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AIETEUR Dutch firm making Sunday Edition NEWS Guyana's oil vessels has history of bribing officials to win contracts

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November 17, 2019

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Gold company continues to receive $$Billions in incentives, despite never

meeting contractual obligation Defiant ExxonMobil gives out another contract despite govt. puts field plan on hold

Scores of Venezuelan refugees forced to settle along E.B.D. river ...tells Saipem to design & make purchases dam in the mean time RUSAL costs Guyana US$100 million in duty free 'FUEL ALONE' ...investigations underway into re-sale of a third of its imports

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Sunday November 17, 2019

Sunday November 17, 2019

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Defiant Exxon gives out another contract despite govt. puts field plan put on hold ...tells Saipem to design & make purchases in the mean time

G

u y a n a ' s Department of Energy (DoE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are yet to sanction the development of a third oil field in the Stabroek Bloc at the Payara site but this has not stopped the operator from handing out yet another multi-million-dollar contract.

Having never developed oilfields in Guyana and acknowledging a lack of know-how in the industry, DoE's Director, Dr. Mark Bynoe, had placed approvals for the Payara Field Development Plan (FDP) on Saipem's Chief Executive hold, in order to hire a third Officer, Stefano Cao party to vet the proposal.

Guyana decided to hire o u r r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h somebody to tell the country, s t a k e h o l d e r s t h r o u g h if the plan submitted by sustainable performance.”

ExxonMobil, is in keeping This latest contract to be with the best interests of the handed out by ExxonMobil country and not necessarily Guyana—for the still to be the company. approved oil field—is in Dr. Bynoe in qualifying addition to a recent Front the DoE's position, pointed End Engineering and Design to the initial reviews for the (FEED) contract given to Liza 1 and Liza II oil fields SBM Offshore for Liza where Guyana effectively Prosperity. did not have a say and the SBM Offshore is the “lessons learnt.” company that constructed and supplied the first New Contract FPSO—Liza Destiny and is A d e f i a n t E s s o currently also building the Exploration and Production second—Liza Unity.

G u y a n a L t d .

(EEPGL)—ExxonMobil's Contract Scope Guyana subsidiary—this The contract handed to past week however, gave Saipem, comes in the Italian-based Saipem, a absence of an approved multi-million US dollar formal Field Investment contract, for the subsea Decision (FID), in addition systems, for the still to be to DoE's sanctioning of the approved Liza Prosperity. submitted Field That Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel is proposed for the Payara project in the Stabroek block offshore Guyana.

Saipem's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Stefano Cao, confirming the announcement on Thursday last said, “…the award of this new contract strengthens Saipem's presence in Guyana.”

According to Cao, “The long-term basis of our cooperation with our clients is at the very foundation of our business model.” “ Wo r k i n g w i t h ExxonMobil, especially on the continued oil and gas development projects in Guyana, represents both an opportunity and a responsibility to preserve

From ExxonMobil Corp.

Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL) - ExxonMobil's Guyana subsidiary gave Italian based Saipem, a multi-million US dollars contract, for the subsea systems.

Development Plan (FDP).

According to the contract scope, Saipem will perform the detailed engineering, procurement, construction, and installation of a large subsea production facility that will include 130 km of flow-lines, risers, associated terminations and jumpers together with the installation of manifolds, flexible risers, dynamic and static umbilical, and flying leads.

Te s t i n g a n d p r e commissioning of the subsea field will follow installation.

According to reports, the company, before obtaining the necessary Government approvals and project

sanction, had been directed through the contract to start 'limited' activities, namely detailed engineering and

procurement.

This means, the company has been (continued on page 15)

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Sunday November 17, 2019

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

Publisher: GLENN LALL Editor: Adam Harris Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

A case of gross disrespect It is eye-opening and jaw dropping, as well as revealing how the ExxonMobil(s) of the world conduct their business with host nations, with Guyana being just the latest example. In terms of what was just blandly announced by a senior Hess official at a conference in Miami, Florida, it was downright embarrassing.

If this is the way that ExxonMobil (and Hess and the rest) intends to conduct its oil business affairs in Guyana, then the towel might as well be thrown in right now, as the writing on the wall could not be clearer or its embedded messages not relayed any louder.

From the perspective of this publication, what unfolded in Miami during the ‘remarks and dialogue’ session at the 2019 Global Energy Conference, through the words of Mr. John Hess, Chief Executive Officer of Hess Corporation, is unpardonable and reflective of the startling disdain and emerging arrogance of the oil principals present in Guyana.

As is well known, this paper has been unrelenting and unsparing in its coverage of what it considers the demeaning terms of the oil contract starting with the insulting two per cent cut for Guyana, and continuing with all of the ancillary provisions that add to the financial haemorrhages inflicted on this country.

The smug, condescending tone and words of Mr. Hess of conversations with the political powers, namely both incumbent government and current opposition for the go-ahead for a third oil field, say so much about how ExxonMobil and partners plan to do their business here.

First, go through the motions and the politesse of dealing with the public service entities and ranking bureaucrats, in this instance the local Department of Energy. Second, when there is the equivalent of, to use traffic parlance a “prepare to stop” signal or, more jarring still, “road block” ahead, the foreign oil men withdraw first to weigh the implications of the decisions shared by senior Guyanese officials.

Third, finalize the best options on how to proceed, which usually mean taking matter in their hands, through resorting via ready escalation to the political bosses to interfere with and override the decisions taken at the expert level.

And this was what Mr. Hess, whose company is a 40% stakeholder in the ExxonMobil oil consortium in impoverished, dependent, and disadvantaged Guyana took great pride in announcing to the world over there in Miami.

He couldn’t have chosen a more open forum to drag this country through the mud. In sum, we will get our way, because we have the political trump cards.

Clearly, the oil men feel that the rules do not apply to them.

Also, this is an early indication that they have little or no regard for the oversight actions of the local Department of Energy officials.

It is not a comforting place in which this country now finds itself, when the prudent restraining hands of the Department of Energy is rendered ineffective, if not altogether amputated in such degrading public fashion.

It is as if that state agency does not matter at all. Because, when moreover, the ExxonMobil(s) operating in the Guyanese oil basin are confident that they have, ON THE MAJOR POLITICAL FRONTS, open political doors, ready and listening political ears, and cooperating political minds, with the superseding directives to follow, then what do we have to manage and bring some degree of conscientious stewardship to the oil wealth of this nation? We have nothing.

Today it is the hapless, hollowed out Department of Energy.

Cast a wider net and the Guyana Revenue Authority and the Environmental Protection Agency of Guyana, could be among the prime targets next. Already ExxonMobil, through Hess, not only leaves a massive footprint and a giant shadow, it also wields the biggest of big sticks, as the Department of Energy should be able to testify.

If John Hess’s assertion holds, it says a mouthful and an earful (both unacceptable) about the manner in which both of these two political groups intend to manage and serve as reputable and responsible overseers over the mineral resource gifts of this country. And if the foreign oil players could authoritatively tell their shareholders, the media, and the world what is tantamount to ‘no need to worry, everything is under control, and the right people are in the bag’, then hopeful Guyanese might as well kiss goodbye to the dreams of sharing in a piece of the oil action.

Editor’s Note; If your sent letter was not published and you felt its contents were valid and devoid of libel or personal attacks, please contact us by phone or email.

The contempt for workers that started under Jagdeo continues under this administration Dear Editor, The recent announced wage/salary and allowances increase is not the first time a government announced same without the agreement of the union. This practice of imposing a ‘tek wha yoh get’ policy started under the antiworking class Bharrat Jagdeo administration.

Continuing to breach what ought to be an inviolable practice, the coalition stands the risk of being labelled a Granger ‘tek wha yoh get’ policy. The latter also serves to undermine fundamental labour practices and collective bargaining.

During the Forbes

Burnham administration while there would have been engagement between the government and trade union in determining wages and salaries, in the event the parties did not arrive at an agreement this during Christmas, the government announced an interim increase and allowed the negotiation to continue.

Today workers continue to struggle to have their right respected to associate with a union of their choice and have that union engage in collective bargaining on their behalf, even though the Constitution offers them that protection. Whereas pay

raise and other allowances are noted and welcomed it must not be ignored same were arrived at without regard for time-honoured principles and laws.

To the issue of sugar and the claim that these workers have not been paid an increase, this matter is not only about this being likely or not, but the absence of collective bargaining which requires sitting at the table in an environment of mutual respect, hammering out issues, and arriving at an agreement.

Recently the union representing these workers turned up at negotiation with

GuySuCo management and whipped out placards addressing concerns. Even though this may be seen by some as a PR gimmick and is not the norm it does not violate any law. Given that the action was out of the norm, even if management was taken unaware and had adjourned the meeting, the adjournment should have been used to review the importance of that meeting to workers and a stable industrial environment; the right of those to protest; and whether any laws were being violated, among other things. Outside of that (Continued on page 6 )

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How can any serious coalition partner engage in this public charade at the public domain are in the by now, should be able to re- heads the party’s list will now AFC hopes to achieve by such a critical time? best interest of the people and port to the people of the steps be of utmost importance for bringing the coalition’s negotiations public. However,

DEAR EDITOR, The impending National and Regional Elections in Guyana looms large in the minds of Guyanese at home and all over the world. Not surprisingly, this acute interest in Guyana’s upcoming elections also seems to be attracting the interest of many non-Guyanese and external political interests.

It is no secret that Guyana’s recently discovered and announced “oil mine” might be partly responsible for the kind of interests that are suddenly emerging.

As these various emerging interests compete for political and strategic position, the coalition government is negotiating a renewal of its political arrangements. Sadly, these negotiations are playing out, almost daily, in the public domain.

The tenor, tone and political posture of these negotiations are broadcast in press conferences and news reports. It appears that the AFC believes that making its demands public might advance that party’s political interest and ambition.

In fact, we saw this type of strategy play out four years ago, so the party must feel confident in employing it again, probably because of their belief in its success.My concern however, is, how can

any serious coalition partner engage in this kind of public charade at such a critical time in the coalition/government’s history?

Do those engaged in this “public charade” understand the effects of their actions on coalition supporters and the Guyanese people?

Do they care that other political interests and aspirants are gauging the tone of these negotiations in order to sketch out their own strategy, propaganda and campaign? It is unclear why one party would take the ‘sticking points’ of these negotiations into the public domain, unless of course they believe there are some residual political benefits to be had.

It is concerning that the press conferences and news reports are advanced to intimate or indicate AFC’s political positioning, instead of advancing a concern that aligns directly with the interest of the people?

Personal political or party interest must take second place to the interest of the people. Can the AFC explain how its demands, touted in

the coalition?

While the supporters of the coalition and people of Guyana are hoping that the coalition remains in tack to defeat the internal sabotage, which happened December 20th last year, at least one player in the coalition appears to be taking action to diminish that hope. Does the AFC have other intentions?

In my view, one of the most critical concerns of the coalition should have been centered on the question of a rogue MP. The devising of a system to ensure that a Member of Parliament cannot simply bring down a duly elected government by a single vote, is a very important matter. It is also an issue that is causing some nervousness among ordinary Guyanese who fear that the country can sink into a state of uncertainty by the single action of an MP. The CCJ’s ruling on that issue has major implications for the future and stability of the executive branch of government in Guyana, unless there are constitutional changes.

The coalition and its partners

taken to mitigate a repeat of what happened last December. I am surprised that the AFC did not take the lead on this matter.

Is the AFC comfortable with a situation where any MP, for any reason, can decide to use his/her one vote to collude with another parliamentary party to bring down the existing government?

This issue will undoubtedly affect any government, be it a PNCR led or a PPP/C led.

The ruling, in my view, can result in some MPs feeling overly powerful due to their one vote.

At a time when the oil industry is set to make a major economic impact on the nation, the temptation to use that one vote for unscrupulous intentions can be greatest.

The concept of ‘conscience vote’ can become more loosely and liberally used, hence the need to guard against this reality cannot be more urgent.

The question of how MPs will be selected and who

parties. So, the public political posturing and grandstanding by the AFC are quite confusing given the bigger issues the coalition face.

Many Guyanese have sacrificed a lot to get to a point where some semblance of normalcy has returned.

Many lost their lives for simply expressing their fundamental freedoms, remember Courtney Crum-Ewing. Many people have suffered great personal loss!

It is, therefore, unclear that the AFC does not seem to see how its own actions, in attempting to advance its own self-interest may have the potential to insult those personal sacrifices.

While I have no problem about people, parties and individuals looking out for their own interest, I firmly believe that self interest cannot take precedence over the interest of the people.

I am not sure what the

what I know is that this strategy can be very injurious to the very coalition it claims to want to be a part of.

The AFC is not the largest party in the coalition but for some reason it feels that it must project itself as if it is.

There can be no denying of what the AFC’s strategy is, but will that strategy help or hurt the coalition?

The answer to this question is anyone’s guess! Does the AFC’s interest align with the interest of the larger coalition? Will the AFC rethink its strategy and embark on an approach that focuses more on the interest of the people?

Will personal and partisan political interest and ambition take a back seat to the interest of the people? I will have to wait and see!

The interest of the people matters!

Sincerely Lurlene Nestor

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Government is bent on giving back to These errant traffic police members devouring of money we on the Treasury and that was operate by their own rules Vlissengen and Lamaha, to gain votes cious name but two. At those points can expect this to meet $100 the reason they cannot reDEAR EDITOR, In my letter captioned, “Why is it that this Government can only ‘dig holes’ without filling any?”, I brought to fore the fact that this Government over a four year period has mostly taxed the Guyanese public to the tune of $1,047 trillion dollars in order to satiate its hunger for wasteful spending and its huge appetite for corruption.

However, I must now add that this Granger led Government was not happy with that humongous amount of money at their disposal, they had to rape the various reserves and plunged its account at the Bank of Guyana to an all-time high overdraft of more than $69 billion at the end of October! And from all appearances this is climbing!

In one month the Government had drawn down over $3.5 billion.

It is illuminating to note that when this Government assumed Office the Public deposits at the Bank of Guyana was $10.4 billion, a positive balance. It was not in the red! This overdraft abuse started in 2015 and by the end of that year it was $2.3 billion; at the end of 2016 it was $21.3 billion; at the end of 2017 it was $25.7 billion and at the end of 2018 it had dramatically jumped to $57.2 billion! It must be noted that the Bank of Guyana is the Government’s Bank and it holds monies for Central Government and state-owned enterprises so this account is at the mercy of this greedy Government. At this rate of rapa-

billion by Christmas since the Government is bent on giving ‘baksheesh’ to gain votes. Billions are also spent on electioneering ‘outreaches’ and monies are now being flung in all direction to beg supporters who became disgruntled and impoverished after 4 years of steeply rising costs of living!

This Coalition was not contented with the misuse and abuse of the Bank of Guyana Overdraft, they descended on the International Reserve which quickly dwindled from US$652 million to US$ 528 million; the Gold Reserve from $25,012 billion to $620 million; the Contingency Reserves from $4.332 billion to $2.356 billion. It is observed that the depletion of these reserves accelerated rapidly after the successful no confidence motion on December 21st, 2019.

It is shocking to note that the total depletion of these reserves amounts to approximately $133 billion! If this is added to the four year budgetary allocations of $1,047 trillion then it will amount $1,180 trillion dollars. In this year alone the depletion of the reserves would have amounted to more than $14 billion.

Can you imagine that having squandered nearly 1.2 trillion dollars this Government is now talking about ‘downsizing’ the public service? Just a few days ago the Finance Minister spoke about how 15,000 to 20,000 workers in the public service are placing a heavy burden

ceive better wages and salaries. He said all of this being cognizant that the wages and salaries increases were catered for in the 2019 Budget which was supported by the Opposition.

Then, having set the stage to display a dismal outlook, in came the President in his role of the ‘saviour’ announcing to the Nation, wages and salaries increase for public servants retroactive from January 1st and tax free.

The timing was perfect for electioneering purposes.

So much money was squandered yet the sugar workers receive nothing! I have no problem with an increase of wages and salaries to public servants but why is it that the sugar workers have not been the recipients of such benevolent propitiation?

Is it because they are perceived to be supporters of the PPP and public servants are perceived to be supporters of this Government? The entire GUYSUCO had employed around 16,000 persons and 7,000 were sent packing, if the public service is bloated by more than 15,000 workers then why are these being treated differently? Ramjattan was quick to point out that it was because of the subsidies to Guysuco that his Government cannot afford to pay public servants any increase in wages and salaries and embark on infrastructural works. Whilst his erstwhile ‘buddy’ Nagamootoo had said that the sugar workers were ‘raping’ the treasury and the monies were going down a ‘dark hole’. Now a whole new economic strategy is unfolding! Can these guys account for the humongous amount of monies wasted?

In conclusion, I want to warn the public servants whom Jordan spoke about, that it is Christmas time and 20,000 geese are being fattened for the slaughter.

Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf

DEAR EDITOR, Wikipedia offered this extended description cum definition of a sleeping policeman: Speed bumps (or speed breakers) are the common name for a family of traffic calming devices that use vertical deflection to slow motorvehicle traffic in order to improve safety conditions.

Variations include the speed hump, speed cushion, and speed table.

“Family of traffic calming devices” and “vertical deflection” and “slow motor-vehicle traffic” are some of the things that Guyanese drivers, pedestrians, and observers can identify with when they behold what for some now represent entrenched reasons that trigger continuing astonishment, increasing pungency, and outright dismissal.

If anyone thinks for a moment that I speak of inanimate objects, I insist upon immediate

rethinking. This is because, to my regret, disappointment, and embarrassment, I am writing about (and speaking of) living, breathing, standing members of the Guyana Police Force. The Traffic Chief, though he may be taken aback, should be even more concerned and occupied with what enrages Guyanese domestic travelers daily, if not hourly, in many places in Guyana.

For there is this contradiction at work and before full public gaze, (followed by the glares). There are the dedicated, industrious Traffic Officers busy standing upright, with arms gesticulating for movement from north to south, east and west, and while holding other lines in check. It is hard, unrelenting work for a good hour during peak morning times at congested intersections. There is Camp and Lamaha and

(and others) there are the usually young uniformed men and women keeping Guyana going in the closest thing to an orderly procession. It is a thankless, demanding, weather-stressed duty. They do it well. I commend them, I laud Traffic Chief Isles for these stalwart few. Now I must depart, and speak for, what I believe, would be the great majority of daily Guyanese movers, be they men, women, young, old, students, or workers. I think I am voicing their consternations and frustrations. On this rare one, there may not be any social or political (know what I mean….) disputes.

Editor, there are those other police traffic officers.

Though alive, they meet the definition above of sleeping policemen; they qualify for inclusion in that dormant (Continued on page 7)

The contempt for workers that started ...

From page 4 management’s action played into the hands of the protesters and may be seen by some as the lack of good judgement, demonstration of intolerance and opportunity taken to exercise power. The management and union must return to the table and engage in the process of collective bargaining consistent with their Collective Labour Agreement (CLA), at the conclusion of which an agreement would be arrived at.

When labour practices create all these animosities in itself it stands the risk of becoming the most singular destructive force to social cohesion. We must return to upholding the principle of engagement and respect the workers’ right to representation at the negotiation table.

During the Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte administrations, even when young canes were being burnt in the fields and scab labour was sent in to seek to save the remnants of

the crop when sugar workers were on strike, collective bargaining was never discontinued.

Without getting into the details of the loss to the economy on this matter others before have done so in detail as reference is made to the late Dr. Tyrone Ferguson’s book, “To Survive Sensibly Or to Court Heroic Death: Management of Guyana’s Political Economy, 1965-85.” Some may argue that after the change of government in October 1992 the burning of young canes ceased but that is beside the point here. The essence of this argument is even in most trying times the door/room for engagement was never closed.Notably, what is happening in sugar is also happening in mining (BCGI/ RUSAL and Troy Resources) and elsewhere which is developing a labour culture where the Grievances Procedures in the respective CLAs are not being allowed to work. This act is being facilitated by the Labour Department. Also, while the contempt may have started under the Jagdeo administration it continues unabated in this current administration. This gives rise to the concern raised often by me about non-adherence to timehonoured principles, international conventions, Rights and the Rule of Law. This is even more concerning in an environment where there is an absence of a Labour Policy Framework and ministry of labour that would have clear cut policies.

It is not lost on me that in the coalition arrangement the AFC has ministerial responsibilities for agriculture

(sugar) and natural resources (bauxite, gold etc), the WPA for the public sector, and the PNC for education. Strangely these are the sectors that continue to experience the violation of Collective Bargaining. The Department of Labour’s political head is Minister Keith Scott, of one of the smaller parties. Scott is the junior minister within the Ministry of Social Protection headed by Minister Amna Ally, who is of the PNC. It is left for one to wonder whether Scott is acting independently and therefore left to create these untenable situations. It is evident that whereas the coalition is advocating social cohesion same is missing within their ranks, particularly as it relates to a common labour policy, programme, intent. They have to fix this.

A historical review of Labour in Guyana will demonstrate amongst the first things the Government of Guyana did on achieving independence was to join the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and sign on to Conventions Nos. 87 and 98, which are the Right to Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining. After coming out of the sordid history of slavery, indentureship and colonialism where basic rights and freedoms for people were denied, this marked a major achievement in our quest to be treated with dignity and respect in the workplace and wider society. One wonders whether this valuable practice has been lost by the coalition and more particularly the PNC whose legacy as a workingclass party is being undermined.

Lincoln Lewis

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Parties should delay the Cummingsburg talks and call out their supporters

Granger did not nullify no confidence vote

DEAR EDITOR, One continues to be dismayed by the belligerence of the AFC in the talks on a new Cummingsburg Accord. Yes, negotiations are often tough, but the AFC’s use of threats, ultimatums and grandstanding I find upsetting.

These tactics do not come across here as toughness; they smack of “spoilt-childness”.

And, if I am the average APNU supporter, then this feeling might not be that limited. In contrast, APNU portrays a public image of calmness, patience and quiet resolve. In a word, maturity.The next election is indeed the mother of all elections in Guyana. And we need the coalition partners to band together. The sensitivities surrounding the Cummingsburg Accord, therefore, have to be carefully managed. The AFC has lazily allowed the perception (whether based in reality or not) to foster that it has lost support among critical voting blocs. The party

has not to date used its political and PR assets to effectively counter this damaging narrative. Has the AFC addressed this issue in the negotiations? Has it submitted a plan on how it intends to recapture and build on its electoral support? It would help the party’s public image to do so.Notwithstanding, the two partners should postpone these talks for a few weeks. Use the time to call public meetings of their supporters to discuss the political stakes and to do a reality check. APNU supporters, I am sure, would want to hear from, and talk to, their leaders who are close to the heartbeat of the party, such as Volda Lawrence, Amna Ally and Aubrey Norton.

After both parties have had this internal conversation and reality check, let the negotiations resume with more maturity and honesty.

Yours faithfully, Sherwood Lowe

DEAR EDITOR, For someone capable of doing a smarter analysis, Dr. Vishnu Bisram’s article, “Granger nullified no confidence vote (NCV),” in your November 15 edition, is utter nonsense. Bisram said Granger is politically savvy; Guyanese feel the Coalition won the December 21 no confidence motion; the opposition has been outfoxed, outwitted, and outsmarted every step of the way; President Granger and his government played their card as a winner; they had effective, shrewd advisors that nullified the effects of the NCM; the coalition lost the battle but won

These errant traffic police members operate by their own rules From page 6 pantheon of the sluggish, the indifferent, the unmoved, and unmoving. Stated differently, they stand or drive or ride as undeniable and all too visible examples of some of the things wrong with the GPF; indeed, wrong with this society, when carefully and honestly examined. They are dead to the Guyanese traffic world.

As Wikipedia stated, a “family…of devices.” They is a family of them: congregated under trees out of the sun, engaged on phone or with phone, immersed in conversation with colleagues or passing friends, and all of this while totally unconscious and uncaring as to what unfolds right before them, and cries out for intervention and assistance. Instead of me thinking that it is a case of: who cares? I submit that it is the unuttered equivalent of:

not my job. Or they don’t pay me enough. Or nobody is watching, and nothing is going to happen. I am sorry, but that is my reading and of countless others, too. They are so unresponsive that they might as well be devices made out of plastic or stone or wood. The world of Guyana passes by, with many thinking that ‘I should be paid for doing nothing, too.’

When local traffic ranks do so, they are not “traffic calming” but traffic incentivizing.

That is inciting speeding, jumping the line, endangering.

Instead of calming, there is the public intense agitating at these human devices that have seized up and locked up and transformed into virtual statues.Returning to the Wikipedia blurb, there was the part about “vertical deflection.” Indeed, by and large, Guyanese traffic cops, serve as upright deflections:

they deflect attention and impatience from the road towards these apologies for public servants. They may be on a motorcycle patrolling around in a haze of pretended ignorance, while men without helmets whiz by, and others overtake recklessly and without fear right in front of them.

This is really happening; just ask any occasional (not daily) commuter, and there is a story of a police driver or rider living in their own world, going about their own business.

Just ask those East Bank commuters caught in snarled traffic and reduced to snarling.

Only the ranks can tell what their real business priorities are. They are certainly not about traffic breach prevention; I think a strong case could be made for traffic violation capitalization.

Now for the last one from Wikipedia: to “slow traffic” and “improve safety.” Says

who? To be executed by whom? Somebody must be kidding, right? The truth and reality are that these errant traffic police members operate by their own rules (encourages speeding and recklessness), and are contribute to standards that have nothing with safety improvements. In fact, they turn safety on its head, and actually add to an already dangerous environment, by their malaise and physical and mental stagnancy.

I regret if the brass of the GPF take umbrage at content and tone. I think it belongs and most accurately. More unfortunately, the work of the few steadfast stars is blotted out by the chronic derelictions of duty by their comrades. People focus on what fails, what hurts, and what blows the mind.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

the war; the NCM did not remove it from office and it continues to function as a normal government; the govt has not been defeated.”

Long before the NCV, the PPP had demolished the PNC by beating them by 25,000 and 45,000 votes in 2016 and 2018 Local Government Elections.

The PPP/Jagdeo strategy brought back into the PPP’s fold those who strayed and voted PNC in 2015.

Then the PPP won the NCV that left the PNC in turmoil and stunned beyond their wildest imagination (remember them hollering, “No Charrandass, no!”). It made them so stupid that after they initially accepted their defeat and promised to follow the Constitution, they started arguing with much zeal their “math” that 33 was not a majority in a 65-member Parliament, although that’s how they got into government and passed bills for four years.

Granger started to give his own interpretations of the Constitution and dubbed the CJ’s ruling as her own “interpretations.”

Does Bisram think this makes the PNC smarter and Guyanese think they are a “winner?” This made them a bunch of clowns and a laughing stock of CARICOM and the world.

What the NCV showed is that the Coalition should never ever be trusted again, and allowed to get into power, as it would not keep its preelection promises, or follow the Constitution.

In its barely legal second stint (they won by one vote in Region 8 and no recount was held; and the PPP’s elec-

tion petition was never heard), the Constitutional language is that the government was “defeated” and “Cabinet shall resign.”

That the Coalition refused to give up and call elections within 90 days, and continues as if it is not illegal, is not that Granger/PNC is smarter than the PPP, it is that the PNC has always been and will always be bullies.

Their own AFC MP voted against them, the Speaker ruled against them (asking “What kind of thing is that,” when Volda asked for a timeout) , the Chief Justice ruled against them, the CCJ ruled against them; the International community, Bar Association, churches and civic society condemned them for their shenanigans and delaying tactics in refusing to name a GECOM Chair and date for new elections. Now, Granger is still to dissolve Parliament.

Before the CCJ ruling, the PNC said the Cabinet had resigned and they were now a “plenary.” After the CCJ ruled against them, they now still call themselves a “cabinet,” although the Constitution says they are defeated, and the cabinet shall resign.

That the Coalition is still in power shows the maturity of the PPP in restraining themselves, putting the national interest first, and not engaging in ongoing agitation to remove them from office. The PPP has patience knowing the Coalition will be solidly defeated as all the indicators show.

So Bisram’s letter is a bunch of bull.

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

PAGE 8

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

Former Jamaica PM to address GCCI Dr. Mark Bynoe tells PSC to change strategy; but offers no solution gala on CARICOM-Guyana trade relations During a forum with representatives of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) on Friday; themed “Preparing Guyanese businesses to meet demand of the oil and gas industry”, Dr. Mark Bynoe stated that in keeping with preparations to move steadily apace for first oil, Guyana needs to change the way business is done to be able to extract maximum value from this resource.

However he did not mention what those strategies were.

Since we’re in Pre-school that is, having little or no knowledge about the oil and gas industry.

He further stated it is essential to have a full appreciation of what the emergent sector will bring to prepare research and share information so that the nation is not left behind as

it enters this very complex global industry.

Guyana cannot continue to do business in a manner as though we are operating in the 19th or 20th century, we are entering a very challenging time and it is essential that we also be cognisant of what these challenges are. The partnerships between Government and the private sectors are vital which has to be founded on mutual respect and continuous engagement.

Present were Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Lilian Chatterjee; PSC Chairman Ramesh Dookoo; GAICO Construction and General Services, General Director, Komal Singh; CGX Energy Incorporated, Executive Director, Professor Suresh Narine; representatives of Totaltec Oilfield Services and other oil and gas companies.

Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia SimpsonMiller, is set to address a Business gala to be hosted by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on November 28, 2019.

The Gala and Award Dinner, to be held at the Marriot Hotel, comes at a time when the Georgetown Chamber is charging Government to seriously assess the usefulness of its relationship with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) due to the fact that trade barriers have been used time and time again to disenfranchise Guyanese businesses.

GCCI President, Nicholas Deygoo-Boyer, hopes that Simpson-Miller can offer fresh insight into this matter. The Chamber posited, during a Wednesday press conference, that though Guyanas trade relationship with Jamaica has been among the better relationships Guyana shares with the community, even Jamaica has posed its share of difficulty.

GCCI Senior Vice President Timothy Tucker said that when Guyana attained the right to export poultry, Jamaicas Chief Veterinary Officer had cited the lack of traceability of water as a con-

Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, Portia Simpson-Miller cern. For a country like Guyana that does a lot of poultry on the highway, Tucker said that a lot of the water use is from creeks, instead of municipal water.

Such a small issue would turn out to have a big impact on poultry farmers in Guyana who want to export to Jamaica.

Its part of a wider series of micro-aggressions from the community, particularly from Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad & Tobago.

“Theyre utilizing every

trick in the book to block Guyana from being the breadbasket of the Caribbean,” said Tucker, last Wednesday.

Deygoo-Boyer said “Were very interested to hear from the former Prime Minister and I think it will be good to have a powerful female leader to understand her perspective, especially as a woman.”Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo told Kaieteur News on Thursday that Guyana must stay in CARICOM but that the market must treat Guyana fairly.

Sunday November 17, 2019

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

Gold company continues to receive $$Billions in incentives ,despite never meeting contractual obligation

Giveaways Galore!

Troy Resources Guyana has suspended its operations pending a decision by the Board of Directors today, even as Chief Executive Officer, Ken Nilsson, has confirmed that despite securing billions of dollars of duty free imports and tax waivers on machinery, equipment and fuel, the gold company has never met its promised production target.

The concessions were given to the company as part of its deal with the local authorities to invest millions of dollars, create hundreds of jobs and contribute to the national coffers by way of an 8 per cent royalty on its production.

The operation in the Cuyuni/Mazuruni Region has since come under increasing fire, over its operations and

the cost/benefit to the country.

Nilsson, this past week, provided an update for media operatives on the debacle over the resumption of the operations, when he confirmed that since commencing production in 2015, Troy Resources has never achieved a single set target in the agreement.

In fact, its targets for this year will have to be revised downwards further.

He has since blamed the weather as being among the factors.

General Manager of the Troy Resources gold mines at Karouni in Region Seven, Eric Olsen, during a tour of the project, provided a brief history of the company. He recalled that Troy acquired the Karouni project by acquiring

Azimuth Resources Limited which was in operation at the time.

Troy Resources obtained 94 Small Scale Tenements, 220 Medium Scale and six Large Scale Tenements in addition to another three recent claims.

According to Olsen, during 2015 the company began Construction of its processing plant at a cost of some US$75M and commenced production the following year.

According to the company’s latest Annual Report, production for this year ending June 30, was 58,118 ounces.

In 2018, Troy Resources despite producing more than this year, did not meet its expected target.

The majority of Troy’s exploration effort is currently being directed towards the

Dem boys seh...

De oil company bring more eye pass pun Guyana Eye pass is a bad thing.

That is how dem have de saying bout when fowl eye pass corn. Nuff big people knock some children between dem sense and nonsense because of eye pass.

So all through de time dem boys been pun de earth dem try to avoid eye pass.

Suddenly one oil company tekking eye pass to anodda level. Of course, in Guyana dem got something wuss than eye pass.

Guyanese women know it as R*ss pass and that is wha de oil company doing to Guyana.

It order two big ship that cost so much money that dem boys can’t count it. De company preparing to expand its operations but de

Energy Company decide that things should slow down.

Imagine de shock when dem boys hear how de oil company actually tell Guyana to shut up.

It place de orders fuh de oil ships although Guyana tell de company to hold its horses.

Is like de company behaving like an adult to a child or a bad man to ordinary people.

“Is who you talking to?” That is r*ss pass.

Is like a man hire a contractor to build he house.

Something happen and de man ask de contractor to hold off a bit. However, de contractor decide to go and buy de materials and de paint and everything to build de house.

Then he carry de expense

and give it to de man. He got to be smoking weed to believe de man gun pay him.

That is de same case wid de oil company.

Dem boys want to know who gun pay fuh de oil ships after Guyana tell dem to hold dem hand. If dem go ahead and build it then dem know who gun pay for it. If dem believe Guyana gun pay for it, then is real eye pass.

Of course is SBM building de oil vessels and dem boys find out that nuff bribe does pass. Now dem wondering how many Guyanese get money in dem pocket from de same company that building de vessels although Guyana seh hold you horses.

Talk half and watch de eye pass

Ohio Creek.

According to CEO Nilsson, the company is currently working under the rules that allow it for business purposes to stand down a number of employees. Currently it has only retained 137.

According to Nilsson, the Board of Directors will have to take a decision before this

time runs out.

“Then we have to have something to go out and say, this is how we plan to go ahead…at the end of the day the decision sits with the board.”

Nilsson told media operatives that the company in fact does not have any obligation to pay the employees during

the time for which it was shut down.

However, despite lamenting the likely shut down, Journalists who were given a guided tour of the site, observed that there was in fact soil testing and other works ongoing in the area where geologist, 33-year-old Ryan Taylor, was recently killed.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

RUSAL costs Guyana US$100M in duty free ‘FUEL ALONE’ ...investigations underway into re-sale of a third of its imports Russian owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI/RUSAL), has reneged

on its obligations under the ‘Business Plan’ it submitted to the Guyana Government, in a venture that has cost Guyanese more than US$100M so far, in FUEL ALONE. This could have built another Demerara Harbour Bridge, renovated the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and increase public servants wages.

It has never paid any dividends to its 10 per cent partner, the Guyana Government.

Foreign Investors in a

country like Guyana are often handed sweetening incentives—tax related incentives.

Taxes are waived on most anything related to the new business but this comes with a caveat.

A ‘PLAN’ The company is expected to provide the government with a binding ‘Plan’ that details precisely what the country is getting in exchange.

Companies are provided with sometimes billions of dollars in waivers, a practice economists the world over call

subsidizing by government, through foregone revenue, in order to ‘set up shop.’

This simply means that by waiving the taxes which would have been otherwise paid to country’s coffers, the country instead agrees to have that company use that money to build its business, most times for a limited period, before it is asked to contribute any corporate or other taxes.

INVESTIGATIONS RUSAL is one such company that has benefited from the State’s largesse.

Investigations by Kaieteur News have found that the company ‘uses’ daily, an average of 18,350 gallons of diesel fuel.

This equates to 6.7 million

gallons each year. The net effect is that the company in the past two and a half decades of its operations in Guyana, used an estimated 94 million gallons of diesel fuel.

US Refineries between 2005 and this year, sold diesel wholesale at an average of between US$1.50 and US$2.25, sometimes reaching as high as US$3.90 in mid 2008.

Using a conservative mean of US$2.00, this means that the company would have purchased US$188M in duty free fuel. The government waived the 50 per cent fuel tax or US$94M. Mining or Fuel Sales?

Kaieteur News was reliably informed that the company is currently being inves-

tigated for reselling duty free fuel.

What this means is that the company was allowed to import or purchase fuel, minus any taxes and retail millions of gallons of fuel undercutting legitimate Guyanese fuel dealers.

RUSAL Incentives According to the pact inked between the parties in the 2005 Fiscal Incentives Agreement, Rusal shall also be exempt from the payment of withholding tax on interest, dividends and lease payments to its affiliates.

The company has also been exempt from payment of all and any duties and taxes on equipment, machinery, motor vehicles and supplies.

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

90% of road deaths caused by drunk driving, speeding – Traffic Chief Despite the strict penalties attached to the offence of speeding and driving under the influence, reckless Guyanese still continue to drink and race along the roadways posing a threat to commuters.

Sometimes, they threaten even to persons sitting in the comfort of their own homes.

In fact, the problem of driving under the influence (DUI) and speeding have been the leading causes of road fatalities for this year as

reported by the Traffic Chief, Linden Isles.

According to Isles, from January 2019 to present, Guyana has seen a four per cent decrease in accidents and a six per cent decrease in road deaths.

“But we know that one death is far too many so we are looking at having a reduction”, he stated.

For last year, in the same time period, there were 87 accidents while this year, the number dropped to 84. Road deaths moved from 100 in 2018 to 94 this year, but this, the Traffic Chief said, is still a cause for concern.

When the figures for 2019 are compared as per the varying administrative regions, Isles pointed out that Region Four ‘B’, spanning from Eccles to Moblissa, has the highest number.

“For 2019, Region Four ‘B’ had 17 accidents with 25 deaths. Following behind was Region Six, with 15 accidents, all ending with fatalities”.

Berbice started off the year with a horrific crash that claimed the lives of two persons. It was reported that the driver of the motor car crashed into a park tractor on the Corentyne Public road.

Victims of the October 15 horrific Friendship accident He was reportedly going above the speed limit.

The most recent road mishap claimed the lives of five persons on the quiet morning of October 15.

A police car exceeding the speed limit crashed into a hire car on the Friendship, East Bank Demerara Public road, leaving just two survivors.

Again, speeding was revealed to be the cause of the crash.

Meanwhile, the latest addition to the list of road deaths was an East Canje, Berbice resident who died days away from his 5oth birthday.

According to reports, the man crashed into a motor vehicle that was attempting to turn into a street.

He was immediately rushed to the hospital but doctors were unable to save him.

Man shot in butt by home owner A 22-year-old resident of La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WCD) is now a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after he was reportedly shot in the butt

by a licensed firearm holder yesterday around 3:30 hrs.

The incident occurred in ‘Red Road’ Sophia.

Kaieteur News understands that the victim was returning from a party in the area. He said that

on his way home from the party he walked into the yard of the suspect and rapped on the door asking for water.

It is believed that fearing that it was an intruder the suspect open fired at the youth hitting him in the butt.

In an interview, the victim’s sister stated that her brother is not known to be a thief and it is to her belief that he was wrongfully shot.

Efforts to contact the firearm holder were futile.

Sunday November 17, 2019

PAGE 13

Kaieteur News

“Farmers being told not to plant is political” Prime Minister Representative for Region Six, Gobin Harbhajan, is accusing the Regional Administration of telling farmers “not to go into crop”.

He has since stated that such a move is political and is “damaging to farmers”.

Harbhajan said that the information being peddled to farmers is that there is no fuel and that the existing fuel currently available is not adequate for the entire crop. “It is political but it is not coming from the Regional Chairman because I spoke with him and he has distanced himself from that,” Harbhajan said.

He is contending that the persons who are reportedly telling the farmers not to go into crop are being mischievous and that farmers have financial obligations to banks and lenders.

“Rice is a business and politics should be put aside.”

However, he did admit that the region is currently cash-strapped and there is a shortage of fuel.

According to Harbhajan water is currently being pumped in Black Bush Polder but there is no water going to farmers at the 52-74 areas. He added that the Seaforth Canal is currently being cleaned by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA).

When that is completed the pumps are expected to commence working in the 5274 areas.

Member of Parliament Barbara Pilgrim from Region

- says regional representative

Prime Minister Representative for Region Six, Gobin Harbhajan Six had commented on a social media forum that there was a“report of a plot being hatched at a wake house to call the farmers, especially the rice farmers, and tell them not to plant.

The statement continued that the farmers would not get water since “the government does not have money to purchase fuel, but has money to pay public servants”.

She added that she paid a visit to several parts and that the crops were “well planted and watered” and fuel was available. She is also calling the move to tell farmers not to plant as a political directive and suggested to have the

Guyana Defence Force put in charge to monitor the pump operations within the Black Bush Polder and 52-74 areas since it was done in the past.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman David Armogan has since indicated that NDIA has pledged to assist with $10 million for the purchase of fuel to work the pumps.

He disclosed that it was announced at a board meeting on Thursday.

Armogan added that the Region may only manage to contribute another $10 million but that still won’t be sufficient to work the pumps for the remainder of the crop.

According to Armogan, on a realistic standpoint, “the region does not have sufficient funds to last till the end of the year and if the weather continues to be dry from now until December, we don’t have sufficient money to buy fuel”.

He stated that there is currently 9,000 gallons of fuel at 52-74 and another 10,000 gallons at Black Bush Polder, but the 10,000 gallons will only last for 10 days with 1000 gallon being utilized per day in BBP. The Chairman noted that

water will flow from Monday since the Seaforth Canal is in the latter stages of cleaning

by NDIA, but he questioned what will happen if there is no rainy season.

“If this dry weather continues, we will run into problems because the region don’t have funds so although NDIA will assist us, it still isn’t sufficient to carry the farmers through the year. That amount of money will only carry us for another 15 days.

“We still have a situation if rain doesn’t fall at all then we will have probably about two weeks of December without money to buy the fuel. I have since written the President to intervene in the situation,” Armogan said.

The Chairman has also mentioned that he has heard about the “rumours” that persons are going around telling farmers not plant but he stated that if such is being done, it is not a demand by the regional administration but rather a prediction and caution to the farmers given the current situation with the lack of funds to purchase fuel.

“Why people are probably doing that is because they are anticipating a full dry weather unto December and so they are looking that if you don’t get the additional two weeks fuel into December then there might be a crisis for the farmers.

“This is not a demand; this is merely advice that persons

Regional Chairman David Armogan are probably giving,” he said.

There are currently two pumps working in Black Bush Polder. One is currently being fixed because of mechanical issues. Pumps at 52-74 will begin working on Monday.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

Scores of Venezuelan refugees forced to settle along E.B.D river dam

A Migrant family of the community

Many Venezuelan migrant families have begun squatting along East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The migrant community stretches from behind Times Square, Grove, all the way to Little Diamond.

Some persons estimate the distance to be approximately one mile along the riverbank, decorated with many tiny shacks made of scraps of wood, pieces of plastic and old zinc sheets.

Kaieteur News visited the migrant community yesterday and it was learnt that one of these shacks houses more than 12 persons.

The condition in which these migrants live is described as inhumane and below the normal standards of living.

There were no toilet facilities visible, no proper security measures to protect these refugee families from thieves and severe weather conditions.

The environment in which they live is “smelly” and often laden with garbage that gets washed up by the incoming waves.

There is also no availability of clean water for house-

hold purposes. The absence of electricity transforms the community into a dark haven for mosquitoes at nights.

One woman who hails from the State of Monagas said that she came four months back with her husband and children to seek a better life. She claimed that they came with a three-month permit granted to them by the Guyana government, which is currently expired.

She said that she made no effort to renew the permit because of fear that they may be sent back to Venezuela.

Even though life is hard, she said, it is way better than the one she had in Venezuela.

She told reporters that her husband leaves early every morning to find whatever job he can do in order to provide for the family.

Another man who came from San Felix, Bolivar State, Venezuela, said that his wife and children, including himself, came without any documentation. The man said that he accepts that it is against the law to enter a country without permission. But he could not allow his family to endure the crisis in Venezuela any longer.

He said that even though his current living condition is poor “it is better than nothing”. The man said he is willing to do whatever it takes to upgrade his current lifestyle but without a form of identification, he cannot do better.

The man claimed that it has been three months since he arrived in Guyana by boat and was contracted as a labourer. He was offered a piece of land at the cost of $100,000 but he had no form of identification to make the purchase.

“Everything requires an Identification Card,” he stressed.

Other migrant members of the refugee community said that they are quite grateful for the way their Guyanese neighbours have treated them. They said that on numerous occasions they were assisted by the residents of the nearby village In 2013, the oil rich neighbouring country was plunged into a major economic crisis, caused by misuse of oil revenues and sanctions impounded by the United States of America (USA).

This caused food short-

ages, protests and hyperinflation which automatically transformed the country into a living nightmare.

As a result, thousands of Venezuelans crossed their borders into neighbouring countries seeking refuge.

Many have opened their doors including Guyana.

Not so long ago, Venezuelan refugees had to be assisted after hundreds entered Region One North West District (NWD).

Also 25 more had to be relocated back in February after they were found squatting on the Non Pareil Seawall.

Once again new migrants are squatting, but this time they have extended to the EBD, a densely populated area in Guyana.

In the past, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) along with other government organisations had provided assistance to refugees. But as is evident, their numbers will continue to grow.

Yesterday, publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, said that he recognises the importance of rendering as-

A young mother and her 1-year-old daughter

sistance to these migrants who are deeply in need.

The publisher said if the Government does not have sufficient funds to assist the Venezuelan migrants, then he

recommends that private individuals donate to a fund in order to care for these refugees.He even said that he is willing to volunteer to spearhead the initiative.

Familias venezolanas acampando en East Bank, Guyana Ayer, esta publicación habló con las familias que se encuentran acampando en la área de East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Una señora contó que había llegado cuatro meses pasado con su esposo y hijos de estado Monagas, Venezuela.

La señora explicó que entraron Guyana con un permiso de tres meses dado por el gobierno.

Sin embargo, este permiso venció y ella no quiere volverse para su país a renovar el documento.

La mujer dijo “La vida no es la mejor en Guyana pero es mucho más mejor que Venezuela”.

También un señor de San Felix, estado Bolívar, compartió su historia con los reporteros.

Sus palabras exacto fue

“mi familia y yo, venimos sin documentación”.

El señor explicó que es consciente de su presencia ilegal en el país. Pero no pudo aguantar ver su familia sufrir en Venezuela. Él siguió su cuento ,”Aunque la condición en que vivimos es mal, tengo alegría en mi corazón que mi hijos no están sufriendo”.

Kaieteur News observó que los condiciones del campamento de los venezolanos es inhumano.

En el año 2013 Venezuela sufrió de un crisis económica.

La crisis resultó en protestas, falta de Comida y hiperinflación. Venezolanos decidieron cruzar sus fronteras en busca de una vida mejor. Recientemente las autoridades del gobierno de Guyana abrió sus puertas aceptando los venezolanos

como refugios.

El comisión civil y defensa (CDC) asistió familias venezolanas en Región 1 North West District (NWD).También en julio de este año, el gobierno de Guyana reubicaron 25 venezolanos por hacer campamentos en Non Pariel East Coast Demerara (ECD).

El publicador de Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall reconoció la importancia de ayudar a esas familias venezolanas. Lall explicó que si el Gobierno no tiene fondos suficientes para ayudar los venezolanos refugios, entonces individuales privadas deben hacer donaciones para cumplir los fondos.

El publicador también indicó que está disponible para dirigir y iniciar el iniciativa.

Sunday November 17, 2019

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

Two students named valedictorian at UG’s class of 2019 Karishma Narain and Shane Rampertab, a student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences have both been named valedictorian of the University of Guyana,(UG)’s Class of 2019. Both students earned a perfect Grade Point Average of 4.0.

In his address to thousands who gathered at UG Turkeyen Campus for the 53rd convocation ceremony, yesterday Rampertab told the audience that his success was due to the support he received from his lecturers, parents and peers “I had more than enough to achieve what I did,” Rampertab said He noted, nonetheless, the journey was not without its challenges and congratulated his fellow graduates for overcoming their personal struggles to walk the stage.

Narain similarly commented on her journey to becoming valedictorian. In a social media post, the young doctor said the hardest part of the journey she opined was trying to maintain a balance between medical school, personal life, social life and religious life.

While in school, on weekends, she took therapeutic runs at the National Park and seawall. She also socialised with family and friends.

“Yes it was difficult, frustrating at times and sometimes you even question yourself and your abilities.

But it was also fun and exciting. You create such a bond with the people around you that they become like family and they make the five years memorable.”

The aspiring specialist obstetrician/gynecologist had some advice for upcoming students of medicine.

“Accept that it’s difficult and find a strategy that works for you and stick to it. Sometimes comparing yourself to the people around you can be a stimulant to work harder but sometimes it can also become toxic to you. Be excited to learn. Relax and take breaks as you need them.

For me, some days that was after two hours of studying and others it was after fifteen minutes of studying.

Most importantly, make it worthwhile. It’s five years of your life that you won’t get back.”

This year, 1,918 students graduated from the University of Guyana, (UG).

The students were conferred with degrees and diplomas from the faculties of Agriculture and Forestry, Education and Humanities, Heath Sciences, Natural Sciences Social Sciences, School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation and the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE).

The graduation ceremonies were held in two segments with the students from

aforementioned faculties happening in the morning and the faculties of Health Sciences, Social Sciences and the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation (SEBI) happening in the afternoon.

The ceremony also marked the official installation of UG’s 10th Chancellor Professor John Edward Greene, whose first duty was to confer degrees and diplomas to the graduating class of 2019.

During his address, the Chancellor reassured the students that he will work with all stakeholders within and outside the university to build accountability to the future.

“Accountability to the future means understanding what the core values of the university are and promoting them.

The imperatives for you as you leave this campus are really to be seen as part of the product and part of the investment in higher education from Guyana and to give internal recognition for protecting the integrity of your qualifications.” the Chancellor added.

The Chancellor said the core values of a university include, increasing access to education that must be based on talent and not on circumstance, establishing diversity by catering to students from both upper and lower income families, high achieving high school graduates, traditional ‘A’ students, adults, returning students and those who are differently able.

A section of UG’s graduating class of 2019

Professor John Edward Greene was also invested as the 10th Chancellor of UG

Karishma Naraine is also named UG‘s Valedictorian of 2019

Shane Rampertab during his speech.

Defiant Exxon gives out...

From page 3 contracted and directed to begin at least, the designing and purchasing of required subsea apparatus.

Saipem was awarded earlier subsea contracts for the first two phases of the Liza development in Guyana by EEPGL in 2017 and in 2018, The Payara discovery where ExxonMobil is hoping to develop a third oil field in the Stabroek Bloc, is located northwest of the Liza Phase 1 project.

According to reports, Saipem vessels FDS2 and Constellation will perform the offshore operations using a combination of different pipelay methods.

Furthermore, Saipem has been awarded certain variation orders for additional works linked to ongoing offshore E&C projects in Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and in the North Sea. Saipem puts the overall value of the aforementioned contracts, together with the Guyana contract, at $880 million.

PAGE 16

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

Armed bandits storm Harris Jagdeo does not rule out assuming Paint store in daylight robbery VP position The Harris Color Centre Store that was robbed

Just one day after the Guyana Police Force reported a reduction in serious crimes, three armed bandits on Saturday stormed the Harris Color Centre on Water Street, Cummingsburg, in broad daylight.

The incident reportedly occurred at around 10am.

When Kaieteur News arrived on the scene, traumatized workers remained tight-lipped about what transpired at the time of the robbery.

But sources who were in close proximity to the establishment revealed that the men

entered the store posing as customers.

It was said that, after a few seconds the men demanded cash and valuables. They reportedly escaped with three cell phones belonging to the employees and an undisclosed amount of cash.

Police sources said that the men escaped in a waiting motorcar that was parked a short distance away.

Police are currently combing CCTV footage from the camera located outside of the building to ascertain the identity of the men.

Investigations are ongoing.

“I have not given serious thought to where and what role, but I know that I will be in a government supporting Irfaan Ali to be the best President this country has ever had.”

These were the remarks of the Leader of the Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo. He was questioned about his thoughts on assuming his partys Vice Presidential position.

Last Friday on the Kaieteur Radio programme, The Political Show, the partys Presidential Candidate, Mr. Irfaan Ali, stated that he wants Jagdeo to serve as his Vice President.

The 39-year-old Ali and protégé of the former President asserted that with Jagdeo at his side, he would bring skills and experience to the table that are unquestionable.

During his weekly Thursday press briefing on November 14, last, the Opposition Leader explained that he and Ali have never discussed the Vice President position and he believes that Alis expression is just his desire.

However, he stated that he has made it clear that he wants to be allied with the

Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo

new Government, if the party is to win the upcoming March 2020 elections.

The Opposition Leader added, “I have not decided in what capacity [I will serve] at this time. He [Ali] is somebody that I like, somebody I support. Why would I not want to work hard every day to make him successful, and share all the skills that I have required or advice?

“He [Ali] will be the President and he can choose to accept or ignore the advice.

But I know that because of how long we have worked together that we share similar outlook on various issues on development and progress.”

Meanwhile, Director- General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Mr. Joseph Harmon, on Friday morning criticized Jagdeo for the contentious issue.

During the Post Cabinet

press briefing, Harmon stated that such an appointment would go against the spirit of the Caribbean Court of Justices (CCJ) ruling, which stipulated that Jagdeo could only serve two terms as the President.

It is important to note that if the Opposition Leader assumes the VP position, he could be open to the possibility of performing presidential duties.

The Director- General said, “I think that [the political opposition] is testing the waters. It is testing the patience of the Guyanese people and their tolerance for lawlessness, because clearly there is a decision by the Caribbean Court of Justice that says that this gentleman [Jagdeo] cannot be the President or Prime Minister. That is really getting through the backdoor.”

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

Technical Team to address land issue between St. Ignatius and Moco Moco Villages

S

pecial Assistant on Legal Affairs to the Minister of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs, David James, will be leading an Investigation team in the coming days into St. Ignatius and Moco Moco Villages, Region Nine, to address the burning land issue between the two neighbours.

Both villages between 2004 and 2007 would have applied for an extension for the same portion of land referred to as the Moco Moco Horse Shoe to Matapee Creek.

During discussions between a Land Titling Team visiting the Region and the St. Ignatius Village Council recently, the issue was brought to the fore and the village was promised that immediate steps will be taken to have this issue resolved.

The Land Titling Team which was led by Special Assistant to the Minister of Indigenous Peoples' Affairs with responsibility for Projects and Community Development, Martin Cheong, said, “We have dealt extensively with Moco Moco extension and now we are made to understand that St. Ignatius also has interest in that particular piece of land.

“That is an issue that has to be dealt with. In fact the ALT investigation team will be coming to meet with all the communities before the end of the month. That issue will come up and so both community leadership will have representation at this

meeting along with all the other agencies that help with this project”.

In the recent past, villages that are in proximity to each other and would have indicated an interest in acquiring an extension would have, according to Cheong, “come up with a Memorandum of Understanding where they can actually share the land so that both communities can benefit.

“We hope that we can be able to come up with a very amicable conclusion to this whole issue of the competition for land.”

Meanwhile, in 2017, the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) a component of the ALT Project was operationalized with the aim of adequately addressing land issues affecting indigenous peoples.

The GRM is now headed

by Director Orinthia Schmidt.

During a recently conducted Communications Workshop held in four villages (Aishalton, Muraranau, Awaraunau and Shea) in Deep South Rupununi, Region Nine, the GRM process was presented (fully explained) and was embraced by the respective villages.

Schmidt indicated that she was extremely pleased with the response received since “it fostered the awareness of this mechanism, they were also told of the means in which grievances can be reported, the relevant

numbers and address to report, what should be included in the grievance. So

the feedback from the villages was quite overwhelming because

persons are now aware of the process.”

The Ministry which is the

executing body for the ALT Project in partnership with the (continued on page 60)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Sunday November 17, 2019

Dutch firm making Guyana's Former Chief FPSOs has history of bribing Justice Ian Chang officials to win contracts passes

By Kiana Wilburg

T

he Liza Destiny is Guyana's first F l o a t i n g Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel which will hold the oil extracted from the Stabroek Block. The maker of this oil storage vessel that is almost the size of the national stadium is SBM Offshore.

This Dutch firm is already making significant progress with the construction of a second vessel for the Stabroek Block. And once the necessary Government approvals are granted, it could be well on its way to completing works for a third vessel, all of which will most likely cost over US$3B. But is it likely that these costs— which Guyana will have to pay—could be inflated?

Is it practical to think that SBM would even risk being associated with such activities?

A due diligence check on the company's track record provides much food for thought in this regard.

Kaieteur News, during extensive research, found that SBM Offshore has a

The US$720M Liza Destiny made by SBM

history of bribing officials to win inflated contracts.

In fact, the offshore drilling equipment manufacturer was caught red

handed doing so in not one, but five countries; namely Brazil, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan and Iraq.

SBM executives bribed officials with over US$180M. These bribes resulted in approximately US$2.8B in profits.

Subsequent lawsuit actions led by the Public Prosecutor of its home country, the Netherlands; the US Department of Justice; and the Brazilian Federal Prosecutor resulted in millions of dollars in fines being paid.

When SBM's US subsidiary was hauled before the courts for breach of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), it pleaded guilty (continued on page 59)

Former CJ Ian Chang

F

ormer Chief Justice (Ag) Ian Chang, passed yesterday following a period of prolonged illness. He was 69. Relatives of the judge confirmed last evening that he passed away at the Balwant Singh Hospital in Georgetown. He had been battling cancer for some time.

M e s s a g e s o f condolences to the family poured in as news of his death spread. Those in the legal fraternity were especially saddened by the news and expressed their heartfelt sympathies. Chang was a former Director of Public Prosecution, (DPP) later served as a Justice of Appeal,(J.A) before he was appointed Chief Justice (CJ) from 2000 until December 2015, when he headed into retirement.

During his distinct service, Chang also served as a State counsel.

According to DPP Shalimar Ali –Hack, the former CJ served the people of Guyana with legal prowess.

She expressed her deepest regret at the passing of nation's former Chief Justice whom she described as one of the great legal minds and illustrious sons of the Guyana Bar. “He has left us a legacy particularly at the criminal bar. He was one of my first mentors from whom I learnt a great deal. I am grateful for having had the opportunity of working with him.

Former Attorney General Anil Nandlall said that his thoughts and prayers are with those closest to Chang during this period of

bereavement.

“If there was a person in my time that was truly dedicated to, and loved the law, it was Ian Neville Chang SC., former Acting DPP, former Justice of Appeal and Retired Acting Chief Justice.”

In a lengthy Facebook post Nandlall added, “Personally, I know of none who worshipped more dedicatedly at the altar of the law than him; neither do I know a more voracious reader of the law than him.”

“Every lawyer knew that there was one person to whom they can turn at any hour, day or night, for assistance or guidance on any issue in the law, that person was Justice Chang.

He never refused such a request. Indeed it excited him and made it his personal assignment or challenge.”

According to the former Attorney General, Chang rose to the pinnacle in his profession, he remained unusually humble and exceptionally accessible.

“The power, authority and grandeur of office neither impressed nor changed him.

“He always believed that one should use “intellect” rather than “power “of o f f i c e . H i s h u m i l i t y, simplicity and cavalier approach sometimes invoke the ire of his judicial colleagues but he remained steadfastly unbothered.

“To him, the law was his only master, which he served with unflinching devotion.”

He was special. His pedigree does not come frequently. The void that he has left will perhaps not be filled in my lifetime.”

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

Ariella Basdeo

Sunday November 17, 2019

Meet the alluring Miss Ariella Basdeo. This beauty describes herself as energetic, intelligent, and always happy. Her favourite quote is, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.�

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

PAGE 22

Sunday November 17, 2019

With 45 years in the teaching profession,

Gem Rohlehr A.A.,

By Kemol King

G

e m A n n Rohlehr-Vogt, more popularly known as Gem Rohlehr, is an educator, musician, wife, and mother of many. Many leaders across the country and abroad can attest to her role as a guardian of the state and a protector of children.

That's why Kaieteur News has chosen her to be this week's special person.

With 45 years in the teaching profession, most of that being at Queen's College, Rohlehr doesn't exactly need an introduction.

Her reputation precedes her.

Kaieteur News sat down with Rohlehr for a candid interview about what made her the woman she is today.

UPBRINGING She grew up in the city.

Her great grandparents and one of her grandparents were from Berbice. “So Rohlehr is a Berbician name,” she chuckled. “But I was born here in Georgetown.”

Rohlehr related how she came from a family of strict values, where excellence wasn't just a norm, it was a requirement. In her Adventist family, she grew up very committed to her

Gem Ann Rohlehr-Vogt

is a 'Special Person' faith, and remains so to this day.

As a little girl, Rohlehr went to a little Russell Street kindergarten known as the Kate Douglas School, where she'd go back to teach, years later, when she came of age.

There, Rohlehr said, the Headmistress challenged students to go to the top schools in the country.

After that, she went to a

“So you were expected to go there to write your common entrance.”

Rohlehr later attended the aforementioned private school, as her mom had chosen. According to Rohlehr, her peers would have said that she loved mathematics, but the teenage student preferred English Language, Literature and History.

“

We mould the nation. That is the motto. And if we are moulding the nation then we need to go beyond ourselves.

private school, the Georgetown Adventists Academy. The schools now seen as top schools, from Queen's College to The Bishops' High School were still run by the Anglican Church, and would continue to be until the late 1930s.

At the time, Dolphin had a primary aspect, and a secondary one that went up to form four, Rohlehr said.

”

“I loved History; I was very good at History. In fact, History is my minor that I took at the University of Guyana. And I also was in love with Human Biology.”

Queen's College was an all-male school, while The Bishops' High School was an all-female institution.

Rohlehr wouldn't have much exposure to it until when she'd need to use the laboratories there to focus on her science subjects.

But academics were not her only focus. Her school believed in students being well-rounded. That meant she had to champion the core subjects that all schools were expected to do, and extracurricular activities.

Rohlehr, for instance, was in the choir as a child.

Even today, she is revered for her contribution to music.

She recalled that the choir she formed part of would

perform in December at a hall on D'urban Street.

Then, when she wasn't singing, she was involved in literature and poetry.

“Poetry was the thing of the day for even older people. They would stand up at weddings and they would repeat a 12-verse poem... so you had to do poetry.” she laughed. After high school, the young adult Rohlehr took a brief break before she started out to college.

Her family had had intentions for her to study medical sciences and become a doctor, like her great grandfather, Dr. John Rohlehr. She recalled that he was so impressive a man that Walter Rodney wrote about him. “That's why I did Chemistry, Biology and Human Biology.”

Pursuant to that, Rohlehr had applied to study in England. But after England honoured her application, her family started to worry about whether England would be too far away for their hearts to take. There was also the question of affordability.

After eventually deciding against that, she had applied to Jamaica. And when Jamaica honoured her application, the same worries arose.

It seems as though things worked out just as Rohlehr needed them to, because she said that she knew very early on that she wanted to teach.

It helped as well that there were teachers in her family.

So she went on to study at the teacher's training college, where she was taught to teach English,

Rohlehr and husband, James Peter Vogt

Literature and Social Studies to students up to Form 3.

CAREER Her teaching career started out at the very kindergarten she attended as a child, for a brief stint. She

Playing the recorder, 2014 (Queen's College of Guyana Alumni - New York Chapter)

Guyana Music Festival 2009 Overall Champion Gem Rohlehr with former headmistress of Queen's College Wendell Roberts (Stabroek News photo)

then taught at Dolphin from 1974 to 1988. Earlier known as the Broad Street Government School, Dolphin was the only government school around for a few years, starting from 1932. There, she had written the school's hymn.

L a t e r, t h e t e a c h e r received a letter from the Government, suggesting that she teach at Queen's College.

“I spent three months before making that decision.”

She had worried about whether Dolphin would suffer if she left, but she ev en tu ally d ecid ed to transfer. There wasn't that much of a difference between the two schools, Rohlehr related.

“Both were strong in music. There is not a great difference…Dolphin is the first government school and the influence of persons [is shared]. For example, the (continued on page 53)

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 23

THE WPA IS MORALLY CULPABLE FOR COVERING-UP THE DEATH OF RODNEY

I

t is not true that the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding and the death of Dr. Walter Rodney was not made public. The first volume of the Report has been made public. The other volume/s, however, are of critical importance to the completeness of the Report, and ought now to be made public.

The APNU+AFC government – of which the WPA is a part and which it is asking Guyanese to re-elect – aborted the Commission of Inquiry after it was clear that evidence was emerging which was causing embarrassment to the PNCR. T h e W PA , b y n o t withdrawing from the government after the APNU+AFC aborted the inquiry, stands morally culpable for the cover-up of the assassination of its coleader Dr. Walter Rodney. It should hang its head in perpetual shame.

The WPA was then, and still is, a weakling in the Coalition. The party no longer has any moral authority to call upon the government to make public the report. It does not even seem to know that part of the report was made public.

Despite being aborted, the Report was able to come to some conclusive findings.

It found, among other things, that the police, the army and others were complicit in hiding and shielding Gregory Smith from being brought to justice for his role in the murder of Rodney The Report found that Smith was aided and abetted by the police, the army and the political directorate in executing his task. It found

that the plot to kill Rodney could only have been carried out with the knowledge of Forbes Burnham, the then President of Guyana.

The Report named persons, including the late Commissioner of Police Laurie Lewis, who played significant roles in the conspiracy to kill Rodney.

Much more was going to be revealed, and that is why the Inquiry had to have been halted.

The issue of the Opposition parties of the time (APNU and AFC) not being involved in developing the terms of reference of the Commission of Inquiry is a red herring.

That fact had no bearing on the decision to halt the inquiry or to its credibility.

The WPA had objected to one of the terms of reference of the inquiry, claiming it was too wide and ran the risk of poisoning the political environment. The WPA was not interested in the truth being known; it wanted to hide the dirty deeds of its new partner in bed, the PNCR. Not to have included that specific term of reference would have degutted the Inquiry of context. The WPA's objection shows just how much the party had degenerated in the years following the assassination of Rodney.

The PPPC never refused to carry out an inquiry into the death of Rodney.

People's memories are conveniently short. It was the Cheddi Jagan administration which invited the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) to conduct an inquiry, which they did in March of 1995.

And it is well-known that PNCR point man, former Commissioner of Police

Laurie Lewis, acted as obstructionist to the process by refusing to hand over records which the Commission wanted.

Emerging out of the findings of the mission of the International Commission of Jurists, the then DPP issued instructions for Gregory Smith to be charged for murder. That is where the hurdle to justice emerged.

Smith was hiding out in French Guiana, where he had

been tracked down and interviewed by the then Chronicle editor, Sharief Khan. The WPA knew also that he was there.

Unfortunately, the fly in the ointment was French law, which did not allow a person to be extradited to a country which had the death penalty on the law books. This effectively was the roadblock against Smith facing justice.

The PNC kept

supporting Smith throughout his exile.

Evidence was led in the COI to show that Laurie Lewis, the former Commissioner of Police, had issued instructions to the Central Passport Office for Smith's Guyanese passport to be renewed.

He was still doing the PNC's dirty work even after they had been booted out of office. That evidence would most likely have been

contained in the second volume of the Report, and perhaps that along with the other damning evidence is added cause for not making the full Report public.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Sunday November 17, 2019

There was a coup d'ĂŠtat in Bolivia!

By Sir Ronald Sanders

C

alled by any other name, there was a coup d'ĂŠtat in Bolivia on November 10. To be clear, an elected President and the government were forcibly removed from office. The term in office of Evo Morales, as President of Bolivia, does not expire until January 21, 2020.

When the Head of the Military, Williams Kaliman, told Morales to resign on Sunday, November 10, Morales had good reason to understand that if he did not do so his life was seriously at

risk.

In the weeks since October 20, when elections were held to decide on the candidates contesting for the P r e s i d e n c y, o f w h o m Morales was one, violence plagued Bolivia. Armed groups attacked civilians, particularly members of the indigenous people as well as officials and members of Morales' family. His sister's house was set on fire; the President of Bolivia's Congress resigned after his brother was kidnapped; the director of a radio station was taken hostage, brutalized and tied to a tree.

In the worst atrocity of all, the Mayor of the town of Vinto, Patricia Arce, was detained by armed thugs who shaved her hair, doused her with paint, forced her to walk barefoot through the town, made her kneel down and instructed her to beg for forgiveness for supporting Morales. She didn't. But, in a show of their power, the group, that carried out this outrage, video recorded the entire ugly incident and distributed it on social media to demonstrate their power.

Morales, therefore, knew quite well that when he was told to resign by the head of

the military, it was resign or else. In vile efforts to justify support for the overthrow of a validly elected President whose term was still in force, some neighbouring governments have stated that Morales resigned, seeking asylum in Mexico, because he recognised that he had lost the October 20 election, and that the people wanted him out. This convenient but manufactured version of history is now being promoted in hemispheric and international organizations.

Foreign Ministries in some big countries, that

spend a great deal of time and effort briefing the media in their own countries, have succeeded in getting those media to repeat their preferred narrative.

Regrettably, media in the Caribbean and other developing countries, dependent on the global media networks, have repeated the manufactured version of events without question.

And, because governments in developing countries, including in the Caribbean, treat their involvement in international matters as if it is a 'foreign affair', unrelated to the lives of their people, Ministries of Foreign Affairs do not brief their own media, nor do they open themselves to questioning on why they take positions on international issues.

The result is that the version of events by big countries and their global media prevails.

There are other facts, however, and they should be known, because when constitutionality and the rule of law are violated and a government is overthrown by fiat of the military, every democratic country is at risk, especially when those actions are justified by external forces.

Following the October 20 Presidential elections in Bolivia over which there was controversy, including

Sir Ronald Sanders allegations of fraud, the Government of Bolivia, on October 22, requested the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS) to conduct an audit of the elections. On the same day, the SecretaryGeneral agreed that the requested audit would be undertaken, insisting that the conclusions of the audit would be binding upon the parties taking part in the process.

S u b s e q u e n t l y, o n October 24, the Permanent Council of the OAS was advised at a meeting attended by the Bolivian Foreign Minister, that the audit would be undertaken, and its terms would be enforced and satisfied. Four days later, on October 31, the OAS deployed the audit team to Bolivia.

Ten days later, on Sunday, November 10, the OAS Secretary-General authorised the posting on the Organisation's website of the result of the audit which, among other things, stated that: “Given all the irregularities observed, it is impossible to guarantee the integrity of the data and (continued on page 50)

Sunday November 17, 2019

PAGE 25

Kaieteur News

---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---

The Lesser of two Evils? I Stand by my Choice A New and United Guyana (ANUG)’s chairman, Timothy Jonas, has taken me to task for what he interprets as my electoral preference for the proverbial lesser of two evils. He opines that to do so is to hide from one’s conscience. He further argues that the solution is to vote for a Third Party.

I am in sympathy with Mr. Jonas’ position. After all, I have been an active member of a Third Party for the last 40 years. I have always believed that there is a role for Third Parties in Guyana; it is one of the reasons that I have never considered leaving the party of which I am a member. And contrary to the views of many, I strongly believe that there is a critical mass of support for Third Parties that is not reflected at the ballot box.

Mr. Jonas and I seem to disagree on the role of Third Parties. He seems to think that the role of these parties is to try to bring the two big parties together in a power-sharing arrangement—at least this is his party’s main political plank. In other words,

ANUG and Mr. Jonas want to bring the two “evils” together. I wonder how much that differs from working in partnership with the lesser of the two evils.

My conscience is very clear about my electoral choice of the Coalition. Note, I stress my “electoral” choice.

Because as I pointed out in my November 10 column, there is a lot about the Coalition with which I am uncomfortable. But I am making an electoral choice based on factors beyond my personal preferences. I am thinking about where the country is. The vast majority of Guyanese are reluctant to empower a Third Party to govern Guyana on its own. So, what do we do— wait until they change their minds? Some of us have waited for four decades and more. We in the WPA have determined that Third Parties should not only be pressure groups, but that they should also become part of governance—they should do both.

We have also concluded that since the two big parties are not ready to form a Govern-

ment of National Unity, we should engage the one that has shown a more enlightened attitude to inclusivity.

The truth of the matter is that whereas the PPP has said clearly that for them inclusivity means joining the PPP, the PNC has defined inclusivity as partnership.

It is this attitude to inclusivity that gives me hope and has influenced my electoral choice. The PNC is part of a Coalition, while the PPP adamantly remains in a singleparty arrangement. It is true that the PNC has to some extent sought to treat the Coalition as if it were a one-party arrangement. But even that does not totally diminish the fact that the Coalition is more than mere form. It is a work in progress.

The PNC’s leadership will always try to exercise hegemony within the Coalition, but the stark reality is that the train has already left the station—there is a whole generation of younger voters which has grown up with APNU and the Coalition.

I have already opined that

The Baccoo Speaks This is the season when young criminals patrol the streets. Many of them left school ill-equipped to play meaningful roles in the society.However, the wider society is on the lookout.

Many are taking extra precautions leading to the apprehension of some who would take their chances. ** Another road accident would occur along the eastern corridor. The

improved road surface would induce speeding and given the inexperience of some drivers, this collision would lead to serious problems.

At the same time alcohol

would play a major part. ** The mining sector would record another killing. A bout of drinking would turn deadly because of a silly argument. One of the protagonists would walk away from the scene only to return with vengeance in his heart.In the end, people would say that a woman would be at the centre of all that happened.

the evolution of the Coalition has brought to the fore the plurality of political tendencies within the Coalition’s base and extended supporters. It means that no single party within the Coalition can claim sole ownership of that base. People respond to both the party of their choice and to the Coalition as a whole.

There is a strong tendency that views the Coalition through dogmatic PNC partisan lens. But there is another tendency that sees the Coalition through an independent lens. They respond to different ideological poles within the Coalition. I belong to the independent pole and would like to think that along with others of that persuasion, we provide leadership to supporters of that tendency.

Those who continue to portray the Coalition as PNC, are trying to be smart without being clever. They are signaling to Indian Guyanese that if they vote for the Coalition, they would in effect be voting for the PNC. And they are signaling to African Guyanese and Amerindians who are not naturally PNC, but open to the Coalition, that the parties in the Coalition to which they look for leadership are really PNC surrogates.

They are trying to exploit the deep anti-PNC sentiments in the Indian Guyanese community. It is for the same reason that they portray the AFC and WPA as being part of the PNC. The intention is to influence the PNC to take hardline positions against their junior partners and force a breakup of the Coalition or for the WPA and AFC to leave the Coalition. These persons and forces know that without the Coalition, the PNC is electorally vulnerable and the other Coalition parties will be severely weakened at the polls. Mr. Jonas correctly pointed to several instances of overreach by the Coalition government, and seeks to equate these with massive excesses of the PPP government. This is a clear case of arriving at a conclusion and then fixing the evidence to suit that conclusion. I do not think Mr. Jonas is blind, but I know he knows better. The Coalition’s human rights record is far more superior than the PPP’s.

I stand by my choice.

Since the column last week, I have received several letters and notes from readers thanking me for helping to clarify for them how to proceed on March 2, 2020. These are all

Dr David Hinds disgruntled Coalition supporters who are sitting on the fence. They are NeverPPPers, but they are inclined to stay away from the polls.

As I argued last week, that course of action should not be an option. Sometimes one has to choose between two less than ideal options or what Mr. Jonas calls the lesser of two evils. One evil would have no check, while the other one will have at least minimal checks.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) More of Dr. Hinds’ writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his websitewww.guyanacarib beanpolitics.news. Send comm e n t s to dhinds6106@aol.com

PAGE 26

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

The disappearance of Michael Banfus

By Michael Jordan He doesn’t have a shady past, has no enemies gunning for him, or lawmen hot on his trail. And that’s why relatives are certain that 26-year-old Michael Banfus would not have voluntarily dropped off the face of the earth, the way he did, almost two months ago.

What some are saying, though, is that Michael Banfus’ disappearance may be linked to a seemingly obsessive friend.

What we do know about Banfus is that he had been employed at the Forestry Commission as a woodworking technician for some five years.

One colleague described him as a “very quiet, friendly and reliable individual.”

We also know that he had lived at Lot 10 First Street, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara. He had shared an apartment with another young man.

A friend said he last saw the Forestry Commission employee at his apartment on

Missing Forestry employee: Michael Banfus

Saturday, September 21. He was allegedly in the company of a male Berbice resident, who often visited the apartment.

There are reports that Banfus, accompanied by the same individual from Berbice, then went to the Sophia Exhibition Site, where the 2019 Indigenous Heritage Month celebrations were being held.

The two men were report-

edly later seen at a cricket club, located on Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown. Banfus has not been seen since.

A friend of the Forestry employee said that he attempted to contact Banfus via cell phone after Banfus failed to return to his apartment. He eventually received a text message that was sent from Banfus’ phone. The message indicated that Banfus was in

Linden and was staying at a friend for two weeks.

But the individual who was receiving the texts said that he eventually suspected that the texts were being sent by someone who was pretending to be Banfus.

“Certain things that I asked, he (the person sending the messages) did not answer correctly,” the friend said.

According to the friend, he urged ‘Banfus’, via text message, to contact his family to reassure them that he was alright. ‘Banfus’ reportedly never responded.

After he failed to turn up, Forestry officials contacted the police.

Ranks and colleagues who checked the Cummings Lodge, East Coast apartment where Banfus resided found his belongings, including his passport, intact.

A few days later, relatives received the disturbing news that the Berbice resident, with whom Banfus was last seen, had hanged himself.

It is alleged that the man’s relatives say that they did not see Banfus in Berbice.

So what may have happened to Michael Banfus, and who may have had a reason for causing him harm?

Some are pointing fingers

at two close associates.

There are reports that he had quarreled and even got into a physical confrontation with one of these individuals.

The other is the middle-aged friend who later took his own life.

But where might Michael Banfus be?

“We don’t know what has happened to him,” a source who assisted in the search said.”All we know is that he has disappeared. We were told that he was at a friend in Berbice, and we travelled there and found out that the friend had committed suicide, so that is where we are right now.”

The source is convinced that some individuals who were questioned are concealing information about Banfus’ fate.

The missing man’s cousin, Vianne Banfus, is also convinced that he would have contacted her and other relatives if nothing was amiss

with him. ”He is from Region Eight, and he would always contact me anytime he is traveling there,” she said.

Banfus has now been missing for 56 days.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts can contact his cousin, Vianne Banfus, on telephone numbers +592-216-3347, and +592-659-7321. They can also contact Kaieteur News (+592645-2447) or the nearest police station.

If you have any information about this or any other unusual case, please contact Kaieteur News by letter or telephone at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown office. Our numbers are 2258458, 22-58465, 22-58473 and 22-58482. You need not disclose your identity.

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

Sunday November 17, 2019

PAGE 27

Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

The US Ambassador sees this tragedy each night My daughter posted two cartons of books from London. It would be impossible to fetch two cartons of books if I am parked far from the post office downtown. Once it is after 8 a.m., parking near the building is impossible.

Hand-in-Hand Insurance next to the post office takes up four streets for its vehicles. Last year on my way to the post office, I was prevented from parking near to the insurance company, even though I was on the public parapet. Hand-In-Hand got a rude awakening.

I went to Eve Leary and asked the Traffic Chief, Linden Isles, for his intervention.

He sent one of his seniors.

This country is a crude, vicious, class-dominated wasteland. You are not going to believe what the manager did. The officer was asked to come in and I was asked to wait outside. That manager never heard decibels so loud.

I am the person whose rights are being violated, I brought the police, and she wants to speak alone with the officer.

He declined her offer.

Hand-In-Hand was told in pellucid language that the company cannot stop drivers from using free space on the parapet outside the building.

Since then I see Hand-InHand committing this act of bullyism all the time. But you know the saying; “monkey knows which limb to climb on.”

To avoid fetching two cartons of books for six blocks, I decided on Friday morning to wait for the opening at 7 a.m.

At 6.30 a.m., I parked outside with my dog in the car. The place was deserted. I am in my car when, two cyclists rode up, one on my left, the other on the right. One of them put his entire head in my car from the driver’s side.

Then he pulled away immediately. They rode away and the older one looked back and said, “Hi, Mr. Kissoon.” Was I nearly robbed?

I wasn’t taking any chance; they may come back.

With dog in hand, I went over to talk with the two very young security ranks on the lawns of the National Museum. As my dog walked on the lawn of the museum, I saw what every Guyanese in and out of this country must reject with emotional vehemence. Don’t rely on this column; go and see it. In front of the southern section of the museum, is a huge grill cage.

Inside are parts of old typewriters, computers, air-condi-

tion units, rotting empty cartons, old newspapers with millions of cockroaches feasting on them, smelly old clothes and nuff rats running around. This was a permanent fixture, right in front of the museum.

As I spoke to the guards, one of them said; “yuh ain’t see nothing yet, Mr. Kissoon; look at dat.”Literally feet away from the actual entrance were worm-infested discarded clothes, rotting cardboard, and a mountain of feces on top of the heap that was strong in its fetid smell. The guard said the homeless go and defecate on the heap every night.

Let’s move to the US Ambassador to Guyana. Her residence is quite known and made more known after the outburst by Priya Manickchand at the 2014 July 4 celebration at the Ambassador’s residence. She lives off UG Road into the gated compound past the Gafoor villa that is heavily guarded. The envoy has to use the Atlantic highway once she is going north on UG Road and the Railway Embankment once she is going south on UG Road to the Caricom Secretariat, Giftland

Mall or Arthur Chung Convention Centre.

For four years now, the street lights located above the traffic signals at the Atlantic highway and UG Road have died. When you make either an eastern or western turn onto the highway, you are entering Naipaul’s area of darkness. Four years now on the Railway Embankment, from UG Road to Sheriff Street, only four street lamps are functioning. In close proximity to each other, there are two areas of darkness.

What goes through the mind of the US envoy when she sees these manifesta-

tions of primitive society in Guyana? Simple street lights at strategically located roadways have not been working.

And for how long? Not four months, but four years now.

Here is my contestation – in no other country in the world, I repeat not in any country on Planet Earth, would you find in front of the national museum an ocean of miasma. I urge you if you love this country and plan to live your life in it, to go and see that tragedy in front of the museum and the darkness on the Railway Embankment.

My wife said the two chaps were not robbers but curious

Frederick Kissoon about our dog, “Princess.”

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

PAGE 28

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

Update on Negotiations - Revision of Cummingsburg Accord Following our last report to you on October 24, discussions between the parties (APNU and AFC) resumed with several productive highlevel meetings between the Leaders as well as between the two negotiating teams.

Our National Executive Committee (NEC) met on November 2 and received a full report on all aspects of the negotiations. As a demonstration of its commitment to maintaining the APNU+AFC coalition, the NEC approved

a request to extend the mandate of the negotiating team to November 10, 2019 in order to conclude the revised Accord. Despite significant progress, that deadline was not met and the NEC was again briefed on the current

status of the discussions, and the request by APNU for a final meeting.

In light of the tremendous progress made, and the commitment shown by all parties to complete the revised Cummingsburg Accord, as well as the significant impact the new Accord is likely to have on the upcoming General and Regional Elections, the AFC has agreed to a final meeting tomorrow, Monday, November 18, 2019. A single outstanding matter is to be resolved. All other terms of the Accord have been provisionally agreed upon.

Following that final meeting, the AFC will launch our election campaign in all ten (10) Administrative Regions of Guyana. This is expected to commence on/before Saturday November 23, 2019.

Our campaign management team and international consultants have already begun the arduous work to take us into the March 2020 elections.

CAMPAIGN OFFICE COMMISSIONED Last week we commissioned our East Coast campaign office, and Leader, VP Khemraj Ramjattan, gave a lot of praise for the amount of work our East Coast RNC has been doing. He remarked that it is generally very difficult and challenging for a Third (political) Party to remain relevant and needed for any length of time. “The AFC has defied this logic and all of ‘their’ expectations, and today, 14 years after our heavy launch in November 2005, we are still here, still fighting to make the lives of every single Guyanese better, right alongside our partner, APNU.” At the same event in Lusignan, party Vice Chairman Cathy Hughes stated that good things come in small packages: “That’s the AFC; we’re the modern day David, small but powerful”.

She added, “We (members) have to find all kinds of ways to convince Guyanese people

that the promises the PPP is making are patently false.

50,000 jobs ... now??? What happened to the 23 years before 2015? Ask them how long ago they signed the contract to do the Lusignan road that this Government is fixing.

False promises!” she reiterated.

So we celebrate our small victories then move on to the next 10 things, every one of which is just as important.

General Secretary David Patterson took the impromptu stand at the opening and declared that the AFC is the subject of one of the most amazing stories in the Englishspeaking Caribbean. “Every single day across the Caribbean there at least 6 columns in as many newspapers that talk about the AFC – every day, so don’t let anybody tell you that the AFC is going down.

“We remain the only party in the Caribbean that has remained vibrant for 14 unbroken years. So put on your yellow t-shirts, spread the message, tell everybody about the ICT hubs and free computers in your community, better security, new infrastructure, and your needs that the coalition is satisfying,” he said.

There is a lot more coming when you re-elect the APNU+AFC Coalition, many more projects to complete, on the way to making your lives much, much better than it was.

Thankfully, Guyana has grown past the days when we had a government that sponsored ‘Phantom’ death squads. They denied it up to the end, but nobody was fooled. The evidence was there and raging police brutality was at its peak. Drugs/ narcotics running gave us a parallel economy and Guyana was known all over the world as the drug transshipment capital of South America. We were disrespected everywhere we went.

As Guyanese, except at

airports where we couldn’t hide our passport and nationality, we just did not want anybody to know where we came from. That knowledge meant unpleasant experiences for us in foreign countries that we visited for vacations, funerals, weddings and such.Even in neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago, there is a Guyanese man who lived there for over 30 years before he ‘outed’ himself as a Guyanese in 2016. His neighbours had no idea. He has always been a very respectable person and they all assumed that he was a ‘Trini’.

He told them after he made the confession that it was much better for him that they did not know, and he told them about the unfortunate events that happened to a couple of Guyanese friends on the island. They were eventually deported to Guyana after living in T&T for the same length of time.

So Guyana’s previous Government was powerful and they were sure that they had everybody convinced that the economy was stable.

The capital city was a garbage dump that the PPP Ministers openly said they had no intention of cleaning up!

In fact, nowhere was properly cleaned, and drainage canals were useless.

Guyana was a failed state and the international community knew it. We were classified by the IMF and all the world’s donor organizations as a Highly Indebted Poor Country, and we were saddled with a so-called government that didn’t give two hoots as long as their pockets were full.

We cannot throw away Guyana’s future by voting the PPP back into government. We’d like to keep our newfound pride and to hold our heads up high!

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

Sunday November 17, 2019

PAGE 29

Kaieteur News

My column

Bolting the stable

T

he attention is on two failing compa nies operating in Guyana. One of them is in the bauxite industry, the other in the gold sector.

Rusal has been in the Berbice operations of the bauxite industry after the company operating at Bermine pulled up its roots.

Generally, when a foreign company comes to work in a local industry that is outside the scope of the locals, the authorities would grant concessions. To the casual observer these concessions seem exorbitant.

There are concessions for fuel, for machinery, and even for tax payment. In turn the company would offer to provide employment, pay royalty on production, and keep the industry going.

It would seem that Rusal failed to live up to its end of the bargain. But there is also the suggestion that Rusal even used the concession for fuel to its distinct advantage.

Records show that Rusal was using as much as 19,000 gallons per day.

Watchers are now accusing Rusal of selling fuel even cheaper than the government importer. And this is easy to explain. The importer who

would sell fuel to the operators in that part of the world with duty attached to the cost, is allowing Rusal, who pays no duty on fuel, to market the fuel to the other operators at a drastically reduced rate.

So Rusal is actually earning from its concession, and this is not amusing to Guyanese who have calculated the cost of the concession to the country.

They say that the money given away by way of the concession could have developed something in the country.

The discussion about incentives has been had on many occasions. The government would argue that had the investor not come, then the resource would remain undeveloped.

And developing countries cannot leave resources in the ground.

Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company came to Guyana over two decades ago having acquired the then ailing telephone entity for a song. It turned out that the foreign company, Atlantic Tele-Network (ATN) bought Guyana Telecommunications Corporation for US$16.5 million.

The money owed to the company was more than US$4 million.

The result is that ATN made back a large portion of its investment by simply collecting the debt. There was an enquiry which failed to overturn anything.

To its credit, GTT improved the telephone system, introduced internet, and continued to develop the system.

It also paid handsome dividends to the government.

The other telephone company to come after U-Mobile was Digicel.

Again there were concessions, and while there was talk that the government has failed to examine the books of this company and therefore failed to ensure that it collected its taxes, the bottom line is that the government did collect some revenue.

I had some discussions with GO-Invest and the system of concessions was explained. The authorities said that the plan is never to grant excessive concessions. In fact, they said that some of the concessions could be withdrawn if the company fails to uphold its end of the bargain.

I am not aware that any concession was ever with-

drawn. Instead, there was one company that asked for even more concessions without expanding its operations.

BaiShanLin came with big plans to develop the timber industry. One of those plans was to set up a mobile sawmilling entity in the hinterland. That sawmill was never established.

Instead, BaiShanLin continued to export logs for which it paid no royalty, something that did not match up to what Guyana and the timber company had agreed.

One of the concessions that I saw involved the importation of paint, enough to paint the entire country. Fortunately, this concession was not granted.

The then President Donald Ramotar later told me that people can ask, but it is up to the government to grant the request.

There is the gold company, Troy Resources, which claims that it is losing money.

The authorities halted its operations after a man died in

what has been described as a mining accident. Immediately the company sent home workers.

Last week it announced that it may not even continue operations. The question arises about the equipment that came into the country with duty free concessions.

The government has a right to demand its duty if Troy Resources decides to dispose of those assets.

The Guyana Revenue Authority is looking at the developments involving Rusal and Troy Resources. Recently, when it was reported that Rusal was shipping its equipment away from Aroaima, the GRA decided to look at the operations.

There has been no word on the situation, because the laws prescribe that the GRA should not disclose the business of its clients. But I would expect that the GRA has information on what Rusal plans to do.

Indeed, it is the duty of the revenue collection

Adam Harris agency to ensure that it gets what is due to Guyana. It says that it is already prepared to audit the books of the oil companies operating offshore Guyana.

There is suspicion about the charges the oil companies are declaring. It did send some staff members for training.

Those staff members have returned.

At the end of the day, Guyana must ensure that it gets everything it deserves.

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

PAGE 30

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

What a time to be a Guyanese! Guyana belongs to you (Remarks delivered by HE David Granger, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, to the 29th Graduation Ceremony of President’s College, November 7, 2019) What a time to be a

Guyanese! Guyana belongs to you. This is all yours – the biggest, most beautiful and bountiful country in the Caribbean.

Guyana belongs to you.

The country which you will inherit as adults in a few years

time will be different from the one in which we are living today, your graduation day.

Guyana is on the threshold of major changes which will ensure that every citizen benefits from enhanced economic and educational oppor-

tunities and higher standards of living.

Guyana is about to become a ‘petroleum’ state, a ‘green’ state and a ‘digital’ state. It will be a better place for everyone: “ The petroleum state will introduce the oil and gas industry and boost national development. The economy will expand; revenues will increase; more resources will be available for public education, public infrastructure, public health, public telecommunications, public security, social protection – and utilities such as electricity and water. “ The ‘green’ state will place emphasis on the protection of its environment, the preservation of its biodiversity, the adoption of the use of renewable energy and practical measures to ensure climate adaptation. It will preserve and protect our rich natural resources for you and for future generations. More than eighty per cent of its territory is covered by forests which are the habitat of some of the world’s rarest flora and fauna. “ The ‘digital’ state will link every household, neighbourhood, community, region and government agency in the entire country.

Every college and school will be connected. Guyana will be integrated, more fully, with the Caribbean and the rest of the world.

Information communications technology is being emphasised to add value to our service sectors, spawn knowledge-based industries and improve the type of manufacturing which will not have an adverse impact on the environment.

This is the country which you are expected to preserve and protect for the present and future generations. The emerging ‘petroleum’, ‘green’ development and ‘digital’ sectors will enable you to earn decent emoluments and enjoy a dignified existence in the land of your birth.

Guyana will need highlyskilled persons to populate these new and emerging economic sectors. It will need an ‘A-to-Z’ corps of scientists –

from agronomists to zoologists – to sustain transformational national development.

It is for this reason that we are emphasizing science and technology education which will allow us to acquire the skills needed to propel development and to make the country more competitive internationally.

Guyana will launch a ‘Decade of development: 20202029’, next year. Education will be accorded the highest priority during the ‘Decade’.

Free university education will be restored. Free university education is a right to which all Guyanese are entitled. The Constitution [Article 27] states: “Every citizen has the right to free education from nursery to university ….” No eligible Guyanese student will have to pay for education ever again at our public university.

The ‘Decade’ will: “ embark on policies, programmes and projects in accordance with Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) – the country’s road map towards becoming a ‘green’ state; “ emphasize science and technology education in every secondary school without de-emphasizing the humanities and social sciences; greater priority will be placed on producing a corps of science scholars who will become the future captains of industry; “ enhance the science education to infrastructure – classrooms, laboratories and teaching – providing greater resources to our school administrators; improving opportunities for science and technology training for students and teachers and strengthening ICT education; and, “ emphasise the importance of ensuring that every child attends school and, particularly, having children ages 14-16 complete their secondary education.

The Green State Development Strategy explains that “an educated population is more inclusive, mobile and can enjoy higher living standards and well-being.” The overall objective of the ‘Decade’, in so far as education is concerned, is to ensure an inclusive and quality education for all so as to reduce inequalities and allow graduates to acquire the knowledge, skills and values needed for a modern economy.

I attended President’s College’s 26th graduation ceremony on 3rd November 2016. I presented the school with a cheque for G$1 M to improve its science laboratories. It was a small step in-

tended to support the College’s science programme.

I applaud the College for maintaining standards of excellence in both science and non-science subjects.

President’s College opened its doors for classes in September 1985. The College’s special character, as a ‘school of excellence,’ is spelt out in the President’s College Act of 1990 which states: The aims of the College are to provide a place of education, learning and research of a standard required and expected of a secondary school of the highest standard and to promote the advancement of knowledge and the diffusion and extension of art, science and technology.

President’s College, true to its charter and character, has earned a proud reputation and graduated educated in science and technology.

My Government’s vision is to ensure there is a school of excellence in every capital town in every Region. Students should not have to leave the Regions in which they live to enjoy a first-class, secondary education.

President’s College will never again be neglected. It will be provided with the resources to fulfill its mission as a school of excellence.

President’s College is your alma mater – literally, ‘your nurturing mother’ – and you must be perpetually proud of that privilege. Each of you has become, in the twinkling of an eye, an alumnus – literally, ‘one who has been nurtured’.

College graduation is an event of mixed emotions. The joy of this ritual is moderated, by the sorrow of parting from your alma mater – the College in which most of you spent most of your adolescence. You leave here, however, aware that exciting opportunities lie ahead. I urge you to cherish this ceremony and the memories of your colleagues and your College.

Guyana belongs to you.

The future starts today for you, the 29th graduating class of President’s College. You are graduating at a time when we are on the threshold of momentous changes. Your generation has a unique opportunity to fulfil its dreams and to realise its fullest potential. I encourage you to make the most of the many opportunities which these changes will open.

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

Sunday November 17, 2019

PAGE 31

Kaieteur News

“Male Menopause”: Is there such a thing?

By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine As men reach their 40s and 50s, they experience changes in their body and symptoms that could be devastating at times. These changes are sometimes termed “male menopause”.

But is there such a condition as “male menopause”?

Today we will get down to the bottom of this term and explains what really happens when men approach this period in their lives.

WHATARE THE SYMPTOMS THAT STIMULATES THE USE OF THIS TERM? The following symptoms have led to the suggestion that men undergo menopause when the reach their 40s and 50s: · Depression · loss of sex drive · erectile dysfunction · mood swings and irritability · loss of muscle mass and reduced ability to exercise · fat redistribution, such as developing a large belly or “man boobs” · a general lack of enthusiasm or energy · difficulty sleeping or increased tiredness · poor concentration and short-term memory These symptoms can interfere with everyday life and happiness, so it’s important to find the underlying cause and work out what can be done to resolve it.

IS THERE SUCH A THINGAS A ‘MALE MENOPAUSE’?

The “male menopause” is an unhelpful term sometimes used in the media. This label is misleading because it suggests the symptoms are the result of a sudden drop in testosterone in middle age, similar to what occurs in the female menopause. This is not true. Although testosterone levels fall as men age, the decline is steady at less than 2% a year from around the age of 30 to 40, and this is unlikely to cause any problems in itself. A testosterone deficiency that develops later in life, also known as late-onset hypogonadism, can sometimes be responsible for these symptoms, but in many cases the symptoms are nothing to do with hormones.

PERSONAL OR LIFESTYLE ISSUES Lifestyle factors or psychological problems are often responsible for many of these symptoms. For example, erectile dysfunction, loss of libido and mood swings may be the result of stress, depression, anxiety or the misuse of alcohol or illicit drugs.

There are also physical causes of erectile dysfunction, such as changes in the blood vessels, which may happen alongside any psychological cause. Psychological problems are typically brought on by work or relationship issues, divorce or financial problems. A “midlife crisis” can also be responsible. This can happen when

men think they have reached life’s halfway stage. Anxieties over what they have accomplished so far, either in their job or personal life, can lead to a period of depression.

Other possible lifestyle/ psychological causes of the “male menopause” include: · lack of sleep · a poor diet · lack of exercise · drinking too much alcohol · smoking · low self-esteem LATE-ONSET HYPOGONADISM In some cases, where lifestyle or psychological problems do not seem to be responsible, the symptoms of the “male menopause” may be the result of hypogonadism, where the testes produce few or no hormones.

Hypogonadism is sometimes present from birth, which can cause symptoms like delayed puberty and small testes.

Hypogonadism can also occasionally develop later in life, particularly in men who are obese or have type 2 diabetes. This is known as lateonset hypogonadism and can cause the “male menopause” symptoms. But this is an uncommon and specific medical condition that’s not a normal part of ageing. A diagnosis of late-onset hypogonadism can usually be made based on your symptoms and the results of blood tests used to measure your testosterone levels.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? If you’re experiencing any

of these symptoms, see your doctor. They’ll ask about your work and personal life to see if your symptoms may be caused by a mental health issue, such as stress or anxiety. If stress or anxiety are affecting you, you may benefit from medication or a talking therapy, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Your Doctor may also order a blood test to measure your testosterone levels. If the

results suggest you have a testosterone deficiency, you may have to start testosterone replacement to correct the hormone deficiency, which should relieve your symptoms.Most of the time, these “male menopausal” symptoms are related to lifestyle or psychological factors. Exercising, seeking help and avoiding triggers will help to alleviate these symptoms most of the time and will

Dr Zulfikar Bux free you of being labeled as going through “male menopause”.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 34

Sunday November 17, 2019

COUNTRYMAN

- Stories about life in m and out of Guyana, fro ve a Guyanese perspecti

Remembering Sir David Rose th on his 50 death anniversary

By Dennis Nichols

N

ineteen sixtynine was an eventful year in many respects around the world. The unthinkable happened – a human being walked on the moon. Equally unthinkable, in the United States, Charles Manson and his 'disciples' wrought bloody havoc in Los Angeles, California.

Then, as anti-Vietnam War sentiments heated up, almost half a million people took part in the largest antiwar protest in American history, on November 15 of that year.

Here in Guyana, the year started with the abortive Rupununi 'Uprising' which saw a number of fatalities, including five police officers. And as it drew to a close, our country's first

Governor-General, Sir David Rose, himself a former police officer, died in a horrifying freak accident in England.

Last Sunday's 'Countryman' should have been a memorial to the late g o v e r nor-general, who passed away exactly 50 years ago on that day – November 10, in 1969. But circumstances dictated otherwise. Today, and especially for the benefit of younger readers, I will look back briefly on the life and death of this distinguished son-of-the-soil.

Not many young Guyanese may be acquainted with the name David James Gardiner Rose; even less so with his stature in G u y a n e s e h i s t o r y.

Schoolchildren probably know from their Social Studies classes that he was

independent Guyana's first native-born governor general, and that he is buried at the Seven Ponds Place of Heroes in the Botanical Gardens. But there is much more.

Born on April 10, 1923, t h e s o n o f a d o c t o r, (leprologist) David Rose spent his childhood in Mahaica on the East Coast of Demerara, but was educated in Derbyshire, England. After giving military service there with the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, he returned to then British Guiana in 1948, the same year he got married to Ms. Patricia Firkins in London, and joined the local Colonial Police Force.

Rose joined the police force as a cadet officer and moved swiftly up the ranks to become an Assistant Superintendent and Assistant

Commissioner (Crime) in the mid-1950s. It was during this period that he became famous for his brilliance and bravery in dealing with a number of criminal desperadoes, including the notorious Clement Cuffy in 1959.

Cuffy was perceived as a most dangerous and violent criminal, and a murder suspect to boot. It was reported that he terrorized residents on both the East and West Coast of Demerara, until his capture at the hands of a police posse led by Rose.

The showdown happened at Naamryck, not far from Parika, to which point Crime Chief Rose led a party of six policemen.

The posse had to crawl through a swamp, neck-deep in moss, before getting within 15 yards of Cuffy's hideout. After Rose told him that he was surrounded, and

t o s u r r e n d e r, C u ff y answered with a volley from h i s Wi n c h e s t e r r i f l e .

Constable Chester fell, mortally wounded, and a bullet almost took off Rose's head. Another police officer was also shot and killed, and a few others injured.

The bandit was eventually captured, and died shortly afterward. Thus ended one of the biggest manhunts in the history of our country. It also ended the fear and frazzled nerves of thousands of rural residents.

David Rose was awarded the Medal of Gallantry for his bravery and leadership.

Shortly after those heroics, the British Colonial Office appointed David Rose as Defence Officer to the government of the shortlived West Indies Federation.

He then went on to be the Administrator (Ag) of Antigua and Barbuda.

Then, shortly after our c o u n t r y g a i n e d independence in May 1966, Sir David Rose was appointed the first nativeborn Governor General of Guyana in December of that year, replacing the last foreign-born G.G. Sir Richard Luyt.

Rose served with distinction in that capacity for three years until his untimely death in November 1969, in England, just after he had 'taken leave' of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth ll, relinquishing his governorship in anticipation of Guyana becoming a republic the next year. Then Prime Minister, Forbes Burnham, said he 'had long nurtured the idea of making Sir David the first president of Guyana when it became a republic' a mere three months later. It wasn't to be.

News of Rose's death, especially the manner of it, sent palpable shock waves throughout the country, underscoring how deeplyloved and respected he was.

He had been sitting in a parked car in London's Whitehall district, when tons of metal scaffolding came crashing down on the vehicle from nine stories above.

He was only 46 years old.

The entire nation joined his wife, Patricia, and the couple's six children, in mourning.

Dennis Nichols In Guyana, it was the week of Diwali celebrations, the last events of which were either muted or cancelled because of the tragedy.

Condolences and tributes poured in from around the world, including several from local poets and many ordinary Guyanese.

When his remains were brought back to Guyana, crowds of people gathered along various sections of the East Bank road as a convoy of vehicles wound its way from Timehri Airport to Guyana House in Georgetown.

According to a report in the Chronicle newspaper, 'as thousands waited patiently for the cortege … women broke down and wept openly… with hundreds of lighted candles flickering like fireflies' as villagers stood and sang hymns along the way.'

I was a teenager in 1969, and on the day of the funeral, I stood with hundreds of others to watch the funeral procession on Brickdam. It was a sight I will never forget.

I saw a flag-draped casket on a gun carriage, behind which walked Lady Rose, veiled in sorrow, followed by the governor general's rider-less horse from whose stirrups hung his riding boots in reverse position.

A journalist wrote, “His death has draped Guyana and indeed the whole free world, in deep sorrow.” Then opposition leader, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, said, “Sir David was a man who overcame the bitterness which came to so many who found the going hard, and he found strength in the weaknesses and prejudices of others.”

Upon Guyana becoming a republic in 1970, Sir David was posthumously awarded the country's highest national award, the Order of Excellence of Guyana. (OE) During his lifetime, Sir David was given several other awards and (continued on page 57)

Sunday November 17, 2019

PAGE 35

Kaieteur News

We have fought against ourselves, now others are moving in for the kill

I

nstead of examining the merit in the call to reconvene the National Assembly - the constitutional forum established to protect our national interest - partisans have supported its undermining.

Some among them are today expressing concern about the absence of local content legislation to protect Guyanese's interest - and participation - in the oil and gas sector, as foreigners flock to our shores and our Caribbean sisters and brothers capitalise on the benefits within the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

From 12th July when the Caribbean Court of Justice issued its Judgement on the no-confidence motion to now, much time has been wasted re-litigating and distorting the ruling. This nation, its institutions of government and citizens, are being held hostage to the ransom note of 'election now or nothing moves.'

We are in this state of inaction, primarily because of a reckless and self-serving leader who has had some success misguiding forces amongst us. As we are going through this period where they have deliberately set out to sow the wind, it is hoped that ultimately we do not fall victim of their whirlwind.

Those offended and crying foul that our Caribbean counterparts are making the most of integration should dispassionately examine how they have contributed to placing us in a position for others to benefit, as we seemingly may be left with little or nothing. Ours was the opportunity since the announcement of oil - an economic issue of widespread proportion - to rally together as one and make sure our elected leaders safeguard the interest of the collective. The harsh reality now is that any local content legislation will not be likely until about August 2020. This time factors in the election and parliamentary processes.

Exxon is said to begin production in December.

This would be eight months before our local content interest is legislated and after having wasted one year (July 2019-August 2020) to get our house in order. The

intervening period has left the field open for others to exploit opportunities. Those with the expertise and resources will do so. Even as some can cry foul, let it not be forgotten who have placed us in this position. We have weakened ourselves by fighting each other, taking our eyes off the prize, and now external interests are moving in for the proverbial kill.

Seeking to make scapegoats of others would not absolve responsibility for aiding an environment for outsiders to flourish. The threat to leave CARICOM or questioning whether CARICOM is still relevant was not accompanied by careful thought. Guyana has more to lose as the only English-speaking country nestled in South America, and with an existing border controversy, not to have allies in close proximity.

CARICOM states share with us a common bond in history, culture, political and economic determination.

Dispassionate introspection will advise that Guyana has not delivered moral leadership to the region, since during the Bharrat Jagdeo administration.

When there existed conflict(s) with another member-state, the option to resolve same through diplomacy and taking the moral high ground, was never sought or claimed.

Reservation still lingers.

For instance, recall is being made of a Barbados situation under the David Thompson government, when the country was seeking to institute an immigration policy, enforce its immigration laws and the CSME. When non-nationals were called upon to regularise their status or face deportation, the Jagdeo administration and others accused the Bajan government of racial discrimination. This accusation was premised on a gut feeling that East Indians would have been mostly affected by the rules.

My call for pursuing the respect for Barbados' right to self-determination and employing the channels within CARICOM to secure resolution was rebuked, and I was labelled a racist.

Simultaneously, I recall the Forbes Burnham administration's justification

for buying soap from Dominica at a higher price when it could have been s o u r ced ch eap er f r o m Germany.

Burnham was investing in the economic survival of the CARICOM peoples as a single grouping, and making a point of moral leadership to its founding principles, facts he relied on in ensuring Guyana's self-interest and

the well-being of Guyanese.

Internally we have been r e n t a s u n d e r. T h e r e continues to be little regard for institutions and systems intended to shield us and advance our interest. In the silly season, a presidential candidate claims as an employer he knows what is best for the workers in the attempt to justify the removal of their union.

In an environment where basic rights and freedoms of the individual are disrespected, where any government could feel it can castigate another government for wanting to protect its citizens as they trample on the rights of theirs, this type of leadership no self-respecting people deserve. For it is a leadership that subscribes to the notion

that there exists no rule in the game, or the rule will be broken when it does not conform to a given agenda.

Foreign companies such as BCGI/RUSAL, Troy Resources, etc., are looking on and taking advantage of the dysfunctionalism. They think they have free rein to trample workers' rights and violate our laws. In the (continued on page 52)

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

Ocelot

g .. n i t s. s re ure e t t (Leopardus pardalis) In rea unsuccessful. They tend to spots and stripes.

C

The

T

h e o c e l o t (Leopardus pardalis) is a small wild cat native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America. It is marked with solid black spots, streaks and stripes. Results of a phylogenetic study of the Felidae indicate that the ocelot diverged between 2.41 and 1.01 million years ago.

The ocelot's fur is extensively marked with solid black markings on a creamy, tawny, yellowish, reddish grey or grey background colour. The spots on head and limbs are small, but markings on the back, cheeks and flanks are open or closed bands and stripes. A few dark stripes run straight from the back of the neck up to the tip of the tail. Its neck and undersides are white, the insides of the legs are marked with a few horizontal streaks. Its round ears are marked with a bright white spot.

Its fur is short, about 0.8 cm (0.31 in) long on the belly, but with longer, about 1 cm (0.39 in) long guard hairs on the back. It has 28 to 30 teeth.

Its eyes are brown but reflect golden when illuminated. It is a mediumsized cat with a head-andbody length of between 55 and 100 cm (22 and 39 in) and a 25.5 to 41 cm (10.0 to 16.1 in) long tail. Females weigh 6.6–11.3 kg (15–25 lb) and males 7–15.5 kg (15–34 lb). Its spoor measures nearly 2 cm × 2 cm (0.79 in × 0.79 in).

English naturalist Richard Lydekker commented that the ocelot is "one of the most difficult members of the feline family to describe". In 1929, wildlife author Ernest Thompson Seton described the ocelot's coat as "the most wonderful tangle of stripes, bars, chains, spots, dots and smudges ... which look as though they were put on as the animal ran by."

The ocelot can be easily confused with the margay, but differs in being twice as heavy, having a greater headand-body length, a shorter tail, smaller eyes relative to the size of the head, and different cranial features. It is similar in size to the bobcat. Larger individuals have occasionally been recorded. The jaguar is notably larger and heavier, and has rosettes instead of

The ocelot ranges from the southwestern United States via Mexico and Central America to South America as far south as Argentina up to an elevation of 3,000 m (9,800 ft). It inhabits tropical forest, thorn forest, mangrove swamps and savanna, and prefers areas with relatively dense v e g e t a t i o n c o v e r, b u t occasionally hunts in more open areas at night.

The ocelot is usually solitary and crepuscular. It scent-marks its territory by spraying urine. The territories of males are 3.5–46 km2 (1.4–17.8 sq mi) large, while those of females cover 0.8–15 km2 (0.31–5.79 sq mi).

Territories of females rarely overlap, whereas the territory of a male includes those of two to three females.

Social interaction between sexes is minimal, though a few adults have been observed together even in non-mating periods, and some juveniles interact with their parents.

Ocelots are carnivores and prey on small mammals, such as armadillos, opossums and rabbits, rodents, small birds, fish, insects and reptiles.

According to studies, primates prevail in the diet of ocelots in southeastern Brazil, and iguanas are the main prey of Mexican ocelots. An ocelot typically preys on animals that weigh less than 1 kilogram (2.2 lb).

It rarely targets large animals such as deer and peccaries.

An ocelot requires 600–800 grams (21–28 oz) of food every day to satisfy its energy requirements. The composition of the diet may vary by season; in Venezuela, ocelots were found to prefer iguanas and rodents in the dry season and then switch to land crabs in the wet season. A study showed that ocelots are similar to margays and oncillas in dietary preferences, but the oncilla focuses on tree-living marsupials and birds while the margay is not as selective.

Ocelots have been observed to follow scent trails to acquire prey. They walk at a speed of about 300 m/h (0.2 mph) on the lookout for prey; and at a speed of 800–1,400 m/h (0.5–0.9 mph) to a known kill site. Or they wait for 30 to 60 minutes at a certain place, and then move on to a different place when

eat the kill immediately, and remove feathers before eating birds.

Both male and female ocelots produce a long-range "yowl" in the mating season as well as short-range "meow". Ocelots mate at any time of the year. Peak mating s e a s o n v a r i e s geographically. In Argentina and Paraguay, peaks have been observed in autumn; and in Mexico and Texas in autumn and winter. Oestrus (continued on page 52)

An ocelot in Itatiba Zoo, Brazil.

(Photo credit: João Carlos Medau – Flickr)

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Sunday November 17, 2019

A rare book explores K O Ancient Egypt

BO

Book: Journey to Sacred Egypt Author: Roger Calliste Critic: Glenville Ashby, PhD

W

i t h t w o decades of research in Egyptology, author and philosopher, Roger Calliste, has embarked on an ambitious undertaking.

In a compendium of evocative rites, orations and rituals that bridges epochs into a single spiritual experience, the author methodically sews together the most compelling pieces of Egyptian lore into a literary framework for modern times.

'Sacred Egypt' centres on the phenomenology of naturalism. Calliste's dictation speaks to the wholeness and the

interconnectedness that defines life, giving voice to the continuance of collective lives. In concise language and expression, his work celebrates all of life as an uninterrupted flow, a world without end and without a discernible beginning.

Man is a representation of nature, one with, and indivisible from the natural and celestial worlds. An unmistakable message Calliste delivers: we must strive for authentic unity, for healing in a seemingly binary existence. It follows that every item used in Egyptian rites and rituals embodies an aspect of man's constitution.

In this rare find (circulated among his colleagues and students of the Egyptian mysteries), Calliste aptly opens with the rites performed by the sacerdotal class. He cautions against criticism that he might be divulging information to the uninitiated. He pens, “I believe that each person responds to sacred material at a level corresponding to their own spiritual awareness and therefore ultimately there is no betrayal of secrets.”

Measuredly, and with meticulous transliteration, he describes the attention accorded to each part of the

human body, each part forming a corporeal gestalt, each a reflection of divinity.

The text is poetic and vividly imaginative, well reliving the spirit of that time. Words come to life as the wise ones of Egypt follow their script with purposefulness.

Calliste leads the postulants through this ritual, one of many: - Anoint the mouth and say Uab Kua - meaning I become pure - Anoint the hands and say Ba Kua - meaning I become a soul - Anoint the back of the neck and say and say - Djeser Kua meaning- I become a god - Anoint the brow and say Neter Kua meaning - I become divine In the King's Chamber, the Calliste details the theurgical rites performed including the offering of i n c e n s e , a n e s s e n ti a l component that takes on elementally organic attributes. Upon offering incense, he recites: 'Your fragrance comes to me, O incense Let my fragrance come to you Your aromas come to be, O gods Let my aromas come to you...'

The hagiography surrounding the Temple of Seti and the Osireion will stir the imagination of mystics and Egyptologists.

Calliste writes, “In the mythos of Osiris and p a r t i c u l a r ly w i t h h i s dismemberment into fourteen pieces, the ancient sages averred that the head of the ancient god and teacher was interred in Abdyos, this making it the most venerated of nomes in the ancient land”. It is in the Osireion that initiations were

conducted and where the ancestors were elevated as 'blessed' and petitioned for abundance, enlightenment and protection."

Of the fabled Egyptian Trinity, that has long captured the attention of historiographers, Calliste writes, "In the ancient myths, Isis is the sister/wife of Osiris who together with him rule Egypt...After Osiris' death and dismemberment; we encounter the mourning of Isis as she travels along the length and breadth of the Two Lands in search of her husband. She finds him and with the aid of Anubis and her sister Nephthys revives him long enough to conceive the young hawk-headed Horus."

'Journey to Sacred Egypt' could not be timelier. It speaks to acculturation, and to history as a breathing document. With Kemetic studies now part of the Afrospiritual zeitgeist, and with rekindled interest in Ancient Egypt as the hub around which other civilizations emerged, Calliste handbook adds another layer to an everintriguing epistemological landscape.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) F e e d b a c k : glenvilleashby@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby Journey to Sacred Egypt

by Roger Calliste © 2019 Roger Calliste Ratings: Highly recommended Journey to Sacred Egypt is not available in bookstores.

For additional information email: glenvilleashby@mail.com

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

THE

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Sunday November 17, 2019

STORY WITHIN THE

Racism and our revenues

By Leonard Gildarie

F

or a long time, our people shied away from debate about racism. It was a tongue-incheek thing in whispered breaths. We refused to acknowledge that there is a problem. We acknowledged, though, that our people largely vote along racial lines when it comes to politics, and we left it there.

A recent incident involving a teen at the University of Guyana has awoken deep anger. The good thing is, it is coming from all sides.

I looked at it with deep disgust and the apology that came was a frightened one from the teen.

In the video, he hid money under a leaf and was waiting to see the first African Guyanese to pick it up. He said that Indian Guyanese do not do that.

The Facebook video went viral as the teen came in for a deluge from an angry populace. He attempted to apologise.

The University of Guyana criticized the video and, under pressure, there are attempts for the student to be sanctioned with suspension.

While the academics will have their takes, I will say this‌there has to be a national conversation. We cannot afford to bury our head in the sand and pretend it is not happening. Our populace is emerging as one that is very much aware and there is an awakening.

People are speaking out more and more now and the emergence of new parties, led by prominent persons, is testimony of how far we have come in talking about the issues.

Kaieteur News is a fiercely independent newspaper that is bothered not by who is in power. I have come in for my share of the blows. I take it all in stride.

We have wars being declared in the newsroom on issues and woe be unto a reporter that fouls up. I love the battleground.

I see changes in the way of thinking and some to our systems that tell me that we are maturing, albeit slowly.

But the change is slow in some quarters in society.

There is still, on both sides of the political divide, the old guard who feel that they can control the minds of a few with a fiery speech.

Social media has thrown a big spanner in the works and the young, between 1545, I would say, are now making choices for themselves.

That, to me, has changed the political ball game.

People are slowly waking up to the fact that they have choices.

Those choices have to do with a better life with issues being dealt with, instead of which party my mother or father voted for.

As I looked at the UG teen, I could not but help wonder what sort of environment he is in that would think it cool to record then broadcast such a video.

There is a feeling that there are many more like that teen. That is frightening.

At a time when we should band together and make this country great, we allow ourselves to be distracted by these issues that should never have been.

I would like to talk to that teen to have an understanding, and I do hope he makes contact and we start the healing.

Suffice to say, we have to have a national conversation.

This should never be who we are. We have resources bountiful and we should be preparing to reap our rewards and cater for our future generations.

For too long, we allowed a few to dictate to us while they lined their pockets or turned a blind eye to a few companies who have taken our wealth, leaving us with a pittance. I cannot reconcile the fact we refuse to understand that we are in the drivers' seat, and we are very much in control.

This brings us to another issue. For a while now, we have raising the glaring lapses of our national revenues. A country is managed with the taxes and other revenues raised from industries and sectors.

We receive income from gold; timber; sale of licences; payment of income, property, capital gains taxes, and now from oil and gas.

The Government of the day

Leonard Gildarie has the ultimate responsibility of ensuring that the revenues are collected. When we bring a foreign investor to Guyana, the deal always has to close with the interest of Guyana in mind.

Why would you give billions of dollars in tax waivers and holidays and duty free concessions when our take is a mere few millions? There must be balance.

Why would you give concessions and not monitor them to ensure that there is no abuse. One company is reportedly abusing its fuel concessions. It is said to be selling to loggers and others, competing with Guyoil.

Are we sheep?

Natural resources in a country are not unlimited.

They have to finish sometime. When we look at the Middle East and other places where the dependency of revenues is pronounced, the checks and balances and monitoring mechanisms are there.

The US jails persons who evade taxes.

In Guyana, we have been careful of treating with our local and foreign investors who evade paying us our share because we are afraid of the employment that could be lost. We are threatened with pullouts. Nobody leaves a gold mine that is producing.

So yes, this is a chorus that will be played over and again until we realize that there is money here for us to use. We only have to collect it. It will pay for our roads and a new Demerara Bridge.

It will pay for a more stable electricity system and better benefits for our pensioners. It will see better pay for public servants, teachers and nurses. Yes, we cannot stop the preaching when it comes to demanding our fair share.

Our leaders must understand that we must benefit from our resources.

The buck stops at them.

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

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Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

MASH 2020 JUMP START The Beauty Column...

CONCERT SET FOR NOV. 30 Skin care tips from Glô Skincare Come November 30, the Durban Park is set to come alive for the ultimate Mash 2020 Jump start concert that will feature an array of musical flavours from Guyana s most talented artistes. The lineup includes Jump Primo, Timeka Marshal, Vanilla, Big Red, Diana Chapman, Kwaci Ace, Bunty Singh, Aw Lyrical , Vicadi, Stephen Ramphal, Bill Rogers, Onikha Joseph , Jovinski, and Jamal Stewart.

The Heatwave Band as well as the Shakti Strings will also be on deck for this exhilarating event. Showtime is 8PM and admission is FREE! See you there!!!

Enetworks to air HBOs Watchmen every Thursday Every Thursday, Enetworks will be showing one of HBOs latest hit series called Watchmen.

For those who are unfamiliar with all things superhero, the Watchmen is an upcoming American superhero drama television series, inspired by some characters from the DC Comics limited series of the same name created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, created and developed by Damon Lindelof for HBO, with Lindelof serving as executive producer and writer.

The series takes place in an alternate contemporary reality in the United States, in which superheroes and masked vigilantes were outlawed due to their violent methods, but some of them gather around to start a revolution while others attempt to stop it.

In light of the fact that our skin serves as the first line of defense against the vagaries of the world while being one of the contributing factors to our beauty, it goes without saying that we have to take better care of it . As such, this week s beauty column will provide some fundamental dos and donts you should consider in your every day skincare routine.

These essential tips are provided by Sadia AliRahaman, the proprietor of and an Esthetician at Glô Skincare located at Lot 14 Rahaman’s Park EBD, in the Parc Rayne complex.

Glô has been offering facial services, including chemical peels and oxygen facials since November 2016. Glô Skincare works on an appointment basis and can be contacted on 678-5615 or via Instagram @glo_guyana.

How to Wash Your Face: Dos 1) Do Use clean hands and facecloths 2) Do use lukewarm water 3) Do avoid sulfates 4) Do take your time 5) Do clean your jaw line, hairline and neck 6) Do exfoliate 2-3 times per week 7) Do pat skin dry 8) Do finish with a toner and moisturizer.

Donts 1) Dont touch your face with dirty hands 2) Dont use hot water 3) Dont use bar soap 4) Dont rush

(From left) Sadia Ali-Rahaman, the proprietor of Glô Skincare and her protégé Celena 5) Dont forget to wash easy-to-miss areas 6) Dont rub too vigor-

ously 7)Dont skip the rest of your skin care routine.

The Garage presents Karaoke Competition Pt. 2 Starting November 26, the Garage which is located on Aubrey Barker Road will be hosting its annual karaoke competition with registration fee set at an easy $3000. There will be over one million in cash and prizes to be won along with consolation prizes from sponsors such as Ansa McAL and Hits and Jams Entertainment. You must be over 18 years old to participate and not a professional singer. See you there!

Home Entertainment According to Lindelof, the TV series will not be a direct adaptation of the original source material, instead, being “remixed”; aiming to tell an entirely new story set in the world where the events of the original storyline took place.

The series will also showcase different points of view, with the only characters from

the original storyline confirmed to appear in the series being Doctor Manhattan, the former Silk Spectre, and former hero Ozymandias. The series will also focus on a detective named Angela Abar who becomes a vigilante called Sister Night. (See link for additional info on the show: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Watchmen_(TV_series)

How to make a Frothy Rossi Nothing stirs the soul on a weekend with no work or boss in sight like your beverage of choice while catching up on your favourite shows.

At Kaieteur Entertainment, we understand this concept oh so well hence we re always looking for new recipes to add a bit of spice to your repertoire of delightful mixes. Our recommended drink for you this weekend is the Frothy Rossi , the base of which is the Carlo Rossi Sweet Red Wine.

This sweet red wine is well balanced, light to medium-bodied and has flavors of bright red fruits. Distributed by Ansa McAL, it also features fresh floral notes with a nice crisp finish. This main ingredient for your weekend cocktail can be had directly from Ansa McAL for under $1600 or at popular supermarkets for approximately $2000.

See below for more details on how to make this unique November treat. You can send your comments and photos on how it turned out to Kianawilburg@gmail.com. Do Enjoy!

Frothy Rossi Recipe Ingredients

1/2 glass Carlo Rossi Sweet Red Wine 1/2 glass club soda 3 scoops vanilla ice cream Directions Add 3 scoops of ice cream to a glass. Fill half of the glass with club soda, the other half with wine, and stir. (Recipe by Carlo Stoba)

Sunday November 17, 2019

Science-Backed Benefits of Peppermint Tea and Extracts P e p p e r m i n t (Mentha Ă— piperita) is an aromatic herb in the mint family that is a cross between watermint and spearmint.

Native to Europe and Asia, it has been used for thousands of years for its pleasant, minty taste and health benefits.

Peppermint is used as a flavoring in breath mints, candies and other foods. Additionally, many people consume peppermint as a refreshing, caffeine-free tea.

Peppermint leaves contain several essential oils including menthol, menthone and limonene. Menthol gives peppermint its cooling properties and recognizably minty scent.While peppermint tea is often drunk for its flavor, it may also have several health benefits. The tea itself has rarely been studied scientifically, but peppermint extracts have.Here are 12 sciencebacked benefits of peppermint tea and extracts.

1. May Ease Digestive Upsets Peppermint may relieve digestive symptoms, such as gas, bloating and indigestion.

Animal studies indicate that peppermint relaxes your digestive system and may ease pain. It also prevents smooth muscles from contracting, which could relieve spasms in your gut.

A review of nine studies in 926 people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) treated with peppermint oil for at least two weeks concluded that peppermint provided significantly better symptom relief than a placebo.

In one study in 72 people with IBS, peppermint oil capsules reduced IBS symptoms by 40% after four weeks, compared to only 24.3% with a placebo.

Additionally, in a review of 14 clinical trials in nearly 2,000 children, peppermint reduced the frequency, length and severity of abdominal pain.Furthermore, capsules containing peppermint oil reduced incidence and severity of nausea and vomiting in a study in 200 people undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

While no studies have examined peppermint tea and digestion, its possible that the tea could have similar effects.

SUMMARY: Peppermint oil has been shown to relax muscles in your digestive system and improve various digestive symptoms. Therefore, peppermint tea may provide similar benefits.

2. May Help Relieve Tension Headaches and Migraines As peppermint acts as a muscle relaxant and pain reliever, it may diminish certain types of headaches.

The menthol in pepper-

mint oil increases blood flow and provides a cooling sensation, possibly easing pain.

In one randomized clinical study in 35 people with migraines, peppermint oil applied to the forehead and temples significantly reduced pain after two hours, compared to a placebo oil.

In another study in 41 people, peppermint oil applied to the forehead was found to be as effective for headaches as 1,000 mg of acetaminophen.While the aroma of peppermint tea may help relax muscles and improve headache pain, there is no supporting scientific evidence to confirm this effect.

However, applying peppermint oil to your temples may help.

3. May Freshen Your Breath Theres a reason why peppermint is a common flavoring for toothpastes, mouthwashes and chewing gums.

In addition to its pleasant smell, peppermint has antibacterial properties that help kill germs that cause dental plaque which may improve your breath.

In one study, people who had undergone spine surgery and had received a rinse made with peppermint, tea tree and lemon oils experienced improvement in bad breath symptoms, compared to those who did not receive the oils.In another study, schoolgirls given a peppermint mouth rinse experienced an improvement in breath after one week, compared to the control group.While there is no evidence from scientific studies that drinking peppermint tea has the same effect, the compounds in peppermint have been shown to improve breath.

4. May Relieve Clogged Sinuses Peppermint has antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties. Because of this, peppermint tea may fight clogged sinuses due to infections, the common cold and allergies.Additionally, research demonstrates that menthol one of the active compounds in peppermint improves the perception of airflow in your nasal cavity.

Therefore, steam from peppermint tea may help you feel as though your breathing is easier.Furthermore, warm liquids, such as chicken broth and tea, have been shown to temporarily improve symptoms of sinus congestion, likely due to their vapors.

Though peppermint tea has not been studied for its effects on nasal congestion, evidence suggests that it may be helpful.

(Continued on next editon)

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The Snow Queen

by Hans Christian Andersen FIRST STORY. Which Treats of a Mirror and of the Splinters Once upon a time there was a wicked sprite, indeed he was the most mischievous of all sprites. One day he was in a very good humor, for he had made a mirror with the power of causing all that was good and beautiful when it was reflected therein, to look poor and mean; but that which was good-for-nothing and looked ugly was shown magnified and increased in ugliness. In this mirror the most beautiful landscapes looked like boiled spinach, and the best persons were turned into frights, or appeared to stand on their heads; their faces were so distorted that they were not to be recognised; and if anyone had a mole, you might be sure that it would be magnified and spread over both nose and mouth.

“That’s glorious fun!” said the sprite. If a good thought passed through a man’s mind, then a grin was seen in the mirror, and the sprite laughed heartily at his clever discovery. All the little sprites who went to his school—for he kept a sprite school—told each other that a miracle had happened; and that now only, as they thought, it would be possible to see how the world really looked. They ran about with the mirror; and at last there was not a land or a person who was not represented distorted in the mirror. So then they thought they would fly up to the sky, and have a joke there. The higher they flew

with the mirror, the more terribly it grinned: they could hardly hold it fast. Higher and higher still they flew, nearer and nearer to the stars, when suddenly the mirror shook so terribly with grinning, that it flew out of their hands and fell to the earth, where it was dashed in a hundred million and more pieces. And now it worked much more evil than before; for some of these pieces were hardly so large as a grain of sand, and they flew about in the wide world, and when they got into people’s eyes, there they stayed; and then people saw everything perverted, or only had an eye for that which was evil. This happened because the very smallest bit had the same power which the whole mirror had possessed. Some persons even got a splinter in their heart, and then it made one shudder, for their heart became like a lump of ice.

Some of the broken pieces were so large that they were used for windowpanes, through which one could not see one’s friends. Other pieces were put in spectacles; and that was a sad affair when people put on their glasses to see well and rightly. Then the wicked sprite laughed till he almost choked, for all this tickled his fancy. The fine splinters still flew about in the air: and now we shall hear what happened next.

SECOND STORY. A Little Boy and a Little Girl In a large town, where there are so many houses, and so many people, that there is no roof left for everybody to have a little garden; and where, on this account, most persons are obliged to content themselves with flowers in pots; there lived two little children, who had a garden somewhat larger than a flower-pot. They were not brother and sister; but they cared for each other as much

as if they were. Their parents lived exactly opposite. They inhabited two garrets; and where the roof of the one house joined that of the other, and the gutter ran along the extreme end of it, there was to each house a small window: one needed only to step over the gutter to get from one window to the other.

The children’s parents had large wooden boxes there, in which vegetables for the kitchen were planted, and little rosetrees besides: there was a rose in each box, and they grew splendidly. They now thought of placing the boxes across the gutter, so that they nearly reached from one window to the other, and looked just like two walls of flowers. The tendrils of the peas hung down over the boxes; and the rose-trees shot up long branches, twined round the windows, and then bent towards each other: it was almost like a triumphant arch of foliage and flowers. The boxes were very high, and the children knew that they must not creep over them; so they often obtained permission to get out of the windows to each other, and to sit on their little stools among the roses, where they could play delightfully. In winter there was an end of this pleasure. The windows were often frozen over; but then they heated copper farthings on the stove, and laid the hot farthing on the windowpane, and then they had a capital peep-hole, quite nicely rounded; and out of each peeped a gentle friendly eye—it was the little boy and the little girl who were looking out. His name was Kay, hers was Gerda. In summer, with one jump, they could get to each other; but in winter they were obliged first to go down the long stairs, and then up the long stairs again: and out-ofdoors there was quite a snowstorm.

FUN WITH POETRY

Praise God every day When searching for God, You don't have to look far; He is always here with you, And not in some star.

God is in your heart, God is in your soul, God is in your spirit, Loving God must be your goal.

Your body is a temple, Where God lives always, So be kind and honest, And praise God every day.

by Uncle Roy

Junior page Origami Finger Puppet Tutorial

Start white side up.

1. Fold in half vertically.

2. Unfold.

3. Fold in half horizontally.

5. Fold the right corner down to the bottom center point.

6. Fold the left corner down to the bottom center point.

7. Fold the right flap up from the center as shown.

8. Roughly position the flap with the right edge at a 90-degree angle.

9. Fold the left flap in the same way as the right.

10 & 11. Fold one layer from the bottom section up to the top point.

12. Turn the model over.

13. Fold the left and right edges inwards as shown in #14 & 15.

16. Fold the bottom section up to the top point.

17 - 19. Fold the top section down, including all layers.

You could stick these down if you like.

20. Turn the model over.

21 & 22. Draw a cute face!

Your cute little finger puppet it finished!

Don’t worry if it didn’t work out the first time, just try again, it can take practice.

Small bridges Connect these islands with bridges until each island can be reached from any other island, and each island has as many outgoing bridges as its number. You may only connect islands vertically or horizontally and bridges may not cross. There may be one or two bridges connecting pairs of islands, but no more than two. Each puzzle has a unique solution that can be found without making guesses.

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

Connect with the Almighty Creator and Achieve all your Ambitions

W

hen you sincerely believe that there is an Almighty God who is all-good and allpowerful, you will form a channel through which His power can flow to you.

When you have faith that He can and will heal your personality of feelings of inferiority and lack of confidence in your own abilities, He will respond and give you the power to build up feelings of selfconfidence.

When you accept the idea that He is always at your side to help you in any endeavour, you will be saturated with belief in yourself and move f o r w a r d p u r p o s e f u l l y.

When you are convinced that all power comes from

our Creator, that this power is limitless and yours for the asking, such faith will give you the confidence to utilise it to achieve your objectives.

Develop the confidence that He will give you the power and strength to do all that is necessary for your life, and He will respond just as positively.

This sincere faith in the Almighty Creator will allow His power to flow through you to accomplish all to which you set your mind. Believe that God is the source of all energy, in whatever form or quantity, and you will always be able to tap into this limitless source of power.

The contact we thus set up by the removal of all doubt of His goodness and supreme

generosity will facilitate this free flow of His creative energy into our mind, body and spirit, which is further enhanced by the practice of prayer.

When you agree to live according to principles as defined in your religion and in your conscience, then you will be attuned to the rhythm of creation, and be able to draw continuously on the same power that creates and recreates the things in our world. The doubts and uncertainty in yourself that hampered the free flow of this creative energy will disappear, and you will be rendered free from the fears and worry that had previously disturbed your peace of mind and effected this lack

of self-confidence.

If you worship a God who you believe has made all things and can make all things possible, you will derive the confidence and courage to move forward.

However, if you are not sure of the existence and almighty power of a Creator, you can still manage to tap into your inner resources by uniting yourself spiritually without hatred and bias with all other human beings.

Develop a clear image of what it would be like when the problem is solved, and hold to this consistently, at the same time believing firmly that it will come to pass. When you practise this sincerely, you are sure to get results that can be nothing less than amazing.

ALTAIR SLITHERLINKS Fill in some of the dotted line segments to form a meandering path that forms a single loop.

The path does not cross itself, branch, or touch itself at corners. The numbers indicate how many line segments surround each cell. Empty cells may be surrounded by any number of line segments. There is one unique solution, and you should be able to find it without guessing. You may find it helpful to mark segments that cannot be filled in.

This tiling is from a traditional Islamic design and appears in the books "Altair Design" by E. Holiday and "Arabic Geometrical Pattern and Design" by J. Bourgoin.

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My God is alive!

by Roy Paul (Uncle Roy) From the poetry book: Shape up Your Personality, which shall soon be published locall I often wonder that there are men, Who deny an Almighty experience, Yet at the same time powerless to explain The origin of our complex existence.

They say that this limitless, wondrous world Just happened by chance to evolve; But then choose to ignore the simple question — From whence did this matter devolve?

Countless men of science have proved The impossibility of Creation from nothingness; There must have been an Intelligent Source Who engineered and directed this process.

Even so I myself need no proof That the Lord above is undeniable; I need just look into mind, heart and soul For evidence that is entirely credible.

My mind can observe, envision and reason, My heart just feels and knows the truth, My soul ever longs for a benevolent Creator, Thus there is simply no room for dispute.

I would like to remind our readers that you can always write to me about any problem you may be experiencing through my email address: uncleroy1992@yahoo.com and expect to get a prompt answer about any advice you may need. Be assured that I am both qualified and willing to offer any help you may need.

The measure of your faith in the Almighty will determine how much He can help you in all your endeavours.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Solutions to last week’s

BINOX

Cross figures

Goodluck

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Home Remedies For Pimples 1. Orange Peel Powder Orange peel powder for pimple marks Full of the goodness of citric acid that helps in lightening the marks and brightening the skin, orange peel powder is a blessing for those who don’t know how to remove pimple marks from their skin.

2. Coconut Oil Coconut oil for pimple marks There’s hardly any skin condition that can’t benefit from the rich, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties of coconut oil. This effective home remedy is a sure shot way to prevent the surfacing of new acne lesions. Packed with vitamins E and K, and antioxidants, it helps in the growth of healthy skin cells that helps to remove pimple marks.

3. Besan Besan for pimple marks Being one of the most easily available ingredients, besan (gram flour) comes handy for most skin troubles. Be it to remove pimple marks or to be used as a regular face scrubs, besan is full of alkalising properties, and it has been used as a skin cleanser for years to maintain the skin’s pH balance.

4. Tea Tree Oil Tea tree oil for pimple marks For acne and pimple-prone skin, tea tree oil is a saviour. Its antiinflammatory and antimicrobial properties play as a perfect agent to get rid of marks and blemishes on the skin. The best part of this home remedy is that it works well for every skin type.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar Apple cider vinegar for pimple marks If you want to strike the perfect pH balance for your sin, apple cider vinegar is an effective ingredient. It soaks in excess oils and keeps the skin pores clean and exfoliated naturally, leaving a soft, smooth and blemishes-free skin. it also helps in reducing the redness of your pimples, and gradually helps in reduction of their size.

6. Aloe Vera Aloe vera for pimple marks For flawless, naturally-glowing skin, aloe vera is a perfect remedy.

With its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps in curing skin woes like scars, pimple marks and infections. it also relieves the skin of blemishes and aids in healing wounds faster without leaving marks.

7. Baking Soda Baking soda for pimple marks Baking soda is known for its exfoliating and bleaching properties.

Regularly use of baking soda helps in getting rid of clogged skin pores and skin marks. Owing to its alkaline nature, this ingredient also helps in restoring the skin’s pH balance pH, and aids in combatting scars and pimple marks.

8. Lemon Juice Lemon juice for pimple marks Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent. With its lightening properties, it can be used to lighten the pimple marks easily.

9. Castor Oil Castor oil for pimple marks Castor oil contains vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids. These enriching elements help in repairing the damaged skin layer by helping in the growth of new skin cells. It also helps in fighting pigmentation, reduces the size of the acne scars.

10. Turmeric Turmeric for pimple marks Turmeric is perhaps one of the oldest medicinal herbs that humans know. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties speed up and lighten the acne scars and skin tone. Regular use of turmeric powder on skin aids in the reduction of pigmentation and also gives a glowing skin tone.

Tips: You must do this once every alternate day. If you don’t want your fingers stained yellow, wear gloves when applying the mask, as it leaves a yellowish tint on the skin.

Tips for preventing pimple marks • Keep your face clean and wash it at least twice a day with a milder face wash • Exfoliate regularly. It helps your skin to get rid of dead skin cells and helps in keeping the pores clean • Never go to bed with makeup on.

• Use chemical-free makeup remover. use clean cotton pads to remove makeup, as it often ends up leading the pores to clog.

• If you are suffering from a breakout, never touch or pop any https://www.femina.in/beauty/skin/how-to-removepimple. pimple-marks-effective-ways-134233-10.html • Keep away from direct sun. Always wear sunscreen if you spend a lot of time outdoors.

• A healthy diet is the best way to keep breakouts. Eat a lot of greens and drink plenty of healthy fluids for natural skin

SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S WORD SEARCH

Sunday November 17, 2019

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Sunday November 17, 2019

There was a coup d'état in Bolivia!

From page 24 certify the accuracy of the results”.

Within minutes of the report's publication on the OAS website, President Morales – still the constitutionally elected head of Government – announced that, in keeping with the terms of the audit, new elections would be held, and the existing members of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal would be replaced.

The Attorney-General even ordered an investigation into the conduct of the members of the tribunal. All of this was fully in keeping with the agreement between the Bolivian government and the OAS. Fresh elections, properly supervised, would be conducted. Nonetheless, the head of the military told Morales to resign while violence reigned, unchecked, against targeted members of the government and others.

Government ministers and others sought sanctuary in the Mexican Embassy and the Mexican government, which called the removal of Morales “a coup d'état”, gave him asylum in Mexico.

On November 12, the military installed the vice President of the Senate, an opposition official, Jeanine Añez, as President of the country.

Social media videos are replete with images of her being sashed by the military.

Remarkably, there was no quorum at the sham

session of the parliament at which she was ostensibly elected.

She, is therefore, illegally installed – something that a few neighbouring governments are trying to get the OAS – and the world - to ignore by proposing a resolution that would “confirm on an urgent basis”, the “designation” of Añez as the provisional President.

There is obvious need for an end to violence in Bolivia and for elections to be held swiftly under the supervision of a credible commission and in a transparent manner.

But, there is no guarantee of this under the illegally installed provisional President, especially in light of her own published and posted racist statements about indigenous Bolivians.

Bolivia is set to remain in turmoil, unless external forces turn to constructive engagement and away from self-interested meddling.

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

The views expressed are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) Responses and previous c o m m e n t a r i e s : www.sirronaldsanders.com

Sunday November 17, 2019

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Sunday November 17, 2019

Proposal Changing Work Permit for Asylum

By Attorney Gail S. Seeram

U

.S. Citizenship a n d Immigration Services announced a proposed rule to deter aliens from illegally entering the United States and from filing frivolous, fraudulent or otherwise non-meritorious asylum applications to obtain employment authorization.

The proposed rule will

better allow USCIS to extend protections to those with bona fide asylum claims. USCIS also seeks to prevent certain criminal aliens from obtaining work authorization before the merits of their asylum application are adjudicated.

As directed by the presidential memorandum, USCIS proposes to: · Prevent aliens who entered the United States illegally from obtaining work authorization based on

a pending asylum application, with limited exceptions; and · Automatically terminate employment authorization when an applicant's asylum denial is administratively final.

Additionally, USCIS proposes to: · Clarify that an asylum applicant's failure to appear for a required appointment may lead to dismissal of their asylum application and/or denial of their application for

employment authorization; · Prevent aliens who fail to file their asylum application within one year of their latest entry as required by law from obtaining work authorization; and · Render any alien who has been convicted in the United States of any federal or state felony, or convicted of certain public safety offenses involving child abuse, domestic violence, or driving under the influence

of drugs or alcohol, ineligible for employment authorization.

Unresolved arrests or pending charges may result in the denial of the application for employment authorization as a matter of discretion.

Attorney Gail Seeram, LL.M., J.D., BBA call | text 407-292-7730 whatsApp 407-353-1363 e m a i l : Gail@GailLaw.com l i v e c h a t :

Gail S. Seeram www.GailLaw.com Download FREE App: Gail Law Copyright ©Law Offices of Gail S. Seeram, 2019. All Rights Reserved

We have fought against ourselves...

From page 35 meantime, citizens of CARICOM member states are making hay as the sun shines. It is those local businesses and their umbrella organisations who see self-interest tied to partisan political interest, not national interest, that may find their only means of survival won't be as first class citizens in the land of their birth, but to hitching their wagon to expatriates and becoming subservient in the scheme of things.

Those who now blame government for doing nothing to secure local interest must ask themselves what they have done to bring Government and Opposition together to ensure the interest of the collective.

Where were their voices when others had (and still have) been calling for Parliament to function? It is Parliament, the nation's sole lawmaking institution and its highest decision-making forum, that is

The

so empowered to deliberate and realise legislation.

Not since slavery would this nation see such economic movement.

Whereas most of our forebears came as slaves and indentured servants, working and living under subhuman conditions, Guyanese have all reason to be concerned we could b e c o m e enslaved/indentured in our land. There is reason to conclude that for some to survive, they will have to put their pride and dignity under their feet.

By nature I am an optimistic, but it is not lost on me that coming through this period successfully would require of us being prepared to do what is right for Guyana and all Guyanese.

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

Ocelot

From page 37 lasts four to five days, and recurs every 25 days in a non-pregnant female. A study in southern Brazil showed that sperm production in ocelots, margays as well as oncillas peaks in summer.

Captive ocelots spend more time together when mating; both scent-mark extensively and even eat less during this time.

A litter of one to three is born after a gestational period of 79 to 83 days.

Females give birth in dens, usually located in dense vegetation. A newborn kitten weighs 200–340 g (7.1–12.0 oz). A study in southern Texas revealed that a mother keeps a litter in a den for 13

to 64 days, and shifts the young to two to three dens.

The kitten's eyes open 15 to 18 days after birth. Kittens begin to leave the den at the age of three months. They remain with their mother for up to two years, and then start dispersing and establishing their own territory. In comparison to other felids, ocelots have a relatively longer duration between births and a narrow litter size. Captive ocelots live for up to 20 years.

The destruction of habitat is the main threat to ocelot survival. In addition, it is sought by poachers for the illegal trade in body parts and skin, and killed in retaliation for hunting poultry.

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

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With 45 years in the teaching profession,

Gem Rohlehr A.A., From page 22 Dolphin Government school is named after the Dolphin family.” “[Queen's College's] music room is named after the daughter Dolphin.”

By the time she transferred to Queen's College, it had already been a co-educational learning institution for over a decade.

In her many years at Guyana's top school, the Woolley House teacher taught many subjects, and served as Principal. She was keen to note that, in 2014, she released a book for the school's 170th anniversary titled 'Snippets'.

That booklet focused on recognizing the contributions of females to the school, with special focus on the Principals and other heads.

She would teach music every now and then, and is heavily involved with the classical style school's choir. Apart from the voice, she plays the recorder and the violin.

“Consistently, I would teach Communication Studies, Advanced Literature, English and Literature. I have done Theatre Arts when they did not have a Theatre Arts teacher and when the Department of History had collapsed, I spent three years guiding the History department.”

Rohlehr has also been participating in the tour club; taking it about Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. Not only did she teach at those schools, but she has lectured at the University of Guyana.

“At the university, I've lectured in music, English Language, Storytelling, and Literature.”

She has served the Caribbean at the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), supervising teachers in the marking of English Literature, and shaping the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) Literature syllabus in Jamaica.

“I was also the head of the Guyana Teachers' Union (GTU) Women's Advisory Committee. If you go there, you'll see my photograph on the wall. I hope they still have it,” Rohlehr said, smiling. “That permitted me to go to Essequibo, the East Coast of Demerara and Berbice to give lectures.”

AWARDS Rohlehr has acquired certificates in music and singing, and has a diploma in voice from the UK-based Associated Board of the

Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM).

Even though she topped the music festival in 2009 and got an award in 2010 for her contribution to teaching and music, Rohlehr said “I'm looking for a little higher.”

It all goes to her striving for excellence and her goal of developing children, as well as adapting with the shifting nature of that goal as society evolves. Asked whether she considers herself great, Rohlehr responded “Not

fact that she got the opportunity to do what she loves. For some parents, when they say that a child has to take one path, that's the path they have to take.

These days, it is a bit easier to choose your own path, Rohlehr said.

Gem Rohlehr at 16

MUCH MORE TO GIVE Asked whether she intends to retire any time soon, Rohlehr seemed to frown.

“When one retires, you're saying that that person can't give anymore and that's like killing them,” she posited.

Retirement age is 55, and she'd say that that's the age where someone meets their peak. “I have a Master's in Education. But a few months ago, I gained a Master of Arts in Philosophy. And I have read that persons in their 70s – and I'm not there,” she said, laughing, “they can have active minds, just like a young person.”

She recalled that there was a lecturer at UG who came from the United States. He was 92 and could still proffer a wealth of knowledge.

“So really, in teaching, you are learning and sometimes, you learn more than you teach… To cut someone off specifically [because of their age] it would affect the next generation.”

Rohlehr is certain that even now, there is a lot more that she can give.

really, you know.”

“It is natural in my family to strive for excellence. They expect it.” After all, she reflected that it is genetics and her childhood which led to her achieving many feats.

In 2017, she was bestowed a National Award by President David Granger. She said that, as it was being pinned on her, she thought it should have gone to her grandparents, who also displayed excellence throughout their lives.

Perhaps, John Rohlehr, who was a great doctor, should have received it, she thought. It could have gone to her g r a n d f a t h e r, a g r e a t headmaster; her grandmother, who was a teacher; her father, who served in the military; or her mother, who loved history, and was crafty with her hands. “… My great aunts, one of them, we called Mother and she was a teacher.

Everybody had to respect her because she was the matriarch.” But it went to her.

For all that Rohlehr has achieved, she's thankful for the

DISCIPLINE “Schools do not run on their own…Plato says that when you're training, you are training persons to be guardians of the state. [That] and political leaders.”

One former headmaster, Clarence Trotz, used to say that a child cannot learn well if that child is not disciplined.

“That's one of the mottos the teachers work with. We never allowed students to come into the staff room. Last week, a student came who was here years ago. He said 'But miss, how [can] these children come into the staff room like this?'”

Teachers have to cope with those changes, Rohlehr said, because it's about preparing the children for the evolving world of work.

Rohlehr noted that society has changed a lot from when she was younger. Even the culture of the school has evolved a lot from when she taught there in her early years.

She related that the school would get complaints from leaders in the business community and other sectors,

who would say that the behaviour of the youths coming out of the school is changing.

“The child is away from home for long periods and so there must be somebody who is taking care of the child.

They're meeting with other children and they have various beliefs and behaviours.” Rohlehr said that coming from a disciplined family, she had had friends in school that did many uncanny things. “I don't know if that has influenced me,” she chuckled.

Despite what she would call a moral decline in society, she continues to maintain a culture of discipline in her teaching, in order to shape her students' moral character. To her, discipline is what moulds leaders. Rohlehr has a reputation as a strict educator. One student described her as full of spirit.

“We mould the nation.

That is the motto. And if we are moulding the nation then we need to go beyond ourselves.” The child comes

Miss Rohlehr receives the Golden Arrow of Achievement from President David Granger in 2017 from a home, said Rohlehr.

That means that when a parent becomes a parent, there are things they must put away so that they can pay attention to the upbringing of another human being, she instructed.

Rohlehr took the opportunity to send a spirited message to parents.

“The advice that I would

give is that the parent must continue learning, even though they may not have been qualified academically. There are places to which they can go and achieve… They must continue learning so that they can teach at home. They must continue telling their children stories because we learnt from stories in the whole shaping process.”

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Sunday November 17, 2019

STANDARDS IN FOCUS IMPROVING TOURISM READINESS WITH STANDARDS As we continue to observe Tourism Awareness Month 2019 under the theme “Tourism is a force for good in Guyana”, it is opportune to remind ourselves of the importance of meeting standards in this crucial sector – the Tourism Sector.

As a nation, we can improve our tourism readiness with available standards and guidelines developed for the sector.

At the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), there are a number of standards available, which were developed to enhance the experience of visitors to our shores, and these standards include the Code of Practice for tour operators and tour guides, Bed and breakfasts facilities and Code of Practice for quality management in the restaurant service.

Today’s article focuses on another tourism standard, the Code of Practice for Assessment, licensing, registration, classification and grading of the accommodation sector.

This national standard, which was published in the year 2003, specifies the requirements for the monitoring and management of hotels, apartments and guesthouses. It sets out procedures for the grading of these facilities by the Authority – the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA).

The standard addresses rates for various types of accommodation including sleeping accommodation only, and sleeping accommodation with breakfasts and all inclusive.

How rates and other information are presented to visitors upon arrival at accommodation facilities are also outlined in the standard.

Requirements for electrical installation and supply in accommodation facilities are clearly outlined in the docu-

ment which include electricity supply intake, condition of installation, lighting levels and emergency lighting.

In addition, the standard highlights fire safety requirements which include means of escape in the event of a fire, directional signs, fire extinguishers and alarm systems.

The storage, preparation and service of food and beverages at accommodation facilities are also important aspects covered by the standards and these will ensure that guests are provided with meals that are safe and wholesome.

Storage and cleanliness of utensils, temperature considerations for cooked and precooked foods, self-service food facilities and the manner of garbage disposal are the main aspects addressed in relation to storage, preparation and service of food and beverages.

Other key areas addressed by the standard include the general hygiene of establishments, the hygiene of employees and the requirements for public areas such as washrooms, dining area, swimming pool and beaches.

Hoteliers and owners of other properties designed for accommodating local and overseas guests should see this code of practice as crucial for the enhancement of their facilities and ultimately the local tourism sector.

Hence, the acquisition and use of this Code of Practice is necessary for these stakeholders to ensure that local tourism thrives and remains a good force in Guyana. Copies of this standard are available at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards.

For further information on this subject, please contact the GNBS on Telephone Numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or website: www.gnbsgy.org

Remembering Sir David Rose on his 50th death anniversary From page 34 commendations. They included the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CGMG) the Companion of the Victorian Order (CVO) and Member of the Order of the British Empire. (MBE) After his death, his wife, Lady Patricia Rose, a medical doctor known for her pioneering work with patients of Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) and outreach clinics, stayed on in Guyana and worked some 18 years at the Mahaica Leper Hospital until returning to her native England in 1988.

Apart from his duties as governor general, Sir David was involved in several other social and civic activities, including singing with choirs as a 'competent baritone', and being patron of the Georgetown Gardeners' Club. He was also a devout Catholic. Fifty years after his passing, he is remembered enduringly as a gentleman of class, character, and competence. R.I.P Sir David.

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

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Sunday November 17, 2019

Support group launched for pancreatic cancer patients ‌donates cash to Cancer Institute

Cancer survivor Mr. Norbert DeFreitas (centre) with his wife Evelyn (third from left) and other survivors along with Dr. Chakroborty (extreme right) One of the most aggressive forms of cancer is pancreatic cancer and November is dedicated pancreatic cancer awareness month.

Mr. Norbert DeFreitas is a pancreatic cancer survivor of four years. His battle inspired his wife, Mrs. Evelyn DeFreitas, to embark on the mission of raising awareness for pancreatic cancer.

On Sunday November 3, 2019, Mr. and Mrs. Norbert DeFreitas in collaboration with the Cancer Institute of Guyana hosted a fund-raising brunch at the Georgetown Club to provide support for

the treatment of pancreatic cancer patients at the Cancer Institute.

The couple handed over $227,000 to the Cancer Institute of Guyana as proceeds from the event. Also, a support group, the Tough Cookie Club, was launched to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer. Present at the event were Dr. Sayan Chakroborty, Medical Director and Oncologist at the Cancer Institute; and Dr. Patricee Douglas, Technical Adviser to the Minister of Public Health.

Both Dr. Chakroborty and Dr. Douglas welcomed this

initiative taken by Mr. and Mrs. DeFreitas.

In giving the charge, Dr. Douglas stated that the Ministry needs support to bring relief to those in need, while Dr. Chakroborty implored the gathering to seek early intervention since the symptoms of pancreatic cancer can mimic those of other illnesses.

Also in attendance were cancer survivors who were presented with hampers, compliments of Survival Supermarket on Sheriff Street, ANSA McAL, and INDI. The Tough Cookie Club will continue to spearhead activities in the month of November to raise awareness for pancreatic cancer and encourages everyone to wear something purple every Friday in November and to make Friday November 29, 2019 a #WearItPurpleFriday.

Sunday November 17, 2019

Market labourer stabbed to death

A 49-year-old part-time market labourer succumbed to his injuries one week after he was stabbed to his abdomen.

Dead is Wesley Harry, called “Blackmore”, of Lot 47 ‘C’ Crawford Street, Rose Hall Town.

The killer who is currently on the run has been identified as Troy Smith, a businessman of Lot 29 Independence Avenue, Rose Hall Town.

According to reports the incident took place on November 11, last, shortly before midnight. Reports are that Harry dealt Smith a lash to his head with a piece of wood “for no reason”. The victim was subsequently issued with a medical form from the police to seek medical attention at the Port Mourant Hospital.

Kaieteur News understands that the following day about 06.25 hrs Harry made a report at the Rose Hall Police Outpost and reported that about 23.00 hrs Smith stabbed him with a fork due to a mis-

understanding.

He was then taken to the Port Mourant Hospital and shortly after referred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. He however refused and left the hospital on November 15.

According to his son Elton Harry called “Barn”, a Cane Harvester of Lot 47 C Rose Hall Town Corentyne, his father, Harry, took ill and began to bleed through his

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nose.

Police upon visiting the home noticed him motionless.

They transported him to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The body was examined for marks of violence and what appeared to be a wound on his lower abdomen was seen.

Investigations are ongoing.

Dutch firm making Guyana's FPSOs has...

From page 18 and agreed to settle criminal charges of bribing officials in the five countries. It paid a US$238 million penalty.

In Brazil, the company agreed to enter a settlement so that it could end all anticorruption investigations against its subsidiary there.

The US$189M settlement was done so that it could not only kill the probe into the company's role, but also allow it to participate again in future tenders.

The investigation in Brazil was centered on allegations that SBM was one of several companies that paid massive bribes in exchange for inflated contracts to service Petrobras, Brazil's National Oil Company.

In the case of its home country, the Netherland authorities launched its own investigations and got SBM to pay a US$40M fine as well as

a US$200M disgorgement (having to do with repayment of ill-gotten gains) via an outof-court settlement.

Following this, SBM said it enhanced its anti-corruption compliance programme and related internal controls to prevent a reoccurrence of any kind.

Owing to the fact that the Netherlands is considered one of the least corrupt within the European Union (EU), the authorities which settled with SBM were highly criticized by transparency bodies there for not going forward with the prosecution of such a highprofile corruption case, among others.

It was believed that settlement lends to the perception of backroom politics while providing the opportunity for the authorities to abuse its power to allow settlements in cases where the suspect has

more to gain by settling quickly.

(Links for all research material used can be located here: https:// www.reuters.com/article/ussbm-offshore-corruption/ sbm-offshore-settles-u-sbribery-case-to-pay-238-million-idUSKBN1DT3JV, http:/ /www.diariorombe.es/wpcontent/uploads/2016/05/ SBM-Offshore.pdf, https:// star.worldbank.org/corruption-cases/node/20454, https://www.oecd.org/daf/ anti-bribery/NetherlandsPhase-3-Written-Follow-UpReport-ENG.pdf, https:// www.reuters.com/article/ussbm-offshore-corruption/ sbm-offshore-reaches-settlement-in-brazil-corruptionprobe-idUSKBN1KH0Q0, http://www.allenovery.com/ SiteCollectionDocuments/ Anti-Bribery%20and%2 0Corruption%20Year%2 0in%20Review%202018.pdf)

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Kaieteur News

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Eagle’s re-gas AC, Fridge, Washing machine & computer repairs, Gas stove, Plasma flatscreen, Electrical installation & more. Call: 6972969/646-0966 Installation, Repairs and parts for AC, Fridge, Washing Machine, Stove etc. Call Nick 630-1600, 6273206 Jacob’s Jewellry and pawnshop, friendly money lenders. 16 Pike Street Kitty, Georgetown. Tel#227-8748/ 622-4970 Power tool repairs. #648-1326 Mason- Experienced in casting, block work and plastering. Available on call/ Tel# 619-3296/231-2060 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIR CONDITIONERS, WASHING MACHINE, FREEZER, SALE OFAC’S. TEL#629-4946,225-4822 Need a land surveyor? We do surveys for: Boundaries, Leases, engineering, cadastral, topo etc. Call: 6622677 Do you need a caregiver/ cook/maid. Person lives on West Demerara. Please call # 622-0653 LEARN TO DRIVE N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square. Affordable package. Call: 644-5166/6912561/681-2808 FOR SALE/RENT American Pool Tables. Tel #651-9039

PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 Fully furnished apts, one bedroom, 2 bedroom, 3 bedrooms in Providence & Diamond Call: 672-1906/2162299 One bottom flat two bedroom, 173D Eccles old road. Tel#6604330 One bedroom in Diamond.

Tel# 602-2563 Apartments for rent at Nandy Park #641-3318 2 bedroom flat apartment @ Diamond Housing Scheme $65,000 monthly.

Contact#643-9286 One bedroom apartment for couple, Middle Rd La Penitence #686-4564

CAR RENTAL DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL CALL: 225-7126 & 2263693 -DOLLYS AUTO RENTAL@ YAHOO.COM/ W W W . D O L L Y SAUTORENTAL.COM PROGRESSIVE CAR RENTAL: CARS FROM $4000 & UP, SUV’S PER DAY- CALL: 656-0087 / 6435122 ,EMAIL:PRO_ A U T O R E N T A L @YAHOO.COM AIDAN’S CAR RENTAL:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE . Call: 698-7807 PROPERTY FOR SALE Property for sale at 15A Craig Village EBD, house 3 bedroom (1) self contain house #6177691/718-213-6496 Lot 89 Robb Street, Lacytown, Georgetown. Next door to Mike’s Pharmacy.Land size3431.25 Sq.ft. Phone: 617-5323, 666-8052

WANTED One Part time cooking maid required and a full time cleaning maid. Call: 231-0734/ 653-4537 Cook to work in Interior. Age above 30. Phone #223-5180 Handyman- Contact #2235273/223-5274 1 live-in maid. Call: 625-4080.

Send photo & info via whatsapp Need one house to rent. Three bedroom, Georgetown.

Preferably in South. Call: 6750689 Urgently need one houselot to buy. Tel#648-1635 One driver- preferably from East Coast Dem. Call: 623-5255 between Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Admin/Accounts Clerk, Cashier,Cook, Counter Server, Driver, must be able to work shift. Call: 225-6255/226-9000 1 Live in or Live out maid.

Salary $60,000. Call: 677-2659 Bus drivers-44 Route, Car drivers, Maid. #225-9223

One apartment for rent at Mon Repos, Market Street EBD. Tel#220-7330/614-0005

Tyre repairs technician to work in Georgetown. Call: 2271717 Email: andre@cevons.com

LAND FOR SALE

One experienced cook needed urgently. Tel# 667-5698

Farm lands: Agriculture Road ECD, Double Lot $5M #6122522 Farm Main road (East Bank) $6.8M Schnoord $3.6M Parfaite Harmonie $1.4M, Herstelling $5M Tel# 656-0701 /651-1969 Prime Residential Houselots (East Bank) Farm New Scheme on main road (105ft x 65ft) $6.8M Tel# +1 305-2972803 (on whatsapp)

Office Management. Male/ Female, Excel proficient management, NIS, Paye, Good renumeration. Tel#6721703 1 In house broker needed, must have license. Contact# 645-5760 Mon - Fri 8am-5pm 1 Security Guard, Waiter, Waitresses, Servers. Apply at Herdmanston, Anira & Peter Rose Sts, Queenstown Tel#225-0808 Ex-100 1 General Mechanic needed, must be familiar with bikes.

Contact# 645-5760 Mon - Fri 8am-5pm

VEHICLE FOR SALE 1 Honda CRV. includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, sproiler, crash bar, Low mileage. PTT Series (First Owner) Contact #6490956 Allion, Premio, Fieldwagon, Raum, Bluebird, Sienta, Spacio, Rz, 212 Carina, Pitbull bus. #650-7501

Business place for sale Mon Repos ECD Double Lot. Tel# 653-0490

1 Mitsubishi Canter, 1 Hatchback Tiida for more info.

Call: 622-5428

Newly constructed 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, house overlooking the sea for sale, ECD#675-1510/613-7964

Car King- Nissan Slyphy 2014 and 2016, low mileage, fog lamps, backup camera $3.75M neg. #614-6948

Skilled Carpenters. #602-9469/ 687-2506 TO LET East Street, Furnished three bedrooms, top flat near Georgetown Hospital.

Tel#225-3756/671-0690 1 bedroom apartment for working couple/single person $35,000 monthly, light & water included. 2 months security.

Tel#623-0076

VACANCY Driver Expediter. Contact# 223-5273/ 223-5274 Vacancy exist for Experienced Pharmacy assistants to work @ reputable pharmacy in G/ town. Interested persons call # 696-5098 between 8am-4pm Vacancy for Porter- apply in person at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St One experienced lorry driver.

Apply in person at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St Data Entry/Accounts ClerkKnowledge of Accounting & Quickbooks- Apply in person - Wieting & Richter, Water Street Georgetown.

Vacancy- Sales Clerk, please send application to G&I Sawmill and Logging. Lot 27 Pouderoyen West Bank Demerara Experienced person to assemble bicycle, Apply in person at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St Cook for interior, must be able to make pastries & 2 labourers for shop. Tel#660-9093/6877638/674-1767 One experienced tutor who love to read and work with a 4 year old kid. Call: 623-1615 Hick’s Ville Hotel: Receptionist/Hotel attendant. #231-0951-5/223-3448 Vacancy for a Cleaner, Apply in person at Alabama Trading, 65 Robb St Vegetarian Gardens: Delivery driver #227-7714/223-3448 info@vgiworld.com Experience Goldsmith needed at Jacob’s Jewellery and Pawnshop. Address 16 Pike St, Kitty Georgetown.

Tel#227-8748/622-4970 Licensed Broker. Contact# 223-5273 / 223-5274 Desk Staff, Room Attendant 25-45 yrs, 233 South Road Lacytown/225-2304 Immediate Vacancy exists for one female cashier to work @ Del Ice Co, must have Maths + English. Call: 231-1408/6429191

VACANCY

Accounts Clerk, General Labourers, Security Guards, Handyman. Preferably from EBD. Tel#647-4427

Security Officers to work, preferably ex army,police or disciplined services. Age 2440. Contact #223-4172/6396648

One (1) Clerk for TSI Eccles Industrial Site Office. English -1, Mathematics-2, Quickbooks. Call: 615-9132

From page 17 UNDP and other key stakeholders, has been actively engaging and working with villages to address their issues since land ownership is paramount to a sustained livelihood for the indigenous peoples.

This was also reiterated

by Cheong who noted that “the Ministry has a mandate and we are working feverishly in this last phase of the project to ensure that we do all that we can but I would also like to say that when this project comes to an end, this means that Amerindian Land Titling will come to an end”.

He said the Ministry has undertaken to “set up a structure so that when the project would have come to an end in 2021 December, that there will still be a unit in the ministry that will deal with issues that may not have been dealt with under this project and others that may come up in the future”.

Meanwhile, the investigation team to Region Nine also include ALT Technical Manager Enrique Monize and representatives from key entities inclusive of the National Toshao's Council, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission and the Guyana Forestry Commission.

Sunday November 17, 2019

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CONSUMER CONCERNS

SQUATTING - A MALADY TO BE ERADICATED

BY PAT DIAL From time to time we will revisit the issue of squatting on both state and private land since it is one of the scourges of Guyanese society.

Squatting during colonial times was not a widespread practice. It only became common during the racio-political disturbances of the 1960's when persons of minority racial groups in the various villages felt very insecure and moved to nearby villages where their group predominated.

These "refugees" settled on the outskirts of the various villages to which they relocated forming what came to be known as "squatting areas" or "squatter settlements".

This development of squatter settlements occurred mostly in the county of Demerara and especially on the East Coast and West Coast. In Berbice and Essequibo there was comparatively very little movement of people between the villages.

In the 1960's, unfortunately, the main political parties were sucked into this squatting imbroglio with negative results: Squatters began to feel that squatting had some legality and became violent when the land owners - whether state or private persons- required them to remove.

With the passing of time, the political parties themselves realized that they had become hostages of the squatters who would threaten to withdraw their support except the political parties took their side in disputes. This caused the political parties to alienate some of their support and to appear as upholders of lawlessness.

There are other serious

negative results of squatting.

From about the 1970's squatting became a business activity. Families and close friends would invade private and even state lands and demarcate parcels among themselves. They often never lived on the land they demarcated but "sold" it to others.

Sometimes they would have built shacks or small houses which they would rent out.

In these squatting areas, they invariably stole electricity and water on a large scale and built structures in contravention of the building laws, creating sanitary and drainage problems causing flooding and water logging providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes and disease.

Squatting areas are known breeding grounds for criminals who prey upon society.

The children who live in squatting areas attend school very irregularly and drop out much before they reach the sixth grade thus increasing the ranks of the unemployed.

Recently, we had the opportunity of visiting a squatting area on East Bank Demerara near the village of Land of Canaan and the squatters were true to form - they stole electricity and water, built structures in contravention of the building laws and in some cases rented out the structures they had built.

One of them owned a brick factory at Timehri and drove an expensive car. They lobbied political parties to bring pressure on the owners not to take legal action on them and were able to dupe a social media operator that they were poor people who were in need and for whom the Government must provide accommodation.

In Guyana, a country with so much land and so small a population and with a State that liberally grants leases for

land, there should be no squatting.

Squatting could be brought under control and minimized if the following actions are taken: The Ministry of Housing and the Lands and Surveys Commission should carry out education programmes from time to time discouraging squatting.

The Police must readily answer calls to visit squatting areas since these areas could sometimes be on the verge of violence.

The main political parties should agree among themselves not to entertain demands by squatters that they intrude themselves into squatting disputes and to let this be publicly known. This would prevent political parties from being held hostage by squatters threatening that they would withdraw their support. The Private Sector could help to bring the Political Parties together on this issue.

The Laws affecting squatting and prescriptive rights need to be revised and strengthened. Some years ago, the State had protected itself by legislating that no state land could be prescribed upon but omitted to extend any protection to private land owners. This omission needs to be urgently rectified.

The present rule for obtaining prescriptive title on private land is 12 years of undisturbed occupation; before that it was 33 years. This 12year rule was adopted from English legislation and proved quite inappropriate for Guyanese social conditions for the following reasons: Firstly the 12-year rule was appropriate for a highly urbanized society like England but not for a still rural society like Guyana; and secondly, in the last 25 years, Guyana has experienced one of the highest

emigration rates in the world whereby more than half of the population of the country emigrated.

In this emigration, people left their property in the care of family or friends who may have themselves emigrated or died or become incapacitated.

Greedy persons, knowing of the situation, would have

claimed prescriptive title.

When the owners returned, they were shocked to see others in possession of their property though they would have been paying the taxes and rates.

The 12-year rule should be immediately replaced by the former 33-year rule, or better still extend it to a 50-year

rule.

Consideration should be given to making certain types of frivolous or dishonest or violent prescriptive claims be placed under the Criminal Law and the penalties should be strengthened.

Editor’s note: The law governing prescriptive rights has been modified.

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Sunday November 17, 2019

Aishalton Women’s Group making Nab Dartmouth teens for motorcycle “It’s our own initiative; significant strides it’s not like we aren’t getting theft help from outsiders, but we The Aishalton Women’s Association in Deep South, Rupununi, Region Nine continues to positively impact not only the village, but the Region as a whole.

Chairperson of the group, Immacaulata Casimero, said following a visit last April by Owen DeSouza, of DeSouza Estate Establishment, a producer of organic products out of Linden, the women would have capitalized on the knowledge gained.

At the time, DeSouza was part of a team led by Minister within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs Valerie Garrido-Lowe.

Casimero noted, “DeSouza taught us to make soap. It was a one-time thing but we as a group have tried that out with ourselves and we have made soap for our own use, for our kitchen and we also made some that we took to the Agriculture Expo in Lethem. We are working. It came out really good, really perfect”.

Casimero added that

ChairpersonImmacaulata Casimero through commitment and dedication to their own development, “I was able to secure our own molds. We have two dozen so we can make 24 cakes of soap at one go.”

Additionally, seeking its own independence is key to the Association’s success and according to the Chair, “The Aishalton Women’s Group is now a more independent group. We are trying to work on our own, have our own fund raising, we also want to build our own building.

want to try on our own; not too much dependence on outsiders or the government to give us everything, but we would also like the support of the government.”

The women are also involved in Agro-Processing and Catering and according to Casimero, its 18 members all benefit financially from the proceeds. “That’s more important for me because they don’t have jobs and they depend on that for their everyday livelihood.”

Casimero is also active in the South Rupununi District Council. She is tasked with the responsibility for Women Affairs.She is optimistic that major development is well within the reach of the indigenous peoples in the area and the women have committed to staying the course.

Meanwhile, during his visit to the village DeSouza noted, “Aishalton is a promising place with potential. It only needs the people to exploit their resources to ensure a sustainable livelihood.”

“The stolen motor cycle that was recovered from Dartmouth on last Thursday.”

Over the past few months on the thefts. Their suspicions were confirmed folEssequibo Coast, quite a number of motor- lowing a search in the community, which uncycles went missing. Police in the Region Two earthed a Jialing motorcycle believed to have Division believe that they have found the cul- been stolen. prits responsible for the so called disappearAccording to a police source, the said Jailances, following the arrest of three teenage ing valuing some $260,000 was reported stoboys last Thursday. len last Monday by Adrian Hopkinson of According to reports, an Intel led opera- Anna Regina.Police sources also indicated tion that was conducted by ranks of the Anna that Kenford is believed to have been involved Regina Police Station, resulted in the appre- in the theft of other motorcycles. This publihension of Kenford Terrence, 18, of cation understands that the suspect has since Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast. Also arrested admitted to committing three motorcycle from the said community was Kevin Griffith, thefts. The motorcycle has since been im17, and Omar George, 19. pounded at the Anna Regina Police Station, The three young men, police believe, are and the three young men are being processed the prime suspects in a number of motorcycle for court.

Sunday November 17, 2019

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Hundreds of persons accessed free health care at lion’s club medical outreach The Lions & Leo club of Bel Air in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday hosted a health fair in the compound of Demerara Mutual Life Located at 61-62, Avenue of the Republic, Georgetown.

At the health fair there were Blood Sugar Testing; Eye Screening; HIV Testing; Food and Nutrition Education; Blood Donation among other services. The health fair attracted over 300 persons and was carried out under the theme ‘The Family and Diabetes’.

In an interview, third Vice President of Lions Club, Shondel Gray, stated that for the past three years the Lions Club in collaboration with other organizations has been trying its best to offer free health care to Guyanese; especially those affected by common illnesses or those who just want to ‘get done’ various

important tests.

“This health fair is an annual thing; two years ago it was held in the Stabroek Market area. The reason we are keeping these health fairs in the open areas is because we want to reach as many persons as possible.”

At the diabetes booth persons were educated about the different types of diabetes and the impact they have on the human body.

Head of Guyana Diabetic Association, Ms Glynis Beaton, stated that although diabetes is a prevalent disease in Guyana affected persons still find it difficult to adjust to the new eating patterns and other regularities that must be incorporated into one’s everyday life when affected by such a disease.

“For the past years I have been exposed to different persons suffering from diabetes and what I have realized is that persons are still

picture showing various booths at the health fair failing to adhere to rules and regulations that are compulsory to one’s health in the world of diabetes.”

Ms Beaton added that when someone in a household is affected with diabetes other family members should play an active role with the aim of keeping the disease under control.

“Extra care should be given to affected children; as

Head of Guyana Diabetic Association, Ms Glynis Beaton along with her colleague assisting an elderly with diabetic testing.

parents you must be able to give your child or children the right dose of medicines and the right diet so as to ensure that at no time your child will be depressed due to his/her diagnosis.

“There are people living

with diabetes for the past 40 years and they are still going strong and healthy.”

At the health fair persons diagnosed with diabetes were given a special blood test called HBA1C. It is a test that shows you the average level

of your blood sugar for the past three months.

For a diabetic this kind of test is very important because a person diagnosed with diabetes must be able to titrate in order to have a good blood sugar reading.

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Tsitsipas eclipses Federer to reach ATP Finals title match LONDON (Reuters) Stefanos Tsitsipas stunned favourite Roger Federer to reach the final on his debut at the ATP Finals yesterday, beating the six-time champion 6-3 6-4 at the O2 Arena.

The stylish 21-year-old, the first Greek to qualify for tournament in half a century, soaked up everything Federer threw at him and returned it with interest to subdue the Swiss great.

Federer, 17 years older than his opponent, was unusually profligate when his chances came along, failing to convert his first 10 break points.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion made a sloppy start, botching two smashes

in his first service game and Tsitsipas took advantage to break with an angled forehand winner.

Federer wasted three break points when Tsitsipas served at 4-2 then lost out in a marathon 13-minute ninth game as Tsitsipas served for the first set. Tsitsipas finally bagged the opener on his seventh set point.

Looking rattled Federer dropped serve to love early in the second set but hit back immediately to finally convert a break point. Tsitsipas showed remarkable poise though, blanking out the cheers for Federer to break again with an angled forehand.

Federer looked jaded near

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Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in action during his semi final match against Switzerland’s Roger Federer. (REUTERS/Peter Nicholls) the end and struggled to hold serve at 3-5, but at least asked the question of Tsitsipas’s nerve as the Greek served for a place in today’s climax.

Again Federer had break

Sunday November 17, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Love of someone from far away could be very much on your mind today, and perhaps love for the place where the person lives. You may be bored with your routine and anxious to embrace adventure.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) A desire to learn through a group activity - a lecture or workshop, perhaps - might put you in the middle of a crowd.

You'll find it exhilarating. If you're planning to attend such an event, don't go alone.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) A number of interesting visitors could show up today.

Perhaps you're having a party or hosting an activity.

These callers could include people in the sciences

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You've had recent success in your profession.

You've worked hard and learned things, and this hasn't been lost on those above you in the hierarchy.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Publications could bring some fascinating new knowledge your way. You'll want to discuss it with friends.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today should be very fortunate, particularly where love is concerned. Relations with your special someone could be closer than ever.

CANCER(June21–July22) Valuable tips to increase your income could come your way today, possibly from a close friend or colleague. You should feel well and look particularly attractive.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) You should feel especially romantic and sexy today.

Tonight should be wonderful if you can spend it in the company of your significant other.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Romance and art are the keys today. You could feel spiritually inspired by great music, paintings, poetry, or drama.

You might want to share these feelings with a special someone.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Social events could take up a lot of your time tonight, and you may enjoy being in contact with friends you haven't seen for a while.

Conversations should be fascinating. You may even discover a new interest.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Today you won't be indifferent to anything. Good news could elevate you to near ecstasy. Visitors provide a welcome distraction, while spiritual pursuits may be your favorite topic of conversation.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Work and career matters could finally bring you the success and good fortune you've been hoping for. This may be acknowledgement for effort and dedication as well as hard work.

points, reaching 15-40, but Tsitsipas would not be denied the biggest final of his career and hit back to finish an absorbing clash with an ace.

Tsitsipas will face either defending champion Alexander Zverev or Dominic Thiem in the final.

Lovell all-round heroics guides...

From page 66 spinner Deonarain had Dindyal caught and bowled for seven as GCC were reduced to 26-2 in the seventh over.

However, Lovell and Zachary Jodah stabilised the chase nicely with a third wicket stand of 85. While Lovell was his usual attacking self, Jodah was content to rotate the strike as the pair frustrated their opponents with level-headed batting.

Lovell stroked six fours and three sixes in scoring 61 off 75 balls before he was caught off Joshua Walcott, while Jodah was taken off Wavell Allen for 27 off 59 balls with two fours.

Following their separation, DCC brought themselves back into the contest by picking up a few quick wickets including that of Singh for 14, however, Jeremiah Singh (05*) ensured GCC crossed the line as they finished on 159-8 in 44.1 overs. Kareem Caesar was the pick of the bowlers with 2-14.

Lovell was named man-ofthe-match, while Jaden Campbell (111) was the highest run scorer in the competition, Jaden Dowlin (09) was the highest wicket taker while Dindyal had the highest individual score (67).

MACORP scores 1 Million...

From page 69 President Forde in extending gratitude to MACORP for a timely boost to the sport and more specifically the GFF Super 16 Cup ®, noted that it is an exciting moment for the GFF to entering into a new relationship/partnership with one of the leading companies in Guyana.

“I am so pleased to hear the values of the company being brought to bear in a sporting activity.

For us, football is more than a game, while we look at the global football product and we see an entertainment value that seems to be attracting more emphasis than any other value, in our corner of the world, football is a human development tool.”

The GFF boss stated that one might be very much surprised to know that just a small percentage of the total population of global footballers would go on to play professionally.

“More than 98% of the people that play the ball, whether through structured programmes or for recreational purposes will only

play that aspect of football.

It is the few that are most talented and gifted that we will adore and admire when they weave their talent on the big screen. So, much of what we do is to add values to the lives of the people that we bring into our football fraternity.”

Forde, who was given a second four-year mandate by the GFF members to lead the sport expressed optimism that this new partnership with MACORP would be an enduring one stating that the enormity of the challenges that the GFF undertakes daily to develop the game, relies heavily, on partnerships.

“I am very happy, I’m actually moved by the fact that MACORP sees the GFF in such good light and good stead. I want to give you my assurance and commitment on behalf of my executive committee and the staff that we would do everything in our power to deliver a competition worthy of the investment you are making. I look forward to a partnership that reciprocates value for both organisations.”

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Lovell all-round heroics guides GCC to GCA/Toucan Distributors U15 title

Opener Jadan Campbell and Romeo Deonarain added 32 for the opening stand before Deonarain was removed by Krsna Singh for nine which included one four after DCC were inserted.

Jaden Dowlin was then bowled by Mavindra Dindyal for two before Campbell and Premkumar Permaul put on 27 for the third-wicket stand.

Dindyal trapped Permaul lbw for 11, while Campbell, who faced 63 balls and struck six fours and one six in a top score of 48, was caught at the wicket off Lovell, leaving DCC

on 87-4.

Jonathan Van Lange struck two fours before he fell to Lovell for 11, while Dindyal had Shaquan Walters lbw for nine. Jeremiah Mohabir struck one four in scoring 19 off 44 balls to prop up the total somewhat, while Lovell picked up the remaining wickets as the home team were bowled out in 44.1 overs.

Extras contributed 30; Lovell grabbed 4-42 from 9.1 overs, while Dindyal took 3-37.

Opener Shaahid Viera (01) was run out before leg (Continued on page 65)

GMR&SC Clash of Champions

Bajans do well at qualifying The Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) International Race meet dubbed ‘Clash of Champions’ sped off yesterday at the South Dakota Circuit with qualifying sessions which was curtailed by surprise showers.

At the Timehri based race track, the men from Barbados had a good day with teenage sensation Zane Maloney taking the pole position in the anticipated SR3 Radicals showdown with a best time of 32.748s, while his countryman in Mark Maloney, who holds the track record, was on top in Group 4 with a time of 36.585s ahead of Guyanese Andrew King who registered a time of 37.315.

Brothers Ahmed and Suleman Esu both of the ‘land of the flying fish’ qualified in pole for groups two and three, respectively.

Team Mohamed’s British Duo of Daniel Linfoot and Richard Cooper qualified in pole for the superstock and supersport classes respectively, while Guyanese

The victorious GCC team with their accolades

By Zaheer Mohamed A superb all-round performance from Thaddeus Lovell guided Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) a twowicket victory over Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) when the teams collided in the final of the Georgetown Cricket Association/ Toucan Distributors U15 50-over final yesterday.

Lovell picked up four wickets to help bowl out DCC for 158 before returning with the bat to score a fine half century to lead his team to victory at Queenstown.

Sunday November 17, 2019

Man-of-the-match Thaddeus Lovell

Dwayne Caesar had the best time in the bikes’ street class.

Much action is expected today with the 23-race programme scheduled to speed off from 08:30hrs sharp with clear skies forecasted.

Apart from signature radicals’ showpiece, a full field of competitors is expected for the local Choke Starlet Cup, Miracle Optical Street and Prem’s Electrical Sports Tuner classes along with groups 2, 3 and 4.

The championship winners of the Choke Starlet Cup, Miracle Optical Street Tuner and Prem’s Electrical Sports Tuner are set to pocket $500,000 each.

Admission to the venue costs $2000 and fans will be able to access the access the goose neck grand stand for an additional cost of $2000.

B.M Soat Auto Sales, Mohamed’s Enterprise, KFC, Tropical Shipping, Valvoline, Ansa McAl, Motul, ExxonMobil, Japarts and Air Services are the major sponsor of the event.

Ryan Crawford Horserace meet on today at Alness All systems are in place for the Ryan Crawford Memorial Turf Club and Sports Facility RCMTCSF one day horserace meet, which is slated for today and will be held at the Club’s facilities at Alness Village, Corentyne Berbice.

Seven races are listed on the day’s programme with over 2.5M in cash, trophies and other incentives up for grabs. Over 30 horses have been entered.

The feature event is the Alness Classic with a first prize of $500,000 and trophy over 1400 metres.

The ‘I’ and lower race has a winner’s purse of $220,000 and a trophy.

There is a race for 2-Year-

Old horses which carries winners take of $200,000 and a trophy.

The race for J3 and Lower horses will see the winner taking home $150,000 and a trophy.

The winner for the event for L1 and Lower and horses 3 years old and over will take away $100,000 and a trophy.

There is a race for horses classified L2 and Lower and 3 years old and older for a winner’s prize of $80,000 and trophy.

The unclassified animals will be racing for a winner’s take of $60,000 and trophy.

Among the sponsors are Banks DIH and Poonai’s Pharmacy.

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Colonial Medical Cup Super50

Jaguars face WI Emerging player in top of the table clash today

By Sean Devers in Trinidad Guyana Jaguars face off with the West Indies Emerging Player today from 13:30hrs at the Queen’s Park Oval in their return fixture in the zone ‘B’ of the Colonial Medical Cup Regional Super50 cricket tournament.

The WI Emerging Players, whose only loss in four matches was in their first match against the Jaguars, go into today’s game as leaders on 12 points.

Hosts T&T Red Force are second with 12 points from three wins and a loss the same as Jaguars who are third due their lower net run rate.

When this tournament commenced, 11 times Champions Red Force, last year’s runners up Jaguars and Windwards, who won the first edition of last year’s tournament in January were made the main contenders to clinch the two top spots from Zone ‘B’ to semi-final places.

However, WI Emerging Players, led by the batting of Justin Greaves, while Joshua DaSilva is one of nine batsmen with centuries in this year’s tournament (before yesterday’s round in St Kitts) and good bowling, have emerged as the dark Horse.

There are no centurions in the Jaguars side this season and only Skipper Leon Johnson and Chanderpaul Hemraj, in this team have ever scored a Regional 50-over hundred.

Fifteen batsmen have scored 50 over centuries for Guyana since Timur Mohamed scored 104 against Jamaica at Jarret’s Park in 1980 with Hemraj’s 103 v at Brian Lara Academy last year being the last.

The last time these two teams met, an unbeaten 71 from Kemol Savory and 36 from Chris Barnwell, give the Jaguars a last ball two-wicket win as pacer Keon Harding

picked up 4-35.

WI Emerging Players, led by 55 from Greaves made 1858 as Veerasammy Permaul, the Jaguars leading wicket taker with eight scalps getting 3-34.

The Jaguars beat the Windwards Volcanoes in their last match as Barnwell (89), Hemraj (40), Reifer (45) and Johnson (34) all batting positively.

Barnwell is the Jaguars leading runs scorer with 229 runs with two fifties and the only batsman in the with a strike rate of 100.

Johnathon Foo, with 120 run is the only other batsman with 100 runs with a strike rate of 98.12, while Johnson has 99 runs.

Hemraj and Savory will want to give their team a firm foundation for Barnwell, Foo, Johnson, Reifer and Anthony Bramble to build on.

The fast bowling could be led by Ronsford Beaton (4 wickets) and Reifer (6 wickets

Messi goal gives Argentina 1-0 win over Brazil RIYADH (Reuters) Lionel Messi returned from international suspension to score the winner in Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Brazil in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

The Barcelona striker, who missed four games after calling the South American Football Confederation “corrupt,” scored after 14 minutes to give Argentina a deserved victory in the socalled Superclasico.

The result extended Brazil’s winless run to five games since they lifted the Copa America in July, their

worst such run since 2013.

Brazil beat Argentina 2-0 the last time these teams met in the Copa America semifinals and they should have taken a ninth minute lead but Gabriel Jesus fired a penalty kick wide after he had been brought down in the box.

Argentina were also awarded a penalty five minutes later and although Brazilian keeper Alisson saved Messi’s initial effort, the Barcelona striker followed up to put Argentina 1-0 ahead. Messi missed two chances to double Argentina’s lead before

halftime, with defender Eder Militao and Alisson blocking the opportunities.

Brazil, who were without Paris St Germain striker Neymar, had two-thirds of the possession but rarely threatened the Argentine goal in a game that featured 41 fouls and six yellow cards.

Argentina, meanwhile, looked more sprightly, even without Sergio Aguero and Paulo Dybala, both of whom were unused substitutes.

Argentina have now won three of the five games they have played since their semifinal exit at the Copa America.

Argentina’s Lionel Messi in action with Brazil’s Alex Sandro King at Saud University Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (REUTERS/ Ahmed Yosri)

including a 5-wkt haul), while Permaul, off-spinner Lewis (4 wickets) and left-arm spinner Hemraj could do most of the bowling with Barnwell as medium pace option.

The WI Emerging Players who beat the Red Force in their last match will depend on DaSilva (202 runs including a century), Greaves (186 with 2 fifties), Roland Cato (104), while Yannick Cariah, Gidron Pope, Kimani Melius and Kevin Sinclair are all capable of producing runs, while Harding’s 14 wickets are the most in the tournament and will spearhead the bowling.

Left arm Seamer Dominic Drakes and Jerimiah Levy are expected to support the impressive Harding, while spinners Sinclair, Ashmead Nedd and left arm spinner Camarie Boyce could do the bulk of the bowing for the young team which includes four players that will represent the West Indies in next year’s U-19 World Cup.

Chris Barnwell is Jaguars’ leading scorer and has two fifties to his name.

PAGE 72

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 17, 2019

Janat buries Windies to leave series level LUCKNOW, India, CMC – West Indies were floored by an exceptional spell from seamer Karim Janat and crashed to a 41-run defeat to Afghanistan in the second Twenty20 International here yesterday, turning today’s final match into the critical series decider.

Chasing a straightforward target of 148 at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Stadium, West Indies found themselves pegged back early and limped to a disappointing

106 for eight from their allotted overs.

Only wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin, who laboured 27 balls over an unbeaten 24, managed to pass 20 as West Indies never recovered after finding themselves meandering on 45 for four at the half-way stage.

Janat, in his first game of the series, proved sensational with a spell of five for 11 from his four-over quota.

The 21-year-old entered the attack in the eighth over

and accounted for the key wickets of Shimron Hetmyer (11), opener Evin Lewis (14) and captain Kieron Pollard (7) in a terrific display of fast bowling.

Seamer Kesrick Williams had earlier maintained his excellent form, snaring three for 23 from four overs as Afghanistan, choosing to bat first, stumbled their way to 147 for seven off their 20 overs.

Hazratullah Zazai and Janat both struck 26 while

Gulbadin Naib chipped in with 24 but Williams and fellow pacer Jason Holder (2-23) combined to hurt the innings.

West Indies were on the backfoot early as Zazai blasted three fours and a six in a 15-ball cameo, posting 42 off 26 balls for the first wicket with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (15) to put his side on top.

But Williams intervened, removing both off successive deliveries in the fifth over – Gurbaz caught on the second attempt in the deep by Pollard

and Zazai carving a slower ball to Brandon King at point.

Holder, whose first over leaked 16 runs, followed up with key strikes as Afghanistan slumped to 97 for six in the 15th over.

However, Naib struck two fours and a six in an 18-ball knock, pairing with Najibullah Zadran (20 not out) in a 44run, seventh wicket partnership to get their side to a competitive total.

In reply, the warning signs were there when West Indies crawled to 17 from the first 23 deliveries and then lost King (12), bowled on the backfoot by an inswinging slower ball from seamer Naveen-ul-Haq. The left-handed Hetmyer lasted 14 balls before being adjudged lbw to Janat in the eighth over and Janat then struck twice in the 10th over

to turn the game on its head.

First, he claimed Lewis skying to Ibrahim Zadran at long on after the left-hander counted two fours in a 22-ball innings, and then found Sherfane Rutherford’s (6) edge for wicketkeeper Gurbaz to complete a straightforward catch.

With 103 runs required from the last 10 overs, a special innings was required from Pollard (7) but Janat brought one back sharply to hit the right-hander in front in the 12th over, and increase the Windies turmoil.

Jason Holder arrived as West Indies’ last genuine hope of staging a late comeback but struck two fours in 13 before missing a charge at leg-spinning captain Rashid Khan, and going stumped in the 15th over.

PAGE 73

Sunday November 17, 2019

MACORP scores 1 Million goal; promises continued support Machine Corporation of Guyana Ltd. (MACORP) has made its debut as a partner with Guyana’s football development with a huge One Million goal which even VAR could not dispute but welcomed.

The sponsorship cheque was presented to GFF President Mr. Wayne Forde

by Chief Financial Officer/Human Resource Manager of MACORP, Mrs. Anita Ramprasad on Thursday afternoon last following a brief but significant ceremony which included Managing Director Mr. Guillermo Escarraga, other staff members and chaired

by MLC Trainer, Mr. Bonard Joseph.

As the only authorized Caterpillar dealer in Guyana, MACORP stated that they have always embraced and supported initiatives of development across the board since it’s their corporate responsibility in helping to mold and build Guyana.

The company also said that they have been following the positive progress of football under the Wa y n e F o r d e l e d administration.

Managing Director, Mr. Escarraga in his remarks postulated that it was a pleasure to host the GFF at such a ceremony to officially start what is anticipated to be a long and mutually fruitful relationship.

“We recognise the work

that you have done and that work is what has made us interested in entering this partnership with the Guyana Football Federation. We’ve seen the progress that football has been making in Guyana we’ve seen that for the first time you’ve qualified for Gold Cup in the history of the sport in Guyana, this is very remarkable.

And we see a lot of potential in the future of the development of football and we want to be part of it, and this is the first step in this relationship that we hope continues for the development of the sport.”

Mr. Escarraga expressed confidence that with the leadership of President Forde, Guyana will continue to climb the ladder of development positively in a holistic way.

“MACORP stands behind .the Guyana Football Federation in this quest to get to the higher level.

We really believe that the potential is there, we’ve seen the talent, we’ve seen the opportunities that this creates for communities, for very young individuals, for our own kids and for everybody that really wants to use football as something that would help in their careers and getting better in life as a whole.”

Mr. Escarraga expressed confidence that the GFF Super 16 Cup ® will be a wonderful experience and event for all to enjoy.

“We’re really excited

because we want to reach out, we want to engage our customers in those regions and we want everybody to have a good time and to use football as a way of getting together, socialising and having a good time; and at the same time, helping the players to get some important playing time because at this level, playing time is very important to continue making progress in the right direction.”

Mrs. Ramprasad in her remarks said that it was indeed an honour for the company to be collaborating with the GFF, explaining why it was important.

“We recently realised that most of what employees know about work is that you come to work, do the job, get paid and you go home and there’s no real culture beyond that in the workplace.

We ’ v e r e c e n t l y introduced into our organisation, a sport and recreation committee because we truly believe that the health and wellness of our employees encompasses what they do, how they take care of their bodies and how well their minds are prepared to handle challenges; this is where sport comes in.”

Mrs. Ramprasad further noted that disciplines such as football teaches employees, youths and even adults the patience of discipline, commitment, dedication and most importantly, teamwork.

“Working together for a result that brings you glory

and gratitude. It’s indeed an honourable thing that you are working with our country’s youth and the not so young to promote such a sport because there are so many things that people can do with their time that is not in their best interest. Sports give you so many opportunities to relieve your stress and as well you can find talent that maybe one day, may be the next Neymar or Ronaldo, this is where it begins, at this level.”

(Continued on page 65)

Chief Financial Officer Human Resource Manager of MACORP, Mrs. Anita Ramprasad and GFF President Wayne Forde holds up the ceremonial cheque during the presentation.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 74

Sunday November 17, 2019

Annual Guyana Beverage Company cycle road race set for today - Held under the Oasis Water Brand

Guyana Beverage Company Berbice Sales representative Albert Budhoo hands over the sponsorship cheque for the Oasis Water Cycle race to Coordinator Randolph Roberts.

The East Coast Berbice and Corentyne Highway is expected to come alight today when the Guyana Beverage Company sponsored cycle road race under the Oasis Water Brand will be held. The 55 miles event is being organised by the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) and will be held for the second year under the Oasis water Brand.

During the week the sponsors handed over the cheque to cover the cost of the race to Coordinator Randolph Roberts. The simple ceremony was done at the Beverage Company’s Berbice Office at Palmyra, East Coast, Berbice.

Sales Representative Albert Budhoo did the honours on behalf of the Guyana Beverage Company. The event, is expected to be keenly

conducted since all of the top riders in the country are preparing to travel to the Ancient County. The riders will peddle off at 10:00hrs from in front of the Beverage Company’s Berbice office at Palmyra East Coast, Berbice to Nand Persaud Business Complex at No 36 Village Corentyne and back to its place of origin.

Prizes will be awarded to the first 10 finishers, the first three veterans, the first three 12-14 riders and the first cyclist of The FACC to cross the finish line. There will also be eight prime point prizes up for grabs.

The cyclists will be sent on their way by Regional Chairman of Region No6 (East Berbice Corentyne) David Armogan. The defending champion is Paul De Nobrega.

Brian Tiwari Cup 9-a-side Inter Ward/ Village football set for November 24 start The Brian Tiwari Cup 9-a-side Inter Ward/Village football tournament will open on November 24th from 3:00pm at the Den Amstel Ground on the Westside.

This is the second edition of the tournament which is being coordinated by former footballer and National Coach Lennox Arthur and is part of Mr. Tiwari’s birthday celebration. His birthday is November 23.

The tournament will see teams from the city, West Demerara, East Coast and East Bank Demerara battling for attractive prize money. The winner will carte off $200,000 and the Bradley Gabriel trophy, Runner-up $100,000 and the Kane Gabriel trophy, third

place $60,000 and fourth $40,000.

The two-day tournament will conclude on December 1.

The opening games on Sunday November 24 are: Stewartville versus Timehri, Wales vs.

Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke vs. Plaisance, Hurry Ate vs. Agricola, Goed Fortuin vs. Lima Dam, Pouderoyen vs. Casa Coina FC, Crane vs. Durban Backlands, Sara Lodge vs. GT Kanaimas, Den Amstel Kings vs. South Ruimveldt, Den Amstel vs. Gaza, Uitvlugt vs. De Kinderen and West Side Spartans vs.

Bagotville.

The winners will advance to the final playing date on December 1.

Sunday November 17, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 75

More Hammie Green Birthday Inter-Ward football at Den Amstel today Competition in this year’s 9-a-side Inter-Ward Football Competition to commemorate the 85th Birth Anniversary of former Prime Minister and City Mayor Hamilton Green continues today with eight matches at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground, West Coast Demerara.

Featuring teams and players from the East Coast Demerara, East Bank Demerara, Georgetown and West Berbice battling those from the host community, some $400,000 in prize money on offer ensures fans entertaining football.

To d a y ’s s c h e d u l e d assignments which start at 4:00pm and will see the winners advancing to Sunday December 8 quarterfinals and

possibly semis and final are: Den Amstel Kings versus Lima Dam, Wales vs.

Agricola, Pouderoyen vs.

Plaisance, Crane vs.

Stewartville, Sara Lodge vs.

Soesdyke, Uitvlugt vs. De Kinderen, West Side Spartans vs. Casa Coima and Den Amstel vs. GT Kanaimas.

A few players are in line for the top goal scorer award and prizes attached and will be in action today. Among them are lead scorer Franklin Stephens of Plaisance with 3 goals, ‘the usual suspects’ in Delon Lanferman (West Side Spartans) and Sheldon Holder (De Kinderen) with 2 each and this could change dramatically based on the caliber of these players.

The winning team will

Crandon pleased with Jaguars batting against Volcanoes

By Sean Devers in Trinidad Guyana Jaguars Head Coach Esuan Crandon said he was pleased with the team’s batting performance after their four wicket win on Friday night. “It was a hard fought victory and we came out on top so I am pleased with the result especially the way we batted. We were always preaching to the players about showing a positive intent and playing the role they were selected to play,” said the 36-year-old Crandon.

“That batting display is just glimpses of what to expect from this team. We cannot afford to get carried away and become complacent, we need to strive for greater consistency and improvement,” added the former West Indies Assistant Coach. The Berbician, who has National Coach since 2012, felt the conditions in their last match was very good for batting.

“It goes to show when you have a clear mind-set and a positive intent to score, good things happen and their bowlers weren’t allowed to settle. Strike rotation was far better yesterday and it will only get better as the tournament progresses,” Crandon added.

But Crandon was not that pleased with the other aspects of the Jaguars cricket.

Twenty-three-year-old rookie pacer Nial Smith was a bit expensive in only his second game; conceding 61

runs in his eight overs, but Crandon was not only concerned about the young Berbician whose father is former National U-19 and Senior Coach Albert Smith.

“Most of our bowlers were inconsistent and were guilty of producing too many freebie boundary scoring deliveries. We need to rectify that for our next game,” said Crandon.

Against the Volcanoes in Friday’s rain affected game which was reduced to 42 overs the Islanders, on the back of a magnificent 93 from 38-year-old Devon Smith, reached 258-5 as only Veersammy Permaul, who had 2-34 from nine overs, escaped punishment.

Ramaal Lewis had 0-40 from 7, Ronsford Beaton had 1-40 from 7, Raymon Reifer had 1-58 from 7, Smith had 161 from 8, Johnathon Foo had 0-10 from 1 and Chanderpaul Hemraj had 018 from 3 were taken to task.

“Apart from our inconsistent bowling, our fielding has been the most disappointing area for me. We were not doing the simple basics right and seemed lethargic in the field. We are giving away more in the field that saving. The entire body language and attitude in the field needs to lift,” Crandon lamented. The Jaguars face the West Indies Emerging Players today and Crandon, who was member of the 2005 team that won a 50-over title, is hoping for a vastly improved overall performance.

take home $200,000 and the NAMILCO trophy, while second, third and fourth place finishers will receive $100,000 and Ministry of Communities trophy, $60,000 and the NAMILCO trophy and $40,000 and the Cummings Electrical trophy respectively. The winning and runner-up teams will also receive hampers from Ricks and Sari.

The player with the most goals will get a Dinette chair from China Trading and a

single bed from AH&L Kissoon.

Among the sponsors to date are NAMILCO, Ministry of Communities, Cummings Electrical, International Pharmaceutical Agency (IPA), Guyoil, BK International, Gafoors, Ready Mix, Ricks and Sari, New Thriving, TecnoMills, AH&L Kissoon, China Trading, Ministry of Legal Affairs, Ministry of National Resources, National Sports Commission and the Guyana Police Force.

Delon Lanferman

Jamal Harvey

rt Spo

Janat buries Windies to leave series level

Seamer Kesrick Williams celebrates another wicket during his three-wicket haul on Saturday. (Photo courtesy CWI Media)

Karim Janat is congratulated for a wicket, Afghanistan v West Indies, 2nd T20I, Lucknow, November 16, 2019 © AFP

GMR&SC Clash of Champions

Guyana’s Danny Persaud who will be competing in groups 3 & 4 during the qualifying round yesterday.

Bajans do well at qualifying Mohan Rangasammy of Team CAMS during yesterday’s qualifying yesterday at South Dakota.

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