Kaieteur News
PAGE 02
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Failing to act on Climate Change is a death sentence for all - B/dos PM tells World Leaders
…calls inaction immoral, unjust that is paid for with lives and livelihoods Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, yesterday scolded some 130 World Leaders and leaders of other delegations over their collective failure in recent years to address the sore issue of Climate Change its global impact, mitigation and adaptation measures needed. She was at the time addressing the opening of the World Leaders Summit, at the 26 Conference of Parties (COP 26) currently underway in Glasgow, Scotland, under the auspices of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Delivering blunt remarks to the confab, Prime Minister Mottley, sounded the ‘Code Red’ alarm specifically for G7 and G20 countries, the seven and 20 richest countries on earth. “Earth to COP,” Mottley dramatised as before cautioning, those who have
Host, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at COP 26 eyes to see, those who have ears to listen and for those who have a heart to feel, “1.5 (degrees) is what we need to survive, 2 degrees is a death sentence for the people.” For the people of countries like Antigua and Barbuda and Barbados in the Caribbean, in addition to countries like the Samoa in the Pacific, the Maldives, Kenya and Mozambique, among others,
“We do not want that dreaded death sentence and we are here today to say try harder because our people, the climate army, the world, the planet needs our action now, not next year not in the next decade.” PANDEMIC LESSON Prime Minister Mottley in her remarks to the largest climate change confab globally, prefaced her arguments by firstly pointing
out that the COVID-19 pandemic has “taught us that national solutions to global problems do not work.” According to Prime Minister Mottley, world leaders have assembled in Glasgow with a global ambition but there remain critical, if not dangerous gaps in place, as it relates to achieving the publicly stated goals by some. She cited as example, that with regards mitigation climate pledges to steer the world away from a pathway of a 2.7 degree increase in temperature—above preindustrial levels—many of “these commitments made by some, are based on technology yet to be developed and this is at best reckless and at worst dangerous.” Regarding the promised financing by the developed world to the tune of some US$100B annually for Small Island and Developing States (SIDS)—such as Guyana—Prime Minister Mottley used the occasion to point out that this is short some US$20B, and as it relates to the promised adaption finances, this, she said, remains only at 25 percent of what was promised and not the 50/50
Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Mottley addressing COP 26 split that was promised or needed, given the warming that is already taking place on this earth IMMORAL AND UNJUST In fact, Mottley noted that Climate related finance to frontline SIDS declined by 25 percent in 2019, and that failure to provide the critical finance sees a measured loss in damaged lives and livelihoods “in our communities.” This, she said, “is immoral and it is unjust if Glasgow is to deliver on the promise of Paris, it must deliver on these three gaps.” She queried of World Leaders present, “what excuse should we give for the failure; when will we as world leaders address the
pressing issues that are truly causing our people angst and worry, simply put, when will leaders lead.” Prime Minister Mottley also used the occasion to lament that “regrettably some of the faces needed at Glasgow are not present,” a direct reference to the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping—the world’s leading carbon emitter, responsible for some 27 percent of global emission of greenhouse gases. Additionally, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, leader of another of the world’s top emitters of carbon, was also absent from the confab. Both leaders were Continued on page 3
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 02, 2021
PAGE 03
$1.8 Trillion Yellowtail Project…
Govt. working to secure about US$2 Billion from - Liza One, Two Exxon instead of full coverage insurance and Payara still Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo disclosed to members of the media yesterday that efforts are afoot to secure up to US$2B from ExxonMobil to cover any damage that may result from the US$9B Yellowtail Project, the fourth to be developed in the prolific Stabroek Block. T h e g o v e r n m e n t ’s pursuit of this US$2B commitment comes on the heels of years of criticisms from Kaieteur News and other industry stakeholders regarding the absence of any formal guarantee from
Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo
coverage insurance. These projects are: the Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two and the Payara Project. During his press c o n f e r e n c e , t h e Vi c e President specifically said, “As you know we are constantly seeking to improve the permits and
left exposed …in the one we are looking at in the Yellowtail Project, we are looking for a generic position where the parent Continued on page 8
Family assaulted, robbed at gunpoint during home invasion ExxonMobil that it would cover in full, the shortfall of costs associated with an
unmitigated spill which are not covered by its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and
Failing to act on Climate Change... From page 2 instead represented by delegations, citing COVID19 fears for their absence. CRIES OF HUMANITY The Bajan Prime Minister in her appeal to World Leaders also referenced the voices and imagery on display even at the opening ceremony—depicting the atrocities linked to climate change, asking “are we so blinded and hardened that we can no longer appreciate the cries of humanity.” According to Mottley, at the end of the Glasgow confab there must be consensus on the correct mix of voices, ambition and action, while questioning, “do some leaders believe that they can survive and thrive on their own, have they not learned from the pandemic.” She was adamant, “our world stands at a fork in the road, one no less significant than when UN was formed.” According to Mottley, in 1945 at the time of the formation of the UN, many of the countries in existence today, did not at the time but “we want to exist 100 years from now.” To this end, she was adamant, “we must act in the interest of all of our people who depend on us, the leaders of today, not 2030 not 2050.” MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, who hosted the event, in welcoming the delegates and leaders warned that the world was at a “minute to midnight” on the proverbial doomsday clock. Cognisant summits alone would not solve the current climate crises, Prime Minister Johnson conceded that two
Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL). But with the government only looking to secure a US$2B commitment, it therefore means that the Yellowtail Project will fall into the same bracket of other Exxon-led projects that are without full
weeks after the summit concludes there would still be smoke stacks belching from hydrocarbon powered plants across the world, in addition to petrol and diesel powered vehicles still congesting the roadways. To this end, Johnson was adamant that the fight against Climate Change cannot be left to governments alone and pointed to the private sector and the role of international financing institutions and multilateral banks. He was adamant “we have the technology” to make a difference and that “we can find the finance and we must.” According to the UK Prime Minister however, the question is a matter of political will and pointed to the fact, “we all talk about what we are going to do in 2050 or 2060.” As such, he used the opportunity to point out that h a l f o f t h e w o r l d ’s population is under 30, in contrast to the average age of world leaders present in Glasgow being 60. To this end, Prime Minister Johnson posits, it is “the children who will judge us, children not yet born and their children; if we fail they will not forgive us.” WAR-FOOTING He was adamant that the grandiose speeches and “blah, blah, blah” would redound to nothing, if COP26 were not to conclude with concrete measures in place. Elucidating on the urgency of the situation, the UK Prime Minister noted that a two degrees increase in global temperature, inherently means a loss of food supply to millions,
while a three degrees increase would result in an increase in extreme weather conditions such as with the case with droughts and wildfires. With a four-degree increase in temperature, Prime Minister Johnson impressed that at such a time, “we say good bye to cities.” He was adamant however, all is lost and noted that despite the failures on commitments made some 11 years ago at Copenhagen and six years ago in Paris, there are still measures that can be put in place. The UK Prime Minister cited as example the shutting down of hydrocarbon and coal fired plants across the world, in addition to the phasing out of fossil fuel based transportation, as well as for the developed world to make good on its financial commitments saying, “we in the developed world must recognise the need to help everybody else to do it.” Other speakers at yesterday’s opening session of the leadership summit included the Prince of Wales, His Royal Highness, Prince Charles Phillip Arthur George, who in his appeal to the leaders said, “we have to put ourselves on what might be called a war like footing,” in the fight against Climate Change. Other presenters included UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, famed environmentalist, Sir Richard Attenborough and Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, among others. Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali is scheduled to address the COP 26 Leadership Summit today.
A family of three was robbed at gunpoint by a group of men who gained access to their home by scaling their fence. The incident which took place around 20:45hrs on Sunday reportedly involved five men who were armed with handguns and cutlasses. Kaieteur News understands that two of the victims – a 56-year-old housewife and a 23-year-old woman – were inside the house while a 20-year-old man was outside on his phone. According to reports, the family member who was outside noticed when two men scaled the fence from a western direction and approached him. During the confrontation the suspects
pulled out a handgun and lashed the young man to his face rendering him unconscious. The 23-year-old family member stated that she heard a “male voice” advising her not to move and she complied. The perpetrator then approached her with a handgun and demanded money. She reportedly handed over $60,000 in cash. They then took the housewife to her room and started to ransack the area as they demanded cash and jewellery. They managed to obtain a cell phone valued $25,000 and an iPhone 7 valued $105,000. The suspects then made good their escape after scaling the fence. A police investigation is ongoing.
PAGE 4
Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Oil and gas migraines Other sections of the independent mainstream media have been wary of rocking the oil boat, diffident inspeaking out against blatant wrongs by both foreign oil companies and local political leaders. For reasons known only to them, they have treaded carefully around oil controversies and what we detect to be clear and continuing cases of enormous corruptions in Guyana’s budding oil sector. Perhaps, they are more sensible than us, but because so much is at stake for the future of Guyana, we take the bit into our teeth and plow ahead undaunted. In our October 24 edition, we headlined an oil-related story. It was that an ExxonMobil report indicates that the much talked about 4th oil project will increase this country’s overall carbon emissions. It stands to reason that that is going to happen, aforegone conclusion. On this one, Exxon documented the truth, which is not something that it is known for, since oil companies, in general, have a wellearned reputation for peddling lies (refer to letter from attorney at law, Ms. Melinda Janki in KN, October 24), which is something that is supported by the records of those companies. Guyana already has troubles with emissions control, thanks to Exxon and its flaring into the atmosphere. No right-thinking Guyanese would recommend leaving the oil in the ground, not when the world is looking to distance swiftly from fossil fuels. But our oil exploration and production must be with protective constraints in place, and on which our leaders must insist. If there has to be a cap on exploration, and limits on production, then that is what it must be. This is where we are at this paper, and we make no bones about it. For its part, Exxon rushes to use its cheap oil contract and docile political leadership partnerships (both APNU+AFC and PPP/C) to butter up its profitability, and regain the good graces of its shareholders. But even Exxon is sounding alarms. A recent instance was what to do with excess gas, with not enough demand for it, which was followed by the revelation of increase in overall carbon emissions from the 4th oil project. Exxon is looking out for its own interests, but the top leaders of the company are still sober enough and savvy enough to put a few facts on the table, every now and then. In this way, those same leaders get to point to their reports and say that they did the right thing and rang the bell of warning. We have to wonder, and all Guyanese should, why the same sobriety and good sense are missing from today’s PPP leaders. It was good ammunition and made for good press to take aim and blow away the Coalition for its many immense missteps, which led to Guyana’s unbelievable oil contract. To live off of that today is pointless, beyond landing a few blows, which have lost their sting. The PPP is in control today, and its leaders, meaning the Vice President alone, have the power to say to Exxon: this is how things are going to be. This is what will be done, and nothing else. The last place that Guyana would want to find itself, is that it proceeds with projects that go against the grain of the thinking and hardening postures of the international community, and transform itself into a State with an unwanted kind of reputation. That is, while the world is going in an increasingly negative and restrictive direction with fossil fuels, we are going in the opposite direction with new projects and possibly new contributions to what the world is fighting against. We don’t believe that we have to say anything about climate change and the intensifying fears issuing from powerful voices with global reach. For, if and when we rush forward unheedingly, meaning the Vice President does that, he risks impairing the current friendly relations that his government and this country has with the wider world. He should recall how Guyana attracted much scorn before for providing safe harbour for troubled people. Guyanese and the Vice President do well to remember that lesson. It is why we caution: don’t repeat the same mistakes with fossil fuel positions.
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Leaders are compromised, citizens must fight-back Dear Editor, Everyone knows by now how Guyanese are being robbed of their wealth, as the focus now is oil. Every week there is a major business signed between the government and a foreign entity, never between the government and Guyanese, no one knows what is being signed for what, and what the ordinary people gets out of it. All over Guyana, large Chinese shopping malls are being opened, building bigger than the Guyanese owned, with easy access to shipping and capital they will undercut the locals and get whatever Guyanese are supposed to get from the oil. The poor has already gotten hit, the rich and those who think you’re comfortable, your turn is next. Under the current contract with Exxon, Exxon extract oil, pay no taxes or duties, pay no attention to safety and environmental laws and the oil money is not even banked locally. It is banked in a U.S. Bank when senior and middle managers make eight and seven figure salaries in U.S. dollars. How
much does our Bank of Guyana employees make? As per the contract our local people do not know anything about banking. The real Math and cost to Guyana on this current deal is as follows: after refining, a barrel of oil generates close to US$300 in value, with all kinds of fuels from oil refining, gasoline, diesel, benzene for aircraft among others, as well 90 percent of daily products used by mankind is a byproduct of oil, from toys to computers, phones, lubricants, cosmetics, road construction, etc., and demand and price will only increase for these products, adding the loss of Guyana’s fishing and other local industries, Guyana is losing about US$200 per barrel of oil extracted per net value. The environmental value has no monetary cost as it is the death of Guyana as we know it. It is a scientific fact that people living close to oil production and refining plants have cancer and respiratory illness seen nowhere else in the country, and no folks, this is not from
the Third World, this is data from the USA and Canada of what is happening in the first world countries, imagine what happens in Third World countries, that’s why Exxon dodges the concerns of the likes of Melinda Jankie, Janet Bulkan and other environmentally smart people. The heat from the flaring is already being felt in the country, the fumes from producing oil over a couple decades will get to the air, as 90 percent of Guyanese live on the coastline, just like flaring the fumes will contaminate the sea breeze, which not only people, but livestock, animals and even trees and plants do breathe and will become contaminated. It is a blessing in disguise that fish is not being caught in the ocean, as the fish will be contaminated with toxic chemicals from the oil production and passed to people during consumption of the fish. The high standard of safety and environmental protection required from Exxon, Guyana being a Third World country, will not get; all the banned dangerous
chemicals that are not allowed in countries with strict laws gets used in countries with lax laws, Exxon don’t throw them away, the number one safety precaution for oil spills from offshore drilling is a standby rig, which Guyana will not get. A related story is with Union Carbide, a chemical producing company that has plants worldwide, the one in the strict countries have a computerised shutdown system that shut operations down automatically in case of a leak. In Bhopal, India they had one with a manual system, in case of leak workers had to use crescents and spanners to shut valves, there was a leak and over one hundred thousand people died, the response from the company was that Bhopal had a weak health system, not the fact that it did not equip the plant with a computerised system, expect the same rubbish spewing from Exxon should there be a disaster. So why did our leaders sign this deal, was it stupidity, was it protection from (Continued on page 6)
Shutting down Guyana’s oil not an option, simply manage it under the strictest guidelies Dear Editor, It was with disbelief when I read in the news that “Environmental and human rights activist, Guyanese Janet Bulkan on Tuesday asked the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to order the halt of oil and gas exploration because fossil fuels were damaging the environment and causing a loss of livelihoods.” https:// demerarawaves.com/2021/10/ 26/environmental-activistbulkan-asks-inter-americanhuman-rights-commissionto-call-for-end-to-oilexploration/. This comes shortly after “International Lawyer, Melinda Janki called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to shut operations at Exxon’s
Liza Destiny oil vessel and “make them pay” for the damage to the health and wellbeing of Guyanese, as well as the environment” h t t p s : / / www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/ 2021/02/01/exxons-flaringshut-them-down-and-makethem-pay-melinda-janki/ Here I am, thinking that every Guyanese would want to have the best for Guyana and for our Governments to utilise the money made from the oil industry to develop the country. Unfortunately, it appears that these two intelligent women want to shut down the fledgling oil industry in Guyana and I cannot understand why. What is their motive for trying to keep Guyana underdeveloped while they live in
developed countries, travel with the best airlines, and stay at the best hotels? Why haven’t they called on the oil industries of the developed countries to shut down, the same way they are calling on Guyana’s to be shut? Why haven’t they been calling for Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Canada or the USA to stop producing oil or exploring for more oil? Is there a hidden agenda? Are there wealthy, powerful people who prefer to remain hidden, while Janet Bulkan and Melinda Jankie do their dirty work for them? Are there persons who are paying them and their expenses as they travel to and from Guyana frequently, while they try to shut down the oil exploration and production? To the ordinary
Guyanese, it appears that these women would like to have Guyana return to the dark ages of no developments. What they don’t tell people is how many things used daily, by ordinary people, are made from fossil fuels. Shutting down Guyana’s oil industry should never be an option. However, the industry needs to function under strict environmental guidelines for exploration and production. This is where our Government and the Environmental Protection Agency need to become more active so the oil can be explored and extracted using environmentally friendly methods. Respectfully, Jonathan Yearwood
The PPP/C administration would not be a PRO for Harmon Dear Editor, Deputy Speaker, Mr. Shuman is calling on Dr. Irfaan Ali to meet with the Opposition Leader, to make substantive the positions of Chief Justice, Commissioner of Police, and Chancellor of the Judiciary. Mr. Shuman is here standing in the position of a statesman and as a go between the president and the opposition, to make these longstanding acting
positions permanent. Now, immediately the pro-PNC press is trumpeting this latest move as a first for the opposition, and something that puts President Ali as one reneging on one of his constitutional duties as president. But nothing could be farther from the truth, because anyone with a relatively fair knowledge of Guyana’s political history would be aware that it is the
PPP/C that instituted this confirmation process, and not the PNC. In fact, that party was firmly against it, to the extent that we had to get foreign intervention to help tide them over into agreement. Government in consultation with opposition, for those top positions, is all due to the tireless effort of the PPP/C, and not that of the PNC. So, Harmon’s attempt to put up a façade or appearing to be
concerned is simply a duplicitous act on his part. Another look at this matter would show a PPP/C administration summoning the Opposition to a meeting to discuss issues of governance, which it bluntly refused. So, Mr. Harmon is coming out to be more and more the foolish one, in that he has squandered a great opportunity to redeem (Continued on page 6)
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Freddie Kissoon given carte blanche to perpetuate endless lies Dear Editor, Freddie Kissoon is at it again. He never gives up. Despite labelling him a liar for perpetuating for more than 25 years the falsehood that I sued him for libel in the 1990s, he has not relented. In his article on Sunday last (“Dear Mr. Ramkarran, be careful”) he once again repeats this lie. He stuck it in at the bottom of the article, presumably hoping that it may not be noticed or that no one will take it seriously. I have publicly challenged him by way of a letter to KN to produce the writ and other court documents that have to be
filed and served in a suit. I have advised him that copies would be available from the Supreme Court Registry, if he cannot retrieve his own. But he refuses to do so and, as soon as he believes the public has forgotten, he repeats the lie. Other lies against my family have been perpetuated by Kissoon for years, until he was threatened with legal proceedings by one of them. The publisher of Kaieteur News, Mr. Glenn Lall, knows of Kissoon’s lie, but chooses to allow him to perpetuate them. Daily, Mr. Lall rants and raves about lying politicians,
but approbates, supports, pampers and encourages a favoured member of his staff, Freddie Kissoon, to continue this lie against me, for whatever reason. On principle, I will never allow Kissoon and Lall to get away with this lie by remaining silent, for as long as it takes. Ralph Ramkarran Editor’s note: Freddie Kissoon HAS NOT been given carte blanche to perpetuate endless lies and, therefore, has been asked to respond to your allegation. He has furnished an apology as seen below.
Freddie Kissoon apologies to Mr. Ralph Ramkarran Dear Editor, Let me say upfront there was no intention to lie on Mr. Ramkarran. In writing the column there was no intention to attack Mr. Ramkarran. The dispute happened a long time ago, almost 30 years ago so there would have been some grey areas of memory. I hold
nothing personal against Mr. Ramkarran. It was my sincere recollection that a libel suit was filed. I apologise if Mr. Ramkarran felt aggrieved. Mr. Ramkarran’s statement that no writ was filed is accepted by me. I sincerely apologise. I can assure Mr. Ramkarran the matter is now dead for me
and I have no intention of ever raising the subject again. I would like to repeat that there was never any intention of insult or intent to lie on Mr. Ramkarran. Once more I apologise and ask Mr. Ramkarran to accept the apology in good faith. Frederick Kissoon
Roxanne Winfield should be given a posthumous national award Dear Editor, I read of the sad passing of the former prison officer who was shot during the 2002 jail break. For 19 years after that dastardly occurrence, she languished. If anyone is deserving of a national
award, it is Roxanne Winfield. I urge the authorities to seriously consider the posthumous bestowing of such an award on a deserving Individual who put country above self. A life well lived in service
PAGE 5
Kaieteur News
to country is now at rest. My condolences to her grieving family, relatives, friends and colleagues. Just when can the nation expect this aspect of national life to be fulfilled? Shamshun Mohamed
Trouble in the CCWU, unconstitutional decisions must stop Dear Editor, It seems that the four or five members sit to undemocratically make decisions for the executive and members of the Clerical & Commercial Workers’ Union. The will of our members is being ignored and this situation must change, otherwise, the union would be headed by a group of dictators. I present my opinion on the following facts with reference to the acting placement of Sister Andrea Joseph. At a special executive meeting of the union on Wednesday 14th March, 2018, Sister Andrea Joseph was proposed by me, Brother Sherwood Clarke -General President, to act as General Secretary due to the vacancy created following the demise of the General Secretary, Sister Ann Anderson. Sister Andrea Joseph was mandated to act in the p o s i t i o n until the next triennial conference, which was scheduled for August, 2019. That motion was passed unanimously. The acting General
Secretary has failed us all, including the membership. The triennial conference 20192022 has not been called and we are approaching another triennial term 2022-2025. We are saddled with four or five members of the executive who make decisions for the union. Those decisions are unconstitutional. The rules stipulate that 13 elected members constitute the executive and the forum to conduct business on behalf of the CCWU, and requires eight members to form a quorum when meeting to make decisions are held. The apparent ad-hoc committee of five which is deciding for the union must stop immediately. There is an apparent lack of effort to reach out to our members by the General Secretary; and, also, a lack of interest to negotiate with entities with which the CCWU has bargaining rights. Members have expressed concern over non-response to correspondence sent to the union by various organisations. That is a form of neglect of duty that
undermines the confidence of members in our union. That is altogether unacceptable and must not be tolerated. As General President I am mandating the General Secretary to call an urgent meeting to address the following: A date for the Triennial Delegates Conference by applying the necessary rules to ensure its success. May it be resolved that the General Secretary (ag) adheres to this mandate, by planning and setting a date for the Triennial Delegates Conference and to ensure the conference is held on schedule. May it also be resolved that this conference be allowed to resolve all issues which are affecting the smooth functioning of the union. Yours sincerely, Sherwood Clarke General President, CCWU
PAGE 6
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Kaieteur News
Guyana’s two-headed presidency Dear Editor, I knew that a national embarrassment waited. This was the result of the slick work of a political card that gave Guyana a two-headed presidency. Every time it raises its head, Guyana is a bigger global laughing stock. This was conspicuous at the United Nations. There was the President and Vice President of this poor little nation sitting together, and global political contemporaries wondering why both of them. It was virtually unprecedented in international forums, prompting the foreigners to ask themselves who was the real Number 1 at the UN, and who was minding the store in Guyana. Since the VP is overseer for oil, he should have enough on his hands pursuing the best deals (not side ones) for this country, which removes him from being presidential chaperone. It was a spectacle, this two-headed presidential apparition, a wrestling tag team on the world’s stage pretending at genuine engagement. Candidly, given the obvious unsteadiness of Guyana’s head of state, it was
babysitting and handholding. Still, I wished that such would occur away from international stares. The people at the UN must have pinched themselves: is this for real? Is this how Guyanese manage themselves and their oil wealth? Clearly, Guyana’s presidency is not a nursery affair, but a gruelling undertaking; the president is not ready. Not even PPP mythmakers can gloss over the pictures of the twoheaded hydra that confirms what Guyana’s presidency is; I thank God that it is not Cerberus, three heads and all. Party admirers are appalled, the ambitious AG smug, and VP worshippers dismayed, because his presidential creation flays him. I am embarrassed at this national peculiarity that humiliates Guyana, given a president forced beyond his competency level. Disasters result. Ribbon cutting, sod shoveling, and flying visits to dole out charity only camouflage his deficits so far. I had warned: the man lacks the right stuff. For upset PPP defenders, I say: don’t worry about me.
Think of the assembled dignitaries at the UN, when they beheld our out-of-hisdepth president pleading for help from the shrinking VP, who was too embarrassed to run to the rescue. He created the monster, he must cage it. How often will the president reach for Vice Presidential counselling? How frequently, is he going to put regional and international leaders on hold, so that he can get whispered corrections/interpretations from the VP? This does not accrue to the dignity of the office of Guyana’s presidency. Worse still, all Guyana is degraded by this tangled presidential tango. One misleads about transparency, knowing full well the other’s love affair with secrecy. Though I should be disparaging of the VP’s plights, I am sympathetic to the hole that he dug for himself, and into which the limited president plunges. The VP must bail him out. When Guyana’s President and Vice President engage in this pas de deux, they may not be humiliated, but Guyana is. If and when oil (when is it not, nowadays?) is the issue, then the VP has his own domain,
Take prayers out of school, and guns are likely to be the replacement Dear Editor, The American’s soldier believes in prayers. In 2004, as I was deploying to Iraq, I was on a plane with 300 soldiers and the chaplain (pastor) prayed for us. As we were leaving Kuwait to drive on the dangerous and daunting roads to Iraq, the chaplain prayed for us. Every time the soldiers left our military installation to go to downtown Baghdad, the chaplain prayed for us. Every time a soldier died or was wounded, the chaplain prayed for them. Before going on every mission, the chaplain prayed for us. For the American’s soldier, prayer is important. Editor, if prayers are important to the soldier, it should be important to our children in schools. Prayers are important, so let us keep it in school. This is also the view held by the American Founders. They intended to institute a secular government, but insisted that it required a religious foundation. For example, in his Farewell Address, George Washington reminded his countrymen that “religion and morality” are the “firmest props of the duties of men and citizens” and, therefore, are “indispensable supports” of “the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity.” He added, moreover, that morality depends on religion: “[R]eason and
experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.” Religion, he thus suggested, is necessary to the preservation of “free government.” Accordingly, Alexis de Tocqueville, the French diplomat and political scientist, concludes, the preservation of America’s traditional religion is one of the most important tasks of democratic statesmanship. Indeed, he goes so far as to say that religion “should be considered the first” of America’s “political institutions” and even that it is necessary for Americans to “maintain Christianity…at all costs.” Prayers in schools can lead to national unity, social cohesion and morality. Prayers can bring about some healing in our racially divided nation and help with the healing of some of the fabric of our country. Editor, since former President Ramotar, and others who opposed prayers in school, I wonder if they would also oppose soldiers praying before going to war. When the Americans took prayers out of the school, it was replaced with guns and violence in the schools. I’m putting it to you that if Guyana took prayers out of the schools, the same thing would happen here. Anthony Pantlitz
...The PPP/C administration would not From page 4 himself in the eyes of his supporters and the nation on a whole. But Harmon is not telling his supporters the real story behind this conciliatory position of his, the true fact is, he is down on the ropes, if not on his knees, in this contest for leadership of his party. He is unsure of what his fate might be and, as such, anything that would make him
look good in the eyes of his party he would clutch on to. So, pretend to be a ‘good opposition’ and agree to the appointment of those top officials, this is his objective, this is his campaign call. By so doing he is s e e k ing the Government’s support on his public relations. However, I must assure him that the PPP/C
administration would not be a PRO for Harmon - it is not going to happen -that is something he would have to work out all by himself. So, the beat goes on for party leadership. It would be an interesting contest, if not combative, as is the usual occurrence when it comes to the PNC. Respectfully submitted, Neil Adams
atmospherics, and acolytes, which is where those wheeling and dealings (negotiations) should occur. When oil is the topic of engagement, the VP is quite capable of going off on his own, concentrate on that allimportant portfolio. He must do so without worrying if the President will hold or fold. Let the President stand – deliver or fall; he coveted the job, knowing struggles loomed; he either thrives or dives. But let this hanging on to the VP’s coattails cease, while the VP himself must let go. This business of allocating work to him must terminate. This-two-headed presidency is not good for Guyana’s image, makes us frail, subject to exploitation. Though neither national leader would listen, this is
why we should have veteran and competent senior public servants. Flunkies and party loyalists lack the tools to help the president, and no amount of propaganda spray painting can gloss over satisfactorily. The UN is over there, but CARICOM is right here, where the second instance of Guyana’s Janus-headed leadership was part of recent proceedings. CARICOM people had to have wondered: what the hell is this abomination, where it came from, who is responsible, and how much longer they have to deal with this. They have to figure how to interpret and communicate with Guyana’s two presidential heads going off simultaneously. To his credit, the VP tries hard not to get in the way, unless business is involved. But he
has to do damage control. Regional heads of government are from here, they live near us, with us. There is no hiding this Guyanese leadership curiosity, of conjoined Siamese political twins. How long this charade is going to go on is anybody’s guess. The VP and DPI can’t block international media presences from observing the circus that is Guyana’s presidency. Why is it that Guyanese have a leader that lives the Peter Principle in national affairs before international audiences, and we must go along with it? We know the answers to those questions, don’t we? And here I am thinking that Joe Biden is bad. Sincerely, GHK Lall
I endorse Harmon for PNC/R leader and Forde for chairman Dear Editor, Currently I believe Mr. Harmon is best suited to be the Leader of the PNC/R political party, after considering all the factors. It is obvious a lot of thought and effort went into his campaign announcement. The agenda outlined seem more exciting and hopeful with an updated strategy, promising to advocate more for the voting public. If successful in becoming party leader, Mr. Harmon would replace former President Mr. Granger, who got the PNC/R to the promise land -elected in 2015 after the party being in the wilderness for many years, with the
support and backing of the Western International Community to stabilise the security situation, and improve the foreign investment climate. Like we know from history, foreign powers can back you to gain political wins but it’s up to you, if you want to stay in and retain power. It is never easy for a prized champion to walk away from the game. There is still a part for the former President to play in the party, especially during election campaigning season I also endorse Mr. Roysdale Forde to be Chairman and Executive Member of the PNC/R. Mr.
Forde is primed for this leadership role to help guide the PNC/R into the future, and is a cut above most when he speaks on behalf of the PNC/R political party. Mr. Forde is fully equipped to address the tough issues, is a skillful negotiator, solid decision maker, who has a lot of experience to interact with the other political parties and can navigate disapproval of policies and actions, instead of confrontation while getting the attention of the PPP/C, while being assertive. Ronald Thompson, Experienced Project Manager Thompson Consulting and Advisory International
...Leaders are compromised, citizens From page 4 Venezuela which is claiming Guyana’s offshore and Essequibo, or are they so deep in corruption they had no choice? Corruption between governments and multinational corporations works like a drug cartel, the deeper you are you can’t get out or there are dire consequences. When Saddam, Ghaddafi, Noriega and African leaders decided that the exploitation gets overbearing, they moved to take a stand although there were dealing with the exploiters originally. The Attorney General of the U.S. can charge anybody anywhere for corruption: Is this what our leaders are afraid of? Thus, the silence and do nothing to what Exxon is doing? If the exploiters gets 95 percent and our corrupt leaders should get five percent, then the blame should be assigned proportionately. How can
Guyanese fight-back? Our constitution dictates any deals with state assets and property has to be approved by parliament as representative for the people. Contracts not approved by parliament did not represent the people and can be challenged. People get a lawyer to file a case with a judge. Where are the lawyers, who during the elections bombarded us with laws, articles, statues, injunctions and other law jargon? Surely, they can file something challenging the validity of contracts not approved by parliament. The Leader of Ghana challenged the contracts for Ghana in a European Court. He lost the case, but achieved two things: he indemnified himself from the exploitation of his country and created an awareness of young Ghanaians, who are now fighting back worldwide via social media, and who now
say, if the leader says the contracts are bad, then they are. Guyanese entertainers and sportsmen and women and others with social media influence have to speak up. Concerned Guyanese should reach out to environmental activists and groups to Guyana’s Cause. Same reaching out should be made to indigenous activists and groups to the plight of indigenous people in Guyana, as resource industries are destroying their habitats. The leaders of Guyana will do nothing as they are already compromised. Guyanese have a mentality - do nothing and what has to happen will happen. Sorry people that attitude will not save you from this one and why be afraid of consequences, the current situation will only become a slow, painful death march to the slaughterhouse. R. David
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Kaieteur News
PAGE 07
Kaieteur News
PAGE 08
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Jagdeo defends producing oil as quickly as possible from offshore …says world will still need 24 million barrels daily, why shouldn’t we be in the supply chain Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday defended the ever expanding production of Oil and Gas in Guyana by pointing to the fact that even in 2050—when the world is aiming for net zero emissions—there would still be a need for some 24 million barrels of oil daily, down from the current rate of about 100 million daily. Dr. Jagdeo shared his
position yesterday during a press engagement that coincided with the World Leaders Summit at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP 26) underway in Glasgow, Scotland which is being held under the auspices of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A c c o r d i n g t o Vi c e President Jagdeo, while many are quick to point to
institutions such as International Energy Agency (IEA) that speak to the need for no new financing for fossil fuel projects, what the critics fail to mention, is that in 2050 even the IEA concedes that some 24 million barrels of oil will still be needed. According to Jagdeo, under the IEA’s most optimistic scenarios, in 2050 there would still be a global
demand for some 24 million barrels, “so who is going to supply this, why should we not be the ones supplying it.” He was adamant, “our objective has to be to try to get as much out as possible from the sector, as quickly as possible and then invest in the low carbon sector of the future.” The Vice President was at the time ardently defending Guyana’s oil and
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo during his press engagement yesterday. gas production, which he said would also be addressed by President Irfaan Ali when he addresses COP 26. Dr. Jagdeo used the occasion to also point out that although the IEA speaks about oil peaking in 2025 and then declining to 24 million barrels per day by 2050 “the pace of that change is determined by the users too.” To this end, he posits there is a projected increase in demand in the coming y e a r s f o r e n e rg y a n d
suggested that “a lot of countries don’t even have electricity for their people.” According to Jagdeo, there are currently tens of millions of people across the globe without electricity, “they have to get access to electricity, so demand will grow there.” He speculated that pressing to shut down the fossil fuel industry will require something to fill the gap. He noted too that in order Continued on page 16
Girl, 15, fights off relative who tried to rape her A decision by a 15-year-old girl to fight back helped to save her from being raped by her own relative during the wee hours of Sunday. According to police, the attempted rape of the girl took place around 03:00hrs at her home located in the Region Seven Area. The relative who tried to rape her has been identified as a 19year-old man. Police reported that the girl was awakened from her sleep by someone choking her and when she opened her eyes she saw her relative forcing himself on her. She reportedly began to fight back and a scuffle ensued between the two. Other persons residing in the house were awakened by the noise from the scuffle. As a result, the relative decided to stop his attack and ran away. A report was subsequently lodged with police and a manhunt has been launched for the suspect.
Govt. working to secure... From page 3 company, ExxonMobil, will now guarantee; well we are looking at maybe up to US$2B for any damage caused here… because from the beginning there was no parent guarantee, it was implicit but…that is crucial for us as we move forward.” The EEPGL, the operator of the Stabroek Block, has explained via the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Yellowtail Project that the costs for developing same are expected to be higher since there would be a greater number of development wells and associated drilling costs when compared to its Payara project, which will also cost Guyana $1.8 trillion. Despite the astronomical costs, Exxon believes that the project should be supported as it would generate benefits for the citizens of Guyana in several ways, which would otherwise not be there in the
absence of the project. According to project documents, Yellowtail will consist of drilling approximately 41 to 67 development wells (including production, water injection, and gas reinjection wells); installation and operation of Subsea, Umbilicals, Risers, and Flowlines equipment; installation and the operation of a Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel in the eastern half of the Stabroek Block; and— ultimately—project decommissioning. Initial production is expected to begin by the end of 2025–early 2026, with operations continuing for at least 20 years. The project is expected to employ up to 540 persons during development well drilling, approximately 600 persons at the peak of the installation stage, and 100 to 140 persons during production operations.
Tuesday November 02, 2021
PAGE 9
Kaieteur News
Granger saved the PNC/R from sanctions The delegates to the forthcoming Congress of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) will not only get to elect the party’s leaders. They will also get the leaders they deserve. There have been no upheavals within the party protesting the despicable conduct of the PNC/R in attempting to benefit from rigged elections and dragging the country through five months of torture and inertia. The only internal turmoil has been over the decision of Granger to accept the lawful declaration of the Chairperson of GECOM and the subsequent attempts to discredit him and call for his removal. In essence, since the swearing-in of Irfaan Ali as President, the PNC/R has been embroiled in a power struggle rather than a struggle to regain the support which abandoned the Coalition and cost the party to lose the elections. The issue of why the APNU+AFC lost the elections is playing second fiddle to the power struggle within the party. And it is that same struggle within the party since the last Congress which led to divisions within the party and which hurt the party during the elections. The party leadership needs to remember that just prior to the 1992 elections there was a power struggle also. While the challenge to Hoyte’s leadership was withdrawn at the last hour, the damage had already been done. Divisions had already been developed within the party, and one of the faction camps tried to abort the elections. The PNC/R needs to do a thorough analysis of why it lost the 2020 elections. It has to step away from the discredited and unsubstantiated narrative of fraudulent elections. It has to confront the fact that, despite its significant support, it was rejected by the majority of the population. It needs to address what it could have
done better and what it should not have done at all while in government. Among the key deficiencies was leadership of the elections campaign. The APNU+AFC never learnt from the mistakes of its management of its 2016 local government elections campaign and inexplicably the PNC/R went it alone in 2018. It took a hammering from the PPP in both elections. But that still did not force the party to rethink its campaign organisation or the divisions which were emerging within the Coalition. The PNC/R also soured relations with the APNU+AFC in the run-up to the 2020 elections. This was a case of political suicide because the PNC/R’s core base cannot deliver an election victory. And because the AFC was peeved, it underperformed. The AFC went into the elections feeling slighted and it gave a half-hearted performance and allowed the PPP/C to win the elections. But there was also evidence that the PNC/R was not properly assessing the turnout at its rallies. It could not do this because it had adopted the PPP/C style of bussing in large numbers of supporters to its mass rallies. Its street corner meetings were also poorly attended. The APNU+AFC had commissioned a poll just after the no-confidence motion and it gave the Coalition a slight lead, sufficient, it was felt, to have allowed for a narrow victory had the elections been held within the three months period. There was a decision, however, not to resign and call elections but to challenge the no-confidence motion, including on the most absurd of grounds that 34 was the lowest majority of 65. The PNC/R paid a bitter price for that legal misadventure. It is believed that it lost the support of persons who would have been inclined to support it had the government done what
was required under the Constitution. The APNU+AFC lost power also because of the many mistakes which occurred within the government. It proved no better than the PPP/C and was subject to serious criticisms over its conduct in office. But perhaps the tipping point was the scandalous signing of the Production Sharing Agreement with the oil companies. This was the worst deal ever signed. If and when the PNC/R debates what went wrong in the government, it should raise questions as to who authorised the signing of this deal and why. To add insult to injury there was a denial that a signing bonus was paid. And it was later said that the amount paid was believed to be a gift to the government. So if it was a gift to the government somebody needs to explain why it was not paid into the Consolidated Fund as required by law. The PNC/R organisation is extremely weak at the base. It is not as some feel a question of losing contact at the grassroots; it is an issue of the quality of its local leadership, and so far only one candidate, Dr. Richard Van West Charles has recognised this deficiency. The quality of some of the groups and Regional leadership would have attracted some disfavour. Too many fogies are still occupying positions of influence at the group level and they lack the sort of energy needed to revitalise grassroots support. David Granger has had to shoulder a barrage of criticism since the 2020 elections. He is being crucified for accepting the lawful declaration made by the Guyana Elections Commission. He did the right thing, belatedly, and saved the party from serious international sanctions and regional ostracism. Unfortunately, the forthcoming Congress will
Dem Boys Seh…
Garbage truck tek win! Dem boys used to think dat minibus did run things pun de road. Dem boys does still see dem minibus overtaking, undertaking and mistaking pun de road. Some ah dem minibus does use dem road as if is wan airstrip. Dem flying down de road like dem Concorde. And when dem stap pun de road, traffic gat to stap also. Because dem stap in de middle ah de road. Like de fella yesterday wa stap he bus in de middle of de road and cause traffic
fuh back up fuh two corners. Wan man see de traffic jam and thought was a line fuh petrol and he join it. But was only wan case of de minibus driver making a pit stop fuh go to de sh#t house. He tek he good time while dem car waiting fuh he fuh pull off. And when he come he look at de traffic as if he nah notice dem. Den he sit down inside he bus and smoke a cigarette. All de while people busing and cussing he, he deh playing Steve Wonder
and Thomas Edison – wan who did blind and de odder who did deaf. But if you think he bad, tek second. Dem garbage truck tek win. When dem picking up garbage, dem nah gat no concern bout traffic. Ambulance and police siren can be blasting and still dem nah move. You gat to wait tell dem done wah dem doing, bear dem smell, before you get to pass. Talk half and when yuh see garbage truck, reverse!
not labour on the party’s mistakes between 2015 and 2020. Its main focus will be the power struggle. Instead of sweeping changes to the leadership, there will be the recycling of the old leaders into new
positions. And that will keep the PNC/ R out of office way beyond 2030. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Kaieteur News
PAGE 10
Tuesday November 02, 2021
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
The AFC dossier, a brilliant American scholar and Percy Hintzen One of the US’ most accomplished scholars who for the past 50 years have analysed Caribbean society including several major scholarly pieces on Guyana reminded me last week on what Professor Percy Hintzen once wrote. Percy Hintzen is an African Guyanese living in the US for the past 40 years. The accomplished American scholar is White just in case you want to accuse him of favouring Indian Guyanese. Percy is one of the best sociologists, Guyana has produced. As a UG freshman I sought his knowledge on many things. The American scholar in a discussion we had last week about the deterioration today of some iconic figures in the era of Walter Rodney observed that, “This seems to fit Hintzen’s view that the Creole middle class saw the future as belonging to it and resented claims made by the Indian population.” Hintzen wrote, “In colonial British Guiana, class differences and racialized
patterns of distribution of privilege were managed under a rubric of Creoleness. Creoleness explained, determined its standards of normative evaluation, served as a guide and compass for action and was the basis for simplification of the colonial complex. Creoleness incorporated the various groups of blacks, mixed, Portuguese, Chinese and a few Whites (source, Hintzen, “Creoleness and Nationalism in Guyanese Anti-colonialism and Post-colonial formation, in “Small Axe”, March 2004). Please note, Indians are not on the list. In another publication, Hintzen wrote this, “West Indian identity and its black political nationalism were fashioned for and by its Creole population (when during this period) Indians were located outside Nationalist representation and practice,” (source, Hintzen, “Cheddi Jagan: Charisma and Guyana’s response to Western capitalism” in Anton Allahar (ed), “Caribbean Charisma: Reflections on Leadership, Legitimacy and
Populist Politics.” We come now to the observation of Hintzen that holds the key to understanding why light-complexioned, middle class Guyanese in and out of the land and certain civil society groups led by African middle class Guyanese supported the grab for permanent power by the PNC and AFC during the March 2020 election. The Hintzen analysis is also the same guide in comprehending the confidential AFC dossier in which Charrandass Persaud’s conduct in the AFC is assigned prominence but there is no mention of the action of Dominic Gaskin. Hintzen argues that the Creole population was alarmed by the rise not only of Cheddi Jagan but the extent to which the Indian population gravitated around him. Hintzen wrote in his essay on Jagan in the Allahar book that as Indians embraced Jagan, “the entire Creolese order coalesced against Asian, Indian political organisation.” More than 75 years after this happened in British Guiana, it happened in 2020. Remove Jagan in March 2020 and substitute the PPP instead. What you have is the identical atavistic reversion. Alarmed at an Indian president and his Indian party governing Guyana, Creole and African middle class rejected both. In 2020, alarmed at an Indian party was coming into power against after the Creole class acquired the government in 2015, the entire order of African Guyanese middle class fortress attempted an oligarchic putsch. We end with the Freudian mind that went into that AFC dossier. I quote from my last Friday column; here is the part that betrays what the Freudian mind represses; “Please read carefully the following words: “The Charrandas issue must be dealt with and closed as it continues to linger and haunt the AFC as a party.” But why was there no mention of the Dominic Gaskin story?
G as ki n e Frederick Kissoon x p osed wrongs in the AFC more than Charran. Was there a Creole contempt for the Indian man, Charrandass Persaud, the Berbician whose origins are from the cane-fields in Canje? He shook up the AFC with the way he voted in the no-confidence motion (NCM) but so did the half- White-half Creole gentleman, Dominic Gaskin, who did as much criticism of the AFC’s flaky leadership during the five months of attempted election rigging as Charran did. Here is what Gaskin wrote on his Meta page on July, 2020: “To my colleagues in the coalition, I make one final appeal. You are losing political ground. You cannot win this battle. Find a way out today. And for God’s sake stop abusing everyone who dares to suggest that you lost the election. There is not a shred of evidence to suggest otherwise.” The AFC immediately expelled Charran after the NCM. But on to this day, there has been no condemnation of Gaskin by the AFC’s leadership. The AFC dossier does not mention his name in any controversy but does so for Charran. The Freudian mind was at work. Charran is Indian. Maybe he is not equal in eugenics to Gaskin. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Kaieteur News
PAGE 11
PAGE 12
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Govt. pushing to auction relinquished portions of oil blocks next year Even though Guyana is still without the legislative and regulatory framework to effectively manage its quickly growing oil sector, and its capacities are stretched thin each day in monitoring ExxonMobil’s Stabroek Block operations, the government has signalled its intention to welcome more operators into the offshore basin by next year. Making this disclosure yesterday during an engagement with members of the local media fraternity was Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. He noted that by the third quarter of 2022, the government will be looking to auction new blocks which will now require that it aggressively enforces the relinquishment provisions in the contracts it has with companies such as ExxonMobil, Tullow, and Repsol. The Vice President said, “We have been caught up with now trying to put in place the architecture for the management of the industry but now we have to move to enforcement and then auctioning.” To go to an auction however, Jagdeo said the government would have to make several policy decisions. “We will have to get someone who has done this before. We have to get technical help. Secondly, we have to also make a decision like some countries are doing, whether we want to invest, like Suriname is doing, to shoot 3D seismic and then auction the block with seismic data which gives us a higher price.” If it decides against this, Jagdeo said the government could decide to just auction the areas as is since it would ultimately have to stand the costs associated with the 3D seismic survey. Another key consideration he said, is whether government should preclude existing companies such as ExxonMobil to be part of the bidding round. It should be noted that ExxonMobil is the only company which has a
hold on the largest acreage in the Guyana basin. If it acquires more, it would only serve to increase its monopoly. “So we have to make that policy decision…,” the Vice President noted while adding that if there is need to amend laws in the future to allow for this auction to take place then it would certainly occur. EIGHT MONTHS LATE It was last month that this newspaper exposed that the Kaieteur Block which is operated by ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) is more than eight months beyond the contractual timeline for a portion, 45 percent to be exact, to be relinquished. The massive offshore concession was awarded in April 2015 to Cataleya Energy Corporation (CEC) which was formerly Ratio Energy Limited and Ratio Guyana Limited, a subsidiary of Ratio Petroleum Energy Limited Partnership headquartered in Israel (Ratio Petroleum). Subsequent to the Upper Cretaceous playopening at the Liza-One discovery in May 2015, a farm-in agreement executed with ExxonMobil, along with various other arrangements, saw the effective date of the Kaieteur Petroleum Agreement being amended from April 2015 to February 2017. With this in mind, it should be noted that a prospecting licence in the oil sector is up for renewal after four years. During that period, the company has to adhere to a work programme, and at the conclusion of same, it can elect to relinquish all or a portion of the block. The PSA, when perused by Kaieteur News, notes at Article Four, which deals with Exploration Programme and Expenditure Obligation that the Contractor shall carry out minimum work commitments, during the periods into which Prospecting Operations are divided. The agreement notes that the
Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo initial period of four years shall be divided into two phases, each having duration of 24 months. In the first phase, the contractor shall acquire all available 2D seismic data from previous surveys conducted over the Contract Area, process and/or reprocess as necessary, and interpret same. At the end of phase one of the initial period, the Contractor shall either elect to relinquish the entire Contract Area, except for any Discovery Area in respect of which the Minister is informed under section 30 of the Act and the area contained in any Petroleum Production Licence; or subject to Article Five, relinquish 25 percent of the Contract Area and commit to the Work Programme in phase two.
During phase two of the initial period, the Contractor shall conduct a survey to acquire a minimum one thousand (1,000) line kilometers of new marine 2D seismic and/or five hundred square kilometers (500 sq. 1cm) of new 3D seismic over the Contract Area, process, and interpret same. At the end of the initial period of four years, the Contractor shall elect either to relinquish the entire Contract Area or, subject to Article Five, relinquish 20 percent of the Contract Area except for any Discovery Area in respect of which the Minister is informed under section 30 of the Act and the area contained in any Petroleum Production Licence and renew the Petroleum Prospecting Licence for a further period of three years. It therefore means that at the end of the first four years, ExxonMobil should have handed over to the State, 45 percent of the Stabroek Block. This should have been done by the PPP/C Government since February. In the meantime, ExxonMobil has applied to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be authorised to drill 12 wells in the Kaieteur Block which is located in deep water over 200 kilometres northeast of the coastline of Georgetown, Guyana, and adjacent to the northern boundaries of the Stabroek and Canje blocks. Approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission will also be obtained. The Kaieteur Block is currently operated by ExxonMobil’s subsidiary, Esso Production & Exploration Guyana Limited, in partnership with CEL, Ratio Guyana Limited and a subsidiary of Hess Corporation.
Miner found dead at abandoned shop
P
olice are investigating the death of a 62-year-old miner whose decomposing body was found on Friday last lying on the veranda of an abandoned shop at Peesink Landing, Cuyuni River, Region Seven. The dead man has been identified as Christopher Abel of Lot 18, Catherine Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara. His remains were discovered by another miner around 05:30hrs. Crime scene experts who turned up at the
scene reported that there were no marks of violence seen on the exposed parts of the corpse. However, persons from the areas told Region Seven detectives that Abel had arrived at the Landing a few days before his body was found. They related that he complained to them that he was feeling unwell and did not have money to take care of himself or travel home. Detectives are now awaiting an autopsy to determine the cause of Abel’s death.
Four in hiding after allegedly killing Parika man Police in Region Three have launched an investigation into the brutal killing of Trevor Allen, who was chopped and stabbed several times by four identifiable men at Parika Façade, East Bank Essequibo. Allen was attacked sometime around 20:50hrs on Sunday during a drinking spree with his brothers at a shop in the Parika Façade area. According to police, while consuming alcohol with his brothers, a heated argument ensued between Allen and one of the four suspects. The suspect reportedly held onto Allen and cuffed him to his face.
This caused him to retaliate. Police revealed that it was during the fight between the two that the three other suspects turned up with a cutlass and knives and launched their attack on Allen. One of Allen’s brothers, Harvey Allen, had attempted to rescue him but he too was attacked by the men. According to reports, after receiving a chop to his back, Harvey sought refuge in a nearby canal where he watched the suspects continue their attack on his brother. Harvey then raised an alarm and this caused the suspects to throw bricks at
him. Persons who heard the man’s calls summoned the police, but the suspects had fled the area by the time ranks arrived. According to police, Allen was seen lying motionless with five stab wounds about the region of his abdomen and a chop wound to the forehead. His body was removed and taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His remains were then transferred to the Ezekiel Funeral Home where it awaits a post mortem examination. Up to press time, no arrest was made.
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Kaieteur News
PAGE 13
Kaieteur News
PAGE 14
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Chancellor rebuffs unwarranted criticisms - says judiciary doing best to deliver despite shortfalls Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yo n e t t e C u m m i n g s Edwards, has rejected recent
criticisms levelled against members of the bench, stating that the judiciary has been doing its best to deliver
justice despite a deficiency in the workforce. Justice CummingsEdwards was at the time
addressing an open hearing of the appeal matter between the New Building Society (NBS) and Maurice Arjoon.
The matter which has been before the Appeal Court since 2017 had faced some setbacks to trial. However,
Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards yesterday when posed with another request for an adjournment, the Court turned it down. This time the request for adjournment was made by attorney for the appellate (NBS), Pauline Chase, who is appearing on behalf of the Mortgage Financing body along with Senior Counsel, Ashton Chase. While she denied the request for an adjournment, the Chancellor imposed $150,000 court cost on the lawyer for the late filing of her submissions and ordered the amount be paid before the next hearing of the case, which is set for December 16, 2021. In a response to subsequent queries from Chase, whether the court may be inclined to consider the adjournment, Justice Cummings-Edwards again declined the request. “As you are aware, the Court has quite a lot of work to do and despite the comments out there, this court is very conscientious and is hard-working and takes its work seriously. We have been doing just that all the time,” the jurist stated emphatically. As the matter proceeded, the Chancellor was prompted to follow up on her comments as another issue came up in which one of the appellate judges, Justice Dawn Gregory, felt that she needed to recuse herself from the NBS versus Arjoon matter. Justice Gregory had dealt with a malicious prosecution matter in relation to the two parties as a High Court judge and as such felt that the matter brought about some conflict in regard to appearance in the new trial. To this end, the Chancellor noted that the Court often finds itself in a peculiar position. She explained that in G u y a n a , “ We h a v e thousands of cases and just 13 judges who preside in the High Court and over all the cases in Essequibo, in Demerara and Berbice.” The Chancellor Continued on page 16
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 02, 2021
We are digging our own graves with fossil fuel addiction By Kiana Wilburg With 2015 to 2021 now deemed to be the seven hottest years on record by the Wo r l d M e t e o r o l o g i c a l O rg a n i z a t i o n ( W M O ) , United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, declared yesterday that the world’s addiction to fossil fuels is pushing humanity to the brink. During his remarks at the World Leaders Summit for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, the official said, “We face a stark choice: Either we stop it — or it stops us. It’s time to say: enough; enough of brutalising biodiversity; enough of killing ourselves with carbon; enough of treating nature like a toilet; enough of burning and drilling and mining our way deeper. We are digging our own graves.” Addressing world leaders who converged in Scotland for COP26, Guterres said it is clear that the earth is changing before the eyes of all and sundry. Guterres noted in this regard that sea-level rise is double the rate it was 30 years ago, oceans are hotter than ever
...either we stop it or it stops us – UN Secretary General
Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres — and getting warmer faster, and parts of the Amazon Rainforest now emit more carbon than they absorb. Guterres said recent c l i m a t e a c t i o n announcements might give the impression that the world is on track to turn things around. The UN Secretary General stressed however, that this is nothing but a mere illusion. To prove his case, the official stated that the last published report on Nationally Determined Contributions showed that the world is still condemned to a calamitous 2.7 degree increase.
“And even if the recent pledges were clear and credible — and there are serious questions about some of them — we are still careening towards climate catastrophe. Even in the best-case scenario, temperatures will rise well above two degrees. So, as we open this much anticipated climate conference, we are still heading for climate disaster,” expressed the UN Secretary General. He said all citizens of the earth are aware of this frightening reality. “Young people know it. Every Continued on page 17
Guyana’s latest centenarian is
Lilian Rosaline Chin is 100 not out. Guyana’s latest centenarian, Lilian Rosaline Chin, was born in 1921 in Newtown, Kitty and attended the Moravian school. When her husband passed away at 53 years of age, Lilian who was 51 at the time, found solace by helping children who lived on Gordon Street, Kitty where she has lived for 35 years. The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, in celebrating Lilian noted in a release that she is the second centenarian known to her family. Her grandmother lived to be 105 years old.
“It is safe to say that this family knows some secret to longevity, since her oldest child is 81 years old,” the release added. Mrs. Chin welcomed staff from the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security to her Seaforth Street, Campbellville home to mark her birthday, last Thursday. During the visit, she and her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren chatted about her life and journey. The Ministry also presented her with a hamper to mark the occasion.
PAGE 15
PAGE 16
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Kaieteur News
Ministry records 5 more COVID-19 deaths Yesterday, the Ministry of Health in a release stated that five more persons who contracted the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, have died. As a result of this, the country’s COVID19 death toll has moved to
SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 REPAIRS AT LOW COST: FRIDGES, AIR CONDITIONER, WASHING MACHINE, FREEZER, SALE OF AC'S. TEL: 629-4946, 2254822.
FOR SALE Transported house lots for sale.Gated community,4Mil per lot.Call:671-9015/6221957. D o b e r m a n & Germanshepherd mix pups for sale. Contact Devi: 6392828, if interested. Restaurant equipment for sale: Freezer, chiller, refrigerated showcase, tables, chairs, etc. Whatsapp: 608-7452. Prices negotiable.
WANTED One cook and one kitchen assistant for interior locations. Call: 698-6200 1 full time Industrial mechanic to manage workshop at JFWW Network Outlet. Call:622-1957, 671-9015, 2336997. Female ages 25-40 to take care of elderly male in Trinidad. Accomodations provided. Call: +1 (868) 4894087 Customer Service Rep/ Dispatcher, must be familiar with locations around Georgetown. Call: 621-9356. Office/Accounts Clerk to work in Meadow Bank, preferably with previous experience. Call:227-5222. One male security night guard. Tel: 225-9304/2260772. Drivers & Office Clerk. Apply at Survival lot 10 Vlissengen Road, Newtown, Kitty. Domestic - live in or live out. Honest & mature. Call: 6236383. Supervisor, Counter Clerk, Hymac & Diesel Mechanic to work in charity. Call: 2235273/688-0417.
FOR RENT 1 two bedroom concrete house to rent at Diamond. E.B.D. Call: 680-6194. 3 bedroom, upperflat & lower flat. Newly renovated, in residential area with parking. 266 New Market Street. Call: 6105472. Self-contained rooms in Lodge, for working couple/ single person, $35,000 monthly. Light & water. 1 month's security. Call: 6230076. 3 bedroom upstairs unfurnished, New Road V/Hoop & furnished 2 bedroom Apartment in Providence. Call: 604-6664 or 216-2299.
1 able bodied driver, ages 25+. Must have truck license. Ice Factory Mon Repos, Call: 220-3459, between 8-4. One male able bodied clerk. Call: 225-2313/226-1497.
2 bedroom wooden house for sale in Ulverston Berbice for $2million. Contact: 650-5626.
Infinity 24 Hrs taxi service. Bath settlement, W.C.B. Tel: 655-3037/ 687-0352/ 328-7998. Troy: 609-8105, around Georgetown, Airport, etc.
TO LET Fully furnished three bedroom house and rooms in Albertown. Call: 225-3234/ 628-1183.
35,657. Out of that figure, 18,803 are women while 16,854 are men. The dashboard shows that there are 13 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 57 persons in institutional isolation, 2,758 in home isolation and four in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 31,904 persons who were infected with the virus have recovered.
For truck drivers, must know how to operate Hiab & have knowledge of Georgetown. Call: 223-5273-4/621-5907
From page 14 explained that the High Court judges often have to leave their homes and spend three months out of town to preside over cases. She continued that “In the Court of Appeal, there are only three judges, and we are not complaining; we are doing our work assiduously but there are times when we have to take one of those judges from the High Court because the constitution only allows for us to take one judge from the High Court. “So, if a judge in the Court of Appeal cannot preside over a matter we have to disrupt the high court schedule and pull a judge whether he or she is sitting in Essequibo or pull him or her from Berbice or Georgetown to come and sit in the Court of Appeal.” In this regard, Justice CummingsEdwards noted that the judiciary is in a sad state of affairs. “…We are even in a sadder state given the fact that our judges are being pilloried even though we are doing our level best at ensuring justice given our small numbers throughout the length and breadth of Guyana, and even by persons who ought to know better who sit in their ivory towers and make their statements on social media and otherwise. It’s a sad state of affairs in Guyana,” the Chancellor added, seemingly in response to criticism over the court’s operations in dispensing justice.
Exists for Porters. Call: 2235273-4/621-5907
...Jagdeo defends producing oil as quickly
VACANCY Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 2550, Car/ Van licence. Call 6429823. Auto Electrical apprentice age 19-25 yrs. Apply in person, Lot 120 Forth Street Albertown G/Town or call: 610-0340. Exist for cashiers & supermarket helpers at Nirva Super Store. 49 Sheriff & Craig Street. Must be vaccinated. Exist for Security Officers, Male & Female. 18yrs & above. Contact: 223-4172/6320099. Cook/baker, Kitchen Assistant, Servicemen & pitmen for interior location. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 6182020 or 231-2250.
Experienced carpenter & apprentice. Contact: 624-9507/ 624-9509/624-9508. Vacancy exist for delivery driver, E.C.D. Tel:692-6768/6761363. Maintenance workers & labourers to work with P.S.G.C.S. Preferably from E.B.D. Call: 621-6969/ 615-7784.
Professional, polite, wellgroomed, license rider. With or without bike. For delivery service. Call: 642-6832.
CAR RENTAL TAXI SERVICE
(Demerara-Mahaica) and four women – a 75-year-old from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), a 72-year-old from Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and a 66year-old and an 88-year-old from Region Four. Meanwhile, in its latest COVID-19 dashboard, the Health Ministry recorded 36 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to
...Chancellor rebuffs unwarranted criticisms
Farm workers in Timehri, living accomodation provided. Tel: 661-1585/617-2047.
PROPERTY FOR SALE
925. According to the Ministry, the latest fatalities are that of four unvaccinated persons and another whose vaccination status is unknown. All five of them, the Ministry reported, died on Sunday while receiving treatment at a medical facility. The country’s latest fatalities are that of a 67-yearold man from Region Four
Aidan's Car Rental. Call: 2253234/628-1183. PEN PAL Male seeks female 18-38 to live with or marry. Call: 603-9085.
From page 8 for the world to move towards complete renewable electricity, it will require some four trillion dollars in investments by 2030 to fill that gap. He was unwavering in his position that growing demand coupled with dwindling supplies could only mean that the price of electricity in the future would skyrocket. Slamming the developed world, Dr. Jagdeo used the opportunity to point out that in the vicinity of the Climate Change conference there was recently the commissioning of a new coal fired plant. To this end, he said that as it relates to Guyana’s hydrocarbon, “it has to be carefully planned” and argued that, “if we don’t develop our resources like some of our people (who are) saying, then you giving a monopoly only to the existing producers; how do you want a fair deal for Guyana when you want us to park our oil and gas sector.” According to Jagdeo, the world will still be producing 100 million barrels a day before gradually winding down to some 24 million barrels a day by 2050. To this end, the Vice Presi-
Added to this, Justice CummingsEdwards said that the Appeal Court has been writing decisions. She noted that the issue with writing and publishing decisions is due to the fact that the Court does not have adequate facilities to do so. “In my view of the contentions with Justice Gregory,” the Chancellor noted that “the court will be adjourned to allow for some considerations.” “There are two sets of legal issues to consider, we will have to work on them; we have taken an oath of office and we are true to that oath.” Meanwhile, Vice President of the Bar Association, Robin Stoby, SC, who is representing Arjoon in the matter, explained that he found “the comments made against the judiciary most unfortunate.” “I am appalled at some of the comments I’ve seen on social media,” Stoby said, adding that the difficulty arises when the judiciary in its dignity and graciousness would not be inclined to make any response. Stoby noted, nonetheless that “there are times when we [lawyers] feel that perhaps we need to rush to the [Court’s] assistance and I would ask the President of the Bar Association to consider that.” Attorney Edward Luckhoo, SC, who is also representing Arjoon shared a similar view. “The judiciary finds itself in an unenvious position of not being able to respond,” he noted.
dent urged Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to not just “regurgitate wholesale everything” they hear but rather to understand that a fair deal for Guyana must be seen in the global climate change context, a fair deal for Guyana being aligned with the global goal of decarbonising. In fact, the Vice President in blasting world leaders currently deliberating Climate Change and its impact at COP26, said “we provide a free decarbonisation option for the world, (through the forest) when for the other options people are getting paid,” referencing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology currently being developed. To this end, Dr. Jagdeo was adamant the, “world must step up and pay for eco system services provided by the forest.” He in fact used the occasion to outline Guyana’s intention to market its forest services and to be paid some US$500M annually—15 percent of which he said, would be invested in indigenous communities. Meanwhile, as it relates to COP26 and its objectives, the
Vice President was adamant that the developed world needs to do more and step up especially as it relates to promised financing and international pledges. According to Jagdeo, the developed world has since 11 years ago, during the Copenhagen meeting, promised the developing world some US$100B annually but this has not been happening. As it relates to COP26, Jagdeo said Guyana would be pressing for some form of a binding mechanism, to hold the developed world accountable and cited as example that disbursements said to be made by the developed world, are at variance with the accounts that document receipt of any such funds in the developing world. He said too, that as it relates to pledges on emission targets, there needs to be more transparency in this area too and that countries must be held accountable to their commitments even as he cautioned that despite all the pledges made from the developed world, it is not enough to achieve the target of keeping global temperature below 1.5 degrees.
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Kaieteur News
Bandits posing as GPL meter readers captured Police stationed on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) have captured two bandits who had attempted to rob a woman in her h o m e y e s t e r d a y, b y reportedly posing as meter readers attached to the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL). According to police, the men had tried to invade the woman’s home located at Second Street, Covent Garden, EBD around midday but her screams thwarted their plan and they attempted to escape from her angry neighbours in public transportation (minibus).
- had reportedly attempted to escape in public transportation According to reports, the men approached the unsuspecting resident who was home alone at the time and in her yard. Instead of performing the duties of meter readers, one of the bandits reportedly grabbed her arm and tried to force her upstairs but she started screaming “thief”. Her neighbours were reportedly alerted by her screams and began to shout at them. The fake GPL meter
readers then aborted their plan and started to run away with the angry residents chasing them. Based on the inquiries conducted by investigating ranks, the men had stopped a minibus along the Covent Garden Public Road in an attempt to escape. However, the angry neighbours had by then alerted police, and motorbike patrol ranks intercepted the bus and were able to capture the men.
Pfizer vaccine available to persons 12 years and older
Beginning this week, persons 12 years and older can receive the US-made Pfizer vaccine. This announcement was made yesterday by Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, during his daily COVID-19 update. “As of this week we are going to open up the use of the Pfizer vaccine to anyone who would like to get the Pfizer vaccine. So basically now anyone 12 years and above can access the Pfizer vaccine,” the Minister said. When Guyana received its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine in August, it was only being administered to children between the ages of 12 and 18, but in October the vaccine was extended to pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. The Minister said too that with this vaccine now being available to the public, he is optimistic that those who are unvaccinated would opt to be inoculated. Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony revealed too that local health authorities are preparing for the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine for children 11 to five years old. He noted that currently this vaccine is
pending approval from the United States-Food and Drugs Department (FDA) and the US-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “We have started some amount of training of our staff, because this particular age group would require a vaccine that is one-third of the current doses that we are giving. We have started that training, and during this week we would complete that training,” he pointed
out. The Minister went on to explain that the Pfizer Company had done trials in which both doses were compared to see if they would have the same effect when administered to the younger age cohort. “What they have been able to demonstrate is that with the lower dose, with this age category (5 to 11 years), that it was as effective as the full dose in the high age group,” he related.
We are digging our own... From page 15 country sees it. Small Island Developing States — and other vulnerable ones — live it. For them, failure is not an option. Failure is a death sentence...,” Guterres noted. The UN Secretary General said the science of climate change is clear and leaders, the world over, must act now. Towards this end, he said leaders must keep the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius alive while noting that this requires greater ambition on mitigation and immediate concrete action to reduce global emissions by 45 per cent by 2030. He was keen to note that G20 countries which include China, Russia, India and the USA, have a particular responsibility in this regard as they represent around 80 per cent of emissions. Outside of this, Guterres stressed that the US$100 billion a year climate finance commitment in support of developing countries must become a US$100 billion climate finance reality. Overall, Guterres said maximum ambition – from all countries on all fronts – is needed to make COP26 a success.
A police rank takes one of the bandits to a police vehicle.
PAGE 17
PAGE 18
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 02, 2021
GTT to reduce backlog of landline applications in Bartica - company connects over 20 residents and schools over weekend
Dorm Mother for Bartica One Mile Dormitory, Barbara Hopkinson tests her newly installed landline service.
GTT’s CEO, Damian Blackburn at a recent meeting with the Mayor of Bartica and residents.
Following a recent meeting with the mayor and residents in Bartica, Region Seven, GTT over the weekend installed and connected over 20 schools and residents with landline services. In a release the company noted that among the schools connected are Potaro Primary, Bartica Secondary, St. John the Baptist primary, 1st Avenue Nursery and Bydarabo Nursery to name a few, along with the Resource centre and Radio Bartica,.
Residents within the area lauded the company’s prompt response to their concerns following their recent meeting with GTT’s Executive team on October 15, 2021. Dorm mother for the Bartica One Mile Dormitory, Barbara Hopkinson, said, “We feel great, because in this 21st century we need communication. We are trusting for excellent service going forward.” GTT’s Chief Executive Officer, Damian Blackburn, during the recent meeting with
the Mayor of Bartica and residents, highlighted that the company had already started installation of new towers within the region to provide customers with improved mobile services by April 2022. “Internet and access to the internet is a fundamental human right, and I will fight for that right for residents within this region,” he said. The CEO stated that while the tower within Bartica has been built to support
improved mobile service, customers will only benefit from the upgrade with the installation of a second tower at Waratilla. “With our new goal to position GTT as a 21st century customer centric organisation, we have been listening to customers’ concerns and acting on them where we can. One of our promises is to reliably connect customers and while Fibre is not an option in the short term, we will definitely provide residents with our new high-speed mobile data services by next April,” he stated. More landline installations are expected to continue to reduce a backlog of applications for residents within the region. Since taking office in May 2021, GTT’s Blackburn has restructured the telephone company into four business units to better address the needs of its customers across Guyana.
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Kaieteur News
PAGE 19
PAGE 20
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Tuesday November 02, 2021
...Athletes call on world leaders to deliver on climate action From page 22 climate change conferences ever held. They called COP26 “the Olympics of climate summits”. Leaders attending the conference are expected to outline their climate commitments at the event, due to run until November 12. “Tokyo and the people of Japan delivered, when many thought it impossible,” the athletes say in the video. “Each Games seeks to deliver a lasting legacy. “But how do we pass on that legacy, if there isn’t a safe and healthy planet to experience it? “Heat, humidity and extreme weather conditions mean many of our sports are already under threat. “And sport is just one part of a much greater global picture. “We did our utmost this
summer, and we know that when we strive to achieve our best, others come with us. “Now, it is your chance to deliver.” Mills - who in 2019 launched the Big Plastic Pledge, an athlete-driven movement to eliminate the use of single-use plastic within and beyond sport claimed athletes “are counting on world leaders to take accelerated climate action at COP26”. “This is the race we need to win, and the speed of the race is determined by each of the participants in it,” the athletes in the video added. “At COP26, the Olympics of climate summits, we need you to lead us. “To show real ambition and courage. “Working together to secure the future that we all depend on. “Anything less won’t win this race. “Over the
next fortnight, we will be looking to you, and supporting you, to forge the ultimate legacy: a healthy, safe earth for all.” IOC President Thomas Bach last week called for more cooperation from Governments to combat climate change, warning the world was “in a race against time which nobody can win alone”. The IOC has committed to reducing its direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. Its action plan includes reducing emissions in the areas of travel, energy use and procurement. In March last year, the IOC took the decision to make the Olympic Games climate positive. From 2030 onwards, each Organising Committee for the Olympics will be con-
Tuesday November 02, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) A delay in receiving acknowledgment of some sort could happen today. This might be disappointing, but don't let it get you down. You'll receive it, just maybe not on time!
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Hurry up and wait is today's phrase. A visit from a close friend, love partner, or colleague might be delayed, perhaps because of something regarding money or possibly the arts.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Depressing news about the state of the world economy or stock market could have you feeling gloomy and wondering about your financial future. Don't worry.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You've been doing well financially. You want to do better, but you might feel temporarily discouraged. It seems you have to keep working harder.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A close friend or romantic partner might not seem communicative today and you might wonder whether this person still cares for you.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today you might think you look awful and perhaps want to go out and change your whole look. Buy some new clothes and go for a workout.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Do you have a garden or some houseplants that seem a little droopy? Don't worry about whether or not they're all going to die. Revive them! You might feel that some things are more trouble than they're worth. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Today close friends, a love partner, or children may appear to be in a quiet mood. You might wonder if you've done something to cause it, but it probably has very little to do with you VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Home responsibilities may increase markedly today, leaving you feeling like you're the only member of the household getting anything done. You might give in to gloom, but don't dwell on it for too long.
PAGE 21
Kaieteur News
CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Today you might feel unloved even though there's no real reason for it. Your relationships should be pretty strong, but your biorhythms are down so you might be lacking in selfconfidence. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Plans to get together with friends tonight could be delayed by responsibilities. It won't stop you but it will mean getting together a little later. Someone close to you might feel a little down. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You might have to work just a little harder to make money now. This might involve putting in extra time on a task, or it could simply mean that you have to make a few extra trips to the bank.
tractually obliged to minimise and compensate its direct and indirect carbon emissions and implement lasting zero-carbon solutions for the Games and beyond. All upcoming Olympic Games have committed to carbon neutrality, with Paris 2024 aiming to become the first climate-positive Games even before the 2030 deadline. “The IOC is delighted to support this initiative, and help Olympic athletes use their powerful voices to create a more sustainable future for everyone,” said Bach. “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges humanity has ever faced, and the IOC is proud to be leading the Olympic Movement’s response to this crisis. “Our recent commitment to reduce our carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and our support for this initiative are part of this effort. “Sport has the power to make the world a better place, and today we have an opportunity to use this power in the face of climate change.”
...RHTY&SC hosts 8th Ansa From page 23 expressed gratitude to the awardees for their service to Region Six and for their dedication despite the difficult circumstances. He urged them to uphold the high standards that they have set themselves in the past and to be extra careful during these times. Foster also stated that the Club is fully committed to assisting the health sector in the county as it wants to make a positive difference. Special thanks were extended to the Management of the Ansa McAl especially its Managing Director Troy Cadogan for their continued support of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation. Ansa McAl, Foster noted is a real friend of the club and has been on board for over two decades in the activities of the club. Also coming in for praise was Regional Executive Officer Navindra Persaud for his support in making the event a success. Each of the awardees received a plaque, medal of excellence, framed certificate and two special gifts including and an Ansa McAl hamper. Ministers Croal and Rodrigues both congratulated the awardees on being selected and hailed the Club for honoring the unsung heroes who often work behind the curtains without recognition. The cricket teams of the club are sponsored by Poonai Pharmacy, Farfan and Mendes Ltd, Bakewell, Metro, Pepsi, Vitality Inc and Namilco Thunderbolt Flour.
Vienna Open: Alexander Zverev beats Frances Tiafoe for title
Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe pose with trophies after the Vienna final. AP BBCsport - Alexander Zverev continued his dominant form since the summer, beating Frances Tiafoe 7-5 6-4 in the Vienna Open final. Germany’s Zverev, 24, edged the 23year-old American qualifier in two tight sets to claim his fifth tour level title this season. The pair traded breaks before Olympic champion Zverev broke at the end of the first set to lead. He pressured Tiafoe throughout the second set, breaking to love to win. Zverev has won all five finals he has contested this season, also winning titles in Acapulco, the Madrid and Cincinnati Masters, and Olympic gold in Tokyo, losing just two matches since the Wimbledon fourth round. The German has already
qualified for the ATP Tour Finals, which he won in 2018, to be held in Turin. In early October, the ATP announced it was investigating claims that Zverev was violent towards a former girlfriend. He denies the allegations. Elsewhere, Croatian former US Open champion Marin Cilic won his first hard court title since 2016, beating America’s Taylor Fritz 7-6 (73) 4-6 6-4 in the St. Petersburg final. At her home tournament in Romania, former world number one Simona Halep lost to Estonia’s Anett Kontaveit 62 6-3, at the Transylvania Open. The win, together with her Moscow title last week, secures a spot for Kontaveit at the WTA Finals to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico from on 10 November.
Kaieteur News
PAGE 22
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Buttler’s brilliant century inspires England win despite late scare
I
CC - An astonishing Jos Buttler century helped England to victory over Sri Lanka in Group 1 in Sharjah. Buttler reached his ton with a six off the final ball of the first innings, with the brilliant 101* his highest individual score in T20 international cricket. And Buttler played a crucial role in the field as Sri Lanka threatened to push England close in their chase of 164, with the wicketkeeper pulling off two excellent run-outs, the second with an inspired direct hit. Sri Lanka’s reply petered out in the end, with Moeen Ali (2/15) picking up two wickets in the penultimate over to wrap up the innings with six balls remaining and Sri Lanka still 26 runs shy. Sri Lanka’s Wandindu Hasaranga top-scored in the unsuccessful chase with a quick-fire 34 that had England worried. And Hasaranga was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers too, with three for 21 off his four overs, becoming the fifthfastest bowler in men’s history to reach 50 T20I wickets in the process. Powerplay inroads for Sri Lanka - Earlier, England faced a new challenge after losing the toss and being put in to bat on a low and skiddy Sharjah picked. But the Group 1 leaders started well, knocking 12 off the opening over with Jason Roy showing intent to take the attack to Sri Lanka. However, Roy’s offensive lasted just one ball against Hasaranga, with the spinner skidding a googly under Roy’s attempted sweep and cleaning him up. Dawid Malan, in at three, received a let-off on six when an inside edge off Dushmantha Chameera fell fractionally short of the keeper. But the top-ranked batter in T20I cricket fell the very next delivery, playing all around a peach of an inswinger to leave England 34/2. And the decision to bring back Hasaranga for a second over in the Powerplay reaped rewards when Jonny Bairstow came down the track to his first ball and was struck on the pads. Sri Lanka reviewed and three reds sent Bairstow back for a duck, leaving England in trouble for the first time in the tournament. England’s recovery -
Eoin Morgan struggled to get going through the middle overs but stuck with Buttler as the pair rebuilt towards the death, with the England captain eventually falling to Hasaranga for 40 off 36 balls. But it was all about Buttler in the second half of the innings as England’s inform opener raced through the gears, hitting 77 off his final 37 deliveries and finishing with 12 boundaries and six maximums in his outstanding 101*. Buttler becomes the first England men’s international to have hit a century in all three formats - T20I, ODI and Test cricket. Struggles in the chase Buttler was back in the thick of the action straight away in the field as he combined with
specialist Tymal Mills pulled up with an injury midway through his second over and was forced to depart the field, leaving Morgan short of bowling options. But two stunning bits of fielding delivered for England just when the game looked to be slipping away. A brilliant catch from Jason Roy, flicking the ball back to substitute fielder Sam Billings, removed Hasaranga for 34 off 21. And an inspired direct hit from Buttler as Sri Lanka attempted a quick single did for Shanaka, effectively ending the hopes of the chase. Ali finished the job with the ball, taking on the penultimate over and picking up the final two wickets to leave Sri Lanka all-out for 137.
Jos Buttler leads his team off after victory. GettyImages
Morgan to run out Pathum Nissanka off only the third ball of the innings. England bowled four overs of spin in the Powerplay for the first time in T20I cricket, with Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone all called into action. But it was an approach that paid dividends, with Rashid (2/19) picking up the scalps of first Charith Asalnka and then Kusal Perera to leave Sri Lanka 343 and needing a sizeable rebuild of their own. And when Chris Jordan struck, trapping Avishka Fernando in-front for 13, Sri Lanka’s hopes of reaching the 164-run target seemed some way off, with the score 66-4 at the halfway stage. Sri Lanka tee off - But Sri Lanka made a real game of it through the middle overs. Bhanuka Rajapaksa got the run rate flowing with 26 off 18 balls, before a dangerous partnership took the game deep. Captain Dasun Shanaka and the exceptional Hasaranga put together a partnership of 53 to make England sweat. And England’s afternoon got even more complicated when death-bowling
The result makes it four wins from four in the Super 12 stage for England, essentially confirming the world’s top-ranked T20I side as winners of Group 1, barring an unlikely set of results and a huge shift in net run rate. Sri Lanka are not mathematically out of the tournament, but must beat West Indies heavily to improve their net run rate and hope that South Africa and Australia both fail to pick up any more points. England 164-4 (20 overs): Buttler 101* (67), Morgan 40 (36), Hasaranga 3-21. Sri Lanka 137 (19 overs): Hasaranga 34 (21), Moeen 2-15, Rashid 2-19. England won by 26 runs. Matches for Tue 02 November Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi South Africa vs Bangladesh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi Pakistan vs Namibia Wed 03 November Dubai International Stadium, Dubai New Zealand vs Scotland Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi India vs Afghanistan
Guyana players celebrates Anaya Willabus’ (right) opening goal against Turks and Caicos Islands in Concacaf Women´s U-17 Qualifiers yesterday in Bradenton, Florida. Concacaf The Guyana U17 Girls’ National Team created h i s t o r y o n M o n d a y, qualifying for back-to-back Concacaf Championships for the first time, following a commanding 6-0 win over the Turks and Caicos Islands in Florida. The decisive win saw Akilah Castello’s side finish second to Honduras in Concacaf qualifying group C. As a result, Guyana will progress to the 2022 Concacaf finals tournament as the best placed runner-up in qualifying, following a 10 win over Anguilla and a 6-0 defeat to Honduras. The crucial victory against a Turks and Caicos side impacted by COVID-19 came courtesy of two goals each from Fruta Conquerors forward Sandra Johnson, Kwakwani’s Jalade Trim and Anaya Willabus from BW Gottschee Soccer in New York. “I’m very proud of the girls and what they have achieved in qualifying for t h e C o n c a c a f Championships,” Head Coach Castello said. “They worked hard at all times, showed a great attitude in training, and followed the game plans. I want to thank the excellent support and leadership of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Technical Director Ian Greenwood, the International Support Group, and the GFF Executive Committee.” “There is still a lot of work to be done to prepare the girls for the championships early in 2022,” Castello said. “We need investment and support from the Government of Guyana to allow us to p e r f o r m i n t h e championships.” Paul Beresford, Director o f G F F Wo m e n ’s Programmes, also expressed his pride in the milestone
Guyana’s Under-17 Lady Jags qualify for 2022 Concacaf C/ship Back to back qualification for the first time
accomplishment of the group and support staff. “This was an extremely challenging campaign and both players and staff exceeded all of my expectations,” Beresford said. “We will start the process of preparing for the next round immediately, and we look forward the continued development of this group.” GFF technical staff highlighted eye-catching and consistently strong performances from Conquerors’ Johnson, captain Alyssa Blake from Albany Alleycats and Georgetown Academy Training Centre’s Akeelah Vancooten as instrumental in the team’s journey to qualification. “This back-to-back qualification to the U17 championships is another watershed moment for the country, signalling to the powerhouses of Concacaf that Guyana has arrived,” said Technical Director Greenwood. “Since the relaunch of the women’s programme in 2017, we have seen rapid growth and historical achievements in women’s national team performances as a result of concerted building. This success is no accident; it is clear evidence that the GFF’s National Football Philosophy and robust Youth Development Strategy is producing top class performers Greenwood added that the constraints caused by the pandemic, such as a lack of local competition, had created big challenges for the t e a m ’s p r e p a r a t i o n , alongside an increase in costs due to necessary COVID-19 protocols and testing. The 18-strong squad for the qualifying tournament included 16 Guyana-based players from across the nation, including five players from the Orealla
community in Region 6, five from Georgetown and four from Region 7. Region 1 is also represented in a squad boasting a significant proportion of talent from hinterland communities. “ We h a v e m a d e a significant investment into scouting and recruiting players from our hinterland communities, and we are all aware of the high cost of internal travel to places like Kamarang, Waramadong, and Orealla,” Greenwood added. “After the identification of players, we invested heavily in bringing the players out for the entire preparation period, covering accommodation, meals, and transportation.” “For this group of players to continue to grow and build ahead of the upcoming Concacaf Championships in January 2022, we need real investment and support from the Government of Guyana and our key stakeholders to maintain team cohesion by ensuring our hinterlandbased players are provided with the resources to continue to train with the squad at the GFF National Training Centre,” he added. The U17 team qualified for the Concacaf Under-17 Women’s Championships for the first time in 2019, but the competition was cancelled due to the pandemic. The 2022 championship is scheduled for January 22nd to February 6th. “The future is bright for the Lady Jags programme and the best is certainly still to come,” Greenwood concluded. “The U17 qualification provides another massive boost to the overall programme, and we hope this success will catch the imagination of the general public in Guyana and inspire another generation of young girls to get involved in football.”
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 02, 2021
PAGE 23
Kevin Durant ejected as Nets beat Pistons - Carmelo Anthony inspires the Lakers BBCsport - Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant was ejected and James Harden registered his 59th career triple-double in a 117-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Durant, who scored 23 points, was punished for an elbow to the face of Kelly Olynyk late in the third quarter with the Nets already 17 points ahead. Harden produced 18 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Elsewhere, a Carmelo Anthony-inspired Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 95-85 win over the Houston Rockets. Anthony top scored with
James Harden (Left) grabbed his first triple double of the season as the Bucks beat the Pistons
23 points, including five three pointers, while Russell Westbrook added 20 points. Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points as he led the Utah Jazz to a 107-95 victory against reigning champions the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 25 points for the Bucks who were without Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez and slumped to a fourth defeat in seven games this season. Luka Doncic capped a 23-point display with a crucial three-pointer as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Sacramento Kings 105-99.
Kaieteur News
PAGE 24
Tuesday November 02, 2021
Inaugural Tony Cozier and Guyanese Heyliger dreams of Reds Pereira 23 and Under helping Canada to a T20 WC T-6 Regional Cricket Festival Tony Cozier
T
he Hamilton Lashley Human Development Foundation is pleased to announce the inaugural Tony Cozier and Reds Perreira 23 and Under T-6 Regional Cricket Festival scheduled for April 14th to 18th, 2022 in Barbados. The theme of the regional cricket festival will be ‘One Caribbean, One Sport, One People, One Love’ which signifies the importance of togetherness within our region and creating the necessary investment for the development of our young cricketers. We are seeking to honour Mr Reds Perreira and pay respects to the late Mr Tony Cozier who were very good friends and by extension two of the greatest West Indian cricket commentators and writers that we have witnessed on this planet. These gentlemen have been mentors and an inspiration to many youths and it is against this background we are seeking to stage this tournament on the Easter weekend of 2022. The countries that have expressed an interest so far
Joseph ‘Reds’ Pereira
are Barbados, Guyana, Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o , Jamaica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, St. Lucia, Bermuda, Antigua and Bermuda, Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Saint Marteen, Canada and the United States of America. The proposed venues are 3Ws Cricket Oval located at University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus and Briar Hall Ground in Christ Church. It is expected that 24 teams will be part of this tournament and each team is required to bring 10 players per team.The following are things to know about the tournament: • Deadline for registration is January 28th, 2022, • There will be a registration fee of US$500.00 per team, • There will be a first prize of USS$10, 000.00, • The second prize will be USS$5, 000.00, • The third prize will be USS$2, 500.00, • The fourth prize will be USS$1, 250.00. • A maximum of 24 teams will be allowed to participate, • 10 players per team, 7 per game, 6 on field with 1 super sub, • Each team must have a designated wicketkeeper, • It will be
played into six zones of four teams. • The hard white ball will be used. • The zones will be named after outstanding regional sports journalists. • There will be parade before the beginning of the tournament and all teams are expected to be at the ground on Friday April 15th by 8 a.m. Ï% Individual prizes will be named after some of our sports administrators. The teams will have a choice of staying at a selected guest house or secondary school that has been approved by the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit in Barbados. Those who wish to participate and are fully vaccinated will not have to quarantine once they have arrived in Barbados. However, those that are not vaccinated or have only one dose of the vaccination will have to quarantine for five days as stipulated by the covid-19 Monitoring Unit in Barbados. Transportation will be provided for overseas participating teams to and from the airport and to fixture matches, however teams will have to pay for airfare to and from the tournament.
Athletes call on world leaders to deliver on climate action at COP26 summit Insidethegames - A group of more than 50 O l y m p i a n s a n d Paralympians have called on world leaders to deliver on climate action during the COP26 summit in Glasgow in a video backed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The athletes, including Kenyan marathon star Eliud Kipchoge and retired Spanish basketball legend
Pau Gasol, warn of the impact of climate change on sport and the threat it poses to their futures. The video, initiated by British double Olympic sailing champion Hannah Mills and Olympic rower M e l i s s a Wi l s o n , w a s released to coincide with the start of the summit in the Scottish city, considered one of the most important (Continued on page 19)
Melissa Wilson
Dillon Heyliger gets hugs from Ruvindu Gunasekera and Bhavindu Adhihetty after taking his first wicket for Canada. By Sean Devers Guyanese Dillon Heyliger is the only West Indian in Canada’s squad for the upcoming ICC 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifiers to be held in Antigua and Barbuda from November 7-15. Canada has competed at the ICC Cricket World Cup on four occasions, 1979, 2003, 2007 and 2011. Dillion played for Guyana U-15s in 2005, U-19s in 2008 before playing for the Senior team in a T20 in 2013. The Essequibian pacer has captured 19 wickets with a best 4-16 against Bermuda since making his T20 International debut for Canada on 18 August 2019 against the Cayman Islands. He finished his debut tournament as the leading wicket-taker, with eleven scalps in five matches. The 32-year-old played his last T20I on 27 October 2019 against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) before the covid-19 pandemic put the brakes on most things. He made his List A debut for Canada in the 2018 ICC World Cricket League Division Two tournament on February 8, 2018. In June 2021, he was selected to participate in the Minor League Cricket tournament in the United States following the players’ draft. Being the only West Indian on the Asiandominated Canadian team, does not bother him and he feels comfortable in the Canada set up. “All I want is just keep my focus and get Canada qualified and take the team to a World Cup” explained Dillon, who previously
shared the new ball with fellow Guyanese Jeremy Gordon for Canada. Dillon revealed that he moved to Canada in 2015 because of the politics in Guyana’s cricket. “It was tough for me to make the senior team with how cricket was going in Guyana at that time so I decided to move Canada” lamented the Essequibian. Introduced by the British, cricket was the most popular sport in Canada until the early 20th Century when it was overtaken by Ice Hockey. Cricket was so popular it was declared the National Sport by John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada. In September 1844 in New York, Canada opposed the USA in the first International cricket match. Cricket is the fastest growing sport in Canada, with over 40,000 cricketers across the nation. While Canada does not play Test matches, the team participates ODIs and also in first-class games in the ICC Intercontinental Cup. “ We l l c r i c k e t i s developing faster now in C a n a d a a s i t ’s b e e n introduced in all schools and a lot of grass root programs are being done by holding Summer and Winter and camps. The standard of cricket is high because of the multi-cultural immigrants. We have loads of overseas players coming in to Canada to play in the domestic season here. We made our own team here in Canada and named it Amazon Kings... we played in the Mississauga in the 2021league season” Dillon disclosed. Dillon was
born on October 21, 1989 at the Suddie Hospital on the Essequibo Coastto Orin and Tennessee Heyliger and has three brothers, Orin junior, Ryan and Jason Heyliger who plays first-division Cricket for Police in Guyana. He attended the Abram Zuil Secondary School and says he had quite life growing up in Guyana largest County with his siblings and Mom. “I came from a cricketing family and lived close to the playground and Beaches where we would go play every day. I fell in love with the game. I would enjoy just being picked for the senior team to take water and was so happy just to be in the game. I played youth cricket for Essequibo at the age of 13 for Essequibo Under-15 and south Essequibo,” said Dillion, who was a member of the Santos Club in Suddie. Dillon played for Guyana Defense Force (GDF) after got a contact from Coach Roddy Lovell who was the Coach when he played for Guyana at U-15 level and as he got more matured he made the GDF First Division team. “My most memorable moment is playing in the World Cup qualifiers playing against Ireland in Abu Dhabi and winning the game in the last over” said Dillon, who says his favourite player Brian Lara. “God and my mom along with Coach Daniels and Coach Abdul Sammad aka bird are main persons who have helped and supported me. My biggest motivation is my mom and my son Dillon junior. I just want to be the best role model as a dad,” concluded Dillon.
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 02, 2021
PAGE 25
PMTC come from behind to clinch Power Zone C/Ships By Calvin Chapman The inaugural Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) Power Zone Championship which was organised by North Nation Inc., saw Port Mourant Training Center (PMTC) lifting eth inaugural title at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) on Sunday night last. Play began at 09:00hrs at the Homestretch Avenue facility in the four team tournament which consisted of finalists, Eagles and PMTC, Castrol Strikers and Young Achievers Volleyball Club. The final served off at 15:00hrs and it was a closely contested affair from the onset with the first game being pushed for a tie-breaker which Eagles eventually won 31-29. Port Mourant, that had only one week to train following a long layoff since the covid-19 pandemic; according to their Coach Levi Nedd, then equalised proceeding with a calm 25-20 win. Eagles, the favourites for the championship and the majority of the in-house spectators then bounced back to retain their lead with a 25-20 win of their own. Now, Eagles in their match set were flying high, with a comfortable 10-7 lead over PMTC but then everything went downhill from that point as they were outscored 33-14 for the remainder of the contest. PMTC won the fourth set 25-14 after being down 10-7 then won the 15 point final set 15-9 to walk away with the $150,000 cash prize. PMTC received $100,000 for the first place finish while their star player Shemroy Ross copped the $50,000 MVP cash prize.
The victorious PMTC team alongside coach, former national player and head of the GVF, Levi Nedd
RHTY&SC hosts 8th Ansa McAl Award of Excellence Programme - Five outstanding medical personnel honored Five outstanding medical personnel in Region Six were honored last Friday when the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC) and its 12 cricket teams hosted the eighth edition of the Ansa McAl Award of Excellence at the St Francis Center Hall in the presence of Ministers of Housing and Water Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues. The awards have been sponsored by beverage giants since 2014. Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster stated that the main objectives of the award in to recongise the outstanding contributions of heroes in the County and more
importantly, to do so while they are alive. Over the years, the Club had honored five persons per year under the subheadings of sports, culture, educational, community development and health. This year in response to the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, the club decided to honor five medical personnel. Foster stated that all medical workers in our country are heroes in their own rights as they have braved the crisis to serve humanity when many would have quit in fear of the dreaded virus. The five awardees are, Dr Dian T h o m a s , D r. R a f e e k
Shemar Britton in action today at Ecuador Open
Rahaman, Dr. Carolyn Jones, Sister Caroline Phillips and Sister Lelawattie Sawh. The awardees were selected by the Administration of the Region Six RDC on the recommendation of the club. Foster stated that the Ansa McAl Award is the third highest that the club shares out on an annual basis. The Dolphin Award of Excellence is the highest and is given to friends of the club who are considered positive role models and the Zenith Award of Excellence which is especially reserved for club members. Foster (Continued on page 19)
Shemar Britton
S
Minister of Housing Collin Croal poses with three of the awardees after the presentation.
hemar Britton, a former Caribbean Caribbean Under21 and Men’s Singles champion, will represent Guyana at the Ecuador Open, which is part of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Contender Series, beginning today. Britton has been recognised as one of the most talented players in the country and he will get to work on the table from 10:45hrs on today’s opening day in his first preliminary
match. The competition is scheduled to conclude on Saturday at the Totoracocha Sports Complex Avenida los Andes and Avenida del Condor Cuenca, Ecuador. There will be several individual events inclusive of the Men’s and Women’s Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles. All the events will be played via a Main Draw (knockout) and First Stage (Singles round-robin; Doubles– knockout). The Men’s and Women’s Singles will be best-of-seven
games, while the Doubles and Mixed Doubles will be best-of-five games. The tournament will be a compact one with over 24 male participants from Belgium, India, Peru, Puerto Rico, Austria and Mexico. The correspondence from the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) noted that, “This offers a great opportunity for Britton to have great match practice in assessing where his game is after over a 18-month hiatus from competition due to the covid 19 pandemic.”