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AIETEUR More than 381 teachers test NEWS

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Wednesday Edition January 19, 2022 - Vol. 15 No.03

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Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 86,876

- GTU renews call for closure of schools for two weeks

T&T firms get all of the contracts for vessel-cleaning in Guyana's oil sector - ExxonMobil says company here gearing to take over business

Dartmouth residents want SWAT member charged with murder ...block road in new round of protest for killing businessman

Rupununi teens Motorcyclist crushed killed as to death by bikes collide container truck

Govt. looks to cement control of oil fund board ...tables motion for Parliamentary committee to nominate director

The protest continues for change toExxonMobil’s contract.

Opposition set to grill Govt. on audits of Exxon's billion-dollar expenses Suriname got their citizens on the drill ships learning how to drill holes looking for oil while Jagdeo have Guyanese pushing their hands in crab holes to provide crab services. Tada! @11:00hrs on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday January 19, 2022

TT firms get all of the contracts for vessel-cleaning in Guyana’s oil sector - ExxonMobil says company here gearing to take over business At present, all Marine Support Vessel (MSV) tank cleaning operations needed for Guyana’s oil industry are conducted by companies in Trinidad and Tobago.

This is according to E x x o n M o b i l ’ s C o m p r e h e n s i v e Wa s t e Management Plan (CWMP) submitted to Guyana’s

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last year. The document was prepared by the American multinational in keeping with the requirements of the Payara Environmental Permit that demanded same be done.

According to the report, the cleaning process employed in Trinidad is

APOLOGY On three occasions, December 8, 2021, December 25, 2021 and December 28, 2021, this publication allowed to be published letters by two of our contributors which contained information regarding Mr. Sasenarine Singh, the Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation, that were published as facts, without first being established by us to be so.

For this lapse in judgment on our part we offer an unequivocal and profound apology to Mr. Singh, his family and anyone else who found the letters to be offensive.

We at Kaieteur News further assure Mr. Singh that our publication of the letters, which have since been removed from our website, was not intended to be malicious.

manual and generates large volumes of washwater and solids. It was noted that material recovered from tank cleaning services are evaluated for reuse at Liquid Mud Plants (LMPs) while tank cleaning waste streams that are unable to be reclaimed are evaluated for treatment.

While Trinidad and Tobago is handling the multi-billion dollar vessel cleaning services, ExxonMobil says there are plans underway for the operations to be transferred here. In this regard, the oil giant noted that there is a tender in Guyana to provide tank cleaning services locally using technologies that minimize the generation of waste.

ExxonMobil said the need for MSV tank cleaning services in Guyana is part of the strategy for LMP operations in Guyana in the

future.

Expounding in this regard, Exxon said the operation of three LMPs in Georgetown to support offshore operations efficiently requires colocated tank cleaning services. Additionally, it said startup for MSV tank cleaning capabilities in

Guyana was slated to get off the ground since late last year, while adding that the tank cleaning system selected for Guyana includes a solids removal system and washwater reuse technology.

The American multinational said the solids removal system and water reuse technology selected

will reduce the waste generated from tank cleaning.

ABOUT CWMP The Comprehensive Waste Management Plan (CWMP) is a document based on a holistic review of ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Continued on page 3

Wednesday January 19, 2022

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Opposition set to grill Govt. on audits of Exxon’s billion-dollar expenses Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) David Patterson has submitted several questions to the National Assembly, seeking answers from the government on ExxonMobil’s outstanding audits, dating back to 2017.

The queries have already been approved by the House Speaker, Manzoor Nazir, and published on the Notice P a p e r. T h e N a t i o n a l Assembly will meet on Monday next week. Patterson has so far asked that the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, say whether his ministry has approached ExxonMobil for an extension of the deadline to facilitate the auditing of the company’s US$ 9B expenses, and if so, the MP has also requested that the minister provide the House

Opposition MP, David Patterson with documents including the response from Exxon.

Bharrat will also be required to respond to Patterson whether the Tender Evaluation for the Auditors of ExxonMobil’s post 2017 expenses which totaled approximately US $9 billion

has been discontinued and if affirmed, provide details concerning who ordered the discontinuation of the evaluation process.

Furthermore, the Opposition MP has asked that Bharrat enlighten Parliament on whether the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) was informed as to the reasons why the evaluation process was discontinued. If the minister answers in the affirmative, Patterson is requesting that he provides Parliament with c o p i e s o f t h e correspondences.

When it comes to the precontract costs for Exxon, Patterson has asked Minister Bharrat to confirm whether the audit of the $460 million expenses was completed. He has also requested a copy of

TT firms get all of the contracts...

From page 2 Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL)’s maturing waste management process.

The CWMP was developed pursuant to Section Five of the Payara Development Project Environmental Permit and the Cradle to Grave Waste Analysis Study approved by the Environmental Protection Agency on September 13, 2021.

The Plan is intended to accommodate all projects in Guyana associated with EEPGL’s exploration and

appraisal drilling, development drilling, installation and hook-up, commissioning, and start up, office construction, production operations, and related activities.

The plan is inclusive of the Liza Phase One Development Project, Liza Phase Two Development Project which comes on stream this quarter, the Payara Development Project, the Guyana Fiber Optic Cable, and EEPGL’s Guyana Office Complex Project, as well as permitted or planned drilling

projects.

In addition, the plan makes provision for projects currently under review by the EPA, including Yellowtail and the Gas to Energy Project.

As new projects are planned or come on stream, Exxon said the plan will be updated to address them.

Kaieteur News understands that the plan, once approved, will replace and supersede previous waste management plans incorporated in approved Environmental Impact Statements and permits for ExxonMobil.

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat the Audit Report, if the verifications were carried out.

With regard to the Budget 2021 allocations to conduct audits of ExxonMobil’s post 2017 expenses, Patterson who is also Shadow Oil and Gas Minister has submitted for the minister to confirm that Budget 2021 includes allocations for the costs to facilitate audits on the company’s expenses. If monies were allocated, he has asked that Bharrat enlighten the Parliament on the sum.

A n d f i n a l l y, t h e Opposition MP requested that the Natural Resources Minister provide the names of all persons, firms and companies that submitted

bids to perform the audit of Exxon’s post 2017 expenses, as well as state specific reasons as to why none were successful.

Due to the nation’s failure to conduct cost audits within the two-year deadline prescribed in the Stabroek Block Agreement, Guyana has no choice but to allow ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), to recover all stated costs for its Liza Phase One and Two Projects. Both initiatives total approximately US$9.5B. In addition to being able to recover the costs for Liza Phase One and Two, Exxon will also be able to recover without any challenges, the US$460M, which the oil company claimed was expended prior to the signing of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) governing the Stabroek Block. It said this money was spent on all the exploratory work that was needed for the massive 2015 Liza discovery.

The only costs Guyana stands a chance of auditing and refuting, if unreasonable charges are found, are those occurring from 2019 onwards.

Under the Production

Sharing Agreement (PSA) i n k e d w i t h EEPGL—ExxonMobil—an d their partners, the Guyana Government has up to two years to audit and query the spending had by the US oil major, failing which, the bills would have to be paid, as is.

Oxfam America, a confederation of 20 charitable organisations which seek to fight poor governance of extractive wealth, has said that the expiration periods for audit rights are set out in petroleum contracts and tax laws. It stressed, however, that these deadlines differ from one country to the next.

It noted that in Ghana and Kenya for example, the authorities there retain the right to complete auditing companies within seven years. In Peru, the time limit for audits is a minimum of four years. Even in the USA, the transparency body highlighted that audits are allowed to be completed within a minimum of three years.

Oxfam warned however, that even a three-year deadline is not advisable for developing countries such as Guyana, given the limited financial and human resources that are likely to delay the audit process.

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Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Yesu Persaud Yesu Persaud, what can we say about this man that would capture the essence of him, do him justice, and elevate him to his proper place in the pantheon of Guyanese luminaries?

We will try, but there is the feeling that whatever we place in the public as part of our heartfelt expression of respect and admiration for this man, will not be enough and will fall way short.

He was Guyanese through and through, this Yesu Persaud. A true son of the soil in the fullest and finest sense of the expression, the expansiveness of its meaning, the areas it touches and lingers in. If there ever was a great Guyanese, then it would be someone like a Yesu Persaud.

He was a man from humble beginnings, who scaled the heights, yet along the way he never lost his touch, that endearing humility that came to be one of his defining characteristics. Everywhere he went in Guyana and lent his presence, the record is of outstanding effort and superb results.

From private sector to senior presence in the public service and back to the private sector again, he glowed with a grace that left an inerasable light whichever near and far corners it reached.

Yesu Persaud stands as a testimony to what this poor little society can produce, used to produce abundantly, not too long ago. Men with a heart mixed with the mud of the sugar estate, immersed in the waters of the rice fields, and heavy with the dust of the bauxite mines.

They were a different kind of Guyanese from what we have today. For one, they were unselfish to the marrow, and they were patriotic in the grand meanings attached to the word. People like Yesu Persaud didn’t have to make noise to attract attention, they were a magnet for those seeking what is right, for there was a rare goodness in them. This now gone son of Guyana was, and will remain the standard, the embodiment of that kind of citizen, this special type of person who was extraordinary in their ordinariness.

They were always giving, and of what was for the greater good. They spoke to truth, real truth, and not some make believe version of it.

For men like Yesu Persaud were as straight as an arrow, and they mostly walked the pathways of the narrow, since the hustling highways of temptations had no standing before them. Guyana has lost more than a figure of rare repute.

This country has lost a beacon, a guiding star for those who looked for a real role model.

His life’s work stretches out before us, as the man quietly towered over us.

It is what was endeavored with clean visions, cleaner motivations, and the cleanest of objectives. It seems that when we were poorer we had time to ponder about these things, cherish them, and embrace them. Because they meant a certain kind of noble living. Yesu Persaud lived that way, and in so doing he set the bar high, very high, for the rest of us toiling citizens.

He lived with a twinkle in his eye and hope in his heart, which is why he climbed every mountain that stood in his way. Perhaps, it might be more accurate to say that he conquered them, and as he did so he rose above his times and beyond the comprehension of his peers.

How we could do with a handful of Guyanese, who are reflective of the Yesu Persauds of the world.

Those who are dedicated to some simple ideals, and speak little of them, but labour with every fiber to live them to the hilt. It is for the betterment of friends and neighbours, fellow citizens, even including those who hold themselves out as foes.

We were a better people when we were poor, but now that we are rich, or have been told and believe that we are rich, we have lost sight of what it means to be truthful and honourable.

Yesu Persaud will be remembered as a colossus of Guyana, a man of honour, one to be respected. Farewell friend and brother. And so many other things positive and gracious.

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Sustainable, solid waste plan is answer for clean country, not cameras and policing only DEAR EDITOR, When I lived in the Abu Dhabi/Dubai area of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that country was very clean, very safe, and very rich. We say we want to be like Dubai, and that’s good. They systematically clean all the time.

In the malls, a worker sits in the toilet and spray and clean after every user. In the Carrefours (grocery stores) and malls workers drive around little machines that vacuum the floor all the time.

Every morning, there would be thousands of workers along the roads picking up trash and any landscaping debris.

Daily, they swept the sand in front of the entrance door and driveway of my villa. (The UAE is a sandy desert so it’s sand everywhere). Every plant, tree or grass you see has hoses running through to provide water since it does not rain there.

It was quite commendable for our President himself to be leading the recent clean-up efforts, with help from the GDF and others. It sends a strong message that cleanliness is important. T

he PNC did the same when they won in 2015 but it was not sustained. Kudos to our First Lady, also, who has done remarkably in various beautification projects. Ms. Arya gets the job done. Maybe give her Office a bigger allocation in the 2022 budget since she gets results.

It was quite sad there is a news report that said, “Mayor calls for boycott of city cleanup.” Isn’t that very, very sad if it is true? Guyana remains a “sh..ole” country because of weak leadership that cannot come up with a sustainable solid waste disposal plan after 60 years. We do what I call “random acts of improvement” versus a “comprehensive, ongoing, systematic design and national Plan for improvement and transformation.” Our politicians love to do “emergency” projects, not well-designed long-term plans, because they can make money bypassing Procurement Rules and Processes.

We have a love affair with garbage.

We have “peaceful co-existence” with trash. I usually keep candy wrappers in my

pocket until I can find a garbage can, but in Guyana, anywhere outside is our garbage can. Dr. Jagan’s shrine at Babu Jaan is a garbage dump area. No. 63 Beach is a garbage dump.

In my Whim Village, they are now dumping garbage right at the entrance of the burial ground. Same at LeRepentir and everywhere in Guyana. What manner of people are we? Garbage everywhere is what keeps us in the “Third World” designation, but President Trump had that “s” word for countries like us.

So when the headline says, “Police presence, camera installation to tackle illegal dumping - President announces,” are we looking at root causes why we have such an enormous garbage problem?

Why do people dump trash anywhere and everywhere? Apart from mindsets that tolerate trash that Guyanese develop from kindergarten in poor, decrepit schools and environments, we have not provided enough trash cans, or huge steel bins with hinged covers across our

communities.

There are not proper and deliberately created dumping sites in every village or a process for getting rid of solid waste. Concreted holding areas with sides can store garbage until NDC trucks or private providers can collect and take to the dumpsite several times a week.

We need landfills or trash incinerators in every region.

In countries in the European Union, incinerators are replacing landfills and generating energy in the process.

Most of our NDCs do not provide ongoing, reliable trash removal services. Some villages have private contractors with open top trailers and trucks. These are not real garbage trucks and they leak dirty water oozing from the garbage. In those, the workers stand in the trash as the vehicles move around. Quite a primitive operation.

We need to efficiently, and systematically monitor if trash cans are filled and overflowing in high use areas or at special events, and empty those and put in new trash bags. In the USA, households (Continued on page 5)

Yesu Persaud – a man of simple grandeur DEAR EDITOR, I have not had the privilege of sharing space nor time with Yesu Persaud; never met him or spoke with him. Still, there is the sense that I knew him well, like a trusted friend from long ago, who is there, just there. There are few people I look up to in this world, fewer Guyanese make it in the reckoning. But Yesu Persaud was one of those that I thought highly of, the highest, which is the rarest of accolades from me.

The closest I came to him was through my father. He was what was called a tradesman. During the time he worked at Sandback Parker, he came into contact withYesu Persaud, who I think was the Finance Director. My father was impressed, which also didn’t come easily to him. He spoke to me of this

man, and there I was still in the first flush of my early teens.

I remember his words were of admiration, and a simple awe at the carriage of the man, and what he interpreted as the decency of him.

It is a tribute to Yesu Persaud that he rubbed shoulders with some of the worst scoundrels in this country - those piloting it to some place - and he maintained that fine equilibrium, which was his special gift.

He didn’t allow their ways and the darkness of their spirit to intrude on his reserve, which was of the decency that is now scorned in this country, the honour that is all but a forgotten norm, and the dignity of compelling truths.

Editor, those were the flags under which, and through which, Yesu Persaud

served country and citizens, and from those he never deviated, regardless of the environment, or the men with whom he had to interact, due to force of circumstances. It is of a legacy to be cherished, a memory that is untarnished, as it is pristine in the impeccable perfection of its simplicity, that abiding humility that came to be the outstanding endowment of the man.

I will not taint this writing, this eulogy of the simplest sort, by mentioning those who sully our visions today, poison us with their presence. But the point still has to be made that they can’t hold a candle to his glittering sun.

I wish there were a few more like him to make Guyana a better place than it is today.

Yesu Persaud made Guyana a much better place

just for being here with his humble and honourable presence, the sublime attributes that made him such a stately figure in the annals of Guyanese life.

His was a storied life, a true-life saga of a man of courage, of character, and of profound conviction.

We can all learn something from the whisper of this man who walked in our midst so quietly, yet so powerfully.

I have. It was a life of simple grandeur, a deep sagaciousness that takes the breath away. At 93, the time drew near to say goodbye. And now it is.

May he watch over his beloved Guyana and us, from whatever heights is his new homeland. Yes, he will be missed.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

GEORGETOWN AND OPERATION CLEAN UP DEAR EDITOR, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Dr. Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Brigadier Mark Phillips, over the weekend led several senior Government officials and members of the joint services, the private sector and several other agencies on a two-day clean-up exercise, of the capital Georgetown. There was also support from the various Diplomatic missions, to whom we are all grateful.

This exercise was initiated

by the President and came after residents of Georgetown have repeatedly voiced their concerns about the poor management of the Capital city under the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change stewardship. The city of Georgetown is controlled by the Georgetown Mayor and City Council. The APNU+AFC city council is seemingly under political directive which has opposed the clean-up and has urged residents, their supporters

and its various controlled NDC not to participate. This was hardly the case as the people of Georgetown fully supported the cleanup initiative; even in the PNC dominated strongholds. This goes to show our people are now enlightened as to who has their interest at heart.

This continuous trend of divisive, selfish and irresponsible politics being practiced is unacceptable.

Most of the residents of Georgetown were fully appre-

ciative of the initiative that sought to beautify their environment, whilst removing the health hazards that affected them. After taking a simple walk around the city today, this letter writer is pleased with the work that has been done. Pride has been restored to Georgetown, our beloved capital. The city itself has a different atmosphere altogether. Congratulations are in order.

Sincerely, Thomas Cole

Wednesday January 19, 2022

ELECTRICAL SHOCKS

THE SCALE AND WEIGHT DEAR EDITOR, Bolsanaro is coming to Guyana. Our [elected] President, through his respective ministries is having executed certain clean up and spruce up campaigns.

But our President is attacking the problem from the symptoms and not the causes.

He is digging a hole to fill another too. The clean-up campaign while it is admirable is futile since the citizens have cultivated the nasty culture of dumping their unwanted everywhere, except where it is supposed to go.

I notice workers whitewashing –with a grey slop – tree trunks and bridge rails around Brickdam and South Road [to name a few]. Editor, there is a cost to this. So when the agency expend that cost the scale [cash in hand] goes down on one side and the debt goes up [on the other side]. That is once. The folly is, dear Editor, that whitewashing is a very temporary ‘fix’; a plaster to a sore, literally. When the rains come,

once or twice, all that will go along with it. Thus comes the second round of expenditure to spruce up again, should another President be invited.

So the scale goes further down on one side and higher up on the other.

How long are our managers going to squander our wealth and our children’s and grandchildren’s inheritance in this callous and scandalous fashion?

It is evident that these managers do not practice scientific management or accounting. It is evident there is no Planning; whether short-term or long term for these types of activities that begin as small expenditure but balloon into billions over a course of time.We need to let the President know that this kind of management is unacceptable. Georgetown as the Capital City deserves better attention and treatment. Not this ‘stop gap’ action. But a ‘deep-treatment’ that would be long lasting and with periodic maintenance.

Kimanzi Mulekezi

Trimming the Fat at City Council DEAR EDITOR, Georgetown’s recent clean-up initiative was a good event, but it was a short term solution to a chronic problem.

Looking long-term, the council’s decision making process as it relates to garbage collection, has been in tatters for years for the entire nation to see.

An ongoing saga.

Guyana, with one of the smallest populations in the world, flush with petro dollars, at this point, should think of coming up with a solution.

This particular council has proven their inability to consistently handle all aspects of garbage retrieval and disposal in Georgetown.

Is there a bylaw or some other law on record, that prohibits this government from coming up with an alternative long term solution by having its own waste management system to cover Georgetown and closer areas that can’t cope with this issue?

That is; take over the councils job responsibilities by having its own personnel/ garbage collectors and public garbage street receptacles which are non-existent. It’s time for action.

It is time to take over the garbage retrieval process from this council, and not have recurring verbal spats with them for the next how many years.

Let them sue. Eliminate their budget for this function, if there is one.

In a country this small,

with air that is clean, crisp and fresh; we are supposed to provide essential waste management services.

The council has clearly demonstrated this function is too complex to handle. Time for the government to work around these people constantly standing in the way of progress.

Time to make a long term decision once and for all on this issue; and take over their entire garbage retrieval function; which also includes providing financial grants to entrepreneurs to set up plastic bottles recycling facilities.

The majority of street and home garbage is plastic bottles.

How difficult will that be?

For such a small population.

There is a lot of emphasis on the grand infrastructure plans, bridges/roads and so forth. Let’s have long term solutions for the basic essentials as well.

The two go together. The foreigners are coming. What would they think of us? It’s Time.

Chi Kansi

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Kaieteur News

DEAR EDITOR, Not unusual GuySuCo offers an interesting challenge in its most recent vacancy notice for an ‘Electrical Engineer’.Amongst the ‘Main Duties and Responsibilities’ are those related in the first instance to ‘factory, co-generation plant’, in addition to ‘offering services to the estate’ – a formulation that

might lead applicants to seek explanation.But then he/she is required to collaborate ‘with various sections’ (but not departments) of the ‘sugar mill’, which hopefully is understood to be the same as the ‘plant’ referred to in the very next responsibility listed; which is again retrofitted as a ‘sugar mill’, which is finally superseded by the reference

once again in the last ‘duty’ – to ‘factory efficiency’. En passant there is reference to ‘job standard’ which, hopefully, will be better articulated in the related ‘Job Description’.In the meantime an obvious omission from the presentation would be reference to the incumbent’s reporting relationship (which presumably will be addressed,

amongst other things, during comprehensive induction programme for the appointee).

Hopefully other applicants would not detect the abovementioned deficits.

(P.S. Was the ‘Vacancy’ Notice brought to the attention to the Head of the ‘Factory/Plant/Sugar Mill’ operations?)

Expectant Applicant

THE ORIN BOSTON’S KILLING DEAR EDITOR, Saturday, 16, January 2022, the front pages of the Kaieteur News, Stabroek News and Guyana Times respectively carried the following headlines: “SWAT member accused of killing Orin Boston, granted bail; “ “Cop charged with manslaughter over Orin Boston killing widow maintains husband was murdered; “ “ SWAT Unit member gets $1M bail for killing Essequibo businessman;” The Guyana Chronicle did not carry the report on its front page, but on page 10 the paper reported, “SWAT rank charged with manslaughter, granted $1M bail - as probe into fatal shooting of Essequibo businessman winds down.” The main theme of the various articles was that police constable Sherwin Peters a member of the SWAT team was charged with manslaughter committed on Orin Boston on September 15, 2021 at his Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast home. This is shocking news, as the evidence in the public domain leaves one with the compelling impression that the unarmed and naked Orin Boston

was shot in his bed in the presence of his now bereaved wife Fiona Boston in the dead of the night when members of the SWAT team invaded his home and unlawfully shot and killed him. The general view is that the charge should have been MURDER. There are many vex questions: Who authorized the Police Headquarters based SWAT team to travel to Essequibo? What was the purpose of the visit? Why was Boston targeted? Was the shooter careless or reckless? If so, was his action equal to cold blooded murder?

Why it took over four long months for a charge to be instituted? Was the shooter a “lone wolf?” Why was a high power rifle used instead of a small firearm of a lower calibre which is more suited for close quarter’s activity? Did the young, inexperienced officer in charge of SWAT stand on the roadway and send in his untrained juniors into Orin Boston’s home?

Was there any other criminal charge/s identified for any member of the SWAT team?

Were there any breaches of

Sustainable, solid...

From page 4 get two bins – one for regular household trash and one for recycling items – plastics, paper, cardboard, bottles.

Yard and construction waste, and electronics can be carried to the landfill, or holding stations. If every home and business can clean the ditch/areas in front of their property, that will be a big change. So

Mr. President let’s go beyond random acts and fix waste disposal once and for all! Offer incentives to attract locals to get into the solid waste disposal business.

Exempt all mowers from all taxes. Provide free trash bags.

And find a new Mayor with lots of sense!

Sincerely, Dr. Jerry Jailall

the Police (Discipline) Act Chapter 17:01 and or the Police Standing Orders in the absence of a written Special Operations Procedure specifically created for the SWAT team? Did the Police Complaints Authority supervise the investigation of the shooting as required by Section 14 (1) of the Police Complaints Act Chapter 17:02 and were the recommendation/s of the Authority taken into consideration before the Director of Public Prosecutions recommended the charge of manslaughter? Was the Police Complaints Authority lawfully in force? Unconfirmed information is that when the killing took place the contract for the Authority had expired and

it has not since been renewed.

If the “Authority” had acted, was that act of supervising the investigation lawful? Will there be the usual wall of silence from the installed Corporate Communications Unit?

I would not be surprised if the police shelter under the pretext that the matter is before the Court and to comment on it would be sub judjudice, so they will remain silent.

The words of the song by Johnny Nash (1972) keep ringing in my ears, “THE MORE I FIND OUT, THE LESS I KNOW.” Yours respectfully, Clinton Conway Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired)

Jonathan Yearwood resigns as ANUG List Representative DEAR EDITOR, This letter serves to inform all members of the public, who may be interested, that I have formally resigned from the position of Representative of the List for the A New and United Guyana political party.

Last year I resigned from the Executive Council and as a member of the party. How-

ever, because of the ongoing conf usion within the

GECOM and their subsequent search for a Chief Election Officer, I had withheld my resignation. My resignation has since been handed in to GECOM on the 10th January, 2022.

Respectfully, Jonathan Yearwood

PAGE 6

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

Three litterbugs granted bail Relatives of three men who felt it was okay to illegally dump garbage in the City had to fork out money yesterday to pay their bail at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

The defendants were identified as Satnarine Bisnauht of Jaidam Tuschen, West Coast Demerara (WCD), Jomo Singh of William Street, Kitty and Wellington Jirk, of North Ruimveldt.

They appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh and were charged with dumping litter in a public place.

The defendants pleaded not guilty and were placed on $40,000 bail each.

They are expected to return to court on February 10, 2022. According to reports, the men were caught on camera littering days after a massive two-day clean up exercise in sections of the city.

President Mohamed Irfaan Ali who had also participated in the exercise along with government ministers had promised to install cameras and deploy policemen to safeguard areas that were cleaned.

Despite the warning and the clean-up exercise, “litterbugs” began dumping garbage again illegally. Photographs began surfacing on various social media platforms of refuse that was dumped at different sites. On Monday, the three defendants charged were caught redhanded on camera dumping garbage at some of these locations.

One was caught littering on Wellington Street, the other on Robb Street and the third was caught dumping garbage close to a tailor shop.

Later that day they were arrested by police.

The three Litterbugs that were granted bail yesterday.

What really matters are the concerns and public health interests of the citizenry of Georgetown DEAR EDITOR, I was born at ‘N’ Bent Street Wortmanville, in the city of Georgetown. At that time, midwives were invited to homes to deliver newborns.

Later we moved to 13, North Road Bourda.

I recall both Bent Street and North Road being very clean streets at that time, with grass parapets well kept by men using hoes and scythes; by early morning trucks that sprayed water to wash the streets as well as neighbourhoods kept free of garbage by men who came early each morning behind City Council garbage collection trucks marked: ‘Help Keep The City Clean’ to empty the ‘rubbish bins’ as they were called at the time.

The incinerator adjoining the Le Repentir cemetery was the place where garbage from around the city was burnt and destroyed.

At the head of each alleyway criss-crossing the city, was a roughly, 10x10, 4 feet deep dump site, boxed with wood where persons were allowed to dump small amounts garbage.

Garbage collection trucks would collect garbage at those locations on a daily basis.

In those days, there were no CCTV cameras to spot persons who risked being arrested and charged for dumping garbage. But there were City Health Inspectors who were assigned to the various Wards of the city to check on

sanitation conditions in yards and other locations prone to dumping garbage.

Throughout my entire boyhood days I lived in the city of Georgetown. I consider myself a ‘City Boy.’ Those were the days when Georgetown was a truly ‘Garden City.’ I have witnessed the gradual transformation of the city from what it was in the 1950’s to present.

The changes are truly remarkable in one way or another.

In those days, neither Bent Street nor North Road could be considered a Naipaulian ‘Miguel Street.’

And although Bent Street was in the Southern part of the city and North Road, as its name indicates, at that part of the city, there was no discrimination as regards the municipality’s efforts to keep the city clean.

Bent Street was populated predominantly by working class African-Guyanese while North Road was populated by a mixture of working and middle-class AfricanGuyanese, Portuguese, mixed-race and IndoGuyanese.

The street reflected a true Guyanese blend of working and middle class residents.

My entire adult working life was spent in the city.

Georgetown has changed considerably. Though many of its iconic wooden buildings, large and small have survived, several others, either as places of worship, entertainment, employment or

simple residences are now a mere tracing of the city’s architectural history.

Wherever fire struck or the elements associated with tropical weather conditions or plain and simple neglect consumed beautiful wooden edifices; concrete, steel and glass facades have triumphed.

A peculiar skyline, more semi-modernistic but not in any way reflective of the city’s Roman-Dutch architecture is gradually emerging.

The city’s transformation, marked by the ebb and flow of its multi-ethnic populace, the sale or rental of onceupon-a-time residences for city folk for the purpose of establishing large and small businesses and offices in every nook and cranny, including areas that were once garages and passage-ways, have brought in their wake, an increasing number of challenges above all, the dumping of garbage, blocking of alley-ways and overnight springing-up of huge piles of garbage.

The vendorisation of pavements and parapets; newly emergent hot dog carts, fish and chips wagons, dog food stands, music and coconut water carts, clothes stands at almost every street corner; the unimaginable and at times uncontrollable flow and congestion of traffic at all times of the day, as a result of what appears to be a shortage of traffic ranks, compounded by ‘easy to get,’ rent

or borrow motor vehicles, not to mention the container and sand trucks that traverse city streets by day and night, have, in sum, given rise to several challenges.

The orderliness of the city being one of them.

Cumulatively, these sometimes welcomed, sometimes unwelcome developments that form part and parcel of the City’s transformation has, at the same time, etched a blot on the once proud image of Georgetown from being a Garden City to a repugnant and a much despised notion of being a ‘Garbage City.’

It in this context, that the recent President Ali-led efforts to clean up the city must be commended. It is an exercise that was long overdue.

Nor should the exercise be viewed as a one-off attempt aimed at impressing our Brazilian visitors nor to garner support come local government elections.

The PNC/R‘s attempt at a balancing act by expressing on the one hand, its ‘Understanding the relief felt by citizens,’ that; ‘a cleanup of the city is welcome and that ‘... a cleaned city is good’ but on the other rubbishing the cleanup campaign, just don’t cut it, more is needed rather than critical support for government’s efforts.

It was not for the lack of effort by previous PPP/C administrations, to stamp out this anti-social practice and to make its disappearance unachievable. Previous ef-

forts notwithstanding, the dumping of garbage continued unabated and developed as an unwelcome malpractice perpetrated by a lawless and uncaring lot.

Our own City Hall, teetering on the verge of collapse, is now a mere shadow of its once magnificent and imposing presence in downtown Georgetown.The building’s hideous appearance and its dilapidated state is emblematic of the years of neglect and mismanagement ever since the Council fell into the hands of the rigging cabal. Small wonder why the citizenry would say time and again: ‘If they can’t manage the affairs of the city how can they manage the affairs of the country?’

It cannot be for the lack of financial support from government that has caused the City Council to fail in its responsibility to keep the city clean.

On the contrary, it is a lack

of imaginative and new thinking on the Council’s part as well as its failure to engage in constructive dialogue with government and to reach out to city folk, especially the business community that has caused those who now control City Hall and its Council to be unmasked with the advent of government’s efforts to clean up the mess in Georgetown that they have so unrepentantly facilitated year after year.

Maybe the PPP/C ‘won’t have political control of Georgetown in the foreseeable future’ but it’s not control that matters. What really matters are the concerns and public health interests of the citizenry of Georgetown.

With the strong commitment and deep interest manifested by the Irfaan Ali administration, the task to keep the city clean is now at the top of government’s agenda.

Yours faithfully, Clement J. Rohee

Fire has strands of similarity to Beirut Port disaster DEAR EDITOR, The report that the massive LPK fire was allegedly due to hazardous oil chemicals stored in the bond where the fire broke out (KN Jan. 18), is reminiscent and has strands of similarity to the Beirut port fire disaster in

Lebanon, in August 2020 which resulted in monumental destruction to life, property and the city.It has to be pondered about the safety measures employed in the storage of the hazardous material in the bond.

Shamshun Mohamed

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Wednesday January 19, 2022

Rawle Lucas out, AFC executive in on procurement commission

I

n an effort to stave off a possible split between the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the People’s National Congress Reform, a compromised was reached for Ms Diana Rajkumar to be the second nominee of the coalition for the long-awaited Public Procurement Commission.

Rajkumar is said to be an executive of the AFC. She has replaced Economist Rawle Lucas who was initially nominated along with former chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Board Administration Berkley Wickham by the coalition.

However, a row between the two opposition parties, with the AFC threatening to scuttle the process, it was agreed to nominate Rajkumar and drop Lucas.

Kaieteur News reported initially of the five nominees selected to sit on the PPPC two years after the life of this critical

procurement oversight body ended.

During this period tens of billions of dollars in contracts have been awarded by the PPP/C administration with little oversight.

The nominees were chosen as by a subcommittee of the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC). In addition to Wickham and Rajkumar the other nominees are: President of the Guyana Bar Association, Pauline Chase, Economist Joel Bhagwandin and Rajnarine Singh.

Speaking to the Kaieteur News on the issue PAC Chairman Jermaine Figueira related that the process is closer to being finalised. He explained that the names will be presented to the PAC for approval before it goes to the National Assembly for its decision on the appointments to take effect and for the members of the PPC to take their oath of office.

The PPC is the body which exercises a major regulatory and oversight role in public procurement and the awarding of government contracts.

The PPC monitors public procurement to ensure the principles of fairness, equity, value for money, and competition are upheld ensuring that the procedures of public procurement are executed in accordance with the laws of Guyana, but it has not been in place since October 2019.

This, despite a sub-committee of the PAC was established more than six months ago to deal with the short listing of names. The government side of the PAC had previously been accused of not submitting its final nominees from the shortlisted names.

At the first meeting of the PAC for the year, Figueira accused the government of stalling on the very important business of establishing the PPC.

Ms. Diana Rajkumar

Wednesday January 19, 2022

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Kaieteur News

POLITICAL REVISIONISM IN THE AGE OF COUNTER NARRATIVES How does one lift the level of discourse about historical revisionism without resorting to attacks about who is a propagandist, who is trying to ingratiate oneself with the PPP, who needs psychiatric help and who hides behind a mask?

One can at least begin to avoid these pitfalls by accepting that political revisionism is fraught with controversy and prone to suspicion.

Political revisionism is not readily acceptable since it breaks down age-old assumptions, much of which have directed the lives of countless citizens, movements and parties.

While, however, it is never easy to accept that a particular narrative of our history has been wrong all along, great care must be taken in assessing narratives which revise history.

Colonialism and imperialism had their own narratives. In the struggle for liberation and independence, a counter narrative emerged, that threatened and challenged the stability of colonial rule and questioned its moral, economic and social underpinnings.

Cheddi Jagan helped to forge that anti-colonial and anti-imperialist counter narrative using as his weapon, the ideology of socialism. Before him, there were those that created their own narratives, one that involved competition for social and economic space, and for greater representation within the legislative assembly.

The narratives have

continued onto the present day. From anti-imperialism we have moved to other narratives, some pitted against the others and some in support of others.

Inevitably, each epoch is defined by the narrative that prevails. However, the narrative which has been prevailed over never faded, but always finds ways and means of becoming resurgent again.

A good example in the United States is the “Rocky” film series which speaks to the heroism of the American serviceman. This has helped to reshape the American psyche, painting its soldiers as heroes and victims of an establishment that betrayed these brave men and women.

What better way for the Americans to save face after the humiliations of Vietnam!

In the writings of V.S. Naipaul, to use another example, we find a resurgence of the imperial idea, one in which the freed colony becomes disordered and chaotic, lacking men of ability and talent to undertake the task of governance, lacking in accomplishments and paling in comparison to the great civilisations of Europe.

Naipaul’s work evokes a central idea similar to Conrad’s, and that is, that the formerly colonised cannot do without their imperial masters.

It is a counter narrative to the narrative that influenced the independence movement.

Ever since the PPP returned to power in 1992 we have had other narratives.

And in some of these counter narratives we see a harking back to former “glory days”.

About 10 years ago, one individual appeared on national television exalting the glorious civilisation created by the PNC under Burnham and how the welcoming spirit of his people has been taken advantage of by others.

This strikes a similar chord to the narratives of the late Ronald Waddell, who had spoken about interlopers.

Then we have those who are creating the narratives of the redeeming features of the colonial rule and the possibilities of real change within the plantation system in Guyana, a narrative that highlights the accomplishments of an individual over and above that of the ideology which operated at another level to instigate change.

The seed of an idea is being allowed to germinate: the idea that as bad as the colonial system was, there were good men and women who made a difference. Again, this is in the mould of Conrad who, while criticising the effects of the empire on the colonised, was sure to emphasise that the colonised cannot do without the empire.

Today, the notion of the PPP as a great party which fought for freedom in Guyana and which caused the powers of imperialism to tremble, is being threatened by a counter narrative of Cheddi Jagan as someone who was “highly flawed’ and who in fact was weak. This is where Balram Singh Rai, now deceased comes in.

Out of respect, however, for his grieving family, I will delay the analysis of the

DEM BOYS SEH

Covid test nah cheap De guvament decide dat dem nah gan do no more PCR testing for people who isolating at home. It mean if yuh test positive and yuh nah get hospitalised or yuh nah wukkin in a hospital, yuh nah gat to get another test fuh confirm dat yuh negative.

Dah mek sense: practical and financial. If yuh serve out yuh 14 days (after testing positive) in isolation, yuh nah gat fuh do another test.

After 14 days yuh nah supposed to have de ability to transmit de infection. So it nah mek sense fuh yuh guh back and tek another test.

A PCR test does cost bout $15,000 and is de guvament wah absorbing de test cost wah do at dem guvament testing sites. So far is almost 478,000 COVID-19 tests do. And if 400,000 ah these do at guvament testing sites, it means dat it costing de taxpayers 6 billion dollars so far. So it mek financial sense dat once yuh 14 days up, yuh nah need another test fuh send yuh back to wuk.

De guvament saving money. And yuh

saving time Right now we gat more dan 11,000 active cases. And each day is close to 1,000 new cases. And still people driving dem car up onto de seawall behind de Marriott Hotel pun a Sunday and having a good time.

Yuh nah suppose to deh pun any beach.

But people swarming de beach like ants. And most ah dem nah gat on mask, and at de height of de Omicron wave.

Dat is why it mek sense wah de guvament do because people nah being responsible and it hurting de Treasury.

Talk half and leff half.

political revisionism that has been weaved around Rai, until he has been laid to rest.

Only then will the true

character of Rai, the Rajput, be exposed.

(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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Wednesday January 19, 2022

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

PNC election results - Part 5: Mo fyaah/slo fyaah has burnt out I said to my wife in the kitchen last week that I want to “call it George.” I don't know if young Guyanese use that common saying. It denotes the decision to leave or end something or suddenly bring something to an end.

The saying was popular in my days growing up in Wortmanville. I would like to call it quits after 34 years of column-writing. But there is an enormous but. When I see what is spoken and written each day, each night in this country, I really have to sit on the seawall with my dog in my arms and think long and hard about “calling it George.”

It is not that I want to continue this part of my life into old age but if the evils of the country I live in, and give all my life to, are not exorcised then life's miseries will kill this land. Since the

attempted rigged election failed in July 2020, I have never seen the ubiquity of anti-Indian sentiments as I see unfolding.

I was too young when the Wismar massacre occurred to u n d e r s ta n d a n ti- I n d ia n passion. I saw it between 2002 and 2006 when an antiIndian conspiracy unfolded and took up residency in Buxton.

But the attitude of disliking Indians was never pronounced back then as it is now. Many civil society groups and decent middle class persons that hated what was taking place in Buxton are now firmly entrenched in their psychological resentment of the return to the PPP to power.

They didn't want it to happen in March 2020. I cannot identify any women group, any civil society

organisation, and prominent middle class non-Indians in Guyana today that is not part of a silent and invisible conspiracy to denounce the present government. Even the Indians in civil society organisations and in the women groups who are Christians are antigovernment. The scenario also takes in sections of whose vitriol is frenetic and extremist because of class and colour.

In this ambience, is this the time to call it George? I don't know.

But I am seeing dangerous vulgarities that will make me take that reflection to the seawall.

Two political deceptions happened last week that require some reflection.

I stated that I saw an interviewer telling David Hinds he is a good example

of struggle.

I did that yesterday, suffice it to say that Hinds isn't struggling for the freedom of the people of Guyana but his own people whatever that means. I think you know what that means.

The other is an output from Henry Jeffrey when in an interview with David Hinds he said Aubrey Norton has to address the grievances African Guyanese have about what the PPP is doing to them. PNC embracers are advocating that Norton must confront the PPP. In both cases, propaganda and emotions replace arguments based on facts.

First, I don't think David Hinds and Henry Jeffrey speak for African Guyanese.

Secondly, Norton has to know that the era of mo fyaah/slo fyaah is over. It was born in special circumstances and had endurance because of the presence of a former PNC president, Desmond Hoyte, who had the resources to sustain it.

S u c h s p e c i a l circumstances cannot be

reenacted. More than 20 years have passed and the type of African youths that threw gasoline on mo fyaah/slo fyaah in 1997 Frederick Kissoon is not the type that Harmon. You thinks like that today.

Norton recently tried to lead a are better able to access the march from the Square of the strengths and weaknesses of Revolution to the bustling a c a n d i d a t e w h e n t h e streets on the inner city and it competition is strong. A perfect example was the failed.

Jeffrey is erroneous when battle for the chairperson's he said that PNC delegates seat. The fight was between elected Norton to channel four persons with different into reality the feelings of style of politics.

The war was simply African Guyanese about the government. The PNC got Norton versus Harmon.

215,000 votes from the 2020 Because of that factor, it is election. Almost 95 percent nonsensical to say what the of that came from African mental intentions of the Guyanese. Norton was voters toward Norton were. If elected by 967 persons. Are a handful of persons want those 967 speaking for the Norton to return to mo 215,000?

More than 50 fyaah/slo fyaah, then when percent of the delegates did Norton looks over his shoulders, his army won't be not vote.

Those who voted had there.

(The views expressed in absolutely no choice.

It was either Harmon or this article are those of the Norton and they voted a u t h o r a n d d o n o t a g a i n s t t h e m a s s i v e necessarily reflect the unpopular image of Joseph opinions of this newspaper.)

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

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Wednesday January 19, 2022

More than 381 teachers test positive for COVID-19 As the deadly Corona Virus and its variants continue to plough through the country, with almost 1000 cases each day, the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) has renewed its call for the Ministry of Education (MoE) to close school doors across the country for two weeks.

President of the GTU, Mark Lyte over the weekend dispatched a fresh letter to the Chief Education Officer (CEO) Dr. Marcel Hutson, reinforcing the union’s call for the closure of public school doors. In the document seen by Kaieteur News, the Union said, “This closure period is deemed necessary for the MoE to institute systems that will facilitate the safe reopening of schools amidst the growing increase of COVID-19 cases in Guyana”.

Moreover, the Union reasoned that data gathered by the organisation for the last two weeks

- GTU renews call for closure of schools for two weeks

of school have shown that more than 381 teachers and 219 students

tested positive, forcing a number of schools to close their doors a mere

10 days into the new school term.

On Tuesday afternoon, figures

received by the Union showed that the country’s capital city of Georgetown had the highest number of reported cases for teachers and second highest number of students with 64 and 36 confirmed cases, respectively.

In Region One, 11 teachers and 15 students have tested positive for the virus, in Region Two another 11 teachers and 15 students were also positive.

Meanwhile, positive cases in the other regions included; Region Three 46 teachers and 22 students, Region Four 51 teachers and 21 students, Region Five 29 teachers and 12 students, Region Six 51 teachers and 22 students and Region Seven 42 teachers and 21 students.

The Union said it did not receive figures from Region Eight, but the cases in Region Nine include 31 teachers and 37 Continued on page 22

Wednesday January 19, 2022

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Govt. looks to cement control of oil fund board - tables motion for Parliamentary committee to nominate director Government has tabled a motion to mandate the Parliamentary Committee of Appointments of which it has the majority to select a nominee to sit on the controversial board of directors of the Natural Resources Fund - the mechanism set up to manage the proceeds from this country’s oil resources.

The full members of the appointments committee are government ministers: Gail Teixeira, Dr. Vindhya Persaud; Kwame McCoy, PPP/C Members of Parliament Alister Charlie a n d Yv o n n e P e a r s o n Fredericks. For the coalition the members are: Khemraj Ramjattan; Nicolette Henry; Tabitha Sarabo-Halley and Annette Ferguson.

Observers say, given the divisive nature of the current parliament it will come down to a vote and the PPP/C Government with a majority on the committee would more than likely have their nominee go forward.

Section 5 (1) of the Natural Resource Fund Act 2021

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh provides that there shall be a Board of Directors of the Fund which shall comprise of not less than three and not more than five members who shall be appointed by the President, one of whom shall be appointed Chairperson by the President.

According to the act, the National Assembly and the Private Sector Commission (PSC) will be identifying one candidate each for the board, which leaves the President with three

nominees. As such, with the National Assembly nominee in the bag and the PSC, given its coziness with the government, the PPP will have total control over the board.

The motion which is in the name of Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, restates the provisions in Section 5(1) of the NRF Act 2021 and added that the directors shall be selected from among persons who have wide experience and ability in legal, financial, business, or administrative matters, one of whom shall be nominated by the National Assembly and one of whom shall be a representative of the private sector.

Additionally, Section 5(10) of the said Act provides that a person shall not be eligible for appointment as a director if that person, inter alia, is a Member of the National Assembly. It pointed out that Standing Order 84(3)(b)(iii)

provides that it shall be the duty of the Committee on Appointments to make recommendations to the National Assembly on any matter referred to it by the Assembly from time to time.

As such Dr Singh’s motion calls on the National Assembly to task the C o m m i t t e e o n Appointments with making a suitable recommendation to the Assembly for the candidate to be identified as the nominee of the Assembly to be appointed by the President to serve on the Board of Directors of the Natural Resource Fund in accordance with Section 5 of the Natural Resource Fund

Act 2022.

The new NRF Act has been widely condemned, but it was rushed through Parliament late last year. In addition to the board of directors, the Act makes provisions for other committees, all of which would be dominated by government nominees.

For example, provision has been made for an Investment Committee, but three individuals, of the seven member body will be selected by the Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, Natural R e s o u r c e s M i n i s t e r, Vi c k r a m B h a r r a t a n d Attorney General, Anil

Nandlall. Under Section 8 (1) of the ACT, three of the seven-member body, of which only five will be allowed to vote, will be appointed by the Cabinet members.

In fact, the legislation states that, “a nominee of the (Finance) Minister who shall be the Chairperson of the committee, a nominee of the minister responsible for the administration of the petroleum sector (Natural Resources Minister), a nominee of the Attorney General, a nominee of the Leader of the Opposition, a nominee of the private sector and two ex-officio Continued on page 24

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Wednesday January 19, 2022

Granger continues to hold on as representative of APNU+AFC list - as Yearwood resigns from the post for ANUG Social activist, Jonathan Yearwood has announced his resignation as the representative of the list for A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and political commentators say former President David Granger should do likewise with his party currently locked in a leadership dispute.

“This letter serves to inform all members of the public, who may be interested, that I have formally resigned from the position of Representative of the List for the A New and United Guyana political party. Last year I resigned from the Executive Council and as a member of the party.

However, because of the ongoing confusion within the GECOM and their subsequent search for a Chief Election Officer, I had withheld my resignation.

My resignation has since

been handed in to GECOM on the 10th January, 2022,” Yearwood said in a letter to the press.

Earlier this month the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R)- the major party in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition decided that they want to be led in Parliament by their newly elected Party leader, Aubrey Norton, who will take the place of the current Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon.

The party also decided that Norton must assume the position of representative of the list- a position currently being held by Granger. “The Party Central Executive (Committee) has decided that the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Party should be one person… it is not that it is I who believe that, it is the Central Executive that met,

discussed it and arrived at that conclusion,” Norton had told a news conference recently.

Political Commentator, Dr. Henry Jeffrey in a recent online discussion called on both Granger and Harmon to resign their posts, paving the way for Norton. He said having overwhelmingly won the leadership of the PNCR, Norton should be made the head of the list as well as the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament.

Norton had told a news conference that “one of the arguments the PNCR Central Executive Committee made, is that it has been the convention in the Party and the second argument, is that it provides for better coordination and control of the activities of the Party and for better strategising to ensure efficacy.” In this regard, he

Former President, David Granger flanked by Joseph Harmon (left) and Khemraj Ramjattan. said that a decision is likely to be made by mid next week.

According to him, the Leader of the Party and the representative of the list has

been one or the same person, historically, but this had changed since the PNC joined the Coalition. He noted that some compromises were made

which allowed for the modification. Nonetheless, “at the last election, it was again placed back together and we have therefore Continued on page 22

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

Family receives adequate funds for child who is suffering from brain tumor

The cheque being handed over to Naresh’s mom, Kamla Edwards.

Three-year-old, Naresh Armogon

The family of a threey e a r- o l d b o y, N a r e s h Armogon, has recently received the funds for the surgery needed to save his life from stage-four cancer.

A while back, popular Guyanese artiste, Terry Gajraj and other members of the Restoring Paradise Foundation learned of the heart-breaking state of Naresh who has been diagnosed with brain tumor.

They started a GoFundMe initiative back in December 2021, to see what help could be brought for Naresh. Successful in their attempt, a member of the team Mr. Yog Mahadeo handed over the cheque of $3,000,000 to the boy’s family last Wednesday.

The mother of threeyear-old Naresh, Kamla Edwards told Kaieteur News that the first week in November he was taken to the New Amsterdam Hospital where they admitted him for five days and, while there a Computerised Tomography (CT) scan was done and the doctors found liquid in his

brain.

Naresh was then transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he spent 19 days. While hospitalized a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan was done.

The doctor then summoned the entire family, when they received the heartbreaking news that Naresh was diagnosed with stage-four cancer and it had already spread across his entire brain and along his spine. The doctor told the family that there is no treatment for Naresh’s current condition and nothing can be done.

The family she stated is currently searching for treatment as it is unavailable in Guyana. Edwards told this newspaper that she is set to go abroad for the surgery as soon as a solution is found to get her son’s surgery done.

Edward’s expressed her appreciation and gratitude for everyone who donated food items to their home and those who contributed to the GoFundMe.

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Arjoon’s attorney points to lack of evidence to support NBS challenge to $79M judgment award There is no evidence to support the contention that former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the New Building Society, (NBS) Maurice Arjoon, was rightfully dismissed from the mortgage financing institution.

This is the position of Attorney for the dismissed CEO, Edward Luckhoo, SC as he presented oral arguments in the appeal case filed by NBS to challenge the decision of a High Court judge to rule in favour of and grant a judgment award to Arjoon.

Arjoon and the mortgage financing institution have been locked in a court battle for over 14 years now. The court case came about after the former CEO filed a lawsuit challenging the grounds by which he was dismissed from his job.

Arjoon and two of his managers were fired on allegations of fraud in 2006 regarding a $69 M withdrawal made from the account of Bibi Shamina Khan, a member of the society at the time. The men endured negative publicity, as well as a trial in the Magistrate Court before they were cleared of the charges.

An Ombudsman’s report had later confirmed Arjoon’s contention that he was framed for refusing to lend some $2B of NBS’ money to the Bharrat Jagdeo-led government for the construction of the Berbice River Bridge. Arjoon and another manager (Kent Vincent) then turned around and filed separate lawsuits suing the institution for wrongful dismissal.

Arjoon’s matter dragged on for more than six years in the High Court before the Court eventually granted a $79M judgment in his favour.

However, the matter did not end there, as the NBS a p p e a l e d t h e C o u r t ’s decision to pay Arjoon.

Attorney Pauline Chase, the lawyer for NBS has since presented her oral arguments contending that Arjoon’s dismissal was justifiable on the grounds that he was found liable of misconduct in the performance of his duties. On Monday, Senior Counsel Luckhoo presented his oral arguments in response to Chase. During his presentation, the lawyer emphasised the lack of evidence to support the appeal filed by NBS to challenge Arjoon’s right to his pension and benefits as a former head of the

Former CEO of NBS, Maurice Arjoon institution.

The appeal case, which is being heard by Appeal Court Judges, Justice Yo n e t t e C u m m i n g s Edwards, Acting Chancellor of Judiciary; Appeal Court Justice, Rishi Persaud, and Puisne Judge, Franklyn Holder is scheduled to continue on March 1, 2022.

In his oral response presented to the Court on Monday, Senior Counsel Luckhoo fiercely defended Arjoon telling the Appeal Court bench that there was no misconduct on the part of his client. Luckhoo stressed specifically, the fact that the arguments presented by the attorney for NBS (the appellant) were devoid of the evidence of the trial to support it.

To s u p p o r t h i s contention, he alluded to the evidence presented by NBS witnesses in the Magistrates’ Court, some 16 years ago.

According to Luckhoo, it is by their own admission that the witnesses of NBS relieved Arjoon of any culpability with regard to misconduct in the performance of his duty.

The lawyer noted that the evidence of the case only supports the stance that there was compliance by the former CEO or those below him in the chain of command at NBS as it relates to the withdrawal from the account of Mrs. Khan.

He noted too that the witnesses only corroborated the claims that all the systems, procedures, and rules that the society had in place were followed by Mr. Arjoon and his staffers. Mr. Luckhoo referenced the four levels of checks that were mandatory when it came to conducting transactions with the Society.

He outlined that based on rules of the society, these checks include counter clerks, the supervisors, and

the operations manager and then review and approval with the CEO— was the last line of defense. The lawyer contended that the documents presented for the withdrawal of millions of dollars from the account of Bibi Shamina Khan were thoroughly checked by the staffers of NBS all of whom were quite experienced, particularly the supervisors who had 18-20 years of experience in their line of work.

The lawyer explained that based on the evidence in the trial, these rules included checking the authenticity of the documents, comparing the signature of the account holder to those affixed to the index card, and other important papers used in the transactions. While there were claims by NBS that Mrs. Khan did not authorize the Power of Attorney

(POA) used for the withdrawal of the sum from her account, there was a great deal of evidence to support the authenticity of the paper.

For one, the document was executed before the Guyana consulate in Toronto in addition to being notarized by Mr. Tyrone Ramsaroop, Notary Public in Ontario Canada, who just happened to be the exb r o t h e r- i n - l a w o f t h e account holder; and when it was checked out at the Deeds Registry in Guyana, that only confirm the authenticity of the document.

According to Luckhoo, it was the NBS internal auditor Mr. Raja Ram and another witness of the society, Mr. Nizam Mohamed, both of whom attested to the claims that the rules and procedures for the transactions were followed. He noted that it is

the witnesses of NBS that confirmed, the claims of Mr. Arjoon.

Luckhoo specifically pointed to the evidence of Mr. Rajaram and Nizam Mohamed, witnesses of NBS who stood.

The lawyer noted however, that the information was not volunteered by any of the witnesses, it was given only when they were pressed for the truth. “It was Mr. Raja Ram,” the lawyer noted that stated clearly that in his deposition at the Magistrates’ Court and later admitted under examination in High Court ‘I did not find the transactions to be illegitimate’” He noted that the witnesses also admitted that there were weaknesses in the system but that it was not the responsibility of the CEO to address it - strengthening the system was the duty of the

Board of Directors at NBS. Mr. Luckhoo referenced several sections of the exhibits and evidence presented in the trial as part of his submission and pointed out that even as the appellant’s case lack such supporting documents, the legal authorities on which the case relied were also misplaced. “Your honours, the case particular, a cane cutter was found guilty of misconduct because he had threatened his supervisor with a cutlass ….there is no relevance to this matter,” Luckhoo said. Taking all the evidence and circumstances into consideration, the lawyer held that the judgment of the High Court could not have been more accurate and fitting. Mr. Luckhoo is scheduled to continue his presentation when the case continues in March.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 20

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Dartmouth residents want SWAT member charged with murder ...block road in new round of protest for killing businessman

The community of Dartmouth on the Essequibo Coast on Tuesday erupted again in protest over the manslaughter charge instituted against the policeman who shot and killed businessman, Orin Boston last year September.

Residents want the policeman, Sherwin Peters to be charged with murder.

The protests commenced around 04:00hrs Tuesday.

Peters, 32, was charged based on recommendations

made by the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions. During his first court appearance on Friday last, the constable was granted bail in the sum of $1M. When this publication visited the scene yesterday, the situation mirrored the course of events that unfolded September last when residents protested the killing. The Dartmouth Bridge was blocked to vehicular traffic, as debris

was strewn across the roadway. Passengers were seen disembarking transportation on one end of the bridge, and rejoining another on the opposite end of the bridge. On the southern end of the bridge was an erected banner, which read “JUSTICE FOR JUNIOR ORIN aka BAT… WE WILL NOT BE SILENT.” The Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Police Force were also on standby on the scene.

Around 04:00hrs. On September 15th last, Boston was shot and killed at his Dartmouth home, during a police operation for alleged ‘illegal substance.’ Boston was in bed when he was shot to the chest with a high calibre rifle. An autopsy , which subsequently followed, revealed that Boston died as a result of a gunshot injury to the left side chest. The police on the other hand, could not have justified the killing nor the

Scenes of the protest at the Dartmouth Bridge.

operation at the businessman’s home.

The DPP’s decision to i n s t i t u t e a c h a rg e o f manslaughter against the accused has come under scrutiny by many. Attorneyat-law, Nigel Hughes, told the press on Monday that the manslaughter charge instituted against Peters is unacceptable.

Hughes was quoted as saying: “I strongly condemn the decision of the Director of Public Prosecutions to

institute manslaughter charge. We are not going to leave it there. We will commence proceedings, prerogative proceedings to review that decision with a view to seeking an order of the court, directing her to charge the defendant with murder.”

Hughes pointed out that there should be no problem challenging the DPP’s decision, as there are statements confirming Boston was murdered.

Wednesday January 19, 2022

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Condolences pour in on the passing of Yesu Persaud One day after his passing messages of condolences continue to pour in for business icon, Dr.Yesu Persaud.

Joining a long list of groups and organisations that have expressed sympathy for the businessman is the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) who described Persaud as one of Guyana’s business giants.

“The death of Dr.Yesu Persaud at the age of 93 has robbed the country of the service of an astute businessman and philanthropist who served the business community in particular and the Guyanese community in general in various capacities including Chairmanship of a number of businesses.

These include the Trust Company (Guyana) Limited, Guyana Trust Unit, Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry, BEV Processors Inc., Institute of Private Enterprise

Development (IPED) - an institution that stimulates and finances entrepreneurs and small and micro businesses.

He also served in many other positions too numerous to mention,” the PNCR said.

The Party extends sincere and heartfelt condolences to his family, relatives and friends at this time of their bereavement.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) also expressed its deepest condolences on the passing of Dr. Persaud; “a true visionary and an ardent humanitarian.

Indeed, Guyana has lost a great soul.’

The GMSA said Persaud has contributed immeasurably to the growth and reputation of his nation.

“His life and legacy is as inspiring as it is decorated.

Dr. Persaud had forged the company of Demerara Distillers Ltd. (DDL) into a Guyanese institution with products of international

Business Icon, Dr. Yesu Persaud. recognition and praise. He envisaged and founded Guyana’s first indigenous bank, Demerara Bank Ltd. and was the architect of the Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED), an organisation that supports

the development of thousands of small businesses across Guyana.

Moreover, his philanthropic legacy extends far and wide, even beyond the reaches of the land in which he was born,” the organization said.

According to the GMSA, Dr. Persaud served as president of the GMSA in 1992, then known as the Guyana Manufacturers Association (GMA) where he brought his skills and experience and worked tirelessly for Guyanese manufacturers.

He was also one of the initial conceivers of a single Private Sector Commission that would represent and further the interests of local private sector and function as the interface with the Government and International Funding agencies.

“His work for Private Sector development was instrumental and his contributions to the development of Guyanese society remain unparalleled.

He truly led a life worthy of emulation, one that will inspire many for generations to come. In his memory, we wish to echo some words he had shared with the GMSA a few years ago: “Whatever you do

must be done well or don’t do it at all.” – This was his mantra. “I am my own person.

I think I know what is good for the development of my country and I will pursue it to my end.”

We once again express our deepest sympathies to Dr. Persaud’s family, friends, coworkers and all others whose lives he would have touched over the span of his long and fruitful life.

United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah Lynch, said she was saddened at the passing of “one of Guyana’s greats.”

Lynch said she was grateful to have met Dr. Persaud multiple times and benefitted from his wisdom.

The British High Commission for its part said Dr. Persaud was a true friend of the commission. “High Commissioner, Jane Miller, expresses heartfelt condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time,” the statement read.

Man drops dead at Five deaths, 1,083 Amerindian Hostel new COVID-19 cases Loud wailing and screams erupted yesterday, at the Amerindian Hostel, located on Princess Street, Charlestown after a man dropped dead in the compound.

Kaieteur News was told that he died sometime after 17:00Hrs. When this newspaper arrived at the scene, his body had already been removed but police ranks were still on the ground conducting the necessary investigations.

There was also an ambulance

present and trail of blood was seen from the door of the hostel to the spot where he fell and died. The man had earlier been vomiting blood, residents at the hostel reported.

Kaieteur News understands that the man had arrived there with relatives from one of the hinterland regions of Guyana. The purpose of his visit was to seek medical attention in the city.

Yesterday however, other indigenous persons staying there were alerted to screams of his relatives after he report-

edly started vomiting blood.

Contact was made for an ambulance and he was rushed outside where he continued to vomit.

By time the ambulance arrived the man had collapsed to the ground and laid there unresponsive.

Medical professionals who came with the ambulance pronounced him dead on the scene and the police were notified. As ranks tried to obtain information, his relatives began to cry and had to be consoled.

The scene at the Amerindian Hostel yesterday.

W

ith a total of 1,083 new COVID-19 cases recorded in 24 hour, the Ministry of Health on Tuesday reported that over a twoday period (January 17 to 18) it has recorded five new fatalities.As a result of this, the country’s COVID-19 death toll has moved to 1,101.

Guyana’s latest COVID-19 fatalities are that of a 44-yearold woman from Region 10

and four men, a 78-year-old from Region One, a 42-yearold, a 23-year-old and a 53year-old from Region Four.

Meanwhile, a breakdown of the new cases per regions shows that Region Four leads with 613 new cases, Region Three with 166 cases, Region Six with 110 cases, Region Five with 65 cases, Region Two with 64 cases, Region 10 with 33 cases, Region One with 18 cases, Region Seven

with eight cases, Region Nine with five cases and Region Eight with one case.

Further, the Ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard shows that 18 patients are admitted into the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 181 persons in institutional isolation, 11,887 in home isolation and 11 in institutional quarantine.

To date, a total of 39,991 persons have recovered from the virus.

PAGE 22

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

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One clerk for TSI Eccles Office,English & Maths Two motorcyclists ages grade 1 or 2.Call:615-9132 or email application to tech 18 and 19 respectively were killed on Monday last after serigy@yahoo.com. they crashed into each other Maid to cook and clean for along the Karaudanawau East Bank areaa.Call:615- Trail, South Rupununi Region, Nine.

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They were identified as Cook/Baker/Pitmen and Lennon Wilson 18 of Hauler Operator for interior Katoonarib Village, South location. Applicants must be experienced.Call:618-2020 or 231-2250.

Rupununi and Jobe Edwards 19, of Karaudanawau Village South Rupununi.

Wilson and Edwards crashed into each other around 14:30Hrs. According to police, Edwards was speeding down a hill in a northerly direction and ended up in the path of

Wilson’s bike and they crashed.

As a result of the impact they were flung onto the road where they sustained severe injuries. Public-spirited citizens passing by stopped and picked them up in an unconscious state. They were both rushed to the Aishalton

Health Centre, where Wilson was pronounced dead on arrival.

Edwards was still alive when he arrived and was treated for severe head injuries and sent to the Lethem Regional Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.

More than 381 teachers test positive for...

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From page 12 students, while Region 10 has 46 teachers and 19 students COVID-positive.

The Union said it understands that about 152 schools have reported positive instances for teachers, learners, or support staff.

As a consequence, “We propose that teachers engage learners virtually during these fourteen days while the MoE reassesses its face-to-face plan for learners during this pandemic,” GTU told the CEO. The Union complained that many schools still have learners seated two in a bench, while it is the Union’s position that keeping teachers and students out of “crowded” schools will help to reduce the present spike in positive COVID-19 cases in Guyana.

In its plea to the Chief Education Officer, the Teachers’ Union reminded the offi-

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cial that the Ministry of Health has declared more than 1,000 cases almost every day during the past week.

In this regard, Lyte said “The school environment has become unsafe for educators, learners, and school staff.

Learning cannot occur in an environment where there is trauma and fear.

We urge that the MoE act responsibly, maturely, and care for Guyanese. It takes one infected person to spread the virus among the remainder of their family and the wider community”.

The Guyana Teachers’ Union first issued a letter to the Chief Education Officer,

on the closure of schools, on January 7, 2022. However, to date the documents have been ignored.

“Nobody responds to you when you write them, but they are upset when you bring certain things to the fore,” Lyte complained to Kaieteur News in a quick telephone interview.

Only last week this newspaper reported that several schools in Linden, Region 10, have been forced to close their doors, after both teachers and children at the institutions, tested positive. The Mackenzie High School, the Watooka Day Primary School, the Amelia’s Ward Primary

School, the Wismar Hill Nursery School, the One Mile Primary School and the Christianburg Wismar Secondary School had all reported positive cases.

Despite this, one teacher from the Christianburg Wismar Secondary School said the students had to be placed on rotation to tackle overcrowding and she is of the belief that the overcrowding during the first week of the term, resulted in several students and teachers contracting the virus.

Efforts to reach the Education Minister, Priya Manickchand for a comment on the matter proved futile.

Granger continues to hold on as representative of...

From page 14 returned to the tradition, which we believe, is in the best interest of the party and the country,” Norton pointed out.However, since Norton made the announcement there has been resistance from Harmon who in an official statement to the media had reminded that, “the main Parliamentary Opposition is the APNU+AFC coalition and consists of 31 Members of Parliament.” To this end, he reminded that, “the APNU

Partnership has an established structure and if the executive of a party in the partnership has a position and they wish to express that position, they should follow the established procedures.”

Harmon used the occasion to remind publicly that, “the Office of the Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional office and is consequently governed by the constitution.” This, in addition to an unsigned statement released to the media yester-

day purportedly from “Members” reminding that “in 2011 at the birth of the APNU a collective decision was made as to who would be head of the list. In 2015 a collective decision was made as to who would be head of the list when the Alliance for Change coalesced with APNU.” In 2020, the APNU+AFC agreed that the head and the deputy head of the list would be David Granger and Khemraj Ramjattan respectively.

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 19, 2022

PAGE 23

Lone firm bids $47M to design, supervise Region1 school project C

aribbean Engineering and M anagement Consultant Inc., was the only company which submitted a financial proposal of $47 million to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office on Tuesday, for the design and supervision for the re-construction of the North-West Secondary School in Region One.

The procuring entity for this project is the Ministry of Education. The North-West Secondary School in September last year was completely destroyed by a fire. The fire which destroyed the two-storey wooden and concrete structure had left over 600 students displaced. A security guard who was on duty at the time had told investigators that before the building was engulfed in flames he recalled hearing loud explosions

Ministry of Education Design and supervision services for the re-construction of secondary school building at Northwest Region One.

Ministry of Agriculture- Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board Construction of New Administrative Building.

Guyana Revenue Authority Remodelling of structure for installation of baggage scanner at Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

Bureau of Statistics Public Relations Agency/ Firm

coming from a room on the second floor.

A preliminary investigation into the fire, by the Guyana Fire Service had revealed that the fire was an arson attack.

Also opened at the NPTAB, were eight companies vying for the contract to construct a new Administrative building for the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board.

Below are the companies and their bids:

National Drainage & Irrigation Authority (NDIA) Operations, Servicing and Monitoring of NDIA hydraulics excavators, track type dozers and motor graders for Lots 1 to 14.

PAGE 24

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

Boy, 10, goes missing after errand to shop A missing person report was filed at the Whim Police Station on Monday by Anita Gomes after her 10-year-old son of Tain Primary School left his home in Port Mourant for the nearby shop on Sunday, but has not returned since.

Andrew Gomes had left home to return two bottles at the shop. Gomes told Kaieteur News the boy is her only child and that he was liv-

ing with his great-grandparents in Skeldon. However when they died, he moved back with her at Port Mourant a year ago.

On Sunday morning, Gomes said her son told her his uncle sent him to the shop to return two bottles but it was raining and she told him not to. “Me tell he not to go and me go to the washroom, when me come out back the

washroom he take a $1000 from me purse and the two bottle and he leff and never come back home”, Gomes s a i d .

She said later that day after she did not see her son return home, she inquired from her brother if he had seen him but and he said no. “Me tell he how the bai seh that he ask he fuh carry the bottle to the shop and me brother said he never tell he carry no bottle”,

Gomes disclosed. After 24hrs had expired, the worried Gomes went to the Whim Police Station and filed a missing person report. A visit to the shop where the lad said he was returning the bottles to, revealed that he never showed up at the shop. According to her, he left home in a pair of brown short pants, a grey t-shirt and slippers on his feet.

Additionally, Kaieteur News was informed by the woman that the lad had left home about a week ago but was located at his great-grandparents home in Skeldon shortly after. She is making a plea to Andrew to return home, “I need my son home, he is my only child.” Anyone with information about his whereabouts can contact her on 668-5505.

Missing: Andrew Gomes

Govt. looks to cement control of oil...

From page 13 non-voting members…the Senior Investment Adviser and Analyst (and) a nominee of the Governor of the Bank” shall be appointed.

Notably, the body with major ministerial control will be responsible for merely advising the Board of Directors on the Investment Mandate, Section 9 of the Bill outlines.

In doing so, it shall take into account “the overall objectives of the Fund in this

Act, the current conditions, opportunities and constraints in relevant financial markets, the need to ensure sufficient funds are available for withdrawals from the fund, international best practices in investment portfolio management, the principal of financial diversification with the objective of maximizing riskadjusted financial returns…”

The new NRF Act also leaves room for a nine member Public Accountability and

Oversight Committee which shall comprise of a nominee again from the National As-

sembly, three representatives from the religious community, two representatives from the private sector, two representatives of organised labour and one representative of the professions.

This Committee shall provide “non-governmental oversight of the Fund” according to Section 6 (7).

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 25

Motorcyclist crushed to death by container truck A man was crushed to death by a container truck on Water Street, Georgetown on Tuesday afternoon while reportedly riding behind the vehicle, witnesses said.

The man, who eyewitnesses described as middle-aged, was reportedly run over by the truck around 15:01 hours. Up to press time he was not identified. An eyewitness related that the accident occurred while he was in his car which was parked in front of a store on Water Street.

When Kaieteur News arrived at the scene the undertakers from the Memorial

Gardens Funeral Home had already picked up the remains.

“I heard something “pop”… but I had no clue that anything happened,” the eyewitness related. He said he then heard people shouting that a man on a motorbike just get run over. “When I come out the car I see de man brains scattered on the road,” the witness reported.

A fisher vendor who was passing at the time said that the motorcyclist had passed him a few minutes prior to the accident.

Investigation into the tragic accident is still ongoing.

An image of the accident scene.

PAGE 26

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Wednesday January 19, 2022

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

Graham Thorpe facing England sack after police break up 6am drinking session The Telegraph - Graham Thorpe is on the brink of the sack as England’s assistant coach after it emerged he filmed police breaking up a team drinking session hours after the end of the final Ashes Test.

Furious English cricket chiefs have launched an investigation in the wake of the all-night party, which involved players from both England and Australia and which was ended by Tasmanian police shortly after 6am on Monday morning.

It is understood that Thorpe filmed the incident and sent it on to friends. It was then circulated more widely and ended up in the hands of the Australia media.

In the footage, four police officers can be seen arriving at the party to confront players including captain Joe

Root, veteran bowler James Anderson and three Australian players – Alex Carey, Travis Head and Nathan Lyon – some of whom are still in their playing whites.

Police, accompanied by hotel staff, ask the partying players to quieten down and stop drinking. “Too loud,” a female police officer is heard telling the group. “You have obviously been asked to pack up, so we’ve been asked to come.”Speaking from behind the camera, Thorpe, is heard to say, “this is for the lawyers.” He also goes on to name every player present.

Telegraph Sport understands that a noise complaint, as the group played music from the balcony on the fourth floor of the building, was made to the team hotel, where both sides were staying for the fifth Test.

The players and management had stayed at the ground in Hobart until 2.30am because the fifth Test ended late and they had media duties to perform as well as sort out kit bags. They started drinking in the dressing room and while some went to bed when they returned to the hotel, others went to the Australia team room, which had a balcony, and carried on.

English cricket authorities are understood to be more angered by the fact the incident was filmed and then somehow entered the public domain, rather than the fact that players were drinking. No Covid regulations are believed to have been breached.

Thorpe and other coaches were already under pressure after the team’s performance in the Ashes and this has only exacerbated fears of a drink-

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GEMINI (May 21–June 20) It's very difficult for you to reconcile your desire for creativity and originality in your life to the constraints that society puts on you to be an efficient, productive person, Gemini.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You have a kind of creativity that knows no bounds today, Sagittarius, and a kind of originality that knows no limits. How are you going to go about expressing this rich creativity that abounds inside of you?

CANCER (June 21–July 22) You seem to have a lot of resentment toward someone who may have hurt you. Don't keep these feelings inside or they'll eat away at you, Cancer.

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ing culture - first revealed by Telegraph Sport on Monday - within a squad that was one wicket away from a whitewash and had been bowled out in just 38.5 overs only hours before.“During the early hours of Monday morning, members of the England and Australia men’s teams shared a drink in the team areas of the hotel in Hobart,” the ECB said in a statement.“The hotel management received a noise complaint by a hotel guest, and is commonplace in Australia, the local police attended the scene. When asked to leave by hotel management and the Tasmanian police, the players and management in question left and returned to their respective hotel rooms.”

“The England party have apologised for any inconvenience caused. The ECB will

investigate further. Until such times, we will make no further comment.”Tasmania Police have also released a statement, confirming that they were called to the teams’ hotel after a complaint regarding “intoxicated” individuals.

“Tasmania Police attended the Crowne Plaza Hobart on Monday morning after reports were made of intoxicated people in a function area,” the statement read.

“The guests were spoken to by police, just after 6am, and left the area when asked. No further action will be taken by police.”

Crowne Plaza Hobart general manager Linda Collis told the Sydney Morning Herald and Age: “To the best of my knowledge there was some noise complaints from outside.“We’re in the middle of the city and there is noise

and other things. We get all sorts of random things and police will turn up. There was nothing untoward. No one was removed from the hotel.

It’s not uncommon to get people complaining about noise.“Everything has been pretty smooth sailing, and we were happy for Hobart to have the cricket down here and have the teams down here.”

With two days to spare before England’s players return home, most of the squad have remained in Hobart until their scheduled flight today.The restricted environment under which this tour has unfolded, and which has prevented both sets of players from visiting public spaces for much of the series, has meant that instead alcohol was more readily available at the teams’ hotels.

Mixed Martial Arts...

From page 29 discipline in Guyana; something the local Federation is keen on advancing.

Corwin D’Anjou, who is set to compete in the Men’s Welterweight (77.1kg) division, said like all the other athletes, he feels proud to be given the opportunity to represent the nation at such a prestigious championship.

“We would have been involved in an 8-12 week camp where we trained every day.

It was a combination of standing and ground work techniques to prepare ourselves to the best,” D’Anjou.

Team Guyana is being sponsored by Sandcorp Development, Acarai Properties, Eureka Labs, Zoon Online Shopping and Shipping, Northwest Security, WR Services, Banks DIH Limited, Bounty Farm, Akbar Inc., Universal Travel and Aqua Sun Designs Inc. Guyana will be the only CARICOM nation at the event. Trinidad and Tobago, who had one athlete, had to pull out of the event due to COVID concerns.

The event will be broadcast live globally on immaf.tv.

BCB to invest...

From page 33 covers and committed to obtaining one set for the Berbice riverain area before the middle of this year. He proudly noted that never in the history of Guyana’s Cricket has a county board would have invested so heavily in protection against the weather.

Thanks was expressed to Minister Susan Rodrigues, the Management and staff of Vitality Inc and Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh for their cooperation in obtaining the last three pairs of covers and Foster promised that they would be taken care of.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 28

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Zimbabwe seamers build on Ervine and Raza’s efforts to level series Dasun Shanaka’s century in vain as Sri Lanka fall short in chase of 303 ESPNcricinfo - Regis Chakabva provided the innings’ early impetus, Craig Ervine hit 91 and put on 106 with Sean Williams, and Sikandar Raza struck a halfcentury late in the piece to get Zimbabwe to 302 for 7.

But the visiting bowlers had to hold their nerve too. In the face of a Dasun Shanaka hundred, which threatened to turn the game after Sri Lanka’s terrible start, Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava bowled exceptional final spells to suck the oxygen out of Sri Lanka’s desperate chase, eventually sealing a 22-run win that leveled the series.

Earlier in Sri Lanka’s i n n i n g s , Z i m b a b w e ’s seamers had struck perhaps the most decisive blows of the match. Tendai Chatara

bowled Kusal Mendis in the fifth over, Muzarabani then had Pathum Nissanka caught behind for 16, before having Dinesh Chandimal out at slip in his next over. Sri Lanka were 31 for 3, then when Charith Asalanka got out, 63 for 4 in the 15th over.

That the hosts recovered was down to Shanaka, and the 118-run fourth-wicket stand he put on with Kamindu Mendis. But the required rate continued to climb right through that partnership, and although Shanaka progressed to his first international century in the company of Chamika Karunaratne, he could never quite push his team into the ascendancy. He got to triple figures with a six over deep square leg, but when he holed out to long off the next

Craig Ervine scored a half-century • Jan 17, 2022 © AFP/Getty Images

ball, with 56 still to get off 32 deliveries, Sri Lanka’s chase essentially lost its last serious hope.

Sri Lanka went down by 22 runs in the end, their last wicket pair in the middle at the close. Chatara and Muzarabani shared three wickets apiece, while N g a r a v a a n d We s s l e y Madhevere took one each.

Left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza contributed to Zimbabwe’s defence too, conceding just 34 from his eight overs.

Zimbabwe had only hit seven less in the previous ODI, on a very similar surface, and at the same ground. But this time, they took Sri Lanka by the collar by claiming early wickets.

Kusal Mendis had been dropped at third man off

Blessing Muzarabani celebrates after dismissing Pathum Nissanka • Jan 17, 2022 © AFP/Getty Images

Muzarabani in the second over, but Chatara ensured the mistake would barely cost Zimbabwe, nipping one back off the pitch to breach his defences, for 7. Nissanka, arguably Sri Lanka’s best batter in the previous ODI, was out next over, edging a teasing Muzarabani delivery behind.

When Chandimal edged Muzarabani to the slips in the eighth over, it left Sri Lanka at 31 for 3. Already the hosts’ chances were dwindling. When Asalanka departed for 23, the hosts’ plight appeared pretty much shot.

Dasun Shanaka celebrates his fifty • Jan 17, 2022 © AFP/Getty Images

Kamindu Mendis and Shanaka kept the hosts alive with the biggest stand of the game. Where Kamindu was watchful, Shanaka was aggressive from very early in his innings, smoking Madhevere over midwicket for six off the sixth ball he faced, before crashing him for four through cover later in that over. Shanaka continued to find regular boundaries, particularly square of the wicket. But as briskly as he scored, it never seemed quick enough to put Sri Lanka in control, particularly as Kamindu scored at a measured pace

through the course of his knock.

By the end of the 30th over, the required rate had crept up to 7.65. After the 35th, it was up to 8.06, and Kamindu had just got out.

Shanaka and Karunaratne then put on 66 together, but the runs didn’t come fast enough, and the partnership was not sufficiently substantial.

Scores: Zimbabwe 302 for 8 (Ervine 91, Raza 56, Vandersay 3-51) beat Sri Lanka 280 for 9 (Shanaka 102, Kamindu 57, Chatara 3-52, Muzarabani 3-56) by 22 runs.

Player replacement for England at ICC U19 Men’s CWC 2022 The ICC has confirmed that the Event Technical Committee of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 has approved Benjamin Cliff as a replacement for Sonny Baker in the England squad.

Baker has a back injury and is not able to take any further part in the tournament. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.The Event Technical Committee consists of the Chair Chris Tetley (ICC Head of Events), Ben Leaver (ICC Senior Event Manager), Fawwaz Baksh (Tournament Director) Roland Holder (CWI Representative) Alan Wilkins and Russel Arnold (both

independent representatives).

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s opener Haseebullah put on the highest score of the tournament so far with 135 from 155 balls as he and Irfan Khan combined for a 192-run third-wicket partnership in their Group C game against Zimbabwe.

Irfan was forced to go for 81 from 77 balls, including eight fours, after being caught

by David Bennett off the bowling of Mcgini Dube.

Zimbabwe continued the fightback, led by right-arm seamer Alex Falao, who took the wicket of Haseebullah on his way to five for 58 as Pakistan ended with 315 for nine.

The Chevrons had already produced a score higher than this against Papua New Guinea

in their opening game of Group C but faltered in this chase.Matthew Welch and Steven Saul combined at the top of the order to put on 34 for the first wicket.

The next six wickets fell for 77 runs before a timely partnership of 83 runs between Bennett and Mataranyika gave Zimbabwe a glimmer of hope.

B u t w i t h B e n n e t t ’s dismissal they were left needing 121 runs with only 58 balls remaining, Mataranyika followed his partner back to the hutch two balls later before the final wicket of Mcgini Dube fell to hand Pakistan a convincing 115-run victory.

Scores: Pakistan 315 for 9 (Haseebullah 135*, Irfan 75, Falao 5-58) beat Zimbabwe 200 all out (Bennett 82, Awais 6-56) by 115 runs.

Haseebullah’s century is the tournament’s highest individual score so far. (ICC via Getty Images)

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 19, 2022

PAGE 29

Mixed Martial Arts team to compete at IMMAF W/C’ships It was announced yesterday at a press conference at the National Racquet Centre on Woolford Avenue, Georgetown, that six Guyanese will be among the 529 athletes from 60 Countries who will participate in the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) A m a t e u r Wo r l d Championships in Abu Dhabi from January 24 to 29.

This is the first World Championship since the COVID-19 pandemic hit almost two years ago and it will be the first time that Guyana will participate in this Championship.

Guyana will be represented by Corwin D’Anjou in the Men’s Welterweight (77.1kg), Webster McRae in the

Middleweight (83.9kg), Ijaz Cave and Akeem Fraser in the Men’s Light Heavyweight (93kg), Christopher James in the Heavyweight (120.2kg) and John Campayne in the Super Heavyweight (no limit).

GMMAF’s President Gavin Singh said the local governing body has placed itself in a position where Guyana is now eligible to compete at major global events.

This posture was made possible by the lull in activities that came as a direct consequence of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19.

“The Federation has spent the last two years preparing and planning. We have seized the opportunity that the pandemic presented

to ensure that we would have gotten our official accreditation from the international body,” Singh informed.

“This in itself was a lot of hard work and dedication.

What has this opportunity presented to us?

“Because of the accreditation, Guyana now has the opportunity to participate in the World Championship moving forward, and in the near future, the Olympics,” the GMMAF Head added.

Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation (GMMAF) Executive member, Dr. Sawan Jagnarain said the Guyana contingent will work diligently to ensure it is in full compliance with the regulations set out by the World Anti-Doping Agency

One Guyana Cycling Group Ride

Guyana to Suriname ride set for Jan 27-31

By Sean Devers rganised by Kwame Ridley, Paul Choo-weenan, Sean Chan, and Jeffrey Yearwood under the tag line ‘One Guyana Cycling Group Ride’ approximately 30 cyclists including female riders, are expected to ride from Guyana to Suriname.

This event will be held between January 27 and 31.

The second such activity is a group ride and not a race and it will be used as preparations for 2022 local Cycling season.

There is a registration fee of US$250 per rider which c o v e r s H o t e l accommodation, ferry crossing and transportation for the return trip from Paramaribo.

Registration closes on Friday January 21 and Committee member Jeffery Yearwood informed that alot of persons are expressing an interest while some have already confirmed.

Anyone from anywhere can participate once they can satisfy the requirements which are being fully vaccinated, have a negative PCR Test within 24 hours, Yellow Fever Vaccine Card, Passport must be valid for six months, If not Guyanese; must possess a valid Visa, while Bicycles must be serviced and inspected one week before travel.

“The Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) is not involved in this event but they are aware of it.

The group ride is being

O

funded by sponsorship from corporate Guyana and while the Government has expressed an interest, but I am not sure if they have made an official commitment as yet,” informed Yearwood.

Yearwood added that he was not sure what the covid19 Task Force in the Dutch speaking Nation would require but said all of the riders from Guyana would have to have vaccine cards and a negative PCR test result.

This event is brainchild of another Committee member Kwame Ridley, who divulged that it all started in 2018 when all of the Cyclists would normally go on a ‘Sunday Morning’ group ride.

They would ride from Georgetown to Parika, Georgetown to Linden and Georgetown to Mahaicony.

“One day we decided that this is boring and we planned our Suriname trip which became a reality in 2019. Due to the pandemic in 2020 we could not pull off the Suriname trip.

However, we had a group ride from Georgetown to Berbice Bridge and back,” Ridley disclosed.

Ridley posited that this ride would be beneficial since it would: attract tourism, bringing the two countries together, creating harmony through cycling; uniting local cyclists in terms of bringing the clubs together, cycling can be used as a therapy, fitness, a

personal goal, time management among other things.

Ridley said the greatest challenge was to convince the cyclists to go on the trip since it was a cross country cycling trip and the first in history to occur here.

“In 2019, a team of eight brave men decided to take up challenge to go on the trip.

This year we have doubled the number of cyclists for the trip and this is remarkable and also a great achievement.

The response from the riders is heart-warming since they are eager and most of all excited to embark on the trip since it will be the first time for some of them.

Four females are listed to go on the trip and we have a 45 old female being the oldest and the youngest being 19 years old.

We are extremely happy to have a guest rider and his name is Tyson English; this was the same guy who did a solo ride from Georgetown to Lethem by himself,” continued Ridley.

When the Group crosses the border, 12 cyclists from Suriname will join the group from Guyana at South Drain, Nickerie and we will ride together to Paramaribo.

Registration close on Friday January 21 and the Organisers are catering for 30 riders and hoping to make this an annual Event.

Those interested can call telephone numbers 6213249, 608-9279 or 6882995.

(WADA).

“In competing globally we must adhere to international standard and international regulations, and in so doing, we are working along with the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation to ensure our

team is actually following the WADA guidelines and the WADA code. I urge the athletes to comply rigidly to the point they can make it a lifestyle because it actually creates a fair mechanism for the sport,” Dr. Jagnarain noted.

Coach, Sensei Troy Bobb, spoke about the team’s preparation and feels good performances will help to open doors.

He said that their success at the event will spur the development of the (Continued on page 27)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 30

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Ghana dumped out by debutants Comoros in one of Afcon’s greatest shocks BBC Sport - Ghana suffered a humiliating group-stage exit at the Africa Cup of Nations after the four-time champions were beaten by debutants Comoros.

El Fardou Ben Nabouhane put the islanders ahead early on, and Ghana then went down to 10 men when Andre Ayew was shown a straight red card.

Ahmed Mogni doubled the lead before the Black Stars fought back to make it 2-2.However, Mogni tapped in his second in the 85th minute to inflict Ghana’s first group-stage exit since 2006.

The result in Group C will go down as one of the biggest shocks in Nations Cup history as Comoros scored at the finals for the first time and then went on to record their maiden victory.

Incredibly, the side ranked 132nd in the world now have a chance to reach the knockout stages as one of four best-ranked thirdplaced sides.

The tiny island nation with just under a million inhabitants - and more famous for its history of political coups than its football - had only won its first Nations Cup or World Cup qualifier in 2016 at the 20th attempt.A squad bolstered by members of the diaspora, with many plying

Andre Ayew’s red card left Ghana facing an uphill task. (Getty Images) their trade in the lower leagues in France, lost just once to achieve a maiden qualification and Comoros have now beaten one of the continent’s giants.

Ghana had put in disjointed displays in their first two games, a 1-0 defeat

by Morocco and a niggly 1-1 draw with Gabon, and finish bottom of the group table despite putting in a spirited display following Ayew’s 25th-minute sending off.

Their fans in the Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua looked stunned at the fulltime whistle, being left to contemplate a rollercoaster second half which ended their bid for a first Nations Cup title since 1982.

Their exit in Cameroon will increase the pressure on coach Milovan Rajevac, who returned for a second spell in charge in September.

The Serb led the Black Stars to the Nations Cup final in 2010 and the World Cup quarter-finals the same year, and guided the West Africans through to Africa’s play-offs for this year’s World Cup. However, Ghana only won their qualifying group ahead of South Africa on goals scored and are unseeded for the play-off draw - where they will face one of Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Nigeria for a place in Qatar.

Comoros, meanwhile, celebrated their three points

heartily and now await the final round of matches in the remaining three groups to see if their stunning victory can extend their stay at the tournament.

VAR decision leaves Ghana reeling Ghana had needed a win to have a chance of a spot in the last 16 and made the worst possible start by conceding in the fourth minute.Ibroihim Youssouf was released down the right before finding Ben Nabouhane in the middle, and the Comoros skipper sent a low left-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner from the edge of the area.Kamaldeen Sulemana tested Comoros keeper Salim Ben Boina with two

shots from outside the area, the second of which provided another turning point in the contest.

Ben Boina spilled the winger’s shot and Ayew went in strongly in an attempt to win the loose ball.

The coming together injured the keeper and the Ghana captain looked surprised to be shown red following a video assistant referee review, with replays showing he went in with studs up and made contact with Ben Boina’s upper arm.

The Comoros keeper was injured in the clash and forced off, leading to the introduction of Ali Ahamada, who came into the tournament without a club

side.

Black Stars rally but ultimately denied The islanders made it 2-0 just after the hour mark as Mogni twisted and turned the Ghana defence on the edge of the area before sending a low shot past Jojo Wollacott and into the bottom right-hand corner.

The strike sparked a group celebration down by the corner-flag involving substitutes - but Ghana i m m e d i a t e l y stirred.Richmond Boakye looped in a header from a corner and, after Ahamada had clawed away two threatening balls in from Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, Ghana levelled in the 77th minute from another set piece.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey flicked on a corner and Alexander Djiku was on hand to convert from close range to give the Black Stars renewed hopes of going through.

But those dreams were dashed five minutes from time when Bendjaloud Youssouf cut the ball back for Mogni to seal a famous win for Comoros.Ghana, who appear to lack leaders of the calibre of Asamoah Gyan, the striker who led them to the last eight at the World Cup 12 years ago, now face the challenge of regrouping before March’s World Cup play-offs.

Police FC’s Alleia, Chance hailed as bright prospects by Coach Mills

By Zaheer Mohamed

A

lleia Alleyne and Martha Chance of Police FC were hailed as bright prospects by Coach Vurlon Mills following their win against GT Panthers in the recently concluded Guyana Football Federation-GNWFA Women’s Super 16 tournament.

Police FC came from one goal down to win the duel 4-2 with Dennecia Prince scoring a hat-trick at Leonora.

Alleyne and Chance were outstanding throughout the tournament and Coach Mills lauded the duo for their enthusiasm. “We had two guess players who brought something special to the team, but I felt Alleyne was the best midfielder in the tournament and deserves recognition,” he added.

Thirteen-year old Chance was impressive scoring three goals in the competition. “This is something special from her, to

Action between Police FC and GT Panthers in the GFF-GNWFA final at Leonora.

score three goals in four games is quite an achievement and she is definitely a prospect for the future,” he said.

Tiandi Smith sealed the game for Police, finding the back of the net in the 83rd minute and Mills stated that he was pretty confident

going into the final. “Given the performance of my team in the semi finals against Fruta Conquerors, I think we had a

wonderful game. We had six players who weren’t feeling too well, unfortunately they too played because we didn’t have any more personnel and they gave their all,” he posited.

The teams were locked at 2-2 at half time, however Police FC dominated the second half, scoring two more goals and Coach Mills said they have had to make some adjustments following the break.

“We had to place more emphasis in the mid-field and changed our system somewhat in order to be more superior in that area.

We weren’t making enough combination passes in the first half and weren’t meshing well so we made some adjustments in the second half and went ahead by two goals,” he explained.

Mills felt that the togetherness within the team was vital in their successful campaign.

He said the players kept on building better relationships and this assisted in playing as a unit.

Wednesday January 19, 2022

Kaieteur News

PAGE 31

Simmons implores players to better assess situations ahead of Betway T20I series against England SportsMax - West Indies senior Men’s head coach Phil Simmons says players must be more aware of situations ahead of the Betway T20 International Series against England.

“Each game has a situation.

Every ball is a situation in the game, and we’ve got to

be able to assess that situation and know how we have to play in that game. If you’re 20-3 you play differently than if you’re 400.

These are the little situations that we need to highlight and win and that will take us to winning the game,” he said in a press

conference yesterday.

Simmons also explained that the return of the West Indies to the pinnacle of world cricket will only come with a focus on development at all levels.

“Definitely things need to be changed at different levels. You don’t become bad batsmen at this level,” he

said.

He continued on, saying that responsibility lies with coaches at all levels to see to the development of players in the region.

“You come up here thinking you are able to play up here, but things are not going the way they should do so there must be some sort of

responsibility taken from the levels before us and that’s something that has to be addressed, generally, as an organization,” Simmons added.

With that said, Simmons also acknowledged that once players get to the international level, they also have a part to play.

“In saying that, the guys, when they come up here, need to fight harder.

They need to put more effort into wanting to be the best in the world when they come up here,” he added.

The West Indies will play five T20 Internationals against England in Barbados starting on January 22.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 32

Wednesday January 19, 2022

ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup West Indies 2022

South Africa, England and Afghanistan romp to victories South Africa’s Dewald Brevis, England’s Tom Prest and Afghanistan Suliman Safi produced outstanding performances to propel their sides to victory as the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket Wo r l d C u p c o n t i n u e d yesterday.

Brevis cracked 108 and took the final wicket as South Africa downed Uganda by 121 runs in Trinidad, an emphatic response to their opening Group B defeat at the hands of India.

Prest made 93 at a run-aball before chipping in with two wickets to see England to a 106-run victory over Canada, making it back-toback Group A wins in the process.

In the day’s other game in Tr i n i d a d , A f g h a n i s t a n became the final team to get their tournament underway and rolled Uganda for 65 to prevail by 135 runs.

‘Baby AB’ puts on a show Having elected to make first use of the Queen’s Park Oval pitch, the young Proteas stuttered and lost openers Ethan-John Cunningham (1) and Valintine Kitime (12) in the powerplay.

That brought Brevis to the crease, with the starlet nicknamed ‘Baby AB’ hoping to build on his fine 65 in a tournament-opening loss to India. He cracked a pair of back-foot boundaries from the second and third balls he faced and pulled medium p a c e r Yu n u s u S o w o b i dismissively for six in the 13th over.

B r e v i s ’s f a s t s t a r t allowed skipper George Van Heerden to play on the undercard and the pair combined for 74 before the latter pulled a full toss to Fahad Mutagana at 113 for three. Brevis pressed on, scoring heavily behind

square on the off side and building a half-century partnership with Kaden Solomon that ended when t h e k e e p e r- b a t t e r w a s stumped at 166 for four.

Wickets fell around him regularly but with a quick single in the 41st over, Brevis brought up a superb century from 108 balls and lifted his side above 200.

The innings petered out somewhat and South Africa lost their last five wickets for 24 runs thanks to seamers Juma Miyagi (3-33) and Pascal Murungi (3-58).

Uganda also found the powerplay overs tough going and left-armer Aphiwe Mnyanda turned the screw early on, castling Ronald Omara in the second over.

Mutagana and Isaac Ategeka steadied the ship and got to 33 for one before the former nicked off to Solomon to give Mnyanda another.

That would prove the biggest partnership of the innings as Uganda subsided to 110 all out, losing their last five wickets for 24 runs.

Brevis was the undisputed star of the show with bat and ball, also chipping in with 2-18 and bowling Juma Miyai to take the wicket that sealed victory.

South Africa finish their Group B campaign against Ireland on Friday while Uganda face group leaders India on Saturday.

England show off batting firepower England only needed to chase down 98 to win their opening game against Bangladesh but could flex their batting muscles when inserted by Canada at Warner Park.

Jacob Bethell (7) was bowled in the seventh over, bringing together George Thomas and captain Tom Prest who immediately took the game to the Canadian

bowling attack. Prest was particularly good at picking length and pealed a pair of fours from the final over of t h e p o w e r p l a y, w h i c h England ended at 48 for one.

He also played an inventive scoop off Gurnek Singh for four behind square and brought up his half-century in 58 balls.

Prest lost Thomas midway through the innings when he played a tentative push and missed, bowled for 52 at 116 for two. He was ably supported by James Rew (33) and when the skipper was trapped in front for a run-a-ball 93, the momentum was maintained

by William Luxton and George Bell.

The buccaneering pair struck five sixes between them with Bell responsible for three in an eye-catching 57 from just 35 balls. That took England to 320-7 from 50 overs.

England got rid of Canada opener Siddh Lad (5) in the fifth over but were met with firm resistance in the form of a second-wicket stand worth 60.

Keeper-batter Anook Chima made a measured 38 from 65 balls and Yasir Mahmood (25) joined him at the crease for a productive ten overs. Skipper Prest got rid of Mahmood and then four wickets fell for 35 runs as the Canadian run chase floundered.

England were defied by Gurnek Singh, who hit four fours and two sixes, and Ethan Gibson who also played a range of attacking shots in a seventh-wicket stand worth 74. But Josh Boyden took control with the ball and snaffled three of the last four wickets to fall to tear 4-44, his second fourwicket hall in as many games. Canada were only bowled out in the

penultimate over, for 214.

Afghanistan excel with bat and ball Afghanistan, quarterfinals at the last edition of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, made a steady start but were rocked by shedding three wickets in four overs inside the powerplay.

Mohammad Ishaq (21) was brilliantly caught by Peter Karoho, Bilal Sayedi (12) was comprehensively bowled and Allah Noor (2) flicked to a fielder as they sank to 40 for three.

The innings hinged on the fourth-wicket stand between captain Suliman Safi and Ijaz Ahmadzai, who

took the game away from PNG with a partnership of 105.

They struck a perfect balance between attack and defence and dealt primarily in boundaries, with 44 of Safi’s 62 runs coming from fours and Ahmadzai striking seven fours and a six. They were separated by Katenalaki Singi at 145-4 and his superb spell of 4-18 from five overs helped bowl Afghanistan out for 200 in 38.2 overs.

But PNG, appearing at the event for the eighth time, never looked likely to chase it down and it was downhill from the moment that Karoho was bowled on the

first ball of the innings.

The Afghan attack all excelled and emerged with remarkable figures, with Naveed Zadran taking 2-9 from five overs and Nangeyalia Kharote 2-5 from three. With No.8 Aue Oru top-scoring with 13, PNG were dismissed for 65 from 20.5 overs.

Next up for Afghanistan is rivals Pakistan on Thursday, who PNG then face on Saturday.

Today’s matches: India v Ireland, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago Australia v Scotland, Conaree Cricket Center, St Kitts and Nevis

Benjamin Alexander is the first to represent Jamaica at Olympic Skiing.

Alexander secures historic Winter Olympics qualification - athlete will be first to ski for Jamaica SportsMax - Former DJ Benjamin Alexander will become the first man to represent Jamaica, in skiing, at the Winter Olympics after qualifying for the Games last week.

Alexander will make his debut in the men’s giant slalom and qualified for the event after finishing seventh at the Cape Verde National Ski Championships on January 12.

Born to a Jamaican father and English mother, the athlete, now 38, did not take up the sport until 5 years ago while on a visit to Canada. Now he will number among a handful of Jamaicans, 14 to be exact, that have made an appearance at the Games. The journey was anything but simple.

“The biggest emotion I have right now is relief. I have put my entire life into this, my

savings, my reputation, absolutely everything. It’s taken 200% of my all to get here,” Alexander said.

Like so many, Alexander admits to being a fan of cult classic Cool Runnings, the now immortal story that paid tribute to the appearance of the team at the 1988 Calgary Games.

“Had it not been for that movie and my friends making jokes about me being like Cool Runnings I don’t think this plan would have been concocted,” Alexander said.He hopes at the very least to be an inspiration.

“I don’t want to take anything away from the people who started from the age of two.

“My story is all about participation and hopefully inspiring the next generation of Jamaican children to start earlier than 32.”

Kaieteur News

Wednesday January 19, 2022

BCB to invest over $1M in pitch covers as support comes in - County to have adequate covers by next month President of the Berbice Cricket Hilbert Foster during his annual report to members of the Board last December had make a commitment to acquire a total of three more 100 by 24 feet cricket covers by the end of his third term in December , 2023. The President, who leads an aggressive marketing team for Guyana most vibrant cricket board, on Friday, last announced that the commitment would be fulfilled by the end of February 2022, almost two years before.

Foster, who has spearheaded a major revival of Berbice cricket since his election in 2018 after a Court ordered elections, stated that obtaining covers for pitches was one of the board’s main objective as several major matches were badly affected by rain.

The BCB was first able to obtain a set of covers in 2020 and it has been stored at the historic Albion Cricket Ground. The board in late 2021 then obtained funding from a friend of Berbice cricket who lives way down in Australia to purchase a second set of covers, which is in the custody of the Cotton Tree Cricket Club for cricket in West Berbice.

Junior Minister in the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, on Friday last officially handed over a cheque for three hundred and twenty five thousand dollars towards obtaining one set of covers.

Rodrigues had committed herself to raising funds for the covers to the BCB

President during a meeting to discuss areas of cooperation at her Brickdam Office. The cheque was donated by Vitality Inc at the urging of the Minister and the covers would be handed over shortly to Upper Corentyne Cricket Association for usage in the area.

Foster noted that the area, which has twenty eight teams, plays a lots of major

Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh

finals and the covers would be a major boost towards cutting down the hours of play affected by the weather.

The UCCA, he stated, would be responsible for the storage, transportation and upkeep of the expensive covers, but warned that it shall not be used for privately arranged festive matches.

Long time overseas based donor Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh has also joined in to make the covers project a

Minister Susan Rodrigues hands over sponsorship cheque to BCB Secretary Angela Haniff.

success by pledging to donate six hundred and eighty thousand dollars towards obtaining the other two.

These covers, which would be purchased next month, would be stored at the Area H Ground, Rose Hall Town in the Lower Corentyne area and the Edinburgh Ground on the East Bank of Berbice.

Foster noted that with these investments been made by the BCB, Berbice cricket finals and crucial matches would hardly be affected by heavy rain. The BCB would also be prepared to host major inter county matches along with regional tournaments organised by Cricket West Indies. The five covers combined would safety protect the entire cricketing square at any ground and Foster hailed this as a positive development in the history of Berbice cricket.

Two of the covers were recently used at the Albion Ground for the GCB best of the best matches and Foster boasted that the days of wash out of major matches due to a short heavy downpour are things of the past. The BCB, he stated, would continue to seek ways of obtaining more (Continued on page 25)

PAGE 33

MMA team - Executives of the Guyana Mixed Martial Arts Federation and members of the Guyana team at yesterday’s press conference. (Photo compliments of Avenash Ramzan/News room)

Mixed Martial Arts team to compete at IMMAF W/C’ships rt Simmons implores players o p S to better assess situations ahead of Betway T20I series against England Phil Simmons and Kieron Pollard. (CWI)

Ahmed Mogni (right) downed Ghana in Garoua with two second-half goals.

(Getty Images)

Ghana dumped out by debutants Comoros in one of Afcon’s greatest shocks

Zimbabwe seamers build on Ervine and Raza’s efforts to level series Dasun Shanaka’s century in vain as Sri Lanka fall short in chase of 303 Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.