pilot flare – a minimum level of flaring necessary to maintain a safe operation.

However, ExxonMobil experienced issues on at least two occasions in January.

The second instance is yet to be rectified, and has resulted in continuous flaring for at least three days so far.

The WWF said that it “notes with deep and growing concern that Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL)” – Exxon’s local subsidiary – “has restarted flaring of gas on its first Oil and Gas Platform in the Stabroek Block, off the coast of Guyana.”

Kaieteur News asked ExxonMobil Guyana’s Government and Public Affairs Advisor, Janelle Persaud, on Friday evening to indicate the volume of gas being flared. She did not respond directly to the question but indicated that she would provide an update on the matter at a later point.

WWF said it is notable that the company is reported to have been late to provide an update to Guyana on the

flaring issue. Conservationist, Annette Arjoon, in a Facebook post last Saturday, demonstrated that ExxonMobil waited at least a day to report to the public that it was flaring gas at the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

Arjoon posted a photo she said was taken on January 28, 2021 – the day before ExxonMobil Guyana told the Guyanese public about the matter.

“EEPGL is undercutting Guyana’s “green image,” making it more difficult for the country to promote and build a sustainable, low-carbon economy.” The WWF said.

“The lack of, and limited disclosure of information also gives no confidence that the company will take seriously its good corporate citizen responsibility in a country known for its climate mitigation efforts.”

Director of WWFGuianas, David Singh, said, “The burden of responsibility falls squarely on ExxonMobil.

We look forward to the Company being held accountable for this development.”

WWF added that the recommencement of flaring defies the company’s global commitment to reduce flaring from 2016 levels by 20 percent in 2020, and that it “certainly does not” support its global statements to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint.

ExxonMobil had said last month that it would pursue a 35 to 45 percent decrease in flaring intensity across its global operations by 2025, and align its operations with the World Bank’s initiative to eliminate routine flaring by 2030. Kaieteur News demonstrated in November last, how ExxonMobil’s gas flaring at the Liza Destiny has made Guyana one of the top five flaring countries in the world per capita.

The company has flared more than 12 billion cubic feet of gas since it started producing at the Liza Destiny. Yet, the company has approval for two offshore developments, both larger than the one that is currently flaring, to come on stream in 2022 and 2024. It is also planning to approach the government later this year for approval for a fourth development.

GUYANAPRESIDENT IRFAAN ALI ADDRESSES VENEZUELA AGGRESSION CO-OPERATIVE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA AND COMMANDER-INCHIEF OFTHEARMED FORCES ON THE AGGRESSIVE STANCE

BY VENEZUELA Fellow Guyanese and well-wishers of Guyana

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

across the Globe.

Thank you for joining this special event from Guyana and many parts of the world.

I wanted to talk with you about two troubling matters that are plaguing our nation now.

The first is a renewed aggressive stance by Venezuela toward our country and the other is the ravages our people are enduring from the Coronavirus, COVID-19.

I especially wanted to give you the chance of posing questions to me, ministers and officials concerning these two problems.

My friends, these are extraordinary times for our country.

While we stand on the cusp of remarkable economic and social development that heralds a better life for all, we are confronting a historic battle with an invisible but vicious enemy – COVID-19.

The pandemic has already taken the lives of far too many of our people.

One would have been bad enough; but the sudden and unexpected loss of 175 lives has cast a pall of grief over our nation.

With 7,528 infected persons currently, we are striving to contain the virus, to stop its spread, and to protect all in our society.

Amid this emergency in public health, our nation is also made to confront renewed aggression from Venezuela, even as we seek peaceful and legal means to end its disregard for the longsettled definition of our borders.

As President of our beloved country, my single most important responsibility is to keep the Guyanese people safe.

It is the first thing I think about when I wake in the morning.

It is the last thing on my mind at night.

And my working day is consumed by it.

But, I want no mistake about it: my Government is

doing all in its power to vigorously protect our people’s health and our country’s territorial integrity.

Just as we will not relent in the battle against COVID19, so will we not bend to threats to our national security.

We may be a small country, but we are a proud people.

We have no military might, but we have moral and legal rights.

We pick fights with no one, but we will resist threats from anyone.

In doing so, we will seek the protection of international law and the support of the international community.

Let me now relate to you specific developments in relation to Venezuela that have occurred over the last three weeks.

On January 7, the President of Venezuela, Mr. Nicolas Maduro, issued a decree before his country’s National Assembly.

In that Decree, Mr. Maduro purported to establish a new maritime territory of Venezuela called the “Territory for the development of the Atlantic Façade.”

He claimed, for Venezuela, “sovereignty and exclusive sovereign rights in the waters and seabed adjacent to Guyana’s coast, west of the Essequibo River.”

Our response to this was swift.

We advised our sisterstates in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the international community, including the Organization of American States – the OAS, the Commonwealth and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States.

Support for Guyana was immediate.

CARICOM Heads of Government on January 12, publicly repudiated “any acts of aggression by Venezuela against Guyana.”

The CARICOM leaders also reiterated their “firm and unswerving support for the

maintenance and preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.”

Other nations, including the United States of America and Canada, also indicated their concern about this further threat to Guyana.

It should be noted that President Maduro issued this new Decree, even as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) pronounced that it has jurisdiction to hear and decide upon a case brought by Guyana in refutation of Venezuela’s contention over the 1899 International Arbitration that fixed our borders in a “full, perfect and final settlement.”

It is well known that Venezuela had rejected the jurisdiction of the ICJ. It is a matter of speculation as to whether the Decree, issued by the Venezuelan President, was a reaction to the decision of the most authoritative International Court, simply because it did not favour Venezuela.

Be that as it may, on January 21, we received distressing reports that a Venezuelan naval vessel had seized two Guyanese civilian fishing vessels – the Lady Nayera and the Sea Wolf – operating off the coast of Waini Point within Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

This incursion by Venezuelan armed forces into Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and its arrest and detention of the crews of Guyanese fishing boats is a flagrant violation of international law and the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of Guyana over its maritime spaces.

The crews and the fishing vessels are still being detained by the Venezuelan military at Port Guiria in Venezuela, despite Guyana’s formal protest to the Venezuelan authorities through diplomatic channels.

My Government also immediately informed the international community of

this latest violation of international law by Venezuela and its illegal and arbitrary arrest and detention of Guyanese citizens in Guyana’s waters.

Guyana has registered to the Government of Venezuela its protest, in the strongest possible terms, at this unlawful and aggressive action against the State and people of Guyana and has insisted upon the immediate release and return of the two Guyanese vessels and their crews.

On January 27, CARICOM Heads of Government again publicly called on Venezuela to “desist from aggressive acts that will seriously undermine the peace and security not only of Guyana and Venezuela but the entire Caribbean region.”

Further, the CARICOM leaders called “for the immediate release of the crew members and vessels.”

On the same day, the Organization of American States (OAS) condemned “the illegal detention” of the two Guyanese registered fishing vessels and their crew.

The OAS demanded the prompt and safe release of the crew and their boats and reiterated “its support for the rules and processes set by international law regarding ongoing territorial conflicts.”

The OAS emphasized that the resolution of the issue between Venezuela and Guyana “is a matter that lies under international jurisdiction, and cannot be settled by unilateral actions.”

The Organization of 33 countries was clear that “any attempt to derail this international legal process, such as the decree issued by the Maduro regime, is contrary to international law and standards, and has no legal bearing or significance.”

My fellow Guyanese, I have given you all this detail because I want to stress that not only do we, Guyanese, regard our cause as right and just, but so too does the (Continued on page 22)

PAGE 22

From page 21 international community. We have friends.

We are not alone.

We have the international community behind us.

I also want to advise that last night, I received a letter from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, in which he reaffirmed on January 30, 2018, he chose the ICJ as the means “to be used for the solution of the controversy” as he was empowered to do under an agreement signed in Geneva by all parties in 1966.

The Secretary-General acknowledged that the Court is proceeding to adjudicate the merits of the case.

Noting that the bilateral relationship between Guyana and Venezuela “is broader than the controversy” should both the Governments of Guyana and Venezuela wish to avail themselves of his good offices role “to address other important issues,” he remains available for that purpose.

Guyana is fully committed to the ICJ process.

We believe international law and independent international jurists of the highest calibre offer the most credible and definitive way in which to put an end to the Ve n e z u e l a n contention.

Therefore, we will continue to pursue that course.

At the same time, Guyana is not averse to e n g a g i n g Ve n e z u e l a o n bilateral matters in which we have a common interest.

These would include dealing with the increasing number of Venezuelans now seeking refuge in Guyana, as well as how we might collaborate, as neighbouring states, in contending with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has spared neither of our two countries.

H o w e v e r, such discussions while welcomed, especially if the UN Secretary-General wishes to play a good offices role, will have to be preceded by a clear demonstration by Venezuela that it will desist from any further acts of aggression against Guyana, starting with the release of the Guyanese fishermen and their vessels.

Fellow Guyanese, we are a peaceful nation.

We always choose the path of peace and the rule of international law to resolve our issues.

We will remain firmly on that path, while we pursue justice for our country.

I now turn to how we are

Kaieteur News

tackling the other threat we face – COVID-19.

Flaring at the Liza Destiny FPSO

EXXON WANTS TO INCREASE PRODUCTION CAPACITY IN LIZA ONE – HESS COO Though the nameplate capacity for the vessel operating ExxonMobil’s Liza Phase One project is 120,000 barrels per day, it has been producing at a higher rate since December, and ExxonMobil wants to increase that capacity even further, this year. So said Chief Operations Officer at Hess Corporation, Gregory Hill on Wednesday, during the Stabroek Block partner’s 2020 Q4 earnings call.

Hill said in his presentation, “In mid December, the Liza Destiny Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading vessel achieved its nameplate capacity of 120,000 gross barrels of oil equivalent per day. And since then has been operating at that level or higher.”

He added that the vessel had been operating steadily about 127,000 barrels a day in the week leading up to the January 27 earnings call.

“The wells continue to do as good or better than we thought,” he explained.

“During 2021,” Hill continued, “the operator [ExxonMobil] intends to evaluate and pursue options to increase nameplate capacity.”

This pursuit would include some piping changes and debottlenecking, and is expected to occur during a third quarter shutdown period.

The net production forecast for Guyana in 2021 will average about 30,000 barrels per day, “with planned maintenance and optimization downtime being broadly offset by an increase in nameplate capacity,” Hill said.

The Liza Destiny has been producing oil since December 2019. Despite demonstrating nameplate capacity production at times, production has mostly been curtailed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to ExxonMobil’s gas flaring.

Flaring was only reduced to pilot levels in December last, and has recently increased due to another announced equipment defect.

Following the infrastructural changes, the Liza Phase One reserve will be wiped out much faster. The increase will also have implications for the volumes of gas flared during emergencies and produced water being dumped into the ocean.

Sunday February 07, 2021

The increase will result in ExxonMobil surpassing its production rate targets much faster. The company and its partners, Hess and CNOOC, had announced plans to surpass 750,000 barrels per day by 2026 with five FPSOs. Even without the infrastructural upgrade, it will only need four.

Liza Phases One and Two, and Payara have nameplate capacities, which will combine to produce 560,000 barrels a day by 2024. Yellowtail-1 is expected to have a nameplate capacity of 220,000 barrels a day, according to Chief Executive Officer of Hess, John Hess.

If the Yellowtail-1 development, which is currently in planning, is approved, ExxonMobil will meet production capacity of 780,000 barrels of oil per day in the Stabroek Block with the four vessels.

Barring any further increases in Stabroek Block nameplate capacities, the Liza Phase One increase could take ExxonMobil’s production well over 800,000 barrels a day.

MONDAY EXXON’S FLARING: SHUT THEM DOWN AND MAKE THEM PAY! – MELINDA JANKI Would ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) be picking up the exuberant cost attached to greenhouse gas emissions caused by its flaring offshore in the Stabroek Block, or would it be the Guyanese people?

This is the critical question industry stakeholders say is facing the nation since the social cost for such reckless endangerment of the environment stands at US$417 per tonne.

It is on this premise that International Lawyer, Melinda Janki called on the Environmental Protection

Agency (EPA) to shut operations at Exxon’s Liza Destiny oil vessel and “make them pay” for the damage to the health and wellbeing of Guyanese as well as the environment.

In an invited comment, Janki said that oil is making Guyana “poorer not richer” as is seen daily by the “exploitative, unworkable” Stabroek Block deal, that is robbing billions of dollars from current and future generations.

Further to this, Janki pointed out that ExxonMobil’s financial statements reveal that it is losing money on oil, while adding, that it lost approximately US$680 million in the third quarter of 2020 alone. Against that backdrop, she noted that several questions need to be asked, including whether the oil giant can afford to continue operations at the Liza One well.

She asked, “Are they cutting corners? Why are they using a faulty compressor? What other faulty equipment have they installed? National law requires Esso to use the most appropriate technology. Are they? It doesn’t look so.”

She highlighted too, that the Liza One Environmental Permit also spells out that the company should have spare equipment available to cater for any sudden malfunctions.

The Article 3.13 states verbatim that, ”Efforts should be made to prevent equipment breakdowns and plant upsets which could result in flaring and provisions should be made for equipment sparing and plant turn-down protocols where practical.”

But the provision is so ambiguous that it does not definitively state that company “must” have spare equipment on hand. It therefore means that Guyana and the world at large are left to cope with the harrowing effects of flaring until Exxon

manages to repair the damaged compressor.

It should be noted, ExxonMobil had said that to safely continue operations at the Liza One FPSO, it will be forced to flare gas above pilot levels due to a malfunctioned gas compressor seal. Before that, the oil company had issues with that very compressor. However, in December of last year, it was purportedly fixed.

That malfunction resulted in over one billion cubic feet of gas being flared for more than a year, along with the release of toxic chemicals.

With the flaring back again, Janki posited that for the sake of Guyana’s economy, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) “must shut down Liza One immediately, carry out a full investigation, and demand full payment for the damage.”

OPPOSITION, EPA SILENT ON EXXON’S INCREASED FLARING – DR. ADAMS SAYS OIL GIANT MUST EXPLAIN WHY EQUIPMENT FAILURE ONLY OCCURRING IN GUYANA It has been three days since ExxonMobil – an oil giant that touts the effective management of its waste – had announced increased flaring at its Liza Destiny operations. Within those three days, Guyana has seen statements condemning the flaring from the bodies like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an international lawyer, a conservationist, oil and gas groups, and even industry experts. But when it comes to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – the regulator of Guyana’s environment – and the major political opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), Guyanese have only heard a deafening silence.

When contrasted to January 2020, the first

instance of Exxon flaring, the EPA under the stewardship of Dr. Vincent Adams was quick to report the oil giant’s burning of natural gas. At that time, Dr. Adams had revealed to Kaieteur News, and was later confirmed by ExxonMobil, that the flaring was as a result of a defective gas compressor.

As a means of cracking down on the flaring, albeit five months later, the EPA had slashed Exxon’s production by 60%, which meant that it could only produce a maximum of 30,000 barrels of oil per day.

Fast forward to December 2020 when Exxon announced that it had repaired its defective gas compressor, which meant that it had ceased all routine flaring. But by then, severe damage had already been done to the environment, as 12.4 billion cubic feet of toxic gas, which contained cancer-causing agents, had been released into the atmosphere.

Then on Friday last, the US oil giant announced that their compressor had malfunctioned again, and as a safety mechanism, increased flaring from pilot levels.

Since then, Guyana has heard nothing from the current Director of the EPA, Sharifah Razack on the flaring. Checks were made on the EPA’s website and Facebook page, but nothing on the increased flaring had been issued. Kaieteur News had even reached out to Razack for a comment on same since Friday, but up to press time, this publication received no response.

This silence is the same plight Guyanese are faced with when it comes to the APNU+AFC. In fact, no written statement or address has been issued by the coalition, its members or the Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon.

Rather, the only recent occasion when the public (Continued on page 23)

Sunday February 07, 2021

From page 22 heard any addresses from the APNU+AFC was during last week’s parliamentary session, where it fought valiantly to amend the Marijuana Bill.

That Bill, after four hours of debating, was eventually thrown out.

Notwithstanding this silence, Dr. Vincent Adams, former Head of the EPA, recently told Kaieteur News that Exxon should explain why this type of equipment failure is only occurring in Guyana, when this country is not host to its first operation or experience in the oil industry.

He went on to state that these types of disruptions are easily avoidable and cannot be blamed on the manufacturer, especially when it comes to brand new equipment. He reminded that Exxon is aware that it owns the responsibility to ensure manufacturing is done in full accord with the design specifications, through a rigorous Quality Assurance/ Quality Control Plan, which it has to oversee.

The EPA had emphasized requirement to Exxon several times, Dr. Adams recalled, even though this should have been second nature for a company of this stature.

“They cannot wait until the equipment arrives to figure out that the wires are aligned incorrectly, or the seals are made of the wrong material, when they have done this numerous times before. Why is Guyana different?” Dr Adams admonished.

In light of the foregoing, the former EPA Head indicated that the Government must decide whether Exxon’s performance to date, merits its trust to protect the health, environment and wellbeing of the Guyanese people.

“And let me add that just a slap on the wrist [will be the fine for] for the excess flaring.

This is a joke, because this will only be a minuscule cost [when compared to] their business [earnings].”

Dr. Adams indicated that it is his hope that this unfortunate event will again highlight the urgency for the government to provide the resources to properly equip the EPA with the necessary capacity for the oversight of these operations, including 24/7 on site presence and investment in training and recruitment of specialized requisite skills. Kaieteur News understands that these are already incorporated into a plan developed between the EPA, Department of Energy (DoE) and the World Bank.

He further indicated that he also holds optimism that the government will ensure

that the design flaws in the Liza Destiny permit and FPSO are not present in the Liza Two and Payara developments.

EXXONMOBIL TO ESCAPE PENALTY FOR INCREASING RELEASE OF TOXIC CHEMICALS INTO AIRSPACE – MINISTER BHARRAT SAYS LIZA OIL PRODUCTION TO REMAIN AT 120,000 BARRELS Guyana experienced a tumultuous first year as an oil producing State. It was not only hard hit by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was also characterized by damning levels of air pollution.

For more than a year, the nation saw how ExxonMobil’s operations at the Liza Phase One Project contaminated the atmosphere with the burning of over one billion cubic feet of gas. This level of flaring was a direct result of a faulty gas compressor. Many expected that 2021 would be different after the oil titan claimed that the issue was fixed.

The hope was that should this occur again, the oil titan would be made to face the music; that it would be made to face some type of consequence.

But those who held such optimism, particularly as it relates to seeing a change with the Liza Phase One project, will be surely left to hang their heads in abject pain and shame for once again, ExxonMobil will face no punishment for this reckless endangerment of the environment. Confirming this on Friday evening with Kaieteur News was Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat.

Contacted to speaking on revelations by ExxonMobil that its gas compressor has broken down once again due to technical issues with a seal which would result in increased flaring, Bharrat said, “Yes, I just confirmed this to be true, but they are working to get this fixed in a

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few days.”

The Minister said that unfortunately, the development licence that was granted by the APNU+AFC had no provision that catered for fines to be instituted in these arrangements.

“However, we negotiated for fines in the Payara development. We are working with them to get this fixed.”

The Minister further stated that production at the Liza field, which reached 120,000 barrels of oil last year December would not be affected while adding, that flaring levels would not go beyond 15 million cubic feet.

Extensive research conducted by Kaieteur News shows that gas flaring contributes to climate change, which has serious implications for the world.

In fact, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria, was keen to note in one of its studies that gas flaring is actually a major source of greenhouse gases (GHG) which accelerates global warming.

It was noted that flaring releases carbon dioxide and methane, the two major greenhouse gases. Of these two, methane is actually more harmful than carbon dioxide.

It is also more prevalent in flares that burn at lower efficiency. Those less efficient flares tend to have more moisture and particles in them that reflect heat, and are said to have similar effect on the ozone layer like aerosols do.

Of the greenhouse gases researched so far, Kaieteur News understands that the global warming potential of a kilogram of methane is estimated to be 21 times that of a kilogram of carbon dioxide when the effects are considered.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering has also noted, that flaring contributes to local and regional environmental problems, such as acid rain with attendant impact on agriculture, forests and other physical infrastructure. The acid rain results in environmental degradation,

which includes soil and water contamination, and roof erosion.

Furthermore, there have been over 250 identified toxins released from flaring including carcinogens such as benzopyrene, benzene, carbon disulphide (CS2), carbonyl sulphide (COS) and toluene; metals such as mercury, arsenic and chromium; sour gas with Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) and Sulfur Dioxide (SO2); Nitrogen oxides (NOx); Carbon dioxide (CO2); and methane (CH4) which contributes to the greenhouse gases .

ExxonMobil’s EIAs, including the one under review for the Payara project, make no mention of the foregoing.

It does note, however, that a flare system will be provided for the collection and safe disposition of produced hydrocarbon gases resulting from unplanned, non-routine relief and blowdown events.

ExxonMobil noted that relief events occur to prevent overpressure scenarios in the process equipment.

In addition, the American oil giant stated that temporary, non-routine flaring will occur during equipment maintenance, process upsets, and start-up.

EXXONMOBILONLY NEEDS 5 OIL VESSELS TO PRODUCE A MILLION BARRELS OF OIL PER DAY If ExxonMobil is allowed to continue with its current pace of development, it will only need five Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels to meet production capacity of a million barrels of oil per day in the Stabroek block.

This would significantly surpass the company’s current Stabroek block production rate target. In its September 30 statement, announcing it would proceed with the Payara development, ExxonMobil said last year, “The 18 discoveries on the block to date have

established the potential for at least five FPSO vessels producing more than 750,000 barrels of oil per day by 2026.”

So far, ExxonMobil has operationalised one approved development, Liza Phase One. The nameplate capacity for the FPSO operating there, the Liza Destiny, is 120,000 barrels of oil per day. Its production level has been below that amount for a significant portion of time between first oil in December 2019 and today, due to issues with the gas compressor system for the oil ship.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had last year slashed ExxonMobil’s production to keep flaring levels low, while ExxonMobil worked on repairing the defective equipment.

After it reported fixing the equipment in December 2020, flaring was reduced to pilot levels – the minimum level of flaring required to maintain a safe operation – and the company’s production ramped up.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Hess Corporation, Gregory Hill said during a January 27 earnings call that the Liza Destiny has been producing at or above nameplate capacity since midDecember. He said that the vessel had been steadily producing about 127,000 barrels a day in the week leading up to the call. Hill also said that ExxonMobil has planned a third quarter shutdown at the Liza Destiny to evaluate and pursue options to increase the operation’s nameplate capacity.

The Liza Phase One operation targets 450 million barrels of oil.

The second approved operation is Liza Phase Two. Scheduled for first oil next year, the operation will utilize the Liza Unity FPSO, which is being constructed in Singapore with a nameplate capacity of 220,000 barrels of oil per day. It targets 600 million barrels.

The third approved operation is Payara. It is scheduled for first oil in 2024, utilizing the Prosperity FPSO, which is designed to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day, just like the Liza Unity. It targets 500 million barrels.

ExxonMobil and its Stabroek block partners anticipate that they will submit a field development plan (FDP) to the government of Guyana for approval, by the end of the year. Chief Operating Officer of Hess Corporation, Gregory Hill, said last Wednesday that this would be for ExxonMobil’s fourth intended development in the block, at the Yellowtail-

1 well. The operation is expected to have a nameplate capacity of 220,000 barrels a day. The Yellowtail-1 well is estimated to have 300 million barrels of oil.

These four developments would have a combined nameplate capacity of 780,000 barrels per day and more, once ExxonMobil completes its infrastructural revisions at the Liza Destiny.

Furthermore, a fifth FPSO with the same nameplate capacity as the three before it, would take the total daily production in the Stabroek block to 1,000,000 barrels.

ExxonMobil’s aspirations for the Stabroek block do not end there. ExxonMobil’s Global Vice President of Deepwater Projects, Jayme Meier, told the Rio Oil & Gas 2020 digital conference in December that the company sees the potential for 7-10 FPSOs in the block.

The current administration does not appear willing to stand in the way of such rapid development. Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said that he is in support of aggressive production of Guyana’s reserves before demand wanes during the energy transition.

TUESDAY HESS FLAUNTS 2020 ACCOLADES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RECORD WHILE FUNDING POLLUTING OPERATION IN GUYANA Hess Corporation has boasted that it received recognition from third party organizations for its environmental, social and governance performance in 2020, all the while funding the ExxonMobil Liza Phase One operation, which has flared gas just about all year long.

Chief Executive Officer of Hess, John Hess, spoke of the company’s record during its 2020 Q4 earnings call last Wednesday, January 27.

“We are proud to have been recognized throughout 2020 by a number of thirdparty organizations for the quality of our environmental, social and governance performance and disclosure,” Hess said. “In December, we achieved leadership status in CDP’s annual Global Climate Analysis for the 12th consecutive year, and earned a place on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for the 11th consecutive year.”

CDP stands for Carbon Disclosure Project. It is an international non-profit that granted Hess ‘Leadership’ status for its climate (Continued on page 24)

PAGE 24

From page 23 stewardship, late last year.

Vice President, Environmental, Health and Safety at Hess, Alex Sagebien said, “CDP’s rating recognizes our continued leadership in transparency and performance as we address climate-related risks and opportunities.”

Hess also, in December, pointed to an annual ranking of America’s most responsible companies by US magazine, Newsweek. Hess was ranked highest among oil and gas producers in their environmental, social and corporate governance.

Hess said during the earnings call last Wednesday, “Hess will continue to be guided by our values and longstanding commitment to sustainability as we help to meet the world’s growing need for energy while reducing our carbon footprint.”

For assets owned by Hess in Guyana, flaring of natural gas has been a sore spot in 2020, all year long.

ExxonMobil is the operator of the Stabroek block with a 45 percent stake, while Hess owns a stake of 30 percent.

Flaring in the Stabroek block totalled over 12 billion cubic feet of gas, equivalent to the removal of over 1.6 million acres of forest. Because of it, Guyana became one of the top five highest flaring countries in the world, per capita.

Kaieteur News reached out to Hess for a comment on its recognition as a good environmental steward in the same year that it funded ExxonMobil’s polluting operation. The company was asked what part it has played in mitigating the pollution, if any, and what it is doing to ensure the pollution is brought to an end. Hess was also asked how it would defend its record when it funds the polluting operation.

Senior Manager of Global Communications and External Affairs at Hess, Robert Young, deferred to the Liza Phase One operator, ExxonMobil.

“Hess is not the operator for Liza-1 and does not direct day to day activities,” Young said. “As is the global standard practice if you are seeking comment on operational activities of Liza1, I would direct you to the operator, ExxonMobil.”

GUYANA’S LOCAL CONTENT LAWS MUST EVOLVE AS THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPS – US ANALYST Cognisant of the reality that the oil and gas sector is one that is constantly evolving, Guyana’s local

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

content laws must cater for those changes. Making these and other critical points is Arthur Deakin, an analyst at the American Market Intelligence (AMI).

For those readers unaware, AMI, which is a United States management consultant firm, is known for providing its insights, which unlock opportunities in Latin America via market intelligence, research and analysis.

Deakin, during his first appearance on the Kaieteur Radio programme Guyana’s Oil & You two weeks ago, was reminded of an article, which he wrote on Guyana’s local content. In that piece, Deakin had warned that Guyana should ensure that whatever rules it is putting in place, so that it does not find itself in a position where it is biting off more than it can chew.

“That’s definitely an important aspect of Guyana’s oil development, this local content rule,” the analyst said, “I think that, you know, what Guyana needs is something, a law that is constantly evolving in the sense that it has certain clauses that adjust according to the sector, the level of development in the sector.”

In pointing to an example of where these evolving laws exist, Deakin referenced our neighbouring Brazil.

To this he articulated, “In some countries, like Brazil, we’ve seen in the past that the original local content rules for its pre-salt oil production had disproportionate fines for non-compliance and even bottlenecks that hurt the construction of FPSOs. So, if you don’t have local content that can’t adjust to the development of the sector, that you know, is sort of stuck in the past.”

He continued, “That’s going to hinder the growth at the appropriate speed of the sector.

That’s kind of what I mean by that. You need something that is adequate to the situation, and I think that Guyanese participation is vital for not only the growth of the sector but the growth of the country in conjunction.”

But now, as it stands, Deakin indicated that Guyana does not have the volume to address one Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel. In light of this foregoing and with more FPSOs to come, Deakin pointed out that what Guyana still needs is proper training for its citizens, as well as more resources invested in educating its citizens

regarding the oil sector.

a manner that affects the contract economics, Guyana would have to allow Hess and its partners to supersede and be exempt from the amendment.

GPAPRESIDENT CALLS FOR RETURN OF POST-CABINET PRESS BRIEFINGS – PRESIDENTALI SAYS GOVT. BUSY BUT WILL RESUME President of the Guyana Press Association (GPA), Nazima Raghubir has urged government to resume postCabinet press briefings and to have more frequent engagements with the press, during her address at the President’s Annual Media Brunch.

Journalists congregated under the Baridi Benab on Sunday for the event.

“I want to use this time to call for the return of the postCabinet press briefings, which provided the country with that needed update on our internal affairs. We also want to encourage more frequent interaction with health officials, so we can raise awareness about the pandemic that continues to affect lives.”

“The press briefings by yourself and key government ministers are just not about engaging the media,” Raghubir said. “It is about informing the public on critical issues.”

Additionally, she called for greater awareness to be imparted on the public about the role and functions of the Commissioner of Information.

Raghubir pointed to the critical role, which the press had to play last year, especially during the fivemonth elections saga, noting that the media has shown it understands its role.

“Our roles are much more different than those of social media commentators, we are to provide factual and unbiased information to our readers and audience,” Raghubir explained. “This means that we have to put our fact checking journalism skills to use, ask questions, clarify, research, ensure there is a right of reply, provide that balance.”

In his address, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali acknowledged the call by the GPA President for post-Cabinet briefings. He explained that the government has been very busy, and that Cabinet has been meeting frequently, multiple times per week. He, however, committed to resuming the post-Cabinet briefings and to have more engagements with the press.

Generally, post-Cabinet briefings are weekly and had occurred at the Ministry of the Presidency under the David Granger administration, but they have not happened since the Irfaan Ali

ExxonMobil Chair and CEO, Darren Woods (Photo: Shaban Athuman/The Dallas Morning News) administration took office.

The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) took over in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly changed the way the media and government should operate, restricting in-person meetings. However, with virtual meetings, the government cannot use the pandemic as an excuse. US President, Joe Biden who assumed office late last month, is holding daily press briefings to inform that nation.

The Guyana opposition has held frequent virtual conferences with the press.

The President and Vice President have held just a few physical press conferences at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, had told Kaieteur News that he would hold a press conference early in January to discuss key oil and gas matters. He is yet to do so.

WEDNESDAY EXXON PAID US$5.6B IN INCOME TAXES IN 2020 – GUYANAGOT NOTHING Supermajor, ExxonMobil paid US$5.6 billion in income taxes last year, accounting for its global operations.

This was revealed during its 2020 Q4 earnings call Tuesday.

ExxonMobil’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman, Darren Woods said, “We remain focused on increasing long-term value for our shareholders by investing in our highestreturn assets, preserving the strength of the balance sheet, and paying a reliable dividend.”

Exxon’s 2020 income tax expenses amount to nearly

four times Guyana’s 2020 budget. But Guyana received nothing from ExxonMobil, its partners, affiliates and subcontractors in income taxes because former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman negotiated a contract for Stabroek block operations, which grant them a permanent tax waiver of all taxes.

Similarly, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Hess, John P. Rielly, revealed during the company’s earnings call last week, that it projects its exploration and production (E&P) income tax expenses to amount to US$80-90M in 2021. Guyana will get nothing.

ExxonMobil is the operator of the Stabroek block with a 45 percent stake, while Hess has a 30 percent stake.

The agreement’s tax article also allows for Guyana to give the companies tax certificates, which show that their tax liabilities, which Guyana is responsible for paying, are taken care of.

Guyana would be forfeiting US$653 million in taxes by 2025, according to Director of Finance at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, Tom Sanzillo.

The contract is notably kept firmly in place by a rigid stability clause, which requires the approval of the Stabroek block partners for it to be renegotiated. It has been criticised for years, and major party leaders as well as the Stabroek block partners have refused.

If the government tries to unilaterally renegotiate the tax provision or any other provision in a manner that affects the economics of the agreement, it would be bound to compensate the contractors for any losses they incur. If the government adjusts its tax laws or code in

GUYANESE MUST DEMAND ANSWERS NOW ON EXXON’S FLARING IS EXXON CUTTING CORNERS AND PLACING CITIZENS’ HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN DANGER? – CARROL MOFFETT, INT’LEXPERT Considering the fact that ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), had flared billions in gas last year due to a faulty gas compressor, its acknowledgement of this latest malfunction creates a serious question of whether the US oil giant is cutting costs to ensure it reaps the benefits of the gamble it made on Guyana.

Making that statement was President of the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Mr. Carrol Muffett.

Industry experts have long said that Guyana is no small fish in ExxonMobil’s pond and while the company has operations in over 50 countries around the world, it is the Guyana venture that is being deemed this big company’s proverbial “cash cow.”

But recently, the company has been operating on shaky ground.

In fact, the CIEL President pointed out that EEPGL’s recent operations update falls in line with reports by the Financial Times that Exxon may slash its capital expenditure even further, despite existing investments being described as “bare bones.”

This is also buttressed by news that S&P Global Ratings may lower the oil giant’s credit rating to reflect a growing risk to their business from the energy transition, price volatility, and future profitability.

Muffett noted too that it coincides with the filing of an investor class action suit against Exxon in its home state of Texas for allegedly overstating the value of its assets in the US Permian Basin.

All of the evidence presented, he continued, adds to the fact, which Exxon’s financial situation is increasingly serious and that it is looking to Guyana to change its financial fortunes.

This is reason enough for Guyanese to demand answers. “The people of Guyana have a right to demand answers to that (Continued on page 25)

Sunday February 07, 2021

From page 24 question — and to know who will pay the bill if Exxon’s bets on cost-cutting go bad,” the CIEL President expounded.

The CIEL Chief Executive said that the increased flaring due the faulty gas compressor – and the increased emissions it brings – is a visible testament to the consequences of critical equipment failures.

However, he was keen to point out that the gas compressor is only one part in a “vast, costly, and complex system,” in which a critical failure could put Guyana’s environment, its oceans and its coastlines at even greater risk.

In addition, if such a disaster occurs, Guyana will bear the brunt of the costs, as there is no comprehensive insurance against oil spills for any of Exxon’s current projects in the Stabroek Block.

“If Liza [One] suffers an even more critical failure — such as a blowout preventer -it could affect not only Guyana but the wider region,” Muffett said.

Exxon had reported days ago, that flaring at its Liza One project would increase above pilot levels to maintain safe operations on the FPSO due to the seal on the gas compressor malfunctioning.

That same gas compressor was reportedly fixed and commissioned back in December 2020 but by that time, the oil giant had already released into the atmosphere 12.4 billion cubic feet of toxic gas.

VENEZUELA RELEASES GUYANESE FISHERMEN The 12 Guyanese fishermen who were detained by the Venezuelan military on January 21, along with their respective fishing vessels, Sea Wolf and Lady Nayera, will finally return home.

This is according to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hugh Todd, who told Kaieteur News last evening that the men and their vessels have been released earlier in the day.

He revealed that the men will depart Port Guiria, Venezuela, this morning and are expected to arrive in Georgetown on Friday.

The fishermen’s release has come after Guyana supported by the international community which included Caricom, the Organization of American States (OAS), Canada, among others, called for their immediate release.

The Venezuela Navy Comandante Hugo Chavez GC 24 had illegally detained the men in Guyana’s waters, which is part of the Essequibo

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territory that Venezuela wants to claim.

The men were at the time fishing in Guyana’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) just off the coast of Waini Point.

The Guyana Government had promised that it would take a path of diplomacy to negotiate immediate release of the abducted fishermen; on January 26 that the Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza promised to pursue the early release of the crew. It took Arreaza seven days to finally keep his word by releasing the men his country had illegally detained.

The detention of the fishermen and their vessels came after aggressive moves and statements were made by the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his regime regarding the territorial controversy over the Essequibo, Guyana’s largest county.

The matter has been brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where it ruled on December 18, 2020 that it has jurisdiction to resolve the issue. Guyana’s argument is that, it has sovereign rights over the coast and land territory because it was awarded to the then British Guiana in the 1899 Arbitral Award.

Since the ruling, Maduro has been on the offensive on all fronts. His move of aggression has since been condemned by the international community and Guyana who called on him to obey the rule of law.

THURSDAY EXXON NOW FLARES MORE THAN EVER OFFSHORE GUYANA, BUT CLAIMS SIGNIFICANT REDUCTIONS GLOBALLY Despite flaring, more gas than it ever has offshore Guyana, ExxonMobil is singing itself praises for the work it has done to reduce flaring worldwide.

ExxonMobil’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Darren Woods,

said on Tuesday that the company has taken significant steps to reduce emissions intensity and absolute emissions.

During the company’s 2020 Q4 earnings call, Woods said, “We achieved our 2020 emission reduction goals for both methane and flaring and established new plans for 2025 that are projected to be consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. These plans are expected to reduce absolute upstream greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent.”

Exxon also claims it expects to reduce flaring emissions by 40-50 percent versus 2016 levels.

He claimed that ExxonMobil’s plan is to reduce emissions from operated assets and align the company with the World Bank’s Zero Routine Flaring by 2030 initiative, which aims to bring together governments, oil companies and development institutions to eliminate routine flaring.

That ExxonMobil claims to have met its flaring reduction targets in 2020, rubs Guyana differently than it does the rest of the world. Though its global flaring levels have purportedly decreased, ExxonMobil has flared gas offshore Guyana nearly all year long. It flared over 12 billion cubic feet of gas from the Liza Destiny Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

This was due to an equipment malfunction, the company

claimed.

It was only supposed to flare above pilot levels at first to commission the equipment but then Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Vincent Adams, told Kaieteur Radio in January last year that the company was flaring way longer than expected.

In June last year, the EPA said that it had slashed ExxonMobil’s production by 60 percent in order to reduce flaring levels. The company’s production was cut to as low as 25,000 to 35,000 barrels of oil per day. Dr. Adams had said, in response to calls to shut down production, which would risk damaging the Liza reservoir. ExxonMobil set multiple deadlines for the repair of the equipment, which it did not meet and made excuses for why it couldn’t do so.

When the new administration took office in August, it removed Dr. Adams and allowed ExxonMobil to significantly increase production after some equipment fixes were done.

Flaring increased in November last year, as the equipment malfunction had not yet been sufficiently resolved. New EPA Director, Sharifah Razack, had informed Kaieteur News that, in November, flaring was at 16.496 million cubic feet of gas per day with about 105,000 barrels of oil being produced every day. This was up from 12-15 million cubic feet per day which was previously

reported.

By the time it reported fixing all of the equipment in December, the company had flared more than 12.4 billion cubic feet of gas, making Guyana one of the five highest flaring nations per capita.

It managed to reduce flaring to pilot levels – a minimum amount of flaring required for the maintenance of safe operations – but that did not last.

Multiple equipment malfunctions were reported in January, and the company is flaring to this day. However, the government does not intend to curtail production.

EXXONMOBIL’S 4TH QUARTER EARNINGS CALL… OIL GIANT REMAINS WELL-POSITIONED FOR CONTINUEDVALUE DESTRUCTION FOR DECADES TO COME SHAREHOLDERS Following ExxonMobil Corporation’s announcement on Tuesday, that it suffered a US$20B loss during the fourth quarter of 2020 along with revelations that it has launched a new company to spearhead its solutions on emissions reductions, unimpressed shareholders were quick to register their frustration and discontent.

Specifically, making its dissatisfaction known was Engine No. 1, a new investment firm that seeks to enhance long-term value through active ownership and

which will soon be nominating four highly qualified, independent director candidates to the ExxonMobil Board of Directors.

In a statement to the press, Engine No. 1 said that a Board that has underperformed this dramatically and defied shareholder sentiment for this long has not earned the right to choose its own new in the face of calls for change. The investment firm went further to state that ExxonMobil shareholders deserve a Board that works proactively to create long-term value, not defensively in the face of deteriorating returns and the threat of losing its seats.

Further, the investment firm said that Tuesday’s patchwork of announcements do not materially alter ExxonMobil’s long-term trajectory nor do they position it to succeed in a changing world. In fact, Engine No. 1 said, “For years ExxonMobil has pursued spending and strategic plans that position it to succeed only in the absence of a material longterm energy demand shift, and it remains positioned for continued value destruction for decades to come under alternate scenarios.”

It added, “It is equally poor long-term planning to rely almost exclusively on the idea that carbon capture will become scalable and affordable soon enough to allow for continued oil and gas production growth for decades to come under a Paris-compliant trajectory.”

Taking the foregoing into account, Engine No.1 said it has nominated four independent individuals who each bring a strong track record of transformative success in energy as well as their own unique set of skills and experiences that are directly relevant to the present and future of ExxonMobil.

“We believe these nominees can bring real change – versus the appearance of change – and position ExxonMobil to successfully evolve along with the rapidly-changing energy industry. We look forward to continuing to make the case for reenergizing ExxonMobil,” the investment firm said.

The nominees being proposed by Engine One are Gregory J. Goff, Kaisa Hietala, Alexander Karsner, and Anders Runevad.

This newspaper had previously reported that Goff has a long track record of success in the energy industry. He served as the CEO of Andeavor (ANDV), a leading petroleum refining (Continued on page 26)

PAGE 26

From page 25 and marketing company formerly known as Tesoro, for eight years ending in 2018. He was named one of the “BestPerforming CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review in 2018.

With regard to Ms. Hietala, Engine One was keen to note that she is an experienced leader in strategic transformation in the energy sector who began her career in oil and gas exploration and crude oil trading. She played a central role in the strategic transformation of Neste into the world’s largest and most profitable producer of renewable diesel and jet fuel, which was named by Harvard Business Review as one of the “Top 20 Business Transformations of the Last Decade” in 2019.

Mr. Karsner is also an accomplished energy industry entrepreneur and policymaker with more than three decades of global conventional and renewable energy experience. According to Engine One, he began his career developing and financing large-scale energy infrastructure, and as a private equity investor, venture partner, and advisor, his portfolios have included some of the most successful cleantech start-ups of the past decade. As for Mr. Runevad, Kaieteur News understands that he is a successful business leader with global energy experience and was a signatory of the United Nations Paris Climate Agreement. He served as the CEO of Vestas Wind Systems, a wind turbine manufacturing, installation, and servicing company with more installed wind power worldwide than any other manufacturer, for six years ending in 2019, and is credited with turning around the company. He had appeared on Fortune’s “Businessperson of the Year” list in 2016 and was named one of the “Best-Performing CEOs in the World” by Harvard Business Review in 2016, 2017, and 2019.

Since learning of Engine One’s intention to grab four Board seats, ExxonMobil responded stating that the notice of nomination would be evaluated in line with the corporation’s by-laws.

ExxonMobil said too that it would continue to update shareholders in the coming weeks on the company’s strategy to build long-term, sustainable value for shareholders.

This newspaper understands that it will also provide updates on company performance and actions to address climate change, including initiatives to commercialize

Kaieteur News

technologies, which are key to reducing emissions and meeting societal goals consistent with the Paris Agreement.

WARRANT OUT FOR EXXON’S NIGERIA MANAGER OVER US$213M FRAUD (Energy Voice) - A Nigerian court has approved an arrest warrant for ExxonMobil’s managing director in Nigeria, Richard Laing.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a statement, said the Federal High Court in Abuja had approved an application for a bench warrant. This allows the EFCC to arrest Laing.

Justice Okon Abang granted the EFCC request on January 29. Laing had rejected an invitation to come and talk to the agency three times, the EFCC said, leading it to seek a warrant.

The EFCC said it was investigating alleged procurement fraud. The agency has said fraudulent change orders of more than $213 million had been created.

The case centres on Exxon’s Major Integrity Pipelines Project (MIPS).

The agency named Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) as the contracting company.

Suffolk Petroleum Services was the main contractor. The agency named Saipem Contracting Nigeria, Global Offshore and Van Oord as sub contractors to Suffolk Petroleum. Exxon declined to comment, citing a longstanding policy on legal matters. The MIPS work – launched more than 10 years ago – focused largely on engineering, procurement, construction and installation offshore Nigeria. This involved shore crossing, onshore pipeline sections, fabrication and installation of risers, tie ins and abandonment of existing pipeline sections.

A dispute arose between MPN and Suffolk, leading to protracted legal disputes.

Laing was promoted to chairman and managing director for Nigeria at Exxon in August 2020. He has worked in the country since 2017.

FRIDAY GUYANASHOULD BE PARTNER ON OIL PROJECTS TO KEEP WATCH ON COSTS – SURINAME’S OIL BOSS Considering the significant benefits Suriname has reaped from choosing to be a partner on all producing

projects in its offshore basin, Managing Director of Staatsolie, Suriname’s national oil and gas company, Mr. Rudolf Elias, is of the firm conviction that Guyana should give due consideration to adopting a similar approach.

The official made this and other disclosures during an exclusive interview on Kaieteur Radio’s programme, Guyana’s Oil and You. Elias was asked to provide some insight into the Surinamese experience in being a partner with oil companies that are interested in developing discoveries. He was quick to note that the benefits, particularly as it relates to monitoring costs to be incurred, provide a strong case for countries to have a seat at the table.

During the virtual interview, Elias said, “It is critical to have a seat at the table because you get to have someone who is part of the project team and who will know firsthand what are the costs…and we know there is a transparent process they will go through because we are at the table. They can’t inflate because we are there to see it and that is why I say Staatsolie should always have a seat at the table, because we want to know the costs of the different projects because it is the basis for the inflow the government will have.”

Elias said that this very reasoning underscores the need to have a National Oil Company (NOC) with knowledgeable individuals who can be a partner of choice for “the ExxonMobils, the Totals and the Tullows of the industry.” He added, “The NOC is critical so you can partner with them and talk with them on equal terms and

if they want to do ‘A’ you can challenge them. Why do you want to do A? Why not B? We can look out for our own interest to ensure the people of Suriname prosper; the people who should get the most out of it are the people of Suriname.”

Considering these and other benefits, the Managing Director shared that Guyana would be wise to establish a national oil company that will be a partner of the people and be part of the oil projects offshore. Should the government move in this direction, he advocated the need for proper capacity building. He said this cannot be done in Government Ministries and Institutions alone. The Managing Director stressed that the capacity to address commercial aspects of the oil industry must not be overlooked. Elias said, “The basis of dealing with the oil companies should always be commercial because at the end of the day, we must ensure that we get as much money as practically possible for the people; and the government should have policies guiding spending.”

He concluded, “Guyana should start building knowledge for a NOC because when you start building capacity you make better deals with the international oil companies and you are able to better understand what they are doing.”

INSPECTION BEING DONE TO DETERMINE WHETHER GAS COMPRESSOR SEAL NEEDS REPLACEMENT – EPA Director of the Environmental Protection

Sunday February 07, 2021

Agency (EPA), Sharifah Razack, recently revealed to Kaieteur News that an inspection is being done on the internal mechanical seal on the Flash Gas Compressor (Stage 3), with aims of determining whether the defective seal needs to be resealed or replaced.

This news comes on the heels of ExxonMobil’s increased flaring from pilot levels at their Liza Destiny operations due to the defective seal.

When this publication spoke to Razack, she, at the time, did not reveal when the inspection had commenced and when it was scheduled for completion, but only that the examination was being conducted onboard the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.

The Director had also weighed in that in the event of the seal needing replacement, backup equipment is already in Guyana.

Previously, Kaieteur News had reached out to Razack to ascertain what steps the EPA would be putting in place to ensure that design flaw in the Liza Destiny Environmental Permit, as relates to defective equipment, is not present in the Liza Two and Payara developments.

To this the Director had indicated, “To avoid excess flaring by future offshore oil production projects, the EPA will require that critical spare parts stocks are maintained in-country by [Exxon’s subsidiary] Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) and will also require that repair capabilities is sourced closer to Guyana.”

As it relates to the recently reported amount of gas flared by Exxon, Razack had also previously shared that the total volume of gas flared since operations commenced was 12.454 billion standard cubic feet and 12.521billion standard cubic feet at December 31, 2020 and January 28, 2021 respectively.

Calculations show that between the months of December 31 and January 28, Exxon flared 67 million cubic feet of natural gas, thereby translating to 2.3 million cubic feet of natural gas being burned each day. However, this was the period when Exxon was conducting just pilot flaring at their operations. This type of flaring is an industry standard and acts as a safety mechanism in the event of a failure in the reinjection of the natural gas.

Exxon – which touts its

effective management of waste – announced on January 29 that it had increased their flaring from these pilot levels. It is unclear how much gas the company had flared from the day of that announcement to date, since Razack did not share those figures.

Notably, in late 2020 when Exxon was just producing about 80,000 to 90,000 barrels per day, the super major had been flaring 12 to 15 million cubic feet of toxic, cancercarrying agents into the atmosphere. These numbers had increased to 16 million cubic feet in October when the oil company had ramped up flaring, as data from the EPA had shown.

Now that Exxon is producing at its full capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, it is safe to say that amount of gas being flared each day has significantly risen from 16 million cubic feet per day.

DRIVER GETS THREE BULLETS FIGHTING OFF HIJACKER A taxi driver on Wednesday was shot three times in front of his 10-yearold daughter, while fighting off a hijacker.

Nursing three gunshot wounds to his left arm and thigh is Raulvin Maynard, 41, also called “Raulo” of Melanie, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Maynard was shot around 16:00Hrs at Quamina Road, Beterverwagting, ECD, by a man he picked up.

Maynard recounted to police that his daughter was with him in the car.

He recalled dropping off a passenger in the area, after which, while proceeding south, he was stopped by a man who requested a drop to the Railway embankment.

As he was preparing to turn around his car to head to the location, the man took out a handgun and instructed him to stop the car, hand over the money and exit the vehicle. Maynard decide to put up a fight and grabbed hold of the gun. In retaliation, the hijacker pulled the trigger and Maynard was struck with a bullet to the leg.

Maynard for a short while let go of the weapon and the man snatched his cellphone but the taxi driver continued to fight and grabbed onto the man’s gun again. The hijacker fired two more shots striking Maynard two more times, once to his upper left arm and another to his left wrist.

The hijacker then decided to give up and runaway with the injured taxi driver’s (Continued on page 27)

Sunday February 07, 2021

From page 26 phone.

Public-spirited citizens who saw what transpired rushed out to assist him.

The taxi driver was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation where he received immediate medical attention.

Police are currently hunting the hijacker.

SATURDAY IS EXXON TELLING THE TRUTHABOUT FLARING OFFSHORE GUYANA? – SAYS IT LOWERED PRODUCTION SINCE LAST WEEK FRIDAY; GOVT. SAYS OTHERWISE One week after it had increased flaring at the Liza Destiny oil vessel, ExxonMobil, Friday finally issued a statement to the media sharing details on the ship’s defective gas compressor and production levels. In the statement, President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, claimed that since the increased flaring begun last week, the US oil company had lowered production levels as a way of managing the toxic flaring.

He said in fact, “We have lowered production levels on the Liza Destiny since the compressor failed and continue to seek ways to reduce flaring. We are currently injecting or using 88 percent of the gas produced from the wells.”

Kaieteur News immediately reached out to Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, requesting confirmation on the reduced production claimed by ExxonMobil. However, both Dr. Jagdeo and Minister Bharrat indicated that Exxon had been producing at peak and over 120,000 barrels of oil per day, as reported to the government by the oil company itself, earlier this week.

Kaieteur News first reached out to Minister Bharrat, asking him what level Exxon’s production had been lowered to.

But the Minister revealed that up to February 3, which was three days ago, production had remained steady at 120,000 barrels per day.

“If it was lowered, then it [was] most likely [done] Friday or today (Friday)”, the Minister said, while pointing out that he had to confirm same.

Subsequent contact was made with VP Jagdeo, who told to this publication that

the last report that he received from the Department of Energy (DoE), which was earlier this week, stated that Exxon’s production was above 120,000 barrels per day.

“I don’t know if they have lowered production since,” the VP added.

ANOTHER CONFLICTING REPORT In Exxon’s statement Friday, the oil giant also wrote that a technical team had removed the “3rd stage compressor from the package enclosure” on the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, and is preparing it for transport onshore. The oil company further stated that an initial examination determined that the unit had to be sent for repairs in Germany and was expected to arrive there on February 9.

“The full extent of the damage will not be known until a detailed inspection of the compressor can take place at the workshop of the manufacturer, MAN Turbo in Germany,” Exxon said.

These details, however, are dissimilar to what was told to Kaieteur News by the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sharifah Razack, just earlier this week. Razack had told this publication that an internal inspection of the equipment would be done onboard the FPSO, with aims of determining whether the defective internal mechanical seal, which led to the increased flaring, could be reseated or needed replacing.

The Director mentioned too that if the equipment needed replacing, a backup seal was present in Guyana.

It is unclear why the equipment needs to be sent to Germany, especially if a spare part is already in Guyana. This could indicate that during the initial inspections of the gas compressor, faults that are separate from the defective seal were encountered by the technical team.

Efforts were made to ascertain those details from Razack, but up to press time, this publication received no response from her.

WHERE IS THE VOICE OFTHE REGULATOR ON EXXON’S FLARING? – NO POLITICIAN SHOULD BE SPEAKING FOR THE EPA – DR. ADAMS The announcement made last week that ExxonMobil subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Limited (EEPGL), would be flaring above pilot levels yet again

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at the Liza Destiny oil vessel due its faulty gas compressor system was one that should have emerged from Guyana’s regulator, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Instead, the nation heard nothing but radio silence from the nation’s environmental watchdog. Kaieteur News was able to secure confirmation of ExxonMobil’s activities from the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat but he was not able to provide details on the extent to which the oil giant would be flaring.

In light of this, the previous head of the EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams, said that Bharrat or no politician for that matter should be speaking on behalf of the agency.

Dr. Adams pointed out on Kaieteur Radio’s programme, Governance, Corruption and Justice that such a key regulator should have been more proactive in informing and updating Guyana’s populace on what issues were discovered aboard the Liza Destiny FPSO along with ensuing solutions or sanctions.

“The EPA is the one who suppose to be responding to the public and to the media inquiries. So to me, it is kind of disappointing when you see the EPA is not responding and when you see the Minister responding for technical issues that I don’t think that the Minister is aware of,” he lamented.

According to Dr. Adams, the EPA is in receipt of all technical information relating to Exxon’s operations on the Liza Destiny FPSO but strange enough, it was Minister Vickram Bharrat who, via an invited comment, said that the oil giant would continue to operate at full capacity with no fines or penalties for its increased flaring.

The then EPA Director pointed out too that as a matter of fact, the process is for Exxon to report to EPA on any malfunctions and it is the EPA’s duty to relay that information to the government and the public.

“It’s very disappointing when the Minister is speaking for the EPA and the EPA is not even saying a word. And I’m not blaming the EPA because you know who knows why or the instructions that the EPA is getting,” Dr. Adams continued.

The environmental engineer highlighted that when the EPA was under his stead, one of his most critical mandates was to ensure he was given the authority and independence to execute his work free of political influence. Dr. Adams added, “Fortunately for me, during my term, not a single politician including the president ever one day tried to influence my decisions…”

The EPA, he concluded, has an obligation to Guyana’s public with a responsibility to give government updates when necessary. Dr. Adams

said too that the agency’s recent laid back approach on Exxon’s flaring which in turn releases cancer-causing agents into the air leaves much to be desired.

ASSETS IN GUYANA AND US ARE EXXON’S MOST PROFITABLE BUSINESSES ExxonMobil has admitted that Guyana is one of its two most profitable business ventures.

The supermajor’s Secretary and Vice President of Investor Relations, Stephen Littleton said during the company’s 2020 fourth quarter earnings call on Tuesday that ExxonMobil’s Guyana and Permian basin assets represent the highest return investments.

Though the company sustained a loss in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID19 pandemic, Littleton noted that increased liquids production in Guyana benefitted its earnings, as well as some improvements in upstream, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices.

As for the Permian, Littleton said its volumes exceeded its plan, and produced “370,000 oil equivalent barrels per day, despite curtailments and reduced investment.”

“This performance,” it said, “was driven by significant ongoing improvements in operating efficiencies and technology development.”

Littleton said that by funding Exxon’s Guyana assets and its Permian chemical business, it is looking to begin paying down its debt of US$67.6 billion once Brent prices sustain themselves just above US$50 a barrel.

Addressing ExxonMobil’s Guyana plans, Littleton said, “We continue to progress active exploration programs in Guyana…”

This refers to intentions ExxonMobil and its Stabroek Block partners, Hess and CNOOC/NEXEN, to drill 1215 wells in the area. The companies have already made 18 commercial discoveries after drilling 22 wells, with commercial reserves in the block amounting to nine billion oilequivalent barrels.

“We progressed Liza Phase Two and Payara developments in Guyana and continued our exploration success with three new discoveries, increasing the recoverable resource estimate on the Stabroek Block to nearly nine billion oil equivalent barrels.” Littleton said.

Exxon has already received approval for three oil developments, targeting over a billion barrels in total. Liza Phase Two and Payara are scheduled for first oil in 2022 and 2024 respectively, joining the currently producing Liza Phase One operation.

The company is looking to rapidly develop the reserves with five Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block by 2026, producing 750,000 barrels of oil. This newspaper’s calculations show that by FPSO #4, ExxonMobil will have already achieved a combined nameplate capacity of 1,000,000 barrels per day.

Further, the company sees potential for 7-10 FPSOs as time progresses.

In addition to its Stabroek Block license, ExxonMobil has begun exploration in the Canje and Kaieteur Blocks, both which have multi-billion barrel potential.

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==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

Mathis magic on my anniversary No one can tell me there isn’t a book, a song, a movie, a singer, that whenever your marriage anniversary comes around, that can help to evoke spiralling memories of that wave.

For me it is the world’s best voice put to music – Johnny Mathis.

Today is my 42nd anniversary and Mathis is in front of my eyes.

I got to love the voice of Mathis because my sisters were crazy about him and saw him perform in Guyana when I was just a baby.

Growing up with reggae, soul, rhythm and blues, Bollywood film music, and pop music in general, Mathis was at the core of all the genres I enjoyed. The first time I left Guyana was in 1978.

I completed UG and was courting my future wife, Janet.

No one in Guyana wanted to touch me because the strong man of Guyana, Forbes Burnham, had put out an employment fatwa on me. I was UG’s best graduating student but couldn’t find a job anywhere in Guyana.

Every private sector manager was afraid of Burnham.

My sister, named Janet too, sent for me to “chill out” in Barbados.

When I was leaving to get married, she gave me a Johnny Mathis album, “Romeo and Juliet” and told me never to part with it. I have never parted with it. Janet, my

wife and I left to study in Canada.

In Canada, I bought all the Mathis albums I saw at Sam’s on Young Street in downtown Toronto.

As I listened to the phenomenal voice of Mathis during endless winter nights when Toronto challenged Siberia for unbearable coldness (God, I hate winters), I played two songs over and over and over because they reminded me of the year of uncertainty, my uncertainty when I couldn’t get employment but my romance with Janet kept me alive.

Those two songs were a psychedelic and pyrotechnical reminder of my bohemian courting days. As I listened to Mathis sing them, it was as if I was Mathis and Janet was the subject.

No husband in Guyana has carried his wife through what I did to Janet – oppression; spells in the lockups; endless libel writs; employment dismissal, email and telephonic abuse, vulgar insults on the roadways and constant harassment from the taxman. Well by writing this column on my 42nd anniversary, you must know we survived.

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

You’re a lady – Johnny

Mathis Now the evening has come to a close And I’ve had my last dance with you On to the empty streets we go And it might be my last chance with you So I might as well get it over The things I have to say won’t wait until another day.

You’re a lady, I’m a man, you’re supposed to understand How these things are often planned to be You’re romantic, I’m a fool, You’re the teacher, I’ve come to school Here I sit and hope that you’ll love me.

You’re pure magic, unlock my chain Nothing ventured, nothing gained And so I say with no restraint, be mine, be mine.

Hard to answer I agree But then I’ve got to know I’m not asking you to marry me Just a little love to show Girl, I know I could make you happy So the things I have to say Won’t wait until another day

You’re a lady I’m a man You suppose to understand How these things are Often planned to be.

You’re romantic, I’m a fool You’re the teacher, I’ve come to school Here I sit and hope that you’ll love me You’re pure magic, unlock my chain Nothing ventured, nothing gained And so I say with no restraint, be mine, be mine.

Wild is the wind – Johnny Mathis Love me, love me; say you do.

Let me fly away with you.

For my love is like the wind And wild is the wind.

Give me more than one caress.

Satisfy this hungriness.

Let the wind blow through your heart For wild is the wind.

You touch me.

I hear the sound of mandolins.

You kiss me.

And, with the kiss, the world begins.

You’re spring to me, all things to me You’re life itself!

Like a leaf clings to a tree Oh my darling, cling to me For we’re creatures of the wind, And wild is the wind, the wind.

Wild is my love for you.

You touch me.

Frederick Kissoon I hear the sound of mandolins.

You kiss me.

And, with the kiss, the world begins.

You’re spring to me, all things to me; You’re life itself!

Like a leaf clings to a tree Oh my darling, cling to me, For we’re creatures of the wind, And wild is the wind, the wind.

Wild is wind.

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Sunday February 07, 2021

Coronavirus: Surviving the wave from the mutated strains may help us to see the light at the end of the tunnel

By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center

Y

ou may know by now that scien tists have discovered many new mutations of the SarsCov2 (coronavirus) virus circulating.

There are three of them in circulation that were recently discovered and are of concern to scientists.

These three variants are responsible for the new wave of infections worldwide, and have taken the world through the most devastating phase of the pandemic.

I suspect that we have not been hit by this wave as yet, but I worry that it’s near and will hit us harder than the pre-

vious ones. Today, I will delve into the possibilities that lie ahead for us with the new variants and hopefully, identify a safe path for us through this incoming dilemma.

Which variants should be of concern to us?

The more the virus spread, the more it will mutate into new variants and the higher the risk of it becoming resistant to vaccines.

We therefore need to control the spread before vaccine resistant variants begin to form and we are stuck with COVID-19 for the long term.

There are currently three new strains that are of concern, and are responsible for the new wave of infections worldwide: * B.1.1.7 first identified in the UK. This variant is more

infectious and might be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variants, but further research is needed. * Variant B.1.351 first identified in South Africa.

This variant is also more infectious but there’s no evidence that this variant causes more severe disease.

However, early evidence suggests that the vaccines are not as effective on this variant as they are on others. * Variant P.1 first identified in Brazil.

This variant is also more infectious, and some evidence suggests that this variant might be less vulnerable to antibodies generated by a previous COVID-19 infection or a COVID-19 vaccine.

What lies ahead

for us in Guyana?

There is a strong possibility that one or more of these strains will reach us in Guyana or is already with us.

If this is the case, we can look at the effects in other countries that are currently affected to have an idea of what lies ahead here.

If we do not act responsibly and we avoid guidelines, then we are bound to experience the worst phase of the pandemic.

This will obviously cause more lives to be lost and pressure our system more than before.

How we behave will determine how much we are affected by this deadlier phase of the pandemic.

Let’s learn from the last wave trend.

The last time we had a wave was between the August-November period of 2020 with October being the peak of the spread.

I had warned then about the D614G mutation in Brazil and the possibility of a hinterland spike that may reach our mainland.

It turned out that we did start with a spike in the hinterland communities close to Brazil and saw a spread to the

mainland soon after.

We then found the D614G strain as the main variant in our population.

I am concerned that this may be the route that the new wave takes, if we are not responsible.

Given the strict testing at the airports, there is a lower likelihood of the strains from UK and South Africa entering here than the one from Brazil coming across our borders in areas where there are unregulated movements.

Should this occur, we will most likely see a similar pattern of spread to what occurred with the D614G mutation last year.

What we need to do to get to the end?

I’m not as worried about the virus as I am of our actions.

The virus depends on us to thrive and spread and we have been irresponsible thus far.

If we continue with such behaviours with the mutated strains, which are more infectious, then Guyana may face a devastation that it has not experienced before.

We therefore need to ride this period out until there are sufficient vaccines available

Dr. Zulfikar Bux to help us exit the pandemic. I am of the firm belief that if we all behave responsibly and follow the guidelines by masking up, social distancing and practicing proper hygiene for the next 100 days, we can slow the spread sufficiently to prevent a deadly wave from the new strains.

So, I am asking you to do the 100-day challenge and encourage others to do the same.

Let us all work together to delay the entry of the new strains, slow the spread of the virus and buy ourselves enough time so that we can let the vaccines kick in and help us exit this pandemic.

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

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The Court The process of bail and Journal reclaiming bail money

By Renay Sambach A few years ago, I wrote an article in which I looked at the whole process of bail.

But, from word on the streets, some persons might have missed that ‘compulsory’ reading.

Being a compassionate court reporter with a desire to see people understand the intricacies of the judicial system, I have not only opted to refine and share the previous article, but will be bringing to you, on a continuous basis, articles of this nature. *** BAIL Have an upcoming court matter? Here are a few tips on the process of bail, and how you can reclaim your bail money.

What is bail? Bail is a cash bond for a person to be temporarily released from custody pending trial. Bail can be granted at a police station or the court. In this article, we will examine the process of bail and reclaiming bail money in the Magistrate’s Court.

It should be noted that not all criminal offences are bailable and not everyone that appears in court for bailable offences is placed on bail.

Bail is often granted at the Magistrate’s discretion and it is sometimes granted with conditions attached to it based on the request of the prosecutor.

Being charged Before the matter reaches court, there’s a process at the police station to prepare the matter and send it before a Magistrate.

If you or someone you know has been charged by the police for a criminal offence, either the police will release you on $10,000, your own self-bail and you will be

asked to sign a recognizance, or you will be placed on $10,000 cash bail and asked to sign the recognizance.

The recognizance will inform you that you were charged and you will also be notified of what date and which court your matter will be called.

If the person who was released on self-bail fails to appear in court on the date the matter is called, the Magistrate can issue an arrest warrant and he/she will automatically owe the state $10,000.

However, if the persons who paid cash bail fail to appear in court, their money will be forfeited and the Magistrate can also issue an arrest warrant.

Bailable offences S o m e o ff e n c e s a r e disposed of in the M a g i s t r a t e ’s C o u r t .

However, for the more serious offences like murder, rape, and treason, a preliminary inquiry (PI) or paper committal will be done in the Magistrate’s Court to determine whether or not there is sufficient evidence against the defendant for him/ her to be committed to stand trial in the High Court.

Some bailable offences are: larceny charges such as ‘simple larceny,’ ‘larceny from the person,’ ‘break and enter and larceny;’ assault charges; threatening and abusive language. In some instances, bail is granted for serious offences like sexual assault charges, rape, carnal knowledge, and even causing death by dangerous driving.

Appearing in court The first hearing of a matter is when most persons or their attorney tries to secure bail.

After the charge is read to the defendant, the defendant The Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court.

is then asked to enter a plea either of guilty or not guilty.

With a not guilty plea, the matter will have to go to trial for the court to decide, based on the evidence that is presented to the court, whether or not the defendant is guilty of the offence charged.

This is the opportunity to make a bail application to the court. After making a bail application, if the court sees the defendant as a flight risk or the defendant is known to the police from previously committing other offences, bail may be refused, while others may be placed on a reasonable amount or substantial amount.

When bail is granted by a Magistrate, the bail is then paid by the person posting bail for that defendant at the Supreme Court Registry and a receipt will then be handed to the person posting the bail.

This receipt must be kept until the end of the matter.

In some instances, when bail is granted to a defendant conditions may be attached.

Some conditions attached to bail are: a defendant may be required to lodge his/her passport, report at an

identified police station on an instructed day, keep-thepeace-bond or stay 100 feet from the virtual complaint.

Other persons are released on self-bail upon his/her own recognizance.

This means that the defendant will not be required to lodge any cash or property, but he/she must sign a recognizance by which he/she promises to come back to court for trial.

Renewal of bail If for some reason or the other, your bail application was refused on your first court appearance, you can always renew it during the trial.

If a bail application is denied by a Magistrate, the defendant or his/her attorney could make a further bail application to a Judge of the High Court. Judges in the High Court can grant the defendant bail and also reduce the amount of bail that was fixed by a Magistrate.

Additionally, at the end of the PI in the Magistrates’ Court for serious matters, if the defendant is committed to stand trial in the High Court, the defendant or

his/her attorney will be required to renew their bail application and the Magistrate will decide if the same amount of bail will be applied.

In some instances, defendants go to court and plead guilty. With a guilty plea, the defendant will be sentenced, fined, given community service, or a stern warning based on the nature of the offence. In some instances, the Magistrate takes into account the defendant’s early plea and a lesser sentence may be given.

While in some cases, both parties tell the court that they have come to an understanding (in most instances compensation) and that they no longer wish to proceed with the matter. The matter will then be dismissed if the court is satisfied.

Bailor A bailor is a person whose name is on the bail receipt for a defendant. Most persons wait until the end of the matter to reclaim bail money, but the bail money can be withdrawn at any time during the matter.

If a bailor wishes to withdraw his/her money before the matter is completed, the defendant can find an alternate bailor.

However, with no alternate bailor and the bailor informs the court that he/she wishes to withdraw their money, the defendant will automatically be arrested and placed in custody.

Forfeiture of bail and consequences Most persons get carried away thinking that after securing bail they can evade the court by not attending a trial or if the defendant does not fulfill the conditions attached to the bail.

However, by doing so there are consequences for the

defendant and the bailor.

If the defendant fails to attend court, the bail will be forfeited and the bailor will lose his/her money, while an arrest warrant can be issued for the defendant and when apprehended, the defendant may not be eligible for bail anymore and will be remanded to prison pending the outcome of the matter.

Fine and bail What most people don’t know is that bail is different from a fine. The court fines you if you plead guilty to an offence or at the end of the trial if the court finds you guilty.

Bail money is recoverable but a fine also known as ‘mulct’ is an order by the Magistrate for the defendant to pay a given amount of cash as a punishment for a crime or other offences.

Reclaiming bail money At the various courts, either at the end of the matter or during, bailors who wish to reclaim their bail money can visit the court office.

While many persons aren’t aware that they can reclaim their bail money, others have difficulties reclaiming theirs for many reasons. The most common issues are: most persons misplacing the bail receipt, which is very important in reclaiming bail money, or the bail receipt being soiled or torn beyond recognition.

However, all hope is not lost if that happens. Persons can visit a Justice of Peace (JP). A JP has the same power as a Magistrate to issue warrants for the apprehension and commitment for the safe custody of persons charged with indictable offences and can also help in the reclaiming of bail money if the receipt is damaged or lost.

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>>> ENCOURAGING EVENTS, DISTURBING DEVELOPMENTS <<<

Release, vaccine rollout, gas flaring, killed in church

By GHK Lall

I

start with what could only have been considered by Guyanese to be positive.

The announced midweek release of those Guyanese fishermen and their boats was most encouraging.

Guyanese can only welcome what is deescalating versus what was an undeniable and unnecessary escalating of tensions, through what was destabilizing to this society's ambience.

These things have a tendency to get out of hand, if left untouched and unchecked; it does so at the individual level, and it is no different in the interactions between countries that share

borders. Because of all this, it is better that the release of our brothers has occurred, and that going forward a better way to address our thorny issues will be found and accepted on how to resolve differences.

With the returning fishermen safely - and hopefully healthily treated - in the company of their families and communities, it encourages enough to move on to other matters that are almost as pressing.

The encouraging news continued with what came from the government, through its national heath overseer, Dr. Frank Anthony.

I read of plans preparing for possible vaccine distribution that goes beyond the public sector health workers, and public sector distribution channels. I think that is of good sense and a practical step.

Another encouraging word was that over 100,000 vaccines are anticipated this year, with a couple

of thousands arriving within the next two months.

That is good news, but it must be remembered that, because of the two-dose requirement, that six figure vaccine number should be cut in half.

A bit of a bummer came from Johnson & Johnson, the American pharmaceutical giant, which was well on its way, according to optimistic reports, in delivering a vaccine that needed only a single inoculation.

It does not appear to be so close now, which places a damper on expectations, given the alarming discoveries of more and more variants of the virus, all mostly unknown as to how to deal with, and how many more may be in motion.

Of particular concern for most Guyanese (it is to me) is the state of the situation in nearby Brazil. This is too close for comfort, and no longer about what is either just over there or in the news, but what is too frighteningly in the vicinity. As

more than one of our healthcare experts, and public health administrators, have warned with increasing intensity, we could be severely exposed and endangered.

Our systems - institutional and human -may not be able to cope. I trust that circumstances will not come to such conditions.

At this point, I am left no choice but to speak to what disturbs.

Exxon's continued reckless gas flaring is disturbing, and it is still more disturbing to behold the palpable indifference of Guyanese governing powers to what is going on, and where that leaves us.

Almost daily, one concerned Guyanese after another have stepped forward and voiced sharp protest of the government's withdrawal into silence and inaction.

Beyond any lingering doubt, what Exxon is doing in the producing wellheads is dangerous, and could prove to be costly for us.

There is no stopping and revisiting of current gas flaring actions and

levels by either Exxon or the Guyana government.

There is no insurance or protection in place should there be an oil spill.

There is no comforting equipment and no effort on the company's part to pause and take stock of where things are, and how unacceptable those are; or to reverse course and give everyone a chance to figure things out. It is drill and drill and flare and flare.

There could be hell to pay, which is what disturbs heavily.

Last, there was the disturbing report on Monday in the media of a woman in Jamaica sitting in church and praying.

She was shot and killed in a perversity that looked premeditated. Is there no limit? Is there no sacred time? No sacred place anymore? If this does not disturb, then nothing will.

(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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Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

e v o M e h T n O r u e n re p e tr n Young E

Hakeem Paul:

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The young entrepreneur, Hakeem Paul

The 18-year-old behind 'Pour L'amour'

By Sueann Wickham

T

oday, as we take a sneak peek into the life of yet another young entrepreneur, our spotlight descents on 'Pour L'amour.'

Pour L'amour is a local fast food and catering business, pioneered by Hakeem Paul, an 18-year-old entrepreneur with an undying love for cooking. His treats have been stimulating the taste buds of many locals and his business has gained lots of attention since its establishment.

During his exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, he expressed that “Pour L'amour“ is a French phrase which means “for love” or “for the love.”

When he embarked on the journey to start his business, he was looking for a name that would portray the love he has for cooking and food in itself. “I felt like Pour L'amour did that, it also added a unique touch that I'd like to have for my business,” Paul shared.

Paul attended the Brickdam Secondary School and, after graduating, he worked at the Guyana Marriott Hotel as a chef. He later pursued his studies in the culinary field at the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute, where he studied Culinary Arts and spent roughly a year there.

He unofficially kick started Pour L'amour around the latter part of April last year after persons messaged him requesting that he cater for their small functions. But as time went by, his friends and family members encouraged him to expand and operate on a full-time basis.

By late October, Paul felt like he was well set to operate on a full-time basis and poured all of his efforts into Pour L'amour.

young entrepreneurs as the “ I see next batch of great influencers in society that can bring new ideas to the table and aid in the development of our great country.

Besides his love for cooking and food, the COVID-19 pandemic also served as an inspiration for Paul.

“After the Coronavirus first hit Guyana, I was looking for a means of income and, because of the virus, not many persons were hiring, more specifically in the field I was interested to work in,” he recounted.

According to Paul, he had explored his options and after consulting with friends and family, having a business of his own seemed as though it would be the best option.

Paul took advantage of consumers' need for good food, whilst making a profit. His longterm goal is to have a chain of restaurants linked to the name Pour L'amour and which will meet the needs of all persons with various diet specifications to a high standard.

”

the pandemic at hand, there is a high demand for delivery riders everywhere, and the delivery services themselves have a hard time executing the deliveries.

“Another issue was balancing the work-load and being able to take all of my customers' orders due to it being myself doing all the cooking. However, my time management and work management has improved and there is still room for improvements in both areas which I'm continually working on,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, unlike many other persons whose businesses have been battered economically, due to the pandemic, Paul noted that it brought him lots of positivity. He (continued on page 57)

CHALLENGES Having food delivered to customers is one challenge Paul had to face in the inception, and even though he has not fully overcome that, he stated that he has been exploring many avenues. He uses various delivery services to have food delivered to his consumers but due to

Some of his tasty treats

Kaieteur News

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g ts in s... re ture e t In rea C

T

he grizzly bear ( U r s u s a rc t o s horribilis), also known as the North American brown bear or simply grizzly, is a large population or subspecies of the brown bear inhabiting North America.

In addition to the mainland grizzly (Ursus arctos horribilis), other morphological forms of brown bear in North

Sunday February 07, 2021

Grizzly

Bear America are sometimes identified as grizzly bears.

These include two living populations — the Kodiak bear (U. a. middendorffi) and the peninsular grizzly (U. a. gyas) — as well as the extinct California grizzly (U. a. californicus†), Mexican grizzly (U. a. nelsoni†), and UngavaLabrador grizzly (U. a. ungavaesis†).

On average, grizzly

bears near the coast tend to be larger while inland grizzlies tend to be smaller.

The Ussuri brown bear (U. a. lasiotus), inhabiting Russia, Northern China, Japan, and Korea, is sometimes referred to as the "black grizzly", although it is no more closely related to North American brown bears than other subspecies of brown bear around the world.

APPEARANCE Most adult female grizzlies weigh 130–180 kg (290–400 lb), while adult males weigh on average 180–360 kg (400–790 lb).

Average total length in this subspecies is 198 cm (6.50 ft), with an average shoulder height of 102 cm (3.35 ft) and hind foot length of 28 cm (11 in). Newborn bears may weigh less than 500 grams (1.1 lb).

In the Yukon River area, mature female grizzlies can weigh as little as 100 kg (220 lb). For a female, these average weights would be 136 kg (300 lb) inland and 227 kg (500 lb) coastal, respectively.

One study found that the average weight for an inland male grizzly was around 272 kilograms (600 pounds), and the average weight for a coastal male was around 408 kg (899 lb).

Occasionally a huge male grizzly has been recorded, whose size greatly exceeds ordinary, with weights reported up to 680 kg (1,500 lb). A large coastal male of this size may stand up to 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall on its hind legs and be up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) at the shoulder.

Although variable in colour from blond to nearly black, grizzly bear fur is typically brown with darker legs and commonly white or blond tipped fur on the flank and back.

CHARACTERISTICS A pronounced muscular hump appears on adult grizzlies' shoulders; black bears do not have this hump.

Aside from the distinguishing hump, a grizzly bear can be identified by a "dished in" profile of their face with short, rounded ears, whereas a black bear has a straight face profile and longer ears.

A grizzly bear can also be

identified by its rump, which is lower than its shoulders; a black bear's rump is higher than its shoulders.

A grizzly bear's front claws measure about 2–4 inches in length; a black bear's claws measure about 1–2 inches in length.

HIBERNATION Grizzly bears hibernate for 5–7 months each year except where the climate is warm, as the California grizzly does not hibernate.

During this time, female grizzly bears give birth to their offspring, who then consume milk from their mother and gain strength for the remainder of the hibernation period.

To p r e p a r e f o r hibernation, grizzlies must prepare a den, and consume an immense amount of food, as they do not eat during hibernation. Grizzly bears do not defecate or urinate throughout the entire hibernation period. The male grizzly bear's hibernation ends in early to mid-March, while females emerge in April or early May. In preparation for winter, b e a r s c a n g a i n approximately 180 kg (400 lb), during a period of hyperphagia, before going into hibernation. The bear often waits for a substantial snowstorm before it enters its den: such behaviour lessens the chances predators will find the den.

The dens are typically at elevations above 1,800 m (5,900 ft) on north-facing slopes.

There is some debate amongst professionals as to whether grizzly bears technically hibernate: much of this debate revolves around body temperature and the ability of the bears to move around during hibernation on occasion.

Grizzly bears can "partially" recycle their body wastes (continued on page 54)

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

Absence of Kanapang Village Toshao hampers audit of presidential grant for sewing project The absence of the Kanapang Village’s toshao has hampered the audit of a Presidential Grant valued at $1.2 million which was given in 2017 for a sewing project.

This finding was highlighted in the 2019 Auditor General (AG)’s report.

The grant was received by the Kanapang Village Council according to the AG’s report, to execute a sewing project in the village which is located in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), but when checks were carried out in 2018, the council did not account for the grant in its records.

In the Ministry’s response, the Head of the Budget Agency acknowledged the finding and said that the Ministry’s last visit to the village was in 2019 and residents confirmed that the project was executed.

It further stated that in the absence of the Toshao, the bills could not be verified.

Nevertheless, the Audit Office has recommended that

the Head of the Budget Agency takes action to uplift the relevant receipts and submit them for audit.

In a previous AG report, it was stated that the audit office conducted audits in 32 Amerindian villages in February 2018.

The Kanapang Village Council was among those flagged for uplifting cheques from the Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs but the amounts were not accounted for in their records.

Additionally, the 2019 AG report also flagged the Ministry for poor management of the Amerindian Purpose Fund, noting that over the years observations have been made concerning significant sums of money which were received and expended from the APF and the Ministry’s continued poor financial management.

It was also said that the Ministry has failed to put measures in place for proper use, record keeping and management of the fund.

Dark Night

By Saleena Hack Lightening flashes before my eyes, lighting up the sky like fireworks.

Menacing thunder roars in the dark, while the sullen wind blows the curtain asunder.

The rasping raindrops run down the pane.

I’m terrified of what’s not I shiver with fright.

I slowly pull the blanket over my chest.

My eyes scanned a black long armed shadow near where the wardrobe once was.

I’m petrified as I try to utter a single word.

Leaves begin to rustle nearby.

“Sam” a faded whisper calls out to me.

I slowly turn my head towards the door.

Another shadow is slowly approaching me.

My body quiver immensely.

The dim light flicks on, blinding me.

The shadows disappear.

My mother whispers again “Sam.” The dry leaves from the saguaro plant blows over to my bed from the whooshing wind.

there.

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PAGE 40

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

Belle West man stabbed to death over alleged old football grievance -Three brothers in custody Three brothers, aged 26, 23 and the other below 18 years, are now in police custody after allegedly stabbing a 20-year-old Belle West, West Coast Demerara man to

death on Friday evening.

Dead is Emanuel Solomon called “Manny.” According to police reports, Solomon was attacked by the three suspects over an alleged mis-

understanding over a football game that occurred some eight months ago.

Solomon’s mother and sister, who were at home at the time, witnessed the mur-

der. According to the distraught woman, her son was sitting in front of their 317 Belle West home when he was approached by the three brothers and an unidentified female.

The woman recounted that the men dismounted their bikes, rushed to her son and immediately starting stabbing him with what appeared to be a pair of scissors.

In efforts to escape the blows, Solomon reportedly ran into his neighbour’s home and jumped out a nearby window with the men in hot pursuit.

The woman stated that her son fell into a hole in the yard and the suspects used it as an opportunity to restrain him.

“When he fell into the hole, they ran behind him and one of the brothers held him down while the big one continued stabbing him and the other brother was lashing him with a piece of wood.

The woman that was with them stand up behind screaming ‘stab he, stab he’ and he barely managed to push them off and jump over the fence into our yard,” she continued.

The woman added that

Dead: Emanuel Solomon called “Manny” the suspects ran after her son and even after he retreated into his house, the suspects rushed to her and her daughter as they quickly tried to lock the doors.

“They rush to me and my daughter and I told Manny to hurry and bolt the door. After the door lock, they started pelting the windows to get to him inside.

He skin was full of mud and blood. The last thing he asked me was for a cup of

water before he collapse in the kitchen,” the woman said.

While the suspects escaped, neighbours who heard their screams emerged from their homes and managed to transport Solomon to the West Demerara Regional Hospital for medical treatment but by that time, it was too late.

He was pronounced dead on arrival.

The body was then escorted to the Ezekiel Funeral Parlor where it awaits a post mortem examination.

According to the woman, her son received eight stab wounds in total; four below the heart and four in his abdomen.

While the police report stated that the altercation stemmed from an old football grievance, the woman relayed that she has no knowledge of this, as her son stopped playing football months ago.

She told Kaieteur News in tears “I would have preferred they come and tell me about the problem…come and tell me and leave he alone. This is some problem eight months ago, eight months and now my son dead.”

The police report also (Continued on page 65)

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 41

Flood affected Pomeroon farmers get Govt. support Farmers from the Pomeroon who were adversely affected by prolonged flooding over the past few weeks yesterday received assistance in the form of fertilizers, chemicals and other planting material from the National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI).

This relief came about after Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha met with a number of the affected farmers last week. The Minister committed to assisting the affected farmers after several requests were made for items such as chemicals, fertilisers and planting materials to help restore their farms after the prolonged flooding caused

extensive damage to their crops.

CEO of NAREI, Dr. Oudho Homenauth, said that the agency had expended close to GY $3M to procure the fertilizers, chemicals, seeds and other planting materials that were distributed to the farmers.Minister Mustapha, while offering a comment on the exercise, said that government will continue to support the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s farmers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When I visited the Pomeroon, those farmers who were affected said that they really needed help with these items since most of their crops were destroyed. I made a commitment to have these items distributed among the farming community and today

we were able to fulfill that commitment. As Minister of Agriculture, I will continue to work to address the needs of our farmers. With the renewed interest we have seen in the agriculture sector over the past six months, the Ministry and the entire government will ensure we play that facilitating role to promote agriculture and support our farmers,â&#x20AC;? Minister Mustapha said.

Extension officers from NAREI had conducted farm visits over the last few days to assess the losses and get a general idea of the need of each farmer affected.

A number of farmers also benefited from a quantity of Acoushi ants bait.

NAREI officers taking the details of a farmer who was affected by flooding and will receive assistance.

PAGE 42

Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

CONSUMER CONCERNS

World Genocide Commemoration Day On genocide commemoration would we, descendants of slaves, semislaves and a group once destined for elimination give international support to the Roma, most oppressed of peoples?

On 8th December last, World Genocide Commemoration Day was marked worldwide. It was commemorated under the auspices of the United Nations “to commemorate the victims of genocide and highlight Humanity’s responsibility to prevent

future genocides”. Genocide has been defined as “the intentional and systematic eradication of an ethnic, racial or religious group”.

The media in Guyana gave little notice to Day except for Swami Aksharananda enlightening letter to the editor. Swami Aksharananda stands out as one of Guyana’s greatest Humanists and Educationists. One fact alone, (in addition to others) elevates him to one of the country’s greatest educationists - with almost no

funds, he created a school at Cornelia Ida in the countryside which admitted children whom all schools had rejected and who came from financially poor backgrounds. In a few short years, he created a school, which rivalled Queen’s College in results. Swamiji’s reputation attracted donations, which were directed towards the creation of new school buildings which today stand out as among the best school buildings in Guyana. This article is largely inspired by

Swamiji’s writings.Most people associate “genocide” with the Nazi murder of the Jewish people of Europe some six millions- the horrors of which are well documented.

To now, most people still cannot believe that such an atrocity could occur in the 20th century in the most civilized continent in the world where the cream of Europe’s cultured middle classes was destroyed. We must however, not forget there have been other genocides in this century such as the Armenian genocide by the

Turks when one million Armenians were killed or the Rwandan genocide when one million people were suddenly attacked and killed mostly with cutlasses. Almost the same as genocide is the mass expulsion of communities as was the case of the Hugenots (French Protestants) or the Jewish communities in the Arab world. Genocides and mass expulsions always do irretrievable damage to the social and economic life of the countries where these crimes are perpetrated.

The group, which has suffered genocides and expulsions continuously over the last thousand years, is the Roma or Gypsy people of Europe. Europeans, as a whole, have become inured to their plight and seem not to be able to see their suffering though it stares them in the face. Proportionate to their population, more Roma were murdered in the Nazi death camps than Jews. Eli Wiesel, a Jewish survivor of the Holocaust and a Nobel Prize winner, said that the Gypsies (Roma) suffered more than any other group in the death camps since, unlike the Jews who had persons of power and influence to speak up on their behalf; the Gypsies had no one since they were poor and powerless. At the Nuremburg trials of the Nazi war criminals, no mention or notice was taken of the Gypsies.

Today, right wing politicians in Europe still speak of the Roma in terms almost identical to Hitler’s “final solution”. In Hungary, for example, Zsolt Bayer, a

leading member of the governmental party, referring to Gypsies declared: “They are not suitable for being among people. Most are animals and behave like animals. Animals should not exist”. Bayer is oblivious of the important contributions Gypsies have made to Hungarian music. Likewise, Gypsies have made important contributions to Spanish music. Nicolas Sarkozy, when President of France, a country known as the home of humanitarianism and freedom, harassed the Roma and expelled many of them.

The Roma emigrated from India some 1500 years ago and still remember their Indian affinity. India has never recognized the Roma and has never offered them any help though individual groups in India had extended the hand of friendship to them. When Ashook Ramsaran, a Guyanese-American, was President of GOPIO, the Organization for People of Indian origin, he was able to offer associate membership to the Roma.Since Guyanese people are descended from African slaves, Indian semislaves and Amerindians who were neglected and expected to diminish and disappear by the colonialists, it was expected that the media would have given more notice to World Genocide Commemoration Day and showed a fellow feeling for the plight of the Gypsies.

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

Sunday February 07, 2021

PAGE 43

Kaieteur News

ExxonMobil US$67.6 billion in debt -Intends to use Guyana to bail itself out E

xxonMobil’s Corpo rate Secretary, Stephen Littleton, and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Darren Woods, both noted during the company’s 2020 Q4 earnings call last Tuesday, that the supermajor is US$67.6 billion in gross debt. The company intends to fund Guyana, one of its two most profitable businesses, in order to start paying down that debt.

Woods told analysts, “With downstream and chemical margins at the bottom of the 10-year historical range, we can fund our highest-return investments in Guyana, the Permian and the chemical business and begin paying down debt at Brent prices just above $50 a barrel.”

Littleton revealed yesterday that in 2020, the company was only able to lower its

debt by US$1.2 billion to US$67.6 billion. Woods told analysts that the company has set a “hard limit” of US$70 billion for its debt.

“We didn’t want to go above that and working hard to bring that down, expect for that to come down in the first quarter.

And we’ll continue to work to bring that down to really rebuild the strength of the balance sheet. It’s one of the three capital allocation priorities and we think absolutely critical to underpin the business we’ve got going forward and to ride through the cycles that we face. And clearly, 2020 was a very deep down cycle, one that, frankly, we’ve never seen before.”

Woods said he is pleased that the capital structure the company put in place to respond to the unprecedented market was successful, and

that ExxonMobil intends to rebuild in a way that will allow it to weather ups and downs.

ExxonMobil’s performance in 2020 resulted in a loss of US$22 billion, a tumble in production and a slump of about one-third in revenues, from the previous year.

In defense of its performance, ExxonMobil’s Chair of the Board, Darren Woods said “The past year presented the most challenging market conditions ExxonMobil has ever experienced.

While the effects of the pandemic significantly impacted our 2020 results, our previously executed strategic initiatives and reorganizations enabled us to respond decisively to permanently improve our cost structure, drive greater efficiencies across our businesses, and (Continued on page 62)

GNBS PROVIDES TESTING AND CERTIFICATION OF CONCRETE HOLLOW BLOCKS Concrete hollow blocks have been used as a building material for more than a century, and in Guyana, it is the most common material in the construction of homes and commercial buildings.

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

However, in some cases, the units are not as durable as they should be.

In fact, preliminary tests conducted by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) revealed that the majority of blocks made by some manufacturers are below the compressive strengths stipulated by the Guyana Standard Specification for Load Bearing Masonry Concrete Units (GYS 215:2003).

As a result, the GNBS recently began testing of concrete hollow blocks at its Flat 15, Sophia Exhibition Complex, Georgetown location.

This helps to determine whether blocks available for construction are conforming to the requirements of the National Standard. Further, testing guides builders and manufacturers on the quality, which should be achieved for hollow blocks to be generally acceptable for use.

A minimum of one concrete block (sizes including three, four and six inches) is needed for testing to ascertain the durability of

a unit. The National Standard requires that an individual unit (block) have a compressive strength of not less than 5.5 Megapascals (Mpa) (798 PSI), or the average of three units must not be less than 7 Mpa (1015 PSI).

Tests are conducted within three days after samples are submitted to the GNBS. Over the years, homeowners and contractors complained about substandard building materials available in the construction sector.

Complaints indicated that a high percentage of concrete hollow blocks were broken, distorted or easily broken during normal handling, leading to losses and injury.

Today, the GNBS testing service is available to blockmakers as well as contractors and homeowners who want to be assured that the material is durable for their construction.

In addition to testing, the GNBS under the Product Certification (PC) Programme is capable of providing Certification to local manufacturers and block makers who would like to continually demonstrate that their hollow blocks are meeting standard requirements. Certification indicates quality and provides confidence to consumers, thereby increasing demand and sales.

Interested businesses can

approach the Bureau to be part of the PC Programme and use the certification mark.

Importantly, for certification, a sample size of five to seven blocks would be required for testing.

Aside from outlining parameters for compressive strength and moisture content, the Standard for concrete hollow blocks has other requirements.

For example, it states that all concrete hollow blocks must be free from visible cracks and other defects, which would affect their proper application, or impair the strength or performance of the construction.

The GNBS also has 19 other Construction Standards, which cover bases for design of structures, specifications for concrete drains, hollow clay blocks, steel nails, ready mixed concrete, chain link fence fabric and several building codes. Local manufacturers are encouraged to acquire and utilize these National Standards in the production of building and construction materials.

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

For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org.

ExxonMobil CEO and Chair, Darren Woods (Photo: artictoday.com)

Kaieteur News

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Sunday February 07, 2021

Agri. Ministry partners with IICA to develop first ever bio-fortified rice variety in the Caribbean

I

n Guyana and the Caribbean, rice is considered a versatile staple and is a key component in the diet of most Guyanese.

In an effort to promote healthy food choices among citizens, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Rice Research Station has collaborated with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) to develop a bio-fortified rice variety with nutritionally enhanced Zinc.

According to a release issued by the Ministry, Medical experts have recommended daily doses of Zinc to boost the immune system so that it can withstand infectious diseases such as the novel COVID-19 virus.

On Friday last, A g r i c u l t u r e M i n i s t e r, Zulfikar Mustapha, visited the rice research station, which is located in Burma, Region Five, to carry out an assessment of the trial plots currently under cultivation with the bio-fortified rice.

GRDB’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Mahendra Persaud, said that the strains are currently part of a breeding trial and will be tested over the next three seasons.

“We’ve been testing some breeding lines and established varieties for higher levels of Zinc.

We have 17 promising entries at four trial locations.

These trials will go on for at least three more seasons, before we make a final selection on which of the strains will go into the farmers’ fields, for a final analysis for release as a variety.

It’s quite at the initial stage, but we are very optimistic because we’ve seen these lines perform well at the breeding stage over the past five years.”

Dr. Persaud said that once the breeding programme for the biofortified rice is completed and the selected strain meets the desired characteristic that farmers are looking for, it would be released to the market.

Minister Mustapha said that he was very impressed with the progress made with the development and pledged the Ministry’s full support throughout the process.

- zinc, other minerals added

GRDB’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Mahendra Persaud.

“I’m very excited about this project.

I’m thankful to IICA and CARICOM for starting the pilot project here in Guyana.

This project is good, not only for Guyana, but for the entire Caribbean because, once released, this variety will help with not only curbing hunger but with malnutrition and promoting healthy lifestyles. I am eager for this

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, (second left) with other officials of the Ministry, IICA and CARICOM

can didate variety to be given the green light for release to our farmers. This will also attract a higher market value which means better prices for our farmers,” Minister Mustapha said.

The subject Minister further stated that over the years, Guyana has been playing an important role in the Caribbean in terms of

IICA Country Representative, Wilmot Garnett. agriculture, and will continue to work with other CARICOM nations to improve the Region’s food and nutrition security. IICA Country Representative in Guyana, Wilmot Garnett, said that once released, the bio-fortified rice would be the first in the Region.

“It is the first in the Region for this type of trial and certainly the first in

A section of the trial plot.

Programme Manager for Agricultural and AgroIndustrial Development at CARICOM, Shaun Baugh

Guyana. As we know, especially with the COVID19, there have been recommendations for small doses of Zinc and Vitamin C and so on. So this is something we’ll continue.

IICA will continue to work with GRDB. It would be very good if we can get one or two varieties very soon into the CARICOM market and we’ll ensure that benefits

are realized outside of the borders of Guyana.”

Shaun Baugh, who is the Programme Manager for Agricultural and AgroIndustrial Development at CARICOM, said that project came about after CARICOM leaders felt the need to deal with issues surrounding food security and food and nutrition.

“This project came to the Secretariat… and we noticed that food security was one of the issues that needed to be dealt with, more importantly, food and nutrition hence the application of Zinc.

This is one of the many projects that are ongoing. As we go along and as COVID19 has thought us, the time is now for us in our Region to start looking at food security, where does our food come from and from a collective purpose, to see how best we can start ruling our own destiny in terms of providing for our people,” Mr. Baugh said. The strains that are currently under cultivation as part of the breeding programme are expected to be harvested by the second week of March 2021, based on the flowering of the plants.

Sunday February 07, 2021

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Kaieteur News

10 Benefits of Milk That You Never Knew Even When You Drink It Every Day Milk. It does your body good. That’s what the commercial has said for years.

However, have you ever really sat down and thought about what milk actually does for your body? Well, it’s time you did. Finding out the health benefits of milk might actually have you drinking more of this good stuff each day!

1. Amazing Complexion Cleopatra knew what she was doing when she took baths in milk. Milk helps to keep your skin supple, soft, and glowing. This is thanks to the many vitamins and nutrients that are essential to skin health. We’re not saying you need to fill a tub with milk and relax, but drinking at least two glasses per day will provide you with this benefit.

2. Strong Teeth Milk is the best source for calcium, and that’s exactly what your teeth need. In addition, milk helps prevent cavities and tooth decay.

The calcium can only be absorbed by your body when vitamin D is around, so make sure that the milk you drink is

fortified with vitamin D. 3. Healthy Bones It’s true that kids need to drink milk to increase bone health, in order to improve proper growth. It’s also true, however, that adults can benefit from drinking milk to help keep their bones strong, which will reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Again, this benefit comes from calcium found in milk, and your body does need vitamin D to absorb the calcium.

4. Muscle Growth Milk is also great at improving muscle growth.

This is due to the protein found in milk. Many athletes drink milk following a workout, as it provides the body essential nutrients needed to recover. In addition, milk helps to prevent muscles soreness and replenishes the fluids that were lost during physical activity.

5. Weight Loss Studies have proven that women who drink milk daily are more likely to lose weight

than women who do not drink milk. If you’re in search of a healthy snack, or fulfilling appetizer, drink a glass of milk.

It’s also recommended that you have a glass during dinner or when eating fruit.

6. Reduce Stress Thanks to the many vitamins and minerals that are in milk, it can work as a stress reliever. After a long, hard day at the office, sit down and drink a warm glass of milk.

This helps to relieve muscle tension and soothe your nerves.

7. Alleviate PMS Symptoms

Many women suffer from PMS symptoms. Milk has been proved to relax the body and reduce the negative effects that women experience during their menstrual cycle.

8. Energy Booster Milk is great for many things, but did you know it’s also great for boosting your energy? When you’re struggling to get through the day and you need a little pickme-up, reach for an ice cold glass of milk. You will feel

revitalized in no time.

9. Heartburn Eliminator There are many foods that contain acids that cause people to experience heartburn. One of the simplest – and yummiest – ways to alleviate this pain is drinking a glass of milk.

The cooling sensation and the thick consistency of milk helps to coat the esophagus and stomach lining to prevent heartburn.

10. Disease Fighter Over the last few decades,

researchers have found that milk helps prevent many different diseases. This includes its ability to help lower high blood pressure and reduce the risk of strokes.

In addition, milk has the ability to reduce the production of cholesterol by your liver, and helps improve eyesight. There are some researchers who believe that milk can also reduce the risk of developing certain forms of cancer. Now that you know that there are way more benefits to drinking milk than you thought, you might be wondering if it matters what kind you drink.

The short answer is no.

You can choose skim milk, low fat milk, 2% or whole milk.

All will provide the same benefits, just with different levels of fat and calories. So what are you waiting for? Go get a tall glass of milk and take advantage of milk’s amazing benefits! (https:// www.lifehack.org/articles/ lifestyle/10-benefits-milkthat-you-never-knew-evenwhen-you-drink-everyday.html)

Science Says A Glass Of Red Wine Does Intermittent Fasting Work, and Can Replace 1 Hour Exercising How Can You Do It? What to Know A new study conducted in the United Kingdom found that restricted eating plans, otherwise known as intermittent fasting, can be just as effective at helping people lose weight compared to other more complicated diets.

The research, published in PLOS One on Jan. 28, followed a small group of people with obesity over the course of 12 weeks.

The participants, who adhered to the diet the strictest, reported the most weight loss, but even those who followed a less rigid intermittent fasting regimen lost weight.

Research on intermittent fasting has been mixed.

While some studies have argued intermittent fasting isn’t a significant driver of weight loss, the bulk of research suggests the eating pattern can have a wide range of health benefits on conditions like obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancers, and neurological disorders.

More research is needed to explore the impact intermittent fasting has on our health and how it can be used for weight loss.

Intermittent fasting appears to facilitate weight loss The Queen Mary

University of London asked 50 people with obesity to practice intermittent fasting for 12 weeks.

Participants were asked to follow a time-restricted diet where they fasted for 16 hours and had all their meals within an 8-hour window.

The researchers conducted a weekly phone survey to monitor the participants’ progress. The participants were weighed after 6 weeks and again at 12 weeks.

Sixty percent of the participants were still following the restricted diet plans 3 months in. On average they lost about 7 pounds, which amounted to at least 5 percent of their body weights.

Those who loosely followed the fasting regimen also lost weight.

This study is small, though. Rigorous research with more participants is needed to better understand if and how intermittent fasting leads to weight loss.

Why intermittent fasting can lead to weight loss The most common intermittent fasting plan is the 16:8 diet, which requires people to fast for 16 hours then eat only within a specified 8-hour window.

Intermittent fasting has become increasingly popular

in recent years, but the research has been mixed on whether intermittent fasting can cause meaningful weight loss.

Dr. Artur Viana , the clinical director of Yale M e d i c i n e ’s M e t a b o l i c Health and Weight Loss Program and an associate professor of digestive diseases at Ya l e University, said weight loss likely happens since people practicing timerestricted eating tend to consume fewer calories overall.

“It is unlikely that someone will overcome the calories skipped during the 16 hours of fasting in those 8 hours they’re allowed to eat,” Viana said.

Dr. John Morton, a bariatric surgeon at Yale Medicine and vice chair of surgical quality for Yale School of Medicine, said intermittent fasting also reduces nighttime eating.

“One thing that we are sure of is that when you eat late at night, it does increase your risk of gaining weight,” Morton said.

Because the metabolism slows down at night, it’s harder to burn calories, Morton said.

Some research suggests intermittent fasting can also enhance metabolism.

Are you a red wine drinker? What if I tell you sipping in a glass of wine can equate to an hour of exercise? Yup, it’s tried and tested. A new scientific study has just confirmed this wonderful news. So next time you hold a glass of Merlot, you can brag about one hour of hard workout.

Rejoice, drinkers!

What the study found out I’m not saying this, but the study’s principal investigator Jason Dyck who got it published in the Journal of Physiology in May. In a statement to ScienceDaily, Dyck pointed out that resveratrol is your magic “natural compound” which lavishes you with the same benefits as you would earn from working out in the gym.

And where do you find it? Fruits, nuts and of course, red wine!

Did I forget to mention Dyck also researched resveratrol can “enhance exercise training and performance”?

There are limits, of course But, all is not gold as they say. If you’re a lady who likes to flaunt holding a glass of white wine in the club or simply a Chardonnay-lover,you have a bad (sad) news. The “one hour workout” formula only works with red wine, not non

red wines. And don’t be mistaken and think you’ve managed 4 to 6 hours of workout sessions if you happen to gulp down a bottle of red wine.

And what can replace the golden lifetime benefits of exercise?Exercise is just as important as you age. Period!

But hey, don’t be discouraged; look at the bigger picture here. A glass of red wine is not a bad deal after all!

The health benefits of red wine But just how beneficial is the red alcoholic beverage to your body? As we all know red wine is a healthier choice you can make when boozing.

Let’s hear it from a registered dietitian. Leah Kaufman lists red wine as the “most calorie friendly” alcoholic beverage. Sure, you won’t mind adding up to a mere 100 calories per 5-ounce glass of red wine after you realize it contains antioxidants, lowers risk of heart disease and stroke, reduces risk of diabetesrelated diseases, helps avoid formation of blood clots and lowers bad cholesterol level.

Wantmore? Wine could also replace your mouthwash because the flavan-3-ols in red wines can control the “bad bacteria” in your mouth.To add to that list of benefits, moderate wine drinking may be beneficial for

your eyes too – a recent study mentions.

Be aware of the risks, too Having mentioned all the ‘goods’ about red wine, you cannot underplay the fact that it is still an alcohol, which isn’t the best stuff to pour into your body. What is excessive drinking going to do to your body? Know the risks and you should be a good drinker at the end of the day.

However, you don’t want to discard the red vino from your “right eating”regimen just because it stains your teeth blue. Mo-d-e-r-a-t-i-o-n. Did you read that? That’s the operative word when it comes to booze.

By the way, when chocolate is paired with wine, particularly red, they can bring you some exceptional benefits t o w a r d s your health.But again, if you tend to go overboard and booze down bottles after bottles, you are up for the negative side of alcohol, and we all know what too much of sweetness (sugar) can do to our body (open invitation to diabetes and heart diseases if you aren’t aware). Folks, the red grape beverage is certainly a good buy to have a good hour’s worth of cardio, provided you keep the ‘M’ word in mind. Cheers!

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Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Enetworks to broadcast Painting C.B Strike: Lethal returns with with John premiere this Friday New Season this and ever Monday Painting With John, is a new unscripted series written, directed by and starring John Lurie, and is part meditative tutorial, part fireside chat. Each episode has Lurie, the cofounder of musical group The Lounge Lizards, at his worktable, honing his watercolor techniques and sharing what he’s learned about life. With images of Lurie’s paintings,

original music and his point of view all rolled into one, the series strikes an irreverent tone while reminding us to prioritize some time every day for creativity, fun and a bit of mischief.

Enetworks is set to show the first episode on Friday at 12am AST and 11pm EST. You don’t want to miss this.

Tomorrow and every other Monday to follow, the Enetworks team will be airing a new season of Strike at 9pm AST and 8pm EST via HBO. Strike is a British crime drama television programme based on the Cormoran Strike detective novels written

by J. K. Rowling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

The programme was first broadcast on BBC One on 27 August 2017, after receiving an advance premiere at

Enetworks to air Superbowl today on E2 The Enetworks team will be airing the coveted Super Bowl LV on E2 today. This newspaper understands that the 55th Super Bowl and the 51st modern-era National Football League (NFL) championship game, will decide the league champion for the 2020 NFL season.

The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Kansas City Chiefs (who are also the defending Super Bowl champions) will play the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With pending developments on the COVID-19 pandemic, the

game is scheduled to be played on February 7, 2021, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.

This will be the fifth Super Bowl hosted by the Tampa area and the third held at Raymond James Stadium.

It will be the fourth time that the Super Bowl was in the same state in back-to-back years, since Super Bowl LIV took place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

This Super Bowl will mark three milestones, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium, Tampa B a y q u a r t e r b a c k To m Brady will play in his record 10th Super Bowl, and with COVID-19 health restrictions

limiting stadium capacity to 22,000 fans, it will be the l o w e s t a t t e n d e d Super Bowl.

Additionally, this marks the first time since Super Bowl XLVI that the game will feature two teams that met previously in the regular season, as well as the first time since Super Bowl XLV that a wild card team will appear in the Super Bowl.

The game will be televised nationally

by CBS. C o u n t r y music singer Eric Church and R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan will perform the national anthem, while the halftime show will be headlined by Canadian singer The Weeknd.

the British Film Institute on 10 August 2017. The programme follows Cormoran Strike (Tom Burke), a war veteran turned private detective operating out of a tiny office in London’s Denmark Street, who uses his unique insight and his background as a Special Investigation Branch investigator to solve complex cases that have eluded the police along with his assistant, subsequently business partner, Robin Ellacott (Holliday Grainger).

Four adaptations have been broadcast to date, adapting the first four Strike novels: The Cuckoo’s Calling (2013), The Silkworm (2014), Career of Evil (2015) and Lethal White (2018).

The programme premiered on 1 June 2018 in the United States on Cinemax and in Canada on HBO Canada under the title C. B. Strike. C.B. Strike: Lethal White premiered January 20, 2021 on HBO Max.

Kaieteur News

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Why the Dove is on Our Valentines Adapted from an Indian Folk Tale A long time ago when there were no white men in our country, but only Indians who lived in the forest, there was a timid little Indian boy.

All the other Indian lads loved the dark, so full of stars, and moonlight; but this boy was afraid of the dark and did not venture out of his father’s wigwam after the sun had set.

The other Indian lads hunted bears, and sailed the swift rapids in frail birch-bark canoes, and had no fear of anything that ran, or stalked, or flew.

But the Indian boy about which this story is told was afraid of all the wild creatures of the forest. He never ventured far away from the safe circle of his home campfire.

Most of all was the boy afraid of Hoots, the bear.

This was because Hoots was a part of the forest.

He hid himself by day, for he was afraid of bows and swift flying arrows.

But at night, the bear prowled near the Indian camp, and could be heard from one end of the forest to the other, his great feet crunching through the dried bushes and twigs.

In those days the Indians believed that a good spirit, called the manito, watched over them, and guided them, and kept them from harm. The story tells that the manito was walking one day through the trees of the forest when he saw this little Indian boy, hiding behind a pine tree and giving loud

cries of terror.

“What is this that I hear?” asked the manito. “No Indian boy ever cries. Come forth that I may see who the coward is, and learn of what he is afraid.”

So, the boy came out from behind the pine tree and spoke to the manito, “I have been sent with my bow and arrows to hunt for food for my mother to cook,” he said, “but I can go no farther in the

forest.

I am afraid of Hoots, the great bear, who lives in it.”

“You should be afraid of nothing, my son, not even of Hoots, the bear,” warned the manito.

“But I can’t help being afraid of Hoots; I think that he may eat me,” said the boy, and at that he began crying again, “Boo-hoo, boo-hoo.”

“There shall be no coward among the Indians,” said the manito.“And I see that you will always be afraid. I shall change your form into that of a bird.

Whenever anyone looks at you, he will say, ‘There is the bird that is the most timid of all.’”

As the manito finished speaking, the Indian boy’s deerskin cloak fell to the

ground; his bow and arrows dropped too, for he had no longer any hands with which to hold them. He was suddenly completely covered with a coat of soft gray feathers.

His moccasins fell off, and his feet turned into the wee feet of a bird.

He wanted to call his mother, but his voice had changed to the plaintive call of a dove, and the only sound he was able to make was, “Hoo, hoo!”

“You are now the dove,” said the manito, “and you will be a dove as long as you live. Of all birds you will be the shyest. And every one who sees you and hears your call will know that you were once afraid of Hoots, the bear.”

So, for years and years, the dove flew fearfully here and there, uttering his timid call, “Hoo, hoo.”

At last white men came, and were sorry for him, and built dove-cotes where he and all his family could be sheltered and live in peace.

There seemed to be no work at first for the doves to do, but at last it was discovered that they could carry letters tied about their necks and hidden in their feathers.

They flew quickly with them to escape danger.

That is why there are pictures of doves on our valentines.

The doves grew brave enough to carry messages of love from one person to another, but they are always timid and keep the love that is in the valentine a secret from all except the person to whom it is sent.

FUN WITH POETRY

Reading

by Uncle Roy There are many things I need to do To help me in my learning, But the one I love most of all Is making a habit of reading.

Reading makes me learn new things, As well as to speak and write; I find lessons at school so much easier, As I get more of my work right.

Story books can be so much fun, As well as teach new things; Newspapers also make me happy With all the information they bring.

So make the time to read each day, And you will feel so much better; You will become more confident of yourself, As your work at school becomes a pleasure.

Sunday February 07, 2021

Junior page Supplies for Valentine Card Display To transform a basic chicken wire frame into a Va l e n t i n e ’s D a y c a r d display, think pink! I painted it with pink acrylic paint, added heart buttons in different shades of pink, and created a mini felt heart garland to string across the top.

STEP 1 Start by painting the outside of the unfinished wood frame with wire with pink acrylic craft paint and a foam brush. Let dry.

STEP 2 Add heart buttons or heart shaped gems around the frame with hot glue.

IPE TO PLAY STEP 3 Use adhesive hearts and baker’s twine to create a garland to hang from the top of your frame. Secure each end of the garland to the backside of the frame with tape or glue.

STEP 4 Add special Valentine’s Day cards or mementos to the frame with mini pink clothespins. Little paper

heart doilies look sweet incorporated into the display too.

STEP 5 Hang or prop your card holder against a wall along with other Valentine’s Day decor for a pretty love-filled vignette!

CROSSWORD Across 2. Many people give or send one to friends on Valentine's Day. 4. Another term for sweets that are given on Valentine's Day. 9. Sometimes on Valentine's Day, a secret ________ will give you an anonymous present.

11. If you don't get any Valentines, you might do this into your pillow.

12. Herseys is one kind of this type of candy.

15. Roses, carnations, and daisies are these.

17. When you really, really like someone, you ____ them. Also you ______ your parents.

19. If you give someone a treat on Valentine's Day, it usually is this. This word is also used in the expression "______ Heart", a nickname husbands and wives call each other.

20. This expression is often said on Valentine's Day: "___ Mine" Down 1. The color of hearts on Valentine's Day. 2. The fictional character that shoots arrows at people.

3. These flowers come in many colors, but usually red ones are given on Valentine's Day. 5. What cupid shoots at some poor unsuspecting person, that makes them fall in love.

6. If you want to give a friend roses, you would give them this color.

7. The name of this holiday!

8. Doilies are usually made out of this material.

10. Moms and Dads may want to get away for a _________ dinner or weekend.(mushy, mushy, mushy) 13.One of the shapes used often on Valentine's Day is ______ (plural).

14. These are made out of paper or material that are lacy.

15. The abbreviation for the month that Valentine's is in.

16. The man that this holiday is named after is, _______ Valentine.

18. If you get flowers for Valentine's Day, you will want to have one of these to keep them in.

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

TEEN TIME Avoid the Distractions that can impede your path to progress The things that we indulge in that keep us off the track towards the goals that we have prioritised are probably the biggest obstacles facing any young person who is trying to make it in the modern world.

There are so many things that can keep your attention away from the things that you really need to do that you can waste a lot of energy, time and resources in getting involved in these and move in the wrong direction.

The unfortunate things is that we find many people who are otherwise keen on working towards attaining their goals getting distracted, sometimes just to please others, believing that they themselves need this time to idle and enjoy the pleasure that these bring, or even thinking that they have enough time and resources at their disposal to spend on useless activities.

It is true that each of us

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One thing at a time

by Uncle Roy Sometimes I find, when doing something, That I try to do another, Like when I am at homework, I want to play with my brother.

I even know when I am at school, Doing some work for my teacher, I stop to chat with some friend, And then cannot finish ever.

So I now see that whatever I am doing, I must put my whole mind to it; This is the only way I can do my best, And so make the most of any effort.

needs to spend some time in enjoying life and the pleasures that can keep us in a good mood, but we have to carefully balance this time with what is needed to achieve progress towards the goals that we have determined to make the best of our lives.

There is a great

philosophical theory that says: Whatever you place your undivided attention to grows. This means that, as long as we are serious about attending to the really necessary things in our lives, then we can be assured that we will see progress in these.

Keep telling yourself

not to let the TV, cell-phone, idle friends, and useless activities get in the way of your ambitions, both short and long term.

Once you do this earnestly, then you can be assured that your intuition will always guide you to do the right thing every time. *******************

Hexadecimal Sudokus (also known as 16x16 Sudoku) are a larger version of regular Sudoku that feature a 16 x 16 grid, and 16 hexadecimal digits. Each row, column and 4x4 block contains all the digits 0 thru F (or numbers from 1 to 16, in the decimal versions).

This is also true of everything else, That I have to do each day, Whether eating, bathing, or any work at home, It is one thing at a time always.

Always remember the Guyanese proverb: You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t eat and blow whistle at the same time.

Solutions to last weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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How to Maintain Your Color-Treated Hair After coloring, wait a full 72 hrs before shampooingWhen coloring hair, your cuticle layer is opened, making it easy for color to penetrate the hair shaft. When you wash your hair too soon after your appointment, the cuticle layer could still be open which then leads to your color being washed down the drain. It takes up to three days for the cuticle layer to fully close, so the longer you wait to shampoo your hair after you color your hair, the more time the color pigment will have to soak into the hair cuticle – which will help your color last longer in between salon visits.

2. Use sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner Sodium laureth sulfate, also known as sodium laureth ether sulfate, is a type of anionic detergent that is found in many personal care products. This ingredient is used to help produce a foaming effect to your shampoos and conditioners. By using sulfates, you run the risk of stripping your hair of its natural oils and moisture, which can then lead to stripping your beautiful color treated hair (which you just spent hours and dollars at the hair salon to achieve).

Try using a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner to keep your hair color from fading. L’oreal has great options for all hair types, so whether you have frizzy, curly, straight, or even thin hair, there is a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner option for all!

3. Add dye to your conditioner If you’re rocking a brighter look like pink, purple, or even blue, try adding a little bit of your dye to your conditioner when washing hair. This will slightly re-dye your hair every time you wash to keep it looking fresh until your roots grow out.

4. Turn down water temperature when shampooing Though hot showers feel amazing to some, it isn’t so great for your hair color. When washing hair with hot water, your hair’s cuticle is opened, allowing your color to wash out while shampooing and conditioning.

To prevent seeing all of your color go down the drain, try shampooing with slightly warm water and then rinse with cold water after conditioning. The warm water will allow the shampoo and conditioner to penetrate and cleanse, while the cold water will help seal in the moisture from your conditioner while preventing color from fading by sealing the hair’s cuticle.

5. Wash hair less often Washing your hair every day is something you want to avoid if wanting your hair color to last longer. Not only are you washing away the natural oils that moisturize and keep your hair color looking fresh, you also wash away a little bit of your hair dye every time you wash your hair. Try washing your hair every other day or even 2-3 times a week to keep your color on lock.

6. On off days, use dry shampoo On your off days of not washing your hair, try using colorsafe dry shampoos. These will refresh your hair and make it look like you just got a blowout without even having to wash your hair! You can also try color-tinted dry shampoos to revamp your color without having to head to the salon. https://theeverygirl.com/how-to-maintain-color-treatedhair/

Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

Sunday February 07, 2021

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Kaieteur News

Dominican Republic citizen sues local oil and gas firm, union for over $5 M in salaries owed Luis Antonio Corniel, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, has sued a locally operated oil and gas firm as well as the Guyana Seafarers & General Workers Union to recover in excess of $5M in salaries owed to him.

According to court documents drafted by attorneys of Mohabir A. Nandlall and Associates, Corniel has filed a Fixed Date Application (FDA) in the High Court to recover various sums of money amounting in excess of $5M in salaries owed to him from Dorwain Bess of Alpha Petroleum Trading Inc. and Simone Fortune, of Guyana Seafarers & General Workers Union.

Fortune was recently mixed up in a criminal case and

has since been placed on bail for collecting millions to train persons to work in the field via a fake oil and gas school.

However in this instance, Fortune has been named as a respondent to a lawsuit which seeks to recover over US$ 4,627 as salary due, owing and payable pursuant to a written agreement made and entered into with Corniel, the company owned by Bess and union which she represents.

According to court papers, the applicant is also seeking an order that he recovers from the company, union and their principals US$19,000 or its equivalent of almost $4M in Guyana dollars.

Corniel has asked the Court for an order to recover

from the respondents the sum of US$800 and another order for him to recover the sum of an additional $1M from them.

Added to this, the applicant has asked the Court for interest pursuant to Section 12 of the Law Reform Miscellaneous Provisions Act Chap 6:02, on all sums awarded at the rate of six percent per annum from the date of filing to the date of judgment, and thereafter at the rate of four percent until the judgment is fully paid.

In a document to support his claim, Corniel noted that in December, 2019, he travelled to Guyana to take up employment as the Chief Engineer of the oil tanker/vessel, M.T. Louis which is

Guyana records 52 new COVID-19 infections The Ministry of Health yesterday reported 52 new infections from COVID-19 via its

daily dashboard update which showed the COVID-19 case toll increased to 7,936 cases.

The dashboard also shows that five patients are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care

Unit, 738 in home isolation, 54 in institutional isolation and 14 in institutional quarantine.

Additionally, a total of 6,901 persons have recovered from the virus with 61 new recoveries recorded yesterday.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 death toll remains at 180 deaths.

owned by a company operating out of the Dominican Republic.

The applicant said that the vessel was abandoned by the owners in Guyana and Bess and Fortune due to their previous dealings and relationship with the owners of the vessel assumed responsibility, control of and ultimate ownership of it.

Corniel explained that the M.T. Louis was at all material times docked at Caledonia, East Bank Demerara, Guyana, when it was not in territorial waters, and after entering Guyana he assumed the role of chief engineer of the vessel, a role which he continues to perform to date.

However, he claims that he and his crew of eight were

Sued: Simone Fortune, of Guyana Seafarers & General Workers Union.

not paid for the work they performed on the vessel for months, despite several demands for payment.

As a result, Corniel said he and the others visited the respondents to voice their complaints and to seek to re-

cover the salaries owed.

He said that as a consequence, the respondents and employees of the vessel, M.T. Louis made and entered into a written agreement whereby Bess of Alpha Petroleum (Continued on page 65)

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Kaieteur News

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Sunday February 07, 2021

Grizzly Bear From page 38 during this period. Although inland or Rocky Mountain grizzlies spend nearly half of their life in dens, coastal grizzlies with better access to food sources spend less time in dens. In some areas where food is very plentiful year round, grizzly bears skip hibernation altogether.

REPRODUCTION Except for females with cubs, grizzlies are normally solitary, active animals, but in coastal areas, grizzlies gather around streams, lakes, rivers, and ponds during the salmon spawn.

Females (sows) produce one to four young (usually two) that are small and weigh only about 450 grams (1 lb) at birth. A sow is protective of her offspring and will attack if she thinks she or her cubs are threatened.

Grizzly bears have one of the lowest reproductive rates of all terrestrial mammals in North America. This is due to numerous ecological factors.

Grizzly bears do not reach sexual maturity until they are at least five years old.

Once mated with a male

in the summer, the female delays embryo implantation until hibernation, during which miscarriage can occur if the female does not receive the proper nutrients and caloric intake. On average, females produce two cubs in a litter and the mother cares for the cubs for up to two years, during which the mother will not mate.

Once the young leave or are killed, females may not produce another litter for three or more years, depending on environmental conditions.

Male grizzly bears have large territories, up to 4,000 km2 (1,500 sq mi), making finding a female scent d i ff i c u l t i n s u c h l o w population densities.

Population fragmentation of grizzlies may destabilize the population from inbreeding depression. The gestation period for grizzly bears is approximately 180â&#x20AC;&#x201C;250 days.

Litter size is between one and four cubs, averaging twins or triplets. Cubs are always born in the mother's winter den while she is in hibernation. Female grizzlies are fiercely

protective of their cubs, being able to fend off predators as large as male bears bigger than they are in defence of the cubs.

Cubs feed entirely on their mother's milk until summer comes, after which they still drink milk but begin to eat solid foods. Cubs gain weight rapidly during their time with the motherâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;their weight will have increased from 4.5 to 45 kg (10 to 99 lb) in the two years spent with the mother. Mothers may see their cubs in later years but both avoid each other.

LONGEVITY The average lifespan for a male is estimated at 22 years, with that of a female being slightly longer at 26.

Females live longer than males due to their less dangerous life; they do not engage in seasonal breeding fights as males do.

The oldest wild inland grizzly was 34 years old in Alaska; the oldest coastal bear was 39, but most grizzlies die in their first year of life. Captive grizzlies have lived as long as 44 years.

(Source: Wikipedia)

CARICOM united voice urgent...

From page 20 the OAS only. CARICOM states, in their own interests, should be raising their voices everywhere, including at the Summit of the Americas, scheduled for this year with the participation of the U.S. President and the Prime Minister of Canada.

No meeting of the leaders of the Americas, convened in this epoch of the COVID-19 pandemic with all the evidence of the millions of lives it has taken, and the decimation of economies and

the livelihoods of people, can responsibly ignore its farreaching consequences.

Leaders of the Americas have to give their peoples concrete plans to contain the virus and to restore vibrant economies.

They have to give their nations good reasons for optimism and confidence that their lives can be made better. To do so, they must also commit to helping their neighbours. For no one is safe until all are safe.

CARICOM countries

must also act collectively to argue for their joint survival.

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and Massey College in the University of Toronto. The views expressed are entirely his own.)

Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

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Local activist and Blossom Inc.'s founder,

Ayodele Dalgety-Dean...

From page 18 her education via the St. Margaret's Primary School.

She started her 'O' and 'A' levels at Queen's College and completed them in London.

“I remember that I did not know what I wanted to do after I graduated, so I called my father and said I am finished with school what should I do now? And his response was girl that is not my decision you have to decide what you want. So I decided that in my opinion I was good at managing people so I decided to study politics because it's the management of people,” she said of her decision to attend the London-based University.

However, by the time she was finished with her politics studies, Dalgety-Dean's interest had shifted and she applied to be a part of a graduate management programme at Marks and Spencer's firm in London.

She later secured employment as a financial analyst in another firm in London but said that she soon found that a job in financing was not quite what she wanted to do for the remainder of her life.

“I did not quite like the idea of having to do accounting and finance in the long run, so I left my job in finance and began to look for what I really wanted,” Dalgety-Dean said. She noted that at the time she had a background in childcare.

The family therapist said that she was always working part-time with playgroups during her school years in London.

She noted, “I thoroughly enjoyed it, so I started to look for something that had to do with children.” As a consequence, Dalgety-Dean applied to several social work agencies.

She noted that there was this one agency in particular (Family Welfare Association in London), that was doing a project called 'Building Bridges,' which she was interested in and eventually got the job.

The Blossom Inc. Founder shared with Kaieteur News that she was not really intended to be interviewed for the position but was chosen as a wild card interviewee.

“I wasn't in their list but they liked my answer and guess what? That was the perfect job for me it paved the way for all that I do with Blossom today,” she said.

Dalgety-Dean described the years of her early career “as having a grand time.”

As an employee of the agency, Dalgety-Dean found her passion for childcare and family issues but she was also challenged to grow in the field.

“I loved what I did but I was also intimidated because I was managing people who were specialist in their fields.

It challenged me to specialize in what I did too,” she added. As a result, the young manager read for her postgraduate diploma at University of London, Birkbeck College.

She later got married and started planning on having

offered me the opportunity to sit on the Visiting Committee for Children's Homes, which I then Chaired. From this I then sat on the Adoption Board,” she recalled of meeting the Minister.

From then, Dalgety- Dean began to build a relationship with the Childcare and Protection Agency.

By 2012, she was exposed to the need for support in the area of child and family trauma therapy and longed to help fill the gap.

“I saw the need for support systems but there weren't resources for them…I think it was around 2013 while I was on holiday in London, when I learned of

Dalgety-Dean and her team out in the fields serving in hinterlands Child Advocacy Centre was born.”

The founder noted that her family played an integral role in helping to set up the centre. “Even the name Blossom which was given to the NGO came out of a

support victim advocacy /support psychosocial support; education and outreach services; migrant and host community service; coordination of the Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) to support victims of child

Observing Blossom Inc's 6th anniversary of successful support initiatives

At right: Ayodele Dalgety-Dean and members of the Blossom Inc. support staff. children with her husband when he secured a job with Digicel. They had decided to return home to Guyana.

“After we returned, I had this plan to home school my children and volunteer for social work. I was not thinking of anything fulltime, but I was on visiting committee for the local children's home and I saw all the need and I guess always wanted to do more but I was not certain where I would fit best,” she added.

That opportunity to have a more permanent role in the childcare development sphere came after she unintentionally met the then Minister of Human Services at a hair salon. Dalgety-Dean noted that while some may think of this as a mere coincidence, for her it was fate.

“I was there just talking, and I didn't even know that she [the minister] was at the salon as well.

Minister heard me and

the concept of Child Advocacy Centres [CAC] and I thought to myself that it could work in Guyana,” she recalled of the idea to start the NGO. BLOSSOM INC. T h e s o c i a l entrepreneurship venture took about a year to develop, before the doors of Blossom Inc. were opened in late October 2014.

Dalgety-Dean explained that at the time of starting the not-for-profit organization, the child protection system needed tremendous support and my background is child sexual abuse and families affected by severe trauma.

“I responded to a call for collaboration by the Child Protection Agency which falls under the purview of the Ministry of Social Protection for what was then referred to as a 'One Stop Shop' to deal with child sexual abuse and that is how Blossom Inc.'s

discussion I had with my daughters. I was telling them that I wanted to start an NGO because bad things happened to children sometimes and I was giving them an example of how a flower would wither if it is not given the correct treatment, but with the right care it blooms and blossoms to become what it was intended to be and my daughter said why don't you name it Blossom. So that's how the name came about,” she explained. Last October, she revealed, Blossom Inc. marked six years of offering support to trauma stricken families and children.

The organization works with children and families affected by severe trauma: child sexual abuse, children who have suffered and witness extreme violence, children who have witnessed a parent's death, migrant children and families.

The services includes forensic interviews; trauma focused therapy court

sexual abuse.

During the interview, Dalgety-Dean noted that some of the main challenges their clients have faced includes, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, behavioural issues, relational issues with friends and family, withdrawal symptoms, substance abuse, grades dropping, low self esteem.

She noted that “certainly those within the social services and civil society fields of work play an important role in helping survivors to heal through various support mechanisms.”

The founder stressed however, that “lots of education needs to be done in our society to educate people of the effects of trauma and how it manifests so that society at large, including family and friends, resists the victim blaming that is so prevalent, even when dealing with children.”

As such, Blossom Inc. has established and operates CACs to support the child protection system throughout Guyana in locations: Region One – Mabaruma; Region Two - Essequibo Coast (Land of Plenty); Region Four - East Bank Demerara; Region Seven – Bartica; Region 10 – Linden; Region 10 – Kwakwani.

The NGO currently has 26 staffers who have served in excess of 6,000 users to date.

Even throughout the COVID- 19 pandemic in 2020, “the workers at the NGO conducted over 395 Forensic Interviews and 246 clients have been referred,” Dalgety-Dean said.

She also spoke of Blossom's collaboration with UNICEF to provide psychosocial support to over 2,000 migrant children and families and revealed that the organization received support from the International Office for Migration to provide emergency shelter for some 246 migrant children and families. The main funders of the initiatives are the Government of Guyana, UNICEF, Emerge BPO and a list of other ad hoc private sector companies.

Dalgety-Dean stressed, nonetheless, that the greatest rewards of Blossom's work has been in the increase of successful prosecutions in sexual offence cases.

“The healing that this encourages for our clients, seeing the positive results through enhanced coping skills of clients who embraced the trauma focused therapy, advocating for and seeing the opening of the sexual offences courts and being able to offer a 'one stop' safe place for victims to tell their story of trauma only once and to the same professional, has been the ultimate blessing,” she said.

For her dedication to her activism, we at Kaieteur News today bestow our title of 'Special Person' to DalgetyDean.

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Sunday February 07, 2021

PAGE 57

“Govt. has absolutely no right to gamble Guyana's future on ExxonMobil”- Int'l lawyer I

n a recent article, Vi c e P r e s i d e n t , Bharrat Jagdeo, had stated that the governing People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) “will safeguard people against footing the bills for disasters in the oil & gas sector.”

However, Guyana still remains unprotected and without comprehensive insurance in the event of an oil spill at any of the US supermajor's approved oil developments.

It is on this premise that international environmental lawyer, Melinda Janki categorically stated that government has “absolutely no right” to gamble the

(source https://www.voanews.com/)

“

Does the government really think they can ask ExxonMobil for money to buy back marine turtles, or dolphins, or whales? Or to put back Guyana's fisheries and mangroves? All the money in the world cannot bring back to life even one dead shrimp.

– Melinda Janki

”

country's future on ExxonMobil.

The international lawyer reported that the government of the day has a “constitutional duty” to protect and safeguard the environment for present and future generations to come.

However, that has not been the case. Exxon has been wreaking havoc on Guyana's environment, not only with flaring of natural

gas containing cancercausing agents, but also with the dumping of toxic produced water.

Janki stated, “It is pellucid that money is not a substitute for Guyana's rich biodiversity and the livelihoods and cultures that depend on that biodiversity.

Does the government really think they can ask ExxonMobil for money to buy back marine turtles, or

dolphins, or whales? Or to put back Guyana's fisheries and mangroves? All the money in the world cannot bring back to life even one dead shrimp.”

Continuing, Janki pointed to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Covering 6,500 square kilometers, that major disaster led to the loss of 53,000 barrels of oil a day, spanning weeks.

The field was operated

by British Petroleum under a joint operating agreement with Anadarko Petroleum and Mitsui Oil Corporation; to date the company is still paying for damages with about US$70 billion in costs so far.

“The BP Macondo well blowout cost BP about US$60 billion,” Janki added, asking, “Does ExxonMobil have that kind of money?

They are in financial difficulties.”

Not only that, the international lawyer also added that the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis reported that “ExxonMobil is out of step with market trends.”

That she continued makes the oil giant a “financially risky partner” for Guyana.

And while Guyana did not sign the Stabroek Block Agreement with ExxonMobil, the subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), has little assets and would not be equipped to cover the insurance needed, if a major oil spill were to occur.

So imagine what would happen to Guyana if a spill is to occur, and the country is left to pay off billions of

dollars for generations while ExxonMobil walks away?

That possibility exists, Janki noted if Guyana does not acquire the needed safe guards. The country was given little hope after former head of the Environmental Protect Agency (EPA); Dr. Vincent Adams, discovered the country was left exposed to compensate for losses for generations if an oil spill is to occur at Exxon's Liza One development.

To correct this blunder, he moved to include a provision in the other environmental permits to safeguard Guyana and his provision would be included, not only in Exxon's other permits, but in those of all oil companies.

However, to date, it is unclear whether ExxonMobil has signed on to this provision.

Hakeem Paul: The...

From page 37 believes that had it not been for COVID-19 he might not have started his business and might have been merely working for someone else.

MARKETING Marketing was perhaps the easy part of it all, since a side effect of the COVIDrelated restrictions served as a plus for his business. You see, with a number of persons being forced to stay home longer hours, many became bored and often took to social media to find something worthy of piquing their interest.

Indeed, many foodies, myself included, stumbled across Paul's business.

And according to him, “I see young entrepreneurs as the next batch of great influencers in society that can bring new ideas to the table and aid in the development of our great country."

In fact, he is convinced that local consumers play the biggest role in helping the growth of small businesses with their support. He is also suggesting that small businesses refrain from exploiting consumers because this may discourage them from receiving support

in the future.

According to Paul, his support base has been outstanding from the onset.

“From friends, strangers and family members that shared my page on social media and even ordered meals from me, the support was great and well appreciated,” Paul added.

“From a tender age,” Paul said, “I loved cooking and spending time in the kitchen and I'm glad to this day I'm still following my dream.”

For persons who would like to make contact with his business, they can find it on Facebook and Instagram @pourlamour.

PAGE 58

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Sunday February 07, 2021

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

Arson suspected in East Bank Berbice fire Police have arrested a man in connection with a fire that destroyed the house he shared with his brother and sister-in-law of Enfield Village, East Bank Berbice.

Reports from the police indicate that the fire may have been set by the man to the two-storey wooden structure. Kaieteur News understands that the fire started around 16:30 hrs. on Friday.

The building is owned by Jagatnarine Mangru of Florida, USA, but is being occupied by Haresh Mangru, 25; his reputed wife, 17-yearold Kimberly Mahadeo; and the suspect, Ramnarine Mangru called Baby, 22.

Haresh, a farmer, told police that at about 16:00 hrs. on Friday, he left for his farm, which is situated about 200 yards to the back of the yard.

Shortly after he said he heard persons shouting â&#x20AC;&#x153;fire fireâ&#x20AC;? and he saw smoke in the air.

He said he left and went to the front of the yard and there he noticed the back of the upper flat engulfed in flames.

The fire service was immediately summoned. The building was not insured and no one was injured. Ramnarine Mangru was arrested and placed into custody pending an investigation.

PAGE 59 The house on fire.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

CMO appeals for greater vigilance as Jamaica hits new COVID case record The Gleaner - Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Dr

Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie, is appealing to Jamaicans, especially young people, to be extra careful in their prevention against contracting COVID-19 so as to limit exposure.

“There has been an increase in the number of social gatherings across the country, especially in the Corporate Area.

These events will increase

exposure and infections.

The younger age groups who attend these functions are likely to become infected but will have mild symptoms.

They are, however, spreading to the older and more vulnerable populations leading to an increase in hospitalisations and severe illness.

“In addition, the increase number of cases in the 20 to 39 age group continues to drive the infection rate, putting the entire population at risk for more restrictive mea-

sures,” Bisasor McKenzie was quoted as saying in a media release issued today by the Ministry.

This came against the background of Jamaica’s daily COVID-19 case count hitting another record high with 328 positive cases identified in the last 24 hours.

The health ministry says the confirmed cases came from the 2,089 samples that were tested at the National Public Health Lab and the National Influenza Centre.

It added that the positiv-

ity rate for the period has now increased from 14.3% on Thursday to 15.70% on Friday.

Kingston & St Andrew (70), St James (53), Manchester (49) and St Catherine (43) are the parishes with the highest number of cases recorded in the 24-hour period, the Ministry noted.

The number of active cases in Jamaica has now increased to 4,074 with some 130 COVID-19 positive patients in hospital across the island.

Among the patients who are in hospital, 21 are moderately ill, while 17 are in critical condition.

Bisasor McKenzie says Jamaicans must adhere to the provisions under the Disaster Risk Management Act, even as they increase their vigilance to the infection prevention and control measures - washing hands frequently or using hand sanitiser, keeping a physical distance of six feet from others; wearing masks and avoiding crowded situations.

Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 61

Police destroys large quantity of drugs, finds ammunition in Berbice River eradication exercise

T

he Guyana Po lice Force, on Friday continued their drug eradication exercise up the Berbice River, where they destroyed a large quantity of illegal substance.

The latest exercise was conducted between 05:45 and 16:00 hours at Gaetroy, Upper Berbice River.

During the exercise, a farm measuring about 1 ½

acres with about 75,000 plants, one camp with about 50 kilos of dry cannabis and a number of amenities, a nursery with about 10,000 seedlings and 11 live 12-gauge cartridges were found.

The police subsequently destroyed the camp and cannabis plants by fire.

The cops took possession of the cartridges.

No one was arrested while investigations are ongoing.

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Sunday February 07, 2021

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 63

PAGE 64

Dominican Republic citizen sues...

From page 51 Trading Inc. agreed to pay to him his outstanding salaries in part payments.

He said that Bess thereafter agreed to pay the sum US$11,400 equivalent GYD $2,439,600 on or before August, 7, 2020 but breached the agreement, when he failed to pay to the said sum when it was due, owing and payable.

Sometime in and around November, 2020, Bess is said to have paid Corniel the sum

Sunday February 07, 2021

Kaieteur News

US$2,100 leaving a balance of US$9300.

But in a breakdown of his expenses, Corniel noted a significant amount is still owed to him including the costs of airfare to the Dominican Republic which is US $800. He said that Bess has failed to pay that sum despite agreeing to do so.

In addition to several other claims, the Dominican Republic national noted that numerous demands and re-

quests for the outstanding payments were made but to no avail.

He explained that as a last resort before taking court action, he sent a lawyer’s letter to the respondents who informed that they ‘accidently spent the monies.” Given the circumstances, Corniel has approached the Court seeking the orders of relief.

The matter is fixed for February 16, at 9:30 before Justice Sandil Kissoon.

ExxonMobil US$67.6 billion in debt From page 43 emerge a stronger company.

These improvements are expected to deliver structural expense savings of $6 billion per year by 2023, relative to 2019.”

Some don’t see ExxonMobil rebounding from its losses in 2020. In an invited comment, International Law-

yer, Melinda Janki had told Kaieteur News how ExxonMobil is in financial trouble, as it has been posting massive losses and layoffs, and published a decision in November to write down tens of billions in assets. The decision was meant to free up cash to fund a handful of mega-projects, such as

Guyana. Janki, an advocate for a quicker transition to renewables, had advised Guyana to cut its ties with ExxonMobil.

“Their share price is falling.” Janki had said. “On every measure, ExxonMobil’s performance is going down.

Let us make sure that Guyana does not go down as well.”

Belle West man stabbed to death over...

From page 40 stated that after receiving information, officers ventured to the home of the suspects in Belle West. When apprehended by police, one of the brothers relayed that Solomon allegedly hit him with a wood causing him to sustain injuries to his face and left hand ear-

lier.

He then left and complained to his two older brothers and they then assaulted the deceased. Later on, his brothers were handed over to the police by their mother. The three remain in police custody as investigations continue.

Sunday February 07, 2021

PAGE 65

Kaieteur News

Italian soccer team president resigns after police ...CGI Honors Academy find bag filled with $240K of cash in his car Yahoo Sports - The president of a third-tier Italian soccer club has resigned after police searched his car and found a bag filled with $240,000 of cash.

According to Gazetta, Novara president Marcello Cianci was unable to explain to financial police where he got the money.

Per the report, a financial group asked the Reggio Calabria police to stop an SUV that Cianci was in. Cianci had “inexplicable nervousness” and that led to police searching his car and finding the food bag filled with €200,000.

Cianci then resigned from

Novara is 15th in Group A of the Serie C. (Photo by Michael Regan - The FA/The FA via Getty Images) his position with Novara after the incident. He had been with the club since 2019 and the team said in its statement announcing his resignation that it didn’t have anything

to do with the money that was found in his car. Italian soccer has long been plagued by financial scandals and mismanagement.

“The Novara Calcio

Sunday February 07, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Get on the fast track and use your powerful words and creative mind to make quick decisions that are mindful yet spontaneous.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Start the day with some vigorous yoga and then some meditation to help clear your mind. Stretch your body and get the blood flowing through all of your limbs.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Do something for the community today, , and really consider how your talents and skills can best be put to work. Consider volunteering at a school or library.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) If you're having trouble tackling a giant problem, Cancer, don't get discouraged or overwhelmed. They key for you is to break things down into smaller chunks, analyze them, and figure out their role within the greater whole.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) If you're having trouble tackling a giant problem, don't get discouraged or overwhelmed. They key for you is to break things down into smaller chunks, analyze them, and figure out their role within the greater whole.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Imagination and fantasy play a big part in your thinking today, Virgo, and you shouldn't hesitate to embrace this frame of mind.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Engage more of your rational mind today, Libra. If your mind continues on its track into a fantasy world, you might consider enlisting the help of people who can help you bring some discipline to your situation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Suppose you were someone else for a day, Scorpio. How would it feel to be treated the way you normally treat other people? This is a good time to put yourself in someone else's shoes and experience life through their eyes.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today your thoughts may turn to fashion and the different ways in which you can improve your wardrobe.

Don't be afraid to create a look that reflects your true inner spirit.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The amazing thing about your nature is that, like a good politician, you have just the right tone of voice and catch phrase for every situation.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You're apt to get the feeling that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence today, Aquarius. Try not to get too hung up on this.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your mind may wander to a fantasyland full of castles, wizards, and magic dragons today. You could find that you're putting yourself in the robes of a beautiful or handsome figure.

company announces that it has received from Mr. Marcello Cianci his resignation from the office of President and CEO of the Company, for personal and professional commitments,” the club said in a statement.

“The Members will soon convene a Board of Directors to elect the new appointments.

In the face of the news that are circulating in these hours and which see the same involved, the Novara Calcio company declares itself totally unrelated to the facts, which concern strictly personal events and not related to his work within the Club.”

Novara is currently 15th in Group A of Italy’s Serie C division and has just 23 points to the top team’s 46.

The third tier of Italian soccer is comprised of 60 teams divided among three groups.

...Battle for bragging From page 71 (SIC), the event is expected to see a full grid of competitors and the GMR&SC has been very vigilant via social media correspondence with its members ensuring that the correct health & safety protocols along with COVID-19 guidelines will be employed during the highly anticipated race.

At least 20 cars are expected to line up at the Timehri track today for the three-hour long battle and all eyes will be on defending overall and 1600cc champion Adrian Fernandes and Anand Ramchand, who will be piloting the Team Wreckers’ Gilette sponsored Levin.

Meanwhile, lap record holder Rameez Mohamed’s Integra is sure to put down some fast times with mechanic Balram Ramdeo ensuring more race longevity this time round.

Following the Endurance first round action will be the first round of the Drag Championship which will take off on February 28th after the GMR&SC recently received approval from the National Covid-19 task force.

This drag championship is expected to be high powered with Team Mohamed’s fleet of Nissan GTRs and S&D Performance garage of cars anticipated to headline the action.

The GMR&SC has reiterated that healthy safety must be of paramount importance and competitors must be properly equipped with the necessary gear.

From page 71 upcoming ICC U19 World Cup which is planned to be held in the West Indies in 2022.

The other Rank C contracts have been awarded to two talented players that many persons have their eyes on for future success, fast bowler Qumar Torrington and opening batsman Kevlon Anderson.

The four Rank B contract players include two players with first class exposure in Bhaskar Yadram and Ronaldo Ali-Mohamed.

Richie Looknauth is rewarded for his continued commitment, as he remains as an academy contracted player, while all rounder Quinten Sampson gets his first opportunity to be involved with the academy

structure, and is expected to stimulate an increased level of competition among players.

Leading the Rank A contract list is the experienced Assad Fudadin. He is joined by the promising wicketkeeper/batsman, Kemol Savory, outstanding left arm spinner at the domestic level, Anthony Adams and by the talented right arm leg spinner Steven Sankar.

Both the current academy contracted players, as well as the available CWI/ CGI contracted players are required to report to Academy coach, Julian Moore at the LBI ground for 09:00 hours on Monday 8 February 2021, unless otherwise engaged in CGI national duties.

Kaieteur News

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Sunday February 07, 2021

Injuries mount as Osaka, NBA roundup: Raptors edge Serena, Kenin struggle Nets amid Kevin Durant drama ahead of Aussie Open Naomi Osaka pulled out of an Australian Open warm-up tournament because of injury.

World number three Naomi Osaka joined Serena Williams and Simona Halep with injury niggles ahead of the Australian Open yesterday as defending champion Sofia Kenin blamed her groin strain on spending two weeks in coronavirus quarantine.

The season’s first Grand Slam has had an unusual build-up after the pandemic torpedoed much of last year’s schedule and gave players only a week to play warm-up tournaments after their mandatory quarantine in Australia.

Japan’s Osaka, the US Open champion and 2019 Australian Open winner, withdrew from her Gippsland Trophy semi-final against Elise Mertens, blaming a long-standing shoulder problem.

“Anyone that’s followed me for a bit knows that I’ve had a slight shoulder thing since 2018 in Beijing,” she said. “It kind of flared up again because I played a lot of matches back-to-back.

“But, yeah, my main focus is hoping I can rest enough before the Open.”

Osaka had looked in fine form powering past Irina-

Camelia Begu 7-5, 6-1 in 76 minutes on Friday.

She joined Williams as a late withdrawal after the American 23-time Grand Slam winner pulled out of her semi-final against world number one Ashleigh Barty with a shoulder problem Friday.

Wi l l i a m s , 3 9 , w h o withdrew after beating fellow American Danielle Collins 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 in the Yarra Valley Classic, said Saturday that the injury wasn’t serious.

“I feel pretty good. I’ve gotten a lot of treatment already on my shoulder. But I’m super-confident it’s going to be great,” she said.

H o w e v e r, Wi l l i a m s added: “It’s definitely something that I’m going to have to deal with for the fortnight.”

- ‘Completely sore’ Spanish world number two Rafael Nadal has also been struggling with a lowerback problem that has kept him out of the ATP Cup. Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka was another casualty, opting not to play her quarter-final clash with Anett Kontaveit at the

World number two Simona Halep was hampered by injury in her Gippsland Trophy defeat.

Grampians Trophy due to a lower-back injury.

World number four Kenin said not being able to practise properly during quarantine had left her “completely sore” after returning to action.

“After two matches, my leg is completely sore,” said Kenin. “You can see that being in a room for two weeks, not playing, practising, it’s not the same as playing a match clearly.

“People who haven’t played matches for two weeks, it’s obviously not the same.”

Due to Australia’s strict rules for incoming travellers, players underwent a compulsory 14-day quarantine on arrival but were granted daily five-hour blocks for training and treatment.

Some players, including Azarenka, had to endure a hard lockdown and were not able to train at all after coronavirus cases were detected on their charter flights.

“Today it’s better. I’m not going to complain about that,” she said. “I want it to be better for the Australian Open,” said Kenin.

World number two Halep was also hampered by a lower-back injury as she was thrashed by Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-1 in the Gippsland Trophy quarterfinals.

“I struggled a little bit from the air-conditioning with my low back,” she said.

“The muscle got a little bit blocked. But I did some treatment last night, this morning, so I’m getting better now. It’s nothing dangerous.”

Toronto Raptors power forward Pascal Siakam (43) controls the ball against Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Pascal Siakam scored a season-high 33 points Friday night and the visiting Toronto Raptors posted a 123-117 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, who saw star Kevin Durant exit due to health and safety protocols.

Kyle Lowry produced a season-high 30 points for the Raptors while Siakam added 11 rebounds and six assists as the Raptors won for the eighth time in 12 games. His layup with 35.8 seconds remaining gave the Raptors a 121-113 lead and essentially sealed the game.

Durant was pulled from the starting lineup shortly before the opening tip and scored eight points in 19 minutes before he was forced to leave midway through the third. During the fourth quarter, he tweeted “Free Me” and ESPN reported Durant will not travel for S a t u r d a y ’s g a m e i n Philadelphia.

Joe Harris led the Nets with 19 points and James Harden added 17. Kyrie Irving and Jeff Green added 15 each for Brooklyn.

Boston Celtics 119 - Los Angeles Clippers 115 Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Kemba Walker had 24 as Boston rallied from

an 11-point, third-quarter deficit to earn a road victory over Los Angeles.

Carsen Edwards scored 16 points off the bench as the Celtics won without Jaylen Brown, who sat out due to left knee soreness.

Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points and Lou Williams contributed 18 for the Clippers, who were without Paul George because of swelling in a toe on his right foot. Los Angeles was back home after a 4-2 road trip but saw its six-game winning streak at Staples Center come to an end.

Miami Heat 122 Washington Wizards 95 Bradley Beal’s seasonlong streak of 17 straight games with at least 25 points came to a crashing halt when he was held to just seven in Washington’s drubbing at the hands of host Miami.

Kendrick Nunn had a game-high 25 points, Bam Adebayo added 21, and Jimmy Butler flirted with a triple-double in just 26 minutes for the Heat. Miami ran up a 71-43 halftime lead and coasted home.

Reserve big man Alex Len topped Washington with 18 points. Beal’s backcourt mate, Russell Westbrook,

totaled just 13 points, three rebounds and three assists in his 25 minutes.

Milwaukee Bucks 123 Cleveland Cavaliers 105 G i a n n i s Antetokounmpo’s 33 points and 12 rebounds helped Milwaukee open a six-game road trip with a win over Cleveland. Antetokounmpo also had four assists and four blocks to help the Bucks pick up their third consecutive win.

Milwaukee beat the Cavaliers for the second time this season in the first of a back-to-back set on back-toback days in Cleveland.

Cleveland had seven players score in double figures, led by Collin Sexton’s 19 points. Andre Drummond had an impact inside with 18 points and nine rebounds.

In other scores: Utah Jazz 138 - Charlotte Hornets 121 Phoenix Suns 109 - Detroit Pistons 92 Orlando Magic 123 Chicago Bulls 119 New Orleans Pelicans 114 - Indiana Pacers 113 Minnesota Timberwolves 106 - Oklahoma City Thunder 103 (Field Level Media)

Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

PAGE 67

Everest Cricket Club launches inaugural Speaker’s Int’l Softball Cup President of the ECC and speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir addresses the gathering.

By Zaheer Mohamed

T

he Everest Cricket Club on Friday night launched the inaugural Speaker’s Cup International softball cricket tournament.

This competition is scheduled to be staged from April 2-4 and will be played in the over 45 and Over 50 categories.

Speaking at the l a u n c h i n g c e r e m o n y, Speaker of the National Assembly and President of the Everest Cricket Club, Manzoor Nadir, said that the game of softball cricket has become very popular and contributes to physical fitness. Nadir recalled the hype GTT softball tournament brought to the sport and said the younger

people need to be aware of the functions of the state.

“The state has three important arms; The Executive, headed by the President; The Judiciary, headed by the Chancellor; and the Legislature, headed by the Speaker. As part of bringing the Legislature closer to the people, we have to go on an information campaign. What I envisage is that we can engage with the children, we can be more prevalent on social media, we can inform the public through the media and working through sport to promote awareness and cohesion.”

“I spoke with the ECC Executive to look at formats of the game where we could attract even during COVID a large audience and so what

Members of the ECC and sponsors at the launching ceremony of the Speaker’s Cup. was envisaged by the ECC was that we host a Speaker’s T20 competition, starting in December and concluding in March. We were prepared to be part of the sponsorship, but due to constant rainfall and covid restrictions it has been a challenge for clubs to maintain their grounds, so we were unable to get that competition off the ground.

However, that tournament is still on the cards.”

Nadir added that many sponsors have pledged their support and indicated that he is prepared to commit the resources to make the tournament takes place for the next four years. He lauded the Executive and

Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall for his input in sports over the years.

Prakash Balgobin an executive member of the ECC said the tournament is being held in collaboration with Mr. Nadir and it has attracted 16 teams including six from overseas.

“Attractive cash prizes and trophies will be awarded to the winners and runners-up of both categories, while the man-of-the-match in each game as well as the playerof-the tournament will be rewarded.”

The final will be played at Everest CC and will conclude with a bar-be-cue and lime as part of the club’s

fund-raising efforts and all of the established COVID-19 protocols will apply. “This international competition will be the third of its kind complementing the Prime Minister’s Cup and the President’s Cup which is slated for March.”

First class umpire Ryan Banwarie said the umpires for the tournament will be provided by the Georgetown Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association. He informed that to be eligible for the Over-45 category, a player must be born in the year 1976, or celebrate his 45th birthday on December 3rd.

And to contest the Over-50 category, a player must be

born in the year 1971 or earlier, or celebrate his birthday by the 31st December 2021.

Banwarie relayed that the games will be played under the supervision of a match referee, and in the case of rain, the Duck worth Lewis System applies.

Anil Beharry of Everest Masters congratulated the ECC and spoke about the unity the game brings to the c o m m u n i t y. S a f r a z Sheriffudeen CEO of V Net Communications and an executive member of the ECC thanked all stakeholders and said they are looking forward to a successful tournament.

Chiefs fans wade into enemy waters for back-to-back Super Bowl bid TAMPA, Fla (Reuters) Kansas City red dotted a sea of Buccaneers burgundy in Tampa this week as intrepid Chiefs fans entered enemy waters ahead of today’s Super Bowl showdown.

For just the fourth time in 20 years, a reigning Super Bowl winner will feature in a consecutive NFL championship game, a rare honor that this year came with no small amount of swagger for Chiefs fans, who watched their team hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Miami in 2020 after a five-decade drought. The Kansas City loyal said this week that they weren’t deterred by the hometown crowd in Tampa, which has its own bragging rights, as the first city ever to host their own team in the Super Bowl.

“I know the Kansas City fans – they travel, they travel

Fans spend time at the Super Bowl Experience presented by Lowe’s at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park ahead of the weekend’s Super Bowl LV between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida, U.S., February 5, 2021. (REUTERS/Eve Edelheit)

well,” said Anthony Barnes, a lifelong Chiefs fan clad in top tight end Travis Kelce’s jersey, who flew in from Kansas City to mingle among the crowd at the N F L’s S u p e r B o w l

Experience. “We’re known to go to a city and almost take it over.”

An array of team affiliations were represented at the league’s outdoor showcase, where attendees

waited hours for a glimpse of the Lombardi Trophy and fans of the Bucs and the Chiefs were represented in virtually equal measure.

A limited crowd of 22,000 fans - including

7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers to whom the NFL offered free tickets - will be allowed to attend in the 65,618-capacity Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, along with 2,700 fans watching from suites.

“It’s different than when we went to Miami by a long way,” said Chiefs fanatic Deb Page, who hails from Wichita, Kansas, and moved to nearby St. Petersburg five years ago. “We were a big presence in Miami... Here, you’re on home turf. So it’s different, very different.”

The Chiefs rolled into Tampa after yet another blockbuster season, thanks in large part to reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, who finished second in the league in passing yards en route to a 14-2 record.

The team is angling to

become the first to win backto-back titles since the 200304 New England Patriots, who were led by the current Bucs’ quarterback Tom Brady.

By Friday night, Brady’s new hometown advantage was clear, as a packed crowd - overwhelmingly dressed in Bucs jerseys and apparel came to watch the Gasparilla Pirate Ship set off a dazzling fireworks display on the Tampa waterfront, kicking off the Super Bowl weekend.

“We feel like it’s Tampa Bay 60% then 30% everyone else and maybe 10% us,” said Alex Vanderveen, a 26year-old real estate agent who adopted the Chiefs after moving to Kansas City four years ago. “So we find our Chiefs fans, we get excited.

“We’ve got to just be a little bit louder than everyone else.”

Kaieteur News

PAGE 68

Sunday February 07, 2021

Regional Super50 starts today in Antigua - Jaguars, Tridents clash tomorrow in D/N game

By Sean Devers Six teams will vie for the Clive Lloyd Trophy when the 2021 CG Insurance Regional Super50 bowls off today with no spectators in Antigua as Leewards battle Windwards in the opening game.

Guyana Jaguars begin their campaign when face 2019 runner’s up, Barbados tomorrow in a Day/Night encounter which commences at 13:30 hrs.

Guyana play the Leewards (Feb 12 at 13:30 hrs), Jamaica (Feb 14 at 13:30hrs), T&T (Feb 20 at 13:30hrs), Windwards (Feb 22 at 09:00hrs) in their other preliminary round games.

The semi-finals are scheduled for February 24 and 25 respectively, while the grand finale is set for February 27.

For the first time in a long time the best players in the Region will compete in the same tournament which should make for competitive cricket.

The T&T Red Force, led

by ODI Captain Kieron Pollard and including West Indies players Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons, Jason Mohamed, Darren Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Sunil Narine, Denish Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Akeal Hosein and Khary Pierre, should start as favourites…at least on paper.

It was on that 108 square mile Island that Guyana captured their first title in 1980 and tomorrow, the Leon Johnson led squad will be hunting their 10thfirst

Chemar Holder

Nail Smith

Jason Holder Regional 50-over title and first since 2005.

Led by three tons in a tournament-high 462 runs and a century from Sewnarine Chattergoon in the final, Guyana beat Barbados by seven runs on the Duckworth/Lewis system to lift the 2005 KFC Cup before their 15-year title drought began.

Tomorrow, under lights at the small Coolidge Cricket Ground, the Bajans who lost to the West Indies Emerging Players in the last final in Trinidad, suffered a major blow when their most accomplished batsman Shai Hope and his brother Kyle had to withdraw after contracting the Corona Virus.

Led by Test Captain Jason Holder, the Tridents Franchise will also bank on Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Miguel Cummins, Chemar Holder, Ashly Nurse, Keon Harding, Dominic Drakes and Shamar Springer.

The Jaguars are without West Indies all-rounder

Kemo Paul who is still not fully recovered from injury, opener Trevon Griffith, who tested positive for covid-19 and left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, the lone Guyanese in the West Indies team in Bangladesh.

Guyana, who has qualified 17 times for the Finals and three times since their last title, will pin their hopes on the tremendously talented but the very inconsistent former West Indies U-19 Captain Shimron Hetmyer who has been named Vice-Captain.

The last time the pugnacious 24-year-old lefthander, who has put on a bit of weight, played for Guyana in a 50-over tournament was in 2018 when he smashed a scintillating century.

The Berbice player, who has four centuries and five fifties in 45 ODIs, will be keen to return to form after three consecutive failures in the Jaguars practice games at LBI. The batting will center around Skipper Johnson, Chanderpaul Hemraj,

Hetmyer, Assad Fudadin, Chris Barnwell and Romario Shepherd who have all played for the West Indies in International cricket.

Barnwell, now 34, has b e e n G u y a n a ’s m o s t consistent batsmen over the past few seasons and his positive attitude and selfconfidence should make him one the leading performers this season.

The free-flowing Hemraj and experienced fellow lefthander Fudadin should complement each other in the power-play as they hope to give Guyana a solid foundation.

The 33-year-old Johnson has scored 13 fifties from seventy-three 50-over games including six ODIs, but he has managed to convert just one of those fifties into a century.

Arguably the best leader in the West Indies, Johnson will have to lead from the front with the bat and as

Captain if he wants to join Roy Fredericks, Clive Lloyd, Roger Harper, Carl Hooper, Milton Pydanna and Shiv Chanderpaul as Captains who have led Guyana to 50-over titles.

The entertaining Hetmyer could set the tournament on fire once bats responsible and improve on his temperament and shot selection. The talent is certainly not lacking.

If Barnwell, Anthony Bramble, Shepherd and Kevin Sinclair bat to their full potential Guyana could post 300 totals on tracks which are reportedly good cricket pitches.

Guyana’s bowling will be spearheaded by the genuinely quick Nail Smith with fast bowling support from Shepherd and Keon Joseph, while off-spinner Sinclair and left-arm spinners Gudakesh Motie and Hemraj gives Guyana a potent bowling attack.

Jaguars’ Head Coach Esuan Crandon informed that the players have responded positively to the bubble rules.

“It wasn’t something they’re accustomed to but they understood the importance of following the rules,” said Crandon who was in the 2005 squad which w a s l e d b y Manager/Assistant Coach Shiv Chanderpaul.

“We had our first practice on Friday morning and it went well for us. We also practiced yesterday and another session is set for today.

Everyone is fit and healthy but we don’t have any scheduled practice sessions under lights even though only our last match against the Windwards Hurricanes is a day match,” informed the 39-year-old Berbician who took 24 wickets from 25 fifty over games for Guyana.

Big Bash League: Sydney Sixers beat Perth Scorchers in final

B

BC Sport Sydney Sixers beat Perth Scorchers to defend their Big Bash crown, inspired by 95 from England batsman James Vince.

Vi n c e , w h o w a s controversially denied a century when the two sides met earlier in the play-offs,

propelled the hosts to 188-6.

Though his England team-mate Liam Livingstone made 45, the Scorchers were rarely in the chase, ending on 161-9.

The Sixers’ 27-run victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground gives them a third title, level with the Scorchers.

Between them, the Sixers and the Scorchers have won six of the 10 editions on the men’s BBL, with both teams beating each other in two finals.

After these sides finished in the top two in the league table, the Sixers defeated the Scorchers in the play-offs to

The Sydney Sixers players celebrate after clinching victory in the BBL 2020-21 final. (Getty Images) advance directly to the final.

Vince made 98 not out and was denied a century when Andrew Tye bowled a

wide to concede the winning run.

After the Scorchers won the toss and asked the Sixers

to bat, Vince played some glorious strokes, striking 10 fours and three sixes in his 60-ball innings.

The Sixers’ scoring slowed following his dismissal at the beginning of the 16th over, only to be boosted by late cameos from Dan Christian and Carlos Brathwaite.

Perth were without E n g l a n d ’s J a s o n R o y because of ankle injury, with his replacement Cameron Bancroft giving them a swift start.

Livingstone initially struggled, but while he was a the crease, the Scorchers had slight hope.

His dismissal was the first of three wickets to fall for 22 runs, and though Bournemouth-born Aaron Hardie swiped two sixes, the Scorchers fell further behind.

Left-arm seamer Ben Dwarshuis picked up 3-37, Jackson Bird and Sean Abbott took two apiece and 37-year-old Christian picked up two wickets as he won the BBL with a third different team.

Scores: Sydney Sixers 6 for 188 (Vince 95, Tye 2-29, Richardson 2-45) beat Perth Scorchers 9 for 161 (Livingstone 45, Dwarshuis 3-37) by 27 runs.

Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

Mominul Haque sets off for a single, Bangladesh vs West Indies, 1st Test, Chattogram, Day 4, February 6, 2021 © BCB

PAGE 69

Haque’s hundred helps Bangladesh set West Indies 395 target

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HATTOGRAM, Bangladesh (AP) — Captain Mominul Haque hit his 10th test century and off-spinner Mehidy Hasan continued his good form for Bangladesh on the fourth day of the first test a g a i n s t We s t I n d i e s yesterday.

M o m i n u l ’s 11 5 — reaching the 3,000 runs milestone in the process — helped Bangladesh set a fearsome 395 runs target for West Indies.

That makes back-toback hundreds after Mominul, who recorded his ninth ton last year against Zimbabwe.

“He has backed it up with another good hundred today,” Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo said. “He has set the game really well for us, so we are very pleased

with the way he is playing at the moment.”

At the end of the day, the visitors reached 110-3, with two debutants Kyle Mayers (37) and Nkrumah Bonner (15) batting. Mehidy Hasan (3-52) took all the three fallen wickets.

Resuming the day on 473, Bangladesh declared its second innings on 223-8 with Liton Das playing an important role alongside the captain.

Das struck 69 and shared 133 for the fifth wicket stand with Mominul to keep the visitors frustrated.

We s t I n d i e s g o t a glimmer of hope when offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall struck early, dismissing Mushfiqur Rahim for 18.

Mushfiqur reviewed the decision in vain.

With the ball keeping

low, Mominul and Liton had to be watchful.

Mominul completed his 10th century off 173 balls, pushing the ball toward cover for a quick single.

This made him the highest centurion for Bangladesh, eclipsing opener Tamim Iqbal’s nine tons. The century is also his seventh in Chattogram venue.

Both Mominul and Das fell in the space of five balls in a bid to accelerate the scoreboard.

Shortly after that, Bangladesh declared it innings to give them enough time for ensuring the victory.

Cornwall and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican grabbed three wickets each.

“I don’t think it would be an easy wicket to bat on the fifth day,” Cornwall said.

“The first hour is going to be crucial, and we can take it from there. Once we get past the first hour, we take it session by session, and see how far we can go.”

Chasing the target of 395, West Indies openers — captain Kraigg Brathwaite (20) and John Campbell (23) — made a sedate start, before both of them threw it away.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan, who scored a century in Bangladesh’s first innings, got both of them in consecutive overs.

Mehidy then claimed the wicket of Shayne Moseley for 12 to leave West Indies 59-3.

With Bangladesh looking to close in on victory, Bonner and Mayers resisted by sharing 51-run in an unbroken fourth wicket stand.

I’m ‘clean’ says suspended Olympic hurdles champ McNeal

Brianna McNeal says she is a “clean” athlete after the second doping-related suspension of her career.

A

FP - Olympic 100m hurdles champion Brianna McNeal insisted she was a “clean” athlete on Friday following the second doping-related suspension of career.

In a brief statement released on her Instagram account, the 29-year-old US hurdler revealed she had suffered an ankle sprain and recently tested positive for Covid-19 as well as learning of her suspension on January 14.

The Athletics Integrity Unit said last month that McNeal had been suspended for “tampering” with part of a doping control.

“It has been a tough few

weeks, from the news, to spraining my ankle then getting covid in a span of a week,” McNeal wrote on social media.

“As far as my situation goes, I am still me! Very clean, very honest and transparent,” McNeal added.

“Once all of this blows over I will provide more details of what’s actually going on. The system is pretty messed up if you ask me but that’s another topic for another day.

“I will be continuing to grind and do my absolute best to stay afloat.”

McNeal claimed Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and also won world gold in Moscow in

2013 under her maiden name of Rollins.

She is the owner of the joint fourth-fastest run in 100m hurdles history, having clocked 12.26 seconds in Des Moines in 2013.

But she now faces the prospect of missing the rescheduled Tokyo Games later this year in what will be the second doping-related suspension of her career.

McNeal was previously handed a one-year suspension by the US AntiDoping Agency (USADA) for failing to properly file whereabouts information for out-of-competition testing three times in 2016.

The date of her third and last missed whereabouts

report was September 27, just five weeks after her success in Rio. The ban meant McNeal missed the 2017 world championships in London, but it did not affect the gold she won in Brazil.

The hurdler did complete eight out-of-competition tests over the course of 2016 and did not test positive.

McNeal received the least allowable penalty from USADA after it emerged that for two of the missed tests, post-Rio, she had firstly been traveling to her home state of Florida to be honored and then to meet then-US president Barack Obama at a White House reception for Olympians.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 70

Sunday February 07, 2021

England in command after Root’s double hundred vs India Joe Root shows off the full face of his bat © BCCI

Ben Stokes deposited R Ashwin for six down the ground early on day two © BCCI

Joe Root celebrates his double-ton, India vs England, 1st Test, Chennai, 2nd day, February 6, 2021 © BCCI

CHENNAI, India (AP) — England finished day two of the first test against India at 555-8 after Joe Root scored his fifth test double hundred.

Root scored 218 runs, facing 377 deliveries, and hit 19 fours as well as two sixes.

Celebrating his 100th test in style, Root racked up the highest individual score in the milestone test, passing Inzamam ul Haq’s 184 for Pakistan in 2005.

Root reached the milestone off 341 deliveries

shortly before tea. He became the first visiting batsman to score a double hundred in tests in India s i n c e N e w Z e a l a n d ’s Brendon McCullum in 2010.

McCullum was also the last batsman to reach that mark against India, seven years ago in Wellington.

Overall, Root is the third English batsman to score a double hundred at Chennai after Mike Gatting and Graeme Fowler. Overall, he is the fifth visiting batsman to achieve the feat at this

ground, with Australians Dean Jones and Matthew Hayden the other two.

“It’s a bit frightening when you’re at the other end and he makes it look so easy,” teammate Ben Stokes said after the day’s play. “At t h e m o m e n t h e ’s i n incredible form, and to play as well as he’s done in conditions that are alien to English batsmen is phenomenal.”

Root and Stokes added 124 runs for the fourth wicket and dominated the

morning session.

Stokes scored his 23rd half-century and attacked the spinners. He was out caught in the deep post lunch in a bid to further up the ante against Shahbaz Nadeem (2-167).

“Today, initially, it was a typical subcontinent wicket,” Stokes said, “but Nadeem got a couple to kick out of the rough, and I said to myself, I’d rather get caught deep square taking the attack to him rather than get caught short leg being defensive.”

Stokes scored 82 runs off 118 deliveries with 10 fours and three sixes.

E n g l a n d ’s b a t s m e n frustrated Indian bowling throughout the day. There

was little help from the pitch, even with the odd low bounce. However, through the last session, there was more spin extracted from the surface.

“There’s obviously more in the wicket for the spinners than the seamers, and you’ve got to give a lot of credit to Ishant (Sharma) and (Jasprit) Bumrah for the way they run in. We’ll need to do that as well,” Stokes said.

Bumrah finished day two with 2-81, while Sharma took 2-52. The latter took a b r a c e o ff c o n s e c u t i v e deliveries in the final session as England was pegged back.

Sharma made it a double blow when he bowled Jos

Buttler (30) and Jofra Archer (0) off successive deliveries in the 170th over.

Jack Leach (6 not out) and Dom Bess (28 not out) then batted out the remaining session. Rohit Sharma dropped Bess on 19 not out, off Washington Sundar (098). Ravichandran Ashwin finished the day with 2-132.

India bowled 19 no balls so far in this innings.

On day one, Root became the ninth batsmen to score a hundred in his 100th test as England had reached 263-3 at stumps. Dominic Sibley scored 87.

Scores: England 555 for 8 (Root 218, Stokes 82) vs India.

South African spinners push Pakistan in second Test tussle AFP - George Linde took three wickets and Keshav Maharaj two as South Africa and Pakistan wrestled for advantage on the third day of t h e i r s e c o n d Te s t i n Rawalpindi yesterday.

Pakistan closed the day on 129-6 with an overall lead of 200 and four wickets intact on a tacky Rawalpindi stadium pitch which has cracks to help slow bowlers.

Linde (3-12) and Maharaj (2-74) rattled Pakistan’s top order before Faheem Ashraf (29) and Mohammad Rizwan (28 not o u t ) s a v e d P a k i s t a n ’s blushes during their 52-run sixth wicket stand. Linde removed Ashraf caught in covers, leaving Hasan Ali not out on nought when bad light ended the game.

The day could have ended in South Africa’s domination had Ashraf and Rizwan not been dropped off

Hasan Ali picked up his second five-for in Tests. (PCB) the two spinners.

Ashraf was yet to get off the mark when Dean Elgar grassed an edge off Linde in slips while Rizwan was four when Rassie van der Dussen let off a sharp chance off Maharaj. Pakistan would hope another 50 runs on day four could win them the match and the series, having won the first Test in Karachi by seven wickets.

Hasan said batting wouldn’t be simple given the conditions.

“Even chasing 200 won’t be easy on this pitch,” he said. “We will try to get to 240 to 250 and with our spinners it won’t be easy.”

The highest target chased in the previous ten Tests at this venue is 220 which Sri Lanka chased to beat Pakistan by two wickets in

2000. Linde said South Africa were “hungry to win”.

“Obviously we have to win this Test to level the series,” he explained. “I think anything under 300, we will take that for a chase.”

Earlier, Hasan’s 5-54 — his second five wicket haul in Tests — restricted South Africa’s first innings to 201, giving the home team a lead of 71. Pakistan had made 272

in their first innings, but South Africa reduced them to 42-2 by tea.

Pakistan lost newcomer Imran Butt — managing just 36 in four innings of his first series — in the fifth over, leg-before to pacer Kagiso Rabada for duck.

Butt’s partner, Abid Ali fell caught behind off Maharaj for 13, ending up with 33 in the series to highlight Pakistan’s top order woes. Azhar, on 11, survived a confident legbefore appeal off Maharaj only to see the referral showed it was the umpire’s call. It was Hasan who wrapped up South African innings after they added 95 runs in the morning.

Temba Bavuma fought a lone battle with 44 not out.

Resuming at 106-4 South Africa had hoped their skipper Quinton de Kock would build on his breezy

overnight score of 24, but the left-hander played on to Shaheen in the third over of the day. De Kock scored 29.

Bavuma and Wiaan Mulder frustrated Pakistan’s pace-cum-spin attack during a 50-run sixth wicket stand before disaster struck.

Mulder nudged a push to deep fine-leg but while returning for a second run failed to beat a Shaheen throw and was run out.

George Linde hit three boundaries and a six in his quickfire 21 but missed the line of a Hasan delivery and was bowled. Hasan also had Maharaj (one) and Anrich Nortje (nought) to finish the innings.

Scores: Stumps Pakistan 129 for 6 (Rizwan 28*, Hasan 0*) and 272 (Ashraf 78*, Nortje 5-56) lead South Africa 201 (Bavuma 44*, Hasan 5-54) by 200 runs.

Kaieteur News

Sunday February 07, 2021

PAGE 71

GBA Referee/Judges Commission ECCB condemns attempts now comprised of 60% females to hold disruptive Demerara

Cricket Board Elections

S

Sherece Agard The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Referee/Judges Commission is now made up of sixty percent females, a position that puts the commission in line with a mandate of governing body AIBA, a release of the GBA disclosed.

The five-person Commission appointed last month, is made up of three females and is chaired by Guyana Defence Force Warrant Officer and AIBA One Star referee Lawrence Assanah. The three females are Sherece Agard, Denoila Bristol and Nicola Yhap all of whom are Committee Members.

Richard Braithwaite, also an AIBA One Star referee was appointed Vice

Denoila Bristol

Richard Braithwaite Chairman of the commission.

Selecting females to be a part of the decision making processes is in keeping with the aim of AIBA and other sporting bodies in the world that to institute balance between the genders, the

release informed.

GBA president Steve Ninvalle explained that the association has taken it a bit further since 60% of the Commission is made up of females.

“We have taken it a bit further in the fact that we have placed the majority in the hands of the females. We will try to see how much we can continue in this vein to ensure that women have their fair share and play their part in the development of boxing in Guyana.”

The Commission was previously chaired by a female, Ramona Agard, another AIBA One Star referee. Assanah and other members of the R/J commission will hold office for two years.

Endurance C/ship round 1

ecretary of the East Coast Cricket Board, Davteerth Anandjit, has issued a statement strongly condemning efforts to have election held for the body, when according to him, election have already been held and a duly constituted body has been in place since last year.

Here is the full text of the statement from the ECCB Secretary: “East Coast Cricket Board condemns belated attempt by East Coast Cricket Committee to stop legal elections of Demerara Cricket Board.

The Executive Committee of the East Coast Cricket Board, which held lawful and unchallenged elections in August, 2020, notes with utter disgust and amazement the attempt by certain persons to stop and/or cause confusion in the longawaited lawful elections of the Demerara Cricket Board, which said lawful election is imminent.

The East Coast Cricket Board discovered that in the classified advertisement section of the Guyana Chronicle Newspaper of 5th February, 2021, certain clubs, unlawfully and suddenly referring to themselves as the East Coast Cricket Board, issued a notice for an election of the East Coast Cricket Board.”

“The East Coast Cricket Board held lawful elections in August, 2020 and that election has not been challenged by anyone. The East Coast Cricket Board which held the elections in August, 2020 is the very

Davteerth Anandjit, ECCB Secretary same East Coast Cricket Board which was recognized by the High Court in Action No. 622 FDA of 2018 (Demerara) as the lawful and legitimate East Coast Cricket Board.

In that High Court Action, Anand Sanasie had challenged the legality of the East Coast Cricket Board and his challenge failed, miserably.

Sanasie, ‘the so-called’ Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board who is not the secretary had always refused to recognize the legitimate East Coast Cricket Board but has instead chosen to recognize his supporter group, East Coast Cricket Committee.

As recent as October, 2020, the East Coast Cricket Committee issued two press releases in the print media, Guyana Times on 21st October, 2020 and Guyana Chronicle on 22nd October, 2020 where the East Coast Cricket Committee proclaimed their alleged success of cricket on the East Coast and made disparaging remarks about the legitimate and lawful East Coast Cricket Board.

Now that a lawful election of the Demerara Cricket Board is imminent, the persons or groups who held themselves out proudly to be East Coast Cricket Committee have now metamorphosed into East Coast Cricket Board.”

“The reason for the metamorphosis is simple.

Only the East Coast Cricket Board is recognized under the Guyana Cricket Administration Act and can lawfully vote at the Demerara Cricket Board election.

The East Coast Cricket Board wishes to remind the public that at the lawful election of the Berbice Cricket Board, a “new and embryonic” Upper Corentyne Cricket Association emerged less than two weeks prior to the Berbice Cricket Board election in an effort to cause confusion, but the Learned Judge in the Berbice Cricket Board matter saw through the sinister plan and the attempt to interfere with the lawful election of the Berbice Cricket Board was thwarted.

Truth, Justice and Law will always prevail and this attempt by the East Coast Cricket Committee to interfere in the lawful election of the Demerara Cricket Board will suffer stillbirth.”

“The East Coast Cricket Board is a lawful entity and anyone attempting to impersonate officers of the Board or usurp their functions will suffer the c o n s e q u e n c e s .

Impersonation is a criminal offence.”

Battle for bragging rights begins CGI Honors Academy Contracts despite COVID 19 impact

Shan Seejattan on the go. (GT Callouts photo)

The 2020 motor sport season gets underway with the first round of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Endurance Championship at the South Dakota Circuit, Timehri, this afternoon where Team Special Auto have confirmed that they will be among the speedsters throwing down the ‘throttle’

for bragging rights.

In an invited comment with Kaieteur Sport, Team S p e c i a l A u t o ’s S h a n Seejattan shared that today’s race is very important for the racing fraternity after over a year of inactivity and many scores will be settled as the hunt for bragging rights begin.

Seejattan also confirmed

that Special Auto will have two cars on the South Dakota Circuit this weekend; his Toyota Levin and Roshan Ali’s Toyota Starlet, both of which have been tuned by mechanic Anil ‘Nala’ Persaud.

Under the title sponsorship of Secure Innovations & Concepts Inc (Continued on page 65)

Cricket Guyana Inc. honored its commitment to contracts promised players during the latter part of the 2020/2021 cricket season.

This commitment has been honored despite speculations from some sections of the cricket sphere in Guyana that the academy players may have been kept in the doldrums for the complete 2020/2021 season.

However, such speculations have since been

dispelled with the CGI administration continuing to uphold their 3-tier contract structure, which awards the respective players ranked A, B and C contracts.

This season Academy Rank A contracts have been awarded to four players, Rank B to another four players, with six players receiving Rank C contracts.

This brings the number of players contracted to 14, which indicates an

additional two contracted players from previous seasons.

Among the noticeable Rank C contracted players are the talented youth players Mavendra Dindyal, Matthew Nandu, Isai Throne and Rampertab Ramnauth all of whom are currently under the watchful eyes and nurturing system of CWI, as specific player development initiatives take root with the (Continued on page 65)

Mehidy Hasan Miraz celebrates a wicket with his team-mates, Bangladesh vs West Indies, 1st Test, Chattogram, Day 4, February 6, 2021 Š BCB

Haqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hundred helps Bangladesh set West Indies 395 target Shimron Hetmyer

Chris Barnwell

Romario Shepherd

Regional Super50 starts today in Antigua - Jaguars, Tridents clash tomorrow in D/N game Endurance ECCB condemns attempts to Battle for C/ship round 1 hold disruptive Demerara bragging rights begins Cricket Board Elections

GBA Referee/Judges Commission now comprised of 60% females Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.