Kaieteur News

K

AIETEUR Joe Biden moves

closer to the NEWS presidency as Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most Trump launches 18p. popular weekly legal challenges

Thursday Edition November 05, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 44 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 Joe readership Biden yesterday 98,486

Low-cost Liza Phase 2 arguably best project - Hess’ Chief in oil industry Financial Officer p.

3

- with world class breakeven price of US$25 per barrel

Monitoring borders Car, trucks burn remains a challenge after cyclist for govt. - Health Minister struck down p.

15

p.

12

Coastal area swamped after heavy rains

p.

13

Police, Hughes clash over solving of West Berbice murders p.

8

Couple found burnt in house identified as business owners

p.

12

Dead: Cindy Moses

- police suspect murder/suicide

Dead: Leeroy King

PAGE 02

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 05, 2020

Thursday November 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 03

Low-cost Liza Phase 2 arguably best project in oil industry - with world class breakeven price of US$25 per barrel - Hess' Chief Financial Officer

T

he Liza Phase Two operation, on track for first oil in 2022, is arguably the best project in the exploration and production industry, says Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Hess Corporation, John P. Rielly.

During its most recent earnings call for 2020, the Stabroek block co-venturer's principals discussed Hess' 2020 third quarter performance.

Rielly pointed to the Liza Phase Two project as a bright light in its future, in spite of how the industry has tanked due to the fallout from COVID-19.

Rielly regards the Liza Phase Two operation, at a total estimated development cost of US$6.6 billion, as “arguably the best” due to its world-class Brent breakeven price of US$25 per barrel.

The breakeven price, in economics, is the price at which the production and sale of a commodity would not return a profit or a loss.

Oil companies utilize this, among other indicators to determine whether an operation would be economically feasible.

In October, Rystad

Energy said that Onshore Middle East is the least expensive source of new production with an average breakeven price of around US$30 per barrel. The energy intelligence firm pointed to Offshore deepwater as the second cheapest source of new production, with an average breakeven price of US$43 per barrel – Liza Phase Two is in deep water.

The Liza Unity FPSO

Hess sold out producing Gulf of Mexico block for Liza Phase Two Hess expects before the year is out, to close a deal it announced early in October to sell out its 28 percent stake in the Gulf of Mexico's Shenzi oilfield to raise US$505 million. BHP Billiton, Shenzi's operator, is buying Hess' stake, and is expected to continue its operations in the block in cooperation with Repsol, which also has a 28 percent stake.

Hess had announced that the sale decision was taken to raise cash for Guyana.

Rielly further revealed during the earnings call that the cash will be plugged directly into Liza Phase Two.

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Hess Corporation, John P. Rielly

“The proceeds from the Shenzi sale will allow us to fund our Guyana investment program in a $40 oil price environment through the start-up of Liza Phase 2 with cash flow from operations and cash on hand,” he said.

“As Phase 2 comes online, our operations in Guyana will begin to generate free cash flow for the corporation, even in a $40 oil price environment and depending on commodity prices at that time, the Corporation will begin generating free cash

79 new COVID-19 cases recorded

T

he Ministry of Health (MOH) recorded 79 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,324, as represented in the daily dashboard update.

The dashboard also states

that 13 persons are in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit, 62 persons are in institutional isolation, 725 persons are in approved home isolation and 32 persons in institutional quarantine.

The number of COVID-

19 fatalities recorded to date is 130 while 3,394 recoveries were also recorded.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e dashboard says that 20,739 persons have been tested for the virus to date and of this n u m b e r 16,415 teste d negative.

flow between 2022 and 2024.”

The Executive Vice President said that this will allow the company to reduce its debt, and to increase returns to its shareholders.

Project progress and specifications Hess' President and Chief Operating Officer, Gregory Hill said that the Liza Phase Two development plan is progressing, with approximately 80 percent of

the overall top sides whole, and subsea work completed.

The Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO), the Liza Unity is under construction in Singapore, and will join the Liza Phase One operation in 2022, adding 220,000 barrels per day at peak performance, to the Liza Destiny's 120,000 barrels per day. Liza Phase Two targets 600 million barrels of oil.

A total of six drill centers are planned for Liza Phase Two, as well as

approximately 30 wells, including 15 production, nine water injection and six gas injection wells.

SBM Offshore, Exxon's Dutch FPSO solutions provider is using its Fast4Ward hull, a standard design it intends for use across deepwater regions.

The hull is also being utilized for the third project (Payara) FPSO, slated to come on stream in 2024.

“Guyana will create extraordinary long-term value for our shareholders and for the citizens of Guyana,” Hill said.

PAGE 4

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 05, 2020

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

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

EDITORIAL

Venezuelans fleeing, Guyanese bracing On October 9th, the Associated Press headlined an article as follows: “Venezuelans start fleeing country again, after months of COVID lockdowns.”

It tells the tale of the grimness of our once rich neighbour and its hapless citizens.

That story also tells what could be in store for Guyana, if we do not handle the oil wealth right, if we do not understand better the plight of the Venezuelan populace and the significance of their dogged exodus toward us.

Currently, they are heading mainly to Columbia, which itself faces an unemployment level that rose from 12% to 16% in August. A minimally reasonable position is that anytime unemployment creeps beyond 5%, there is cause for alarm; and as for those willing to work, but who cannot find work rise into the high double-digit unemployment category this represents a serious problem for any society and its workforce, which is where Columbia is perched.

Nonetheless, pregnant women, distraught husbands, and hopeful families travel many hundreds of miles in harsh and dangerous conditions to get to Medellin, to whatever awaits them. They go from one of the richest oil countries in the world that now lies in tatters to the blank canvas of Columbia from which they hope to find some speck of work (16% unemployment or not) to feed themselves and to send something home to their starving families. According to AP, “Columbian immigration officials expect 200,000 Venezuelans to enter the country in the months ahead.”

Five million already fled, more will go to anywhere with a semblance of better prospects. It is inevitable that they will come here, too.

As the Americans come here in their numbers and with their numerous business ventures, the Venezuelans will also come in greater numbers to seek opportunity in the way of migrants since time began. Though our unemployment number is also painfully and dismally high, the Venezuelans will come. The passages afforded by our long borders need no rehashing here. The corruptions of our comrades manning the official entry and exit points also do not require any further conversation. The two together-porous borders and willing people on both sides of the guarded outposts-work well together to facilitate a virtual ‘open door’ policy on the ground.

Along the same lines, the social and criminal implications for Guyanese do not demand any great insights; the weights on existing institutions, facilities, and provisions are sure to burden. But still they will flee and come here. The unsaid, perhaps unseen, problem is that there are sure to be criminals coming with the influx, since there is general awareness of the pickings, the low probability of failure.

Still more ominous is another likelihood, and the mere prospect of it should be given the most serious consideration

by Guyanese authorities and Guyanese citizens. It is the likelihood of intruders and potential saboteurs sheltering under the cover of needy desperate refugees being planted to be resident moles for later undermining stealth operations, whatever forms those may take. After all, Guyana’s recent enthusiastic and unambiguous partnership with America has now pitted this country, its people, and the collective welfare firmly in opposition to the interests and any possible return to stability of the Venezuelan nation.To put it in a different way, the weaknesses of Venezuela and woes of Venezuelans can be directly placed at the doorstep of the Americans.

Today, Guyana stands immovably aligned with America, and that is immeasurably bad for the prospects of Venezuela, be they about border matter or internal economic and social vigor. Regardless of how well or how poorly this is received, there is an old measuring rod in life. It is that the friend of my enemy is my enemy. Guyana is now the friend of America, which makes it the enemy of Venezuela. We do not think that there is much more to be said on this score.But the fact remains that this country, in its possibly brightest moment in the sun, is vulnerable and exploitable and open to all manner of danger, some unthinkable, but no less crippling in the eventuality. The Venezuelans will come, but some could come with the worst objectives.

There should be a national conference on crime DEAR EDITOR Reflecting the major concerns of Guyanese both at home and abroad, I make an urgent call on the Government to convene a ‘National Conference on Crime and the Penal System.’ This forum would allow stakeholders, law enforcement, government officials, social workers, and scholars/researchers to pool their resources, analyze the crime problem, and integrate their findings into a coherent policy framework.

Guyanese harbor in common an objective fear about personal security (crime), even though each one tends to express it in different ways.

They are very worried about the spate of physical violence (crime) that has been unleashed upon victims, sometimes with naked brutality.

The murder of the Henry boys, Haresh, and more recently the 86-year pensioner of La Grange, West Bank Demerara, among other predatory crimes, have evoked not only anger but also exasperation over the crime problem in Guyana.

The gravity of the crime problem can be simply stated as follows, “We can get all the best jobs, accumulate all the wealth, enjoy all the social welfare benefits, live in the best homes, have up-to-date models of vehicle, but as soon as we go onto the street, we are cut down by a hail of bullets. Or even in our homes,

we can become victimized (robbed and/or killed).” So, what is the point of having all these material comforts but deprived of adequate public security?

The continual uncovering of many corrupt activities (white collar crime) adds to the predatory list of crimes (murder, rape, wounding, domestic violence, armed robbery, drug trafficking, etc.) and present a picture of a breakdown of law and order.

When Guyanese are afraid to leave their homes or walk on the streets, how else could anyone describe this situation other than as a living nightmare.

We know of the devastating impact of crime on families (the trauma, the pain, and the financial and human loss), on businesses (physical damage and economic loss), and on public entities (in the form of graft and corruption that saps the life blood of development).

Apart from crime driving fear into citizens, it also clogs up social intercourse; it scares away investment; and hurts tourism.

Here is how some Guyanese view the crime (personal security) problem.

“Without proper security, the people perish and people in the diaspora will refuse to visit.” (PJ). “Guyana needs to pay their police more and have a strict code of conduct.” (HJ). “Balance the racial make-up of the security

forces, higher level of education to enter......higher salaries and rewards/promotions for performance........and harsh penalties for criminals.” (RC).

“The security problem is restraining potential investors to come to invest in Guyana, especially the Guyanese Diaspora, many of whom left Guyana in the first place because of the feelings of insecurity.” (PK). ”Why it is always the government fault? People should take some responsibility too.

Why don’t you propose private security?”

(IRS) “The concerns of crime and other social ills is paramount for a country on the brink of a huge windfall from oil. With oil, other worrying social evil can increase.”

(AJR) “This government believes that the niceties they are offering will cause us to forget our fears and overlook their limp attitude towards attacking this cancer in our society....

Why is the PPP/C afraid to attack crime?” (BR). What is interesting is that whenever there is a discussion on crime, Guyanese often refer to predatory and not necessarily to while collar crime.

White collar crime is committed by people in powerful positions of trust and high status in the course of their occupation and who develop an elaborate technique of neutralization to minimize their guilt.

I have not been able to

gather crime statistics from official records and have depended heavily on anecdotal evidence from newspaper articles and from victims and their families.

Statistical data would have allowed for the depiction of trends and the identification of groups that are at risk.

Nevertheless, the available evidence is enough to highlight the need for swift action on the matter of “public security.” I am now reaching out to the current government and hope that they will respond positively to this request for a national conference on crime and the penal system.

Everyone knows that crime is not only the government’s responsibility, but it is also everybody’s business.

It is for this reason that I urge the government (Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, and the Attorney General) to get all the stakeholders involved in a national conference on crime and the penal system. Of course, this conference will be just the beginning of an ongoing dialogue on crime and its control.

Other measures like setting up a permanent task force on crime and drug trafficking, as well as law reform, could be integral to this process.

Yours truly, Dr. Tara Singh

Local government elections cannot be held in 2021 DEAR EDITOR, From all indications, Local Government Elections slated for 2021 in Guyana would not be held, reasons being the inordinate delays and impediments placed in the way of the process.

These matters that impede the smooth running of the process was carved and initiated by the Opposition themselves who are now making the robust call for the very same LGE to be held immediately.

They cannot have it both ways; it is either they withdraw the election petition, two in number, and let the process move on smoothly and stop the sabre rattling.

But even if the petition is withdrawn, it still does not take away from the fact of the other cases involving top brass in the commission, which will have to be heard and successfully concluded, before we can proceed with anything close to an LGE. Other matters such as electoral reforms will have to be dealt with now, to remove that dark cloud that hangs over elections held here in Guyana; the rigging, the shameless fraud transactions and all that goes with it.

I am talking about a new and modernized system where all niches involving electoral fraud is removed, so that we can have a clean and efficient functioning system.

Our sincere desire is to have a system free from all encumbrances and one where we can have record time results.

In that regard, I am advocating a system whereby we

can vote via machines as it is done in The USA and other developed countries. Machine voting takes away the power of corrupt returning officers and eliminates the incidence of rigging.

What transpired during and after the March 2nd 2020 Polls, certainly cannot take place in a vote by machine system, it just wouldn’t happen.

The foolishness that consumed our time this last election, would have been wiped out completely So, between the court cases and the next LGE we would have had enough time for voter education and the proper use of these machines for the successful run of the next LGE. Yours truly, Neil Adams

Why does the Small Business Bureau discriminate against public servants?

DEAR EDITOR, With this publication I seek to get the answer to a burning question which I am certain many other Guyanese have.

Why is the Small Business Bureau/ Ministry of Business discriminating against public servants? What’s the logic behind public servants not being eligible for business grants?

If an individual has a vi-

able business idea, presents all th e necessary requirements needed to start and run a successful business; why should where they work be a limitation as to how much assistance they can get?

Not every public servant is going to have a high income, in fact there are many cases where persons working within the private sector earn more than their public servant counterparts.

In today’s society it is evident that one stream of income simply cannot suffice, especially when the population is getting to realize that working smarter rather than harder is the key.

Wanting to live comfortably, wanting to have an actual savings is not a dream only had by persons of the private sector.

I am certain if a survey is done we will yield results that

show too many public servants living paycheck to paycheck, bank loan to bank loan.

Why should it be harder for public servants to have access to these resources?

Must there be inequality in everything? Further, I don’t even understand why semiautonomous organizations fall under the umbrella of ‘government entity’ in the eyes of the managing body of the Small Business Bureau.

All I want is for some informed person to shed light on this because it really makes no sense.

Yours truly, Name and Contact Provided

Thursday November 05, 2020

PAGE 5

Kaieteur News

GTT’s service in the I CHEER JOE BIDEN FOR HIS TEMPERATENESS DEAR EDITOR, not first. curred around 02:30 hrs., Mitch McConnell’s and othNorth Rupununi The 2020 United States That was refreshing, since when Mr. Joe Biden went on ers of like ilk, I do travel back are not over; far being second to last was air to articulate some mea- in time this time to 2000 and has returned to its Elections from it. thought to be alright. Just do sured words, while being care- Bush v. Gore. I hope nobody That was my first the right thing. Give it a hand. fully confident. brazen as to remind me previously poor state takeaway, which took firmer A Black contributor on I cheer him for his temper- isof sointegrity and the indepenDEAR EDITOR In the January 3rd 2020 edition of the Stabroek News I wrote a letter to the editor complaining about GTT’s poor data service in the North Rupununi. Suffice to say GTT did not have the common courtesy to respond to the issues raised in that letter.

In late September 2020 and just days before its monopoly on the telecommunications sector ended, GTT finally upgraded its data service in the North Rupununi. While still not on par with the data service being provided in Georgetown, the upgrade was still far better than the service previously provided.

Quite disappointingly however, this “upgrade” lasted a mere few weeks. GTT has since gone back to its bad old ways. Daily network interruptions have become the norm.

The data service fluctuates on and off with increasing frequency. To add insult to injury, the data service has once again become snail like

and trying to send a WhatsApp message or access a website is an exercise in futility and frustration.

Not surprisingly, GTT has neither the decorum expected of a big company or the relevant customer service skills to at least inform its North Rupununi customers via text message or some other appropriate medium the reason or reasons for the poor quality of service currently being rendered and if at some point the service will be improved. Instead GTT continues to charge exorbitant rates for its data service.

I am firmly of the opinion that the government through the relevant regulatory agency should do more to ensure that companies such as GTT that make mega profits annually, provide an equal standard of service to its customers all across Guyana. I do hope that I am at least afforded a response by GTT this time.

Yours truly, S. Fredericks

A tribute to Sean Connery DEAR EDITOR, Sean Connery is deeply etched in my psyche, ever since seeing his superb acting performance on screen in ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Dr. No,’ during the 60s. There are actually no words that could fully describe his uniquely suitable personality and most unearthly blend of taste, charm, grace, gentleness, tenacity, sexiness, and other qualities, for his role of James Bond in 007 movies; in addition to his most entertaining level of serenity, despite the almost unbearable suspense felt by then movie-

goers, whenever he was immersed in dangerous, lifethreatening situations, as was often the case.

Other 007 actors, like Roger Moore and even Pierce Brosman have made courageous efforts to walk in his shoes to continue his legacy, but none could or will ever replace the most impressionable and beloved image of the original James Bond... that will forever remain in the heart, souls and consciousness of his fans.

May his soul rest in peace.

Yours truly, Faid Shahabuddeen

hold, as the hours ticked away after midnight towards Wednesday morning. Some other observations and personal conclusions are now shared, and like American baseball philosopher, Yogi Berra, did say: “it ain’t over till it’s over.”

As I watched and listened and read the screen all at the same time (unlike many, I can multitask), I thought for a long moment that I was hallucinating and had gone back in time to post March 2 in Guyana.

For there was each channel ABC, Bloomberg, BBC, CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and Aljazeera, among others - with its own prediction, pontification, and conclusion.

Thank God! for a truly free press and real democracy at work, and live and direct, too.

My focus was on the vital, all-important Electoral College and that magic number of 270, which given what followed increasingly took on the appearance of 666. My continuous television tours confirmed that they all carried a devilishly different number.

Whoever said that Guyanese were the only ones who can’t count owe them an apology.

One channel injected the sober: we want to get it right,

CNN delivered the most piercing moment through a somber note: “we may still win a political victory; but the moral victory expected, by a landslide, was largely missing.”

That was well said, Sir. The sustained outrage, the great despairs, were but a sorry caricature of themselves as the numbers kept coming in to remind that this is where the proofs must be delivered. Score one for the right-wingers and rednecks and rabble-rousers.

Now all of this deposits me right back to this soggy business about polls, pundits, predictions, and similar such perversities.

Either they all have the methodologies and approaches wrong; or those polled know how to game the system.

I settle for the latter, which is confirmed time and again. This is not so much about an inexact science and all of those fallback defensive positions. It is an indictment of the pretended uncertainty (maybe) or the lack of honesty (definitely) on the part of many of the respondents in polling exercises.

I used to hang up; politely, of course.

A positive takeaway oc-

ateness.

He and his people have to be sweating ballots; those would be the ones that did not materialize in the anticipated avalanche. Too close for comfort, and so tight as to induce fright.

Though Mr. Biden showed his age and looked glassy, I salute him for his timely and thoughtful expressions. Now I wish that the same could be attributed to the President. But what would an election be these days without the dark side casting a wide shadow?

I gathered that from the Chief Executive, there was a claim of stealing the election and promising to head to the U.S. Supreme Court.

By then it was time to reach for the sanity of my Daily Scripture reading from a little red book. But the president knows what he is saying and planning on doing.

After all, he has a clear majority there, and after the shameless vulgarities of

dence of the judiciary.

This could be as good as a done deal.

To hell with that long held sacred mantra of Republicans about State rights; just get it done. All the conservative majority has to do is to refine their legal camouflage to make things look profound, lacking in prejudice, and on the up and up.

All of this led to the repeated use of two words: nail biter; some have guillotined themselves by then.

By then, the dawn’s early light came through the rain to remind me that the dog food still had to be done. Clearly, I am going to the dogs, too.

First, it was Guyana; now it is America. This is simply too much.

Yours truly, GHK Lall

PAGE 6

Kaieteur News

We need a bipartisan sustainable environmental 20 years; these included aging and sustaining a clean tent. These luxury vehicles campaigns, profes- and healthy environment in are driven on streets with potprogramme clean-up sional and personal develop- Georgetown and rural areas. holes, flooded, garbage-filled, DEAR EDITOR, As I drove around the city of Georgetown today and saw the extent of the flooding, I could not help but wish tomorrow was 2025 elections, because I am ready, I am ready to mobilize a team for us to take up the challenge of fixing Guyana. Now, I wish that I could say this without the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC taking offence, but I will say it anyway.

In my analysis, both parties are very good at doing politics and running their political parties, while the PPP/ C is good at developing a party agenda and mobilizing its supporters around that party agenda, but their weaknesses are in governance, sustainable development and mobilizing the country and its people, around a national agenda; and this is where I would like to build a team around.

Based on my research and practice over the years, I have concluded that many developing and least developed countries are not poor because they cannot and could not reduce poverty and experience higher levels growth but I have come to appreciate the significance of leadership, governance and government to poverty reduction and the growth of a country and its people.

Our economic and social development agenda and policy over the past 30 years, has produced what some see as three class of people – the ‘ruling class’, the ‘wealthy class’ and the ‘poor class’.

The ‘ruling class’ is also a part of the ‘wealthy class’ and the ‘wealthy class’ is also a part of the ‘ruling class’.

Now, people say to me that they never knew that I had an interest in politics, so what prompted me to run for President in 2025? Here are some of the things that caused me to essentially challenge the status quo. Having worked on many brilliant and noble initiatives over the past

ment programmes, mentoring, capacity building, management, administration, community development, institutional and organizational development, etc., I realized that in many cases, in order to really effect change, one has to be in a position of authority or rather, bethe authority.

Someone once said that you cannot motivate a person above his motives and therein lies a fundamental problem for the persistent underdevelopment of developing and least developed countries. Having been involved in all these commendable initiatives, without the authority to institutionalize and build sustainability into these programmes, they were just activities.

For example, in 2003, 2004 and years after, I and so many others were involved in several clean-up campaigns; now I see the young First Lady, Her Excellency Arya Ali, is championing another cleanup campaign, and we are making a big song and dance about it, now we were doing clean-up campaigns for a number of years. However, what has changed, are the messengers and participants.

Mind you, I am not reducing the validity of the First Lady’s initiative; it is good that she is getting her hands dirty, but I am speaking to the sustainability aspect.

In 2012, a group of us developed a programme the ‘Cleanliness and Citizenship – Community-Led Total Sanitation programme. We got a bit of support from the then PPP/C government and the international community and that was it. This is a programme, if it is implemented properly, from 2012 to 2020, Georgetown would have been looking like Miami today.

Additionally, the environment in sub-urban and rural communities would have also been much improved. Essentially, it is a sustainable approach to cleaning-up, man-

With high levels of rainfall over the past three days, Georgetown has again, been flooded and residents and businesses are all suffering.

Nevertheless, while this is happening, the perennial problem between the PPP/C government and the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown, has restarted since the PPP/C has taken up office on 2 August 2020. In my analysis, these problems are more relational, and the PPP/C government needs to stop wearing its ‘emotions on its sleeves’ and focus on the substantial issues.

While the City of Georgetown is flooded, the current administration has budgeted $95M to purchase new vehicles for top government officials. No, I do not know if anybody has seen the vehicles that our government officials own and travel in, but to me, they all seem to be in good enough condition. The APNU+AFC government was in office for five years, so these vehicles could not be so damaged that they cannot be used by this current administration.

Our leaders need to be reminded that Guyana, until we started to produce and export oil in 2019, was the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, but when you see the vehicles our leaders drive, one would think that Guyana is a first world country. When you see these vehicles at government events, it is amazing to watch.

Where am I going with this? Here is where I am going, the lifestyle of our leaders and the level and pace of development of the country and its people are inconsis-

children begging and homeless people in the streets, traffic lights not working, etc., which says much about misplaced priorities and the values of our leaders.

Development must not only be seen but it must also be felt. My approach would be that quality of life must be reflective across the board – meaning, yes, we will have luxury vehicles, but we must also have clean streets, well managed and maintained drainage and irrigation systems, resilient families, so that our children do not have to beg in the streets. A priority would be the health and wellbeing of the citizens and commuters in the city, as well as an enhanced business environment for our private sector and investors.

Perhaps, the government can start with diverting the $95M for luxury vehicles towards clearing major drainage systems in Georgetown. Like the major drainage canal behind South Ruimveldt, the one in Sophia, canals around the city.

I am sure that if I comb through the National Budget, I would be able to re-prioritize some aspects, with a more people-centered approach to our growth and development.

My approach to leadership, would be to employ the sustainable development approach, with focus on economic, social and environment. With regards to the environment, Georgetown will not only be restored to the Garden City, but it will look like ‘little Miami’, as we aspire to be the ‘Singapore of South America’.

Yours truly, Audreyanna Thomas

Thursday November 05, 2020

THE TREND SHOWS A BIDEN VICTORY IN THREE IMPORTANTSTATES DEAR EDITOR, Guyanese American supporters of Democratic candidate Joe Biden were most disappointed with the outcome of the US Presidential elections when they went to bed Tuesday night.

He was trailing badly.

Analogously, Guyanese supporters of Republican incumbent Donald Trump were pleased with the outcome convinced he has won.

The outcome was not

clear Tuesday evening because millions of ballots remained to be counted in critical battleground states.

Nothing had changed on the prospective outcome this morning as counting of ballots continued overnight. Biden was leading in electoral votes but Trump was leading in

popular votes in swing states to capture their electoral votes that would guarantee his re-election.

Supporters of both sides were awakened on Wednes-

day morning with news that Trump had remained in the lead.

Guyanese American Democrats were disheartened with that news.

Everyone I spoke with has up hope.

I told them there is a

chance that Biden could win were he to prevail in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Nevada even if he were to lose Pennsylvania where he was trailing Trump badly.

By Wednesday afternoon, with counting continu-

ing, it appears that Biden has won Wisconsin and Michigan and is ahead in Nevada.

If those victories can be confirmed, then Biden’s electoral votes tally would be 270, which is a majority of 538 votes . All votes are not in as of Wednesday evening.

But the trend shows a Biden victory in all three states, and he could possibly win Pennsylvania which would be a further 20 votes which would be above and beyond the minimum needed for victory.

If Nevada does not pan out, then Pennsylvania would take Biden over the finish line.

Regardless, once the final count holds up and it appears it would, Biden would be the President Presumed waiting for

the official final results expected in a few days.

Unlike heretofore when the winner would

have been known the very evening of the election, this year counting of ballots are taking several days because of a new method of voting - millions of mail in ballots that can be counted if they arrive by Fri-

day but post marked on November 3.

A declaration cannot be made before then and even after that.

Meanwhile, Trump has gone to court to challenge the counting process in Pennsylvania.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

The country is woefully short on competent folks looking these folks in all the right places. Who is headinDEAR allEDITOR, meaningful areas tively ing up this function?We just keep fighting the last fight and Reggie Bhagwandin’s letter in KN’s Wednesday, November 4, 2020, entitled ‘Advertise the positions for CEO’s for State companies’ is worthy of much thought and quicker application. But, like many good ideas in Guyana, that excellent management idea is likely to die with tomorrow’s sunrise.

At this juncture of the country’s so-called economic circumstance without competent folks in the right places we could just as well kiss-off the potential benefits to all citizens.

We are yet to realise and acknowledge that the country is woefully short on competent folks in all meaningful areas that matter to the country’s growth potential. And, of course, ac-

re-running the last obstacle instead of planning for tomorrow.

But that’s where incompetents and sycophants do their best work. Lacking the skills to lead or manage they foment confusion, uncertainty, misinformation. These cohorts of maelstrom are played out in the daily headlines.

Round and round the wheel of fortune has been going, year- in and year-out, since independence and the common man/woman on the street seems worse off now than in 1966.

Just know that unless we choose to succeed as a nation, we automatically drift sideways and downwards.

Yours truly, Phil Edwards

T N U L B . . .

T B N U T L N T B .

U .

L .

L T B .

N .

U .

N U T L N B .

U .

T .

L N T U N B .

N U .

L U L LUNT. B .

T . .

T T N N B U B .

U .

L .

L T B .

B . .

N . . .

T U T L N N T U U L N L B U .

B . .

L . . .

T B T . .

N .

N T U L N LU B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

NT LUNT...B NT...BLU N U L B . .

B .

U . .

T L .

N T B . .

U N .

L N T B U N . .

L .

U T L B . .

N B . . .

T U .

L N T B U . .

L .

UN T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L B U UN .BLUNT. . .

L .

T B . .

N .

T U .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

LU ...BLUNT LUNT...B NT...BL T B U . .

L N .

T B BLU T...BLUN BLUNT... UNT...B . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B U . .

L N .

T B BBLU T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU .

T .

N .

N T T U L U L N L B U T...BLU U B .

L .

N .

B T . . .

N T U N N N L U U U B L .

L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Thursday November 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

Billions for free - where is your voice?

We place something simple before you, our fellow citizens. If Vice President Jagdeo owns a piece of mining land and doesn't have the money, the experience and expertise to mine the land for gold, do you think that he will make an agreement with someone who has no cash, no experience, no expertise in the gold business to enter onto his mining concession? Certainly not!

Well citizens that is what is taking place before our eyes in relation to the Kaieteur and Canje Oil Blocks!

Donald Ramotar and Robert Persaud handed out both oil blocks, virtually for free, to Dookie and four others who had no cash, no expertise and no experience in oil production. These blocks are worth billions of US dollars. Then they authorized them to sell the blocks and keep the cash.

Citizens, this is what is taking place with your oil wealth. Where are your voices?

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Thursday November 05, 2020

Police, Hughes clash over solving of West Berbice murders T

he Guyana Police Force (GPF) has r e j e c t e d assertions by attorney-atlaw, Nigel Hughes, that it failed to solve the gruesome murders of West Coast Berbice teenaged cousins, Isaiah and Joel Henry.

The force announced Tuesday that it was offering a $3M reward for any information pertinent to the case. But that move, according to Hughes, is an “admission of failure.”

“I think that the fact that they are offering a reward is an admission of failure and an admission that they are unable to solve the crime with their present means and, therefore, they are hoping that by a financial incentive that somebody will come forward,” Hughes told the media during a press conference with the Henry family.

Not only that, Hughes also pointed out that such a move will only attract

persons who have no valuable information to add to the case.

The force, however, in a statement, deemed Hughes' comments “irresponsible” and rejected them.

“It should be iterated that the offering of a reward by the GPF is not in any way an admission of failure as stated

by Mr. Hughes, but rather a further effort by the police in their investigation with a view to solving these crimes.”

The GPF pointed out that issuing a reward for the public information that may lead to the solving of a crime is an “internationally recognized” and acceptable method to assist investigators and is one that has been “utilized from time immemorial.”

Further, the force said that while it is unsure of Hughes' agenda and does not wish to speculate, “what is certain is that his unfortunate utterances are neither in the

Murdered: Joel and Isaiah Henry best interest of the current investigations, nor the consolation of the bereaved family on whose behalf he is acting.”

Such statements, the GPF added, have the propensity to undermine the public's confidence in the GPF and the investigations.

“Investigations into the murders by the GPF have received significant assistance from a RSS team

of investigators who have opined that the Police have done extensive work in the probe and has the competence to see it to completion,” the force said, adding that it will continue to work diligently to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Hughes was quick to response to the Forces' statement, citing that he was impressed with the “alacrity” with which a response was issued.

“Perhaps if,” Hughes continued “the same diligence, commitment and speed had been applied to the investigation of the murders of the young Henry boys, we might all have been in a different place today.”

Further, the attorney said: “I have no doubt that the GPF noted the presence of the immediate relatives of Joel and Isaiah Henry at the press conference and it was with their full prior informed consent and on their behalf that all statements were made at the press conference.”

The press conference in question was held to provide an update on the state of investigations being conducted thus far.

Hughes, on behalf of the

Henry family, made a plea for the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team – EAAF- to be brought to Guyana to solve the case.

Investigators had already received outside assistance with the probe from the CARICOM Regional Security Service (RSS).

While the team's report has not yet been made public, President Irfaan Ali had disclosed that the team recommended that additional works be conducted. He also said that the team was “satisfied” with the work being done by local police.

Hughes had disclosed that to bring the Argentine team with the necessary equipment needed to conduct their investigations would cost $4 million with the exception of travel, meals and accommodation.

An additional US$1,000 would be needed to ship the needed equipment and that team would comprise of a forensic anthropologist from Argentina, two forensic pathologists and a criminalist.

While the force had expressed positive reports, welcoming the assistance of the team, there has been no response to the several letters dispatched to the Home Affairs Minister regarding their involvement.

Family members also pointed out that when the issue was raised with President Ali, merely two weeks ago, his response was not positive.

At the moment, there is no confidence that the force would be able to solve the murders, Hughes stated, owing to many factors.

He pointed out that they are yet to locate the crime scene where the boys were

Attorney-at-Law, Nigel Hughes brutally slain and DNA sample results from a cigarette butt retrieved from the scene did not match DNA taken from the suspects who were arrested.

The force had hit a bump in their investigations after it was revealed that the teens were killed elsewhere and their bodies dumped in the backdams at Cotton Tree, West Coast Demerara.

Detectives had encountered difficulties accessing the crime scene due to the several days of violent protests by the West Coast Berbice residents.

The road was blocked in several locations, persons were beaten and robbed and vehicles set afire.

However, after the chaos subsided, investigating ranks were able to access the scene and only then could have determined that the boys were not killed at the spot where they were found.

The force had said that a full-fledged team that consisted of 75 police ranks, the Major Crimes Unit (MCU) from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters along with ranks from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, conducted a “methodical” eight-hour search in the backlands with the hopes of finding anything of evidential value to the investigations.

Ranks on the ground also received aerial support via a helicopter from the GDF. The team led by the Regional Commander, unfortunately, failed to find any evidence to aid their investigations.

Added to that, Hughes revealed that Joel was found in pants other than the ones he was last seen with. But the police, he said, did not send those for forensic analysis.

Questions were posed to the GPF on when an update (continued on page 14)

Thursday November 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

When it rains …. it pours!

T

he Gods are being kind to us. It usually rains heavily for a few hours each day and then the rain ceases.

Heaven forbid if it should rain for two straight days without respite. The country will then experience another Great Flood like the one 15 years ago.

I found it surprising that yesterday the authorities reported that almost five inches of rain fell over a few hours. I recall in the 1960s and 1970s, it used to rain heavily all day, just as heavy as it does today, and the rainfall used to be at most three inches.

Flooding was inevitable in the countryside. The water would stay on the land for a few days and then run-off.

This is why in those days most houses were built on stilts. In old Georgetown, there was hardly any flooding but in the poorer areas water always stayed on the land for days.

A tragedy is waiting to happen in Guyana. Ten inches of rainfall over a twoday period will lead to widespread flooding and a massive reduction in gross national product, as was the case in 2005.

The government has to get rid of this idea that the country's drainage system was created only to take off, at most, two inches of rain, and anything above that will lead to flooding.

Dem

boys seh...

B

reaking News: Insiders close to the President Irfaan Ali have indicated that the Guyanese President has threatened travel sanctions on United States President Donald Trump. Sources tell this newspaper that President Ali is concerned about Trump's actions which he feels can undermine democracy in the world's foremost democracy.

President Ali is alleging that Trump, who is threatening legal action, and is alleging fraud in the American elections and is calling for an end to the counting of votes, is being advised by Lil Joe, RumJattan, Soulja Bai and NaGa-Nothing-To-Do. Insiders also indicate

This country cannot develop if 15 years after the Great Flood, the country drainage capacity has only improved to take off an additional half of an inch of rain. But the real reason why this mindset has to change is because if we do get torrential rain for days, as in the past, there will be unaffordable losses.

The country's drainage systems have been compromised. Whether in the towns or villages, run-off water does not flow freely like they used in colonial Guyana.

As such, it takes far longer for water to run-off.

This was evident yesterday where despite the kokers being opened a few hours before peak low tide, the water level in the trenches and drains were still high and water had not fully pulled off the land in many areas.

The outfalls are also part of the problem. They need dredging and because of the build-up of sedimentation, the water does not run off quick enough thereby aggravating flooding.

The third problem is the lack of storage capacity. The drains and trenches no longer can hold as much water. They are silted up and the illadvised policy of raising road levels means that most of the banks of our canals are subject to increased erosion. And the excessive use of concrete reduces the amount of water

which can be absorbed on land. This contributes to flooding.

But all of these problems are known. What is needed is a Plan. The PPP/C and the APNU+AFC had initiated a number of studies on the country's drainage systems.

These studies are gathering dust, primarily because they require huge capital investments which the governments have never been able to afford.

However, simple solutions can make a huge impact.

Timing, for example, can make a big difference. In the colonial days, there used to be an overseer who used to ride around on his bicycle to every koker in the city to ensure that they are opened on time. A late opening by half of an hour can mean the difference between flooding and no flooding.

If the kokers are supposed to be opened at midnight, who checks that they are? What system is in place to ensure that the kokers are opened on time and that they remain open, when they can, until the water level in the drains are low.

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

President Ali threatens visa sanctions on Donald Trump that just as how Trump had asked Pompeo to read the riot act to Soulja Bai, President Ali has delegated his Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, to instruct Trump to step aside and allow Biden to assume the Presidency.

Trump, however, appears unwilling to do so.

He has asked his principal aide to get Lolo-Field and Mingo to America immediately to ensure a victory for him. The threatened Court action may be just an attempt by Trump to buy time so that LoloField and Mingo can work their magic for him.

Meantime, Trump exploded when he was told that Lolo-field and Mingo have not yet arrived in the United States. An impatient

Trump demanded to know what was taking them so long. He was duly informed that they do not have a valid US visa, and that he, Trump was responsible for this.

Sources indicate to Kaieteur News that a desperate Trump ordered his personal pilot to get Air Force One ready since he was flying personally to Guyana to pick-up Lolo-Field and Mingo. However, that plan now has to be shelved since Pompeo advised President Trump that that President Ali had just pulled his visa to Guyana.

In response, Trump is reported to have muttered, “Irfaan do me that? Get Jagdeo!”

Talk half and say “Long live democracy!”

PAGE 09

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Thursday November 05, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

War break but where was the war supposed to be and between whom?

T

h e m o s t enthralling circus cannot be as interesting as Guyanese politics. Former Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has replied in the newspapers to accusations made against him by AG Anil Nandlall about when he, Jordan, served as Finance Minister.

Let's quote Jordan: “These allegations (and innuendos) against me are baseless and repugnant. In my view, they are designed to impugn my character, tarnish my image and lower my esteem in the eyes of my family, friends, admirers, well-wishers and the general public. I state categorically

that I, Winston Jordan, former Minister of Finance in the Coalition Government, performed my duties in compliance with the oath of office and to the best of my abilities.”

There are some questions I would like to ask Jordan but before that just a slight digression. In his five years as minister, I never set eyes on him.

The last time I spoke to Jordan (or it should properly be put that Jordan spoke to me) was in 2013 at the Cheddi Jagan airport.

I was waiting for an arrival with my wife and while she went somewhere, I was sitting alone, and he came up and informed me

that there are a number of f o r e i g n - f u n d e d employments in the public sector that were going to favoured persons.

I don't want to say more of what he said because I know that Jordan has an excessive tendency to want to sue for libel.

If you read his recent letter, he implies that he will be taking legal action against Nandlall.

Maybe it is these kinds of character traits that Guyanese detested in the new leaders after 2015 that caused them to lose the elections in 2020.

I never saw or spoke to Jordan since that 2013 encounter but I got his

mobile phone number from a minister of the government and texted him over a terrible incident.

When I went to the wharf to collect my cheap car (a 2015, Toyota Vitz which overall cost me 1.9 million Guyana dollars including duties, etc.), Custom officials told me I have to pay a fine of $10,000 each for the four tyres which were not to the required standards.

This was a merciless exploitation. I refused to pay. I demanded to have them measure the threads of the tyres in front of me. See my c o l u m n o f S u n d a y, October 27, 2019- “Always follow your instincts or you will lose your life.”

I texted Jordan to voice my complaint. He never replied. I guess he was busy travelling. He once told the press that he was so busy travelling that he didn't know that GuySuCo's Board of Directors was changed. But, who knows? Maybe Jordan thought I was a non-entity unfit for a reply from a senior minister.

Now to the things I want to ask him. At a Bartica rally in June 2019, when the Caribbean Court of Appeal ruled against the government in one of the cases involving

the no-confidence motion (NCM), he shouted out: “War break!”

To this day, Jordan has not explained to the Guyanese people what the exclamation meant. What was the war going to be like if it had happened? Who was

Frederick Kissoon t o b efighting whom?

But, most importantly, in the context of what was going on in Guyana with the NCM, does he think he violated the law? Is he willing to apologize?

The second question relates to the statement he said about busy travelling. If Jordan was constantly going to foreign lands, didn't he see how modern some of those lands were? Why then during his five years in government, Guyana continued with backward infrastructure like

having to produce three forms of identity at the commercial banks. He was subject minister then and didn't do a damn thing about this depraved anachronism.

Finally, a comment on his words in that letter that went like this: “I performed my duties to the best of my abilities.”

But that does not mean that Jordan was a successful performer. The mind sees what it wants to see. If the mind doesn't want to see objective reality, then it will continue to tell itself what it chooses to. No doubt Jordan believes he was a competent performer. But others may not feel that way.

I end with a third question. If he was such a good Finance Minister, can Jordan tell my readers why the APNU+AFC lost the 2020 election? Oh, I am terribly sorry for asking that question! Jordan has to stick to party policy.

His party says the election was rigged by the PPP/C. If APNU+AFC wins the election petition, I hope war does not break out.

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

Thursday November 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Thursday November 05, 2020

Couple found burnt in house Car, trucks burn after identified as business owners cyclist struck down - police suspect murder/suicide

The car and truck on fire

Dead: Cindy Moses (Photo credits A to Z Media)

F

amily members have identified the burnt remains of a couple found in their gutted Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home on Tuesday, as owners of businesses in Diamond Housing Scheme.

The charred bodies were identified to be that of Leeroy King, 34, and Cindy Moses, 35, both of Lot 1139 Block EE, Eccles.

According to their relatives, King owned and operated a barbershop while his spouse, Moses, owned a stationery shop at Diamond.

The two were reportedly together for two years and had only recently moved into the Eccles new scheme neighbourhood. They have

I

Dead: Leeroy King

been building their home.

Neighbours had seen the couple's two-storey unpainted house on fire at around 20:45 hrs. on Tuesday and alerted the Fire Department.

Fire fighters, along with police ranks, arrived at the scene shortly after.

About an hour later the blaze was put out.

Police then entered and found the bodies of King and Moses lying on a bed in one of the bedrooms on the upper flat of the building. The man was said to be holding Moses in a tight embrace.

Though details are not concrete as to how the fire started, police believe that it might have been King, who

decided to burn the house down after killing his wife.

In a report, sent out by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the incident is being labeled as an alleged murder/suicide case. Base on investigations, it was reported that King arrived home at around 19:15 hrs. that evening. Shortly after, one of the neighbours recalled hearing screams, suspected to be that of Moses.

There was then a brief period of silence followed by a loud explosion and flames were seen coming from the upper flat of the house.

The tragedy which has left family members of both victims dumbfounded has also left King's three young kids orphaned.

n what is being labeled as a freak accident, a car yesterday struck down a pedal cyclist, and then caught fire after slamming into two parked trucks along the Montrose Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The injured pedal cyclist has been identified as Deokumar Parbo, 66, of Success Housing Scheme, ECD, while the driver of the car is Imran Khan, 36, of Good Hope.

According to a police report, the accident took place at around 06:05hrs in the vicinity of Apex Academy, a prominent private school.

Investigators reported that the car was heading west along the southern carriageway of the road when the driver decided to swerve from a pool of water but ended up hitting the pedal cyclist.

Police were told that Parbo was also riding in the same direction as the car. It is unclear whether the driver saw the man before swerving from the pool of water.

Nevertheless, the driver had reportedly applied brakes but could not avoid colliding with Parbo's bicycle.

The pedal cyclist was flung some distance away while the driver then lost control of his vehicle and crashed into two trucks parked at the side of the road.

The vehicle caught fire.

Khan, the driver, escaped quickly and a fire truck was summoned to the scene.

Fire fighters did arrive

and managed to put out the blaze but they could not save the car nor the trucks.

Police said that the fire spread quickly and destroyed the entire car and both trucks.

Parbo, the pedal cyclist, was picked up and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was admitted.

The driver has since been taken into police custody to assist with investigations.

A fire truck which was summoned to the scene to put out the blaze

: e l b a t p e c c a Un This was the situation late last week at the Grove Post Office, East Bank Demerara. There was very little to no social distancing, with pensioners standing almost shoulder to shoulder, and in some cases, sitting next to each other - all in contradiction to the COVID-19 pandemic guidelines.

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 05, 2020

PAGE 13

Coastal area swamped after heavy rains - Guyana braces for another four days of downpour

T

he people on the coastlands yesterday woke up to floodwaters after a thunderstorm. In a release issued by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the country's emergency response entity, it was explained that the flooding was due to the drainage capacity of Georgetown being overwhelmed by the heavy rainfall experienced in the last 24 hours.

CDC stated that during that timeframe, five inches of heavy rainfall was recorded with Georgetown's drainage capacity only catering for two inches of water.

The release also highlighted that the public is being advised by the National Weather Watch Centre that the current weather pattern is expected to last until November 8th.

Persons who were caught off guard by yesterday's flood are now p r e p a r i n g themselves for the coming days.

The downpour saw heavy thunder and lightening with persons reporting d a m a g e s t o equipment.

A Kaieteur News staffer awoke to her Tucville apartment flooded, her furniture, music set and carpet were u n d e r w a t e r. A pensioner was left trapped in the upper flat of her home for hours until the waters

receded.

Photos also surfaced on social media of flooded areas across the city. Motor vehicles and pedestrians were seen navigating their way through the flooded streets in central Georgetown. Other areas including Kitty, Campbellville, Alberttown and even Stabroek and Bourda Markets were submerged.

Locations on the East

and West Coast Demerara also reported flooding.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) disclosed that a Ministerial Task Force was formed to assess the severity of the flooding.

The task force, according to a release, comprises of representatives from the Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of Public Works, the National Drainage and Irrigation

Authority (NDIA) and the Mayor and City Council (MCC). The press statement detailed that a team of engineers and technical officers were dispatched to do an assessment of the situation.

Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine, visited a number of pump stations and sluices located around the city. During his visit, he noted the sluices were not fully opened because of high

tide.

Nevertheless, MoPW assured that it will do everything it can to minimize the risk of damage to homes and businesses.

Residents of riverain, low-lying and flood prone

Georgetown Public Hospital (Guyana Faces photo)

Robb and Wellington Streets

Camp and Regent Streets (Joseph Allen photo) Flooded compound of City Hall

Carmichael Street, Georgetown (Joseph Allen Photo)

areas are advised to take all necessary precautions and to contact the National Emergency Monitoring System (NEMS) on telephone numbers: 2261114; 623-1700; and 6007500, if affected.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Wrong lane?

Regulator battles with prevalence of unapproved blue-dial scales

T

It is unclear how this truck ended up in this position on Tuesday, at Herstelling, East Bank Demerara. What is clear is that it was facing the wrong direction, on the western carriageway. One man, who appeared to have suffered some injuries, was seen lying in the corner.

Police, Hughes clash over...

From page 8 would be provided on that matter, but up to press time, no answers have been provided.

The mutilated bodies of Joel and Isaiah Henry were found back on September 6th, in clumps of bushes near to a coconut estate

located at Cotton Tree Backdam, WCB. Protests marred by violence had erupted over the news of their gruesome murder and days later, the body of another teen, Haresh Singh was found, lying in a patch of grass and bleeding from the nose at the

Number Three Village backdam.

Singh was later pronounced dead at a hospital and was identified as the grandson of one of the suspects, a rice farmer, who was in police custody at the time for the murder of the Henry boys.

Thursday November 05, 2020

he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is again cautioning vendors and the public, against using the blue dial scale, which is not approved for trade.

GNBS' Public Relations Officer, Lloyd David, said the agency has tried several ways to rid the market of that type of scale, to no avail.

“It is affecting the market place where vendors and shop keepers are using those blue dial scales to conduct trade. These scales are not approved for trade by the GNBS. They cannot withstand the activities of trade,” David told the DPI recently.

He explained that the GNBS has “tried urging the consumer to desist from buying from the scale and have spoken to the vendors and shopkeepers on numerous occasions to secure the approved scales to conduct trade.”

GNBS inspectors seize the scales whenever they find them.

“The cost of the scale is so negligible compared to the approved scale that they tend to revert and buy another scale so our task is continuous, removing those scales from the market,” he

Photograph of an equal arm scale with the GNBS seal of approval affixed to it.

(Photograph courtesy of the GNBS)

said, adding that, “we have to do that because the accuracy of the scale is questionable.”

The GNBS does not verify (stamp) the scale for trade because they are designed for domestic use only. Further, the scales do not measure using only metric units, and their weighing mechanisms are not designed for continuous use and can be damaged easily when used commercially.

“Therefore, instead of using the blue dial scale, the GNBS recommends the use of the red equal arm scale, the electronic scale and the platform scale, with measurements in the International System of Units (SI Units) or metric units,” the government release said.

“We have made progress in some areas, but there are some areas that are still

lagging behind. Use kilogrammes instead of pounds and metres instead of feet and so on,” David said.

Consumers are also reminded that they have the right to demand that items they purchase be weighed using approved weighing devices, which carry a verification seal or sticker.

“When we verify the scales, we are not in the market place all the time ensuring that the vendors do the right thing,” David noted.

He is therefore, urging the public to educate themselves “so that when they go to shop, they can understand what is really happening when the vendor conducts their measurements.”

Consumers can also relay their queries to the GNBS via Whats A pp: 692-G N BS (4627).

Thursday November 05, 2020

Monitoring borders remain a challenge for government - Health Minister

T

he COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to expose the country's capacity to police its borders.

This was acknowledged by Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, who spoke to Kaieteur News on matters relating to the pandemic, in an exclusive interview on Monday. The Minister said that given Guyana's landmass and the significant number of border crossings, it has been difficult for the authorities to properly protect each one.

Since the first case being recorded in March, it was found that Region Nine (Upper Takatu- Upper Essequibo) had the highest number of illegal border crossings.

Regional authorities had told Kaieteur News that these illegal travellers had posed an alarming risk in the South Rupununi especially, which was once a COVID-19 hotspot. This risk was even more prevalent in Wapichan communities, which at the time were not properly educated about COVID-19, due to language barriers.

They were also of the strong belief that the majority of the region's cases were imported from Brazil which is among the countries recording the highest COVID-19 cases in the world.

During the interview, Dr. Anthony stated that personnel would have been deployed by the government to efficiently monitor the area and they have also closed the bridge linking Lethem-Guyana to Brazil.

Along with that, he said special travel restrictions have been imposed on the region, which includes a level of essential traffic being allowed in once a week, in compliance

with strict COVID-19 measures.

Other suspected areas where illegal border crossings occurred included frontier communities like Baramita, Morawhanna and Imbotero in Region One, Kaikan and Eteringbang in Region Seven and Orinduik in Region Eight.

Despite closing borders, other measures used by the government to combat illegal crossings included Toshaos and Community Development Officers urging their community members to be vigilant of illegal cross border activity and urging them to report cases of illegal entry that they might be aware.

They were also asked to aid in providing proper education about COVID-19 to residents, making them more aware of the virus and its dangerous effects.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) has also been asked to play an integral role in exercising the law and ensuring that these persons illegally entering Guyana are apprehended and charged in accordance with the law.

Further, it was noted that immigration officers were also engaged to play a key role in this effort.

Police sources had told Kaieteur News that despite efforts to close all official crossing, there were many illegal crossings known as “backtracks” being used in many regions, especially mining areas.

The crossings were referred to as the main obstacle in the government gaining full control of the borders, and an even bigger obstacle in preventing more imported cases.

ANSA McAl donates injection...

From page 11 accepted the donation, also noted that the Remdesivir injection is a “powerful component” in the fight against the virus but also urged AMTL to continue to spread the word on COVID19 protocols that includes the wearing of masks, social distancing and hand sanitizing.

Meanwhile, AMTL also committed to donating another 100 vials of the injection by this coming weekend, with the total c o s t o f the 200 vials amounting to just over $7M.

Remdesivir (GS-5734), a nucleoside analogue prodrug, has inhibitory effects on pathogenic animal and human corona viruses, including severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro, and inhibits Middle East respiratory syndrome corona virus, SARS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-2 replication in animal models.

Early clinical studies have shown clinically meaningful differences and reductions in some clinical parameters in patients.

Kaieteur News The Guyana-Brazil border, at Lethem, Region 9

PAGE 15

PAGE 16

Thursday November 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

State closes case in Parika fuel dealer murder

VACANCY

SERVICES

One (1) Part-time truck driver.

Apply at: Lens, 136 Sherrif Street, C/Ville. Tel: 227-2486

Repairs,Services,Spares to Wa s h i n g M a c h i n e Refridgetor Store, Treadmill, Deepfryer,Cooler, Dryer, Grains mill.Call:#694-9733

Sales persons at ARK Enterprise/The container house.

Apply in person with written application.

Live-in domestic boys and girls for the interior. Tel#6792772 or 686-2201.

CAR FORRENTAL SALE AIDAN'S CAR RENTAL & T O W T R U C K SERVICE:PICKUP,9-11 SEAT MINI BUS, GOOD FOR AIRPORT & FAMILY OUTINGS, CHEAPEST RATE#6987807.

PROGRESSIVECAR RENTAL: CARS & SUV'S CALL:656-0087/6435 1 2 2 , E M A I L : P R O A U T O R E N TA L @YAHOO.COM

Office Assistant / Sales, PAYE & NIS knowledge, 2 years min experience, Lot 8 s h e r i f f s t r e e t mimadecor12@gmail.com, 227-0176/ 86 Security guard. Must have experience, mature persons can apply. Contact 223-5274 / 227-5003 One experienced dispatcher to work at a Taxi Service. Contact 621-9356.

Pump Attendant & Cashier shifts (6am- 2pm & 2pm11pm) shell service station providence E.B.D Email: Shellramsburg@gmail.com Pitmen for interior location.

Applicants must be experienced. Call 618-2020

FOR SALE Allion, Primo, Spacio, Blue Bird, Field Wagon, 212, Carina, RZ, Pit Bull and Canter Tel#650-7501

Vacancy for porter apply at Alabama Trading 65 Robb Street Bourda

The state has called its final witness in the murder trial of Kurt Thomas, following almost two weeks of trial.

Thomas called ‘Deportee’ is indicted for the murder of fuel dealer, Seeram Singh, which occurred during a robbery on Saturday April 30th 2016 at Parika outfall, East Bank Essequibo.

Thomas has since denied the charge and is currently on trial before Justice Navindra Singh and a 12-member jury at the High Court in Georgetown.

Yesterday, State Counsel, Tuanna Hardy, presented her closing address before the judge and jury calling on the panel to find the accused guilty of the crime.

In her presentation, Hardy pointed to the testimony of witnesses including the evidence of Government Analyst, Senior Superintendent Phillip Azore, who had revealed that the clothing submitted for testing worn by the accused on the night of the shooting, tested positive for gunpowder residue.

She noted, too, that more than one of the witnesses in the trial identified the accused as the shooter.

Those witnesses included an eyewitness identified as “Raj” who operated a nearby shop in the area where the shooting took place.

In his evidence, the man recalled he had seen the accused walking about the area and that he even purchased a

Vacancy for a domestic maid with cooking experience Call: 627-1154

Buying corilla bush $150 lb & soursop, Noni Leaves $250.

Call: 609-8281

WANTED

Office space-top flat king street and North Road$100,000. Call: 225-4708 from 8am-4pm.

Sales Clerk to work in Georgetown. Age 25-45 .Must have 5 CXC Subjects Call #:225-9026/27

2x3 bedroom.Fully furnished Luxury apartments to rent.

Long and short term. Tel:6822585/691-1432

PROPERTY FOR SALE 3- Story Building Located lot 1486 Plot B Herstelling E.B.D Tel#609-3777, 697-4557, 6413893, 686-0522 2 -Story Building Located Lot 1488 Parfate Harmany 16M Negotiable Tel#641-3893, 6860522, 609-3777, 697-4557

LEARN TO DRIVE N.Outar Driving School, Learn to Drive the right way @ Cuffy Square.Affordable Package.Call#644-5166/6912561/681-2808.

GR TAXI. CALL: 24 HRS 219-5000 225-7878

227-2100 227- 1982

WANTEDCONTRACT CARS TO WORK.

One able bodied male Furnished lower flat at Vigiclerk.Call:#231-2029,616-5954 lance North,E.C.D, 3 bedrooms, toilet & bath, Kitchen, 1 Domestic worker. Tel 679- etc. $60,000 light & water in9449 cluded. Tel# 639-9345 1 Taxi Driver Tel# 698-7807 Furished 2 bedroom apartOne Eperience Sale Girl Ur- ment-Issano Place, Bel Air gent, 37 A Bourda Market Park. Parking available$150,000. Call:225-4708 from Tel# 227-3407 8am to 4 Live-in Caregiver for elderly person, preferably from the 3 bedroom botton flat $50,000 East Coast/ Georgetown area. monthly south ruimveldt park Contact 603-2640 or 218-4636 Call 692-9597 Lot 6 Water Street TO LET Bagotstown 1 bedroon Apartment top back half Air CondiRooms in Albertown tion $ 45,000 1 Month secuappartment in Eccles. Call# rity & Rent Tel#668-5835, 699225-3234 8865

Accused: Kurt Thomas Guinness at his shop before the robbery.

The witness claimed that he was inside his shop when he heard a commotion. He claimed that when he came outside he saw the fuel dealer being chased by a man who was tugging at his gold chain.

The man also claimed that there was a struggle between the victim and his robber who was armed with a gun and that he shot Seeram in the process. The witness said further that after the robber fired the first shot he looked around and “their eyes made four.” He explained that he immediately recognized the accused (Thomas) as the man who had purchased a Guinness from his shop earlier that evening.

In response to queries about the location of the killing, the witness said that the incident occurred under a

Murdered: Fuel dealer, Seeram Singh

lamppost, which had lights at the time that the shooting occurred.

The eyewitness testimony followed the scientific evidence of Government Pathologist, Dr. Nehaul Singh, who revealed to the court that the fuel dealer succumbed because of shock and haemorrhage due to gunshots injuries.

He gave the court a detailed analysis of the wounds and injuries that were found on the body of the deceased businessman.

Dr. Singh’s analysis comes days after the court heard that clothing belonging to the accused as well as his hand had tested positive for gunshot residue (GSR).

Government Analyst and expert in trace evidence, Senior Superintendent Azore, in his testimony, told the court that he found chemicals con-

sistent with gun-powder residue on a black jersey and samples collected from the right hand which were items submitted to him for testing.

Additionally, Inspector Lallbachand Dial and Police Corporal, Krishnadat Singh, had testified to having handed over to Azore several pieces of items containing samples for GSR testing.

Dial had spoken of swabbing the hands and nostrils of the accused for gunpowder residue and thereafter placing the samples to air-dry before handing it over to the analyst for testing.

In his testimony, Corporal Singh had told the court that he had escorted Thomas to his home from where he said he retrieved several pieces of clothing which he (Thomas) identified he wore on the day in question and the following day.

UG grants students 50 % decrease in facilities fees After months of hearing requests for a reduction in their facilities fees, the University of Guyana (UG) has finally granted a 50 percent reduction for students.

This was announced by the university’s Student Society which spearheaded the call for relief.

According to a release, the reduction will be valid for the 2020 to 2021 academic year and will see the facilities fee which was previously $50,000 reduced to $25,000.

It was also stated that the university has begun a series of relief packages and small financial aid distributions.

Efforts were made to contact the University regarding the relief packages and financial aid distributions.

However, it was stated that the ViceChancellor, Professor Paloma MohamedMartin, will be providing more information in days to follow.The Student Society, in their release, stated that after the onset of the virus in March the lives of many students were affected.A member of the society told Kaieteur

News that their lives were affected due to the economic decline Guyana saw in light of the pandemic, putting the pockets of many students and their parents at strain.

“Many students depend on their parents to look after their university finances but if their parents cannot get money then how will they pay? Even the students who pay their own fees cannot afford it because they were laid off or are simply having financial constraints,” the student said.

He explained that for months the society had been asking for a reduction in the fees to provide students with relief since it became evident that students may not be returning to campus anytime soon because of limitations imposed by COVID-19.

The decision came weeks after the student society engaged in a meeting with the ViceChancellor, where it was promised that the UG Administration would be working assiduously to address their concerns.

The student society has since expressed their gratitude for the relief given.

Thursday November 05, 2020

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

Bartica woman disappears More airlines eyeing Guyana route from home

Family members of a woman are now seeking the public’s assistance in their search for her after she reportedly disappeared from her home located at Byderabo, Bartica, Region Seven.

The woman, Winifred Fernando, 50, went missing on October 20th.

According to her husband, Antonio Fernando, he woke up that morning and told his wife that he was going to the backdam and will return in a week’s time.

Fernando’s daughter, 18, said that she along with her other siblings left the house for work at around 07:00 hrs. She recalled that her mom was still lying in bed.

However, when she returned home later that evening, her mother was nowhere to be seen.

At first, she thought Winifred might have gone out on an errand but the woman failed to return home that evening.

Three days went by and family members became worried. Her husband was forced to leave his work in the backdam and return to look for her.

Checks and calls were made to her relatives but they, too, had not seen or heard from Winifred.

Her husband, Antonio, said that clothes, cellphone and cash were not removed from the house.

“Nothing was moved or missing from the house to indicate that she might have travelled somewhere,” said the man.

The daughter, too, shared similar views.

“Just like how I left home that morning

Missing Winifred Fernando that’s the way I found it when I returned.”

A missing person’s report was filed with the Police as Winifred’s family continues their search for her.

Anyone who has seen Winifred Fernando or knows where she is, can contact family members on telephone numbers, 645-5375/ 630-2320.

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, yesterday said Guyana could see an influx of new international airlines, in the near future.

His comments yesterday came at the installation of the new Board of Directors of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Government has started discussions with British airline, Virgin Atlantic, which had first expressed interest in the Guyana route in 2019.

Minister Edghill said the ongoing talks could see the airline beginning operations soon.

Discussions are also underway between the Government and Canada-based airline West Jet; Turks and Caicos Islands’ interCaribbean Airways and Suriname-based, Fly Allways.

Major American airline JetBlue is licensed and will begin its five times weekly flights to Guyana on December 11.

“By no means, that should be a full stop.

We want the world visiting Guyana and Guyana visiting the world. We want an airlink and air transportation that is robust, accessible, predictable, reliable and affordable,” Minister Edghill told the new board of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority.

Minister Edghill said in three short months, since the new Government took office, much interest has been shown in Guyana by regional and international players.

Virgin Atlantic is interested in flying to Guyana.

Meanwhile, the Public Works Minister said the Government recently received Expressions of Interest for the building of hotels here.

“The intent is that we should have at least 2,000 first class rooms so that Guyana can become a convention destination,” the Minister said.

The Ministry of Public Works has received two proposals, which were submitted to the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, expressing interest in building hotels near the Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri.

“I must tell you that I like what I see in those proposals,” Minister Edghill said.

He believes the new ventures augur well for the country. (DPI)

PAGE 18

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 05, 2020

Biden moves closer to the presidency as Trump launches legal challenges (CNN) - Former Vice President Joe Biden has moved to within 17 electoral votes of claiming the presidency by winning the state of Michigan, CNN projects, in the latest twist of a dramatic election clash with President Donald Trump that has left America’s political fate uncertain hours after polls closed.

His breakthrough came as Trump’s campaign launched a flurry of lawsuits in several states designed to stop the former vice president from getting over the line, including challenging Pennsylvania’s vote count at the Supreme Court.

Biden’s victory in Michigan means he has now captured two-thirds of the vaunted “blue wall” in the Midwest and Pennsylvania that paved Trump’s path to

The Biden camp is also confident of overtaking Trump in another key battleground state, Pennsylvania, where hundreds of thousands of mail-in and early absentee votes, which are expected to favor the Democrats, are still being counted.

But the Trump campaign plans to ask the court to intervene in a case challenging a Supreme Court decision that allowed Pennsylvania ballots to be counted after Election Day. The justices had refused to expedite the appeal before the election, and are considering whether to take up the case.

Biden holds a 253-213 lead in the Electoral College. A candidate must reach the 270 mark to win the presidency.

victory four years ago. If Biden holds his leads in Ne-

Races in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania are too close to call.

In many cases, the tight

vada and Arizona, where counts have yet to be completed, he will have sufficient Electoral College votes to be the 46th president.

races could depend on the counting of absentee and mail-in ballots, which tend to disproportionately favor Democrats.

President Donald Trump and Candidate Joe Biden

In a brief statement Wednesday afternoon, Biden said his campaign was on track to win 270 electoral votes but that he was not declaring victory until the count was completed in key states.

He said he was encouraged by the extraordinary turnout in the election and dismissed Trump’s attempts to undermine the results.

“Here, the people rule.

Power can’t be taken or as-

serted,” Biden said, in a speech in which he tried to create the aura of a winner, pledging to bring the country together and to work for national healing as president.

Trump hasn’t appeared in public since his brazen and false claim of victory in the early hours of Wednesday morning in which he demanded that legally cast ballots in contested states where he may fall behind not be

counted.

America now seems set for hours or even days of uncertainty with vote counts possibly ceding to legal battles in several states at a time when the country is already being rocked by the worst public health crisis in 100 years.

While the nation’s eyes were on the election on Tuesday, another 1,048 citizens died from Covid-19 — a dis-

ease the President says has all but disappeared — and from which 232,000 Americans have now perished.

CNN projects Biden will win at least three of Maine’s four electoral votes, Wisconsin, Michigan, Hawaii, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Virginia, California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Colorado, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Delaware, Washington, DC, Maryland, Massachusetts and one of Nebraska’s five electoral votes. Nebraska and Maine award two electoral votes to its statewide winner and divides their other electoral votes by congressional district.

CNN projects Trump will also win in Montana, Texas, Iowa, Idaho, Ohio, Mississippi, Wyoming, Missouri, Kansas, Utah, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Arkansas, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee and four of Nebraska’s five electoral votes.

Thursday November 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

'Wrong Turn' faces trial for death of Stabroek Market vagrant

A

ANSA McAl donates injection to fight COVID-19 From Left: Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, Malcolm Watkins; Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony; Managing Director of AMTL, Troy Cadogan and Pharmaceutical Representative at AMTL, Kalawattie Datt-Singh.

A

NSA McAL Trading Limited ( A M T L ) yesterday delivered 100 vials of Remdesivir to the Ministry of Health as a donation to continue the fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic.

At the presentation

ceremony held at the Ministry of Health on Brickdam, Managing Director of AMTL, Troy Cadogan noted that: “ANSA McAL Trading Limited, has long been cognizant of its' Corporate Social Responsibility, and has donated Trinchloro bleach

through the Rotary Club of Guyana since March.

However as one of the leading distributors in Guyana, AMTL has partnered with one of its suppliers to donate 100 units of Remdesivir 100mg injection.�

The donation of this drug

will provide a powerful tool in the government's arsenal to help in the fight against some of the debilitating symptoms of COVID-19 that can occur in some cases Cadogan said.

Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, who (continued on page 15)

mixed, 12member jury has been selected for the trial of Eustace Griffith who stands indicted for murder before Justice Navindra Singh at the Georgetown High Court.

When the indictment was read to him, Griffith called 'Wrong Turn', who joined the proceedings from the Lusignan Prisons via Zoom video conference yesterday, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Steven Dexter Arthur, said to be a vagrant.

State Counsels, Tuanna Hardy, and Tyra Bakker Griffith, presented the indictment while attorneyat-law, Maxwell McKay, entered an appearance for the accused.

Reports are that on the day in question, July 4th, 2015, at about 07:00 hrs, both men were engaged in a heated argument which soon turned into a scuffle, at the Stabroek Market Square.

Arthur, 45, of Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara was stabbed to the

Accused: Eustace Griffith stomach following an altercation with Griffith.

According to reports, the struggle between the two men ensued after Griffith threw a banana peel at the vagrant.

Griffith reportedly armed himself with a knife and attacked Arthur who was said to be a drug abuser who did odd jobs around the Stabroek Market area.

The trial is scheduled to start next Tuesday.

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 05, 2020

Thursday November 05, 2020

PAGE 21

Kaieteur News

Palace defender Sakho wins WADA Andreescu confirms 2021 return after Canada’s Bianca apology and damages over doping claims missing full season Andreescu waves after (Reuters) - Canada’s

(AFP) - Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho has won “substantial” damages from the World Anti-Doping Agency over allegations that he had taken banned performance-enhancing drugs.

The former Liverpool defender was briefly suspended in 2016 after he tested positive for a fat-burning substance called higenamine after a Europa League game against Manchester United in March that year.

Sakho missed the Reds’ Europa League final against Sevilla and, he also alleged, a place in France’s Euro 2016 squad as a result of his suspension.

The 30-year-old was ultimately cleared in July 2016 by UEFA’s disciplinary body, which found that higenamine was not on WADA’s banned list and the agency’s own

laboratories were unsure about its status.

WADA later issued two statements, to the Daily Telegraph in August 2016 and to the Guardian in April 2017, which said Sakho was guilty of taking a prohibited performance-enhancing drug.

Sakho, who joined Palace in 2017, sued WADA for defamation and, at a High Court hearing in London yesterday, accepted an apology from the agency and an undisclosed sum in damages.

His barrister, Julian Santos, said the defamatory allegations “were republished by a very large number of media organisations to many millions of readers, causing very serious harm to Mr Sakho’s reputation”.

He added: “WADA has apologised and agreed to pay a substantial sum by way of

compensation and not to repeat the allegations.”

Guy Vassall-Adams, representing WADA, said: “WADA accepts that it should not have made the defamatory allegations it did... given that Mr Sakho had been acquitted by UEFA. “WADA accepts that Mr Sakho did not breach the UEFA anti-doping regulations, did not cheat, had no intention of gaining any advantage and acted in good faith.”

Speaking outside court, Sakho said: “I feel happy, happy for my family, happy for all my friends, for all the people who were around me during this tough year because it is not easy when you are a professional footballer or athlete.“This is the worst thing you can be accused of, doping.”

Bianca Andreescu has fully recovered from a knee injury that forced her to miss the entire 2020 season and intends to play the Australian Open in January, the 2019 U.S. Open champion has said.

Andreescu, 20, has not played on tour since the WTA Finals in Shenzhen last year where she retired with a left knee injury.

“I’m doing really well.

The virus kind of pushed me back, and some little personal things here and there, but right now I’m good, I’m training hard ... I’m really looking forward to 2021,” the Canadian told the Tennis Majors website.

“I’m perfectly healthy. I just really wanted to take time to build everything in my life, and I think this time off really

retiring injured from her match against Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova.

(REUTERS /Aly Song)

helped me do that.”

World number seven Andreescu said she will be “100%” in Melbourne to play the year’s first Grand Slam.

“I wouldn’t say I am ready tomorrow to play a match because I am taking it step by step, but maybe in a couple of weeks I will be good,” she added.

“I don’t want to rush anything but I’m feeling good.”

Sushma Verma and Sune Luus ...

Thursday November 05, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You have a creative and artistic nature that you might want to put to good use today, Aries. You could have some good ideas for home improvements.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) You may miss friends and family who live far away, Taurus. Why not make yourself a cup of tea and write some letters?

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) You may have recently inherited either some money or some free time. This is a real gift, and if invested wisely, it could lead to some important self-discoveries. Perhaps you could use the money to enroll in college.

CANCER (June 21–July 22) Today is well suited for making new friends, Cancer. Your sense of adventure is undoubtedly up to it! You will be your usual confident self, but others will seem to respond to your charisma even more than usual.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) This is a very spiritual and creative day for you, Leo. You're especially intuitive.

Any creative effort will likely resonate deeply.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22) Today is ideal for romance, Virgo. It's great for forming new relationships or improving existing ones. If you don't have a special someone, make an effort to expand your social circle.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You have a good heart, Libra, and today it expands to bestow love on all mankind.

You can't help but feel connected in a deep, spiritual way with all who have come before you and all who follow.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You will likely find it difficult to keep your mind on serious matters with today's playful planetary energies, Scorpio.

You're in the mood for romance, and you want to make sure everything is in place.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Your innate talent and conscientious work ethic earn you admiration and respect.

Whether you're aware of it or not, others look up to you as someone who has it together.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) It looks as though you're about to hop on the bandwagon, Capricorn. Friends will try to get you to support one of their causes. Think carefully.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Love and passion are at the forefront of your thoughts today, Aquarius. Work seems tedious compared to the rich fan-

tasy inside your head!

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) If you became an animal today, you'd be a puppy, Pisces, all frisky and affectionate. By all means, put your passion to good use! Surprise a special someone with a home-cooked meal.

From page 24 pitch seem like a batting paradise, but in trying to go for a fourth big hit, she hit a full toss straight to deep midwicket.

Mithali Raj couldn’t hit the ball off the square. She fell for 7 off 19 balls.

Veda Krishnamurthy did her best to keep the required rate manageable while her captain struggled but when she fell in the 13th over for 29 off 28, it seemed like Velocity were done. They needed 62 off 42 balls and they only had the wicketkeeper, a bowling allrounder and the tail left.

Fortunately for them, that proved to be enough.

Verma and Luus to the r e s c u e The required rate had soared to 10 an over by the 15th. And Sushma Verma responded to that by dancing down the track and launching Poonam Yadav for a six over her head.

Luus followed suit, her preference, sweeping the legspinner over deep square leg. That over cost Supernovas 14 runs and it ended with one of the best spinners in the world giving up on her single greatest strength - flighting the ball.

The equation was 36 off 24 now. And it kept coming down with every straight hit

by Verma and every sublime sweep from Luus. Two players with a clear gameplan and a willingness to attack the bowling. That’s all this game needed and that’s what won it in the end for Velocity.

Scores: Velocity (Luus 37* Verma 34, Khaka 2-27) beat Supernovas 126 for 8 (Atapattu 44, Kaur 31, Bisht 3-22) by five wickets.

PAGE 22

Kaieteur News

Thursday November 05, 2020

Maradona’s surgery on blood clot on his brain declared a ‘success’ despite some issues - Fans stage a vigil outside his hospital in Argentina Daily Mail - Diego Maradona’s surgery on a blood clot on his brain has been declared a ‘success’ despite worrying issues caused by his long history with drugs and alcohol, it has been announced.

The footballing legend, widely regarded as one of the best to ever play the game, had a subdural hematoma - an accumulation of blood between a membrane and his brain - according to his personal doctor Leopoldo Luque.

His PR team have now confirmed that the major surgery he had on Tuesday, less than a week after his 60th birthday, went well and he is now on the road to recovery.

Two of Maradona’s five children were quick to take to social media to reassure their father’s fans, with Jana writing: ‘Now life is feeling a little lighter.’

A few minutes later, Dalma posted: ‘I just got out of the clinic I just want to thank everyone for the constant displays of love for my dad, my sister and me. Thanks to ev-

eryone who prayed for him!’

Mr Luque, a neurologist, said the problem likely was caused by an accident, but Maradona has said he does not recall such an incident.

The Argentine great will rest in his room in a private clinic outside Buenos Aires for at least 48 hours, where his fans have gathered in large numbers outside to show their support.

Maradona was accompanied to the clinic by his daughters Dalma, Giannina and Jana and other relatives, according to local media in Argentina.

Tuesday’s surgery came after the 1986 World Cup winner was admitted to another clinic, in the city of La Plata, after suffering anemia and dehydration.

Donato Villani, the head of the Argentina national team’s medical staff, told television channel TyC Sports that such a surgery normally goes smoothly, adding ‘it is different with Diego’ due to Maradona’s past treatment for cardiac problems and his use of drugs and alcohol.

Indeed, one of his former girlfriends has claimed that Maradona needs ‘urgent’ help for his alcohol addiction, insisting that is the reason for his current health issues.

Rocio Oliva, who spent six years with him and came close to marrying him until their split in 2018, told Super Mitre Deportivo: ‘On September 9 he was admitted for the same reason but this time round he was in a worse condition than before.

‘What’s happening here is simple. You can keep him in hospital three or four days and get him better by hydrating him and giving him vitamins but that’s not the solution.

‘Diego takes sleeping pills, but Diego’s problem is alcohol and it’s well known.

Diego is still drinking and whoever says he isn’t is a liar.

He needs to be treated for his alcohol addiction.

‘A year ago Diego was a different man. The man we see now can’t speak. He’s got a lot worse.’

Maradona was admitted to the Ipensa Clinic with ad-

Competition for places will spur Windies performance in New Zealand - Johnny Grave SportsMax - Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave believes the addition of Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer and the competition for spaces will see the West Indies Test performing much better in New Zealand than it did in England during the summer.

Bravo and Hetmyer declined invitations to the West Indies squad for the #Raisethebatseries in England in July citing concerns over safety.

The West Indies relied on Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope and Jermaine Blackwood during the series when they won the first Test at Southampton only to capitulate in the remaining two Tests as the home side came from behind to win the series 2-1.

For the tour of New Zealand that begins on November 27 with the first of three T20 Internationals and then two Tests, the West Indies have the services of the two middle order batsman.

However, Hope was not selected due to a protracted

poor run of form.

Notwithstanding, the Cricket West Indies CEO believes the Caribbean side will deliver a much better showing in what is expected to be a tough series.

“I think touring New Zealand for any team, whatever form you’re in, is challenging, particularly in the Test matches. They haven’t lost a Test match series in New Zealand for years and years against every opposition that they have faced, so we are fully aware of the challenges of playing New Zealand in their home conditions,” Grave said.

“But, I think the Test team has made progress over the last few years and in moments, they’ve obviously won Test matches.

What we’re really looking for is winning series, particularly away from home.

“We started the series against England brilliantly, beating them comprehensively in the first Test and we were in a good position in the second Test to seeing out a

draw to retain the Wisden trophy but that didn’t happen so I think is hungry to get some championship points in the World Test Championships and also start to prove to themselves that they’re capable of winning series and delivering on that potential.”

This belief, he said, is based on the improvement in the batting driven by competition for places when compared to the team on the England tour.

“Certainly, I am sure the batting line-up will be strengthened and be more competitive with the return of Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer etc,” Grave said.

“It’s going to be more competition for places in that middle order and batting lineup and it’s the batting where

we need to show the most improvement because everyone is confident is capable of taking 20 wickets, what we need to do is get enough runs on the board to put whatever team we are playing against under pressure.”

Diego Maradona has Maradona (pictured in January) has a long history with drugs and alcohol, which undergone successful surgery in Argentina for a blood Donato Villani claimed made the surgery on clot on his brain. his blood clot more complicated. (Demian (AFP via Getty Images) Alday Estevez/EPA-EFE/Rex/Shutterstock) ditional signs of depression on Monday, it was revealed.

Mr Luque said Maradona, whose Hand of God goal in the 1986 World Cup quarterfinal against England is among the most controversial in the tournament’s history, had ‘felt sad’ for about a week and refused to eat before arriving at the clinic.

Maradona has lived in La Plata since the end of 2019, when he became coach of Gimnasia y Esgrima.

Maradona turned 60 last Friday and showed up that night for Gimnasia’s national championship match against Patronato, which his team won 3-0. He left before the end of the first half, which raised questions about his health.

Before undergoing surgery on Tuesday, the former Barcelona, Napoli and Boca Juniors star reported feeling better.

‘Diego feels much better

than yesterday and feels like leaving,’ Mr Luque said on Tuesday morning. ‘He spent the night well and we have been joking.’

Maradona led Argentina to the World Cup trophy in 1986.

He has continued to cause controversy since his heyday as a player, being sent home from the 1994 World Cup in the United States and dropping in and out of the sport as a coach.

Brown’s superb hat-trick sinks Stevenage LONDON, CMC – Former Young Reggae Boy Jevani Brown bagged a fine hat-trick as Colchester United beat struggling Stevenage 3-1 at JobServe Community Stadium in an English League Two match on Tuesday night.

Brown, 26, who returned to the starting line-up after scoring an 89th consolation goal in a 2-1 defeat last week at leaders Newport County, struck in the 11th, 57th and 81st minutes to seal all three points after Marcus Dinanga had hauled the visitors level in the 15th minute.

In League One, meanwhile, 26-year-old Barbados international Hallam Hope got on the scoresheet in the 10th minute for Swindon Town, but the Wiltshire outfit, reduced to 10 men in first-

Former Young Reggae Boy Jevani Brown.

half injury time, went down 42 at Plymouth Argyle and remain just above the relegation zone.

Playing in the east of England, attacking midfielder Brown was soon on the scoresheet for Colchester, knocking the ball past goalkeeper Jamie Cumming after a cross found him at the near post.After Stevenage levelled, Brown had the ball in the back of the net again, but the flag had gone up on the

far side for Cohen Bramall, who was offside in the buildup.

Colchester got their noses in front again after the break when Brown raced away and coolly slotted home.

And he then completed a perfect hat-trick with a header after latching onto a left-wing cross to loop the ball over Cumming.Colchester’s third successive home victory lifted them back into the top half of the table.

Thursday November 05, 2020

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

IPL final four: Mumbai again, or can Kohli cause an upset?

AFP - The Indian Premier League playoffs begin today in the UAE with last year’s champions Mumbai as favourites and Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore among the teams looking to cause an upset.

Surprise package the Delhi Capitals, who like Bangalore are aiming for a first title, will take on the Mumbai Indians in the first qualifier today with a place in the November 10 final at stake.

The losers of that match will get another crack at qualifying on Sunday against either Kohli’s Bangalore or Sunrisers Hyderabad, who clash on Friday in an eliminator.

AFP Sport looks at the strengths and weaknesses of the four teams still standing in the world’s richest Twenty20 league: - Mumbai Indians Rohit Sharma’s four-time champions underlined their status as tournament favourites by being the first team to qualify for the playoffs as they topped the standings with nine wins in 14 games.

South African wicketkeeperbatsman Quinton de Kock has led the batting with 443 runs while getting key support from Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Kieron Pollard.Pace bowlers Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah battered the opposition with a combined 43 wickets. The 2019 champions had already qualified top of the table before they were hammered by Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday and, despite fitness doubts over Sharma, are targeting back-to-back titles for the first time.

- Delhi Capitals -

Australia’s David Warner captains Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians are targeting their first back-to-back titles.

The Ricky Ponting-coached Capitals made a sensational start, winning five of their first six games, before losing four in a row but then beating Bangalore to reach the playoffs.

India opener Shikhar Dhawan is the key batsman and this year became the first player to score two consecutive IPL centuries. But Rishabh Pant, India’s new batting hope, has been misfiring.

The South African pace duo of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have been impressive with Nortje bowling the fastest ever IPL delivery, a 97 miles per hour (156 kph)

Big Man Cricket-Guyana obtains approval from Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport The BIG MAN CRICKETGUYANA organization is pleased to announce that it has now obtained the requisite permission from all the appropriate authorities to pursue with its BIG MAN CRICKET Tournament scheduled to commence later in November, a release from the organisation informed yesterday.

The Organization had already obtained permission from the Ministry of Health— COVID 19 Task Force but upon application to the Guyana Cricket Board for its blessings, the GCB, in its infinite wisdom, decided to block this popular tournament which has already attracted 10 teams from across the country to participate.

According to the organisers, the reasons put forward by the GCB left much to be desired. The GCB stated, firstly, that it was because they had a sanctioned Over 40 tournament planned. It is public knowledge that the GCB has never held an Over 40 competition countrywide in its 77 years of existence. The BMC-G did not have an issue with such a tournament as the BMC is an Over 45 Tournament and the GCB Tourna-

ment could have served well as a feeder competition for our Over 45 BMC domestic cricket and our Over 50 Regional cricket.

The other reason put forward by the GCB was that they did not get an early application even though it was sent about two and a half weeks before the commencement of the competition. Further, The BMC-G thought it wise to obtain the COVID Task Force approval first prior to approaching the GCB for its blessings. It was obvious that if that permission wasn’t obtained it did not make any sense whatsoever to approach the GCB. The BMC-G is extremely pleased now that the Minister with direct responsibility for all Sports in Guyana has decided to grant our Organization the necessary permission for the Tournament.

The Minister, who is also an attorney by profession, has also taken the liberty to explain the legal concept under which the GCB cannot withhold permission from the BMCG or any other such Organization, the release from Director Raj Singh informed.

thunderbolt, and Rabada leading the IPL wicket-takers with 25 victims.

- Sunrisers Hyderabad Skipper David Warner came into his own with an unbeaten 85 off 58 balls to take Hyderabad into the playoffs on Tuesday.

The 2016 IPL winners benefited from the return of wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha, who hit two half-centuries in three successive wins to help them to third in the standings.

With West Indies all-rounder

Jason Holder contributing and the deadly spin of Rashid Khan, who has taken 19 wickets, Warner will be hoping for the same result in this week’s eliminator as in the 2016 final when Hyderabad beat Bangalore to lift the trophy.

- Royal Challengers Bangalore -India captain Virat Kohli has never won an IPL title and it hurts. RCB finished bottom of the eight-team table last year, and after seven wins and seven defeats they scraped into the playoffs on run rate after losing their final match to Hyderabad.

Kohli leads a strong batting lineup, combining with young opener Devdutt Padikkal for 932 runs while South African veteran AB de Villiers has been the go-to man in crunch situations with an overall strike rate of 163.

Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar will be key with their ability to choke an opposition team’s run-flow while claiming wickets. Kohli insists his team are worth their place, but said he needs them to be “more brave” when chasing runs.

Matthews misses out on hat-trick as Hobart win big SYDNEY, Australia, CMC – West Indies all-rounder, Hayley Matthews, starred with the ball to help Hobart Hurricanes crush Melbourne Renegades by nine wickets in the Women’s Big Bash League here Tuesday.

Sent in at Blacktown International Sportspark, Renegades were flattened for 81 in the last of their 20 overs, with captain Amy Satterthwaite top-scoring with 20.

They were cruising at 47 for two but suffered a collapse and lost their last eight wickets for 34 runs.

Off-spinner Matthews finished with two for nine from her four overs, striking twice in successive deliveries in the 11th over to find herself on a hat-trick.

The Barbadian first removed Courtney Webb for four with the third ball of the over before bowling Satterthwaite with the very next delivery, to trigger the innings collapse.

Seamer Nicola Carey was the best bowler with three for 14.

In reply, Naomi Stalenberg stroked 35 not out in a 56-run, opening stand with Rachel Priest (34) to lay the groundwork for Hobart’s easy win with over six overs to spare.

Matthews was there at the end unbeaten on eight in a 26-run, unbroken second wicket stand with

Off-spinning all-rounder Hayley Matthews (left) celebrates the wicket of Amy Satterthwaite with captain Corinne Hall.

Stalenberg, faced 38 balls and struck six fours.

In the other game at the venue, Jamaica and West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor had a quiet outing as her Adelaide Strikers went down by seven wickets to Melbourne Stars.

Strikers piled up 154 for six off their 20 overs after being asked to bat first, with Laura Wolvaardt hitting 68 from 50 balls.

Taylor made just 20 from 15 balls before perishing in the final over via the run out route.

The 29-year-old then sent down a single over of off-spin for 15 runs as Stars won with two balls to spare, courtesy of captain Meg Lanning’s 69 at the top of the order.

Lanning put 53 for the first wicket with Elyse Villani (43) and a further 93 for the second wicket with Mignon du Preez (31).

PAGE 24

Thursday November 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

Sushma Verma and Sune Luus star in Velocity’s come-from-behind victory ESPNcricinfo - All it took was the confidence to go through with the big shot. For the entire evening, the Supernovas bowlers had been teasing the opposition with taunting, loopy spin. On a slow pitch, it was an excellent tactic. But Sushma Verma had both the bravery to step out of her crease and the skill to hit sixes when all the pressure was on her team. Her partnership of 51 off 35 balls for the fifth wicket with Sune Luus was pivotal to Velocity coming from behind and taking down the defending champions.

All of this drama, when the target was only 127.

Slow pitch blues A late-season Sharjah pitch demanded a lot from every batter that went out there.

The fast bowlers just had to maintain a good length and attack the stumps. The spinners had to avoid dropping it short. Even a hitter of the calibre of Chamari Atapattu was pottering around at 20 off 23 balls in the eighth over. The Supernovas were 43 for 2 at the time and the arrival of their captain appeared to have woken them up.

It was desperately hard work working the ball around into gaps because of the slowness of the surface, but

Sushma Verma targets the leg-side boundary. (BCCI)

Sune Luus targets the midwicket boundary, Supernovas vs Velocity, Women’s T20 Challenge, Sharjah, November 4, 2020 © BCCI Harmanpreet Kaur was able to do it beautifully and then began opening up. A six over deep midwicket off Luus in the 14th over signalled that she was ready to go.

Atapattu at the other end had already kicked into gear at and 42 off 36 balls with two fours and two sixes.

Alam’s day out At 13 overs, Supernovas were 89 for 2 and looking to launch. At 13.1, the game changed.

Jahanara Alam suckered Atapattu to long-on with a wide ball well outside of her reach. She then had Kaur

caught at fine leg in the 17th over and finished with figures of 2 for 27.

Those two wickets were incredibly vital. The Supernovas lost their two biggest hitters with more than three overs of their innings still left to play. As a result, they could make only 10 runs off the last 18 balls. And lost four wickets doing so.

An awkward chase Dani Wyatt fell in the first over.Shafali Verma batted like a dream. She hit Ayabonga Khaka for a hat-trick of boundaries that made the (Continued on page 19)

Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Colin de Grandhomme on New Zealand injury list ESPNcricinfo - Tim Southee, Neil Wagner and Colin de Grandhomme are part of a growing injury list for New Zealand, but coach Gary Stead is hopeful that most of the problems are not longterm concerns ahead of the start of the international summer against West Indies.

However, left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel has suffered a setback in his recovery from the calf strain that has delayed the start of his season.

Southee (back), Wagner (hip/groin) and de Grandhomme (right foot) have been ruled out of Northern Districts’ next Plunket Shield match, although it is hoped that Southee will be able to return in round four which starts on November 14.

Henry Nicholls, who has yet to play this season, is on course to return from a calf injury in round four as well for Canterbury.

Matt Henry has previously been ruled out for up to six weeks after breaking his thumb.

“Injuries are always a concern and we’re certainly monitoring each case closely with our medical staff,” Stead said.

“Tim Southee and Henry

Tim Southee celebrates a wicket. (AFP)

Nicholls are both expected to be fit for round four of the Plunket Shield.

“Neil Wagner and Colin de Grandhomme both have niggles and we are awaiting scan results on their respective injuries to ascertain the next steps.

“Likewise, Ajaz Patel had a scan on his left calf after suffering a setback in his return to play rehabilitation. An update on Neil, Ajaz and Colin

will be provided once their scan results have been received and assessed.”

Of the injured players, Southee and de Grandhomme are likely to feature in New Zealand’s T20I squad to face West Indies from the end of November, whereas Wagner and Nicholls are key parts of the Test side.

The first Test against West Indies starts on December 3 in Hamilton.

Football moving in right direction under new...

From page 23 been introduced,” Dover said.

“When the GFF made the decision to introduce Jamaal Shabazz into Guyana’s football that was the moment there was a transformation of the National team and me as a coach I learned so much from him. Odinga Lumumba provided me with a huge opportunity when he appointed me Alpha United Coach.

This was the closest any club from Guyana operates as a professional outfit. It was an environment any coach would want to be in,” continued Dover.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the entire world but personally, it has affected me because the many boys and girls who look forward to us being with them daily to teach them life skills and values that are missing and it hurts very much not to be able to be there for them,” posited Dover who is married with three children.

“I also remember my assignment by the GFF to provide coaching to the inmates of the Sophia Juvenile Detention Centre.

That stint working with the lads there is testimony of the importance of us as Coaches.

To me the lasting impact the lads left on me was to see them search for a figurehead to be there for them.

I pass there regularly and when the lads see me they shout out ‘Coachman’ from the windows of their cells which has an emotional effect on me, but I continue to pass so the lads could satisfy their eagerness to see me,” disclosed Dover.

Except for two personal trips, Dover has travelled to 30 Countries while on National duty and said when not involved with the ‘beautiful game’ he enjoys spending time with his family and lis-

tening to hard-core Reggie music.

Dennis Browne, Bob and Ziggy Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Sizzla Kolanji being among his favourite artistes.

“The biggest difference between the players in my playing days and before my time was that they were more skilful and committed to the game than players now.

That’s a reality and not a criticism and I could safely say so since I am actively involved in both eras,” Dover stated.

Dover’s thoughts on overseas players especially the women, is that the Governing body (FIFA) gives every player an opportunity to play for the Country their grandparents or parents were born in and this has been utilised by many of the more powerful football nations and Guyana.

He is in full support of this because he says the overseas players add depth and strength to the programme.

According to Dover his favourite sportsmen are; Pele, Ronaldo Domingues, George Weah, Mike Tyson, Julio Cesar Chaves, Michael Jordon, Brian Lara and Shiv Chanderpaul and locally Gregory Richardson, Anthony Abrams, Anthony Stanton, Mortimer Stewart, Gordon Braithwaite and the late Shawn Williams.

Dover said some of the best players he has coached are Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson, Anthony Abrams, Nigel Codrington, Charles Pollard, Howard Lowe, Collie Hercules, Randolph Jerome, Ronson Williams and Richard Reynolds, while he added that some of the players to look out for are Omari Glasgow, Marcus Wilson, Derron Niles, Osafa Simpson, Nicholai Andrews, Jemar

Harrigan, Darwin George and Nicolas McArthur.

“Dr George Norton gave me the opportunity to become a Coach, while Frank Parris and Lawrence Griffith encouraged me to take the job.

Derryck White was the first Coach the first and only local Coach who advised and offered guidance as I embarked on my new football journey,” Dover remembered.

He advised young players to take the game seriously, practice hard, be committed, dedicated, determined and disciplined.

“Football is a vehicle that could drive you to economic prosperity and it all comes through hard work. Those in school focus on your academics and strive to come out on top.

There are lots of opportunities for you now, especially since the GFF announced a scholarship Committee to oversee young talented and educated boys and girls for opportunities in prestigious Colleges and Universities throughout North America and the rest of the world. Stay away from violence, crime and drugs and make the sky your limit,” encouraged Dover.

“If I had to live my life over, the approach I would take is to focus more on academics and health. When we are small we kinda take things for granted until we are old enough to understand them differently.

During our youthful days we wanted to play more than anything else. We didn’t even want to eat and when we did it wasn’t as healthy as it should be.

The knowledge I gained as I grew older allows me to be more focused and gives me the drive now to advise the youths, including my children on what to do to be successful,” concluded Dover.

Thursday November 05, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 25

Football moving in right direction under new GFF says Coach Dover

Coach Wayne Dover working with some players.

By Sean Devers National U-20 Coach Wayne ‘Wiggy’ Dover was a right full back for most of his playing days for YSM Beacons FC and won the league at U-14, U-16, Senior as well as the Kashif and Shanghai K.O Tournament and runners-up in the U-20s, but coaching was his calling.

The 47-year-old was selected in National squads at both junior and senior levels but never played a game for Guyana.

The dynamic Dover singled out winning the inaugural Independence Cup in Suriname in November 2009 when Guyana won its highest FIFA Ranking, as best memory in Coaching.

The National U-20s good showing in this year ’s CONCACAF U-20 World Cup qualifier in Nicaragua when they lost 1-nil to the host in the final is not far behind.

During his illustrious Coaching career, which is far from finished, the dreadlocked Coach enjoyed success in the Hamilton Green Birthday, Omai, East Bank and the Bartica Regatta tournaments with Beacons FC, the CFU group qualifiers success in Jamaica with Alpha FC, won four National Leagues, four GT leagues, two Kashif and Shanghai KO tournaments, two Namilco KO tournaments and two Mayor’s Cups with Alpha, Alpha’s qualification for the CONCACAF Champions League.

Dover, who coached in the semi-professional league in Trinidad, is presently employed as a full time

Coach by the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).

Rated among the best Coaches in Guyana, Dover was born on October 30, 1973 to Godfrey Deane and Joane Dover and is the eldest of seven siblings including a sister. He grew-up in Leopold Street Werk-en-rust, Georgetown.

“In my boyhood days you saw all kinds of people in my neighbourhood. The good, bad, ugly and the indifferent, yet I still managed to among the good,” stated Dover.

He attended the Charlestown Secondary school where sport was encouraged and several football tournaments were played.

“My interest in Football started from watching my uncles and other men playing in the street. I as a youth developed a passion for the game and started to play with other youths in the streets.

Otis James and Julian Masdammer were my close friends and they took me to join the then YSM Beacons football club. We all went on to represent Guyana in different ways.

Otis became a FIFA referee, Julian became a Junior and Senior National player and I became a National Junior and Senior Coach …and we all came from Leopold Street,” stated Dover proudly.

“My most memorable moment in Football is making my senior debut for Beacons against Thomas United FC in 1988 at age 14.

I played my last competitive game in 1999 against Fruta Conquerors in

Champions Guyana celebrate winning the 2009 independence Cup tournament in Suriname. the Mayor’s Cup Finals at GFC and we lost 2-1.

After the game the club was without a Coach and I was approached by the then President Dr George Norton to Coach the club and that’s how I got involved in Coaching,” Dover informed.

“I prefer to Coach U-20 players more than the Seniors since it gives me an opportunity to teach the players a wide range on the pillars of the game. The seniors would have a better understanding of the game, so with them it would be a process of managing the team more than teaching the fundamentals of the game which they would be expected to know at that stage,” Dover said.

Dover said his biggest challenge as a Coach was trying to become qualified with the required licenses.

“The previous Football administration was not inclined to see Coaches become qualified. A number of Coaches including myself acquired the English FA ‘B’ license, but never went on to obtain any other based on a lack of opportunities.

However, this current Administration has embarked on Coaches education, and as such, over 50 Coaches obtained their license. Coaching is now a priority of this administration,” explained Dover who became ‘B’ licenced in 2006 after Joseph Wilson, Collie Hercules and Paul James received certification the year before.

“The standard of Football in Guyana could be and would be improved. It’s a

work in progress and as much as the GFF is the governing body it’s not all up to the GFF alone to saddle the burden of lifting the standard of the game.

In order for the standard to rise, we need Government and the private sector’s input.

With input from those two bodies, there could be all round improvement, where the Government and the private sector collaborates strongly to build proper Football facilities across the nation so that players officials and fans could be comfortable.

In my estimation I think for football improve the way it should, Government and Private sector needs to work together with one goal and objective,” added Dover. “ M y b i g g e s t disappointment in my Football career as a player

for Beacons FC, was when the club failed to progress out of the group stage of the CFU Cup, while I was disappointed as a Coach that I couldn’t manage to help Guyana qualify or win a major tournament, despite my success in Suriname,” lamented Dover.

“I love coaching more than playing because it gives me the opportunity to play an important role in the lives of many boys and girls.

This, to me, is most fundamental since the youngsters look to us coaches for guidance, protection, inspiration and love.

We play the role of a father, brother, uncle, preacher, teacher and police officer. I give all those examples because of the differences in the environment and mentality

of the player.

I prefer Coaching because as a player it was me as an individual, but with Coaching it’s about part of a generation of boys and girls that falls directly under my care, so that’s what makes it so special to me since it’s about helping to shape so many young lives,” Dover explained.

“In previous years, there was much in-fighting that stagnated the game from growing. This current administration has brought about a calm that has never been before in our football and as such, the other ingredients should be mixed with all the efforts made to move the game rapidly forward towards development which has started already through all the programmes that have (Continued on page 24 )

Competition for places will spur Windies performance in New Zealand - Johnny Grave

Football moving in right direction under new GFF says Coach Dover

Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer were absent from England tour but will add steel to Windies batting in New Zealand.

Coach Wayne Dover

p.

23

t r o Sp Virat Kohli (L) is hoping to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore to their first IPL title.

Palace defender Sakho wins WADA apology and damages over doping claims Mamadou Sakho (Getty Images)

IPL final four: Mumbai again, or can Kohli cause an upset?

Maradona’s surgery on blood clot on his brain declared a ‘success’ despite some issues - Fans stage a vigil outside his hospital in Argentina Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8452, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.