Kaieteur News

The engulfed Mocha Arcadia house

Ram challenges Ramson in Court over ‘crisis

in Govt. accountability’ …seeks releaseofstudy investigating2016PSAsigning

Chartered Accountant and prominent Attorney-atLaw, Christopher Ram, has filed Guyana's first judicial review action under the Access to Information Act 2011, directly confronting

C o m m i s s i o n e r o f

Information, Charles Ramson Sr 's systematic refusal to enforce the nation'stransparencylaws.

IntheactionfiledonMay 16, 2025, Ram, who is both the applicant and lead attorney in the matter before

theHighCourt,saidthatheis currently writing a book on Oil and Gas and during his research,hestumbledupona book by the former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman "From Destiny to Prosperity". In the book, Trotman r e f e r r e d t o t h e commissioning of an investigation into the circumstances leading up to the signing of the 2016 Petroleum Agreement by Clyde & Co of the United

Kingdom. Ram told the Court that while he is in possession of what appears to be a copy of the Report, the document has no Annexes, causing him to questionitsauthenticity

He was keen to note that t h i s s t u d y w a s commissioned by a Minister of Government and paid out of public funds, making it an official document within the meaning of the Access to InformationAct2011.

To this end, the Lawyer

made a request for (a) the January 2020 report by Clyde & Co. and its annexes relatingtotheirinvestigation into the 2016 Petroleum Agreement; (b) the Escrow Letter referenced in the Bridging Deed dated June 29,2016;(c)detailsofpublic payments made to Clyde & C o f o r t h e s a i d investigation; and (d) details of public funds expended in relationtotheBridgingDeed and associated Escrow arrangements.

Commissioner of Information, Charles Ramson SC

Following failed efforts to access the information from both Ramson and the present Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, Ram on April 23, 2025, issued a Pre-Action Letter to both the Respondent and the Minister, giving them notice ofhisintentiontocommence legal proceedings if the information was not provided.

In the documents submitted to the court, Ram said, “More than three years later, I am still denied access to a publicly funded ministerial report, hindering the completion of my book on oil and gas and affecting my constitutional rights. I have since written to the President of Guyana, under whose Office the official functions of the Respondent fall, to complain about its failuretoact.”

Further, he noted that the Ramson's continued refusal to discharge his statutory dutyhascausedpersonaland professional prejudice and undermines the purpose of the Access to Information Act Consequently, the Attorney-at-Law has asked the Court to grant a declaration that Ramson has failed to comply with the requirements of the Access to Information Act 2011; a declaration that the report commissioned by Clyde & Co into the circumstances leading up to the signing of the 2016 Petroleum Agreement is an official document within the meaning of the Act; a mandamus compelling the Respondent to provide accesstothecompletereport including all annexes as well as costs and other reliefs deemedjustbytheCourt. Ram, in his application, positedthatasacitizen,heis entitled, under Sections 5, 12(1)and18oftheAccessto Information Act 2011 (“the Act”), to request and obtain access to official documents heldbypublicauthorities. He quoted Section 5 (1-

Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram

2) of the Act which states, “The President shall appoint a Commissioner of Information who shall be a personofeminenceinpublic life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass media or

(2) The

o f Information shall be a c l e a r i n g h o

e f o r processingrequestsandshall discharge the functions assigned to him under this Act.”

M o r e o v e r , R a m highlighted Section 12 (1), w h i c h s t a t e s , “Notwithstanding any law to the contrary and subject to the provisions of this Act, it shall be the right of every Guyanese citizen or person domiciled in Guyana to obtain access to an official document.”

Ramson's acthaspointed to a sustained failure to discharge mandatory statutory functions in an unlawful manner, an abuse o

ce and misfeasance and bad faith, accordingtothelawyer M e a n w h i l e , i n a statement, Ram said, “This case will determine whether Guyana's transparency laws have meaning or remain emptypromises.”

The lawyer believes Ramson has fundamentally failed in his statutory duty, creating what amounts to a “constitutional crisis in governmentaccountability”.

Prior to the legal action being filed, Ram and scores of other Guyanese from various organizations held peaceful protest exercises outside the Commissioner's East Street, Georgetown office, calling for his appointmenttobecancelledamong other things- over his failure to perform legal duties, including completion of Annual Reports to be tabled in the National Assembly

Assets already paid for with US$34B of Guyana’s

oil are not owned by the country

Although ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) has recovered overUS$34BofGuyana'soiltopay fortheassetsthatcurrentlyproduce oil and even fund projects that are still to come on stream, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has said that these assets do not belong to thestate.

The VP made this clear during hispressconferenceonThursdayat Freedom House, in response to a question from Kaieteur News. The leader was asked who the owners areoftheassetsthathavebeenpaid for using' US$34B of this countrys oil.

To this end, he explained, “So first of all, the assets still belong to the company They don't change ownership from the company But, so these assets are still working, so what happens is that if you pay off withtheassets,thenyouhavemore money left now to distribute as profits.”

Jagdeo said that the country does not become the owner of the assets after the costs have been recovered,butstillstandstobenefit from an increased share of profits asaresult.

“So now we will have more money to distribute as profit,

because we paid off of the assets. They are off our books. So, what happens is the government's share of revenue skyrockets, which will happen in future years. So, the assets ownership don't change, it's just the composition of the distribution, or the share, the proportion of the revenue set aside for distribution, to government and the investor, as profit, their share goes up,” the chief policymaker for thesectorinformed.

He pointed out that Guyana currently pays 75% towards cost recovery while the remaining 25% is shared with the operator as profits, with the country gaining an additional2%inroyalty

As the value of the cost bank declines, he reasoned that the country will experience a higher flow of revenue, although the ratio willremainthesameforcalculating profits.

“So, we'll get 50% of the profit,

-Jagdeo

nowinthefutureour50%wouldbe ofabiggerpool.Thesameratiowill maintain,50%, but of a bigger pool ofresources,andthenplus2%,”the VPnoted.

Jagdeo previously told

reporters that Exxon is free to sell the assets paid for by Guyana to handle costs related to an oil spill, as the country is not a co-owner of theinfrastructure.

Subsequently, former head of the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA),Dr VincentAdams, in a scathing response, argued that the'VPsexplanationwasillogical.

Dr Adams said, “He need to go read the (oil) contract. They have gottoturnoverallofthoseassetsto us, free of charge, and now he talking 'well, we would freeze the assets and sell it.' It's the stupidest thingIhaveeverheard.”

Furthermore, he believes, “Exxonseesthatthisgovernmentis reckless and spineless and weak and they are taking advantage of them”.

Assetsandthe2016PSA

Article 20 of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) specify terms related to 'Rights to Assets' state that upon expiry or termination of the Agreement, the

Contractor shall deliver to the Minister, free of charge, in good order and condition, (fair wear and tearexcept)allinstallations,works, pipelines, pumps, casings, tubings, engines and other equipment, machinery or assets of a fixed or permanentnatureconstructed,used or employed by the Contractor or theOperatorintheContractArea. It goes on to state that this also applies to any fixed assets relating to Petroleum Operations outside the Contract Area and movable assets owned by the Contractor or Operator and used or employed in connection with Petroleum Operations and located in Guyana for which costs have been fully recovered.

Govt. passes law protecting parent companies from paying for oil spill

By:DavinaBagot

The Oil Pollution Prevention, Preparedness, R e s p o n s e a n d Responsibility Bill was passed on Friday evening in the National Assembly, shielding parent companies of petroleum operators from oilspillcosts.

Following a four-hourlong debate at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, Lilliendaal,Georgetown,the government, with its oneseat majority, managed to pushtheBillthroughdespite calls from the opposition for the Bill to be sent to the Special Select Committee forrefining.

Leading the debate on the opposition side, Shadow Minister of Natural Resources, Shurwayne Holder, pointed to the fact that the new law protects the 'parent' of oil companies from costs associated with a spill.

HecitedPartVI(6)ofthe new law, which addresses liabilityorwhathedescribed as “the backbone of PPP's deceit.”HequotedClause17 of the Law, which states, “A responsiblepartyisliablefor all damages caused by an oil spill incident, removal and

removal costs, and restoration of environment as far as practicable, and for any costs arising therefrom orconnectedtherewith.”

Holder pointed out that while this section sounds brilliant, the government waged war in and out of the courtroomagainstthepeople of Guyana for an unlimited Parent Company Guarantee. With elections now nearing, the Opposition MP said the government seems to have awakened from their slumber to champion full liability coverage. However, thisisnomorethana“hoax”. Holderexplainedthatthe

law establishes that the “responsible party” has full responsibility for any spill, even as he went on to describewhotheresponsible partyis.

“In the case of the oil

…OppositionMPsvoteagainst passageoflegislation

I t s t a t e s , “ A n indemnification or any like agreement shall be invalid for the purposes of transferring the liability of a responsible party under this act.”

governmentisdeceivingthis nation.”

MP David Patterson also highlighted similar concerns in his contribution to the debate. He told the National AssemblythatifEMGLfails

rigs,theresponsibleparty,as established by this bill on page 9, is the operator of the facility or the holder of the exploration and production license. In other words, Mr Speaker, it is the subsidiary of Exxon, a “Limited Liability Company” formerly called EEPGL, renamed ExxonMobil Guyana It is a limited Liability Company with no real assets except those in its possession that are already owned by Guyana through thepetroleumcontract.”

Holder went further into the Act as he drew the Assembly's attention to Clause 21, which makes it clear that there shall be “no transferofliability”.

To this end, the MP told his colleagues that one may be persuaded to believe that this is exceptional; however, “this is where the con job is operationalized.”

Holder explained that ExxonMobil Guyana, as a limitedliabilitysubsidiaryof the Parent Company Exxon MobilCorporation,willnow be shielded from liabilities, while the company that virtually owns nothing will beheldresponsibleforcosts.

He warned, “So what they can do, if the oil spill is of a significant magnitude such that they are unable to cover it financially, they can file for bankruptcy, leaving Guyana to hold onto nothing. This is how this

to cover the costs associated with an oil spill, then the p a r e n t c o m p a n y i s completely off the hook, as companiesarenotallowedto transferliabilities.

Limitedtimeforclaims

Moreover, Patterson highlighted Clause 23 of the new law, which limits citizenstooneyeartofilefor compensationafteraspill. It states at 23 (1) “Without prejudice to any other action with respect to the same matter which is lawfully available, a person affected by an oil spill incident to which this Act applies,mayfileaclaimwith the Oil Spill Incident Board (Continued on page 45)

Table showing the Stabroek Block projects that could have been paid off by Guyana with ring-fencing

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall

Opposition MP, Shurwayne Holder

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur News

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

Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456

Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS

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

EDITORIAL

Secondauditreport(again)

Guyanese heads should be spinning by now, given how the PPPC Government has them goingroundandround.

An audit report should not be such a problem for a government. An audit report for US$7.3B that was supposedly completed and cleared for public release shouldn’t be a matter for discussion. Considering all that has gone on with audits of the oil sector, we have to ask whetherthissecondauditreportisamysteryoracoldcase stuffedinsomefreezertohideit. Wetrytotrackthisaudit reportmysterytoseewhatweget,andwhytheholdupwith itsrelease.

In November 2024, six months ago, Commissioner GeneraloftheGuyanaRevenueAuthority,GodfreyStatia, said, “The final audit will be released within the week. I havealreadygiventhego-aheadtoVHEforthemtodoso.”

VHEConsultingispartoftheauditconsortiumengagedby thePPPCGovernmenttoexamineExxonMobil’sexpenses incurred for the period 2018-2020. A reasonable person would think that, once the work was done, and the report finalized,theofficialreportwouldbebeforeallGuyanese.

In another country with different leaders running the government, there could be such a standard, with citizens justifiedinharbouringsuchexpectations. NotinGuyana, which has its own standards, and where its leaders have their own culture that even something as basic as a completed audit leads to runaround after runaround.Six months after Statia gave his “go-ahead”, the people responsibleforreleasingthesecondauditreporthavegone underground,oronago-slow Thatwasthefirstsignthat thereleaseofthisauditreportwascausingthegovernment someseriouscramps.

Theseconddevelopmentinthiscloudyaffairoccurred fourweeksago,anditrestartedthisauditmerry-go-round. The political leader who gave himself the plum appointment of Guyana’s oil czar, Bharrat Jagdeo, when pressedforanansweronwherethesecondauditreportwas, said it should have been released: “I will check why they have not done the same.” Experience has taught us that whenJagdeostartstoshiftaroundwithhisanswers,thenit istimetotightenseatbelts. Heisgoingtocomeupwitha fast move that could throw the unsuspecting overboard. Jagdeodidnotdisappoint,forthisisexactlywhathappened whenpartthreeofthisdisturbingauditstorysurfaced.

OnThursday(May15),Jagdeowaspushedagainforan answeronthewhereaboutsoftheUS$7.3Bauditreportthat was causing VHE Consulting and the Ministry of Natural Resourcessomuchtroubletoputinthepublicdomain. In thetraditionalJagdeododgymanner,hehasareadyanswer, through a new stanza to his audit release poem: “I keep saying that these audit things and stuff, you got to track it downwiththeMinistry…documentsandstuff,Idon’tdeal with the small issues.” He pretended not to have given a recent commitment to “check why they have not done the same”, and now had this brand-new story about “I don’t dealwiththesmallissues.”

Anauditteamselectionthatstartedinsomeuncertainty, anauditprocessthatcontinuedwithsomemisgivings,and findingsthatcannotfindtheirwaybeforethepublicisnow ‘small stuff’for the nation’s oil boss. An audit report for US$7.3Bqualifiestobeamongthe“smallissues”thatare belowJagdeo’stimeandinterest. Ashegoes,sodotherest ofthepeople.

ForhehadsentthisnewspapertoMinisterBharrat,who redirectedtoBobbyGossai,seniorpetroleumcoordinator, who passed the audit report hot potato to the ministry’s website. Tonobody’ssurprise,thefinalauditreportforthe US$7.3BinExxonMobilexpenseswasconspicuousbyits absence. Thisiswhatpassesforoilsectoroversightinthis country Guyanesearehungry,likelygettingcheated,and thePPPCGovernmentplaysthesegames.

The VHE audit report now seems to have radioactive particles in it. Everybody in the government is afraid to touchit,talkaboutit,orhanditover Somethingisrotten, andthat’sthesmellallGuyanesearegetting.

Bill NO. 9 of 2025 opens space for perceived or real manipulation

DEAREDITOR, On Friday evening the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs laid a bill in the National Assembly “Bill No. 9 of 2025 Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill 2025). The government is seeking to amend Section 33C (1) of the PrincipalAct by the substitution for the word “shall” to the word “may”.

The Explanatory Memorandumfurtherstates, “This change they said is necessary to provide discretion as regards the revisionoftheofficiallistof electorsandthenon-resident electors roll under certain circumstances.”

S e c t i o n 3 3 C ( 1 )

Currently states “Where there is an interval of more than three months, but not exceeding six months, after the qualifying date with reference to which the officiallistofelectors,orthe non-resident electors roll is prepared under section 33A(1) and the day appointed for the next election after that date, the Commissioner shall cause the official list of electors and non-resident electors roll to be revised, in accordance with procedure established by the Commissionbyregulation”.

I must at the outset indicate that I am by no means a lawyer but my layman understanding of the word “shall” suggests that it

makestheactionmandatory, thus obligating GECOM to revise the OLE once three monthshavepassed(butnot more than 6 months) between the qualifying date and election day It also implies that the action is a statutoryonewherethereare clear timelines and expectations, and thus, GECOM can be held accountable if they do not fulfilthisstatutoryduty This word shall also ensure that thelistiscurrent.

The proposed change from“shall”to“may”makes thisactiondiscretionary,and in the strictest sense, the actionbecomesoptionaland based on the views of GECOMorwhoeverhasthe ears of the person who

makes these decisions. The word “may” opens the door for bias, partisan influence, andarbitrarydecisionstobe made about the updating of theOLE.

Changing “shall” to “may” in Section 33C (1) dilutesthelegalobligationof GECOM to revise the electoral roll in specific, t i m e - s e n s i t i v e circumstances. This change isnothelpfultotransparency or accountability Instead, it risks creating uncertainty, opening space for perceived or real manipulation, and undermining trust in elections.

Thiscannotbeaccepted orcondoned.

TabithaSarabo-Halley, MP

Calling Guyanese “stupid”

is not only

reprehensible

but also indicative of a leader who is unhinged

DEAREDITOR

, When will Guyanese stand up to Mr Bharrat Jagdeo and his increasingly autocratic regime, and finally condemn his disgraceful and offensive behaviour?Fortoolong,too many have enabled him to believe he is beyond reproach, a supreme authorityabovecriticism.

Mr Jagdeo’s remarks at his press conference on Thursday, May 15, 2025, must be scrutinized

Referring to Guyanese citizens as “stupid” is not only reprehensible but indicative of a leader who seems either unhinged or dangerously detached from reality

This comes at a time when our nation is facing serious crises, including

continued threats from Venezuela; threats Mr Jagdeo has failed to address meaningfully, particularly following the recent shootings of our security personnel. Meanwhile, the countryisstillmourningthe tragic and brutal death of AdrianaYounge.

Yet, Mr. Jagdeo appears moreinterestedinpushinga self-serving agenda than standingwiththepeople.

His use of derogatory terms such as “scrapes,”

“terrorists,” and others to describe patriotic Guyanese isdeeplyinsulting.

One must ask, should Venezuela act aggressively, will it not be those same “scrapes,” the people he mocks, who will rise to defendourhomeland?

Equallytroublingarehis comments regarding the Adriana Younge case

Rather than honouring the public’s call for justice and transparency, Mr Jagdeo seems intent on reshaping

thenarrative,suggestingher death was due to “negligence” rather than possiblefoulplay

This signals what many fear is an attempt to downplay or tell the truth, a pattern some now believe extends to the Executive itself.

Like many concerned citizens, I raise my voice against the Jagdeo/Ali administration’s failure to act transparently and decisively

Adding insult to injury, thePNCRhasrecentlybeen accused of “practicing obeah.”As a proud member of this noble party, I categorically reject such baselessclaims.

I have never practiced norwitnessedsuchactivities within the PNCR. These accusations are nothing more than a desperate distraction from the real issuesplaguingourcountry

Mr Jagdeo’s rhetoric and behaviour render him

unfit for any public office. We, the people of Guyana, mustrememberthewordsof our National Anthem, that ours is a land of freedom, and stand against those who erode that very freedom. Article 146 of our Constitution protects our right to free expression. Let us exercise that right with courageandpurpose. Itistimeforrealchange. LetGuyanabreatheagain. Yourstruly,

AnnetteFerguson,MP

Vacancy

Security Officers, Location: Camp St, One for 4 days relief & one for 5 nights. From 06:00 pm - 06:00 am. For enquires Call: 683-1504.

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCIES!

In case you haven’t heard, please be informed that as part of our continued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our publisher, Mr. Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about on-going indecencies in our land that should matter, not only to us at this publication, but the entire nation.

MONDAY –MAY 12, 2025

Burnout over blackouts

Guyanese are suffering from burnout, which comes from too much emotional and psychological stress Accusatory fingers are rightly pointed at the GPL Inc., and its main output, which takes the form of too manyblackouts.

The PPPC Government is due its full share of criticisms, given its cluelessness and its crooked speech.

W h e n e v e r t h e government presents a cover story as to the reason for blackouts, angry citizens shake their heads in disbelief, so distrusted it has become.

Not just on electricity, but on most of the major developments in Guyana Both GPL and the PPPC Government come in for their share of blows. The reputations of both have never been lower, with the cries for an improved supply ofelectricityrisinghigherall thetime.

TUESDAY – MAY 13, 2025

Politicians and oil

General and regional elections are drawing close.

Politicians will be out seeking the votes of citizens. They will make promises, some of which they do not intend to fulfill but they will make them anyway Their hands are on the oil money and so they do not care too much about the ordinary citizens.

We submit to you that politicians were liars and frauds and deceivers long before oil, and now that beautyspringingfrombelow the sea is here, men in the PPP/C Government and the APNU+AFC Opposition havelosttheirminds. They hide, they lie, they make up stories, and they mock Guyanese as they kick aside the trust given to them. Then they pour salt in the wounds of despairing citizens with more falsehoods, more trickeries, and more thieveries. So, as we go forth this election season, let's be mindful of whom we trust and to whom wegiveoursupport,because someofthebiggestbetrayers and biggest robbers in Guyana are higher up. They are in government offices andpoliticalheadquarters.

WEDNESDAY –MAY 14, 2025 The corruption footprint

is everywhere in Guyana

The PPPC Government likestoclaimhowcleanitis, and how transparent it has been, in defiance of the record.

A recent US State Departmentreportnotedthat the economic appeal of the drug trade in Guyana, with its high poverty rate and low paying public sector jobs, leads individuals to become involved in illicit activities and hinders efforts to curb trafficking.

We zeroed in on that extractfromthe2025United States International Narcotics Control Strategy Report on Guyana. High poverty rate and low paying jobs, the US report said it, notthispaper

When the few Guyanese who summon the courage to state that reality, the government and its leaders, Ali and Jagdeo, engage in one of their usual foot stomping tantrums. Guyanese are denounced, and now the Guyana Government can denounce the US narcotics report, and seehowfaritgets.

It now has its job cut out for it, with this latest US Report on narcotics in Guyana. The corruption

footprint is everywhere, and itis a big one. It is too big to hide, and so broad that many in the government are besmirched.

THURSDAY –MAY 15, 2025

Anew low for Pres.Ali and the PPP/C

The President Irfaan Ali Government has set a new record: no cabinet media briefing for an entire term in office.

The PPP/C, while in opposition, had said much about President David Granger not holding media conferences. PresidentAli is nobetter Atleasteveryweek without fail, Granger's government kept the media updated on important policy positionsanddecisions.

At the moment, the one forum where journalists can guarantee some response to burning questions is the

weekly Freedom House cuss-down show, where reporters and their media houses are degraded and important questions about the affairs of this country are trivialised.

We have editorialised beforehowsuffocatingthose weekly briefings are and how they can hardly be reliedontoinformthenation about government policies andprogrammes.

Therefore, the question must be asked, what is the PPPC Government afraid of, and what are its leaders going to great lengths to conceal?

SATURDAY –MAY 17, 2025

Adriana's death and the PPP

ThePPP'sobsessionwith control has been put on display for all to see by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo.

The politician who believes that all 83,000 square miles of Guyana and everything thereon belongs to him, has now decided that the family of 11-year-old Adriana Younge should not receive a copy of her preliminary post mortemresults.

He said on Thursday that the findings have already been shared by the police, the same group of people thatAdriana'sfamilyhaslost completeconfidencein.

W h y s h o u l d a government decide that the grieving mother and father of this child should not receive a copy of her death findings?

Jagdeo has stretched his mouth too far He has crossed the line here and should be called out for same! The family deserves answers, not a coverup, and Adrianadeservesjustice!

Granger says push to resolve territorial controversy and reassert Guyana's sovereignty was crucial

Amid ramped up aggression by Venezuela over its spurious claim to the Essequibo, former President David Granger said that his move to settle Guyana's longstanding territorial controversy with that country at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) wasn't just appropriate − it was necessary.

Venezuelahasplannedto hold elections here on May 25 to elect a governor for the Essequibo - a move which the ICJ has ordered it to d e s i s t f r o m Notwithstanding, Caracas seems hell bent on defying the court's order and from all appearances have not called off the elections. However, authorities here have said that they have seen no preparation or movement by Venezuelan officials to conduct the sham elections. Speaking to reporters last week, President Irfaan Ali assured Guyanese that the nation's sovereignty will be preserved in the face of activeattemptsbyVenezuela to hold elections to claim Guyana'sEssequiboregion.

President Ali noted that the border is being actively monitored in wake of the planned elections by Venezuela Moreover, the head-of state stressed that thatgovernmentisnotsitting back and waiting for Venezuela to take action.

Government, together with itspartners,ismonitoringthe situation with continuous analysis.

“I want to assure you and

all Guyanese, that the Guyana Defence Force, the government, and every stakeholder, we are putting everything in place to ensure that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana are protected,” the presidentsaid.

Ali noted too that the ICJ has already issued the orders and that Guyana is being guidedbythoseorders.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Kaieteur News Granger, who led the push to reaffirm the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award and bring the decades-old dispute to a definitive legal conclusion upon taking the oath of Office on May 16, 2015 said the move was a significantone.

W i t h Ve n e z u e l a continuing to claim more than two-thirds of Guyana's territory including Guyana's four hinterland regions − Granger maintains t h a t r e s o l v i n g t h e controversy at the ICJ was critical to protecting Guyana's territorial integrity and unlocking its full economic potential, particularly as an emerging petro-state.

Amilitary mind focused on sovereignty Granger, who served as Commander of the Guyana Defence Force and National Security Adviser before taking office, said he made national security a priority from the start of his presidency in May 2015. He recalled that during his inauguration,hehadpledged

to do everything within his power to protect Guyana's territory "That commitment took on new urgency as Venezuela's actions along the frontier became increasingly aggressive," Grangertoldthisnewspaper

He said the Geneva Agreement of 1966 - the diplomatic mechanism meant to peacefully resolve the dispute, had not delivered satisfactory results. "After nearly three decades of the United Nations-led “Good Offices Process,” the situation remained unresolved. The controversy had been raging even prior to Independence in 1966 and the Geneva Agreement seemed to be heading nowhere,” Granger recalled. He added that “it was clear that a more effective path forward was needed to allow Guyana to exploititsresources.”

From dialogue to determination

Signed a mere three months before Guyana's independence, the Geneva Agreement proposed a peaceful resolution of the territorial issue through

President David Granger and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the United Nations' Headquarters in 2017

mutual dialogue. However, the Good Offices Process − in place from 1990 to 2017 − yielded no tangible result. Meanwhile, Venezuela's incursions into Guyanese territory increased. One of the most notorious examples was the Venezuelan Armed Forces' seizure of Ankoko Island in the Cuyuni River, which remains under Venezuelan occupation to thisday

Frustrated by this lack of progress, Granger said he turned to the international stage. He recalled using his first address to the United Nations (UN) General Assembly four months after he was elected President to highlight Venezuela's growing hostility and lobbied the UN Secretary General to use his authority to refer the matter to the ICJ. “I was determined to bring this controversy to a legal conclusion,” Granger said, “sothatfuturegenerationsof Guyanese would not have to live under the shadow of Venezuelanaggression.”

The then UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon recommended continuing

mediation for one more year but, when that effort also failed, his successorAntónio Guterres took decisive action In January 2018, Guterres referred the matter to the ICJ, and Guyana filed its application shortly thereafter.

Theeconomicdimension

Granger emphasized the economic importance of resolving the territorial issue. In 2013, a Venezuelan naval vessel had entered Guyana's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and d i s r u p t e d s e i s m i c exploration by the Teknik Perdana. The incursion sent a chilling message to international investors and underscored the risks of unresolved territorial disputes. “The move to the ICJ was necessary to reassure both citizens and investors that Guyana was determined to defend its territory and its future,” Grangersaid.

ByDecember2019−less than two years after the ICJ case was filed – Granger d e c l a r e d G u y a n a a 'petroleum state' as the first barrels of petroleum were produced.Today,thecountry averages more than 650,000 barrelsperday,positioningit as a significant player in the globalenergymarket.

Granger is confident that his administration's decisive actions were instrumental in making that possible “I think my decision to go to United Nations, my conviction, my commitment and my courage helped to unlock the opportunities for petroleum exploration and production which we enjoy today And without that passionate pursuit of the objective, without the successofthatinitiativeasof 2015 and, of course, what happened in succeeding years, we probably would not have been where we are

today But that bold approach to the two UN secretaries general was key to unlocking Guyana's most important mineral resource ever, ever,” the former Presidentsaid.

Continued tension requires continued preparation

Despite the case having been brought before the ICJ, Venezuela has not relented. Between January and April 2024, it issued decrees seeking to annex Guyana's four hinterland regions and threatened to hold elections there − moves that openly defy international law and the ICJ's rulings. Earlier this year, a Venezuelan navy warship entered Guyana's waters and approached petroleum vessels in Guyana'sEEZ.

Looking ahead

A s t h e I C J c a s e continues, with a final ruling expected in 2026, Guyana stands at a pivotal moment. The decision will not only address the validity of the 1899ArbitralAward but also determine the foundation upon which Guyana's economicfutureisbuilt. Granger,reflectingonhis tenure, believes that initiating legal proceedings was one of the most important decisions of his presidency “That initiative laid the groundwork for Guyana's most valuable resource to be exploited,” he said, adding that “it gave the country the certainty, confidence and security to moveforward.”

With a combination of national defence, strategic diplomacy and legal action, Guyana has positioned itself to face both the challenges and opportunities ahead And if the path forward was shaped by decisive leadership in the past, the lessons of that leadership remainjustasrelevanttoday

Matthews Ridge man remanded for drug possession

A 39-year-old driver of Garrison Hill, Matthews Ridge, North West District, Region One was remanded to prison on Friday for allegedlytraffickingdrugs. The accused, identified as Anthony Dalgetty, was arrested on May 13, 2025, after he was caught with narcotics in his possession at Main Road, Eyelash Backdam.

Dalgetty appeared at the M a t t h e w s R i d g e Magistrates' Court on Friday via Zoom to answer to the possession of narcotics, and possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking charges. Dalgetty pleaded not guilty to both offences and was refused bail. He is scheduled to return to court onJune10,2025.

Remanded: Anthony Dalgetty

On taxes and the public interest

Some things, I believe, ought to r e m a i n quiet—like the blush of a lover, the confessions of a penitent,andthecontentsof aman’simportinvoices.

In a civilized society, thereisanunspokencontract between the citizen and the state We pay our dues, begrudgingly or otherwise, andinreturnweareafforded a measure of discretion. We accept that the taxman must inquire, calculate, even contest. But we also expect

him to do so without announcing it to the whole world.

The recent squabble

between the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Mohamed family, a name that echoes from city to hinterland, has left me uneasy—not so much about the taxes themselves but about the slow and steady corrosionofpropriety Wasit coincidence that this took place soon after the ruling party became concerned a

candidacy of one of the members of the Mohamed f

ily? Tax

ke plumbing, are a necessary nu

,

sance best kept confidential.Yethereweare, knee-deep in the muck of a very public airing. Criminal charges have been filed against a member of the Mohamed clan. This is not unusual; every government has its share of high-profile tax disputes What is unusual disturbing, even—is the fact that the GRA even saw the need to

DEM BOYS SEH

YuhNeedaPhDfuhTeachABC!

AnewEnglishteacherwalkindeclass fresh and bright like morning sun. Before shecouldevenstarttalkin’‘boutverbsand adjectives, one lil boy raise he hand bold bold and ask, “Miss, are you trained in archaeology?”

Dewholeclassbussoutinlaughter De teacherblinktwiceandseh,“Whyonearth would I need to study bones and old pot sherdstoteachEnglish?”

Deboyseh,“Miss,yuhgottodigupde origin of words and unearth dem deep meanings!Datisarchaeology!”

Deteacherseh,“That’setymology,not archaeology!”

Heseh,“Wellisologystill…yuhneed to know dem ologies if yuh dealing with we.Englishisseriousting!”

Thenanextonejumpinandask,“Miss, yuhtrainedinpsychology?”

Sheseh,“Whypsychology?”

De student seh, “Because sometimes yuhgottounderstandwhypeoplewritede way dem write. Some a dem poets sound likedemneedcounselling!”

Anotherstudentseh,“Miss,yuhtrained indrama?”

Sheseh,“Dramanow?Whatnext?”

He seh, “Yuh got to read Shakespeare and act like Juliet dying fuh Romeo. Yuh cyah teach that if yuh ain’t pass drama school!”

One gal at de back seh, “Miss, yuh do culinary arts? ‘Cause when yuh teach we ‘bout metaphors, and seh de earth is like burnt sugar, yuh need to know how sugar doesbun!”

Depoorteacherseh,“IsEnglishIcome to teach, not launch a career in multidisciplinarysciences!”

De same first boy seh, “Miss, if yuh teachingEnglishinthisclass,yuhgonneed training in law too… ‘Cause some a we always in argument ‘bout who right and whowrong!”

Dem boys seh, to teach English these days, yuh better come wid a degree in archaeology, psychology, drama, culinary arts,law,andmaybeevensurvivalskills… ‘Cause some of dem lil children nah playing!

Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

announceitsmove,andtodo soafterthematterwashours in the public domain. Why wouldtheGRAhavetoissue a statement to indicate what is known: that it has filed chargesagainstamemberof the Mohamed family? One hastowonder:towhatend?

The charges were already reported on in the media. Why then did the GRA feel compelled to reiterate what was already known? Was it simply a desire to clarify the record? Or was it the kind of calculated move one makes when trying to signal something? In any case, the signalwasheard.

Even more troubling is the release—or should we saytheleak—ofadocument reportedly obtained from a United States government

agency, purportedly pertainingtotheimportation of a vehicle by one of the Mohameds. The details are irrelevant. The principle is not That document, if genuine, contained information that was never m e a n t f o r p u b l i c consumption.Itshouldhave remained locked behind the twindoorsofconfidentiality andgoodjudgment.

The GRA was not responsible for this leak or release. It was some other agency or person that did this. The leak or release constitutes an affront to the idea of confidentiality of mattersrelatingtoaperson’s tax liability It should not have been published. The GRA, I repeat, was not the offender here. But who

was? And why leak this information? The United States, known for its strict protectionsoftaxpayerdata, cannot look kindly on the public sharing of information that, in its own jurisdiction, would be treated as sacrosanct It raises the very real danger that future cooperation will dry up like a creek in a drought, leaving our local authoritieshandicapped.

Itistempting,Isuppose, to justify the release of documents by invoking the publicinterest.Certainly,the namesoftherichandfamous stir curiosity and even concern. But a line must be drawn between what the public finds interesting and what is legitimately in the publicinterest.

Tax disputes may be of public interest but are still private affairs. To parade them before the masses before charges are actually filedistomakeaspectacleof a system that depends, at its heart,onquietdiscretion.

When I was younger, I believedthatdecencywasan unspoken assumption of governance. Now, I am not sosure.

There is a creeping coarseness in our public affairs, a relish for exposure thatsmellsmoreofvendetta than virtue. The GRA may believe it is merely defending itself, but it must take care not to become a partisan actor, however subtly Today, the target is a man named Mohamed Tomorrow, it could be a farmer with the wrong

friends, or a businessman who asked the wrong question.

There is a larger danger here, and it lies not in the particulars of any one case but in the precedent being set. If the tax authority, whichshouldbeasneutralas alighthouseandassilentasa vault, is perceived to be acting like a political instrument, then that perceptionisnotgood.Does anyone believe that this matter has no relationship with the belief that AzMo may throw his hat in the political ring and possibly threatenthePPPC’sone-seat majority?

Peoplewillargue,rightly or wrongly, that a governmentdoesnotneedto attack its enemies with weapons when it can attack them with audits. In such cases, and let us hope this is notone,thepaperworkdoes theworkofpersecution,and the headlines serve as gallows.Discretionhasnow becomearadicalact.Letthe GRAfileitscharges.Letthe courts decide. But let us remember that a tax invoice isnotasword,andthepublic interestisnotatoy (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

H@RD TRUTHS

Protest – US Ambassador tells it as it is

American protests. Not over there, but right here, in frontofUSterritoryonDuke Street, Kingston. What did Ambassador Nicole D Theriot have to say about that, ahem, surprise development?

Plenty, I would say, which I now share. Not in thequantityofherwords,but in the sublime quality of them.

“The protest is part of free speech. As long as it is a peaceful protest, we are more than happy to hear the d e m a n d s ” So said Excellency Theriot. If there isonethingthatcouldbesaid aboutAmerica,itisthateven itspoliticalappointmentsare at another level My understanding is that our own dear Excellency Irfaan Ali was in the vicinity My hopeisthathedidagoodjob preventing the color from rushingtohisface.

The last thing I wish for theworldtoseeishowmuch different Guyana's approach hasbeentopeacefulprotests, and how Pres.Ali's face tells

the tale of what he thinks of protests.

To keep everybody happy, I try a soothing remedy Frankly, Pres. Ali has rarely seen a protest that pleaseshim.

For some reason, he takesthesethingspersonally, as though some grievous slander has been directed at his person, his presidency, and his emotional stability, suchasitis.

Say protest and Pres.Ali goes into a fighting stance, with pugnacious snarl, conveying to the objects of his derision, where he stands Politically motivated. That's Guyana's first citizen's stock response to protests. Oftentimes, I believe those are the only two words in his vocabulary Since there is no one at the Office of the President with thegutstoshareAmbassador Theriot's symphony with him, then that rough duty fallstome.

The excerpt is on its way via Express Mail: “The protest is part of free speech.

As long as it is a peaceful protest, we are more than happy to hear the demands.” I believe that there was a diplomatic reprimand in there from Excellency TheriotforExcellencyAli.

That's someone without anyinsecurities,butsupreme confidence in the power of herposition.

F r o m m y o w n experience, it is clear that oncePres.Alihearstheword “protest” he loses control and loses sight of what the US ambassador pointed out: it is part of free speech. In the event that Pres Mohamed Irfaan Ali has a hearing problem, I enlarge the fonts and capitalize them: PROTEST is part of FREESPEECH.

This has nothing to do withsacredconstitutionsand theidealsofdemocracy Itis aboutastateofmindthatwas in place long before the Athenians started their experiments with what is calleddemocracy

Where free thinking empowers speaking freely

and moving freely and protesting freely, without regard for presidential censorship As always, peaceful is the inseparable and identical twin of protest. Awordofadviceisextended for the benefit of Pres. Ali. The position and elevation where the president find himself mean that he has to dealwithAmericans.

In turn, that means not just free enterprise, but a convincing dedication to the best standards of free speech also No matter how beneficial it may be to his visions, Excellency Ali should not try to do the impossible. That is, he cannot serve two masters at thesametime.

He is either a capitalist with all the stops pulled, or he is a communist with all thosemindcontrolsstillvery muchinplace.

I hope that the president heard what I interpret to be a smoothly coiffed fist as the parting salvo From Ambassador Theriot came this beauty, “as long as it is

peaceful protest, we are more than happy to hear the demands ” Is that American through and t h r o u g h , o r w h a t ?

Notwithstanding all the grandstanding going on in Washington, and which will grind to a halt soon enough.

Just give it some slack, a littletime.

The day that I hear Guyana's president come up with something within walking distance of “happy to hear the demands” of peacefulprotestors,thenthat is the time for me to check intoasanitarium.

Take note that I wrote sanitarium and not a sanitorium,whichdealswith stark, staring, raving mad people, of whom there are enough in the PPP Government from top to bottom. To convey my expression of spiritual happiness, I leave room for thosedefinitelyillbrothers.

Instead of saying that President Ali must grow up andmatureinhisdemanding r ole, my preference is to go a differentroute.

He must learn to extend his learning curve, and have the confidence to rest comfortably on it. Protests, be they for access to information, or an end to the secrecies masking the business of the Guyanese people, or the termination of political abuse and witch hunts, enjoy a special standing in any selfrespectingdemocracy Protests have a ready place in the hearts of men and women, and near those Mohamed Irfaan Ali, leader, contender, and aggressor, shouldhavebettersensethan to venture Thanks, MadameAmbassador (The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Improvised explosive blows off East Ruimveldt Police Outpost gate …policeprobingsimilarexplosionatGPLSubstation

Two loud explosions during the wee hours of Saturday sent s h o c k w a v e s a c r o s s t h e communities in the vicinity of East Ruimveldt.

Many turned to social media to post about what they heard and to enquireaboutwhathadhappened.

Onecitizenposted,“Somebody please wake up Travis (Chase), Whatthehellwasthatexplosion?”. Another said, “Wuh was duh explosionIjusthear?”

Both explosions occurred at approximately 40 minutes after midnight - one at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost, which blew the back gate and the second at the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Substation located at Mandela Avenue, not too far away fromthepoliceoutpost.

Security cameras mounted on buildingsclosetothepoliceoutpost at Vlissengen Square and East Front Road captured the moment the gate at the police outpost was blownoff.

“A loud explosion originating from the southern side of the outpost rocked the compound,” police said in a statement, before adding that “a police rank

(identified as a female) on duty at the time heard two distinct blasts, followed by debris impacting nearbyrooftops.”

The female rank was not injured. She stepped outside to see what had happened and observed that the southern wall of the outpost's concrete fence had been significantlydamaged.

An alarm was raised, and other ranks of the GPF subsequently arrived and found out that the outpost's metal gate, located on the southern side, was completely blownaway

“ And other parts of the outpost sustained structural damage,”policesaid.

Meanwhile, police said that the GPL Substation along Mandela Avenuewasalsodamaged.

“The second site under investigationis the GPLSubstation along MandelaAvenue, which also experienced suspicious damage around the same timeframe,” Policestated.

An investigation was launched. Early Saturday, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told Kaieteur News that an “improvised explosive device” might have been

behind the blast at the East RuimveldtPoliceOutpost.

“Police have recovered a quantity of bolts and nuts, along with debris of a shattered hard plastic container from the scene(debrissuspectedtobecomponents of the improvised explosive device),"theCrimeChiefsaid.

He also noted that efforts are ongoing to identify the perpetrator(s) who threw the explosive device into East Ruimveldt Police Station's compoundonSaturdaymorning.

Meanwhile, in a second update, the Force said, “Several persons of interest have been contacted by the

Crime scene investigators on the ground early Saturday

Bolts and nuts found at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost following the explosion there.

Guyana Police Force in connection with the recent explosions at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost and theGuyanaPowerandLight(GPL) SubstationatMandelaAvenue”

“These individuals are actively working with investigators as the probe continues to gain momentum,” the statement continued.

Police also disclosed that investigators have spoken with eyewitnesses in the vicinity of the GPL Substation, stating that they haveprovidedvaluableaccounts.

Forensic teams are actively analyzing all available evidence, thestatementadded.

“Like a race car Guyana’s oil boom blazes from

0 to 60 in seconds”

–Exxon'sSeniorVicePresident

'we moved really fast and it's not stopping anytime soon’

Incommemorationofthe 10th anniversary of ExxonMobil striking oil offshore Guyana in the prolific Stabroek Block, Hunter Farris, the oil giant's Senior Vice President for Deepwater at ExxonMobil Upstream Company, in his address, underscored the pace at which Exxon was abletomoveitsoperationsin Guyana.

Farris likened the pace to a race car He said, “Like a racecarthatblazesfromzero to 60 in just a few seconds, Guyana's oil industry has ramped up – and ramped up safely, I'll add – from zero barrels to 650,000 per day in the five-and-a-half years sincewestarted.”

He added, “That's really fast. And it's not stopping anytimesoon.”

The Stabroek Block, located about 120 miles offshore Guyana, spans 6.6 million acres and is estimatedtohold11.6billion barrels of oil. ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is the operator of the Stabroek Block, holding a 45% interest The other co-

venturers are Hess, which holds a 30% stake and CNOOCwitha25%interest.

Farris said that it is hard to wrap one's head around the pace of change. He noted that risk paid off when oil was struck offshore Guyana on May 10, 2015. He noted, “It marked a world-class oil discovery, perhaps the most significantoilfindanywhere ontheplanetingenerations.”

By December 2019, the company commenced oil productionoffshoreGuyana. Farris outlined that the short timeframe of less than five years moving from discovery to production is nearly unheard of in the oil andgasindustry

“On most deepwater developments, it typically takes twice as long to safely extract the first commercial barrels, and that assumes all goes well. We did it in half the normal time. The growth in production from Guyana's waters has been just as rapid,” the Senior Vice Presidentstated.

Currently, three Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels,

the Liza Destiny, Liza Unity, and Prosperity, are in production. The three active FPSOs collectively produce over 650,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) from three developments: Liza Phase 1, LizaPhase2andPayara.

The oil companies have embarked on an aggressive drilling campaign in the Stabroek Block with three m o r e a p p r o v e d developments to come onstream: Yellowtail, Uaru and Whiptail projects. This year, Exxon's largest deepwater project to date in Guyana, Yellowtail, will commenceoilproduction.

Notably, Exxon has already made applications for approval for a seventh and eighth development, namely Hammerhead and Longtail.

Moreover, Farris reiterated Exxon's plan to hit 1.3millionbpdby2027.“Or close to 500 million barrels per year That daily figure should climb to 1.7 million barrels by 2030. All of this makes Guyana one of the largest oil producers per capita in the world,” he

added.

The Exxon official noted that today, Guyana is considered a major global energy player with the world's fastest-growing economy He underscored that the historic find continues to reshape the world of energy just as it transforms daily life for many of the country's 800,000 citizens “The journey is just beginning –we're proud of the past decade and excited to keep building Guyana's energy futuretogether,”headded.

Moreover, Exxon's Senior VP noted that Guyana's emergence on the world stage is not just economic, but also pointed to Guyana securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2023 and is playing a growing role in globalenergysecurity

“Its cargoes of oil have shipped to Latin America, the U.S., Europe, and even countries in the Pacific Rim. Considering the global tumult of the past few years since the pandemic, that's saying something,” Farris said.

Moreover, as a new decade begins, Farris highligh

he partnership between Guyana and ExxonMobil has been extraordinarily successful andoftenexhilarating.

“The next 10 years and more should be just as exciting and fruitful. In the real-time story of Guyana's progress and prosperity, the next chapter will cover our partnership,figuringwaysto develop Guyana's natural

development might be a further catalyst for building up 21st-century Guyana; the country's gas discoveries couldmakeGuyanaacritical

development,”Farrisadded.

In accordance with the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that was signed by the previous APNU+AFC government with Exxon, the oil companies are allowed to recover 75% of the revenues generated from the Stabroek Block That 75% is considered cost oil The remaining25%isconsidered

profit oil, which is shared 50/50 between Guyana and the oil companies, equating to 12.5% of the operation's profits.

Earlier this year, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told Reuters that the ExxonMobil-led consortium operating offshore Guyana in the Stabroek Block has recovered a whopping US$33.9 billion by the end of January from Guyana's oil.

Separate fires gut East Ruimveldt Community Centre and Mocha Arcadia house

On Saturday, two fires of unknown origin destroyed a house at Nelson Street, Mocha Arcadia, on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), and a Community Centre at E a s t R u i m v e l d t , Georgetown.

K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that the first fire occurred around 12:00hrs at Nelson Street, Mocha Arcadia, destroying an old two-storey wooden and concrete house which was occupiedbyamaninhis60s.

Neighbours, who identified the man as 'Jamakie' , told this publication that the man was not at home when the fire started. They said he was reportedly a few houses away on the street when someone alerted him that his housewasonfire.

The neighbours said the h o u s e w a s w i t h o u t electricityforsometime.

It is unclear what caused the fire, but a majority of the structure and its contents

weredestroyed,leavingonly

n standing The fire was extinguished by neighbours and the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).

An investigation has been launched by the GFS into the circumstances surroundingtheincident.

Meanwhile, around 16:30hrs on Saturday, fire

The East Ruimveldt Community Centre that was destroyed by fire on Saturday afternoon.

d e s t r o y e d t h e E a s t Ruimveldt Community Centre. Itisunclearhowthe fire started in the two-storey building that once housed a nursery school and daycare centre.

Residents told Kaieteur News that the building has been unoccupied for some time.

“It once housed the East Ruimveldt Nursery and Daycare, but that has been closed years now I believe because the building is a vacant building, nobody don't be there… it might be electrical,” one resident related.

Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore, who was on the scene, told reporters that just after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgetown

The aftermath of the fire where no injuries were reported.

Mayor and City Council closed the building with the intention of reopening it to accommodate a daycare for residentsandstaff.

Mentore said that while closed, he was told that the building was used to store departmentalfiles.

“So, I have just confirmed that the building

is insured, so if there's any loss we'll be able to recover, to be able to start the rebuilding of this place,” he explained.

Meanwhile, firefighters worked tirelessly to control the blaze. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire.

Hunter Farris, the oil giant's Senior Vice President for Deepwater at ExxonM Upstream Company

Arinna Williams

Wearingher heritagelikeacrown; “bold,beautiful,and unbreakable,”ourfeatured beauty,ArinnaWilliams isapassionateanddrivenyoung womanhailingfromthevibrant communityofKwebana,Morucain RegionOne. ArmedwithanAssociate DegreeinEducationandproudly competingasacontestantintheMiss CultureQueenpageant,Arinna exemplifiesgrace,intelligence,and culturalpride. Beyondthestage,this beautycherishesmomentsspent withherfriendsandfamily, groundingherselfinthelove andtraditionsthatshaped heridentity.

U.S. Immigration Laws: A Message for Caribbean Nationals

BySirRonaldSanders

“Anationwithoutbordersisnot a nation”. That is the opening line of an advisory issued by the U.S. Department of State on May 15. It goes on to say, “Our government prioritises the prosecution of offensesforillegalentryandillegal presence in the United States, as wellascriminaloffensesbyforeign nationals.”

While this statement may resonate with a particular political base in the United States, it also affirms a principle universally upheld That principle is: every country has the sovereign right to enforceitsimmigrationlaws.

Caribbean countries, like all others,expecttheirimmigrationlaws toberespected TheUnitedStatesis nodifferent Itisneitherextraordinary norunjustforagovernmenttoarrest and deport persons who breach the termsoftheirstay Thatistheruleof law, and it applies regardless of origin, including to nationals of CaribbeanCommunity(CARICOM) states The facts are clear With the exception of Haiti, whose unique economic and political fragility forces a flow of asylum seekers, CARICOMnationalsarenotpartof the mass refugee or irregular migration trends into the United States However, there is no denying that a number of

CARICOMnationalsentertheU.S. onlegitimatevisitorvisasandthen make the deliberate decision to remain beyond their authorised stay In doing so, they step outside the bounds of the law and assume the risk of arrest, detention, deportation, and a permanent bar fromre-entry

When this happens, the diplomatic reach of their home governments is limited The most thatembassiesandconsulatescando is to engage with US authorities, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to ensurethattheirnationalsaretreated withdignityandinaccordancewith international human rights norms Whatforeignmissionscannotdois shield those who have willfully violated the laws of the United States The recent advisory issued by the U S Government is unambiguous.Itstatesthatforeign nationals who overstay their visas may face arrest, incarceration, deportation,andpermanentbans.It goesfurthertoannounce“ahistoric opportunity” for those unlawfully present to voluntarily leave the country, with the possibility of receiving financial and logistical assistance to do so - provided they register via an InternetApp, set up by U S Customs and Border Protection.Thisisnotrhetoric US

PresidentDonaldTrumpcampaigned on a promise to stop illegal immigration and irregular border crossings.Itwasakeyplankofhisreelection platform and one that resonated with millions of voters That pledge is now being aggressivelyimplemented,andthere islittlepoliticalappetiteintheUnited States to challenge it. Foreign nationals - Caribbean nationals included - should take this reality seriously Therearemanylegitimate reasonstotraveltotheUnitedStates: tourism, business, specialised medical care, and education, among others But those who abuse their visascastalongshadowoverothers whose intentions are lawful and honourable Worse still, they jeopardise the credibility of their countries in visa issuance processes, andtheycreateburdensfortheirown diplomaticmissions,whomustdeal with requests for assistance with limited resources and within the confinesofU.S.law

Equally important, the recent advisorywarnsthattheUS “willnot tolerate those who facilitate illegal and mass immigration” It states quiteclearlythatnewvisarestrictions would be placed “on foreign government officials and others deemed complicit” The message is blunt: countries that fail to act responsibly in discouraging illegal

migration may see broader consequences. We in the Caribbean must be clear-eyedabouttheglobalcontextof migration The hardening of immigration policy in the US and Europe will have knock-on effects, globally,especiallytocountriessuch as ours which are doing better than mosteconomically Wemaysoonsee an increase in people attempting to enter our own countries - some seeking asylum, others simply looking for work as migration avenues close elsewhere Our economies, already fragile, will not be able to bear such strain without carefulplanningandlegalsafeguards

Many of our countries are also tourism-dependent Theywillhavetoexercisespecial careandputjudiciousmechanismsin placetoidentifygenuinetouristsand business visitors from potential illegal immigrants Immigration systemswillhavetobefortified-not tocloseborders,buttomanagethem with fairness and foresight At the same time, there is room for constructivediplomacywiththeUS andothercountries,suchasCanada

The labour shortages already emerging in the US in hospitality, construction,andagricultureofferan opportunity for dialogue on regularised seasonal and temporary work programmes CARICOM

Sir Ronald Sanders

countries could benefit from wellmanagedmigrationframeworksthat providelegalpathwaysfortemporary work and return, ensuring the interests of both sending and receivingstatesaremet

The path forward should be neitherprotestagainstUS effortsto end illegal immigration nor denial thatsuchviolationsexist Itshouldbe grounded in realism and responsibility, coupled with creative proposals that open channels for legitimate, temporary work opportunities and the assured return ofCaribbeannationals

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US andtheOAS.HeisalsotheDeanof the Ambassadors of the Western Hemisphere Group accredited to the U.S. The views expressed are entirely his own. Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com)

From Classroom to Boardroom, How K–12 Education Will Power Guyana’s Economy

BY KARENABRAMS, MBA,AA,DOCTORAL CANDIDATE

As Guyana continues to experience rapid economic growth, largely fueled by its rapidlygrowingoilindustry, I believe we’re at a critical crossroads.

The choices we make now about how we educate our children will determine the strength, resilience, and profitability of our business sector in the decades to come.

I’m convinced that no sectorstandstobenefitmore from an improved K–12 education system than corporateGuyana.

Toomanyofourchildren are still struggling The barriers are real and layered – poverty, trauma, lack of access, mental health challenges, under-resourced schools, and minimal parentalsupportaresomeof the issues which plague our K-12 student population today In many cases, students are simply not equippedtothriveintoday’s classrooms.Theyfallbehind early and never catch up. And unfortunately, when children drop out of school, it sets off a chain of consequences that affect us all.

When young people leave school without the skillstheyneedtosucceed,it reduces the size and quality of the available workforce. Businessesarethenforcedto spend more on training or importtalent.

Itbecomeshardertofind employees who can communicate clearly, solve problems,usetechnology,or adapt to new environments. Right now in Guyana, only about 25% of the workforce has education beyond secondary school This limits not only what companies can achieve but also how fast we can grow and consequently their revenuesandprofitability

But imagine what becomes possible when morestudentsstayinschool, learn well, and graduate equipped with strong literacy, numeracy, and digital skills Companies wouldgainaccesstoalarger pool of talented workers. Innovation would flourish. Productivitywouldrise.

And as more young peoplegainemploymentand earn higher incomes, consumer spending would i n c r e a s e , d r i v i n g profitabilityforeverysector, from banking to retail to

hospitality

This is why I’m encouraging corporate leaders across Guyana to thinkofeducationnotjustas asocialissue,butasasmart and critical investment

Supporting afterschool

programmes, literacy initiatives, and mentorship programmes isn’t charity, it’s strategy Every dollar spent helping a child read better, stay in school, or build confidence is a dollar that will return to our economymanytimesover

Ialsobelievewehavean opportunity to leap ahead using tools like artificial intelligence. In parts of the world, AI is already being used to personalize learning and provide real-time supportforstudentswhoare struggling.

Emad Mostaque, a leadingvoiceintheAIspace, said recently thatAI has the potential to deliver highquality education and healthcare to everyone on theplanetwithinafewyears. IbelieveGuyanacanbepart of that future if we’re bold enough to research,to adopt and to scale these innovationswisely

Still,AIisonlypartofthe answer Human connection matters deeply Many of our children need caring mentors, consistent adult support, and communitybased programmes that help them build self-esteem and see possibilities for their future.

I’mcallingonCorporate Guyana to step up and be a bigger part of the solution and I want to thank those businesses that are already leading the way

Let’s work together to expand programmes in the Arts,literacy,andnumeracy

Let’s fund after-school activities that give our children safe, supportive spaces to learn and grow

Let’s mentor more students, open our doors to internships, and give them realexposuretocareerpaths. Let’s help build the pipeline of future innovators, problem solvers, and leaders—righthereathome. When businesses invest in education, they’re not just helping children, they’re investing in their own w o r k f o r c e , t h e i r communities, and the future ofthiscountry

A stronger education system means a stronger economy.And right now, as Guyanastandsontheedgeof historic growth, we must

make sure every child has a chance to succeed, and that every business understands theroleitcanplayinmaking

Guyanese artiste Akeem Alexander makes waves with newest single ‘Rum and Bacchanal’

becauseI thesongtwo first take the song is

ort I’m ving is eral, I’m he push s o f to keep n’t give ong-term obecome e and to ‘Akeem e whole

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d that he working istes but ms is to ith the e Voice, h share ngingand performing.

Guyanese artiste, AkeemAlexander

WEEK-IN-REVIEW

SUNDAY

Guyanaonlyreceived US$2.6BoutofUS$17.9B madein2024 ...Exxon, partners recovered US$13.9B

Asoilproductionramped up last year in the Stabroek Block, Guyana’s total crude oil exports amounted to US$17 9B - a whopping US$6 4B higher than the sameperiodin2023.

AccordingtotheBankof Guyana (BoG) 2024Annual Report, the Stabroek Block partners recovered the bulk

of the resources, as US$13.9Bwenttowardscost recovery

AccordingtotheReport, “The capital account recorded a higher deficit of US$3,938.7 million from US$1,732.0millionatendof December 2023. This was the result of net outflow of US$983 3 million in oil revenue to the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) and US$13,896.3millionincost

recovery (withdrawal of equity) by the oil and gas sectordespitehigherinflows to the private sector in the form of Foreign Direct Investments(FDIs).”

Notably,duringthesame period, Guyana’s Natural ResourceFund(NRF)orthe oil account received a meager US$2.6B in revenue from its petroleum sector This was reported by the Finance Minister, Dr Ashni S i n g h , d u r i n g h i s presentationofBudget2025.

He said, “Deposits into the NRF for the year 2024 amountedtoUS$2.6billion. The Fund received US$2.2 billion in profit oil, US$557.5millionfromLiza Destiny, US$8692 million from Liza Unity and US$796 3 million from Prosperity With respect to royalty payments, US$348 million was received from the Stabroek Block operator.”

Inthemeantime,Central Bank reported that the volumeofcrudeoilexported increased by 58.6% or 83.1 million barrels from 141.7

million barrels in 2023, to 224 7 million barrels The increasedoilproductionwas primarilydrivenbytheramp up in production of the Prosperity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel –Guyana’s third FPSO –which started producing oil inNovember2023.

Inkeepingwiththeterms of the 2016 Petroleum Agreement, the Contractor can deduct up to 75% of the oil produced each month to recover cost. The remaining 25 percent is then shared equally b

ween the government and the oil company This means that 12.5 percent of the revenue goes to Guyana, while the second12.5percentprofitis shared with the company Exxonisthenrequiredtopay thecountrytwopercentfrom itssharetowardsroyalty. Guyanese have been callingontheGovernmentof Guyana (GoG) to invite ExxonMobil to the table to engageindiscussionstoseek fair terms in light of the glaring imbalance in the

fiscalprovisions.

The present government is however unwilling to make such a move, citing sanctity of contract and possible implications that could hinder future investments A number of experts have however implored the administration that governments across the world seek renegotiations to improve benefits for their people, without affecting foreigninvestment.

Veteranpolitician AmnaAllydies

F o r m e r G e n e r a l

Secretary of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR),AmnaAlly,diedon Saturdayattheageof69.

Ally, who served as MinisterofSocialProtection under the A Partnership for National Unity + the Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) government, reportedly died at the GeorgetownPublicHospital Corporation(GPHC).

T h e P C N R , i n a statement, expressed deep sadness at the passing of their former General Secretary,describingAllyas adedicatedandformerlongstanding member of the party, whose unwavering commitment to the ideals of PNCR and her country has left an indelible mark on the country’shistory

“Ms.Ally’sservicetoher country was multifaceted She was a committed educator, a valued member of the Young Socialists Movement (YSM), and served in various capacities within the party Her leadership and dedication extended beyond party activities as she served as a Member of Parliament and

roles within the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), eventually becoming its General Secretary a position she held with firmness and clarityofpurpose,”theparty said.

TheAFC said that while servingasMinisterofSocial Cohesionfrom2015to2020, Ally “championed the importanceofnationalunity, inclusion,andhealing.”

“Her work in that Ministry was pioneering, as it sought to bridge divides andcultivateastrongersense ofsharedidentityandmutual respect across the diverse fabricofoursociety

heldthepositionofMinister intheGovernmentunderthe APNU/AFC administration from 2015 to 2020,” the PNCRsaid.

Thepartysaidthatduring her lifetime, Ally had exemplified service, integrity and patriotism, shaping the PNC and her country,leavingalegacythat willinspiremany

“The PNCR offers heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew her ‘Inna lillahi wa innailaihiraji’un’Webelong toAllahandtoHimweshall return. May Allah grant her eternal rest and provide comfort to those she leaves behind during this difficult time,”thepartysaid.

Ally, a longstanding member of the PNCR, resigned from the party in March 2025, citinga lackof respect for women by a certain faction of the leadership.

“Comrades, with immediate effect, it is with great regret that I have to tender my resignation from the PNCR of which my membership and association havebeenforoverfifty-four years,”Allysaid,addingthat the continuous disregard for women “who are the backbone of this great party hasbeenoverwhelming.”

Similarly, the Alliance For Change (AFC) expressed sympathy to Ally’s family, friends and colleagues while describing her as a “formidable presence in Guyanese politics and a dedicated servantofthepeople.”

“Her political journey, spanning several decades, was marked by loyalty, commitment, and a deep sense of duty to the nation. She served in several key

“Amna Ally was widely respected across political lines for her unwavering commitmenttoherpartyand her clear, forthright style of leadership.Shewasatireless campaignerandanorganiser par excellence, whose influencewasfeltbothatthe grassroots and national levels,” theAFC said, while recognizing and honouring her “long and impactful servicetothenation.”

The AFC said, “While our political philosophies may have at times diverged, weacknowledgeherroleasa patriotwhogaveofhertime, energy, and intellect to the developmentofGuyana.”

Meanwhile, in a post via hisFacebookpage,President Irfaan Ali expressed his sympathy on behalf of the government and his family He said that, “Amna had a l o n g c a r e e r a s a Parliamentarian dating back to 1985 Throughout her parliamentary career, Ms Ally held several positions, includingChairpersonofthe Social Services Committee and member of the Parliamentary Management Committee,StandingOrders Committee, and Appointive Committee Additionally, sheservedastheMinisterof Social Protection from 2015 to2020.”

He noted that outside of A l l y ’s l e g i s l a t i v e contributions, she has also served as an educator for severaldecades.

Former President David Granger, under whose presidencyAlly served, said her political career began in 1970 when she was only fifteenyearsold.Allyserved under four leaders of the PNCR, Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoyte, Robert CorbinandDavidGranger

“She served, also, as NationalSecretaryofthe Continued on page 21

Former General Secretaryof the PNCR and Minister of Social Protection,AmnaAlly

Frompage20

Young Socialist Movement and was appointed General SecretaryofthePNCduring DavidGranger’stenure.Ms. Ally entered Parliament in 1985and,exceptforathreeyear period between 1998

and 2001, served as parliamentaryrepresentative of the Mahaica-Berbice Region She was the first Minister of Social Cohesion and Minister of Social

P r o t e c t i o n i n t h e APNU+AFC Coalition administration in 20152020,” the former president said.

Ally was a graduate of boththeCyrilPotterCollege of Education and the University of Guyana, makingheratrainedteacher With a steady hand, she m a n a g e d p a r t y administration, operations andmobilization.

Granger reminded that Ally was the untiring and undisputedmotivatorbehind the3B’sprogramme,which includedbuses,bicyclesand boats, providing for the first timeinGuyana’shistoryfree public transport for school children.

“A Muslim, she was cheerful and dutiful organizerofobservancesfor children’s entertainment during major national and religious festivals. Whether inoroutofgovernment,she was able to cultivate cordial relationswithoppositionand government officials and former party members,” he added.

Granger said that Ally’s political service was “exemplary” and so too was herdeterminationtoprovide a good life for everyone and to make the country a better place.

“The People’s National Congress is poorer for her passing On behalf of my wife and myself, I offer condolences to Ms Ally’s family during their time of grief,” the former president said.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo also extended his condolencestoAlly’sfamily, friends and colleagues in a Facebook post, calling her a PNC stalwart whose “decades of public service and commitment to political life in Guyana will be remembered.”

Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs

Anil Nandlall, SC, on Saturday, extended his deepest condolences to Ally’s relatives, especially her daughter Farzana, and

friends.

“Although we were on opposite political sides and obviously saw things differently, I think we both enjoyed the common ambition of working for a better Guyana. She was an exceptional politician and served her Party and its constituents with admirable loyalty and commendable commitment.

Isaluteherlongyearsof public service and public life She made a solid contributiontodebatesinthe National Assembly, often punctuatedwithboutsofher peculiar but inimitable humour,”hesaid.

Nandlallsaidthatdespite her strong political persona, “personally, she was kind, warm, had an extraordinary sense of humour. She and I enjoyed a good personal relationshipformanyyears.”

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, in her posttoAlly,saidthatshehas played her part in building Guyana while noting that as a woman in politics, her journey couldn’t have been thejoyrideitseemed.

“We didn’t share political views, but we sharedahealthyrelationship that grew into a lovely friendship.Thatsurvivedme being in Govt, she being in Govt, me being in opposition, and she being in opposition She made the moistestblackcake,andhad the ability to sit at a table in Parliamentandorganisedher party’s activities from Region 1 to Region 10. She was also an educator to r e t i r e m e n t H e r conversations with me were alwaysfrank.Andcaring.To my dearest Farzana, her other relatives, friends and partysupporters,mydeepest sympathy,” the minister wrote.

JagdeoglorifiesIMF’s reporttoshowGuyana‘is goodtoborrowmore’

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has turned to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) latest analysis on Guyana to dismiss concerns over the country’s mountingdebt,assertingthat the economy remains strong enough to sustain the government’s borrowing practices - moving the country’s debt from US$2.6 billion in 2020 to nearly US$6 billion at the end of 2024.

At his press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo sought

to shut down critics who have accused the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government of saddling future generations with an unsustainable debt burden.

The Vice President pointed to the IMF’s recent country report, which upgraded Guyana’s risk of debt distress from moderate to low, and praised the country’s debt management in the face of transformative infrastructureinvestments.

“I wish to draw your attention to it, says ‘total public debt has fallen considerablysince2020’and they measure debt-to-GDP ratio...so that sentence there wouldanswerallthecritics,” Jagdeosaid.

He highlighted, “ it responds to all that we’ve been hearing from all of those people who’ve been saying the debt is unsustainableandthatweare saddling future generations withanunsustainabledebt.”

IMF said in their debt sustainability analysis (DSA) on Guyana, “Gross public debt remains low, vulnerabilities to large shocksaremitigatedbyvery large buffers, and the assessmentoftheriskofdebt distresshasbeenupgradedto low.”

The Fund projects Guyana’s debt-to-GDP ratio willriseslightlyfrom24%in 2024toabout28%by2026. However, it was noted that this is still within the country’s debt ceilings, which were raised early in 2024 by the government to facilitatemoreborrowing.

For his part, Vice President Jagdeo boasted thatGuyanamaintainsoneof the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios globally, even after securing billions in new loans. “So, we have pointed out we have some of the

early 2024, the government gotthegreenlighttoincrease theceilingsonbothdomestic and external debt The domestic public debt ceiling has been increased to $1.5 trillion,upfrom$750billion from its last revision Meanwhile, a new external borrowing ceiling of $1 5 trillion has been approved, afteritslastincreaseto$900 billion. This move was part of a broader financial strategy to increase the nation’scapacity,inorderto finance its $1 146 trillion 2024 budget, including

infrastructureprojects.

lowestdebt-to-GDPratiosin theworldandalsodebtthere we’reusingjustafractionof our revenue to service that debt, unlike the past, Jagdeo said.

Thispublicationreported that in 2019, the country’s debt was US$1.8 billion; accordingtoAnnualReports from the Bank of Guyana (BoG), the nation’s debt grew by 46.7% in 2020 to US$2.6 billion. In 2021, the debt surged to US$3 1 billion, and in 2022, this trendcontinuedwiththetotal stock of debt climbing to US$3.7billion.In2023,debt increased further by 23.4% to US$4.5 billion while this grew to a massive US$6 billionattheendof2024.

In January, Senior Minister in the Office of the Presidentwithresponsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, during his 2025 Budget presentation, disclosed that as of December 31, 2024, Guyana’s Total Public and Publicly Guaranteed (PPG)

debt has climbed to US$5 993 billion This marks a significant increase from the US$4 5 billion recorded at the end of December2023.

He elaborated that external PPG debt reached US$2.2billionbytheendof 2024, while domestic PPG debt rose to US$3.7 billion.

Comparing mid-year figures, external PPG debt stoodatUS$1.9billionasof June 2024, and domestic PPG debt was recorded at US$3 1 billion during the s a m e p e r i o d T h i s underscores a notable increase in both categories during the latter half of the year

government has prioritized responsible management of Guyana’s public debt In

(GPRGMP).

Its objective is to ensure theenhancementoflegaland institutionalframeworksand the strengthening of the capacity of key institutions to manage the oil and gas sector When the new government took office in 2020, it received approval f o r t h e l o a n t o b e restructured.

MONDAY

Lawsnotenoughto ensuregoodgovernance ofoilsector-Dr.Trotz …says strong enforcement, capacity building required

“We are at a terrible disadvantage in the sense that we don’t have the capacitytobasicallyprovide thelevelofoversightandthe quality of oversight that is required.”

This is the view of Guyanese scholar, Dr Ulric Trotz During a recent episode of a monthly programme ‘Nation Building- Guyana 2030 and Beyond, ’ the

lecturerhighlightedtheneed for strict enforcement of laws and greater efforts in theareaofcapacitybuilding to improve oversight and governanceofthesector

Dr Trotz said under the previous administration, the World Bank had provided a US$20 million loan to build technicalcapacityinthekey areas required to ensure quality level of supervision of the country’s oil and gas operations.

The programme he referenced was approved in

Earlier this year, the government informed the National Assembly that it will be seeking another oneyear extension to complete theUS$20millionloan.

Dr Trotz pointed to the importance of the country ensuringithasthenecessary skillstoprovidetherequired oversight.

“OnewayofdoingitasI just mentioned, is through smart partnerships basically to bring in that level of expertise and train your people on site; hands on training, developing local stafftohaveitandthatisnot enough. There must be the political will basically to ensurethatwhatyourequire isbasicallyputinplace.”

Furthermore, he stressed that he has witnessed over the years, across the Caribbean that having laws in place is just not enough. To this end, he urged, “The more important thing is yes, they are in place but is there thepoliticalwillbasicallyto enforce. We (the Caribbean) areweakonenforcement.”

Dr Trotz was the manager of the Regional ProjectImplementationUnit based in Barbados for the first climate change programme, the Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to ClimateChange(CPACC).

The calls for greater enforcementoflegislation

Continued on page 22

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Ulric Trotz

Frompage21 comes at a time when the regulator of the oil and gas sector, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been hauled before the courts for failing to ensure

the Environmental Protection Act is adhered to bytheoilcompaniesintheir localoperations.

In a recent case relating to the massive Gas-toEnergy (GTE) project, the court ruled that the EPA acted ‘contrary to the law’ and ‘improper’, by granting a permit to ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) forthepipelineaspectofthe project, but it did not quash theapproval.

Previously, international lawyer, Melinda Janki pointed to the lax law enforcement by the agency At the time, she pointed out that seven cases were filed

against the agency established to regulate the industry.

“The fact is that this is notinvestment,itinGuyana, thisisextractivism.Thisisa foreign company coming in andrefusingtoobeynational law if you don’t like national laws, then don’t come to Guyana but once you are here, you have to obeythoselaws,”Jankisaid.

Govt’s‘political gangsterism’preventing Guyanesefromspeaking out-GlennLall

KaieteurNewspublisher and local activist, Glenn

Lall, believes many distinguished Guyanese and businessesarefullyawareof the ongoing economic and social injustices in the country, but are afraid to speak out for fear of victimisation.

A local businessman himself,LallsaidFriday,that the government has been practicing ‘political gangsterism’againstpersons who condemn its actions in office.

“They all see it, every single one of them They read the headlines They know the numbers They knowexactlywhoiswalking away with riches or wealth. But they stay silent. Not because they don’t care, but because they are afraid Afraid of what happens whenyouspeakthetruthina country that makes you the enemyofthoseinpower.”

According to Lall, former President and now Vice President, Bharat Jagdeo, has over the years

cultivated a “dangerous, wicked, vindictive and political culture throughout his presidency, where, if anyonedaresspeakout,they wouldbeheavilypersecuted.

“They won’t challenge the facts.They won’t debate your points. Instead, they will try to destroy you and everyone around. They will try to destroy your will through intimidation. They willtrytodestroyyourname and reputation though slanders They will try to destroy your right to earn a living by refusing or withholding a job or contract when those fail, theywilltrytodestroyyou!” hestated.

The Kaieteur News

publisher said the government will even use state agencies like the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), and theSpecialOrganisedCrime Unit (SOCU) to audit persons’ business, target their employees, threaten their license, reduce and remove state ads from a media house, and engage in smear campaigns He said this is the kind of ‘political gangsterism’ they unleash against persons for standing upandspeakingthetruth.

He said while many business persons are educated, successful, and well-informed, they choose to remain silent. According to him, there are others who remain silent out of natural fear, while others remain quiet over fear of having their family members, who theydependonfortheirdaily survival, lose their governmentjobs.

“So, they all choose survivaloversacrifice. And while I can understand their fear, I cannot join them Becausethecostofsilencein Guyana today with this wealth is too much,” Lall stated.

Lall’s comments were in

positioned to become the next major phase of growth forthecompany

Alongside the mining licence application, GMIN hasalsobegunseekingother critical permits needed to bringtheprojecttofull-scale operation These include approvals for port operations, fuel use and storage, as well as the installation of transmission and telecommunications towers.

response to a question by a citizen,whoaskedwhylocal businessmen are not c o n d e m n i n g t h e government’s squandering of the country’s oil wealth, whilecitizensremainpoor

Referencewasmadetoa Canadian company’s application for some 4.3 million ounces of gold, where, at today’s price is worth some US $12 billion. Lall said just like the oil, there is complete silence from politicians on how Guyanesewillbenefit.

“No press conferences No explanation No consultation. The sellout is never announced. It always happens quietly behind closed doors, with handshakes, contracts, and silence.

And unless the few like myself blow the whistle, unless we shout from the rooftop, we all will wake up one day to find that our country was once rich, but our people are poor We were blessed but we are left begging. We were the owners but we were treatedlikethefarmworkers inourownlandwithourown wealth.WeownoverUS$50 billion in estimated gold

reserves so far, and Guyanese can’t get 50 seconds, or 50 words out of AliorJagdeo”.

Last week, Canadian mining firm G Mining Ventures Corp. (GMIN) has officially started the process tosecureamininglicencefor its Oko West gold project in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), a development expected to unlock 4 3 million ounces of gold reserves.

The move was disclosed in the company’s recently published feasibility study results, which show that the project is poised to deliver strong financial returns, thanks to low production costs.TheOkoWestproject, fully owned by GMIN, is

and not do something that is not in keeping with the law “However, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that the law is enforced.”

Norton went a step further to say that

“SoAskyourselfpeople, whatuntappedpotentialyou hearing about from Jagdeo? From Ali? From Norton? From Nigel? What potential them boasting about for us, the true owners of all that pure gold and diamond because while these foreign investorsflyingintoGuyana in private jets, getting red carpettreatmentandsipping wine at the Marriott, them companies walking out with tones of gold and crates of diamonds.”

TUESDAY

Gov’tmustensurethat Exxonadherestolaw whenawardingcontracts beforeprojectsare approved-Norton

LeaderoftheOpposition Aubrey Norton is insisting that the Government of Guyana should be ensuring that American oil giant, ExxonMobil is adhering to the laws when awarding contractsforprojectsthatare yettobeapproved.

At his weekly press conference last Friday, Norton was asked to share his views on the issue of the company continuously awarding projects without receiving approval for proposed projects. He said thatheexpectsExxontobea responsible corporate entity

assessments must also be properlydoneasitrelatesto the said projects as well Kaieteur News reported Monday Guyanesescholar, Dr UlricTrotz, highlighting the need for

ct enforcement of laws and greater efforts in the area of capacitybuildingtoimprove oversightandgovernanceof the oil sector Dr Trotz said under the previous administration, the World Bank had provided a US$20 million loan to build technicalcapacityinthekey areas required to ensure quality level of supervision of the country’s oil and gas operations.

The programme he referenced was approved in 2019 for the Guyana Petroleum Resources G o v e r n a n c e a n d Management Project (GPRGMP). Its objective is toensuretheenhancementof legal and institutional frameworks and the strengtheningofthecapacity ofkeyinstitutionstomanage the oil and gas sector When the new government took office in 2020, it received approval for the loan to be restructured.

Earlier this year, the government informed the National Assembly that it will be seeking another oneyear extension to complete the US$20 million loan. Dr Trotz pointed to the importance of the country ensuringithasthenecessary skillstoprovidetherequired oversight “One way of doing it as I just mentioned,

isthroughsmartpartnerships basically to bring in that level of expertise and train yourpeopleonsite;handson training, developing local stafftohaveitandthatisnot enough. There must be the political will basically to ensurethatwhatyourequire isbasicallyputinplace.” Furthermore, he stressed that he has witnessed over the years, across the Caribbean that having laws in place is just not enough. To this end, he urged, “The more important thing is yes, they are in place but is there thepoliticalwillbasicallyto enforce. We (the Caribbean) areweakonenforcement.”

In October of 2023 in an article titled “Guyana is the only place where Exxon awards contacts for unapproved projects”, this publication reported ExxonMobil saying that it was confident in the regulatory systems of Guyana that the company has had no qualms in awarding US-multibilliondollar contracts in the absence of the relevant projectapprovals.Infact,the company’s Country Manager,Alistair Routledge said all it needs to do is provide the right “material” a n d “ a n s w e r s ” t o government to make the system“dependable”. Routledge was at the time responding to a question from Kaieteur News during a press conferenceaboutitspractice of awarding contracts outside the relevant project approvals when he explained:“theprocurement process is separate from the regulatory process All we are doing there is going throughandaligninginsuch a way that we are ready to moveforwardasofwhenwe receive regulatory approval.”

The Exxon official told reporters that while there is risk with making such huge investments prior to receiving government’s blessings, the company sees it as an “acceptable risk” since they believe the process to be “dependable” whenitcomestosanctioning projects in the Stabroek Block.

Govt.madenorequest forFBIassistance inAdriana’scase …as Pres. Ali resists more foreign investigators

UnitedStates

on page 36

Leader of the OppositionAubrey Norton

President IrfaanAli

In Guyana, there is no

shortage of traumatic events. We are exposed to trauma as primary and secondary victims. Our nation is struggling with mental health issues, including children as young as threeyearsold.Weareburningboth ends of the candles, draining our energy

Livingassurvivors,thismakes usunabletoshowupforourselves inimportanttimes.

Within the last five days, strangers,patients,andfriendshave reached out seeking help for their psychological imbalance and distress.

Individuals who did not know Adriana Younge struggle to sleep, going to bed at 10 and waking at 10:30,nevertosleepagain.Others claim to hear her voice crying for help even though they have never met or known each other At the same time, others at work begin to experience sudden panic attacks, becoming restless and lashing out at their children for no reason. OthersseeimagesofMs.Younge’s body in the pool, or images of her playingwhentheyclosetheireyes. Terrible nightmares These are symptoms of psychological distress on our nervous system. If not addressed, much worse will be experienced.

Some Guyanese are already experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder Whileanumberofweeks afterisconsideredsoon,itisnottoo soon for PTSD, since there were previoustraumaticexperiencesthat wehavenotyetgottenclosureand healing. We had to abandon other eventsandexperiencesandturnour attentiontonewones,maybewhile we were going through domestic violence at home, a complicated pregnancy, or processing the killings at Linden, or the three familymemberswholosttheirlives in family violence. Alternatively, goingthroughapainfulbreakupor the loss of a loved one or job. Moreover, that had to be abandoned,andnowthefocusison whathappenedtoAdrianaYounge.

Post-TraumaticStressDisorder (PTSD), is defined as an anxiety disorderthatdevelopsinreactionto physicalinjuryorseverementalor emotional distress Trauma is exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, either directly-by witnessing it, or by learning of it beingexperiencedbyaclosefamily member or friend. (They include) physical, sexual, mental, emotional, even spiritual abuse; school bullying domestic violence

Towardsabetterlifewithyourpsychologist

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

natural disasters, traumatic grief, developmental trauma, traffic collision, child neglect, disaster trauma, intergenerational trauma, terrorism, witnessing violence, assault, childbirth, chronic condition, collective trauma, community violence, lifethreatening illnesses, military combat,refugeetrauma,secondary trauma and exposure to the trauma ofothers.

C-PTSDisPTSDat2.0level,it i

by experiencing prolonged and repeated trauma, particularly comingfromchildhoodallthrough adulthood. This is the reality of Guyanese every five years and seems to be much more frequent and continuous in the form of childhood, relationships, workplace, race relations, economics,politicalinstability,etc. We are re-traumatised. Every so often,wesurviveratherthanlivea qualitylife.

It is these once or repeated traumatic experiences that lead to post-traumaticstressdisordersover time.(PTSD)isdefinedasamental healthconditionthatdevelopsafter exposure to witnessing or experiencingatraumaticevent.The event has ended, but our nervous system is still dysregulated Anyonecanbeatriskofdeveloping Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after experiencing a traumatic event. However, certain factors can increase our likelihood of developing the disorder, including previous trauma experiences, a family history of mental health conditions, and individuals with a lack of or poor social support or network Additional stressors, such as the loss of a loved one, job, or promotion, only increase the risk and specific characteristics of the traumaticevent.

Additionally,certaingroupsare statistically more likely to develop PTSD, such as women; childhood adversities and, individuals from marginalised groups by sexual orientation LGBTQ+, those experiencing racism, political marginalisation, and poverty. WhilePTSDcanoccuratanyage,it ismorecommoninyoungeradults, 18 to 45 years. Specific occupations: such as law enforcement or emergency responders, may be at increased risk.

SomecripplingimpactofPTSDC-PTSDonourmindandbody: Hypervigilance and the Amygdala: can lead to an overactive amygdala, the brain’s alarmcenter,causingindividualsto be constantly on alert for threats,

even in safe situations This hypervigilance can manifest as excessive fear reactions, difficulty relaxing, and a heightened sensitivitytostimuli.

Emotional Dysregulation and the Prefrontal Cortex: The prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functions like decisionmaking and emotional regulation, may be negatively affected. This leads to difficulty controlling impulses, managing emotions, and makingsounddecisions.

MemoryandtheHippocampus: The hippocampus, crucial for memory formation and consolidation, can be affected by chronicstressandtrauma.Insome cases, it may shrink in volume, potentially impacting memory recall, including traumatic memories.

Stress Response: The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which regulates the body’s stress response, can be disrupted. Thiscanincreasestress hormone production (e g , cortisol),resultinginhyperarousal, sleep difficulties, and other physiologicalsymptoms.

Neurotransmitter Imbalances: PTSD - C-PTSD may also involve imbalances in neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine,whichaffectmood regulationandstressresponse.

Sympathetic Nervous System Activation: The sympathetic nervoussystem,responsibleforthe “fight-or-flight” response, can be chronicallyactivatedinindividuals with C-PTSD. This can lead to persistent physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, muscle tension, anddigestiveissues.

Disassociation: PTSD- CPTSD can also involve disassociation, a feeling of detachment from oneself or the surrounding world This can manifest as depersonalisation (feeling like you are watching yourself from the outside) or derealisation(feelingliketheworld isunreal).

Untreated trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder increase our risk of other mental health conditions, social isolation, difficulties in maintaining employment,andnegativeimpacts on physical health. Untreated CPTSD can increase the likelihood ofdevelopingorworsening.

Difficulty with daily functioning- PTSD- C-PTSD can impairconcentration,organisation, andoverallabilitytomanagedaily tasksandresponsibilities.

Increased susceptibility to illness: -The chronic stress associated with PTSD can weaken

the immune system, making individuals more vulnerable to infectionsandotherillnesses

Chronicpainandotherphysical ailments:PTSD-C-PTSDcanlead to chronic pain, headaches, digestive problems, and other physicalcomplaints.

Increasedriskofcardiovascular disease: Chronic stress and the constant state of hyperarousal associated with PTSD can contribute to cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure andheartdisease.

Substanceabuseandaddiction: Individuals with PTSD- C-PTSD mayturntodrugsoralcoholtocope with their symptoms, leading to addiction.

Self-harm and suicidal ideation: Untreated PTSD- CPTSDislinkedtoanincreasedrisk ofself-harm,suicidalthoughts,and evensuicide.

Difficulties in maintaining employment: PTSD- C-PTSD can make it challenging to maintain employment due to symptoms like difficultyconcentrating,irritability, andanxiety

Foreshortened future: UntreatedPTSD-C-PTSDcanlead to feelings of hopelessness, loss of motivation,andareducedsenseof futurepossibilities.

Physical Health Issues: PTSDC-PTSD can have physical consequences, including chronic pain, fatigue, and other physical symptoms.

TREATMENTPLAN

Treatment for CPTSD

(Complex PTSD) focuses on a combination of therapy and, in some cases, medication to address the symptoms and challenges associated with long-term, chronic trauma. It often involves a longer durationandamoreindividualised approach compared to PTSD treatment.

Psychotherapy: provide a safe space to explore feelings, build trust, and develop healthier relationships This is the best approach that provides permanent healingandqualityoflife.

Other Approaches: Short term fixes in Grounding Techniques: Help individuals stay present and manageflashbacksoranxiety.

Other Techniques with

psychotherapy: Mindfulness and meditation can help improve emotional regulation and reduce stress.

Deep Breathing: This can also help manage stress and improve emotionalregulation.

Self-Care: Incorporating selfcarepracticeslikeexercise,healthy eating, and helping others, attending religious functions can

By Dr.

supportoverallwell-being.

Support Networks: Connecting with support groups or online forums can provide valuable peer support.

Here is a grounding technique thatyoucanusetotemporarilydeal with the impact of PTSD until you find a psychotherapist within 48 hours.

Close your eyes. Breathein for fourbeats.

Holditforfour

Breatheoutforsix.

Repeat.

In the midst of all of this, find yourcentre.

Donotlose*you*.

Remember your skills and tools.

Remember your goals and values.

Rememberwhoyouare.

Hereisabreakdown:

BreathingExercise:

The 4-4-6 breathing technique involves inhaling for a count of four,holdingforfour,andexhaling for six This slow, rhythmic breathing can help calm the nervous system and bring focus to thepresentmoment.

FindingCentre: The prompt “find your centre” suggests a deliberate effort to connectwithone’sinnercore,even amidstexternalstressors.

RememberingSkillsandTools:

This encourages reflection on one’sstrengthsandresources,both tangible (tools) and intangible (skills), to draw upon them during challengingtimes.

Remembering Goals and Values:

Reflecting on one’s aspirations and core principles helps to maintain a sense of purpose and direction, especially when facing uncertainty

RememberingWhoYouAre:

This reinforces the importance of self-identity and reminding oneselfofone’sauthenticself,even whenconfrontedwithadversity Please keep this in your reservoir and use it when needed. Share so others can also gain control.

Fellow Guyanese, if you are experiencing four or more of these symptoms,yourbodyistellingyou that you need to show up for yourself You are cascading Believe that you deserve more and behavelikeyoudeservemore.You areagift.

Life’s challenges have places, layers, and wrappings distorting your perception of who you are réclame it. It is time you address your mental health. Time for selflove and self-care. Live a free, abundantlife.

Telford Layne Jr. PsyD, MSc. Postgrad, BSc. Clinical and Developmental Psychologist - Psychoanalyst

SBM Offshore Guyana launches education support programme for Women and Girls

SBM Offshore Guyana has launched its Education Support Programme, an initiative aimed at supporting Guyanese women and girls in advancing their tertiary education

53graduatefromGuyanaCentre forCivicEngagementleadership programme

The Guyana Centre for Civic Engagement

(GyCCE) held a graduation ceremony for the Region 5 cohort of the YOUthEngage592 leadership training Programme, on Saturday last.

The initiative, which is funded by the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, brought together secondary school students and teachers in a spirit of achievement andcivicpurpose.

Some 53 students and 10 teachers graduated from seven secondary schools: Novar, Bushlot, Rosignol, No 8, Belladrum, Woodley Park, and FortWellington.Thiscohortmarks another milestone in the GyCCE’s

Some 53 students and 10 teachers graduated when the Guyana Centre for Civic Engagement (GyCCE) held a graduation ceremony on Saturday last.

ongoing mission to nurture a new generation of civic-minded youth leadersacrossGuyana.

Over a three-month period, participants engaged in comprehensive sessions covering civic engagement, elections and voting education, e

hical leadership, conflict resolution, volunteerism, and project planning.

Aspartoftheprogramme,each participant also received a Civic EngagementKit,whichincludeda soft copy of the Constitution of Guyana, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to better understand and fulfill their civic responsibilities.

Theprogrammewasfacilitated by a passionate team led by

GyCCEDirector,DeodatPersaud, deputy director Nareema Ali, and programme coordinators Sherry MangruandCholaramDoodnauth. The feature address was delivered by Mr Feroze Khan, SeniorLecturerattheUniversityof Guyana. He inspired participants with a powerful message: “Leadershipisnotadestination.It is a lifelong journey This

YOUthEngage592badgeisnotthe end—itisthebeginning.Asymbol thatsays:Iamreadytoserve.Iam readytolead.Iamreadytobuilda betterWestBerbice,andastronger Guyana.”

Healsoaddedthat,“Letmebe clear: you don’t need to move to Georgetown to make an impact. Youdon’tneedtobeapoliticianto lead change. You need heart. You

need purpose. And you need to remember what you’ve learned o v e r t h e l a s t t h r e e months—leadership begins with showingupandnevergivingup.”

GyCCE Director and Founder, DeodatPersaud,chargedgraduates to continue their journey of active leadership: “Over the past three months,youhavenotonlylearned Continued on page 30

53graduatefromGuyanaCentr

Frompage28 about leadership—you have lived it. You’ve shown up, spoken up, and stepped up. And in doing so, y o u ’ v e b e g u n a transformation not just of yourselves, but of your communities He reminded participants that Leadership doesn’talwayscomewithatitleor

apodium.Sometimes,itlookslike standing up for what’s right when no one else will. Sometimes, it’s listening deeply, serving humbly, and doing the difficult work of building bridges in divided spaces.”

Persaud also welcomed the recent call by Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo for Civic

Engagement to be taught in schools, affirming the importance of preparing youth to lead change fromanearlyage.

As part of the programme’s capstone, each school team completed a community impact project. The Best Project Awards went to: Rosignol Secondary School, for the rehabilitation of a volleyballcourt,andWoodleyPark Secondary School, for the

construction of an incinerator to improve school sanitation and environmentalcare.

With the successful graduation of the Region 5 cohort, the YOUthEngage592 Leadership Training Programme continues to expand its reach. The programme now moves to Region 10, as GyCCEdeepensitscommitmentto civic leadership development acrossGuyana.

The Guyana Centre for Civic Engagement is dedicated to empowering Guyanese youth with

participation,ethicalleadership,and volunteerism Throughprogrammes like YOUthEngage592, GyCCE aims to foster a new generation of leaders committed to driving positive change in their communities.

Interesting Creatures... Cranwell’s horned frog

Cranwell’s horned frog (Ceratophrys cranwelli), also called commonly the Chacoan hornedfrog,isaterrestrialfrogin the family Ceratophryidae. The species is endemic to the dry GranChacoregionofArgentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. It, like other members of its genus, Ceratophrys,iscommonlycalled the Pac-man frog, because of its resemblance to the video game characterofthesamename.Most adultspecimensrangefrom8–13 cm (3.1–5.1 in) long and can weighupto0.5kg(1.1lb).

Cranwell’s horned frog (Ceratophrys cranwelli), also called commonly the Chacoan horned frog

The back of C. cranwelli usuallyhasdarkgreenandbrown coloration, although albino variants with orange and yellow coloration also exist and are popular in the pet trade. The dark color schemeaidsincamouflagingtheanimalasit burrows and waits for its prey Though generally inactive, it is an aggressive eater and is capable of leaping for several body lengths to capture prey. It uses its sticky tonguetolatchontopreyanditsheavybody toremainanchoredwhileconsumingprey.

Dietandbehavior

Cranwell’s horned frog is nocturnal and rests with its eyelids open. It is ordinarily carnivorous, feeding mostly on insects and like-sized animals such as rodents, and is known to cannibalize other frogs. Large individuals have bite forces comparable to thoseofmammalianpredators.Althoughitis

capableofeatinganimalsalmosthalfitssize, Cranwell’shornedfrogsometimeseatthings larger than itself. Its bite force is able to immobilizeitsprey,despiteitsbeinghalfthe sizeoftheprey However,duetoarowateeth along the upper jaw, it is unable to release prey from its mouth causing it to potentially diebychoking.

Temperaturecontrol

At extreme temperatures (both high and low),Cranwell’shornedfrogentersaperiod of estivation, developing a thick layer of protective skin to trap moisture and aid in respiration.

When estivation is complete, the frog uses its front and hind legs to help shed the protectivelayer Inmanycases,thefroguses its jaws to help pull the skin over its back, ofteneatingtheskinintheprocess.

GNBS PREPARES TO OBSERVE WORLD METROLOGY DAY 2025

– “Measurements for all times, for all people”

Th e G u y a n a

National Bureau

of Standards joins other measurement institutions across the globe toobserveWorldMetrology Day (WMD) on Tuesday, May20,2025.

This is an annual occasion, and this year marks 150 years since the signature of the Metre Convention on May 20, 1875 by representatives of 17nations Theconvention sets the framework for global collaboration in the science of measurement and in its industrial, commercial and societal applications

The 2025 theme is “Measurements for all times,forallpeople”

This theme was chosen tohighlighttheimportance

of measurements in shaping our past, present and future According to t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Organisation for Legal Metrology (OIML), “The theme also emphasises inclusivity, recognising that reliable and traceable measurementsareessential for fostering equity and improving the quality of

life for all people, everywhere ”

TheOIMLaimstomake World Metrology Day 2025

the core of events to celebrateacenturyandahalf o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l collaboration in metrology. This collaboration ranges from ensuring fair trade and advancing sci

ic discoveries to addressing global challenges like climate change and public health. In many spheres, measurements have been fundamental for progress andinnovation.

The GNBS continues to advocate for the use of the International System of Units (SI), commonly knownasthemetricsystem, in Guyana. Most countries have already fully adopted this measurement system or are far on the path to doing s o T h e S I o f measurements is made up of seven (7) base units including the Metre for length, the Kilogram for mass, and the Second for time

This measurement system plays an essential

commonly u

d in s c i e n t i f i c a n d technological research, tradinganddevelopment Today, none of us can divorce our daily lives

f r o m a c t s o f measurements Almost

everything we do involves some form of it. Forexample,determining the duration of an activity or when that activity should occur, is usually i

measurementoftime

In addition, the water and electricity we use in our homes are metered (measured) and many of us are often mindful of how much we consume to keepcostsdown

To boost metrology in

Guyana and to increase

access to reliable

v e r i f i c a t i o n a n d calibration services, the GNBS recently became the beneficiary of a new

modernised facility

c o m p r i s i n g 2 6

laboratories that include l a b o r a t o r i e s f o r dimension and torque

c a l i b

electricity and moisture meterverification

The establishment of t h i s m o d e r n infrastructure is part of

the government’s mission to improve access by those in industry, commerce, health, law enforcement and more, to traceable and reliable measurement services

These services also help to protectconsumers.

To

Wo

d

Metrology Day 2025, the

including a workshop for students of technical institutes across Guyana, the publication of media

messages, school lectures anddirectengagementswith the public in various administrativeregions.

F

v

de measurements services, GNBS will continue to expand its scope and variety of services to m

ds of stakeholders, ensuring all benefit

To learn more about the availableservicesandmore, please visit the GNBS website:www.gnbsgy.org.

SBM Offshore Guyana launches education support programme...

From page 27 academicandtechnicalfields.”

TiffanieCharlesPersaud,ActingPrincipalof GTI added, “At GTI, we serve a growing population of female students who continue to break barriers in traditionally maledominated fields. This initiative by SBM Offshore is not only timely but essential in building a more inclusive and resilient workforce. By investing in the tertiary educationofourwomen,youareinvestingin families, communities, and the future of our nation.”

To qualify for the programme, applicants must be Guyanese women or girls now entering one of the aforementioned institutions or are second-year continuing studentswithaGradePointAverageof3.2or

higher.

Applications can be submitted online at https://womensstemscholarship sbm gy/ Following the application process, two candidates will be selected based on eligibilityandevaluation.

The deadline for submissions is June 7, 2025,at23:59hrs.

The programme is one of several initiatives offered by SBM Offshore Guyana aimed at developing the country's human resources Other capacity-building programmes undertaken by the company include the Graduate Engineers' Programme and Trainee Technician Programme, both of which provide specialised technical training forGuyanesetosupportthecountry'senergy industry

Frompage22

Ambassador to Guyana,

Nicole Theriot, has

confirmed that the

Government of Guyana has notmadeanyformalrequest to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for

a s s i s t a n c e i n t h e investigation into the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge And President IrfaanAlionMondaysought to have ruled out going beyond his government’s hiring of a retiree from Canadatoconducttheprobe.

Adriana’s body was discovered by her father, Subrian Younge, in the swimming pool of the Double Day International

Hotel on April 24, approximately20hoursafter she was reported missing during a family trip to

Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo.

In the wake of the tragic incident, Adriana’s family has publicly and repeatedly called for international investigators to lead the

probe, specifically requesting assistance from the FBI, Scotland Yard, or the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Their calls come amid growing public concerns over the Guyana Police Force’shandlingofthecase, which has led to widespread mistrustandscrutiny

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Caribbean Commissioners ofPoliceGeneralMeetingat t h e A r t h u r C h u n g

Conference Centre,

Ambassador Theriot

c l a r i f i e d t h a t F B I involvementwouldrequirea formal request from the Government of Guyana

“Wewillgladlylistentotheir requestsanddowhatwecan. Iunderstandthatit’sgoingto involve requesting FBI

a s s i s t a n c e f o r t h e investigation,” Theriot said.

“The way that works is that it’s a government-togovernment request, so the Government of Guyana would simply have to make that request to the FBI, and they would determine based on their capacity and their resources if they’re able to assist So we’re happy to accept that request if that is whatthegovernmentwishes todo.”

She also referenced the FBI’s past involvement in Guyana, citing the agency’s assistance in the 2023 investigation into a deadly fire at a secondary school dormitory in Mahdia, which

claimed the lives of 20 people. “As you know, they came and did a very, very thorough investigation after theMahdiafires,”shenoted. Protestispart offreespeech

Additionally, Kaieteur News understands that a protestwasscheduledtotake place outside the U S Embassy on Young Street,

G e o r g e t o w n , a s demonstrators call for FBI

intervention in the investigation into Adriana

Y o u n g e ’ s d e a t h

Ambassador Theriot, acknowledged the planned protest and expressed supportforthepublic’sright to peacefully demonstrate “The protest is part of free speech. As long as it is a peaceful protest, we are more than happy to hear the demands,”shestated.

Presidentirritated Meanwhile, on the sidelines at the same event, President Irfaan Ali appeared irriated when reporters questioned him aboutthechild’sdeath.“I’m not going to belabour this point anymore. Everything I have committed to in the case, we brought in the independent pathologist, they have done their work. There’s an independent investigator in, I’ve done what I said I would have done. The political handlers

a r e n o w a t w o r k aggressively let the political handlers deal with what they want, ” the Presidentstated.

Attorney Darren Wade, whoinitiallyrepresentedthe Younge family, had written to President Ali on May 2, 2025, urging him to honour his promise of a thorough investigation Wade cited public appeals from Adriana’smotheronApril24 and 25, which were widely circulated “Despite these several pleadings by the family, you have failed and/or neglected to invite anyoftheseagencies,”Wade wrote “As a result, I am instructed by my client, as I herebydo,toremindyouofa promise of a thorough investigation—oneofwhich the Guyana Police Force

lacks the necessary competence and credibility toprovide—andtoinvitethe Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Scotland Yard, or the Royal CanadianMountedPoliceto investigatethematter.”

The first post-mortem examination concluded that Adriana died by drowning.

Pathologists could not determine the time of death, and a toxicology report is still pending. The PME was conducted by governmentappointed Barbadian pathologist Dr Shubhakar KarraPaul.Adriana’sfamily had also requested Dr Gary L Collins, Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Delaware, to observe the autopsy Dr Glenn A Rudner of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, also observedtheautopsy Retiree

R e c e n t l y , t h e government hired Leonard McCoshen, a retired Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) to assist in Adriana’s investigation However,thismovehasbeen rejected by the family as “unacceptable,”accordingto their new attorney, Dr DexterTodd.“Now,Iamjust using the language in the letter published by the M i n i s t r y o f H o m e Affairs—[it]saysthismanis comingtoassistthepolice.I would understand, this is a private individual. Number one, this is not what they were looking for,” Dr Todd stated. “They were looking f o r s o m e f o r m o f institutional organization that has very strong government obligations or codeofconduct…Let’ssay, like the FBI, where your ethical practices must be above board and like the ScotlandYard,”headded.

AppealCourtturnsdown GRA’srequesttoseize Mohameds’luxurycars

The Appeal Court on Monday, turned down an application by the Guyana RevenueAuthority(GRA)to

thatthePeople’sProgressive Party (PPP) Government was behind GRA’s move to seize his vehicles. He has allegedthatitwaspolitically motivated; stemming from PPP’s fears that he may contest the upcoming elections.

H o w e v e r , G R A maintained that it possesses “irrefutable evidence” of breaches, including the understatement of the value ofcertainvehicles.

GRA cited the lack of a bond, which is typically required to ensure the preservationofassetsduring legal proceedings, as the reasontomoveforwardwith anappeal.

overturn a ruling by High Court Judge Gino Persaud, which blocked the revenue body from seizing several luxury vehicles owned by prominent businessman Azruddin Mohamed and his sisterHanaMohamed.

The revenue authority is going after the luxury vehicles, claiming that the Mohamedsfailedtopayover $1.2billionintaxesforthose vehicles.

The appeal was decided before Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George and Justice Nareshwar Harnanan on Friday. This means that GRA’s battery of lawyers failed to convince the court that the vehicles should be impounded by the revenue authority until the case over tax evasion is heard and determined.Therulingofthe appealcourtthereforemeans that the luxury vehicles will remain with the Mohameds until the conclusion of the substantivecase.

Intheinterim,theappeal court also ordered the GRA topay$300,000eachincosts to Azruddin and Hana Mohamed by June 30th, 2025.

Justice Gino Persaud delivered a detailed ruling, concluding that the balance of justice required the preservation of the status quo, while the court hears further submissions and determines the substantive issues, including alleged tax breaches and violations of remigrantconditions.

In a statement following Justice Persaud’s decision, GRA said it would be challenging Justice Persaud’s ruling to extend therestrainingorder

Inabidtoclearhisname, AzruddinMohamedclaimed

attempt to evade calls for ring-fencing on Tuesday made the argument that the ‘Stability Clause’ in the Exxon oil deal prevents the Government of Guyana (GoG) from implementing suchaprovision.

“The GRAwill lodge an appeal against the ruling, since the preservation of assets is not assured, and no bond has been lodged as is usualinthesecircumstances.

The case has drawn significant public attention, as it involves high-end vehiclesreportedlyimported under duty-free concessions meant for returning Guyanese citizens,” the authorityhadstated.

The vehicles in dispute include one 2020 Ferrari PAD 5000 in the name of Hana Mohamed, with additionaltaxesof$479,743, 489 for breach of the remigrant requirements; one 2023 Land Rover Range Rover, PAC 9000 in the name of Leslie Khan, with additional taxes of $61,485,982 for breach of there-migrantrequirements; one 2023 Rolls Royce, PAE 5000 in the name of Bibi Mohamed, with additional taxes of $320,064,246 for breach of the re-migrant requirements; one 2020 Lamborghini Roadster PZZ 4000, titled to Azruddin Mohamed, with additional taxes of $371,775,168 for false declaration of value; one 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser PAB 4000, titled to Azruddin Mohamed, with additional taxes of

$24,641,272 for false declaration of value; One 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser, PAB3000,titledtoAzruddin Mohamed, with additional taxes of $24,641,272 for falsedeclarationofvalue.

WEDNESDAY

Gov’tcites‘Stabilization Clause’asexcusefornot ring-fencingStabroek Blockprojects

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) in an

The ministry was responding to an article publishedbyKaieteurNews on May 9, 2025 under the headline, “7th oil project must not be approved without ring-fencing, other benefits-Dr Adams.”Inthat article, the former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams also revealed that during the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) tenureinoffice,theCoalition wasactivelypursuingaringfencing provision but these plans were abandoned when the new government took officein2020.

Inresponse,theMinistry said it wholly rejected “this treacherous insult to the intelligenceofGuyanese”.It reminded that it was the same Coalition government that signed the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) “in secret” and hid same from publicscrutiny

TheGoGpointedoutthat after unrelenting calls, the agreement which did not feature a ring-fencing provision, was made public. Further, it explained, “It would be recalled that the contract also contains a Stabilisation Clause that prevents Guyana from increasing its fiscal take, unlesstheoiloperatoragrees to the same. If there are any arbitrary changes, that very clause emphatically states that ExxonMobil and its partners must be duly compensated for any economic loss they suffer at thehandsofanynewpolicy, regulationorlaw.”

While the government claims that the Stabilisation Clause presents a hurdle where ring-fencing is concerned,itshouldbenoted thatthisprovisionwouldnot affect the ‘profits’ of the operator In fact, this mechanism is used to allow faster recovery of cost. By refusing to implement this provision, Guyana has agreedto‘delayprofits’until allcostshavebeenrecovered byExxonMobil.

T h e r e f o r e , t h e implementation of this provisionwouldinturn Continued on page 37

BusinessmanAzruddin Mohamed

Frompage36 allow for only costs relating to a specific project to be recovered. In thismanner,moreprofitswouldbe available for both the government and the operator after those expensesarecleared.

Nointention

Meanwhile, MNR shifted its attention to the former government’s intent to implement ring-fencing It said, “Citizens would also recall that the APNU+AFC never intended to apply ring-fencing provisions to ExxonMobil’s contract, as Dr Adamsfalselyclaimed.”

TheMinistryquotedaKaieteur News article datedAugust 5, 2019 published with the headline “Energy dept to demand more royalties, profit oil in future contracts.”

In that article, the former Head of the Energy Department, Dr MarkBynoewasaskedwhetherthe Model PSAwill ensure that future dealssignedwithoilmajorswould feature a strict ring fencing provision to which Dr. Bynoe respondedintheaffirmative.

To this end, MNR said, “In its 2025piece,KaieteurNewsclaimed it contacted Dr Bynoe, who noted that the previous government was in talks with ExxonMobil on this issue. He is quoted as saying, “I think it was in its early stages of discussion ” It appears that K a i e t e u r N e w s h a s a comprehension problem. Nothing inthequoteitsupposedlyextracted, said anything about Exxon acceptingring-fencingbeingadded asaprovisiontotheStabroekBlock PSA.”

While MNR boldly accused K a i e t e u r N e w s o f a “comprehension problem” the sameMinistrysadlyfailedtograsp that both of the quoted individuals intherecentarticlestatedthattalks were ongoing towards the implementation of a ring-fencing provision. It was never reported in thearticlethatExxonagreedtothe provision.

The article explicitly states, “ the Coalition was actively pursuing a ring-fencing provision fortheStabroekBlock.”

‘Wehavenointention ofstoppinganyoil exploration’-Jagdeo

Vice President and General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo,saysthegovernmenthasno planstohaltoilandgasexploration offshoreGuyanaanytimesoon.

At his press conference last Thursday,Jagdeomadeitclearthat continued exploration remains a priority under the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration “Right now, we have no intention of stopping any explorationformoreoilandgas.In fact, we are encouraging this,” he

Scenes from a recent vigil in NewYork as Guyanese press their demands for justice forAdrianaYounge

stated.

The Vice President noted that whileahaltcouldcomeeventually, “thattimehasnotyetcome.”Tothis end,hepointedtothegovernment’s decisiontoauctionseveraloffshore oil blocks as a reflection of its commitment to expanding the sector and to deliver on their manifestopromise.

Healsoconfirmedthatasecond auction is being considered. “We already have plans for (a) possible second oil block auction,” Jagdeo said, although he noted that deals from the first auction have not yet beenfinalised.

Exploration, he stressed, is essential to building Guyana’s petroleumreserves.“So,it’snotour intention to curtail exploration,” Jagdeosaid.

Moreover, the Vice President alsoreaffirmedthatthegovernment will not renegotiate the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) governing the Stabroek Block, or haltexplorationthere.

TheStabroekBlockisoperated by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, alongside partners Hess Corporation and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

According to Jagdeo, exploration activities bring significant benefits to the local economy “Thepeoplewhocomein to do the exploration they have to utilize the services of the country and they have to procure things from our people through the local contentlaw,soitkeepsrelatedback tolocalprosperity,”heexplained.

The 6.6 million-acre Stabroek Block, located approximately 120 miles offshore, is estimated by the

government to contain 11.6 billion barrels of oil. Production began in December 2019, and to date, six projectshavereceivedgovernment approval:LizaPhase1,LizaPhase 2, Payara, Yellowtail, Uaru, and Whiptail. Two additional projects, Hammerhead and Longtail, are currently under review awaiting regulatoryapproval.

Recently, this publication reported that American oil company Hess remains confident that the success of the Stabroek Block underpins the need for at least 10 Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels operating on the Stabroek Block. Hess holds a 30% stake in the block In its 2024 Annual Report, the company stated that it believes, “The discovered resources to date on the block are expected to underpin the potential foruptotenFPSOs.”

THURSDAY

Exxon’sthirdauditcompleted …as Govt. still to finalise second audit two years after report was submitted

The local consortium that was hiredbythegovernmentofGuyana (GoG)toconductthethirdauditof ExxonMobil’sUS$19.6Bexpenses hascompletedthereview

This was revealed by Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, in an invited comment on Tuesday MinisterBharrattoldthis newspaper that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has receivedtheauditreportcompleted byRamdihal&HaynesInc;Eclisar Financial; and VitalityAccounting

Infrastructure, David Patterson, said at the time that the media was blankedonpurposefromtheevent. In an interview with this newspaper,Pattersonhadsaid,“We notedthatthecontractsigningwas done without the presence of the media, departing from earlier such contract signing. We see this as an attempt by the government to dodge questions on the performance of the company, as wellasthecontentsoftheirreport.” The earlier audits include British firm IHS Markit, which reviewed expenses totalling US$1.7 billion for the period 1999 to 2017, and VHE Consulting, supported by SGS and Martindale Consultants, which audited US$7.3 billion for 2018to2020.

&

nc (VHE Consulting).“GRAisinreceiptand doingtheirinternalassessment,”he explained.

The local consultant was hired to review the company’s expenses incurred between the period 2021 to 2023 VHE Consulting also conducted the second audit of the Stabroek Block operator for the period 2018 to 2020, which is still tobefinalised.

The third audit, which commenced in November 2024, was initially expected to be completed by March, but an extension was granted to the timelinebytheGoG.Itisimportant to note that the audit in question is the largest in the country’s history, yet auditors were granted a mere five months to conduct the review When asked if the government is comfortablewiththeshorttimeline given to auditors to review a substantial US$19 6 billion in expenses which is significantly largerthanthetwopreviousaudits, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Joslyn McKenzie, had responded, “As it relates to the duration, the durationisinkeepingwiththeaudit charter, and the GRA assured us that the work will be completed within that timeframe All the bidders who submitted their bids also said the same thing, that the timeframeisadequate.”

Additionally, unlike what obtained during the first cost oil audit, the media was not invited to attend the signing of the contract, sparking concerns from stakeholders Chairman of the Alliance For Change (AFC) and former M

Meanwhile, even as the third audit has been completed by the consultinggroup,thesecondoneis still to be finalised. The second audit, covering Exxon’s expenses for 2018 to 2020 and totalling US$7.3 billion, was conducted by the local consortium VHE Consulting, with international support from SGS and Martindale Consultants. That final report was submitted to Exxon in November 2024,andthecompanyhad60days to respond Kaieteur News had reported that an analysis of the second audit report revealed missingdetailsonkeyexpenditures that were covered in the first oil audit done by IHS Markit Currently, citizens can access VHE’s“InitialAuditReportforthe Stabroek Block Cost Recovery Audit – 2018 to 2020” on the Ministry of Natural Resources website That version was published onApril 12, 2024 and is 135pageslong.

Suspectedremainsof missinghuntersfound inSouthRupununi

Eight months after two hunters went missing during a hunting trip in September 2024, the skeletal

fishermen in the jungle area near Awarewaunau Village, South Rupununi,RegionNine.

The missing men have been identified as 55-year-old Owen Andrew and his stepson, Daniel B

Awarewaunau Village, South Rupununi.

Thediscoverywasmadebytwo fishermenwhohadventuredintoan area not previously searched, approximatelyfiveandahalfhours from the Awarewaunau village U

immediatelyreportedthefindingto theVillageCouncil.

Police have said that an investigation has been launched into the skeletal remains that were foundatAwarewaunauVillage. Continued on page 38

AdrianaYounge

Frompage37

Region Nine Commander, RaphaelRose,said:“Weare i n t h e p r o c e s s o f investigating, we are now tryingtogetthepersonswho wouldhavemadethevideos and start questioning them.”

“So I can’t tell you whether we’reatthesceneasyet,the scene is very far.” Rose said hisranksaretryingtolocate the men who made the discovery “That’s our first step,andthenwearegoingto gointothescene,butweare investigating,”headded.

Accordingtoastatement issued by the Awarewaunau Village Council, the men wentmissingafterventuring into the jungle on a hunting triplastyear

A formal report was promptly filed with the police, and a search party wasmobilisedbythevillage. Despite extensive efforts bythecommunity,theinitial search failed to locate the missing pair, largely due to the challenging terrain and the vast expanse of jungle, said theVillage Council. On Tuesday, a follow-up team,

which included close

relativesofthemissingmen, returned to the location and confirmed the discovery Personalbelongingsfoundat the site supported the identification of the remains as those of Andrew and Bernard.

The Awarewaunau VillageCouncilexpressedits condolences to the bereaved familyandcommendedboth the initial and follow-up search teams for their commitment The Council also acknowledged the emotional toll the incident hastakenonthecommunity

“Thisisadeeplysadand difficult time for our community, especially for thefamilyandlovedonesof Mr Owen Andrew and Daniel Bernard. We extend our sincerest condolences to them and offer our full supportduringthisperiodof mourning,” the Village Council stated. The Council furtherthankedvillagersand well-wishers for their continued concern and support during the monthslongordeal.

WeekslaterAdriana’s familystillawaiting autopsyreport

Three weeks after an autopsy confirmed that 11year-old Adriana Younge diedbydrowning,herfamily hasyettoreceivetheofficial report from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), raising growing concerns about t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d communication in the ongoinginvestigation.

Attorney Dexter Todd, representing the Younge family, confirmed on

formally requesting a copy of the autopsy report the previous week, neither he n

findings. “We do not have a preliminary report as yet,” Todd told Kaieteur News. Now, the family has confirmed that a second autopsywillbeconductedon Adriana’sbodyintheUnited States.Herbodyisexpected tobeflownoutbynextweek.

Meanwhile, even as the familystrugglestogetacopy of the autopsy report, Attorney General Anil Nandlall has sought to downplay their quest for a second autopsy “Whether another post-mortem or forensic procedure would produce anything of value would be a matter for those whoarepursuingthatcourse of action, my information is thatitwillbeofverylittleor no value,” the AG told his audience during his weekly talk show on Facebook Tuesdaynight.

Nandlall has said the Guyana Police Force (GPF) remains the sole lawful authority for conducting investigationsinthecountry “TheGuyanaPoliceForceis the lawful, authorised agency to conduct investigations in Guyana ” The AG cautioned against outsourcing the core responsibilities of local law enforcement to external entities, noting that if such weretohappen,everyfamily would then think that they areentitledtotheirparticular case being investigated by a law enforcement agency otherthantheGuyanaPolice Force.

Minister Nandlall also dismissed criticisms against the government’s handling of the matter, defending the actionstakentodate.“There is a set of people in this country…who will never be satisfied with anything this government does. They will

always use any opportunity they get, as they are doing now with this unfortunate tragedy, to score as much political mileage as possible,” the attorney general pointed out. He also dismissed the narrative being peddled that justice is lacking under the current administration, referencing the Henry Boys and Courtney Crum-Ewing cases, both of which have resulted in charges and committaltostandtrialinthe High Court. “Apparently, if somebodyfromthePeople’s Progressive Party is not implicated or not charged, thenitisanunsolvedmurder and there is no justice,” Nandlallnoted.

Preliminaryfindings

The issue of getting access to the report came under further scrutiny followingameetingbetween t h e f a m i l y a n d Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, last week. Duringthatmeeting,Hicken reportedly told the family that no preliminary autopsy report was available at that time. However, hours later, the GPF released a public statement outlining what it described as “preliminary findings” from the PostMortemExamination(PME) conducted on Adriana Younge’s body The police said that while the final report would only be issued

upon completion of t o x i c o l o g i c a l a n d histological analyses, they felt “compelled to share” some early findings due to what they called a “barrage of misinformation being peddled on social media intended to confuse and causepublicmischief.”

The statement appeared to respond directly to public comments made by the family’sattorney,suggesting the police had prematurely declared drowning as the cause of death. In defense, the GPF asserted: “The GuyanaPoliceForcewishes

to make it abundantly clear thatitwastherelativesofthe deceased, their lawyer, and the doctor representing the family who divulged to the pressandpublishedonsocial media the preliminary finding of the cause of death—drowning—fromthe forensic examination. Thus, the Guyana Police Force categorically rejects the contention of Dexter Todd that the Police, prematurely or at all, released the preliminary finding of the causeofdeathtothepublic.”

In a detailed seven-point release, the GPF outlined its preliminary autopsy findings: No evidence of sexual assault – external genitalia examined, hymen intact;notraumaticinjuries–soft tissues and skeletal s t r u c t u r e w e r e unremarkable; foam cone foundinnostrilsandmouth–often seen in drowning cases; “Washerwoman” skin changes – consistent with prolonged water immersion; no antemortem injuries –skinwasintactpriortodeath; liquid in sphenoid sinus – a brain cavity; also consistent with drowning; liquid in lungs–anotherkeyindicator ofdrowning. Thepolicealsonotedthat further testing is underway Blood and gastric samples have been sent to the National Medical Services (NMS) Laboratory in the United States for a c o m p r e h e n s i v e toxicological study, while tissue specimens are undergoing histological analysisbycertifiedforensic pathologists at Mount Sinai. Despitethepublicreleaseof preliminary findings, confusion persists over the police’s previous stance Following the family’s meeting with Hicken, attorney Dexter Todd reportedthatdirectquestions about the availability of the report were met with uncertainty “Istherea Continued on page 39

Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat

Senior Petroleum Coordinator, Bobby Gossai

Frompage38 preliminary report available of the autopsy which was done?” Todd said he asked. “That has not yet been provided; it’s not available, so we have no answer,” the legal team was told On whether the police would oppose a review of the report, the response was: “Well, we don’t have the report,sonoanswer.”

FRIDAY

Mysteryoverfinalreport ofExxon’sUS$7.3Baudit ...VP sends reporters to Vickram, Vickram sends reporters to Gossai, Gossai says check website, website shows old report

Six months after the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) gave clearance for the final report of ExxonMobil’s US$7.3B audit findings to be made public, the document remainsamystery

In November, the Commissioner General of the Revenue Authority, Godfrey Statia, informed thispublicationthatthelocal

c o n s o r t i u m , V H E

Consulting, has been instructed to release the finalisedsecondauditforthe company’s expenses, incurred between the period 2018to2020.Atthetime,the Commissioner General said, “The final audit will be released within the week. I have already given the goaheadtoVHEforthemtodo so ” Subsequently, it was

reported that Natural ResourcesMinisterVickram Bharrat assured that the reportwouldbemadepublic the following week This past week, Kaieteur News continued its efforts to access the report Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

was asked about the document at his Thursday press conference, but he b r u s h e d o f f t h i s responsibility He said, “I keep saying that these audit things and stuff, you got to track it down with the Ministry documents and stuff, I don’t deal with the small issues. I just deal with policy issues like the law, like the Local Content Act, thenewPSA.Idealwiththe big framework type issues...sopleasetrackthose downwiththem.”

When another reporter attempted to remind him of his earlier commitment to check on the release of the report, he instructed, “I’m

sorry,Idon’twanttocutyou short,buttheauditbusiness, please go and call Vickram Bharrat or GRA I can’t followuponroutinethings.”

Four weeks earlier, d u r i n g h i s m e d i a engagement at Freedom House, the Vice President told this newspaper that the document should have been r e l e a s e d a l r e a d y. Furthermore,hesaid,“Iwill check why they have not d o n e t h e s a m e ” Nevertheless, Kaieteur News followed the proverbial breadcrumbs as directed by the chief policymaker for the sector and enquired about the document with Minister Bharrat.Thesubjectminister explained that he was engaged with other responsibilities at the time andrequestedthattheSenior Petroleum Coordinator, Bobby Gossai, handle the enquiry

To this end, this newspaperreachedouttothe S e n i o r P e t r o l e u m Coordinator, who promptly responded He told this publication that the document was available online, but independent checks by Kaieteur News proved futile Gossai then shared a link to a copy of an audit report titled ‘VHE’s “Initial”AuditReportforthe Stabroek Block Cost Recovery Audit – 2018 to 2020’.Itisimportanttonote thatthisreportwaspublished by the GoG since last year April. Moreover, as clearly stated in the title, that document is not the “final report” approved by the GRA for publication This information was also brought to the attention of Gossai. Kaieteur News has

been pursuing the final reportoftheaudit,following the observation that several key expenses were not includedintheinitialreport, whichispresentlyonline.

WhenthereportbyVHE wascomparedwiththeaudit conductedbyIHSMarkitfor theperiod1999-2017,itwas found that the document provided comprehensive data on significant costs, such as those for supply vessels, drill rigs, SURF, helicopter services, and waste management, while these details were not included in the audit report bythelocalconsortium.This raised concerns over the

conduc

ut the government made it clear thatthereportpublishedwas not the final document Notably, the initial audit report was completed and handed over to government sinceSeptember2023.

,

Inwakeofattacks,GDF rampsupborderpatrol …Gov’t.callsonVenezuela toinvestigateincident

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has intensified its border patrols, especially along the Cuyuni River, Region Seven, following three armed attacks on its troops by men in civilian clothing at the GuyanaVenezuelaborder

The incidents occurred over 48 hours, prompting calls from the Guyanese governmentforVenezuelato launchafullinvestigation.

At a media briefing on Thursday afternoon at Base C

, Georgetown, Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier

confirmed that the attacks occurred between Tuesday, May 13, and Wednesday, May 14, while GDF troops were conducting routine riverine patrols between EteringbangandMakapa.

Brigadier Khan noted that, unlike the February 17, 2025 incidents where six Guyanese soldiers were ambushed and injured during patrol duties in the Cuyuni River, Region Seven, no member of the GDFwasinjuredduringthis week’s attacks “Border Patrol departed our location at Eteringbang and was travelling to Makapa, using two of our marine assets While en route, armed men opened fire on the patrol using automatic weapons,” the Chief of Defence Staff said According to Khan, GDFtroopsreturnedfireand safely exited the area. “The patrol,asafirstpriority,was to protect lives and assets and evade the firing The patrol returned fire and was able to exit safely along the river Noonewasinjured,no rank of the Defence Force wasinjuredinthatparticular incident,”henoted.

He added that similar attacks occurred on Wednesday “Atabout14:35 hours, another Guyana Defence Force patrol, this time departing Makapa and headingtoBlackWater,was again fired upon by armed men using automatic weapons The patrol also returned fire. Subsequently, noonewasinjuredfromour side,”Khansaid.

Just three hours later, a returning patrol came under fire again while passing the same area. “In the last 48 hours, we would have had three such incidents. This is

with Venezuela, and we expect Venezuela not to violate our sovereignty, but we are prepared for any eventuality, and that’s why wewillcontinuetopatrolthe entireborder,”hesaid.

In a statement issued earlyThursdaymorning,the GDF confirmed that all patrols involved in the incidents executed “a measured response” and reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to protecting Guyana

unprecedented,” Brigadier Khansaid.

Notably, he said, since the first incident, the GDF hadenhanceditsoperational posture and adopted drills that would mitigate the situation. These drills, he noted, were executed successfully.

Despitetheattacks,Khan assured that patrols would not be suspended He outlined the military’s duty under the Defence Act and the principles of upholding nationalsovereignty,stating, “We have an obligation as soldiers…this is a mission we take seriously, and will continue to patrol…and to eliminate any threat to our people.”

Moreover, Brigadier Khanalsomentionedthathe was part of a team that visited four border communities over the past twodaystoengageresidents.

“The community and the villagers in those locations were happy, not scared happy that we visited. Our conduct in those gaps is to patrol by foot and boat, ensuring that we defend our borders and ensure that no one is illegally coming across, especially on the border with Venezuela,” he stated.

Khan described the area wheretheattacksoccurredas astretchoftheCuyuniRiver that is sparsely populated He added, “It’s an area that wehavenotedovertheyears wherethesearmedmenstop civiliansandextortmonies.”

Asked whether the attackers were part of the Venezuelan military disguised as civilians or a criminal gang, Khan declinedtospeculate.

“We share the border

e remains resolute in its mission to protect Guyana’s territorial integrity and ensure the safety of its citizens. It will continue to respondtoactsofaggression alongtheGuyana-Venezuela border and will maintain regular patrols along the CuyuniRiver,”itwasstated.

Meanwhile, Guyana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l Cooperation, in a statement onThursday,condemnedthe attack on the military troops andcalledontheVenezuelan government to launch a thorough investigation and prosecutethoseresponsible.

“The ministry via diplomatic communication to the Ministry People’s PowerforForeignRelations oftheBolivarianRepublicof Venezuela has registered its condemnation of these attacks and requested that a thorough investigation be carried out by the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the perpetrators be apprehended and brought to justice,” the statementread.Theministry also recalled the February attackontheGDFranksand noted, “It is the intention of the Ministry, as it did with the incident of February 17, 2025, to bring these latest incidents to the attention of t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Community.”

The ministry said it will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with other government agencies and take all appropriate actions where necessary

SATURDAY

Gov’tpasseslaw protectingparent companiesfrom payingforoilspill …limits citizens filing for compensation to one year

TheOilPollution Continued on page 40

Chief of Defence Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Omar Khan (center), alongside ranks of the GDF at the press conference.

Frompage39 Prevention, Preparedness, ResponseandResponsibility Bill was passed on Friday evening in the National Assembly, shielding parent companies of petroleum operatorsfromoilspillcosts.

Following a four-hour long debate at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, Lilliendaal,Georgetown,the governmentwithitsone-seat majority managed to push theBillthroughdespitecalls from the opposition for the Bill to be sent to the Special Select Committee for refining.

Leadingthedebateonthe opposition side, Shadow Minister of Natural Resources, Shurwayne Holder pointed to the fact thatthenewlawprotectsthe ‘parent’ of oil companies from costs associated with a spill.

HecitedPartVI(6)ofthe new law, which addresses liabilityorwhathedescribed as “the backbone of PPP’s deceit.”

He quoted Clause 17 of the Law which states, “A responsiblepartyisliablefor alldamagescausedbyanoil spill incident, removal and removal costs, and restoration of environment as far as practicable, and for any costs arising therefrom orconnectedtherewith.”

Holder pointed out that while this section sounds brilliant, the government waged war in and out of the courtroomagainstthepeople of Guyana for an unlimited ParentCompanyGuarantee.

With elections now nearing, the Opposition MP said the government seems tohaveawakenedfromtheir slumber to champion full liability coverage However, this is no more thana“hoax”

Holderexplainedthatthe law establishes that the “responsible party” has full responsibility for any spill even as he went on to describewhotheresponsible partyis.

“In the case of the oil rigs,theresponsibleparty,as established by this bill on page9,istheoperatorofthe facility or the holder of the exploration and production license. In other words, Mr Speaker, it is the subsidiary of Exxon, a “Limited Liability Company” formerly called EEPGL,

renamed ExxonMobil Guyana It is a limited Liability Company with no realassetsexceptthoseinits possession that are already

owned by Guyana through thepetroleumcontract.”

Holder went further into the Act as he drew the Assembly’s attention to Clause 21, which makes it clear that there shall be “no transferofliability”.

I t s t a t e s “ A n indemnification or any like agreement shall be invalid for the purposes of transferring the liability of a responsible party under this act.”

To this end, the MP told his colleagues that one may be persuaded to believe that this is exceptional, however “this is where the con job is operationalized.”

Holder explained that ExxonMobil Guyana as a limitedliabilitysubsidiaryof the Parent Company Exxon Mobil Corporation will now be shieled from liabilities, while the company that virtually owns nothing will beheldresponsibleforcosts.

He warned, “So what theycando,iftheoilspillis of a significant magnitude such that they are unable to coveritfinancially,theycan file for bankruptcy leaving Guyanatoholdontonothing. Thisishowthisgovernment isdeceivingthisnation.”

MPDavidPattersonalso highlightedsimilarconcerns in his contribution to the debate.

He told the National AssemblythatifEMGLfails to cover the costs associated with an oil spill, then the parent company is completely off the hook, as companiesarenotallowedto transferliabilities.

Limitedtimeforclaims

Moreover, Patterson highlightedClause23ofthe new law, which limits citizens to one year to file for compensation after a spill

to the Special Select Committee, but this was eventuallyvotedagainst.

Notably, the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, in his contribution to the debate, boasted that Guyanahasbeenrecognized by a number of reputable

management of the petroleumsector

These included the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, Organization of American States, and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative validationreport

It states at 23 (1)

“Without prejudice to any other action with respect to the same matter which is lawfully available, a person affected by an oil spill incident to which this Act applies,mayfileaclaimwith the Oil Spill Incident Board of Inquiry in accordance withthisPart.”

Section 23 (2) however

He also urged the Opposition MPs to see pass the past and move on from topics such as oil spill insurance and guarantee since the government was now making a greater move in the direction of a law to holdtheresponsiblepartyto accountforallcosts.

The Minister also pointed to the steps implemented by the GoG to prevent an oil spill from occurringinthefirstplaceto

As such, Nandlall argued, “These are not ordinary provision, but we made sure we inserted them theretoensurethatthereisa catchment of liability and liability is not eluded in a quickway.”

Shifting his attention to the limited period for compensation as flagged by Patterson, the AG said the Act does not limit claimants tooneyear

He explained, “This thing says may be filed not later than one year after discovery So you can discover 10 years after the incident The damage that you suffered can occur 10 yearsafterthespill,butwhen youdiscoverit,youhaveone year to make a filing. That distinction is lost on the gentleman.”

Also contributing to the debate from the government side were Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Minister withintheMinistryofPublic Works, Deodat Indar, and Minister of Public Security, Robson Benn On the opposition side, Sherod

“So what they can do, if the oil spill is of a significant magnitude such that they are unable to cover it financially, they can file for bankruptcy leaving Guyana to hold onto nothing.” - Shurwayne Holder

goesontoexplain,“Aclaim under this section shall not be filed later than one year after the discovery of the oil

spill incident or the discovery of the damage arising from the incident, whicheverisfirst.”

To this end, Patterson questioned the limitation outlined in the Oil Spill law, especially when claims are still being filed more than a decade after a spill occurred in the United States Gulf of Mexico.

Regionally, he pointed outthatfisherfolkinTobago are still claiming losses, following a spill early last year

As such, he pointed out, “You are asking our fisherfolk the honourable AG (Attorney General) is sayingthathehastocarrythe mighty Exxon to Court. In other countries, the time to file a claim is not so limited ashere.”

The Parliamentarian called for the Bill to be sent

avoid a major catastrophic event.

These include the installation of Blow Out Preventers (BoPs) at the wells and one of 13 capping stacks around the world beingin-country AGaddressesconcerns Meanwhile,theAttorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, addressed concerns previously raised by the OppositionMPswithregard to liability and timeline to makeaclaim.

He explained that the broad term ‘responsible party’ includes any person owning, operating or chartering a vessel; for offshore or onshore facilities, it includes the operators or licensees; and even for abandoned or decommissionedfacilitiesor vessels, it includes those who were responsible immediately prior to a b a n d o n m e n t o r decommissioning.

HousingandWater

Included in the $29 5 billion supplementary provision for OPM is $3 billion in additional resources for the $100,000 cash grant and $28.8 billion more for the Gas-to-Energy (GTE)project.

The Ministry of Public Works is set to receive another $4,952,000,000 for roadsandseadefenceworks; while $217,456,275 is requested by the Ministry of HumanServices.

The housing ministry is seeking $12 billion more to facilitate an expanded work programme.

In total, the government i s r e q u e s t i n g $11,017,456,275 for current e s t i m a t e s a n d $46,475,159,000 for capital estimates.

The finance minister has askedtheNationalAssembly to consider the financial paperatthenextsittingofthe parliament.

ncial resources comes just three

Duncan also joined with Holder and Patterson to oppose the proposed legislation.

Govt.seeking$57.5B more,threemonthsafter passingBudget2025 …$28.8B being sought for GTE project

Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh on Friday, tabled Supplementary Paper Number One of 2025 in the National Assembly, seeking an additional $57.5 billion more, a mere three months after passing this year’s nationalbudget.

According to the financial paper seen by this newspaper, the government is seeking a total of $57,492,615,275 to support theactivitiesofstatebodies. Theseinclude,theOffice of the Prime Minister (OPM); the Ministry of Public Works; Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Ministry of

Opposition MP, Shurwayne Holder

months after the $1 382 trillionbudgetwasapproved intheNationalAssembly

This year’s budget was passed on February 5, 2025 following five days of debates and four days of deliberat

by the CommitteeofSupply,where parliamentarians carefully scrutinised budgetary allocationsforeachagency

Dr Ashni Singh presented the budget on January 17, under the theme ‘A Secure, Prosperous and SustainableGuyana.’ Notably, the budget is 20.6percentlargerthanlast year’s fiscal framework, whichwas$1.146trillion.

After the consideration of the financial paper, this year’s budget will be increased to a massive $1,439,492,615,275.

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

THE TALKING LIBRARY

Sofia loved books more than anything. She loved the smell of them, the feel of their pages, and most of all, the amazing adventures inside. One rainy afternoon, as she walked home from school, she noticed a small, twisty path she had never seen before.At the end of the pathwasanoldbuildingwith asignthatread:

THE TALKING LIBRARY

Sofia's eyes widened Talking library? shethought. She stepped inside, and her mouth dropped open. Rows and rows of books lined the walls, and the moment she walked in, she heard whispersallaroundher “Welcome!” said a deep voice.

Sofia looked around “Whosaidthat?”

A bright red book on a shelf wiggled. “We all talk here!I'm Pirates of the Seven Seas. Doyouwanttohearmy story?”

“Wow!” Sofia cried “Yes,please!”

She pulled the book down and sat in a cozy chair As soon as she opened it, the book whispered its tale, as if tiny voices were floating out ofthepages.Everywhereshe went in the library, books w h i s p e r e d j u n g l e adventures, fairy tales, space journeys, and mystery stories.

Sofia was so enchanted that she didn't notice the rainstorm outside turning into a thunderstorm

Suddenly BOOM! The power went out, and the lights flickered off. Sofia ran to the door, but it was stuck. Shewaslockedinside!

She felt a bit scared until the books whispered, “Don't worry, Sofia. You're safe here.”

But then another voice criedout.Itwascomingfrom theverybackofthelibrary

“Oh no!” it wailed. “My chapter is missing! Without it,mystoryisbroken!”

Sofia hurried to the back and found a golden book glowing faintly The title

How To Make Fireflies That Really Light Up

Katie Steuernagle Supplies:

* LED tealights

* Plastic easter eggs

* Thumbtack

* Pipe cleaners

* Googly eyes/sticky white labels + marker

* Duct tape

These fireflies are super easy to make. Just pop a flamelessLEDtealightintoa

was The Magical Adventure. Thebookwasshaking.

“My most important chapter is gone!” the book said. “It's the chapter where the hero finds the treasure. Without it, my story will neverbecomplete.”

Sofia took a deep breath. “Don't worry. I'll help you find it. But I can't do it alone.”

A t t h a t m o m e n t , characters from other books began to pop out of their pages! There was Captain Bella from the pirate book, Sir Cedric the Knight from a dragon story, and Luna the Fairyfromafairytale.

“We'll help too!” they said The books whispered, “The missing chapter must have blown away during the storm It might be hiding somewhereinthelibrary.”

Helping Out

by Uncle Roy

It makes me feel so good When I make people happy, That I always try to do something To help someone daily

I help my Mommy clean the house, And even wash the dishes, I help my brother with his homework, And brush my father's shoes.

I sometimes help the old folks next door To shop and clean their place, I share my lunch with one of my friends, It puts such a smile on her face.

So try this out and you will find People will see you as a treasure, But most of all the feeling you get Will make you want to help forever

Sofiaandhernewfriends began to search Captain Bella used her spyglass to look high on the shelves. Sir Cedric moved heavy books aside with his strong arms. Luna flew up to check betweentherafters.

Suddenly, Luna called out, “I see a fluttering page stuckintheceilingfan!”

But the fan was too high upforanyofthemtoreach.

Sofia thought hard “Luna, can you sprinkle some fairy dust to lift me up?”

L u n a s m i l e d a n d sprinkledsparklingdustover Sofia. Slowly, Sofia floated up like a balloon! She carefully reached out and grabbedthepage.

“I got it!” she cheered, floatingbackdown.

But when they looked closer,theysawthepagewas blank.“It's empty!” Captain Bella frowned. “Where are the words?”The golden book whispered sadly, “Without its words, the chapter can't tell its story.”Sofia thought fora

(Continued on page 41)

plastic Easter egg. You don't even need glue! Poke holes through the egg with a

thumbtack to insert the pipe cleaners.The eyes are drawn onto white sticky labels, and the wings are silver duct tape. Quick, easy, and totally cute!

Adopt and share Right Principles to keep your Life and your Society on the Right Path

I

n t h e p r e s e n t circumstances in our country, when there are so many instances of crime of all kinds on a daily basis in so many places, and involving so many of our people, it must be an obligation of each of us Guyanese to do what we can to help to get our society more peaceful and in harmonywithoneanother

You can be most effective in your efforts to achieve this by determining therightprinciplestogovern your actions, trying to embody these in your daily activities, and doing what you can to helping those with whom you associate to dosoalso.

This week we shall mention some of these that you should do well to adopt anduseinyourdailyliving.

Throughout history it has been found that for human beings to live in harmony, develop in orderly societies, and even survive,

they need to abide with certain natural laws that determine how we and others in our society act in thepropermanner

These natural laws, or principles, can be likened to lighthouses which direct shipstosafety,andwewould be as a ship adrift in a sea enveloped in a dense fog if we did not have these as the very foundation of our own lifeandinoursociety

THE TALKING LIBRARY

From page 42 moment. “Maybe the words are hiding too. What if we callthemback?”

Sir Cedric raised his sword and said boldly, “Words of the story, come home to your page!”Luna fluttered her wings and added,“Magicwords,please return!”Sofia held the blank page tightly and whispered,

“We believe in you. Come back.”Suddenly, glowing letters began to swirl through the air like little fireflies. They landed gently on the blank page, filling it withbeautifulwords.

“It's back!” the golden book cried happily “Thank you!”Sofia carefully tucked the page back into the book. As soon as she did, a golden

principles or natural laws become obvious to you when you think deeply and examine what is happening to you and others in the presenttime.

You will see the need to follow them in all your actions, and the degree to whichyourecogniseanduse them as your guides will determine whether you and your fello

light filled the room The missing chapter told its tale inawarm,whisperingvoice. The hero found the treasure, and the story was whole again.The books all clapped (well, as much as books can clap), and the characters gaveSofiaabighug.

“You were brave and c l e v e r, ” S i r C e d r i c said.“Thank you for saving my story,” the golden book whispered.

ens experience survival and stability or disintegration anddestruction.

These principles are universal, as they are embodiedintheteachingsof every major religion as well as every system which you followtodecidewhatisright fromwrong.

They are self-evident and a part of the conscience of every human being, regardless of their beliefs, culture, or geographical location.

Thosethatwillproveto bestguideyourlifeare:Fairness, Honesty; Peace, Integrity, Human Dignity, Growth, Tolerance, Respect for nature, and Loyalty.

We shall be developing each of these in next week's issue, so please look out for this,whilespendingthenext few days in thinking about what you now know about these principles and how theycanimproveyourlife.

goodbye.As she stepped out into the fresh morning air, she looked back at the Talking Library and whispered, “I'll be back soon.”

And she kept her promise, returning many times for new adventures with her magical book friends.

TheEnd.

Follow-Up Questions:

Today brings me joy, my whole heart sings, As if it has been given wings, As a new day so new and bright Is spread before my wondering sight!

Today will bring me peace in quiet prayer, As I lift my heart and, everywhere, See God's wondrous works appear, And feel His presence calm and clear

Today with faith I make my way, Sure of His blessings all the day, Content to trust the staff and rod Of an all-wise, all-loving God.

Today I have wealth much more than gold, Than hands may touch or heart may hold, Because I know that God will feed, By satisfying all that I may need.

contribution to this column by either giving a feedback on what is published, asking for some help with some personal problem, offering some advice to fellow teenagers, or sharingthenewsofwhatishappeninginhis/hercommunity P l e a s e s e n d y o u r c o n t r

When you become aware of any bad deed by any relative or friend, you have the r responsibility to deal with it directly with the person, and not for gossiping about it with others.

BENDS

Just then, the sun peeked through the windows. The storm had passed, and the librarydoorcreakedopen.

“It's time for you to go home,” Luna said gently. “But remember, you can visitusanytime.”

Sofia smiled and waved

· What was the name of the special book that lost its chapter?

· How did Sofia and her friends get the missing words back onto the page?

· W h i c h b o o k characters helped Sofia during her adventure?

Each row and column contains one of each kind of V shape (eight different orientations). Vs should not form straight lines by touching other Vs. There is a unique solution. Thanks to Peter Bruin and Jared McComb.

QUEENS

Uncle Roy is again appealing to our readers to make a

Designing his own path… show-stopping pieces are inspired from the world around him

Roberto Teekah’s Guyanese creative

Roberto Teekah, the creative mind behind ‘Rio de Roberto’, is a Guyanesevisualartistandfashion designer who has always had a passionforcreatingart.Oneofhis earliest ventures into fashion was designing for the Miss Mash Queen2022PageantforTamaisha Oxford.

The26-year-oldcreativeicon, during an interview with The Waterfalls, mentioned that he had been painting and drawing from an early age; eventually realising thathisideascouldbeexpressedin otherways—throughfashionand costumes. Teekah mentioned that he attended the E.R. Burrowes SchoolofArtwherehemajoredin bothpaintingandtextileart.

“I started off, and I still consider myself to be primarily a visual artist, but I look at fashion and fashion design as another medium of expression When I attended Burrowes, I was exposedtoalotofdifferent techniques and artistic mediums At the Art School,Ilearnthowtodraft sewingpatternsandhowto

asewingmachine.Iranwiththose skillsandIhavebeenabletoreally create things that I had always beenconceptualising.Iwasableto take images from my drawings and essentially bring them to life. It’sanamazingthingtobeableto see my work come to life in that way,”Teekahsaid. The designer highlighted that his inspiration comes from all over, even from the smallest things.Hementionedthatgrowing up, he was an introverted child, and he would read lots of books and watch shows and documentaries— those memories and experiences continue to

inspiresomeofhisworktoday

“Igetinspirationfromsomany things. As an artist, I’m always thinking creatively and seeing things that inspire me. Everyday things like people at the market, objects on the road… inspiration iseverywhere”hesaid. He further added that when comingupwithdesigns,hewould usuallytakeintoconsiderationthe background of his clients, their experiences; where they grew up, theirlikesanddislikes,andsoon.

“I created a costume for the MissEastCoastPageantlastyear that was inspired by the sugar industry and old-time Guyanese confectionary Theinspirationfor

Designer , Roberto T eekah

At left: Miss World Guyana Zalika Samuels dons the Jaguar Warrior piece designed by Roberto Teekah

The winner of the Miss Guyana Teen withAPurpose Pageant 2024, Raina Thomas in her National Costume based on our National Flower: The Victoria Regia Lily

Frompage43

thatcostumecamefromsomeone thatIsawsellingsweetstoatthe Plaisance Market I made the connectionbetween that and the sugar industry in Guyana and how important it was along the CoastofGuyana.Thecostumeis called ‘Demerara Sweetness’

Roberto Teekah’s... Robe Guyanese creative

anditreallywowedthecrowdon the pageant night. I think it was something that the audience could immediately recognise as Guyaneseculture.”

Teekah went on to say that evensocialissuesserveasaform ofinspirationtohim

“Societal issues can inspire me Ifyouthinkaboutaproblem that you see in society, or something that might be botheringyou…whynotexplore that in a work of art to convey your point of view and get the audience thinking about things that maybe they weren’t thinking about before. I believe art can and should be used to createsocialchangeandconvey importantmessages,”hesaid.

The designer further explained that in his creative process, he loves to focus his designsandideasonunexpected andunappreciatedthings.

“For me, something that I think is important to my expression as an artist and as a designer is being able to referencethingsthatpeoplemay overlook. For my collection,

‘Pon de Clothesline’, I really wanted to explore something that I think all Guyanese can relate to hand-washing clothes the old fashioned way I wantedtouseelementsfromthe ‘wash-day’ in my collection— scrubbing boards, clothesbeaters, blue soap; things that you wouldn’t expect to see on the runway I love taking those authentically Guyanese experiences, things that people can relate to, and showcasing them in a way that people wouldn’t expect, but can immediately identify with.” the designersaid.

Teekah added that often the things that unite Guyanese are overlooked, which is why he makes an extra effort to explore them in his work. Referring to his recent runway collection, he said, “most of us can feel a connection to those experiences and it really unites us as one people. It’s something that we pass every day, and take for granted, but when it’s presented to us… it’s different. It gives people the opportunity to see

things from a different perspective.”

TheMissWorldPageant

Miss World Guyana - Zalika Samuels worked with Teekah to create her costume for the ‘DancesoftheWorld’segmentat the72ndMissWorldPageantin India. The piece called ‘The Jaguar Warrior’ is a tribute to Guyanese born actress Letitia Wright, the world of Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’, and our national animal, the Jaguar.The piece combines the Wakanda warrior aesthetic with elements of East-Indian and Indigenous cultures. It celebrates the power of Guyanese women and what theycanaccomplishonaglobal scale.

The costume left a mark on the Miss World Stage, garnering attention from international bloggers The Jaguar headpiece represents Guyana’s National Animal— embodying elements ofstrengthandpower Theblack and gold bodysuit was inspired bytheWakandawarriorarmour, withaflowinggoldcapeadding an element of opulence and regality The beaded accents in thecoloursofourflagreference Indigenous Guyanese culture; whilethetridentpayshomageto the Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice rivers, while also referencing Hindu goddesses associated with feminism and femaleempowerment.

Teekah’sAchievements

The designer told, The Waterfalls that being an artist in Guyanaisbynomeanseasy,but he works hard to continue to be successfulatit.

Teekahaddedthatsomeofhis achievements that he is most proud of include being able to design for the Miss World Pageant, as well as illustrating bookswiththeEnvironnemental Management Consultation Inc. (EMC).

“These are goals that maybe I’vealwayshadinthebackofmy mind,butI’veneverreallyknown

how to pursue them. Being able to see my work on the international stage at Miss World, and being able to have my illustrations in books, like withtheEMCprojects,isalittle unbelievable at times. My work isnowinthesametypeofbooks thatIgrewupreadingandonthe television that I watched as a child...”

He concluded that

“Sometimes, growing up in Guyana, it’s difficult to see yourself going beyond what is around you. Achievements like creating a costume for an international stage to represent theentirecountry;ortoillustrate a book that will be read by childrenacrossGuyanaandeven theworld;ortoevencontinueto live and work as an artist in an environment where it’s not always conducive It feels unreal, but it is very real. I’m doing it, I’m living it, and I will continueto.”

You can follow Teekah’s journey on his social media pages: Facebook- Rio de R o b e r t o , I n s t a g r a m : @rio de roberto

Demerara Sweetness is a winning piece by Teekah

Govt. will “vigorously defend” any legal action by Frontera-CGX over Corentyne Block licence

- VP Jagdeo

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said on Thursday that the government would “vigorously defend” any legal action brought by Canadian firm Frontera Energy overitsclaimtotheStabroekBlock.

His comment follows a recent statement by Frontera Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Orlando Cabrales, who said, during the company's first-quarter earnings call,thathiscompanyispreparedto assert legal rights, should Guyana's Governmentfailtofinda“mutually agreeable” solution with joint venture (JV) partners, CGX Energy

ntera Energy Corporation, over the Corentyne Block.

“If they take legal action, we would vigorously defend the legal action,” Jagdeo told reporters at a pressconference.

He added, “I think we should release all the documents the letters we wrote to them so that their shareholders would see what we sent to them I'm not so sure this is a publicly traded company and the shareholders have a right to see the correspondencefromoursidetothe executivesofthiscompany.”

Jagdeo also hinted at broader concerns the government holds regardingtheJVpartners.“Wehave a ton of other issues that we have about issues of inflated costs etc., but I guess that would be best addressed,thatshouldweneedtodo so through an affidavit if they pursuelegalaction,”headded.

Back in March, the government officially booted the JV from the Corentyne Block, located offshore Guyana However, despite the government's position, CGX and Frontera maintain that their interests in the Corentyne Block remain valid. At his previous press conference, the Vice President had made it clear that the former CGXFrontera property will be part of the nextoilblockauction.

During Frontera's first-quarter earnings call, Cabrales recalled that on March 13, 2025, the JV announced the receipt of a commun

he Government of Guyana, indicating that the Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) and Petroleum Agreement ended, and that it was terminating the Petroleum AgreementandcancellingthePPL.

Government had outlined that anylicencewillceasetobeeffective on March 10, 2025, unless representations made by CGX and

considered.” It was also stated that the government was open to goodfaith negotiations within the specified timeframe. However, the governmenteventuallycuttieswith the JV in relation to the Corentyne Block.

In its March 26 response, Frontera and its subsidiaries Frontera Petroleum International Holding B.V and Frontera Energy Guyana Holding Ltd. sent a notice of intent to the Guyanese government The JV partners alleged breaches of the United Kingdom – Guyana Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) and the Guyana Investment Act by the (Continue on page 48)

Govt. passes law protecting parent...

From page 3 ofInquiryinaccordancewiththisPart.”

Section 23 (2), however, goes on to explain, “Aclaim under this section shall not be filed later than one year after the discovery of the oil spill incident or the discovery of the damage arising from the incident, whichever isfirst.”

To this end, Patterson questioned the limitation outlined in the Oil Spill law, especially when claims are still being filed morethanadecadeafteraspilloccurredinthe UnitedStatesGulfofMexico.

Regionally, he pointed out that fisherfolk in Tobago are still claiming losses, following aspillearlylastyear

As such, he pointed out, “You are asking ourfisherfolk…thehonourableAG(Attorney General) is saying that he has to carry the mightyExxontoCourt.Inothercountries,the timetofileaclaimisnotsolimitedashere.”

The Parliamentarian called for the Bill to be sent to the Special Select Committee, but thiswaseventuallyvotedagainst.

Notably, the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, in his contribution to the debate, boasted that Guyana has been recognized by a number of reputable organizations for its management of the petroleum sector These included the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, Organization of American States, and the Extractive Industries TransparencyInitiativevalidationreport.

HealsourgedtheOppositionMPstolook pastthepastandmoveonfromtopicssuchas oil spill insurance and guarantee, since the government was now making a greater move in the direction of a law to hold the responsiblepartytoaccountforallcosts.

The Minister also pointed to the steps implemented by the GoG to prevent an oil spillfromoccurringinthefirstplace,toavoid

a major catastrophic event.These include the installationofBlowOutPreventers(BoPs)at the wells, and one of 13 capping stacks aroundtheworldbeingin-country AGaddressesconcerns

Meanwhile, the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister, Anil Nandlall, addressed concerns previously raised by the Opposition MPs with regard to liability and thetimelinetomakeaclaim.

He explained that the broad term 'responsible party' includes any person owning, operating or chartering a vessel; for offshore or onshore facilities, it includes the operators or licencees; and even for abandoned or decommissioned facilities or vessels, it includes those who were responsible immediately prior to abandonmentordecommissioning.

As such, Nandlall argued, “These are not ordinary provisions, but we made sure we inserted them there to ensure that there is a catchment of liability and liability is not eludedinaquickway.”

Shiftinghisattentiontothelimitedperiod forcompensationasflaggedbyPatterson,the AG said the Act does not limit claimants to one year.He explained, “This thing says may befilednotlaterthanoneyearafterdiscovery So you can discover 10 years after the incident. The damage that you suffered can occur 10 years after the spill, but when you discover it, you have one year to make a filing. That distinction is lost on the gentleman.”

Also contributing to the debate from the government side were Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, and Minister of Public Security, Robson Benn On the opposition side, Sherod Duncan also joined with Holder and Patterson to oppose the proposedlegislation.

Frontera Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Orlando Cabrales

Fulfilling key roles in Guyana’s health service…

Quintessential medex, midwife and nursing educator

is a ‘Special Person’ Shelene ‘Sarah’ De Peana

By Shania Williams

Medical professionals, more specifically nurses are the backbone of an efficient healthcare system, often they are first point of contact for patients entering a health facility

Many dedicate their

entire lives to this

d e m a n d i n g f i e l d , committing themselves to the wellbeing of others

Patient care is not only a critical responsibility but also a skillful art that

requires compassion, precision,anddedication.

Following the recent observance of International Nurses Day, The Waterfalls caught up with Shelene

'Sarah' De Peana, a quintessential midwife, medex,andnursingeducator who specializes in diabetes care who has dedicated 29 years of her life to the medicalfield.

At the tender age of 17years-old, this week's Special Person, began her workinthehealthcaresector at the Vergenoegen Health Centre as a voluntary worker

She recalled that the day

s h e w a s g i v e n t h e opportunity to work in the community's health centre.

“ A m e m b e r o f t h e community had approached

me with an exciting o p p o r t u n i t y : t h e Vergenoegen Health Centre was seeking volunteers to join their team. Initially, I had little understanding of what my role would entail at thishealthfacility,butIfelta spark of curiosity and decided to embrace the challenge,”DePeanasaid.

D e P e a n a n o t e d nonetheless that “From the veryfirstday,Ifoundmyself immersed in an environment brimming with compassion andcareanditignitedadeep passionwithinme.”

She continued, “The work we did was not just a duty; it felt like a calling. I often reflect on my path and say that God has chosen this noble profession for me, guiding my steps and nurturing my desire to serve othersinmeaningfulways.”

Today, De Peana serves the people of Guyana with the same dedication that she startedoffwith. Andthough her journey seemed challenging at times, De Peana has persevered and continues to do what she loves.

Born on January 14, 1978, in the small yet s p i r i t e d v i l l a g e o f Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), De Peana

grew up in modest surroundings Her father, Roland,wasacaneharvester and her mother, Lilly, a dedicated housewife. With two younger brothers and a tight-knit extended family, her early life was steeped in love,tradition,andvalues.

She told The Waterfalls that her village had quite the impact on her even today “The community in which I grew up was a densely populated area with a predominantly AfroGuyanese population, and it played a significant role in shaping my childhood,” she said. “Moralvalueswerethe most important thing imparted to me, mainly by the older generation. Those values still resonate within me as they helped to shape mylife.Iamforevergrateful to my family (aunts, uncles, etc.), who also played an integral role in my molding andupbringing.”

De Peana's early childhood educational

reinforcing my affinity for teaching and learning,” she recalledwithalaugh.

De Peana's heart for education has followed her throughout her career She has taught with the University of Guyana's AlphaFoundation,mentored Peace Corps volunteers, and now lectures part-time while managing the Medex Programme.

Her expertise spans maternal and child health, chronic disease prevention, and motivational speaking. She's also the external examiner for disease control among Community Health Workers.

MODELMIDWIFE

In the earliest stages of her career, De Peana was encouragedandmentoredby Medex Kamini Mahadeo andotherdedicatednurses.

De Peana quickly developedadeeploveforthe profession which led her to pursue the Ministry of Health's Midwifery Programmein1998.

Back then, as a young nurse, she overcame significant financial and emotional hurdles along the

Peana says her unwavering faith in God, has guided her throughchallenges,personal growth, and professional triumphs.

By 21, the nursing professional graduated from the programme and became one of the youngest registered midwives in Guyana. She returned to her community to serve. “I joyfully returned to Vergenoegen Health Centre, dedicating six years to servingmycommunity,”she said.

Her commitment led her to participate in the Medex Training Programme for another two years She expressed gratitude for the persons who helped her throughoutherjourney

“I am forever grateful to Dr Holly Alexander and Nurse Laurna Browne, who passionately advocated for me in this programme. Their unwavering support continues to inspire me everyday.”

SERVICEAND LEADERSHIP

Over the next 20 years, De Peana's journey through the healthcare system has

journey included attending Vergenoegen Nursery, Philadelphia Primary School, and Stewartville Secondary School Upon completing her secondary education, she engaged in assisting with lessons for young children in the community. “I have long harboured a passion for teaching; however, my aspiration extends beyond being an ordinary teacher I aimed to acquire specialized skillsinthefield,”shesaid.

The healthcare provider told this publication that her desire for teaching and disciplineflowsnaturally

“I recall a childhood activity in which I would converse with the posts beneath our house, imagining them as children, and I even playfully struck

t h e m w i t h l a s h e s ,

way, including studying by lamplight and witnessing domesticviolenceathome.

Despite the hardships, she showed unwavering strengthandcommitment.

“I remember my mom b o r r o w i n g m o n e y sometimes to support my education and taking on domestic work to ensure I stayedinschool.Istudiedby lamp light, as electricity was scarceinmyarea,”DePeana said.

Those challenges De Peana said only fueled her drive to break free from the struggle and the negative cycles that surrounded her life.

“Although our home life was far from perfect, I remained motivated to rise above the struggles,” she said.

A devoted Christian, De

been nothing short of remarkable. She has served in every administrative regioninGuyanainmultiple roles: as midwife, medex, nursing educator, diabetes educator, VIA provider, outreach team leader, and coordinator of national trainingprogrammes.

Notably, she was instrumental in managing the Diabetic Foot Centre, leading the National Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) (cervical cancer) screening initiative, and mentoring countless young professionals through the M e d e x T r a i n i n g Programme.

Mrs De Peana is currently Coordinator of the Medex Training Programme at the Health Sciences Education, Ministry of H e a l t h “ M y

responsibilities are both varied and extensive. As a passionate advocate for young people, I engage in mentorship with my students, guiding them in multiple capacities to equip them for the professional w o r l d T h r o u g h personalized support and tailored advice, I focus on developing their skills, boosting their confidence, and inspiring them to reach their full potential as they prepare to embark on their careers,” she related Throughout her journey her commitment did not go unnoticed. In 2022, she was named one of the 25 Influential Women Leaders by NICO Consulting Inc. andCeruleanIncorporated. For dedicated service in the healthcare system, De Peana holds several other awards including for an award as outstanding Midwife of the Year (International Day for Midwives) – Ministry of Health-Region#3;anaward for helping Mothers have healthy pregnancies and healthybabies(International DayofMidwives)-Ministry of Health - Region #3; Recognition of Outstanding Excellence in the VIA Programme (Cervical Cancer Awareness Month)Ministry of Health - Chronic Disease Unit 2023 & Camp; and International Nurses Day (Commitment in shaping future health care providers - Health Sciences Education (Ministry of Health).

FAMILYANDFAITH

Besides her very fulfilling medical career, De Peana is a devoted wife and mother She and her husband, Ray share three sons, Symeon, Iyshon, and Isaiah. They are also proud grandparentstobabyAsher

Together, the couple prioritizes family time, whether through weekend adventures,attendingchurch or quiet evenings at home. Alongside her husband, De Peana helps to manage Twinkles Elementary School and My Michelle's Boutique.

When asked on how she balanced her work life and personal life, De Peana asserted, “striking a balance between work and personal life has always posed a significant challenge for me.”

“My career demands a great deal of my energy and focus,andIoftenfindmyself fullyimmersedinthetasksat hand. In the afternoons, oncetheworkdayconcludes, I cherish the moments spent with family, along with our weekends and holidays together.”

She continued “We deeply value adventure as a form of relaxation, often seeking out activities that ignite our spirits. Whether it'sexploringnaturetrails,or embarking on spontaneous road trips, those shared experiences rejuvenate us and provide a much-needed escapefromthehustleofour dailyresponsibilities.”

She expressed that her greatest achievement has been discovering her purpose and embracing it withallherheart.

“The journey wasn't easy; I faced countless obstacles that at times felt insurmountable Yet, through perseverance and determination, I overcame each challenge that stood in my way I have an immense senseofgratitudeforhowfar I've come, rising from humblebeginningstoaplace

Displaying one of the pieces found inMy Michelle's Boutique, Mrs. De Peana has a love for fashion

Medex De Peana with female students of the Medex Training Programme – Classroom T

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From page 45 Guyanese government. This publication reported that the notice of intent initiated a three-month period for consultations and negotiations between the parties to resolve the dispute amicably.

Cabrales reiterated, “the JV remains firmly of the view that its interest in, and the PPL for, the Corentyne block remain in place and in good standing, and continues to invite the Government to amicably resolve the issues affecting the Joint Venture’s investments in the Corentyne block.” To this end, he stated, “should the parties not reach a mutually agreeable solution, the joint venture and its other stakeholders are prepared to assert their legal rights.”

Further, it was stated that the JV looks forward to “expeditiously” resolving the matter and continuing its multi-year efforts and investments to realise the value of the Corentyne Block for “the people of Guyana and its shareholders from the Corentyne block.” However, for their part, the government told the partners that in their view, there are no reasonable grounds to grant an extension to CGX and Frontera for their exploration and appraisal obligations.

In fact, back in January, Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, said the government could not legally extend CGX and Frontera’s exploration licence for the Corentyne Block, and as a result, could do nothing to assist the joint venture. Minister Bharrat had stated that the joint venture’s licence, along with an extension previously granted, had come to an end. Consequently, the Corentyne Block now reverts to state control. He said, “With regards to CGX, the position remains the same. There’s no change to position, with regards to how we dealing or handling the CGX matter…” Minister Bharrat stated that the government has applied the same system to all companies in similar situations.

From page 46“ testament to the power of resilience and belief in oneself. If I can traverse this path and achieve my dreams, then I truly believe that anyone has the potential to do the same,” De Peana explained. “Looking ahead, this week's Special Person aspires to become a Professor to share her knowledge and inspiring the next generation. “She also has bigger dreams of becoming an author. “I also dream of being an author, weaving stories that captivate and enlighten readers. A central part of my mission is to empower women and young girls, helping them to discover their potential and pursue their dreams with confidence and determination,” she shared.

At least 146 killed in Gaza yesterday

…as thousands flee Palestine; Gaza ceasefire talks resume

JERUSALEM/CAIRO

, May 17 (Reuters) - Israel

and Hamas resumed ceasefiretalksonSaturdayin Qatar, both sides said, even asIsraeliforcesrampedupa bombing campaign that has killed hundreds of people over72hours,andmobilised for a massive new ground assault.

Palestinian health authorities said at least 146 people had been confirmed killed in the third day of Israel’s latest bombing campaign, one of the deadliest waves of strikes sinceaceasefirecollapsedin March.Manyhundredsmore were wounded in hospitals and countless others buried underrubble.

Israel says it is mobilising to seize more ground in Gaza in a new

c a m p a i g n d u b b e d

More than 19 months into its war on Gaza, Israel shows few signs that it is relenting.

[JehadAlshrafi/APPhoto]

people to leave the northern areasonFriday

“Northern Gaza is witnessing a systematic campaignofextermination,”

Hamas said in a statement, calling on Arab leaders at a summit in Baghdad to help stop the aggression and ensurethedeliveryofaid.

FAMINELOOMS

Talks since March have failedtorestoreatruceunder which Hamas would release remaininghostagescaptured in the October, 2023 assault onIsraelthatprecipitatedthe war

Hamas has long said it would not free them unless Israel ends its campaign; Israel says it will fight on untilHamasisdismantled.

U.S. security and logistics firms. The U.N. has said it won’t work with them because they are not impartial.

Gaza’s health system is barely operational with hospitals hit repeatedly by theIsraelimilitaryduringthe 19-month war and medical suppliesdryingup.Thehead oftheIndonesianHospitalin northern Gaza, Marwan AlSultan,saidhugenumbersof woundedvictimsofthelatest bombing were in critical condition.

Reuters journalists saw Israeli tanks assembled on the outskirts of the enclave. Inside Gaza, people fled from the bombardment of northernareas,pushingtheir belongingsoncarts.

“They are bombing houses, and the people are afraid.Whatshouldwedo?” Imad Naseer, 50, fleeing his

“Operation Gideon’s Chariots”, following a visit thisweektotheMiddleEast by U.S. President Donald Trump. It has halted all suppliesenteringGazasince thestartofMarch,leadingto rising international concern over the plight of the enclave’s 2.3 million residents.

home in the face of the assault, told Reuters. “They treatusasifweareanimals, notashumans.”

Taher Al-Nono, the mediaadvisorfortheHamas leadership, told Reuters a new round of indirect talks withtheIsraelidelegationin Doha began on Saturday, discussing all issues “withoutpre-conditions”.

“The Hamas delegation

outlined the position of the group and the necessity to endthewar,swapprisoners, the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and allowing humanitarian aid and all the needs of the people of Gaza back into the strip,” he added.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also said in a statement that negotiations on a deal to release Israeli hostagesheldbyHamashad resumedinDoha.

He noted that the talks had started without Israel first agreeing to a ceasefire ortoliftitsblockade.

Israel’s military said it was conducting extensive strikesandmobilisingtroops with the aim of achieving “operational control” in partsofGaza.

Gaza health authorities said most of those killed on Saturday were in towns on the northern edge of the enclave, including Beit Lahiya and the Jabalia refugee camp, as well as in the southern city of Khan Younis They said 459 peoplehadbeeninjured.

Israeli forces had told

At the Arab League summit, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fatah al-Sisi, whose country mediates Gaza peace talks alongside Qatar, saidIsrael’sactionsaimedat “ o b l i t e r a t i n g a n d a n n i h i l a t i n g ” t h e Palestinians and “ending their existence in the Gaza Strip”.

United Nations experts say famine now looms in Gaza more than two months after Israel halted all deliveries of supplies. U.N. aidchiefTomFletcherasked the Security Council this week if it would act to “preventgenocide”.

Israel says enough food reachedGazaduringthesixweekceasefireatthestartof the year to stave off hunger now, and blames Hamas for the suffering of civilians for operating among them and hijacking aid, which Hamas denies.

OnFriday,Trumpsaid“a lotofpeoplearestarving”in Gaza.

A U S - b a c k e d foundation aims to start distributingaidtoGazansby theendofMayusingprivate

“Since midnight, we have received 58 martyrs, while a large number of victims remain under the rubble. The situation inside the hospital is catastrophic,” hesaidonX.PrimeMinister BenjaminNetanyahusaidon May 5 that Israel was planning an expanded offensive against Hamas His security cabinet approved plans that could involve seizing the entire stripandcontrollingaid.

Israel’s declared goal in Gaza is the elimination of t h e m i l i t a r y a n d governmental capabilities of Hamas, which attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizingabout250hostages Itsmilitarycampaignhas devastated the enclave, pushing nearly all residents fromtheirhomesandkilling more than 53,000 people according to Gaza health authorities.

NBC News reported on Friday, citing five sources, t h a t t h e T r u m p administration was working on a plan to permanently relocate as many as one million Palestinians from GazatoLibya.

All major Palestinian political groups reject any suchdisplacement.

Shop owner caught with ganja stashed in car tyre

A 45-year-old was arrested Friday night aftermorethan100gramsofganjawasfound stashed in a car tyre near his shop, along the EastCoastDemerara(ECD).

During a police operation in the area between 18:00h and 20:40h, the man’s shop was searched. Initially, the police found two blackplasticbagscontaining26.2gramsofthe cannabisintheshopbeforeventuringintothe yard.

During their subsequent checks, police found 25 zip-lock plastic bags containing an additional106.9gramsofcannabisstashedina cartyre.

Hewassubsequentlyarrestedandremains inpolicecustodyassistingwithinvestigations.

Stashed in a car tyre: zip-lock bags filled with ganja

Frompage57 fans, as it did in the late 1970s. MyaffinitytoAVFC – “The Villains” – was sparkedduringmyfirstever visit to United Kingdom. I had been sent, aged 19, to Warwickshire CCCC, in Birmingham, in 1972, courtesy of Mr Godfrey Wray, then Sports Editor of Guyana’s Chronicle Newspapers, and Mr Lance

Gibbs, then Guyana, Warwickshire CCC and WestIndiesoff-spinner

CROFTY & MUFC...

That three-month

coachingstintatWCCCwas themosteye-openingcricket experience that I have ever had. It was a period which also allowed many visits to AVFC. Edgbaston Cricket Ground, home of WCCC, and Villa Park, home of AVFC,standalmostadjacent toeachother LCCC&MUFC I played for Lancashire CCC from 1977 to 1982. One team-mate was Jim Coombes, who was also

goal-keeper for AVFC. He played cricket for LCCC in the summer, standard in those days, since soccer seasons were not as extensive.

It was soccer in the winter and cricket in the summer No more is that possible. JimCoombeslater becameCEOofLCCCtoo.

No-onecouldunderstand my joy when, in 1977, just after Test debut, I played TCCB (ECB) County Cricket for LCCC, courtesy

of then West Indies captain, CliveLloyd,atOldTrafford Cricket Ground. Cricket’s “OT”standsexactlytwocity blocks from soccer’s “OT”, homeofMUFC. Tothisday Ipinchmyself.

Howinhell’snamedidI getthere? Lifeiswonderful!

When it rained in Manchester; regularly so in 1977 and 1978; LCCC wouldtransfertrainingfrom cricket’s “OT” to soccer’s “OT”. I still remember rubbing shoulders with legendary Lou Macari,Alex Stepney and former MUFC and MCFC player Brian Kiddinthosedays.

Sunday May 18, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Something is currently compellingyoutobemoreof a world citizen than usual, Aries. You may find this somewhat disturbing You feel as though the roots of youridentity

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Your surroundings are currently changing, Taurus. Perhapsyourcircleoffriends has already undergone a majorchange.Thefactisthat you no longer have so many prejudices about the people youmeet.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Gemini, you're demystifying theconceptoftalent.Youused to look enviously at other peopleandthink,"IwishIhad anaturalabilitylikethat."

CANCER(June21–July22)

Areyouthinkingofgoinginto businessforyourself,Cancer? Being self-employed doesn't automatically mean you will have more freedom Of course, you will be your own boss.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Within the next few days, you'relikelytogainaccessto dimensionsofperceptionyou neversuspected,Leo.Perhaps you will become aware of certain energy phenomena, peakexperiences.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Often fiery temperaments like yours are drawn to fight for great causes despite the better judgment of more down-to-Earth people. As a result, you have great leadership potential that may emergetoday

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Your optimism is likely to receive a little boost today, Libra.Amemorableemotional encountermaybethesourceof some extra zeal. Or you may derive great satisfaction from beingpartofagroup.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Perhaps you should suspend your inhibitions for the day, Scorpio, and let your dreams guide you. For instance, you mightimaginethattheneedto make any choices has vanished.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

This is the type of day you enjoy The climate is positive, and the energy is flowing. It's as though you have a magic wand.Yougiveitawaveandpresto - the day's tasks and chores are done! By this evening.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

If the world collapsed today, you wouldn't bat an eyelash. You're perfectly content sailing along on cloud nine! Thesourceofyourblisscould bethatnewpersoninyourlife.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You may have had some emotional disappointments lately, but today will restore yourfaithinlove.Allyouneed to do is act. Your amazing lucidity and realism keep you from hoping for the impossible.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Put on your traveling shoes, Pisces. Fear of the unknown may have prompted you to postpone certain trips. You claimedyouweretoobusy,but noonereallybelievedthis.

Philips dry-cell-battery radiogrowled!

Brazil’s FIFA WORLD CUP MEXICO 1970 Final teamstillrollsofthetongue, 50 + years later, like Shakespearian poetry: Felix, Brito, Piazza, Carlos Alberto, Clodoaldo, Everaldo,Jairzinho,Gerson, Tostao,PeleandRivelino.

Brazil’s “Front Five” –Gerson, Tostao, Rivelino, JairzinhoandPele–wereall excellent“No.10’s”,evenif Peleworethatnumber

Through LCCC teammatesJackSimmons,David Hughes and David Lloyd, I went to many soccer games at “The Field of Dreams.”

Often,wehadtoseeksafety from the warring crowds whenever MUFC hosted LiverpoolFCorChelseaFC. In 2019, I saw the great Leonel Messi, and Barcelona FC, v MUFC, at Old Trafford, in the EUFA Champions League Quarter Final.

Brazil 1970 World Cup Team–Bestteamever!

Looking backwards, soccer became clearer in 1966,myfirstyearatCentral HighSchool.

England’s men had, stunningly, beaten West Germany’smen;4–2;towin FIFA WORLD CUP ENGLAND 1966, the last fully international trophy that England’s men have everwon.

By 1970, I was playing soccer and cricket and was good at athletics and table tennisatCHS. Ialsoplayed soccerandcricketforUnityLancaster United & Cricket ClubattheMahaicaHospital ground; varying elasticities that made me super fit. “Franz Beckenbauer” was mycallnamewhenIplayed soccer, so enamored was I with “Der Kaiser” Those werethedays!

I especially remember the BEST & GREATEST international soccer team ever, BRAZIL 1970. The “Selecao Canarinho”, also known as “The Samba Boys” , played ‘pure football’,tobeatItaly4-1in FIFA WORLD CUP MEXICO 1970’s Final, in the EstadioAzteca Stadium, greedily appreciated by about 110,000 stadium attendees. Whataspectacle, described, mostly in Spanish,byBBCandSports Illustrated. Our TV-sized

whilepreviewingScotlandv WI, at Leicester CCC, in ICC Men’s CWC 1999, when MUFC, including T&T, AVFC and MUFC Legend, T&T’s present soccer Head Coach, Dwight Yorke, broke the hearts of BayernMunich;2-1.

They are still the BEST “Front Five” to have ever played soccer anywhere at anylevel. Goal-keeperFelix even suggested: “I am very embarrassedtobeinthegoal for such a team!” He so much wanted to be a Brazil outfieldplayer

In my sports-person reincarnation, I must return asanexcellentsoccerplayer orafantastic“TightEnd”in what Americans call ‘football’, even if played mostlywithhands.

I also still remember,

That was in the Champions League 1999 Final, at Barcelona’s Camp Nou Stadium, MUFC winning courtesy of Teddy SheringhamandOleGunnar Solskjaer What a fantastic comebackgameforMUFC!

Some performers in sportsareHerculean,butcan you imagine what will happenif;dareIsayWHEN; ManchesterUnitedFCbeats TottenhamHotspurFC,next Wednesday, in the Europa League Final in Balboa, Spain? How fortunate for ManchesterUnitedFCtobe there?

Just listen out, wherever you are, for my screams of ecstasy Hopefully,theywill notbecriesofagony Enjoy! Cheers

GTTAannounces Senior/Next Gen squads with competitive schedule looming

With a busy calendar of activitiesboth locally and internationally ahead, the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) recently announced their Seniorsquadsaswellastheir newly dubbed “Next Gen” trainingsquads,aheadofthe 2025 Caribbean Senior Championships, among otheractivities.

Among the upcoming events, the 6th annual Islamic Solidarity Games, will be another key area of focusastheGTTAshiftsinto highgear

The Caribbean Senior Championships is slated to tee off in Barbados from June 16- 22, with the recent announcementaddingtothe

big names called up for the upcoming summer tournament.

GTTA via social media outlinedthattheyhaveopted

GTTAhas announce strong Senior Next Gen squads for a competitive schedule.

for a strategic blend of experienceandyouthacross theselectedplayers.

The Association also plans to implement team-

Some of the notable players named include the likes of women’s Olympic star Olympian Chelsea Edghill, Men’s star Shamar Britton, national youth cricketer, the dynamic JohnathanVanLange,Niran Bissu,tonameafew

The Next Gen Boys Squad comprises will compromise of Jonathan Van Lange, Krystian Sahadeo, Malachi Moore, Colin Wo

, Umar Percival, Salih Rahim, C

based and individualised training plans to cultivate elite performance and sustained international competitiveness.

Lyken, Akel Hall, Akeem Hall, Kayden Meusa, Rensford Beaton, Zamani Johnson, and Abinora Johnson.

The Next Gen Girls

Billingy, Samara Sukhai, Akira Watson, Angela

Barker

Senior Men’s Squad: Christopher Franklin, Shemar Britton, Jonathan Van Lange, Elishaba Johnson, Nigel Bryan, J

Bissu, Miguel Wong, and LeviPercival

S

squad: Chelsea Edghill, N

Jasmine Billingy,Thuraia Thomas, Michelle John, PriscillaGreaves,Samara Sukhai, Akira Watson, Angela Robinson, and ShakecyDamon

GKC hosts inaugural Open House at the Dr Frank Woon-A-Tai Budokan

In a bold show of v i s i o n a n d perseverance, the Guyana Karate College (GKC),undertheleadershipof Grand Master Dr Frank Woon-a-Tai, hosted its inaugural Open House ceremonyyesterdayattheDr FrankWoon-a-TaiBudokan,a facility poised to become the HomeofKarateintheregion. Located at Block XXX, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, just outside Georgetown, the Budokan is already being hailed as the largest karate training centre in the Caribbean and Latin America Though still under development, the facility welcomed guests with open arms,celebratingamilestone thatmarksthebeginningofa new chapter in regional

martialarts.TheOpenHouse wasattendedbylocalsporting dignitaries, including the indefatigable Director of Sports, Steve Ninvalle, along with dozens of karatekas, instructors, students, and newcomers Guests were treated to an afternoon of culturalexchange,martialarts demonstrations, and an impassioned keynote address by Dr Woon-a-Tai, MS, FGMS,10thDan

“It is with my distinct pleasure I welcome you here to the GKC Open House ceremony For many of you, thismaybeyourfirstvisitbut Iassureyou,itwon’tbeyour last,”saidWoon-a-Tai “This Budokanissettobecomethe home of karate for over ten thousand practitioners worldwide Although we’re

not yet fully completed, we’ve made incredible progress and we’re training herealready.”

The GKC, a non-profit institution, is deeply committed to youth development, using martial arts to instill discipline, resilience, and respect The College seeks to steer young peopleawayfromthetrapsof drugs, crime, and violence, instead guiding them toward personal excellence and leadership

Following the formal welcome, the attendees witnessed a series of striking karate demonstrations by bothstudentsandinstructors, a preview of the talent the Budokan aims to nurture Despiteongoing construction, key elements like training

Master Frank Woon-a-Tai speaking at yesterday’s open house ceremony.

mats and dojo spaces are already in use, following a temporary disruption at GKC’s previous practice location on Thomas Lands duetotheCXCexamination period.

T h o u g h c e r t a i n amenities, including; air conditioning, lighting,

lounges, and parking facilities remain under development, officials expressed optimism that all major components will be completed in the coming months

Dr Woon-a-Tai, one of the highest-ranking karate masters globally and a

Those in attendance were treated to some expert Kata demonstrations at the new GKC.

revered figure in the martial arts world reaffirmed his dedication to the mission of theGKC.

With his leadership, the Budokan is on track to become not only a worldclass training facility but a pillar of positive change in thecommunity

‘One Guyana’ King and Queen of the Sand

Football

to kick off in Linden today March past and six matches set to ignite Bauxite Mining Town

The 2025 edition of the ‘One Guyana’ King and Queen of the Sand Football championships is set to kick offtonight,SundayMay18, at the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP-C) Linden officeground.

A total of 20 male teams and 8 female teams will be matching skills over the next few weeks as they seek to be the top two (2) in each group that will advance to the next round and closer to the top four Following the opening match, a queen’s clash this afternoonat17:30hrsbetween IconicStrikersandRockstone, there will be, what’s anticipated to be a colourful march past of all contesting teams,bothfemaleandmales This would be followed by anothermatchinthequeen’s

segment of the competition between Avocado Ballers andHururufrom19:00hrs.

Thereafter the Kings will takecenterstage,andthefirst match will see Team Mineral matchingskillswithSwanFC from20:10hrs Nextupwillbe UDK Victors against Lil Ballers from 21:00hrs Rockstone will throw down the gauntlet to Hardball Management in the main supporting match from 21:50hrswiththefeatureclash between HH Ballers and Avocado.

Speightland will be defending the queen’s title while a new king will be crowned as last year’s champions, DC Ballers are not in the reckoning, this time around Over fourmillion dollars in cash,

incentives will be up for grabs The action will continue on Friday at the same venue. Teams in the queen’s segment of the competition:

Group A - GDF, Hururu, Circitville Strickers,Avocado Ballers Group B - Iconic Strikers, Rockstone, Fearless, Speightland Kingssegment:

Group A - Hard Knocks, HHBallers,AvocadoBallers, One Syde, Turf President Group B - Young Gunners, Spaniards, UDK Victors, Foundation Family, Lil Ballers GroupC-LABallers, Team Minerals, Swan FC, Fearless,Speightland Group D - Goal IQ, YMCA, Rockstone, Hardball Management,Bomberz.

CROFTY & MUFC

By: Colin Croft –

Former Guyana, Lancashire CCC & WI International Cricketer

I love football, or as Americans call it, “soccer”, asmuchasIdocricket. Both have much in common for fitness, thought processes and biomechanical engineering, on and off the field.

I spend many hours tuned to English Premier League, European ChampionsLeague,Spanish LaLiga,evenItalianSerieA, butIamnotyetprogrammed totheSaudiLeague. IfGod

allows,whenFIFAWORLD CUP 2026 comes to USA, Canada and Mexico, I will attendmanygames.

Everyone knows that I am a massive Manchester United fan, since their promotion from 2nd Division to First Division (Premier League), in 1975/1976. Itwasthecolors – black and ‘real’ red – not the other strange ‘reds’ of Liverpool or Arsenal Football Clubs, which attractedme. Black and red are ‘real’ Caribbean colors; always festive NFL’s San

The Public is hereby notied that Mr. Dellon Bernard Dublin of 20 Riverview Housing Scheme, Lancaster Mahaica, ECD is no longer employed by Force Security Solutions of 678 Foulis Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara and is not authorized to transact any business on the Company's behalf.

Francisco 49ers have the samecolors. Theyattracted my NFL interest from inceptiontoo. Theyarealso fantastic!

MUFCvTHFC–Europa League Final – Wednesday 21May2025

NextWednesday, almost unbelievably, Manchester United FC will play Tottenham Hotspurs FC in the Europa League Final 2025, at the San Mames Stadium, Bilbao, Spain

That single game will be worthUS$120milliontothe winners. Wow!

It is almost absurd that MUFCandTHFC,whohave played so poorly in the 2024/2025 English Premier League season; presently 16th and 17th; just escaping relegation, can be involved in this extremely lucrative Final, a game of such massive importance to both clubs.

Mypersonalirony,too,is

that, from the 1970s, the three teams that I have supported, in descending order, in EPL, are MUFC, THFCandAstonVillaFC.

After FIFA WORLD CUP ARGENTINA 1978, won by home-team Argentina, two superlative “La Albiceleste”, Ricardo Villa and Osvaldo Ardiles, joined“Spurs”. Notbefore, nor since, has THFC seen suchexcitement,resultsand (Continuedonpage53)

Colin Croft - Old Trafford - Champions League 2019 - MUFC v Barcelona FC

FIFAWorld Cup 1970 Winners.

Colin Everton Croft - 2025 Photograph

GKC hosts inaugural Open House at the Dr Frank

Woon-A-Tai Budokan

DoS Steve Ninvalle alongside name bearer Dr Frank Woon-a-Tai share photo-op with students, dignitaries and instructors at the inaugural Open House at GKC headquarters.

‘One Guyana’ King and Queen of the Sand Football ‘One Football to kick off in Linden today

March past and six matches set to ignite Bauxite Mining Town

Speightland, defending Queen of the Sand champs.