Kaieteur News

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Thursday Edition Exxon used Guyana's AIETEUR NEWS oil profits to make films and documentaries about its unprecedented success here November 02, 2023 - Vol. 16 No. 45

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $100 readership yesterday, 61,744

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Lopsided deal was signed

after pressure from

meeting with Exxon and Granger's team

Former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman

- Trotman reveals in book

‘We stand with the people of Guyana’ ...Commonwealth says in condemning Venezuela's referendum

Two men severely Police arrest man who chopped as bicycle bandits go on robbery impregnated girl, 13 spree in Annandale

Several countries recall envoys from Israel ...Bolivia cuts economic, diplomatic ties

Govt.'s draft strategy says country

does not have adequate gas for LNG plant to make money

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Kaieteur News

Thursday November 02, 2023

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 02, 2023

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Lopsided deal was signed after pressure from meeting with Exxon and Granger's team -Trotman reveals in book Former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman has long borne the brunt of public criticism over what many see as a lopsided oil agreement that gave an ExxonMobil-led consortium the privilege of consuming the lion's share of the country's substantial oil reserves, now tipping the scales at an astonishing 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

But in his book, 'From Destiny to Prosperity', Trotman sheds the burden of silence laying bare the intense pressures and the overshadowing influence that curtailed his autonomy in pivotal negotiations. He unveiled a hierarchy of decision-making that positioned former President David Granger, as the ultimate arbiter in the industry's high-stakes agreements.

Chartered Accountant a n d A t t o r n e y - a t - L a w, Christopher Ram in his most recent column published by Stabroek News believes this is a salient point that ought not to go unnoticed. Ram found it quite revealing that Trotman's book exposed that Granger was in key meetings with oil companies, playing a primary role in overseeing the outcome which Trotman had to follow.

In his book, Trotman

pointed to two instances where it was quite clear that upon assuming office in 2015, there was a certain structure he would have to follow. He cited the case of having to deal with the British and Canadian High Commissioners on matters pertaining to Tullow and CGX respectively.

With respect to Tullow, the High Commissioner representing this British company was pushing for the APNU+AFC regime to sign and execute a contract for the Orinduik Block which was negotiated just before the PPP/C administration was ousted in the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

Meanwhile, the Canadian envoy was strongly advocating for an extension for CGX, one of the companies involved in exploring the Corentyne Block. CGX needed an extension having failed to complete its work programme within the scheduled time.

Trotman wrote, “What was very interesting and impactful to me was the way t h e s e t w o H i g h Commissioners strongly lobbied for these companies…In the end, the President acquiesced to both requests and I believed then, that the state interests and reciprocity were foremost in

Former President of Guyana, David Granger his mind when he made the decisions.”

He further noted that Granger's office at the time, subsequently sent over a draft of the agreement for the Orinduik Block. “My instruction was to sign the agreement 'as is' and without any negotiated changes,” the former minister said in his book.

Turning to the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement, Trotman said he and his legal officer “harboured some discomfort about signing.” The former minister said this did not go down well with Exxon, following which a high-level delegation from the company made its way to Georgetown for a meeting with Granger.

“The meeting was held in June 2016 and I was one of the ministers present. Suffice to say that after that meeting, I left with the clear belief and

Former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman

Chartered Accountant, Christopher Ram understanding that the signing of the agreement must be proceeded with.

Thus, the date of June 27, 2016 was earmarked for the signing in Georgetown, Guyana,” Trotman said, further noting that the

signing would take place on the evening of June 27, 2016.

The Stabroek Block PSA has faced significant criticism from various stakeholders for its perceived generous terms to Exxon and its partners which include

Hess Corporation and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited.

Major concerns raised include the paltry two percent royalty which many a rg u e d o e s n o t f a i r l y compensate Guyana for exploitation of a nonrenewable resource; the costly absence of ringfencing provisions which allows costs from one oil field to be deducted against the revenues of another; and the permanent stability clause which forbids Guyana from introducing new laws adverse to the oil companies until 2056, barring any extensions. According to the columnist, the criticisms weighed heavily on Trotman and in an apparent pique, he wrote that he was becoming “weary of carrying the burden of the agreement alone and wanted to speak out some more”.

Govt.'s draft strategy says country does not have adequate gas for LNG plant to make money The recently unveiled Draft National Gas Strategy, released by the Government of Guyana (GoG), has sounded a cautionary note regarding the reliance on associated gas for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) production.

For those who may not be familiar with the term, associated gas is gas which is produced with oil primarily in an oil field. In contrast, non-associated gas is gas found in a reservoir which contains no crude oil, and can, therefore, be produced in patterns best appropriate to its own operational and market requirements.

The draft strategy emphasizes that LNG is essentially natural gas cooled into a liquid form to reduce its volume significantly. It acknowledges the intricate nature of LNG value chains and the

reliance on long-term contracts to support substantial capital investments and mitigate risks along the value chain.

The document also highlights the fact that the number of countries engaged in LNG production has nearly doubled, increasing from 12 to 23 between 2000 and 2022.

Nevertheless, it points out that despite the considerable global LNG production capacity under construction, there is continued demand for additional LNG supply beyond 2026.

Importantly, the draft strategy notes that the vast majority of LNG projects worldwide rely on large non-associated gas reserves. In contrast, Guyana has primarily focused on oil-related activities thus far. It was emphasized that while there is a significant amount

of associated gas in the region, relying on the associated gas entails greater risks compared to sourcing it from dedicated, non-associated natural gas reservoirs. In the case of the Stabroek Block, all currently produced gas is either reinjected to support oil production or used as on-site fuel.

This revelation comes at a crucial time, especially since Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had previously expressed enthusiasm about the PPP-administration gas strategy, emphasizing its role in the government's larger plan to monetize some 17 trillion cubic feet of gas found in the Stabroek Block.

He had stated, “We've made it clear; we want to monetize our gas assets.

This strategy will outline our approach to the industry.”

Moreover, Guyana is actively

pursuing the use of natural gas in the Liza One and Liza Two fields for the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project, situated at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

ExxonMobil Guyana will be funding a 12-inch pipeline to transport the resource to Wales, where a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) plant will process and separate the gas for use in a power plant.

This power plant is expected to generate 300 megawatts of electricity for the national grid and produce products like cooking gas for sale, aligning with the government's goal of energy selfsufficiency. Despite some expert concerns about the projects' nearly US$2 billion cost, the government remains resolute about its viability.

For access to the Guyana Gas

Vice President (VP), Bharrat Jagdeo Monetisation Strategy and participation in the public consultation, interested persons can visit the ministry's official website at https://petroleum.gov.gy/. The deadline for public consultation is November 14, 2023.

Kaieteur News

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

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

EDITORIAL

Silence in the face of chronicle lawlessness It is becoming a matter of life and death in this country to talk about things seen. Witness a murder, or a violent incident, and the willingness to say something to the authorities can deteriorate to a life-threatening situation.

The murder of the Guyanese way of life expands and intensifies, and it does not just involve street crimes, but many other avenues of local life.

Recently, a witness to a murder was menaced to within an inch of his life. The threat from the armed and dangerous did not happen under the cover of dark, but in broad daylight. The message was simple and final: dare to speak about what was seen and kiss this life goodbye. The dire threats were extended to the man’s family. Who would care to say what they saw anymore when this is what follows? This is not a first-time occurrence where eyewitnesses have been given chilling messages, but a last resort extension when other appeals or incentives have failed to produce the desired results. In other words, it is becoming a serious hazard to life and limb to speak to truth, to speak at all in Guyana.

Partners are now afraid to speak to their domestic partners on matters that are a source of concern for fear of being subject to unwarranted attention by law enforcement. It is the twisted and possibly deceptive route chosen by the skillful to blow issues out of context, so as to get the dominant hand on a now objectionable presence in the home. The result is that eggshells are walked upon, and an artificial silence takes over in the domestic hearth, as devious and maliciousness rules. In the streets, there is a different code of silence in the face of a now pervasive culture of lawlessness. Members of the Guyana Polie Force turn their faces, or pretend not to see motorcyclists without helmets, drivers parked anywhere, drivers beating traffic lights and endangering other commuters in a variety of ways. Mostly male members in the population relieve themselves in full public, view anywhere that they decide is convenient. Youthful and older citizens use the congested roads in any helter-skelter fashion, and piles of litter and litterers can be seen in many places. There is a common thread that runs through all of these actions in the local environment: nobody says anything in the face of chronic lawlessness. There is fear of either an obscene verbal assault, or the anxiety of a full physical confrontation that seems every ready to pop to the surface.

Sometimes, the thin line of law enforcement defense is present, but without any effect on the glaring violations of the law that are prevalent.

On occasion, a few workers in the public service, or an aggrieved community resident, find the courage to express their concerns and unhappiness over questionable developments in their workplaces or neighborhoods. It could be about compromised bosses, or shoddy project work, or damage to property. But most of those speaking out (writing to the media) do so anonymously due to fear of retaliation. Freedom to speak one’s mind is a cherished lynchpin in real democracies, yet there is a healthy fear in Guyana today about saying or writing anything that would attract the attention and anger of the government. Guyanese are solemnly informed that constructive criticisms are welcomed, but there is great unease in citizens about how powerful people in the government defines what is ‘constructive’, what is not, and who has the final say. Furthermore, the government has a standing army of agents ready to pounce and overpower any word or writing that is interpreted as something that exposes government failures.

No citizen should fear to express his or her conscience freely, what is seen, how they think, and what they know. When such fear exists, then we would make the case that there is scant difference between fear of government, and fear of guntoting criminals terrorizing witnesses or foes standing in their way. One has to be blind and mentally incompetent not to appreciate how lawlessness has infected every layer of this society. Criminals imitate the government and, other than the few law-abiding, many citizens follow the unruly, uncontrolled crowd.

Thursday November 02, 2023

Alarmed at the contemptuous ease with which fundamental rights of citizens being stripped away DEAR EDITOR, I am exceedingly alarmed at the contemptuous ease with which fundamental rights, previously imagined to be protected and ensured, can be stripped from an unsuspecting citizenry in a supposedly free and democratic society. First, it was the treachery and corruption of a single, appointed, not elected, Member of Parliament in collusion with the opposition party, that curtailed the term of a duly elected majority government.

Barely a year later, and before a peaceful national election could be concluded, an official declaration was nullified because some political parties refused to accept and witness a “public” declaration and an appointed constitutional office holder assumed immense powers, not granted by the constitution or National Assembly, proceeded contrary to legal advice, to override the constitution and make new

and superior law neutering the authority of other constitutional office holders and single-handedly determining the outcome of a national election.

Similar developments elsewhere in the region have not escaped the attention of the Guyanese-born, Caribbean diplomat, Sir Ronald Sanders who has assumed the presidency of the OAS Permanent Council for an unprecedented third term. Sir Ronald, in an article “Threats to Democracy: The Erosion of Judicial Independence”, published by this newspaper, has observed that “while traditional overthrow of governments has receded other more sinister threats have arisen”. He noted that some political parties “are manipulating parliamentary procedures to throttle policies and programmes of elected governments, or they are mobilising their hard core supporters to engage in unlawful activity to prevent elected representatives from a s s u m i n g o ff i c e ” . H e

observed that a core element of the neo-subversion and coup d’état is the replacement of the men and women in military uniform and guerrilla fatigues by men and women in judicial robes.

It is the ascendancy of the suits over the boots. Sir Ronald bemoaned the fact that, “in several instances there is visible collaboration between government and judicial officers, leading to the sacrifice of judicial independence for political gain. This alliance not only jeopardises the constitutional order but also erodes the bedrock principles upon which democracy itself is built. For Sir Ronald, and many others, the role of an independent, ethical and courageous judiciary is critical to protecting the right to vote in free and fair elections and upholding democratic and constitutional principles.

In Guyana, the numerous post-Election Day legal challenges have so far failed to satisfactorily address two fundamental questions that

could be asked in any constitutional democracy, i.e, what is (1) the legitimate way to challenge an election, and (2) to determine the outcome of an election?

While in the USA, the absence of evidence of outcome determinative fraud, as determined by more than 60 courts and the Justice Department, led to a failed attempt to alter the results of the Presidential election there, no such impediment a ff e c t e d t h e p o l i t i c a l outcome here.

After nine of the ten districts had completed the tabulation and declaration of their vote, and with the Returning Officer (RO) District 4, Mingo, on the verge of doing the same he was interrupted by claims of fraud and manipulation. The leaders of at least five political parties (ANUG, CG, LJP, PPP/C, TCI), publicly and vehemently, declared that many of the Statements of Poll (SOP) presented by the RO did not correspond with the SOPs in (Continued on page 06)

To the PPP Govt. and President: listen, learn, and act accordingly DEAR EDITOR, I listened with rapt attention to the wondrous things being done for Guyanese by His Excellency President Irfan Ali and explanations by my friend, the Vice President Dr. Bharat Jagdeo, on the oil and gas sector.I grew up in a society where we were taught to believe the things told to us by our leaders. My experience on Saturday, after speaking with persons beyond the confines of the main urban centres compelled me to share my experience for one day.

I had an appointment at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital at 09:00 am; left my home in Lodge at 8:35 a.m. and proceeded into Camp Street and turned left into Parade Street, behind the Police Sports Club. There was a back-up of traffic, which held us up for over ten minutes since apparently some VIPs were arriving at the Police Sports Club ground.We attempted to turn around, but the Police rank on duty said that we could

not, since the streets was made a one-way for that day, for some Farmer’s Day activity. To the best of my knowledge, there was no public notice, making the street a one-way, so we had to wait for some time before proceeding west.

My visit to the hospital was for a costly test. The equipment at the public institution was inoperable in spite of the daily boast of how much the government is spending on the health sector. Here at the private hospital, there was an outage, and the hospital’s generator were engaged a u t o m a t i c a l l y. T h i s i s Guyana, whose founding fathers told us about the virtues of the State providing good health care. Where are the billions approved in Parliament going?

After attending a funeral service at the Memorial Gardens, in the midst of an unpleasant and ugly Le Repentir cemetery, it is no secret why the place where our departed loved ones are resting in such ugliness, but

this has been ventilated m a n y t i m e s before.Thereafter, I proceeded for a funeral service of a brilliant young Guyanese in New Amsterdam, Berbice. There, the Mayor of New Amsterdam and citizens shared their anguish of an unreliable and erratic electricity supply. On my arrival back in Georgetown, it was already nightfall and there was no electricity in the entire area, from the Seawall Road to Lodge Housing Scheme. This has been the p a t t e r n r e c e n t l y. T h e majority of my neighbors cannot afford generators and as I dictate this letter, I had to purchase twenty gallons of diesel for the generator I use most of the time.

This is Guyana where after 2020, the Government s ent home all of the competent persons and replaced them with party loyalists. And so, our President instead of dealing with the root cause of the daily inconvenience to citizens, continues to blame

the 4-½ years old Coalition for everything that is now going wrong.How and when can we persuade the present Government that the problem is their obsession to place ill-equipped persons in positions of authority and decision-making.

For the first time, before and after Independence, we have a Government that has available to it enormous sums of money, but it is being misdirected. I beg of the President to use the bounty available for human development in its fullest sense, the provision of electricity everywhere and the availability of water, I will advert to an outline of genuine and sustainable human development.

Without being sacrilegious, after the stress of last weekend, I was tempted to sing the hymn “I surrender All.” Instead, let us pray or protest where necessary to bring those in charge to their senses.

Yours truly, Hamilton Green Elder

Thursday November 02, 2023

Kaieteur News

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Nurses and guidance The Guyana Govt. must stop running to the US to solve local problems counselors vital in all schools DEAR EDITOR, I always say that Guyana’s MPs fully know the right things to run a country effectively and efficiently, as they did relevant courses for their education, worked in the field, and attended training sessions, seminars, and workshops to that effect. The correct current handling of the Venezuela border is a clear indication the MPs know how to work things out together.

First of all, there is a consensus among MPs that Guyana borders belong to Guyana, the President then consulted with and listened to the experts who are the top brass of the military and took advice from them on the next steps going forward with this issue. This is the exact way things should be done for a better country for all, but why MPs do not apply this to all other critical sectors of Guyana? like food, energy, f i n a n c e , telecommunications, h e a l t h c a r e , manufacturing/production, e d u c a t i o n , security/borders/immigratio n, public works, law, and most importantly of all now, oil and resource wealth management.

The current and past ways of the party winning elections and controlling everything have to stop as all Guyanese should be represented and everyone needs to be fully engaged, as we all have a stake in the future of the country as all Guyanese are in this together. It is said that some winning parties offered the olive branch for unity to the losing party who refused, MPs who refuse unity don’t belong in parliament, since large foreign companies are amalgamating their positions to rob Guyana, thus the major parties uniting to fight for Guyana is Guyanese only chance.

Again the MPs know unity is the right way going forward, yet do wrong by only busing down each other.

The notion of racist extremism peddled by some that getting rid of one of the major races in Guyana will lead to a better country for them is utter nonsense as all the races bring something to benefit all of the country. All Guyana needs is real leadership like is being done with the border issue. If the leaders pool their skills together, Guyana can even get a better oil deal, with President Ali’s pit bull

attitude, VP Jagdeo’s guile and cunning, Ramjattan’s law skills and Norton can wuk upon ExxonMobil.

However instead of Guyana’s MPs working together as a united parliament, we now find ourselves in a predicament by running to the USA to be the primary decision maker for Guyanese.

The US will now controls our elections, manages our oil wealth, dictates government policy and most disgraceful of all, will decide Guyana’s policy on racial issues. Imagine one of the most racist countries having to tell Guyana about race management, because our MPs who fully know the right things have decided to do the wrong things about addressing racial issues instead. The king of knowing the right things and doing the wrong things is VP Jagdeo, like a messiah on top of a hill, he knows all, sees all, and decides for all. His new defense on renegotiation and ring-fencing as per his outburst while in opposition on APNU is that, he never meant the changing the old PSA which have all the oil wealth, but the new ones which have nothing.

Reporters should take a cue from him by playing his recordings before asking him questions, as he does like a prosecutor presenting evidence in court holding up printouts to defend his nonsense and attacking those who criticize him, asking him if he didn’t mean renegotiating the old PSA, then why did he slam APNU for allowing a big smart company to trudge in here,

and not point to ExxonMobil and their PSA? He says Glenn Lall, Tom Zanzillo, Vincent Adams, The IMF, and the World Bank don’t know about ring-fencing like him, as his advisors defend his oil sector management as being competitive in the industry.

The average take for oil countries is 55% for their oil, and Guyana is receiving 14.5%, so who is Guyana competing with? Are his advisors from ExxonMobil?

Continuing his nonsense the VP said, that not ringfencing now will give Guyana a bigger bone in the future, if this man continues to be in charge of this oil sector, Guyanese are in for a different kind of boning in the future. Failure of Guyana’s MPs to address racism in Guyana has led to B l a c k d i a s p o r a organizations in the US approaching members of the US Congress to investigate government racism against Afro-Guyanese and there are now fact-finding missions coming to Guyana to investigate. If black organizations have the evidence for such allegations, they have a right to pursue their case, just like the Indo diaspora did during (Continued on page 06)

DEAR EDITOR, I am writing to advocate for the inclusion of school nurses and guidance counselors (Social Workers) in both public and private school systems across Guyana.

I believe that such a measure would not only provide employment opportunities for the growing number of social work and sociology graduates from the University of Guyana, but also bring significant benefits to our educational institutions and, most importantly, the students who rely on them for guidance and support.

In recent years, there has been an alarming increase in social issues affecting our students, including school violence, teenage pregnancy, suicide, and a rising number of girls running away from school. These challenges have a profound impact on the well-being and educational outcomes of our children.

Having school nurses and guidance counselors readily available in schools can help address and curb these issues effectively.

Editor, as you may be aware, the University of Guyana’s social work and sociology programs produce

a significant number of graduates each year. By incorporating these graduates into the education system as school counselors, we can not only offer them valuable employment opportunities, but also tap into their expertise to support our students in times of need.

These professionals can provide guidance, mentorship, and assistance in addressing the personal and emotional challenges that many of our students face.

In a developing country like Guyana,which now has the financial resources from oil, the benefits of having a school nurse are manifold.

These professionals can offer immediate medical attention to students who may not have easy access to healthcare facilities.

They can address minor injuries, administer medication, and identify potential health issues early on, preventing them from becoming more severe.

Moreover, school nurses can educate students on essential health topics and promote

the overall well-being for the students.

Furthermore, I strongly believe that it should be made mandatory for private schools to have a school nurse and a school counselor on staff.

Parents invest a considerable amount of money in sending their children to private institutions, and it is only fair that these schools provide the necessary support services for their students. This not only enhances the quality of education but also ensures the well-being of the children entrusted to these institutions.

I urge both ministers to consider this proposal seriously and take steps to implement it in both public and private schools.

The well-being of our students is of paramount importance, and by investing in their mental and physical health, we can help them thrive academically and personally.

Yours truly, Christopher Houston Parent

Kaieteur News

PAGE 06

Thursday November 02, 2023

Exxon used Guyana’s oil profits to make films and documentaries about its unprecedented success here

A

team of expert a u d i t o r s attached to Ramdihal & Haynes Inc., Eclisar Financial, and Vitality Accounting and Consultancy Inc with backing from Martindale Consultants, have unearthed a number of improper financial practices by ExxonMobil Guyana

Limited.

According to a report seen by this news agency, the auditing team reviewed over US$7B in cost recovery bills

by Exxon for the period 2018 and 2020. During its review, auditors said Exxon used US$1.5M of Guyana’s oil profits for film productions detailing the contractor’s progress and operational

successes in Guyana’s Stabroek Block. Auditors were keen to note that Exxon had no right taking Guyana’s oil profits to cover public relation expenses as they have nothing to do with petroleum operations.

Auditors said, “A cost must be carried out for, or in connection with, production operations for the cost to be

The Guyana Govt must stop running...

From page 5 PNC rule. Guyanese should know these same US congress members supported Obama when he expanded George Bush’s oilthieving wars dubbed the War on Terror beyond Iraq, into the Middle East, Asia, and Africa with more bombs from air strikes and drone strikes, killing thousands and disrupting the lives of millions of brown and black people in the process. The same congress members who supported the war in Ukraine disrupting the world food and energy supply chain, that caused millions of black and brown people in their own US districts and globally to suffer. Continuing on the topic of racism, the black diaspora should ask these US Congress Members what they will do about the racism of ExxonMobil towards the black, brown, and other minorities in Guyana in respect to the environment and exploitation, and you will see if they really care about the black people in Guyana more than Corporate America.

The Springboks Rugby Association in South Africa had a whites-only policy when

Nelson Mandela won the presidency he went to the Springboks Rugby, wore their cap, posed with them, and said South Africa is for all South Africans and they should include all backgrounds in rugby.

Black activists condemned him for doing so, labeling him as a traitor, house slave, sellout among other names.

Last Sunday South Africa won their fourth Rugby World Cup since Mandela’s presidency with white, black, and brown playing as one team, the players gave a tribute to Mandela. Mandela solved as many racism problems as he could in South Africa, but he never went to the US or EU or anyone else for help, that’s called leadership, will this ever happen in Guyana? Only time will tell, as Guyana’s MPs fully well know how to solve Guyana’s racial problems, but MPs been doing the wrong things on racism since independence. Will MPs ever change as Guyana’s challenges on the road ahead are getting larger and tougher?

Sincerely, R.David

Alarmed at the contemptuous ease...

From page 04 their possession and that Mingo’s reflected significant increases for APNU+AFC and corresponding decreases for the PPP/C. The magnitude of the discrepancy between the competing declarations was over 22,000 votes (which was more than the vote in 7 of the 10 electoral districts).

This they alleged, was clear evidence of manipulation and an “open hijack of the elections process”. They demanded transparency, credibility, accountability and fairness and their demands were backed up by an onslaught of violent street protests, attacks on security forces and burnings across t h e c o u n t r y. B u s e s transporting school-children were damaged and burnt and several children were injured, and schools and businesses were forced to close.

This violent, insurrectionist and extraconstitutional method of election challenge, without proof of outcome determinative fraud, was used to justify the introduction of a new electoral regime and a

completely different election result. What seems to be obvious is that the Chief Justice of Guyana seems to favour means, other than the constitutionally prescribed method of an election petition, for challenging an election; she entertained the PPP/C’s election challenges prior to a final declaration and outside of an election petition, and r e f u s e d A P N U + A F C ’s challenges by dismissing two election petitions filed after a final declaration was made. In doing so, she seems to have signalled support for the GECOM Chair’s law breaking and making powers, and election determinative powers, the constitutionality of which is under challenge. We do not yet know if the Court of Appeal is similarly inclined.

The seemingly accelerated movement away from constitutional fidelity towards political fidelity is further evidenced by the developments in the criminal justice system which has instituted several fraud charges against former election managers and opposition political party agents relating to the

conduct of the March 2020 General and Regional Elections. These alleged offences are not described as Illegal Practices, Corrupt Practices or Miscellaneous Election Offences under the Representation of The People Act, (RPA) Ch. 1:03.Moreover, The Commission of Inquiry (COI) which was charged with inquiring into “the counting, ascertaining and tabulation of votes polled and the public declaration of those results” by the Returning Officer and others as prescribed by sections 8489 of the RPA and what attempts were made to “obstruct, frustrate, subvert and prevent” the same did not find that any of the persons charged were responsible for any breaches of the stated constitutional provisions. Also, the thousands of Statements of Poll and Statements of Recount delivered to court, appear to me, to not constitute “evidence” of criminality but merely indicate an intention to create confusion, delay and a miscarriage of justice.

Sincerely Oscar Dolphin

recoverable.” On that premise, auditors said Exxon’s use of US$1.5M to hire Myriad Global Media and Falcon Logistics film and documentary production services was improper.

Kaieteur News understands the money was spent on the production of films for ExxonMobil and its contractor Saipem, to produce a film on the Liza Phase Two Project including animation and graphic, and to provide communication tools throughout the Liza Project Development.

The expenditure also covered the production of a logo design for the Liza Phase Two Project, filming at various facilities for the Liza Project, and the production of a film to explain the flowstream process of a floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel for external consultants in Guyana. Auditors said a

portion of the money also went towards the creation of a Liza Phase One First Oil appreciation book.

Auditors said they were told by Exxon that the costs are recoverable, contending that the media items were used for internal and external communications in connection with and for the benefit of Stabroek contractor petroleum operations. “There are several videos, pictures and key project information used on various platforms and outlets to communicate progress of FPSO construction, provide overview/education related to petroleum operations, etc. to Guyana.

Content can be viewed at: www.guyanaprojects.com,” Exxon said.

Auditors were however not convinced by the company’s explanation and

insisted that costs for public relations are not recoverable under the Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA). The team therefore instructed that the money be returned. It should be noted that this audit report prepared by Ramdihal & Haynes Inc., Eclisar Financial, and Vitality Accounting & Consultancy Inc is yet to be released to the public.

Kaieteur News had previously reported that the audit contract that was awarded to the consortium back in 2022 for US$751,000 and had a strict four-month deadline for completion. Notably, the US$7.3B costs which the auditors examined pertain to the investments for the Liza Phase One and Liza Phase Two Projects which are currently producing approximately 400,000 barrels of oil per day in the Stabroek Block.

Bolivia cut ties with Israel on Gaza war crimes

B

olivia has cut official ties with Israel over the war in Gaza.

At the same time, Jordan, Chile and Colombia have recalled their ambassadors from Israel as the latter continues to bombard Gaza.

Other Latin American countries, including Argentina and Brazil, have also increased their criticism of the impact that Israel’s military operations are having on civilians, ABC reported on Wednesday.

According to a Al Jazeera report, Bolivia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani said at a press conference on Tuesday night that the country “decided to break diplomatic relations with the Israeli state in repudiation and condemnation of the a g g r e s s i v e a n d disproportionate Israeli military offensive taking place in the Gaza Strip.”

Minister of the Presidency, Maria Nela Prada also announced the country would send humanitarian aid to Gaza.

“We demand an end to the attacks” in the Gaza Strip “which have so far caused thousands of civilian deaths and the forced displacement of Palestinians,” she said at the same press conference.

Al Jazeera reported that Colombia and Chile also recalled their ambassadors

for consultations condemning the deaths of civilians in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire. Chile has the largest, and one of the oldest, Palestinian communities outside the Arab world.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric accused Israel of “unacceptable violations of International Humanitarian Law” and following a policy of “collective punishment” of the people of Gaza, as he announced the recall of Ambassador Jorge Carvajal via X, formerly Twitter.

The report said Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the attacks a “massacre of the Palestinian people” on X. The Financial Times reported that Jordan on Wednesday recalled its ambassador from Israel in protest at the “humanitarian catastrophe” caused by its war with Hamas in Gaza.

The Jordanian foreign ministry said its envoy would only return once Israel “stopped its war on Gaza” and resolved “the humanitarian crisis it has caused”.

The report said the kingdom, which was the second Arab state to establish relations with Israel, added that it had directed Israel not to return its own ambassador to Jordan, who had previously left the country, until the

same conditions were met.

On Wednesday, Israel accused Bolivia of “capitulation to terrorism and to the ayatollah regime in Iran”.

In a statement, the foreign ministry also sought to play down Bolivia’s decision, saying “relations between the countries had been devoid of content anyway” since Luis Arce was sworn in as president.

Al Jazeera said Hamas, the group running the besieged Gaza Strip, welcomed Bolivia’s decision and urged Arab countries that have normalised their relations with Tel Aviv to do the same.

Bolivia is among the first of nations to announce the end of diplomatic relations with Israel over its war in Gaza, which came after armed group Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel killing 1,400 people and taking some 240 people captive. At least 13 citizens from several Latin American countries were among the dead, and some 21 more remain missing.

Bolivia previously cut diplomatic ties with Israel in 2009, also in protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Relations were only restored in 2020.

At least 8,525 Palestinians have now been killed in Israel’s current war in Gaza, Al Jazeera reported.

T N U L B . . .

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L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Thursday November 02, 2023

Kaieteur News

Bharrat Jagdeo’s failure to ring-fence ExxonMobil’s third, fourth, and fifth oil projects is costing every Guyanese household an estimated G$4 million per year, and this figure is a conservative estimate.

The forgone sum of money has the potential to transform the lives of every citizen in Guyana, offering the promise of a decent existence and freedom from debt.

But instead of this sum going to our people, it is being appropriated by ExxonMobil out of cost oil.

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 8 10

Thursday Monday November May 02,02, 2022 2023

‘We stand with the people of Guyana’ ...Commonwealth says in condemning Venezuela's referendum

T

h e Commonwealth is an association of 56 independent and equal sovereign states, with a combined population is 2.5 billion, of which more than 60 per cent is aged 29 or under.

In a statement released on Wednesday Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland expressed deep concern at the 21 September decision of the Venezuelan National Assembly to undertake a referendum on the status of the Essequibo region, part of the sovereign territory of Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, set for 3 December.

Speaking on the escalation the SecretaryGeneral said, “The Commonwealth stands with the Government and people of Guyana and with our partners in CARICOM in

expressing our concern over the questions in the planned referendum. “And the Commonwealth continues to stand for the rule of law and, “reaffirms its firm and steadfast support for the maintenance and preservation of the sovereign and territorial integrity of Guyana, and the unobstructed exercise of its rights to develop the entirety of its territory for the benefit of its people”.

According to the Commonwealth, the five questions approved by the National Electoral Council to be included in the referendum undermine Guyana's territorial integrity and sovereignty and their intent is contrary to international law.

“Question 5 proposes the creation of Venezuelan state of Guyana Essequibo and an accelerated plan for giving

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland Venezuelan citizenship and identity cards to the Guyanese population.

International law prohibits the seizure and annexation by one country of the territory of another. The language in these questions contributes to heightened tension and is a

threat to peace and stability in a member state of our Commonwealth Family and indeed in the wider Caribbean region,” the Commonwealth Secretary General.

She noted that at the last m e e t i n g o f t h e Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana, held on 17 September 2023, the Group, “Reaffirmed its unwavering support for the judicial process underway before the International Court of Justice, chosen by the Secretary General of the United Nations under the 1966 Geneva Agreement, and the Group continues to encourage Venezuela to participate in the said process.”

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) determined in April of this year that it had legal jurisdiction over this longstanding issue and the Commonwealth says it supports the use of the ICJ to adjudicate on the matter.

The referendum, to be held one month before Presidential elections in Venezuela, goes against the spirit of peaceful dispute

resolution.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana constituted in 1999 by the Heads of Government of the 56-Member countries, is composed of Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. At the Meeting, chaired by Hon Dr A. K. Abdul Momen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, the Group welcomed the ruling by the International Court of Justice on the admissibility of Guyana's case before it, seeking to settle the boundaries between Guyana and Venezuela.

Meanwhile, in response to Venezuela's sinister plan to seize Guyanese territory, the Government of Guyana on Tuesday wrote the International Court of Justice (ICJ) requesting provisional measures to protect it.

In its request, the government sought an order preventing Venezuela from taking any action to seize, acquire or encroach upon, or assert or exercise sovereignty over, the Essequibo Region or any other part of Guyana's national territory, pending the Court's final determination of the validity of the Arbitral Award that established the land boundary between the two States, as the final and binding nature of that boundary.

The government in a statement said Guyana has no doubt of the validity of that Arbitral Award and the land boundary, which Venezuela accepted and recognised as the international boundary for more than 60 years.

“Given the urgency of the matter, Guyana has asked the ICJ to schedule oral hearings on its Request at the earliest possible date in advance of December 3, 2023, the date Venezuela has fixed for its “sham referendum”.

Guyana insists, as does CARICOM, the SecretariesGeneral of the United Nations and Organization of American States, and the

entire international c o m m u n i t y, t h a t t h e controversy over the validity of the Arbitral Award and the land boundary must be resolved by the ICJ which will assure a just, peaceful, binding and permanent solution to this matter, in accordance with international law.

In fact, the Government noted further that the Court itself has determined, in two separate Orders, that it has the exclusive jurisdiction to resolve this matter, and that it will do so.

“Twice Venezuela has formally objected to the Court's jurisdiction, and both times the Court overwhelmingly rejected Venezuela's objections. In the interim, pending the oral hearing on its request and the issuance of the Court's Order, Guyana urges CARICOM and the international community to continue reminding Venezuela of its obligations under international law, including its obligation to accept the ICJ's jurisdiction, plead its case to the Court, and comply with the Court's rulings and Judgments,” the statement said.

The Government of Guyana had previously issued a statement denouncing the aggressive new measures taken by Venezuela in furtherance of its territorial claim to Guyana's Essequibo Region.

These new measures included a purported national referendum to ratify the Venezuelan government's apparent decision to withdraw from the present judicial proceedings in the ICJ, and proceed unilaterally to incorporate the Essequibo Region into its own national territory as an integral part of Venezuela.

Guyana properly characterized this naked threat of territorial aggression as: “nothing less than the annexation of Guyana's territory, in blatant violation of the most fundamental rules of the UN Charter, the OAS Charter and general international law.”

Guyana's statement added that: “Such a seizure of Guyana's territory would constitute the international crime of aggression.

Following Guyana's statement, CARICOM issued a strongly worded denunciation of Venezuela's measures, fully supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 02, 2023

PAGE 09

Beg, borrow and buy T

he same old discredited e c o n o m i c philosophy of the Jagdeo presidency is being pursued under the Irfaan Ali administration. The fastest growing economy in the

world, one which is expected in a few years to be producing more than a billion barrels of oil, is begging, borrowing, and buying its way towards the dream of economic prosperity.

This week it was announced that oil-rich Guyana is going to borrow US$ 500M from Afreximbank of Africa.

Also, on the cards is a Local Content Facilitation Fund Darexaban that is likely to be

DEM BOYS SEH

Watch yuh back when yuh being kind!

Sometimes when yuh too nice to people, dem does tek advantage of yuh.

Imagine a man go by another man gate and beg fuh something. He was given a lil raise and yet he turn around and shoot de man wah just help he out.

Yuh help one man or woman and de word gets around. De next thing yuh know de whole neighborhood deh by yuh gate begging fuh an onion, a garlic, a match or a pint of cooking oil. But most come fuh a lil ‘raise’.

The moment you extend a helping hand, it’s like a siren call to those lurking in the shadows, waiting to pounce on your kindness.

Dem start believing that you’re the answer to all their problems, a oneperson 24/7 customer service hotline.

Dem boys know of nuff cases where when you help somebody dem does turn around and tek advantage of

yuh. Once yuh start helping dem. is like dem feel dem could tek advantage of yuh.

Is morning, noon and night, day an day out, dem coming fuh ask yuh fuh something.

And when yuh tell dem, dat yuh can’t help, dem get more vex dan you, But de most hurtful of all is when yuh help someone and dem turn around and stab yuh in de back. That is called ingratitude and de must ungrateful does turn out to be dem wah yuh help de most. Remember, being kind is a virtue, but guarding your back is a necessity. It reminded dem boys about de story of conversation Adam had with God. One day in the Garden of Eden, God notices that Adam looks down in the dumps “What’s up Adam?” says God. “Not to be ungrateful God, it’s great here and everything but I’m lonely

all on my own,” replies Adam.

God thinks for a moment and says, “I know what, for a small price I’ll create a woman for you and then you won’t be lonely anymore.”

“A woman,” says Adam, “what’s a woman?”

“Well,” says God, “a woman is the most beautiful thing you can imagine: feminine, submissive, only speaks when spoken to, and will cook and clean, and satisfy your every desire whenever you want.”

“That sounds amazing God thanks,” replies Adam, “But what will this woman cost me?”

God replies, “I can offer you all this for the low, low price of just one arm and one leg.”

Adam considers this offer for a moment and then replies, “Seems a bit steep, what can I get for a rib?”

Talk half. Leff half

financed by the same bank.

We just recently borrowed US$92 for the education sector and of millions of US dollars are being borrowed for the health sector. But why should a country rich in oil, be borrowing so much in so short a period?

The justification for the establishment of the Local Content Facilitation Fund is the long time that it takes for the oil companies to pay their suppliers. This period we are told, can be as long as 90 day (the standard industry practice) and this creates problems for small suppliers. But the government ought to have predicted this because it was one of the issues which was raised during the discussions prior to the passage of the Local Content Bill. It was Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo who had indicated that the Local Content Bill would cater for shorter payment periods.

One year ago, it was reported that the government had imposed a requirement of a maximum of 45 days as part of the supply chain management strategy which has to be provided by the oil companies and its subcontractors. It is not clear whether this measure is being implemented or enforced. This measure has the appearance of trespassing on the freedom of the contracting parties to set their own payment terms.

If, however, the government has mandated a 30-45 days payment period, then there can hardly be a justification for establishing a Local Content Facilitation Fund. So is this borrowing spree a case of a government, weaned on begging, borrowing and buying? Is it a

case whereby the government simply wants to borrow from Afreximbank because the line of credit is available? If this is so, then it mirrors the approach of the government which rushed to borrow from China when a senior Chinese official had come to the Caribbean waving tons of credit. Is the government addicted to borrowing?

Those small suppliers who believe that they will obtain working capital and even seed financing from the Fund are not likely to oppose its creation. But what needs to be asked is why if the government knew all along that such Funds were effective in Africa, it did not make provision for the oil companies to contribute 100% to the creation of the Fund. Ghana has such a Fund and it is supposed, according to one source, to receive contributions, as mandated by the Production Sharing Agreement, from the oil companies. These funds are then supplemented by proceeds from oil revenues and levies. In the first 10 years of the Local Content Fund in Ghana, the Fund only received about US$5M from the oil companies. Local content suppliers in Guyana therefore should not become too enthused by the proposal, by the government, to establish a Local Content Facilitation Fund in Guyana.

Local Content Funds are most often devoted to training, education and research and development.

There is hardly any evidence of massive success stories of local content funds in Africa.

What Guyana needs is not a Local Content Facilitation Fund. What

Guyana needs is for the local content laws to be immediately revamped to insist that a local company is one with 100% local ownership as opposed to at least 51% local ownership.

That will create a paradigm shift towards all-local companies. But this does not answer the question as where the financing for local businesses will originate.

Ideally, the financing should come from the oil companies and the local banking sector which is flush with liquidity.

Has the government considered that it is ‘crowding-out’ the local financial sector by presumably going to the Afreximbank for financing for a Local Content Facilitation Fund?

The world’s fastest economy is also going to borrow half a billion United States dollars from the said bank to push its infrastructure development.

What are the projects into which these funds will be sunk? Did somebody say something about a hydroelectric fall? It is easy for the President to boast that Guyana has the lowest debt to GDP ratio in the world.

Actually, there are more than a dozen countries which have lower debt to GDP ratios that Guyana. The government sees this low debt to GDP ratio as an incentive to borrow, borrow and borrow. Other leaders see it has a means to move faster towards a debt-free status.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10 S

UTH

D TR

HAR

HK

BY G

LALL

Thursday Monday November May 02, 02,2022 2023

H@RD TRUTHS

BY GHK LALL

Recommendation No.1: I lost count for VP Jagdeo The word came to me that the Hon. Vice President, Dr. Bharat Jagdeo, was in his usual flamboyant and raucous form during his most recent press conference on the last Thursday in October. Frankly, this is most disappointing coming from a leader so seasoned, a politician so savvy, a man so sturdy in resolution, but so slimmed down where the better aspects of comportment are concerned.

Now, it is my painful duty (selfappointed and self-inflicted) to groom and guide my younger brother toward what the times and circumstances demand of him; indeed, of all of us Guyanese.

Like it or lump it, Bharat Jagdeo is a former head of state, and today he is Guyana's lead oil head.

There is acknowledgement that it is a weighty responsibility, and Dr. Jagdeo has grown thin at the seams, many times rupturing rather rowdily. Last Thursday was a case in point; hearsay, to be sure, but nobody could not have heard him, or misinterpreted the big chief, even if they spoke no English.

First, he railed at the Opposition Leader, then took solace in

broadsiding others.

Somebody noted that I came in for honorable mention; thanks for the favor, doc, whether honorable, or otherwise.

Keep this up, and people will start talking. About whom is a little on the, shall I say, funny side; who is short of real friends; and who is bringing himself into great disrepute with these weekly ravings and rantings.

For Dr. J's edification, he may think that he is pleasing Lord Alistair, but I am sure the Exxon headhunter is an individual who prides himself on Episcopalian civility, and good ole Southern courtliness.

I say the latter though the roots of the man from Exxon may be further north, especially given a name like his. So, what Dr. Jagdeo mistakenly thinks is impressing his audience is building up reservoirs of distaste. Here is one for the VP: if Aubrey Norton could transform from formidable street fighter to restrained diplomat, then it is compulsory for the VP to layoff the cussin and buze-in, and lowering himself in the eyes of the resident diplomatic corp. I am sure High Commissioner Miller is appalled, if

not fit to be tied, at the deplorable nature of Dr. Jagdeo's weekly verbal productions, which are a combination of opera, theater, and obscene aroma. Candidly, this is vice presidential descent into the pits of diatribe, tirade, and masquerade for special listeners.

Having said the above, I do appreciate that the weekly press conferences hosted by the man from Unity is about putting on a performance for his captive and gullible audience. And his media minions, who I label the cutlery butlers. While that is so, there are other audiences: mature, intelligent, sophisticated, all urbane men and women of the world.

After all, Guyana is now a magnet for foreign money and unending foreign interest from heavy hitters from everywhere.

Therefore, it is most unseemly for this country's second in command (I thought it best to settle for that today), to be doing his best imitation of some cheap street brawler, some common gang leader. What would the guys from Oxford, Harvard, and Texas A&M, and even Moscow's Patrice

Lumumba say? Thus, I am exhorting the VP to lighten up and straighten up himself, and to freshen up his routine.

It is becoming increasingly stale, most predictable, rather humdrum, food for any bum and scum.

Instead of his embracing that road, I urge Dr. Jagdeo to look at where Guyana is today. It is now caviar and champagne country, so he has to leave the peppery duck curry and chutney (and cook-up rice and bush rum) exhibitions behind.

This is the big time and prime time, brother Jay, and it is time to get with the high times. Guyana has oil, and because of oil, Guyana has Venezuela.

There cannot be conversing for consensus on the border controversy in one breath, and then screaming, cursing and kicking in the next.

At his own fellow Guyanese, be they real foes, or ones he made up in his own overwrought mind for his own purposes. It just will not do.

Rather poor form, I say, if anyone were to ask me. Though no one did, I am still extending a kind hand to the VP to save him from himself.

Though the word may be alien and misunderstood to him, I still encourage: be a statesman, sir. He must do more than rise to the new challenges, which come with their own napalm, some of them developed by the VP himself.

He must master his universe, and cannot be the same unchanging, unlearning, and unhinging presence in the new Guyana going through its early paces and to high altitude places.

What I am recommending to Vice President Dr. Bharat Jagdeo, therefore, boils down to this: he must extricate himself from the murk and the muck and what leaves civilized people dumbstruck. Rise with the times, don't stay a second longer in the swamp that is relished so much. Grow with Guyana; or be good material for a great, big belly laff every week. Or consternation from the soft-spirited.

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

Thursday November 02, 2023

Kaieteur News

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PAGE 12

Thursday November 02, 2023

Kaieteur News

Mahdia dorm fire COI… Commissioners hear Fire Station,

male dorm now outfitted with new equipment After it was said in the Commission of Inquiry (COI) that the Mahdia Fire Station had lacked a number of key equipment on the night of the fatal fire at the Mahdia Female Dormitory back in May, the fire station is now not only outfitted with new equipment but now has a new water well drilled.

This observation was made when the COI Commissioners, namely Major General (Ret'd) Singh, the Chairman of the Commission, Attorney-atLaw Kim Kyte-Thomas, and Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC), Derrick John visited the location on Wednesday.

Ye s t e r d a y, t h e Commissioners among other officials visited the fire station, the dormitory, the hospital, the secondary school and the alternative water supply source that was mentioned by the fire service, to gain a c o m p r e h e n s i v e

understanding of the area and the events that occurred on the night of the fire.

During his testimony to the COI about the fatal incident, Officer-in-Charge of the Mahdia Fire Station, Ryan Scott had mentioned that the lack of tools such as breathing apparatus, breaking-in equipment and water truck among other tools, had hindered their response to the fire. On Wednesday, while visiting the fire station, the Commissioners were informed that most of the equipment requested by the fire station to help in firefighting is now in place.

Scott told media operatives yesterday that following the fire they have now acquired a 'jaw of life', a disc cutter, power saw, small and big sledge hammers, fireman axe and two breathing apparatus. “Those are part of the equipment we would need for use, to break in, in terms of responding to

Some of the fire equipment the Mahdia Fire Station received following the dormitory fire. a fire scene and to enter a building with easier access.

These are breaking tools, and if there is a vehicular accident, we can use them to extract persons from the vehicle also,” he explained.

Kaieteur News was informed that the very next day following the fatal fire, the fire station had received a water bowser truck which will now aid with its current 11-year-old fire tender. SubOfficer Scott said they have now been provided with a newly drilled water well which is set to cater for about

5,000 to 8,000 gallons of water.

When asked if having the equipment in place on the night of the fire would have helped the fire service in combating the fire, Scott said it would have made a great impact but it would have still been the same result due to the fact that the fire service was informed late about the fire.

He went on to explain that the fire service is always prepared to respond to any type of fire but everything is based on time consumption.

Two remanded, mastermind on the run ATM fraud…

A

n individual, who is said to b e t h e mastermind behind fraudulent attacks on Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) in the city last weekend, is on the run, whilst two men who were part of the operation were remanded on Wednesday following appearances at the Georgetown Magistrate's Court where charges of conspiracy to defraud were read to them.

Thirty-seven-year-old Bhojnarine Gopaul called 'Sandeep,' a technician of Coldingen, East Coast Demerara (ECD), and 26year-old Tulsie Ramprasad a welder fabricator of East Bank Essequibo (EBE), both appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts, before Acting Chief Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus, where the charges were read to them. They both pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor highlighted that the police are still seeking another suspect who is said to be the mastermind of the operation. The prosecution said too that one of the defendants has an ongoing matter of the similar nature

Remanded: Bhojnarine Gopaul which is to be heard at the Sparendaam Magistrates' C o u r t . C o n s e q u e n t l y, Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus remanded the duo. The next court date is set for November 30, 2023.

Police related that on October 29, 2023, acting on information received, the accused went to the C i t i z e n ' s B a n k AT M machine at OMG on Sheriff Street where ranks observed Rampersaud, exiting a motor vehicle bearing registration PAE 364 and walking towards the machine.

He spent at about 40 seconds at the machine and then returned to the vehicle.

Police then approached the men and asked to conduct a search. The vehicle was

Remanded: Tulsie Ramprasad

occupied by Gopaul and Ramprasad along with a female, 37-year-old Akashmati Ramnarine , a Superbet cashier.

Searches were conducted on Gopaul, who was found with two cell phones, and $11,100 cash.

A further search was carried out on the vehicle, where ranks discovered one red Debit card, one white and blue New York State Medicaid card, along with two blank cards with magnetic strips. The trio was then told of the offence committed, cautioned and then arrested.

When ranks cautioned Ramprasad, he reportedly told them, “I didn't steal no money a man give me the bank card and ask me if I

can take out the money.”

The trio was then escorted to the Criminal Investigative Department (CID). During the investigation ranks were able to get information from Gopaul; this was kept on an audio record.

Kaieteur News reported last Sunday that late on Saturday night, the lawmen trailed the trio to a Citizen Bank's ATM machine at Giftland Mall.

There, they saw Rampersaud stepping out of the car dressed in a black 'hoodie' and red short pants.

He went to the ATM and spent about 40 seconds before returning to the car.

They were arrested following their trip to the Sheriff Street ATM.

“ No fire is the same. So there is no amount of preparation you can put in place to say you are preparing for the next fire.

What we do is continuous training, so in case there is an emergency, we respond, but it means that we need to have the call in a timely manner,” he said.

He added that there are different stages of a fire and if it meets to the “flashover stage” there is not much they can do other than containing the blaze. “One of the main reasons why the fire got out of hand when we received a call, is because when we arrived, the building was fully engulfed with flames and that clearly shows an indication that the fire was burning between 15 to 20 minutes before. So we arriving with all the equipment that was needed at that said time, the results would have been the same, due to the fact that we had a late call,” the Sub-Officer commented.

It was reported that before the fire, the station had no landline service in place, calls were made to the Sub-Officer via his cellphone. On Wednesday, it was observed that the fire station is now equipped with a landline phone. The Commissioners on Wednesday also visited the male dormitory which is similar to the female dorms to get an understanding of the structure that once housed the female students.

There it was observed that after the fire, the males' dormitory is now outfitted with fire extinguishers and a fire alarm system. This publication had reported that the deadly fire which occurred on May 21, 2023 reportedly began in the lavatory area of the female dorm and quickly spread trapping the occupants. The fire claimed the lives of 19 girls and a 5-year-old boy. A 15-year-old girl is currently facing 20 murder charges in connection with the fire.

Pensioner charged for defrauding man over $14M A 75-year-old man was charged on Wednesday for defrauding 48-year-old Karan Singh $14,040,000 on March 2, 2023.

Vishnu Mungal appeared at the Golden Grove Magistrate Court, before Senior Magistrate, Sunil Scarce, where the charge was read to him, to which he pleaded not guilty. The accused was charged for the offence of “Obtaining Money

by False Pretense, Contrary to Section 194 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, Chapter 8:01.”

According to Police, in court the victim, Karan Singh, reportedly said that he would like to come to an agreement with the accused, stating that he would give him until November 14, 2023 to have the money repaid.

Charged and granted bail :Vishnu Mungal The magistrate then granted bail in the sum $100,000 with conditions that he lodges his passport.

The next matter is scheduled for November 17, 2023.

Thursday November 02, 2023

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

Oil and gas companies spill millions of gallons of wastewater in Texas Texas Tribune - The prolific oil and gas wells of Texas also generate billions of gallons of salty liquid known as produced water. A lot of this toxic water, just like crude oil, tends to get spilled.

Not just occasionally, but hundreds of times a year.

From a large spill of 756,000 gallons into the Delaware River in West Texas that sent chloride levels soaring, to hundreds of small spills in one Permian Basin county, there's hardly a corner of Texas not impacted. But messy record-keeping and ambiguous rules at the Railroad Commission of Texas, which regulates oil and gas drilling, have long obscured the scope and severity of these spills from the public.

T h e R a i l r o a d Commission has never formally adopted 2009 draft guidelines for reporting and cleaning up produced water spills. The agency delegated the authority to set different reporting thresholds to district offices, in a system that relies on self-reporting by offenders and includes little enforcement to assure accuracy and compliance.

A commission spokesperson said that produced water spills must be reported and that the agency fully investigates and mitigates all spills. But the agency has never adopted official produced water spill guidelines and numerous companies are under the impression they are not required to report spills at all.

Inside Climate News has conducted the first-ever public analysis of produced water spills in Texas, working from data provided in response to open records requests to the Railroad Commission.

Over the decade from 2013 to 2022, the analysis found that oil and gas companies reported more than 10,000 individual spills totaling more than 148 million gallons of produced water. Where possible, companies use vacuum trucks to suck up as much spilled water as they can. But only about 40% of the water reported spilled from 2013 to 2022 was recovered.

The spills ranged from small leaks of less than 10 gallons to massive incidents — 19 of the reported spills exceeded 500,000 gallons.

Although they represented a tiny minority of spills, with

about 350 reported in the data, some of the most damaging incidents took place when produced water was spilled directly into streams, rivers, or lakes.

Both conventional oil and gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, rely upon large quantities of water, sand and proprietary chemicals, some of which are toxic, to free the oil and gas from geologic formations deep underground. Produced water is the liquid waste that comes back to the surface and contains both the proprietary drilling fluids and naturally occurring hazardous compounds from the earth, including arsenic and organic compounds like benzene, a carcinogen.

The highly saline water can render land barren for years. Residents have filed lawsuits detailing damages from contaminated well water to poisoned cattle.

In East Texas' Anderson County, cattle rancher Tate Willfong noticed a produced water spill on his property f r o m Vi s t a E n e rg y Consulting's pipeline in July that killed the grass his cattle graze on. He said he reported the spills to the Railroad Commission but only got help after he went to a local television reporter at KETK in Tyler. Vista Energy Consulting did not respond to a request for comment. “I ain't got a beef with the Railroad Commission at this time,” Willfong said. “But I didn't get a lot out of them in the beginning.”

In Lamesa, the county seat of Dawson County in the high plains where Permian Basin oil production borders cotton farms and towering wind turbines, Doty Huff and Saul Torres filed a lawsuit against an energy firm named Enhanced Midstream, alleging that two leaks from one of the company's produced water pipelines contaminated their well water and caused a “total loss of fair market value” of their p r o p e r t y. E n h a n c e d Midstream did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

In Knox County, north of Abilene, rancher Tim Foote sued after his cattle knocked down a fence around a Texcel Exploration tank where produced water and oil was stored. The livestock came into contact with spilled produced water and 132 cattle died. An appeals court recently upheld a trial court's

decision that the company cannot be held responsible.

An orphaned well in Crane County began spewing produced water in 2021. The salty water covered a large area that required remediation. The salty soil was excavating, leaving this pit.

An orphaned well in Crane County began spewing produced water in 2021.

The salty water covered a large area that required remediation and a large pit was left behind after the salty soil was excavated. Credit: Martha Pskowski/Inside Climate Newsnone “There's a reason why you salted your enemy's land in the Bible,” said Sarah Stogner, an oil and gas lawyer in the Permian Basin, who has documented damages from produced water spills. “Nothing grows.”

Spill logs reveal trends T h e R a i l r o a d Commission records of these spills are not held in a database allowing easy analysis. Instead, they are recorded in chaoticallymaintained spreadsheets called “spill logs.” Before running the analysis, Inside Climate News had to diagnose and fix various problems with the data, including inconsistent use of units, incorrectly entered dates, misaligned columns, duplicated entries, misspellings of company names, and more.

The totals from the analysis are likely incomplete. Different district offices of the Railroad Commission ask companies to report spills at different thresholds, and the entire system depends on operators self-reporting their mishaps — with little enforcement to ensure that they do so consistently and accurately.

In addition to analyzing the central spill logs provided by the Railroad Commission, Inside Climate News obtained spill logs from its regional offices throughout the state. The analysis of these sprawling records, spread across more than 200 spreadsheet files, gave a similar overall picture, but recorded almost 11 million additional gallons of spilled water.

Further scrutiny of the differences between the central- and district-level records revealed several large spills of produced water recorded at the district level

Oil and gas lawyer Sarah Stogner visits Lake Boehmer in Pecos County where abandoned wells have brought produced water to the surface for decades. The Railroad Commission considers these water wells and therefore not under their jurisdiction. Credit: Martha Pskowski/Inside Climate News

which were not found in the Railroad Commission's central records. In some cases this was because the corresponding central record had apparently not been updated from an initial entry.

Others, including a spill of more than 500,000 gallons in November 2022 from a corroded pipe operated by Occidental Petroleum at a site in Gaines County, seemed to be missing from the central records altogether. Occidental did not respond to a request for comment.

“There have been different systems of tracking spills over time, so there could be differences if you're comparing different logs,” a Railroad Commission spokesperson said.

Railroad Commission leaves produced water spill rules vague As hydraulic fracturing allowed Texas to rapidly increase oil production, vast amounts of produced water were also generated. But even as fracking transformed the oil and gas industry, the Railroad Commission did not adopt formal rules for reporting and remediation of produced water spills.

A 2022 report calculated that the Permian Basin alone is generating 3.9 billion barrels, or over 168 billion gallons, of produced water a year. That means wastewater must be piped off well pads, stored in tanks, and trucked to disposal wells. At each step in the process, the risk for spills is present.

T h e R a i l r o a d Commission currently has 180 oil and gas inspectors statewide. As of July, Texas had over 161,000 oil wells and 86,000 gas wells in production.

T h e R a i l r o a d Commission's Rule 3.20 requires oil and gas companies to immediately notify a district office after spills of oil or condensate, a

low-density hydrocarbon liquid present in natural gas.

Those spills are reported on a publicly available Railroad Commission form known as the H-8. Any crude oil spill of over 210 gallons, or five barrels, must be reported.

State law prohibits pollution of above ground or subterranean water.

The H-8 form does not include produced water spills. However, a Railroad Commission spokesperson told Inside Climate News that companies must report produced water spills.

The spokesperson said the commission issued 116 violations of Rule 3.20 during fiscal year 2022.

However, Railroad Commission staff were not able to identify how many of these violations were for produced water spills as opposed to oil spills.

The commission drafted the guidelines for produced water spill cleanup in 2009 that were never formally adopted.

The guidelines state that companies are not required to report produced water spills but are “encouraged” to do so, an apparent contradiction of the commission's statement to Inside Climate News.

This ambiguity has bred confusion. A spokesperson for Apache, a Houston-based oil and gas company operating in the Permian Basin, said the Railroad Commission does not require reporting.

In an email exchange provided to Inside Climate News, a Chevron employee told a Crane County land owner who had complained to the company about a produced water spill on her ranch that the company was not required to report produced water spills. A Chevron spokesperson said the company's policy is “to follow all RRC requirements for reporting spills, including

produced water,” without elaborating.

According to the District 8 office in Midland, which covers the heart of the Permian Basin, companies only must report spills larger than 250 barrels (10,500 gallons) of produced water.

But there are many smaller spills on the district spreadsheets, indicating companies may have their own internal standards.

Meanwhile, produced water is included in neighboring New Mexico's spills rule, which classifies spills of 25 barrels or more as major releases and spills between five to 25 barrels as minor releases. In New Mexico, both major and minor releases are prohibited and must be reported and remediated.

According to the conservation non-profit Center for Western Priorities, during 2022, operators in New Mexico reported 5,085,654 gallons (121,087 barrels) of produced water spills.

Company policies vary Inside Climate News reached out to the 10 companies with the highest total volume of produced water spills with questions about their internal policies for reporting spills and remediation. Several of the companies have been sold since the spills occurred, in which case the new owners were contacted. “ Te x a s h a s r o b u s t reporting requirements and cleanup standards for spills that may incidentally occur during oil and gas production,” Permian Basin Petroleum Association President Ben Shepperd said in a statement. “Oil and gas operators in the Permian Basin each have best practices they follow for handling produced water.”

An Apache spokesperson said the company takes (Continued on page 17)

PAGE 14

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 02, 2023

Thursday November 02, 2023

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Woman bemoans sloth into probe of boyfriend's killing ...four months on, biological samples still to undergo toxicology testing

A

young woman is bemoaning the sloth into the investigation in connection with her boyfriend, noting that four months since his killing, biological samples are still to undergo toxicology tests. She also slammed the lack of resources at the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory, contending that if the facility cannot do basic testing then it should be closed.

In a letter to this newspaper earlier this week, Narissa Deokarran spoke out against the stalling of the investigation into the murder of her boyfriend, Nakema Deonauth whose lifeless body was found in his Regent Street apartment on 12thJune, 2023.

She detailed Deonauth 39, was relatively young, healthy and lived alone. She said as part of the investigation into his death, an autopsy was conducted.

The autopsy entailed an examination of Nakema's body by the pathologist, Dr Singh and forensic toxicology testing of biological samples.”

Deokarran said while the pathologist did his examination since early June, the autopsy report cannot be completed without the toxicology results, and this has apparently led to the investigation reaching a standstill. Deokarran said she has been doing her own research making calls and keeping in tune with the investigation and the updates “and it “it seems as if the investigators are awaiting the completed autopsy report to move forward with their investigation and here lies the problem. These samples that were sent to the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory (GFSL), the only one of its kind in Guyana, over four months ago haven't been tested as yet. While we

Agricola businessman remanded for 137 grammes of marijuana A 52-year-old businessman of Lot 8 Agricola, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was remanded to prison on We d n e s d a y a f t e r h e appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrate's Court where he was charged for being in possession of 137 grammes of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking.

Junior De Cambra pleaded not guilty to the charges which were read to him. The accused was represented by Attorney-atLaw, George Thomas, who made application for bail in a reasonable sum.

The prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that they were no special reasons for the court to consider for De Cambra to be granted bail. Hence, the magistrate remanded the accused. Police related that at about 15:00 hrs on M o n d a y, a c t i n g o n information, several ranks were dispatched to De Cambra's place of residence, a two storey

concrete building at Agricola.

On entry of the yard, ranks met the accused standing at the door at the bottom flat of the building and he later agreed for a search to be conducted at his residence.On entering the premises, De Cambra told ranks that he has cannabis and would use it for smoking; he then directed the officers to the western side of the building and handed over a transparent plastic bag with what appeared to be seeds and leaves inside.During the search ranks discovered two bulky bags, with suspected cannabis in the kitchen cupboard.

De Cambra was shown the bulky plastic bags and told of the offence committed. He was cautioned and arrested. He was subsequently escorted to the police narcotic branch where the suspected cannabis was weighed; it amounted to 137 grams of marijuana.

De Cambra will make his next court appearance on November 30, 2023.

Murdered, Nakema Deonauth

anxiously waited for months for this part of the puzzle to be solved and hopefully move us one step closer to closure nothing was being done and I only learnt why last month,” Deokarran lamented.

She noted that after becoming frustrated with the lack of progress, she reached out to the Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum after which she paid a visit to him at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters on September 13th.

“There I met the lead investigator and was given the opportunity to ask questions and clarify whatever doubts I had. Mr. Blanhum also contacted the GFSL and asked about the toxicology report. From what was conveyed, I gathered that the GFSL is

incapable of conducting the toxicology tests.

I was then assured by Mr. Blanhum that the samples would be sent to Brazil. However, six weeks later and GFSL arrangements are yet to be finalized with a lab there, so the samples remain in storage,” the woman related.

She believes that “the GFSL was supposed to conduct 'routine' forensic toxicology testing on the samples taken from Nakema's body, the sort of testing that should be conducted as part of an autopsy when the cause of death or circumstances surrounding the death has not been clearly established and an investigation follows.

“If the premier state forensic laboratory in the country cannot conduct basic toxicology testing, then why

it is still opened and why are biological samples at 'death scenes' still being sent to it?”

Deokarran commended the professionalism and willingness to assist of the persons she would have come into contact with writing “everyone I have either met or spoken to on the phone who are in some way involved in this matter such as the crime chief, investigators and personnel from pathology and the GFSL has been very approachable, professional a n d h e l p f u l i n accommodation my many questions and visits/calls. I have truly been pleasantly surprised by their courteous manner and I have no complaints regarding my interactions with them, but I need closure and it has been months with no progress in this matter.”

She believes that the toxicology tests were not conducted at the GFSL because of the lack of required equipment, materials and technology; and not due to the competency of its staff.

“I may be wrong in my assumption however I'm not privy to the inner workings of the GFSL. Regardless of the cause, the fact remains that the GFSL receives samples/evidence from death scenes yet is unable to conduct routine forensic toxicology testing. This is an urgent matter that should be addressed and corrected by the ministry/entity

responsible.”

Earlier this year on June 15th, this publication reported that “An autopsy conducted on the body of young city businessman, Nakema Dimitri Deonauth, revealed that he was beaten to death. According to the autopsy results, Deonauth died from brain hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) due to blunt force trauma to the head. The fatal hit to the head was further compounded by compression injuries to the neck meaning that his killer might have choked or attempted to strangle him.

Police told Kaieteur News that the doctor who performed the autopsy opined that his “fatal injuries were caused by either cuffs or a hit with a hard object”.

Deonauth was found dead in his Regent and Cummings Street, Georgetown apartment his father who had visited with the intent of taking him to breakfast.

Reports are that Deonauth was unreachable and his father, Rajindra Deonauth solicited the spare keys to the apartment from the landlord.

Upon entry to the apartment he found his son's lifeless body in the apartment and he summoned the police. Upon seeing the young businessman's dead body, the elder Deonauth behaved disorderly causing police to detain him.

The 39-year-old was his father's only son. Deonauth's body reportedly bore multiple marks of violence.

Police arrest man who impregnated girl, 13 …suspect to face court soon Members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Wednesday arrested a man who allegedly impregnated a 13year-old girl.

Police Regional Commander, Khemraj Shivbaran told this publication that the suspect was arrested and that he is expected to face the court as early as tomorrow.

Kaieteur News understands that approximately two months ago the child gave birth.

Speaking with this publication, the child's father related that he spends most of his time in the interior regions

of Guyana. He explained that after he was made aware of his daughter being pregnant, he notified the police.

He said too that a member of the GPF related to him that a file was prepared and sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) some time ago, but the suspect was still on the run at the time he spoke to the rank.

Interestingly, he stated that he believes his wife, who is also the mother of the teen, is aware of matter but she turns a blind eye on the issue.

“I left and went into the interior

when one of my sons called me and asked what kind of slackness I behaving with, when I asked him what he meant, he said how I have my daughter living home with some man,” the man said.

He continued, “When I came out from the interior about two weeks ago, only to see my child with a baby, I cried.”

Following the man's report to this publication, Kaieteur News made contact with the police. Hours later the police confirmed that the suspect was arrested.

PAGE 16

Thursday November 02, 2023

Kaieteur News

Two men severely chopped as bicycle bandits go on robbery spree in Annandale

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wo bicycle bandits armed with cut lasses on Tuesday night went on a robbery spree at Annandale, East Coast Demerara leaving behind a bloody trail after severely chopping their victims.

Luckily the victims survived the ordeal but are now hospitalised nursing severe chop wounds.

Their first victim a 22-yearold old man identified as Ryan Persaud sustained a fractured skull after they chopped him to the head in front of his home at Peter Street, Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home.

Persaud’s life was reportedly saved by an emergency surgery.

He is reportedly recovering fine but his relatives will not forget how two bandits almost butchered him to death for his belongings.

Persaud was attacked between 11:30 and 12:30 hrs.

He had just arrived from an outing with his brother and a friend.

While his brother was opening the gate for him to drive in their yarda a lone cutlass bandit with his face masked attacked.

Persaud’s relatives who witnessed the ordeal recalled that the attacker had an accomplice on a bicycle apparently operating as a look out man.

While he kept watch the bandit armed with the cutlass advanced towards Persaud who was still seated in the driver’s seat of the car and chopped him to the head before relieving him of his cellular phone and other valu-

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ables. The bandit reportedly attempted to attack Persaud’s brother also but he had managed to secure himself inside of his house before the attacker could do so.

The bandits fled while Persaud bled away in his car.

After they were gone, Persaud’s relatives came out of their house and rushed him to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Not long after Persaud’s attack, the bicycle bandits struck again in Annandale, this time attacking a taxi driver, while he was reversing in the vicinity of a shop.

He, however, fought back but they overpowered him and dealt him several chops before carting away with his valuables including cash. Kaieteur News was able to obtain video footage of the attack on the taxi driver.

According to the video a bandit rode up to the driver’s side of the car and smashed through the glass window with the cutlass and began hurling chops at the driver.

The bandit then prised open the car door and patted down the driver before chopping him again.

As the bandit attempted to make it around to the passenger’s side of the car,

Footage of the taxi driver being attacked the driver jumped and sprinted away.

The bandit, however, chased after him.

The bandit would appear in the frame again returning to pick up his bicycle before riding off.

The driver returned to the

car staggering with visible chops about his body. It appeared as if the bandits did not get to steal the taxi driver’s cell phone.

He was seen calling someone on a hand held device before collapsing to the ground.

Several countries recall envoys from Israel - Bolivia cuts economic, diplomatic ties (ALJAZEERA) - Bolivia has cut official ties with Israel over the war in Gaza as two other Latin American countries recalled their ambassadors in Tel Aviv for consultations.

Bolivia “decided to break diplomatic relations with the Israeli state in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive taking place in the Gaza Strip,” Deputy Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani said at a press conference on Tuesday night.

Minister of the Presidency Maria Nela Prada also announced the country would send humanitarian aid to Gaza. “We demand an end to the attacks” in the Gaza Strip “which have so far caused thousands of civilian deaths and the forced displacement of Palestinians,” she said at the same press conference. On Wednesday, Israel accused Bolivia of “capitulation to terrorism and to the ayatollah regime in Iran”.

In a statement, the foreign ministry also sought to play down Bolivia’s decision, say-

ing “relations between the countries had been devoid of content anyway” since Luis Arce was sworn in as president. Meanwhile Hamas, the group running the besieged Gaza Strip, welcomed Bolivia’s decision and urged Arab countries that have normalised their relations with Tel Aviv to do the same.

Neighbours Colombia and Chile also recalled their ambassadors for consultations condemning the deaths of civilians in Gaza and calling for a ceasefire. Historically, Latin America’s left-leaning countries have sympathised with the Palestinian cause, while the more right-wing countries have tended to follow the lead of the United States.

Writing on social media site X, Chilean President Gabriel Boric accused Israel of “unacceptable violations of International Humanitarian Law” and following a policy of “collective punishment” of the people of Gaza, as he announced the recall of Ambassador Jorge Carvajal.

Bottom of Form Chile has the largest, and one of the oldest, Palestinian

communities outside the Arab world. Also writing on X, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the attacks a “massacre of the Palestinian people”. Other Latin American countries, including Mexico and Brazil, have also called for a ceasefire.

Bolivia is among the first nations to announce the end of diplomatic relations with Israel over its war in Gaza, which came after armed group Hamas launched an unprecedented assault on Israel killing 1,400 people and taking some 240 people captive.

At least 13 citizens from several Latin American countries were among the dead, and some 21 more remain missing.

At least 8,525 Palestinians have now been killed in Israel’s current war in Gaza.

Bolivia previously cut diplomatic ties with Israel in 2009, also in protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

About 2.3 million people live in Gaza and United Nations officials say more than 1.4 million of them have been made homeless by Israel’s relentless bombardment.

Thursday November 02, 2023

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

Gov’t. exploring procurement of barge, tugboat for Kwakwani – President Ali

P

resident Irfaan Ali has announced that government is exploring the procurement of a barge and tugboat to improve transportation services in Kwakwani, Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10).

The President made the announcement during a community engagement in the area last Saturday, the Department of Public Information reported. He was joined by Senior Minister in the Office of the P r e s i d e n t w i t h

Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, and Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai.

“I am going to ask …Edghill and Dr. Singh to bring MARAD [Maritime Administration Department] into play to see how we could procure a barge and tug that can efficiently help with the transportation system here,” the President said. He emphasised the necessity of establishing proper

management protocols for the initiative to be successful, noting, “We have to find a formula that is viable, one that includes the community, the private sector and the NDC, one that is holistic, examining the management structure.”

During the announcement, the prospect of a bridge spanning the Kwakwani River was raised by the residents.

Addressing the eager residents, President Ali assured, “That too shall come.” He highlighted

several ongoing projects such as the 45 bridges along the trail to Lethem, the new Wismar Bridge which is set to commence shortly and the new Demerara River Bridge.

President Ali stated that while the new Demerara River Bridge is in the construction phase, the government is actively considering the future of the existing Demerara Harbour Bridge. “I don’t want to be premature in our analysis…we are examining the possibilities of the old bridge…we have a technical

team that is looking right here at this (Kwakwani) river, a team that is looking at bridging Leguan and Wakenaam, a team that is looking at linking agriculture corridor among some of the islands in the Essequibo River,” the president said.

Meanwhile, he announced the construction of a deep water well to address the water issues in the area. That project will be included in the 2024 National Budget. Further, in response to the prevailing

electricity problems, the president revealed the deployment of a technical team to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the local distribution system. The objective is to identify and rectify issues promptly, ensuring optimal power usage and preventing distribution disruptions caused by flaws in the transmission and distribution network. The residents also had the opportunity to raise other issues and concerns affecting them. (DPI)

Oil and gas companies spill millions of gallons of wastewater in Texas...

From page 13 “strict measures to store and transport produced water in a manner that reduces the risk of impacts on soil, groundwater and surface water quality.”

The spokesperson said the company reports any spill larger than 100 barrels (4,200 gallons) that “breaches secondary containment or may be deemed sensitive.”

A spokesperson for ExxonMobil, in reference to its subsidiary XTO Energy, said the company complies “with the reporting requirements of the Texas Railroad Commission” but did not elaborate.

The spokesperson said remediation depends on salinity and soil type.

Diamondback Energy, which is not on the top 10 list but in 2019 acquired Energen, which appears on the list, is one of few companies to include produced water spill data in its annual sustainability reports.

According to the Midland-based company’s 2023 report, spills increased 67% from 2021 to 2022.

Ashley Watt, the owner of Antina Ranch in Crane County who complained to Chevron about a 2020 spill on her property that she said killed a number of mesquite trees, said oil and gas operators in the Permian Basin often fail to report spills to the Railroad Commission.

“I have never seen an operator self-report anything. Full stop, that’s it,” Watt said.

“How many speeding tickets would be written if the only way that you got caught was self-reporting?”

Watt said her property alone has “hundreds of

wells” and “hundreds of miles of flow lines,” which transport oil and gas. Watt said landowners, let alone inspectors, are unable to regularly check on every well or pipeline.

“It’s almost just luck when us or anyone catches a spill,” she said.

Watt said a Chevron representative eventually told her that produced water is not included in the Railroad Commission “definition of spills required to give notice” and the company would not be reporting the spill to the Railroad Commission.

A C h e v r o n representative declined to comment on the spill.

Railroad Commission spill response protocol Although the Railroad Commission spokesperson told Inside Climate News that the agency requires remediation of all spills, records and interviews show that the commission only required cleanup after some spills, not all.

Apache reported that a storage tank spilled 77,500 barrels (3,255,000 gallons) of produced water on July 28, 2020 in Reeves County, about 10 miles north of Balmorhea.

According to documents provided in a records request, Railroad Commission inspectors visited the spill area, which covered approximately one quarter mile by one half mile, on July 29, Sept. 8 and Nov. 12, 2020. During each inspection the RRC noted produced water pooled on the ground, heavy salt crystals and distressed vegetation.

O n N o v. 1 7 , t h e commission moved to sever Apache’s lease because the spill violated state rules.

Apache contacted the commission to appeal. On Jan. 26, 2021, District 8 Director Jeffery Morgan replied, siding with Apache.

Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) and Texas C o m m i s s i o n o n Environmental Quality (TCEQ) district offices occupy the same office building in Midland, Texas.

The TCEQ now oversees permitting for produced water discharges in Texas.

“After further review, no further action will be needed for this site at this time,” Morgan wrote.

Apache kept the lease.

The Railroad Commission did not require remediation or issue any penalties.

An Apache spokesperson said regulators and the company agreed that it would be “more harmful” to dig up the soil instead of allowing rainfall to dilute the produced water.

The commission spokesperson said companies are required to remove as much of the liquid as possible after spills and in some cases remove the contaminated soil.

But experts said the agency should take a more holistic approach to remediation.

In the case of the 756,000 gallon spill from a flow line into the Delaware River in West Texas, the Railroad Commission’s Midland District Office was notified immediately on Aug. 1, 2017, but took a back seat to other agencies in monitoring potential pollution.

The event occurred after a Cimarex Energy salt water disposal unit in Culberson County lost power during a rainstorm.

Roughly 18,000 barrels of produced water — or

756,000 gallons, more than enough to fill an Olympicsized swimming pool — spilled from the flow line into the Delaware River, in addition to 420 gallons of oil.

The river is home to the endangered Texas hornshell mussel.

The produced water had chloride levels between 80,000 and 100,000 parts per m i l l i o n . T h e E PA recommends drinking water not exceed 250 parts per million.

On Aug. 4, a staff m e m b e r a t t h e Te x a s C o m m i s s i o n o n Environmental Quality emailed a colleague after a counterpart in New Mexico had told her about the spill.

“Did they notify y’all about this?” s h e a s k e d . “ We obviously have concerns. Do we have anyone checking this out?”

On Aug. 5, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department documented a fish kill in the Delaware River, including minnows, perch, and carp.

A R a i l r o a d Commission inspector, Glenn Gainey, visited the site on Aug. 7 and district engineering specialist Wade Goode met with company executives two days later.

“I had a meeting with Cimarex representatives to discuss the progress on the remediation, the plan going forward, and to get water sample test results,” Goode wrote in an email update.

“Cimarex informed me the booms they deployed have not seen any oil sheen.”

The Environmental Protection Agency sent their own inspectors on Aug. 9. By Sept. 21, the company seemed to think remediation was wrapping up.

“We conducted a flyover this past Thursday and since we are not observing any sheening or negative impacts to the river or surrounding shoreline, Cimarex will be discontinuing this operation,” a Cimarex supervisor wrote.

The EPA disagreed. The agency’s Region 6, which covers Texas and New Mexico, eventually issued a consent agreement requiring Cimarex to pay a $13,220 penalty and continue water testing for three years on a 40-mile section of the Delaware River.

Cimarex Energy has since merged with Cabot Oil & Gas to create Coterra Energy, which did not respond to a request for comment.

The involvement of EPA, TCEQ and other agencies in the Cimarex spill was, in many ways, atypical. For most produced water spills, the Railroad Commission acts on its own.

A TCEQ spokesperson said while the Railroad Commission has jurisdiction over produced water spills, the TCEQ may initially respond to reports of spills.

A spokesperson for EPA Region 6 said the Railroad Commission is not required to notify federal officials about produced water spills, unlike crude oil spills over a certain size.

T h e R a i l r o a d Commission’s 2009 draft guidelines for cleaning up produced water spills focus on reducing chloride levels in soil and identifying potential groundwater contamination.

The guidelines also recommend testing for additional contaminants, including benzene, toluene and metals in some cases.

Stogner, the attorney,

said in practice, many companies in the Permian Basin simply remove the soil and replace it with caliche, a sedimentary rock common in the area. She said the remediated areas are unfit for any other productive use like agriculture. Stogner is running against incumbent Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick as a member of the Forward P a r t y. I n 2 0 2 2 , s h e unsuccessfully challenged C o m m i s s i o n e r Wa y n e Christian.

John Lacik has used his proprietary soil amendment for produced water spills on sites from North Dakota to Louisiana.

He advocates for remediating the soil onsite, instead of trucking in soil or rock.

Lacik, who now owns the Texas-based remediation company Gromega LLC, said chloride shouldn’t be the only constituent considered in remediation.

“Treatment types have to be based and determined on each site,” Lacik said.

“If there was a cure-all fix, we’d be using it everywhere.”

Experts agreed the problem of salty produced water spills in Texas isn’t going away any time soon.

But Lacik said there are solutions for those willing to look for them.

“Maybe I’m just a dreamer on this,” Lacik said.

“But the good Lord only made so much land. What is the cost limit to restore land so that it will be productive again?”

This story is published in partnership with Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, independent news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Thursday November 02, 2023

$4.1B in contracts awarded for road works on EBD

R

esidents along the East Bank of Demerara will soon witness the development of 100 roads, following the signing of $4.1 billion in additional contracts.

The signing ceremony, held at a residence in Friendship, involved collaboration between the Ministries of Public Works and Local Government and

Regional Development.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar emphasised the importance of constructing high-quality roads during the contract signing. He urged the contractors to ensure the longevity of the roads, surpassing their expected lifespan for the benefit of the local community. “Today is a good day because $4.1 billion in contracts will be

signed and will go into the hands of the people who will tremendously benefit. This money is taxpayers’ money so treat it with care, do your projects up to standard so that everyone will benefit,” Minister Indar urged.

He further informed the contractors that engineers from the ministry will frequently visit the sites to ensure that works are being executed in a timely manner

Contractors signing their road contracts

and testing will be done to ensure that they are up to standard. Some of the villages that will see improved roads include Eccles, Diamond, Grove, Covent Garden, and Friendship among others.

Additionally, during the construction period, the minister encouraged the contractors to clean up after their day’s work so that the residents would not be heavily inconvenienced.

“We have a lot of contractors who have been in the system for a while and some that are new. I am imploring the new ones to do the right thing so that they may be awarded other contracts when the time comes again,” Minister

Indar stated.

Meanwhile, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with Responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy stressed that the government has continued to show its unwavering commitment to developing the lives of citizens across the country.

“The government has continued to show excellent leadership and so you the people of the country don’t have any doubt about where the monies that we are getting from revenues are going because they are being spent back and invested on our people,” Minister McCoy posited.

He encouraged the

contractors to employ persons from right within the various villages so that they could help in the development of their communities. “We not only build roads, schools, and bridges. We connect with you in the most important ways outside of these public infrastructures. We connect with you day-by-day, sitting in communities and discussing your ideas and thoughts,” the Public Affairs minister told the residents.

Since the administration took office in 2020, over 4,000 roads have been constructed along the East Bank of Demerara, paving the way for improved accessibility. (DPI)

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 02, 2023

PAGE 19

President Ali calls out world powers for their silence on “slaughter” of women, girls in Gaza

P

resident Irfaan Ali on Wednesday morning called out the silence of the world powers over their silence in the “slaughter” of Palestinian women and girls by Israel in Gaza.

The President was at the time addressing regional delegates at the three-day Ministerial Forum on Gender Empowerment & Equality which commenced at the Marriot Hotel in Kingston.

During his feature address at the forum, President Ali stated, “As we gather here today the world faces a crisis with women and girls. Our women and girls are being slaughtered in Gaza. Our women children are being slaughtered.

Women and girls are being raped, killed through criminal violence and hate.”

He said, “women and girls are also suffering in a war in Ukraine yet some of the most powerful voices in the world lay silent as

women and girls in Gaza are slaughtered. There's still silence as women and girls suffer in Haiti.”

He added that, “I am happy that they are loud on the suffering of the women and girls in Ukraine as we all should be and I make that point knowing full well that many arrows may be pointed but knowing full well that I stand on the ground of truth.”

At Wednesday's forum, he said he is trying “desperately” to find how many women-organizations have spoken out so far and are speaking out against the atrocities, “of the women who are killed in the war today.”

He said, “There is a big difference between equality and empowerment, and I question myself how equal is the world?

How equal are our policies? How equal is our thinking?”

He noted as leaders one is faced with the question, “Who drives the

President, Irfaan Ali agenda and for whom?” After a brief pause he continued by saying that, many leaders across the world, “many powerful voices across the world lay silently. Many of you in this room here, many of us in this

CARICOM to adopt Gender Equality Strategy ...ministerial confab hears Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member states will soon adopt a Gender Equality Strategy which will advance the protection and development of women and girls across the region.

This was revealed during the opening day of a three-day ministerial forum on gender empowerment and equality launched on Wednesday at the Marriot Hotel. The forum will see the participation of stakeholders from across the Caribbean. Present at the opening of the event was Guyana's President Irfaan Ali and Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud.

The forum, which will continue until Friday, is geared towards the sharing of experiences by delegates to contribute towards the strategy to tackle gender equality and empowerment.

CARICOM's Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development, Alison Drayton, during her address to the gathering at the opening, said that the strategy will be adopted within two weeks at an upcoming meeting of Ministers with responsibility for gender.

Drayton went on to say that the strategy captures the collective aspiration, shared dedication, and unwavering belief in the transformative power of equality. She urged participants that as they deliberate and collaborate in the days ahead, to hold that vision at the forefront of discussions and decisions.

She further stated that, “By doing so, we lay the foundation of a CARICOM community that is not only united by history and geography but more so by a resolute commitment to building a world where every woman man and child, regardless of gender stands on an equal footing.”

Dr. Vindhya Persaud in her address at the forum, spoke of the importance of empowerment. “Empowerment is an interesting word. Whenever people in Guyana or the region hear the word empowerment, they tend to associate it with women, because we've been doing so much

Assistant Secretary General, Human and Social Development CARICOM Secretariat Alison Drayton. work around the world, in the region and our various countries, when it comes to empowering our women.”

To the men in the room, she encouraged them to tell their brothers in the public domain that they, “are included and empowerment is an expansive word that encompasses the kind of mission we need to be on, to ensure that people have equal access to opportunity and the ability for selfdevelopment.”

Other regional ministerial officials participating in the forum are, Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister –Gender and Child Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago, Orando Brewster – Minister of Gender Affairs, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Philip Telesford – Minister of Social and Community Development, Housing and Gender Affairs, Grenada, Joachim Henry, Minister of Health and Wellness and Elderly Affairs, St. Lucia, and Oscar Requena, Minister of Local Government, Belize.

Over the next two days, the stakeholders will take part in round table discussions covering a wide range of topics including gender violence, support for women in the workplace, and poverty among women.

room have resorted to a default position of not watching the news on this war anymore.”

The President said the situation is not only depressing, but also heart wrenching.

“There is absolutely no justification for terrorism and what it brings to society, no defense. But there's absolutely no space globally for anyone to be considered a leader who presides over the suffering of men and women.”

He said, “The system is failing us, and if you don't recognize the system is failing us then we are in serious problem.”

The President's remarks came on the heels of a petition which called on the Guyana Government to cut economic and diplomatic ties with Israel as that country continues to attack Palestine in its ongoing war with Hamas. Close to 9000 Palestinians and 1405 Israelis have been killed in the war thus far.

Organisers of the petition have argued that the thousands of innocent Palestinian children and families suffering unimaginable physical and emotional trauma need more than nice words at this time; they need the Israeli bombs to stop falling on their heads and homes.

“In the last three weeks, thousands of Palestinian civiliansalmost half of them children- have been killed by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza (and other parts of the occupied Palestinian territory).

In response to the October 7th Hamas attack, Israel has bombed civilian homes, schools, factories, hospitals, roadways, and other infrastructure critical for public health and wellbeing.

They also have cut off all food, water, medicine, and fuel supplies to Gaza as part of a clear strategy of collective punishment.”

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 02, 2023

Volodímir Zelenski

Thursday November 02, 2023

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

LGC, MACORP’s Guyana Wrestling Association holds first in a series of workshops in Berbice 16th Golf Tournament The Guyana Wrestling Association (GWA) held the first in a series of wrestling workshops named “Wrestle Berbice”. The event was held at the New Amsterdam Town Hall on the 29th October, 2023.

Further, future workshops are scheduled to continue and be completed within Region six by mid next year.

The workshop is in accordance with the association mission “To coordinate, promote and develop the sporting activity of Wrestling in Guyana and to achieve the highest standards possible in the sport “. In addition, coaches and referees courses are expected to commence

early next year as the association continues to fulfill the mission.

Moreover, the association intends to expand the workshop throughout the country, one region at a time.

This is either by full or half clusters. Next on the agenda, an Inter-school Ball-Wrestling competition will be introduced and implemented.

Ball-Wrestling is a developmental wrestling style created by Ronald Phillip which prepares athletes in the fundamental of Olympic wrestling. Therefore, training of athletes for the Inter-School Ball-Wrestling competition will be held. This will be fa-

to tee off November 4

Participants and executives of Guyana Wrestling Association at the “Wrestle Berbice” workshop. cilitated on the weekend, outside of school time.

Gratitude is extended to the following sponsors in making the first workshop

Thursday November 02, 2023 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You might be extremely busy now. Invitations to large parties, small gatherings with close friends, and intimate evenings with romantic partners might come up today.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Adventure is the word for today, Libra. A lot of physical and mental energy, as well as enthusiasm, might lead you to aim for goals that others consider too risky or unrealistic.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) Unexpected visitors could wake you up to the possibility of new work opportunities, Taurus. This could advance your current job or be work you can do on your own - maybe on a volunteer basis.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) New career goals may come your way with the current aspect, Scorpio, opening up possibilities you may not have considered. This could be very exciting. .

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Fascinating new information could arrive today from TV or the Internet, opening up new educational opportunitie. The possibility of making contact and perhaps visiting new friends.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) If you aren't romantically involved, an errand, walk, or other foray into your neighborhood might bring an exciting new person into your life.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Money that you may have been hoping to use to better your living or working condition could suddenly come your way today, Cancer.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) When you run errands today, check the bulletin boards in local businesses. You may have been longing for adventure and dreaming about getting away from it all, Leo. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22) Information received today excites your imagination and encourages you to start a new artistic or creative project, Virgo. Stories, pictures, abstract concepts - all could come together.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) The A sudden burst of physical energy and determination could lead to additional income for you, Capricorn.

This is probably due to an unexpected opportunity to do some extra work.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Friends or a group with which you're affiliated could propose a trip. This might seem like a great adventure, Aquarius, so you're likely to go for it. You will probably have a wonderful time.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) An opportunity to do some extra work outside the scope of your regular job could present itself to you. Take it, Pisces. Not only could you earn some extra money.

successful: A. Ally & Sons, A.E & N General Contracting, Banks DIH, Chidico Enterprise, E. Smith & Sons, J’s Supermarket, N. Mohan & Sons, Shopper Smart Supermarket, Steve’s Auto Spares, Gas Station, Young’s one Hour Photo in New Amsterdam and Uwe Auto Care.

Torginol Paints Inc. strengthens...

From page 22 anyone passionate about motorsport and looking for a thrilling day at the racetrack.

Races get underway at 11:00h on November 5, with rivalry in Group 4, Group 3, Group 2, Starlet Cup, Sports Tuner, Street Tuner and Superstock and Supersport bikes.

Pre-sale tickets are available at G$3,000 (adults) and G$1,000 (children).

Forde, Auguste and company steer...

From page 25 Wickham chipped in with 32, Akeem Auguste (17) and Guyanese Matthew Nandu (15), batted the Windies Academy to a win but more importantly adding confidence to their camp.

Chasing an above average today, Guyana Harpy Eagles never found their altitude, being reduced to 171 in 35.1 overs with Sinclair who returned with t h e b a t and attempted a fightback with 46 (6x4 1x6).

A u g u s t e a n d Yo u n g then teamed up again, this time with the ball to return match-altering figures of 447 and 3-18, respectively.

Skipper Permaul had a cameo of 32 off 27 but apart from Tevin Imlach (17), alongside openers Kevlon Anderson (27) and Hemraj (16).

Wickham, Joshua Bishop and Guyanese spinner Ashmead Nedd all returned a wicket each to help WIA notch up a huge win over the Eagles.

The Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) launched the 16th annual MACORP Golf tournament set for this weekend, with a variety of prizes up for grabs by some of the world’s/ Guyana’s best golfers on show.

The small launch was held at MACORP’s headquarters located at 26 Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) where the company’s general manager German Consuegra and LGC boss Pantajille Persuad, made the move official.

November 4 will see a number of top local golfers on show at the Lusignan Golf Course. Apart from the onGreen action, the tournament is part of a huge celebration as MACORP celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Over the years, MACORP had played an integral role in the physical development and rehabilitation of the LGC’s Greens, Course and drainage systems, making it an exceptional surface for golfing. During his remarks, Persaud outlined that both

MACORP and the LGC are joined by hip, as they have been closely knitted for a number of years. The LGC president dubbed the tourney as Paramount.

He noted that golf is a rapidly growing sport, while hinting that the recent lot of overseas golfers who were in Guyana for the recent Open Cup, have chosen to stay and will be a part of the MACORP tournament.

Furthermore, Persaud said that the LGC has asked the government to increase the holes at the course as part of a wider development plan.

He also noted that a request for some additional land was also made and hoped that those at MACORP can assist in steering the club in the right direction, as it relates to the ground work needed.

MACORP’s boss Consuegra lauded the sport, the fraternity and shared similar sentiments as it related to the relationship between the Machinery giants and the Golf fraternity.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 22

Police youth group launches Football Club at Beterverwagting The BV youth football team.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) is continuing its efforts to keep youths occupied and away from illicit activities. As such a number of youth, sports and scouts groups have been formed in most divisions in the county.

One such group, the Beterverwagting Youth Empowerment Police Youth Club, has taken it a step further with the formation of a football section among its ranks.

The launching of the football club took place recently at the Beterverwagting Police Station compound, East Coast Demerara.

Wo m a n S e r g e a n t Sardinha was on hand to give words of encouragement as she congratulated the newly formed football club members. The sergeant promised to work closely with the group members. She further encouraged all youths and attendees to grasp the opportunities that will be provided to them through the partnership of the Guyana Police Force and expressed optimism that other youths would join the football club.

The newly launched group has over eighteen (18) members. The club participated in the recently held Police Division 4’C’

Commander’s Cup Football Competition held at the Buxton Community Center Ground. The youths were encouraged to stay in school and take their education seriously and always be of good behavior. They were told that education is the most important key to unlocking their future.

Football uniforms were distributed to all members of the newly formed club.

Deputy Commander of the Division 4C, East Coast, Deputy Superintendent Jermaine Dufu is the coordinator of the police scouts, youth, sports and community activities in the Division. (Samuel Whyte)

Torginol Paints Inc. strengthens alliance with ENet Caribbean Clash of Champions Fresh off its support for the Caribbean Premier League, Torginol Paints Inc. has thrown its massive brand behind another iconic Caribbean sporting spectacle, the ENet Clash of Champions on November 5 at the South Dakota Circuit.

An alliance between Torginol Paints Inc. and motorsports, which started almost two decades ago, has been further strengthened with parent company Continental Group of Companies signing on as a major corporate partner for the ‘Greatest Race of All Time.’ With great momentum building ahead of the year-end showdown, Continental Group of Companies’ partnership with the marquee Caribbean motorsport activity seems a natural one, having had a long history of sponsoring International and Caribbean champions, Group 4 and Radical driver Kristian Jeffrey and Superbiker S t e p h e n Vi e i r a ; a n d Canadian Superbiker Kevin Graham. Torginol Paints Inc., with its factory at Industrial Site, Ruimveldt,

and outlets and distribution centres spread across the country, manufactures a diversified range of paint and paint-related products for every surface.

The products, branded under Torga and Arbo brand names, carry a wide range of quality items, covering decorative, industrial, furniture and other finishes.

President of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC), Mahendra ‘Raj’ Boodhoo, welcomed Torginol Paints Inc. onboard.

“Corporate support is always important in helping to push the development of sport and we value the input of Torginol Paints Inc. for this upcoming event. The ENet Clash of Champions promises to be very exciting and we are grateful that the company saw it fit to join our group of partners in making this event a success,” Boodhoo said. Torginol’s involvement in the motorracing showpiece is another fervent demonstration of its commitment to boost Guyana’s Sport Tourism product by aligning its brand

to an event that has consistently attracted mass participation by competitors and spectators alike.

Continental Group of Companies, through Torginol Paints Inc., was one of a handful of local companies to partner with the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League, which concluded in September with Guyana Amazon Warriors winning a maiden title. Torginol Paints Inc. was the Official Paint of the ‘Biggest Party in Sport.’

That aside, the company has a long and rich history of supporting sport development, having played a significant role in the development of Football and Badminton, among other disciplines. The company is also known for always fulfilling its Corporate Social Responsibility, being a staunch supporter of social and community oriented activities. Race fans can expect a day filled with highspeed action, nail-biting competition, and unforgettable moments. This event is a must-attend for (Continued on page 21)

Thursday November 02, 2023

AAG praise Abrams, Archibald for historic Pan Am Medal

By Rawle Toney President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Amanda Hermonstine, is extending her heartfelt congratulations to sprinters Emanuel Archibald and Jasmine Abrams, on their historic 100m medals at the on-going Pan Am Games.

Abrams claimed the silver in the women’s final, while Archibald seized the bronze in the men’s equivalent on Tuesday evening in Santiago, Chile.

Hermonstine, on behalf of the track and field fraternity, was happy to boast of her disciplines ability to shine at global and regional events.

Acknowledging the dedication and endeavours of all athletes representing various disciplines at the Pan Am Games, Hermonstine e m p h a s i s e d , “ A t hletics consistently propels Guyana into the spotlight, especially at major events... I am immensely proud, considering the persistent challenges in securing additional athletes for our team.”

She commended not only the athletes but also their coaches and fellow administrators at the AAG for their unwavering dedication to the sport.

The Pan Am Games marked a historic moment for track and field athletes from Guyana, ending a 20-year medal drought with Abrams and Archibald’s remarkable achievements.

The last time a track and field athlete from Guyana stood on the podium at the Pan Am

AAG president: Amanda Hermonstine Games was in 2003 when Marian Burnett secured second place in the women’s 800m finals, and Aliann Pompey finished third in the women’s 400m finals.

Abrams and Archibald have made history by becoming the first track athletes to secure medals for Guyana in the 100m, for both men and women.

The only gold medal in athletics for Guyana belongs to James Wren-Gilkes, who won in the men’s 200m at the 1975 Pan Am Games in Mexico City.

GTT Business Solutions Invitational Golf

Guyanese Persaud, Trinidadian Adoja clinch Male/Female Golf titles

R

eigning golf c h a m p i o n Avinash Persaud continued to shine on the big stage as he was crowned champion for the male category and while Chloe Adoja hoisted the female title as the GTT Business Solutions Invitational Golf ended this past weekend at the Lusignan Golf Club.

The duo outshined some 96 other participants to emerge respective winners, dominating golfers from; the United States, Canada, Fiji, Suriname, Barbados, Mexico, and Colombia.

Persaud dominated the 36holes, surpassing countryman Vishal Dhani and Fiji’s Jalen Raman.

Meanwhile, the 18 yearold Adoja of Trinidad, had a much easier path to victory as she beat off the likes of defending champion Guyanese Shanella London who had to settle for second while another ex-champ Christine Sukhram, out of

GTT Chief Operations Officer (COO) Orson Ferguson presents the trophy to Avinash Persaud.

Guyana, took third place.

GTT Chief Operations O ff i c e r ( C O O ) O r s o n Ferguson expressed his pride as a sponsor of the event, following the end of the competition. Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) President Patanjilee Persaud thanked the sponsors and the participants for making the event a huge success for the sport.

Persaud further outlined his request to Minister of Culture, Youth

and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. and by extension the Government of Guyana, to upgrade the course to a 12hole faculty, which puts it right in place for international contention.

Results are as followed: 0-9 Gross (Men) 1st –Avinash Persaud 2 n d – Vi s h a l D h a n i 3rd – Jalen Raman Gross (ladies) 1st – Chloe Adoja 2nd – Shanella London 3rd – Christine Sukhram

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 02, 2023

PAGE 23

Archibald through to Men’s 200m final …Aaliyah Abrams falls short in the women’s 400m final

By Rawle Toney It was a day of varied outcomes for Emanuel Archibald and Aaliyah Abrams at the Pan Am Games in Chile.

Archibald progressed to the men’s 200m finals, while Abrams couldn’t secure a top-three finish in the women’s 400m finals.

Abrams, watching her sister Jasmine win silver in the women’s 100m finals on Tuesday, was hoping to emulate her performance, but on a wet and cold night in Santiago, things didn’t go according to plan.

The experienced Olympian seemed fatigued, particularly in the final 120 metres, struggling to maintain her pace and finishing fifth (52.66s) as she attempted to catch the eventual gold medallist, Martina Weil of Chile.

Weil, the 2021 Pan Am U23 Games 400m silver medallist, ran 51.48 seconds to finish first, crossing the

Guyana’s Aliyah Abrams (right) running fifth in the women’s 400m finals at the Pan Am Games.

finish line amidst the thunderous roar of her home crowd. Ecuador’s Nicole Caicedo (51.76s) was second and Evelis Aguilar (51.95s) of Colombia was third.

On the other hand, after securing third place in the men’s 100m final, Archibald returned to the Julio Martínez National Stadium Coliseum, comfortably securing a spot in the men’s

BCB 2023 Cricket Season...

Reddi leads Rose Hall Poonai Pharmacy into Romario Shepherd U-13 finals over Albion

N

ational Under13 player Leon Reddi on Saturday produced a magnificent innings of 67 to lead his team Rose Hall Poonai to a comfortable 24 runs victory over arch rivals Albion in the semifinals of the 2023 Romario Shepherd Under13 tournament. The match was played at the Area ‘H’ ground in very hot humid condition.

Reddi struck seven delightful boundaries in his match-winning innings. He and fellow Berbice Under13 player Balraj Narine added 21 for the first wicket before Narine was trapped LBW by R. Singh for 9. Reddi and c a p t a i n Ta m e s h w a r Deonandan then added 80 for the 2nd wicket before Deonandan, the national under13 player was bowled

by M. Ramsammy for 14.

Another national under13 player Raefel Mckenzie then joined the solid Reddi and they added 42 for the 3rd wicket with the tall lanky

Mckenzie scoring 33 with 2 boundaries.

Reddi was eventually dismissed by R. Singh for 67 but Deo Seepersaud scored 16 at the end to boast RHT Poonai to 184 for 6 at the end of their allotted 30 overs.

Bowling for Albion were Rovin with 2 for 33 and R. Singh with 2 for 38. Extras contributed a solid 33 runs.

Needing to score 185 from 30 overs to clinch their first Under13 finals place, Albion were off to a rocking start with S. Jumratty hitting a brisk 17 from 12 balls before he was trapped leg before by medium pacer Reddi in the fourth over at 31 for 1.

Skipper Farook Balle was the second wicket to fall catch off the bowling of McKenzie, attempting a put shot for 7. National Player Nathaniel Ramsammy was adjusted LBW off Dinesh Singh for 21 while R. Marimuthoo was bowled by Balra Narine for 11.

A fighting innings of 49 from Rovin Lalbehari

enabled Albion to eventually been bowled out for 162 in the 30th over. Lalbehari struck 4 boundaries and was last man out, caught off the medium pace of Leon Reddi when one short of a deserved half century. Off spinner Balraj Narine had the impressive bowling figures of 6-1-14-4 and he received support from Dinesh Singh with 2 for 33 while Leon Reddi ended a good all round performance with 2 for 36 from 5.2 overs.

The finals of the 2023 Romario Shepherd tournament would be played at the Rose Hall Canje Welfare Centre between Rose Hall Town Poonai Pharmacy and Rose Hall Canje. This is the 4th Under 13 tournament organized by the BCB and the second to be sponsored by West Indies white ball all rounder. Rose H a l l To w n P o o n a i Pharmacy, Rose Hall Canje and Port Mourant were the past winners of the Under13 Berbice tournaments.

200m finals. Archibald earned his place in today’s final by finishing third in the qualifying heat, clocking in at 21.08 seconds, trailing behind St. Kitts and Nevis’ Janeil Buntin (20.97s) and the men’s 100m champion from the Dominican Republic, Jose Gonzalez

(20.81s).

Among the competitors i n t h e m e n ’s 2 0 0 m , Archibald had the fifthfastest qualifying time.

Renan Correa from Brazil posted the top time of 20.39 seconds. While Archibald is better known for his prowess in the 100m and the long

jump, his success in the 200m distance is noteworthy.

He entered the Pan Am Games with a season-best time of 20.69s, which was his winning time at the Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o National Championships in July.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Thursday November 02, 2023

PM Mottley calls for Africa/Caribbean collaboration in sports

BY RAWLE TONEY Barbados’ Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, is advocating for increased collaboration between African nations and the Caribbean in the realms of sports aiming to establish connections beyond typical bilateral agreements.

Prime Minister Mottley comments came during the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum, Monday at the Guyana Marriott Hotel.

Addressing heads of governments and investors gathered in Georgetown for the two-day event, she stressed on the potential for partnership in sports to significantly enhance opportunities and awareness among the populations of Africa and the Caribbean.

“We must find a way for African football teams to play in the Caribbean and Caribbean football teams to play in Africa as a matter of urgency,” Prime Minister Mottley firmly asserted.

Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley.

In August, the Golden Jaguars took on Ethiopia in an International Friendly, marking the first meeting between the two countries and the first time Guyana would’ve played against a team from the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Unfortunately, Guyana

lost the game at the Segra Field in Virginia 2-0, with both goals scored by Shimelis Bekele.

Road Tennis is Barbados’ most cherished sport, Road Tennis, which has its origins dating back to the 1930s, and the Island’s Prime Minister is hoping that their

indigenous sport can be played in every community across Africa and the Caribbean.

“We must find a way for cricket, which we will dominate, I hope, in the future again, and for which we still have the global excellence among our legends, to be able to go into those countries in Africa that have a taste for cricket,” Prime Minister Mottley stated.

She added, “I know that Rwanda has expressed a desire for that level of support because they, too, understand that after the Olympics and after football, cricket is the third largest global sporting event.”

The International Cricket Council counts 21 of the 54

African countries within its Africa region, while stating that participation numbers in cricket are on the rise across the continent.

In the arena of athletics, Prime Minister Mottley believes that there’s a need for sprinters from Jamaica and long-distance runners from Kenya and other parts of East Africa to collaborate for global dominance, not o n l y i n m a j o r championships but also in establishing professional athletic events in Africa and the Caribbean, stating, “in the same way Europe can have professional meets all through the summer, Africa and the Caribbean must be the place where people come to see top class athletics.”

She shared that global events hosted in the Caribbean are celebrated for the uniqueness and culture that sets the region apart, “That is who we are.

And that is why the world admires us for our flair and our creativity.

And we must not put it behind us because this is one of our greatest assets, and it is one of our greatest assets also to bridging gaps and building peace.”

She encouraged those in attendance to not only focus on the traditional investment areas, but understand the opportunity that sports and culture gives to Africa and the Caribbean deepen the solidarity and expand the business markets necessary for investments.

BFA to wrap up another successful league alongside fellow Associates

F

or the first time in over a decade, nine Bartica clubs have been afforded the opportunity to participate in two rounds of competition (Round Robin phase) and now with assistance from the Guyana Football Federation (GFF). It is safe to say that, the BFA is well on their way to Men’s Senior League berth.

Is the BFA on the verge of completing in 2023 Senior Men’s League? Here is what BFA Head, Alden Marslowe had to say, in a recent post, “We (BFA) applaud all of the participants for their steadfast commitment to keeping the sport alive and growing in our town.”

He also made special mention to the Beacons Football Club, which have had an undefeated run in the BFA Regional Association League, so far (with one match to go) and will be gunning for a win against defending champions, Rivers View Football Club for a shot at the league title.

“I acknowledge the input of the BFA team members, whose contribution is priceless.

Amidst the noise and haste of life at Bartica, and the myriad of challenges that we encounter in our environment, we could not have presented such a success venture on our own.

BFA President, Alden Marslowe

W ith our need for much assistance, the Guyana Football Federation stepped up and provided valuable input, just like it did the previous year (when we played a one-round minileague).

I n c i d e n t a l l y, t h i s assistant has not been exclusive to the Bartica Association, but rather, it was made available to all nine member associations of the GFF across the country,” Marslowe explained.

According to him, the GFF’s Members Financial Assistance Programme (MFAP) is having an amazing impact on the development of football in Guyana. I know for sure that Bartica continues to benefit tremendously from the initiative, which has provided us with finances for managing our league, equipment for the upkeep of the Bartica Football Academy Training Centre, balls and equipment for all

clubs, stipend for our Technical Development O f f i c e r a n d Yo u t h Development Coach, training geared towards building capacity for administrators, coaches and match officials, and the promotion of grassroots development programmes.”

Meanwhile, the BFA Head praises the GFF for the implementation and continuance of this breakthrough initiative.

Through M-FAP, Bartica have began to see many great successes in the sport, very much like they used to, many years ago. In addition, the Bartica Football Academy Training Centre continues to cater for young players at various levels, including grassroots, under-13, under15 and under-17.

However, Bartica is not the only community that has been experiencing the impact of M-FAP. In fact most, If not all, of t h e G F F ’s m e m b e r associations have either completed, or are close to completing, their respective Men’s Senior Leagues.

In addition to that, this summer has seen the commencement of an unprecedented number of grassroots football programmes across the country. Notably, the GFF Elite League is also back, following a lengthy pause, initially caused by the

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 02, 2023

PAGE 25

Golden Jaguars receive Nations League match fees …Guyana return to action Nov. 18 & 21 in the Dominican Republic

By Rawle Toney One week after Kaieteur News published a letter to the editor from the Golden Jaguars addressing outstanding match fees and various football-related concerns, reports emerged that the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has initiated payments for the t e a m ’s f o u r C o n c a c a f Nations League matches.

The Golden Jaguars currently lead Group C in League B of the Nations League, having maintained an unbeaten streak across four matches, positioning them on the brink of advancing to League A with just one favourable outcome.

Despite their exceptional performance, Coach Jamaal Shabazz’s squad expressed discontent with the treatment received from the G F F, v o i c i n g t h e i r grievances collectively on a range of issues.

As per information obtained by Kaieteur News, Golden Jaguars players are compensated at a rate of US$350 for each starting appearance, while substitute players receive US$250, and unused substitutes pocket US$150.

Moreover, there’s a bonus win fee of US$100, and an additional US$25 per

goal scored, with the team tallying 14 goals while conceding only five in the current Nations League season.

Regrettably, sources reveal that players are still awaiting payments for their August 2 clash against Ethiopia, without any specific timeline provided for the settlement.

Meanwhile, Concacaf has officially released the schedule for the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League matches set during the upcoming November FIFA men’s Match Window.

The final 30 matches are scheduled to take place between November 16-21, featuring the League A Quarterfinals to determine the four advancing teams for the 2023/24 Concacaf Nations League Finals and qualification for the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024. This period will also conclude the Group Stage matches for Leagues B and C. Guyana is set to engage in consecutive matches at the Estadio Félix Sánchez in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, playing against the Bahamas on November 18 and clashing with Antigua and Barbuda on November 21.

CWI CG United Super50 Cup - Guyana Harpy Eagles vs. West Indies Academy

Forde, Auguste and company steer WIA to huge 92 run win over Harpy Eagles A composed batting expo led by half-centurion Matthew Forde, saw the West Indies Academy serve up a 92-run win to the Guyana Harpy Eagles, as yesterday round of matches continued across Trinidad and Tobago.

Playing at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, West Indies Academy posted a solid 263 all out in 50 overs as Forde held down the middle-order with 52 off 55, finding the ropes 4 times with 2 sixes.

Bowling for Guyana was decent, dominated mainly by the spinners in Kevin Sinclair (2-36), Gudakesh Motie (2-39), Veerasammy Permaul (2-38) and Chandrapaul Hemraj (1-27).

Tear-aw ay fas t-bow ler

Matthew Forde Shamar Joseph had a good spell as he continued to develop, grabbing 2-59.

Opener Teddy Bishop (48) and Nyeem Young (42) missed out on respective fifties, as the former hammered 8 fours while the latter had a pair of fours and sixes. Joshua Bishop was run out for 37 while Kevin (Continued on page 21)

Guyana’s Senior Men’s National team - The Golden Jaguars.

rts Spo

Archibald through to Men’s AAG praise Abrams, Archibald 200m final for historic AAG president: Amanda Hermonstine

Emanuel Archibald crossing the line third in Men’s 200m qualifying round.

…Aaliyah Abrams falls short in the women’s 400m final

Pan Am Medal

LGC, MACORP’s 16th Golf Tournament to tee off November 4 MACORP’s General Manager German Consuegra (left) and LGC president Pantanjille Persaud in the presence of LGC and MACORP executives during yesterday’s presentation.

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