Kaieteur News

Scenes from the Regional Children Mashramani Competition 2023

Georgetown kicks off Children’s Mash

TheDepartmentofEducation electrifying as students from C o m p e t i t i o n D a n c e & – Georgetown on Monday schools across the education Masquerade finals will be held at launched their Children’s district showed support for their the National Cultural Centre, MashramaniCompetition2023. peers who are apart of the located on Homestretch Avenue,

This is the first time the competition Pupils from Georgetown.OnFridayFebruary competition has been held after it primary schools across the city 17, the Children’s Dramatic was disrupted by the COVID-19 dazzled the audience in their Poetry & Calypso finals will be pandemic. Masharamani2023is brightly coloured costumes and held at the Mash Festival Stage, celebrated under the theme well-choreographed routines as located on Main Street Avenue, “Mixing and Mashing as One they competed in seven (7)

Georgetown On Saturday, Guyana ” In brief remarks, categories. February 18, the curtains will Principal Chief Education Meanwhile, most of the other come down on the Children’s Officer, Mr Emmanuel regions have already wrapped up Mashramani Competition 2023, Bridgewater expressed their district’s competition. The with the Children’s Costume satisfaction at being able to host winners of the regional Parade The students will the event. He encouraged the competition will then head to showcasetheircolorfulcostumes students to have fun and do their Georgetown to compete at the parading the streets of bestastheydisplaytheirtalents. nationallevel.

Georgetown. The parade will

The atmosphere at the OnThursdayFebruary16,the start at Parade Ground and end at National Cultural Centre was C h i l d r e n M a s h r a m a n i NationalPark.

‘Show us all the documents’

- Opposition submits Motion to Parliament seeking all documents for US$2 billion Wales gas plant

Op p o s i t i o n Stabroek Block co-

official to ensure there is buyer’s agreement, field liability on the Government

e m b e r o f venturers, ExxonMobil, t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d development, licensing ofGuyanaifExxonisunable

r l i a m e n t , Hess and CNOOC on June

accountability in the conditions, onshore works, torepaytheloanitwoulduse

G a n e s h 30,2022. managementofpublicfunds. and land matters that are to cover the cost of the Mahipaul on Monday To this end, Mahipaul

This is the third attempt currently being drafted. The pipelinethatwouldtransport submitted a Motion to the said in his motion, “BE IT by the Opposition seeking respective agreements and the gas from the Liza One National Assembly seeking RESOLVED, that this details surrounding the policy documents will be and Two Projects to onshore the release of all documents National Assembly instructs controversial GTE project. presentedtothisHonourable facilitiesatWales. for the Wales Gas-to-Energy the Minister of Natural Shadow Natural Resources House when they have been Since the inception of (GTE)Project. Resources to forthwith lay Minister, David Patterson on agreed upon and executed. this US$2B project, the

In the motion seen by over to the National October 18, 2022 had asked All agreements are being entire agreement has been Kaieteur News, Mahipaul Assembly all documents whether any agreements done in a timely manner to shrouded in secrecy When said that in 2022, a total of relating to the construction were signed with Esso meet the Final Investment the Heads ofAgreement was $24,613,000,000 was of the Wales Gas-to-Energy Exploration and Production Decision which will allow signed, the press was invited allocated in the Budget for Project and the Heads of GuyanaLimited(EEPGL)in for the project to be but were not allowed to ask the project with another Agreement signed on June connection with the Wales completedbyourcommitted questions.There has been no $43,300,000,000 approved 30,2022.” project and if yes, for the deadline of December press conference on the this year towards the Mahipaul further stated MinistertosupplytheHouse 2024.” mega project too, even construction. that the motion is submitted with a copy of the said Additionally, former though there is no updated

IDPADA-G seeks talks with Govt. on withholding of subvention

In keeping with the based on the UN mandate. proceedings The court instructionsofthecourts,the IDPADA-G said it has proceedings continue in International Decade for assisted hundreds of accordance with the

With over $67.9 billion against the backdrop of the agreement. Health Minister and feasibility study proving the already budgeted, the Government clearly merit because billions of In response Minister of Opposition Member of viabilityoftheproject. Opposition Parliamentarian spending huge sums of dollars were already spent in Natural Resources, Vickram Parliament, Volda Lawrence Government said the pointed out that the House is taxpayers’ money without 2022 and billions budgeted Bharrat explained that while had tabled several questions venturewilllowerelectricity yet to be provided with the notifying the citizens what tobespentin2023.” government has inked an in the National Assembly in costsby50percent,however Final Investment Plan. He theagreementisbetweenthe The Opposition Member agreement with Exxon, the Januarythisyeartoascertain independent analysts have also noted that the Peoples Governmentandinvestors. ofParliamentconcludedthat document cannot be made the financing arrangements said this may not be possible Progressive Party (PPP) Mahipaul reasoned, with the government acting publicjustyet. in place for multi-billion duetotheincreasedpricetag Government signed a Heads “Theclaimthattheprojectis in secrecy, it is his “Mr Speaker, the dollar GTE project. In the oftheproject. of Agreement with the notfinalisedyetcannotbeof responsibility as an elected Government of Guyana has questions posed to Prime The Wales GTE project s i g n e d a H e a d s o f Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) entails three components Agreement (HOA) with the Mark Phillips, Lawrence inclusive of the pipeline, a Stabroek Co-ventures 30th askedforthenationtobetold Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) June 2022. This agreement the cost of the gas-to-shore facility to treat and separate sets out the principles and pipeline project, and where the gas and a power plant to c o n d i t i o n s f o r t h e or whom the government is generate 300 megawatts of commercial and technical sourcingthefinancingfrom. electricity Exxon’s pipeline arrangements of the Gas-to- Lawrence also asked for so far is expected to cost Energy Project,” Bharrat details on the associated US$1 3 billion, while said. terms and conditions. The Government anticipates the

People of African Descent Guyanese in the process of requirements of the Civil A s s e m b l y - G u y a n a developing businesses Procedure Rules,” the (IDPADA-G) has formally through training in the Attorneyexplained.“ writtentotheGovernmentto writing of business Despite the withholding hold talks on the issue of proposals financials The of the subsidy, Alexander their subvention which has Governmentnonethelesshas said IDPADA-G is not beenwithheld. been withholding IDPADA- completely crippled but

The organisation G’s monthly subvention of “handicapped.”Onthisnote, dispatched its letter to $8M over claims of I D PA D A - G ’s C h i e f Attorney General, Anil mismanagement – an Executive Officer (CEO), Nandlall, SC. During a news allegation the organisation Olive Sampson said that conference on Monday, has rubbished. The Afro- from September 2022 to Chairman of IDPADA-G’s Guyanese organisation has February 2023, government Coordinating Council, since taken the Government owes the organisation an Vincent Alexander told the toCourtoverthesubvention. estimated GY$49 million. media that the idea is to have Chief Justice Roxane She said the organisation dialogue. “Our objective is George- Wiltshire called the was relying on local and to pursue the release of c a s e a n a t i o n a l diaspora donations to carry money for last year and to embarrassment and urged out some of its work ensure that the money is the two sides to consider a especially to help residents released for the rest of the mediator However, Mr of Mocha, East Bank decade,”Alexandersaid. Alexander said while Demerara where their

The UN Decade for IDPADA-G has written the housesweredemolished. People ofAfrican Descent is Attorney General, it has not According to the lawsuit themed “People of African nominated a mediator filedbyHughes,IDPADA-G descent: recognition, justice IDPADA-G’s lawyer, Nigel is seeking an Order of and development.” It calls Hughessaid,“itishopedthat Mandamus to have the on Governments around the theAttorneyGeneralwillact subventions that was world where people of with some form of budgeted for last year, to be African Descents reside to a l a c r i t y I t i s a n returned to the Organisation put mechanism in place to unconditional invitation to a h e a d o f t h e f i n a l help improve their state of engage,”hesaid. determinationofthematter existence. “This letter, even though Hughes explained that Alexander said that it emanated from Court IDPADA-G had a legitimate I

as been proceedings does not have expectationofthe fulfilling its obligations an impact on the Court

(Continued on page 15)

TheMinisteraddedinhis former minister called on other two aspects would cost written response, “There are Phillips to state if there an additional US$700 other agreements on supply, would be a contingent million.

Opposition MP, Ganesh Mahipaul

Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456

Editor-In-Chief:NIGELWILLIAMS

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

Schlumberger going down a bad road

American corporate power, Schlumberger, is

goingaboutmattersthewrongway TheHouston facility that it so ardently desires be given clearance,toconductitsbusinessstandsasagoodexampleof whatwepresenttodaytofellowGuyanese.Thesumofwhat Schlumberger is seeking to force through in Houston is disrespectful and dangerous to the residents of that community and, still worse, an insult to all Guyana, especiallyourjudiciary

The range of Schlumberger interests reduces to this: the companywishestomoveaheadwithitsfacilityinHoustonto position itself to offer supporting services to another Americancompany,oilgiantExxonMobil,andintheprocess capitalise on the lucrative opportunities abounding in Guyana,withastreamofrichprofits.Withallofthis,weare fully supportive, for any company that comes to Guyana to participateinourballooningoilsector(nosectorisexcluded) andtoprofit.

We are for that, but on three conditions that are nonnegotiable: we, the Guyanese people who own the natural resources wealth, must also benefit richly, and we must be confident that we are safe in all the operations of every foreigncompany,beitExxonMobilorSchlumbergerorany other

The third condition is that all foreign companies, and thosewhoaresub-contractedbythem,musthavethehighest regardforourlaws,electedrepresentatives,systems,andall citizens.Inthepressinghastetopushthroughwithitsfacility inHouston,itisourbelief,ourposition,thatisgoingagainst, evenhostileanddisrespectfulof,ourpeople,oursafety,and ourlaws.

ThealarmwasalreadysoundedbeforebythreeHouston residents, who had the courage to take the matter about Schlumberger’s storing of radioactive and other possibly hazardous materials in its facility in their community to court. Inturn,theGuyanaCourtruledthatSchlumberger‘s activitiesmustcease.

Guyana’sEnvironmentalProtectionAgency(EPA)ison recordas saying thatit recognizesthe decisionof the court, but here is Schlumberger persisting with its program of moving ahead with what has been halted. Notices were placedbythecompanyinthemediawithinformationrelative topublicconsultationsaboutthesameradioactivefacilityin Houstonthatwasblocked.

ItseemsthatSchlumbergerwilluseitsguile,itsmuscle, anditsgrowingforeignfootprintinGuyanatogetitswayin anywaythatsuitsitsvisions. WhatSchlumbergerisdoingis togoaroundacourtruling.

WhatSchlumbergerismanifestingisagreatdisregardfor our judiciary, our fellow citizens, and our concerns for gettingthingsdoneright,andinwaythatputsapremiumon safeguards for Guyanese. This can never sit right with us, never be acceptable. If this is the way with our judiciary today, then what is next in line to be trampled upon by Schlumberger (and others watching closely), our government? WouldSchlumbergerthinkofsomethinglike this,andactuallysummonthenerve,todosoinAmericaor Europe? We don’t think so; not with NIMBY (not in my backyard)heldsodearlybycitizensofthosesocieties.

Foritspart,Guyana’sEPAhasstatedthatitisunawareof an application by Schlumberger to restart operations in Houston(KNFebruary6).

The reasonable question that follows is whether Schlumbergermakesitsownrules,marchestoitsowndrum, regardlesswhereourinstitutionsstand,orwhatourcourthas adjudicated. Guyanese should be thankful that there are peoplestillremaininginthiscountryliketheRadziksisters and Mr Raphael Singh, who will not be intimidated or deterred from standing up for their safety, their rights of citizenship.

Theirstanceandtheiractionsshouldbecomethestandard formoreGuyanesetobeawareofwhatoilcompanies,andoil relatedbusinessesareabout,andifsuchnegativelyimpacts theirpresentandfuture.

Replace the part-time jobs allocation with a wage subsidy to increase the minimum wage

DEAREDITOR,

Iamwritingtofollowup on my letter from January 2017 regarding the adoption of a basic income guarantee tied to a dividend payment from our natural resources, includingoilandgas.

As I mentioned in my previous letter, I strongly believe in a broad-based citizensshareapproach.

Recently, the Guyana Chronicle newspaper reportedthatover$64billion has been distributed to Guyanesecitizensinthefirst two years of the current administration.

If my proposal from six years ago was implemented, this amount would have providedeveryfamilyoffive with approximately $426 thousand in the first two years of this administration. Since August of last year, theywouldhavereceivedan additional 105 thousand at thesamepayoutrate.

From August 2020 to February2023,everyfamily offivewouldhaveover$530 thousand. I believe this would have made a significant impact on the lives of our most vulnerable citizens In light of the

recently passed budget, I wouldliketorecommendan adjustment to the allocation forpart-timejobs. Ipropose using the $10 billion as a wagesubsidytoincreasethe minimum wage By redirecting the funds from part-time jobs, employers –particularly in the non-oil sector – would be able to affordtopaytheiremployees a higher wage, and those in the informal economy may beencouragedtoregularize.

I believe that the wage subsidy will promote labor forceparticipationandboost productivity Importantly,

the wage subsidy will contribute to a culture that respects and embraces the dignityofwork.

Low-wage workers will receive a pay increase, and employers will be able to increase wages without hurtingtheirprofitmargins.

I urge the decision makers to reconsider my proposal from six years ago a n d t o c o n s i d e r i m p l e m e n t i n g m y recommendation for a wage subsidy to increase the minimumwage.

Yoursfaithfully, SelwinAsafaGeorge

‘Minibus Madness’

(Part I- Who caused it?)

DEAREDITOR,

I saw an editorial in a newspaper recently addressing the atrocious culture of the minibus that weasapeoplehavetoface.

It is a culture that is despicable, reprehensible andnotgoodforourcountry inthepast,present,oreverin thefuture.

Most significantly, itis a culturethatneedsaddressing urgently. I must admit that they are few minibuses that operate professionally and moresowhendrivenbytheir owners.

There is much history that is responsible for this madness that prevails which is relevant to this apparent, ’perpetual’ dysfunctional minibus culture. Please note thefollowing:

1. (a) Being the kind of personality that our First Prime Minister, and later President: Mr Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham h a d H e h e l d n o consultations with the citizens of his country, and by what some may consider his dictatorial persona, he decided to close down the railways of the country Simultaneously, he shut down all private bus services.Shortlyafterwards, he established the Guyana TransportServicetocaterfor transportation from the

Upper Corentyne to New Amsterdam Rosignol to Georgetown and other areas ofthecountry

Almost instantly lives w e r e c h a n g e d Transportation for agricultural products to the city from various agricultural areas of the country changed overnight creating a lot of hardships, adjustmentsandconfusion.

1.b) The trains amazingly were sold to a British gentleman for ‘next to nothing’ who sold it subsequently to an African nation for 300 times the actual price that he paid the Guyana Government. It is known that wherever the British went, that for their convenience and by extensiontheconvenienceof the people they establish railwaysystems.

2.AsonefromtheUpper CorentyneIrecallasayouth the bitterness of the agriproducers, small and big business people who used thetraintoferrygoodstothe city and back to their townshipsandvillages.

Overtime the transport system started to collapse. Forbes Burnham failed to realize that those persons who were managing their private busses were paying attention to their investments Unlike the

Wethinkthatitwouldbemorerespectable,morewelcoming, if Schlumberger comes right out and state unambiguously thatnohazardousmaterialofanytype,inanyquantity,willbe part of their Houston facility and operations. Such a public commitment, duly verified and monitored afterwards, is helpfultomutuallybetterpartnerships,andbeneficialforall involved.

system set by the government through the GuyanaTransportService.

Where many were stealing parts, vehicles were being destroyed by negligence, lubricating oils were not being topped up properly (not frequent changes of oil) and engines were disappearing. Persons collecting the fares were stealing the cash!There was no form of electronic accountability for persons entering and leaving! In the case of the private operators they were handling their money and they knew exactly how to manage their personalaffairs.

3 Maybe the Forbes Burnham Government taught that all the monies in the PublicTransport System operated by private persons would have enriched the government.Somepeoplein the country expressed very serious contrasting views and stated that the aim insteadwastobreakacertain set of persons economically As was the establishment of theinfamousExternalTrade Bureau(ETB).

4.(a)Thelossofthetrain servicecreatedatremendous negative impact on the economy of the people from the Corentyne, where I hail from.

This is why I know so muchalthoughIwasachild. With this in mind, I am encouragingthegovernment to immediately consider reestablishing the train service from Upper

from Upper

Corentyne all the way to Georgetownviaspecialrails across the river And or RosignoltoGeorgetownand like that other areas of the country Seeing that this governmentwillbeinpower for many, many decades to come. It will be a mighty investmenttodooneatleast pertermperfiveyeartermin government.

(b) I travelled in Europe and saw how train service helpedinthedevelopmentof the Holland economy, Germany, Switzerland, etc. In Germany the service is freeofchargetothepeopleto encourage the non use of petroleum base motor vehicles.

Many citizens in Germany and Holland use mostly bicycles and each family has several bicycles to one person: one for comfort, one for speed, one forwork.Allthesecountries also have most reliable publicbustransportservice.

MyrecommendationasI stated above is for the Government to start looking at rail service To start lookingatluxurybusservice in which individuals could be invited to provide such a serviceandnotabusservice that is owned and controlled bythegovernment.Thatwill create its own logistical issues with maintenance, mechanics,dishonestyinfee collection, thievery of parts etc.

Butmustbeaservicethat is supervised by an aggressive government entitysuchastheTLC

Minibus operators are permitted to be above the law

DEAREDITOR,

It appears that the minibusoperatorsinRegion 3, especially some of them plyingtheParikatoVreed-en Hoop route, are above the law particularly, those who donotjointhelineatVreedenHooporParika.

Some of these minibus operators have been playing their music at very high decibels for years now

When some of them are reminded by passengers about the laws that govern their operations, they retaliateandbluntlyrefuseto turn their music down Travelling is supposed to be apleasantexperience.Thisis not the case in these minibuses.

Whetheritisearlyinthe morning,middayorevening, the operators play music at extremely high decibels. On one occasion, it was observed that although a baby just about 1-2 months oldwasinthebusthedriver played the music very l o u d l y T h i s i s unconscionable. Onanother occasion there was a young primary school child in

another bus and songs with obscene lyrics were played. Furthermore, on another occasion I was in a bus and an audio track promoting oralsexwasbeingplayed.It was almost like looking at pornography

Some of the buses even havepicturesofwomenwho arenakedexceptforapairof skimpy underwear Editor, some of these conductors and drivers are even stopping en route to buy alcoholic beverages to consumeontheway

Editor, we cannot continue to allow these operators to have their way with us. Why do young children and the general public have to endure this outrageous obscenity that is forced upon us? Why must wesitidlybyandallowthem to dump their trash in the young immature minds of our school children. This will only contribute to more chaosinoursociety

One renowned speakerJimRohnsaid,“Whataman puts into his mental factory (mind) weaves the fabric of his life.” Furthermore, he

posited the question, “Can youimaginedumpingabale of trash into your mental factory and having a rich dynamic positive life?” He concluded,“It’sliketryingto make a cake with cement.” Additionally, there’s a computer acronym GIGO which means ‘Garbage In Garbage Ogut’. The same is true of our minds. If we allowtheviolence,vulgarity and filthy content to be dumped into our minds by these minibus operators it will result in unwholesome and negative thoughts, whichultimatelycontributes towards devious and worthlessbehaviour Itisfor this reason that hundreds of parents are faced with the burden of contracting buses to transport their children to school.

Editor, I think this indecencyhasbeengoingon for so long because the Ministry of Home Affairs and the law enforcement officers are sleeping on the job with their eyes wide open.Itmayalsobebecause the bus operators have the commander and police of

Much irony lies within our Mashramani Celebration

DEAREDITOR,

Last week I came across a Children’s Mash

Competition video , at 1st glance I got excited. The children were beautifully attired in the colours of our flag, the Guyana colours; andIwasevenmoreexcited that they were having fun and seemed very much into their performances. BUT I became distracted by the reverberationofAfrobeats.

I had questions:

1.IsMashaGuyanesething or an everybody, every countrycelebration?

2. Why is the use of creative pieces from Guyanese yet to be outlined as a criterion for participation?

3. How is afro-beats and creative pieces from foreigners pushing our Guyanese identity, culture andpeople?

4 Are our “Cultural Ambassadors” as the organisers, genuinely missing or actively ignoring t h e p r o m o t i o n a l opportunities of our culture where our national celebrationsareconcerned?

I would assume the originalintentionbehindour celebration/s is linked to emphasizingandreinforcing ourculture.But,ourdisplays thisyearandyearspasthave

been conveying otherwise forthemostpart-verylittle alignment. I believe we are beyond the times where we could excuse this continuation. It would even be a BIG LIE if we were to think that there isn’t enough creativepiecesfromourvery own Guyanese which could be utilised. So much has been happening in our creative industries YET SO LITTLE is being done to promote these efforts and

Region3 in their pockets. Editor, if we choose to neglect these minibus operators we will choke on the dust of our own negligence Neglecting to act will give these operators a free rein to continue amplifying their indecent behaviours and engaging in an assault on good morals, valuesandstandards.

T h e P o l i c e Commissioner, the Region ThreeCommanderandthose officers who they supervise can them prove themselves worthy of their stripes by arresting this lawlessness metedoutbybusconductors and drivers to their passengers.

Iftheycannotenforcethe law governing operation of minibuses for public transport, then in my analysis the Police Commissioner and the Region Three Commander and those under their charge allarelikeabunchofjokers wearing stripes on their uniformthatmeansnothing.

If the Government and the police force are serious aboutreducingthecrimerate inthenearanddistantfuture they should simply enforce thelaw

in broad daylight that needs little effort to catch the criminals.Whatelsedoesthe Commissioner and Commander need?Are they waiting for violent confrontation between commuters and bus operators? Ihopenot.

Editor, what is very disturbing, shocking and sickening is that these very bus operators take their vehicles on a yearly basis to beinspectedsothattheycan receive the fitness certificate Do these inspectionofficersnotseeall the music equipment installedinthesebuses?Are these inspection officers blind? Editor, if blind persons are given such an importanttaskwewillallfall intoaditch.

To remedy this problem, I am suggesting that a grace periodofoneweekbegiven for the operators to remove their music systems from their minibuses. If they fail to remove them after the graceperiodthentheirmusic systemsshouldbeseizedand

burned.

Another suggestion is that if the Minister of Home Affairs and those under his charge cannot enforce the law about music in buses, they should simply resign and have others who are more competent to enforce the law, take their position. Otherwise, the Guyanese public is paying them to encourage slackness and lawlessness. I also would like the Minister of Human Services and Social Protectiontogetinvolvedin thisfightagainstlawlessness andindecency

The Ministry can launch campaigns to sensitise and empowerthepublictostand against bus operators who operate in this lawless manner While I commend this government for being proactive in infrastructural development I urge them through the relevant ministries to exercise the same urgency and seriousness to enforce the law Indoingsowewillall (Continuedonpage6)

our culture. If we have changed or are changing the original objective of Mashramani, for the Guyanese culture and p e o p l e , “ C u l t u r a l Ambassadors”pleaseinform thepublic.Ifwehavenot/are not, again “Cultural Ambassadors” please let us be more intentional about everyMashplanbeingmade goingforward.

Regards,

S.Edghill.

Editor,thoseinauthority already have the Legislation and the Judiciary in place to arrest this issue. Every year one can find a letter in the newspaperscondemningthis lawlessness in minibuses

Furthermore, this is a crime

Do we view our democratic rights and liberties and the constitution in the same way?

DEAREDITOR,

It would appear that the concept of election denialism which has long existed, mainly within the lower, less-developed spectrumoftheinternational d emo cr atic s cale, derogatively labelled as banana republics, has been spreading upward and outwardatanalarmingpace since former US President Trump made it the hallmark ofhispoliticallegacy

Some observers conclude that it has even becomethecentraloperating principle of one of the two major political parties in the U S A w h e r e m a n y

candidates, executives and legislators have adopted the policyofrefusingtoabideby theresultsofelectionsanda willingness to perpetuate misinformation, fraud, harassment and violence to cast doubt and disaffection, andtooverturnunfavourable results The famed US reporters,CarlBernsteinand Bob Woodward, concluded thatthe42ndPresidentofthe USAwas“thefirstseditious President” and that “Donald Trump not only sought to destroy the electoral system throughfalseclaimsofvoter fraud and unprecedented public intimidation of state electionofficialsbuthethen

attempted to prevent the peacefultransferofpowerto his duly elected successor forthefirsttimeinAmerican history” Allegations of voter fraud were many but thesewererecognizedbythe courts and election officials as theories in search of factual evidence which did not exist and were largely rejected. Some allegations including the claim that voting machines were “flipping votes in the computer system or adding votes that did not exist” has led to multi-billion dollar defamation lawsuits against theagentsandmediaoutlets that recklessly perpetuated

such falsehoods The absenceofevidencewasnot a deterrent to such unprincipled actors who clearly believed that they could, either through persuasion or intimidation, find a judge or election official to engage in constitutional betrayal to decertifyanelectiondefeat.

The difference between success in Guyana, and failure in the USA, employing the identical strategy of false claims of election fraud, harassment and intimidation of election officials,violentinsurrection and contingent elections is precisely because of the

different postures adopted by the courts and election officialsinbothplaces.

In the US, the courts, election officials in critical swing states, the Justice Department and the VicePresident rejected the many falseclaimsoffraudinspite of immense political pressure,includingthreatsto thelifeoftheVice-President and members of Congress.

Unfortunately, Guyana was different; the courts and the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission, likely under very severe local and international pressure, were instrumental indecertifyingvalidelection

results and introducing contingent elections to deliverareversal. Afederal judge in the USA was clear that these actions “would have permanently ended the peaceful transfer of power, undermining American democracy and the constitution.” Do we view our democratic rights and libertiesandtheconstitution inthesameway?Andwhatis tobecomeofusifparties,or individuals, believe that it is permissible to employ such tacticsinthefuture,orisita singularprivilegeorrightfor some?

Sincerely,

OscarDolphin

‘Minibus Madness’(Part I- Who caused it?)

Frompage4

Inspectorate System in New York. These luxury buses would be air conditioned, have educational shows, movies, yoga, patriotic and civicmotivationaltalksetc.

No smoking, no vulgarity, no lewdness, no raisingofvoices,noindecent musiconthesebuses.

The mini bus drivers could be trained to become properbusdrivers.Butthere will always be work in Guyanaforthosewhodonot want to get involved in the busbusiness.

Theculturehastochange through education, uniformityanddiscipline.

Thiskindofbusandtrain environment would be good for the youths travelling to and from school. Persons would be able to relax in comfortable seats with a recliner as they travel long distances. Short term buses will cater for short distance travels.

Inreferencetothepoints raise about the trains above, in Holland and Germany, there is an electric train service that operates around thecity

For a very small fee in Holland and other States personscanaccessthistrain for an entire spin around the city As I have said above in

Germanythattrainserviceis free around the city Such a Train and Bus Transport ServicethatIhavesuggested here, will give people a chancetosavemoneyandto travel in comfort This servicecouldbeprovidedby the Government of Guyana through the wealth being garnered by the resources owned by the people of Guyana for the people of Guyana.

The safety and comfort ofthepassengersmustbethe m o s t i m p o r t a n t considerationinthesetransit services.

Sincerely,

HajjiDr.RoshanKhan

Minibus operators are permitted...

Frompage5

enjoy a more law abiding, happier and more civilised society Lesscrimeinsociety brings about lasting happinessandpeaceofmind as opposed to cash grants whichonlybringshappiness forashorttime.

IwouldlikePresidentAlito knowthatthosequalitiesina societyarealsoamagnetthat would attract and keep investors as opposed to condoning a society that behaves in a lawlessness manner

I would also like President Ali to contemplate whether he would like to be

remembered as president who addressed mass bullyism by bus operators towardscommuters.

If not he would be rememberedasthePresident who presided over gross lawlessnessinhishomeland; a Head of a Lawless state. Conversely, President Dr Irfaan Ali could further distinguish himself from all the presidents in the recent past by dealing seriously withthislawlessness.

I am sure President Ali enforces the rules in his home.Anygoodfatherdoes.

I urge him to ensure the relevant authorities enforce

the laws governing our country

Finally Editor, every religion celebrates the triumph of good over evil. I am pleading with the authorities,donotsitidlyby and allow evil to triumph overgood.

Thosewhositidlybyand see lawlessness happening and do nothing about it are justaslawless.

Theydonotneedtoplay along in the old the game whentheyhavethepowerto changethegame.

Yoursrespectfully, B. Persaud– Seriously ConcernedCitizen

BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT...BLUNT

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TAKING

CONTRACTOR TO COURT

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It is a good development, taking that one contractor to court.

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The PPPGovt. must do more about other failures for contractors.

Contractor friends and contractor cronies should also be taken to court.

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But then they could talk, and the whole baby party bruk up.

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The whole house of cards collapses.

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ExxonMobil disrespectful to Guyanese for hosting consultations and refusing to answer questions - Patterson

As ExxonMobil winds country, one thing has tool to tick boxes for the Resources Minister, David d o w n a s e r i e s o f become clear- that the operator Patterson in an interview consultations across the process was used only as a S h a d o w N a t u r a l with this newspaper on Sunday said that he was q u e s t i o n e d o n t h e unable to attend any of the operations’impact to marine sessions hosted as there was lifeandfishinparticular only one meeting held in The Projects Manager

Region Four That session had said given the depths at was facilitated last Thursday which the oil company is at the Umana Yana in operating, the type of fish Kingston, Georgetown that is consumed cannot be during the consideration of affectedthere.

Budget2023Estimates. Hesaid,“thewaterdepth

During the meeting, that you have and the depths several questions asked, that we are (carrying out our w e r e u n a n s w e r e d operations), if you have ever Importantly, a critical looked at National subject raised during the Geographic or Discovery meeting was insurance for Channel, when they go deep what damages, their the sixth project The sea and they got to put the responsibility is no Projects Manager for lights on to see down there, environmentaldamagenotif ExxonMobil Guyana, the type of fish that you weeatthefishornot.”

Anthony Jackson said he encounter at those depths, The Shadow Minister of was not able to give a one:itisverysparseandtwo: Natural Resources was also response but knows that the are not the type of fish you keen to point out that these company will not leave if andIwouldeat.Infactwhen organisms are critical to the thereisanoilspillincident. you bring those fish to the food chain and would

Patterson believes that s u r f a c e t h e y o f t e n therefore have an impact on this response was out rightly disintegrate so the the fish Guyanese depend disrespectful. “If they had activitiesatthebottomofthe on.

any respect for the ocean where the water-depth “Everythingisconnected Guyanese, they would have is deep my personal thought so Exxon cannot destroy the walked with the full team is that it’s not gonna have environment and then say because these are the thatmuchimpact.” that it doesn’t harm questions they know would To this end, Patterson Guyanese because we don’t comeup.” argued, “That is an insult, I eat the food that they Turning his attention to think, to Guyanese people. destroyedorwedon’tusethe theotherconsultationhosted That is like saying listen to timber that they cut down at Leonora, Region Three, me; Guyanese don’t eat andthosethings.ThatIthink theformerMinisterofPublic mutton so therefore you is very insulting and this is Infrastructure said that he shouldn’t care what happens the first time I am hearing was appalled at the response to the sheep. The answer is somethinglikethat,”he givenbyJacksonagainwhen not what fish we consume or (Continued on page 9)

Shadow Natural Resources Minister, David Patterson

FORWARD TO THE PAST!

Backintheday–atleast up to the late 1970s – old people suffered terribly at the hands of children of school age The elderly would be shuffling slowly alongthestreets,somecould hardly move quickly, and they would face a torrent of verbal and physical abuse fromchildren.

Thechildrenwouldhave no mercy on these poor old soulsastheymadetheirway along the streets. The old peoplewould be peltedwith rock and stones and tormentedwithverbalabuse.

No one ever did a sociologicalstudyaswhy,in thosedays,thechildrenwere so eager and so without sympathy in tormenting old and lame people. But this sort of cruelty against the elderly was rampant at that time.Butthenitdisappeared.

In those days also, the West Coast Berbice Public

Road was not as heavily trafficked as it is today It was also not as well lit. In those days it was not unknown for drivers who struck down a pedestrian or even an animal to be taken out of their vehicles and given a sound trashing in certainvillages.Butvehicles were never vandalized Some drivers upon being involved in an accident in certain areas would drive to thenearestpolicestationand report the incident rather than stop at the scene, as required by law, and risk beingbeatentoapulp.

Last Sunday, it was a shockingthrowbacktothose days when a driver who allegedly collided with an electric bike, was beaten, robbed and had his car torched. It was a shocking development; one which it was assumed would have been left in the recesses of

history

That the car was set alight shows that there was moretotheragethansimply concern over the accident. Further investigations will determine whether the torchingofthevehiclewasa hate-crime. But either way, this sort of conduct has no placeinmodernsociety

Afew days earlier, there was a shooting incident in Buxton during an operation carried out by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). The team from CANUwaschasingavehicle suspected to be carrying narcoticsandinthecourseof the pursuit shots were fired. Despitenoonebeinghurt,it was reported that some residents became hostile to thelawmenandlaterblocked the main Public Road in protest at the actions of the lawmen.

But what was more

ExxonMobil disrespectful to Guyanese...

Frompage8 added. Moreover Patterson pointedoutthatExxonMobil through its operator, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) had warned in its

Environmental Impact

Assessments (EIAs) conducted to date that fish will be impacted due to the discharges from the oil and gasactivities.

On the other hand, he reasoned,“Thisisnotanew industry. This has been around for 150 years or so and in every district that is why they put in regulations on the treatment of wastewaterbecauseoverthe yearstheyhavefoundthatit

has done some amount of d a m a g e s t o t h e environment.”

Assuch,hereasoned,“It is like if you say to a Guyaneseohweonlyuseda dropofcyanideinyourwater and it will dissipate and it won’taffectyou.

T h a t i s v e r y irresponsible They are tryingtosaythattheamount of pollutants that they are putting in the ocean is not large enough to kill the fish or so but the position is that they are not supposed to be putting anything pollutants whatsoeverinourwaters.”

Patterson said he was unfortunately unable to attend the Georgetown

Dem Boys Seh...

consultation hosted by Exxon due to his

P a r l i a m e n t a r y responsibilities.

Accordingtohim,“They are doing these things so, I won’t say wickedly so nobody can attend. They were supposed to have several in town but they are just whitewashing this consultation just for formality because we know that EPA will give them the approval so they are just going through formality saying that they are consulting us and then they send someone to say oh that isnotmyareaofexpertise.I can’t answer that particular question.”

Double century call fuh double celebration!

Nuffpeoplestarttocelebratewhendem hear how Tage mek he maiden Test hundred.Denwasdoublecelebrationwhen heconvertittoadoublecentury

De boys gat good cricketing pedigree. He father was a star batsman fuh de West Indies.Andhedoeslookandbatjustlikehe father But he show we one quality which we like. He could when he wants change gears. He hit a six fuh reach he double century

Dat alone is a cause fuh celebration. Guyanese does look fuh a reason fuh celebrate. And nuff men who don’t even followcrickettelldembetterhalfhowdem gat to attend an event fuh celebrate de doublecentury

But nowadays dem women following cricket just as keen as men. If yuh want

knowdescorejustasksomeofdemwomen at yuh wuk place. Dem following de matchesevenandstraightlikedemen.And demcelebratingevenandstraighttoo.One woman tell she husband how she gan go with he to celebrate de occasion. Is suh whendemmenthinkdemsmart.Demdoes getoutsmart.

Dem boys glad fuh de young cricketer But dem boys know that there is always a timewhenyuhformdoesdipandyuhdon’t do as well. Is den yuh need de support of dempublic.Butisdenyuhdoesgetdemost criticism. So dem boys just hope dat now dat de West Indies finally settle on an opening pair, dat dem supporters gan support de openers and urge dem fuh do wellevenwhendemnahdowell. Talkhalf.Leffhalf!

difficulttounderstandiswhy was a truck which had nothing to do with the incident, was set upon and set alight. The driver was alsoreportedroughedupand robbed.

There are videos on social media of parts of the violence at both Hopetown, West Coast Berbice and at Buxton, East Coast Demerara These videos should be scoured by the police since it is possible to identifysome of the persons who were involved in unlawfulandviolentactions inbothoftheseincidents.

Followingtheincidentat Hopetown, the police has come out and said that it is exercising zero-tolerance towards the blocking of roads. But the same approach needs to be adopted in relation to robbing, assaulting, and the committing of arson during suchincidents.

Following an incident at Moon Repos last year, one

Minister of the government promised that serious charges w ou ld b e forthcoming.Butthishasnot materialized and the failure to take action against those culpable can only lend licensetosimilarincidentsin thefuture.

Photograph-enhancing

and face recognition technologies are now available to make easier the identificationoftheculprits.

Actionmustbetakentohold accountable those responsible for the violence in the two recent incidents. Once the guilty have been identified, those responsible can also be sued for tort damages. No stone must be left unturned to bring the guiltytojustice. If the driver of the car involved in the incident at Hopetown was guilty of an offence, then he should too be prosecuted. Vigilante justice should be made an example by the authorities. And if the assault and arson

constitutedhatecrimes,then the assailants should also face charges under the relevantlaws.

H o w e v e r , t h e government has had a tendency to allow such incidents to slide, out of the fear of instigating further unrest.Buthistoryhastaught us that unless there is effective and lawful deterrence, then such incidents have a way of repeatingthemselves.

History moves forward, not backwards.And there is no reason why Guyana shouldbegoingbackwards. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

Alex Graham orders Exxon official to not answer KN’s question on cumulative impacts of oil projects

An eerie form of censorship seems to be making its way into ExxonMobil Corporation’s public scoping meetings for itssixthproject.

For the third time, members of the media, specifically those from Kaieteur News, were told that their questions regarding the project, are either not relevant to the project in question or they areoutrightlyrefuseddueto lack of time The willingness of organizers to resist a certain line of questioning first raised its uglyheadonFridaylast.

Exxon held its first scoping meeting for Georgetown at the Umana Yanawhereitexplainedhow

muchoilitisgoingafterwith a sixth development. There, Kaieteur News was told by moderator of the session, Alex Graham that its

questions were not relevant to the sixth project. Those questions pertained to the optionsforuseofexcessgas from the project and the insurancepolicyinplacefor oil spills. At a second session, held in Lenora, this newspaper’s senior journalist was prevented from interrogating ExxonMobil officials on a series of issues since she challenged them on misleading those present on project impacts The lynching of hardcore

questions was evident for a third time yesterday at the Mahaicony Training InstitutewhenKNPublisher, Glenn Lall was denied a response to his question on cumulativeprojectimpacts.

“Has ExxonMobil or its consultant, ERM Guyana, conducted a cumulative impact assessment on the damage and destruction that wouldbefallGuyana,andits citizens? That is my question.Ihavesomemore,” iswhatLallsaid.

Graham who was the

moderatorinitiallyindicated thatLall’squestionwouldbe answered. He was keen to notehoweverthatthereisno time to entertain further questions. The time allotted to question and answer segment he said was nearly exhausted Though Lall insisted that he has a few more pertinent questions, Graham maintained, “No, youaredonespeaking.”

In protest of the clear d e m o n s t r a t i o n o f censorship,Lallsmackedhis left hand against his thigh

twice and insisted that his questionsareansweredsince that was the purpose of the publicscopingmeeting, Grahamatthispointshut down the entire meeting as he instructed Exxon’s Projects Manager, Anthony Jackson not to answer the question or any other posed by Lall KN Publisher commented following the conclusion of the meeting, the country is heading for darktimesifthisisthelevel of treatment that will be metedouttotheindependent press by a Guyanese moderator

Exxon’s sixth project, as previously reported, will target the Whiptail, Pinktail and Tilapia discoveries, estimated to hold over one billion barrels of oil resources.

The project is poised for startup in 2027-2028 and will produce between 220,000and275,000barrels ofoilperday(bpd).Scoping meetings for this project continuetodayattheGuyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Training Centre inBerbice.

Alex Graham

Kaieteur News Publisher, Glenn Lall

KN’s Publisher offers Exxon, EPA free air time, space to educate citizens on oil projects

Pu b l i s h e r o f last year he attended one of andinthecommunitiesinoil Kaieteur News Exxon’s consultations that andgas.”

a n d C h i e f washeldatBushLot,Region The citizen was keen to

Executive Officer 5 where only a few persons point out the importance of (CEO) of the Kaieteur turnedout. stakeholder engagement, Radio, Mr Glenn Lall has According to David, explaining that unless this is offered free slots on both “While the presentations taken more seriously platforms to ExxonMobil were very good, what is Guyanese will remain G u y a n a a n d t h e lacking is the public’s ignorant. On the other hand, Environmental Protection awareness of our people in he said that if the public is Agency (EPA) to enlighten oilandgas. mo0re aware of the citizens on petroleum- For instance, had it not operations it would be more relatedissues. been for these students, this interested in participating in

The businessman’s offer meeting (today) would have variousactivities. was announced during a been virtually empty I made Projects Manager for Public Scoping meeting that point at the meeting in ExxonMobil Guyana, hosted by Esso Exploration Bush Lot and I am making AnthonyJacksonagreedthat and Production Guyana thatpointagain.” stakeholder engagements

Limited (EEPGL) - Exxon’s H e c o n t i n u e d , werecritical,addingthatitis subsidiary- on the sixth “Somewhere between in fact priority for the oil is a place and an obligation helpsensitizethepublic. sector He said he was projecttobedevelopedinthe ExxonMobil and the company for us to properly engage “As the Publisher of willing to discuss “offline” StabroekBlockonMonday Government of Guyana and Jacksonsaid,“Ithinkitis withthepeopleofGuyanato Kaieteur News and also the what format the Publisher

The meeting was hosted the EPA, you have to critical, important for us to educatethem.” Kaieteur Radio, I am here had in mind. At the same at the Mahaicony Technical understand that unless the be out in the communities. I He pointed out that proposing to ExxonMobil time he explained, “In Institute, Mahaicony, public is aware of all the caredeeplyfortheGuyanese Exxon has dedicated a and the EPA to have the general I would say Region Five and only saw intricacies of oil and gas- people...I love this country sizable portion of its newspaper and the radio ExxonMobilGuyanaisopen theparticipationofahandful becauseoilandgascanmake I’veneverbeenwelcomedin resources this year to station open to let us inform to hearing suggestions on of citizens along with a Guyana or it can break a country like I have been socioeconomic engagement and educate the entire nation how we can better engage, roomful of students that Guyana. welcomed here and I’ve and visits to specific astowhat’shappeninginthe how we can leverage wererequiredtoattend. I want you to understand never been challenged the locations. oilsector.” existing formats...and how

Identifying the poor this;mypointisthatthethree way I have been challenged

It was here that Mr Lall To his proposal Jackson we can leverage the voices attendance, one resident of agencies I called should be here but I have a strong offered the oil company and said that Lall has been that are already out there the area who gave his name having more public affinity to the cause that you the regulator body free radio playing his part by actively educating people on as Abraham David said that participation in the schools justputforward.Ithinkthere timeandpublicationspaceto educating the citizens on the differenttopics.”

Top Cop warns citizens against blocking roadway, damaging property during protest

In wake of two recent

being chucked, pushed Thorough probe incidents where villagers around,slappedandpunched C o m m a n d e r f o r blocked the roadway before finally escaping the Regional Division #5, protesting various issues, angry crowd Kaieteur Assistant Commissioner, Acting Commissioner of News understands that the Mr Kurleigh Simon has Police, Clifton Hicken on businessman’ssonwastaken sinceindicatedthatwhilethe Monday appealed to to a police station where he situation is back to normal at members of the public to allegedly only reported the Hopetown a thorough desist from such unlawful assault and then went to a investigation has been acts, warning the force will hospital for treatment. After l a u n c h e d i n t o a l l not countenance such receiving treatment ,his circumstances surrounding behaviours. father then allegedly tried to the incident there. Giving its

The Commissioners’ take his son home but only officialversionoftheevents, appeal come in the wake of after an intervention made according to a police report, two recent incidents – one at by police and an Opposition around 17:26 hrs a 19-yearBuxton, East Coast Member of Parliament, was old male of Bath Settlement, Demerara, on Wednesday, he was stopped and taken West Coast Berbice, went to February 1, and the other into custody to assist with the Fort Wellington Police S u n d a y e v e n i n g a t investigations. Station and reported that Hopetown, West Coast

It is alleged that the around 17:15 hrs, he was Berbice. The two incidents businessman verbally driving motor car # PNN saw persons burning tires abusedtheranksfordoingso 1801 on the Hopetown and other debris and setting but it was explained to him Public Road, WCB, when vehicles alight as they that even though his son was two men on pedal cycles resorted to blocking the assaulted he still needs to be rode in front of him, causing throughout the country On occurred close to 18:00 hrs. one of the victims seemingly roadwaysandpreventingthe questioned about the himtocollidewithoneofthe S u n d a y n i g h t a They recalled that the unconscious, with shredded smoothflowoftraffic. accidenthewasinvolvedin. men. He said that moments businessman’s son was victimswerewalking“along clothes and bruises being

According to a police

By this time angry later, a crowd gathered at the assaulted and his car torched the shoulder of the placed in a car that sped off pressrelease,Hickenmadeit residents had set the s c e n e a n d p e r s o n s by angry residents after he Hopetown Public Road” and with him. Kaieteur News clear that “this type of businessman’s son’s car subsequently robbed him of crashed into two pedestrians were approaching the learnt that they were both behaviour is unlawful and ablaze and blocked the his iPhone Pro Max and one at Hopetown, Berbice entranceofanadjacentstreet admitted in a serious will not be tolerated.” He Hopetown Public Road goldchainaway Region Five. The accident when the businessman’s son condition Meanwhile, said those held accountable Region Five police ranks Asaresultofthereport,a victims were identified as a lost control of his car and other residents reportedly would face the full brunt of were quickly able to restore rank uplifted a medical teenager and young adult in crashedintothem. attacked the businessman’s thelaw,andtherewouldbea the peace and cleared the certificate and attempted to his twenties who might be a Public-spirited citizens son and gave him a sound zero-tolerance approach road. At 21:30 hrs it was escort the teen driver to seek member of the Guyana ran to their assistance and trashing until he was from the Guyana Police announced that traffic in the medical attention at the Fort DefenceForce. rushed them reportedly to rescued. Force to ensure that law and area was flowing smoothly WellingtonPublicHospital. A c c o r d i n g t o the New Amsterdam Public Cell phone recorded order are maintained again.

(Continued on page 17) eyewitnesses, the accident Hospital. Videossurfacedof videos surfaced too of him

Abraham David (right) sharing his concern about the lack of public engagements on oil and gas matters during an ExxonMobil Guyana meeting at Mahaica.

- as thorough probe launched into Hopetown unrest

The businessman’s torched car. (Photo credit Bebi Oosman)

Jawalla Village Council wins

$20M judgment against GGMC, miner for trespassing on land

Man to know fate tomorrow for 2018 murder of ex-girlfriend

Forty-three-yearold Lurick Fiffee, o f 1 1 0 9

Westminster,West Bank Demerara, will know hisfateonWednesdayforthe 2018 murder of his exgirlfriend, Rosemary Rudder The State’s case is that Fiffee murdered Rudder between March 30, and 31, 2018 at Westminster, West BankDemerara.

The accused is on trial before Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Demerara High Court Fiffee had denied the charge onthetrial.

The High Court has James Kwakowsky and The judgment stemmed granted the Jawalla Village Timna Mining jointly for from mining permission Council in Region Seven breaches of the provisions of granted by the GGMC to Cuyuni-Mazaruni a $20m the Amerindian Act. Justice James Kwakowsky and judgment against the Kissoon further granted a Timna Mining to conduct Guyana Geology and Mines permanent injunction mining activities in the Commission (GGMC) and a against James Kwaokowsky Mazaruni River which goldminerfortrespassingon Timna Mining and GGMC, passes through the Jawala theirland. from mining and or Village Lands Despite

The court also blocked permitting mining on the several requests from the the mining company and villagelands. Jawalla Village Council for GGMC from mining or It was noted that while the miners and GGMC to p e r m i t t i n g m i n i n g the State is entitled to sub- desist from the activities or respectively in village lands s u r f a c e r i g h t s , t h e granting permission to mine atJawalla. Amerindian Act requires withintheirvillagelands,the

On the 30th day of permission to be granted GGMC and the miner January, 2023 last, Justice before extraction could take ignored the demands. The Sandil Kissoon awarded the place.Costswereawardedin Jawalla Village Council was Jawalla Village Council favour of Jawalla Village represented by Jed damages in the sum of $10 Council in the sum of one Vasconcellos of Hughes million for trespass to the million dollars. Jawalla is an Fields and Stoby, and the Village’s land and $10 Akewaio Community on the defendants were represented million against the GGMC, MazaruniRiver byRoysdaleForde,SC

$201 million Reg. 5 Police headquarters commissioned

It was reported that and a trial had commenced Justice Morris-Ramlall Rudder and Fiffee were last year However, that trial set Wednesday, February 8, involved in a heated was aborted after one of the to sum up the evidence in argument which resulted in a jurors found out that one of case, before the jurors scuffle. the State’s witnesses is his deliberate on the evidence A p o s t - m o r t e m relative. presented to the court examination performed on

As such a new trial had According to reports, 32- Rudder revealed that she commenced and on Monday, year-old Rosemary Rudder, died as a result of the State’s prosecutor and a caterer of Eccles, East compression to the neck Fiffee’s lawyer, Dexter Todd Bank Demerara, had shared consistent with choking and gavetheirclosingstatements a relationship with the compounded with blunt bringing the curtains down accused. traumatothehead.

$26.5 million water system commissioned at Reg. 8 village

TheGuyanaPoliceForce Police Force (GPF) Acting accordance with the Guyana commissioned a new Police Chief, Clifton Hicken Police Force’s (GPF) headquarters for its Region said the new structure is objectives of decentralizing Five branch on Monday at intended to be “more” user- itsservices. Fort Wellington, West Coast friendly Present also at the Berbice. The new building handing over event were,

The edifice is priced at comprise a domestic Deputy Commissioner just over $201 million. At a violence office, witness ‘Administration’ (ag.) Mr simple ceremony on protection room, case Calvin Brutus, Assistant M o n d a y , t h e n e w m a n a g e m e n t r o o m , Commissioner Mr Kurleigh headquarters was handed automatedcasemanagement Simon, Superintendent Mr over to the police by system, and integrated Guy Nurse, Regional Minister of Home Affairs, criminal information Chairman Mr Vickchand Robeson Benn. In a brief system. Ramphal, and other senior statement by the Guyana Thestructurewasbuiltin andjuniorofficers.

A newly commissioned $26.5 million $1.4 billion will be expended this year The water supply system will now benefit in projectatTarukawasexecutedbyR.Kissoon excess of 200 residents of Taruka, Region Contracting Service and included the drilling Eight,theMinistryofHousingandWaterhas of a new potable water well to a depth of 150 said. meters, the installation of 2000 meters of

The new system was commissioned by 50mm (2*) PVC pipes & 500 meters of SusanRodrigues,JuniorMinisterofHousing 19mm (3/4") pipes and 40 Services and Water, Village Toshao, Mr Felfel connections. Bennette, and GWI’s Hinterland Service Additionally, rehabilitation works were Director,Mr RamchandJailal. carried out on an existing 20 feet high Rodrigues told the gathering at the event elevated metal trestle and a photovoltaic that the government remains committed to pumping system including submersible ensuring development reaches all Guyanese. pump, controller, solar panels and “OneGuyanaismorethanunitingracesbutit accessorieswereinstalled. is also about ensuring development reaches The community of Taruka has a all Guyanese, ensuring that all the work and population of approximately 200 persons. resources benefit the people of the country,” The community is managed by a Village statedMinisterRodrigues Council and a Toshao Prior to the Speaking to investments in hinterland implementation of this project there was no waterprojects,thejuniorministerpointedout functioningwatersupplysysteminTaruka,as that close to $2 billion was spent in the past such residents would use water from the two years to improve access, while another creekandpracticerainwaterharvesting.

The new Region Five Police Divisional headquarters. (Photo courtesy, Guyana Police Force)

Dead, Rosemary Rudder Accused, Lurick Fiffee

Persoss testing the new water system

Ex-husband, hit man sentencing deferred

The sentencing for 34- detailed his involvement in year-old Shradhanand the crime. According to the Narine, called ‘Anand’ and confession, in 2010 Sarjou 41-year-old Daral Ponto, and Narine had marital called ‘Yankee’ was on problems and Narine Monday deferred to published nude photographs February14,2023byJustice ofhiswife.

SimoneMorris–Ramlall.

In October 2010, Narine

Last month, Narine, of and Ponto met at D’Urban Lot 51 Seaforth Street, and Hardina Streets, Campbellville, Georgetown, Georgetown, where they admitted to paying Ponto, of formulated the plan to kill Lot 54 Broad Street, Sarjou. Charlestown, Georgetown,

On November 4, 2010, $100,000tomurderhiswife, Narine and Ponto executed BabitaSarjoubackin2010– theirplan. Ponto also admitted to the

They first lured Sarjou to crime. capitaloffence. theNationalCulturalCentre,

The matter was called on B a b i t a S a r j o u located on Homestretch Monday before Justice disappeared on November 4, Avenue,Georgetown. Morris-Ramlall at the 2010. The mother of one

When she arrived, Demerara High Court. The was reported missing for six Narine, his 4-year-old son prosecution informed the years before her skeletal along with Ponto were court that Narine and Ponto remains were discovered sitting in Narine’s car. havenotyetbeensubjecttoa buried near Narine’s

According to the confession psychiatric evaluation. As backyard. statement, Narine tricked such,thejudgeadjournedthe On May 22, 2016, Crime Sarjou into getting into the matter to next Tuesday at Chief Wendell Blanhum and vehicle before he grabbed 11:00hours.

a team of detectives were his son and left her in his Kaieteur News had able to crack the case. After vehiclealongwithPonto. reported that a jury was digging the site for hours, Notably, Narine had told Narine’s Seaforth Street, detectives were able to crack He even offered the

empanelled for the trial after detectivesrecoveredskeletal Ponto to honk the car horn Campbellville home where thecase. police officer $5o0, 000 to both men denied that remains which were later when he was finished killing they later placed her body in Narine reportedly “helpmeoutthisthing.”

However, when the trial was State Counsel, Muntaz death before using a blanket

between November 4 and 5, determined to be Sarjou’s his wife. Ponto reportedly a hole that was dug near confessed to a police officer For his part, Ponto’s 2010, they murdered Sarjou. followingDNAtesting. strangled the woman to Narine’sbackyard. saying, “Babita have a lot of confession statement was

The woman’s relative affairs and she been a shame similar to Narine’s but he set to commence Narine and Ali,wholedtheprosecution, to cover her body in the later reported her missing, me so I plan this thing with noted that he was given Ponto changed their pleas toldthecourtthatinNarine’s backseat. but it was until 2016 when Daraltokillshe.” $50,000tokillSarjou. and pleaded guilty to the written confession, he They then drove to

Daral Ponto called ‘Yankee’ (left) and Shradhanand Narine, called “Anand”

Dead, Babita Sarjou

IDPADA-G seeks talks with Govt. on withholding of...

From page 3 The Attorney said that abuseofpower. explained to reporters that IDPADA-G had consulted to fund the Organisation subvention based on the Government has Further, he said that the IDPADA-G’s case is also with and developed within the United Nations e n g a g e m e n t s a n d “breached the legitimate Government should have supportedbythefactthatthe relationships with both the designated decade. The agreements made with the expectancy” to pay the declared or placed on notice, Government budgeted for David Granger-led and Organisation received funds previous and current annual subvention which is that changes to the the sums to be disbursed to I r f a a n A l i - l e d from the Government up to Governments The handedoverin12equalparts distribution of funds would the Organisation and by law, Administrations with both August 2022 when it was organisation was given no aspermonthsoftheyear He occur and give the this should have been done. sidesmakingacommittment abruptlystopped. reason or notification as to said too that the act of organisation an opportunity whythefundswereceased. cessation of payment is an to be heard He had

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Driver required, ages 23-50 yrs. Must be able to assist in Workshop at Eccles and must have car and van licence. Call: 645-8443/ 6429823.

Payless Variety Store is now hiring Sales Representatives and Porters. Location: 42 Wellington St, Georgetown. Call: 6584494.

Hotel Attendant required at Hick's Ville Hotel. Call: 6400673, 231-0951, 227-7714, 223-3448. Email: info@ vegeworld.net

Vacancy exist for two experienced Dispatcher at Confidential Cabs. Call: 695-1961 /231-5784.

Cashiers, male and female Supermarket Attendants and Drivers needed. Apply with written application/ CV and passport photo to Survival 16 Vlissengen Road, Newtown Kitty.

Office Clerk and Domestic Worker required. Live-in facilities available, Call: 223-7500.

One Clerk for TSI Eccles office. English & Mathematics, grade one or two, email application to: techserigy @yahoo.com or Call: 6159132.

Room Attendant, Receptionist and Desk Staff needed, 25-45 years old. 233 South Road Lacytown, Call: 225-0198.

FOR SALE

CAT 320 excavator buckets, CAT 320 idler, road painting machine.Call: 275-0367/ 6837225.

Ton and a half - Dragline hammer, steel Traylor 16ft, 2ft, 8ft. CAT 215 excavator parts. Call: 275-0367/ 6837225.

Two Bobcat, gravel bucket, 1 Sand roller, 1 Diesel generator and hand wheels for Bobcat. Call: 665-1150. One Bobcat bucket, bucket of excavator, welding plant, heavy duty fleet charger & 3-diesel containers. Call: 665-1150.

House lots for sale, $20,000 monthly payment plan. WhatsApp: 622-1957.

We are reacting in the wrong way and for the wrong reasons. We are protesting for the wrong issues. We are targeting the wrong people to express discontent, anger, resentments. It is a waste of energy, sets us back further, inflicts more damage on a society that has nothing going for it, save for our enormous natural resource gifts. Surely, it must be recognised that we have a tremendous amount of ground to cover, countless days of work ahead of us, which our own settled mindsets and societal weaknesses make harder to overcome. We have to learn, grow, up, grow better. If not, the world will pass us by, and all the bountiful oil will not make much difference in Guyanese life. That is, but for local politicians, and the foreigners coming here with a glint in their eyes, and walking away uninhibited

By GHK Lall GHK Lall

with endless loads of our lavish treasures.

then old stereotypes gain a new lease on life, the polarization of our society widens, and with that we declare ourselves delighted.

Clearly, it has not registered that we are now in a different world, a different age in our existence, both of which have never been experienced before, and is still more challenging because so much of what has to be done is unknown to us.

SERVICES

Visa Application: Canada and UK & U.S.A. Graphics design & advertisements. Wedding decorations & elderly grooming: hair, nail etc. Call: 626-7040.

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

Khemraj & Sons Landscaping specialize in selling, planting, trimming, treating, moulding plants, cutting down trees and spraying weeds, etc. Call: 627-5969/ 668-4964.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

One double flat/ one house at the back, two business spots in front located at Craig P/Road, E.B.D. Call: 694-3573.

First, it was Buxton, and for marijuana, of all things. I concluded that we have got our heads in the wrong place. Then, it was in Hopetown, where a road accident with two persons seriously injured served as the flashpoint for an outpouring of communal vehemence at a driver and property. In both sorry developments, it is obvious that too many Guyanese community are too focused on what is in front of them, of the moment, on the old passions, and some of the old warps, with the usual unpardonable mayhem ensuing.

When we take aim at each other in this great, bitter divide that is Guyana’s, then we are living in the same unchanging way of decades and centuries. Targeting fellow citizens, no matter how unpalatable the circumstances, how justifiable it may seem in the heat of the moment, is an exercise that is doomed to failure, in that nothing that is positive is achieved. The government is untouched and unfazed, the community is wrenched, and the foreigners carry on with their merry, very prospering toil.

ENTERTAINMENT

Swimming pool, family fun, crystal clear pool, kids and adults sections at Aracari Resort, Call: 264-2946-9.

ACCOMMODATIONS

VEHICLES FOR SALE

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

Two Canter GAB Series for sale, $3.5M each negotiable. Call: 667-9696.

One legal computer Clerk needed for typing. Call: 615-9112/258-0213, Email: husainsaphier@yahoo.com

Experienced Hauler/ Lorry Driver and Porters required. Apply at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St, Bourda. Vacancy exists for one Secretary, must be computer literate. Experience will be an asset. Call: 6608905.

Cleaner, Labourers, Office Assistant, Maintaining Officer and Semi-skilled Workers required. Call: 621-6969, 615-7784.

DRESSMAKING

Enid's Dressmaking certificate classes located 66 Sixth St, Albertown. Call: 643-7966/ 223-9106.

Aracari hotel located at WBD (Versailles, Vreed-enHoop)- A/C, all amenities and breakfast included, from $63USD. Call: 2642946-9.

FOR RENT

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

EDUCATION

Seeking to get into business or advancement in your job? Free Course offered! Send Email: caribbiz@gmail.com, visit website: https:/eaharris destiny.mastermind.com/ masterminds/40245

In Buxton and now Hopetown, the situations were of Guyanese venting anger in violent ways upon other Guyanese. We prefer, are consumed, with breaking up inside our own homes, while expanding armies of foreigners strip our yards and fields and ranges and the broad swath of our lands with national patrimonies in gleeful abandon, and at will. Gleeful abandon, because Guyanese are happy to be occupied with the same ancient narrow minded outlooks on life, how they decide that things ought to be, only for the foreign exploiters and foreign users to laugh at us behind their hands, busy themselves with reaping and plundering our riches, with we, the Guyanese people, being none the smarter, and none the more concerned about what is slipping through our grasp on a daily basis. It is ‘at will’ by the foreigners because very few Guyanese are standing up in objection, making the foreigners the spotlight of their focus, in efforts to slow them down, to get them to comply with the way that things must be done, and how much we should get from such practices.

In Buxton and Hopetown, when what happened keeps on rearing their ugly heads,

But, it is not in Buxton and Hopetown that the very worst in Guyana, and of Guyana, comes into the bright lights. For here we have learned men, experienced women, and a battalion of citizens, who similarly lash out at their fellow citizens for calling out the foreigners for their predatory behaviors in Guyana, with Guyanese feeling the brunt of their rapaciousness. Despite, our wise Guyanese brothers and sisters knowing the long, destructive history of the white man all over the world, and throughout time, we have the unthinkable and the unpatriotic and this virtually unholy alliance that compels Guyanese to bash their friends and neighbors for daring to say that mistakes have been made, and that those costly mistakes are being perpetuated to a more devastating degree today. The violence of the street has its parallels in the so-called intellectual and supposedly analytical violence being wreaked upon Guyana by Guyanese.

We relive the ground level madness of the villages of Buxton and Hopetown from offices and computers in Georgetown, in efforts to degrade and afflict fellow citizens. Guyanese may think they win a tussle, or a point, but to what end? We rage at insiders and brothers, while the foreigners enrich themselves. Meanwhile, we target neighbours, and all are impoverished. By the time we come to our senses, if ever, it could be too late.

Assistant

during

Police Commissioner denies being unreachable

Elections ruckus, produces telephone records

Telephone records Commander Division 4 ‘A’ f o r m e r P o l i c e “That is not true,” James were produced atthattime,saidthedecision Commissioner He said after said. during Monday’s to remove him from the post that phone call, his

He, however, admitted

Commission of occurred after he refused to communication with his that he did instruct Thomas Inquiry(COI)intotheMarch evacuate the Guyana seniorwasconstant. to “fall back” from the 2020 General and Regional Elections Commission’s

“HetoldmeifIcan’tget commandingposition. Elections debunking claims (GECOM) Command the job done, he will do it James testified this was made by now retired Centre located in the himself!” Thomas told the notbecausehedidnotfollow Commissioner0fPolice(ag) Ashmin’s Building on Commission as he recalled an instruction to clear the Leslie James that he was Hadfield and High Streets, hisconversationwithJames. building, but rather because unable to contact Assistant Georgetown due to a bomb However, the former he became unreachable by Commissioner of Police, threat, which later proved to Police Commissioner during phoneandradio. Edgar Thomas during the beahoax. his testimony said that “As far as I remembered, Electionsruckus. HesaidthatJameswasin during the commotion at the I used both of my telephones Thomas, who is also communication with former GECOM office on Hadfield and I tried making contact Head of the Presidential Deputy Chief Elections and High Streets, he with him; the number that I Guard Unit, submitted Officer (DCEO) Roxanne repeatedly tried to contact expected him to answer In telephone records to the Myers who complained that Thomas, who was in charge fact, I was communicating Commission during he (Thomas) refused to appeared before us and gave said waving a colour-coded of operations on the ground, with him all along prior to interrogation by the COI’s comply with her instructions evidence and my clear documentinhishand. via radio and telephone but that day,” Mr James Commissioners. This is his to clear the building. As a understanding from the The document, which hiseffortsprovedfutile. testified. second appearance before result, Thomas said he was evidence, is that he made was also displayed on an “Mr Thomas testified The former Police theCommission. relievedofhisduties. repeated efforts to reach you LED screen, showed several thathewasinstructedbyyou Commissioner said that with Thomas testimony Myersiscurrentlybefore but could not, what is your highlighted areas with to have the people vacate calls to the Assistant follows that of the former the criminal court facing response?” Justice Singh Thomas indicating that the Ashmin’s building Mr. Commissioner going Police Commissioner who charges in relation to asked. area coloured green Thomas also testified that unanswered, he appointed during his testimony said electionsfraud. Thomas replied, “It may r e p r e s e n t e d h i s you were forcefully T h o m a s ’ s D e p u t y, that Thomas was instructed O n M o n d a y , be that the commissioner, in communication with the instructing him that people Superintendent Phillip to be removed from his post Commissioner and retired my opinion, at that time is formerTopCop. must vacate the building,” Azore to act as the Regional for failing to respond to his Chancellor of the Judiciary, beingastrangertothetruth.I T h o m a s t o l d t h e Senior Counsel for the COI, Commander (James) telephone calls Justice Carl Singh raised the have records which indicate Commission that he recalls Sophia Choti suggested to Mr James also said he However, Thomas told the issue again during re- I was in constant contact beingattheBrickdamPolice James during his appearance learnedofthebombscarevia Commission that James’ examination of Thomas’ with the administration of Station when communicated at the Presidential COI in news reports but he never statementwasuntrue. evidence. the Guyana Police Force via telephone with the January spoketoMyers.

According to Thomas, “Mr Thomas, Police including the Commissioner who served as Regional Commissioner Leslie James ofPolice,Ihaveithere!,” he

Top Cop warns citizens against...

From page 12 truck arrived, and whilst Stationbypoliceranks. Ashewasabouttodoso,the loading the motor car According the police teenager’s father, a 43-year- (bearing license plate Information received that old businessman of Bath number PNN 1801), several the two cyclists — a 22Settlement, began verbally persons tried to prevent the year-old, who is a serving abusing the Police.The teen vehicle from being loaded member of the Guyana driver also refused to be onto the truck. At scene, Defense Force, and a 14escorted to the hospital, Superintendent Guy Nurse, year-old pedal cyclist, were instead entering a motor ASP Kelly, and a party of taken to Fort Wellington vehiclewhichdroveoff. policerankstriedtocalmthe Public Hospital, where they

The Police then left to situation However, the were both seen and visit the accident scene at angry residents threw a examined by a doctor on Hopetown. On arrival, it liquid substance on the duty The 14-year-old was was observed that the motor car and started to treated and sent away The mentioned motor car was throw missiles at the 22-year-old was referred to stationary on the southern vehicles (motor car PNN the New Amsterdam Public footpath facing south with 1801 and the tow truck Hospital, where he was extensive damage to the GXX 8069) The crowd further seen and examined front. There was no key in became uncontrollable and by a doctor on duty He was the vehicle and that an d a m a g e d t h e f r o n t admitted as a patient at the attempt by public-spirited windshield of the tow truck said institution suffering citizens had been made to (a motor Lorry), the side frominjuriestohisheadand remove the vehicle from the glass and other parts of the body His condition is listed said position, and take it the vehicle, and then they set asstable.

Fort Wellington Police fire to motor car #PNN Only last week in Station. However, several 1801. Buxton on the lower east angry residents lifted the The tow truck driver coast, residents had gone on vehicle back to the southern entered his vehicle and a rampage burning a rice sideoftheroadandbeganto drove east along the said truck and setting fire to the damage the vehicle. The road, leaving motor car roadway and committing police at the scene tried to number PNN 1801 ablaze. robberies in the process, calm the crowd, but several The Guyana Fire Service when one of their villagers persons began to vandalise was immidiately contacted, was arrested by Customs the vehicle, and some and Fire Tender #97 arrived Anti-NarcoticsUnitagents. chanted, “let’s burn the a t t h e s c e n e a n d

The man was allegedly vehicle”. extinguished the fire. The caught with a quantity of Police further reported now burnt out car, was later marijuana and was trying to that they contacted a private removed to the Fort evade capture when ranks tow truck service to take the WellingtonPoliceStation. opened fire on him vehicle to Fort Wellington An electrical cycle and a Residents, upset about the Police Station. At around pedal cycle was also lodged incident subsequently took 19:00hrsonSunday,thetow attheFortWellingtonPolice tothestreets.

Teen dies in Essequibo accident

Eighteen-year-old

Devendra Khan died on Sunday, February 5, 2023 in an accident on theTaymouth Manor Public Road, Essequibo Coast, Region Two.

TheGuyanaPoliceForce (GPF) reported that the teen was driving motorcycle CL 9787, proceeding south along the eastern side of the Taymouth Manor Public Road at a fast rate of speed when he reportedly lost control of the motorcycle and ended up between a bridge and a canal on the easternsideoftheroad.

The injured motorcyclist was picked up by a publicspirited person and transported to the Suddie PublicHospital.

According to the Police, Khan was pronounced dead on arrival by Dr Kerman Mookran. The teen’s body was taken to the hospital’s mortuary and is awaiting a post-mortemexamination.

Former Commissioner of Police (ag), Leslie James

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Edgar Thomas

Dead: Devendra Khan

Ann’s Grove man remanded on gun, ammo charges

The firearm and ammunition Hamlet had in his possession.

Govt. seeks contractors for $3B sea defence works

Remanded to prison:

Stefan Hamlet resident of Ann’s Grove,

AE a s t C o a s t

D e m e r a r a

(ECD) was on Monday remanded to prison for possession of a firearm and a m m u n i t i o n , a n d discharging a loaded firearm. According to the police, the defendant Stefan Hamlet, 29, made his first Hamlet was charged for withintent. court appearance at the possession of a firearm He pleaded not guilty to Bartica Magistrates’ Court w i t h o u t a l i c e n c e , the three charges and was before Magistrate Crystal Possession of Ammunition remanded to prison by Lambert where the charges without licence, and Magistrate Lambert until werereadtohim. discharging a loaded firearm February27,2023.

Kick-starting its river wouldcost$402,000,000. Bygeval and Essex. It is and sea defence programme In Region Three works e s t i m a t e d t o c o s t for the year, the Ministry of are slated for Belle Plaine, $572,000,000. Public Works is currently Maria’s Johanna, Zeelandia F o r R e g i o n S i x seeking contractors to all located on the Wakenaam construction of rip rap sea execute a number of sea Island, Uniform, Cane defence would be executed defence projects in Regions Garden, Okum/Retrieve, along Crabwood Creek, at Two, Three, Four, Five, Six Belfield all located on No. 81 Village, and between and 10 for an estimated cost Leguan Island, and at Wellington Park and of$3,367,000,000.

Uitvlugt, Anna Catherina, Eversham located in I n a n e w s p a p e r Zeeburg and Zeelugt Corentyne These sea advertisement, the ministry According to the Ministry defence works are pegged at stated that these projects engineer, the works are $318,000,000. which are expected to open e s t i m a t e d t o c o s t Lastly in Region 10, on February 15 at the $1,761,000,000. works are slated for National Procurement and As for Region Four, Speightland located in Tender Administration works are slated for Linden and estimated to cost Board (NPTAB) office have Friendship on the East Bank $138,000,000. been divided into 25 lots. of Demerara and Cambridge As was reported, the The tender document at Mahaica. The two are river and sea defence this revealed that works for estimated at $176,000,000. year will be further

Region Two are slated for In Region Five, works are strengthened as the areas such: La Resource planned for West Coast Government allocated in its Maria’s Delight, Goed Berbice between Weldaad National Budget, a total of Intent, Abrams Zuil, Cullen and Washington, at Abary $4.9 billion (US$20M) to allontheEssequiboCoast.It River Dam, and on the East repair and maintain those is estimated that these works Coast of Demerara between areas.

With almost $1 billion expended so far, roads, two other contracts worth $192, the Government is looking to spend an 181,710 were awarded to complete Phase additional $300 million to continue the Twooftheprojectsearlierlastyear rehabilitation of the Canal No. 1 and 2 main These two new additional contracts, roads. when calculated show that so far a total of

According to a recent invitation for bids $757,767,417 is being spent by the Public (IFB), the Ministry of Public Works is Works Ministry to do rehabilitative works on inviting contractors to execute phase five of thesetworoads. the rehabilitation project on the two main Back inApril 2022, the NPTAB office on roads. its website had revealed that R&B

It was stated in the tender document that Investment Inc secured a $99,000,300 $150,000,000 each is estimated to continue contract to execute works for Phase Two of the repair of the roadways. The projects are the Canal No.1 road while Navin & Son slated to open on March 1, 2023 at the Construction was awarded a $ 93,181,410 National Procurement and Tender contracttoworkonPhaseTwoofCanalNo.2 AdministrationBoard(NPTAB)office. road.

Back in December, Kaieteur News Further, Kaieteur News reported that reported that the Ministry signed two already $343,794,647 was spent on the first contracts totalling $221,841,060 to continue phaseoftheseroads.InSeptember2021,two apreviousphaseonthebothroads. contractors, Japarts Construction Inc. and

The contracts were signed with R&B AroncoServicesInc.wereawardedcontracts Investment Inc who is contracted to toupgradethefirstphaseoftheroads. complete phase three of Canal No. 1 main Reports are that Japarts was awarded a road to the tune of $103,520,235, and AJM $173,131,854 contract to work on Canal No. Enterprise to complete Phase Three of Canal 1 andAronco a $170,612,793 to work on the No.2roadtothesumof118,320,825. CanalNo.2mainaccessroadforthesum.

Rehabilitation of these two main roads The two new projects, which are now out beganin2021withPhaseOneoftheprojects to tender, forms part of the $27.7 billion being awarded in September to complete the allocated in this year’s budget for the roads in the farming communities.As part of construction and rehabilitation of roads efforts to continue the upgrade of the access acrossthecountry

…to spend an additional $300M

Govt. spends almost $1B to rehabilitate Canal No. 1 & 2 main roads

Phase 4 of the rehabilitation project on Canal No. 1 main road.

(Photo courtesy, Canal Polder NDC)

Novice/Junior Amateur Powerlifting competition set for 19th February Shabazz targets Morgan Ferrier...

Guyana Amateur Power- athletesfromperviousjunior (eightmaleandeightfemale) class. lifting Federation (GAPF) competition The GAPF weight classes across three This event will feature welcomes the return of the Novice/JuniorPowerLifting disciplines, they will be junior power lifters such as; Novice and Junior Power competition spreads across judged on the highest Sarah Sanmogan, Romeo Lifting competition on 19th three disciplines; the Squats, successful lift in each Hunter, Yogaishawar February at the Intense Bench Press and Dead lift. discipline, which will be Seecharanandmanyothers. Fitness Gym, Cornelia Ida, There will also be two summed up after three lifts, A fantastic night of West Coast Demerara different types of lifting that total will then be amateur power lifting at the (WCD). happening at this event: calculated under the good- Novices and Junior’s

Thiseventpromisestobe Classic (raw) Lifting and the lift-point system, persons categories is expected a fierce powerlifting affair EquippedLifting. with the highest overall Power lifting fans can come with most of the junior A t h l e t e s w i l l b e good-lift-point will be out to witness some fine participants being returning participating in sixteen announced winners of each power lifting in the Novice segment and also the junior power lifting segment. A small entrance fee of $1,000 willbecharged.

Tuesday February 07, 2023

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

You may be courting your lover today, Aries. Whether you're in a relationship or starting one, you're in the mood to seduce your partner withatouchofsophistication.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

You will get the most satisfaction today through your activities with others, Taurus.Soyoushouldtakethe initiative and propose something you and your friendscoulddotogether

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Todayyouwillbelikeagoodluck charm to your family and friends. It's up to you to motivate people to get going and have fun together. Show themyourenthusiasmforlife.

CANCER(June21–July22)

If you can't feed your artistic tendenciesintheworkyoudo, today is a good day to create a better balance and make your days more satisfying. Art isn't justforartists,Cancer

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Regardless of your gender, why not show a bit more virility in your relationships and actions? If you're dominated by your emotions, the day could be extremely trying for you Protect yourself from your anxieties by talking things over with a friend or someone else close toyou.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22)

Todayyoumayfeelalotmore energetic after a tiring past fewdays.Whenyou'refeeling good,everything'sfine.You're feeling motivated again to get down and tackle the work that'swaitingforyou.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Itmaybedifficulttogetpeople to listen to you at the moment, Libra. The people around you may even be annoyed at hearing all of your new ideas. The stars are pushing you to change your tactics before you alienateeveryone.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov 21)

You may not have been taking very good care of yourself lately, Scorpio. The planetary aspects are encouraging you to be a little more disciplined in yourlifestyle.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

What would happen if you decidedtotakecareofyourself today,Sagittarius?Thisiswhat the planets are trying to tell you. You need to relax, to let yourself be taken care of, and closeyoureyesanddream.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

This is an intense phase of interior modification, both p h y s i c a l l y a n d psychologically. Don't hesitate to padlock your refrigerator andavoidyourfavoritestores.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

The period you're in now is about getting ahead. If you've been dissatisfied with some aspect of your career over the last few months, don't wait any longer to do something about it. Things aren't going to get betterallbythemselves.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

What meticulousness, Pisces! You may feel a sudden, urgent needtotakeacloselookatyour financial situation, wardrobe, cupboards, or car List the things you need to do in order to fix them over the next few days.

From page 23

playersformpartofthecoachingstafftryingtofillavoidin the defensive department while adding some additional options to their attack. Grant, 28, who plays along with Golden Jaguars forward, Emery Welshman with Forge FC intheCanadianPremierLeague(CPL),isborntoGuyanese parents. The 29-year-old Ferrier, on the other hand, came through the Arsenal youth academy with Anthony Jeffery, whoalsoplaysfortheGoldenJaguars.

In terms of international exposure, Grant was a call-up for Canada in 2015 for their two friendlies against Iceland while also playing for the Canadians in the PanAm Games (2015) and the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship(2015).

The event is sponsored by Fitness Express, Century SpringsWaterandIce,Sheik Bar and Fitness Store, IntenseFitnessGymandalso Pele Alumina. Competition starts at 9:00am on Sunday, 19th February at the Intense Fitness Gym, Cornelia Ida, WCD.

Chanderpaul scores maiden Test double...

From page 24 partnership in the 21st over Makoni’s resistance ended in the27thoverwhenheflashed at a wide one from Joseph, being easily caught by Kyle Mayers at slip with the partnershipat63.

L e f t - a r m s p i n n e r Gudakesh Motie then got in on the action in the 32nd over when he produced a feint edge off Chamu Chibhabha w h i c h We s t I n d i e s wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva safely held. Chibhabha madenine.

Kaia then brought up his maidenTest fifty off 98 balls. With the Zimbabweans seemingly heading towards stumps with eight wickets in the shed, West Indies skipper KraiggBrathwaitedecidedto try his hand at bowling the lastoveroftheday

The decision proved to be a genius one as Brathwaite removed opposite number Craig Ervine for 13 to leave the hosts 114-3 off 41.4 overs at stumps, trailing the Windiesby333runs.

Scores: West Indies 4476 declared off 143 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 207*, Kraigg Brathwaite 182, Brandon Mavuta 5-140) Zimbabwe 114-3 off 41.4 overs (Innocent Kaia 59*, Tanunurwa Makoni 33, Kraigg Brathwaite 1-5, Gudakesh Motie 1-25, Alzarri Joseph 1-25).

Ferrier played for England’s ‘C’team. However, he has played in various tiers of the English football pyramid, including a stint with Tranmere Rovers alongside Neil Danns. Ferrier now plays with Nakhon Ratchasima in the Thai League 1. Meanwhile, with almost 70 players in training, Shabazz, in a previous interview with Kaieteur News, warned that being based locally doesn’t mean a player is entitled. “I think the locally-based players are always in our eyes and always have a bite of the cherry However,it’snotaforegoneconclusionthatbecausethey’re here,they’rein,”thecandidcoachhighlighted.

Shabazz said he will be working with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) on getting international matches for the local lads before their recommencement of the Nations League. “I want to see these players. I want to select the best of our boys in Guyana,” Shabazz said, while adding, “Because at the end of the day, I have to face the nation, I have to face the likes of Rawle Toney (Kaieteur News) and Duncan Saul (Stabroek News) …I have to face thepeoplealloverthecountry.”

To strike a balance, Shabazz believes mechanisms shouldbeputinplacetotraveloverseastohaveacloserlook atthetalentavailableinthediaspora,pointingout,“Ihavea direct responsibility to the people of Guyana, and the supportmustbethereformetotravelandseetheseplayers.”

Tiger Rentals under-13 football continued with EBFA and West Demerara action

The East Bank Football Association Demerara Secondary School ground on (EBFA)hadtwomatchesscheduledSaturday Saturday where two comprehensive 13-0 last in their intra-association leg of the victories were recorded. First Eagles FC Guyana Football Federation (GFF)/Tiger made light work of Belle West before Rentalsunder-13tournament.Playcontinued Pouderoyen also registered a similar 13-0 at the National Training Center (NTC) at triumph. The inter-ATC/club competition ProvidencewhereHerstellingRaidersgained resumes this Saturday at the NTC with four a walkover win from Agricola Red Triangle matches, beginning at 10:30hrs Those whofailedtoshow fixturesareWestBerbiceversusEastCoastin In the match that was played, the the opener, followed by East Berbice highflyingSwancontinuedtheirpurplepatch matching skills with Bartica in the second with an important 2-1 victory against clash.TheothertwomatchupswillseeUpper Friendship All stars. Swan’s goals came off Demerara being pitted with East Bank in the the boots of Shameer Daniels and Kevin De third match while the fourth and final game, Goias, while Friendship’s lone Goal was which kicks off at 12:00hrs, will see West scoredbyBrandonGoocharran. DemeraraandGeorgetownlockedinbattle. Meanwhile, the West Demerara Football Tiger Rentals Guyana has invested $10M Association (WDFA) had match-day two of for this first nationwide developmental theirintra-associationtournamentattheWest under-13footballtournament.

Diamond Secondary and Lincoln American University reign supreme at the G.O.A.S.P Tapeball competition

The G.O.A.S.P hosted their Tapeball competitions on Sunday at Duran Park Tarmac The competition consists of two categories namely: secondary school anduniversitycategory

In the Secondary school category, teams competed for “Sports Ambassador” James Lewis trophy While t h e U p r i s i n g promotions/Trophy Stall trophy was presented to the winneroftheTertiaryboys.

First, the Diamond Secondary School boys defeated St. Joseph High Schoolby14runsinthefinal of secondary school leg of the competition and Lincoln Deonarine Dindial top Across in the Tertiary University got to a scoring with 39 runs for the category, Texila American convincing win over Textila DiamondSecondarySchool. University posted 69-4 in 6 University to claim the In reply St Joseph High overs. LincolnUniversityin Tertiary’sfinal. having to get 54 runs from 4 reply got to 73-3 in 4.5 overs

Meeting in Secondary overs, fell short of their to secure a comfortable win School final, Diamond target scoring 39-5 off of to claim the Uprising Secondary School went up their 4 overs to hand promotions/Trophy Stall against St Joseph high Diamond Secondary an easy trophy The co-ordinator School;DiamondSecondary victory to claim the “Sports event James Lewis handed batted first scoring 53-3 off Ambassador” James Lewis over trophies along with of their allotted 4 overs with trophy medalstothebothcaptains.

Shabazz targets Morgan Ferrier, Jonathan Grant for Nations League

By Rawle Toney

The Golden Jaguars are targeting the services of Forge FC defender Jonathan Grant and English forward Morgan Ferrier for the remainder of the CONCACAF NationsLeague.

The country’s senior Men’s National Football team Jaguars will bounce back into action officially on March 23 in an away game against Bermuda in Hamilton after winningthefirstlegattheNationalTrackand Field Centre 2 – 1, thanks to goals from

TrayonBobbandOmariGlasgow

The Golden Jaguars are sitting second in Group B of League B in the CONCACAF Nations League behind an unbeaten Haiti on sixpoints.

The Haitians are at the top of the table on 10 points following back-to-back wins againstGuyana(6-2,6-0)andMontserrat(3–2),alongwithagoallessdrawwithBermuda. Guyana, apart from their defeat to the Haitians, had wins over Montserrat (2 – 1) andBermuda(2-1).

Following their away game against Bermuda, the Golden Jaguars will return hometoplayMontserratintheirfinalNations LeaguegameonMarch27.

Speaking exclusively with Kaieteur News,HeadCoachJamaalShabazzsaidthe (Continued on page 21)

Lincoln American University cricket team.

Members of the Diamond Secondary School posing with the championship trophy.

Jonathan Grant in action for Forge FC during the Canadian Premier League (CPL).

Morgan Ferrier in celebration mode after scoring for Nakhon Ratchasima in the Thai League 1.

Larger turnout graces second AAG Development Meet

As expected, a larger In the 200m races, he stopped the clock at contingent turned out to Somayia Orna (U13 – 10:31.67s. participate in the Athletics 28.72s), Adessa Albert (14- Javon Roberts won the Association of Guyana’s 16; 26.50s), Nalicia Glen Boys 14-16 1500m with a (AAG) second Development (17-19; 25.18s) and Cassey time of 4:27.08s while Boys Meet for the 2023 season on Small(20+;25.20s)werethe 17-19 1500m was won by SundayattheNationalTrack victors. Thomas returned to Odida Parkinson (4:25.45s) and Field Centre in win the 400m Dash in a time andtheBoys20+1500mwas Edinburgh, West Coast of 1:11.29s while Springer claimed by Ronell Newton Demerara. This will be the clocked 56 35s in her (4:24.25s).

Association’s last meet prior Division to reign supreme, Inthe800mraces,Daniel tothehostingoftheNational Narissa McPherson ran Alexander (U13; 2:40.94s), Sports Commission’s (NSC) 57.50s to win the 17-19yrs Roberts (2:00 61s), Kosi Athletic Junior League from 400m and Smith cruised to Thomas (17-19; 2:04.81s) February 18-19 at the same victory with 1:02.26s on the and Daniel Melville venue. The Junior League is clock. The 800m winners (1:58.09s)reignedsupreme. the official trials to gain were Esther McKinnon (14- For the 400m events, selectionintoGuyana’s2023 16; 2:38.15s) and Loydacia Louis Allan (U13), Ajani CARIFTATeam. Waldron (17-19; 2:50.22s) Cutting (14-16; 52 03s),

After that, the AAG sets while the 1500m winners Enock Munroe (17-19; their sights on the hosting of were Marissa Thomas (14- 51.81s) and Simeon Adams the third Developmental 16; 5:32.68s) and Attoya (20+; 48 95s) were the Meet, which is billed for Harvey(17-19;5:03.63s). winners. The 200m winners March5inEdinburgh. Forthefieldevents,there were Noelex Holder (20+;

On Sunday last, some of w e r e a n u m b e r o f 21 68s), Ezekiel Newton the usual suspects that were commendable performances (17-19; 21 59s), Malachi in the top bracket during the but the fact every event Austin (14-16; 23.88s) and first Development Meet, contested had at least five Mortimer Nascimento (U13; once again turned in solid participants, was a more 27 53s) The fastest man performances. encouragingsign. participating on Sunday was

The Men… once again Newton, who A

The Women…

clocked10.60stowinthe17winners in the Women’s triumphed in the Boys 17+ 19y 100m while Holder ran category were Ayanna 5000m run with a time of 10.75s to win in the 20+ Thomas (U13 - 13 66s), 17:34 20s, more than a Division.

Tianna Springer (14-16y; minute ahead of his closest

The other winners were 12.15s), Karese Lloyd (17- competitor while Melvern Ewell McDonald (14-16; 19y; 12 31s) and Keliza Leitch was victorious in the 11 41s) and Nascimento Smith(20+y;11.69s). Boys14-163000mrunwhen (13.32s).

Chanderpaul scores maiden Test double century, Brathwaite gets 182 to put Windies in command over Zimbabwe

SportsMax - A maiden Test doublehundredfromTagenarine Chanderpaul and a 12th Test century from captain Kraigg Brathwaite have put the West Indies in an excellent position after day three of the first Test againstZimbabweinBulawayo.

The day began with Chanderpaul and Brathwaite resuming from their overnight score of 221-0 with Brathwaite on116andChanderpaulon101.

The pair took their opening partnership to 336 before Brathwaite was trapped leg before wicket to Wellington Masakadza for 182. His knock lasted 312 balls and included eight fours. With the Windies 336-1, Kyle Mayers was balls,finishingupnotouton207off467balls promoted to number three to provide quick astheWestIndiesdeclaredon447-6after143 runs and did that, contributing 20 off just 24 overs.Mavutaendedwithfiguresof5-140off balls before he became the first of Brandon 41overs. Mavuta’sfivewickets.

The Zimbabwean reply started well as

The 25-year-old leg spinner then claimed openers Innocent Kaia and Tanunurwa the wickets of Raymon Reifer (2), Jermaine MakonisawofftheWestIndiannewballpair Blackwood (5), Roston Chase (7) and Jason of Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph in the Holder(11)tocompletehismaidenTestfiveprocessofbringinguptheir50-run wicket haul. During all that, Chanderpaul

(Continued on page 21) broughtuphismaidenTestdoubletonoff416

Ezekiel Newton Javon Roberts

Alzarri Joseph broke the opening stand. (Associated Press)

Cup

West Indies Women lose World Cup warm up against New Zealand by 32 runs in Cape Town

Shemaine Campbelle in action. (Ashley Vlotman-ICC)

2023 West

Indies

Championship… Harpy Eagles on top after first round

- Round two bowls off tomorrow

The Guyana Harpy Eagles enter the second round the 2023 West Indies Championshiponahighnote after being the only team to register a win in the first round of the 4-day t o u r n a m e n t , w h i c h commencedonJanuary31.

SportsMax - West Indies Women lost

As has become the norm in recent their ICC Women’s World Cup warm-up matches, the West Indies lost wickets early match against New Zealand by 32 runs in andwere25-3intheeighthover CapeTownyesterday Matthews had scored 15 of the West

Chasing 123-5 made by the Kiwis, the Indies’20runsbeforeshewasdismissed.

WestIndieslimpedto91-7intheir20overs.

Shemaine Campbelle top scored with 26 Maddy Green top scored for New and Chinelle Henry with 23 were the only Zealand with 47 from 37 balls after her team batters into double figures as they put on 51 hadslippedto32-3intheseventhover Suzie for the fourth wicket. Amelia Kerr who Bates and Green added 26 for the fourth accounted for Henry’s wicket finished with wicket before the former was dismissed for figures of 3-20 from her four overs as the 30.GreenandBrookeHallidaythenadded56 Caribbean women slumped to defeat. This for the fifth that took the score to 114 when was theWest IndiesWomen’s 13th loss in 14 Hallidaywasrunoutfor24inthe20thover matches since their last win which came Green added the remaining runs before againstNewZealandinSeptember2022. theinningsclosed.CaptainHayleyMatthews New Zealand 123/5 (20 ov.) Maddy was the best of the West Indies bowlers with Green 47 not out, Suzie Bates 30, Brooke 1-6 from her two overs. There was also a Hallidayrunout24beatWestIndies91/7(20 wicket each for Chinelle Henry, Karishman ov.)ShemaineCampbelle26,ChinelleHenry RamharackandShakeraSelman. 23;AmeliaKerr3-20by32runs.

spinner celebrates magical milestone for Guyana Permaul’s Superb 500:

Veerasammy Permaul, early signals of his the Guyana Harpy Eagles consistencyandaccuracy left-arm spinner is “I remember that first celebrating a monumental m a t c h a g a i n s t t h e feat in regional cricket. On Windwards and how excited Friday, he reached the I was to play for Guyana. It milestone of 500 wickets for wasmorethanadreamcome Guyana in the regional first- true,itwaseverythingtome, class competitions – the first to represent my country in patience, whether you’re a bowler from his country to ‘big man’ cricket,” Permaul batsman or a bowler,” achievethis. said. Permaul said. “The goal is to

Themagicmomentcame “To now reach 500 see Guyana retain the fourwhen he took the wicket of wickets was not really a day title. I started when we Keon Harding of Barbados goal but I’m happy to reach werebeingbeatenalot.Then Pride on the third day of the it I remember my first we won five years straight West Indies Championship wicket, Devon Smith with andthatwasagreatfeeling.” contest at Sir Vivian my second ball of my career Oneofthegreatpeaksfor Richards Stadium. Permaul and obviously the 500th was Permaul was when he dedicatedtheperformanceto Harding so I’m looking to bowled in partnership with his parents, who he said addmoretomytally.” leg-spinner Devendra sacrificed a lot to help with Overall,Permaulisinhis Bishoo. his development and 130th first-class match. He “I always enjoyed progressinthegame. has taken 574 wickets and bowling with Bishoo and we

A beaming Permaul was bowled close to 30,000 balls enjoyed playing together. understandably elated with – an amazing work-rate. On We started at the Albion his accomplishment and Saturday he ended with 2-28 playing club cricket together spoke proudly He started as to have six wickets in the andeventuallyweplayedfor a 17-year-old against match as the Guyanese Guyana together We grew Windward Islands way back defeatedtheBajans. up together and it was a in January 2007 at the “Ilovefour-daycricketit privilege to play with him. I Ta

al isatestsforallaspectsofthe contained one end and he Ground in the Carib Beer game. We always stress in attackedattheotherend,and Series. He took four wickets our meetings that the most we formed a fantastic in a marathon 34 overs – important part of the game is partnership.” (CWI)

Eagles managed to secure a massive 183-run win against the defending champion, Barbados Pride, in their match at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.

Guyana claimed twelve (12) points for the win, an additional three (3) Batting Points for landing between the 300 – 349 runs-mark, three (3) Bowling Points for overs of each team’s first Melius leads the Batting list securing all ten wickets in innings only and retained after two innings with 196 the first innings and two (2) whatever the result of the runs to his name. The rightPace Bowling Points for the match, while Pace Bowling hander crafted a marvelous ten wickets the seam attack Points are awarded for each score of 192 in his second took,whichmeanstheyhave wicket taken by a pace innings after being tallied20points. bowler during the match in dismissed for four in the

Apart from Barbados’ both the first and second first. loss, the matches between innings. Guyana’s Matthew Leeward Islands Hurricanes Harpy Eagles will now Nandu has been slotted in andJamaicaScorpionsatthe set their sights on their second with a tally of 142 Coolidge Cricket Ground in opponent in Round two, runs from his two innings. Antigua and Trinidad and Windward Islands, as they The 19-year old left-lander Tobago Red Force versus prepare to battle from was the first centurion of the WindwardIslandsVolcanoes tomorrow Wednesday, season when he achieved his at the Grenada National February 8, in Grenada from maiden first class ton on Stadium, both ended in 10:00hrsECT debut in the first innings, but draws. In the other matches that only got to 16 in the second

The teams that produced being simultaneously innings. the draws acquired three (3) contested, Jamaica face Red Force’s Tion points for the result to add to Barbados at the Coolidge Webstersitsinthirdwith137 their Batting, Bowling and Cricket Ground while runs, another first class Pace Bowling Points for the Trinidad and Tobago lock debutant, Abhijai Mansingh overalltotal. hornswithLeewardIslands. (118) of Jamaica is fourth, Batting and Bowling Individual R a h k e e m C o r n w a l l Points are awarded for Performances… (Leeward) is fifth with 114 performances in the first 110 Windward Islands’Kimani runs while Sunil Ambris (Windward)issixthwith110 runs. No other batsman has accumulated more than 100 runssofar

I n t h e b o w l i n g department, Cornwall controls the board with ten wickets after he commenced the season with a back-toback five wicket hauls in LeewardIslands’matchwith Jamaica. The ten—wicket haul has him above Ryan John (8) from the Windward Islands, T&T’s Bryan Charles (6) and Guyana’s VeerasammyPermaul(6).

Terrence Hinds (T&T), Akeem Jordan (Bar), Nial Smith (

d Mansingh are all tied on five wicketsapiece.

Kimani Melius

(Photo: St. Lucia Star)

Matthew Nandu (CWI)

Veerasammy Permaul