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AIETEUR

After US$150M CJIA renovation… Sunday Edition

Airport forced to close clogged toilets

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November 24, 2019

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Duty free galore to foreigners...

RUSAL is Guyana’s largest private fuel retailer To live and die at ‘Troy’ …more lies exposed

AnThis Artificial Lake! is what is left after Troy Resources extracted gold from this once forested area.

Oil companies have no friends, – CEO Africa Energy just personal interests Consortium Agricola gang feud escalates…

Six months later…

Almost 40,000 Gunman executes No leads eyewitness to Venezuelan migrants on female friend's murder, here by next year taxi driver wounds 15-yr-old - Health Ministry’s resources feel the squeeze murdered

Guyana’s oil discoveries bring excitement for – Geoscientist prospects in West Africa

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

To live and die at ‘Troy’ …MORE LIES EXPOSED

By Gary Eleazar

An aerial view of the impact made by the mining operations at one part of the concession.

It is said in the Christian belief that faith, the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain but in the 21st Century, Australian operated Troy Resources Inc. one of two large-scale gold mining companies in Guyana, is doing just that, but with dynamite instead.

Operations came under intense scrutiny in recent days after Geologist Ryan Taylor was killed on the site in circumstances yet to be made public despite multiple investigations.

Government Minister, Keith Scott, ordered the mines closed in a move that raised an ugly underbelly into the operations at Troy Resources which in some aspects, according to some workers, are seen to be more regimented and laborious than a slave labour camp or even prison.

Workers complained bitterly over the conditions of work at the camp even as the union battled with employees to strike a bargain for better wages.

Troy’s response was to complain that it needed money to restart its operations or lay off its employees.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Ken Nilsson, organised a media expedition to the site on November 14, last. He heaped praise on the company’s health and other safety policies and its contributions to not just Guyana but to the community in which it operates.

The very next week workers were told that all laid o ff w o r k e r s w o u l d b e terminated. Numbers varied by different accounts to be more than 300 employees.

The news of the layoffs and its backlash elicited a response from Troy and in its defense—in a full-page advertisement in some newspapers—resorted to countering what it called false and malicious reports circulated in sections of the media.

QUESTIONABLE FIGURES According to Troy, its Continued on page 20

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

PAGE 03

Duty free galore to foreigners...

RUSAL is Guyana’s largest private fuel retailer

T

he Guyana R e v e n u e Authority (GRA) is currently investigating the Russian owned Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc. (BCGI/RUSAL) about the resale of the fuel, which it imports. Independent investigations by this publication have revealed that the company has been in the business of fuel sales from its inception.

RUSAL has been granted a waiver of duties as part of an incentive for its investment in Guyana.

This means that the tax normally paid to the government on the importation or purchase of the fuel is not being paid by RUSAL. The company in turn retails the gasoline and diesel, which it does not pay taxes on.

Compounding matters is the fact that in addition to private individuals and employees of the company, as some of its customers, several large-scale businesses are also in cahoots with RUSAL. These include Minequip Corporation, Oldendorff Carriers—the company it has contracted to ship its bauxite out of the Berbice River—Universal Contracting Services Limited, MACORP, R. Jaisingh Transportation and Reliable Industries, among

Some of the fuel storage tanks used by RUSAL. other companies and private individuals.

RUSAL has kept detailed records of its fuel sales. The records seen by this publication document monthly sale to the entities, the quantities, amounts paid, addresses and invoice numbers for the transactions.

Records seen by Kaieteur News demonstrate that the company in January 2015 sold as much as $25M dollars worth in fuel.

Sales continued monthly at varying amounts $5M in February, $4M in April escalating to $14M by June, $16M by October, $14.2M the following month and closing the year with $11M in December.

This trend continues at an average of about $15M monthly, the following year and has continued at the same base average in ensuing years.

Bus driver beaten after fleeing police station Talk about jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

That was the fate of minibus driver, Kenford Padmore, who fled from the Providence Police Station on Saturday, only to end up being soundly beaten by residents in nearby Herstelling, East Bank Demerara.

They had reportedly thought that he was a thief.

According to reports, the 32-year-old Padmore was driving south along the East Bank Demerara public road around 16:00 hrs, when another minibus struck his vehicle and damaged a mirror.

Padmore and his conductor went to the Providence Police Station to make a report. It was while he was filing his complaint that the rank taking the report allegedly smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath.

P a d m o r e w a s immediately subjected to a breathalyzer, and it was

confirmed that he was above the legal limit.

According to a police official, a rank ordered Padmore to park his vehicle in the station compound prior to being booked.

Instead, the driver fled the compound.

Unfortunately, he ended up in Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, where some residents, suspecting that he was up to no good, inflicted a sound thrashing on the hapless driver.

He was reportedly rescued by the police, and brought back to the same station from which he had fled. He was treated at the Diamond Hospital for facial injuries, and reportedly released on $20,000 station bail.

The individuals who allegedly beat Padmore were also detained briefly. They were eventually released as police continue investigations into the entire incident.

This means that RUSAL has sold just about $1B dollars in fuel at market price—fuel that it had imported or purchased dutyfree for its bauxite operations.

Previous investigations

by this publication had found that RUSAL’s operation had cost Guyanese more than US$100M so far, in fuel alone, that was imported and duties not paid.

This would mean that the foregone taxes are in fact

additional profits that RUSAL makes on top of the fuel it resells that it had imported duty-free.

The company has never paid any dividends to its 10 percent partner, the Guyana Government.

Investigations by Kaieteur News had 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 per gallon, 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 fuel tax or US$94M. According to the pact inked between the parties in the 2005 Fiscal Incentives Agreement, RUSAL shall also be exempted from the payment of withholding tax on interest, dividends and lease payments to its affiliates.

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

A moving gas station or…?

A citizen snapped this photo along Aubrey Barker Road, South Ruimveldt Gardens yesterday afternoon. It appears that this fuel tanker was transferring some of its contents to this SUV, PHH 77. There are regulations how fuel is to be stored and transferred.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

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

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

EDITORIAL

The first USGuyana extradition

A

fter almost three long, painful years, an alleged lawbreaker is back in Guyana. It has been three torturous years of grueling struggle on two points of the Atlantic.

There is so much that could be said of what has taken powerful grasp of this society and which now prevails in many minds at many levels in many places.

Compliments of an American decision (and implementation), human cargo has arrived here. It is, at once, both invitation and challenge to the justice system and justice culture of this country to probe for truth, perhaps even to rediscover itself.

The rapid succession of events from near three years ago when subjected to even the most cursory of examinations reveals what has gone wrong here in so many areas of Guyanese life. It is of how determined and influential men and women could bend events to their beck and call, their capricious whims, to guarantee certain desired outcomes, even when the charge is of the highest crimes against the people and the sovereign state.

In this particular instance, it is the capital charge of murder.

Without pronouncing for one moment on the guilt or innocence of any of the alleged involved parties, this publication seeks to sift through the convergences of occasions that led to that most harrowing of situations, where a working man, a family man who maybe should have been more sedate, lost his life in the most heinous of circumstances.

And in all of what happened, as covered and carried in great detail, there is throughout the ingredients of the horrendous, stomach-churning milieu that is of the Guyana today, and which is so well known, without question, and the thankful absence of controversy and contradictions.

This much has been made public, most of which is not disputed.

There was a gathering for socialising and celebrating in the time-honoured Guyanese way. That means there was a lot of rum drinking, a lot of the roistering, which accompanies such situations, and that often led to men going too far, not knowing their limits, and then the bottom drops out.

There were lots of liquids and liquors which came, compliments of lots of money of the fabled overseas variety: the Yankee dollar of lyrical Mighty Sparrow rhythms.

Somebody lost control, maybe more than one, according to what can be gleaned. And then the other side, the dark and ominous side of Guyana came to light.

From all accounts, it is of one who could not say ‘no’ to one more, but who did say not that, not me, not now, not ever. And for that, somebody who couldn’t take no for an answer, decided that then there will be no more of that kind of demeaning negative in the future.

The first enraged, arrogant broadside was quick in coming: take care of it, as attested to by the facts and circumstances.

It was, of that there is no doubt; the how is what matters, and what followed in the when and where and who, even more indicative of what passes for family and money, the search for truth through the thickets of terror and trauma, and the tainted pursuits of law enforcement and justice.

Today, there is the reality of a done deal, a rare extradition enforced after an arduous journey captured in ink and print, in images and the instructive technologies of the times.

But what went on between today and three years ago, at the inception of this sordid affair, has possessed and exhibited all the elements of the unreal.

It is of murder made to look like an accident, of police corruption and cover-up, of attempted witness tampering and intimidation, of reported family coercion, and of the wheels of justice due seized up, twisted and turned, and reversed arbitrarily.

At the dirty core of the now characteristic commerce of this sorry, sick land, it is of the power of money, it’s vast

Jagdeo does not seem to see the workers of Troy deserving of similar respect as those at GuySuCo DEAR EDITOR, I refer to a recent article, “Jagdeo slams gov’t treatment of Troy Resources” (Nov 23rd), which addresses issues surrounding the company’s decision to terminate 300 plus workers on the pretext that it is not making money.

Sometime before the industrial death of Ryan Taylor on 8th October, who met his demise when the cover of a mine collapsed on him, the company via a circular had informed workers that it cannot pay increase wages/salaries because it is not making money. This circular was a reaction to the written request by the union- the People’s United and General Workers Union (PUGWU) - to engage in collective bargaining on wages/salary and other conditions of work consistent with

the Collective Labour Agreement. The company has consistently refused to engage the union as to its ability or inability to meet workers’ demand for value in the selling of their labour.

This practice has been going on for some years and a matter of public record via the media.

After the industrial death of Taylor, Keith Scott, junior minister within the Ministry of Social Protection, reportedly on the advice of the technicians (GGMC and OSHA), on 10th October ordered the operation closed until further notice. On the 15th October, Minister Amna Ally who heads the Ministry ordered the company to reopen operation.

The reported statement of Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo that “They (Continued on page 6)

reach, it’s terrible and frightening assault on the conscience, on personal constitutions, and on the many convictions that ought to have happened, but never did.

We will never know—not now, nor in the fullness of a time that will not come-of how many were cheated and thwarted, how many were denied and degraded, and how the scales of fairness and justice have been bent, torn into shreds, and

then discarded out of contention.

In the coming days, what unfolds would be more than test of the substance of the entire justice system and of the depth societal character.

It would be about a nation itself on trial. As a reminder: this paper speaks not a word about guilt or innocence, only the blind balance of justice.

Sunday November 24, 2019

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Kaieteur News

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We are a disgrace and a disappointment to our ancestors with our passivity

A travesty that Govt. buys exercise books overseas when locals can do the Job

DEAR EDITOR, On Tuesday afternoon, November 12, I visited Republic Bank Diamond Branch to do a transaction. The Bank had informed its customers of its intention to improve services. Something went wrong. Workers whose salaries normally went through the Bank were paid in cheques. I had heard that the line to change cheques and other transactions were hitting the entrance door for days prior to Tuesday, so I had hoped that Tuesday would have been different, but no such luck. As soon as I entered the Bank, I was in a crowd. Immediately, l realised that the line had hit the door again. Seconds later, a lady

came in and boldly inquired, “Who is the last person in the line”. A man identified himself and I chimed in, “Ok! I am behind you ma’am”. I had lost a place because I was ignorant of the method used to maintain the line without going through the door.

The line was moving at a snail’s pace because the management of the Bank did not see the need to have more than two tellers, whilst there was space for 5. Occasionally a third teller would join in work two customers from the line then call a name and someone who had been standing listlessly out of the line would be attended to.

A customer came through the door, saying that he just

left a Branch (of the Bank) in GT hoping the line won’t be so long here (at Diamond).

I had no intention of enduring the ordeal to reach the counter. I decided to stick around and observe. The Bank workers went about their jobs normally. They seemed oblivious of the people in the line. It was just another day at the office for them!

I began to reminisce. I have been around since the 1940’s. Mind you! In the archives of the annals of our history. I have read about the pro-activism of the sons and daughters of slaves and Indentureship, locked in struggle against their colonial (Continued on page 6 )

At a time when the country needs to heal, PPPC and APNU are offering tribalism, conflict and division DEAR EDITOR The choices on offer in this upcoming general election, whenever it comes, are utterly dispiriting. At a time when the country needs to heal and come together, the main players – P.P.P/C and APNU – are simply offering more of the same: tribalism, conflict and division. Neither of the two main parties can say that they speak for our diverse nation. Both are controlled by small cliques that have conspired to give us two of the most uninspiring and unsuited candidates for President and Prime Minister ever.

Every now and then, it is necessary for the old decayed ways to crumble and for something new and better to emerge.

We need new leaders, new players dedicated to changing the political culture and

bringing us back together.

Leadership that fosters tolerance, respect, engagement and consensus building.

Leadership dedicated to reforming the voting system so that every voice is heard; leadership willing to devolve and decentralise powers and resources to the nations, regions, cities and villages.

Leadership prepared to be honest and to think outside the box to give us policies fit to meet the needs of our time in healthcare, social care and infrastructure renewal, growing the economy in a sustainable and fair way so all benefit and the environment can be conserved and renewed.

No one has a monopoly on wisdom – PPP/C or APNU r. All of us – politicians, media and the public – need to be open-minded and engage more with each other to find a way forward that all can embrace.

May new leaders come forward. Let this be the last general election that offers such a pitiful choice of leaders.

I remember one of my late friends since the late sixties mentioned to me that some politicians are like carrion clutching at the soul of mankind! He may be right, editor!

Yours sincerely Rooplall Dudhnath

DEAR EDITOR, It is quite disappointing to read that again the Government and Ministry of Education is sourcing exercise books from Trinidad when the Kaieteur News (KN) and other local companies can produce the books right here. No wonder the government does not have a local content policy for oil. Already the KN is producing very nice exercise books so why are we going to Trinidad? Are we trying to build Guyana and support Guyanese or are we more committed to providing jobs for overseas people?

Even the late Forbes Burnham had enough sense to preach a “buy local” philosophy.

Similarly, why was the Ministry of Education trying to buy fruit juice for its breakfast programme from tiny Suriname when Guyana can supply the whole of Caricom?

What are these people thinking? What motivates them to do such backward stuff over and over? Are there kickback schemes involved?

Why does Guyana import canned foods when Guyana has an overabundance of

foods that can be canned right here, and we can export all over the world?

We had also read about Guyana importing plantain chips and tamarind balls from Caricom countries. Are we such a backward country to allow these things to continue? This Government is so rudderless when it comes to having good policies that would lead to more jobs being created for our Guyanese people.

Already we see that the local folks are not being involved or invited to oil related events, and are left to be second-class citizens in their own land. So, for those who think oil will make us rich, and local people will get good

paying jobs, you will be sorely disappointed.

No wonder our business people are saying their local companies cannot compete with foreign companies since the PNC government is giving the foreign companies concessions that make them more competitive than Guyanese companies. As Chris Rock would say, “That ain’t right.”

The Government is working hard at making us secondclass to foreigners.

Can we afford 5 more years of such backwardness.

We must put a stop to this on March 2.

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

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Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Kaieteur M@ilbox

Bullying and violence in our schools

GOVERNMENT IS ERASING CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL’S HISTORY

DEAR EDITOR, I write with great concern about the recent incidents of violent bullying in our schools.

My concern is the outcomes of these investigations. In the case of the Muslim student from Berbice whose ‘hijab’ was ripped off as she was beaten by another student and sustained eye injury, we know that the police and Ministry’s Welfare Department got involved. It will be interesting to know the outcome of this investigation.

Two weeks ago, another child, eight years old, was beaten with a piece of wood and bottle and was hospitalised with the prognosis that he may lose an eye. I have been searching the papers and internet to see again what the authorities have done but to no avail. As a result, I decided to visit the child in the hospital and was devastated to see his condition.

The mom was at Mercy Hospital trying to arrange for an MRI for her son and the grandmother was with the child. Money was an issue as the MRI’s cost was close to $200,000. I was told that no one from the Ministry or else-

where came to offer comfort, financial help or moral and emotional support to the child or parents. It was private citizens like myself that were showing up and offering help that made the MRI possible.

The mother said she only received a call from the ‘Child Rights’ people on Thursday asking her name and if anyone visited the child to which she replied in the negative.

The mother is distraught that no teacher, parent or anyone in authority visited her child.

She has three younger children and this is a really difficult time for her.

I was told that the school was saying that the child had an abscess and that is why he was losing the eye, so I guess there was no need to investigate and give the family an update.

The child is now being treated accordingly and it is hoped that his eye can be saved.

The third incident is with the 6-year-old whose hand was slashed with a broken bottle in the school’s compound by another pupil.

I spoke with the mother who said that the Ministry of Education came into the school

and questioned the relevant persons. She is very upset since she feels the matter is not being handled professionally. She, like the other parents feel that the incidents are being turned as if it’s their children’s fault. In her case, too she has had to run with her son from doctor to doctor.

The bills are piling up and she is asking who is going to compensate her. She was obviously upset when a transfer paper was prepared at the school and in the column where the ‘reason’ was the teacher put ‘incident’ and when she enquired if she doesn’t have to explain, she says that’s all she can put.

The parent claims she took it to the Deputy HM who was visibly upset on seeing this and demanded that the teacher white out that and put ‘as per parent request’.

I just decided to call the Berbice parent as it has been a while since that incident and she is still angry and feels that her daughter was not given justice. She said she was told that the file was sent to the DPP. She is hoping to hear from that office soon. She insists that the video posted on social media is enough evidence as to what transpired.

I am just an ordinary citizen who is looking on. I feel that the least the Ministry of Education can do is acknowledge that these incidents happened on their premises, apologise to the parents and show compassion to the children with a simple visit.

The public is waiting to hear something. A nation that does not show concern for its young and vulnerable is bound to suffer in the years to come.

Concerned Citizen Saudia Ferouz

DEAR EDITOR, The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Education, is erasing the history, legacy and great achievements of the Central High School. To me, this is unpardonable.

Though CHS has registered outstanding academic success for many years, the government has failed to find an alternative building with adequate resources for the school.

Instead, dozens of other schools have benefitted from investments and improvements. In 2019, CHS recorded 95.7% passes at CSEC exams, which places the school on par with the more senior high schools. Apart from its impressive academic record, CHS has also made a name for

itself in the realm of extracurricular activities. Its students have excelled in sports, drama, dance, singing, quiz, impromptu speaking, debating, and other competitions.

It is important to note, that former President LFS Burnham was a student at the CHS before transferring to Queen’s College. Apart from Burnham, Central also produced multiple lawyers, judges, doctors, entrepreneurs, engineers, and other persons from noble professions, who have Contributed meaningfully to the development of Guyana. All the students, teachers and parents of CHS were asking for was a building with modern day facilities, which would improve the academic and social lives of its

students. However, this was never a priority for the Ministry of Education.

Disappointingly, the Ministry chose to merge the Grade A school with a lower graded school.

It saddens me that the Alumni, Old Students’ Association and PTA were not well mobilised and strong enough to fight this injustice. We must continue to call this what it is - wrong!

Furthermore, I take this time to make a clarion call to H.E President David Granger, who is a champion for “an educated nation” to intervene in this matter and save the original Central High School and its legacy.

Regards, K. Smith Former Student

Jagdeo does not seem to see the...

From page 4 [government] knew the company had cash flow problems.

They knew this was coming but they are so incompetent they couldn’t deal with it… [and] it was clear that the company was already on the precipice and instead of mitigating the impact the problems would have on its workforce, government, through Scott, ‘pushed it over’,” has to be evaluated in the context of the aforesaid.

We can argue whether the advice given to the junior minister that informed his decision was wise and or whether lifting the cease order by the senior was likewise, but such is beside the point to the status of the workers and the principle of collective bargaining.

We are a disgrace and a...

From page 5 masters-aided and abetted by the political class. Struggling to attain a better way of life for themselves and their future generations. Industrial strikes and protest ruled the roost in those days.

After independence, the torch had changed hands and the masses failed to recognise the new enemy - the Governing elite. The sacred walls of trade unionism that were supported to champion the cause of the working class in the colonial era were slowly being torn down by the said hands that had helped to build it- the political class.

From independence to now, slowly that will to struggle against what is not right and fair to us has been squeezed out of the masses. This is evident by the fact that we no longer have a ‘Ministry of Labour’. Contract labour had been foisted up the working class, taking away their right to be represented by Unions. Was there an uproar from the masses for that? I don’t recall! Our passivity to the asininities that are now meted out to us from the Govt and Private Sector has reduced us to the status of debris on the beach being tossed by the waves.

The coolness and serenity in which the people in the line conducted themselves proves that this generation has lost their voices and their will to struggle against what is unfair and unjust to them.

We have to stop disgracing and disappointing our ancestors with our passivity.

Rudolph Singh

The situation of the workers at Troy is not dissimilar to that of the workers at GuySuCo, which is, an unwillingness by the management to respect the workers’ right to Collective Bargaining. Troy like GuySuCo is claiming to be experiencing financial constraints and cannot pay, but evidently Mr. Jagdeo does not see the workers of Troy deserving of similar respect.

The Managing Director o f Tr o y, K e n N i l s s o n claimed, “The Minister’s response [a cease order] seemed more of a political agenda. It’s not a level playing field” (SN, Nov 20th Cabinet ‘most distressed’ at Troy’s ‘unconscionable’ layoffs…’). How this conclusion was arrived at seems clear now.

So, three questions are being proposed to Mr. Jagdeo: 1. Would a Jagdeo government have done differently to the incumbent as done on the 10th and 15th Oct? And if yes, what?

2. Would you condemn the refusal of Troy Management to engage in conciliatory proceedings with the Union as prescribed in the Avoidance and Settlement of Dispute Agreement?

3. Would you call on Managing Director Ken Nilsson to obey the Laws of Guyana and comply with Agreements between the company and Union?

As to the matter of severance pay to the gold miners, consistent w i t h t h e Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, there is nothing to gloat about with Troy moving to effect pay immediately as against the Coalition Government that

took two plus years to do so with sugar workers. For according to that law, pay is expected immediately.

Whereas the Coalition erred and its conduct should not be countenanced Mr. Jagdeo can claim no purity for his administration’s refused said payment to laid off sugar workers of Diamond Estate.

It was not until the issue was taken to court his government was forced to honour the law.

I have not been silent on the treatment by GuySuCo management towards the sugar unions and likewise will not be silent to the treatment by Troy Management towards the PUGWU. Matter of fact, I refuse to be silent when the right of any worker is being transgressed for injustice anywhere presents threat to justice everywhere.

What the extant issue is bringing clearly to the attention of the working class is the shamelessness of some politicians in advancing their self-serving agenda on our backs.

It says to us that when we stand together on matters of universally acceptable principles, international conventions and laws, and stand up for our constitutionally guaranteed rights, they will know that they better come good lest we expose their double standards and political opportunism.

It further emphasises why they fear our solidarity on matters of common interest and are ever so often seeking to place wedges between us.

This type of politician can only function best when the working class is at odds amongst themselves.

Lincoln Lewis

Sunday November 24, 2019

PAGE 7

Kaieteur News

After US$150M CJIA renovation‌

CJIA forced to close clogged toilets The toilets were out of order on Friday evening for several hours.

For several hours between Friday evening and Saturday morning, the lavatories at the Departure and Arrival areas at the Timehri airport went down.

It would be one of a number of embarrassing woes of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

There was supposed to be a brand new airport terminal that, although criticised in the inception, would have been the pride and joy of Guyana.

One of the reasons for a new terminal building was that the existing sewer system was unable to deal with the volume of passengers.

However, there was no new terminal building.

Instead, the old one was gutted and renovated with a new, smaller building to accommodate the Arrivals area.

According to the 2011 contract that the Government of Guyana signed with the Chinese contractor, China Harbour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC), 69 toilet bowls; 50 desktop wash basins; six vertical wash basins; 36 urinals and three showers were supposed to be installed.

However, passengers arriving and visitors are forced to use a washroom area outside of Immigration.

That washroom, comprising about two toilet bowls and four or five urinals was the one that went down Friday night after becoming clogged.

Over at the Departure area, it was the same problem.

There are three or four toilets with about the same number of urinals.

More toilets next the Lotus Restaurant have been abandoned because of a clogged system, There were caution tapes

and signs pasted on the doors to the washrooms.

Persons were forced to line up to use the washrooms in some instances, Kaieteur News was told.

The situation of the toilets being clogged will continue and is not going away in a hurry, one official disclosed.It is a situation that has been bothering and embarrassing the government.Several months ago, heavy rains flooded sections of the airport.

Then there was the decision to suspend the use of the four passenger bridges after the foundation they are sitting on started to sink.

In March, passengers in the Departure area complained of the smell from the toilets.

CHEC was supposed to hand over the Timehri airport earlier this year after missing deadline after deadline.

It is not clear what CHEC did to deal with the problems inherited in the old terminal building.What is known is that Government has attempted to defend the modifications, noting that it was able to wrangle some extra work from the contractor.

CHEC had approached the Bharrat Jagdeo government to build the airport.

It helped secure a loan from Chinas Ex-Im Bank for over US$130M. The rest of the monies were coming from Government.The contract with CHEC was for US$138M. It has spanned three administrations and still to be completed.It included a longer runway to cater for the wide-body jets, a brand new glass covered terminal with escalators, elevators and eight passenger bridges.

However, the CJIA will only be getting four bridges and there is no glass roof.

CHEC, in its contract and cost, had jacked up the prices for material and workmanship by hundreds of percent, in some cases.

Government itself admitted that CHEC erred in starting the runway in the north, but ran in soil issues, wasting millions of US dollars, before being forced to construct the additions in the south.However, Government did little to sanction the company.Rather it decided to modify the project, at the cost

of the Guyana people.

Guyana still has to pay back that loan that it took for the airport, currently the largest ongoing infrastructural project.

Government has said it was forced to modify the project as when it came into office in 2015, it found that a significant portion of the contract sum was paid out with little work done.

Rather than abandoning the work, CHEC and the Coalition agreed to modify

the designs.The Opposition has scalded the Coalition on the modifications, insisting that it was a fixed price agreement that no room for design modifications.

CHEC, while undertaking the Timehri airport project, had been working simultaneously on the MovieTowne project.The latter is completed.

CHEC is now steaming ahead with the Pegasus Hotel expansion project, in Kingston, Georgetown.

PAGE 8

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Guyana Girls Guide Association appoints Chief Commissioner The Guyana Girls Guide Association at its Annual General Meeting, announced the new members of the Associations National Council and its Executive Committee.

Among the new appointees was Ms. Schemel Patrick, a 32year-old, touted as the youngest Chief Commissioner to have ever been appointed in the 95-year history of the Girls Guide body.

The Guyana Girls Guide

Association is the oldest association in the country dedicated to social development and wellness of girls and young women.

This voluntary organisation, which was registered in 1924 continues to operate through small units consisting of 20 to 30 girls at Schools, Churches and Community spaces.

The organisation participates in global programmes intended

to enable girls and young women to Learn, Lead, Speak out and Volunteer. First Lady Mrs. Sandra Granger also serves as the Patron of the Guyana Girls Guide Association.

Ms. Patrick, who has been an active member of the association for over 20 years, previously served as a Public Relations Coordinator and a member of the executive committee.

In 2013, she was the first Guyanese to serve on the Western Hemisphere Regional Committee of the World Association of Girls Guide Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).

As a member of the GGGA, she has also represented the organisation both regionally and internationally, she has spearheaded many local initiatives. She has worked extensively on the youths, women and gender issues; this is evident in the work she continues to do and the organisations she serve in.

Ms. Patrick is the cofounder and secretary on the steering committee for SASOD Womens Arms Guyana; she is the first Chairperson of the Human Rights and Social Justice Commission of the Anglican Diocese in Guyana and serves as the youngest and the only woman on the Provincial Human Rights and Social Justice Commission of the Province of the West Indies.

She is a Caribbean Advisor for FRIDA The Young Feminist Fund; an international funder for grassroots

The newly appointed Chief Commissioner womens group.

Ms. Patrick noted that her first order of business would be to strengthen the visibility of the GGGA; additionally she intends to focus on recruitment, bringing new girls, young women and volunteers into the organization as well as retention, ensuring that individuals are enthused to stay and develop their selves.

The National Council,

which serves as the governing and policy body of the Association, these members will be serving for a term20192022.

New President of the association is Ms. Patricia Gray, the other office bearers are Patricia Woolford, First Vice President; Gillian Frank, Second Vice President; Doreen Daly, Secretary- Treasurer; Shawn Hughes, Assistant Treasurer; Tianna Ross, Youth Representative and Life Vice President; Mrs. Gloria Thompson.

Also appointed to the Executive Committee with the Chief Commissioner were June Halley as Deputy Chief Commissioner and Ambalika Elliot- Belle as International Commissioner.

Ms. Halley who is a member of the association for over 30 years is a Guide Leader at the Pauls Plaisance Girl Guide Unit; who previously served as the Divisional Commissioner; Mrs. Elliot- Belle is the Guide Leader at the Bishops High School. Mrs. Elliot- Belle has been a member of the association for over 15 years.

Sunday November 24, 2019

PAGE 9

Kaieteur News

Almost 40,000 Venezuela migrants projected to be here by next year -Health Ministry’s resources feel the squeeze

Minister of Citizenship, Winston Felix and team visiting the Grove/Diamond river banks area last week where Venezuelan migrants have been squatting.

By Leonard Gildarie The projections are placing the number of Venezuela migrants in Guyana by next year at almost 40,000.The situation is creating challenges to the Ministry of Public Health and other state resources.

Minister Volda Lawrence has since described the situation as a ticking “time bomb”.

Minister Lawrence made the disclosures, Wednesday, while a guest on ‘The Political Show’ on Kaieteur Radio.

Questioned by host, Leonard Gildarie, about the challenges faced by the Health Ministry on the influx, the Minister admitted that Guyana’s scarce resources are indeed feeling it.

Indeed, a number of Caribbean and South American countries have already been tightening up their borders.

Trinidad and Tobago has been facing major crime problems, with blame placed on gangs from Venezuela.

In Guyana, hundreds of Guyanese who had migrated to Venezuela years ago have returned amid hardship in that

neighbouring, Spanishspeaking country.

Hundreds of thousands of them have fled that oil rich country to other neighbouring countries.

Venezuelans nearer to the border area of Guyana have travelled across.

There are more than 10,000 of them in Guyana, with children being placed in schools as part of a regularization process.On the coastlands, there is an increasing presence. This is evident in stores and homes being rented. Recently on the East Bank Demerara, pockets of the migrants were found squatting on the sea defence reserves.

The situation has the Government rattled but Guyana has not immediately taken a decision to restrict the Venezuelan migrants.

Certain that radio listeners would stop and listen, Lawrence dropped the bombshell on Wednesday.

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have projected that Guyana will have between 35,000- 38,000 Venezuelan

migrants in the country by next year.

The Minister was quick to point out that the figures could change quickly depending on what happens in Venezuela.Insisting that Guyana is a blessed place, the Minister said that Guyana is sitting on a “time bomb” with porous borders not helping the situation.Already, the government has established a task force to manage the Venezuelan migrants’ situation.Representatives of the Joint Services, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Citizenship and well the Civil Defence Commission are all part of that Task Force.

She disclosed that the Task Force came up with protocols once a Venezuelan enters, he or she has to be registered and documented.

They are directed in cases by the army and immigration personnel to visit the nearest health centres.

Already, the Minister said, there are measures in place that migrants have to be tested unless they are able to produce a medical passport.

In the absence of medical information, the migrants are

Dem boys seh...

Who seh once bitten twice shy?

Sometimes people don’t learn. A man get shoot in December. He know who shoot him and he friend. De friend get killed and he survive.

De man never tell de police who shoot him so nobody never get charge.

He get shoot again but dis time he never survive. Dem who believe in once bitten twice shy got to think again.

Dem boys want to know if a man get shoot one time if he gon put heself to get shoot again. But then again, as old people does seh, he friend come fuh him yesterday because he get some bullet dat send him to his grave.

Dis is de kind of mad-

ness dat going on in Agricola and is young people who killing out one anodda. Dem boys hear dat not all de gang members is people from de village. Is just like wha happen wid Buxton when some bad men run in de village.

From then, anybody who think he bad run to Buxton. It tek six years fuh clean out de place.

Nuff villagers dead.

Buxton change back but some men who was babies in dem days carrying on like if life don’t have value.

At one time when badness tek over Guyana a man use to seh dat is Jagdeo legacy. But talk fuh rain and talk fuh sun, Jagdeo never teach people violence. He might have teach dem to be

crookish. But dem boys seh de bad men today was babies when de madness was happening after de jailbreak.

Rusal come after de jailbreak and dem learn to be crookish.

Dem boys seh Rusal learn all de tricks to mek money. It even sell fuel. But it wasn’t like Guyanese who involve in racket. It keep records and dat is how dem boys see de deals.

Dem now want to see if Statia gon demand all he taxes. If a gas station selling fuel, it got to pay taxes. Rusal never pay taxes but it sell fuel. Dat is de corruption in Guyana and fuh sure dat is Jagdeo legacy.

Talk half and see who gon get skin up next.

Minister Volda Lawrence and host, Leonard Gildarie, during ‘The Political Show’ on Wednesday.

A few of the shacks on the river bank area between Grove and Diamond, East Bank Demerara. immediately inoculated.

Indeed, Lawrence admitted, it is a challenge with health personnel monitoring for Yellow Fever, Dengue, Diphtheria, and other illnesses.She said that the porous borders would have

seen Venezuelans entering and moving to villages, living there, many of them from the same tribe.Until now, there have been little details of the Venezuelans here.

Government with CDC (Continued on page 61 )

From page 9 and its partners have been registering them, handing out food and cleaning supplies.

The situation has been

PAGE 10

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

CIOG hosts 400 children Participants of the ceremony Officials surrounded by the awardees

Yesterday the Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG) hosted its Annual Orphans and Vulnerable Fun Day. The CIOG initiated an Orphan and Vulnerable Children Sponsorship programme since 1993. There are 400 children who are benefitting from this programme; each of these children receives a monthly stipend, school clothes and gear; textbooks medical examinations, vitamins and financial assistance for extra lessons and exam fees.

During yesterdays ceremony, CIOG urged every individual be kind and keep the company of good people to live a better life.“The beauty of life doesnt depend on how happy we are, it depends on what matters most, how many are happy so we pray God Almighty accepts our tides and make us happy as we continue to make you happy.� This programme has impacted many children socially and academically, especially those who have written the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and the Caribbean Examination Council (CSEC) through the

CIOG around Guyana. These students were awarded prizes. The purpose of the organisation is to provide the basic necessities to the families of these orphans and vulnerable children. It helps in their maintenance by paying all costs. The officials of this organisation also plead with persons to utilise the benefits of this programme. However, this programme is not the only service provided. There are many other services which care for the elderly and everyone else; with teachings to the caregivers of these children for proper upbringings of the next generation.

The CIOGs monthly payout to the Orphans and Vulnerable children is US$15,000 from sponsors of these children; members of the local community and citizens of the USA. Present at the ceremony were Shayk Moeenul Hack - Director of the Education Department; British High Commissioner - Mr. Gregory Quinn; USA Ambassador of Guyana - Ms. Sarah Ann Lynch; and Vice President of CIOG - Dr. Gulzar Namdar

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

PAGE 12

Kaieteur News

Region Four Health Services saves $12 million in four months Residents in Region Four who have had to do abdominal ultrasound and ECG have been breathing a sigh of relief for the past four months.

This is because the Regional Health Service Department within Region Four have spent some $12 million to have these done at a cost of $5,000 for the abdominal ultrasound and $2,500 for the ECG. This, it was learnt, is as a result of ultrasound services that are being offered by Buxton Health centre and ECG services by Plaisance, Mocha and the recently opened Eccles Health centres.

Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr. Quincy Jones, has stressed that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2000, Health Financing is the “function of a health system concerned with the mobilisation, accumulation and allocation of money to cover the health needs of the people, individually and collectively, in the health system” (WHO 2000).

Dr. Jones disclosed that a good financing system raises funds and structures financial incentives to guarantee that all people have access to quality public health and per-

sonal healthcare services.

“Per capita health expenditure (amount of resources spent on health per person) can be used to infer whether health spending is enough to achieve appropriate healthcare quality and access.

Dr. Jones said that his department is very elated over the significant monies that residents are being able to save. H e said that as they continue to advance health care development, residents within Region Four can certainly look forward to more new and innovative services.

Dr. Jones also spoke about the critical importance of the facility that residents can have these tests done. He noted that it is significantly helping persons who are financially unable to foot the cost privately.

“Health care service provision by the private sector is mainly through out of pocket payment at point of use and is centered around the provision of specialised services, through some primary care services are provided as well,” Dr. Jones said.

The Regional Health Officer noted that government’s

Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr. Quincy Jones commitment to the continued enhancement of health care remains paramount importance.

He pointed out that there continues to be increases in the region’s budget despite the population remaining the same. He declared that this is certainly a testimony of Government’s determination to increase health care access for all.

“The steady rise in the region’s health budget amidst

a relatively stable population and improvements in key health outcome measures such as maternal and underfive mortality rates over the years is indicative of government commitment towards the financial sustainability of the region’s health sector,” he further said.

The RHO praised the work of the medical staff at these health centres noting that Buxton had conducted some 1531 ultrasounds in four months.

He said that with several dedicated and devoted health care professionals in the region, continued growth and enhancement within the region is certainly evident, another gain of the region.

The Regional Health Officer urged residents to maximise the stage of these two major health services.

It is there for residents, he said. Some years ago, people only could have wished to have these.

“Let us not take the numerous opportunities and gains that we have today for granted as many of the wishes we had years ago are now today’s reality,” Dr. Jones declared.

Sunday November 24, 2019

Police Sergeant found dead on washroom floor A police Sergeant of Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, who was attached to the Fort Wellington Police Station, West Coast Berbice, is now dead. He reportedly developed a severe seizure Friday night.

Sergeant 20071 Trevor Jeffers died at the Mahaicony Hospital after developing complications from the seizure he experienced Friday night.

According to a police source from the West Coast Berbice, the Sergeant was seen in a confused state (walking up and down) in the compound of the National Insurance Scheme (Berbice) on Friday. It was reported to the police and they arrived to “calm him down” but he reportedly “ran up the steps and attempted to jump off”.

His colleagues managed to control him and took him to the hospital, the police source said. He later left for home and suffered another seizure that said night.

His brother, Gregory Jeffers, said the Sergeant had no other illness during his time alive except for the seizures he experienced once or twice a month.

He added, “For the past couple of days, he has been having it in and out but prior it does be once a month or once every six weeks”.

Sergeant Trevor Jeffers He added, “(Friday night) he leave to go to the washroom and it was his sister-in-law that discovered him on the washroom floor. They picked him up and rush he to the hospital and before they could do anything, they pronounced him dead.”

A post mortem examination is expected to be done in a few days. Jeffers recently turned a father. He served as the Information Technology specialist in Region Five for the Guyana Police Force.

He was described by some of his colleagues as humorous and helpful.

Sunday November 24, 2019

PAGE 13

Kaieteur News

Shareholders move to CCJ to overturn order for winding up of S.A. Nabi and Sons Ltd.

By Feona Morrison Shir Affron Nabi and Rafael Nabi, who contend they are both shareholders in construction company, S.A. Nabi & Sons Ltd have petitioned the Caribbean Court of Justice to reverse an order made by the High Court for the winding up of the company’s assets. The regional court commenced hearing arguments in the case Friday morning at its Trinidad headquarters.

Apart from the Nabis, the estate of Shir Aimeen Nabi is also seeking to reverse the order for winding up.

In court documents Ashmidphiraque Sheermohamed S.A Nabi & Sons and Maurice Solomon (Liquidator, Receiver/ Manager), are listed as the Respondents.

S.A. Nabi and Sons Limited situated at Lot 63 Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown, is a family company engaged in the construction business. It was incorporated in Guyana in 1965.

The case involves a challenge against an order made to wind up the company.

Its affairs were previously conducted by three Sheermohamed brothers, namely, Aslim and Azeez, both deceased and Amin. They owned the great majority of shares in the company and for some time comprised its Board of Directors.

Ashmidphiraque Sheermohamed filed a petition as a shareholder for the winding up of the company and was granted an

order in his favour by the High Court. This order was upheld by the Court of Appeal.

Affron and Nabi, hereinafter referred to as the appellants, now challenge the order as being unjust and inequitable. They are seeking to have the winding up order set aside, and for the case to be remitted to the High Court until there is a determination as to the ownership of the company’s shares.

Thereafter, they want the court to direct that a shareholders meeting be called.

Attorney-at-Law Devindra Kissoon is appearing for the appellants who argue that both the trial court [High Court] and Court of Appeal failed to consider that Section 357:2 of the Companies Act required the court under every circumstance to first determine if there was any other remedy available before employing the drastic method of winding up. Those remedy, he said, are found in Section 224:5 of the aforesaid Act. Kissoon submitted to the regional court that the lower courts ought to have considered calling a shareholder’s meeting or to engage the parties in a process to buy out each other’s shares. He added that the Records of Appeal show that the Respondents, who testified they were willing to settle the matter, are willing to purchase the appellants’ shares.

In this regard, he argued that the trial judge was plainly wrong in failing to consider

any alternative methods whatsoever.

According to Kissoon, his clients are very interested in keeping the company alive as Guyana is now and Oil and Gas frontier. He said that the company has sentimental values attached to it, in addition to its assets.

The appellants, Kissoon disclosed, control more than 50 percent of the shareholding. The conflict between the shareholders, according to him, is which family should have control of the company for the purposes of conducting family business.

As for Ashmidphiraque Sheermohamed, who left the country since 2006, and never returned, Kissoon said that he has not participated in the management and control of the company and has not shown any interest in doing so. He has tried his utmost to interfere with the affairs of the company, the lawyer contended.

Meanwhile, the Respondent’s lawyer Christopher Parker QC argued that the appellants’ case is misconceived and must fail.

One of his main arguments

was that the appellants were making a request to the CCJ that were never made to the lower courts. He said that the Court of Appeal was never asked by the appellants to remit the shareholder issue to the trial judge for determination on a solution.

Kissoon, however, does not agree. He is of the view that a request was not required to be made by the trial judge as he was required by statute to do so after reviewing the evidence presented.

Queen’s Counsel Parker, on the other hand, argued that the appellants’ case is illogical as in their grounds of appeal they accepted that the case is hopeless unless the shareholder issue is resolved.

According to the Queen’s Counsel, the parties have opposing views as to how many shares they own, which makes it impossible to have a shareholders meeting. His clients are holding out that the appellants are not shareholders. In fact, he submitted that the court

cannot do anything sensible while the shareholders dispute is existent, as the appellants have not even established that they hold shares. He told the court that Ashmidphiraque Sheermohamed is absent from the country due to the murder of his father.

In addressing this issue, Queen’s Counsel Parker said, “His father was murdered.

The murder of his father following the falling out was in the petition and had to be (continued on page 62)

PAGE 14

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Oil companies have no friends, just personal interests – CEO Africa Energy … “Be mindful of the big word – corruption” Consortium

By Kemol King Kwame Jantuah, a Ghanaian businessman, has been at the helm of the Africa Energy Consortium for over a decade, and his advice to Guyana is clear: “Drive home your demands” through “equitable partnerships” with International Oil Companies (IOCs).

Have “specialised oil and gas lawyers” and “professional negotiators” to lead the discussions, every step of the way.

This is necessary, he said, because IOCs have no personal friends, just personal interests; and the only people

they have to answer to are their shareholders.

He also said “Be mindful of the big word – corruption”.

Jantuah made these statements during his address on the evolution of Ghana’s local content framework, at the recently concluded Guyana International Petroleum Business Summit and Exhibition (GIPEX) 2019 at the Marriott Hotel last Friday.

While the satisfaction of their shareholders is essentially the only concern for IOCs, the businessman said “Don’t blame them” because the magnitude of the

investments shareholders are making, and the risks associated with the business, are enormous.

His urgency is that, like the oil companies, Governments have to follow suit and advocate staunchly for the interests of their shareholders, the people.

In Ghana’s case, Jantuah explained, “One of the major difficulties was the definition of local content because we realised that foreign service companies and other related foreign companies who were integral to the functioning of the industry were heeding to the law of registering their

companies with the registrar general’s department where every company in the country had to be registered by law.”

He explained that foreign oil companies had all sorts of strategies to manoeuvre their way through calls for local content, like using loopholes in Ghanaian statutes to parade themselves around as locals.

The IOCs, he said, even brought in their own professional negotiators to argue about the local content definition, and had claimed that it was their right to be considered local companies based on how they had registered.

Jantuah, who served on the committee that dealt with local content developments, said, “We as a committee had a tough time with the IOCs and service companies.”

This was because they were not prepared to train Ghanaians, and brought their own foreign labour force in to participate, and to do even the work that Ghanaians were qualified to do.

Eventually, the Ghanaians settled on a definition to distinguish between foreign “local companies” and Ghanaian local companies,

calling the latter “indigenous”.

In Guyana’s case, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has advised the Government of a mechanism to ensure local companies are properly distinguished.

Former President of the Chamber, Deodat Indar, told Kaieteur Radio in October that the Chamber, in its comments on the third local content policy draft, insisted on four criteria: that the body’s head office should be in Guyana; that 70 percent of its workers should be Guyanese; that its board meetings should be kept in Guyana; and that 51 percent of its ordinary share capital should be held in Guyana.

The final policy document is not out yet, but it is hoped that it will be completed just before First Oil. One thing Ghana realised, Jantuah said, is that “oil companies weren’t waiting for us to get our laws in place, because they had shareholders to satisfy and therefore the onus was on us to chase and catch up with them.”

CEO, Africa Energy Consortium, Kwame Jantuah Like Guyana now, a lot of pressure was placed on the Ghanaian Government to produce local content legislation with haste.

What’s clear for Guyana is that its policy will not become legislation in time for First Oil, as the Government is in a Caretaker status. The General Election will be held in March, months after oil is slated to start pumping.

Jantuah said that it is important to think long term for the oil sector.

“The oil and gas industry is big enough to take care of everyone if local content is practised in favour of the people and there is trust, transparency and accountability, and above all, a long term national development plan that will help invest the revenue equitably.”

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

11-year-old accident victim out of ICU Eleven-year-old Adalia George, a grade six student of the Soesdyke Primary School, remains hospitalised after she was struck by an allegedly speeding driver last Monday while using a pedestrian crossing along the Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The child lives with her mother at Lot 240 Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Kaieteur News understands that the teen was with her sibling when the incident occurred. As a result of the accident, the victim suffered a broken shoulder, fractured neck,

cuts and bruises to the face along with swelling and laceration to other p a r t s o f t h e b o d y. T h e vehicle involved in the accident is a silver Toyota Premio bearing registration number PXX 403.

According to sources at the hospital, the child was recently removed from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and transferred to another ward in the hospital.

I n a n i n t e r v i e w, t h e c h i l d ’s m o t h e r, A l l i s o n George, told Kaieteur New that although she was not at the scene of the accident, she was told by

Car involved in the accident

an eyewitness that Adalia and her siblings exited a bus and were about to cross the road when the accident occurred.

Allison, who is also a teacher at the Soesdyke Primary School, said that it is a miracle that her child was able to survive the accident considering the injuries, which she sustained as a result of the impact from the car.

“She is recovering but very slowly. The doctors removed her from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and put her in a ward. She is responding to treatment and I am very thankful for

that, Adalia is a very quiet and easy-going child, I don’t want anything to happen to my baby.”

Allison added that at times the child would wake up in her bed at the city hospital and start screaming for help. “I’m praying that my child will be able to make a full recovery from that tragic ordeal.”

After the accident, Adalia was first rushed to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre. However due to the severity of her injuries, she was transferred to the Georgetown Public (Continued on page 62)

Accident victim - Adalia George

PAGE 16

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Ecstasy use is life-threatening- Psychiatrist The famous drug that has been used for years to achieve that dreamy or euphoric feeling can be a threat to the lives of its users.

This is according to Psychiatrist, Dr. Stephon Henry.

In conveying the irony between that good feeling that Ecstasy gives and inflicting direct or indirect harm, Dr. Henry spoke about the health impacts Ecstasy induces.

WHAT IS ECSTASY? Dr. Henry said that Ecstasy or Molly is a psychoactive drug that is used chiefly for recreational purposes. It is a substance

that changes a person’s mental state by affecting the way the brain and nervous system work.

He explained that chemically Ecstasy is called MDMA “after its main chemical ingredient which is 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine [MDMA].”

The psychiatrist underscored that it is one of the very popular drugs being used presently in this country.

He recollected that a drug ring among secondary schools in Georgetown was discovered in 2018.

He added that sale of this drug was widespread,

spanning several regions in both public and private schools.

He further emphasised, “This goes to show it is a big problem in our society and even more alarming, among our youths.”

In addition, this publication recently reported the prevalence of Molly in some secondary schools.

Fortunately, the police cracked down on this issue.

However, the drug is still circulating very secretly.

Dr. Henry highlighted, “According to a report by the Guyana Drug Information Network 2019, of 478 cases processed for court in 2018, 17 returned positive results

for Ecstasy.”

HOW DOES IT WORK? The psychiatrist explained how such a small pill can have numerous health defects.

“The chemical structure of Ecstasy allows it to reach the brain very easily. Once ingested, it is absorbed from the stomach and small intestines and goes into the bloodstream to the liver.”

He stated that from the liver, it goes to the heart with deoxygenated blood, that is, blood that does not contain oxygen and the heart pumps it with oxygenated blood to the brain.

“The nerve pathway in

the brain that is predominantly affected by Ecstasy is called the serotonin pathway. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of processes within the brain, including our mood, emotions, aggression, sleep, appetite, anxiety, memory, and perceptions.”

As it relates to perception, Dr. Henry explained that perception is the part of the mental status examination under which hallucinations fall. He elaborated that auditory, visual, tactile among others can be impacted.

As a result, a person using Ecstasy may tend to see, hear or taste things that are not actually there.

WHY IS ECSTACY DETRIMENTAL? The drug subsequently has a direct effect on the brain. Moreover, Dr. Henry disclosed, “Short term changes are to the brain’s chemistry and behaviour and long term changes are to the brain’s structure and behaviour.”

The psychiatrist explained that when someone uses Ecstasy, it increases serotonin in different regions of the brain and has psychological effects which include elevated mood and feelings of empathy.

He added, “It is very reinforcing meaning that its pleasurable effects makes the person want to try it all over again and this can make it addictive.”

He stated that dependence can develop. In this regard, he explained that the person would continue to use the drug despite knowledge of physical or psychological harm, experiencing withdrawal effects, and tolerance or diminished response to repeated use of Ecstasy.

“Ecstasy has harmful effects as well as drugs that are able to produce desirable effects also produce side effects,” Dr. Henry highlighted.

He elaborated that it can take only one Ecstasy pill to have negative psychological effects such as clouded thinking, agitation, disturbed behaviour. These effects, to some extent, can potentially have associated risks.

He stated, “For instance, studies indicated that generally Ecstasy does not affect driving performance nor did it change the impairing effects of sleep loss.

“This means that Ecstasy cannot compensate for the impairing effects of sleep loss, and that drivers who are under the influence of Ecstasy and sleep deprived are unfit to drive.”

Moreover, Dr. Henry noted that other adverse effects can occur from using Ecstasy. He stated, “These

include sweating, dry mouth [or] intense thirst, increased heart rate, fatigue, muscle spasms especially jawclenching and hyperthermia.”

Furthermore, the psychiatrist noted that increased or repeated doses of Ecstasy can become lifethreatening. He explained that outcomes include hypertension or high blood pressure; irregular heartbeat; heat injury due to hyperthermia, which is a condition of having a body temperature greatly above normal; muscle breakdown among others. He pointed out that one of the effects that can be very dangerous is renal failure due to salt and fluid depletion.

However, Dr. Henry explained that even after a person stops the use of Ecstasy some symptoms can persist. He added, “These often include the development of depressionlike feelings, anxiety, restlessness, irritability, and sleep disturbances. Memory impairment can become evident as well.”

Moreover, Dr. Henry highlighted that Ecstasy-use also has several social outcomes. He explained that people use it for the euphoric effect and end up being addicted.

He added, “With addiction or dependency then one can start neglecting themselves and their responsibilities.” He further explained that responsibilities like school, jobs, and relationships among others can hit the bottom as a result of being neglected.

HELP ISAVAILABLE FOR ECSTASY-USE The psychiatrist iterated that using Ecstasy can result in severe health conflicts. As such, he extended help to those individuals who are using Ecstasy or have an addiction to the drug.

He said, “In Guyana, there are two main rehabilitation centres which assist in the treatment of individuals who may be addicted to any psychoactive substance and this includes Ecstasy.

There is the Phoenix Recovery Project and the Salvation Army Men’s Social Service who provide inpatient treatment.”

He added that the Georgetown Public Hospital Psychiatric Department offers support to these organisations by treating individuals who use these substances and develop symptoms of any mental illness such as substance induced psychotic disorders.

Dr. Stephon Henry is a resident in Psychiatry working with the Ministry of Health and attached to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

50 EMTs undergo intense training to help advance EMS in Guyana

Instructors from the Vanderbilt Medical Center with the batch of EMTs who benefited from the recent advanced training.

A total of 50 Emergency Medical Technicians [EMTs] were recently certified as PreHospital Trauma and Life support (PHTLS) providers by faculty from the Vanderbilt Medical Center. This training activity was organized by the office of the Guyana Emergency Medical Services [EMS] in collaboration with the Guyana Fire Service.

This comes as part of efforts to ensure that the national EMS acquires international certification for all EMTs. The team of visiting instructors coordinated the intense training for the local EMTs over a period of four days at the East Coast Demerara Project Dawn facility.

The team is expected to return in February of next year to chart the way forward for additional training.

Dr. Zulfikar Bux, who is the National Emergency Medical Director and heads this office, stated

that these EMTs are now certified to international standards, and are now more equipped to manage trauma patients in the public domain.

Dr. Bux is positive that cases where patients are injured in motor vehicle collisions, gunshot wounds, stab wounds, accidental trauma, etc, will now be more efficiently and effectively managed in the public domain by these EMTs. “These EMTs are now advancing their skill sets and members of the public stand to benefit from them even more when they are in need,” Dr. Bux added.

PHTLS is recognized around the world as the leading continuing education programme for pre-hospital emergency trauma care. The mission of PHTLS is to promote excellence in trauma patient management by all providers involved in the delivery of pre-hospital care. PHTLS is developed by

the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians [NAEMT] in the USA, in cooperation with the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma.

Dr. Bux said that he is very thankful for the support offered by the team of instructors from the Vanderbilt Medical Center.

Recognising the training as a vital initiative, he shared his optimism that the team will return to continue to foster similar initiatives and support the development of the Guyana Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

According to the EMS National Director, he is also looking forward to the expansion of the EMS service so that more persons can benefit from this vital service.

This is however dependent on the availability of ambulances and support resources which should be available in the coming months.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Mahdia observes first anniversary as township

Residents of Mahdia at the ceremony.

Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, and REO Mitzy Campbell and with delegates vying for the Miss Mahdia 2019 crown.

The municipality of Mahdia, in the PotaroSiparuni Region, is celebrating one year as a capital town.

From Friday to today was set aside for a series of events to be hosted under the theme, “Celebrating our gains, showcasing our culture, securing our future.”

Amidst challenges, this first anniversary comes at a time when Mahdia is marking development that has taken place even before and continued after it was declared a town.

The observance kicked off with an official opening ceremony spearheaded by Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence, who delivered the keynote address at the ceremony.

Reflecting on President David Granger’s remarks at the official introduction of the town of Mahdia – when he

observed that hinterland villages will become towns, Minister Lawrence noted that his vision was being realised.

According to the Minister, Mahdia is on a fast track to development as many public services that previously never existed are now operational in the town.

It is a vision, which the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has adopted to empower communities and its population.

“It didn’t take us 10, 15 or even 20 years... When we came to office, we knew these areas [Mahdia] needed to see development and today you can boast of your own radio station, paved roads, ICT Hub and improved water and solar electricity supply,” Minister Lawrence told the residents gathered.

She added that this is just the beginning as there is much more development coming to the town creating access to Government and other services that are located on the coast.

“Very soon we will be ushering in a new hospital equipped to serve you the residents, a magistrate’s court, a fire department with a brigade of ‘Mahdians’... We are working to make Mahdia a better and brighter place.”

Mayor of the town, David Adams, said that Mahdia, like its people, is determined to thrive in spite of challenges as he alluded to the theme of the anniversary celebration.

“Despite the challenges, we still move forward fairly and transparently; some

areas have solar street lights (including Tumatumari junction), improved garbage disposal and in the new week WiFi at the hospital,” he noted.

“Mahdia,” Mayor Adams said, “is becoming the place where more a n d m o r e coastlanders and foreigners are coming to establish businesses since the main economic activity in and around the town is mining.”

Also, at the opening ceremony were regional officials including the Regional Chairman Bonaventure Fredericks; REO, Mitzy Campbell; Deputy-Mayor Juewayne Burrowes; and President of Guyana Association of Municipalities, Kirk Fraser.

Creative and performing arts bodies such as the National School of Theatre Arts, National Dance Company and E.R Burrowes School of Arts among others were there to exhibit their work and pique the interest of prospective students.

Many small businesses also secured booths to showcase locally made products. This year will see the hosting of a Miss Mahdia Pageant where six beauties will be vying for the crown, as well as a three-a-side football competition hosted at the Administrative Oval.

Mahdia was established in 1884 and is home to a diverse, multilingual, multicultural group of people and is a commercial centre for Region Eight.

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

To live and die at ‘Troy’

From page 2 Board took a decision to “terminate all 227 laid off employees”. The company went further, adding for clarity that “laid off employees were terminated; no one was dismissed or any position redundant.”

Nilsson had told the media, however, that 137 employees had been retained to keep the operations running even if not producing and that the rest had been laid off, pending the decision by the Board. That decision turned out to be to terminate the laid off workers. But its 227 figure of employees laid off does not add up. Troy’s General Manager, Eric Olsen—in the presence of Nilsson—told members of the media that the company had in its employ 512 persons, 86 of whom were contracted.

According to the General Manager, there were 21 expatriate employees. If one were to deduct the 137 staff members from that total staff count, it would mean 375 workers were laid off.

Even if Troy Resources were to say that the 86 contracted employees are not technically theirs, this leaves 289 employees and not 227 that the company now claims.

There was no clarity on whether any of the expatriate employees were laid off. As such, if one were to account for the 21 expatriate workers and the 86 workers that are bound by contract, it would mean they make up 107 of those retained.

Lincoln Lewis was confident that a lawsuit will be filed against the company this week over the recent dismissals; as soon as the lawyers who are currently engaging the matter have completed their paperwork.

PRISON-LIKE ACCOMMODATIONS The company officials boasted of providing airconditioned accommodation, recreational facilities for drinks and possible bar-b-ques after work and a dining facility, which provides hot meals daily.

Guyanese are all too familiar with mining operations, even at a small scale and are all too familiar with the term ‘baheer’.

Legends of mining camp cooks and tales of lavish dinners, breakfast and boosters abound, and have been told for decades, since working deep in the Guyana jungle does take a toll, not alone the isolation. The claim of meals being provided “free of cost” is also laughable at least.

Media operatives were even briefed ahead of a tour to drink lots of water given the heat.

What was disclosed is that the ‘inmates’ are only allowed about 12 hours each day inside of a space 5’ by 10’ with a double bunk bed inside, with barely enough space to stretch and they used a shared bathroom that serves dozens.Two persons share a unit space—they interchange in 12-hour rotations since the mining camp operation goes on 24x7.

There is also a 21:00hrs (9PM) curfew for those that are ‘confined to quarters’. The company boasted about its recreational facility—an area aback of a building where an old ‘rice bag’ hangs with some sand as a presumable punching bag and some gym gear exposed to the elements.

MOUNTAINS OF GOLD Kaieteur News had run a critical article against the company which illustrated that the company continues to benefit from billions of dollars in tax waivers despite meeting its production targets. Its response—buried away in a sea of text—was to say yes, despite getting the concessions, never meeting its production targets simply meant its assumptions about how much it could produce were wrong.

The company also claims to have invested US$180M in Guyana but did not accept that US$100M of this had nothing to do with actual cash investments into the country, rather, in involved transactions on paper with bonds and other instruments with the previous stakeholders with rights to the mining concession. The remainder went to putting in a massive plant that has been crushing away with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes of ore per day—24x7. Moving mountains, as can be seen illustrated when viewed the air, the cavernous openings left in the jungle where mountains filled with gold dust once stood.

Workers complain bitterly of the slave like treatment of their Spanish-speaking superiors and are often told to pack up and leave, if it is, they don’t like the job.

For those who have been laid off—whatever the numbers—Christmas will certainly be tainted with memories of what it is to have lived and died at Troy. Weeks after the death of the geologist who would have perished at the site, the officials were still in talks with the mother of his three children and his mother but nothing was paid by way of compensation.

In fact, the company has in fact already commenced further clearing and exploration activities just feet away from where Taylor died with a promise to restart its operations in full, sometime in the future.

What is clear, nobody walks away from a mountain of gold, much less mountains, especially when sweeteners like tax concessions are thrown into the mix.

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

Meet the alluring Miss Allana Bose. This 25 year-old beauty describes herself as career oriented, hard working and driven. “I enjoy time with the people I love and I love food�, she says.

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Kaieteur News

PAGE 22

Desiree Edghill M.S.

Sunday November 24, 2019

continues to wage war against HIV using the Arts

Using the Arts to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.

By Sharmain Grainger

G

uyana, like many other countries around the world, has long been waging war against the dreaded Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).

If left unchecked, HIV can develop into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) with the potential of wreaking immense havoc on a nation.

While the battle has been unrelenting here on the part of government, its technical partners and other stakeholders, to the point where many have been tested and placed on treatment, it wasn’t always an easy task to raise awareness about the disease.

This is in light of the fact that many people had a strong

aversion to talking about this disease that they were convinced was also transmitted by those who were especially promiscuous.

Many people were

could be spread through the bites of mosquitoes or by breathing the same air as an infected person.

However, a novel but tactical move was introduced some years ago

“We have moved from where people were fearful to come and get tested, to people now coming and announcing ‘I come to know meh status’. People are coming with their partners before they start having sexual intercourse to ensure that they know each other’s status.” unwilling to give a listening ear to the fact that the disease could even be transmitted through other means such as breast milk, and by using needles used by an infected person. Some even conjured up the myth that the disease

which succeeded in grabbing the attention of many people, causing them to surrender to HIV/AIDS awareness efforts.

A MASSIVE MOVEMENT This instrumental shift

Receiving her national award from President David Granger

was allowed to blossom over the years into a massive movement which has helped many persons to accept that HIV doesn’t have to be met with stigma and discrimination.

Among those who helped to unleash this movement was Ms. Desiree Edghill M.S., the Executive Director of Artistes in Direct Support (AIDS), a NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO). Since 2001, Edghill has sat at the helm of the NGO which was named by deliberately playing on the acronym AIDS to raise awareness about the disease which, at the time, was seen as a deadly affliction.

Edghill, whose passion was and still is the Arts, was thrust into HIV Awareness work after one of her colleagues and best friends, Keith Andre Sobryan, fell victim to the disease 30 years ago. Sobryan, an openly gay man who was also a prominent artiste, was diagnosed in 1989, and, as the story has been told many times, at the time there was no treatment to prevent his condition from escalating to AIDS. But according to Edghill, even in the face of brutal stigma and discrimination, Sobryan wanted the public to know that the disease was here in Guyana and that there was need to take precautions against it. He saw using the Arts as an avenue through which awareness could be most effective.

“He brought a group of us together in the Arts, because we were already doing drama and people were listening to us, and so we would be the best people to start addressing HIV,” Edghill recounted.

Many artistes were taking the disease especially serious since, according to Edghill, “a number of the people who were being diagnosed were people in the Arts. Our first three cases were gay men in the arts – dancers all three of them – and then him [Sobryan]. He wanted people to know right away that we were dealing with AIDS, but the stigma was horrible at that time.”

COMMITTING TO THE FIGHT Through drama, the artistes started in 1992 to raise awareness. Their first production, ‘One of our Sons is missing’, was staged at the

HIV/AIDS Activist Desiree Edghill M.S.

Keith Andre Sobryan (Stabroek News photo)

National Cultural Centre on December 1, 1992 [World AIDS Day of that year].

Although their dramatic performances were known to draw large crowds, that show, Edghill recalled, barely attracted an audience of about 50. “People didn’t want to go near any place that was testing for HIV or anywhere near people who were doing HIV work; they were fearful that people might say that they too were HIV positive,” Edghill recalled.

But this wasn’t going to put a damper on the work

that needed to be done. With some support and a percentage of their proceeds from their plays, Edghill recalled how she and her colleagues would travel to various parts of the country just to raise awareness about HIV through drama.

All this time, Sobryan was valiantly fighting for his life. But then one day there was no more fight left in him.

Sobryan passed away in the year 2000 due to complications caused by AIDS. But before passing, Edghill remembered how he Continued on page 58

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 23

The matrimonial bed remains off-limits for the AFC

T

he Alliance for Change (AFC) may have been allowed to enter the matrimonial bedroom. But the matrimonial bed remains off-limits.

The AFC has gotten most of what it wanted. It will now be assured of the Prime Ministerial post and pension.

The party will also be guaranteed ten seats in the next National Assembly. It was against this expectation that at the 14th anniversary ball, there was breakdancing, backslapping and backchat about the AFC having forced APNU to bend to much of the AFC’s demands.

The leadership of the AFC should be satisfied by the initial agreement reached with APNU. They got far more than they deserved.

The ‘big boys and gals’ within the AFC are now guaranteed to sit at the banquet table. They will

pocket healthy salaries, pensions and allowances as members of Cabinet and parliament. However, there are no safeguards to prevent the PNCR from sidelining the AFC within the government.

What guarantees have the AFC negotiated to ensure that its Ministers have real and effective powers? None!

What assurances does the AFC have that it will not be sidelined in Cabinet, since there is no agreement which requires special majorities before any decision is taken?

None!

And what about its role within the public bureaucracy? What is to prevent another imbroglio in which a decision made by its Prime Minister was overruled by a Minister?

What role will its leaders, who will not be Ministers, play?

There is no assurance

that the position of Prime Minister, so aggressively fought for by the AFC during the negotiations, will not again be reduced to a rubber stamp.

There is no promise that t h e A F C ’s m i n i s t e r i a l portfolios will not be degutted as they were during the present term.

The Natural Resources portfolio was denuded of the critical oil and gas sector.

The AFC was even relieved of responsibility for the environment. That Ministry is now effectively a gold mining and forestry ministry, sectors that are in terminal decline.

Khemraj Ramjattan was handed a severely degutted Ministry of Public Security.

The citizenship and immigration portfolios were carved out and given to a specially created Ministry for this purpose. The AFC minister was further humiliated when security

sector reform was snatched away, even though he is the subject Minister for public security.

The Ministry of Business was splintered. A new Ministry was created to assume the portfolios of telecommunication and tourism which previously fell under the Ministry of Business.

The Minister of Public Infrastructure was closemarked from day one. His portfolio is limited by the funds which are provided by the Ministry of Finance and by international infrastructural agreements signed and executed by that Ministry.

An AFC Minister was granted a junior minister status in the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.

This was a token appointment.

The leadership of the AFC negotiated for itself. It got what it wanted. But what

about the membership? The AFC’s gains during the negotiations with the PNCR have yielded nothing for its membership and supporters.

Will the AFC continue to allow its financiers to be discriminated against by APNU? And what has it negotiated for its members.

What are their entitlements and to what can they look forward?

The AFC could not have entered into a coalition unless the “division of spoils” were made explicit. It would have hamstrung the AFC to have gone into the campaign without such guarantees. But the AFC will be equally handicapped if it has nothing to promise its members and supporters.

The next stage of the negotiations will therefore be critical. This next stage will determine whether the AFC can extract a programme of benefits for its supporters. It will indicate

whether the Coalition is prepared to reverse course on the sugar industry, reduce the powers of the Minister of State in the Ministry of the P r e s i d e n c y, e n s u r e consensus in decisionmaking, require greater ethnic and gender balance in public appointments, and force changes in the c o u n t r y ’s e c o n o m i c management.

The AFC has made its deal. It will be allowed reenter the matrimonial bedroom. But it will have to sleep on the floor. And as for sex, that is completely out of the question.

(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 24, 2019

Double standards in the OAS D

By Sir Ronald Sanders

ouble standards have become the new system in the Organization of American States (OAS).

This unwholesome development does not portend well for the future of the Organization, which is increasingly becoming a rubber stamp for the will of a few governments.

It also creates a huge cloud over the bilateral relations of nations within the hemisphere.

This undesirable development was brought into stark and glaring reality over events in Bolivia.

The Permanent Council of the OAS, the SecretaryGeneral, Luis Almagro, and the governments that are usually quick to lambaste other governments on human rights issues, have all been silent in what has been happening in Bolivia, starting with the coup d’état of November 10 that forced the elected President, Evo Morales, from office and into asylum in Mexico.

The Organization and Secretary-General Almagro

have said nothing about the gross human rights violations against the indigenous people of Bolivia.

“At least eight young Bolivians were killed on Tuesday (November 19) when the country’s political crisis exploded into deadly violence in the city of El Alto. Nearby lay another five bodies, their feet poking from blankets or flags, their names and ages printed on A4 sheets placed on top of the corpses.

“Joel Colque Patty, 22”; “Devi Posto Cusi, 34”; “Antonio Ronald Quispe Ticona, 23”; “Clemente Eloy Mamani Santander, 23”; “Juan Jose Tenorio Mamani, 23”, reported the British Newspaper, the Guardian.

The report continued: “The rightwing interim government that took power after Morales’ toppling on 10 November has rejected claims the army was behind Tuesday’s killings, which came during confrontations between troops and Morales loyalists outside a fuel storage depot the latter had been blockading. But in El Alto – a teeming highaltitude city near La Paz, long considered a Morales stronghold – locals are adamant the government is to blame for what they call a massacre of innocent workers”.

What the Guardian newspaper reporter, Tom Phillips, in El Alto, knows must also be known to governments of OAS member states who have

Embassies is Bolivia and nearby countries. Yet, not one of them has raised the issue of human rights violations in Bolivia.

Incidentally, they have also not done so in relation to Chile – a vocal member of the Lima Group – or Ecuador whose government has become a recent convert to Lima Group positions.

Haiti, whose government, votes consistently with the Lima Group, has also been spared any criticism despite ongoing unrest in the country. The double standard is blatant, patent and flagrant.

Another almost scandalous manifestation of the double standard being applied in the OAS – and one that Secretary-General Almagro has never explained – is that almost in the same words that the OAS electoral observation mission used to describe the elections of October 20 in Bolivia, another OAS electoral observer mission (EOM) to Honduras in 2017 denounced the election result in that country. But, neither the SecretaryGeneral nor governments brought the matter to the Permanent Council, nor did they seek to conduct an audit of the election nor did they demand new elections.

The following is what the electoral mission to Honduras concluded in its November 27, 2017 report: “Based on the analysis contained in this report and the observations included in the two preliminary reports,

the EOM considers that it observed a low-quality electoral process. The abundance of irregularities and deficiencies is such as to preclude full certainty regarding the outcome”.

The question is left blowing in the wind: why one standard for Honduras, and another for Bolivia?

To be clear, all matters of this kind should be brought to the Permanent Council with clear and unbiased information to inform member states.

The election in Bolivia needed to be discussed fairly, transparently and openly.

But so, too, was a discussion necessary of the elections in Honduras.

It is remarkable that the day after the November 19 atrocities in Bolivia, a Permanent Council meeting was held at the OAS at which not only was no mention made of it by the governments that brought a resolution on Bolivia, but no reference whatsoever was made to the role of the military in ousting Morales from Office, three months before his legitimate term in office was scheduled to end.

The Antigua and Barbuda delegation to that meeting stated that, notwithstanding the coup d’état of November 10, the Government of Antigua and Barbuda recognises: “There is a de facto government in Bolivia.

And, in as much as Antigua and Barbuda objects to the manner in which the government came to office,

we acknowledge that its de facto status gives it the authority to act on behalf of the state”.

This is the same reason why Antigua and Barbuda has stated it recognises the government of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela.

In its statement to the Permanent Council, the Antigua and Barbuda delegation also declared that it “is extremely anxious that the human rights of all Bolivians, especially its indigenous people, are provided full and unrestricted observance and protection”.

Very conscious of the double standards that now prevail in the OAS, the Antigua and Barbuda delegation also noted that in the resolution on Bolivia, which did call for elections to be held urgently, there was no reference to the constitutional requirement for the election to be held in 90 days.

We made it clear that: “We are troubled by the omission of a specific reference to the 90-day requirement” and we stated our expectation that “if the 90-day requirement is ignored or pushed back without a full and credible explanation, the OAS delegation will immediately publish a report denouncing such a development”.

On the same day, the representative of the US delegation speaking under “Any other business”,

Sir Ronald Sanders usually reserved for noncontentious announcements, stated that the US “welcomes the attention of the OAS member states to appreciate the tense political situation in Dominica, surrounding the December 6 elections”.

That is fair enough; all tense situations should be fully discussed to ascertain how the OAS can play a legitimate role.

The discussion should be held on Dominica – but others as well including Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and Haiti.

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

The views expressed are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.co m

Sunday November 24, 2019

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Kaieteur News

---Hinds’ Sight by Dr. David Hinds---

Guyanese political behaviour is more complex than we make it out to be Recently, I have been thinking a lot about our politics and society. Well, at least more than I usually do. I think a lot about younger Guyanese and their political socialisation. I have never been more worried about hyper-partisanship than I am now.

There is something extra venomous about the discourse these days. It’s one of the reasons I stay away from Facebook “discussions” and stopped reading the comments that accompany the news-stories of the online editions of the newspapers.

The mixture of uninformed commentary and personal attacks is too much for me.

I am also worried about what passes for political analysis. Social media have revolutionised people’s access to news and information, but that comes with a cheapening of political conversation. People read headlines and mouth off as if they read the story or respond by abusing the author.

Often the discussion is not about the article, but about some foolish comment made by somebody who never read it in the first place.

And then the nasty racial comments and abuse is something else. I have my doubts about social media as an effective form of political communication.

This brings me to the subject of today’s column. I have argued in this column for a new thinking about Guyanese politics. One of the things I learned from my recent visits to several communities is how much we politicians, commentators and scholars are out of touch with people’s thinking about politics, economics and society.

Part of it has to do with the fact that we uncritically use old paradigms to try to make sense of new political motion.

We treat the society as static and unchanging, and in the process, miss subtle and not so subtle adjustments on the part of the people whose political behaviour we seek to analyse.

A lot of it can to some extent be excused. We do not have regular independent opinion polling in Guyana.

The only “reliable” polls we have are the election results.

And those results tell us one thing over and over—the vast majority of African Guyanese and Indian Guyanese electorally support the PNC and PPP respectively. And we infer that that support is ethnically driven.

That is all we can know from electoral results, but every analysis begins and ends with that knowledge.

I have come to learn from closer observation and from communicating with sections of the society that there is much more to Guyanese political behaviour than what election results tell us. In other words, race is not the only factor that influences political behaviour. Further, electoral behaviour is not the sum total of Guyanese political behaviour.

The vote for the most part is determined not by political beliefs and policy preferences, but by ethno-political imperatives which often run counter to people’s broader political beliefs and aspirations.

This is where the Walter Rodney-WPA phenomenon of the 1970s and 1980s surprised many and gives us a nuanced understanding of Guyanese political behaviour.

How could Rodney and WPA penetrate, in such profound ways, communities that were known to have voted overwhelmingly for the PNC? How could people who voted for a party join a movement that wanted to topple the very government they voted for? How could Rodney, a known Black Nationalist, resonate with sections of the Indian Guyanese community that were known to be loyal to the PPP? The WPA attracted and consolidated a multi-ethnic and in some regards a multiclass movement that almost toppled the PNC regime. Yet when free and fair elections returned in 1992, people voted for the same party that they previously wanted to eliminate from power.

Here is where I think younger Guyanese are being shortchanged. You often hear that the WPA died when Walter Rodney died in 1980.

That uninformed statement

eliminates from scrutiny a whole decade of revolutionary politics led by the WPA that eventually saw the demise of the authoritarian regime of the day and, in the process, the rise to the fore of democratic instincts within the PNC. It was that revolutionary pro-democracy movement that facilitated the return to power of the PPP and rise to the fore of the authoritarian instincts within that party.

The irony which many commentators avoid like the plague is that the PPP and the PNC moved in opposite directions once free and fair elections returned in the 1990s.

The rise of the AFC in 2006 offers another opportunity for us to move beyond the African-Indian/PNC-PPP paradigm.

Here is a party with no strong ideological grounding that was able to expose the political deficiencies of both major parties at the ballot box.

That was a significant achievement that facilitated the rise to power of the Coalition.

The irony is that in 2020, the AFC from all projections would do poorly electorally if they contest on their own. But that is only part of the story.

Those who have been trying to make sense of the recent APNU+AFC negotiations have tied themselves up in knots, because they use the simplistic paradigm of potential and real electoral strength as the premise for the outcome.

These people are obviously surprised at how much the AFC got in the end, even if it is less than they got in 2015. Many will think APNU is stupid to give up so much again. The bottom line is the APNU parties know the symbolic and substantive worth of the AFC. I am contending that the AFC’s worth cannot be confined to the number of votes it can potentially get. Those who base their analysis on that factor are missing a lot about the country’s political dynamics. The presence of the AFC and WPA in the coalition with the PNC offers the Guyanese people an alternative to the PNC, which in turn becomes a winning alterna-

The Baccoo Speaks There seems no end to the stupidity on the roads.

There have been the accidents and there will be another in the coming days.

Speed will once contribute and commonsense will be thrown through the window. ** The police are going to stumble on another set of illegal weapons in an area said to be a nest of criminals.

There will be some arrests, but the problem will come when some smart lawyers would

insist that their clients were not in possession of the weapons. ** Another case of rape would come to the fore.

A man who operates a taxi service would be accused of raping a passenger.

However, the police would be slow in making the arrest.

tive to the PPP. If the AFC retreats from the Coalition, the electoral strength of the latter diminishes considerably. And if the WPA withdraws from APNU, there will be no longer an APNU. The Impact of the Coalition in mobilising the traditional “PNC voter” was pivotal in the 2015 slender victory and is the key to a Coalition victory in 2020.

My strong sense is that without the Coalition, a section of that vote would stay home or migrate to one of the newer parties. The AFC and WPA are the Third Parties

within the Coalition. Those who say the Coalition is the PNC and the PNC is the Coalition are being simplistic and are out of touch with the changing reality.

The PNC behaves that way, but such behaviour masks a more complex reality.

To grasp that complexity, one must first conceptualise Guyanese political behaviour in complex terms. It’s not as simplistic as we make it out to be.

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

Dr David Hinds 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 w e b s i t e www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.news.

Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

The case of the murdered midwife

By Michael Jordan On the night of Thursday, October 25, 2018, Paulette Wade’s six-year-old daughter awoke to find the family’s Kwakwani Park, Region Ten home in darkness. Lying next to her three-year old brother and her mother, the child saw her mom, a 37-year-old midwife, struggling with someone, while crying out what sounded like the name “Delon.”

It was too dark for Wade’s daughter to identify the attacker, and so terrified was she that the child shut her eyes and remained in bed.

At around six-thirty the following day, Paulette Wade’s daughter got up and found her mom lying motionless on the bedroom floor.

Wade’s daughter then ran to a neighbour’s house, and accompanied by a nine-yearold friend, went to the Kwakwani Hospital, some 200 metres away and told her mother’s colleagues what she had seen.

The hospital staffers returned and found that Wade was indeed dead.

While there were a few scratches on her body, police did not suspect foul play, and some speculated that the midwife had suffered an epileptic

Kwakwani residents hold a vigil for Paulette Wade

Murdered in her bedroom: Kwakwani midwife, Paulette Wade

seizure. That suggestion was quickly dispelled a few days later, when a post mortem revealed that someone had struck Paulette Wade on the head and manually strangled

her.

Police found no sign of forced entry to the house.

This seemed to suggest that the midwife had known her killer and had trusted him

enough to have let him in at night.And the intruder seemed to have known his way around the house, since he had apparently switched off all the lights before attacking Wade.

But the absence of a clear motive baffled detectives.

This was clearly not a robbery, since cash, jewellery and other valuables were left untouched. There was also no sign of an attempt at sexual assault.

Turning their attention to persons who were close to the victim, they detained the midwife’s reputed husband, who was employed with a mining company. They drew a blank there and released him.

Detectives also received information which suggested that the midwife might have been the victim of another woman’s wrath.

Persons close to Paulette Wade said that she had seen the photograph of this woman in a phone, and that this woman had sent threats to her. There were suggestions that this woman might have

The scene of the murder

sent someone to injure the midwife.

Detectives took the woman into custody, but released her after 72 hours.

Still working on the theory that someone was sent to kill Wade, investigators picked up a number of individuals, including some who were named ‘Delon.’

Among them was an individual who had reportedly once done work on Wade’s home. With no breakthrough in sight, ranks from the Force’s Major Crimes Unit joined the investigation.

However, while the suspects admitted to knowing Wade, they all denied killing her, and the investigators were forced to release them.

But determined to solve the case, detectives again revisited Kwakwani.

Examining Paulette Wade’s house more closely, they discovered that there was a flaw with the back door, which could have enabled an intruder to enter the premises.

They also found other clues that caused them to detain a

Kwakwani resident whom they had questioned during the early stages of the investigation.

The man’s first name was ‘Delon’. But though he was questioned, detectives again found nothing to implicate him. No one else has been arrested.

Meanwhile, some are convinced that many Kwakwani residents, including some who are urging the police to solve the crime speedily, know more than they are saying.Police are appealing to these individuals to contact them, even if they do so anonymously.

If you have any information about this case, please contact Kaieteur News at our Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown location. We can be reached on telephone numbers 592-225-8458, 592-225-8465, 592-2258491 or 592-225-8473. You need not disclose your identity. You can also contact Michael Jordan at his email a d d r e s s : kamarangnight@gmail.com

Sunday November 24, 2019

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Kaieteur News

==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==

Deconstructing words: The lesser of two evils The term, the lesser of two evils has existed since time immemorial, and has been used in virtually every sphere of existence. The term applies to situation where one does not have a choice; they will accept a bad person over a terrible one.

Even in politics, you can speak of one political party being the lesser of the two evils. I grew up hearing that the Labour Party in the UK is the lesser of the two evils, meaning not as bad as the Conservatives. In my university student days, I was told by my left-wing friends that the PNP is the lesser of the two evils, meaning it is better than its rival, JLP. Recently, two African Guyanese known for their adumbration of African culture and the need for a strong African presence in Guyana’s economy wrote that they support the present government over the PPP in the forthcoming election because it is the lesser of two evils. They are Dr. Kean Gibson and Dr. David Hinds.

In a racially bifurcated country which since 1957 has alternated its government between the Indian dominated PPP and African dominated PNC, the theory of the lesser of two evils in politics does not apply. The paradigm also runs into trouble when you apply the epistemological methodology of deconstruction. The term evil loses its banal meaning in the

study of governance in Guyana, and arriving at a neat definition of evil in the use of power by the PPP in the recent past and the present PNC dominated regime, is a formidable task that may border on impossibility.

First, let’s juxtapose Anil Nandlall’s statement with that of Gibson and Hinds.

Nandlall wrote that “Whenever the PPP is in Government, there is economic progress and freedom in this country; and whenever the PNC is in Government there is economic decline and authoritarianism” ( see Kaieteur News, Monday (December 19, 2016 “PPP Government in the 50s and after 1992 developed Guyana” and my reply of Friday, December 23, 2016, “Anil Nandlall sent Kaieteur News a coin with one of its two faces rubbed off.”) Do Gibson and Hinds agree? Does Nandlall agree with Gibson and Hinds? The problem is obvious here.

Nandlall is Indian. He bats for the Indian PPP. Likewise, Gibson and Hinds are Africans in praise of a regime seen as ethnically biased towards Afro-Guyanese. Ethnic Relations Commissioner, Barrington Braithwaite says accusations against the PNC of rigging national elections are “stock propaganda”. Do Indians think it is such? In such a situation, the application of the lesser of two evils falls down badly.

Substantial numbers in

this country think that both PPP and PNC are two sides of the same coin, will not bring about racial harmony, will rule exclusively in the interest of their own constituencies, will not be sentimental about criticism of bad governance; therefore, they both need to be denied a majority in elections so that power can be reshaped for the better.

What about fact-checking the actual production of evil under the PPP’s hegemony and the current governance style of the PNC? Gibson referred to race discrimination under the PPP. Is that evil?

When you deconstruct the definition of evil, it may turn out that in Guyana, there is no lesser of two evils, but evil that can easily be compared and discovered to be the same.Can you describe as evil in the context of our morbid ethnic divide, the retrenchment of 7000 sugar workers without adequate compensation? One has to add to that 7000, their families. Is that a

lesser evil compared to the evil practised by the PPP government? What meaning does the analyst put to a government that lost a vote of noconfidence vote (NCV) almost one year ago but still carries on as if there wasn’t an NCV? Is that an evil comparable to the types of evil we saw under Jagdeo and Ramotar?

It is my interpretation that President Granger acted dangerously when he addressed the country’s foreign diplomats on the CCJ’s ruling on the unconstitutional appointment by Granger of the GECOM head, Justice Patterson. The CCJ’s Presi-

dent advised the Opposition Leader and President to settle the GECOM imbroglio through discussion and compromise; in other words, a little give and take. The president told his diplomatic guests that such words meant that he as president could submit a list of six names for the GECOM chair to himself and choose one from his own list. This was equivalent of saying that the chairman of the CCJ in fact changed the constitution of Guyana.

When you deconstruct the word, “evil” I am afraid you will not get the lesser of two evils between the PPP

Frederick Kissoon and PNC. (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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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Leguan’s residents and their livelihoods now protected by $627M worth of sea defence The residents of Leguan, their farms, their cattle and other animals, their kitchen gardens, boats and markets

lived at the mercy of surging tides from the raging Essequibo River that rose several times every single

year. Their homes and farmlands flooded with depressing regularity just because the defence structures that

were supposed to protect them were insufficient, inadequate, old and porous.

New rip-rap structures to strengthen the island’s shoreline took just about a year to construct, and they were officially commissioned in November 2019. The Ministry of Public Infrastructure, responsible for developing and overseeing construction of infrastructure countrywide, intends to continue to repair and maintain the structures on the islands of Leguan and its neighbor Wakenaam, all of it is securely protected during high tides, spring tides, and ultimately rising water levels as a result of global warming.

In Cane Garden at the northern end of Leguan, a $44M structure was built to complement the earthen embankment surrounding nearby farmlands. Cash crop farmer, Rhamat Hussain, recalled the losses he experienced over the years due to poor sea defences. He said, “We had a flood ... that damaged thousands of watermelon and pumpkin. So, this (new sea defence) is going to be a good help for the farmers here”. Residents have also complained about constant over topping, flooding of homes and open spaces, and damage to land, crops, loss of livestock and money.

Over in Elizabeth Ann, the failed sandcrete structure was replaced by a concrete crest wall costing $9M. Region 3 Engineer, Seenarine Nandram, recalled the 2010 sea defence breach measuring about one kilometre which exposed the island to flood, but that breach was patched up in a hurry. No one went back to install permanent sea defence. He said that it was this Government that began to upgrade the boulder face structures and replace it with rip-rap sea defence.So, early in November, the two recently completed sea defence projects, together costing $627M, were commissioned by Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, and Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally who was accompanied by Mayor of Georgetown, Pandit Ubraj Narine. Now, with these defences in place against the fast running, often surging Essequibo River, residents of Leguan will have no more anxiety during seasonal high tides. These projects form part of a multibillion-dollar Infrastructure Development Programme financed by the

Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). During his visit, Minister Jordan said, “This is evidence of what the Coalition Government has been saying from the inception of this term, that we are interested in developing the entire country. This is all for the people who live on this island, people who make a living off of this island”.

The cadre of engineers and sea defence experts attached to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure have been focused on Leguan since 2016, since the flooding and inundation problems were placed close to the top of the Ministry’s list of priorities.

The fact is, the islands of Leguan and Wakenaam are in close proximity to the mouth of the Essequibo River. This situation also results in some salt water from the Atlantic mixing with the Essequibo river water and managing to seep inland to create even more damage to crops in the ground and in storage.

The damaged sea defence at Leguan was over 40 years old, so it was easily breached.

Water was constantly seeping past the old structure from the bottom to cause residents lot of discomfort and loss. During the visit to Leguan earlier this month, the two Ministers and Mayor Narine took the opportunity to interact with residents, at the Leguan Secondary School in Blenheim, on the streets and in their homes.

The Mayor offered this advice to the young people who were present at the school meeting: “Do not listen to negative talk. Make wise choices today and continuously. I want to let you know that this government cares for you and it will ensure that you have the necessary tools to succeed”.

SOLAR FARM, ROAD UPGRADES FOR LEGUAN A one-megawatt (1MW) solar farm, LED street lights, further strengthened sea defences, and upgraded roads are just a few of the planned infrastructural projects for the island in the very near future.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, and a team had visited in September to assess the progress on the new sea defence structures. He too took a walk-through the communities and announced that his Ministry’s master plan includes two 1 Megawatt solar farms to be installed in both Leguan and Wakenaam. This

is going to provide valuable electricity that will no doubt help the residents. The power plants on the island are old and unreliable. The solar power farms will be funded through the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF).

In addition, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure also came through on a previous promise to the residents to change out 47 incandescent street lights with energy-saving LED lights. He also gave 53 additional LED lights to the community, and invited them to interact with the technicians who now have a permanent base there.

TOGETHER IS BETTER The AFC wishes to confirm reports that consensus has been reached on the Cummingsburg Accord between APNU and the AFC. Details of the revised Cummingsburg Accord will be provided upon the formal signing.

The parties will campaign jointly for re-election of the APNU+AFC Coalition for the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections. Much has been achieved by the APNU+AFC coalition during its first term in office (20152020), and this high pace of national transformation will continue during a second term together.The AFC remains committed to inclusive governance, and to end winner-takes-all politics in Guyana. With the approach of first oil and the creation of a vibrant new sector in our economy, the AFC gives this nation the commitment that no Guyanese will be left out of the prosperity that is sure to follow.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.) *** REMEMBERING SHEILA HOLDER It has been eight years since she departed this earth, but it seems as if time has stood still. It is as if she is still here, elegant and motherly, encouraging us to be strong and to always do what is right! Sheila Valerie Agnes Holder was a woman who exemplified the word ‘stalwart’. A hundred adjectives still describe her, and to hear them all, you should go to the Centre for Change in Kitty on Wednesday 27 November for our ‘Night of Reflection’ on our dearly departed Sister and AFC Founder.

Sunday November 24, 2019

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Kaieteur News

My column

Some villages have lost their way

T

here was a time when villages were homogenous units.

I was born in Beterverwagting and spent my early years at Den Amstel on the west side.

When I left school, I went to Bartica. Bartica is now a town, but back then, it was a village situated some forty miles up the Essequibo River.

These were all villages.

They shared a common feature. Most of the people who lived there were related, so it was a case of everyone looking after each other. The common belief was that family must look after family.

This was generally the case in almost all the villages.

People were expected to marry within the village, and this was often the case. Rebels like me looked outside the village for a wife.

This was not taken too nice by the people of Beterverwagting. I commonly hear whether the girls in the village were not good enough for me.

The truth was that I was not good enough for the girls who themselves were looking outside the village. The children knew Auntie This and Uncle That. There was always Mama or Granny. The elders kept a close eye on the children, so that anyone who did something outside the norm was easily reported.

There was no talk of child abuse. Any elder could discipline a child and in cases where some parents were angry they had to hold their piece, for fear of incurring the wrath of the village. No child died and none went to the hospital after being disciplined by an elder.

These thoughts came flooding back last week when I heard the story of two warring gangs in Agricola. They lived within metres of each other. One was said to exist in First Street and the other in Third Street.

In Beterverwagting, there was front side and back dam

side. There were competitions, but at sports. The two sides clashed regularly at cricket and football. When they left the village, they were unified. They went to parties in Buxton and Plaisance as a unified unit.

If for some reason there was a problem, they battled together. And there were problems, because the visiting boys always felt that they could take the girls from the other village.

Young people did not have the time to fight each other. There were no gangs in any of the villages in which I lived. The competitions were left on the field of play.

It is true that these villages never got caught up in the post-2002 jailbreak, so they were untouched, largely, by the violence that gripped the country. Agricola was not so lucky. It spawned its own ‘bad boys’ who gravitated to the centre of the violence.

Many killed and many died violently. Buxton is calm, but Agricola seems bent on continuing the violent trend, so it has gangs. I recall hearing about the Hot Skull gang.

The police also heard of them and their rituals that left some people dead.

So there was this clash between some people from First Street and Third Street.

The story goes that some people from First Street confronted a young man from Third Street, even as he stood in the presence of his mother.

They took him back to First Street and beat him after tying him up. I have no idea what he did, but I learnt that he was no peach. Some said that he fetched news from his ‘neck of the woods’ to the other side, whatever that means.

Then came the confusion.

The beaten man’s mother told an interesting story. She said that she was unaware that her son had any problem with anyone. That may very well be the case, except that I can-

not see that happening in a village in which a man is known to be violent.

One story went that this man held up a vendor at gunpoint and invited his friends to take whatever they wanted.

It is said that this matter never reached the police.

The beaten man’s mother then reported to the media that her son had died. Try as it might to confirm the woman’s statement, one newspaper took the mother at her word and reported that the man had died.

This was not the case, and some people from the village were not about mincing their words. They openly said that the mother had lied and that the report could spawn a gang war.

Agricola was one village in which the police set up organisations to help young people. There was the Cops and Faith network. These organisations seem not to be working.

In the end, it all boils down to the education system and parental supervision. Many of the young men can barely read or write, so their ability to reason is sadly lacking. At the same time, they do not have law-abiding role models.

I shudder to think what the offspring of these gang members would become. I also pity the mothers, because for the greater part they were left to raise their sons on their own. And there is little or no support from the village as there used to be in the past.

One report stated that the police, during a raid, found handguns somewhere in the village. Guns, especially the illegal ones, are ubiquitous. It seems that anyone with a need can procure one.

I see the crime reports and often I see perpetrators being a resident in Agricola. This should not be. It cannot be that there are no jobs. People have said to me that they simply cannot find workers, try

as they might.

Indeed, many of the young men from that village have gone into the interior to seek their fortunes. It may be a case of seeking quick money. After all, gold fetches a good price, but there is only so much gold at a time.

A job on a minibus, another easy source of earning, is not as readily available. I

wonder what has happened to those young men of yesteryear who, on failing to be academics gravitated to trade.

Agricola was once a village that churned out furniture.

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

Adam Harris

PAGE 30

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

A time for action “We are a movement to establish an equitable society, in a stable political environment with a prosperous economy. We are a movement, most of all, to secure the future of our youth and our children.”- HE David

Granger We are in an election season and A Partnership for National Unity – APNU - will continue to fight for the people of this country. It is evident, that the Peoples Pro-

gressive Party (PPP) wants to take us back to the dark days of one-party rule, poor governance, corruption and nepotism. However, the advent of coalition politics has shown the people of Guyana that shared governance is the

way of the future.

Evidence has shown that the race-based politics and policies of the past was a roadblock to social cohesion and making Guyana ‘One Nation.’

Guyana, with all of its resources would not reach its true potential and embrace modernity if the old ways of doing business was allowed to continue.

This partnership (APNU) and the 2015 general and regional elections gave the nation a chance to hit the reset button, and the leaders a new pallet on which to promote policies and programs designed to advance the interest of all the people of Guyana.

The present political climate creates an opportunity for cooperation and consultation, but unfortunately the current leadership of the PPP is not interested. The question must be asked; why is the PPP bent on confrontation and collision rather than cooperation and cohesion?

Fortunately for Guyana, APNU+AFC have always advocated for inclusionary democracy. The parties that make up the coalition are determined and will continue to advocate for inclusionary democracy. We owe it to future generations that the politics of the past remain in the past.

We still believe that our task is to transform disunited parties into a government of national unity. In short, APNU+AFC has embraced change.

The PPP ruled Guyana for more than two decades and during that time they proved that they were incapable of governing in the interest of all the people. The PPP in government was a prime example of why ‘one-party’ government is wrong for Guyana.

During its 23 years in office, the PPP Government established an unenviable record of criminality, corruption, human rights abuse, abuse of power, obstruction of justice and incompetence.

Lest we forget, just four short years ago in 2015, APNU and the AFC came together because Guyana was at a breaking point. Guyanese

were tired and fatigued after more than two decades of a failed PPP government. The PPP had dragged our nation to the pit of the human development index. The record numbers of arson, armed robbery, murders, suicides, road fatalities, illiteracy, unemployment, trafficking in persons, and trafficking in narcotics had made Guyana a pariah state in this hemisphere. The PPP worse still, had divided our nation through its politics.

Thankfully, most Guyanese are committed to working towards a unified Guyana. Thankfully, the APNU+AFC coalition has been making every effort and is committed to working towards a unified Guyana. The Coalition has worked assiduously to ensure that Guyanese have a better understanding and appreciation of each other, so as to forge consensus and ultimately; a united and developed Guyana. In 2015, the coalition made several promises to the nation and has kept and continues to keep those promises.

The evidence is there for all to see, that the coalition APNU+AFC over the last four years has governed in the national interest. The coalition is the face of the future.

Our common commitment is to give all Guyanese a ‘good life’ and we encourage members and supporters of the PPP to join us as compatriots as we work together to ensure that our children enjoy a great future.

APNU+AFC after just over four years in office has turned the ship of state around. The coalition has put an end to cronyism in high places that was draining our financial resources. We established a Procurement Commission. We have started to arrest the crime that was bleeding the bodies of our women and youth and scaring away investors; we have begun to clean up the corruption in our law-enforcement and regulatory agencies; we have cleaned up and restored our capital city, kept the nation safe and public and as a

result, investor confidence has been restored.

We must now fan-out in our communities, roll up our sleeves and get to work. This is no time for hand-wringing and what-ifs, this is a time for action. The APNU+AFC coalition is the best organised and largest mass-based political formation in Guyana.

We must use our reach and mobilize our resources. The people of Guyana are with us.

They have seen what we have accomplished in just four short years. We must not let the PPP distort the narrative of a good life, with empty platitudes and dishonest promises.

In 2015, the Guyanese people at general and regional elections expressed a vote of no-confidence in the PPP. Since that time the PPP has engaged in a strategy of noncooperation and outright sabotage of the APNU+AFC government. The reason for this course of action by the PPP, led by its maximum leader and sole spokesperson is simple. The PPP is trapped in the politics of the past.

The PPP still believes in ‘one-party’ government, even though over four decades of that style of governance shows that it is the wrong model for Guyana.

The PPP still believes in the ‘winner -takes-all’ political culture, even though the evidence shows that culture is dangerously dysfunctional and harmful to our national development. Also, the PPP wants to get control of the petroleum dollars. We cannot allow that to happen.

In his address to the 19th Biennial Congress of the Peoples National Congress Reform; President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency David Granger said that the mission… was to enable all Guyanese to enjoy ‘a good life’ which they deserve as citizens of an independent state. He said, “The PNCR and its coalition partners in government…. face several challenges. Thankfully, we are better together than asunder.”

He said that the PNCR together with its partners will lead by example. “Our parties won the support of the majority of the population.

We have a duty to fulfil our mandate to preserve Guyana as the land of beautiful people and bountiful resources.”

It is now a time for action.

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

Sunday November 24, 2019

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Kaieteur News

Physiotherapy: The healthy alternative to pain and disability management

By Dr Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine Sometimes, using medication is not the real answer to persons affected by disability or pain. It is often difficult to convince patients that their condition will benefit from physiotherapy and not medication. Today I will highlight the importance of physiotherapy and help you understand that using medication is not always the answer.

WHAT IS PHYSIOTHERAPY? Physiotherapy helps to restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability.

It can also help to reduce your risk of injury or illness in the future. It takes a holistic approach that tends to involve the patient directly in their own care. It is performed by trained professionals called physiotherapists who will help improve injuries, illnesses or disabilities with specialized exercises and procedures.

WHEN IS PHYSIOTHERAPY USED? Physiotherapy can be helpful for people of all ages with a wide range of health conditions, including problems affecting the: · Bones, joints and soft

tissue such as back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain and sports injuries · Brain or nervous system such as movement problems resulting from a stroke, multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s disease · Heart and circulation such as rehabilitation after a heart attack · lungs and breathing such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cystic fibrosis · Physiotherapy can improve your physical activity while helping you to prevent further injuries.

WHOARE PHYSIOTHERAPISTS? Physiotherapy is provided by specially trained and regulated practitioners called physiotherapists. Physiotherapists often work as part of a multidisciplinary team in various areas of medicine and settings, including: · Hospitals · Health centres or clinics · Post-surgery units · Some sports teams, clubs, charities and workplaces

· Some physiotherapists can also offer home visits.

They consider the body as a whole, rather than just focusing on the individual aspects of an injury or illness.

WHAT TYPE OF TECHNIQUES DO PHYSIOTHERAPISTS USE? Physiotherapists use different approaches to help you condition. It may involve one or more of the following: · Education and advice physiotherapists can give general advice about things that can affect your daily lives, such as posture and correct lifting or carrying techniques to help prevent injuries · Movement, tailored exercise and physical activity advice exercises may be recommended to improve your general health and mobility, and to strengthen specific parts of your body · Manual therapy where the physiotherapist uses their hands to help relieve pain and stiffness, and to encourage better movement of the body · There are other techniques that may sometimes be

used, such as exercises carried out in water (hydrotherapy or aquatic therapy) or acupuncture.

WHATARE THE BENEFITS OF PHYSIOTHERAPY? Depending on the reason for treatment, the benefits of physical therapy include: · Pain management with reduced need for opioids · Avoiding surgery · Improved mobility and movement

· Recovery from injury or trauma · Recovery from stroke or paralysis · Fall prevention · Improved balance · Management of age-related medical problems A sports therapist can help an athlete to maximize their performance through strengthening specific parts of the body and using muscles in new ways.

If you, or someone you know, is suffering from unresolved

Dr Zulfikar Bux pains or disability, ask your doctor if physiotherapy may be right for you.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

SUNDAY RUSAL COSTS GUYANA US$100 MILLION IN DUTYFREE‘FUEL ALONE’…INVESTIGATIONS UNDERWAY INTO RESALE OFA 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.

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.

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.

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

DEFIANT EXXONMOBIL GIVES OUTANOTHER CONTRACT DESPITE GOVT. PUTS FIELD PLAN ON HOLD Guyana’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 multimillion-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 hold, in order to hire a third party to vet the proposal.

Guyana decided to hire somebody to tell the country, if the plan submitted by

ExxonMobil, is in keeping with the best interests of the country and not necessarily the company.

Dr. Bynoe in qualifying the DoE’s position, pointed to the initial reviews for the Liza-1 and Liza-2 oil fields where Guyana effectively did not have a say and the “lessons learnt.”

A defiant Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Ltd. (EEPGL)— ExxonMobil’s Guyana subsidiary—this past week however, gave Italian-based Saipem, a multi-million US dollar contract, for the subsea systems, for the still to be approved Liza Prosperity.

That Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel is proposed for the Payara project in the Stabroek block offshore Guyana.

This latest contract to be handed out by ExxonMobil Guyana—for the still to be approved oil field—is in addition to a recent Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) contract given to SBM Offshore for Liza Prosperity.

SBM Offshore is the company that constructed and supplied the first FPSO—Liza Destiny and is currently also building the second—Liza Unity.

The contract handed to Saipem, comes in the absence of an approved formal Field Investment Decision (FID), in addition to DoE’s sanctioning of the submitted Field Development Plan (FDP).

SCORES OF VENEZUELAN REFUGEES FORCED TO SETTLE ALONG E.B.D. RIVER DAM Many Venezuelan migrant families have begun squatting along East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The migrant community stretches from behind Time

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 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 household purposes.

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

Publisher of Kaieteur News, Glenn Lall, said that he recognises the importance of rendering assistance to these migrants who are deeply in need.

The publisher said if the Government does not have sufficient funds to a s s i s t t h e Ve n e z u e l a n m i g r a nts, 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.

DUTCH FIRM MAKING GUYANA’S OIL VESSELS HAS HISTORY OF BRIBING OFFICIALS TO WIN CONTRACTS The Liza Destiny is Guyana’s first Floating 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 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 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 anticorruption 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.

MONDAY MAKE RING-FENCINGA CONDITION FOR RENEWALOFALL PETROLEUM LICENCES – CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT, CHRIS RAM Come October 2020, ExxonMobil’s licence for the Stabroek Block will be up for renewal. And when that time arrives, Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram emphatically states that the renewal should be granted on the condition that ring-fencing provisions must be in place for the Stabroek Block contract.

In the absence of ringfencing provisions, ExxonMobil can deduct for example, the costs associated with unsuccessful wells from profit making fields like the Liza Phase One and Phase Two projects.

It is upon this premise that Ram underscored the (Continued on page 33)

Sunday November 24, 2019

From page 32 importance of putting this condition in place. In fact, the auditor states that this should be done across the board for all licensed holders.

The Chartered Accountant said, “Every time there is a renewal or an application for such a licence, there is an opportunity for the Minister to set conditions. It is particularly important that he does so where a vast number of blocks are granted since otherwise, the resources of Guyana and our share of oil profit, are compromised.”

During discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) earlier this year, the government raised concerns about the disturbing absence of ringfencing provisions in the Guyana-ExxonMobil deal.

The IMF in a statement from the meeting with the government said, “The authorities have indicated their concerns that the absence of a ring-fencing arrangement in the Stabroek Production Sharing Agreement could potentially affect the projected flow of government oil revenues.

The institution added, “The rapid appraisal and development of multiple oil fields could also affect the timing and amount of profit oil to be shared with the government from a producing oil field by allocating costs from various fields under development to the

producing field.”

The IMF noted that the authorities are developing strategies to mitigate such a possibility. It said that this includes a national oil depletion policy to guide extraction and production and clearer ring-fencing rules for new investments.

3RD PAYARA FIELD DEVELOPMENT PLAN… CANADIANS INK US$$$M PACT FOR WORKS STILL TO BE APPROVED

BY GUYANA –AGREEMENTALLOWS FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS EVEN BEFORE GOVT. APPROVES The development of a third oil field in the Stabroek Block, has for all intents and purposes been put on hold by the Guyana Government through its Department of Energy (DoE).

But this has not stopped the operators from conducting yet another deal, with a multi million US dollar pact being inked.

Canadian-based Shawcor Ltd, at the end of last week, announced that its pipe-coating division has entered into a detailed Letter of Intent (LoI) with Saipem for works on the proposed Payara development project, in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.

Saipem was earlier in the week handed the contract for the subsea systems for

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the Liza Prosperity— Guyana’s third Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, meant to be delivered to the oil-field.

The DoE is yet to approve Field Development Plans for the Payara project but this has not stopped ExxonMobil Guyana from inking a Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) Contract for that FPSO. It also handed Saipem the contract for the subsea systems with the directive of designing and procuring ahead of any government permits.

The company as such went ahead and signed the LoI for a contract phase estimated to be similar to the individual phases of the Liza development that has already been awarded.

The company noted that as previously announced, the combined coating value of Liza phase 1 and phase 2 was approximated at Cdn$110 million.

It was also noted that subject to the Guyana government approvals, and project sanction in the form of a formal Investment Decision by ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited and its partners, “Shawcor will provide thermal insulation and anticorrosion coating services from its Veracruz,

Mexico facility.”

It was noted however, that before the necessary government approvals and project sanction, “the definitive contract is expected to allow a limited release of funds to enable procurement activities.”

Saipem previously awarded Shawcor coating contracts for the first two phases of the Liza development in Guyana in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Coating work under the Liza 2 project is currently in progress at Shawcor’s Channelview, Texas and Veracruz, Mexico facilities and is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2020.

Shawcor Ltd. is said to be a global energy services company specialising in products and services for the pipeline and pipe services segment of the oil and gas industry and related products for the petrochemical and industrial market.

TUESDAY GUYANATO REPAY ITS SINGLE LARGEST DEBT IN HISTORY ($10B) IN TWO YEARS…AS HESS BRAGS ON FINANCIAL RETURNS FROM STABROEK BLOCK POST-2022 The operators of the Stabroek block offshore

Guyana are looking to collect in excess of $10B from Guyana in the course of two years, in order to pay off for the Liza 1 and 2 field Developments, including the cost of two Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels.

This, in order to see a healthy return on its cash flows, as confirmed by 30 per cent stakeholder in the Stabroek Block, Hess Corporation.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) John Hess confirmed this during the recently concluded 2019 Global Energy Conference that was held in Miami, Florida.

Hess was at the time speaking to any changes in the company’s proposed investments in the coming years.

He told the confab any upward revision to the projected Capital Expenditure for Hess Corporation would be had from 2022, at which point in time the company is looking to begin seeing positive returns on investment in Guyana.

According to Hess, once the second ship comes on in 2022 and in G u y a na, Hess will be producing over 100,000 barrels a day which will recoup “all our cost from first ship and second ship” He told investors that the company is looking at 2022 and beyond as the time when the company will be

generating significant free cash flow.

A LESSON FOR GUYANA… TRINIDAD HAS BECOME A CAPTIVE STATE, COMPANIES DO WHAT THEY WANTAND GET AWAY WITH IT – LOCAL CONTENT EXPERT, ANTHONY PAUL Despite their flashy promises, oil companies in Trinidad and Tobago have not been fully committed to developing local industries.

Not only have they ignored the requirement for the participation of nationals, but they used several mechanisms to avoid the payment of billions of dollars in taxes. This was the bleak picture Trinidad and Tobago’s Energy Minister; Franklin Khan painted to his countrymen and women at a forum titled “Spotlight in Energy.”

That was said in March 2018. But since then, things have only gone downhill, says Trinidadian Local Content Expert, Anthony Paul. During an interview on Kaieteur Radio’s Programme called, “Guyana’s Oil and You” Paul said that Trinidad’s Energy story is one that holds several lessons for Guyana.

According to Paul, Trinidad has become a captive state; a place where the oil companies do as they please and get away with in (Continued on page 41)

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Sunday November 24, 2019

COUNTRYMAN

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

'Sharing' Mt. Roraima's unique geology and allure

By Dennis Nichols

To whom does Mount Roraima belong?

When I was a child, we schoolchildren sang with unquestionable zeal, “Born in the land of the mighty Roraima …” It was ours! It came as a shock to later discover that we shared this 'national' icon with Venezuela and Brazil. And even later, the knowledge that our touted Pakaraimas were likewise communal, and our rainforest inseparable from the Amazon's.

N a t i o n s a n d governments claim, quarrel and fight over land as if they have made and shaped it.

Historically, people settled and developed unclaimed lands, and in doing so, made use of natural phenomena like rivers, lakes, and mountains; even oceans and deserts, to establish boundaries. It seemed the proper and practical thing to do. But since nature cares nothing for human deliberations, landforms in their own esteem remain the property and patrimony of Mother Earth.

G e o l o g i c a l l y, t h e Pakaraima Mountain Range, of which Roraima is a defining image, is said to be billions of years old, and forms a natural divide between the Amazon Basin and the Orinoco Valley to the north. Thus, despite the political divisions of countries and nations, its prominence was as a South American landform.

Prior to the arrival of Columbus, land was more or less a shared heritage among t h e i n d i g e n o u s Mesoamerican peoples who populated the area many thousands of years ago. We,

Dennis Nichols

Mount Roraima (Photo credit: dailymail.co.uk)

in Guyana, also had our share, although our Lokono/Arawak and Carib populations were more likely than not latecomers to this region.

It is no surprise that South America's mighty Amazon and the Orinoco, one of its longer rivers, are inextricably interwoven with the headwaters of Guyana's Essequibo River, which is the largest between those two giants. We are rightly, and proudly, an integral part of Amazonia.

These river basins collectively drain almost 7,000,000 square kilometres of the continent, covering thousands of smaller interlinked rivers, lakes, creeks, streams, and several ecosystems. The Pakaraimas and Mount Roraima are included in this huge tropical rainforest biome, as evidenced by the region's unique and unmistakable flora and fauna. ( I n c i d e n t a l l y, B r a z i l ' s national animal, like Guyana's, is the jaguar) As borders are established, political

boundaries often follow physical ones. They are generally respected by consensus, treaties, international agreements, and the like. Roraima is one such physical division, and despite Venezuela's claim to Essequibo, it is still the enduring tripoint marker for three nations, although most of it lies in that country's Canaima National Park.

The rest of this article concerns Roraima's majesty and mystery. And if any bias creeps in, as Guyanese you'll understand why.

There are mountains, and there are mountains. Mt. Everest has its superlatives like other iconic peaks, from Africa's Kilimanjaro to Japan's Fuji and Greece's Olympus. Jagged, towering snow-covered peaks like the Matterhorn have their distinctive allure, and volcanic domes, like Kilauea, bespeak nature's awe. But there is one that in its ancient, primordial grandeur, surpasses the rest, in my opinion of course.

Roraima is a massive, table-top monolith,

primarily sandstone; a tepui, in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who live in Venezuela's Gran Sabana where a section of it is located. Approximately nine miles in length, it is over 9000 ft. high, with its summit covering some 12 square miles. Falling away from its rugged summit are sheer vertical cliffs up to 1300 metres high, down which several waterfalls plunge.

Part of the Guiana Shield, Roraima is one of the oldest mountains on Earth, with geologists estimating its age at about two billion years. (At just 60 million years, Everest is a toddler by comparison.) Roraima also stands out as the highest mountain in the Pakaraima chain which stretches some 400 miles east to west, occupying regions in northern Brazil and eastern Venezuela. Its greatest mass however, is in Guyana.

Myth and mystery surround Roraima. From the days of Sir Walter Raleigh searching for fabled El Dorado, prospective explorers and curious visitors have heard it referred to as 'house of the gods' particularly the great spirit Makonaima. Many folk tales told about the area and its inhabitants – Kaieteur Falls, the Akawaio, Macushi, Patamona, and Carib peoples – are inseparable from the legends of Roraima and Makonaima.

Roraima's mystique is compounded by its resemblance to, of all things, an island. The similarity is not that far-fetched, as in photographs taken from a certain angle, it looks like

nothing more, or less, than an island floating surreally on a sea of clouds.

In indigenous folklore, it is said to be the stump of a great tree that once bore all fruits and crops. After it was felled, according to legend, a great flood was unleashed, no doubt the mythical origin of the torrential waters that flow from its summit in cascading waterfalls due to the perennial rainfall there.

Some indigenous people perceive the summit as being off limit to humans, and still view it with awe-inspired r e v e r e n c e . H o w e v e r, Roraima has been scaled several times; the first, according to historical records, by Sir Everard im Thurn, a former British Guiana Museum Curator and Stipendary Magistrate, who did so in 1884.

According to one source, some researchers suggest Roraima may not be a mountain at all, but an artificial formation. Others claim that the mountain and surrounding areas have experienced an unusual number of UFO sightings, while a few persons who actually scaled it, reported strange sensations including altered states of consciousness, feelings of reverie, eroticism, and bizarre dreams. Its mysticism has been compared to Stonehenge and the Bermuda triangle.

It has even been portrayed as a 'lost world' a la Jurassic Park, and is believed to have inspired the setting in the fictional novel of the same name by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, where prehistoric creatures survived on a remote flattopped mountain.

Roraima's reality may, however, be less mystical than some imagine, but still strikingly primordial. Being long isolated from human intrusion, and practically insulated from below by its wreath of clouds, there is something breathtaking about its singularity. Its angular contours and surface, seemingly bereft of life and open to the elemental heavens, lend to it an aura of otherworldliness that is evident even from lifeless photographs.

But naturalists and scientists who have visited Roraima and other tepuis, describe each as a 'biodiversity hotspot' due to the large number of species occurring there, many of which are new to science and said to be unique to the Pakaraimas. Roraima's flora and fauna include pitcher plants, (Heliamphora) bellflowers, (Campanula) the Rapatea Heather, and the R o r a i m a B u s h To a d .

(Oreophrynella quelchii) Mount Roraima and the Pakaraimas are indeed ours, b u t a l s o Ve n e z u e l a ' s , Brazil's, and the world's.

They were bequeathed to us

by Providence, and we humans divvied up the 'spoils' so to speak.

Nationalistic fervour has its place and time. Land ownership and management by government has practical merit, but as suggested earlier, nature cares little for man's presumption.

So, when again you hear, or sing the words, “Born in the land of the mighty Roraima” don't become too j i n g o i s t i c . R e m e m b e r, Venezuela and Brazil have as much right to that enigmatic monolith as we do, and their hearts are as proud as ours.

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

Sunday November 24, 2019

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Labour environment conducive to instability and disruption of social order The Coalition Government stands the risk of making labour its waterloo, if it does not urgently and meaningfully resolve the many issues on the industrial front, many of which have the potential to create instability.

We are operating in a labour environment that breathes opportunism politically and with the advent of oil is likely to only get worse if there is no serious attempt to communicate that a stable industrial environment is critical to harmonious relationship, production, productivity and development.

What is taking place today is making stronger the case why we need trade unions, for were they absent, conditions of work and the treatment of workers would put us back to an era the nation fought against and politically overcame. They are too many fires on the labour front. Some of what is happening creates the environment for provocateurs, opportunists and forces to exploit. There is a problem with local employers, namely GuySuCo, the public sector, teachers; and foreign-based businesses namely, Troy Resources and the Bauxite Company of Guyana I n c o r p o r a t e d (BCGI/RUSAL).

Where agencies of the state abrogate their responsibility to ensure a harmonious environment in the respective sectors, others are looking on and will take their cue. It is to a nation’s advantage to send a message to all businesses, particularly foreign-based ones who may have a different culture, that they are welcome to do business, but must comply with the laws and respect workers/citizens. The historical gains made by organised labour - this nation’s first mass based organisation - and upon which the two major political parties (PNC and PPP) have shaped their development agenda, cannot be overlooked or cast aside.

People apparently are not understanding what they are doing. In instances there may be deliberate action of saboteurs. There are too many square pegs in round holes. Industrial relations is a rules-based system and

discipline guided by international conventions, time-honoured principles, the Guyana Constitution and attendant Labour laws.

Every so often in the media, attention is being drawn to the disparity in treatment among the working class. This should not be escaping government’s attention, for it has potential to escalate ethnic tension and play to the gallery of political division.

Workers at GuySuCo are no less deserving of meaningful dialogue to address concerns to them. Likewise, it is for others. When it comes to foreign-based businesses, government should ensure that the management respect the same principle.

It is not by accident our laws and Collective Labour Agreements allow for conciliation and arbitration, for our industrial relations practices aim to achieve and maintain a stable and harmonious working environment.

The undermining of labour over the years and the empowering of foreign employers have resulted in us reaching the stage of gross eye-pass. They disrespect our laws and violate our sovereignty. They are dabbling in our politics.

BGCI for instance was allowed to violate our laws and trample the rights of workers with full compliance of the Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar administrations, a practice independent Guyana had never seen before. This government must break from it.

One wonders when these contracts were signed, were these people made to understand they must operate within the confines of the law. They are not only refusing to respect the workers’ right to a trade union of choice and collective bargaining, but they are refusing to meet with government officials, including ministers, when called upon. Some even reached the stage where they are making public declarations about our political climate.

After the recent industrial death of Ryan Taylor of Troy Resources, when the government moved to hold the company accountable for safety practices, one of the foreign

managers in a meeting with the workers had a mouthful to say. The gold miners reported they were told that the government is illegal and dictatorial, and that manager said he doesn’t know why the government doesn’t call the election and go.

Thereafter he rhetorically said, “what are they afraid of?” This is clearly a repeat

of the Opposition’s position.

It is also not lost on society that outside of sugar, the Opposition ignores the plight of other workers. This is not surprising, given their behaviour in government that led to the belief that workers perceived not to be supportive could not rely on the then administration for adequate representation.

This belief might have goaded then BCGI General Manager Ruslan Volokhov, who in 2011 wielded a spade in his hand and threatened to bash the heads and faces of bauxite workers, then bury them. It was an environment w h e r e Vo l o k h o v f e l t comfortable treating bauxite workers in a disrespectful manner, no doubt influenced

by the attitude and behaviour of the Jagdeo government at that time towards a section of the population, he felt empowered and safe.

In response to government’s expressing concern that Troy is laying off hundreds of workers, its Managing Director Ken Nilsson in an invited Continued on page 51

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Sunday November 24, 2019

Sunday November 24, 2019

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Sunday November 24, 2019

Sunday November 24, 2019

K O O

B

Book: I Am A Promise Author: Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce with Ashley Rousseau Illustration: Rachel Moss Critic: Glenville Ashby, PhD ‘I Am A Promise’ pivots to children, a fit no one should second-guess. The language is seemingly pedestrian, the illustrations starkly innocent; but for all its winsome appearance, there is wisdom, timeless and pressingly relevant today, more than ever.

Surely, there is depth in simplicity.

Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce’s work centres on existentialism, filial piety and the phenomenology of fate. Pryce, who earned her fame as an illustrious athlete before putting pen to paper, remains an influential voice for young men and women the world over.

Her material upbringing is one of poverty, abject poverty, but amid wrenching circumstances, there is love,

Kaieteur News

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A profound lesson in filial piety camaraderie and a binding communal spirit. Moreover, there is shared discernment, a knowing amongst these common folk that Pryce is gifted.

This gut feeling, this credulity transcends hope.

She is willed to success from without. A community rallies around her. This is the crux of filial piety embedded in Buddhist and Taoist ethics.

Therein is individual and collective responsibility, reverence for parents, the ancestors and the community - a nexus between individual and environment that is never broken. Pryce thrives on this collective responsibility. She lives the promise entrusted to her.

Her natural talent and indefatigable character seed an alchemical reaction tailored for success. Her H e r c u l e a n accomplishments are universally recognized.

Among her many accolades, she was awarded the IAAF World Female Athlete of the Year in 2013,

after becoming the first woman in history to be a t r i p l e Wo r l d S p r i n t champion, winning the 100m, 200m, and 4x100 m at the World Championships in Athletics.

“As tiny as I was,” she recalls, “I was also very fast and I loved to run...I ran to the shop, I ran like a rocket, I ran to be free, I ran everywhere because that was me.”

Her Grandmother pays attention: “Child, do you know that you are a promise?”

When probed, she responds, “Don’t worry, child, one day you will see.”

But circumstances could have posed a daunting challenge.

Pryce pens, “There were times when we went to bed hungry. My mother often wondered how she would manage to take care of us all.”

But amid burden, the promise never fades.

“Young lady, you have a great promise. We believe in you, we will help you,” is echoed by the community.

And her coach at one of

her big events follows suit, “You represent their promise of your country. Go and show the world what this promise is.”

Pryce ably responds.

“I readied myself for the start. I thought of all my family and friends who had said that I was a promise.”

She seized the moment.

The rest is history. Literally.

In 2008, Pryce received the prime minister’s Youth Award for Excellence in Sport, and in 2014, was conferred the title of Ambassador at Large for Jamaica.

P o e t Wi l l i a m Shakespeare once said these famous words: “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”

In the case of Pryce, greatness was seeded by Providence, nurtured by her environment and propelled by her sheer grit. A combination that knows no bounds.

(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.co m or follow him on Twitter@glenvilleashby I am a Promise by Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce with

Ashley Rousseau © 2020 Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce ISBN: 978-1-61775-764-8 Publisher: Akashic Books, Brooklyn, New York, USA Available in February 2020 at Amazon Ratings: Recommended

Kaieteur News

THE

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STORY WITHIN THE

By Leonard Gildarie

I

t is a known fact.

Over 80 percent of Guyana’s lands are forested. Largely intact.

Logging is not what accounts for the larger p o r t i o n o f o u r deforestation…rather, it is mining.

The ravages of what is clearly climate change is upon us. We can no longer bury our heads. We watched, in yet another year, as the spring tides became higher.

Within weeks, residents were hit again. The waves that crashed into our seawalls were beautifully terrifying, with owners of homes in certain areas not spared.

Leguan and Wakenaam, and especially the West Coast of Demerara, were

hard hit. So was Region 5.

I was up in Berbice recently and passed by the Mahaicony area. The backlands of areas around Fairfield and surrounding environs are telling a deeply worrying tale of how vulnerable Guyana is.

Weeks later, the water is still there.

We have so far been spared the ravages of earthquakes and hurricanes.

However, we do have a major problem which has been around for centuries…we are below sea level. Rising sea levels will only exacerbate the situation as the ice caps melt.

I could not help but think of that last week after seeing images of Venezuelans squatting on a river dam area between Grove and Diamond.

Following the story in Kaieteur News last Sunday, authorities rushed health and emergency teams to the area.

On a normal day, on the river dam, the mosquitoes are intolerable.

T h e Ve n e z u e l a n s

Sunday November 24, 2019

READY OR NOT, HERE IT COMES migrants, desperate for somewhere to stay, and quite a few without papers, built rickety homes, with plastic and pieces of discarded wood.

There is no running water or toilets. The absence of electricity is a major issue.

In one shack, a dozen persons lived. There are children there too. It is a sight of desperation. The daily tides wash under the homes.

It is an unacceptable situation that spells danger and poses immediate health risks.

The squatting started quietly in the last few months, with villagers knowing but authorities clueless.

It was estimated that between Grove and Diamond alone about 300 persons were living in horrendous conditions.

Government has taken a decision to relocate them.

As we speak, scores of oil companies are here. They are vying for a piece of the action called Guyana.

Guyana is hoping for significant benefits from oil and gas.

What is certain is that we have money coming from an area that did not exist before.

I raise all the above to highlight one significant point that we spoke about before and would want to remind the powers that be.

We have money right now that we can cater for.

Yes, whatever we want to call it…the value for our forests in the light of climate change has gone up. In fact, the whole world understands this. Haiti knows this.

Antigua and Barbuda knows. So does The Bahamas. They are still reeling from hurricanes.

Recently, we watched in horror as the picturesque Venice, in Europe, went under water from high tides.

Those were unbelievable sights.

Do we still need more proof of climate change; that something is happening?

Earlier this year, too, we watched in anger as miles of Brazilian forests burned.

While the fires were believed to be largely manmade, the deep worry by developed countries which understood all too clearly the value of the Amazon forests, of which Guyana is part, was immediately evident.

France reminded that the Amazon rainforest is the lungs of the world.

Our 2009 deal with Norway to reduce deforestation and protect the trees was a test.

We hold a commodity that demands payment. The Amazon should be revered.

The people have to understand it is like oil. The countries around the world have to understand we need resources to keep the trees intact. This is not blackmail.

It is rendering a service.

There is a premium on it.

Yes, US$250M for five years will not work. We have to get the World Bank and other like-minded institutions to bring the pressure. The United Nations in New York, C A R I C O M , t h e Organisation of American

Leonard Gildarie States, UNASUR and other bodies all have to play a role to apply the pressure.

As a country, we have to understand this. The talks about what we have to move beyond. We have to take it to another level quickly and demand more.

We have something to offer and there must be payments. Our people deserve that.

It will help in dealing with the challenges that Guyana will have to deal with increased migration, among other things. A little food for thought.

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

Sunday November 24, 2019

From page 33 the absence of consequences for those who do not institute the law.

Paul said, “To tell you the truth, I am saddened by the state of Trinidad. In fact, the Spotlight on Energy conference was called to bring tax avoidance by oil companies under the microscope. The Prime Minister and Ministers of Energy and Finance found that the companies were not paying their fair share of taxes and they were finding mechanisms to avoid it.”

The Energy Advisor added that the government even brought in international consultants to prove its case of tax avoidance by the companies.

But the most important point for Paul is why Trinidad even found itself in that position to begin with. In this regard, the Chatham House Advisor highlighted that there is legislation as well as a mechanism in place to prevent tax avoidance by oil companies. He noted that there is a special committee that is meant to oversee that tax collection, but it has not functioned for over 15 years.

Even on the issue of local content, which speaks to the use of indigenous goods, skills and services, Paul pointed out that there is a failure to implement robust policies and regulations.

Paul said, “The Minister (Franklin Khan) talks about local content (requirements not being adhered to by oil companies). But the truth is that we have strong local content regulations in place and if they were followed, we would have prevented that from happening. But the Ministries of Finance and Energy have not been implementing the legislation.”

He added, “So even though you want to put policy and legislation in place, if the regulator isn’t accountable, and there is no consequence for inaction,

then you are wasting time and the companies know that. I describe Trinidad as a captive state, the companies can do what they want and get away with it, because that was last year March. Things have only gone downhill since then.”

Considering the foregoing, Paul stressed that it is in Guyana’s interest to really examine the TT energy story from all angles, specifically as it relates to was done right, what did not work and why.

Providing more words of wisdom for Guyana, which is on the cusp of becoming a petro-state, Paul said it is essential for mechanisms to be put in place to ensure the process of decision making is transparent. He stressed that those making decisions must be held accountable while reiterating that there must be consequences for noncompliance with best practices.

TROY RESOURCES SACKS OVER 300 EMPLOYEES …UNION MULLS COURTACTION Troy Resources Guyana has taken a decision to terminate the employment of hundreds of Guyanese workers, weeks before the Christmas holidays, in keeping with a decision by the Board of Directors on Sunday last.

The move however, is being seen as a flagrant breach of Guyana’s Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, which speaks to payment of employees in lieu of notice and in dealings with unionized workers.

An internal memo was circulated Monday by the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ken Nilsson, in which it was stated Troy Resources was unable to secure financial support for its venture, and as such, the company would require more

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time for completion.

The decision was taken to sack the workers with the aim of rehiring workers at some point in the future.

Nilsson, in the aforementioned memo seen by this publication and addressed to employees said, “the return to profitability is paramount for the longer term success and as stated earlier, we need to have a clear path and positive economics to achieve our goal.

The company had been operating under labour rules that had allowed it to stand down workers for a six-week deadline which elapsed yesterday. As such, Nilsson indicated that since the time has expired “it has triggered some decisions on the way forward.”

He told workers, “the board has thus decided that all personnel currently stood down will be terminated from this week.”

It was indicated too that while the decision was taken reluctantly, the company is willing to assist employees by providing a termination payout.

According to Nilsson, “it is expected that Troy will go back to rehiring employees as needed for a start up in the near future.

Nilsson said too that those currently working will not be affected by the decision and that the company is looking to make its severance payout no later than Friday.

The Company, which boasted 512 employees with 21 expatriates and 86 contracted workers, has since decided to only retain 137.

Administrator of the People’s United and General Workers Union (PUGWU), Lincoln Lewis, on Monday evening confirmed that the

memo had indeed been sent

by Nilsson. He was adamant, however, that the move by Troy Resources is in breach of the Termination and Severance Pay Act. According to Lewis, the company by law is required to notify the union of its intention to lay off the workers and to provide that body with a list of those persons to be laid off.

He told Kaieteur News, this is in addition to certain other requirements to which the union has flagrantly breached.

Lewis said that he did not expect any amicable talks with the union given its history of employee and union relations, and that the union officials “are right now discussing the issue about this afternoon (internal memo) and taking legal action.”

SHERIFF ST/MANDELA AVE. PROJECT… IDB SUSPENDS PAYMENTS TO CHINESE CONTRACTOR – BADLY EXECUTED PROJECT POSED SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISKS – MINISTER PATTERSON Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, on Monday evening disclosed that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has stopped payments to the Chinese contractor for several infringements.

On Monday, the contractor, Sinohydro Corporation Limited, started laying off staffers, claiming that it has not been paid in three months. However, the minister indicated that the IDB was unhappy over several issues with the US$30M-plus project.

Residents and drivers alike have been blasting the company over the project.

The project is supposed to upgrade one of the most critical road links in the country – one that connects the East Bank to the East Coast.

Letters started surfacing where Sinohydro begun sending home their workers.

It said that the ministry has not paid them in the past three months.

A letter to a worker said that “as MPI has not paid our company for the construction of the project in recent last three months…our company has encountered several difficulties in production and operation, necessitating the workforce reduction…and suspend (sic) or terminate the construction contract with MPI”.

The company was awarded the US$31.03M Inter-American Bank (IDB) project for the Sheriff StreetMandela Avenue expansion in December 2017. Due to the host of major businesses located on the Sheriff Street thoroughfare, over time, the road could not complement the volume of traffic.

It was reported that the total distance of roadway to be constructed is seven kilometres and would involve road widening, reconstruction of failed sections and asphalt overlay.

The initial plan had also indicated that from that point, to the Mandela AvenueHunter Street junction, there were going to be provisions to cater for four lanes of traffic.

But in September of this year, the company was hauled before the Ministry and warned due to several infractions.

Government was also on

the verge of terminating the contract.

According to reports received, Kaieteur News was told then that construction was delayed due to the failure of the contractor to honour obligations.

There were several issues with the improper management of the project, when it came to traffic, environment and meeting deadlines.

Yesterday, Minister Patterson in a Facebook post said that his attention was drawn to a post in which the contractor which is executing the Sheriff/Mandela road expansion project, issued an employee a dismissal letter.

“The reason given for the termination was that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) has not paid them (the contractor) for the last three months. This road expansion contract is an IDB funded contract which is subject to performance audits by the bank. The IDB has suspended disbursement to the project because of the numerous serious health and safety infractions as well as traffic management failures by the contractor.”

Patterson disclosed that Sinohydro was warned on several occasions to rectify these issues but unfortunately, to date, the majority of failures identified have remained outstanding.

“I have been on record on several occasions raising the issue about this contractor’s performance, so the suspending of disbursements by the IDB does not come as a surprise.

MoPI has already commenced actions to address the defaulting issues, since some of these failures pose serious safety risks to (Continued on page 42)

PAGE 42

From page 41 the general public.” Patterson said that while the dismissal of any employee is regrettable, the contractor should not seek to blame any other entity for the clear disregard of contractual obligations.

WEDNESDAY EPA HAS TO RELY ON EXXONMOBIL TO ACCESS OFFSHORE OPERATIONS When first oil comes on stream, very few agencies will be in a position to properly regulate the sector. One key agency that will be woefully unprepared is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This stark reality came to the fore during a recent interview with EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams.

On Kaieteur Radio’s Programme called Guyana’s Oil and You, Dr. Adams admitted that the agency is facing difficulties with attracting the right human resources it needs.

It is left with no choice but to scour the overseas markets to get the complement of people needed to monitor the sector.

Compounding this issue is the fact that the EPA will not have its own transportation to conduct unexpected visits at offshore operations. Dr. Adams said that the EPA would have to rely on the contractors for this.

The EPA Head said, “I do believe that 24/7 oversight is necessary. It is very important and there is no question in my mind that when you have a government employee who oversees the operations daily, things are much better. That is where we want to go. But we are not there yet and so we are at a disadvantage…”

Dr. Adams added, “They are 90 to 100 miles in the ocean and we do not have the resources to go there much less to do real time monitoring.

We have to ask the contractor for transportation to go to that site. So those are some of the things we have to overcome.”

Even with the resource challenges he faces, the EPA Head said that he has some level of confidence that the operators will do all that is necessary to protect the environment as it is in their interest to prevent an oil spill from happening as well.

While the discussions have given him some level of trust that the operators are committed to safety and oil spill prevention, Dr. Adams said it is crucial for the EPA to get the funding it needs to build the agency into a first class regulator for the

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Kaieteur News

sector.

POLICE CONSTABLE, OTHERS REMANDED FOR MATTHEW’S RIDGE $18M GOLD HEIST One week after the police apprehended four men suspected to be involved in an armed robbery at a hinterland airstrip, the suspects have since been jointly charged. On Tuesday they appeared before the court and were remanded to prison.

Charged are Basdeo Francis, 37, businessman, of Skull Mountain, Arakaka, Region One; Kurt Nedd, 27, police constable of 1597 18th Street, Diamond, East Bank Demerara; Ramesh Singh, 45, a truck driver, of Port Kaituma; and Leon Campbell, 26, a gold miner of Port Kaituma.

The four defendants appeared before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The charge alleged that on November 11, 2019, at Matthew’s Ridge, North West District, while being armed with a dangerous weapon, a gun, they robbed Jose DeCosta of $95,000, cash and a quantity of gold amounting to $18M, property of Deonarine Sooklall.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

After listening to the facts of the charge and what the attorneys had to say, Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty remanded the defendants to prison. The matter was adjourned to November 26, and transferred to Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

US EXTRADITES MARCUS BISRAM TO FACE MURDER CHARGE More than two months after US-based Guyana-born businessman, Marcus Bisram, lost his extradition appeal, will soon be on his way home.

Bisram was released by prison authorities in the US on Monday, according to official records.

It has been a long haul for Bisram.

He has been in custody since July 2017.

Since then, he has asked the New York courts to set him free on grounds that there is no extradition treaty between the US and Guyana.

However, lawyers for the US government successfully argued that a longstanding agreement between the US and Britain which had ruled Guyana up to the 60s, still holds.

Since then, Bisram has been attempting a number of legal

maneuvers to escape extradition to Guyana.

In September, according to the summary order of the US Court of Appeals, it had considered all of Bisram’s remaining arguments and found them to be without merit.

“Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court.”

In January, in an ongoing saga, a New York court allowed an extradition appeal by Bisram.

According to court documents of January 24, the US Court of Appeals ordered that the extradition be stayed during the appeal.

The Clerk of Court was directed to place the appeal on the expedited calendar.

Bisram was in the custody of US authorities, after being arrested on July 2017 based on a request of the Guyana government.

He is being accused of ordering a hit on a Berbice carpenter, Faiyaz Narinedatt, a guest at a party he hosted back in late 2016.

Narinedatt was alleged to have been beaten by several men, at the behest of Bisram.

US VOLUNTEER KILLED IN CAIMANATTACK What started as refreshing dip in the cool Berbice River ended in a horror show when a US citizen met his unfortunate demise on Sunday.

Dead is 59-year-old Carlos Santana, a volunteer with the Kimbia Adventist Academy, located at Kimbia, a small community located in the Upper Berbice River.

Another volunteer at the academy, David Gates, told Kaieteur News what transpired.

According to him, Carlos Santana and a 10-year-old boy were at the river front, near the Kimbia Primary School stelling when the former decided to take a dip in the water.

Gates, who was on the other side of river, observed a commotion where Santana was swimming and rushed over to see what was amiss.

“At first I thought they were joking but after a while, it didn’t seem like a joke”.

When he arrived, he was met with the frantic 10-yearold who told him that Santana was bitten by a Caiman and dragged under water.

“The child was scared and kept screaming ‘alligator bite him and pulled him under the water.’”

According to Gates, Santana tried wrestling with the animal but to no avail. He stated that the residents from the community came out and scoured the area for Santana’s body.

Thirty minutes later, they were successful and retrieved his body from the river.

According to Gates, the caiman ripped Santana’s arm

to mere shreds. From images seen by Kaieteur News, the man’s face was also bitten.

THURSDAY ENERGYDEPT. URGES OIL COMPANIES TO ‘RESPECT OUR LAWS’ …SAYS BUSINESS STRATEGIES MUST BEALIGNED WITH GUYANA’S DEVELOPMENTAGENDA Oil and Gas Industry captains were presented with an unambiguous message yesterday by Guyana’s Director of the Department of Energy (DoE), Dr. Mark Bynoe, at the opening ceremony of the 2019 Guyana International Petroleum Exhibition (GIPEX 2019) at the Marriott Hotel, Kingston.

Addressing the hundreds of delegates and other participants, Dr. Bynoe emphasised that while the DoE remains committed to promoting business and investments in the sector, the strategies and policies of these businesses must be aligned with the country’s national development and respect its laws.

According to Dr. Bynoe, “our peoples remain our most treasured resource. It is within this context therefore, that the Department remains

committed to promoting businesses that are aligned with our national development strategy and aspirations, are of a strategic nature, and respect our laws.”

“Our goal is for ‘no regrets’ investments. As a Department, we seek to encourage increased local content and job opportunities that will allow our people to participate fully and access good quality jobs. We seek for partnerships and not just associations of convenience.

We seek for development in consonance with our rich biodiversity and supporting pillars of our economy. In short, we are welcoming, but also determined in where we as a country want to go.”

Dr. Bynoe was adamant that while the country is looking to extend a hand of friendship while simultaneously seeking likeminded partners, it is cognizant that “for the first time, Guyana has an opportunity for true selfdetermination.”

GIPEX 2019 UNDERWAY – LOCAL PRIVATE SECTOR LARGELY UNREPRESENTED On Wednesday, Guyana played host to the second annual International Petroleum Business Summit

and Exhibition (GIPEX 2019) at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, which saw in attendance executives from key oil companies operating in the country, along with potential new investors.

Conspicuously unrepresented, however, were the local private sector and other native businesses looking to participate in Guyana’s emerging oil and gas industry.

Billed with the theme ‘Gateway to a Golden Future’ with some 600 delegates and 200 companies represented, GIPEX 2019 instead boasted an overwhelming array of foreign-based oil and gas companies, interest groups and service businesses.

While some local standouts such as, Komal Samaroo, head of Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL)— which has partnered with a Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) firm to build a shore base— were among the attendees, even the private sector representatives billed to speak were not in attendance.

The opening ceremony did see participation from Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and former Vice President Carl Greenidge, who were among the senior government officials, along with members of the (Continued on page 43)

Sunday November 24, 2019

From page 42 Diplomatic Corps and largely overseas delegates.

President David Granger, who was also listed to give remarks, did so via a video presentation. He was at the time of the opening, at the Ministry of the Presidency, where Kenya’s High Commissioner to Guyana was being accredited.

President of the Georgetown Chambers of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Nicholas DeygooBoyer, was listed and even slated to deliver introductory remarks to the opening ceremony. He too was a no show.

When contacted by this publication, Deygoo-Boyer related that he was never informed that he was to speak at the event.

According to DeygooBoyer, it was only after he was introduced and did not show up at the podium that he began receiving telephone calls enquiring.

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) was also allocated a slot to speak at the opening ceremony, but Chairman, Captain Gerald Gouveia, was also not present. Kaieteur News later learnt that the PSC chairman was not even in the jurisdiction.

An impromptu joint statement subsequently issued, said “representatives of the lead private sector groups were unable to deliver remarks at the opening of GIPEX due to a miscommunication on the part of the event’s organizing committee.”

ARMYACQUIRES 5 HIGH-TECH DRONES FOR $180M The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is set to benefit from five high-tech, long endurance drones to the tune of $180M, which will significantly enhance the security of the country’s borders, maritime space and coastland.

Minister of State, Mrs. Dawn Hastings-Williams, on Wednesday afternoon, attended a demonstration exercise of one of the drones, at the GDF’s Base Camp Ayanganna Headquarters, to get a first-hand look at it, and to learn about its capabilities.

The Minister was accompanied by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan and Attorney General and Minister of L e g a l A ff a i r s , B a s i l Williams, according to the Ministry of the Presidency.

The drones were catered for in the 2019 National Budget and would be funded through the $14 billion allocation to the GDF.

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Kaieteur News

FRIDAY THREE YEARS AFTER MURDER OF CARPENTER… EXTRADITED BUSINESSMAN, MARCUS BISRAM, REMANDED TO CAMP STREET PRISON Under tight security, extradited US-based businessman, Marcus Brian Bisram, was on Thursday escorted into the Whim Magistrates’ Court, to face charges of procuring five individuals to murder taxi driver, Faiyaz Narinedatt, three years ago.

Decked out in a navy-blue suit and tie, the handcuffed Bisram made his way to the courtroom smiling and waving to his relatives. He then stood in the docks before Magistrate Renita Singh and special prosecutrix Attorneyat-law Stacy Goodings.

The charge read to Bisram stated that between October 31 and November 1, 2016 at Number 70 Village, he counselled, procured and commanded Orlando Dickie, called “Rasta man”; Radish Motie, called “Laloo”; Deodat Datt, called “Bruckhand”’ Harripaul Parsram, called “Lloydy”; and Niran Yacoob, called “Ervil”; to murder Faiyaz Narinedatt.

He was not required to plead to the indictable charge and bail was refused.

January 6, 2020 was then set for Bisram’s return to court.

However, this date was changed to December 2, next, after Bisram’s counsel, Sanjeev Datadin, raised concerns about the length of time it would take for his client to return to court.

The accused was subsequently remanded to the Camp Street Prison.

APNU, AFC TO CONTEST ELECTIONS TOGETHER A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) on Thursday struck a deal for the revision of the Cummingsburg Accord, and will be heading into the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections as a coalition.

The public was notified of this after a meeting at the Ministry of the Presidency, with President David Granger.

The two parties’ Chief Negotiators, Volda Lawrence and David Patterson, were observed leaving the compound Thursday afternoon, alongside AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan.

Kaieteur News understands that the Alliance For Change has been forced to settle for 30 percent of the allotted seats, down from 40 percent it agreed to in the initial 2015 iteration of the Cummingsburg Accord.

The smaller party has reportedly secured Ramjattan’s place as the prime ministerial candidate, on the condition that if the President is absent, he would not accede to the Presidency.

SATURDAY OIL CONTRACTS GIVE T&T COMPANIES AUTOMATIC ACCESS TO TAX WAIVERS …RAMPS LOGISTICS SAYS ‘WE DON’T IMPORT, WE ONLY SHIP INTO THE COUNTRY’ Several companies operating in Guyana, but based in neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), have been securing contracts for the supply of goods and services to the emerging oil

and gas industry, while undercutting local counterparts, using the Production Sharing Agreements (PSA) that the Guyana Government signed with oil companies.

Under the various PSAs inked with Government, oil companies and their affiliates are exempt from the payment of any taxes, a loophole which has caused companies such as Ramps Logistics, Triple D Inc. and another T&T Company to secure contracts at a lower price.

What this means is that the oil operators are given the exemptions or concessions on the purchases, imports and use of consumables and other accoutrements related to the oil sector.

What has been happening is that the companies have been using the ‘loophole’ in the contract that has been signed with the government of Guyana which permits the waivers, for the “contractor or affiliated company in respect of income derived, from petroleum operations or in respect of any property held, transactions undertaken or activities performed…”

What this means is that the companies such as Ramps Logistics and others do not even have to apply for a tax waiver, since the oil company giving the contract is given the concession and this is passed on to the contractor.

Investigations by this publication found that it is the duty free and other waivers which are handed to the Oil Companies in the PSA, which allow for companies to now be listed as affiliates in the process being exempt themselves making the payments.

What this has led to is that companies like Ramps Logistics, which recently

secured a multi-million-dollar contract with an Oil Company, not even having to apply for a waiver of duties, since by virtue of being an affiliate or contracted supplier of the oil company, the waivers are automatic.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ramps Logistics, Shaun Rampersaud, in an interview with Kaieteur News denied being an importer of commodities for the oil companies, but rather, they are involved in the shipping, brokerage and other logistics for the oil company that they were contracted by.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT EXHIBITION POSTPONED DUE TO ELECTIONS - EXHIBITORS “HAVE SOME LEVEL OF CONCERN” COORDINATOR The Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition (GuyTIE) has been postponed from February to

May, next year.

This was revealed to the press during the sidelines of the final day for Guyana’s second annual Guyana International Petroleum Business Summit and Exhibition (GIPEX) at the Marriott Hotel on Friday, by Administrator at the National Exhibition Centre and Coordinator for GuyTIE, Tameka Sukhdeo-Singh.

The initial dates for the Exhibition were February 1315, about two weeks before General and Regional Elections.

Sukhdeo-Singh informed reporters that the election date of March 2, 2020, which was declared by President David Granger, influenced the postponement, since “exhibitors have some level of concern”.

The previous GuyTIE had 59 exhibitors, the Coordinator said, but that number is expected to jump to 150-200 next year. The organizers are looking to include a minority of regional companies, alongside the locals.

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Digicel launches exciting “Shake Enetworks to air HBOs Watchmen every Thursday it” Promo for Christmas Digicel has officially begun their countdown to Christmas and this year theyre all about sharing the JOY! The telecommunications giant will be offering its prepaid and postpaid customers the opportunity to participate in the “Shake to Win Christmas Promotion” by using the new and improved Mydigicel app. Customers can get the updated app in the Google play and Apple stores.

The Promotion allows participating customers the opportunity to WIN prizes daily and weekly by shaking their phones via the Shake It gaming mechanism in the Mydigicel App. This promotion will run from November 23rd to December 21st.

To be eligible for the Promotion, you must be a Digicel customer on an active Digicel Prepaid Smart Bundle data plan and/or postpaid customer on a 4G Data bundle plan from the selection of “Eligible Plans”. Prepaid eligible plans for the daily Shake include customers on any Smart Bundle Data plan who would have purchased any 4G data add-on (50MB, 200MB, 500MB or 1GB) within the said day.

Prepaid eligible plans for

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.

the weekly Shake on Saturdays include ONLY customers on a Monthly Data plan, Monthly Plus Data plan or Quarterly Data plan. The postpaid customers eligible for the weeklyshake would have to be on one of the eligible postpaid data plans.

Customers can find the list of eligible plans in the Shake It section of the Mydigicel App identified with the Shake It Icon.

As such, plans listed in the Mydigicel App that do not have the Shake It icon are excluded from the Promotion.

Sangria Wine Smoothie Made Easy 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 were 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 Sangria Wine Smoothie, the base of which is the Carlo Rossi Sangria.

A medium-bodied wine with a whole lot of personality, the Carlo Rossi Sangria is distinguished by its bright fruit flavors and subtle hint of spritz.

It also features citrusy notes of orange, lemon and grapefruit that are especially refreshing.

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.

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

MASH 2020 JUMP START CONCERT SET FOR NOV. 30

C

ome N o

vember 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 Guyanas 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!!!

The Garage presents Karaoke Competition Pt. 2 Rind of 0.5 orange Do Enjoy!

Directions Ingredients 1. Throw all your ingredi1 cup of Carlo Rossi ents into your blender and Sangria blend until smooth.

1.5 cups Orange Juice 2. Pour into your Carlo 1 cup frozen red berries Rossi appropriate glass.

1 cup of ice 3. Cheers!

Rind of 0.5 lemon

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)

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!

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Adela and Minnie AMONG the playmates of my childhood was an Indian girl about twelve years of age.

After the Latter- day Saints had left our town, and we could not yet go with them, there were few Mormon children remaining, and our parents did not care to mingle with those who despised our people and our faith. Upon our farm, as was the custom in Southern California, several Indians were employed, and Adela was a daughter of one of the women who did washing and sewing for the white p e o p l e . A d e l a ’s g r e a t grandfather and uncle also lived upon our farm, at a convenient distance from the house. Adela went to school with us when she wished, and learned all our songs, also how to crochet lace and make doll clothing. Adela could skip rope the longest, swing the highest, play ball the best, and taught us very pretty games of playing ball. One was like this : As many as chose could form a circle, standing a rod or so apart, and throw the ball to the next. As the circle was very large if the number of girls was seven or eight, and each girl had a ball to throw with one hand and catch another from the next playmate, you can see how pretty it would look, a perfect string of balls flying around the circle all the time. It required a watchful eye and skillful hands to keep the game going without a break, and it was the stillest game of ball I ever knew, while in progress ; but if a ‘catcher missed, it was noisy enough till we got started again.

Then Adela could roll hoop the prettiest, always coming out ahead at the end of the lane; climb the highest for a peep into a bird’s nest, and dive into deep water where we were almost afraid to look at her. In our bow and arrow practice she could strike the mark oftener than we could, and would send her arrows one after the other like shooting stars, till her quiver was empty.

How many a day of innocent and healthful games and pleasures we had together.

‘I do not remember that we ever had a misunderstanding in all our days together.

Adela would come early in the morning and sometimes stay till after prayer-time. If I had work or sewing to do first, she helped me. Always gentle and obliging, never rude or obtrusive, Adela was a pattern to many white girls. When her people went into the mountains, and brought back nice things, Adela al- ways brought us some, as though we were one of the family. Adela was very pretty, and her voice was as sweet as one ever

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

heard.

We used to coax her to sing Indian songs to us and then tell us their meaning. When Adela was older, she went with her friends on a picnic in the mountains, and while away took sick and died. I sorrowed long after my gentle mate, and can never forget her tender face, graceful form and sweet voice. As Latter-day Saints, we have a knowledge of the history of the Indian races, and look forward to their occupying a more exalted condition. How happy a time that will be, for many of them are worthy, their hearts as loving and sometimes more faithful than ours.

Let me tell you about Minnie, an Indian babe. Her mother was a relative of Adela’s, perhaps a cousin. The parents of Minnie worked on our farm for seven years.

Lisifa, the mother, was of the Cabezon tribe, of California, and Pete, the father, was from the Muddy River tribe, in Nevada.

Once, when I was away from home, my mother wrote that Lisifa had a little girl, and desired me to send it a name. I was in Salt Lake City, and replied that I would soon start home, but if the name suited them, call her Minnie.

You see I thought that would be easy for them to speak and remember. Well, on my return I found she was a dear little thing, and soon took great interest in her. Her parents had moved into an adobe storehouse of ours, and her mother was a good housekeeper and seamstress and kept her baby more comfortably clothed than many richer babies I know of.

Every morning before breakfast Minnie was ready in clean, fresh clothing for anyone to take her, and soon learned to watch for me and hold out her pretty hands. By regular bathing in water in which some fragrant herb had been steeped, Minnie’s complexion was much fairer than might have been expected. Her hair shone like black satin, and her eyes were soft and black like a deer’s.

She used to sit on my lap while I sewed on the machine, and was very cautious not to touch anything, but would watch the movements with great interest. Minnie liked the movement of the treadle and would kick vigorously during a pause for the treadle to “ get up “ again. She often fell asleep, her head resting on her dimpled arms crossed on the machine table.

Then I would lay her on the sofa, and cover her with shawl and mosquito-bar. If her mother happened to wonder

about her baby, and looked into the room, she would smile and go back to her work. We were all fond of her. As she grew older, when father came home from the office at night, Minnie was always on the lookout, and her little shiny black head could be seen bobbing along the drive, just showing above the fleur-de-lis that bordered each side.

Pete was the driver, and father had told him to be watchful or he might sometime drive against her; for the carriage-way was in curves instead of a straight avenue. Pete would jump down and lift her up be- side him, and they were very happy. “Not like other poor Indian babies,” he would say appreciatively. Pete wanted Minnie to go to school when old enough, and my parents promised him that it should be so. However, when Minnie was eighteen months old, the way opened for part of our family to come to Utah.

Junior page DIY SCALLOPED ORNAMENTS Materials: Paper mache ornament balls (or any plain ball ornament) Tissue paper Circle Puncher Mod Podge (or any glue)

How To Make Scalloped Ornaments

Punch out your circles on tissue paper.

The gold paper is a kind of baking cake display paper, but any paper will do. Start from the bottom of ornament and glue each circle on in a row. Begin the next row on top of the bottom row, stick them close together so they overlap. Fill your entire ornament! At the top you may only fit one or two circles, just use as many as you need to fill in the empty space. The hardest part is making enough

circles *I used double sided tape because I do not want the trees to be permanent and want to switch it out for a future craft.

D i r e c t i o n s : Cut strips of fringe using your fringe scissors, approximately 1/2 inch each.

Working from the bottom up, wrap fringe around cone and tape to close it.

Continue until you reach top of your tree!

Mr. Lord, a good man, promised to do as well by Pete and his family as we had, so there was a good prospect for them. They wanted to take our little hand-cart, that was used for fruit gathering, and come with us. “I could haul Minnie and our clothes, and Lisifa and I could walk,” he said; but it was explained to him how we would not have a fine property in Utah, and an income to pay them wages, and that they had best remain with Mr. Lord until we could send for them.

Little Minnie was asleep when we came away. Father had to stay behind awhile to collect money not then due.

One night someone rapped at his bedroom door. He asked who was there, and the answer was, “Pete.”

Father arose, and, asking him in, saw that he could hardly speak, for trouble. “ What is it, Pete, tell me, poor boy.” “ Minnie is dead. They had fly-paper and she put some in her mouth. Mrs. Lord could not save her. Write to the folks.” Father tried to console him. “ Thank you, Colonel; I guess I go back to her mother.”

And he went alone, his lonely, sad, three miles’ walk. We wrote to them. Father read the letter aloud and gave it to Pete.

They pressed it to their cheeks, put it carefully away, and went home. That was twenty-one years ago. Just lately I heard from them. Pete had been asking an old friend if she knew anything of us. When I answered the lady’s letter, I sent my picture, and she showed it to them. “ Most like her mother. Tell her about my boy I’ve got.’’ I have written to him that a better day for his people is near at hand, and that he too may yet through knowledge perform a part.

kidoku Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 2-by-2 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 4.

Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-2 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 6.

If you use logic you can solve the puzzle without guessing!

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Keep Connected to the Almighty by the regular Practice of Prayer

H

aving built up this sincere faith in the Almighty, and utilised a clear path to His power, you will need to keep this channel open by praying daily to Him for the help you need in your life.

Prayer is the true and sure path to achieving all you desire. Opening your mind humbly to God will allow His power to flow through you to stimulate you and empower you to achieve your goals. Talk

over your problems simply with God in a prayerful attitude, conceive of Him as your dearest friend, and listen to His voice in your heart. Be confident that He will answer your pleas as long as you work conscientiously, treat others justly and try to keep His commandments. Visualise in your mind the result you require in any situation, be confident that He will grant your request, at the same time working assiduously towards its attainment, and i t

FUN WITH POETRY

Remember to Pray There are many times I forget To pray to the Lord as I should, And then I always find That things don’t feel so good.

But whenever I remember To say my prayers on time, My life becomes so easy, As everything again looks fine.

I know I must pray each day In the morning and evening, And then before and after each meal, And at any time I need His blessing.

So always remember that God our Father Is looking at you from above, And wants to hear you pray to Him, So He can send you His love.

by Uncle Roy

will come to pass.

Prayer, or what may be termed the supreme form of meditation, has been said to be the most powerful form of energy, and all things which we need for our sustenance on earth can be obtained if we ask with true faith and humility. It will assure us peace and stability in our lives, and this will in turn guarantee our welfare in all aspects.

Prayer will also free us from all hatred, fears and lack of confidence in ourselves and our fellow human beings. It will eradicate prejudice and discrimination, and will point us towards the good rather than the evil of this world.

Prayer will elevate your spirit. It is the simple truth that we all spring from the same universal life force that breathes through us and enlivens us, and we can tap into it any time we want by getting quiet and sensing its mystery. We all have an inborn intelligence that pushes us toward our highest good. When we connect with this force, with Spirit, we align ourselves with this creative life force.

The point is that we all have access to it every moment of every day. Call out to it regularly and eventually you will begin to feel free of all burdens and negative

thoughts, and feel the power of the Spirit within you.

At any time when you feel that your life is not moving on the right path, you can let your prayers get more detailed on what you are experiencing, and use prayer to get you back on track. One might sound like this: Dear Spirit, my life has become so confusing I don’t know what to do anymore, but I am willing to be guided and inspired.

May my thoughts become more serene. May my actions and communications become more stable and loving.

May my heart remain open as I find my way into a sober and joyful life. Thank you.

Amen.

You will find thereafter that it will be as if some powerful force is backing your every effort to move toward health; you will gather strength, clarity and momentum as you move on with your life in a positive manner.

Ripple effect The heavy lines indicate areas called cages. Fill each cage with unique digits, counting up from 1. For example, a 1cell cage must contain the number 1, a 2-cell cage contains 1 and 2, a 5-cell cage contains 1 through 5, and so on. These numbers may appear in any order within the cage. If two identical numbers appear in the same row or column, at least that many cells must separate them. For example, if two 3s appear in the same column, they must be separated by at least three other cells that do not contain 3.

PAGE 47

Don't Wait Until Tomorrow Do you long for the day, my friend, when forever you will be Side by side walking with your Lord in heaven in perfect harmony?

Do you long to sing His praise, with His holy angels from above?

To bask and rest in His embrace, surrounded by His blessed love?

My precious friend, dont you wait until tomorrow to be blessed; Reach out and touch His heart today, and find sweet peace and rest.

Lay hold on faith, ask for His blessings, then watch your whole life bloom, His roses will grow in all you do and say, and shed their sweet perfume.

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.

A life of prayer and meditation will keep you on the right path to all your heart desires.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

Solutions to last week’s

Small bridges

Goodluck

ALTAIR SLITHERLINKS

PAGE 48

Help for Sore Throats 1. Gargle with salt water Gargling with warm salt water can help soothe a scratchy throat. The salt pulls the mucus out of your swollen, inflamed tissue and helps relieve the discomfort.

2. Suck on a lozenge Some over-the-counter (OTC) throat lozenges contain menthol, an ingredient that can gently numb the tissue in your throat.

This can provide you with temporary relief from burning and pain sensations. In a pinch, candies can have the same effect.Candy and cough drops increase your saliva production and help keep your throat lubricated. However, candy and cough drops won’t soothe your sore throat for as long as medicated lozenges or relieve it as effectively, and you may find yourself needing relief again soon.

Avoid giving lozenges or cough drops to young children.

Both are a choking hazard.

3. Enjoy a drop of honey Warm tea that is sweetened with honey can help soothe your irritated throat. Tea also keeps you hydrated, which is another important step in treating a sore throat. Brew up a cup next time a sore throat starts to tickle.You might consider choosing a green tea, which serves as an antibacterial, pain reliever, and rich source of antioxidants, as well as helps reduce inflammation.Honey has another benefit when you’re sick.

Research shows that it’s an effective cough suppressant and works as well as OTC cough medication.

5. Try an echinacea and sage spray Use a few spritzes of a spray containing a combination of echinacea and sage. A study in the European Journal of Medical ResearchTrusted Source finds this herbal remedy soothes a sore throat as well as OTC sore throat relief sprays.

6. Stay hydrated Staying hydrated is an important part of treating a sore throat. When you’re dehydrated, your body can’t produce enough saliva and mucus to keep your throat naturally lubricated. This will make the swelling and inflammation worse.Water is a good choice, as are warm teas or warm soups.

Hot tea or hot soup, however, may actually burn your already sensitive throat and make the problem worse.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can dry you out even more.

7. Raise your head When congestion comes with your sore throat, prop an extra pillow or two under your head. The extra height will help you breathe easier. With your congestion relieved, you won’t have to sleep with your mouth open, which can dry out your throat and cause it to hurt even more.

8. Get a prescription Viruses cause most sore throats, but sometimes the culprit can be bacteria such as streptococcus, which causes strep throat. If your sore throat doesn’t go away or gets worse, or you’re running a fever, see your doctor for a strep test. You might need an antibiotic.

SOLUTION TO LAST WEEK’S WORD SEARCH

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Science-Backed Benefits of Peppermint Tea and Extracts From last edition 5. May Improve Energy Peppermint tea may improve energy levels and reduce daytime fatigue.

While there are no studies on peppermint tea specifically, research demonstrates that natural compounds in peppermint may have beneficial effects on energy.

In one study, 24 healthy young people experienced less fatigue during a cognitive test when given peppermint oil capsules.

In another study, peppermint oil aromatherapy was found to reduce the incidence of daytime sleepiness.

6. May Help Relieve Menstrual Cramps Because peppermint acts as a muscle relaxant, it may relieve menstrual cramps.

While peppermint tea has not been studied to that effect, compounds in peppermint have been shown to improve symptoms.

In one study in 127 women with painful periods, peppermint extract capsules were found to be as effective as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug in reducing the intensity and duration of pain.

It is possible that peppermint tea could have similar effects.

7. May Fight Bacterial Infections While there are no studies on the antibacterial effects of peppermint tea, peppermint oil has been shown to effectively kill bacteria.

In one study, peppermint oil was found to kill and prevent the growth of common food-borne bacteria including E. coli, ListeriaandSalmonellainpineappleand mango juices.Peppermint oil also kills several types of bacteria that lead to illnesses in h u m a n s , including Staphylococcus and pneumonia-linked bacteria.Additionally, studies indicate that peppermint reduces several types of bacteria commonly found in your mouth.

Furthermore, menthol has also demonstrated antibacterial activity.

8. May Improve Your Sleep Peppermint tea is an ideal choice before bed, as its naturally caffeine-free.Whats more, peppermints capacity as a muscle relaxant may help you relax before bedtime.

That said, there is not much scientific evidence that peppermint enhances sleep.

In one study, peppermint oil lengthened the sleeping time of mice given a sedative.

However, another study found that menthol did not have a sedative effect.

Therefore, research on peppermint and sleep is mixed.

9. May Aid Weight Loss Peppermint tea is naturally calorie-free and has a pleasantly sweet flavor, which makes it a smart choice when youre trying to lose weight.

However, there is not much research on the effects of peppermint tea on weight.

In a small study in 13 healthy people, taking a peppermint oil capsule resulted in reducedappetite compared to not taking peppermint.

On the other hand, an animal study showed that mice given peppermint extracts gained more weight than the control group.

More research is needed on peppermint and weight loss.

10. May Improve Seasonal Allergies Peppermint contains rosmarinic acid, a plant compound found in rosemary and plants in the mint family.

Rosmarinic acid is linked to reduced symptoms of allergic reactions, such as runny nose, itchy eyes and asthma.In one randomized 21day study in 29 people with seasonal allergies, those given an oral supplement containing rosmarinic acid had fewer symptoms of itchy nose, itchy eyes and other symptoms than those given a placebo.While its unknown whether the amount of rosmarinic acid found in peppermint is enough to affect allergy symptoms, there is some evidence that peppermint may relieve allergies.

In a study in rats, peppermint extract reduced allergic symptoms, such as sneezing and itchy nose.

11. May Improve Concentration Drinking peppermint tea may help improve your ability to concentrate and focus.

While studies on the effects of peppermint tea on concentration are unavailable, two small studies have researched this beneficial effect of peppermint oil taken by ingestion or inhalation.

In one study, 24 young, healthy people performed significantly better on cognitive tests when they were given peppermint oil capsules.

In another study, smelling peppermint oil was found to improve memory and alertness, compared to ylangylang, another popular essential oil.

12. Easy to Add to Your DietPeppermint tea is delicious and easy to add to your diet.You can buy it in tea bags, as loose-leaf tea or simply grow your own peppermint.

Sunday November 24, 2019

g tin s... s e e er atur t In re C

Kaieteur News

Desert Red Bat

The desert red bat (Lasiurus blossevillii), also known as the western red bat, is one of many species of bats.

This particular one is from the Vespertilionidae family, which is the largest bat family.

This species and its relative Lasiurus borealis are sometimes just referred to as red bats.

The desert red bat has been found around North America, ranging from southern Canada, through the Western United States, down to Central America and to the northern part of South America.

These bats are migratory, similar to birds. They migrate to the southern parts of the Americas when it gets cold, and head north when the weather starts to warm up in northern parts. The common name implies that the desert red bat lives in the desert, but it does not.

Unlike many bats, which roost in caves, desert red bats will most likely be found in the forest roosting under leaves. They do this because they are either trying to eat or

THE

hide from predators. The bats hang upside down from a tree branch from one foot because they are trying to blend in with their surroundings, such as dead leaves.

The desert red bat eats a variety of insects. They eat moths, flies, true bugs, beetles, and cicadas. The desert red bat is a nocturnal animal (it is active at night).

They use animal echolocation to hunt. While they hunt, they have to be aware of predators, which include owls, blue jays, and opossum.

Unlike most bats, which bear only one pup per season, the desert red bat can give birth to as many as four pups at once. Also unlike most bats, desert red bats (and other members of the genus Lasiurus) have four nipples rather than two, allowing them to nurse that many pups.

The bats mate during August and September. Pups are born about 90 days after mating.

Before the bats are able to fly, the mother carries up to four pups at a time. It takes up to six weeks for the bats to fly by themselves and one to

Labour environment...

From page 35 comment with Stabroek News said the cease order that came after the death of Taylor, in spite of the fact that it was rescinded shortly thereafter by Minister Amna Ally, means “The minister’s response [a cease order] seemed more of a political agenda. It’s not a level playing field” (Cabinet ‘most distressed’ at Troy’s ‘unconscionable’layoffs…’- Nov 20th). The presumptuousness.

What political agenda can the Government of Guyana have towards a foreign company that abuses its resources while claiming that it is not making profit? What political agenda can government have towards this company other than to ensure the rights of the workers are protected and there remains a stable industrial atmosphere? Troy seems to be the one with a political agenda driving their actions, as evident by the statements these foreign managers are making.

In light of these foreign companies’ behaviours, it is easy to come to the belief that such behaviours are encouraged and being given tacit support. Guyana is witnessing its own form of internal and external forces working together to trample on law and order. This is why it is so important for government to recognise that an unstable industrial landscape is fertile ground for destabilising, predatory, opportunistic and destructive forces.

It is hard to fathom, in the no-confidence environment, riddled with alternative facts that would make day-to-day governing a challenge, the coalition seems oblivious and unperturbed by this unstable industrial environment. In these times of uncertainty and having to thread the needle carefully, it may be best to draw upon the experiences of our past.

In the eras of Forbes Burnham, Cheddi Jagan and Desmond Hoyte, in spite of political differences, foreign and local employers alike would have been held accountable jointly.

Government would have seen to it that it set the standard for engagement in the state agencies, signalling to private businesses that nothing less would be expected or accepted where workers are unionised. While these were periods hallmarked with growing pains, the political leadership saw to it that stakeholders placed premium on meaningful engagement and wanting to secure agreements. There are benchmark periods we can use as a standard of achievement and how far we slide backwards. We must get our act together and truly represent what is expected of a Government and Opposition who both emerged from working class roots.

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

(LASIURUS BLOSSEVILLII)

three years to mature.

Male and female red bats have different migrating routines. Female bats are usually found in warmer climates during the month of June. Males are mostly found in the Appalachian Highlands. Due to the difference in migrating patterns, it makes it harder for them to breed because they are constantly in a different part of the world. (Source: Wikipedia)

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Sunday November 24, 2019

Immigration Questions & Answers

By Attorney Gail S. Seeram Through this “Question & Answer�, our goal is to answer your immigration questions. We appreciate your comments and questions. If you have a question that you would like answered in this column, p l e a s e e m a i l : Gail@GailLaw.com.

Question #1: Can my daughter who is age 16 and a U.S. citizen file for me?

Answer #1: No. A U.S. citizen can file or petition for his/her parent, however the U.S. citizen child must be age 21 or older. This type of petition, where a U.S. citizen files for a parent is considered an immediate relative petition and a visa is available immediately (meaning there is no backlog).

Question #2: During my interview for U.S. citizenship, I lied to the officer and was denied

because of the lie. When can I re-file for U.S. citizenship?

Answer #2: Lying to an immigration officer is a serious offense. I do not recommend anyone to lie to a federal officer. You were denied because the officer found you to lack good moral character.

One of the requirements for U.S. citizenship is that you must possess good moral character.

My advice is to wait five (5) years from the interview

date before reapplying for U.S. citizenship.

Question #3: Can I marry while the immigrant petition filed by my parent is pending?

Answer #3: It depends on whether the petitioner is a permanent resident or a U.S. citizen.

If the petitioner (person who filed the petition) is a permanent resident then you cannot marry because marriage would void the petition.

A permanent

resident can only file for an unmarried child. If the petitioner (person who filed the petition) is a U.S. citizen then you can marry.

Once you marry then the petitioner can change the preference category of the petition from first preference to third preference. Note, the wait time for the visa may increase once you are married, but then you and your spouse will be able to emigrate to the U.S. Question #4: I have a holiday or tourist visa for the U.S. but I have a permanent resident petition pending that was filed by my family.

Can I still travel on my holiday visa?

Answer#4: Yes, you can travel, however, if the U.S. immigration officer at the port of entry determines you have immigrant intents because they discover the pending immigrant petition then you can be denied entry into the U.S. or your holiday visa can be revoked. Also, when you holiday visa is up for renewal, the U.S. Embassy

Gail S. Seeram may deny renewal once they see you have a pending immigrant petition.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper) Attorney Gail Seeram, LL.M., J.D., BBA call | text 407-292-7730 whatsApp 407-353-1363 email: Gail@GailLaw.com live chat: www.GailLaw.com Download FREE App: Gail Law

Sunday November 24, 2019

US-based Guyanese cops Thomas Edison Patent award for tree planting invention

US-based Guyanese Chystroff Camacho during his award acceptance speech.

N

ew Jersey – b a s e d , Chystroff Camacho has been making headlines in the news for his award -winning invention —an aerial reforestation device. The device uses drone technology to survey and replant trees in landscapes stripped by deforestation.

According to an article published by Eureka Alert, a Science News Release Website, Camacho was an engineering technology student at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), received a Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award from the Research & Development Council of New Jersey for his dronedeployed seed capsule.

According to the article, C a m a c h o ’s d e v i c e , a biodegradable packet containing seeds and mineral-rich soil, is loaded into what looks like a tiny missile that is dropped from the air. With its cone tip, it is designed to perforate the ground to implant the capsule, but to also allow water to permeate in dry regions where the land is baked hard. Camacho said that the idea came about following a trip to his homeland in Guyana in his teens.

The trip opened his eyes to the growing problem of landscape decimation caused by logging. That got him thinking - and researching rates of tree loss around the world.

“My first idea was about developing some way to make the land in need of rehabilitation more productive. Land stripped of trees becomes dry and flat and can’t hold water, so I was

thinking about making conical imprints that would create mini-basins for trees or crops that would be planted by hand,” Camacho recounts.

“But that got me thinking about ways to do this by air, using velocity to make the imprint, because doing it by hand is so time-consuming.

And then I had the idea of including the seeds and soil.”

The drone technology replanting method has been dubbed one the best in the 21st century to combat desertification and deforestation.

In his patent application, Camacho argued that the current state of the art in aerial reforestation is “limited by lack of sufficient ground penetration and difficulties with dispersal of larger seeds.” His invention went on to win funding from NJIT, the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps programme and private angel investors, as well as awards in technology contests.

With $3,000 from the ICorps program, Camacho and his team improved the prototype and sought out advice and customers through regional business accelerators. They caught the attention of tech entrepreneurs, prompting a $30,000 infusion from an angel investor to develop a drone platform and business structure.

This process led to the formation of an environmental technology firm, ParaTrees.

Like many start-ups, it also evolved into new ideas and markets. Most recently, the company is providing monitoring and evaluation Continued on page 54

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

US-based Guyanese cops Thomas Edison Patent award for tree...

From page 53 services to forest managers, using a range of technologies such as unmanned aerial systems, IoT sensors and AI to assess forest conditions and recommend remediation.

Camacho said he was thrilled to “just be in the room with so many great, veteran inventors” at the Research & Development

Council’s 40th annual Thomas Alva Edison Patent Awards at Liberty Science Center.

Among the 15 patent awardees were major corporations such Celgene, Ethicon, Nokia Bell Labs and Siemens Corporate Technology.

Camacho also thanked his parents, Nicole and Christopher Camacho, and his many

mentors on the NJIT campus who helped him create his device and build it into a company with paying customers.

They include Nancy Jackson, a professor of chemistry and environmental science; William Marshall, an assistant vice president for government affairs and a director of NJIT’s New Jersey Innovation Institute, responsible for its defense and homeland security innovation lab; the codirectors of the campus I-Corps programme; Michael Ehrlich, an associate professor of finance, and Judith Sheft, an associate vice president of strategic

relationships and external affairs.

“As a student at NJIT and young entrepreneur, I worked closely with university professors and advisors to push the envelope surrounding the startup community on campus,” he said.

“NJIT has always been a catalyst for innovation, and it’s amazing to see the support that is being focused on student entrepreneurship with funding and training opportunities through campus programs like the Undergraduate Research and Innovation program, I-Corps and VentureLink, NJIT’s business incubator, “ he added.

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

$473M Lethem corridor commissioned Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, joined Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, other ministers of government, government officials and residents of Lethem to officially commission the Barrack Retreat Corridor in Central Lethem, recently.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo told residents that “our Coalition Government is committed to you. This is how we will take our country forward; this is a story we are writing together.”

He reflected on when he first visited the Rupununi, specifically Lethem.

“Rupununi was in a simple word, just bush, and Lethem at that time, was a village. It is under this

government, Lethem has become a town.”

According to the Prime Minister, it takes vision to move a village to township status.

“His Excellency, President David Granger is a man with a plan, Lethem is now a town.”

Citing his visit to the Industrial Site complex, where businesses will be soon established, Prime Minister Nagamootoo explained that very soon the town will be able to manufacture and market its own products through this venture.

“We need to look forward to the future; better is coming.

The government has promised this, a better quality of life for our people. We (Continued on page 56)

The commissioned road project at Lethem, Region 9.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

$473M Lethem corridor commissioned...

From page 55 believe in the empowerment of our people, our women and our children,” he underscored.

The development of Lethem and other townships,

the Prime Minister assured, form part of the national development programme of the government.

He noted that during the Decade of Development (2020-2029) “we will see

Guyana develop beyond of your imagination.”

Hinterland Engineer and Chief of Works, Geoffrey Vaughn, stated that a total of $473M was spent on this phase of the Lethem road.

He explained that the fourlane road boasts a drainage system, sidewalks, concrete gutter, curbs and for the first time in Guyana, underground concrete drainage tubes and manholes.

Vaughn also indicated that construction of the road,

which began in 2017, was completed in three phases.

According to the Public Infrastructure Minister, David Patterson, “This is a testimony of what we can achieve if we work together.”

Lethem was officially declared a town in October

2017. This project, along with the planned construction/ rehabilitation of the LindenLethem highway, will significantly reduce travel time between Georgetown and Lethem, thus increasing accessibility into the region.

(DPI)

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

STANDARDS IN FOCUS

Weights and measur es measures shopping tips As we prepare to welcome December, most of us as consumers begin to make our lists of goodies we need to purchase during the upcoming shopping season. It is customary for consumers to engage in the purchase of goods, such as rice, flour, sugar, meats, preserved fruits and cooking oil by Weights and Measures.

Although the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has been executing its mandate to ensure that all weighing and measuring devices used in trade are verified (stamped), consumers have meaningful roles to play which would guarantee that they are not given short weights and measures. The following are ten of these roles: 1. Buy goods from vendors who are using verified scales and other verified devices. If used properly, approved devices give correct weights or measures.

2. Look for GNBS verification seals on devices. The affixed GNBS seals are one way of determining whether the device (scale) was verified.

3. Make sure the device used to weigh or measure your goods is clean and tidy. Dirty devices often give inaccurate weights and measures and can cause the contamination of goods.

4. Make sure that you can see the measur-

ing indicator of scales. Ensure that the scale is positioned in a manner, which will allow you to see the weighing process.

5. Do not buy from vendors or shopkeepers using the domestic (kitchen) scales. These scales are not approved for commercial trade because their internal mechanisms are quickly worn, hence they give inaccurate weights.

6. Do not accept purchase if you have doubts about your weight or measure.

7. Buy in metric quantities. Most devices used in the market place are in metric units and by requesting goods in metric quantities, you are assured of the quantity of goods issued to you.

8. Buy all solids by weight instead of measure. Rice, peas and channa are solid goods and all solids must be weighed, not measured.

Request these goods in grams and kilograms.

9. Buy prepackaged goods that are labeled with the quantity (net contents). For example, 450 g, 1 kg, 3 litres, etc.

10. Call the GNBS hotline or visit the Weights and Measures Office in your Region and make your complaints if the need arises.

For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0069, 219-0065, 219-0062 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Close to 5,000 businesses supported by Small Business Bureau - CEO Close to a decade, the Small Business Bureau (SBB) has been able to reach out to nearly 5,000 businesses throughout Guyana and provide assistance to these entrepreneurs.

This was disclosed by SBB CEO, Dr. Lowell Porter in the recent edition of the Invest Guyana magazine.

Dr. Porter said, “The services offered by the bureau are specifically tailored to meet the needs of small businesses, through training, funding, coaching/mentoring and general business support.”

In addition to the 5,000 businesses supported, SBB aided close to 600 youths from targeted programmes to boost their entrepreneurial

Dr. Lowell Porter vision.

According to the CEO, despite the successes received SBB have reinforced

its commitment to the Guyanese people. Moreover, going forward into 2020 SBB and its stakeholders will be focusing on a few core areas to improve their services to small businesses.

Firstly, they will be focusing on capacity building through training. In this area, the entity wishes to implement knowledge and tools to operate efficiently and effectively within the growing business environment.

This programme will target entrepreneurs at several levels, including the youths and other vulnerable groups.

It was noted that regional or international opportunities will be provided where necessary.

Also the SBB will have

policy recommendations.

In this aspect the policies recommended on behalf of the local Small and Mediumsized Enterprises (SMEs), reflect the needs in communities as well as to create a holistic developmental approach to the business environment.

Furthermore, small businesses can expect better opportunities to receive funding once they meet the necessary requirements. SBB plans on

expanding its operations in 2020.

Funding will be provided at competitive rates, designed specifically to meet market demands and boost their overall performance.

SBB has pledged that it will ensure the local SMEs are poised to take advantage of every opportunity which presents itself for holistic development from 2020 and beyond.

The SBB was established

under the Guyana’s Small Business Act (2004) to implement programmes and offer services which address major constraints faced by small businesses – access to finance, business management and technical skills.

It was also put in place to promote policies which foster small business development and monitor small businesses’ access to designated 20% of Government’s procurement of goods and services.

Desiree Edghill M.S., continues to wage war against HIV using the Arts From page 22 pleaded with her to continue the HIV work.

“He made me promise to continue the work while he was on his dying bed and I promised that I would. We were not registered all those years as an organisation; we use to fund productions from our own pockets...when we did plays we would put aside an amount and we would go and do awareness.

Some people started to take us to the regions, sponsor us, put us up, feed us, and we would go and do awareness work. At that time we were just dramatists performing, and we used to take someone from the GUM (genitourinary medicine) Clinic, which is now the National Care and Treatment Centre, to answer questions about HIV,” Edghill shared.

After becoming a registered organisation in 2001, the NGO trained its first batch of Peer Educators to advance its work. “At that time you could have seen AIDS; even people who had HIV said they had AIDS because we weren’t educated enough to understand the difference between the two,” Edghill added.

CRUCUAL SUPPORT Even though it evolved to incorporate other HIV/AIDSrelated work such as pre- and post-counselling, as well as testing, the NGO continued to use the Arts to raise awareness. In fact it has come a long way in this regard, whereby it is now able to have a capacity audience at the National Cultural Centre to stage what has become an annual World AIDS Day production.

“We have to give credit to USAIDS, which started the first major HIV project in Guyana. In 1999, USAIDS wanted to do a project in Guyana on HIV and AIDS, and they went to the government which told them go to civil society.

So they chose six organisations, including us.

Even though we were not yet registered, because we were doing work through the arts and people were listening,

they wanted us to be a part of that project, and that was the HIV/STI youth project. This was owing to the fact that a research was done and revealed that the majority of those infected were young people, and so the first set of people we targeted were young people. We used to call it the ‘Ready Body Project’ and the theme was ‘Ready body, is it really ready?’”

The theme for that project was created by Sobryan, and it certainly helped to gain traction among the youthful population – the target audience.

The passionate contributions of the artistes involved, including the likes of Edghill, whose roles were well recognized, perhaps was instrumental in ensuring that Artistes in Director Support, to this day is a recipient of funding from USAIDS. In fact the services of the NGO is currently being contracted by government for an ongoing pilot project aimed at continuing the fight against HIV/AIDS. REAL LIFE STORIES “We have moved from where people were fearful to come and get tested, to people now coming and announcing ‘I come to know meh status’.

People are coming with their partners before they start having sexual intercourse to ensure that they know each other’s status.

People are coming to get tested before they get married to ensure that they are safe for each other. Before, people used to call us the ‘AIDS people’ when they saw us…

If I go to a funeral, people would think the person who died, died from AIDS because there was this stigma. I still have that stigma attached to me up until this day, even with all the education we have done…but we have come a long way,” Edghill said with pride. She is the proud recipient of a national award [Medal of Service] for her contributions to the fight against HIV/ AIDS. While productions premised on fictional stories have helped over the years to amplify the reality of HIV and

AIDS, Edghill noted that it is usually those drawn from real life issues that can be the most impacting. Although some of her plays have been based on the lives of persons infected or affected by HIV and AIDS over the years, she confessed that none compared to the one that was based on her own experience.

It was shortly after the passing of Sobryan, Edghill said, that she decided to visit her husband, who resided abroad, to seek comfort. Instead she was confronted with evidence of infidelity and for a period of her life feared that she too could have become a victim of the dreaded disease.

Although she was cleared of any sexually transmitted diseases, the experience, Edghill recalled, was a “…wake up call. I wasn’t willing to take any more chances with my life and so I left my marriage.”

As part of her coping with that experience, Edghill wrote a play, ‘What did I do wrong”, which was based on her own story. “It was about having a relationship and trusting, being faithful, and still you can contract HIV… I made the wife in that play contract HIV and I was in such a state to direct it…the actress was asking ‘Why is she so passionate?’, ‘Why is she so angry?’ I was telling her ‘you are not giving me what I want’…that was because I was seeing my story play out in front of me.

In a way I think it was a way of me dealing with it and healing from it too,” Edghill reflected.

Although still etched in her memory, that phase of her life is no longer a burden, rather it has helped to make her an even more ardent activist who will continue to use the Arts to demonstrate just how impacting the sting of HIV and AIDS can be.

Moreover, to mark World AIDS Day 2019, persons will be treated to yet another epic play at the National Cultural Centre, which Edghill will ensure fully embraces this year’s theme: ‘Communities make the difference’.

Sunday November 24, 2019

Port Kaituma suffers one month in darkness Residents of Port Kaituma, Region One, North West District (NWD) are a bit concerned with the length of time taken by the Guyana power and Light Corporation (GPL) to restore electricity.

A mechanic who works along with the Port Kaituma Power Light (PKPL) in the community claimed that about a month back the generator experienced a mechanical failure.

He said that the “engine head” was completely damaged and had to be sent out on the aircraft for repairs.

But one month has passed and he is still awaiting word from his superiors, on whether the part has been repaired.

A concerned and affected business man told Kaieteur News yesterday that the community was made aware of the mechanical issues with the generator. He said that they were also told that the repairs won’t take more than two weeks to complete.

The businessman explained that as a result he is forced to suffer major losses.

He claimed that a number of his fresh meat products are often “spoilt” due to the lack

of electricity.

He said that at the moment he cannot afford a 5000W generator to power his freezers. He depends heavily on the Power Station for electricity.

The businessman told reporters that because the entire community is affected, ice, which is used as an alternative to maintain his meats fresh, is scarce and difficult to find.

It was also highlighted that even though there are number businesses and residents who own small generators, most of the time it is not used because of high fuel cost.

Earlier this year after neighbouring Venezuela suffered shortages of fuel, the price for a gallon of gasoline in Port Kaituma has reached $2000.

On the other hand, residents of the community explained that even though they can survive without electricity, the area of concern is the community mortuary.

They expressed discontent with the number of bodies housed at the mortuary and are decomposing.

Kaieteur News understands that this is one of the main reasons behind the recent disorderly behaviour of a relative of dis-

eased Lennox Jones (Ratty), at the Port Kaituma Airport.

The relative of the dead man, a recent accident victim, wanted the body to be transported on the aircraft bound for Georgetown without a body bag.

The relative explained that he was afraid that the “body would spoil”.

As matter fact, the body of Kim Cato who also died in the same accident, was buried in a decomposed state.

The residents also said that late as Friday afternoon, two more partially decomposed bodies were forced to be buried without the arrival of their families.

Back in 2011, the then assistant Regional Executive Officer (REO), Dean Seecharan, officially announce d that Port

Kaituma would have received electricity from a $171M project, funded by Inter American Development Bank (IDB).

Up to press time, GPL was unable to confirm if the company was made aware of the necessary repairs to be done.

However, the company has promised to look in to the matter immediately and apologises for any inconvenience caused.

Six months later…

No leads into death of female taxi driver

On the night of May 18, 2019, taxi driver, Jennifer Bipat, of Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, received a call and left her base to pick up a customer. She was maybe under the impression that it would be a routine job, something she had done many times before. But this was not the case.

Instead, Bipat was found the next day, May 19, dead; her body dumped in a ditch at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.

Her car, a Toyota Axio, with registration number, PXX 4114 purchased six months prior was nowhere in sight.

Her phone was also missing.

She was reportedly last seen alive at 18:00hrs that very night. Someone had killed the woman and dumped her body there. But the reason why still remains unknown. It has been approximately six months since her murder and police are still working to ascertain who wanted the woman dead and why.

Family members reported that Jennifer Bipat worked as a security guard but because of safety concerns, she switched to a taxi driver, working at the Fortune Taxi Service in Goed Fortuin, WBD. When she received the call, Bipat told the base that she was not returning for the

opted to dump her body in the bushes surrounding the area.

Murder Jennifer Bipat night. As routine, according to her daughter, Tharisma Samaroo, her mother would always be home by seven in the evening.

However, when several calls to her phone went unanswered, family members immediately feared the worse and filed a missing persons report. The next day, they received word that her body was found. The autopsy later revealed that the taxi driver was strangled and hit in the head with a blunt object.

Residents had disclosed to Kaieteur News that someone unfamiliar with the area disposed of Bipat’s body.

They noted that anyone who knew the area well would have

PAGE 59

Kaieteur News

STILL NO WORD To date, no concrete leads have surfaced and family members are still waiting, hoping that one day, justice will be served.

When contacted, the woman’s daughter, Tharisma Samaroo, expressed her anger at the fact that they are being kept in the dark about the progress of the investigations. According to her, police have not provided any update since her mother’s death. When asked if family members are aware of anything regarding the investigations, she replied, “Nothing, nothing, nothing. We ain’t hear nothing.”

The distraught young woman said, “So many months pass and you can’t tell we nothing. You can’t even find my mother’s car…I’m the victim here; you’re supposed to be coming to me so I can get comfort.” Samaroo relayed that the wound of her mother’s death is still fresh and family members are still coming to grips with the manner in which she was killed.

They are hopeful, though, that justice will be swift and her mother’s killer/s will be punished in accordance with the law.

Family paid final tribute to missing boat captain Family members at the river shore

The family member of 53year-old David Mohan of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara paid their last tribute on Wednesday, to the missing captain who reportedly fell off his boat into the Demerara River on October 31, 2019.

The incident occurred behind the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

Kaieteur News understands that on the said date, Mohan and his eldest son, in the company of another fish-

erman, went some distance out in the Demerara River when he reportedly fell off his boat and into the river minutes after complaining about not feeling well.

The man’s niece, Madonna Ghanie, stated that the family has given up all hope of ever locating the missing man. Searches were carried out in sections of the Demerara River and along the Essequibo Coast, however the missing man was never found.

“We search the spot that he went missing, then we went and carried out a search at Essequibo Coast and we still can’t find him. We don’t know where else more to search; we don’t know if he dead or if he alive.”

“According to reports, while on the fishing trip Mohan complained of feeling unwell minutes before he fell into the river.”

“He tell he son that he was not feeling well…Then (continued on page 60)

PAGE 60

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Lot 1397 Section A, Block X Great Diamond Housing Scheme (110x62) Tel# 231Jacob’s Jewellry and 6344, serious buyer pawnshop, friendly money Farm Main road (East Bank) lenders. 16 Pike Street Kitty, $6.8M Schnoord $3.6M Georgetown. Tel#227-8748/ Parfaite Harmonie $1.4M, 622-4970 Herstelling $5M Tel# 656-0701 /651-1969 Power tool repairs. #648-1326 Kitty, Georgetown, Double We repair fridge, freezer, AC, Lot Eccles, Providence, washer, dryer-Call: 231-0655; Melanie, Paradise, Soesdyke Linden Highway, Moblissa.

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Tel#623-0076 LEARN TO DRIVE N. Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square. Affordable package.

Call: 644-5166/691-2561/6812808

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

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

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Apt for rent, Parfaite Harmonie WBD #603-3912

Tyre repairs technician to work in Georgetown. Call: 2271717 Email: andre@cevons.com

3 bedroom house for rent #267-1446/604-1469

Handyman- Contact #2235273/223-5274

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Gun robberies spike by 90% on E’bo Coast

Vacancy exist for Experienced Pharmacy assistants to work @ reputable pharmacy in G/ town. Interested persons call The Guyana Police Force # 696-5098 between 8am-4pm Regional Division Two, has recorded an alarming 90 perHick’s Ville Hotel: cent increase in armed robberReceptionist/Hotel attendant. ies involving a firearm. This #231-0951-5/223-3448 statistics was recently reImmediate vacancy exists for flected during the Division’s male workers to work shift @ Christmas presentation, earDel Ice Co. Call: 231-1408/642- lier this week.

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Industrial Site Office. English The crime stats presented -1, Mathematics-2, continued, “During the period Quickbooks. Call: 615-9132 under review, ranks in the division recovered no firearm Vegetarian Gardens: Delivery and ammunition in 2019, driver #227-7714/223-3448 when compared to two fireinfo@vgiworld.com arm and 128 rounds of ammuLooking for a job & nition being discovered in educational services? Contact 2018.”

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Sunday November 24, 2019

CONSUMER CONCERNS

IMPORTANCE OF THE CIVIL AVIATION INDUSTRY AND ITS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER SECTION

By PAT DIAL Consciousness of the economic, social, political and defense importance of Civil Aviation has been quietly growing since Art Williams brought his aeroplane to Guyana in the late 1920’s and laid the foundation of a Civil Aviation Industry. An aeroplane in flight was so novel an event in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s that children came out to see it. It was only in the 1940’s, during World War II when anAmerican military airbase was established at Atkinson Field, the site of the present Cheddi Jagan airport, that the Guyanese population became accustomed to seeing aircraft in flight. The aeroplanes of the 1940’s were small twin-engine very much like the aircraft used today for domestic flights.

Since the Civil Aviation Industry grew up in a quietly progressive milieu without any fanfare, it tended to be taken for granted by the population.

For instance, Agricultural industries like sugar and rice or Mining for gold or bauxite or Tourism were well known and were featured in the CXC text books but little was said of the Civil Aviation Industry and its importance.

CivilAviation is of fundamental importance to the economic and social life of Guyana and with the advent of the petroleum

mining industry, its importance is being unfolded since without Civil Aviation there could be no Oil Industry.

Aviation is used in Agriculture to spray crops and sow seeds. It is essential for the development of the Mining Industry. Most important, people and goods are transported in Guyana and overseas by aircraft; in the case of passenger travel, aircraft has completely replaced boat travel.

Since Guyana’s hinterland is very sparsely populated, it once appeared to one of our predatory neighbours that it was bona vacantia which they could seize with impunity. Regular CivilAviation flights to various parts of the interior asserted a governmental and people’s presence countrywide and possessed the country for the nation.

CivilAviation provides direct employment in its several sectors of activities such as pilots, engineers, flight attendants, porters and so on. The Industry is under the aegis of the Guyana CivilAviationAuthority (GCAA) which is led by the very able Director General, Lt Col (ret’d) Egbert Field who has dealt with foreign counterparts, foreign airways and International Aviation bodies with the same success as he has achieved on the local scene. At this point, we would focus on the Air Traffic Controllers, a sector of GCAA to which

Col Egbert Field has devoted special attention.

On 20th October, last, the International Day of Air Traffic Controllers was commemorated worldwide and Col. Field had issued a comprehensive and elegantly written message on the occasion. This year, a wider cross-section of the public including the business community has become more aware of the importance of Air Traffic Controllers.

Air Traffic Controllers are stationed at both the Ogle and Cheddi Jagan International Airports and it is they who make flights possible without chaos and accidents. It may come as a surprise to learn that every day 185 flights or 67,000 flights per year are made from these airports.

This implies that every air traffic controller has to be in the best of health and with full mental alertness when on duty.

In his message on the occasion of International Day of Air Traffic Controllers, Director General Field not only paid tribute to dedicated service of the Controllers but outlined some of the improved equipment they have in use: “The complex choreography of arranging aircraft in the sky” said Director General Field, “and the technology required to do so safely and efficiently, has evolved significantly.

“Over the last decade, Government and the GCAA have

Almost 40,000 Venezuela migrants...

From page 9 and its partners have been registering them, handing out food and cleaning supplies.

The situation has been that the authorities are trying to keep up, depending on residents, village leaders and others to report the presence of the migrants.

On the river bank area, between Herstelling and Diamond, East Bank Demerara, scores of Venezuelan migrants built rickety shacks and are living with no running water or toilets. For months, they were under the radar.

The authorities, following the story in Kaieteur News last week, visited the area, sharing our supplies.

The Venezuelans, many of them with small children, are to be relocated.

On Thursday, Minister Lawrence disclosed on the show, a team from her Ministry, was set to visit Region Seven to check on a situation there.

It is costing the government big time. There are more vaccines and reagents for tests needed with medication in demand.

In fact, many of the Venezuelans are coming with

diabetes, hypertension, with even cases of patients needing dialysis—a very expensive treatment for kidney failure.

The migrants, obviously, don’t have money to visit private hospitals.

“So it is the public health system that feels the brunt of it.”

Guyana, to deal with the situation, has been getting help from Washington and Geneva.

Lawrence disclosed that the extra vaccines, mopping up exercises, the logistics of moving doctors and nurses, and sending them to border areas all have a cost. She lauded the CDC and the Catholic Church for playing a big role in handling the situation.

Earlier this month, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched a US$1.35B regional plan to respond to the increasing humanitarian needs of Venezuelan refugees and migrants in LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, and the communities hosting them. Guyana is likely to benefit.

As of early November 2019, IOM said, there were approximately 4.6 million

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Kaieteur News

refugees and migrants from Venezuela around the world.

Nearly 80 percent are in Latin American and Caribbean countries - with no prospect for return in the short to medium term.

If current trends continue, 6.5 million Venezuelans could be outside the country by the end of 2020.

The 2020 Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP) being launched in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, is a coordination and a fundraising tool established and implemented by 137 organisations. These are working across the region, aiming to reach almost four million people - including Venezuelan refugees and migrants and host communities - in 17 countries.

The plan includes actions in nine key sectors: health; education; food security; integration; protection; nutrition; shelter; relief items and humanitarian transport; and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). In addition to the emergency response, the 2020 RMRP puts a strong focus on ensuring the social and economic inclusion of refugees and migrants.

been investing heavily to modernize and transform the Guyana Air Traffic Control System. Some of these investments include the acquisition of a modern 3D Flight simulator which is used to train aspiring Air Traffic Controllers and Aeronautical Management Officers; the installation of an ADS -B System in four locations in the hinterland to track the

movement of aircraft all across Guyana’s airspace, and to assist in search and rescue operations; and the upgrade of the Instrument Landing System at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport.

“The GCAA continues to invest heavily in training to ensure that its staff remain equipped with current knowledge to

confront the challenges faced in the Industry”.

The consumers join with the rest of the public in expressing their appreciative thanks to the Air Traffic Controllers for the vital role, which they are playing in national development. We are also gratified that the nation has become more aware of the importance of the GCAA.

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Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

Shareholders move to CCJ to overturn order for winding up of S.A. Nabi...

From page 13 removed as an abuse…”

The appeal was heard at

the bench of Justices Winston Anderson, Jacob Wit, Maureen Rajnauth-Lee,

Denys Barrow and Andrew Burgess. The CCJ has reserved its judgment in this

matter.

For several years, several fractions of the company have been in court surrounding its operations. In March 2016, a notice published in one of the daily newspapers said that a Receiver/Manager had been appointed by the High Court for the company. It said that all correspondence/ communication relating to the company should be addressed to the Receiver Manager, S.A. Nabi & Sons

Ltd –in Receivership at Maurice Solomon and Co., Lot 92 Oronoque Street, Queenstown, Georgetown.

On May 23, 2011, the CCJ restored an order made by High Court Judge Rishi Persaud in 2004, as he then was, which affirmed one of the brothers’ sons as director on the board of the company.

In 2004, the High Court Judge had ruled that the appointment of the son of Aslim Sheermohamed, A s h m i d p h r a q u e

Sheermohamed, as a director on the board was lawful, thereby quashing a claim by Amin and Azeez that his appointment was to the contrary.

The Court of Appeal overturned that decision.

A s h m i d p h r a q u e Sheermohamed and his father, who was represented through Kathleen Sheermohamed, the executrix of his estate, appealed to the CCJ. In their action S.A. Nabi and Sons Limited was listed as the Respondent.

11-year-old accident victim...

From page 15 Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where she remains a patient.

Based on the 14second-long video footage of the accident that is circulating on social media, eight

s e c o n d s into the video shows the traffic slowing down at the pedestrian crossing to allow the children to cross the road.

Two seconds later, the video shows the motorcar that was going at a fast rate overtaking the other halted

vehicles, later hitting the child. After the accident, the other children who were with the child ran to her rescue.

The child is set to write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) next year.

Sunday November 24, 2019

Guyana’s oil discoveries bring excitement for prospects in West Africa Geoscientist

By Kemol King Since 2015, oil companies operating offshore Guyana have made 16 discoveries which place the countrys estimated recoverable hydrocarbon resources in excess of six billion barrels of oil equivalent.

A geoscientist who recently presented at Guyanas second annual Guyana International Petroleum Business Summit and Exhibition (GIPEX) at the Marriott Hotel, spoke to reporters about the Atlantic Mirror Theory.

Its the assumption that the distribution of natural resources on both sides of the South Atlantic is similar, because the land masses were once joined, millions of years ago.

Dr. William Heins is a Geologist and Management Consultant for Getech, a firm that offers geology specific consulting services for governments and companies. He has studied the earths history to understand the distribution of resources today.

A long time ago, all the earths landmass was a supercontinent called Pangaea.

Due to plate tectonics, the continents we know today were slowly formed by the breaking up of Pangaea and the drifting of those landmasses for millions of years.

Heins explained that originally, there was excitement by oil companies to drill for oil and gas in South America because of the resource pool that was discovered in West Africa.

For instance, the Jubilee field was discovered in Ghana in 2007 and touted to be a considerable reserve that generated excitement for prospects in South America. So when Royal Dutch Shell discovered the Zaedyus field in French Guiana in 2011, the first material discovery in South Americas equatorial margin, “there was a lot of excitement to say that the Jubilee success would be replicated on the South American side,” Heins told reporters on the sidelines of GIPEX. “There was some disappointment when four subsequent wells failed to substantiate a field as big as Jubilee,” he continued. “But then the Guyana success, I think, has flipped the paradigm so that now, it should be the Africans who are excited about the success on the South Ameri-

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Geoscientist and Management Consultant for Getech, Dr. William Heins tens of millions of years, and can side.”

He said that, in the old that many different things days, while the mirror theory happened in different places was used to promote South during that time.

He said that though there America following on the coat tails of Africa, the situation is very good opportunity now would have companies across West Africa, his conchasing African success be- clusion is that each of the cause Guyana has been suc- countries being considered cessful. has had a unique combinaThe theory may be further tion of environmental factors buttressed by the mirroring of that led to the formation of the certain other natural re- hydrocarbon reserves, “even sources on both sides of the though they share some gedivide. netic heritage.”

Despite his doubt, the Heins explained that Ghana and Guyana, though geologist said that it is plaunot precisely lining up as mir- sible to think about what rors on both sides of the geo- could exist, based on what is logical divide, do share some being seen on the other side similarity in terms of gold re- of the Atlantic divide. serves.

“Ghana is a leading gold producer of Africa and Guyana has demonstrable gold assets as well… Theyre at least illustrative that the kinds of resources in the two countries are similar.”

This is reflected in the fact that both countries have diamond reserves as well.

Even in Liberia, where there are iron resources, Heins said that “that may have something to tell you about iron resources on the South American side.”

For the geologist, who has worked with ExxonMobil for almost two decades, it is important to note that the Atlantic Mirror Theory is not an exact science.

He wanted to emphasise that its not exactly true that the distribution of resources would be the same, explaining that the time period over which the hydrocarbon endowment, for instance, of different countries along the margin were created spans

Agricola gang feud escalates…

Gunman executes eyewitness to friend’s murder, wounds 15-year-old Almost one year after surviving an execution that killed his close friend, 24-year-old Seon Bobb was gunned down in the same street where the December 2018 attack occurred.Bobb, of Second Street, Agricola, was reportedly shot dead around 19:00 hrs yesterday by a gunman on a bicycle. The assailant reportedly cornered him near his home. Bobb was reportedly shot in the head and died shortly after arriving at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

A 15-year-old bystander, identified as Daniel Webster, was also shot in the chest. He was reportedly struck by a stray bullet. His condition is reportedly listed as stable.

According to one report, Bobb was standing in Second Street, Agricola, when a man rode up to him and shot him in the head.

Bobb is said to be a cousin of 23-year-old O’Neil Jeffrey, of Second Street, Agricola, who was badly beaten by gunmen on Thursday in the trouble East Bank Demerara community.

Jeffrey is believed to be in hiding. Reports are that he escaped from the hospital.

In December 20, 2018, Bobb narrowly survived a similar attack after a man with whom he had a dispute killed

his close friend, 34-year-old Kacey Da Silva, called Da Silva and ‘Presser’, of Remus Street, Agricola.

It is unclear whether the two incidents are connected.

Police had said back then that the suspect, known as ‘Home Alone’, had gotten into a fight in Second Street, Agricola, and Da Silva and Bobb had laughed after the man got the worst of the exchange.

The beaten man’s brother, known as ‘Gudgie’, reportedly then gave the suspect a handgun, with which he shot Da Silva and Bobb.

Da Silva was pronounced dead on arrival at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, while Bobb was admitted at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.The suspects, ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Gudgie’ were never charged.

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Sunday November 24, 2019

Sunday November 24, 2019

White Sugar plant for Albion Estate …GuySuCo to produce 55,000 tons annually

The GuySuCo meeting with members of the GAWU

Following a meeting to end the wage freeze battle between the Guyana Agriculture and Sugar Workers Union (GAWU) and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) GAWU has reported that GuySuCo has plans to construct a white sugar plant at the Albion Sugar Estate.

GAWU in the statement highlighted that a feasibility study was conducted last year and this idea was deemed viable. The plant is expected to be operable at the end of 2021 with GuySuCo aiming to produce some 55,000 tonnes of white sugar per annum.

“The recent decision of COTED to apply the CET on extra-regional refined sugar imports when regional production commences would assure a secured and lucrative market,” the GAWU said.

Further, GuySuCo is also looking to construct a co-generation, which is considered

another viable investment.

The sugar corporation is also looking to move some aspects of the Enmore packaging plant to the Albion Estate to begin the production of packaged brown and white sugar at the location.

“All the projects, we learnt, would be pursued concurrently and would be activated as they are completed.

They are also plans to strengthen cane farming at the location while a section of the former Rose Hall Estate cultivation has been annexed to Albion to maximise production.”

GAWU also reported that GuySuCo has plans to expand cultivation at the Blairmont Estate and to improve the capacity of the packaging plant to that point where only higher-value direct-consumption sugars would be produced.

The Union stated a study will also be conducted to de-

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termine the viability of cogeneration at the location.

Questioned about funding, GuySuCo stated that it is seeking to utilise the proceeds of the $30B bond secured by NICIL-SPU. It also is hopeful to approach to UN’s Green Climate Fund for support regarding the co-generation plants.

The Union pointed out that the success of the plan cannot be delinked from the workers who are very much distressed and troubled bearing in mind a freezing of their rates-of-pay since 2015.

Dr. Harold Davis, GuySuCo’s Chief Executive Officer said he is not unaware of this and he recognised that people need better remuneration for the industry to go anywhere.

He expressed the view that something must be done as he pointed out that the industry could not survive without its workers.

“I was not bullied” – say Ramjattan on accepting 70/30 role in coalition

By Shikema Dey After weeks of back and forth, the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have finally reached an agreement signaling a new Cummingsburg Accord.

This time, the AFC reportedly accepted a lesser role in the coalition in order for the new Accord to be met. In the initial 2015 Accord, the party accepted 40 percent of the allotted seats but for the new accord, the AFC dropped to 30 percent.

Leader of the AFC, Khemraj Ramjattan, on Thursday explained that he was in no way “bullied” to accept this smaller share.

At the party’s press conference, Ramjattan said, “I was not bullied nor did I bully.”

The AFC, once the coalition wins the upcoming elections, will head the Ministries of Public Security, Public Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Public Telecommunications, as well as hold the Prime Ministerial spot.

He explained that the previous arrangement of 60/40 amounted to 12 seats in parliament but with this new Accord, the AFC will only be getting 10 seats; which he termed as a “come down.”

When asked why he agreed to such a deal, Ramjattan said, “Because I want the coalition arrangement there.”

“I would not get argue or get into that…We appreciate an Accord has been met…As to why we agreed to lots of agree-

Leader of the AFC and Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan ments, a lot of things could be said but we believe that together we can win these elections and an agreement had to be reached.”

Ramjattan stated, “I don’t feel dejected at all. I wanted an Accord because I feel we can win together with an Accord. We were not bullied…I was just negotiating…and at the end of the day whatever is realised is the best.”

Ramjattan relayed to reporters that now that an agreement has been met, the signing of the official document will be done in a few weeks time, giving no hint on an official timeline.

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Bravo’s Masterclass overshadows Foo’s unbeaten 97...

From page 68 Webster (14) was bowled by Permaul at 16-1 before Permaul removed Kyle Hope (8) at 262.

Man-of-the Match Bravo, with a century and three fifties so far, got off the mark with an orgasmic cover drive off Pestano but after reaching 50 in the 12th over Hosein (16) provided Ali-Mohammed with his first wicket when he was caught behind with Red Force on 51-3.

Mohammed was on one when Gudakesh Motie at cover spilled a difficult catch off Lewis with the score on 55-3 before Bravo nonchalantly deposited Permaul for six before giving himself room and majestically stroked him for another classy boundary.

Mohammed hit Lewis for six before Bravo was dropped

by Barnwell at mid-on off AliMohammed on 25 at 80-3.

Bravo responded by easing Ali-Mohammed over long-off for effortless six and soon reached his 50 from 76 balls with a four and three sixes and when he reached 51 he became the first batsman to reach 400 runs in this tournament.

Mohammed hit a couple of fours before Bravo clobbered Barnwell for consecutive sixes as their partnership flourished as Mohammed reached 50 from 60 balls with three fours and two sixes.

Bravo hit an unfit looking Pestano for four before hitting Permaul out of the ground twice in the over before Mohammed finished the over with a boundary.

Earlier, Red force asked Jaguars to bat in overcast conditions on a slow track and

sluggish outfield.

Chanderpaul Hemraj and Tagenarine Chanderpaul began cautiously before rain stopped play at 13:48hrs after five overs with the score on 13-0.

After a delay of 100 minutes, Hemraj (8) was LBW to Jon Russ Jaggesar at 17-1 in the eighth over.

Barnwell was greeted by a short ball from Anderson Phillip before executing an exquisite cover driven boundary, while Chanderpaul turned one for four in the same over.

Barnwell (6) then played an uppish drive to short extra cover as Khan struck at 43-2 in the 17th over to bring Foo to join the subdued Chanderpaul.

Foo lifted Odean Smith over mid-off for four to post the 50 in the 18th over.

Sunday November 24, 2019 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Your telepathy and intuition are at an all-time high today, Aries. You should find it easier than usual to tune in to others' thoughts and feelings. It might be a good idea to control your reactions.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Today a deep concern for others' feelings could have you lending a sympathetic ear to those in need of some understanding. It's more important to listen than talk now GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Today you might complete a difficult project that's important to your career.

Acknowledgement of your dedication and hard work could find you more emotionally overwhelmed than makes you comfortable.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) A long-awaited social event, perhaps a wedding or christening, could have you moved to tears, Cancer.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) An intense, emotional dream could move you so powerfully that you awaken with the odd sense that the dream was real. Write it down, Leo. Maybe it is.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Emotional discussions with your partner could move you to tears, Virgo.

You've overcome any difficulties and probably reached a new understanding.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today you may feel the need to do a lot of work around your home, Libra. Perhaps you expect visitors or simply want to spruce up the place for yourself.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Some intense communications with a close friend or lover could reveal wonderful things about your relationship.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Ancient social traditions could be a powerful part of today, Sagittarius. An emotional event concerning your family, perhaps a wedding or other milestone, could have you feeling especially moved.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You usually place a lot of importance on self-control.

Today this skill will come in handy when you receive some wonderful news that might otherwise move you to tears.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Expect some great news regarding money, possibly professional advancement.

You may have to control the urge to break into tears of joy, Aquarius.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Happy events involving a close female relative might have you feeling emotional, Pisces. A marriage or birth could be involved. you've had to overcome that.

The largest crowd of the tournament of about 100 fans in the stands saw Chanderpaul, who struggled for 59 balls, attempt an irresponsible reverse sweep and was taken by Keeper Stephen Katwaroo diving towards short fine leg.

His 25 included a solitary boundary and his demise left Jaguars on 56-3 in the 20th over as the sky became increasingly overcast.

Skipper Leon Johnson joined Foo and clipped Khan over mid-wicket for six before he was dropped on 11 by Khan off his own bowling at 73-3.

But Johnson (13) soon hit Yannick Ottley to long-on at 76-4 before Anthony Bramble (1) was taken at slip off Khan at 82-5 in the 26th over.

Ali-Mohammed was dropped at gully off Khan on four before Foo lofted Ottley for six and the 100 came up in the 32ndover.

Ali-Mohammed struggled to pierce the field before Foo

Farfan and Mendes...

From page 70 Gianni Carpenter 11/7, 11/3, 11/9 Category C Zachary Persaud defeated Shiloh Asregado 7/11, 5/11, 11/9, 11/6, 11/1 Louis Da Silva beat Lajuan Munroe 11/3, 11/4, 11/ 1 Category D Rayad Boyce defeated Lucas Persaud 11/4, 11/5, 7/ 11, 11/8 Dhiren Persaud defeated Teija Edwards 11/3, 11/3, 11/9 Category E Matthew Spooner beat Kaden Pyneandy 11/9, 3/11, 12/10 Category F Abhinav Singh defeated Demetri Lowe 11/0, 11/7 Brenno DaSilva defeated Bradley Walton 11/8, 11/6 Rylee Rodrigues beat William Escarragga 11/0, 11/6 Category G Solomon Ince-Carvalhal beat Maya Dean 11/4, 11/5 Jnae Singh defeated Nandishraj Singh 11/4, 4/11, 11/4 Tiana Gomes defeated Kassie Walcott 11/3, 11/8 Results of the matches played on Saturday morning.

Category A Shomari Wiltshire beat Gianni Carpenter 11/2, 11/1, 11/4 Category C Zachary Persaud defeated Lajuan Munroe 11/9, 11/4, 11/ 1 Category D Dhiren Persaud beat Beau Fernandes 12/10, 11/5, 11/0

hit Hossein for four and deposited Smith into that stands to post his 50 from 66 balls with three fours and two sixes.

Foo continued to bat positively and dumped Ottley for his third six, while AliMohammed, who steered Phillips for four to third man and sliced him for another boundary, grew in confidence as the partnership increased.

But with score on 149 in the 40th and Foo flowing, the inexperienced AliMohammed attempted to hit Ottley for six and was caught

at long-off as he needlessly gave his wicket away when well set as the Jaguars slipped to 162-6.

Foo clobbered Phillips for six before Ramaal Lewis (10) skied Smith ‘miles’ into the air and was taken at point at 1697 in the 42nd over before Permaul edged Phillips for four.

Foo smashed Smith over mid-off and flicked him for four more before pulling Phillips over long-on for four to move to 92 before he was left three short of a maiden ton.

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Sunday November 24, 2019

NBA roundup: Walker stretchered off as Celtics fall in Denver Nikola Jokic scored 18 points, collected a seasonbest 16 rebounds and also had 10 assists and three steals during his third triple-double of the season to lead the Denver Nuggets to a 106-102 victory over the visiting Boston Celtics on Friday night.

The game was marred by a scary incident that led to Boston guard Kemba Walker being taken off the court on a stretcher with 3:13 left in the second quarter. The Celtics later announced that Walker was diagnosed with “concussion-like symptoms” and was sent to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Denver’s Jamal Murray recorded a team-high 22 points to go with six rebounds and five assists as the Nuggets won their fourth straight game and eighth in the past nine. Will Barton added 15 points, and Paul Millsap contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Jaylen Brown had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Jayson Tatum added 16 points for the Celtics, who have lost three of their past four games following a 10game winning streak.

Clippers 122, Rockets 119 Kawhi Leonard hit a goahead jumper with 15.4 seconds, lifting host Los Angeles over Houston in a thriller.

Clippers guard Lou Williams scored all 26 of his points in the second half.

Leonard finished with 24 points and six rebounds

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter (11) and center Nikola Jokic (15) and guard Jamal Murray (27) reach for a rebound in the fourth quarter at the Pepsi Center. (Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports) while Paul George had 19 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Clippers, who won their fourth in a row.

James Harden had 37 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds for the Rockets, who dropped their second straight after an eight-game winning streak. Russell Westbrook scored 22 points, and Clint Capela had 17 points and 19 rebounds.

Lakers 130, Thunder 127 Anthony Davis scored 33 points, including his first career four-point play late in the fourth quarter, and LeBron James added 23 points and 14 assists as visiting Los Angeles held off

Oklahoma City.

It was the Lakers’ second victory over the Thunder in a span of three days, as they earned a tightly contested 112-107 decision Tuesday at Los Angeles.

Kentavious CaldwellPope scored 17 points, and Danny Green added 14 as the Lakers won their sixth consecutive game and earned a 13th victory in their past 14 contests.

76ers 115, Spurs 104 Tobias Harris scored 26 points while Joel Embiid added 21 points and 14 rebounds to lift host Philadelphia past slumping San Antonio.

Al Horford scored 18

points and Furkan Korkmaz had 17 to carry the Sixers to their third win in a row. Ben Simmons completed a tripledouble with 10 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists for Philadelphia, which improved to 6-0 at home.

DeMar DeRozan paced the Spurs with 29 points while Rudy Gay added 22. The reeling Spurs fell to 5-11 overall and suffered their eighth consecutive loss, the longest skid since head coach Gregg Popovich took over in 1996-97.

Jazz 113, Warriors 109 Mike Conley and Bogan Bogdanovic combined for 10 points in a 16-2, secondquarter burst that ultimately

Alpine skiing: American Shiffrin breaks Stenmark’s record for slalom wins (Reuters) - Defending slalom champion Mikaela Shiffrin claimed her 41st World Cup title in the season opener in Levi, Finland yesterday, surpassing Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark’s all-time record tally.

American Shiffrin, who came into the second run behind Slovakia’s Petra Vlhova, made a flying start and came through a difficult middle section to finish with a time of 58.79 seconds.

Vlhova crashed out early in her second, handing Shiffrin victory.

“I feel a little bit lucky with this win, but I also feel good with my skiing so I’m happy,” double Olympic champion Shiffrin said.

Shiffrin eclipsed a 32-yearold mark set by Stenmark, who won 40 slaloms between 1974 and 1987.

helped propel host Utah over pesky Golden State in Salt Lake City.

In winning a second straight game, the Jazz led by as many as 21 points early in the fourth quarter before the Warriors made an improbable late run that defied a fourth game in six nights on the road.

Donovan Mitchell finished with 30 points, Conley 27 and Bogdanovic 17 for the Jazz. With Draymond Green missing his second straight game with a sore heel, Golden State suited up just eight players, and seven of them scored in double figures.

Wizards 125, Hornets 118 Bradley Beal had 30 points and 12 assists, and Washington rallied to defeat visiting Charlotte.

The Wizards overcame a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to win consecutive games for the first time this season.

It was Beal’s fifth-straight game with 30-or-more points, extending his career high.

Thomas Bryant added 21 points and 11 rebounds while Davis Bertans (20 points) tied his career high with six 3pointers.

Pistons 128, Hawks 103 Blake Griffin scored 24 points and host Detroit had its highest scoring first half in 36 years while snapping a five-game losing streak as it pummeled Atlanta.

Andre Drummond had 23 points and 15 rebounds in 27 minutes, and Bruce Brown supplied 14 points, seven assists and three steals while limiting Hawks star Trae Young to nine points on 3-for12 shooting. Young poured in 38 points against the Pistons in the Hawks’ season opener, a 117-100 Atlanta victory.

Markieff Morris had 13 points, Langston Galloway tossed in 12 and Derrick Rose and Christian Wood added 11 apiece for Detroit. The Pistons shot 59.8 percent overall and made half of their 34 3-point tries.

Nets 116, Kings 97 Spencer Dinwiddie continued to effectively fill in for injured Kyrie Irving by scoring 23 points as Brooklyn never trailed in beating visiting Sacramento.

Dinwiddie started in place of Irving for the fourth

straight game. Irving has been out due to right shoulder impingement and the Nets did not provide a further update on his status.

Without Irving’s 28.5 points per game, Dinwiddie set a career high by getting at least 20 points for the fourth straight game.

He shot 8 of 15 overall, hit all seven of his free-throw attempts and handed out seven assists in helping the Nets win for the third time in four games.

Mavericks 143, Cavaliers 101 Luka Doncic collected 30 points and 14 assists as Dallas recorded a sweep of its fourgame homestand with a convincing victory over Cleveland.

Doncic, who shot 11 of 18 from the floor before sitting out the fourth quarter, became the eighth Mavericks player to score 30-plus points in three straight games. The last to accomplish the feat was Dirk Nowitzki (2010), who received a standing ovation after being shown on the Jumbotron during the first quarter.

Nowitzki saw quite a performance from the home team, which surpassed 140 points for the second consecutive game. Justin Jackson had 19 points and Kristaps Porzingis scored 17 and added four blocks while playing in his 200th career game.

Heat 116, Bulls 108 Jimmy Butler scored a team-high 27 points on 7-for10 shooting to lead Miami to a win in Chicago.

Heat center Bam Adebayo finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds to notch his eighth double-double of the season. Kendrick Nunn (21 points), Goran Dragic (16) and Kelly Olynyk (10) also scored in double digits for Miami, which increased its seasonhigh winning streak to five games.

Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 15 points on 6-for-14 shooting. Coby White and Thaddeus Young scored 12 points apiece to lead a spirited effort from the reserve unit for Chicago, which has lost four of its past five.

(Field Level Media)

Pride beat Canada by seven wickets – Group A Gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin of the U.S., silver medalist Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener and bronze medalist Austria’s Katharina Truppe celebrate. (Martti Kainulainen/Lehtikuva/via REUTERS) Swiss Wendy Holdener finished runner-up with the second-best time of the

second run and an overall time of 1:59:35.

Austrian Katharina

Truppe came third to claim her first career World Cup podium finish.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Barbados Pride defeated Canada by seven wickets in their Group A game of the Regional Super50 Cup at Conaree here yesterday.

Scores: CANADA 154 off 44 overs (Kanwar Mann

44, Shahid Ahmadzai 39 not out; Miguel Cummins 3-19, Shamar Springer 2-31).

PRIDE 156 for three off 22.4 overs (Kjorn Ottley 50, Zachary McCaskie 38 not out, Jonathan Carter 32; Nitish Kumar 2-31).

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Scorpions semi-final hopes hang by a thread after Marooners defeat BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Nov 23, CMC – Jamaica Scorpions’ semi-final hopes were dealt a severe block here Friday night when reigning Super50 Cup champions CCC Marooners stunned them by two wickets at Warner Park.

Up against a side with a single win in their previous six matches, Scorpions thought they had done enough when they piled up 272 with two balls left in the final over, behind half-centuries from Assad Fudadin and Andre McCarthy who both scored 63.

But Paul Palmer struck 59 and Jonathan Drakes, 54, as Marooners overhauled their target with two balls to spare, to shock Scorpions and leave their final four bid hanging by a thread.

The Marooners run chase was a clinical one and they seemed to be coasting to a comfortable victory at 218 for four in the 43rd over thanks to several key partnerships.

When four wickets tumbled for 38 runs in the space of 32 deliveries,

Jonathan Drakes struck an important half-century for CCC. however, the game was back in the balance at 256 for eight at the start of the 49th over.

Akeem Jordan, who finished with an unbeaten 16 off seven balls, cleared the ropes at mid-wicket with pacer Derval Green in the penultimate over as Marooners gathered 11

crucial runs.

And with six needed from the last over bowled b y o ff - s p i n n e r A n d r e McCarthy, Jordan blasted a huge six over mid-wicket to win the contest for Marooners with two balls remainings.

The defeat left

Scorpions third in Group A on 16 points and facing a must-win game against second placed Leeward Islands Hurricanes (20 points) on Sunday.

And even if Scorpions win, they will need to do so by a big enough margin to ensure they surpass Hurricanes on net run rate.

The victory for Marooners, meanwhile, helped to assuage their pride, as they have already been eliminated from semifinal contention.

Choosing to bat, Scorpions were given a quiet but solid start by Fudadin and Aldaine Thomas (19) who put on 44 for the first wicket.

Left-arm spinner Larry Joseph (3-61) struck twice, however, removing Thomas and Jermaine Blackwood (6) as Scorpions slipped to 56 for two in the 16th over.

Fudadin then combined with McCarthy to stabilise the innings in a 97-run, third wicket stand which pushed Scorpions past the 150-run mark.

The left-handed Fudadin counted five fours and two sixes in an upbeat 77-run knock to move to 341 runs for the tournament at an average of nearly 49.

McCarthy proved the ideal counter, smashing four fours and sixes off just 64 balls, to mark his third halfcentury of the tournament and carry his tally to 345 runs at an average of 49.

When Joseph accepted a caught and bowled chance to remove Fudadin in the 30th over, Scorpions stumbled to lose five wickets for 45 runs as paceman Jalarnie Seales (375) and left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh (2-43) hurt the innings.

It was left to Denis Smith to lash five fours and a six in breezy 39-ball unbeaten 45, to get Scorpions up to a competitive total.

In reply, Marooners started well, Gian Benjamin (35) posting 47 off 39 balls for the first wicket with Kyle Corbin (28) before adding 75 for the second with Drakes.

Benjamin faced 61 balls

and struck three fours and a six while Drakes counted seven fours in a 58-ball knock before both fell in successive overs to leave their side on 122 for three in the 25th over.

Palmer then took control of the innings, hitting five fours and a six off 70 balls and anchoring successive stands of 58 for the fourth wicket with Sadique Henry (33), 38 for the fifth with Seales (21) and 28 for the sixth wicket with Odaine McCatty (7).

Scorpions appeared to take control when Palmer and Joseph (0) fell in successive deliveries in separate overs with no runs added at 256 for eight but Jordan’s cameo stole it for Marooners.

Scores: SCORPIONS 272 off 49.4 overs (Assad Fudadin 63, Andre McCarthy 63, Denis Smith 45; Larry Joseph 3-61, Jalarnie Seales 3-75).

MAROONERS 274 for eight off 49.4 overs (Paul Palmer 59, Jonathan Drakes 54, Gian Benjamin 35, Sadique Henry 33, Kyle Corbin 28; Oshane Thomas 2-55).

Australia dominate Pakistan with bat and ball AFP - Australia look certain to take a 1-0 lead in their series against Pakistan after dominating with both bat and ball on day three of the first Test in Brisbane yesterday.

Big centuries to Marnus Labuschagne (185) and David Warner (154) helped Australia to a first innings total of 580 in reply to Pakistan’s 240.

At stumps Pakistan were in big trouble on 64 for three, still needing 276 runs to make Australia bat again.

Shan Masood was not out

27 and Babar Azam was 20 at the close.

Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis said later that with such an inexperienced attack at their disposal, it was only natural that there would be tough times.

“Naseem (Shah) is only 16 remember and even Shaheen (Afridi) is only 19, so of course they are going to learn a lot from this tour,” he said.

“We’ve got to give them time and hope they learn, and in a year or so they’ll be a force.”

Mitchell Starc did the early damage when Pakistan began their second innings, trapping captain Azhar Ali leg before for five.

He then enticed Haris Sohail to waft at a ball well outside off stump, only to get a thick edge to Australian wicketkeeper Tim Paine.

Asad Shafiq was next to fall, edging Pat Cummins to second slip where Steve Smith took a comfortable catch.

Labuschagne had earlier scored a magnificent maiden

Test century in front of his home crowd at the Gabba.

The 25-year-old scored four 50s in the recent Ashes series but had been unable to convert any of those until his near chanceless innings yesterday. “(On 97) I was thinking ‘stay patient, stay calm’ but I thought if the ball was up I’d have a crack,” he said of the thick edge that flew through a vacant third slip area for a boundary.

“You always think as a kid how you are going to celebrate a hundred — that

Mitchell Starc celebrates with his teammates after a wicket. (AFP)

Big centuries to Marnus Labuschagne helped Australia to a first innings total of 580 (AFP / Saeed Khan) was nothing like I thought.

“My emotions took over, it was very exciting - a dream come true.” Earlier, teenage pace sensation Naseem claimed his first Test wicket when he had Warner caught behind for 154.

Warner only added three runs to his overnight score of 151 when he became the 16year-old’s first scalp.

Naseem, whose pace has been impressive during this Test, eventually claimed Warner when the nuggety opener was unable to avoid a short pitched ball and edged it to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, to leave the Australians 351 for two.

But that was the last hurrah from Naseem, who appeared to be injured and only bowled four overs in the day, with Waqar conceding he had been rested Saturday to protect his young body.

The Pakistanis’ hearts must have sunk when they saw Smith striding to the

crease to replace Warner.

But after hitting a boundary off Yasir Shah, the leg-spinner then clean bowled Smith, the seventh time in six Test matches that Yasir has dismissed the Australian number four.

Labuschagne and Matthew Wade shared in a 110-run partnership before Wade was well caught by Rizwan for 60 off Sohail.

Sohail and Rizwan then combined to have Travis Head caught down the leg side for 24.

The Pakistan bowlers toiled hard throughout the day and were rewarded when they took the last five Australian wickets for 35 runs, with Yasir (4-205) and Shaheen Afridi (2-96) the pick.

Scores: Pakistan 240 and 3 for 64 (Masood 27*, Starc 2-25) trail Australia 580 (Labuschagne 185, Warner 154, Burns 97, Wade 60, Yasir 4-205, Haris 2-75, Afridi 226) by 276 runs.

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Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

Colonial Medical Super50 Cup Trophy stall hands over Bravo’s Masterclass prizes for UCCA, Trophy Stall U-19 Club 50 overs cricket overshadows Foo’s unbeaten 97

- Red Force beat Jaguars by six wickets

- Second round set for this weekend

Chitra Harilall of the Trophy Stall Port Mourant Branch presents the trophies to Daniel Samaroo representing the UCCA. Second round matches in the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association and the Trophy Stall Inter Club U19 50 over cricket competition set for this weekend weather permitting. The Trophy Stall has handed over the trophies to the organisers for the competition which is in its second year.

Two matches are set to be played when the competition continues.

The games set to be contested will see No 43 taking on No 73 Mandir at the No 73 cricket ground, while No 72 Cut and Load and No 52 will play at the No 72

ground. Both matches start at 09:30 hrs.

Scottsburg opponent NO 66 has withdrawn from the competition, while No 73 Young Warriors has drawn the bye.

The competition will be played on a one day 50 overs format and will be played on a round robin basis.

The top teams at the end of the preliminary matches will advance to the semifinals with the winners clashing in the final. The tournament is being sponsored by the Trophy Stall Port Mourant Branch.

The Trophy Stall, with head office at Bourda Market, is one of the leading sponsors

of sporting activities in Guyana. It is also one of the leading sports and trophy stores in the country.

The Trophy Stall, which opened a Branch in Port Mourant Corentyne last year, is happy to give back to the people of Berbice for their support over the years.

General Manager Ramesh Sunich was happy with the away the competition was organised last year and readily agreed to sponsor the competition again.

The competition is being coordinated by former national wicketkeeper batsman Sydney Jackman.

Trophy Stall Champion of Champions softball on today at GNIC SC The Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc has teamed up with Trophy Stall for the staging of the Champion of Champions T20 Over-45 softball cricket competition which will be held today at GNIC SC star t i n g a t 09:00hrs.

Regal Masters will take on Wellman Masters in the opening encounter, while Wellman Masters will play Success Masters at 13:00hrs.

The winning and runner up teams as well as man-of-the-match in the

final will be given trophies.

President of the GSCL Inc, Ian John, has expressed gratitude to Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall and said the competition is expected to b e k e e n l y c o n t e s t e d, adding that they are looking forward to continue this partnership.

“Trophy Stall has been one of the biggest supporters of sports and we are looking forward to his continued backing so we can expand this competition going forward.”

Regal Masters will be led

by Mahendra Hardyal and

include Eric Thomas, Mohendra Arjune, Eon Abel, David Harper, Rudolph Baker, Laurie Singh, Unnis Yusuf, Parsram Persaud, Mahase Chunilall and Ramesh Deonarine.

Wellman Masters will be spearheaded by Wayne Jones with support coming from Mike Lakeram Singh, Troy Lewis, Sheldon Perch, Eon Lovell, Nandram Samlall, Lloyd Ruplall, Seeraj Bhimsain, Suresh Persaud, Shameer Ali and Rudy Meyers.

Success Masters will be captained by Rafman Ali.

Debutant Renaldo Ali-Mohammed was dropped on 4 off Khan (3-23) before putting on 71 with Foo last night in POS.

By Sean Devers in Trinidad Guyana Jaguars, without their leading all-rounder Raymon Reifer who was allowed to leave the team for his wedding in Barbados, were on the receiving end of Darren Bravo’ flaying blade as T&T Red Force climbed to 24 points with an emphatic sixwicket victory last night at the oval.

The Jaguars, who play the USA on Monday at the Brian Lara Academy in their final match before the first semi-final start on Thursday, remain on 16 points.

The Jaguars recovered from 78-5 in 26th over in a

game reduced to 46 overs due to rain to reach 218-8 thanks to a magnificent unbeaten 97 from 93 balls decorated with six fours and four sixes by Jonathan Foo. The 29-year-old’s second fifty took his runs tally to 293 and he added 71 for the sixth wicket with 21-year-old debutant Renaldo AliMohammed who reached the boundary four times in 27.

The Berbice player, who last played competitive cricket in the 2017 CPL for the Jamaica Tallawahs, shared a 50-run ninth wicket stand in 5.3 overs with Veersammy Permaul, who was run out for

22 from 14 balls with two sixes, off the last ball.

Skipper Imran Khan had 3-23 from 10 overs of frugal leg-spin, while Yannick Ottley took 2-38 for the Red Force who replied with 220-4 chasing a revised target of 220 in 46 overs.

Bravo’s 98, his 34th 50overs fifty, lasted 120 balls, included three fours and seven sixes and along with Jason Mohammed, who made an unbeaten 71 with six fours and two sixes, added 165 for fourth wicket before Bravo fell to Clinton Pestano with four needed to win. Tion (Continued on page 65)

Turbo knockout football tourney

Conquerors youth and Riddim Squad win on Friday - Double header on tonight The annual Turbo Energy Drink Knockout football tournament continued with match night number three on Friday with two matches at the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground, Carifesta Avenue where Riddim Squad bettered Eagles FC 3-1 and Fruta Conquerors under-20 got past Police B via kicks from the penalty mark in the feature clash of the night.

Conquerors youth side that is fresh off victory in the 2019 Limacol football tournament held on to win the penalty shootout 4-2 after full and extra-time finished 1-1. Ameniki Buntin had equalised the game in the 54th minute for the Policemen who trailed since the 10th minute when Wayne

Barker put Conquerors ahead.

In the opening match, Wendell Joseph netted a brace, while Kevin Agard added the third goal in Riddim Squad’s comfortable come from behind victory over Eagles FC that had Andre Adelph putting them ahead in the very first minute of the clash.

The tournament continues tonight with another double header featuring Camptown against Buxton Stars in the opener at 19:00hrs, while Pele will be pitted against Pouderoyen in the feature encounter at 21:00hrs.

The winning team of the 2019 Turbo Knockout tournament will receive 400,000; second place will pocket $200, 000, while third and fourth will receive $100,000 and $50, 000 respectively.

Sunday November 24, 2019

Smalta girls’ Peewee football competition

Tucville and North Georgetown triumph over Marian register big victories needling Academy with Tyanna Under-12 girls took to the Ministry of Education (MOE) ground on Carifesta Avenue yesterday to match skills in the round-robin stage of the ongoing 2019 Smalta girls’ peewee football tournament which is being organised by the Petra Organisation.

Tucville defeated F.E. Pollard 4-0, while North Georgetown thumped Redeemer Primary 5-0 to be

the two most devastating teams on the day.

Martha Chance banged in all five goals during the North Georgetown rout, while Tucville Kasmin James got on the score sheet with a brace along with Sherita Carmichael and Shonia Lovell who scored one goal each in the 4-0 win against F.E. Pollard.

Earlier in the day’s play, West Ruimveldt registered a

PAGE 73

Kaieteur News

George scoring the solitary goal.

Genesis Primary and St. Stephen’s Primary played the first of two draws during the afternoon’s play; a goalless affair, before South Ruimveldt equalised twice to draw with Smith Memorial 2-2. Briana Elliot bagged a brace for South, while Fiona Gibbs and Akyesa Abrams netted once each for Smith Memorial.

North Georgetown (possession) thrashed Redeemer Primary 5-0 at the MOE ground.

Berbice Volleyball Association name teams for Balram Shane competition today The Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA) has named the teams that will be participating in the Annual Balram Shane Inter Club volleyball competition set for today at the Albion Community Center hard court.

The teams set to participate are defending champions Port Mourant Training center (PMTC), Guysuco Training Center Port Mourant (GTCPM), Rollers Of NewAmsterdam, Skeldon, Black Bush Polder, No55 and No52.

Starting time is 10:00 hrs.

The volleyball competition will be played alongside the annual Balram Shane challenge 50 over cricket match that is played between arch rivals Albion Community Center and Port Mourant cricket Club at the Albion Community Center.

The games are being sponsored by popular Rose Hall Town businessman Deonarine Balram of the Balram Shane General Store. The cricket match is in its 20th year, while the volleyball competition is in its

seventh year. Port Mourant Training Center (PMTC) are the defending volleyball champions and would have won it on five occasions. Albion Community center are the defending cricket champion. The cricket match will commence at 09:30 hrs. The top teams and outstanding individual players will be presented with trophies and cash incentives by the sponsor and his family who will be on hand to bowl the first ball in the cricket and do the first serve in the volleyball competition.

The winning teams will receive the Balram Shane Memorial trophy and over

$100,000 and other incentives, while the losing team will be also adequately rewarded. A number of individual awards will be up for grabs in both competitions.

Cricket will include man of the match, best bowler and best batsman, best fielder among others. In volleyball there will be prizes for best spiker, best receiver, best blocker, best server among others.

The day’s competitions are being played in memory of Balram’s father, Balram Shane, who was a former cricketer, community activists and sports enthusiast.

Starting time is 09:30 hrs.

Softball Cricket fixed for Parika today Visionary Youth Club of Parika East Bank Essequibo will be organising A one day Five - 5 Softball Cricket competition. The event is scheduled for today November 24, at the Look

Out Community Play Ground commencing at 9:00am. Teams competing in this programme will be battling for $100’000 first prize and a Trophy, while 2nd and 3rd place will receive a trophy.

PAGE 74

Kaieteur News

Sunday November 24, 2019

592 Beer inter-Village football Farfan and Mendes Junior Skill continues Level Squash concludes today Paradise dismantled Victoria 3-1, while Ann’s Grove edged Melanie when the inaugural ‘592 Beer InterVillage Football Festival’ continued on Friday at the Golden Grove Community Center ground.

Trevon Dainty broke the deadlock in favor of Paradise in the 32nd minute, placing his effort into the lower left corner from inside the right of the penalty area.

The second goal for Paradise occurred in the 56th minute as Teshawn Gordon scored from the penalty mark, calmly slotting his effort into the lower left corner.

The game was out to bed in the 65th minute, with Teon Stewart making his presence known with a

shot from the left of the box into the lower right side of the net.

Vi c t o r i a e v e n t u a l l y pulled one back in the 70th minute as Sherwin Skeete fired a powerful shot from inside the penalty box into the right side of the goal.

Meanwhile, A n n ’s Grove edged Melanie 1-0.

Kevon Barry scored in the 55th minute, stabbing into the back of the net following a goal mouth scramble.

Action continues today at the same venue. At 19:00hrs, Plaisance will lock horns with Mahaica while the feature match will pit Golden Grove against BV from 21:00hrs.

The event features 12 teams battling in an initial group format. Group-A comprises Buxton, Plaisance and Mahaica, with group-B consisting of Friendship, Paradise and Vi c t o r i a a n d g r o u p - C featuring Brush Dam, Melanie and Ann’s Grove.

Group-D contains Annandale, Golden Grove and Beterverwagting [BV].

The winner of each group

will advance to the semifinal round. The grand finale is pegged for December 14th.

Winner of the event will pocket $300,000 and the championship trophy, with the second, third and fourth place finisher collecting $150,000, $100,000 and $75,000 respectively and the corresponding accolade.

Individual prizes will also be awarded for the M o s t Va l u a b l e P l a y e r [MVP] and the Best Goalkeeper.

Among the other sponsors of the event include Bakewell Guyana Incorporated and the Colin Ta l b o t C o n struction Services.

Complete Results Game-1 Melanie-0 vs Ann’s Grove-1 Kevon Barry-55th Game-2 Paradise-3 vs Victoria-1 Paradise Scorers Trevon Dainty-32nd Teshawn Gordon-56th Teon Stewart-65th Victoria Scorer Sherwin Skeete-70th

Play in the Farfan and Mendes Junior Skill Level Squash Tournament at the Georgetown Club Camp Street will conclude today with the finals in the various categories. However, in the third night of play on Friday, keen competition was the order of the night.

In Category A, Shomari Wiltshire was again in action as he battled against Michael Alphonso.

Alphonso who is the current Caribbean Under 15 champion was excellent in his retrievals during the match but the pace and precision of Shomari’s shots would prove to be too much to handle.

Shomari comfortable won the first game 11/3, but the intensity of the rallies increased in game two with Michael winning a few of them but still lost the game 11/4.

Shomari closed out the contest with an identical 11/4 win in the third game.

In the other Category A match, Nicholas Verwey proved to be too strong for Gianni Carpenter. Gianni has

improved tremendously and showed that he is no longer a pushover for any opponent.

The first game was fairly close with Nicholas winning it 11/7. He comfortable won the second game 11/3 but had to work extremely hard to secure victory in the third game winning that game 11/9 and the match by three games to love.

In Category C, Zachary Persaud got a scare from Shiloh Asregado. Shiloh was out of the gates quickly and won the first game 11/7.

When he won the second game 11/5 it seemed as if an upset was on the cards. The third game was extremely close but Zachary held his nerve to win it 11/9. Zachary comfortable won the fourth game 11/6 then dominated the fifth game to win it 11/1.

In the other category C match, Louis Da Silva easily disposed of Lajuan Munroe in straight games 11/ 3, 11/4, 11/1 to move one step closer to the highly anticipated rematch against Zachary Persaud which is scheduled

for today.

In category D, Dhiren Persaud upset the higher ranked Teija Edwards moving her around the court with delicate shots to eventually secure a well deserved victory 11/3, 11/3, 11/9, while Rayad Boyce had to work much harder to defeat Lucas Persaud.

Rayad won the first game 11/4 and then moved closer to victory with an 11/5 win in game two. However, Lucas would not go down without a fight and clawed his way back into the match by winning the third game 11/7. Rayad however would close out the match with a close 11/8 win in game four.

Matches continued yesterday with the final games set for today from 11.00 am.

Results of the matches played on Friday evening: Category A Shomari Wiltshire defeated Michael Alphonso 11/3, 11/4, 11/4 Nicholas Verwey defeated (Continued on page 65)

Sunday November 24, 2019

Kaieteur News

PAGE 75

Brian Tiwari birthday tournament continues today at Den Amstel Action in the Brian Tiwari birth anniversary 9-aside Inter-Ward football Tournament will continue today at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground starting 4:00pm.

The tournament, which has been organized by former national coach

Lennox Arthur, will see twenty-four teams from all across the country compete over two days for prize monies and trophies worth in excess of $300,000 and will conclude on December 1 at the same venue. The action commenced yesterday.

The winning team will

receive $200,000, while second, third and fourth place finishers will take home $100,000, $60,000 and $40,000 respectively.

Arthur had said the businessman has always been forthcoming in his support for sports and has in the past repeatedly reached

out to the sport of football hence his preference to allow a tournament to be played in celebration of his birthday.

Today’s fixtures are as follows: Sunday November 24 Sara Lodge vs. Gaza De Kinderen vs. Timehri Crane vs. Soesdyke

Pouderoyen vs. GT Kanaimas West Side Spartans vs.

Kuru Kururu Uitvlugt vs. South Ruimveldt Den Amstel Kings vs.

Wales Den Amstel vs. Durban Backlands

Trayon Bobb

Colonial Medical Super50 Cup

rt

Spo

Bravo’s Masterclass overshadows Foo’s unbeaten 97

Jonathon Foo, who shared in 2 fifty-run stands, made a magnificent unbeaten 97 at the Oval last night. (Sean Devers photos) Darren Bravo fell two short of his 2nd ton this season to power Red Force to victory last night.

- Red Force beat Jaguars by six wickets

Smalta girls’ Peewee football competition

Tucville (blue bibs) defeated F.E. Pollard 4-0 yesterday afternoon at the MOE ground.

Tucville and North Georgetown register big victories

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