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AIETEUR NEWS

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Sunday Edition January 19, 2020 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

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Guyana remains in the dark about the proportion of oil to gas in Stabroek Block p.

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Almost two years since the sod was turned, the $132M Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates' Court, located in Golden Grove, E.B.D., is to be commissioned, Wednesday. It comes with elevators, two court rooms and wheel-chair ramps.

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First oil reception Market vendors Three parties will was a celebration want oil contract contest elections to change of betrayal and - tell leaders separately, but to ‘go to Suriname negligence - Ramson and learn to make a contract’ will share seats p.

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Guyana celebrates First Oil without Local Content Policy p.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January19, 2020

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Guyana celebrates First Oil with no Local Content Policy O

n Friday last, the Government of Guyana joined Stabroek Block partners ExxonMobil, Hess Corporation and CNOCC/NEXEN at the Marriott Hotel for a cocktail r e c e p t i o n t h a t commemorated Guyana's entry into the oil producers club.

This celebration was held even as the country remains without a Local C o n t e n t P o l i c y. T h i s document ensures maximum use of local goods, services and products, along with the transfer of technology.

For four years, the government promised that the policy would be in place before First Oil with the most recent of those promises being proffered by Energy Department Director, Dr. Mark Bynoe late last year.

The task of completing the policy was done by UK Consultant, Dr. Michael Warner. Kaieteur News would have exposed his connection to ExxonMobil in previous articles. Those news items also outlined that he was brought to Guyana by the US oil king to advise the government on local content and companies on procurement processes for the oil sector.

Furthermore, Kaieteur News would have exposed that he made alterations to the draft policy which was initially done by Trinidadian Local Content Expert and Energy Strategist, Anthony Paul.

For $22M, Dr. Warner not only removed key provisions that put Guyanese first, but also excluded from it, any recommendations for sanctions against foreign suppliers if non-compliance is discovered.

Kaieteur News was able

Energy Dept. Head, Dr. Mark Bynoe to identify these after comparing the second draft with the one that Dr. Warner did.

In Paul's draft, a strong case was made for ensuring foreign suppliers partner with locals.

The Trinidadian said that partnership is crucial in ensuring the transfer of knowledge and technology.

The International Energy and Strategy Advisor called for minimum requirements to be set for ownership

through equity participation in joint ventures.

But in the draft that was done by Dr. Warner who has connections to ExxonMobil, foreign companies will not be mandated to partner with local firms In fact, the draft policy states, “…it is the policy of the Government of Guyana to not mandate local-foreign joint ventures as a requirement for market access in the upstream petroleum sector, but instead to encourage such alliances…”

TAX BREAKS In Paul's second draft, the Trinidadian noted that there needs to be a level playing field when it comes to the payment of taxes, hence his recommendation that foreign suppliers should be made to pay their fair share.

Paul went as far as to outline a mechanism by which Guyana could capture taxes from the foreign suppliers. He said that the foreign companies doing business as agents,

contractors, or subcontractors to operators should be required to register a local company and pay taxes in Guyana.

In Guyana's third draft, h o w e v e r, D r. Wa r n e r removed this provision. In fact, not a single suggestion was made for locals to get the same tax breaks as the foreign suppliers so that they can have a fair shot at being competitive.

CONFIDENTIAL In addition to removing provisions that level the playing field for tax payments, Dr. Warner went a step further by proposing that the local content plans of foreign companies be protected by confidentiality provisions.

Dr. Warner specifically stated that the Business

Minister shall only disclose to the general public, whether or not; operators have submitted yearly Local Content Plans and half-year and end-year Local Content Reports. Other than that, the Business Minister must keep the contents of plans under wraps.

In Paul's second draft however, no such call was made.

In fact, the Trinidadian's

draft policy is the only one that is in conformity with a report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which called for tax breaks for local companies and joint ventures between locals and foreign suppliers, among other things.

Dr. Warner's draft policy is essentially, in complete defiance of the UNDP's recommendations.

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Kaieteur News

KAIETEUR NEWS Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: ADAM HARRIS A. A. Tel: 225-8491, 225-8458, 225-8465 Fax: 225-8473 or 226-8210

Editorial

The warring political leadership If one were to listen, read, and follow the positions and promises in the mainstream media only, the thinking would be that this place named Guyana is specially endowed with men of extraordinary depth, superb visions, patriotic strains of a rare caliber, and character of impeccable perfection.

If only such were the truths and realities of this land, so gifted with fruits of the field, yet so cursed, over and over again, for the sons of its wretched soil.

At this sensitive, crucial, hour of decision, of standing for this, and casting that prized ballot for one or the other political agencies, all and sundry come with the fervor and fire of a New Testament Saul emerging from his travels on that fateful trip to Damascus.

The established local leadership cadre has seen God, found religion, live for an ethos that is pure and purged of all the ills that did plague them and this nation for years and decades. It is those years and decades when they were on top of the mountain, when they lorded it over the sorry, hopeful, believing masses.

Today, they have succeeded in wiping their slates clean, without a trace of the perversities that cleaved and continue to rent this nation and its peoples asunder. They come with a sanitised and perfumed story today before the electorate.

They come with their words and promises, their programmes and visions, and their love songs and their arms stretched out to embrace a country falling apart at the seams, even as it is perched on a pinnacle that brings the world to its feet.

These competing, warring, clever politicians tell us what they know what we want to hear, what we hold on to, and in what we place out trust. Our trust that when the counting and sharing is in full swing, they will remember us, and extend to us, and lift us up, so that we can prosper with them, too.

Sad to say, and as is clear from the trenches and streets and squares, there are many citizens who swoon from the flattery of attention, of cajoling and appealing, of feeling that they count for something, and that they matter.

That there will be a place at the table of reckoning for them. Both sides-and they are only two, when all is said and done-tell us what the other has done wrong, the many unforgivable failures that have wrenched and devastated at this time or that other time.

Both sides tell how they can remedy and make right everything that is of significance to the Guyanese people, the welfare of every citizen.

Today, they know all that is required to be done is to make the best use of the oil money. They are fully familiar with the gaps and loopholes and exposures that have to plugged and rectified for the benefit of those who wait, which would be all of us.

From the contract, to the environment, to monitoring, to the delivering of the dividends, to the waiting, hoping Guyanese multitudes, they have it all down pat right to the last detail. Who can argue? What is there to contest and dispute?

From the perspective of this publication, and as supported by the history and traditions of this nation, there is the record refined and regurgitated. It is of the same sweet stories from local politicians that touch to the core those loyalists and believers and observers and stragglers.

That is the first side of a many-sided disappointment that has contributed so heavily, so prolifically, to the disillusionment and disbelief that flourishes so effortlessly.

Our political class, that elite caste of untouchables, has since the dawn of national freedom, if not before, deceived us before, fooled us before, misled us before, shamed us before, and left us more impoverished after every onslaught of acute repeated assaults.

There are only so many times that the same unrewarding con game can be played before the same audience, and to its lasting detriment.

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com

Real-time monitoring of oil production in Guyana is imperative DEAR EDITOR, The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, in supporting the renegotiation of oil contracts, had noted the risk of resources slipping through his country’s fingers while its leaders “were sleeping at the wheel.”

Are Guyana’s leaders asleep at the wheel? If so, it is time for Guyanese to wake up both Granger and Jagdeo.

Do we trust the oil companies with accurately reporting oil production? Do we have the personnel and technology in place to effectively monitor production?

Guyana needs experts, not amateurs, to monitor its oil production. Otherwise, it stands the risk of being fleeced of its oil wealth. If the oil companies can under-report 50,000 barrels per day, it will result in a loss of more than US$150 M to our coffers each year.

Real-time monitoring of oil production is imperative. Saudi Arabia has put such a system in place to guard against oil companies corrupting the ‘checkers’ and stealing their oil.

It will cost Guyana approximately US$8M to run a submarine cable from the Floating Production Storage and Offloading(FPSO) vessel to Georgetown to allow for off-shore and real-time monitoring of production. It will take between 69 months for this cable to be put in place.

Alternatively, Guyana can use satellite connectivity for as low as US$100,000 per month to monitor immediately what is taking place in the Stabroek Block.

It is time our leaders wake up. Guyana will lose billions if they fall asleep at the wheel!

Yours faithfully, Concerned Guyanese

Yet they preach and pontificate about all the good things they represent, and the lavish things that they do for all in this troubled and tormented society.

The torments are emphasized and intensified at this time of elections, with the promise of still further intensification in the weeks and months ahead.

We wish it were not so and hope so. We, also, dare to

think and believe, this once, that somebody out there is serious and genuine and harnessing every fiber to deliver all the grand things that are promised. The proofs will not be long in coming.

We first have to get past the daunting hurdles of the next few months and the raging tempests that are of ourselves.

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

The party leaders themselves must be transformed if the country is to be transformed DEAR EDITOR, There is a lot of grand talk about economic and social transformation in this election season and which party or president can bring us the meaningful change we so badly need. Just what picture of a new Guyana the peddlers of transformation politics have in mind I cannot say. Just what degree of revolutionary change each party contemplates, we will have to wait until the party leaders tell us.

In my view, a transformed Guyana would be a place where the gap between an ideal Guyana and an everyday Guyana is significantly narrowed. In an ideal Guyana, our economy is significantly diversified so that agriculture and miningincluding oil- is strongly supported by eco-tourism

and light manufacturing. It is a Guyana where our workers receive a living wage and have access to decent and affordable health care and housing. It is a Guyana where our physical infrastructure is robust and reliable and stitches the whole country together. In a transformed Guyana, we would see public transportation reformed and irresponsible drivers in jail.

Our political leaders would have scrupulous fidelity to the rule of law, and are constrained by an acceptable moral framework.

They would exercise power solely for the common good and misplaced priorities such as pursuing payback on their adversaries is shunned.

It is a Guyana where anyone who wants a job can find it. Our educational system is skewed towards vocational

training rather than academic subjects.

Every Guyanese has access to some form of tertiary education, whether it is college or university or simple technical training. And our capital Georgetown is returned to the splendid garden city it once was. And racial identity politics is thrown in the dustbin of history forever.

In an everyday Guyana, the whole picture that stretches before us is heartbreaking.

The government cannot keep the lights on without disruption.

Traffic signals work occasionally. Our healthcare delivery is hardly cutting edge and reliable. In so many areas, our physical infrastructure is dilapidated and rundown. Most of our workers barely get by on

The Integrity Commission must be revamped DEAR EDITOR, The Integrity Commission made news recently when its Chairman disclosed that several MPs failed to declare their incomes and assets (SN 15/01/2020). This letter makes no excuse for these MPs. Instead, it contends that the Integrity Commission must be fundamentally revamped.

In 1997, two years after the United Nations Convention against Corruption came into force, our National Assembly passed the Integrity Commission Act to, quoting the Act itself, “provide for the establishment of the

Integrity Commission and to make provisions for the security of persons in public life.”

Translating, the Act pinpoints three functions the Commission must perform: (i) monitor the wealth of specified political and professional officials (its self-assigned biggest role), (ii) detect and prevent conflict of interest situations, and (iii) serve as a complaint authority against public officials for acts ranging from (using as a guide the twentyfive criteria on the Commission’s complaint form) corruption and conflict of interest to Continued on page 6

measly wages. Crime is rampant and the police are not on top of anything, at least not yet. Our educational system is not properly linked to our need for skilled labour and as a result, our talent pool is too small to match our aspirations for a bigger and better economy. Our public transportation system is crying out for a makeover. It is a Guyana where our dodgy legal system is oppressive on the poor and those who cannot afford adequate legal representation.

The question in all seriousness that now must be asked “Is how do we get from an everyday Guyana to an ideal Guyana?” Which party has a national strategic plan and is capable of forging broad support with the organisations in civil society and opposition parties?

I would imagine the answer is none of them. Our political parties, including the newly emerging ones, have a long- standing habit of promulgating pretty manifestoes, big on outcomes but short on the roadmap or actionable steps we need to get where we want to be.

Without a catalogue of actionable steps properly

conceptualised, implementation is badly handicapped. Implementation is also challenged when our leaders make big, bold declarations, but come up short in follow-up, commitment and management control.

We should be thankful that none of our political parties is speaking of a ‘’ big bang” approach to transformation. No one speaks of a socialist experiment going forward. No one wants to tear up the society and economy and approach re-construction the way a building contractor plies his trade.

You must first remove the debris, re-lay the foundation and build from bottom up. All our numerous parties have comfortably set their sight on some form of neo-liberalism.

This is the ideological framework in which a possible change agenda will be pursued. Although Badal’s Change Guyana party should be credited with some degree of out-of- the- box thinking, his brand of corporate capitalism is ideologically par for the course.

It is also true that no party can be serious about a change agenda, if it fails to recognise that transformation is a collaborative project and it has to win the support of the wider society.

No party can independently bring transformation by relying on its own in-house brain power, its own resources and its ideals. The party leaders themselves must be transformed if the country is to be transformed.

Wesley Hicken

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Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

I stand by my position that Bharrat Jagdeo has failed the sugar workers DEAR EDITOR, Response is being made to GAWU General Secretary Seepaul Narine’s letter, “The GAWU has considered the response of our trade union colleague, Mr. Lincoln Lewis” (KN 18th Jan, 2020).

Let me state from the outset, there was no need to clarify my statement on the government’s handling of sugar (KN 12th Jan, 2020: Is GuySuCo’s management attempting to embarrass the Govt. by refusing to bargain with the unions?). My position was stated clearly and restated as reminder of what was said (KN 17th Jan, 2020: I stand by my position that Bharrat Jagdeo has failed the sugar workers, their families and communities).

Seepaul sought to deliberately misrepresent same and having this pointed out is pretending I “clarified.”

Nonsense!

Sugar is a very serious matter and I refuse to be distracted by alleged

utterances of Khemraj Ramjattan or others when under review is the stewardship of Bharrat Jagdeo, as President and Leader of the Opposition, in the handling of this industry and treating with the welfare of these workers and their communities.

GAWU is well aware of my position on respecting the right to collective bargaining, regardless of which group is in office or union affected.

Equally, it knows I have had no qualms calling out any government for transgressing the rights of workers as outlined in the Constitution, laws and international conventions. All of these are matters of public record. With regards to the matter of Termination and Severance benefits for sugar workers, both the Jagdeo government and APNU+AFC have flouted the law and both attracted my condemnation.

While Seepaul claims he holds no brief for Jagdeo but

entered into a litany of claims to give the impression that sugar was prudently managed during his stewardship as president, evidence does not support this. Under his leadership, GuySuCo has had to rely increasingly on the Consolidated Fund to keep it afloat. This is the most basic of evidence to start from. To argue otherwise in the face of the hard, cold fact is advancing a brief for someone whose record cannot withstand scrutiny.

As to the viability of Skeldon, Kaieteur News of 29th March 2013 reports:“The US$200M Skeldon Sugar Factory built as part of Government’s plan to reverse the sorrowful state of the country’s sugar industry is a letdown, says Dr. Roger Luncheon, Head of the Presidential Secretariat” (US$200M Skeldon Sugar Factory seen as a letdown).

Trade unionists hate to see the loss of jobs, especially when opportunities for rehiring and capacity building are limited. But the question to be asked is: What has Jagdeo done to address these on behalf of the very workers whose votes he relies on and counts?

I could tell sugar workers what Desmond Hoyte and Robert Corbin did as Leaders of the Opposition when President Jagdeo placed thousands of bauxite workers on the breadline, bringing

economic dislocation and depression to them, their families and communities.

Seepaul’s perception that there is stubbornness on the part of the Coalition Administration to deal with issues is not unlike the position of Jagdeo as President, which didn’t serve

the working class well then as it won’t now. This reinforced my principle that silence, and selective involvement when it comes to some workers’ welfare, hurts the welfare of all workers. Jagdeo as President succeeded in dividing the working class and a culture has been created where trade union solidarity no longer rules the day but partisanship.

I reiterate my position that were Jagdeo serious about the welfare of sugar workers, he could have done more. As recent as last month, the Minister of Finance “stressed that the union must sit with management to come up with a deal for satisfactory pay packages” (SN-Dec 6, 2019: Granger, Jagdeo differ on the way ahead for sugar). Shortly Continued on page 7

The Integrity Commission must...

From page 5 politically-biased and inefficient service.

The Commission has failed on all fronts.

Revamping must achieve three outcomes: (i) to remove overlap in both jurisdiction and mission with other state entities, (ii) to give more regard to privacy interests without compromising transparency (thereby encouraging more submissions from officials), and (iii) to create a Commission with a more impactful mandate.

First, several countries have recognised that revenue authorities are more effective at wealth monitoring than integrity commissions.

The larger database of our GRA, its more integrated systems, and its greater legal powers make it far more capable to detect undeclared and illegitimate wealth.

In addition, the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) is more empowered than the Commission to investigate any sudden

wealth of public officials and to recovery it. Then also the function of the Integrity Commission that addresses inefficient and unfair public service parallels that of the Ombudsman. By removing these overlapping jurisdictions and missions, the Commission could be streamlined.

Secondly, the protection of the privacy rights of public officials. As one who has had to disclose assets, incomes and liabilities to the Commission over the years in three different capacities (as MP, as dean of a university faculty, and as a spouse), I have never felt comfortable.

Apart from the nervousness about confidentiality of information in Guyana’s political milieu, I dislike the fact that the Commission demands more than is required to fulfill its mandate and that it includes officials (such as the deans of faculties) who are illpositioned to participate in the kind of mischief the Commission was established

to thwart.

An integrity commission should be mandated not to measure total wealth of a public official and his close family, but to monitor the variation in their yearly wealth. Measuring total wealth reaches back into the life of the official prior to his or her job appointment. It is therefore an excessive invasion of privacy.

It is also unnecessary because annual declarations of assets and incomes from the date of one’s appointment can alone detect any suspicious richness without the need for total wealth in the equation.

As such, the requirement for public officials to declare their total bank savings and to list and value all other assets unjustifiably invades their privacy. To make the argument differently, any need for such additional information does not warrant the invasion.

Thirdly, it would be more useful for the Commission to focus exclusively on detecting and preventing conflict of interest in the public service. No other agency in Guyana has this mandate.

In this refocusing, public officials would be obligated to declare only information that could place them in a potential or actual conflict of interest.

Such information should be limited mainly to properties owned (without stating their values as presently required), shareholdings in companies (without stating their values as presently required), private directorships, ownerships and partnerships, and gifts.

This less intrusive and burdensome demand may encourage prompt and full compliance by officials.

However, and more to the point, the Commission (and the public) can use the information to assess the extent to which self-interest could interfere or may have interfered with the decisions of public officials. The Commission must revamp itself urgently.

Sherwood Lowe

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

The level of distrust over the Revised List of Electors has grown since Nomination Day DEAR EDITOR, The level of anxiety and distrust over the Revised List of Electors (RLE) has increased noticeably and dramatically since Nomination Day with the attendant criticisms of GECOM. A short few months ago, with the exception of APNU+AFC, criticisms of the List was non-existent and muted. APNU+AFC were convinced then, as the Kaieteur News editorial of January 14, 2020 is now, that “the list is terribly troubling, if not outright flawed”.

APNU+AFC and their appointed Commissioners within GECOM had, many months ago, identified the listing of persons known, and presumed to have died, migrated and who had failed to uplift their national ID cards following the previous house-to-house registration as contaminating the list to an unacceptable degree and had secured a GECOM decision, under the previous Chairman, to conduct a house-to-house registration exercise to create a new and accurate list.

The PPP/C objected strenuously and took the matter to the High Court and they, like many others who fault the list presently, declared their unqualified support for that list. The PPP/ C’s legal action and the Chief Justice’s ruling regarding the requirement of residence verification for inclusion on

the list has prevented any meaningful action to sanitise the list. So what has changed recently?

As far as I can tell, nothing has changed. Those who advocated unqualified support for the list, which existed prior to the truncated house-to-house registration exercise and had rejected and sabotaged that exercise continue to do so even more strenuously.

There were 3 categories of potential electors registered during the house-to-house registration exercise, all of whom would have been required to provide the relevant source documents (original birth certificate, marriage certificate, deed poll, naturalisation certificate, valid passport, etc.) copies of which are attached to the registration form in order to be registered.

These are: 1) first-time registrants, 2) persons previously registered whose data remain unchanged, and 3) persons previously registered whose data (name, address) were changed. The second category of registrants do not affect the RVL in any way, and I do not believe that there has been any serious attempt to exclude the first category (new registrants) from entry onto the list. It would appear that all the hostility is being directed at the third category of registrants, who are

I stand by my position that Bharrat Jagdeo...

From page 6 after, GuySuCo’s Chief Industrial Relations Manager Deodat Sukhu, said, “the cash-strapped corporation does not have the revenue or cash flow to pay workers the requested increase” (SN- 9th Dec, 2019- GAWU hopeful of wage hike offer from gov’t).

Jagdeo could have held GuySuCo’s feet to the fire for not taking note of the Minister ’s statement. He knows GuySuCo’s ability to pay increases may rely on the Minister who has responsibility for NICIL, the agency in which the company’s shares are vested.

He could have also sought an engagement with the Minister to ensure the management and sugar unions sit at the table. Cheddi Jagan would have done it, but he did neither!

Jagan not only relied on the political support of these workers, he fought for their

welfare as Leader of the Opposition and President, and never missed any opportunity to advance same.

Let Jagdeo tell the sugar workers and this nation why he refused to use his political privilege and muscle to work with the Minister, GuySuCo and GAWU to ensure collective bargaining and arriving at “a deal for satisfactory pay packages” last year.

These are the same workers as he seeks their votes, in this election cycle, he is promising a plan to improve their conditions of work and standard of living.

Shouldn’t that plan also include working with the government as Leader of the Opposition to bring the economic relief they seek? He continues to fail sugar workers, their families and communities.

Yours sincerely, Lincoln Lewis

already listed being previously registered, but desiring to be placed on the divisional list where they presently reside.

To seek to prevent GECOM from accommodating this legitimate request is a blatant form of voter suppression championed by the PPP/C and former Prime Ministerial candidate for the Change Guyana Party, and

contrary to the claims of Mr. Nigel Hinds, this is not an attempt to “prevent preelection day rigging, election day rigging and post-election day rigging” but rather in furtherance of those objectives. The resort to obstruction, hysteria and propaganda can only be seen as an attempt to create a justification for rejecting the results of the election, if

unfavourable.

At this stage, I do not expect that the bloat will be excised from the RLE but I do expect that persons, who were properly registered, would be listed in the division/subdivision where they currently reside and were registered during the house-to-house exercise.

Moreover, I am confident that with the many parties

fielding thousands of polling and counting agents and the numerous local and international observer missions exercising their vigilance throughout the entire process that, notwithstanding the quality of the list, the results of the elections would be acceptable to all.

Sincerely Oscar Dolphin

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 19, 2020

Guyana remains in the dark about proportion of oil to gas in Stabroek Block

By Kemol King ExxonMobil’s public disclosures on the hydrocarbon reserves, which it has discovered in the Stabroek Block say that the country’s recoverable resource is estimated to be more than six billion oilequivalent barrels.

Someone used to the industry would know that that language means that six billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) means oil as well as natural gas. Yet, to Guyanese who are a little less informed, the language could be misleading.

And it has been. In their attempts to determine the value of Guyana’s Stabroek Block reserves and subsequently, the portion of the wealth that will accrue to Guyana, persons have assumed that all six billion barrels are of oil.

This assumption is problematic on a few fronts.

First, it would lead persons, in their projections, to unknowingly inflate the value of the oil in the reserves, thereby giving Guyanese the wrong impression about how

much wealth they’ll benefit from.

Second, not all the recoverable natural gas is likely to be sold.

Government has already disclosed plans to bring gas from the Liza Phase one project to shore, for electricity purposes. Some of the gas would be reinjected to maintain pressure sufficient for the extraction of the light, sweet oil.

Even then, the proportion of gas to oil is likely not minimal. ExxonMobil’s 11th discovery called Haimara, made in early 2019, is a gas condensate reservoir, according to a 2019 technical report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

That means it is almost entirely natural gas, opening up a new area for development.

It is unclear whether the Government is aware of that and other details about more recent discoveries.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, had appeared on a Kaieteur Radio show, Guyana’s Oil & You, almost

The Liza Destiny has already extracted more than a million barrels of oil from Guyana’s lucrative Stabroek Block. two weeks ago, and told the listening public that he is aware of the gas content in Liza Phases One and Two. That accounts for just two of 15 discoveries. Both of those discoveries were made years ago.

If Government is only aware of the gas content in two discoveries, it means that

Guyana’s development partners like the IMF are privy to more information about the country’s reserves than its own Government.

It also gives those organisations what they need to make analyses of Guyana’s reserves, but not its own people.

Guyana’s ability to

determine its economic might and the wellbeing of its people in the decades to come depends heavily on fair and transparent public disclosures to the countrymen who are instrumental in the process.

Whether this will improve in the future is unclear.

Kaieteur News, in posing questions to ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), about the contents of its 15 material discoveries, was told on several occasions last year that it was still analysing the contents of its discoveries.

While this may lead to the assumption that it takes years to make such analyses, Suriname took

days to receive a report on the disaggregation of the oil and gas content in a discovery made offshore the Dutch-speaking c o u n t r y b y To t a l a n d Apache earlier this month.

Kaieteur News has also made efforts to determine whether independent analyses could be executed, but the release of the oil company’s well logs to private citizens is not probable.

Officials from ExxonMobil as well as the Government are clinging to confidentiality agreements, which dictate that the logs are “proprietary”.

Guyana continues to remain in the dark about the proportion of oil to gas in its own reserves.

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Market Vendors want Oil contract to change…

“Tell leaders to go to Suriname and learn to make a contract” A Kaieteur News article headlined “Suriname secures three times Guyana’s Royalty for latest oil find”, has angered vendors of the La Penitence Market.

Mr. Chunilall, who owns a stall in the market, said that he is “very disappointed in his leaders for signing such a lopsided deal” with ExxonMobil’s Subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL).

The businessman said as a Guyanese, he is feeling very ashamed that Guyana’s neighbour, Suriname, got a far better deal.

He added that Guyana should have sought advice from countries with experience in order to avoid such a “raw deal”.

Chunilall told Kaieteur News that he refuses to believe that all is lost.

He called on Guyana’s leaders to pressure ExxonMobil and Tullow for a renegotiation of the Production Sharing Agreements (PSAs).

Another stall owner, Margaret, who operates in the La Penitence Market, said that she too supports the call to renegotiate Guyana’s oil contract.

However, she told this publication that she has lost tremendous faith in political leaders from both sides of the political divide.

She believes that

The La Penitence Market.

Guyana’s leaders cannot be trusted to negotiate any deals on its people’s behalf because they are “too corrupt”.

She also said “even if Guyana is successful in obtaining a better deal, its people will still be neglected since political leaders will fill their pockets.”

Uncle Buddy who sells clothes said that he wants his “leaders to go to Suriname and learn how to make a contract”.

He continued that after Guyana’s leaders consult with Suriname, they must return and renegotiate the deals they had previously signed.

Uncle Buddy said that he recently read in a news article that the government signed on to such a one-sided deal because of threats from neighbouring Venezuela.

He said that “Guyana does not need friends; it needs money.”

He gave an example of selling a pair of pants and preparing a plot of land to plant.

Buddy said, “You and your neighbour have a piece of land of the same size. Both of you want to prepare the land to plant the same crop. A man tells you that he will prepare your land for $20,000.

“You agree and pay that price. Your neighbour who has better sense finds a man to do the same job for $10,000.

Who is in a better position?

You or the neighbour?

Guyana is the stupid one and Suriname got better sense.”

In his next example he said, “You and your neighbour sell pants, so both of you go to the Chinese and buy a pair pants for a $1000.

Dem boys seh...

De market vendors more smart than some politicians People believe dat Guyanese don’t pay attention to de things wha happening. Some believe dat all poor and ordinary people want to do is eat and sleep.

Dem would get a rude awakening.

Yesterday, dem boys pass by La Penitence Market and dem hear de vendors talking. These people understand de oil situation really good. Dem see how Suriname get a good royalty and how Guyana get next to nutten.

One vendor even explain de thing. He seh jump at de first opportunity and didn’t tek time to analyse de situation. He seh Guyana should go and learn from Suriname.

And while de vendors fuming, some politicians who frighten Exxon because dem believe Exxon can hurt dem physically.

Some of dem believe Exxon can hire hit men. Dat is why dem never criticize

Exxon except when de Waterfalls paper ask dem something.

Dis set of politicians wouldn’t even talk about measuring oil. Yesterday dem get brave because de Waterfalls paper talk how Suriname get royalty and Guyana get fireworks.

Jagdeo tell he people dat dem mustn’t go to de reception. But dem boys hear some people still go to de Marriott but dem hide in de background. De word go out dat if dem try to boycott Marriott dem wouldn’t get any oil money.

Everybody know dis election is about oil money and who gon get a chance to build a big mansion. Dem boys notice dat since 2015 certain people can’t build new

houses. Some can’t even finish de building wha dem start.

Anodda thing dat got dem boys talking is de way all dem politicians know how dem gon deal wid Exxon.

Dem is de same people who hide every contract because as far as dem concern people don’t have to know anything.

Old people always seh tiger don’t change he stripe.

Dem boys want to know which of dem politician gon suddenly be transparent.

Nuff of dem run out de country because dem frighten jail. Is just dat de people who was investigating dem was just as corrupt.

Talk half and don’t underestimate anybody.

You now decide fuh give away you pants fuh $1500 but your neighbour decide fuh sell he pair a pants fuh $2000.”

“Who is in a better position, you or the neighbour? The neighbour because you pants gon sell out first year cause it cheap but when you pants sell out, the neighbour get a chance fuh sell he pants. So in the end, you only win $500 but

the neighbour win $1000.Guyana gave away the oil fuh $500 and Suriname sell dem own fuh $1000.”

Uncle Buddy said, “No! This is nonsense. We must get a better deal, at least four percent royalty if not six percent.”

Kaieteur News had reported a few days ago that Suriname was able to obtain a 6.5% royalty from operators,

Total and Apache, for its Maka-1 Well.

This percentage is three times the royalty Guyana obtained from ExxonMobil for its Stabroek Block and six times the royalty it obtained from Tullow for its Orinduik Block.

Suriname was also able to negotiate a deal that allows it to benefit from a 36% tax on income from the operators.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 19, 2020

Three parties will contest elections Rajendra Bissessar leaves AFC separately, but will share seats

Liberty & Justice Party Presidential Candidate, Lenox Shuman

The New Movement Presidential Candidate, Asha Kissoon

Three new parties have taken a decision to join their lists for the March election. These are A New and United Guyana (ANUG), the Liberty & Justice Party (LJP), and The New Movement (TNM).

This ‘joinder’ may be referred to as a coalition; the technicalities of it are not the same as the coalition of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC). The APNU+AFC Coalition party will contest the elections as a single unit.

These three parties, on the other hand, will contest the elections separately.

ANUG Leader Ralph Ramkaran affirmed this in a telephone interview with Kaieteur News yesterday. He explained that the ‘joinder’

A New and United Guyana Presidential Candidate, Ralph Ramkaran

is covered under Section 22 of the Representation of the People Act, which states that, “two or more lists of candidates shall be joined for the distribution of seats (but not for the purpose of voting)”.

He said that each party retains its own individual presidential candidate.

However, the ‘joinder’ is meant to ensure that no party gets left behind. Ramkaran said that the parties’ votes will be counted collectively after the election, and the collective vote will determine how many parliamentary seats and local government posts are allocated to the combination of lists.

It is at that juncture that the collective will work out how the seats are distributed.

Rajendra Bissessar has left the Alliance For Change (AFC).

He penned a letter, announcing his resignation, stating that he has agonised for some time over the decision.

Asked whether he is ready to throw his support behind any other party, Bissessar told Kaieteur News that he has not decided, but that he would be heartened to see plurality in the National Assembly.

This would entail new parties being given a chance to disrupt the control of the bipartite political establishment carried by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) and the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC).

This is what the AFC sought to do when it was formed.

Bissessar said that he feels betrayed, and that the AFC missed out on a chance to effect real, positive change.

He reminded that he had left the PPP/C because he grew dissatisfied with what he described as corruption within the party. He said that it had departed from the principles of its founding

Rajendra Bissessar believes that the AFC has failed to deliver on its promises. leaders. He had joined the AFC because it showed promise.

Bissessar’s reasons for the departure now are numerous, but could be summed up as disappointment in the party for purportedly failing to deliver on several promises it had made.

The AFC promised to work against corruption, but Bissessar adjudges that corruption became the “order of the day”.

He also criticised the

extravagant increases Government Ministers granted to themselves, wasteful spending, very little job creation, treatment of sugar workers, and failure to transform the Constitution.

He maintained that several ills, which led to his condemnation of the PPP/C were unfortunately replicated by this Government, and that the AFC failed to deliver on its promise to rein in the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) if it went “astray”.

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Sunday January 19, 2020

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

34 Haitians denied entry for coming on 1-way tickets

File photo: Haitians awaiting pickup after arriving at the Timehri airport.

Almost three dozen Haitians who arrived Friday were refused entry at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri and scheduled to be sent back yesterday.

The Haitians all came here on one-way tickets, Kaieteur News was told.

Under regulations, Immigration Officers at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, were supposed to be asking for evidence that persons had return tickets.

While over the years, there has reportedly been a relaxing of the requirements, the last year there was an influx of especially Haitians and Cubans.

Airport sources confirmed that there have been small numbers of Haitians arriving overtime without return tickets. These were let through.

However, Immigration held 34 Haitians who came on a Copa flight from Panama on Friday.

They were not allowed entry and were held by Immigration overnight at the airport.

They were supposed to have left on the Copa flight yesterday afternoon.

Guyana has been grappling with an influx of Caribbean nationals, especially from Cuba, and Haiti and from Venezuela.

File photo: Haitians on their way to Lethem, on the muddy trail. They were forced to walk around areas not easily traversable by the minibuses.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 Venezuelans are living in Guyana now, at the border area in Region One. There has not been many Haitians or Cubans registered officially or applying for citizenship, compared to what the airport has recorded as arriving.

Rather, it appeared that the majority of them were heading to Brazil and other countries. In other words, Guyana is being used as stepping stone by migrants.

Last year, in August, Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix, confirmed that for the year, more than 8,400 arrived. He provided

evidence that the majority left for Brazil and other areas.

The issue had triggered a bitter debate with the Opposition accusing the Government, which is facing early elections, of using the Haitians to register them on the voters list.

There has been little evidence of this.

Minister Felix denied any human smuggling or trafficking was taking place.

Records from the Department show that in 2013, a total of 188 Haitians arrived in Guyana with 99 departures; in 2014; 227 arrivals and 113 departures; in 2015, 770 arrivals with 136

departures; in 2016, 722 arrivals with 451 departures; in 2018, 3,515 arrivals with 291 departures and in 2018, 1,238 arrivals with 85 departures.

In 2019, there was legislative adjustment to Schedule II of the Immigration Act, Cap. 14:02, to include Haiti as a beneficiary to the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME), which facilitates free movement within the Region and automatic entry and stay of six months in the CARICOM countries.

Prior to the amendment, the Act had facilitated the sixmonth automatic stay to other CARICOM member

states including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Montserrat, Grenada, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago with the exception of Haiti, whose nationals had required a visa and were only allowed to stay for up to 90 days or three months.

From January 2019 to July 30, 2019, there were 45,944 arrivals of Americans; 2,980 arrivals of Barbadians; 5,048 arrivals of Brazilians; 2,548 of British nationals; 12,259 arrivals of Canadians; 1,995 arrivals of Chinese; 41, 272 arrivals of Cubans; 679 arrivals of Indians; 2,900 arrival of Surinamese and 11,119 arrival of Trinidadians.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 19, 2020

President refers sugar workers’ petition for pay increase to Agri Minister The Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), yesterday, disclosed that President David Granger has referred sugar workers’ petition for a pay increase to the Agriculture Ministry.

According to the union “… A few hours after it issued a statement on January 14, last, regarding President David Granger’s non-response to a followup letter to enquire about the status of the sugar

workers petition, (it) received a correspondence dated January 13 signed by the P r e s i d e n t ’s s e c r e t a r y. T h r o u g h t h e correspondence, the GAWU and by extension the sugar workers have

been informed that the President has referred the matter to Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder.”

The union said that the President’s secretary has advised that the union will hear from the Minister of

Agriculture on the matter.

“We note with interest that the President chose to reply through his secretary which no doubt, in our view, says a lot about the regard he has for the workers’ petition. The

Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder G AW U , on several occasions, has pointed to the glaring lack of concern the Coalition administration has for the sugar industry.”

GAWU insisted that this is not the first time that correspondence addressed to the President have not been frontally addressed by him but is referred to one of his Ministers.

“While Mr Granger obviously can decide how to address a matter, our experience has been that matters referred to other Ministers by the President are hardly ever addressed, at least positively.

“Of course, we believe that the President could have fully addressed the matter as we are aware that he has been presented with proposals from the GuySuCo regarding the pay rise matter. The fact that he has chosen to take the focus away from him is a mouthful in itself.”

The union said it is not heartened with the Ministry’s handling the matter. “…We have seen a GuySuCo report wherein the CEO advised the Board that, “…the Corporation is working closely with the Minister of Agriculture to arrive at a solution to the Corporation’s cash flow problems and the Corporation was assured that there would be some relief which would stem from discussions with the Ministers of Finance and the President.”

The union said that the Government has no intention to assist the sugar workers, who number more than 10,000.

They have not benefitted from any rise in pay since the Coalition took office.

“It is saddening to see the workers being treated with such derision especially when senior actors in the Coalition had promised them not only to preserve their jobs but to approve substantial pay hikes in the region of 20 per cent.”

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

First Oil reception was a celebration of betrayal and negligence - Ramson participates in the total disregard of their responsibility which would be to manage the sector well and to secure good deals for us.”

In addition, the Opposition member commented that the only

Attorney-at-Law and Petroleum Academic Charles Ramson Jnr. The cocktail reception that was held on Friday last in honour of First Oil at the Guyana Marriott, was actually a celebration of a sellout, betrayal, and negligence on the part of the government says Opposition Member and Petroleum Academic, Charles Ramson Jnr. The Attorney-at-Law— who, like his other PPP colleagues, did not attend the event— said that a celebration would have been warranted if a good deal was had for Guyana’s oil from the get go.

Ramson said, “Every single commitment to prepare for first oil has turned out to be a missed milestone leaving us unprepared and the oil companies in a perfect position to take away our resources... What is there to celebrate, when unlike other countries, we are receiving way less than we deserve?”

Further to this, an impassioned Ramson highlighted the fact that despite several promises, Guyana is without a Local Content Policy which increases the opportunities for locals to have maximum

benefit from the sector. He reminded that this is another failed promise of the Granger administration yet it has the audacity to be in celebration mode.

The Attorney-at-Law said, “Here it is we have political elites and Government elites celebrating on the very same day that a tanker comes to receive the first million barrels of oil for ExxonMobil. So really, it is a celebration not for first oil which occurred since December 20, 2019; it is a celebration for ExxonMobil and our government gleefully

citizenship participation was the observance of fireworks at an elitist celebration.

“So while champagne and crab cakes and expensive shrimp are being consumed at the Guyana Marriott by all the foreign investors, the Guyanese

people are left with a display of fireworks which is symbolic of the exploding dreams that G uyanese will get if the sector is not managed well and right now it is totally unprepared for oil,” the Opposition Member concluded.

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Kaieteur News

Central Bank prepared to manage oil funds thanks to IDB, World Bank With Guyana being relatively unfamiliar with all the aspects of the oil and gas industry, Guyana’s Central Bank has noted that it is “totally prepared” to monitor all anticipated revenue emanating from the country’s emerging oil and gas sector.

This is credited to assistance received from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the World Bank.

Governor of the Bank of Guyana, Dr. Gobin Ganga, made the announcement to this publication when questioned on the bank’s preparedness to efficiently manage oil funds within the petroleum industry.

According to Dr. Ganga, the Bank continues to collaborate and receive support from other key stakeholders within the oil sector.

Asked about whether the Bank has been receiving any assistance from international organisations such as IDB and the World Bank, the BoG Governor indicated that IDB

Central Bank Governor, Dr. Gobin Ganga has been supportive in providing technical assistance as it relates to the of drafting policies and the collection and analysing of data within the sector.

In addition, the World Bank has been making recommendations and providing training to the relevant staff members needed for the effective management of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF).

Earlier, Director of Energy, Dr. Mark Bynoe, had

indicated that the government has already earmarked monies secured from the World Bank and the IDB to fund projects for the strengthening and management of Guyana’s oil sector.

Concurrently, in December 2018, Guyana signed an agreement with the IDB for a US$11.64 million policy-based loan designed to support the strengthening and the sustainability of the Energy Sector.

Sunday January 19, 2020

ERC findings should be made public – Keith Scott The Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, Keith Scott, has opined that the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) should make its findings public as it relates to the investigation of the APNU/AFC coalition and People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) for using racial slurs.

Speaking with this publication, yesterday, the Minister highlighted that he fully supports the ERC’s efforts to ensure that the upcoming general and regional elections is transparent, free of violence and racial division.

He further urged the Commission to make all findings public so as to encourage public assurance that matters of this nature are being sufficiently addressed.

“It is only after thorough investigation that we can determine if these allegations are true or false,” the Minister asserted.

When questioned on whether the Social Protection Ministry plans to lend assistance to the ERC in addressing instances of racial tension that may arise, Scott indicated that the Ministry has always been open to collaborations with the Commission and is readily prepared to render assistance if needed.

Meanwhile, ERC’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Shiv Nandalall, stated that it is not usually an act of the Commission to make findings of investigations public.

However, when questioned specifically on this issue, Nandalall explained that the decision rests entirely on the commissioners of ERC to make its findings public, since the matter is of public interest to all Guyanese.

Just two days ago the ERC announced at a press conference that the Commission is in the process of investigating the two major

Minister Keith Scott political parties for the use of racial slurs during their campaign rallies.

According to the ERC the findings of the investigation can be forwarded to the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and the political party can be removed from the ballot.

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Sunday January19, 2020

More police ranks sent to GPHC outpost

T

he Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), for security purposes have been assigned six additional ranks in light of the numerous complaints being lodged at the hospital.

This is according to a top official at the city hospital.

The official said that the complaints stem from countless illegal practices taking place in the vicinity of or the compound of the hospital.

According to reports, the six ranks were placed at the hospital outpost with the aim of assisting their colleagues in combating the issue of robbery and petty crimes being carried out on late night patients accessing health care at the medical facility.

Kaieteur News understands that prior to this, there were only six ranks working different shifts at the hospital. There would normally be two ranks on

duty during a shift, now there will be four.

The issue of ranks shortage at the hospital came to light after a police officer stationed at the outpost stated that he is uncomfortable working in the environment unarmed with just one other person to depend on.

When contacted yesterday, the rank stated that he is now comfortable with the additional ranks being stationed at the

outpost. He added that there will no longer be two but four ranks working the shift system at the city hospital.

“There have been a lot of petty crimes being carried out at this hospital. That's why I'm glad that six other ranks were sent here to work with us. It's good because you cannot expect just two police officers to watch over and assist all the persons entering this compound at night.”

Recently there have been a surge of petty crimes being

committed in the vicinity of or in the compound of GPHC

mainly at the Accident and Emergency (AE) Unit.

According to a source at the hospital, of late, persons going to the hospital at night to access medical attention have on several occasions, experienced being robbed of their belongs or hard earned cash. Recently, officials at the hospital started to install upgraded doors with buzzers, with the aim of keeping out thieves who would at times disguise as patients and rob persons at the facility.

The source stated that the

hospital is willing to do anything that will make visitors feel safe. Patrolling police ranks outside the medical facility is a great start.

“The reason persons are coming to the hospital in the first place is because they are sick and they don't want to know that while on their way to get help, they get robbed…That is not nice.

“After being robbed, most persons are left terrified and that only adds extra pain to what they are already going through.”

Child sustains third degree burns after toppling kerosene stove

A

concerned mother is pleading with other parents to keep their eyes on their children or leave them in a safe inbox environment when going about daily chores no matter their age range.

This pleading comes after the woman's child sustained third degree burns on her body after coming contact with a kerosene stove her mother was using to heat water at the time of the incident.

The incident occurred on Thursday.

The victim who is

hospitalised at the Burn Care Unit (BCU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is a seven-year-old of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

In an interview with this publication, the victim's mother stated that on the day of the incident she left her daughter to sit in a chair that is in the verandah of her home, so that she could go downstairs and attend to some house chores.

The woman related that while undertaking her chores, she heard a loud scream that caused her to

venture upstairs to see what was wrong.

Upon entering her home, she was confronted by her daughter who had fire flames on her head and on the back of her clothes.

“After I went upstairs and see the fire on she head and dress, I start to pull at her clothes but by the time I get the clothes to come off, she de done burn.”

The mother further stated that since the table on which the stove is situated was not in the child's hand reach, it is to her belief that the child was tugging on the tablecloth when the incident occurred.

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

“I never giving up” says differently abled HEYS Entrepreneur

R

o c l i f f e Rodrigues a 34y e a r - o l d entrepreneur in the Hinterland Employment Yo u t h S e r v i c e H E Y S Programme, a husband, a father of three and an amputee says he's proud of all his accomplishments since participating in the youth programme in 2019.

Rodrigues and his wife who are HEYS participants, own a growing animal farm in Aranaputa, North Rupununi, Region Nine, with seven head of cattle, 106 sheep, 20 pigs, a duck farm and several horses.

He was able to defy the odds and together with his wife, has created a sustainable livelihood for his family.

The enthusiastic farmer who is an amputee, revealed that in the earlier stages of getting his business on the road, the business faced its fair share of challenges but with support, he was able to come this far.

He said his biggest fear was the fact that he has one leg. This caused great

Rocliffe Rodrigues

uncertainty over his ability to grow his business since the negative forces were prevalent, compounded by an illness that was plaguing his animals, proper housing and fencing for protection.

Credit, he says, must be given to a villager who saw his potential and kept

encouraging him to continue and not give up.

“I wanted to give up; sheep getting sick, some going to people house and eat up their things, so I decided to sell out and kill and sell and done with dah.

But I reach this man and he told me to never give up. To

this day, he always tell me that.

“It was very hard but I still coming through and I am proud of myself because I have my own farm,” Rodrigues said confidently.

He added that he came to the realisation that “life doesn't end there. You got to do what you got to do. Do it like a man. So not because I got a one foot means that I can't do it; I never giving up.”

He said, “In the next ten years, I see myself as a big, big businessman. I want no less than 5,000 sheep, my own butcher shop, couple hundred head of cows. I have to know how to set myself.”

Rodrigues also revealed that only last year, he was able to dig a tug well on his farm since it will ensure his animals have enough water year round.

Speaking about the opportunities HEYS has afforded him and several hundred others, nationwide,

Rodrigues posited that, “The HEYS programme was more than just a stipend. Today plenty people out there want this opportunity and can't get it.”

“Plenty of them from here fall away and them well and strong.”

“I proud of HEYS. I got plenty things because I made (continued on page 56)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

Nalicia Ramdyal

Sunday January 19, 2020

Our beauty this week is the lovely Nalicia Ramdyal. She is eager to win the Miss New York USA 2020 Pageant. One of her favourite quotes is, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because, without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently.�

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Sunday January19, 2020

Helping to create an impacting national change…

Selwyn Collins

By Sharmain Grainger

D

riven by the desire to see G u y a n a transformed to the point where it can easily slide into the status of being the financial mecca or even the Silicon Valley of the Region, Selwyn Collins has been helping to steer Guyana's future entrepreneurs and influencers in the right direction, one project at a time.

G r o w n p o p u lar f o r introducing initiatives such as Conversations with Selwyn, a New York-based weekly webTV broadcast, and for founding apolitical organisations the likes of Brand YOUth, Collins has indeed been seeing the fruits of his labour.

For this he wears a smile, not a plastic replica that far too many of us have grown so accustomed to flashing through phases of life, but the kind that sprouts from a place of contentment deep within the soul.

The 56-year-old Collins is not only passionate, but focused on the mission he believes is his destined forte – to give back to a country, a community that not only mentored him when he was young, but helped to fashion him into the productive human being he is today. “I have a personal interest in Guyana, when I was growing up, a lot of people mentored me who I respect, and it is on their shoulders that I stand, and I feel I have a duty and a responsibility to give back,” said Collins when doing this interview.

is a 'Special Person' A WEAVER Our 'Special Person' is convinced that Guyana is on the cusp of greatness, a belief he'd embrace long before any announcement of 'black gold'. In fact, it must be asserted that Collins isn't a follower rather he is a weaver - a metaphor he uses

to build bridges across these various gaps, but not just build the bridges but encourage each other to cross them,” Collins quipped.

Born and raised in Campbellville, Georgetown, a focused Collins migrated in 1985 in hopes of taking

“

If each of us put country first; if we put our community first, then everything else takes care of itself. So we have to sort of shift the mindset that it's about me, me, me, me, me to we… 'And how do we do that?' We make sure that we leave no brethren behind…make sure that my sister, my brother, whoever they may be, whatever ethnicity they might be, are not left behind.

for leader - and already he has been able to weave the minds of many youths into accepting that they have within them what it takes to conspicuously position Guyana in a positive light on the map.

In recognition of the fact that he alone cannot accomplish the desired goal, Collins has long been able to secure the backing of a likeminded team, which helps to guide the work of Brand YOUth. “We need some people who can take the strands and weave them into a fabric of impact, a fabric of purpose; that's what we need. Yes, there are many gaps that exist in Guyana: we have ethnic gaps, economic gaps, we have all these gaps and what we need to do, we need

”

hold of the American dream.

In so doing, he was able to land employment on Wall Street and even worked a spell at Time Inc., a mass media corporation.

But being a visionary, Collins couldn't merely settle for sitting around in a Corporation, he opted to venture out to establish his own business – consulting on web development. He even found time to engage in other ventures including authoring a book – The Earth Heart Knows.

Although just a quinquagenarian himself, Collins has already envisioned that “it is possible if we encourage young people and we give them the tools that they need; it is not just throwing money at them. The tools can at

Our 'Special Person' is the founder of Brand YOUth

times come as moral support; it could come in the form of policymakers looking at some of the policies we have that negatively impact businesses and see how we can come together,” Collins explained.

A FIRE IS KINDLED The fire he embodies to help young people build capacity to take the reins of economic development was first kindled many years ago.

Introducing 'Conversations with Selwyn' back in 2012 certainly helped to chart the path he wanted to go. With episodes being broadcast twice weekly, Collins said, “I've interviewed people from all over the world; I have interviewed a lot of prominent people in Guyana too: Joseph Harmon, Raphael Trotman, Cathy Hughes, a whole lot of folks, including the Chief Justice,” Collins shared.

It was from his many interviews that he was gathering data, data that helped to steer his enthusiasm in the right direction. “By 2015, I realised that something was happening, I realised that a lot of people in the Diaspora, a lot of my generation and older, were saying that Guyanese youths are just sitting around waiting for handouts; they feel entitled, they are not really pulling their weight,” Collins noted.

He admitted though that from his vantage point this was not the prognosis.

“That was not my experience,” said Collins who decided to focus greater attention on the young

He is also a brilliant writer population by creating another show which he dubbed a Sunday Afternoon Special. Through this show, he intended to show the worth of Guyanese youths.

The show was one during which young people were asked to share their respective stories. The show, expectedly, became a hit serial. But this was only the beginning of a phenomenal evolution of a well-crafted plan.

“A friend of mine who was visiting in Guyana at the time, a motivational speaker, Sherry Ann Dixon, she was there and I asked her: 'Can you do a conference with some of the young people who appeared on the show?'

She said, 'Sure, why not!'

To make a long story short, we ended up putting on a show at the Cultural Centre that over 100 and something people attended…I wanted to bring the more mature generation together with the younger generation so that both of them could learn from each

other,” Collins revealed.

The event turned out to be such an astounding success that Collins was encouraged to host an International Women's Day event which he did with the finesse of a seasoned pro.

“That was so successful,” Collins said, as he recalled that as part of his seven-year anniversary for 'Conversations with Selwyn', he kept the focus on women by hosting a women's empowerment event at the Umana Yana.

“It was later I found out I was the first guy to have done a women's empowerment event where I sat on stage and interviewed 10 women who I had interviewed over the years. I actually moderated the conversation…Several people flew in from around the world for that event,” Collins reflected.

REACHING OUT But it hasn't only been the privileged that Collins (continued on page 53)

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 23

NCN's excuse is poppycock T

here is an ongoing debate about the fairness of the elections coverage of the fully state-owned National Communications Network (NCN). The debate began with concerns being expressed about NCN's coverage, via social media, of Nomination Day proceedings.

It is alleged that NCN gave one hour of live streaming to the ruling Coalition, but only one minute to the Opposition People's Progressive Party.

There is no need to ask whether this was fair.

NCN when confronted with its imbalanced coverage made a dubious defence by contending that it is a broadcasting agency and not a telecommunications agency, implying that live s t r e a m i n g i s a telecommunications function and not a broadcasting function.

But what does that have to do with fairness?

Regardless of whether it is broadcasting or providing telecommunication feeds, NCN has an obligation to be fair. The distinction between broadcasting and telecommunications matters not, because this does not absolve the NCN from ensuring fairness and balance in its coverage.

NCN's explanation is silly. Transmission on the internet is generally c o n s i d e r e d a s telecommunications rather than broadcasting, but when a social media platform is u s e d , t h e n t h e communication loses its point-to-point character and becomes one-to-many transmission, and therefore falls within the remit of broadcasting. Streaming on a social media platform such as Facebook is therefore considered as broadcasting a n d n o t s i m p l y telecommunications.

NCN therefore cannot seek refuge in the distinction b e t w e e n telecommunications and broadcasting, because NCN is a licensed broadcaster and not a telecommunications provider. If NCN is implying that its transmission on Nomination Day via s t r e a m i n g w a s telecommunications, then it should be asked from where it derives its license as a p r o v i d e r o f telecommunication services.

But why does the distinction matter when it comes to NCN? After all, should it not have the same standards for streaming that it has for what it considers as broadcasting? In other words, should it not ensure equitable time for all parties – government and opposition?

Those aggrieved by NCN's imbalanced coverage - whether streaming or otherwise – of the various political parties, have no recourse to the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA). The GNBA is empowered with regulating, supervising and developing broadcasting in consonance with the broadcasting policy set out under Section 19 of the Broadcasting Act. Unfortunately, that policy d o e s n o t m a k e accommodation for the state-owned media to provide for balanced political coverage.

The GNBA, however, does have the authority to issue rules, guidelines and standards concerning broadcasting. It is not too late for the GNBA to insist that the state-owned media provide balanced coverage and allot time for party broadcasts to both the Opposition, and to the smaller parties.

The GNBA hardly needs any prompting in this regard.

Observer Missions to

Guyana's elections in the past have made reference to the equitable access to the state-owned media. The Report of the Observer Mission of the Organization of American States had reported that some political parties felt that the governing party, then the PPPC, enjoyed an unfair advantage in this regard.

In its report on the 2015 elections, the Carter Centre

noted the media's emasculation of smaller parties. The report observed that although six parties participated in the elections, the two largest parties dominated the media coverage.

It is not too late for both the GNBS and NCN to put things right. It is not asking too much for GNBS to devise a policy of equitable coverage to all political

parties, big and small. It is not too late for NCN to a l l o c a t e , e q u i t a b l y, broadcast time to the ruling coalition and to the PPPC, and to ensure that it provides balanced coverage to political rallies and meetings.

It is not too late for these things to happen. But do not hold your breath. We are living in a country in which all manner of justifications

can be found for not doing what is expected.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Sunday January19, 2020

Why CARICOM had no national for OAS top job

By Sir Ronald Sanders

R

eaders of B a r b a d o s newspapers were exposed recently to the views of John Beale, one of the country's former Ambassadors to the Organisation of American States (OAS), on the forthcoming election for the post of Secretary-General.

Because Mr. Beale served at the OAS and did sterling work, his views on the Secretary-Generalship of the OAS deserve attention.

Mr. Beale is my friend and former colleague as Ambassador to the United States of America (US) and the OAS. We fought several battles together to advance the interests of Caribbean Community (CARICOM)

countries in the US and at the OAS. At a bilateral level, we jointly took on the abuse by the US Virgin Islands (USVI) government of US Federal Government tax rebates to disadvantage CARICOM rum exporters.

The USVI used the rebate to subsidize rum production by the British multinational, Diageo PLC, allowing it to undercut CARICOM rum producers.

Mr. Beale also joined me in 2015 in the first public airing of concerns about the effect on Caribbean economies of the withdrawal of correspondent banking relations (CBRs) by US global banks, and in resisting the wrongful branding of CARICOM countries as tax havens and money

launderers. Without those early warnings, the situation today may have been worse.

Caribbean governments and Mr. Beale disagree on Mr. Luis Almagro being reelected as Secretary-General of the OAS on March 22.

Mr. Beale asserts that “many CARICOM leaders have been critical of the management style of Mr Almagro”, and identifies this as a reason for them not supporting his re-election.

For Mr. Beale, CARICOM countries “should leave Mr. Almagro to manage the OAS and not worry about his management style”.

Further, he infers that, s i n c e M r. A l m a g r o “continues to have the support of several major countries such as the US, Canada, Colombia, and

Brazil”, CARICOM countries should re-elect him. Apart from the fact that Canada has not indicated support for Mr. Almagro, CARICOM countries – whether they do so individually or collectively – decide on support for candidatures based on their own assessment, not the wishes of others who, equally, have no reason to consider CARICOM countries in their own decision-making.

Mr. Beale is incorrect in g i v i n g M r. A l m a g r o ' s “management style” as the reason for CARICOM countries' dissatisfaction with him. Mr Beale served as Ambassador only during the first year of Mr. Almagro's tenure. He should therefore be forgiven for his lack of f a m i l i a r i t y w i t h M r.

Almagro's performance in the three years that followed.

The CARICOM group's real concern is that Mr. Almagro has sought to use the OAS as an international platform for advocating his personal positions and the narrow purposes of some governments. Further, he has been divisive, failing to build consensus and promote dialogue and understanding

among states.

Development and security – the two pillars of the OAS about which CARICOM countries are most concerned - also received little or no attention from him.

As far back as 1 November 2018, in a widely published commentary entitled, “A Caribbean Secretary-General for the OAS”, I argued that after 70 years of Caribbean membership of the Organisation, it was time for a Secretary-General from amongst the CARICOM group. I pointed out that, “If CARICOM countries are divided over a candidate, others will take advantage of that division to insert their own candidate, as has happened with other organisations. In the process, the Caribbean will continue to be relegated to second position”.

Indeed, the CARICOM group has had to be content with the Assistant SecretaryGeneral's position for 39 years. The present holder of the position is Nestor Mendez of Belize.

Mr. Beale understands that, as he put it, “CARICOM leaders, quite rightly, would like to have one of their countrymen be elected to the SG position”. He suggests that “the best way to succeed is to re-elect both the current ASG and the SG because in 2025, Nestor Mendez would be the obvious candidate for the post of SG”.

Mr. Beale appears to be unaware that CARICOM never had a chance to consider Mr. Mendez as a candidate for the post of Secretary-General in the March 2020 election. Mr. Mendez was not proposed for the job by the Belizean government which only canvassed for him to retain the position as ASG. And, as Mr. Beale pointed out, a geographical group of countries in the OAS cannot field candidates for both positions.

Therefore, to quote Mr. Beale, “Since Nestor Mendez is the current ASG and his country, Belize, has proposed him to run again for the same post as ASG, it de facto makes it impossible for another CARICOM candidate to run for the SG spot”.

Being unable to propose their own candidate for the post of Secretary-General,

Sir Ronald Sanders because this would have dislodged Mr. Mendez from the comfort of being unopposed, CARICOM governments sought to put their support behind a nonCARICOM candidate. To do so, they looked for an outstanding citizen of the Americas whose known record could best serve the collective interests of all member states.

Most CARICOM governments opted for Maria Fernanda Espinosa, the former President of the UN General Assembly, whose performance was exemplified by consensus building, a focus on climate change, poverty alleviation, peace keeping and security.

Others are considering a Peruvian candidate, Mr. Hugo de Zela.

Mr. Beale is right that Ms Espinosa was not proposed

by Ecuador, the country in which she was born, but Mr. Almagro was also not proposed by Uruguay, the country of his birth. So, nothing turns on that observation.

Supporting candidates on the basis only of their birthplace, over which they had no choice, is too narrow a consideration.

Far more important is their record of building intergovernmental trust, seeking peaceful solutions to disputes and delivering benefits for all the peoples they serve.

Nonetheless, Mr. Beale is right that if the CARICOM group wants to secure the post of Secretary-General at the next election for a national, the work of preparing likely candidates should start now – regardless of the CARICOM country of their birth.

(The writer is Ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies at the University of London and at Massey College in the University of Toronto.

The views expressed are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper)

Sunday January 19, 2020

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---

Vote against Jagdeo’s 20, 30, 40 years Domination Master Plan It is generally accepted that many voters cast their votes against parties rather than for parties.

Other voters vote for a party rather than for the policies of that party.

In Guyana it is generally felt that most of our voters fall into those two categories. Of course, our ethnic dynamics encourage those electoral behaviors.

For example, during the era of ideological politics when the PPP was an avowed communist party, many Indian-Guyanese whose socio-religious outlook was at odds with the tenets of socialism were still fanatic PPP supporters.

As we approach the historic 2020 elections, we are again faced with the prospect of ethnicity influencing electoral choice.

Despite sustained advocacy over the years against ethnic voting, it has persisted. In fact, there has been no country in the world that has been able to successfully erase ethnic voting patterns.

The more ethnically diverse the country is, the more pronounced the practice is. It is for that reason that some of us have turned our attention to finding governance mechanisms to accommodate ethnic voting patterns in our multi-ethnic society. Hence the advocacy of power sharing or shared governance.

Both major parties have over the decades been less than forthcoming in their embrace of the idea. While they pay lip service to it when in opposition, once they assume power, they find ways to avoid implementing it.

The PPP has gone one step further—they have now rejected it even in opposition. This is an interesting development.

One of the outcomes of the P P P ’s n o n - s u p p o r t o f

shared governance is that it has allowed the Coalition to studiously avoid pressing for it during its first term.

Critics of the Coalition’s inaction on this front must bear this in mind—there can be no meaningful shared governance without the PPP. But the PPP is simply not interested in a political solution along the lines of shared governance.

As we prepare to vote on March 2, we have to ask which of the two parties shows more inclination towards a political solution.

The PPP has said to the African-Guyanese that it has no interest in cogoverning with their party.

African-Guyanese should instead go into the PPP. The PPP has therefore closed the door on shared governance. And worse, Mr. Jagdeo has boasted that should the PPP win in March, they would hold power for the next 30 or 40 years.

This is coming from the leader of a party that represents half of the population in an ethnically divided society.

Here is Mr. Jagdeo in his own words: “Every race has a place in our Party and has a right to make progress in the country and we in the PPP/ Civic is the only Party that can deliver this for all of our people.

Because of that, we will not only win power on March 2; we will stay in power for another 20, 30, 40 years in the future” (January 13, 2020 edition of another newspaper).

Of course, he prefaces his threat of 40 years with a political lie that all races have a place in the PPP—he knows, and all Guyana knows that that is empty rhetoric. The real message follows the lie.

Mr. Jagdeo is in effect saying to African-Guyanese and those Amerindians who don’t support the PPP that should the PPP win the coming elections, they should

be prepared to be dominated for the next four decades.

Where does that leave us?

I don’t like telling people to vote against a party—I prefer people vote for something rather than against a party.

But Mr. Jagdeo leaves us with little choice.

I have to advise voters of all ethnic groups, including Indian-Guyanese, to vote against Mr. Jagdeo’s master plan for Guyana. That in effect means that we have to vote against the PPP. I have noted in this column before that I sense that despite the refusal to abandon ethnic voting, some voters are asking questions of their ethnic parties. Many African-Guyanese, Amerindians and a smaller section of Indian Guyanese seem to have embraced coalition politics.

For some AfricanGuyanese there is this interesting convergence of ethnic feeling and coalition politics. This for me is hopeful, and is one of the reasons that I am encouraging voters to give the Coalition a second chance. I think the Coalition as a political formation is better able to absorb this new energy.

So, I am arguing that there are some clear choices before the electorate on March 2. Mr. Jagdeo and the PPP have made one of those choices even clearer. As a rule, I prefer to encourage voters to vote for something.

Even if you are voting for a party for ethnic reasons, demand policies from that party. But on this score, I am prepared to break with that approach.

It is quite in order to sell your party as the better choice, but to threaten half the country with 40 years of domination is unacceptable.

For those voters who have been threatening to stay home on March 2, you now have a reason to come out and vote. Come March 2, vote against Mr. Jagdeo’s master plan.

(The views expressed in

The Baccoo Speaks The dry weather in some parts of the country will wreak havoc on livestock in the savannahs. For starters there will be some fires which will add to the confusion.

The farmers would seek to pressure the government to do something, but they themselves do not know what. ** The sale of oil will be a talking point. There will be

those who will actually attempt to count Guyana’s earnings without understanding the contract.

This will form part of the political campaign. Of course, the government will be the focus. ** Another petty robbery will go bad because of the police presence. A group will attempt to rob a woman leaving the bank. The criminals will be armed but the police would be better armed.

this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube

Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ GuyanaCaribbean Politics and on his w e b s i t e www. g u y a n a c a r i b b e a n politics.news.

Send c o m m e n t s to dhinds6106@aol.com

Dr David Hinds

PAGE 26

Kaieteur News

A TRAIL OF DEATH MAHDIA TO GEORGETOWN

By Michael Jordan

It was at around ten o’clock on Tuesday, August 31, 1971, that a deafening explosion shook Khan’s Guest House near Radio Demerara in High Street.

Inside the room from which the explosion had come stood two trembling, bloodspattered little boys.

Policemen who ventured into the smoke-filled room almost gagged on the stench of blood and burning flesh.

And something that seemed not quite human lay near a gaping hole in the floor…

But let’s start this dark tale of murder and obsession at the point where it really began; around 1966, some five years earlier, at a dance at 73 Miles, Potaro. It was here that a young St. Lucian man named George Antoine, known to friends as ‘Lightning’, met a young Guyanese woman named Jean Ann Andries.

Antoine had migrated to Guyana to seek his fortune as a diamond miner. He was a quiet man with an easy smile.

At the time, Jean Andries was just 18, and she already had a

son, named Tony, from a previous relationship. But that didn’t deter George Antoine. He struck up a friendship with Jean and

eventually, the two began to live together. Jean bore George two sons; Leslie and Brian.

Jean’s little sister,

Rhonda, also moved in with them. The couple first settled at Kaieteur Top, but frequented Mahdia.

Jean would sometimes accompany her spouse on his porkknocking escapades, sometimes even panning for gold side by side with her man.

On the outside, they seemed like a happy young couple. But then close relatives began to hear whispers that all was not well.

People who knew the couple told Jean’s relatives that George was ill-treating his young reputed wife. In fact, some even claimed that he was forcing her into prostitution. It was also rumoured that George was into illegal activities, which included cattle-rustling near the border.

But when she met with the relatives, Jean Ann always appeared to be happy and would tell them that the rumours about George were untrue.

The couple eventually moved to Mahdia. They also travelled frequently to Bartica, where Jean had relatives. Then, around 1968, Jean’s 10-year-old sister, Rhonda, who had been living with the couple, died suddenly.

Disturbing rumours began to circulate that the child had been murdered.

However, both Jean and George insisted that Rhonda had succumbed to gastroenteritis. They said they were forced to bury the body at Kaieteur Top without a post mortem. Since gastroenteritis was prevalent at the time, the relatives eventually accepted the story.

But around 1969, a female cousin who lived in Bartica received a letter from Jean. In the letter, Jean stated that she wanted to break off her relationship with George.

According to her, she had repeatedly tried to leave him, but George would always track her down.

In 1971, Jean Ann visited the cousin at Bartica, and after bursting into tears, told the cousin a very terrifying story. She revealed that George was indeed involved in cattlerustling and would barter stolen cattle for guns. She claimed he had three firearms, and had shot and wounded a man at Mahdia.

And the rumours about George forcing her into prostitution were also true, Jean said.

“You see that pants and shirt that he got on? Is my body pay for them, “she lamented. “I so frustrated that I could push a knife in myself.”

Then Jean revealed to her

Sunday January 19, 2020

shocked cousin that little Rhonda hadn’t died from gastroenteritis after all.

According to her, George had resented having to take care of ‘somebody else child’, and often ill-treated the tenyear-old. She claimed that while she was out, George struck the child to the head with a piece of metal pipe.

When Jean returned home, Rhonda was lying listlessly in a hammock and complaining of headaches.

On being questioned further, she revealed that George had struck her.

According to Jean, the family retired to bed, and the next day she found Rhonda dead in the hammock. Jean explained that because Mahdia was three days’ journey from their location, they buried the child’s body in a shallow grave.

She claimed that George then travelled to Mahdia to report to the police that Rhonda had succumbed to ‘gastro’.

However, the police had somehow already received word of the child’s death, and told George to accompany them to the spot where the body was buried.

But cunning George Antoine took the cops to another area near a stream. At the time, the stream was swollen by heavy rain, and rather than cross the stream, the cops abandoned the search.

Rhonda Andries’ grave has never been found.

After relating her story, Jean asked the cousin to borrow a suitcase, since she wanted to travel to Georgetown. But before she could leave, George turned up at the cousin’s home. The couple began to quarrel and in her anger Jean blurted out: “The day I leave you is the day you would live in jail.”

According to the cousin, George’s countenance changed and she is convinced that had she not been present, George would have killed Jean at that same moment. The worried cousin expressed her fears for Jean’s safety, but Jean replied that she didn’t care if George killed her.

A few days later, George returned to the cousin’s home.

He told the woman that Jean had left him. The cousin consoled George that he would eventually find someone to take Jean’s place.

George responded that he missed Jean and the children.

Before leaving, he promised that he would return to Mahdia and send money for them.

Meanwhile, Jean, along with her three children, had traveled to Georgetown. She booked in at Khan’s Guest House near to Radio Demerara in High Street.

At the time, she was accompanied by a young man known as ‘Dougie.’ But as he had done before, George Antoine tracked her down, since the couple had often stayed at the same guest house. He booked a room on the top floor.

On Tuesday, August 31, at around ten o’clock, George confronted Jean in the hotel.

He stabbed her in the hand.

Jean went to a nearby police station and reported the assault. She then returned to the hotel.

According to reports, Jean and her new boyfriend, ‘Dougie’ were heading back to the police station when George attacked her again. ‘Dougie’ managed to escape. Jean Ann was not that lucky. George cornered her and stabbed her in the stomach. Jean cried out “‘Lightning’ stab me.” The 25year-old woman then collapsed and died on D’Urban Street.

Pursued by a policeman, George Antoine fled to Khan’s Guest House. He then entered the room that Jean had booked. Two-year-old Brian and Leslie, aged four, were still in the room. Minutes later, a deafening explosion shook the hotel.

When police finally forced open the bedroom door, they found George Antoine’s headless and burned body on the floor. Also in the room were the two children. They were blood-soaked, but unharmed.

From all reports, after killing his estranged spouse, George Antoine had entered the hotel room, placed a stick of dynamite in his mouth, and set it alight.

Today, landmarks such as Khan’s Guest House and Radio Demerara are gone. But old-timers still remember crazy George Antoine, who killed two sisters, and then literally lost his head over the elder one.

If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown offices. Our numbers are 225-8491, 2258473 and 225-8458. You need not disclose your identity.

You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s kamarangnight@gmail.com.

Sunday January 19, 2020

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

David Granger epitomises the inherent flaws of Homo sapiens There are times you can forgive rulers for their obdurate refusal in not wanting to learn from history because of the nature of their professional training. Surely, an accountant would not have gone through the journeys as a trained historian did.

So when that accountant becomes head of government and remains ignorant of the lessons of the past, your judgment will not be as harsh as with a sociologist or historian or journalist or political theorist.

David Granger was trained in history and has written books on aspects of Guyanese history. He should be equipped intellectually to understand the pitfalls of the past that a ruler should and must avoid.

At the launching of his party’s 2020 election rally, he used the word “nonsense” to describe the existence of the clause of the no-confidence motion (NCM) in the constitution, and promised the nation to remove it.

People never learn from history, but look of all people who turn their backs on the guidelines history offer – a ruler schooled in history. Nothing personal, but my opinion is that David Granger is not intellectually finessed.

Let us use Bharrat Jagdeo as the most graphic example where deliberate ignorance of history comes back to kick you in your thick head. As president, Jagdeo conspired with Opposition Leader, Robert Corbin to pass legislation to (1) – stop MPs from crossing the floor and (2), allow the leader of the list to recall a recalcitrant MP.

Corbin wanted to banish a maverick PNC MP, James McAllister.

In 2018, if Jagdeo had not done such an undemocratic thing the APNU+AFC government would have fallen, and there would have been no need for the “crossing the floor MP” to secretly leave Guyana for safety reasons.

At least four ruling MPs would have crossed the floor in 2018 and made the APNU+AFC a minority government.

Since they would have moved in a group, the resulting public relations umbrella would have reduced any fear of physical harm.

Jagdeo and Corbin passed that legislation out of personalized power needs.

Enter 2014. To avoid an NCM introduced by the AFC, which Opposition Leader David Granger was willing to support to topple the Ramotar presidency, Ramotar prorogued the House.

Granger and the PNC allocated the first Tuesday in every month to picket the presidential complex, calling for the House to be in session. Once Parliament had resumed its statutory meetings, the PPP government would have fallen to an NCM. The NCM never happened because elections were called, but it was the PPP’s fear of an NCM and the authoritarian things the PPP did to avoid an NCM that led eventually to David Granger being president today.

There was a percentage of voters (along with the ABC countries) that disapproved of the shortcircuiting of parliament by Ramotar and voted against Ramotar, thus ushering in

the presidency of Granger.

G r a n g e r, without paying homage to the NCM attempt in 2014 and with immense ingratitude to the NCM clause in the constitution that helped his cause in the picket line outside the presidential complex in 2014, promises the abolition of the NCM clause.

He did look silly because he needs a two-thirds majority and given the priceless, democratic value of the NCM, Granger isn’t going to get it, because even if he wins, his margin will be far away from a two-thirds status in parliament.

Rulers are selfish people who use power for sick, opportunistic reasons. To keep Mark Benschop in jail forever, President Jagdeo passed legislation to allow the state to appeal a criminal acquittal before judge and jury.

At the time, even the smallest child who grew up in the PPP believed the PPP would rule forever. If the PPP loses in March, that legislation may well be used to keep some PPP leaders in jail forever.

The lessons of history are incandescent – what you tamper with today will devour you tomorrow. Granger hates what occurred after the NCM and he is tying his conceptualization of the NCM to that.

He is equating personalities with the NCM. The two are not in the remotest way connected.

Granger is not concerned with the inherent, democratic value of the NCM, but with what it did to him. But 20 years down the line, the NCM can bring Granger ’s successors to power just as it helped his

cause in 2014.

My prediction is that there is going to be a minority government or a one-seat victory. The NCM then will become the most sought after thing after 2020. It may very well propel the PNC to victory long before 2025 if it loses the

March elections. Granger ought to show more respect for history.

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

Frederick Kissoon

PAGE 28

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

CHAIRING THE G77: GUYANA HAS MOVED UP IN THE GLOBAL RANKINGS We hope you didn’t miss seeing that very bright light shining on Guyana last Wednesday when the United Nations handed over the instruments of office to Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo in New York.

Guyana has been conferred with the honour of chairing the Group of 77 in 2020. This is no small accolade.

This is the big time! Guyana, the newest member of the world’s Petroleum Producing Nations has moved up in the global rankings.

Unfortunately, the news could easily have passed you by, since it was too positive for the anti-government media to give it any air play and column inches. They will not admit that they have been misleading you. But the more serious minds among you will not let all the putrid lies and junk economics that the PPP throws at the nation with fake indignation, keep you from acknowledging that Guyana has grown in stature among the nations of the world. Guyana’s international reputation is now positive!

So the news that our country now heads up the 134-member United Nations Group, the G77, was picked up by only the national newspaper and a small few online news sites. The Opposition is proving once again that it would stop at nothing to keep its supporters in the dark for its own

selfish electoral ambitions ... not for any other reason.

This is the same group that is fighting so hard to hold power over you again. This is the same people who:· Destroyed the very fabric of Guyana’s society between 1997 and 2015 · Decimated Guyana’s international reputation to the point where the country was known only as the drug corridor in South America · Endangered the health of citizens in the former Garbage City that we know as Georgetown · Said openly that they won’t mind if diseases broke out in the dirty city · Did absolutely nothing for citizens unless they pledged to vote for them · Had no interest in making the Internet available to citizens since they considered it their right for their friends to control, especially the $2 Billion fibre optic cable that they destroyed in 2014 Now all the PPP wants is to control YOUR Oil revenue for the same old reasons. Will you give the PPP the power to continue to abuse you???

Guyana has made some fantastic progress since 2015 both at home and on the world stage. We are sure that if you allow this Coalition Government to continue to develop this nation, we will begin to reach our full potential in a very short time.

At this rate, Guyana will make history as the fastest developed nation.

GUYANA CHAIRS THE G77 This is the first time that Guyana has been chosen to lead this august group which was formed in 1964 to provide a forum for developing nations to promote their economic interests. Later the group expanded to include others including China, and it is the largest negotiating block within the United Nations of 193 member states.

When PM Nagamootoo accepted the instruments last week at the UN headquarters in New York, he gave a commitment to build upon the past achievements, promote collective economic interests for all members, and enhance joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues in the United Nations system.

He said that many developing countries in the world are still grappling with socio-economic challenges linked to climate change, poverty, hunger and diseases, financing, trade, technology transfer and human capacity. “We will continue to use our diversity as a source of strength. The world needs a strong United Nations and a strong G77,” PM Nagamootoo declared at the UN HQ. He let them know how proud Guyana is for having been chosen

to lead the G77 for a year, especially now when our country will celebrate its Golden Anniversary of attaining Republican status. He told his avid listeners that 2020 also marks the beginning of Guyana’s Decade of Development within the context of our Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040.

“Guyana has been consistently determined to realise high levels of prosperity, cohesion and progress for all its citizens.

These convictions have been mirrored by our strong subscription to such fundamental principles as the peaceful resolution of disputes, the international rule of law and the power of multilateralism,” he reported told the gathering.

These are similar to the principles that guide Guyana’s membership of and contributions to CARICOM, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), the Commonwealth, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Alliance of Small Island Developing States (AOSIS), the Non-Aligned Movement and the UN. Prime Minister Nagamootoo told the G77 that Guyana has a commitment to sustainable development and will remain undistracted even in our new status as an oil-producing nation. UN Secretary-General, António Guterres,

took the podium to congratulate this nation for the high achievement, and he pledged the continued support of the SG’s Secretariat.

CARICOM was instrumental in this development, ensuring that a Caribbean candidate assumes the G77 Chairmanship in 2020. Guyana also received support from the majority of countries in the G77 including African, Asian Pacific and Latin American countries.

This is also a timely and fitting tribute to all Guyanese.

It is high recommendation and recognition of Guyana’s current good standing on the international stage, and our capacity to undertake heavy responsibilities.

That good standing was hard won, mainly with the Coalition’s honesty, integrity, and determination to bring Guyana out of the pits that the PPP had driven it into.

So, it is now fair to anticipate that Guyana will play host for at least some meetings of the G77, and Guyanese will have a chance to put our cultures, cuisine, and our smiling artists on display once again for leaders from all around the world.

Keep your chin up because Guyana is moving up!

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

Sunday January 19, 2020

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

My column

The interest of the politician This is the season when the politicians will take centre stage. They will be the talking point on every occasion. On the campaign trail, there will be the usual rhetoric. Some will tout the development they have been pursuing, while others will focus on what has not happened.

They will also be the butt end of jokes. This past week someone told be a most humorous story. It goes like this. Some terrorists had kidnapped the entire parliament of Guyana. Of course the terrorists had their demand.

The leader sent a message to the people of Guyana; pay a hefty ransom or their parliamentarians would be burnt alive. There was this long line of motorists and someone was walking the line seeking contributions.

When they reached on man who was late to join the line, he asked what all the backup in traffic was about.

The man seeking the donation told him what was happening. To this the man asked, how the contribution was going. The man told him very well. The average contribution was a gallon of gasoline.

People always pick on the politicians as if they are responsible for every possible evil. If a man walks into a pothole, he would blame the government. If he falls into a canal, he would blame the government for not filling up the canal.

Last week, a parent walked into a school and assaulted a teacher. There was the video recording of the incident that took place in the presence of the primary school children.

In the end, the matter reached the police and both parent and teacher have been charged. They are to appear in court this week.

The decision to charge the teacher has not gone down well. The President of the Guyana Teachers’ Union was quick to comment that

the teacher was assaulted at her place of work. If anything, she was defending herself, but she has been charged with assault.

That must be sheer laziness on the part of the police, who are quick to wash their hands of any matter and allowing the court to make all the decisions. This is not usually the case in any country. The police do their investigation and then refer the matter to the court.

The union president also noted that the parent who assaulted another teacher has still not been charged. Some say that that matter has been swept under the rug.

We talk of indiscipline in schools, but we don’t talk about parents refusing to allow schools to mould their children. The result is that teachers do less than they should. Some say that they would rather sweat over their own children at home than to sweat thanklessly over other people’s children.

I suppose this increase in attacks on teachers is due to the fact that increasingly, men are moving away from the classroom. In my days at school, from primary right through to university, most of the teachers and lecturers were men.

Men were the role models for the boys. The result was that very few ventured into criminal enterprise. At the same time, corporal punishment was the order of the day. It was unheard of for parents entering a school to pick a fight with a teacher.

This absence of men from the classroom may be as a result of the pay. These days, men seem to want lots of money, without recognising that they often do not have the qualification to command high salaries.

The result is that they now venture into the gold fields, become minibus operators and conductors or simply become thieves and robbers.

Of course, there are those who expect the politicians to effect a change in this situation. There is the belief that the politicians should pay better than they do. I am not an economist, so I do not know what impact pay increases would have on the national economy.

In some quarters, now that oil is being sold and Guyana is expected to earn some money, people expect to see the rewards in many ways, not least among them being salary increases in certain areas.

We are building more schools, but there is no programme to encourage more men to become teachers.

Perhaps such a programme should start in the home, but then again, parents always want their children to aim for the sky.

People would come seeking jobs and sometimes I would ask them about their lack of interest in the education system. The answers are as varied as the people themselves.

Some talk about the indiscipline in the schools and some talk about the threat of violence. Nobody believes that he can make a change.

Of course, violence in schools is not limited to Guyana. Recently, I saw on the international newscasts, cases of teachers responding, and some of them are being charged for over-reacting.

On the present campaign trail, I do not hear anything about education. I hear a lot about the sugar workers. I hear about retraining them to do what they may be capable of. I also hear about stipend for children, but I do not hear anything about continuity in the field of education.

Perhaps as many believe, it is all about getting the hands on whatever proceeds there will be from oil.

Politicians all want to be rich.

There is a focus on Nigeria, where the politicians enjoy

the wealth from oil as a result of corruption.

It is the same in Russia, although not much focus is placed on that country.

People talk about the poverty in Nigeria, but no one is talking about the poverty in other rich countries,

including the United States where there is poverty especially in the southern states.

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

Adam Harris

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Kaieteur News

Sunday January 19, 2020

THE PRESIDENT AND EDUCATION David Granger, the President of Guyana, has released another collection of four books. In his latest collection, he examines the transformative role of education and proposes practical measures that would allow education to remain an engine of economic and social change. His collection is an exposition of the role of education in transforming post-colonial societies and in equipping them for the future.

Education and transformation: The story of Queen’s College 1844-2019 celebrates more than a milestone. It links the College’s mission to societal change and transformation.

David Granger attended Queen’s College which, since 1844, has been the country’s premier secondary school and among the crème de la crème of Caribbean high schools.

The College celebrated its 175th anniversary in October 2019 and invited the President to give the feature address.

President Granger, addressing the College’s general assembly, situates its development alongside its contributions to the transformation of public education in a post-colonial society. The President provides a thoughtful thesis to account for how the

A review of four books by David Granger – Education and Transformation: The story of Queen’s College 1844-2019; Education and Emancipation: Sources of the public education system; Teaching teachers: The Cyril Potter College of Education; and, Education and Culture: Teaching in a post-colonial society.

College’s customs, code of conduct and esprit de corps have contributed to its culture of academic excellence.

Interestingly, Granger began not by dwelling on the past but by defining his vision for the College. He addresses the fundamental question to which all long-standing schools inevitably have to respond: how to remain relevant and retain standards of excellence.

The transformation of the country’s public education system, however, did not commence with the establishment of Queen’s College in 1844. It began six years prior with the Emancipation of the formerly enslaved populations of the British West Indies.

Education and Emancipation: Sources of the public education system, the second book, traces the evolution of the country’s public education system to the abolition of human enslavement. The enslaved Africans had the foresight to recognize that education was the pathway to a better life for

their children.

Granger records the contributions of Africans to education, beginning with the efforts of freed Africans to ensure a better life for their descendants.

Granger, addressing the general assembly of the International Decade of People of African Descent Guyana, President Granger outlines some of his Government’s educational plans in what he calls the Decade of Development 2020-2029. The most significant of which is the restoration of free education at the University of Guyana.

Free education is a lofty goal.

The Guyanese President would have been mindful, however, that his country’s attempts at expanding access to education, beginning in 1976, came at huge financial cost to the treasury.

This aggravated the country’s economic woes.

Education is pivotal to his Government’s plans for economic and social transformation. In his public utterances, the Guyanese President has articulated his vision for the establishment

of an ‘education nation’. He, more than most, will appreciate, however, that the realization of his proposed ‘education nation’ relies less on political will than it does on the effective delivery of education.

Teaching Teachers: The Cyril Potter College of Education, the third book, highlights the importance which the President has been paying to teacher education.

He acknowledges that teachers are the backbone of any educational system and, without trained teachers, the educational system would falter.

His emphasis on training teachers is not misplaced. The Cyril Potter College of Education has been training hundreds of teachers each year to populate the country’s education system.

Granger, as President, has taken steps to improve training and has expressed his expectations about the quality of teachers which the public education system demands. His political instincts caution him against making grandiose promises to teachers but he may well

find that, without substantial increases in teachers’ remuneration and benefits, retaining teachers will become a far more daunting task that training them.

Education and Culture: Teaching in a post-colonial society, the final of the fourbooks, perhaps, is the most insightful of the entire collection. Granger elucidates the often understated link between education and culture.

The book’s fundamental argument is that an inclusive education must link education to culture.

Guyana is demographically and geographically diverse. The success of educational delivery depends on the degree to which the curricula can be tailored to become more accommodative and respectful of the country’s diversity. The country’s indigenous peoples comprise nine tribes, all of which speak their own tongue, for example.

The Guyanese leader offers sound advice to the designers of the country’s education curricula: the development of a system of

inclusive education requires examining the intersection of education and culture. He warns that learners are not all alike, yet the “curricula tend to be same, textbooks tend to the same and examinations tend to be the same.”

Prior to reading this particular book, one may have been tempted to view President Granger as having a utilitarian outlook towards education – delivering the greatest good to the greatest number. The book however make clear that President Granger ascribes more ambitious goals to education, two of which are reducing inequality and promoting greater inclusivity.

The President has a wide and bright vision for education. He argues for greater attention be paid to the intersection of education and culture in the design of education curricula.

This four-book collection on education is a must-read for educators, parents and students alike. It reflects a profound mind at work, one which has mined the depths of education’s role in national transformation.

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

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Deep vein Thrombosis (DVT): The dangerous blood clot

By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Our veins are responsible for returning blood to our heart for re-circulation.

Disruption in this blood flow can lead to life threatening consequences and complications.

Deep Vein Thrombosis is one such condition that blocks flow of blood in our veins.

DVT occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in one or more of the deep veins in your body, usually in your legs. One in every hundred persons with DVT will die from its complications.

Knowing who is at risk and how to detect a DVT can help you to access early treatment which can decrease your chances of having life threatening complications.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A DVT? A DVT in the leg may present with the following symptoms: · Discoloration of the legs

· Calf or leg pain or tenderness · Swelling of the leg or lower limb · Warm skin · Surface veins become more visible · Leg fatigue WHO’S AT RISK OF GETTINGA DVT? Many factors can increase your risk of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and the more you have, the greater your risk. Risk factors for DVT include: · Inheriting a bloodclotting disorder. Some people inherit a disorder that makes their blood clot more easily. · Prolonged bed rest, such as during a long hospital stay, or paralysis. When your legs remain still for long periods, your calf muscles don’t contract to help blood circulate, which can increase the risk of blood clots. · Injury or surgery. Injury to your veins or surgery can increase the risk of blood clots.

· Pregnancy. Pregnancy increases the pressure in the veins in your pelvis and legs.

The risk of blood clots from pregnancy can continue for up to six weeks after you have your baby. · Birth control pills or hormone replacement therapy. Birth control pills (oral contraceptives) and hormone replacement therapy both can increase your blood’s ability to clot. · Being overweight or obese. Being overweight increases the pressure in the veins in your pelvis and legs. · Smoking. Smoking affects blood clotting and circulation, which can increase your risk of DVT. · Cancer. Some forms of cancer increase the amount of substances in your blood that cause your blood to clot. · Heart failure. People with heart failure have a greater risk of DVT and pulmonary embolism.

Because people with heart failure already have limited heart and lung function, the symptoms caused by even a

small pulmonary embolism are more noticeable. · A personal or family history of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (PE). If you or someone in your family has had DVT or PE before, you’re more likely to develop DVT. · Age. Being over age 60 increases your risk of DVT, though it can occur at any age. · Sitting for long periods of time, such as when driving or flying. When your legs remain still for many hours, your calf muscles don’t contract, which normally helps blood circulate. Blood clots can form in the calves of your legs if your calf muscles aren’t moving for long periods.

HOW IS IT TREATED? After DVT is diagnosed, the main treatment is medications that prevents your blood from clotting.

Doctors may initially start you on anticlotting injections and send you home on anticlotting tablets once you have stabilized. You will

probably take the tablets for at least 3 months. If anticoagulant medicines are not suitable, you may have a filter put into a large vein – the vena cava – in your abdomen. The filter traps and stops a blood clot travelling to your heart and lungs. A newer treatment involves breaking up and sucking out the clot through a small tube in the vein. You usually need to take anticoagulant medicine for several months after this treatment.

WHAT LIFET H R E AT E N I N G COMPLICATION CAN OCCUR FROM A DVT? Clots from DVT can break off and travel to your heart or lungs causing blockage. DVT patients are at risk of having a Pulmonary Embolism (lung blockage) and a heart attack (heart blockage). A person with DVT should monitor themselves for the following signs/symptoms which may indicate heart or lung blockage. · Unexplained sudden onset of shortness of breath

Dr. Zulfikar Bux · Chest pain or discomfort · Feeling lightheaded or dizzy, or fainting · Rapid pulse · Coughing up blood WHAT CAN YOU DO? If you suspect that you or someone has a DVT, do not hesitate to visit a doctor. Your doctor will put you on blood thinning medications and monitor you over a prolonged period (6 months to a year) to ensure the clot is dissolving.

Early detection and treatment is the key to decreasing complications of DVT. The more you know about DVT the better your chances of surviving an episode of this condition.

PAGE 32

SUNDAY $$MULTI-BILLION CONTRACTS RECENTLY AWARDED UNDER INVESTIGATION The Audit Office is examining scores of year-end transactions worth billions of dollars, including two which appeared to be awarded under questionable circumstances. One of the major ones reportedly awarded on the last day of 2019 was for more than $500M for the construction of a secondary school on the Essequibo Coast.

It was halted after the Region Two Executive Officer, Denis Jaikaran, refused to sign when a contractor, Builders Hardware General Supplies and Construction, complained of irregularities.

The second contract was signed a few days ago, in the New Year, and involved an $826.7M signing with BK International Inc. for construction of the Yarrowkabra Secondary School on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway.

The signing took place at the Ministry’s Brickdam office.

Over the weekend, Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, did not provide much detail on the reports that the Audit Office was investigating a number of transactions near the year-end.

“We are investigating the cutting of several checks at year-end and a number of transactions. Yes, those two projects would be among them. We can’t give details at the moment. But it is all part of the duties of the Audit Office,” the official said.

Sharma shortly before the New Year had warned accounts officers, including Permanent Secretaries and Regional Executive Officers to refrain from utilizing 2019 budgeted money this year.

He said that regulations demanded that unused money be returned to the Consolidated Fund.

The Auditor General also

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

said it is not allowed for new contracts budgeted for last year to be signed this year.

With regards to the Region Two project, the REO had written to the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) seeking guidance, after he received a complaint from attorney-at-law Glenn Hanoman on behalf of a contractor, Builders Hardware General Supplies and Construction.

The Commission has since reportedly started an investigation. $20,000 ALLOWANCE FOR GNBS INSPECTORS A RECIPE FOR CORRUPTION–RAMSON JNR. MONITORING MEASUREMENTS OF OIL… Several inspectors from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) have been selected to make visits to the Liza Destiny to ensure there are accurate measurements of the oil being stored and offloaded to other vessels. For this critical task, the GNBS has confirmed that these officers would receive a meager $20,000 allowance per month. They would be required to remain offshore for six weeks.

But transparency advocates and other industry onlookers believe that such a paltry compensation creates fertile ground for corruption.

Attorney-at-Law, Charles Ramson, told this newspaper Saturday that an extra $20,000 per month for GNBS inspectors, lays out clearly, a recipe for corruption as well as opportunities for oil companies to loot the nation’s wealth.

Ramson said, “These individuals have needs and their families also have needs.

As human beings, we are all susceptible to the offerings that try to persuade us to look the other way. It has happened in so many other countries so why would Guyana be any different?”

The lawyer added, “How could $20,000 extra per month be anywhere near adequate

to compensate anyone for doing such an important job and exposing themselves to all kinds of risks, not being able to see their family or friends or even land for days at a time, for several times a month?”

Ramson opined that the GNBS should be ashamed of itself while noting that the citizenry has every right to ask if any Minister or other Government official would do that kind of work for an extra $20,000 per month. “I bet they would refuse. So why take advantage of our own Guyanese people like this?”

Ramson enquired.

Ramson reminded that recently, the nation learnt of how a Guyanese chef was making $70,000 per month to work offshore while nonGuyanese were making three times that amount. He also noted that in response to this, the government said it was unaware of this state of affairs.

“In this situation with the GNBS officials, it is the government that is doing this kind of exploitation to its own people. Is this the good life they are offering? This operation is not a hands-off operation. This is our oil and we have to monitor how much is

produced and offloaded so we can get our right share.”

JAIPAULSHARMA QUITS JFAP – SWITCHES TO PNCR Nominations Day for the March 2, 2020 elections has been throwing up a number of surprises. For example, long time executive and former Parliamentarian for the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNCR), Anthony Vieira, had thrown his lot in with the Opposition…the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).

There is another surprise.

Representative of the Justice For All Party (JFAP), Minister Within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma, has joined up with the PNCR. He is one of the National Top Up Candidates, according to the list submitted by President David Granger on Friday to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for the joint slate of the A Partnership For National Unity (APNU)+Alliance for Change (AFC).

Taking his place as representative for JFAP would be a relative, Savitree SinghSharma, wife of the party’s founder, C.N. Sharma.

Saturday, Sharma confirmed that he is with the PNCR and therefore part of the APNU faction. PNCR is the largest party in APNU which together with AFC, forms the coalition.

Sharma disclosed that he had thought of calling it a day after what he thought of as a successful outing as a minister. He was first the Minister within the Ministry of Finance, before being posted to Public Infrastructure.

He said that leading up to and following the December 21, 2018 no-confidence motion, there were beliefs that he was one of the persons who would have been crossing the floor, something that was fur-

thest from the truth.

“I believe that President Granger was ordained to lead this country. I had a dream David defeated the PPP’s Goliath and he defeated a personal Goliath in his life…cancer. If God found him worthy, we can only read the signs.”

Sharma, an auditor by profession, has been outspoken on occasions, even offering to resign.

MONDAY ENERGY DEPT.’S INTENTION TO RELEASE OIL SALE DETAILS AN EXCELLENT START TO TRANSPARENCY – UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON INSTRUCTOR The announcement by the Energy Department that it would be collaborating with the local chapter of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GY-EITI) to release details on oil sales is an excellent start on the road to transparency.

Making these and other remarks was University of Houston Instructor, Tom Mitro.

The Senior Fellow at the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI) said that this decision by the Energy Department helps to provide confidence that the oil is being sold at competitive market rates.

Mitro said, “Overtime, I would think that under typical EITI membership, more information than this would be required, such as: royalty and tax payments received from the concession holders, oil entitlement splits between the companies and the government.”

The official, who has over 35 years’ experience in the industry, was keen to note that these disclosures by the government would also be subject to independent verifica-

tion and reconciliation with what the companies themselves disclose.

Mitro also noted that evolving trends within EITI are for more public disclosures of the text of the production sharing contracts themselves plus any side agreements with the companies.

The University of Houston Instructor said, “If you think about it, the production sharing contracts are very similar to tax laws in that they establish the actual tax rules for the companies, and in addition, agree on the rules for computing the quantum of oil in lieu of taxes (the ‘production sharing’) that the companies must pay for the rights to produce and sell the oil of Guyana.”He added, “I’m sure all would agree that tax laws should be published in full.

The same should be true of any agreement that have the same effect as a tax law.”

NIGEL HINDS STEPS DOWN AS CHANGE GUYANA PM CANDIDATE – CITES DUAL CITIZENSHIP Co-founder of Change Guyana, Nigel Hinds, has stepped down as the party’s prime ministerial candidate.

Hinds notified the public of the decision in a release late Sunday. The accountant cited his current dual citizenship status, revealing that he is a citizen of the United States of America.

Guyana’s Constitution does not allow dual citizens to assume a place in the National Assembly. Up until the December 21, 2018 No Confidence Motion, dual citizens from both major parties (APNU+AFC and PPP/C) had occupied places in the National Assembly, meaning that they had falsely declared themselves to be eligible candidates on their parties’ lists (Continued on page 33)

Sunday January 19, 2020

From page 32 during the previous nomination day exercise leading up to the 2015 General Election.

This time around, Hinds was part of the Change Guyana contingent that entered the Umana Yana to present a list of candidates for that party.

When Kaieteur News contacted Hinds Sunday to find out whether he had withdrawn his name from the party’s list, Hinds said that his name was never on the list of candidates in the first place.

But the question remained: Why campaign as the party’s prime ministerial candidate if he knew that his dual citizenship would disqualify him, all along?

Some PPP and APNU+AFC members have revoked their foreign citizenship to throw their hats in the March 2020 race.

Hinds will not do so. Citing a health condition, he learnt about in November last, Hinds said that he had hoped subsequent diagnostic tests would be favourable.

Unfortunately, his prognosis beckons medical intervention that would be better sought in the United States, the statement explained.

Hinds told Kaieteur News that he will soon be leaving the country for the US, to begin said medical intervention.

He noted nevertheless that his campaign to have businessman Robert Badal elected as President, come March 2020, “remains undaunted”.

TAXI DRIVER RESCUED FROMALLEGED CARJACKER A taxi driver is expressing gratitude to public-spirited citizens of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, who rescued him from a brutal attack on Friday January 3 last that landed him in the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Ricky Ramdannie, 44, of Section C, Block Y Golden

Grove, East Bank Demerara, said he was soliciting passengers outside of the Republic Bank on Water Street at about 16:09 hrs, when he was approached by a “strapping young man,” who appeared to be in his thirties.

The man requested to be taken to Mon Repos, and Ramdannie agreed to take the job.

The taxi driver explained that as he began to drive up the East Coast public road, the passenger made several requests for him to drive on the “linetop” instead of on the main road. Two requests, he had refused, until a story about a police roadblock and construction work from his p a s s e n g e r, caused Ramdannie to turn on to the line-top around the University of Guyana area.

The passenger reportedly requested to stop at the Mon Repos Market, since he wanted to transact business with a woman.

As they reached Mon Repos, Ramdannie said that he was instructed to drive through small, lonely road, at which point he began to feel unsettled. One road at the side of the market held a police booth.

Ramdannie said that, when Persaud saw the booth, he stepped out of the car to make sure that the booth was empty.

The passenger reportedly then asked Ramdannie to drive through a street, then stepped out as if looking for the ‘woman’ he said he wanted to meet.

A moment passed, and the man asked Ramdannie to lend him his phone to make a call. After several apparent attempts, as Ramdannie moved to get his phone back, he told Kaieteur News that the man punched him to the neck and tried to snatch his car keys.

The passenger reportedly

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began punching Ramdannie repeatedly.

TUESDAY NO STRONG BUSINESS CASE EXISTS FOR CREATING NAT’L OIL COMPANY IN GUYANA– IMF From 2015 to now, there have been arguments both for and against the establishment of a National Oil Company, which would allow Guyana to have a participating interest in almost every oil block. In the case of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), it has conclusively decided that no strong business case that can be found for having such a company.

In one of its most recent reports, the financial institution which is providing technical support to Guyana, noted that many countries

have a National Oil Company which allows the government to participate in the block like an investor would.

The IMF said that this move also allows the government to have a “seat at the table” for decision making.

The Fund noted, however, that given the substantial regulatory powers the government can have over the upstream petroleum sector, it is not evident that participating would necessarily be adding much more value.

Furthermore, the financial institution warned that participating interest by government requires it to contribute to handling a portion of the costs, including in the development phase of the oil block.

It was keen to note that the government can raise its own money to handle those expenses, or it can lean on the operator and repay the oil company with interest. The

Fund noted that the latter option delays the receipt of any major benefits for the government.

As such, the IMF said that the government may be better off securing a higher government take in the contract itself.

Should the government still be interested in state participation, the IMF recommended that it opts to outline its state participation right in the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA). The International Monetary Fund said that this would allow the government to elect at the start of development, whether to participate in a project up to say 10 percent. It further advised that there should be an option which says that if the oil company handles the costs on behalf of the government, the interest rate to be paid back must be reasonable. Finally, if the govern-

ment participates, the Fund said that it should not allow reimbursements of exploration costs.

MACORP CLEARS LAND AT COVENT GARDEN FOR NEW HEADQUARTERS One of the country’s biggest retailers of heavy equipment, Machinery Corporation of Guyana Limited (MACORP), has commenced clearing of a major piece of land for its new headquarters.

The 25-plus acre plot is located north of the Covent Garden water treatment plant, East Bank Demerara, alongside the East Bank Demerara public road.

In recent days, contractor Mohamed S. Rahim and Sons mobilized, with the tract of land already cleared of bushes. “We are now moving (Continued on page 41)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 34

Court

tips

Sunday January 19, 2020

Going to Court?

Here is what you need to know…

By Feona Morrison

T

his article is aimed at being a guide to anyone who may find themselves before a court of law for one reason or another.

The judiciary consists of several jurisdictional Magistrates' Courts; there is one High Court in each of the three counties. Then there is the Court of Appeal, and the final court of resort, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). The Magistrates' Courts, which are the largest i n n u m b e r, d e a l w i t h criminal matters such as assault, simple larceny, abusive language, robbery under arms, forgery, and landlord and tenant claims.

Civil matters include landlord and tenant claims.

According to a booklet published by the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic, and titled T h e L a w a n d Yo u , Magistrates' Courts also conduct preliminary inquiries/committal proceedings into the merits of charges for indictable offences such as rape, manslaughter, murder and treason.

It says that the Magistrate, after hearing and assessing the evidence led before him/her, may then commit the accused to stand trial in the High Court, only

if insufficient evidence was found to have been led.

Otherwise an accused person would be discharged.

This discharge is not an acquittal; charges may again be brought against a person for the same alleged offence.

There are Magistrates' Courts in every county, and most of the cases brought by the police are prosecuted by police ranks.

A person may, however, bring a private criminal action in the Magistrates' Court. It is important to note that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has at all times, the discretion to withdraw this private matter,” The Law and You informs.

Under treason, a presiding Judge is not limited as to the number of years he/she can impose for a custodial sentence.

Apart from this, Judges are empowered to impose life and death sentences in criminal trials, a Magistrate cannot impose a sentence that is greater than five years.

Over at the High Court, which deals with serious offences such as murder, rape, attempted murder, a 12-person jury is the sole

judge of the facts.

The High Court also deals with civil matters.

These include lawsuits, and matters pertaining to property disputes, maintenance, domestic violence, division of property, estates, injunction, adoption, bigamy, landlord and tenant, nuisance, trespass, employment, custody and access, divorce, mortgages, applications for probate and letters of administration, Deed Polls and Affidavits, custody and access.

According to The Law and You, appeals from the Magistrates' Courts and from a High Court judge's decision in chambers are heard by the Full Court of the High Court.

Then there is the Court of Appeal in Kingston which hears both criminal and civil appeals from the High Court, Full Court and the Magistrates' Courts.

Appeals from the Court of Appeal are heard at the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), this nation's final court of resort.

Sittings of the Full Court are presided over by two judges.

The Chancellor, who is the head of all the judges, and four or five other Justices of Appeal comprise the Court of Appeal.

Three or five members of the court hear appeals. The Land Court, on the other hand, is a court established by statute to adjudicate on matters involving lands, including prescriptive rights, The Law and You says. It is presided over by a Commissioner of Title.

A Magistrate is a d d r e s s e d a s “ Yo u r Worship”. A Judge in the

High Court, Land Court, Full Court and Court of Appeal is addressed as “Your Honour.”

While it is not mandatory to have a lawyer represent you, it is advisable to have one when accused of a serious offence.

In Guyana, the State bears the burden of providing legal representation for persons facing indictable offences.

Persons who cannot afford to pay a lawyer from the private bar can approach the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic for assistance.

How does one dress for court? The Law and You suggests, “As usual, as long as this does not mean, for example, unbuttoned shirts or very low cut dresses. Men are not allowed to wear hats.

For women, well-tailored long pants (not tight) are permitted, or pants suits. It is advisable to avoid wearing bright colours such as red, orange, pink, to court.”

Men are not allowed to wear earrings in court. When at the courthouse, ensure you speak quietly; it is a silent zone. If you are a witness in a matter, be prepared to speak loudly, clearly, and to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Tight security is provided at each court house by ranks of the Guyana Police Force. Persons are not allowed in the courthouse with firearms, and other dangerous weapons. In fact, in some instances, before entering the court compound, persons are subjected to a thorough search.

I do hope that the foregoing facts will be a guide should you ever have to ascend the stairs of a courthouse.

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Ours is a society where respect for seniors is encouraged …except by Jagdeo

C

ome Thursday, Bharrat Jagdeo will attain the ripe age of 55 and become part of the group he considers “fossilised.”

Had he continued employment in the Public Service, where he was hired during the Desmond Hoyte administration, he would have been retiring under its Rules and starting to receive pension from the Ministry of Finance.

For years, he who has trafficked in ageism, time has caught up with.

The United Nations (UN) defines ageism as “the stereotyping of, and discrimination against, people based on old age.”

According to this body, “these prejudices devalue older persons depicting them as frail, non-contributors and a burden to society.”

It is said, 'do suh nah like suh,' and during this new phase in his life, it should come as no surprise to him

when similar abuse and cruelty are meted out to him.

We have borne witness to Janet Jagan being publicly insulted for daring to disagree with his administration's withdrawal of advertisements from Stabroek News.

The sexagenarian Donald Ramotar was forced out of the party's leadership after the last elections.

One can safely surmise he (Jagdeo) probably feels Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan, who were elected President at age 74 and 77 respectively, at that age should have never been given the privilege to serve.

As recent as Nomination Day there was another display of unbecoming conduct.

In offering a comment about the PPP's List of Candidates, of which he is the Representative, he said, “On our top-up list, it is a lot of new faces, young, bright people who can lead….This

fossilised old bunch cannot do anything for young people” (SN 11th Jan 2020 Vieira, Indar, Datadin turn out for PPP/C - Jagdeo is list representative).

Though a clear reference to the composition of the List by the party's main rival, it constitutes open contempt for s ome of the P P P candidates.

Mark Phillips is approaching 60, Gail Teixeira is almost 70 and Tony Vieira is in his 70s. It would be folly on the part of any to think the named were exempted from the targeted insult by one who is soon to become part of the very group, not by his own volition, but the grace of God. The opportunity is taken nonetheless to advise those persons the World Health Organisation (WHO) warns “ageism has harmful effects on the health of older adults.”

As an aside, it was during

the 2015 campaign he preached an apocalyptic message of Guyana's future should former workers of the Disciplined Services be elected to political office. We were told law and order would be trampled. Chaos, lawlessness and barbarism were supposed to have reigned.

And such is the backdrop Mark campaigns on as a former military worker.

His would be the task to allay the manufactured fear and cleanse the shame cast on his profession lest he suffers rejection from the very people he is offering to lead, but who were socialised to fear and despise his kind.

Woe be unto this nation if we become de-sensitised to this man's mistreatment of seniors.

As a political leader, he plays a powerful role in impacting human relations, laws, policies and programmes, and could

influence/support the respect for or transgressing of rights.

The UN cautions ageism “shape[s] how older persons are perceived and treated by their societies, and greatly hinders their social, economic and political inclusion and the enjoyment of their human rights.”

Ours is a society with a proud tradition where respect for seniors is encouraged, and those who disrespect and violate them frowned upon.

Seen as valued members, having meaningfully contributed and passed the baton on or still actively participating, this demographic is recognised for possessing the wisdom that comes with experience and their contributions to the family unit and wider society.

These cherished norms he seems determine to trample and whittle away, for he is communicating to the younger generation,

including those on the PPP's List, that it is okay to disrespect their parents, teachers, elders and authority.

And lest we forget, the WHO warns “…ageism serves a social and economic purpose: to legitimise and sustain inequalities between groups.”

The body says this could take many forms, “including prejudicial attitudes, discriminatory practices, or institutional policies and practices that perpetuate stereotypical beliefs.”

It presents no comfort that Jagdeo, who once held the nation's highest office, remains un-perturbed using his public platform to promote division and disrespect amongst us. He must be stopped.

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

Kaieteur News

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Sunday January 19, 2020

A study in Groupthink K O

BO

Book: The Sober Truth: Debunking The Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and The Rehab Industry Authors: Lance Dodes, MD and Zachary Dodes Critic: Glenville Ashby, PhD ‘The Sober Truth' is a direct challenge to Alcoholic Anonymous (AA)' 12 Step Program, a system that is widely considered the Holy Grail for treating addiction.

According to authors Lance Dodes and Zachary Dodes, high monetary stakes mask the verisimilitude of AA. While it is overly presumptuous to argue that there is a conspiratorial effort to ensure AA's survivability, the reluctance to explore alternative treatments in the face of convincing evidence of its failure, begs the question: Why faithfully continue to endorse an unproven treatment?

No doubt, AA has its fair share of defenders at the frontline, proselytizers in a battle against intemperance.

But what was once a genuine attempt at salvaging victims of the bottle, has turned into a utilitarian movement hijacked by dogma and anecdotal confessions; but of scientific

and the sheepish nature of man

data to support the effectiveness of AA, there is none, not unlike the superannuated and spurious 19th century's Keeley Remedy for the hopeless drunk.

To this day, “efforts by journalists to solicit data from rehabs have been met with resistance, making an independent audit of its [AA] results almost impossible, [thereby] leading to the inevitable conclusion that the rest of the programs either do not study their own outcomes or refuse to publish what they find.”

That dipsomania is curable through fate is thoroughly debunked by the authors.

How then did AA become the salve, the go-to solution endorsed by government and medical agencies? The authors traces the history of the movement from its inchoate stages, revealing a confluence of factors, from universal despair (from the ravishes of addiction), to evangelization and savvy marketing.

The authors record the movement's unsettling beginnings.

“In 1939, the American Medical Association called AA “a curious combination of organizing propaganda and religious exhortation,” and that the one valid thing about [its Big Book] is the recognition of the seriousness of addiction.

Other than this, this book has no scientific merit or interest. ”A year later, The Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases called it “a regressive mass psychological method,” and “a religious fervor.”

But Bill Wilson (fondly referred to as Bill W.), the founding member of AA and now synonymous with the movement, never capitulated, such was his absolute faith in his system.

Unbowed, he recruited believers with financial and political reach, figures like Dr William Silkworth who was so “impressed by Wilson's conversion that he gave him free rein to circulate among patients,” and Marty Mann, a wealthy Chicago debutante who later formed the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. They were both instrumental in keeping the organization afloat.

E.M. Jellinek who authored the “disease theory” of alcoholism, a model that was later disproven and disowned by Jellinek himself, was also critical to resuscitating a fledging movement.

Interesting is the picture presented of Bill W. He was a man torn by the impulsive forces of service and selfdestruction, a man who, not unlike many members of AA today, simply substituted one addiction for another - his being chronic womanizing and cigarette smoking, with the latter finally leading to his demise.

Abandoned as a child

and influenced by his once wretched grandfather who boasted of a spiritual conversion (not unlike biblical Saul) that cured him from alcoholism, Bill W's worldview was steeped in dogma and religiosity.

Despite its jaded roots, “AA managed to survive, in part, because members who become and remain sober, speak and write about it regularly. “This is no accident, the authors remind us. “AA's twelfth step expressly tells members to proselytize for the organization.”

They add, “Even people we who have no experience with AA may still have heard that it works or protest that 5 to 10 percent is a significant number when we're talking about millions of people,” and “while it's praise worthy that some do well in AA, the problem is that our society has followed AA's lead in presuming that 12-step treatment is good for the other 90 percent of people with addictions.”

C l e a r l y, A A h a s dismissed the psychology behind addiction, labeling it a disease while offering the Twelve Steps as the only solution.

Throughout, the authors decry the overriding culture of treating addiction.

“Rehab,” they write “owns a special place in the American imagination.”

They elaborate, “Unfortunately, nearly all these programs use an adaption of the same AA approach that has been shown repeatedly to be

highly ineffective. Where they differ from traditional AA dogma is actually more alarming: many top rehab programs include extra features such as horseback riding, Reiki massage, and “adventure therapy” to help their clients exorcise the demons of addiction...Sadly, there is no evidence that these additional treatments serve any purpose other than to provide momentary comfort to their clientele, and cover for the programs' astronomical fees, which can exceed $90,000 a month.”

F u r t h e r, t h e y p e n , “patients begin using again soon after they emerge from rehab, often suffering repeat relapses...What's especially shocking is how the rehab industry responds to these individuals: they simply repeat their failed treatments, sometimes dozens of times.”

C o n v i n c i n g l y, t h e authors argue that the Higher Power of AA, central to recovery, places the addict in a precarious and potential psychological quagmire.

“The relief [the addict is] afforded by the notion of a higher power is commensurate with the great disappointment one feels when the higher power turns out to be an illusion...”

Moreover, they posit that

the movement is based on the false premise that members that have achieved sobriety are clinicians with the capability to help others.

On the contrary, “these people are typically as fallible as anyone else, and even long-standing members can lapse or even withdraw from the program.” For the sponsee, inextricably bound to his or her sponsor, such a fall can prove catastrophic, “leading to the return of addictive behavior.”

The authors aver the case for understanding addiction through psychological lends.

The impulse to drink is symptomatic of a psychoanalytic problem that AA fails to address, hence, the astronomical rate of recidivism.

Addictive acts, the authors note, are nothing more than psychological displacements and that such issues are best explored and treated under the care of a psychotherapist and not by faith-based movements or programs that “apply community-based encouragement and little or no individualized care to treat emotional symptoms, including addiction.”

The failure of AA is understandable given its endeavor to address a (continued on page 52)

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

THE

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Sunday January 19, 2020

STORY WITHIN THE

I am not using this hospital again

By Leonard Gildarie

I

have come to the understanding that agitation causes change. It is a fact that our people are not that aggressive and have to be goaded into accepting change.

We don't take to the streets like the people of Hong Kong. We are a peaceloving people who go about our business and hope for the best.

Social media and the growth of commentators have been spurring an awakening and it is catching quickly. It has lent a voice to the downtrodden.

I have many friends in the legal world and in the medical profession.

I can call on them for advice. I am not ashamed to say that this has happened very often.

I was therefore extremely shocked and angered with what happened on Thursday and questioning if there is a racket in our hospitals.

My son, 13, came home mid-last week and complained of pains in the chest. We decided to monitor it. The local pharmacist advised that it appeared to be gas. She prescribed some tablets.

We decided to take him t h e f o l l o w i n g day…Thursday…to a city hospital. My daughter was born there. On Thursday, at the hospital, there was a long wait. The pediatrician is trusted.

The visitation fee is $3,000 each - it was decided that both of the children would see the doctor.

In the room, the visit lasted less than five minutes.

The pediatrician took one look at my son's back and exclaimed that it was a severe case of scoliosis. He was emphatic.

The wife was naturally shocked. She dropped her bag. She asked the pediatrician to also check the daughter too. He took one look at her back and made it clear that she too had a severe case of scoliosis.

Naturally, the wife was deeply distressed. She knew that scoliosis was a condition where the spine is curved, which could lead to heart

failure and other complications. Fixing it is not only expensive, but involves surgery and therapy.

The pediatrician immediately referred the children for x-rays and for them to see a doctor. The son asked the doctor if surgery was involved. He was concerned.

The doctor was able to determine in less than five minutes, two children, with the very cursory examinations, had a severe medical complication.

The kids had been waiting for more than an hour to see him.

So it was off to the x-ray department. There, it went quickly.

The children were then referred to another doctor, a bone specialist, for his take on the x-rays. They had to wait another one and half hours to see the next doctor.

According to my wife, this doctor was perplexed.

He seemed to not understand the need for the x-rays. The results were clear…no scoliosis.

In all, it was almost three hours at the hospital with over $20,000 spent, plus food for the children.

I was at work when I received a call from the wife on what transpired.

She was in tears. I told her don't worry. Nothing is wrong. Something is wrong with the doctor. I know my children. They are as healthy as can be.

I can attest to seeing patients who waited hours to see doctors going in and coming out in five minutes.

Angered by what I heard, I called some doctor friends of mine. There was silence and then it came out.

At one or two of the private hospitals, it is the practice to send patients for additional tests, many of them unnecessary. It is how they make money. It is a racket. There is very little one can do to question the doctors, who are supposed to know best.

T h e y a r e t h e professionals.

It appears that everybody knows that it is a public secret in the medical profession.

I will be calling that pediatrician this coming

Leonard Gildarie week.

That hospital has lost my confidence.

There are a couple things that have emerged that I hope can trigger a debate. I am not normally a confrontational person. I prefer dialogue and giving the other party a chance.

However, it boggles my mind that patients wait for hours sometimes to see a doctor and the visit lasts five minutes.

W h a t k i n d o f examination is being done?

How are we expected to move to be a first world country when we know what happens at some hospitals when it comes to patient care?

There are many, many decent doctors who would render help at a moment's notice without charging.

I would have received complaints in the past about the high number of C-section deliveries that that same hospital has compared to others.

A normal delivery is about $75,000. A C-section averages $300,000. Guess what? Yep, you got it right…the same hospital has a high rate of C-section. I leave the conclusions to you.

A C-section birth leaves scars and other problems for women that are life-lasting.

Many of the women can't exercise properly or have scars that prevent them from wearing a bikini.

Taking a decision to do a C-section not needed is beyond believable.

There will be fallout from this piece and I do expect some angry calls from doctors.

I will be waiting.

There is another side to all of this.

The Guyana Revenue Authority could do well and send a team to the hospitals undercover and see the daily traffic. Try reconciling that with the taxes paid at the end of the year. You can take that to the bank.

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

Sunday January 19, 2020

From page 33 rapidly to fill the lands in readiness for construction,” explained Shahan Rahim, the site manager.

MACORP is banking on the area to not only build a showroom and headquarters, but training quarters and other facilities.

The company is heavily into technical training, including for excavator operators. It is also a major retailer for heavy equipment including excavators. According to Rahim, MACORP will likely release more details of its plans but as of now, the attention is focused on raising the level of the land, in preparation.

The company, which has been around for more than 25 years, earlier last year purchased the 25-acre plot at Covent Garden.

On May 30, 2019, an agreement was signed between NICIL and Machinery Real Estate and Integrated Services Inc., located at 26 Providence, East Bank Demerara. It is the same address as MACORP. MACORP has been making significant inroads into the farming and mining industries with a large inventory of spare parts. It has been making headway also in the areas of power generation and equipment for forestry.

LAWYERSARGUEAT APPEAL COURT… OVERTURNING CJ’S RULING ON NAT’L REGISTER COULD HAVE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES ON ELECTIONS Should the Court of Appeal reverse a ruling by Chief Justice Roxane George which makes it unconstitutional to remove persons from the National Register of Registrants (NRR) unless they are dead

or otherwise disqualified in accordance with Article 159 (2), (3) and (4) of the Constitution, there could be severe consequences on the upcoming General and Regional Elections fixed for March 2.

This is the position of former Speaker of the National Assembly Senior Counsel Ralph Ramkarran and former Attorney General Anil Nandlall. Monday, both lawyers presented arguments in the partial appeal filed by Attorney General Basil Williams against the Chief Justice’s ruling handed last year, in which she ruled among other things that the House-toHouse registration exercise was legal; and that it would be unconstitutional to remove persons from the list who had previously been on the list but were not registered during house-to-house registration period because of non-residency in Guyana.

Both Senior Counsel Ramkarran and Nandlall submitted to the Court of Appeal that it should not interfere with the Chief Justice’s ruling.

They proposed that the ruling should be affirmed so that the country can carry on with elections, as preparations in that regard have intensified.

Nandlall, on the other hand,

PAGE 41

Kaieteur News

submitted that an action can be brought to the validity of the results of the elections by way of an election petition.

Nandlall, who is representing lawyer, Christopher Ram who brought an action challenging the constitutionality of the House-to-House registration exercise, was at all times in agreement with the Chief Justice’s ruling.

WEDNESDAY EPA HALTS BOSAI’S OPERATIONS; IMPOSES MILLION DOLLAR FINE The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), on January 10, last, halted production and other operations under the Chinese-owned company, Bosai Minerals Group Guyana Incorporated, following a breach in their tailings pond.

This breach caused several houses down-slope in the Linden community of Noitgedacht to be flooded with a red bauxite-type waste water which can be harmful to humans.

Due to this infraction, the Chinese company, which is operating in Linden, was fined $1 million by the environmental agency, last Friday.

This would be the second sanctioned imposed upon the bauxite company in one month, the first dating back to December 24, 2019 when the company was immediately charged for discharging waste water into the Kara Kara Creek.

For that, the company was summoned to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and a cease-of-work order was imposed. The EPA arrived at its $1M maximum fine based on what is stipulated by the country’s legislation.

One of the residents explained that she and her family woke up to several inches of water in their yard. She did not suspect the flooding to be caused by rain, since it had not rained prior to or on that day.

However, Bosai opted to clean the yards and homes of the five residences affected by the wastewaters and promised to repair and/ or reimburse those affected.

Executive Director of the EPA, Mr. Vincent Adams, explained that Bosai could no longer wash bauxite stockpiles as their operations were immediately halted.

CRIME CHIEF SAYS… SOCU CORRUPTION PROBE FILE WITH DPP The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is in possession of the damning report that highlighted alleged corruption that took place at the Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) from 2016 to 2019.

Acting Crime Chief Michael Kingston made this disclosure Tuesday, while stating that the file “has been sent back to the DPP.” The report appears to have reached the DPP last Monday, which is the same day that Kaieteur News reported that Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, had contacted Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, regarding the status of the investigation.

Ramjattan had made this response to Kaieteur News after receiving sev-

eral questions from this newspaper last weekend.

Kaieteur News had highlighted that almost a year had passed since the Guyana Police Force Audit Department conducted an assessment of SOCU’s financial affairs. The investigation reportedly revealed shocking levels of corruption from top to bottom of the agency.

But to date, not a single charge has been laid against any of the individuals fingered in the report.

The document which was seen by this newspaper stated that the former Head of the Unit, Sydney James, and several other officials such as Superintendents Robert Tyndall, Trevor Reid, Byran Vieira and Corporal Kevin Haywood from the Guyana Defence Force, abused the agency’s Operational Fund which benefitted from $1.5M on a monthly basis.

With the exception of a payment book, the audit found that there is no record to rely on for a transparent and accountable financial process at SOCU.In fact, auditors said there is no remittance book, daily cash composition book, and no account and expenditure books.

CITY TOWN CLERKS FAILURE TO HAND OVER RECORDS HAMPER COUNCIL‘S ABILITY TO TRACK ASSETS Failure by previous To w n C l e r k s o f t h e Georgetown Mayor and City Council(M&CC) to hand over pertinent records before departing their posts has left the officers of the Municipality in a peculiar position. They cannot track council assets.

On Monday, City Mayor Ubraj Narine, sought information from Town Clerk (Ag) Sherry Jerrick on the records of properties under the control of the Council.

The Mayor had recommended that the Council take stock to all the properties leased or otherwise under its control. He suggested it would be good for the Council to know exactly how much valuable assets it has.

“It seems as though the Council is very rich but without documents to support, it would be useless.”

Responding to the Mayor’s request, Jerrick reminded the meeting of Councillors that the Council has an issue with record keeping.

Jerrick said that the Council that the issue may have stemmed from the fail-

u r e b y p r e v i o u s To w n Clerks to hand over pertinent documents belonging to Council.

The officer said that failure to conduct a proper handing over dates to the previous Town Clerks Carol Sooba.

Jerrick told the Council that after Sooba was removed from the post, Royston King took over but he was also fired to make way for Sharon HarryMunroe. Harry-Munroe is currently on leave.

Jerrick is currently acting in the position. She clarified that she cannot say definitely which Town Clerk should be held responsible for the missing documents. Jerrick, nonetheless, asked the Council for permission to have the matter dealt with internally, in the absence of the media.

THURSDAY SURINAME SECURES THREE TIMES GUYANA’S ROYALTY FOR LATEST OIL FIND – COMPANIES TO PAY 36% TAX ON INCOME After drilling six dry holes in December last, the Government of Suriname was completely thrilled after it learnt that oil operators, Total and Apache, made a material oil discovery on Block 58. That concession is located within its territorial waters. The find which was made a few days ago is on trend with the prolific discoveries made in the adjacent Stabroek Block in Guyana.

According to Total and Apache, the Maka Central1 well was drilled by a water depth of about 1,000 metres and encountered more than 123 metres net pay of high-quality light oil and gas rich condensate net pay, in multiple stacked reservoirs. Further drilling and testing will be carried out to appraise the resources and productivity of the reservoir.

While that is being done, Staatsolie, the Surinamese oil company, has disclosed that contractual provisions allow it to participate as an investor up to a maximum of 20% in the development of a well, while noting that the State earns 6.25% in royalties.

This is more than three times what Guyana was able to negotiate for its globally praised, light sweet crude in the Stabroek Block.

Further to this, Kaieteur News understands that the companies will pay 36% tax (Continued on page 42)

PAGE 42

From page 41 on income to the Surinamese administration.

In the case of Guyana, ExxonMobil, Hess Corporation and CNOOC/NEXEN can breathe easy as the coalition government has generously opted to pay the taxes of the companies out of its share of profit oil.

MOTHER OF THREE KNIFED TO DEATH BY REPUTED HUSBAND – MAN DRINKS POISON, HOSPITALISED A late-night domestic dispute has left a West Coast Demerara family mourning the loss of their 34-year-old loved one – a mother of three.

Dead is Bibi Zameena Ally called “Annette” of Lot 15 Crane Old Road, West Coast Demerara. Ally succumbed after she was stabbed multiple times by her reputed husband, Natram Lalman, who attempted suicide moments later.

This publication was told that the couple‘s relationship was on the rocks for some time. Prior to the incident, the husband had accused his wife of having an affair.

Relatives recounted that the couple would constantly engage in heated spats but their fights reached a boiling point on Tuesday night, when the husband reportedly grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed his wife repeatedly in her sleep.

Kaieteur News

The victim’s mother, Rajpattie Persaud related she was awakened by the screams of her daughter. The woman said that she began feeling unusually sick on Tuesday afternoon.

“I would usually sleep early, but for some reason I couldn’t sleep, so I took the sleeping tablets.”

“I jump out my sleep when I hear she cry ‘mommy, mommy!’ She run and fall down right outside my bedroom door. I really don’t know what happen before that, because I take two tablets to help me sleep” The distraught mother said that she immediately rushed to her daughter’s assistance.

She said she stood between her son-in-law, who was armed with a bloodied knife, and her daughter who had collapsed on the floor.

The couple’s three children, ages 19, 16 and seven, stood watching as their grandmother tearfully begged their father to hand over the weapon.

BOY, 5, LOSES FOUR FINGERS AFTER LIGHTING SQUIB A young lad’s curious nature ended with him losing four fingers on his left hand with the possibility of losing the entire hand, after he unknowing to his parents, lit a squib in their home.

The boy, 5-year-old

Darrion Jaigobin, a grade one student at Enterprise Primary School is currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

His mother, Shirley George explained that the incident occurred last Friday.

According to her, she was at their lot 271 7th Street, Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara home with Darrion and his sister at the time.

She stated that she had just finished making breakfast for the two children and ventured downstairs to tend to her plants while they stayed upstairs watching cartoons.

“I left them upstairs watching some cartoons and went downstairs to go and transplant some flowers… and I’m downstairs and like about five minutes later, I heard a big boom, and I’m thinking that it was coming from the neighbour place, until he run outside holding he hand and screaming and when I checked, he didn’t have his four fingers, only the small one left and the rest blow off.”

When asked where her son got the explosive from, George stated that he told her that he found it in their yard.

“He said he picked it up in the yard when he was playing and keep it and he wait until I was not there and he light it, because I don’t let him play with squib or nothing like that.”

The lad’s mother relayed that for the New Year celebra-

tions, her next door neighbours were lighting the explosives and one must have come over into the yard and the child found it while playing.

According to her, the doctors stated that due to the large amount of dead flesh on the child’s hand, they may have to amputate.

“He is so small and they said that he might lose his hand because of the dead flesh on it and they have him under observation for now, but only time can tell and we are hoping for the best.”

GRANGER STILL TO ISSUE DECREE TO OVERRIDE CONTRACT CONFIDENTIALITY Even though all of the contracts for the petroleum sector have been made public, agreements for other extractive industries like gold, bauxite and forestry, continue to remain hidden from public scrutiny. For more than 20 years, the respective administrations have been saying that “confidentiality clauses” contained within the agreements stymie their efforts to release same. Also, confidentiality clauses within the nation’s laws have been cited by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) as the key reason why it has not been able to release the tax information for gold, bauxite and forestry companies to the local Chapter of the Extractive Industries

Sunday January 19, 2020

Transparency Initiative (GYEITI).

But in spite of the reasoning provided by GRA and the nation’s politicians, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes this state of affairs needs to be changed.

In one of its most recent reports, the IMF premised its call for change on the fact that Guyana was admitted as an EITI candidate country in 2017, and is therefore expected to comply with its principles. EITI requires its members to disclosure all contracts as well as tax information for the purposes of ensuring that the government is truthful about what it says it receives from the companies in the extractive sector.

It noted in this regard, that President David Granger was supposed to issue an authorization to allow GY-EITI access to the tax information.

But to its knowledge, the IMF said that this issue is yet to be resolved.

Further to this, the IMF’s Fiscal Transparency Code (FTC), which is revered as the international standard for disclosure of information about public finances, notes that Governments should publish or disclose project-specific contracts, licenses and agreements.

In its updated policy paper, the Fund said, “…There should be no legal impediments to publication of resource contracts, which do not typically contain commer-

cially sensitive information.

Where such impediments do exist (e.g., clauses requiring confidentiality of agreements themselves) an effort should be made to remove these by mutual agreement among the parties.”

FRIDAY EXXONMOBIL FLARES GAS WAY LONGER THAN EPA EXPECTED – DR. ADAMS ExxonMobil has been flaring natural gas from the Liza1 well much longer than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) expected it to.

This was revealed by Executive Director of the EPA, Dr. Vincent Adams, during a Kaieteur Radio interview on the show Guyana’s Oil & You. The official said it has come to accept the necessity of flaring the natural gas, as it is needed to test the newly acquired equipment that is to be used for oil production during the Liza-1 project development.

This comes despite a previous declaration that Government would not permit flaring. It has since learnt a bit more about the technicalities of oil production.

Dr. Adams said that flaring is done in cases of emergencies or when certain unexpected developments occur, or to test equipment on (Continued on page 43)

Sunday January 19, 2020

From page 42 the new natural gas. The mechanism for the testing the equipment, Dr. Adams said, is written into the permit Guyana has granted to ExxonMobil’s subisidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), and its partners for their operations on the Stabroek Block.

The equipment is necessary to ensure some of the gas is re-injected into the well.

This ensures that the pressure in the well is high enough for as much oil to be extracted as is needed.

Dr. Adams revealed that if it is so necessary for those companies to flare, they are expected to report it.

There appeared to be a misunderstanding, however, between Government and the operator on the length of time that the startup flaring would take.

And Dr. Adams said that as soon as the matter was reported to Government, the EPA in conjunction with the Department of Energy, met with EEPGL so that it would explain why the extended period of flaring is necessary.

That meeting may have been about three weeks ago. Yet, the public was not notified. Dr. Adams told Kaieteur Radio that there were two meetings. And during those meetings, the Government eventually came to understand that the shorter period it expected for the flaring process was not enough.

It is also necessary for the testing to be done, so that any concern about safety is alleviated, Dr. Adams said. Otherwise, the equipment runs the risk of operating deficiently.

WHEN OIL MONEY REACHES THE PEOPLE, WE CAN LIGHT FIREWORKS EVERYDAY – JAGDEO Former President and People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) General Secretary, Bharrat Jagdeo is of the view that the Government’s decision to host a commemorative event for Guyana attaining oil producing status is a waste of taxpayers’ dollars.

During a press conference, Thursday at his Church Street office, Jagdeo called the event a waste of state funds. At the time, the opposition leader was referencing the joint collaboration between the Government of Guyana and ExxonMobil in hosting a fireworks display to commemorate the launch of first oil.

Jagdeo told reporters, Thursday, that he believes

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the decision is a wasteful one, especially since Guyana has not yet received any oil revenue.

“When we start making money, then we can have all the fireworks; every day we can have fireworks in all the regions.”

In highlighting his and the political party’s refusal to attend the event, Jagdeo stated that, “this is a waste of our people’s money at this point in time. Look at the big extravagant gala they have planned.”

He pointed out that decisions of this nature actively describe some of the core causes of the state of affairs in Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago as it relates to managing their oil revenue effectively.

Just a few days ago, the Department of Energy via an online release publicly announced the occasion of a fireworks display, managed by the Guyana Defence Force and supported

by ExxonMobil in celebration of the country’s oil production status tomorrow.

PM RESULTS SAVE MAN, 67, FROM MURDER CHARGE The results of a postmortem appear to have saved a 24-year-old labourer from being charged for killing a West Bank Demerara pensioner.

Police had received reports that the labourer had kicked 67-year-old Mohammed Rasheed, of Belle West during an altercation on Monday.

Rasheed was admitted to the West Bank Demerara Regional Hospital.

Meanwhile, based on a report from the pensioner’s son, police a r r e s t e d t h e labourer. He denied that he had assaulted Rasheed.

Last Tuesday, a detective visited the hospital to interview the injured man, only to learn that he had succumbed.

A doctor who had treated the pensioner informed the policeman that Rasheed had suffered from a lung infection.

Police said that governm e n t p a t h o l o g i s t D r.

Nehaul Singh, Thursday conducted the postmortem which found that the patient had suffered a heart attack, and also suffered from a lung infection and cirrhosis of the liver.

Police also said that the pathologist found trauma at the back of the pensioner’s h e a d a n d s t o m a c h , but could not say whether this was caused by a blow or a fall.

The pensioner was subsequently released.

SATURDAY GOVT. AND OIL COMPANIES USING TACTICS TO PREVENT INDEPENDENTANALYSIS OF OUR OIL RESERVES When oil companies drill wells, they record the details of whatever they find. This practice is called well logging.

If citizens had access to these logs, they would be able – with a little expertise – to independently analyse discoveries, and to determine just how much of the discovery is oil, and how much is natural gas.

ExxonMobil operates the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, which contains most of Guyana’s discovered commercial hydrocarbon reserves With the knowledge of just how much oil and gas is out there within the boundaries of any particular project, like Liza-One or Payara, the people of Guyana would know just how much wealth they have.

But they don’t.

Every time ExxonMobil makes a material discovery, its public disclosures report the estimated quantity of the discovery in barrels of oil equivalent (boe). While that report gives an idea of what is in the well, it doesn’t say how much of the discovery is actually oil, or how much is actually natural gas.

ExxonMobil has refused to say. Kaieteur News has posed the question to the oil company’s local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), several times late last year, and it said it was still analyzing the contents of those discoveries.

This response would not add up, as the oil company was able to inform the InterAmerican Development Bank

(IDB) last year that between 30 and 50 million cubic feet per day of extra natural gas from the Liza-1 project can be made available for electricity generation in Guyana. Furthermore, the Liza-1 discovery was made almost five years ago.

In comparison, Suriname’s experience is vastly different, whereas Apache and Total were able to make a material discovery in the country’s Block 58, with Wood Mackenzie – a firm independent of both of them – reporting that it estimated 300 million barrels of oil, 150 million barrels of condensate and 1.4 trillion cubic feet of gas in that discovery. This did not take years. It took just a few days.

In trying to determine whether Guyana could have independent analyses done as well, Kaieteur News has hit a wall. ExxonMobil would not release its well logs, for fear that the publication of the content of those logs would hurt its competitive advantages in the Petroleum industry.

The Government would also not release the well logs, as it fears breaking its confidentiality agreements with the oil companies.

Asked whether well logs owned by Government could be accessed by private citizens, Commissioner at the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) Newell Dennison told Kaieteur News that they could, via a paid mechanism.

However, the Commissioner qualified his statement,

noting that some logs are proprietary and shall not be released to anyone.

Asked which logs are proprietary, Dennison explained that they would include logs covered by agreements still in focus, due to confidentiality agreements.

What that means is that the only logs accessible to the public are those for concessions which were abandoned decades ago by companies like ExxonMobil’s predecessor, Mobil. What it also means is that ExxonMobil’s well logs for its 15 material discoveries on the Stabroek Block will remain secret, unless Government and all of the oil companies operating the Block consent to the release.

Furthermore, it means that private citizens will not be able to independently analyse logs of ExxonMobil’s 15 material discoveries. Whether Guyana is told the exact contents of the hydrocarbon reserves it owns remains at the mercy of ExxonMobil.

EPAGAVE EXXONMOBIL PERMISSION FOR TEMPORARY FLARING FOR LIZA PHASE ONE ExxonMobil’s engagement in temporary, non-routine flaring in the Stabroek Block some weeks ago, and up until now, has caught several regulatory agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by surprise.

But it was this very agency which gave ExxonMobil the permission to do so with its stamp of ap-

proval for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) the oil giant submitted.

According to the EIA seen by Kaieteur News, ExxonMobil notes that flaring will be temporary and nonroutine. In fact, its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) intends to re-inject all operationally-produced gas under routine conditions, except that which will be utilized for FPSO operations (e.g., fuel gas).

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

The EIA states that relief events occur to prevent overpressure scenarios in the process equipment.

It further clarifies that blowdown events occur to depressure the facilities in a controlled manner as a result of emergency shutdown events.

In addition, the EIA states that temporary, non-routine flaring will occur during equipment maintenance, process upsets, and start-up.

EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams had told Kaieteur News that while he respects the fact that flaring would be inevitable, the length of time it has been doing so, was “unexpected.”

Be that as it may, the EIA does not put any restriction on how long Exxon is allowed to carry out flaring. In fact, it will be able to do so at various intervals until 2040.

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Sparkling Wine of the Week:

Sunday January 19, 2020

Three of the tastiest Bacardi cocktails

The Cavicchioli 1928 Rosé This bright and pale pink candy” coloured Rosé features white evanescent foam, fine and lingering perlage when poured and tasted. The wine has a fresh, fruity aroma, and a slightly spicy aromatic taste with red fruit notes and a lingering aftertaste.

Cavicchioli 1928 Rosé is excellent as an aperitif with sweet and sour pairings. You can also pair it with risotto, tortellini, seafood dishes, and fresh fruits.

It can be had at Ansa McAL’s Twee Gourmet Shoppe at the Giftland Mall. Do enjoy and remember to drink responsibly.

Enetworks to show HBO’s most thrilling Original Programmes for 2020 Having survived the end of “Game of Thrones” with buzzy new series like “Euphoria,” “Watchmen,” and “His Dark Materials,” in addition to the well-watched new seasons of “Succession,” “Barry,” and “Big Little Lies,” HBO is preparing for its first postWesteros year with a similar onslaught of exciting adaptations, enticing followups, and shows skewing toward a younger demographic.

The latter point is perhaps more important than ever, given that 2020 marks another milestone for HBO: the debut of HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s all-in-one streaming platform that bundles its various networks (and their programs) in one app. HBO Max will have its own originals, but HBO is still the service’s crown jewel (as evidenced by those three telling letters right before “Max”).

It’ll be up to the former Home Box Office as much as, if not more than, any other WarnerMedia network to drive subscriptions, and that’s harder to do without the No. 1 show in the world.

More than a hundred years later, Bacardi which is distributed by Ansa McAL, occupies a leading position in the world among manufacturers and exporters of alcoholic beverages.

In fact, this rum continues to be used by the best mixologists around the world to create some of the tastiest cocktails you would ever savour. Here are just three of them you can make to entertain your friends this Sunday. Enjoy.

1. PINA COLADA Drink invented pirate Roberto Cofresi. B 1820 he treated his team this cocktail, raising her fighting spirit. But after the death of Roberto recipe was lost. Only 1954 Caribbean, the bartender Romona Marrero managed to find the right proportions. On experiments he spent more 30 days.

Pina ColadaStructure: Bacardi white - 50 ml; Black Bacardi - 15 ml; pineapple juice - 100 ml; coconut syrup - 50 ml; lime juice - 2 teaspoons; pineapple - 80 gram; ice - 160 gram.

Preparation: Mix in a blender Bacardi rum, syrup, pineapple and juice Lama. Add ice, then whip. Pour into a cocktail glass and garnish with a slice of pineapple.

So what will entice subscribers to keep HBO (or add HBO Max) to their evergrowing streaming library this year? 2020 offerings include “The Outsider,” a Stephen King adaptation from “The Night Of” creator Richard Price; “Avenue 5,” Armando Iannucci’s “Veep” follow-up; “The Undoing,” starring Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman; “Bad Education,” HBO’s pricey TIFF film festival acquisition starring

Hugh Jackman; “Perry Mason,” from producer Robert Downey Jr. and starring “The Americans” veteran Matthew Rhys, and don’t forget more new originals from indie film favorites Luca Guadagnino, Derek Cianfrance, Paolo Sorrentino.

Meanwhile, plenty of fan favourite shows are returning, none more important than the rebooted “Westworld” Season 3, but

additional entries like “Euphoria” Season 2, “Barry” Season 3, and “Succession” Season 3 cannot be undervalued.

With “House of Dragons” not expected until at least 2021, this likely won’t be the only year without a “Game of Thrones” series on the docket — but it might be the most important year for HBO. Be sure to catch up on these riveting originals via the Enetworks channel.

2. MOJITO According to one version «Mojito» translated from the African language as a “little witchcraft”. The recipe appeared in 1942 year at Havana Bar, belonging to the family Martinez. Institution still works.

MojitoStructure: Bacardi white - 100 ml; soda (Sprite) - 200 ml; sugar syrup - 30 ml; mint - 15 leaves; lime - 1 thing; ice cubes - 500 gram.

Preparation: put mint in a glass, add the juice of one lime and sugar syrup. Then put several circles of lime and fill the glass with ice up to the top. Pour the rum and soda, mix gently. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

3. CUBA LIBRE In the literal translation “free Cuba”. Name appeared in 1900 year, when an employee of the US Army Capt. Russell drinking in a bar in Havana your favorite cocktail, consisting of rum, lime juice and cola. By chance, he learned, drink that has no name. Russell proposed to call it “Cuba Libre” in honor of the island’s independence from Spain. Now, this refreshing drink on a daily basis by millions of people.

Cuba LibreStructure: Bacardi Gold rum - 50 ml; Cola - 150 ml; ice cubes - 200 gram; lime - 40 gram.

Preparation: fill a tall glass with ice cubes, squeeze the juice into a quarter of lime. Add rum and Coke and mix the cocktail spoon. Garnish with a few slices of lime.

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

Intermittent fasting can help weight loss There’s a ton of incredibly promising intermittent fasting (IF) research done on fat rats.

They lose weight, their blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugars improve… but they’re rats. Studies in humans, almost across the board, have shown that IF is safe and incredibly effective, but really no more effective than any other diet. In addition, many people find it difficult to fast.

But a growing body of research suggests that the timing of the fast is key, and can make IF a more realistic, sustainable, and effective approach for weight loss, as well as for diabetes prevention.

The backstory on intermittent fasting IF as a weight loss approach has been around in various forms for ages, but was highly popularized in 2012 by BBC broadcast journalist Dr. Michael Mosley’s TV documentary Eat Fast, Live Longer and book The Fast Diet, followed by journalist Kate Harrison’s book The 5:2 Diet based on her own experience, and subsequently

by Dr. Jason Fung’s 2016 bestseller The Obesity Code.

IF generated a steady positive buzz as anecdotes of its effectiveness proliferated.

As a lifestyle-leaning research doctor, I needed to understand the science.

The Obesity Code seemed the most evidence-based summary resource, and I loved it. Fung successfully combines plenty of research, his clinical experience, and sensible nutrition advice, and also addresses the socioeconomic forces conspiring to make us fat. He is very clear that we should eat more fruits and veggies, fiber, healthy protein, and fats, and avoid sugar, refined grains, processed foods, and for God’s sake, stop snacking. Check, check, check, I agree. The only part that was still questionable in my mind was the intermittent fasting part.

Intermittent fasting can help weight loss IF makes intuitive sense.

The food we eat is broken down by enzymes in our gut and eventually ends up as molecules in our bloodstream.

Carbohydrates, particularly sugars and refined grains (think white flours and rice), are quickly broken down into sugar, which our cells use for energy. If our cells don’t use it all, we store it in our fat cells

as, well, fat. But sugar can only enter our cells with insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas. Insulin brings sugar into the fat cells and keeps it there.

Between meals, as long as we don’t snack, our insulin levels will go down and our fat cells can then release their stored sugar, to be used as energy. We lose weight if we let our insulin levels go down.

The entire idea of IF is to allow the insulin levels to go down far enough and for long enough that we burn off our fat.

Intermittent fasting can be hard… but maybe it doesn’t have to be Initial human studies that compared fasting every other day to eating less every day showed that both worked about equally for weight loss, though people struggled with the fasting days. So, I had written off IF as no better or worse than simply eating less, only far more uncomfortable.

My advice was to just stick with the sensible, plantbased, Mediterraneanstyle diet.

New research is suggesting that not all IF approaches are the same, and some are actually very reasonable, effective, and sustainable, especially when combined with a nutritious plant-based diet. So I’m prepared to take my lumps on this one (and even revise my prior post).

We have evolved to be in sync with the day/night cycle, i.e., a circadian rhythm. Our metabolism has adapted to daytime food, nighttime sleep.

Nighttime eating is well associated with a higher risk of obesity, as well as diabetes.

Based on this, researchers from the University of Alabama conducted a study with a small group of obese men with prediabetes. They compared a form of intermittent fasting called “early time-restricted feeding,” where all meals were fit into an early eighthour period of the day (7 am to 3 pm),or spread out over 12 hours (between 7 am and 7 pm). Both groups maintained their weight (did not gain or lose) but after five weeks, the eighthours group had dramatically lower insulin levels and significantly improved insulin s e n s i t i v i t y, a s w e l l a s significantly lower blood pressure. The best part?

The eight-hours group also had significantly

decreased appetite. They weren’t starving.

Just changing the timing of meals, by eating earlier in the day and extending the overnight fast, significantly benefited metabolism even in people who didn’t lose a single pound.

So, is this as good as it sounds?

I was very curious about this, so I asked the opinion of metabolic expert Dr. Deborah Wexler, Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Diabetes Center and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

Here is what she told me.

“There is evidence to suggest that the circadian rhythm fasting approach, where meals are restricted to an eight to 10-hour period of the daytime, is effective,” she confirmed, though generally she recommends that people “use an eating approach that works for them and is sustainable to them.”

S o , h e r e ’s t h e d e a l .

There is some good scientific evidence suggesting that circadian rhythm fasting, when combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle, can be a particularly effective approach to weight loss, especially for people at risk for diabetes. (However, people with advanced diabetes or who are on medications for diabetes, people with a history of eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, and pregnant or breastfeeding women should not attempt intermittent fasting unless under the close supervision of a physician who can monitor them.)

4 ways to use this information for better health 1. Avoid sugars and refined grains. Instead, eat fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats (a sensible, plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet).

2. Let your body burn fat between meals. Don’t snack.

Be active throughout your day. Build muscle tone.

3. Consider a simple form of intermittent fasting. Limit the hours of the day when you eat, and for best effect, make it earlier in the day (between 7 am to 3 pm, or even 10 am to 6 pm, but definitely not in the evening before bed).

4. Avoid snacking or eating at nighttime, all the time. (https:// www.health.harvard.edu/ blog/intermittent-fastingsurprising-update2018062914156)

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HEALTHY REASONS TO DRINK COFFEE Your daily cup of coffee may be doing more for you than providing that early-morning pick-me-up. The health impact of coffee has long been a controversial topic, with advocates touting its antioxidant activity and brain-boosting ability, and detractors detailing downsides such as insomnia, indigestion and an increased heart rate and blood pressure.

But the latest wave of scientific evidence brings a wealth of good news for coffee lovers.

Here are 10 reasons drinking coffee may be healthier for you than you thought.

1. Coffee is a potent source of healthful antioxidants.

In fact, coffee shows more antioxidant activity than green tea and cocoa, two antioxidant superstars. Scientists have identified approximately 1,000 antioxidants in unprocessed coffee beans, and hundreds more develop during the roasting process.

Numerous studies have cited coffee as a major — and in some cases, the primary — dietary source of antioxidants for its subjects.

How it works: Antioxidants fight inflammation, an underlying cause of many chronic conditions, including arthritis, atherosclerosis and many types of cancer. They also neutralize free radicals, which occur naturally as a part of everyday m e t a b o l i c functions, but which can cause oxidative stress that leads to chronic disease. In other words, antioxidants help keep us healthy at the microlevel by protecting our cells from damage. Finally, chlorogenic acid, an important antioxidant found almost exclusively in coffee, is also thought to help prevent cardiovascular disease.

2. Caffeine provides a short-term memory boost.

When a group of volunteers received a dose of 100 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, about as much contained in a single cup of coffee, Austrian researchers found a surge in the volunteers’ brain activity, measured by functional magnetic resonance imagery (fMRI), as they performed a memory task. The researchers noted that the memory skills and reaction times of the caffeinated volunteers were also improved when compared to the control group who received a placebo and showed no increase in brain activity.

How it works: Caffeine appears to affect the particular areas of the brain responsible for memory and concentration, providing a boost to short-term memory, although it’s not clear how long the effect lasts or how it may vary from person to person.

3. Coffee may help protect against cognitive decline.

In addition to providing a temporary boost in brain activity and memory, regular coffee consumption may help prevent cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia. In one promising Finnish study, researchers found that drinking three to five cups of coffee daily at midlife was associated with a 65 percent decreased risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia in later life.

Interestingly, the study authors also measured the effect of tea drinking on cognitive decline, but found no association.

How it works: There are several theories about how coffee may help prevent or protect against cognitive decline. One working theory: caffeine prevents the buildup of beta-amyloid plaque that may contribute to the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s. Researchers also theorize that because coffee drinking may be associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, a risk factor for dementia, it also lowers the risk for developing dementia.

4. Coffee is healthy for your heart.

A landmark Dutch study, which analyzed data from more than 37,000 people over a period of 13 years, found that moderate coffee drinkers (who consumed between two to four cups daily) had a 20 percent lower risk of heart disease as compared to heavy or light coffee drinkers, and nondrinkers.

How it works: There is some evidence that coffee may support heart health by protecting against arterial damage caused by inflammation.

5. Coffee may help curb certain cancers.

Men who drink coffee may be at a lower risk of developing aggressive prostate cancer.

In addition, new research from the Harvard School of Public Health suggests that drinking four or more cups of coffee daily decreased the risk of endometrial cancer in women by 25 percent as compared to women who drank less than one cup a day.

Researchers have also found ties between regular coffee drinking and lower rates of liver, colon, breast, and rectal cancers.

How it works: Polyphenols, antioxidant phytochemicals found in coffee, have demonstrated anticarcinogenic properties in several studies and are thought to help reduce the inflammation that could be responsible for some tumors.

6. Coffee may lessen your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

A growing body of research suggests an association between coffee drinking and a reduced risk of diabetes. A 2009 study found that the risk of developing diabetes dropped by 7 percent for each daily cup of coffee.

Previous epidemiological studies reported that heavy coffee drinkers (those who regularly drink four or more cups daily) had a 50 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than light drinkers or nondrinkers.

How it works: Scientists believe that coffee may be beneficial in keeping diabetes at bay in several ways: (1) by helping the body use insulin and protecting insulin-producing cells, enabling effective regulation of blood sugar; (2) preventing tissue damage; and (3) and battling inflammation, a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes. One component of coffee known as caffeic acid has been found to be particularly significant in reducing the toxic accumulation of abnormal protein deposits (amyloid fibrils) found in people with type 2 diabetes. Decaffeinated coffee is thought to be as beneficial, or more so, than regular.

Note: There is some evidence that coffee decreases the sensitivity of muscle cells to the effects of insulin, which might impair the metabolism of sugar and raise blood sugar levels. The significance of this finding, however, is still unclear.

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Sunday January 19, 2020

Immigration Questions & Answers

By Attorney Gail S. Seeram

T

hrough this “Question & Answer” column, our goal is to answer your immigration questions. We appreciate your comments and questions. If you have a question that you would like answered in this column, p l e a s e e m a i l : Gail@GailLaw.com.

Question #1: I would

like to adopt my 18-year-old nephew that lives in Guyana and bring him to the United States – can this be done?

Answer #1: Yes, you can adopt your nephew if you meet the requirements under the laws in Guyana, however, for U.S. immigration purposes, the adoption must take place before the child is age 16.

So, adopting your nephew at age 18 would not allow him to be categorized as your “child” for U.S. immigration

purposes. Also, there are residency requirements under the U.S. immigration laws that must be met by the petitioner and child for a non-orphan adoption.

Question #2: My girlfriend lives in Guyana and she is pregnant. I am a U.S. citizen. When my child is born in Guyana, will my child be a U.S. citizen?

Answer #2: The birth of a child abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported

as soon as possible so that a Consular Report of Birth Abroad can be issued as an official record of the child's claim to U.S. citizenship.

Report the birth of your child abroad at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. So, the answer to your question is “yes”, the child will be a U.S. citizen if all the requirements are met.

Question #3: My green card was taken away at the U.S. border. What does this

mean?

Answer #3: First, you need to speak with an immigration attorney. You may be scheduled for a deferred inspection interview and you should take an immigration attorney with you for legal representation.

During the deferred inspection interview, the officer will gather additional information to determine whether to place you in removal proceedings or to return your green card.

There are many reasons why a Custom and Border Protection officer may take away someone's green card – thes e include a prior conviction, pending criminal case, length of time outside the U.S., use of fraud to obtain the green card, etc.

Question #4: My U.S. citizen aunt sponsored my mother and our entire family? Why was my brother, who is age 22, not issued a visa at the U.S. Embassy?

Answer #4: Generally, for a 4th preference category (U.S. citizen sponsoring brother/sister) family-based

Gail S. Seeram petition, any children not under the age of 21 at the time the visa is available are ineligible for the immigrant visa, because they are no longer considered a child under the U.S. immigration laws. However, speak with an immigration attorney regarding your brother's eligibility under the Child Status Protection Act. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) Attorney Gail Seeram, LL.M., J.D., BBA call | text 407-292-7730 whatsApp 407-353-1363 e m a i l : Gail@GailLaw.com l i v e c h a t : www.GailLaw.com Download FREE App: Gail Law

A study in Groupthink and the sheepish...

From page 38 psychological issue that it does not understand.

'The Sober Truth' is not merely an indictment on AA; it is a study in Groupthink and the sheepish nature of man, indolent and obdurate enough to shun reason in the face of compelling evidence.

Surely, five to ten percent of AA members have triumphed over a presumable disease; but why, the authors reason, should we insist that the majority should be enslaved to a treatment that just does

not work for them?

The Sober Truth: Debunking The Bad Science Behind 12-Step Programs and The Rehab Industry by Lance Dodes, MD and Zachary Dodes Publisher: Beacon Press.

Boston, Massachusetts ISBN: 978-0-80703315-9 Available at Amazon Ratings: Essential F e e d b a c k : glenvilleashby@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Helping to create an impacting national change…

Smiling because he has many reasons to

Selwyn Collins...

From page 22 has been giving attention to.

He has visited those who are incarcerated and has even travelled to Indigenous communities to let the youths there know of the role that they can play in the envisioned transformation of the nation.

To attach even greater meaning to his plan, Collins in April of last year introduced the Brand YOUth's 40 Under 40 entrepreneurial award, which is said to be the first of its kind to be held for Guyanese youths in the Region.

Brand YOUth, Collins explained, was created with the view of bringing an end

Helping to chart a phenomenal path

to poverty in Guyana by suitably equipping the nation's youths to thrive. The award ceremony was understandably held under the theme: 'building bridges; passing batons'.

Forty young people under the age of 40 were recognised at an auspicious event that saw the attendance of several dignitaries including the Ambassadors of the ABC countries, a UN Representative, and even the likes of the City Mayor, Ubraj Narine; Member of Parliament, Gail Teixeira, and business mogul, Stanley Ming.

“We had prominent people and people known in the community hand out a

baton to young persons and then we had 12 young people who had special awards in addition to their batons,” Collins recalled.

To facilitate all these projects has seen Collins travelling frequently between the US and Guyana.

In fact, in November, he returned here for yet another project aimed at catering to the transfer of knowledge to youths. On this occasion, it was a Tax Forum, which was graced by the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan and Captain Gerald Gouveia, both of whom were presenters, in addition to a representative of the Guyana Revenue Authority and a few young honourees.

“That event was the first of its kind too and the M i n i s t e r w a s impressed…As a matter of fact, I am in the process of transcribing the forum so that we can prepare a policy document to present to the Ministry of Finance,” said Collins.

BRAND YOUth Collins has been able to reach unprecedented heights and entered unchartered territory by virtue of his introduction of Brand YOUth. “At the core of me is giving back, and giving back to Guyana is not just as a cliché, because I want to give back to Guyana, I believe that Guyana is a blessed nation and it is poised for greatness and all we have heard growing is that Guyana has a lot of potential…this was long before the discovery of oil,” said Collins.

But he had decided years earlier that he would not simply be another adult who sees Guyana as only a 'land of potential'.

“There was a famous mantra that eased into conversations: better must come, I tweaked that a little bit and I said here is what I believe: I think the better that we are waiting to come lies in us. We have the better that needs to be present. When we become better, then better will be here... So we are the ones who have to create this better, and I also realised that in order for

Guyana to rise to its true greatness, we have to be inclusive in all that we do,” Collins intimated.

Moreover, he noted that Brand YOUth in essence is a diverse network, which has as its aim “to encourage a community that is inclusive where members, entrepreneurs interact with e a c h o t h e r, b u t m o r e importantly do business with each other and encourage and empower each other.”

In fact, Collins abides by the notion that “If each of us put country first; if we put our community first, then everything else takes care of itself. So we have to sort of shift the mindset that it's about me, me, me, me, me to we… 'And how do we do that?' We make sure that we leave no brethren behind…make sure that my sister, my brother, whoever they may be, whatever ethnicity they might be, are not left behind.”

By starting thoughtprovoking conversations,

Collins believes that changes can be made in society to help young people get a needed foothold that will propel them to greatness.

This he sees possible if education, values, skills and talents are wielded in the ideal way.

“If these qualities are developed, they can use them to move the needle a little bit more towards greatness for Guyana. I push this because I believe that one day, with all the migration that is happening in Guyana, Guyana is going to change; its demographic is going to change and change drastically, and what I hope one day will happen is that the people who are in the chambers of power are Guyanese - the people who run the big businesses, the big conglomerates, our key decision makers in the big corporations, are Guyanese.

And if they happen to be from the younger generation that is even better,” a hopeful Collins mused.

Always striving to make an impacting difference

Kaieteur News

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Leguan Stelling upgrade stalled by residents' requests - Sharma

T

he Leguan Stelling upgrade project has been delayed by constant requests from the business community.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Jaipaul Sharma, related to this publication that the residents, primarily the business community and farmers, have been requesting extensions on the project to facilitate their goods and services and movements of their produce.

The Minister said that this has put a strain on the contractors as well as the project deadline.

He added that the design for the project is completed.

However, the contractors cannot work with the ferry mooring at the stelling. “It interferes with the work that is being done... and I constantly receive calls from residents requesting I allow the ferry to go to Leguan to move produce."

There have been complaints from some sections of the population about the prolonged project.

To t h i s e n d , S h a r m a explained that allowing the ferry to moor at the stelling while work is ongoing "can cause the stelling to collapse...However, not allowing the project to continue can also have the same result."

This project was awarded to S. Maraj Contracting Services in 2018 for $412M but is now estimated to cost $580 M due to additional works coupled with

the initial engineer's estimate and quantities being deficient.

Sattrohan Maraj, owner of S. Maraj Contracting Services explained that this is because the initial piles were 80 feet long but during the test pile phase, it was determined that 80-foot piles are too short.

He also explained that an arrangement was made with the Transport & Harbours Department to facilitate the mooring of the ferry during the routine morning and afternoon schedules to allow daily commute between the Island and Parika.

However, the midday trip would be cancelled to facilitate their work. This arrangement was hindered after the M. B Sandaka was sent to service the SurinameGuyana route; leaving one vessel to service Bartica to Parika and Parika to Leguan.

Maraj also explained that while the commute of passengers can be accommodated during ongoing works by extending beams further out to the ferry the same cannot be done to accommodate vehicular traffic.

In early December 2019, the contractors were forced to divert their attention from the initial upgrade project to facilitate emergency repair works on a collapsed section of the Stelling.

The rehabilitation and upgrade project is a result of severe damage to the stelling due to the force of the tide along with deteriorated condition of the beams and piles caused by the salt water and barnacles.

Damage to some parts of the stelling

A section of the Leguan stelling

Sunday January 19, 2020

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

Health Ministry, GTT team up to battle cervical cancer in Guyana

T

he Chronic Diseases Unit of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) have teamed up with the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) to offer free Visual Inspection with Acetic acid (VIA) screening during this month.

The two organisations have collaborated to battle cervical cancer in Guyana.

January is recognised worldwide as Cervical Cancer month.

The screening which is free of charge is scheduled to be carried out in ten communities, in Regions Three, Four and Five at the various health centres in the regions.

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cells of the cervix — the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.

According to reports, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Guyana.

In an interview, National VIA Coordinator attached to the Ministry of Public Health ( M O P H ) , D r. M a r t i n Campbell, described the initiative as a favourable one that will educate the Guyanese population more about cervical cancer.

A c c o r d i n g t o D r.

Campbell since the commencing of the VIA screening in January 2019, over 60 persons in Regions Three, Four and Five have accessed the service and more persons are coming forward.

Cervical cancer is a sex specific cancer, which means only the female population can be infected. It is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

“Cervical cancer is very much preventable. We

already know the cause of cervical cancer and there is an active vaccine that can prevent it.

What you must know, however, is that there are other factors apart from someone having HPV, that can contributed to women being diagnosed with cervical cancer.

These risk factors include having multiple sexual partners, being sexual active at a young age and if you are HIV positive.”

He added that if there is someone diagnosed with cervical cancer in one's family one's risk of being diagnosed increases.

Last Friday's screening sessions were done at the Sophia Health Centre. The exercise was deemed a success due to the large number of persons that came out to get screened.

“I would encourage all females between the ages of 21 and 65 to get screened for cervical cancer, because in most cases persons who have been diagnosed don't know until the last stage, since this type of cancer does not come with any major symptoms.”

In its 2018 cancer survey report, the Ministry of Public Health stated that approximately 32 in every 100,000 women in Guyana are diagnosed with cervical cancer.

About half of these victims die, making cervical cancer the major cause of cancer related deaths in the country.

Throughout January, persons in Region Four can access cervical cancer screening at various health centres such as South Road Health Centre, Albouystown Health Centre, Den Amstel Health Centre and Sophia Health Centre.

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Sunday January19, 2020

Region Six Health Director defends drug purchases

R

egion Six Director of Health Services, Mr. Jevaughn Stephens, has finally come to the forefront to defend the purchasing of drugs and medical supplies for the region at what was termed 'exorbitant' prices.

The revelation was made in the recently leaked 2018 Auditor General's report which showed that the region paid more than 300% in some instances for common medical supplies that can be purchased by local distributors.

The AG in his report stated that the region had not checked with the Materials Management Unit (MMU), the stipulated entity to handle purchases of drugs for distribution to health centres and state-run

hospitals, before making purchases.

Stephens, at a recent press conference, blasted the regional chairman, David Armogan for his accusation that the Regional Executive Officer, responsible for all purchases in the region, was bypassing the Regional Tender Board.

Armogan was asked to explain why the region spent an excessive amount of taxpayers' dollars and he quickly pointed fingers to other regional officials. He had accused those officials of “selecting their own people to buy the drugs.”

The Chairman stressed that “those purchases are supposed to go to tender but (the officials) are not doing that; they are selecting people and buying from

them and that can lead to high levels of corruption.”

Stephens, however, at his press conference stated that Armogan was being inaccurate. “For any purchase to be made, it must be approved by the tender board”.

The Director explained that the REO has a limit of $250,000 for daily purchases. He went on to state that the region makes purchases for these supplies when they are in demand.

“These tablets were the first ones flagged in the report.

It said that the MMU paid $13 per one against $230 dollars paid by the region…The region makes purchases based on emergency needs and we would have to pay the retail

prices for what we need.”

The RHO also pointed that he himself went to purchase these very supplies highlighted in the report from local suppliers to provide evidence of the prices paid by the region.

“I went to purchase all of the items from local drug stores here and the retail prices are what we have to pay…Calls to local pharmacies in Berbice and the capital will show the general public how much these items cost...

Based on the demand, these prices fluctuate and we have to pay that when there is a need.”

According to the report, “a comparison of the prices paid for drugs and medical supplies procured by the Regional Administration from local suppliers with the prices paid by MMU as

Regional Health Director, Jevaughn Stephens

indicated on the price listing submitted, revealed that for 52 items, the Regional Administration paid significantly higher prices when compared with MMU's prices.”

In fact, the Region paid

in two instances, as much as 1669% and 1465% more than the MMU's price for those items.

The excuse given by the region was simply that it paid more because it did not buy in large quantities.

“I never giving up” says differently abled HEYS Entrepreneur Rocliffe Rodrigues

From page 19 use of the opportunity. The other day, I sell some meat and I roll up to collect my money--one hundred gran-and a couple of the HEYS students been deh. And when I collect, I buy dem one, one beer and deh happy,” he stated.

He said his personal development also comes with its fair share of challenges since “some

people vex that I making it now. Even some of my own friends saying 'One Foot' getting rich and now he turning a snitch. But I doing what I got to do. That is my first priority.”

He said he is thankful for the support that he continues to receive from his wife and the wider community.

Like Rodrigues, the HEYS programme also provided opportunities to the

differently abled across the hinterland with many sharing life-changing testimonies on the positive impact, which the programme continues to make in their lives.

The HEYS Programme, which is now deemed a movement, has seen close to 4,000 youths benefit, and there are already plans for a third cohort in 2020 which will target another 4,000.

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

CARICOM Secretariat Schoolgirl beaten by classmate Headquarters going solar after she resisted his harassment

The CARICOM Secretariat is moving towards 100 percent renewable energy for its Headquarters in Georgetown Guyana, with construction of a Photovoltaic Power Generation System set to commence on tomorrow.

The Project is part of a wider initiative called ‘The Introduction of Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation System in Guyana and CARICOM’, being financed by the Government of Japan.

The Project will include the installation of 400 kilowatt of solar

photovoltaic power generator to provide electricity to the Secretariat building; a battery and power conditioning system for energy storage and power quality regulation; and an advanced building energy management system to, among other things, provide air conditioning controls and track energy efficiency and indoor air quality.

The implementation phase is set to run from January to August and commissioning is scheduled for September.

On completion, the Secretariat expects its Headquarters

building to derive 100 percent of its energy from solar-based sources on a majority of its operating days.

The project design is linked to the CARICOM Energy Policy and the regional strategy for sustainable energy. It’s expected that the Project will be a forerunner to the type of transformation that will happen in Member States, as part of the energy transition.

Tomorrow’s GroundBreaking Ceremony begins at 09:00 hrs. on the grounds of the Secretariat’s Headquarters building.

On Friday afternoon, a Grade Eight student of the Hope Secondary School, East Coast Demerara, was attacked by a male classmate who dealt her two blows to her head with a table leg leaving an opening to the wound at the left side of her head.

The father of the injured child stated that his daughter and several other girls were harassed by the said young man who wounded her.

The student claimed that he touched them inappropriately; she resisted which resulted in a scuffle.

The young man delayed his retaliation until the dismissal of school; he then sneaked up behind her and dealt her one blow to the head with a wooden table leg.

When she fell to the ground, he dealt her another blow.

However, the father of the child, Mr. Scott Odmond, stated, “I did the necessary running around. I am to go to the police station to go get this animal (the young man).”

The wound in her head.

Canje man dies days after setting himself ablaze

Thirty-nine-year-old Chandlall Verian, called “Fine Man”, of Canefield Village, East Canje, succumbed to injuries, which he inflicted upon himself just six days ago. In the bizarre incident, Chandlall reportedly was under the influence of alcohol when he set himself on fire Monday morning at his Canefield residence.

He was hospitalised at the Georgetown Public Hospital with severe burns about his body. He succumbed Friday morning while receiving treatment.

According to reports, Chandlall who is in the habit of threatening to commit suicide, lit himself on fire. He had on Sunday, prior to the Monday incident also threatened to commit the act. After the act was committed, neighbours and relatives were alerted and he was immediately rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital and was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Kaieteur News understands that his relatives only reported the matter on Friday. Police have since launched an investigation.

Chandlall Verian, called “Fine Man”

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

STANDARDS IN FOCUS

Let us get the date and time right in 2020 Oftentimes, we find ourselves in dilemmas trying to interpret dates that are written in documents that require our attention, or even in situations where we are not sure if we are expressing them correctly.

Usually, it is simply because we cannot figure out which digits represent the day, the month and the year. Similar challenges exist for many when expressing time. In 2020 and beyond let us make the effort to express both dates and times correctly.

At a hospital or a medical clinic, for example, misunderstanding the date is not something doctors, nurses and health workers can afford. This can result in expired medicine being prescribed to patients or medication being administered too late or too early, which can contribute to patient health implications.

Similarly, expressing the time incorrectly has its own implications and can create doubts, if not quickly clarified.

Many times, we are told that “I will come by at eight o’clock” or “the event starts at five o’clock”; forgetting to enquire whether it is eight o’clock or five o’clock in the morning or the evening.

Too often, this happens to passengers traveling by air, particularly in instances where travel agents do not offer clarity. Situations such as these can result in unwanted frustration or the wastage of crucial time.

The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has sought to address these situations by educating organisations and the public of the standardised and internationally recognised way of writing dates and time to eliminate confusion and allow for easy interpretation.

This is according to the international standard ISO 8601, which deals with numeric representations of dates and time. This standard outlines two internationally acceptable formats for writing the date; the all numeric and the non-numeric formats as stated below: 1. All numeric format (only numbers are used) – For example, today is 2020-01-19 2. Non-numeric format – For example today is Sunday, January 19, 2020 The all-numeric format places the year first in four digits followed by the month in two digits and then the day also in two digits. It must be noted that the year, month and day are separated by a dash (-) and not a slash (/).

The non-numeric format

starts with the day (Sunday), followed by the month (January) and the day (19) and then the year (2020). However, it would also be acceptable if the day is not included. It must be noted that the ordinals “st, th, rd and nd” are

not recommended by the ISO 8601 Standard.

For reading the time, the international twenty-four hour clock system is recommended instead of am or pm. To express the time correctly say eight hours

(08:00 h) instead of eight o’ clock and, sixteen hours thirty (16:30 h) instead of Fourthirty (4:30) NB. The day starts at 00:00 h and ends at 23:59:59 Therefore, you should avoid saying eight hundred hours and sixteen

hundred hours.

The GNBS encourages media houses, teachers, and all public and private institutions to take the lead in correctly expressing the date and time. When you lead, the rest of Guyana will

follow.

For further information on this subject, call the Guyana National Bureau of Standards on Telephone numbers: 219-0064 or 2190065. Also, WhatsApp us on 692-GNBS (4627).

PAGE 60

Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

Taxi driver remanded on narcotics charge

SERVICES

FOR SALE

Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040

(1) 320 CL Caterpiller Excavator low mileage. Never work interior. 15M Neg. 6851237,609-1237

ICONIC MARKETING & PRINTING –TEL: 6006887: We create A/works, logos, business cards, posters, etc, placements of ads included.

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Jacob’s Jewellry and pawnshop, friendly money lenders. 16 Pike Street Kitty, Georgetown. Tel#227-8748/ 622-4970 Repairs at affordable prices: fridge, air conditioner, washing machines, dryers, TV, microwaves & freezer-Call: 610-5846 or 661-8158 CAKES & PASTRIES Enroll now! Classes: Cookery, Cake & Pastries. Start 20th Jan 2020. Contact Sharon #6124193/672-8768 or Whatsapp

(1) Oil tanker boat 11,000 gallon GM engine. (1) Oil tanker 20,000 gallon GM engine. 6851237/609-1237 Lot 14 - 10,204 Sq ft Ph#264-2948/615-2270.

Prime piece of hand at La Grange Public Road 300ft X 100ft $100,000 US Dollar.Contact Annie 6950333.

(3) Mack Garbage trucks, 1 Skip Truck. Tel#683-6814/4420162 Copra Meal for sale.

Contact#223-5273/2235274

All in one buy, entire boutique closing down, sale all ladies clothing JL bland, over 2000 pieces #225-0571/600-5076

1 Suzuki Escudo.Excellent condition, Low Mileage (50,000Km).$3.6M Neg.Call #649-0956.

TO LET Rooms tolet, 1 bedroom, working people: $30,000,$32,000,$35,000 monthly, 2 month security.Call#623-0076.

Wanted Bus Driver (over 45 yrs old) & experienced Cook/ Counter girls @ 44 Barima Avenue Bel Air Park.Tel#6844508.

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620

1 Rz bus for sale, hardly work.

Series BSS $1.4M neg.

Contact#603-2640 Red CRV-2007 Model.Contact 666-7895.

LEARN TO DRIVE N.Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square.Affordable Package.Call#644-5166/6912561/681-2808.

Shalom Enterprise Driving School, 2 Croal St. Call: 2277560/227-3869-6. Join us on Facebook EDUCATION CAREFORELDERLY, CARE FOR CHILDREN, FIRSTAID & CPR CLASSES. CONTACT#227-4881

Driver between the age of 3540. Route 40. #621-7173 Maid. Requirements: person must be living on the East Bank. Contact# 600-6887

One Apartment with two room for rent at Market Street Mon Repos E.C.Dem.Tel#220-7330/ 614-0005.

Dog groomer to do home service. Please call: 676-1148

Fully furnished, 2 bedroom top-flat apartment available.

Phone 688-8358, 671-0747

(1) Driver, must be able to drive both left handed & Stickshift. Tel#223-5354

CHARLOTTE ST: 3 BEDROOMS, 2 BATHROOMS, UPSTAIRS, $1000 USD MONTH . CALL 670-5556. NO AGENTS PLEASE Mining land for rent . Tel#6215900. Direct road and river access, Kurupung river mouth, gold & diamond, Inland creek.

Contract Cars needed @ your taxi service. Call: 219-5555/6620070 Car, Bus & Truck Drivers. #225-3234/225-9223 PROPERTY FOR SALE Newly built flat licensed business place. Restaurant & Bar, Huge land space @ Vreed-en-hoop area. Fully furnished $48M neg Tel#6897481 Flat 2 bedroom concrete property. Located at Lot 101 Plaisance/Sparendaam. Call for more information 2200183/602-3729

LAND FOR SALE Farm New Scheme (East Bank) Main Road 105ft x 65ft $6.5M Parfaite Harmonie $1.2M. Tel# 648-1635/651-1969 Transported land for sale in Rose Hall Town.Call#603-1441

VEHICLE FOR SALE

AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL & TOW TRUCK SERVICE:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE#698-7807.

Self contain rooms to rent in Prashad Nagar. Tel#227-2993

Boat and Engine for sale/ lease.Email:gzplayter@aol.com/ whatsapp#4074912026.

Aracari Hotel -WBD (Near Bridge)-Pool etc.Open 24 Hours.From $25 USD.Phone 264-2946/8

DOLLYSAUTO RENTAL CALL: 225-7126 & 2263693 -DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL@ YAHOO.COM/ W W W . D O L L Y SAUTORENTAL.COM

WANTED

Two storey with four (4) apartment at Market Street Mon Repos E.C.D Tel#2207330/203-850-5235.

ACCOMMODATION

CAR RENTAL

FOR RENT

Lot 1397 Section A, Block ‘X’ Great Diamond, Housing Scheme, Serious Buyers only.

(110x62) 231-6345 1-5 Acre fruit bearing & coconut plantation for sale/ lease@WBD Oppos Timehri Wharf.Email:gzplayter@aol.com/ whatsapp#4074912026.

WANTED Porters to work in Grocery Stall, Attractive Salary at Stabroek Market. Tel#2269800/683-9500. Experience an asset One Rancher, Cow miner to work on a ranch, preferably family person. Tel#619-9143/ 614-8857

A taxi driver who was nabbed with a quantity of narcotics in the back fender of his car has been remanded.

The man, Rajkumar Veerapen, called “Boyo”, 28,

1 house 20'’ x 16'’ conrete and wood on a piece of land 42'’ x 100'’, residential. Call: 6763883 Kuru Kururu Lot 89 Robb street Lacytown, Georgetown.

Next door to Mike’s Pharmacy.Land size-3431.25 Sq.ft.Phone:617-5323/6668052.

Newly Constructed 4 bedroom,3 bathroom, house overlooking the sea for sale.ECD#675-1510/613-7964.

VACANCY Accounts clerk. Contact 2235273/ 223-5274 Driver/expeditor. Contact 2235273/ 223-5274 Workers to work in Ice Factory Tel# 223-7165 Driver- must have sound secondary education, for more information. Please Call: 223-0090 Factory Workers- Must have sound secondary education, for more information. Please Call: 223-0090

Senior Kitchen Assistant, must have a minimum Primary education, 1 Experienced Driver & Cashier. Apply @ Hack’s Halaal Restaurant. 5 Commerce St

Experience Goldsmith needed at Jacob’s Jewellery and Pawnshop. Address 16 Pike St, Kitty Georgetown.

Tel#227-8748/622-4970

1 cook for interior $100,000 monthly, workers for land dredge. Tel# 672-3359

Immediate vacancy exists for one Canter/Lorry Driver to work @ Del Ice Co. Call: 2311408/642-9191

VACANCY Vacancy for domestic maid, should know cooking. Call: 618-1853.

General domestic. 3 Days work. Must know to cook.

Apply with 2 references.

KeyFood McDoom village Room Attendant,Desk staff 25-50 Years old.233 South Road Lacytown/225-0198.

Salesman, good verbal/ excellent attitude, knowledge in stocktaking, computer literate & team player.Keyfood McDoom.

Clerk & Domestic- Live-in facilities for Berbicians & Essequibians. #219-5354 Offset printing press operators,Guillotine Operator,Security Guard.Apply in Person to F&H Printing Establishment Inc.90-92 John Street, Campbellville Greater Georgetown.

Front end loader operator.

Contact#223-5273/223-5274 1 bodywork technician. Tel# 668-7033 Vacancies @ Bonny’s Butchery for sale girls. Apply in person with written application @ 302 Church St. Tel#226-7310

a hire car driver of 67 Fyrish Village, Corentyne, Berbice, was arrested on Wednesday at a Police roadblock at the Weldaad Public Road, West Coast Berbice.

Rajkumar appeared on Friday before Magistrate Renita Singh in the Albion Magistrate’s Court on a charge of possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking.

He pleaded not guilty and was remanded to jail until February 13, next, when he will return to the Weldaad Magistrate’s Court for continuation.

When Rajkumar was arrested, he was driving hire car HC 6961 which was heading in the direction of Georgetown. At the time that the vehicle was stopped, there were three other passengers in the vehicle.

The vehicle was searched by the police and six bulky parcels wrapped with transparent plastic were found in the back bumper of the car.

The parcels were retrieved in the man’s presence and he subsequently told police that a “rasta man” from New Amsterdam gave him to take to Sheriff Street, Georgetown.

He was taken into custody along with the car.

The narcotic was tested and weighed in his presence and amounted to 3000 grams.

Body of labourer found dumped at Kaneville

The body of 50-year-old Admin Assistant 25-55 yrs old. East Bank Area Preferable. Mark Burkett, of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EDB) Please call: 616-6988 was found earlier yesterday Driver/Expeditor 25-55 yrs old, dumped in a clump of bushes MC/MV/ML Licence. Please on an unoccupied house lot.

Police said that they call: 616-6988 received a call from an Welder. Apply in person at individual notifying them of ARK Enterprise/The the body.

Container House, 17 Lombard They immediately Street ventured out to the area to carry out the necessary DemBake has openings for : 1 investigations and retrieve Accounts Clerk (P.M), Drivers the body.

(Motor Lorry) and Sales Detectives are treating the Agents. Email CV to: case as a homicide since the admin@demerarabakery.com man’s body bore multiple or call: 266-5848 marks of violence.

No arrests have been Labourers & Maintenance workers. Contact #621-6969, made so far but ranks are tracking two suspects who serious enquiries only. may be responsible for the Counter Sales Clerk- CXC man’s death.

Burkett was described as Maths & English, must be computer literate, send an easy-going person who resume to : did odd jobs around the community of Kaneville. He dieselcity@hotmail.com was last seen “walking about Maid to cook and clean for the community” the day East Bank area. Call: 615-9132 before his body was found.

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

CONSUMER CONCERNS

DDL chairman Samaroo invests $4 Billion to revolutionise TOPCO and Guyanese agriculture

By PAT DIAL Over the last two months, the media has been focusing the public’s attention almost wholly on the Oil and Gas industry and Election Politics.

Despite this, however, the launching of the expansion project of the Tropical Orchards Products Company (TOPCO) has spontaneously caught the imagination of the consumer community.

In consumer circles, there has been much interest in the quality of juices TOPCO produces, the benefits the expansion project will bring to the farmers and the new industries it will generate.

Many parents felt a discomfiture when the contract to supply the school feeding programme with juices was removed from TOPCO and given to a Suriname Company since they preferred their children to consume the healthier TOPCO juices, which were formulated from genuine fresh fruit and not from reconstituted chemical substances as the foreign juices tend to be.

Moreover, the irony has not been lost to many who have noted that DDL has invested $4 billion to upgrade TOPCO juices and stimulate Guyanese Agriculture while the foreign company is quite happy with its profits without investing anything in Guyanese Agriculture.

DDL has the well-known reputation of doing adequate

research on any project on which it embarks and does so in a structured and logical manner. In addition to its brilliant leadership, its methodology ensures success in any project the Company undertakes.

There were high level and substantive discussions entered into between DDL, led by its executive Chairman Komal Samaroo supported by Production Director Shaun Caleb, TOPCO Plant Manager Rebecca Ramphere, Project Engineer Joshua Gobin and Government Affairs consultant Wesley Kirton and several relevant Government Ministries and agencies.

These included Ministries of Agriculture, Finance, Education, School of Agriculture (GSA), Marketing Corporation (GMC), National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), University of Guyana (UG), National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) and the Carnegie School of Home Economics. These agencies were briefed in detail on the Project and were brought on board.

The Project is being materialised and its two most important components, a one-tonne per hour fruit processing line and a one-litre Tetra Pak juice line and a Milk packaging line are being installed.

Farmers, Government officials and other visitors have been visiting the Project as it moves towards completion. It is expected that production

will begin in five or six months’ time.

The expansion is designed to process and package increased volumes of the existing products, which includes cherry, passion fruit, carambola and guava juices as well as new ones including mango, pineapple, citrus and vegetable juices.

At present 360,000 pounds of fruit are being supplied by farmers but when the expansion begins, two million pounds of fruit will be required.

A revolution would occur in fruit farming. Farmers would enjoy a guaranteed market with stable prices never subject to the vagaries of market forces.

Another benefit the farmers would enjoy is opening the door of collaboration with a network of technical and financial agricultural support agencies.

A most important facet of the project is that the plant would be able to produce pasteurised milk, initially from reconstituted milk and eventually from milk supplied by local dairy farmers.

An import substitution would be provided for milk at present imported and the Guyanese dairy industry, which was almost destroyed by the importation of powdered milk would be resuscitated.

The popular foreign juice imports are all reconstituted chemicals while TOPCO juices are made from genuine

fresh fruit and are healthier to consume and it is this fact, which caused parents to regret the removal of the school feeding contract from TOPCO. Komal Samaroo, Executive Chzirman of DDL is one of the

most creative businessmen in the Caribbean and he sees the project in national terms. He strongly feels that the Agricultural Sector must go beyond rice, sugar, plantains, bananas and ground provisions.

It must be developed to include value added processing of the nation’s fruits and vegetables into pulp and juices. The Milk Industry should also be resuscitated to produce various milk products.

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Sunday January 19, 2020

New Amsterdam municipality not happy with indiscriminate dumping of garbage Acting New Amsterdam Mayor, Wainwright McIntosh, is not pleased with the way some residents have been disposing of their solid waste in the town.

He said that the illegal dumping of garbage is getting out of hand and the Mayor and Town Council plans to take action to curb the illegal practice.

The Acting Mayor made mention of the Glasgow New Housing Scheme, which has two illegal dump sites that have become a major bugbear for the Council at the moment.

McIntosh took members of the media on a tour of the area following a briefing at the Council. The briefing included other officers of the Municipality.

Pointing to the pile of rubbish at the two locations, the Acting Mayor stated that the unsightliness and more so the flies and stench emanating from the areas had

forced some residents to leave their homes during the Christmas season.

He said that it is very disappointing and very disturbing what is going on and made mentioned of frequent complaints made by residents.

Mc Intosh urged stakeholders to make use of the designated dumpsite and to desist from dumping garbage indiscriminately.

“You must have a receptacle. Every household must have a receptacle to place its garbage. The Council will be servicing those bins,” he said.

“I am appealing to the general public; this is not a dumpsite. Persons are living here. Out of respect and care for the environment, we are asking of you, please cooperate with us, because we do not want to go down that road of prosecuting persons once they are caught

dumping their garbage here. However, we will be going down that road if the practice continues.”

He reiterated that the Mayor and Town Council has a set work plan in terms of solid waste disposal and is sticking to that plan as much as possible. Residents know of that plan and their cooperation is very much needed.

Every home should have a receptacle (bin) that the residents could use to empty their rubbish. “When the Council comes around, if the gate is locked, we cannot access those premises in order to empty the garbage.”

The Acting Mayor stated that presently their waste disposal machines are in working order. “We would have acquired the services of a mechanic in the Engineer Department to adequately service the machinery, so down time should not be long”.

Acting New Amsterdam, Wainwright McIntosh, showing the dumpsites at Glasgow New Housing Scheme.

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Guyana drawn in Group A; Host venues and schedule...

From page 71 in Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Curacao and Puerto Rico. The Guyana team under the watchful eyes of Coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover has recommenced training after the Christmas Holidays.

Dover informed that training commenced in earnest ahead of next month’s matches in Nicaragua on January 15th.

“Twenty-seven (27) players were called up to compete for the final twenty man squad in our final breakdown. The Technical staff focus will be looking to organise the team in offence and defence and have them playing as a unit.”

The 2020 edition of the men’s world cup qualifying competition will be disputed in three stages, beginning with the qualifiers. For the

qualifiers, the 17 participating teams (ranked from 17-41, according to the Concacaf Under-20 Ranking as of June 2019) were divided into three groups of four teams and one group of five teams.

GFF President Wayne Forde commented on the Under-20 programme: “I am confident that we will see an improved performance from the U20 lads. The preparation for this tournament began with a scouting programme throughout the Regional Member Associations (RMAs) which was further complimented by the inauguration of the first National KFC U20 Tournament.

The shortlisted players have been training since last year but unfortunately not at the frequency we would have preferred due to the financial

challenges as a result of the Senior Men’s Nations League campaign.

Notwithstanding, I am confident that Coach Dover and his staff understands the importance of making a commanding statement at the Concacaf championship this year and I have no doubt that they will deliver.”

The groups for the firstround qualifying stage are as follows (listed in the order drawn): Group A: Nicaragua (ranked 20), Guyana (ranked 25), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (ranked 28), Montserrat (ranked 41) and US Virgin Islands, ranked 33rd.

Group B: Dominican Republic (17th), Grenada (24th), Dominica (26th) and Anguilla (36th).

Sunday January 19, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Today begins an exciting period in your personal life, Aries. It's time for new beginnings in your relationship. You may be ready to make the changes you and your partner have been considering for quite some time.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) If you have been having problems in your relationship or love life in general, Taurus, don't expect things to get any better today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Over the last few weeks, you may have made some good progress in learning to express your emotions, Libra.

The great thing is that you probably didn't even notice!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) There's no need to go pounding your head against a wall, Scorpio, your day will be challenging, but it's nothing you can't handle.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) This could be a very studious day for you; actually, it might be better to call it laborious. But you love to work, and you will get all the work you can handle today.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today, you may find you have a certain gift for productivity. Everything you touch turns to gold, yet you may be under the impression that you can't provide everything you need for yourself.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You probably pay a great deal of attention to what other people think of you, Cancer. It may often be hard for you to make decisions in delicate situations.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) A Today the people around you could seem much more serious than usual, Capricorn. You could even decide to get away from them and go hide out just for the day.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You probably enjoy exploring the innermost recesses of your own human nature, Leo. Yet today you may need to be a bit more rational.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You could find the atmosphere today a bit oppressive, Aquarius. The time has come to deal with some of the important questions you may have been avoiding for quite some time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) On days like today it's important to take time out to reflect upon the events of the past few days, Virgo.

Is it possible you've decided to change certain things about yourself and your behavior?

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You may be a specialist at manipulating concepts and ideas and using your analytical skills to understand any problem that comes your way.

Group C: Curacao (19th), Guadeloupe (22nd), Belize (30th) and Saint Martin (32nd).

Group D: Bermuda (18th), Puerto Rico (21st), Cayman Islands (27th) and Barbados (31st).

After round-robin play, the top finisher in each of the groups will advance directly to the knockout stage of the competition (third round).

The second round of the competition will also be played in a groups format, between the top ranked 16 participating teams (according to the Concacaf Under-20 Rankingas of June 2019). For this round, the teams have been divided into four groups of four.

The groups for the second-round group stage are as follows (listed in the order drawn):

Group E: United States (1st), Costa Rica (5th), Jamaica (12th) and Saint Kitts and Nevis (15th).

Group F: Mexico (2nd), El Salvador (6th), Canada (9th) and Aruba (16th).

Group G: Panama (3rd), Haiti (8th), Trinidad and Tobago (10th) and Suriname (14th).

Group H: Honduras (4th), Cuba (7th), Guatemala (11th) and Antigua and Barbuda (13th).

After round robin play, the top three finishers of each group will advance to the knockout stage of the competition. The knockout stage of the competition (round of 16, quarterfinal, semifinal and final) will be played in June of 2020, at yet to be announced host country.

Meanwhile, at the same championship in November

2018 contesting the Group Stage, Guyana recorded an historical 2-0 win over El Salvador compliments of goals from Kelsey Benjamin and Captain Jeremy Garrett in their final match at the IMG Academy in Florida, USA. It their matches before, the young Guyanese narrowly went down to Curacao 3-4, Cayman Islands 2-3 after giving up their opening match to Guatemala, 0-4.

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Sunday January 19, 2020

UWI T2O Tourney in T&T disappointed with Queen’s Park beat Malteenoes All Stars in semis - Jacobs batting performance

By Sean Devers Even without their leading All-Rounder DJ Bravo due the West Indies duties, home team Queen’s Park proved the better team on the night as they beat Malteenoes All Stars by 55 runs on Friday night in the Semi-Finals of the UWI T20 tournament at the Sir Frank Worrell Oval in the Twin Island Republic.

Watched by a good sized crowd, the visitors invited Queen’s Park to bat on a good track and lightning fast outfield under lights.

Trinidad and Tobago batsman Tion Webster top scored with 37 from 26 balls while Nicholas Alexis, with 35 from 21 balls and Justin Guillen with 26 from 19 balls, spurred the oldest cricket club in the West Indies to 160-7 off their 20 overs.

Left-arm spinners Anthony Adams had 3-34 and along with Quintin Sampson who took 2-31, bowled well for Malteenoes All Stars who were bowled out in 17.1 overs for 105.

Only Opener Trevon Griffith 23 from 12 balls and fellow left-hander Raj Nanan (17) offered any resistance in a team with included Regional 50-over batsmen Griffith, Johnathon Foo, Kemol

Savory and Skipper Steven Jacobs in addition to Robin Bacchus and Kellon Carmichael.

Man-of-the-Match Christopher Vincent (4-25), T&T’s Off-Spinner Jon Ross Jaggesar (3-21) and Dexter Sween (2-36) bowled Queen’s Park into tonight’s final.

Malteenoes All Stars are only the second Guyanese team to participate in this tournament. DCC, who lost in 2017 Final, is the other Guyanese club to participate.

Jacobs said after the game, that he thought his team bowled reasonably well to restrict Queen’s Park to 160 on a good track after they were off to a good start before they were pulled back.

“We did not bat properly at all…we were not up for it and lost wickets at crucial times and played shots that were not called for. It was not that the score was too big, we played some bad shots and we did not put together any partnerships and that cost us the match,” said Jacobs.

Looking at the positives from the tournament, Jacobs, who has played in the CPL for Guyana Amazon Warriors and Jamaica Tallawahs, said Nanan took 11 wickets and contributed crucial runs at times, adding that Carmichael

Malteenoes All Stars lost in the semis of the UWI T20 Tourney in Trinidad. and himself were also among the wickets.

“It was also great for some of the players to come over here and showcase their talent to get contracts with Trinidad clubs.

Many of our players were approached while playing here which was great. This tournament opened up avenues for players to pick up contracts to play in Trinidad,” Jacobs informed.

“Also this tournament,

judging from what happened with Gajanand Singh who did well in 2017 and was picked for the CPL. There was a lot of big name people watching and players like Bravo and Sunil Narine who have influence with some of the teams could put in a good word,” Jacobs continued.

He said it was also a learning opportunity for others in the Camp. We had stars like Foo at the top

chipping in, but we still did not have that one person batting right through and getting a big score.

Coach Darian Bess agreed with Jacobs that Malteenoes batted poorly, lost wickets in bunches and didn’t string together any partnerships.

“Quentin Sampson was a revelation... He’s a great talent and should have a bright future once he remains focused. Nanan had an

excellent all-round tournament, I hope the National selectors give him a look in,” Bess said.

“Personally, this was my first senior assignment abroad, I learned a lot about man management and keeping guys together and gelling.

The senior guys like Jacobs, Griffith, Adams and Foo were a big help and they made things easy for me,” Bess concluded.

Jaguars face difficult final day after Pride dominate BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – A Vishaul Singh half-century provided champions Guyana Jaguars with a ray of hope but they were left facing a difficult final day after Barbados Pride took a firm grip of the second round encounter at Kensington Oval here yesterday.

Behind by 180 on first innings after Pride were dismissed for 389, Jaguars closed the third day on 141 for three – still requiring a further 39 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Vishaul was unbeaten on 56, an innings that has spanned 107 balls, nearly 2-¾ hours and included 10 fours.

He anchored two key stands after Jaguars found themselves on 12 for one when Ta g e n a r i n e Chanderpaul perished cheaply for six in the fifth over of the innings, lbw to

Vishaul Singh … hit an unbeaten half-century.

Test seamer Kemar Roach.

First, he put on 53 with captain Leon Johnson (17) to build on a second wicket stand started with Chandrapaul Hemraj who was forced to retire hurt on eight with 15 runs on the board.

When Johnson was bowled by seamer Kevin Stoute, Vishaul found an ally in Chris Barnwell (26) to add a further 46 for the third wicket, before closing out the day in an unbroken fourth wicket stand with Raymon Reifer (17).

Resuming their first innings earlier on 239 for three, Pride found impetus through Kyle Mayers who top-scored with 75 while Jonathan Carter made 73.

Roach, batting at number eight, chipped in with 35 while number 10 Jomel Warrican got 24, as the hosts’ lower order frustrated Jaguars.

Fast bowler Keon Joseph led the visitors’ attack with four for 75 while fellow speedster Nial Smith, in his second first class game, supported with two for 84.

Pride flourished inside the first hour as Carter combined with Mayers to extend their fourth wicket stand to 111 before they were separated.

Carter, resuming the day on 61, struck nine fours off 204 balls in just shy of 4-¼ hours while Mayers, on 36 overnight, belted 11 fours and two sixes in an entertaining 100-ball knock.

Pride were cruising on 285 for three when Joseph conjured up an excellent spell to wreck the middle o r d e r, a s f o u r w i c k e t s

tumbled for 16 runs in quick time.

The right-armer trapped Carter lbw with a full length delivery immediately following the first drinks break and without addition to the score two balls later, comprehensively bowled opener Shayne Moseley who resumed his innings on 46 after retiring hurt the previous evening.

Joseph then struck the key blow when he removed Mayers to a catch by Chanderpaul just inside the boundary at deep point.

When Stoute followed for six in the next over, Pride were losing their way at 301 for seven but Roach frustrated the Jaguars, putting on 37 for the eighth w i c k e t w i t h Wa r r i c a n before adding a further 46 for the ninth with Keon Harding (21), as he struck four fours and a six in a 65ball innings.

Scores: At Kensington O v a l (BRIDGETOWN): Jaguars trail by 39 runs with seven second innings wickets intact.

GUYANA JAGUARS 209

(Tagenarine Chanderpaul 66 not out, Kevin Sinclair 43, Chris Barnwell 32; Kemar Roach 4-28, Jomel Warrican 2-17, Chemar Holder 2-39) and 141 for three (Vishal Singh 56 not out, Chris Barnwell 26).

BARBADOS PRIDE 389 (Kyle Mayers 75, Jonathan Carter 73, Shayne Moseley 46, Kraigg Brathwaite 40, Kemar Roach 35; Keon Joseph 4-75, Nial Smith 2-84).

And in the other game: At Sabina Park (KINGSTON): Scorpions lead by 124 runs with seven second innings wickets intact.

WINDWARD ISLANDS VOLCANOES 387 (Kavem Hodge 88, Devon Smith 72, Emmanuel Stewart 50, Keron Cottoy 47, Kirk Edwards 29; Patrick Harty 3-65, Derval Green 3-73).

J A M A I C A SCORPIONS 220 (Derval Green 62, Paul Palmer 54, Jamie Merchant 21; Preston McSween 3-41, Sherman Lewis 3-62, Josh Thomas 234) and 291 for three (John Campbell 101, Jermaine Blackwood 76, Nkrumah Bonner 40 not out, Paul Palmer 37 not out; Josh Thomas 2-37).

Sunday January 19, 2020

GCA’s NBS 40-over 2nd Division Cricket underway

Richie Looknauth (left) made 93, while Amir Khan scored 72 for Everest against Bel Air Rubis yesterday.

In sunny conditions yesterday Everest trashed Bel Air Rubis by 136 runs and University of Guyana (UG) defeated Diplomats by six runs as GCA’s NBS 40 overs Second Division Cricket Competition resumed in the City with two matches.

At Everest, the home team batted first and reached 3004 in 40 overs with Richie Looknauth falling seven short of his century, while former Guyana leg-spinner Amir Khan made 72.

Usherdeva Balgobin was

the third batsmen to get a halfcentury in the innings when he fell for 57, while Dwayne Adams supported with 37.

Mahindra Jeenarine took 2-31 from eight overs for Bel Air Rubis who were restricted to 164-7 despite 58 from Aravind Gainda and 34 from Krishna Deosarran.

Ariel Tilku had 3-24 from six overs in a losing effort.

At the Queen’s College (QC) ground, University of Guyana batted first and were bowled out for 135 in 19.1 overs with Yugindra Singh

hitting 56. But only Akeem Netland (14) of the other batsmen offered any resistance.

Shane Browne took 5-22 and Rayson Gill had 4-55 for Diplomats, who were dismissed for 128 despite 38 from Nigel Simpson, 16 from Browne and 15 from Andre Forrester.

Rovindrall Persaud had 424 and Yekani Favourite took 4-28.

The next round is set for today: UG face-off with Third Class at QC. (Sean Devers)

Medas-King sister act qualifies for Colgate finals Sisters Kcaysha and Kunusasha Medas-King of the Kingmedas-Pansy Adonis Foundation are 2019 Colgate Women’s Games finalist.

The pair turned in excellent performances to ensure their qualification to the latter stages of the competition series.

Kcaysha Medas-King would be competing in the middle school 200m and Kunusasha Medas-King would be competing in the elementary 800m finals.

Kcaysha finished first in her 200m run recently, her younger sister, competing older runners than herself, placed third in the 800m at the recently held event.

The siblings are the daughters of Guyanese USbased athletics coach Andy Medas-King, who has been trying to push athletics in Guyana and the Diaspora for young Guyanese athletes. He has been giving yeoman service in trying to educate young runners and coaches on seeking advancement and opportunities to train, attend school, compete and access scholarships in the US. On this account, during

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Track & Field action at MSC today

The second development meet will also see action in the respective field events at the MSC today.

The Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) will be hosting its third consecutive event for the 2020 season and the second ‘Development Meet’ today from 10:30hrs at the McKenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground in Linden.

Tomorrow’s meet comes on the heels of the ‘Cross Country’ fixture which was staged on the first Sunday of 2020 at the National Park and last week’s first Development meet that was run off at the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ground.

As was the case last week, athletes will be contesting the 60m, 150m, 300m, 600m and 2000m races in addition to the jumps and throws field events.

Last week, the AAG saw over 150 athletes registering for the first development meet to showcase their talents.

The most anticipated race of the day will be between speedsters Davin Fraser and Akeem Stewart. Last week, Fraser and Stewart shared the spoils in the 150m and 60m races so fans are keen to see how it plays out today.

Turbo football tourney

Finalist to be decided tonight

Quarterfinal action between Buxton under-20 (defence) and Pouderoyen.

Sisters Kcaysha (left) and Kunusasha Medas-King celebrate advancing to the finals of the Colgate Women’s games. the month of December into January the Ministry of Education in Region 4 sent a representative to the United States of America to meet with several members of the USATF and other games officials to find out how to

better prepare their athletes for the world. The training programme went well and the REDO of Region 4 is the main driver behind this project.

Medas-King noted that, “We’re delighted to have her on board in the USA”.

Last week, representatives from the four teams contesting tonight’s semifinals of the third annual Turbo Energy Drink knockout tournament were very outspoken on their team’s chances of going into the final round of this Guyana Beverages Inc. sponsored event and come tonight at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground, it will be time to back up those words.

The opening match will see pre-tournament favourites, Fruta Conquerors under-20 matching skills with Pouderoyen from 18:30hrs.

Coach of Pouderoyen, Travis Bess, had noted that he is not fazed with his team’s underdog status since football has to be played on the day, but fans expect the youths to go through to the next round.

The feature match of the night is a mouthwatering a ff a i r, a n e w l o o k Georgetown Football Club (GFC) will clash with nemesis and defending champions, Northern Rangers, from 20:30hrs.

Rangers’ skipper Nigel Denny had admitted to Kaieteur Sport that his team,

don’t train as often as he would like but they will be banking on their experience to get past the Delon Cadogan coached outfit.

Santos FC’s protest against GFC didn’t hold up following their quarterfinal defeat and the promoters of the tournament, Petra Organisation, like the fans, are expecting an exciting night of football.

The champions of this tournament will pocket $400,000 with second place bagging $200,000, third place $100,000 and fourth place $50,000.

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Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

NBA roundup: Doncic, Mavs shoot past Blazers

Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) grabs a rebound as San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) looks on in the first half of the game at AR&R Centre. (Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports) Luka Doncic made a career-best eight 3-pointers and recorded 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 120-112 victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

Tim Hardaway Jr. made five 3-pointers while scoring 29 points, and Seth Curry tallied 16 points off the bench as the Mavericks won their fourth straight game. Jalen Brunson added 13 points and Maxi Kleber scored 10 for Dallas.

Portland’s Damian Lillard registered 34 points and 10 assists in his clash with Doncic. Carmelo Anthony scored 22 points, Hassan Whiteside had 21 points, 18

rebounds and five blocked shots for the Trail Blazers.

Anthony became the 18th player in NBA history to top 26,000 points. His total sits at 26,014.

Portland guard CJ McCollum departed the game in the second quarter due to a sprained left ankle. He had four points in 12 minutes before exiting.

Atlanta Hawks 121 - San Antonio Spurs 120 Kevin Huerter poured in the decisive 3-pointer with seven seconds to play and Trae Young scored 31 points as Atlanta rallied in the final two minutes to stun host San Antonio.

The Spurs led by 11 points after a huge third

Rain plays spoilsport after Pollard’s career-best figures BASSETERRE, St Kitts, ESPNcricinfo - Rain had the final say in St Kitts when West Indies were 16 for 1 in 2.2 overs, chasing a DLSadjusted target of 152 against Ireland in the second T20I. The no result means Ireland now have an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

After putting Ireland in, West Indies captain Kieron Pollard picked up 4 for 25 to restrict the opposition to 149 for 9 in 19 overs in a raininterrupted innings.

On a start-stop day, Ireland had done well to reach 109 for 3 in 13 overs, thanks

to Gareth Delany’s 44 off 22 balls. But they could manage only 38 in the last six overs and posted what looked like a below-par total on a small ground. However, the rain gods had other plans.

The final match of the series is set for the same venue today from 6:00pm and West indies will hope to win and level the series, while the Irish will have other ideas.

Scores: No Result West Indies 16 for 1 (Simmons 10, Stirling 1-11) v Ireland 147 for 9 (Delany 44, Balbirnie 36, Pollard 4-25, Cottrell 210).

quarter, but Atlanta clawed back to within 120-118 on a basket by Young with 48 seconds to play, setting up Huerter ’s game-winner.

DeMar DeRozan had a chance to win the game for San Antonio but missed a lastsecond fadeaway jumper, allowing the Hawks to win their second straight game but just their fourth in their past 19 outings.

DeRozan scored 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting from the floor to stretch his streak of scoring 20 or more points and shooting 50 percent or better from the floor to 13 straight, breaking a tie with Michael Jordan for the most such games in a row in the last 35 seasons.

Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic (77) reacts after scoring during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at American Airlines Center. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports) Indiana Pacers 116 - Minnesota Timberwolves 114 Malcolm Brogdon nailed a tiebreaking 15-footer with 18.7 seconds left, and T.J. Warren scored a game-high 28 points as Indiana spoiled the return of Karl-Anthony Towns in beating Minnesota in Indianapolis.

The win allowed Indiana to sweep a tightly contested home-and-home series.

The Pacers won 104-99 at Minnesota on Wednesday in a game Towns missed with an illness to continue a string of 15 straight absences after earlier having sustained a knee i n j u r y. To w n s s c o r e d a team-high 27 points Friday.

The Timberwolves had a chance to tie after Brogdon’s clutch hoop, but Shabazz Napier misfired with nine seconds remaining.

The Wolves’ Robert Covington managed to tie up Warren for a jump ball, but the Pacers were able to run out the clock after Warren controlled the tap.

Miami Heat 115 - Oklahoma City Thunder 108 Kendrick Nunn scored 22 points to lead visiting Miami over Oklahoma City, holding off a late charge after once leading by 22 in the final quarter.

Bam Adebayo finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists while going 7

of 11 from the field for Miami, and Jimmy Butler finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Seven players scored in double figures for the Heat.

Oklahoma City hit a season-high 18 3-pointers, including seven from Danilo Gallinari, who scored a teamhigh 27 points. His 3-point total was a season high. The loss was the Thunder ’s second in a row and third in four games.

In other results: Philadelphia 76ers 100 Chicago Bulls 89 Toronto Raptors 140 Washington Wizards 111 Memphis Grizzlies 113 Cleveland Cavaliers 109 (Field Level Media)

Barty wins Adelaide title in Australian Open boost MELBOURNE (Reuters) World number one Ash Barty beat Dayana Yastremska 6-2 7-5 to win the Adelaide International yesterday in a major boost before launching her Australian Open campaign.

Barty, who swept aside Yastremska in one hour and 25 minutes, is bidding to end Australia’s long wait for a homegrown champion at the year’s first Grand Slam. The last was Chris O’Neil, who claimed the women’s title at the 1978 tournament.

Barty broke the Ukrainian twice to win the first set but Yastremska put up stiffer resistance in the second to level it at 4-4. The Australian broke to go 6-5 up on four straight errors from the Ukrainian and served out to seal the title.

Barty had suffered a

Australia’s Ashleigh Barty celebrates after winning the final against Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina. (REUTERS/Aly Song file photo) surprise defeat to American qualifier Jennifer Brady in her opener at the Brisbane International earlier this month but the title win in

Adelaide was the perfect way to end her preparations for Melbourne Park.

She fired 15 winners against the wayward

Yastremska, who committed 31 unforced errors.

“This is incredible,” said Barty, who punched the air and hit balls into the crowd to celebrate her first title win on home soil.

“I felt like it was a great tussle and I had to play my best to get over the line.”

“I love playing in Australia, I love playing at home.

“I can’t wait to get started in Melbourne on Monday.”

Barty won her only previous meeting with Yastremska in Miami last year.

“Congratulations to Ashleigh, it was a pleasure to play the world number one and good luck in Melbourne,” said Yastremska.

“I hope we get to play many times in the future.”

Top seed Barty begins her Australian Open campaign against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko tomorrow.

Sunday January 19, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Shomari Wilshire dominating C’bean Junior Squash - 2019 Canadian Junior Open most memorable moment

By Sean Devers Born in Georgetown, Guyana on September 20, 2003 to Roxanne GeorgeWiltshire and Garfield Wiltshire, 16 year-old Shomari Wilshire has squash blood flowing through his veins.

His dad is a former Southern Caribbean Squash Champion, while both of his sisters play squash at a good level.

The youngest of three siblings, Shomari took to Squash like a duck takes to water and played his first tournament as a six-year-old.

Two years later Shomari made his debut for his Country in the 2012 CASA junior Tournament in Jamaica and since then his young career has galloped forward at full speed ahead.

The highlight of his career was his performance in last December’s Canadian Junior Open tournament at the Niagara-on-the-Lake in Ontario, when he lost in a highly competitive U-17 Final to Canadian Gabriel Yun. Not surprisingly, Shomari says that his most memorable moment.

The extremely talented Shomari attended the Mae’s School and is now a student at Queen’s College which is one of Guyana’s premier Secondary Schools.

Already the youngest of the Wilshire’s clan has competed in the USA, Canada, Barbados, Trinidad

The Wiltshire family in 2011.

Canadian Gabriel Yun and runner up Shomari Wiltshire after the 2019 Canada Junior Open U-17 Final last December. & Tobago, Jamaica and St Vincent but has not forsaken his academics in his quest for sports glory.

“I try to balance academics and Squash. I go to school, then come to practice before going home to study in the nights,” Shomari informed Kaieteur Sports just before an evening practice session at the Georgetown Club’s Squash Courts on Camp Street in the City.

Shomari, a former Caribbean U-13, U-15 and present U-17 Champion, said he trains and practices on Mondays and Tuesdays, takes a rest on Wednesday before resuming his training

GBA to host first Carifta Boxing tourney in over a decade The Guyana Boxing Association will this year host the first Carifta tournament in more than a decade. The tournament will be held in the second week of April and will have Youth and junior boxers participating. President of the GBA Steve Ninvalle, who is attending an AIBA Forum in Panama along with Treasurer Dexter Patterson, said by telephone that the Carifta tournament will be held on April 11,12 and 13.

“The hosting of this tournament speaks directly to our (GBA) unrelenting drive to ensure our Youth, Junior and Schoolboy categories are provided with all the resources necessary to bring them on par with Latin America, Europe and the wider world. It wouldn’t be an easy task but I have a committed executive,

Coaches Commission and Referees and Judges Commission. Combined with other external support I have no doubt that this tournament will be a success,” Ninvalle said.

The GBA boss added that so far Trinidad, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica and Jamaica have informally indicated willingness to participate.

The Carifta Boxing Tournament was last held in the Bahamas in 1998. In 2016 the GBA organised the first ever Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors tournament.

Ninvalle indicated that the hosting of the April tournament was well received by Caribbean presidents at the Forum in Panama and will take the total amount of international tournaments organised by the GBA for 2020 to three.

on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

“Monday and Tuesday I do drills, while on Thursdays I play games before going to the Gym on Fridays from seven in the mornings. I try to put in the hard work both at school and on the Squash Court since I fully understand the importance of a sound education. That is important, especially to get scholarships,” said Shomari, who is set to write 14 CSec subjects this year.

Shomari says he wants to go as far as he can in Squash

and represent Guyana in the Commonwealth Games, Pan Am Games and Senior CASA and believes that he can remain in Guyana and accomplish that goal.

Shomari revealed that English-born Guyanese squash player Sunil Seth, who represented Guyana at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the 2015 Pan American Games and the 2018 Commonwealth Games, is the best player he has played against.

Shomari’s favourite player is Egyptian Ramy

Ashore who retired last year at age 31 after becoming the youngest player to reach number one in the world since the 1980s, as well as being the first ever two-time World Junior Squash Champion.

When not studying or playing Squash, Shomari enjoys playing Football and Video games and credits Coach Carl Ince, his dad, GSA’s President David Fernandes and senior players Niron Joseph and Alex Arjoon as the main people who has helped him with his game.

He feels the standard of Squash in Guyana is at a good place but would love to see more done for the devolvement of the sport outside of the Court, like more focus on things like Nutrition for the players. Among his disappointments is that Squash has not been included in the Olympics as yet.

Shomari is dedicated to improving his game and if he progresses at the rate he doing at present he could end what should be an illustrious Career as Guyana’s best Male Squash player.

Guyanese international Keanu MarshBrown signs with Memphis 901 FC Memphis, Tennessee – On Friday last Sporting Director Tim Howard and Head Coach Tim Mulqueen announced the signing of midfielder Keanu MarshBrown pending league and federation approval.

M a r s h - B r o w n graduated through Fulham Academy in 2009 and signed to stay with the club until 2013. During that time, he went on loan to MK Dons in League One. Since signing, MarshBrown has played in 250 professional matches in the U.K., with 49 League One appearances.

“Keanu will bring a wealth of experience with a high-level pedigree and proven goal-scoring record,” Mulqueen said.

“He will be instrumental on the field in our attack, as well as in the locker room and in our community.”

Internationally, MarshBrown has four caps for England U16 and 11 caps for England U17. On March 23, 2019 Marsh-Brown

made his international debut for Guyana where he claimed an assist for the second goal in a 2-1 win against Belize.

“Keanu is dynamic and can create goal scoring chances for himself as well as his teammates.”

Mulqueen said. Through his professional career in the U.K. Marsh-Brown has scored 49 goals and collected 37 assists.

The signing of MarshBrown finishes off a week of signings for 901 FC with four other newcomers previously announced earlier in the week including Michael Reed, Rafa Mentzingen, Zach Carroll and Mark Segbers.

These signings bring the 901 FC roster to 14 players with nine returners from the 2019 season: Captain Marc Burch,

Brandon Allen, Pierre Da Silva, Liam Doyle, Raul Gonzalez, Triston Hodge, D a n M e t z g e r, D u a n e Muckette and Leston Paul.

Memphis 901 FC hopes to build on a successful inaugural season where they averaged over 6,500 fans per game—the ninth highest attendance in the league, second among expansion teams. (Memphis FC)

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Sunday January 19, 2020

Kaieteur News

Nyeem Young, Jayden Seales take West Indies past Australia in tense finish ESPNcricinfo - Jayden Seales and Matthew Forde shared seven wickets between them to bowl Australia out for 179, after which allrounder Nyeem Young dragged West Indies out of a precarious position to seal a win in the first Group B game of the 2020 U-19 World Cup. After legspinner Tanveer Sangha took four top-order wickets, West Indies seemed to be in plenty of trouble in their chase, but then Young combined in a 78-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Forde to stabilise their chase.

The game had begun an hour late after a drizzle delayed the toss. It was reduced to 49 overs a side and West Indies chose to field.

While opener Jake FraserMcGurk was at the crease in the first innings, Australia looked set for a competitive first-innings total despite an

Kirk McKenzie of West Indies hits the winning runs. (CWI Media via IBC/Getty Images) early wobble, but his dismissal for a 97-ball 84 triggered a batting collapse

that saw them lose their last six wickets for only 21 runs.

There were two freak run-

GSCL Inc four-team tourney on today at Everest The Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc will be hosting a T20 four-team tournament starting at 10:00hrs today at the Everest Cricket Club.

The tournament is being used as preparation for the local teams that will be participating in the upcoming Orlando Cup in the USA. Fisherman Masters are brimming with confidence following their five-wicket victory over Regal Masters in the final on Sunday last at Ogle, when the GSCL Inc opened their season, and will look to continue their winning

ways. However, they will be hard pressed to do so since Regal Masters are upbeat of chalking their first win of the season.

Wellman Masters have been doing well and will be looking to correct their mistakes from Sunday’s encounter so a keen contest is anticipated.

Erie Sharma was named man-of-the-match in last Sunday’s final and will lead Fisherman Masters’ challenge with support coming from Jagdesh Persaud, Pooran Singh and Rocky Ramsarran.

Regal Masters will be led

by Mahendra Hardyal and include Eric Thomas, Mahase Chunilall, Eon Abel, Laurie Singh, Mohendra Arjune and Unnis Yusuf, while Wellman Masters will depend on the experience of Mike Singh and Wayne Jones along with Nandram Samlall, Lloyd Ruplall, Sheldon Perch and Troy Lewis. No entrance fee is required and at stake are trophies.

United States Ambassador to Guyana Sarah Ann Lynch will grace the venue during the course of the day.

Dindyal half century puts GCC in comfortable position Mavindra Dindyal struck a fine half century to put Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) in a comfortable position at the close of play on the opening day of the Georgetown Cricket Association/ Noble House Sea Foods second division two-day competition against Guyana Defence Force (GDF) yesterday.

Opting to bat at Bourda, GDF were bowled out for 91 with Damion Ross scoring 35 and Damion Waldron 15; left arm orthodox spinner Stephon Wilson claimed 328, Darius Andrews had 23 and Carlos La Rose 2-16.

Dindyal then fashioned a fine 72, laced with two fours

Mavindra Dindyal and four sixes, while Thaddeus Lovell made 37.

Rivaldo Phillips is unbeaten on 24 and Deonarine

Seegobin not out on three as GCC closed on 145-3.

Play continues today at 10:30hrs.

outs in their innings when their captain Mackenzie Harvey and Lachlan Hearne were dismissed at the nonstriker’s end caught napping outside their crease. Both times, the on-strike batsman’s straight drive took a touch off the bowler before crashing into the stumps at the bowlers’ end.

At that stage, Australia were 67 for 4, but FraserMcGurk continued to pile on the runs at a healthy rate and added 91 for the fifth wicket in combination with wicketkeeper Patrick Rowe (40), but the former’s dismissal began Australia’s rapid slide.

Forde, who bowled without any success in his first spell with the new ball, caused the most damage at the back end, bowling uncomfortable lengths to the Australia lower-order who ended up lobbing soft dismissals towards mid-on and midwicket. His wickets of Todd Murphy and Sangha the last Australia wicket to fall - left him with figures of 3 for 24.

Seales, who had his family cheering him on from the stands, capped his solitary wicket in his opening spell with three more in his second spell, dismissing the set Fraser-McGurk who holed out at mid-on. After that, his pace in the late 130s troubled the remaining Australian lower-order batsman, finishing with 4 for 49 in his eight overs as the first innings ended in the 36th over.

West Indies’ chase began in a swift manner with Leonardo Julien smashing three fours and a six in the first five overs. That pushed West

Matthew Forde of West Indies celebrates the wicket of Todd Murphy of Australia.

(CWI Media via IBC/Getty Images) Indies’ run-rate beyond six but he couldn’t carry on, dismissed for a 22-ball 20. His opening partner and the captain Kimani Melius was out soon too, caught by the wicketkeeper off Sangha’s legbreak. Sangha went on to dismiss the next three batsmen as well, bowling out in a single spell with figures of 4 for 30 leaving West Indies at 92 for 5. He found the ball to turn, and Antonio Morris and Matthew Patrick fell.

With Australia no longer having an attacking spin option, West Indies’ No. 6 Young saw off Corey Kelly’s offspin with not much trouble, occasionally finding the boundary to keep the required run-rate in check. He reached his half-century by drilling a drive through the hands of the fielder at cover

and raised his bat towards the tiny West Indian contingent on the grass banks.

With the score at 170 for 5, it looked like Young and Forde would see West Indies through to a five-wicket win, but both their dismissals at the same score briefly brought the game back to life.

Unfortunately for Australia, they could not penetrate further, and West Indies’ No. 8 Joshua James and No. 9 Kirk McKenzie got the final ten runs needed. McKenzie finished the game off in style, cracking a six over extra cover to seal the win in front of a 1600-plus crowd.

Scores: West Indies 180 for 7 (Young 61, Sangha 430) beat Australia 179 all out (Fraser-McGurk 84, Seales 4-49, Forde 3-24) by three wickets.

Chance ignites at Gamecock opener Guyana’s 2020 Tokyo games hopeful, Arinze Chance, got his season off in fantastic fashion after winning the men’s 300m final at his University of South Carolina’s (USC) Gamecock opener in Columbia.

Chance, who turns 24 tomorrow, ran a blistering 33.08 seconds in the race that was competed at the USC’s remodeled Indoor Track and Field Complex, eight hundredths of a second slower than his personal best; Guyana’s national 300m indoor record that he set at this same event a year ago.

The South Carolina senior who is majoring in Global Studies; specialising in leadership and economic development, finished ahead of Savien Hayes of Norfolk State who finished second in 33.87 seconds and Ashtin Knowles of Clafin who came in third in a time of 34.99s.

Out of lane five, Chance started the race strong in the difficult 200m track and by the time he completed his first lap, he was comfortably ahead and the former Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) athlete cruised to the finish line.

This result will do much for Chance’s confidence as he aims to qualify not only for

Arinze Chance the Olympics but the World Championships as well in 2020.

Kaieteur News

Sunday January 19, 2020

PAGE 73

Perkash Over-50 FC and Santos FC fixture abandoned

The visiting Perkash Over-50 Football Club of neighbouring Suriname made a brief stop to Kaieteur News Saffon Street office and interacted with Publisher Glenn Lall (right) and staff members yesterday.

T

he visiting Perkash Over-50 Football Club of neighbouring Suriname were set to take on Santos FC of Georgetown in a friendly encounter on Friday night last at the Georgetown Football Club, but due to

injuries sustained by two players from the visiting team, the game was abandoned.

According to the goalkeeper of the visiting team, Roy Gopy the team participate in Over-50 games in Suriname and would have liked to test their skills against Santos

2020 Concacaf Under-20 Championship Qualifiers

Guyana drawn in Group A; Host venues and schedule announced

Some of the Junior Jaguars (U20s) seen training yesterday at the GFF National Training Facility, Providence under the eyes of Conditioning Coach, Wilson Toledo.

Guyana has been drawn in Group A of the 2020 Concacaf Under-20 Championship Qualifiers, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) made the announcement of the host venues and schedule on Friday last.

Concacaf stated that the first round of the youth competition is set to take place February 15-23, 2020, (Continued on page 65)

Coach Dover (left) and Wilson strategising.

FC. He indicated that they will revisit in the near future and will also extend a return fixture.

Gopy informed that they usually take on Himmat Over-50 team of the Netherlands in

friendlies and would from time to time engage in charitable events, rendering assistance to the less fortunate and the elderly.

He indicated that they also host a children’s day on December 5, annually.

rt o p S

Shomari Wilshire dominating C’bean Junior Squash

Rain plays spoilsport after Pollard’s career-best figures

- 2019 Canadian Junior Open most memorable moment Shomari Wiltshire won Caribbean U-13, 15 & 17 tiles in his outstanding career so far.

Kieron Pollard and Shimron Hetmyer celebrate a dismissal. (BCCI/file photo)

GBA to host first Carifta Boxing tourney in over a decade

GBA President Steve Ninvalle (left) and Treasurer Dexter Patterson (right) hold informal discussions with AIBA president Dr. Mohamed Moustahane in Panama yesterday.

Nyeem Young, Jayden Seales take West Indies past Australia in tense finish

Jayden Seales celebrates.

(Getty Images)

Nyeem Young of West Indies hits the ball towards the boundary, as Patrick Rowe of Australia looks on.

(CWI Media via IBC/Getty Images)

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