Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 17, 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

Attacks on officers of the law When officers of the law are victimized and brutalized in the performance of their duties, the law itself that binds the fabric of society comes under attack, is made to look weak and wanting. This renders every citizen vulnerable. The latest example of such lawlessness occurred recently, when a driver operating under a DUI state, made threats of violence and actually engaged in hostile and aggressively violent behaviour with an officer of the law, rightly going about his responsibility. That the vehicle, the offender was driving, also had a heavy, possibly illegal tint, was uninsured and uncertified, only made matters even more unacceptable. The law itself is menaced and placed on the defensive, when more and more citizens in the wrong (usually) take matters into their own hands (literally) to inflict bodily and psychological harm (actually) on police officers. Though still occasional, the instances of such incidents are too close together not to be a cause of concern. Where is the dividing line? Why the ongoing disregard for the law and what is law abiding? Why the features of civility, discipline and restraint are so lacking, so easily unleashed? In a tightly spaced society, citizens observe what is going on at the top and decide that what is good for the gander is good for the goose. Thus, when leaders look the nation in the face and say that no laws are broken with oil blocks, a standard is set. Drunk drivers imitate them: don’t stop us. Don’t challenge. Don’t do anything. Domestic abusers have the same mentality: home is castle, cannot be reached, not even by the law, for there they are kings, no matter how far they go. These self-serving positions, mostly insupportable, saturate society, from the leadership heights to the middle and bottom. It is part of the national culture: disregard for the law; constant objections to rules and regulations, which are held as applying to everyone else, but not to them. It is why men and women, clearly in violation of the law, attack and injure officers of the law. The incidents are glaring and have startled. They have not reached as far as shocking yet, because most citizens have been immunized by the jadedness that comes from the chronic lawlessness and disorderliness that are so much an embedded aspect of daily life in Guyana. There is crime on the streets, as captured by phones and surveillance systems, and which overcome frail defenses offered, when hauled before the courts. On the other hand, the white-collar crimes, involving hundreds of millions and likely tens of billions, stolen by bureaucrats and politicians, never see the light of justice. There is little chance of prevailing in the courts, given the army of professional silencers and legal protectors, who line up to diminish the costly tolls of the crimes committed, or arrange to make them go away completely. In this manner, crime is heaped upon crime. The regular citizen see and suspect, listen and live with, a gang of political criminals, who get away with everything, from thieveries to felonies and anything in between. The more money there is involved, the more prolific the criminal feasting. The little people observe all this, and tell themselves that they, too, are not held to any standard, not accountable also, that they can push and breach, at will, the system of laws, and still get off scot-free. Sections of the citizenry feel and think that they are victims of the trickeries, man-made and managed smartly, of democratic processes that leave them in the wilderness. Thus, they rail up and rant at what they have misinterpreted as part of the climate of injustice that is against them. Regardless of how this may be unjustified by circumstances that are the mindset, that has coalesced into the hard concrete of Guyana’s agonizing divide. Members of the Guyana Police Force are seen as particularly objectionable targets. That is because they stand as gatekeepers - that thin line of defense, which separates civility from chaos. They, therefore, come under attack and there are hints that this will continue, if only to vent the frustrations and hostilities that lie below; add alcohol and lawlessness rises. Overall, it is a discouraging state.

Observers of domestic violence have a duty to report it Dear Editor, News that the Government of Guyana in collaboration with the European Union and United Nations, has launched a $1bln. Project to combat domestic violence is to be welcomed on the eve of International Day Against Domestic Violence. At a function to launch the project, Minister Vindhya Persaud was reported as saying: “We must ask ourselves why violence continues to be pervasive and persistent. The heartrending cries of women who are beaten, chopped stabbed, raped , brutalized and yes, killed in this most horrific form of gender oppression has propelled us to embark on a pivotal partnership with the UN and EU significantly improve the conditions of women foster their empowerment and work to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence.” The minister went on to call on the public “to not hesitate to report cases of abuse”’ She informed that a ‘914 Helpline’ will be introduced by her ministry “to facilitate the reporting of domestic and sexual violence.” The call by the minister to ‘report cases of abuse’ is instructive. Her call should

not be interpreted as one directed only to the abused but to others who may have heard the constant quarrels, the blows and the screams but did not answer to the calls for help leaving the abused at the mercy of the assailant. The minister’s call is also to the bystander/onlooker who knew all along about the instances of abuse but chose to ignore the calls for help claiming what they heard and saw was an ‘everyday kinda thing.’ The bystander/onlooker, in keeping with their civic responsibility has a duty to report instances of abuse in whatever shape or form less they be perceived as an accessory to the crime. Moreover, to not report persistent cases of abuse of a victim would be tantamount to acting out a role in Thomas Harris’ ‘Silence of the Lambs’ where criminality and false morality blends into a perverse, but silent allegiance to the killer. The establishment of a 914 Helpline is an urgent necessity. It is hoped that the technical problems encountered with the establishment of the National 911 Emergency System would not be repeated. In the first half of 2014 in last PPP/C government, there were one thousand seven hundred and forty three (1,743) reports of domestic

violence across the country. The highest occurrences of cases were: in Georgetown and the East Bank; West Demerara; Berbice; and the East Coast, in that order. The majority of victims were females with men as victims to a lesser extent. The majority of domestic violence cases reported to the police were assaults, threatening and abusive language. There were also cases of abuse with threats , assault and abuse, wounding, and assault causing actual bodily harm among others. Actions taken by the police included taking statements, warnings, arresting and charging and placing before the court. That was six years ago. Since then, domestic violence has taken on a more gruesome and bloody character. Thus far, for 2020 we have had six horrendous and ghastly domestic violence occurrences. In January, Bibi Sabeeda Ally called ‘Annette’ from Crane West Coast Demerara was stabbed multiple times to death by her husband while she slept. In March, Natoya Speede-King a Mother of three was chopped to death at the Bartica airstrip by her husband from whom she was separated for some time. In August, a 57-year-old woman of Good Hope, Ruby, was brutally murdered following a

feud involving her son and neighbours. In October, Clarabel Johnson called ‘Bella’ a mother of three of Albouystown, Georgetown was chopped to death by her former reputed husband. In November, 24-year-old, mother of three, Amrita Rahim called ‘Sally’ of Rosignol West Bank Berbice was stabbed by her husband while she lay in bed. Again in November, Sanesha Lall a 16year-old girl from Richmond Housing Scheme, Essequibo was stabbed to death twenty times by a man with whom she had an abusive relationship. In all six occurrences, it was only when the press visited the scene of the crime or the neighbourhood where the crime was committed that relatives, as well as neighbours would publicly admit knowing that the relationship between the victim and the attacker was abusive with constant quarrels, harassment and threats, yet everyone kept to themselves claiming that the relationship was ‘on and off,’ that ‘teeth and tongue must bite’ and ‘look, leh we nah get involved in dem people story.’ In the end, it was the woman who ended up being murdered brutally by either her husband, ex-husband or estranged lover. It was only after the brutal murder that all (Continued on page 6)

Men need to start doing some self-evaluation when it comes to violence against women Dear Editor, Within the past few days, the media has reported on the deaths of three women, at the hands of men. The first woman was burnt to death by her husband who set their home on fire, the second woman was a 16-year-old girl who was stabbed 20 times by a man with whom it is alleged that she was in a relationship with but which she recently severed, and the third woman was stabbed several times by her husband. In the first case the man committed suicide by burning himself in the fire and the second case the man attempted suicide by consuming a poisonous substance and it is not certain what his current medical condition is. In all three of these deaths, these helpless women were brutally and violently killed by a man who they trusted and were in a relationship with except for the 16-year-old who it is reported had severed the relationship. And then these cowardly men after committing their evil act decide to commit suicide or

attempt suicide. These women do not deserve to be slaughtered like that or to be victims of any kind of intimate partner violence. Women are human beings too that deserve love, respect, comfort, and protection. It is high time now that these types of violence against women must stop. Women should not have to live in fear of their lives. The intimate partner violence situation in Guyana is out of control and there need to be immediate urgent interventions to curb this behaviour and wipe it out completely. I am sure many persons will be looking to the government to initiate such interventions but we cannot rely on the government to do everything. We need to start initiating these interventions by ourselves. We need to start within ourselves first and by ourselves here I mean, we men need to start acting to change this behaviour. Intimate partner violence is a learned behaviour and therefore it can be unlearnt. We men need to start initiating this

behavioural change from within ourselves. We men need to recognize that it is not a macho thing to hit or kill a woman. Rather hitting and killing a woman is a cowardly and evil act. It is a manifestation of our own insecurities and low selfesteem that we feel the need to hit a woman to soothe our bruised ego. We men must act now to stop intimate partner violence. I believe it is time that we men need to start doing some self-evaluation and introspection of ourselves and our actions. Traditionally we are supposed to be the maintainers and protectors of women but rather we have become the biggest threat to their existence. It is like we are at war with our womenfolk. Imagine a man taking a knife and stabs a woman who he is supposed to have loved 20 times. What kind of rage and hate would make a man do something like that? Are we men out of control? Is the pacifying of our ego so much more important than the lives of the women who we have killed? No, it cannot be. Men

cannot survive in this world without their better half. And it is time now that we take stock of our actions and work to create a better society for our women. We also need to be our brother’s keepers and talk to or stop other men who we see are ill-treating women. When we men hang out, whether it is in the rum shop, the workplace, the church, the mosque, the mandir, the golf club, the cricket ground, the football ground or just liming on the street corner we need to bring up the topic of intimate partner violence. We need to talk about it all the time. We need to talk about it so much until it has become ingrained in our psyche that we must not hit women. We need to counsel our sons and nephews that they must not hit women. In every ‘gaff’ that we have, we must talk about intimate partner violence. We men have a huge responsibility to ensure that we stop and eradicate intimate partner violence. Yours truly, Shazad Sookram

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 17, 2020

Both administrations have failed to address the concerns of bauxite workers Dear Editor, The struggle of the bauxite workers has come full circle back into the hands of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration where it all began. December will mark eleven years of bauxite workers and their Union representing their case to successive governments to ensure the Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI), a company that is 80 percent owned by RUSAL and 10 percent by the Government of Guyana, that the RUSAL/BCGI management respects Guyana’s sovereignty and the Labour laws that protect the people of Guyana. How much more must bauxite workers do to get the government to show care and consideration for these workers’ plight and ensure justice and respect for the Laws of Guyana? How much more must we do? It is unacceptable and remains unbelievable that successive governments have failed to conclude a right and a just struggle for bauxite workers. Under the Donald Ramotar administration the struggle

was able to realise a letter, issued in March 2012 by Minister of Labour Dr. Nanda Gopaul, to the company for compulsory arbitration but that administration never finalised the dispute through the regulatory arbitration measure. Nonetheless, this was an improvement after the stagnation of resolution under Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir during the Bharrat Jagdeo administration, under whose watch the concerns of bauxite workers were first raised. Whereas the outstanding grievances reached the stage for arbitration under Ramotar/ Gopaul it never materialised and, the new administration of A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) despite repeated efforts of the Guyana Bauxite & General Workers Union (GB&GWU) and workers to activate compulsory arbitration, the David Granger administration with Ministers Keith Scott and Amna Ally also failed

to bring the grievances to arbitration. At the intervention of the latter, RUSAL/BGCI was forced to come to the table in March 2019 but once again the company failed to negotiate in good faith seemingly with the support of Minister Scott, whose actions appeared inimical to the bauxite union and workers. Under pressure from the Union and with the intervention of Minister Ally the stage was set for arbitration. The response of the Russian management was that it preferred to shutter operations than submit to the Rule of Law and respect the rights of the workers to industrial dispute settlement. The Government, as a 10 percent part-owner of the c o m p a n y, following negotiations with the Union and in response to support from wider society, agreed to pay workers as part of a package until arbitration was instituted. Elections followed and when the administration changed in August the matter was outstanding. Workers and their union representatives, at the change of the new

...Opportunity exists for research-based diversification From page 5 synthetic material resources and production capability needed to meet this ever increasing demand, but despite advances in disposal and management techniques the persistence of plastic and plastic residues in the environment will continue to pose a threat to the biosphere. In the context of toothbrush manufacturing, further R&D work will be required to fabricate a product that matches the existing plastic version in mechanical flexibility, durability and other user friendly features, but already some Asian countries are producing toothbrushes with handles made from bamboo and other biodegradable material. There is no doubt that environment-driven considerations are influencing the trends towards the replacement of chemically synthesized

plastics with plant-based materials for the popular utilized drinking straws for example, and such other disposable utensils. I remember as far back as 1992 at the Rotary International Convention in Melbourne Australia, I and my wife were served a main meal at a conference restaurant presented on a plate molded and cast from a rice flour blend and completely edible after, obviating the need after for its collection and mass disposal with other garbage. Even at that time and at that forum sensitivity to environmental concerns were being demonstrated with exemplary creativity. With current annual world toothbrush usage estimated to be in excess of seven billion conservatively, the conversion of incremental, even small, percentages of this market to the biodegradable option, is an

attractive proposition, with the potential to rapidly increase as specific production technology advances. The use of bamboo and cane rind for toothbrush handles has the advantage in mechanical flexibility over the short fibre soft woods as a fast-growing renewable material source. However further R&D work may be needed to refine and adapt its desirable attributes to mass production technology. Surely part of the revenue accrued from a major successful toothbrush production enterprise can contribute towards funding pertinent research and development initiatives in biodegradable options for the benefit of environmental wholesomeness. Yours truly, Fritz C. McLean Former GuySuCo Director and Diversification Specialist of SPU

administration, were invited to a meeting with the new Minister of Labour Joe Hamilton who expressed and appeared to have genuine concern for the unresolved labour dispute that he inherited. He is on public record, in August, committing to workers’ rights and said Guyanese workers will not be taken advantage of by foreign or local companies. The Union felt that with the restoration of the Ministry of Labour, that the Guyana Trades Union Congress is on record constantly lobbying for, and with the appointment of a new minister who expressed care and concern, that their case would be swiftly addressed to bring resolution. On Saturday 29th August, workers welcomed Minister Hamilton at Watooka House in Linden and without prejudice laid their concerns before him in a cordial atmosphere. They reassured him of their willingness to give him a chance to complete the process leading to resolution of what is now the longest industrial dispute in Guyana. It is also the first time in the industrial history of Guyana that successive governments, as custodians of the laws and part owner of a business, have largely ignored the plight of the people and failed them. It

has now been more than two months since the meeting with the Minister and no further word has been received and no action perceived from him to give meaning to his initial promises. Several efforts, both by telephone (4+) and letters (3), were made to contact the Minister re the implementation of compulsory arbitration. As such GB&GWU is now calling publicly on the Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton1. To implement compulsory arbitration consistent with the Labour Law and as agreed to the Government of Guyana in February 2020 and March 2012, 2. To provide a temporary financial and other alleviation package for workers until the conclusion of arbitration, 3. To recognise that bauxite, a major industry in the Guyana economy that built this nation along with sugar, remains a viable productive entity adding to the coffers of Guyana. Workers should not be made to suffer as a result of vindictive, authoritarian actions of any foreign company seeking to violate our national sovereignty, regardless of the government in office. Entire communities rely on bauxite for sustenance and these communities, workers and their families have seen stagnation of development and reduction in

their financial capacity (wages and salaries since 2009). Many workers remain unemployed. GB&GWU notes the care and consideration meted out to the beleaguered sugar industry for sustenance and calls on the Government to similarly invest in the wellbeing of bauxite workers, through wages/salaries and compulsory arbitration. From all indications RUSAL is leaving Guyana. The company is moving and shipping out vehicles and equipment. This company has extremely poor human and industrial relations practices wherever it exists, including in its own country, Africa and Jamaica. Government should be aware of this. Presently workers in Jamaica employed by RUSAL are protesting delay in the negotiation for wages and other benefits. RUSAL, having shown great disregard for the Laws and workers of Guyana and the ease within which it seeks to violate our sovereignty, is not a company that should be allowed to operate in Guyana, save and except under the strictest controls, monitoring and abidance with all our statutes, industrial and cultural norms. Lincoln Lewis General Secretary GB&GWU

...Observers of domestic violence From page 4 who knew, what they knew, but kept quiet all along would start talking. Experience has shown that Neighbourhood and Community Police can play an important role detecting and preventing potential occurrences of domestic violence, child maltreatment and molestation, attempted rape, intimate partner violence, drug trafficking and drunken and abusive behaviour in neighbourhoods. Once trained in the fundamentals of social work, neighbourhood and community police, working alongside professional social workers, can be of great assistance in defusing tension within and among families in particular, and in neighbourhoods in general. Neighbourhood and Community Police tend to be more familiar than the regular police with festering problems in neighbourhoods where they are active. In addition, their physical presence in the neighbourhood for the purpose of intelligence gathering and enforcement of preventative measures would

go a far way in reducing violent occurrences. With this in mind, steps should be taken to recruit one social worker per police station or outpost. They should be attached to specific station districts and integrated into the community and neighbourhood police activities as well as the Cops and Faith Community Network established in 2013 to help in reducing incidents of domestic violence among other primary, secondary and tertiary levels of crime in communities. At the same time a corresponding number of Community and Neighbourhood Police should be recruited and integrated into the arrangement mentioned above with emphasis on intelligence driven surveillance and patrols in targeted street in targeted neighbourhoods. In mid-2014, I took a paper to cabinet requesting an increase of one hundred (100) Neighbourhood Police ranks. I also requested recruitment of seventy (70) trained social

workers to work along with the Neighbourhood Police. Cabinet approved my request to recruit the hundred Neighbourhood Police but with regard to the social workers I was advised to ‘work it out’ with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Protection since that Ministry was responsible for recruiting and deploying social workers. With elections looming on the horizon my proposal was overtaken by the campaign leading up to the 2015 general and regional election. The launch of the UN/EU/ GOG project to combat domestic violence is not only timely, it is badly needed and would breathe new life into the on-going fight against domestic violence, child abuse and molestations and intimate partner violence. The project’s urgent implementation must not be impeded by bureaucrats who have a passion for heaping paper on paper, creating procedures and making promises before helping victims. Yours truly, Clement J. Rohee

Tuesday November 17, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 17, 2020

Govt. starts mapping areas for new housing projects

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The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has commenced surveys for new housing projects. The activity is part of Government's plan to demarcate and map out new areas for housing schemes. The CH&PA has been working with the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL); Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) and the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) to help the department identify lands for new housing projects across the country. So far, GLSC has assisted in identifying some 240 acres of land for a new housing development at Poke Bridge, Lethem, Region Nine. Over the coming days, surveyors from the CH&PA will commence the block and topographic survey for lands at Poke Bridge. On Saturday, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal; Mayor of Lethem, John Macedo; Regional Chairman, Brian Allicock; and Regional Member of Parliament Alister Charlie were led on a visit to the site by surveyor of the CH&PA, Shaquelle Mayers. The Minister and regional officials were briefed on the plans for the area and how it will benefit the region. Mayers and a team from the housing agency are expected to commence their work in the area by November 20, 2020. Upon the conclusion of the survey, CH&PA will proceed with the design and layout of the scheme which will yield some 800 lots. This surveying exercise will further consolidate and kick start the process with the GL&SC. â€œâ€Ś2021 will be an exciting year for the housing (continued on page 17)

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Minister of Housing, Collin Croal speaks with the survey team during his visit to Lethem, Region Nine

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 17, 2020

Watchman’s drinking buddy to be GNBS now capable of testing charged for his murder - police sources concrete hollow blocks The Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) is now fully capable of testing the compressive strength of locally manufactured concrete hollow blocks. This will help to determine whether blocks available for construction are conforming to the requirements of the Guyana Standard Specification for load-bearing masonry concrete units (GYS 215:2003). Testing of concrete hollow blocks by the GNBS is now possible after its ‘Industrial Metrology and Testing Services Department’ acquired the requisite training, equipment, and facility. Hollow blocks of common sizes including three inches, four inches and six inches can be tested. “The GNBS is therefore encouraging local manufacturers, domestic block makers, contractors, and homeowners, who have long awaited this service, to commence the submission of their concrete hollow blocks to its testing laboratory for initially or routinely testing. The results provided would be an accurate indication of the quality of blocks being manufactured and used during construction; and a certificate would be provided for tests conducted.” Importantly, the sample size of blocks to be tested would range from one to five blocks; depending on individual circumstances related to batch size or

A GNBS Lab technician conducts a test. purpose. Stakeholders are encouraged to contact the GNBS to ascertain the sample size needed for testing. Meanwhile, under its ‘Product Certification Scheme’, the GNBS said it is looking to expand its service towards the certification of concrete hollow blocks. “This certification will include batch certification. These certification and testing services will be provided at very affordable costs.” For many years, homeowners and

contractors have expressed concerns about the poor quality of concrete hollow blocks provided by some makers. It is anticipated that the new testing and certification services of the GNBS will help to concretely address these quality concerns and reduce complaints of users. Ultimately, the increased testing and certification of the blocks is a significant step towards assuring stakeholders of the integrity of new concrete structures.

Coalition files parliamentary motion for speedy probe into West Coast... From page 3 gender, but I believe that anyone who saw those bodies, either physically or through photography, would agree that whoever did this was full of hate and so the longer it takes for these crimes to be solved, the greater the inferences that the public will draw…the more pain the families will feel.” Only recently, the police announced that they arrested several new suspects for both murders. This was after receiving credible leads sprung from a $3M reward. The force came under

heavy fire from the attorney representing the Henry family, Nigel Hughes, who viewed the reward as an “admission of failure” as they are still working on locating the crime scene where the boys were brutally slain, even after an intense search of the Cotton Tree backlands, with a fullfledged team of investigators. Added to this, DNA sample results from a cigarette butt, retrieved from the scene did not match DNA taken from the suspects, who were initially arrested. The law enforcement officials failed to make charges

even after receiving support from a CARICOM investigative team. Efforts are being made to acquire the services of the special Argentine Forensics Team to continue the probe into the murders. To bring in the Argentine team with the necessary equipment needed to conduct their investigations would cost in excess of $4M. Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, had stated that Guyana prefers to seek assistance from the US, UK and Canada, as it shares a special relationship with those authorities.

BK wants Govt. to review termination... From page 8 advance. The AG in his letter to BK made it explicitly clear that only five percent of the scheduled works have been completed. Similar to Courtney Benn's case in the construction of the St. Rose's High School, AG Nandlall indicated that BK International had committed

a “fundamental breach of the terms of the contract,” with the government terminating the contract with “immediate effect.” Notably, BK will not walk scot free, as the AG made it clear that the government will impose the enforcement of 10% of the contract sum as liquidated damages. Further to this, will be the

surrendering of the performance security as consequence of the two company's “fundamental” breach of the contracts. Both BK International and Courtney Benn Contracting Services were requested to have the sites of the two schools cleared “immediately.”

The man who claimed to be a drinking buddy of Bharrat Dass, a watchman of MediCare Pharmacy, is likely to be charged today for his murder. Dass was found by one of his sons on the back steps of his work place located on New Market Street, Cummingsburg, Georgetown, at around 05:30 hrs. on November 6. He was battered and lying on a blood-soaked cardboard. He died five days later on November 11, while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). However, before he passed away, his final words to his sons might just be the most important clue, which led detectives to identify his alleged killers. Those words were “Dem boys beat meh and rob meh…check the security cameras…the cameras have everything.” It is not clear whether detectives had indeed checked the security cameras. Nevertheless, they were able to apprehend three individuals who were last seen with Dass on November 5, the night he was severely beaten and robbed. One of those individuals who reportedly told investigators that he was imbibing with Dass that evening was identified as the prime suspect. Kaieteur News reported on Monday that enough information and evidence were obtained to implicate him in the crime. Detectives were awaiting advice on the way forward. That advice returned yesterday from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). This newspaper was told

Murdered: Bharrat Dass that the prime suspect would face a murder charge at the Georgetown Magistrates Court. The two other individuals held by police will be released as investigations continue into the brutal murder of the watchman. One of those to be released shared an intimate relationship with Dass. She said that she was invited by him to have a few a drinks and was accompanied by the others. When the drinking session ended, she claimed that they had left Dass and boarded a taxi to head home. The prime suspect, however, dropped short at a location while she continued the journey along with the other individual. It is believed that suspect allegedly returned to the location where he had been

drinking with Dass and attacked him. Detectives believe that the robbery took place sometime after 22:30 hrs. on November 5. One theory is that Dass put up a fight with his attackers, which led to him being lashed to the head with a heavy object. An autopsy report revealed that Dass died from brain haemorrhage as a result of blunt trauma to the head. The following morning, when Dass was found lying on the cardboard, his cellphone was missing and blood splatters were seen on a bathroom wall located behind his workplace. This newspaper had also received information that on November 5, Dass was paid by his employer and had in his possession a large sum of cash.

Govt. starts mapping areas for new... From page 16 sector…we are looking to start allocation in 2021, and when we make an allocation, citizens can look forward to being allocated lot in schemes with the entire…necessary infrastructure,” Minister Croal said. According to Croal, this is part of the Ministry's commitment to providing adequate and affordable housing for all Guyanese. Simultaneously, the Minister within the Ministry, Susan Rodrigues is working along with other state agencies for the acquisition of lands to realise the government's vision of providing 50,000 house lots over the next five years. While speaking about the new development for Region Nine, Minister Croal said this will translate into building village economies while creating employment. “The housing and con-

struction sector can further strengthen village economies, the opening of new housing development would mean people will be given house lots and can start construction,” Minister Croal said. The construction sector, the Minister said, will provide direct employment for villagers. Residents were also told of the government's plan to reintroduce a vibrant hinterland housing project in 2021. This programme, the Minister said, will ensure that vulnerable families in hinterland regions are adequately housed. Also, over the weekend the Minister and a team from the Guyana Water Incorporated visited and held community meetings in a number of

villages in Region Nine. Meetings were held with residents of Shulinab, Wowetta, and Aranaputa, where discussions were held on the development plans for the respective villages. At Shulinab, the Minister commissioned a rig which will be drilling a well in that village. The Minister also visited pump stations in Wowetta and Aranaputa where he made a commitment to improving water delivery. Additionally, a commitment was made to improve the water supply to Annai. The Minister also commissioned a GYD $120M well drilling rig for hinterland regions through funding from the government of Guyana.

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Tuesday November 17, 2020

...GSCL Inc Prime Minister’s T20 Cup 4 set Prime Minister Mark Phillips tries his hand at the game.

Tuesday November 17, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You may be feeling emotionally good, but unfortunately the people around you don't seem to share this feeling. Your first instinct may be to sacrifice yourself in order to make the path easier for the next guy. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) There's an advantage to joining people in a social or family situation if possible, Taurus. Your role today is to bridge communication gaps. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Calm down and get organized before you spread your ideas to others, Gemini. This is especially true when it comes to love and romance. As soon as this topic comes up, you tense up and erupt inappropriately. CANCER(June21–July22) You've reached a climactic time of year regarding love and romance. This is the time when your dream finally materializes, or you realize that all your efforts are failures. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Your emotions are solid, and you feel good, Leo. At the same time, you may be tongue-tied. You're having a hard time expressing your true feelings in the way you'd like to, especially when it comes to love and romance. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Matters of love and romance should be going well, but try not to overdo it. Be careful of getting so caught up in the fantasy of romance that you fail to take care of the details.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) This is one of those days when the road forks in several directions and you must decide which way to go, Libra. This usually isn't hard. You just go with the flow. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Your plane is fueled, your bags packed, and you have clearance from the control tower, but for some reason, you just can't seem to get off the ground. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) The person who is most organized and stable will win the race, so let it be you. Be careful, though. Other people may try to distract you from your work. CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Your brain is buzzing in high gear . Anyone else would get dizzy trying to process even a fraction of the things that filter through your head in one day. The key for you is to not speak every single thought aloud but to keep your processing internal. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You may have a hard time relating to people in social situations. Perhaps you're frustrated at hearing the same shallow conversations over and over. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Things have probably been going well lately in the love and romance department. You find that communication has improved, and the witty banter is invigorating and educational.

From page 23 will receive a 50" 4k Smart TV valued at $120,000. In the Masters Over-45 category, the winner will pocket $200,000 and the runner up $50,000; while the ‘man-of-the-match’ in the final will receive a trophy and the ‘man-of-the-series’ will carry away a brand new 50" Smart TV valued at $100,000. In the All Stars category, (open to all ages), the winner will pocket a handsome $200,000; the runner-up $50,000; ‘man-of-the-match’ in the finals will receive a trophy; and the ‘man-of-the-series’ will receive a 40" Smart TV valued at $70,000. The tournament will be live streamed on Facebook, NCN and YouTube. No entrance fee is required. Among the sponsors of this year’s tournament are Banks DIH, Chung’s Global, Danny Persaud (Youtuber) It’s our life ARD, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, Elegance Jewellery and Pawn Shop, Price Chopper Store, Star Party Rentals, P&P Insurance, Dyna’s Embroidery, Caribbean Airlines, Crown Mining Supplies, Dinar Trading.

...Neymar absent as From page 20 qualifying campaign which, like most this season, came from the penalty spot. The Argentines will be without Exequiel Palacios after the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder fractured a bone in his spine in an aerial challenge, with his club saying he will out for three months. In the other matches Ecuador face Colombia in Quito, while Venezuela host Chile in Caracas and Paraguay will be hoping to move into the top four when they take on rock-bottom Bolivia in Asuncion. Fixtures on Tuesday (today) (All kick-offs GMT) Ecuador v Colombia, Venezuela v Chile (both 2100), Paraguay v Bolivia, Uruguay v Brazil (2300), Peru v Argentina (0030 Wednesday)

...Poverty forced Joshua From page 22 a lawyer. Only God knows who will need my help in the future. I must do it for their sake. That was and still is the catalyst for Wendy’s Pizza Parlour here in Guyana,” declared Joshua. “The pizza business benefitted me in more ways than one. The seemingly simplest way was the fact I could get bus money to go to UG and back. I did not have that. I would sometimes have to ask one of my uncles for some money just to go to UG and then not know how I am coming back home. Food is another benefit. There were days I was on campus, no one knows, the entire day I am without nothing to eat. I said God you are faithful. Some days I had no money to take a car to go into my street and I would walk and save the little I had for next day’s transportation to UG,” Joshua stated. “Wendy’s Pizza Parlour solved these things for me. I could now help out people and not only myself by using this business to be a blessing to others also.” “If I had one wish, it would be for everyone to fulfil their purpose in life. One person fulfilling purpose already helps an immeasurable amount of people so could you imagine 7.8 billion people doing what they are called to do? The world would surely be a better place. My most memorable moment is interchangeably, when I got the Special Award for LAW in

sixth form and me being accepted into UG. Those were feelings I would like to have all the days of my life. One brings about a joy for a job well done and the other notes a joy for great things are to come. Both are still appreciable. My goal is to have Wendy’s Pizza Parlour as a global enterprise. I would also like to write books. I want to become a Prime Minister. Not just for the title, but to make an impact and etch a country’s name into the scrolls of history that this country solved this global problem and henceforth made the world a better place.” The young man continued. “My message to young people is this, “Get it done”, “You can do it”. There are talents inside of you which are yearning to find expression. Hidden in some young person may be the engineer to build skyscrapers in Guyana or tunnels underground. How you start doesn’t have to be how you finish. Go back to the dreams you had as a child. Do not allow life to cheat you of your greatness. Do what you love to do. Pursue that dream. Push for a better tomorrow. DON’T GIVE UP! Your impact will be noted one day. Where you come from does have an impact on who you are. The beauty of life, however, is that your mind is the breeding ground for external influence and therefore, you can decide if this background will have an impact on your life or not.”

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Neymar absent as Uruguay test Brazil’s perfect start to World Cup qualifying today AFP - Brazil will put their perfect start to the South American 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign on the line today when they travel to Uruguay without Neymar and with worries over their form. Tite’s side laboured to a 1-0 win over a limited Venezuela on Friday thanks to a second-half strike from Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino to make it three wins from three on the long road to the finals in Qatar. However, having faced the three bottom teams so far, their place atop the single 10-

Roberto Firmino (L) scored the decisive goal for under-par Brazil in their World Cup South American qualifier against Venezuela. team CONMEBOL qualifying group will come under threat when they play in

Montevideo against a Uruguay team that purred in a 3-0 thumping of Colombia

on Friday. Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez both struck in a strong

Cricket Australia considers mass airlift of players, staff after Adelaide Covid-19 outbreak ESPNcricinfo - A mass airlift of Australian and BBL players and staff into Sydney looms large as Cricket Australia attempts to keep its summer plans afloat in the wake of the developing Covid-19 outbreak in South Australia. After Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania closed their borders to SA on Monday, CA’s planners worked quickly to figure a way to get Australian white-ball, Test match and Australia A squads, plus the Adelaide Strikers BBL squad, into position to travel into New South Wales as early as this morning to enable forthcoming fixtures to go on smoothly. While there is not yet any suggestion that the Adelaide Oval Test itself will move - ESPNcricinfo understands it is likely to remain in place even in the event of no crowds being permitted for the opening match of the marquee series between Australia and India - the likelihood of a spontaneous airlift is a reminder of a febrile environment that has taxed sporting administrators, players and coaches. Tim Paine and Matthew Wade (Tasmania), Marnus Labuschagne, Joe Burns, Michael Neser and Mitchell Swepson (Queensland), Cameron Green (Western Australia) and Travis Head and Kane Richardson (South Australia) are among the players looking at an early arrival into Sydney once logistics of travel, including possible charter flights, and accommodation are ironed out. The Strikers are expected to move early to evade the danger of being barred from entering Tasmania for the first

batch of BBL games in midDecember. Sporting bodies have learned it is better to be safe than sorry in terms of travelling as soon as possible if there is any danger of Australia’s state borders tightening, a dance that the AFL and the NRL completed more successfully earlier this year than the A-League. A Cricket Australia statement on Monday evening said: “Our biosecurity and operational teams are closely monitoring the situation and working to put in place the necessary plans to ensure players, coaches and staff are available for upcoming fixtures. “CA has always maintained that it would need to be agile as border conditions change and we thank the players, coaches and staff involved for their flexibility and all parties for their support. We will continue to provide updates as the situation evolves and look forward to hosting a safe and successful summer across all formats.” Australia’s Test captain Paine was among a host of players forced into selfisolating as state governments responded to the outbreak in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. Players and support staff from Tasmania, Western Australia, New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria all returned home from their Sheffield Shield hub in Adelaide last week, later than the November 9 date of arrival from SA that state governments have nominated as now requiring mandatory self-isolation. During yesterday Queensland’s state

government confirmed that anyone who has arrived from SA since November 9 will need to get tested and quarantine for 14 days which will impact the state squad while the Western Australia team were also isolating. “Following the State’s border closure to South Australia, WA players and staff who arrived from Adelaide on Saturday afternoon are currently undergoing 14 days of selfquarantine,” a WACA statement said. “The group started their quarantine on Saturday 14 November at 11:59pm, following the completion of the Marsh Sheffield Shield hub campaign, and will undergo Covid-19 testing over this period. The WACA is working closely with the relevant authorities to determine the best means of approach for player management over the two weeks.” However, the New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian has indicated that its borders will not be closed. NSW players returning from Adelaide have not been requited to self-isolate, but have a standing requirement to get tested and self-isolated should any experience possible Covid-19 symptoms. CA will continue assessing the state of play in SA, not only in terms of selfisolation requirements for domestic players but also in terms of how the current outbreak may affect plans for the start of the India Test series. The first match is scheduled to be played at Adelaide Oval from December 17 with Australia’s Test squad due to gather in the city during the previous week. The city is also due to host

BBL matches from late December. Pat Cummins, Australia’s vice-captain, remained confident a way would be mapped out to enable the main part of the season - the series against India and the BBL to take place. “CA have thought of every contingency,” he said. “I think if we can fly over to the UK and play in a bubble over there, it shows that we’ll find a way, whatever it takes. So we’ve done England, we’ve done IPL, the Shield guys and the WBBL girls have all had different kinds of bubbles they’ve been involved with, so we’ll see what level that’s at, but whatever it is, the priority is once we get there we play cricket. “It might be one of those cases where it’s different in different states. I think everyone knows we’ve got to be adaptable, I think the last six months more than any other time, you literally have to take it day by day.” The India squad - and the Australia players who were at the IPL - are currently undergoing 14 days quarantine in Sydney during which time they are able to train at Blacktown. That period ends on the eve of the ODI series which begins on November 27 at the SCG which will stage the first two matches before Canberra hosts the third ODI and first T20 with that series then returning to Sydney. India have two warm-up matches against Australia A in Sydney ahead of the Test series, the first at Drummoyne Oval from December 6-8, which overlaps with the T20 series, followed by a daynight match at the SCG from December 11-13.

display that saw Atletico Madrid striker Suarez score from the penalty spot for the third time in two matches with his country. Brazil will need to up their game as they face another match without Paris SaintGermain forward Neymar, who suffered a thigh injury last month and is still not fit. “We have had three victories. In the first two we created lots of chances and scored lots of goals, played well and got good results,” Tite said in a virtual press conference on Monday. “We might not have played well in the third game (against Venezuela) but it was a consistent performance and we got the win. Maybe these teams won’t be in the running to qualify but they will soon climb the table.” He added: “This is traditionally a big game. Uruguay on their own turf are a different proposition and will make more demands of us defensively than Venezuela did, but at the same time we will have more space in which to create going forward.” Tite struggled to find the right formula to break down Venezuela in Sao Paulo, with Firmino withdrawing to a deeper role on the left, Richarlison starting as centre forward and Gabriel Jesus on the right. - Messi, Argentina go to Peru However it was largely pedestrian from the Brazilians

against a Venezuela side yet to pick up a point in the group and looking likely to continue their run of being the only South American team never to qualify for a World Cup. Today’s opponents are only three points off the lead in fourth place. The top four qualify automatically for the finals in Qatar, which start in almost exactly two years. Fifth place will get another chance to qualify in intercontinental play-offs. Tite admitted Everton midfielder Allan is an injury doubt and revealed that Arthur, of Juventus, could replace him. Should Brazil lose, Argentina — two points back in second place — are ready to pounce in their later match at lowly Peru, who have just a point from their opening three outings. However, they too failed to impress in their most recent match, a 1-1 draw with fifthplaced Paraguay in Buenos Aires that came despite the presence of Lionel Messi. Messi has had a tricky start to the domestic season under new Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman and his luck didn’t change at La Bombonera, with the 33-yearold having what might have been a winning goal disallowed in the 58th minute. A frustrated Messi then also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar, leaving him with one goal in this (Continued on page 19)

Nicholas Pooran excited to be suiting up for Melbourne Stars SportsMax - After being lauded by Melbourne Stars Head Coach David Hussey, West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran says he eager to suit up for the team during this season of the Australia Big Bash League (BBL). Pooran had a solid season with the Kings XI Punjab in the just concluded IPL where he scored 353 runs and averaged a healthy 35.30. He scored two 50s in his 14 innings and hit 23 fours and 25 sixes. His overall stroke play also impressed pundits during the IPL. “Nick is an impressive player with some big gears who has been in demand in the IPL, the Caribbean Premier League and Pakistan Super League in addition to his West Indies duties for some time. I’m looking forward to having his talents

on our side this season,” Hussey said on news the acquisition of Pooran’s skills for the season. The 25-year-old lefthander will play six matches in the BBL between December and early January 2021 as he will be on duty for the West Indies for at least three T20 Internationals against New Zealand beginning on November 27 at Eden Park. He says he can’t wait to get going for the Stars. “The Melbourne Stars have a very strong team and I’m happy I can be part of that for a few matches this season,” Pooran said. “I’m also excited to be part of the BBL and heard many good things from Glenn Maxwell. I will keep playing my natural game for the team and hope it helps get the Stars some positive results.”

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Bach projects confidence in Tokyo Games as virus cases surge TOKYO (Reuters) International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach expressed confidence yesterday that the Tokyo Games will be held successfully next year, even allowing spectators to attend, as the world grapples with a sharp rise in coronavirus infections. Bach’s two-day visit to Tokyo is likely to bolster Japan’s efforts to stage the Olympics, but will do little to assuage the concerns of a public deeply worried about the spread of the virus. The IOC president spent the day with the Tokyo organisers discussing how to stage the massive sporting event during an unprecedented pandemic and ensure safety for a gathering of more than 11,000 international athletes. The visit is Bach’s first to the Japanese capital since he

International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach (left) and Tokyo 2020 President Yoshiro Mori attend a joint news conference between the IOC and Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan yesterday. (Du Xiaoyo/Pool via Reuters) and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided in March to postpone the 2020 Games to next year. On Monday, Bach fistbumped with Japan’s new premier, Yoshihide Suga, and

told Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike they could be confident a vaccine would be available by next summer. The IOC will arrange to ensure vaccination of both participants and visitors

NZ call up Devon Conway, rest Kane Williamson and Trent Boult for Windies T20Is ESPNcricinfo - Devon Conway has earned his first senior New Zealand call-up as part of the T20I squad to face West Indies, with Colin Munro not considered due to his BBL deal with the Perth Scorchers. Tim Southee will captain the side, with Kane Williamson to focus on preparing for the Test series. Trent Boult has also been left out of the T20I side in favour of Test preparation as that squad retains a familiar look, although injury concerns remain over Colin de Grandhomme (right foot) and left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel (left calf). Kyle Jamieson, who has been in outstanding Plunket Shield form this season, has also earned his first T20I callup. But along with Southee and Ross Taylor, Jamieson will only be available for the first two matches before linking up with the Test team. Conway, the South Africaborn batsman who qualified for New Zealand this August, has been a prolific run-scorer across all formats in domestic cricket - he led the run charts in the Plunket Shield, OneDay Trophy and T20 Super Smash last season. Over the weekend, he also scored 157 for Wellington against Auckland. Conway is also part of the New Zealand A squad to face West Indies across two threeday games in Queenstown, although his opportunity in

the Test squad will have to wait for a bit longer. “We’re looking forward to welcoming Devon into our environment for the first time and I’m sure he’ll soak up the experience,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “With Colin Munro heading to the Big Bash and therefore unavailable for the Pakistan T20 series pre-Christmas, the selectors are keen to look at other batting options at the top of the order.” “We’ve had to make a decision on Kane and Trent to prioritise the Test matches, given how important they are to our red-ball team and the fact they both played such big roles in the recent IPL while also managing injuries. “There’s no secret we’re right in the hunt for the World Test Championship final following our 2-0 win over India [in February], and having Trent and Kane fully fit and focused for the upcoming series will be crucial.” “Colin and Ajaz have quite different injuries which are requiring different return-toplay protocols. It’s too early at this stage to definitively say what their chances are, but we’re hopeful the next two weeks will make that clearer.” The T20I series against West Indies starts on November 27 in Auckland just a day after the players

who have returned from the IPL will have completed their managed isolation. “The season schedule is complex and for the first time, we’re going to have a Test squad assembling on the same day we’re playing a T20 international in another city,” Stead said. “We’ve got players at quite different stages, with some having played almost a month of domestic cricket, some in managed isolation following the IPL and others battling injuries.” When the Test players gather in Hamilton on November 30, Mark Chapman, Doug Bracewell and Scott Kuggeleijn will come into the T20I squad for the final match of the series. Glenn Phillips, who had an impressive CPL campaign, has also been recalled. The uncapped Will Young remains the spare batsman in the Test squad. Henry Nicholls returned to action this week in the Plunket Shield after recovering from a calf strain and will also be playing for New Zealand A. Tom Blundell, who replaced Jeet Raval at the top of the order during the Australia series late last year, will retain the opening berth. New Zealand last played international cricket in March with a behind-closed-doors ODI against Australia in Sydney before the emerging Covid-19 pandemic forced the series to be cancelled.

before they arrive in Japan, he added. “In order to protect the Japanese people, and out of respect for the Japanese people, the IOC will undertake great effort so that ... the Olympic participants and visitors will arrive here vaccinated if, by then, a vaccine is available,” he said. At a news conference later, Bach said he would not make vaccination a requirement for Games participants, however. News of a potentially successful vaccine from Pfizer Inc has lifted hopes for the

staging of the Games, but public opinion in Japan remains mixed. Nearly 60% of respondents in a November poll by TV Asahi said the event should be further postponed or canceled. After meeting Koike, Bach approached a handful of protesters who were holding banners and using loudspeakers to press their demand for cancellation of the Olympics. “Do you want to speak or do you want to shout?” he asked, as security guards stood between him and one protester. But the protesters rebuffed his offer of dialogue, Bach told the news conference. Last week Japan reported record new daily cases, sparking concerns of a third wave of infections, although it has mostly avoided the high death tolls recorded elsewhere. Bach called next year’s games a “light at the end of the tunnel” after the world’s pandemic battle, and pointed to recent sporting competitions in Japan as proof that events could already take place safely, saying the IOC was now “very confident” that spectators would be able to

attend the Games. But he told reporters it was not realistic to put a figure on the cost of the postponement until next year’s virus precautions are ascertained. This month, Tokyo successfully hosted an international gymnastics meet at which organisers tested a range of COVID-19 countermeasures. During his visit to Tokyo, Bach also awarded Abe the Olympic Order in gold, the IOC’s highest accolade. When premier, Abe made himself all but synonymous with Tokyo 2020, even famously appearing as video game character Mario at the closing ceremony of the Rio Games in 2016. Abe played a critical role in Tokyo’s bid to win the Olympics, making the campaign a national priority. A few years later, a French investigation into doping by Russian athletes revealed evidence of two payments totally $2.3 million by the Tokyo bidding committee to a little-known Singaporea firm, Black Tidings. France is investigating if that money was used to win the backing of an influential IOC member for Japan to host the 2020 Games.

Another member of Reggae Boyz delegation tests positive for Covid-19

The Covid-19 virus continues to trouble the Reggae Boyz camp in Saudi Arabia. SportsMax - The Covid19 virus continues to sweep through the Reggae Boyz camp in Saudi Arabia as the Jamaica Football Federation is reporting t h a t a m e mber of the administrative staff has tested positive for the virus. The unnamed individual is currently asymptomatic and has been isolated, the JFF said in a brief statement yesterday. As per protocols set by

the host, persons testing positive are isolated for 10 days after which another test is done. If a negative result emerges, persons can travel home. Last week Thursday, the JFF said two members of the delegation – a player and a member of the technical staff – had tested positive for the virus while two other members were under observation. This latest positive is a new case that has

affected the camp. A player tested positive while the delegation was on its way to Saudi Arabia and was isolated in London and did not make the trip to the Middle East. The Reggae Boyz are in Riyad to play two friendlies against Saudi Arabia’s national team. The Reggae Boyz lost their first of those encounters 3-0 on Saturday. The second friendly is set for Tuesday, November 17.

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Poverty forced Joshua Edwards to give up Cricket - Sells Pizzas to pay his UG tuition fees By Sean Devers Joshua David Edwards was a promising all-rounder who was good enough to be invited to the St Lucia U-15 trials but he was forced to give up Cricket because he had to choose between School and Sports due his dire financial situation. “In Cricket in Saint Lucia, the Grassroots Cricket Programme was a means of attempting to pursue my passion for cricket. Secondary School Under-15 and Under-19 tournaments were also prevalent so that aided the cricket pursuit,” informed Joshua who was member of the John Eugene’s Basic and Technical Cricket Academy. Joshua, now 22, moved to Guyana where his parents were born, two years ago and lives with his uncle and his family in Grove, East Bank Demerara. This is his inspiring story of how he started selling Pizzas, (made by his mother) to pay his tuition fees at the University of Guyana (UG). Joshua (popularly known as the Pizza Boy) is a final year LAW student at UG and despite the pandemic, he was still able to get his secondyear paid off and he is now striving to finish pay the final year. “My goal is to become a doctor of the law. I desire to get my Doctorate in Criminology so this is just the beginning for me. After UG is law school but I would also like to attain my Master’s in the legal field and finally, a Doctorate in Criminology. With that, I seek to aid in law reforms by changing some of the actions deemed criminal,

the repercussions for such actions, and also criminalize some actions. Law has been my passion for as long as I can remember. It is the last thing I think of when I go to bed and the first thing on my mind when I wake up. I dream about it. I live it. I love it. There is no greater feeling than having dignitaries agree with your argument because you have persuaded a judge using an undeniable argument with a degree of excellence that is hinged upon the preparation and studies you have done,” disclosed Joshua. Joshua recently won a lap top computer and $700,000 for his winning essay in the Pastor Amanda Williams Educational Scholarship contest. “I found out about the Scholarship fund from four different people. The last person was the head Pastor (Bishop Murvel) of Cover the Children Ministries in Agricola. When they found out my purpose for selling pizza they encouraged me to apply for the scholarship. One of the criteria for applying was an essay stating why you believe you should attain the scholarship as well as financial struggles. I was overwhelmed to know I was awarded. I couldn’t believe it. It took out a large sum of money off my fees and I thank them for that,” Joshua said. Joshua was born on November 28, 1997 in the 238 Square Mile Island of Saint Lucia to Aneurin Edwards and Wendy Edwards and has three siblings; a brother and two sisters. Joshua grew up in what he

Jennifer Cipriani buys a Pizza from Joshua.

described as abstract poverty in St Lucia and things did not change much for him when he came to Guyana as a 20-yearold having to adjust to a different Culture. Guyana and Saint Lucia are very different. Life is so different it took him a while to adapt. “The simplest thing that I would believe is the way to go about accomplishing a task would not be the way here in Guyana. Saint Lucia is very mountainous but where the populace of Guyana is located is largely flat land. Sometimes I feel like I pass Saint Lucia’s entire population (Approximately 182,000) whilst walking through Guyana’s capital. The way of life, the food, the building structures, the colours of houses, the alignment of the houses, everything is just different. I am just surprised at how two ecologies from the same region are so diverse. I was like a child again learning everything over. A large part of adaptation took place because of my class and school mates. They introduced me to a lot of Guyana’s history, geography, political life as well as socioeconomic well-being of the middle class. I was privileged to meet some of the best characters who made knowing Guyana both fun and educational all at once. The adaptation process is still shaping my mind set and broadening my horizons but I still believe I have some way to go. Guyana has the most hospitable people you will ever find. From my classmates

Joshua Edwards (3rd from left standing) with his U-15 team in St Lucia.

at UG (Class of 2021) to the people I have encountered in my short time here, 99% of them have shown me a dimension of help that I could not believe was present. Now, as I sell pizza, it is even more glaring the extent people would go to just to help,” Joshua recounted. “It’s one thing to be poor but it is another thing to know you are poor because it is so glaring. I remember having one pair of shoes for school, church and cricket. It took a couple of years before I could get a shoe that was not all black because the school demanded all black shoes. I began to indoctrinate myself that textbooks were not for me because I could not afford them. If my elder siblings didn’t already possess the books, I did not see myself as a candidate to receive those books. I would come to class with the oldest editions of the textbooks required because it has been passed down from generation to generation. I loved cricket but could not sharpen my abilities because of the lack of equipment. I have NEVER... EVER... in my life... from preschool until now... paid my fees before a semester began. It has never happened. It is something that actually I have become accustomed to. But I do know this will not last forever. One day my fees will be paid before classes start,” noted Joshua whose favourite cricketer is Virat Kholi because of his class, power, elegance, charisma, passion, and excellence and the way he takes every game

seriously. “My biggest challenge was simply a lack of resources. From very young I desired to create global and trans-generational change by giving to someone who needs it. However, it was halted by the current state of affairs. I never allowed that dream to die. I told myself, “Joshua, where there is a will, there is a way.” and also “Where there is a wall, there is a way.” Lack of money reverberating into a lack of resources. It was just horrible. The state of my house did not shape the state of our home. Yes, there were scars. But a family who prays together stays together and my parents laboured with us to ensure that there was always something for dinner and to give us the best life they could. There will always be times when you, as a child, would believe that they can and should do better. When you become a man, you put away childish things. Every one of us as children has a dimension of academic prowess that even our colleagues admire. And our lifestyle never got inside of us. We lived in poverty but we never allowed poverty to live in us. Therefore, we worked together to see our lives become better day by day, and the comforting words of our parents that it will not be like this forever resound in our minds till today,” Joshua posited. Primary school greeted him with acquiring creative ways to get the work done. Not because he would be

scolded if I didn’t (Because many times it didn’t come down to that, the teachers understood the situation) but because the passion to learn, grow and develop educationally was present. It was the catalyst for a better tomorrow. “I remember during sixth form, my sister borrowed a tablet for me and I took pictures of the Caribbean Studies text which took about one and a half hours. It was a joy to do knowing that I could now follow in class whilst the teacher is speaking, or even be a voluntary reader without disturbing my neighbour. These things may seem small, but to the one who never had, it is huge,” Joshua remembered with a gleam in his eyes. He wrote 9 CSEC subjects and got all nine. I got 5 ones (3 all A’s) a two and 3 Threes. To get into UG, Joshua did an online application in March of 2018 and sent in his documents on March 31. His cousins; whom he had never seen before, helped in ensuring that UG got the documents and all the criteria were met. “I started Wendy’s Pizza Parlour in February of 2020. It was the product of me getting a grade ‘A’ in an exam that I was told that I could not write. When I was near barred from writing this exam I said this ends here. That was my breaking point. I told myself I didn’t come for an easy road. I came to finish, and finish I will. Too many people are depending on me to become (Continued on page 19)

Kaieteur News

Tuesday November 17, 2020

AAG’s first cross-country meet

Thomas finishes ahead of the pack Shaquka Tyrrell of CWSS won the girls’ 4k race.

Cleveland Thomas clocks his time after finishing way ahead of the pack in the 10k race. (Calvin Chapman)

By Calvin Chapman in Linden The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) kicked off their 2020-21 season last weekend with two crosscountry meets on Sunday with one in Linden at the Bayrock Community Center ground, and the other in Berbice at the Esplande Ground in New Amsterdam. At Bayrock ground, over 50 athletes registered to be part of the event and it was encouraging that after nine months of inactivity, athletes were still hungry for competition. However, the event that had track and field athletes from six clubs inclusive of Upper Demerara, C h r i s t i a n b u r g / Wi s m a r Secondary School (CWSS), Running Braves, Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC), Guyana Defence Force and Titans, was used by coaches to assess were their athletes were in terms of condition and fitness.

CWSS coach Moses Pantlitz, in an invited comment with Kaieteur Sport, revealed that after many months of inactivity, some athletes have put on a lot of weight which is understandable due to the covid-19 pandemic and they will have to do a lot of work to get back to their level before the lockdown. Johnny Gravesande; coach of CWSS, like Pantlitz, mentioned that he did all that he could’ve with his athletes to ensure that they maintained some form of fitness during the lockdown and noted that they had been training outdoors with strict social distancing protocols for a couple months now. In Sunday’s feature race in the ‘mining town’, Cleveland ‘fish’ Thomas exhibited superior fitness to finish ahead of a star studded lineup that included the likes of Cleveland Forde and Winston Missingher. Thomas finished in a time of 43minutes 08

seconds in the race that was contested around the outer circuit of the Bayrock ground which in a year’s time or preferably less should house the region’s first synthetic track. Thomas was calmly ahead of Upper Demerara’s Ronnell Newton (43minutes 57seconds) who was followed by Missingher in third with a time of 44m 9s, Royston Fordyce in fourth and Forde all the way in fifth place. The boys’ 6K race saw Courtly Babb crossing the line first with a time of 26m 07s with Omari Walcott in second and Odida Parkinson of Running Braves in third place. The 16-19 years girls’ 4k event was won by Shaquka Tyrrell of CWSS Track Club in a time of 18m 53s, Atoya Harvey of second and Aaliyah Headley third. The next event on the AAG’s Calendar is the South American 10k which will run on Sunday November 29th.

PAGE 27

GSCL Inc Prime Minister’s T20 Cup 4 set for November 27-29 The fourth edition of the highly anticipated Georgetown Softball Cricket League (GSCL) Inc. Prime Minister’s T20 Cup will take place from November 27-29 in Georgetown. This was confirmed during the launching of the tournament on Sunday last at the Everest Cricket Club. The competition will be held in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports. This event will be contested in three categories; the Masters Over-50, Masters Over-45, and the All-Stars (open) and will culminate at the Everest Cricket Club with over one million dollars in cash and prizes up for grabs. Speaking at the l a u n c h i n g c e r e m o n y, President of the GSCL Inc. Ian John welcomed those present and said teams from Florida and Canada will battle with their Guyanese counterparts in what is expected to be a keenly contested competition. “No competition was played since March due to covid. Nevertheless we have lucrative prizes for the teams, and it is imperative that the participating teams honour the time since we are hoping to have the finals in daylight. All these things wouldn’t be possible without the sponsors and I would like to thank them.” Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillip’s said he is happy to be part of the event which has brought many people together and provided them with opportunities to showcase their talent. “Softball cricket is my game and I am enthusiast. I am

Prime Minister Mark Philips (right) and GSCL Inc president Ian John display one of the trophies. happy to be here, this event has brought together thousands and provided many opportunities. This year will be no different, but with an added plus of bringing much social relief to everyone as we face this pandemic,” he said “Sport and other activities help us with relief, cricket is deeply rooted in Guyana’s history as you know we have produced some of the best cricketers. We have started with softball and it is safe to say cricket is Guyana’s sport, as we can see the price that we hold with our own Guyana Jaguars and Guyana Amazon Warriors. Tournaments like these build relationships that last for a lifetime, camaraderie and unity are all traits this game supports. Our government is proud to be part of this tournament and this is a partnership we are happy to see grow. I would like to issue an order that for 2021 we will have a women’s league as part of the Prime Minister’s Cup.” The Prime Minister said

Prime Minister Mark Phillips (4th from left) with members of the GSCL Inc and sponsors.

that it is imperative that organisers ensure that covid19 protocols are strictly adhere to, as the Government strikes a balance between normalcy and fighting a pandemic. “We moved from total lockdown, partial lockdown, to the point where we are focusing on people adhering to the measures, but also being allowed to be involved in their economic, recreational and other social activities. Best of luck all!” Former Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan said it is important to let these activities continue so as to get young people meaningfully occupied. “I am happy that this tournament goes on and I would like to congratulate everyone involved,” he stated. The first prize for the Masters Over-50 is $200,000, while the runnersup will receive $50,000. The ‘man-of-the-match’ in the final will receive a trophy, and the ‘man-of-the-series’ (Continued on page 19)

AAG’s first cross-country meet

Thomas finishes ahead of the pack

rt o p S

The open 10k race got off to a fast start. (Calvin Chapman photo)

Nicholas Pooran excited to be suiting up for Melbourne Stars

Nicholas Pooran - IPL

Joshua Edwards

Poverty forced Joshua Edwards to give up Cricket - Sells Pizzas to pay his UG tuition fees

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