Kaieteur News
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Tuesday November 23, 2021
C/bean coastal mitigation efforts – World Bank could exceed 5% of its GDP Official It could cost some Caribbean countries more than 5 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), each year for coastal mitigation efforts against the rising sea levels, stemming from climate change. This is according to World Bank, Vice President of Latin America and the Caribbean, Carlos Felipe Jaramillo. The World Bank Official gave the disclosure in his address at the flagship report launch of the entity’s recent report “360° Resilience: A Guide to Prepare the Caribbean for a New Generation of Shocks.” According to Jaramillo, Governments are increasingly becoming better at preparing for natural hazards and have made investments in disaster preparedness, in disaster risk financing and in regional collaboration mechanisms to detect and respond to incoming threats.
Vice President of Latin America and Caribbean, World Bank, Carlos Felipe Jaramillo He did note that despite recurrent losses from disasters, the Caribbean has achieved development progress in higher income levels. Jaramillo noted however that economic growth over the past 10 years has slowed and climate change is compounding the intensity and frequency of threats and also the sea level rise.
APOLOGY The Chinese Embassy in Guyana said that it never used its diplomatic status to practice any commercial activities for personal profit. The Embassy made the statement as it referenced a Kaieteur News article last week. “On November 19, 2021, the Kaieteur News once again alleged in a report that, “the Chinese Embassy in Guyana was used to bring in containers of goods for its nationals who are operating businesses here through its diplomatic channels in 2017.” In response, the Embassy said it, “has always been fulfilling its obligations strictly in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, has never used and will never use its diplomatic status to practice any commercial activities for personal profit. The relevant allegations are purely malicious slander and rumors.” The section of the article referred to by the Embassy has since been removed from the publication’s online medium and Kaieteur News apologises for any inconvenience caused.
To this end, he disclosed that between the years 2000 and 2020, the number of people exposed to floods in the Region increased by 70 percent, and as a result of climate change, the number will keep increasing. He also explained that in the Caribbean, 72 percent of infrastructure assets are exposed to at least two different types of natural hazards and that 13 percent of hotels along the Caribbean beaches could experience beach loss by 2050 due to sea level rise and erosion. To prevent this from happening and to protect the coastland, it comes with a hefty cost. In fact, he said, “…in some countries, the cost is huge and annual coastal protection cost could exceed 5 percent of GDP every year.”
Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the devastating floods experienced in May/June, it was stated in the Ministry of Finance’s Mid-Year Report for 2021 that Guyana recorded real GDP growth of 14.5 percent while non-oil GDP grew by 4.8 percent. While the Finance Ministry has reported that Guyana’s real GDP grow by 14.5 percent; Guyana has been identified as one of three Caribbean countries that needs to urgently, in the absence of appropriate funding and asset management systems for adequately maintaining coastal protection infrastructure—consider alternative strategies, including natural barriers and managed relocation. T h e Wo r l d B a n k recommended that Guyana invest in sea defence or
The purple shade represents Guyana’s low coastal plain.
relocate coastal residents as is listed Georgetown among nine cities to be under water by 2030. Minister of Finance, Dr.
Ashni Singh, responded to the recommendation saying that the wholesale relocating of coastal residents will be complicated and costly.
Ghanaians in Guyana to meet with Govt., Private Sector reps
The two delegations during the initial meeting at Office of the President yesterday.
H
ead of State, President Irfaan Ali and senior members of his Government yesterday held a highlevel meeting with a visiting private sector delegation from the Republic of Ghana, at the Office of the President on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive. The visitors, representing several groups, including West Coast Gas
Ghana Limited, held their introductory meeting with President Ali, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo and several other Ministers of the Government. Over the next two days, the Ghanaians are expected to have further discussions with a number of Ministers, Government agencies and local private
sector entities. Ghana’s President, Nana AkufoAddo, agreed to lend technical cooperation in oil and gas and to enhance relations during a bilateral meeting in September with President Ali at the 76th United Nations General Assembly in New York. Since then, visits have been made by representatives from both countries.
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Environmentalist questions ‘independence’ of Exxon’s Consultant
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50 percent of Region’s gas reserves may be left stranded – IDB warns
…SAYS REGULATOR IS NOW AN ASYLUM RUN BY INMATES Overseas-based Guyanese environmentalist, Simone Mangal, is raising concerns over what she believes is a ‘red flag’ in the selection process of the consultancy firm used to conduct the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) studies for oil giant, ExxonMobil. Mangal expressed her views during a live broadcast segment of ‘The Glenn Lall S h o w, ’ a c o m m e n t a r y programme, which aired on the Kaieteur Radio, last Wednesday. The show followed a series of public consultations to inform the final EIA for t h e Ye l l o w t a i l o i l development project, where Mangal joined a panel of other environmentalists who raised a barrage of questions surrounding the environmental issues, which the 4th oil project will possibly have on Guyana. In keeping with the line of questioning, Mangal told the show’s host and Kaieteur News’ Publisher, Glenn Lall that concerns have now arisen over the independence of the firm selected to do Exxon’s work. She noted that while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Act is clear on the independence of the firm selected to do the EIA, the c o n s u l t a n c y firm—ERM—appears to be engaged in a “long running relationship”, with ExxonMobil and the EPA—Guyana’s regulator. As such, Mangal asserted, “I am really quite taken, looking back at the studies [and] the consultant keeps referring to all the previous studies that they have done. There seems to be a long-term relationship between this firm, Esso [Exxon’s partner] and the Environmental Protection Agency in Guyana as it keeps selecting the same firm to do the study for Esso.” According to Mangal, “the EPA Act requires that the firm is independent. You cannot claim independence when you have a long-term relationship doing all of the studies for the applicant [Esso] because you have a financial relationship now. This is a firm that established itself in Guyana and is doing all of Exxon‘s work e ff e c t i v e l y. I t i s n o t independent and Guyanese
Overseas-based Guyanese Environmentalist: Simone Mangal need to look at the EPA for failing to do its duty,” Emphasizing the law, Mangal noted that the relationship between the three entities leaves many questions. “The EPA Act is very c l e a r, t h e r e m u s t b e independence and that independence has to be judged on serious criteria… Do you really think a firm is independent when they keep doing the studies one after the other? Are they the only qualified firm to do the job over and over again? And why is Guyana’s EPA failing the nation by not looking into this practical pattern that it is responsible for? “ q u e s t i o n e d t h e environmentalist. Added to this, Mangal noted that the credibility of the firm and regulator is now on the line. In this regard, she noted the EPA should seriously Continued on page 16
When one considers the global movement towards renewable energy sources, driven largely by the need to bring the earth’s temperature down to 1.5° Celsius, the future of natural gas appears bleak. This is according to a recent report prepared by experts contracted by the I n t e r- A m e r i c a n Development Bank (IDB). They believe that the energy transition movement a n d d e c l i n i n g competitiveness leaves approximately 50 percent of the Latin American and Caribbean Region’s gas reserves, at risk of being left in the ground. In their 2021 report titled, “High and dry: stranded natural gas reserves and fiscal revenues in Latin America and the Caribbean,”
the industry experts acknowledged that natural gas plays an important role in Latin America and the Caribbean. Key producers identified in the region are Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. Expounding further, the analysts said Venezuela holds nearly 70 percent of proven gas reserves in the region, while Argentina holds huge unconventional resources, in particular the Vaca Muerta “shale play”. The report also shared that natural gas in Bolivia and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) is a meaningful contributor to those nations’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The experts cautioned however, that the impact of gas resources for those
producers are likely to change, since the global energy transition makes future gas demand, and therefore prices, quite uncertain. It was observed that years ago, natural gas was thought to be a potential bridge fuel to a net-zero energy system, since it emits less carbon dioxide during combustion than coal. The IDB report has since concluded that this is no longer the case, since renewable energy in the last few years has emerged globally as “the cheapest and fastest-growing source of energy in the world.” With this in mind, the IDB consultants said, it calls into question, the notion that any bridge to renewable energy is needed. The IDB analysts said
fossil fuel reserves are now therefore being seen more as assets exposed to transition risk, meaning that they could become unburnable, or stranded during the energy transition. In the case of Latin America and the Caribbean, they said an additional issue is that competition from abroad jeopardises domestic natural gas production. In this regard, they highlighted that the region holds less than 5 percent of global reserves, and accounts for only 7 percent of production. The report cautioned that the region would be facing stiff competition from major gas producers like Qatar, USA, Nigeria and Australia in the new energy transition era. Given the favourable Continued on page 18
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL-TEL: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
The 25-dollar society
G
uyana is now a confirmed 25-dollar society. That is, US$25 per month more for minimum wage workers. This is what public servants, who were anticipating something respectable, because they did not get much last year, will have to make do with, specifically, those at the low $70,000 level. For, no matter which way it is looked at, G$4,900 is just about US$25 more a month, which works out to less than one United States dollar a day for ordinary public servants. This is when Hess and Exxon are proud to boast that they have the best deal in the world with Guyana’s oil. The American (and Chinese) oil companies get cheap oil, and Guyanese public servants get another cheap shot from the PPP Government. The foreigners are laughing all over the media, and all the way to the bank, while Guyanese are reduced to the futility and humiliation of venting their rage and disgust on social media. The President himself, the kind and compassionate doctor that he is, said that the cost of living is high and Guyanese should brace themselves for a continuing increase of it. On the one hand, he recognises that the cost of living is high, and says so publicly. Yet, on the other hand, it is in this lowball number that he delivers to the smaller people in this country’s public service. This involves a good number of Guyanese, ranging from those who can be called traditional public servants to police officers to those in the army to teachers to government pensioners. Most of those subsets that qualify for this measly seven percent increase, is populated by several thousand active or retired workers of this country. We will say it bluntly to the President: this seven percent increase is low, and he looks lower for coming up with it. Especially, when in these heady days of oil, on each occasion that he opens his mouth and talks about money, it is in the billions upon billions. Money that is mostly being borrowed, and for expensive projects that Guyanese don’t even know if they will be worth the crippling costs, or if they offer the benefits that the President and his Vice President claim that they represent. We must say, though, that the PPP Government knows how to take care of itself and its own. It baffles us, as to why “constitutional office holders” should be a part of this seven percent mix. To be clear about this, we question why ministers of the government are part of the pay increase announced. These people have no shame, for here they are lining up with hands outstretched to collect around $60,000 each, which is almost the whole monthly salary of an entry level public servant. Like we said, these people do not have any sense of shame, so hardened they are in their self-serving ways. For his part, the money man in the Office of President, Dr. Ashni Singh, was quick to point to one-off cash grants for pensioners, and other payouts made by his government starting in late 2020. We have to give it to these PPP guys; they have a dollar number and a statistics for every situation, to justify why they are or not doing something. It is always of how sweetly the PPP has done for the Guyanese people, whether public servants or pensioners. It does not mean a thing, when the Guyanese mother can’t buy the basics, and when Guyanese families have to look at their table, and settle for starvation. In the meantime, in another section of the media, we were proudly informed by a foreigner that “Guyana is now one of the fastest growing countries on the planet.” It has a nice ring to it, but it might be better not to tell that to any Guyanese woman or man in the street. Somebody is likely to end up getting stoned for all their nice talk. The bottom line is that Guyanese are feeling the pinch, and it has been biting deeply for a long while now. All that the seven percent does is insult hopeful Guyanese, and leave them worrying how to get by in this fastgrowing country.
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Working with men and boys does not mean only working on male issues DEAR EDITOR, International Men’s Day was recently celebrated under the theme, “Better relations between men and women.” This theme is an important one as it recognises the necessity of improving gender relations and promoting gender equality for all. Our tendency to focus on the extreme differences between men and women has resulted in our issues and experiences framed as being vastly separate from each other. This has created an environment where gender ste-
reotypes are taken as fact and further solidified amongst groups. We must move away from the idea that working with men and boys means only addressing male issues and instead look to build positive relationships between the genders that will promote their collective safety and health. For example, while ChildLinK’s One Thousand Boys initiative focuses on the sexual violence that is perpetrated against boys, it recognises that sexual vio-
lence affects children regardless of gender and other identity markers. It focuses on a comprehensive response towards sexual violence, acknowledging that girls are extremely vulnerable, while highlighting the lack of awareness concerning boy’s sexual violence. The experiences that men and women face and their responses to them are not fundamentally different and it is for reasons such as these that an intersectional approach towards men and women’s
rights must be taken. Recognising the effects that things such as sexual violence, mental illnesses, trauma and instability have on persons regardless of gender, race and social status can aid in us being able to develop collaborative and comprehensive approaches towards positive change. Regards Akola Thompson Blue Umbrella Consultant, ChildLinK To report or seek counselling, please call 914/2270979/227-2023/233-3500
PPP/C risks being viewed as beholden to the Republican Party in the eyes of the Biden administration DEAR EDITOR, Another wave of antiChina vitriol is sweeping across Guyana and sections of the print and electronic media are hard at work pushing the anti-China propaganda. But let me make it clear from the outset, my letter is not in defence of the Chinese, it’s more about what I believe is good for my country. Development has many trap doors. There is no perfect developmental pathway just as there is no perfect government to lead the way. The China critics have taken aim at key developmental projects including the new bridge across the Demerara River, the Amaila Falls Hydropower project, two major highways and a number of community and hinterland roads. The campaign is aimed ostensibly at preventing China from winning the contracts. The vitriol has become so exasperating that one commentator claimed that, “Guyana is being recolonised by the Chinese and that the Chinese control just about everything” and have managed to infiltrate every village across the country. This must put to shame the historians of the Booker Group of Companies whose stranglehold of British Guiana in those days was described as Bookers Guiana. And as though the chant that ‘Chinese are in control of everything’, in Guyana, it was not scary enough, here comes the
absurdity of the century. Describing the nature of the Chinese presence in Guyana we are told; “We are getting a different form of colonialism and it’s probably more ruthless and without conscience.” Our African brothers in the former Belgian Congo and Portuguese colonies would be dumbstruck on hearing this. First, it was the Brazilians who were ‘taking over’ then it was the Chinese, currently it is ExxonMobil and the Trinidadians but now we have circled back to the Chinese, this time in a most ‘unGuyanese’ manner bordering on an extreme nationalist, if not xenophobic pronouncements. But the narrative doesn’t end here. We are told that the Chinese Embassy in Guyana is engaged in tax evasion and in illegal container smuggling. One is left to wonder whether in the midst of all these ‘irregularities’, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the GRA have fallen asleep at the wheels. If, as is suggested, the Chinese are engaged in these irregular activities then we must be evenhanded. Who says those in the private sector who cry foul are not equally involved? As the maxim goes, ‘People in glass houses should not throw stones.’ In any event, it was good to see the rejection of the allegation by the Chinese Em-
bassy in Georgetown. After 55 years of independence and knowing what the economic and social conditions were in this country during the pre and early post independence periods, any level-headed and forward-looking Guyanese would easily recognise from a distance, movement in a progressive direction. Guyanese would welcome any public/private investment or foreign funded project either by way of grant aid or soft loan designed to bring relief in the form of social or physical infrastructure, provided that transparency and accountability are the hallmarks of the funds received and the project being implemented. The Chinese are quite competent and effective in responding to hostile propaganda and in explaining their social political and economic domestic policies especially where foreign policy is concerned. We only have to cast our minds back to the meeting held at Alaska in March this year where top US and Chinese diplomats clashed. Here in Guyana, the Chinese Embassy was just as effective in their rebuttal to Secretary of State Pompeo who, during a visit to Guyana lambasted the Chinese communist Party warning against Chinese investments and the political costs. Pompeo is now history and so is the administration, which he once served, that is
why it could prove harmful to Guyana if it does not make a strategic and tactical shift in its relations with Biden administration. The PPP/C risks being viewed as beholden to the Republican Party in the eyes of the Biden administration notwithstanding the battles it fought valiantly at GECOM and in the courts to win government. But that is a matter for the diplomats at Foreign Affairs to sort out. In the meanwhile, apart from being close to achieving global equivalence to the US, China has surpassed Japan to become the second largest contributor to the system of development banks that provide some US$200 billion in subsidised loans to poor countries each year. China is now the fifth largest overall donor across the range of UN agencies and it is the 6th largest donor to the International Development Association, the World Bank’s low income lending arm. China’s decidedly different economic and political system and strategic interests of its own does not mean nuclear conflict with the US. So while we in Guyana fret and fuss over Chinese investments in Guyana, let us take note of the recent meeting of ‘old friends’ during the BidenXi talks and situate ourselves in the context of the bigger picture. Yours faithfully, Clement James Rohee
Fake news and Deputy Speaker DEAR EDITOR, Fake news is a global problem and its greatest facilitator is due to the enablers, more specifically, Facebook. It is estimated that Facebook has almost two billion ‘mindless’ users each day, who waste about an hour of their lives on their platform. Facebook is the largest, most engaged so-
cial media platform in the world. So, it is horrible, that Deputy Speaker and leader of the Liberty and Justice Party, Lennox Shuman, had to resort to this low, knowing fully well the potential trouble he was going to start. The esteemed leader falsely stated a few days ago, that the People’s Progressive
Party/ Civic (PPP/C), during the 2020 elections campaign, promised to increase salaries for public servants by 50 percent, but has delivered only seven percent across-theboard. This, as we all know, is and was never so. Shuman either acted in jest, hast, or ignorance. He, knowing the impor-
tance of his position and word, could and should have sought verification before making his post. However, it is good that the alert and informed, instantly, after Shuman made his post, challenged the information presented, and severely castigating him for (Continued on page 6)
Tuesday November 23, 2021
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Kaieteur News
Presenting crime stats to paint a picture that the police are on top of crimes is meaningless when citizens feel otherwise DEAR EDITOR “If you do not know where you are going, any road will take you there.”That is a quote taken from the book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, popularly known as Alice in Wonderland published in 1865. The quote was applicable then. It is even more apposite today. If you do not have knowledge, you cannot manage. In crime fighting, the 3Ds model is applicable Data-Driven Decisions. Recently, the police, Minister of Home Affairs and moreso the President presented the police updated version of serious crimes statistics to members of the public. Even if in some instances, there is a decrease of certain reported crime committed during the period under review, the crime figure is too high. Where is the baseline? I am wary of reading and listening to the stats as the presenters give the impression that crime is under control when in reality, it is not so and even more worrying is the massive involvement of our youths in a multiplicity of serious crimes. Presenting crime stats to paint a picture that the police are on top of crimes is meaningless when citizens feel otherwise and have a perpetual
fear of crime. Analysing serious crimes stats and presenting them to the public is great, but it is nothing new. It became popular in 1990 when Laurie Lewis became Commissioner of Police. He identified 11 categories of serious crimes for constant review by the police. They are: (1) Murder (2) Robbery (3) Robbery under arms where guns were used (4) Robbery under arms where other instruments were used (5) Robbery with violence (6) Robbery with aggravation (7) Larceny from the person (8) Rape (9) Burglary (10)Break and Enter and Larceny and (11) Kidnapping. I do not know what yardstick Commissioner Lewis used to come up with his list of serious crimes. After Commissioner Lewis demitted office, the police continued to use his serious crimes formula. A quick look at the list will reveal that apart from rape, no other offence relating to domestic violence is catered for, drug trafficking is not listed, trafficking in person, fraud, simple larceny, conspiracy to defraud which SOCU likes to target and many other serious offences are not considered or listed as serious crimes. The list by Top Cop Laurie Lewis has remained pristine for over 30 years, although new trends of
serious crimes have emerged. Crime figures differ in the various regional police divisions. While there are decreases in certain serious crimes, other categories have spiked. There is also the “dark figures in crime,” that is, crimes not reported to the police for diverse reasons. In addition, there is the possibility of ghosting, which is “falsifying figures to” make the numbers come out right. Words, which I used to hear during my service in the Force, now keep ringing in my ears, “Don’t record that crime! It will make us look bad. Cock the stats so that we can look good. I do not know if “ghosting” is still taking place in the Force. The possibility of it still existing should not be overlooked. Minor crimes stats are apparently dashed under the police’s “No Action Red Carpet” so that the perpetrators of those minor crimes are not effectively targeted and they quickly graduate and become serious crimes offenders. Police tend to use crime rates, number of arrest and case clearance rates to measure how they are doing. Kramer and Fielder (2002) summarise the problem well: “Traditional measurements, such as Uniform Crime Reports ... arrest, and tickets tabulate only events. They do
Theft of Winches (Economic Sabotage and Treason) DEAR EDITOR The above caption brings great pain to my heart and indeed to most sane and patriotic Guyanese regardless of their political camps. To imagine that some people of this country also known as thieves and bandits will go to the extent to possibly decimate lives. This could happen in the case of flooding, caused by the theft of winches for sluices. These sluices were built hundreds of years ago in some cases to support our safety, from flooding by rains and waters, so we get water out. Also to bring in water with which certain species of seafood would also enter the various canals travelling hundreds sometimes thousands of miles linking up with other canals of agriculture and of GuySuCo. Having lost control of winches, an entire area could become inundated or flooded, water cannot go out and water cannot come in. The authorities having lost total control for the time being. Of course, we know our government: truly a people’s government which cares for the citizens of the country, the security of this country, will do all they can to ensure these
kinds of thefts and destruction, which I refer to as economic sabotage and economic treason. The laws of this country need to be seriously amended, not only for choke and robbers, and bandits attacking people in their homes but anyone involved in these economic types of sabotage. Agriculture is the backbone of our nation as it pertains to food production for peasants and large-scale farmers. Much of it brings in foreign exchange and excites the local economy, while providing economic stability and food resources. The fishing industry is sometimes operated by ordinary people who depend upon catching fish as a resource, and the people depending on the fisherman for a fresh reliable supply of seafood protein. I call upon our government to maximise the penalties possible, by new enactment of laws. They should also look at the possibility of offering rewards to these kinds of people. If the value of the item is three hundred thousand dollars, you offer a reward of three hundred thousand dollars. If it is one million dollars, you offer a reward of one million dol-
lars. So that even their own friends, families or neighbours using the grapevine system of communication will want to expose them. These informers must be well protected by the authorities as they can operate more and more clandestinely to help capture more and more thieves. Therefore, it can move even beyond those involved in the theft of agricultural equipment such as winches, batteries and pumps. It must be noted that it is not unusual for one set of people who are moving from area to area stealing these winches, pipes and motors that pump water. My heart truly bleeds! I am sad and depressed that our own people will steal life saving (Continued on page 6)
not measure whether the activities were completed efficiently and effectively, and they don’t describe what impact the activities had on the community. “Wayne W. Bennette and Karen M. Hess were very pellucid. They explained that such measures have several problems and argued that low crime rate does not necessarily mean a police agency is efficient and effective; A high arrest rate does not necessarily mean that the police are doing a good job; a high ratio of police officers to citizens does not necessarily mean high-quality police services; responding quickly to calls for service does not necessarily indicate that a police agency is efficient. Rather than looking at crime rates, number of arrests, cases clear up rates and response time, evaluation should assess whether or not the police are effective in fulfilling their responsibility to the communities that they swore to serve and protect. They must also focus on their mission statement. The GPF mission statement is not SMART (more about that in another article). In addition, the police must consider what citizens want from their protectors. Most citizens want to live in safe, orderly neighbourhood. Sir Robert
Peel often called the “Father of Modern Policing,” posited that the test of police effectiveness is the absence of crime and disorder not the visible evidence of police activity dealing with the issues of crimes. The police are considered effective when they produce the perception that crime is under control. Reduction of fear is a very important measure. In order for the police to appraise their performance, apart from analysing crime statistics, they must conduct regular environmental scanning, that is to say, they must scan both the internal and external environments. The GPF have many members of the Force at various levels and departments who are the holders of first Degrees and Masters. They can successfully conduct such surveys or seek outside help. For the internal survey, the following questions can be asked: How effective are you? What, if anything, should we change? What challenges do we face now? What challenges will we face in the future? One way to assess community approval or disapproval is through community surveys which can measure trends and provide positive and negative feedback of the public’s impression of law
enforcement. Community surveys are a win-win situation. It sends a message to citizens that the police are addressing their fear of crime and neighbourhood disorder. Citizens are better served and officers receive positive feedback. Community surveys can also be a key in establishing communications. Such surveys can also help set organisational goals, identify department strengths and weaknesses, identify areas of improvement and needed training and influence the motivation of employees. In closing, I recall vividly that several months ago the Ministry of Home Affairs boldly announced that it was conducting an online survey to find out how well the police are performing. Since then, nothing has been made public of that survey. Perhaps, there were human resource shortages and technical difficulties affecting the survey. Perhaps, it was washed away by the recent nationwide floods. Perhaps, it was not vaccinated and that COVID-19 infected and killed it. I am hopeful that the above is not so. Yours respectfully Clinton Conway Assistant Commissioner of Police (Retired)
Parika businesses blocking roadways; police seem incapable of handling situation DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me space in your newspaper to highlight an issue, which needs to be addressed urgently by law enforcement authorities in Parika, East Bank Essequibo (Region 3), as it is causing much frustration to citizens. This is in relation to vending on the roadside in Parika. For some time now, stallholders have been occupying the roadways to display their goods, especially clothing, and preventing the free flow of traffic and people. Some vendors, even though they are renting shops along the roadside, are now coming out to occupy the roadways. Persons cannot walk in the corner of the road; they are now forced to walk in the path of oncoming traffic. Even
other vehicles cannot park or stop properly, they have to do so in the middle of the road, most times creating a bottleneck. I should mention that this is a huge commercial area where there are several banks and offices, etc. and citizens would like to go about their business freely. As a bus driver, I, myself, am extremely
frustrated over the situation. Several complaints have been made to the Parika Police Station to take action, but it seems that the issue is proving to be some form of challenge for them to address. In some cases, when the police warn the vendors to take their items off the roadways, they (Continued on page 6)
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Tuesday November 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
Does Vanessa Kissoon have same political standing as Nandlall & Dr. Vindya? DEAR EDITOR, I write in reference to Freddie Kissoon’s column captioned “Anil Nandlall, Dr. Vindhya Persaud and Vanessa Kissoon’s mystery” (Nov 17). Freddie assailed Linden-based PNC political stalwart Vanessa Kissoon for not calling on her supporters to demand her re-instatement after she was suspended some years ago. He asserts that if PPP prominent personalities like Nandlall or Dr. Vindya were to have been suspended from the party, the way Vanessa was suspended from the PNC, PPP supporters would be up in arms demanding their re-instatement. There is/was no guarantee that PPPites would react angrily if the party’s leading
personalities have been bypassed for significant positions. PPPites are interested in keeping out the PNC from government and not necessarily fair play within the party. It would be recalled that the process of selection of the PPP Presidential nominee in 2019 was manipulated in favour of a figure less popular than Nandlall, Dr. Persaud, and Dr. Frank Anthony. Central Committee members were coerced into voting a certain way. Party supporters grumbled and sheepishly accepted the selection. They didn’t take to the streets demanding party democracy and a fair voting process. It is indisputable that Nandall and Dr. Persaud are
invaluable to the PPP and were key components of its victory in March 2020 as well as the official declaration in August. Nandlall led the legal campaign that nullified Mingo’s bedsheet declaration while Dr. Persaud had a daily presence at the recounting station that confirmed the PPP victory; Dr. Anthony was also there along with other PPP stalwarts. Their presence and support were indispensable to the party in securing the victory. But would party supporters have rebelled if Nandlall or Persaud or Frank were denied a Ministry? In fact, none of the three was slated for positions they currently hold. Others were promised those positions long before March 2020. Their prominent role in
combating the rigging forced the party leader to assign them Ministries. Anthony is only a figurehead as two others are making decisions. Persaud is powerless with almost no independent resources. Nandlall was not offered the Attorney General position; he was offered Home Affairs, which he justifiably rejected. Unlike Persaud and Frank, Nandlall had/has real power; he is widely enamoured by party supporters and respected for his legal brilliance. The party would not have been in power without Nandlall. Thus, he could have gotten any Cabinet position he wanted, any title (AG and Vice President), and make demands for others to be appointed as Members of Par-
liament, Ministers, Chair of Boards, etc. He did not invoke his power wisely to further empower his standing in the party. He used his influence and standing just to secure his own position as AG when he could have gotten others also appointed to prominent positions. He was tested on whether he would exercise his power and influence in the party and the government when he was given the less prestigious Home Affairs Ministry. He rightly rejected it demanding the AG position or nothing. That would have been the time for him to also make a demand for others to have their due and deserving place in government. He failed to exercise his power as the government was being constructed in early August
2020 and has since been “belittled and sidelined” by the leaders. Dr. Vindya Persaud also has strong standing among Hindus, controlling most Mandirs throughout Guyana and political leaders can’t easily sideline her. She was the last appointee of the Cabinet. Would the party supporters have rebelled if Nandlall didn’t get his way or if Dr. Vindya was not given a Cabinet berth? They would have been very angry and may well have rebelled. Does Vanessa Kissoon have the same standing and bring similar value in the PNC as Nandlall or Dr. Vindya brings to the PPP? Vanessa’s supporters accepted her suspension. Yours truly, Sharmila Ally
Parika businesses blocking roadways... From page 5 comply for a day or two, but soon after, they go back to breaking the rules. I am pleading with the Commissioner of Police and
the regional authorities to look into this matter urgently and take stronger action or implement more serious penalties against persons breaking the law. One could only
imagine what would happen as the peak season approaches if this matter is not addressed forthwith. Yours truly, Concerned Citizen
Fake news and Deputy... From page 4 spreading misinformation, and thus, “Shuman subsequently removed the false information on his Facebook page.” However, some permanent damage was done. I refer to a study into false memories that highlight the risks of “fake news” spreading via social media. This survey details how volunteers were shown fabricated news reports in the week before Ireland’s 2018 abortion law referendum. Nearly half of them subsequently claimed to have had prior memories of at least one of the made-up events detailed. Also, many failed to question their false recollections even after being told the articles that they had read might be fake. In other words, people still latched on to false information, even after clarity is given to dispel and debunk that which was falsified. What is frightening is that experts claim that it is diffi-
cult to “undo” spurious memories once they had been created. Why? This is because “Memory is a reconstructive process and we are vulnerable to suggestion distorting our recollections, without our conscious awareness,” Dr. Gillian Murphy, of University College Cork, said. Let me now point out a serious aftermath of this misinformation. It was repeated by leaders and supporters of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), and they are using it to seek to discredit the PPP/C. I doubt if they will help to ‘clear-up’ the and ‘clear-away’ the false news, and even if they do, not all will get the message, nor is anyone assured that the mind-set will change. As expected, Shuman was rebuked and lambasted by some of his colleagues. Some even attacked him verbally. I think that Shuman
should make an official apology. It is the most fitting thing to do. I point him to Mr. Harte, former News-Talk Editor-inChief, who explained that “You have got to be mindful that information, be it through government or through global (social media) giants, needs to be challenged. If you don’t have journalists, you don’t have fact checking, you don’t have credible brands delivering it and you are in danger of fake news becoming the norm.” Yours truly, Henry Singh
Theft of Winches (Economic... From page 5 equipment out of mere dishonesty, deceit and wickedness, while at the same time causing grave destruction to the lives of our farmers and to our country. Sincerely, Roshan Khan
Tuesday November 23, 2021
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Exxon targeting 36 wells next year offshore Guyana
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Veteran aviator Malcolm Chan-A-Sue dies weeks after car crash
Malcolm Chan-A-Sue, veteran aviator, former Chief Pilot of the GAC, recipient of the National Award, the Medal of Service, and one of the founding members of the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School.
Map showing the latest discoveries on the Stabroek Block. While it awaits approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to drill 24 wells evenly across the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks, operator of the two deepwater concessions, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), is planning to target another 12 wells, in its oil rich Stabroek Block come next year.
This much was revealed by Hess Corporation which holds a 30 percent working interest in the Stabroek Block. During Bank of America’s recently held Energy Conference, Hess’ Chief Operating Officer, Greg Hill, noted that the partners have about four and a half years left before its exploration licence comes to an end for the Stabroek Block.
During that time, Hill said, the partners are confident that they have adequate time left to explore and understand the resource base of the block before being required to return no less than 20 percent of the block to the State. It was at this point, he revealed that the partners’ confidence is rooted in Continued on page 17
Veteran aviator, Malcolm Chan-A-Sue, died yesterday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), while receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Chan-A-Sue’s death comes weeks after he and his wife were involved in an accident in Kingston from which he reportedly never fully recovered. The 82-year-old man and his wife were injured in an accident that took place in Kingston, Georgetown, on Saturday October 30, 2021 around 12:00hrs. That accident included Chan-A-Sue’s vehicle and a
minibus which collided at the intersection of High and Barrack Streets. According to police, at the time Chan-A-Sue was proceeding east along the northern drive lane of Barrack Street, when he failed to acknowledge a stop sign at the intersection and as a result, collided with the minibus, which was being driven my 28-year-old, Raymond Douglas. Kaieteur News understands that Chan-ASue, while approaching the intersection, failed to stop and continued to proceed east across the road when he Continued on page 17
Tuesday November 23, 2021
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Kaieteur News
The PPP/C appears allergic to having a PPC The secret signing of the US$18M signing bonus between Esso, Hess and CNOOC, on the one hand, and the Government of Guyana, on the other hand, raises serious issues of transparency. For one, why was the signing bonus so pitifully meagre? As has been bemoaned to exhaustion by this newspaper, other countries around the world have received much higher signing bonuses than we have and for far less oil reserves than are contained in the Stabroek Block. So just how was this sum determined? What was the basis for determining that US$18M was adequate? Or was this really, as one senior official tended to imply, not a signing bonus at all but merely a donation to help pay Guyana’s legal fees for prosecuting its case against Venezuela, before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)? There are real questions surrounding the status of this US$18M signature bonus. It is claimed that the money is deposited in a US bank account, a risky venture when one considers the proclivity of the United States to freeze the foreign assets of states with which they have political issues. Questions also swarm around the uses to which this money has been put. It has been hinted that the monies are being used to pay the legal fees mentioned above. But so far, the public is clueless as to just how much of the US$18M was utilised for this purpose, to whom specifically the money was paid and what was the means
used to determine the choice of legal personnel and their remuneration. Guyana cannot afford the lack of transparency when it comes to these legal fees. If there is anything which can undermine the righteousness of Guyana’s case before the ICJ, it would be for the legal fees to be ensnared in a lack of openness. Guyanese are entitled to know who is being paid, how much is being paid and who authorised such payment. The laws of Guyana dictate that all revenues must be paid into the Consolidated Fund and appropriated for use. The exceptions to this rule require the creation of special funds but the public is yet to be advised that there is such a thing as an ICJ Legal Fees Fund. It can hardly hurt for there to be greater transparency in this matter. Going further back, there are other disconcerting questions surrounding the award of the oil blocks to Exxon Mobil in the first place. Then there are much more disturbing concerns – including the abject lack of transparency – when it comes to other oil blocks in which the public is yet to be told who are the actual persons to which these blocks have been assigned. The various dimensions of transparency – or rather the lack of it – are symptomatic of a deeper malaise issue with governance. There have long been in the public domain concerns about the government expenditure and the process of awarding government contracts. The International Monetary Fund had zeroed in on this issue. In 2019, in one of its reports on Guyana, it had
welcomed the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) under the APNU+AFC but encouraged the government to ensure timely compliance with existing regulations and take further actions to fortify the transparency of the procurement system. The PPP/C seems to be allergic to the PPC. At present, there is no PPC in place and this opens the floodgates to all kinds of malfeasance. The official reason given for the absence of the PPC is that the government has to consult with the Opposition as well as await a process within the Appointments Committee of the National Assembly. These processes are not happening seemingly because the Leader of the Opposition continues to insist, to the chagrin of the President, that the government was elected fraudulently. However, some observers have poured cold water on this excuse. They believe that the failure of the leaders to meet, and consequently to set in train the process of appointing a PPC allows the government a free pass to award contracts without the oversight of the PPC. This, along with the severe institutional deficiencies inherent in public procurement, have allowed for both parties to be accused of unfettered corruption by awarding government contracts to their friends and cronies while the public sits and watches helplessly. The Irfaan Ali administration is beginning to look and smell a lot like the old dis-
Dem boys seh ...
Stop de drama and help dem wah need help Yuh ever notice how when it comes to putting yuh money way yuh mouth deh, Guyanese does dodge de issue. Like de odder day with de child wah bin need some money fuh a medical procedure. Yuh would ah think dat people woulda immediately dig into dem pockets and start fuh donate. But no! Immediately yuh start hearing bout de healing power of God. One person seh how dem muss start a Go Fund Me page, not realising dat wan account done set up and wat needed
is not talk but action: action fuh put money. But is suh sometimes. When it come to giving money, dem hand does suddenly get padlock. Dem Boys remember de case of de group what did vex because de guvament establish wan monument. Dem seh dem nah accepting dat monument and dem gan raise funds and build dem own monument. Was one big foray. Years pass and nothing nah build. Was sheer blowblow. Den when de Coal-a-
Shun come in, de guvament had to build a small monument. De public still waiting pon dis group and dem plans fuh build a new monument. If yuh wan help people, yuh nah gat fuh talk, just do it. If people sick and yuh want help dem, go to de bank and put de money in de account. But nah waste time talking all kind ah idleness when yuh should be putting yuh hand in yuh pocket and giving money. Talk half and nah keep yuh hand suh tight.
credit pre-2015 PPP/C regime. If there has indeed been a change, it seemingly appears to be more of an interchange and exchange.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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Tuesday November 23, 2021
THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN
ELECTION RIGGING:
Listen, read and reply so people can learn Zoom is the big thing in the world. One journalist sits in a café in Nairobi and talks to an international athlete and citizens in Jamaica can see them chatting on Zoom. A dog runs into the café and eats the sandwich that the athlete had on the table and the entire world can see that. This is the technological world we live in. You cannot say that you do not have the facts on what the interviewer asked the sport personality. It is there on your smart phone or laptop to see. It was for this reason, I have withdrawn my respect and admiration for Eusi Kwayana. I would have preferred if Kwayana in his reply to me in April last year on the
election drama had said he did not accept the return of the PPP in power. What I rejected was his explanation that he didn’t have all the facts and from where he lived, he was not going to make pronouncements. I had warned readers that as soon as the election imbroglio was over, you will find people, who refused to pen even one line on election rigging, will devote time and energy to all types of occurrences in Guyana. One prominent North-Americabased Guyanese actually appealed to an influential international body to rule against the continuation of gas and oil exploration here. The person was listed in the press as a human rights
activist. But such activism should have compelled this person to speak out against the attitude of the ruling party after it lost a noconfidence vote (NCV) and the five month-election saga. I cannot and will not accept a human rights actor confining their activism only to the oil industry. Out of the blue, I read a well-known academic writing in the newspapers about placing too much emphasis on Burnham’s role in the overt and covert American intervention against Premier Cheddi Jagan in the 1960s while he claims analysts tend to obfuscate the role of the Americans. As with the activist that
Shiwnandan’s Clinic now certified to provide service to oil and gas workers
is against oil exploration, I am confused why this academic did not want to comment too on the absurdity Guyana faced in the eyes of the world when the NCV was rejected because the ruling party argued that the majority of 65 members of the House constituted 34. Why this academic never sought to focus on what was taking place from March to July 2020. In that period, the right to vote that the very Americans in the 1970s and 1980s took away from Guyanese through acceptance of election rigging was being attempted again. Surely if this academic can express familiarity with what the Americans did to oust the Jagan government, then he has to know the relentless turbulence since that era that weakened Guyana, made this country into almost a failed state. The reason was directly related to election rigging from 1968. Walter Rodney confronted Premier Forbes Burnham in tempestuous ways that led to his assassination. Rodney saw how a referendum was rigged to give Burnham hegemonic ownership of Guyana. Rodney did not live to fight
against the 1980 bogus election; he was murdered in 1980. The election took p l a c e i n December 1980. T h e n e w Frederick Kissoon constitution and the illegal u s u r p a t i o n o f p o w e r percent of the Indian empowered Burnham to population voted for Forbes Burnham. It means that in become executive president. The year 1980 forms one 1980, Guyana did away with of the most tragic years in racial voting and Guyana post-independent Guyana, back then had a sound multiRodney was assassinated. racial party in power. The bogus 1980 election Peter D’Aguiar, the man who paved the way for g a v e a t w o - t h i r d Burnham’s dictatorship, parliamentary majority to died without being given an the PNC thus creating the o f f i c i a l f u n e r a l . A n super-power authority of authoritarian constitution Burnham. This is what transformed Guyana into a rigged elections did to quasi-monarchial regime. Guyana. In 2021, if the T h e r i g g e d D e c e m b e r world had allowed an illegal election gave the PNC 78 government to be in power percent of the votes with 42 until the 2025 poll, we were seats. The PPP got 19 going right back to 1980. How could any human rights percent with 10 seats. Here is a breakdown of activist, any civil society the ethnic make-up in 1980 actor and trained social in percentage: Indians – 52, scientist write on oil and the Africans – 31, Mixed – 11, events of the 1960s and say Amerindian – 5, Portuguese not a single word of the - 0.4. If all the voters from March 2020 election is t h e M i x e d r a c e , beyond belief. (The views expressed in Amerindians, Portuguese this article are those of the and Africans voted for the PNC, it could not carry the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t PNC over the 50 percent necessarily reflect the mark. This meant that 31 opinions of this newspaper.)
GECOM losing autonomy with Govt. pulling purse strings GSC representative hands over the ISO credential to the operators of Dr. Shiwnandan’s Clinic Inc. Dr. Shiwnandan’s Clinic Inc. is among the newest ISO 9001:2015 Certified companies in Guyana that is now geared at providing medical services to those employed in the oil and gas sector. The company was presented with its credentials yesterday from Global Compliance Service (GCS) and is the only Accredited ISO Certification Body with a resident office in Guyana. According to a release from GSC, several international organisations already recognise Dr. Shiwnandan’s Clinic Inc. as an approved medical provider. These include Oil and Gas UK, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency UK, the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, Vanuatu Maritime Services Ltd., and the United States Coast Guard. Thus, a wide range of medical certificates, including OGUK, ENG 1, MLC 2006, and USCG Certificates, have been issued by Shiwnandan’s Clinic Inc. Added to this, all drug and alcohol, and fitness tests meet the required standards. Supplementing these offerings are medical review officer and clinical psychology services. Additionally, Dr. Shiwnandan’s Clinic
Inc. offers general medicine, ultrasound, endoscopy, and laboratory services, which it has successfully performed for more than twenty-five years. Dr. Shiwnandan’s clinic inc. is focused on quality management and is committed to customer satisfaction. It endeavours to improve services by building strong relationships locally and internationally continually. The release explained that companies certified to the ISO standard have established a Quality Management System, which provides a framework for delivering consistent quality products and services as defined within its scope of certification. “This certification provides a model for companies of all types and sizes to improve internal systems build quality management systems and operate effectively at different levels, including the ability to focus on customer requirements and constantly find ways to become resilient and sustainable. “ It was explained that the standard is based on seven quality management principles, highlighting a strong customer focus, involvement of high-level company management, employee engagement, evidence-based decision-making, an Continued on page 17
- COMMISSIONER For one year now, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has not been being paying its rent for several properties, which it occupies since money is not being released by the Ministry of Finance’s National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). This was among the damning revelations supplied over the weekend in relation to the inner workings of the Commission, as explained by opposition nominated Commissioner, Vincent Alexander—at the time, a Guest of Christopher Ram’s ‘Plain Talk’. Questioned specifically on the financial autonomy of the Commission with regard to its budgetary spending, Alexander cited as example, the state of affairs with regard the outstanding rentals to be paid.
He told Ram, GECOM is currently in a situation where it is questioning its level of autonomy. According to Alexander, this is evident in the fact that NPTAB has, until recently, refused to release money for about a year for the payment of buildings rented. To this end, Alexander explained that consequently the Commission is, at present, unable to issue any new contracts since each will have to be retendered (buildings rented by GECOM). This, he said, would have to be done before any ‘tenancy agreement’ can be deemed acceptable to NPTAB. “So for one year, we have not been paying because of this.” He has since surmised, “…this is evidence of GECOM losing some of its autonomy.” The Commissioner used
GECOM Commissioner, Vincent Alexander the occasion to observe too, that the development appears to obtain at a time when legislation was passed to change the way in which G E C O M ’s b u d g e t i s presented to the National Assembly.” To this end, the GECOM Commissioner opined, “there seems to be a taking away of some of the autonomy GECOM enjoyed up to 2020.”
Tuesday November 23, 2021
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Tuesday November 23, 2021
7 years later, Guyana struggling with basics for oil and gas sector …as migration crisis looms - Ramkarran
Vice-President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo (2nd left, sitting) and team during discussions with Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice-President of Ghana and a team of technical officials during his recent visit.
G
u y a n a discovered hydrocarbons— oil and gas in commercial quantities, back in 2015 at the time the Coalition Administration was being sworn into power, with production beginning in 2019, a national development that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change ( A P N U + A F C ) administration was hardly prepared for. Having lost office to the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) in 2020, the incumbent administration is now proving that it too is still struggling with basic issues, with another potential looming crisis on the horizon being the issue of migrants, expatriates, naturalised Guyanese and a policy dealing with the phenomenon. The matter was raised over the weekend by Senior Counsel, Ralph Ramkarran, in an article on his Conversationtree.gy online blog, where he addressed the issue in light of the fact that during a recent trip to Ghana, Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, said that Guyana, with its small population and limited labour force, would
reach full employment soon, and that Guyana would have to consider an active immigration policy. LAPSES A c c o r d i n g t o Ramkarran, a former Speaker of the National Assembly, “It is clear that since that time (discovery), t h e A P N U + A F C Government hardly prepared for the tasks ahead and the PPP/C Government is still struggling with basic issues.” He cited as example, the fact that the legislation for the Natural Resources Fund (NRF) is not yet complete and that the Petroleum Commission has not been appointed. Additionally, Ramkarran highlighted that important tasks, such as the appointment of auditors to verify the expenses of Exxon have not been accomplished. Conceding, “…capacity in Guyana is very limited, including at the highest level of Government,” Ramkarran is adamant nonetheless, “this needs to be quickly remedied.” Elaborating on the impending migration and labour dilemma, Ramkarran said, “…if I could have predicted more than five
years (ago) that an immigration policy would have to be determined, then others in government, or preparing to enter government, must have envisaged the same need. As such, he was unwavering in his adumbration, if a governmental team has not yet been established to consider immigration policy, “then we are in bad shape; “but I would not be surprised if no such team has been established, having regard to the fact that the more urgent issue of auditing Exxon’s expenses has been allowed to lapse.” REFUGEES Ramkarran in his public missive recalled that in August 2016, several months after the discovery of oil in Guyana, he had penned an article captioned, ‘Guyana’s future as an oil producer’ where he contended, “if we are serious about progress, an immigration policy would have to be determined and systems put in place for its implementation.” The senior counsel has since observed that in recent years, Guyana has welcomed Brazilians, Chinese and a smaller number of Indians. Emigration from these countries, he said, would increase and Guyana would begin to welcome emigrants
from CARICOM and other countries and that the Guyanese people need to be prepared for these developments. More recently, Guyana has welcomed a sizeable number of economic refugees from Venezuela. As such, Ramkarran observed that Vice President Jagdeo’s utterances regarding the importation of labour, “did not say anything that would not have been known by anyone knowledgeable about recent developments.” As such, he posits that such a position being espoused from a leading member of the Government has caused political figures to already speculate on where the immigrants are going to come from. “This, of course, relates to the potential political implications of large-scale immigration having regard to Guyana’s ethno-political equation.” The legal luminary was of the view, there are several issues regarding immigration, including determining what categories of labour that Guyana would need, such as unskilled, skilled and professional. “Although it would be difficult at this stage to assess numbers, the history of immigration in Middle East countries can be looked to for guidance.” PLAN & PREPARE
Former Speaker of the National Assembly and ANUG founding member, Ralph Ramkarran, SC Additionally, Ramkarran suggested that the next issue would be the policies that would be applied to immigrants and pointed out that in many Middle East countries, citizenship is not granted to persons employed under contracts from other countries. “The stated reason is to preserve the country’s integrity, political stability and wealth for its citizens. But many negative connotations have been attributed to these policies.” Additionally, Ramkarran said too, there would be a need to examine the applicable laws to ascertain what amendments should be made. He cited as example, there is no status of permanent residence. With regards, foreigners not on vacation, residence is based on the grant of work permits; the right of residence expires on the expiration of work permits, which are granted at the discretion of the Ministry of Home Affairs and are not backed by any legislation. In Guyana, work permits are usually issued for one year or less and, according to Ramkarran, the laws that would need to be updated and upgraded, including the Constitution, the Citizenship Act, the Immigration Act and the Aliens (Immigration and Registration Act). Guyana’s Constitution, he opined, is liberal as it relates to citizenship, in that any person lawfully residing in Guyana for five years can apply for citizenship. Any person married to a citizen is entitled to citizenship. Children born to parents, one of whom is a
citizen, are eligible for citizenship, wherever they may reside. These laws exist in many countries. He noted, however, in developed countries, which attract immigrants, there are rigid laws which restrict the admission of immigrants and that they generally admit only skilled persons and sponsored family members. However, they are generally entitled to citizenship after a period, usually in the vicinity of five years. Middle East countries, with oil and/or gas wealth, or are otherwise highly developed, have immigrant populations that are many times the size of their Indigenous populations, according to Ramkarran. He pointed out that many of these do not offer citizenship to their immigrant populations. “These populations cannot vote or access social benefits or bring their families. Guyana will have to decide what approach to take in relation to immigrants, especially since the speculation is that Guyana will eventually require twice the size of its population, and this can only come from immigration.” To this end, Ramkarran, former Speaker of the National Assembly and Founder Member of A New and United Guyana, is of the view that, “unless a regime of contract workers and professionals, without the right of citizenship, is established, difficult political questions will arise; the only way to resolve these difficult issues is to start the planning and preparation now.”
Tuesday November 23, 2021
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Tuesday November 23, 2021
Venezuelan child refugees treated for diarrhoea, skin rashes at Anabisi
O
ver the weekend, local health authorities were able to treat about 50 Venezuelan children who were found suffering from diarrhoea, skin rashes and other infections at Anabisi, Port Kaituma, Region One. The intervention came following reports that a group of Amerindian migrants including children were found in poor health and some severely malnourished at Anabisi. A team of Government o ff i c i a l s s u b s e q u e n t l y rushed to the location on Saturday to provide needed medical care to the group. According to the Office of Prime Minister on Saturday, the group may have migrated from neighbouring Venezuela. Kaieteur News has since learnt that the migrants who are from the Warrau tribe, were found along the riverbank of Port Kaituma, in makeshift camps some 10 minutes away from where local residents reside. “The Government of Guyana is aware of the Amerindian migrants at Anabisi, Port Kaituma, North West District and has been attending to the
situation. It is suspected that dozens of Amerindians including children may have entered Guyanese territory from a neighbouring village in Venezuela in poor health and without food,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement noted. Providing immediate medical care and food relief on Saturday were Ministers o f H e a l t h , D r. F r a n k Anthony, Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vi n d h y a P e r s a u d a n d Amerindian Affairs’ Pauline Sukhai. They were also joined by several doctors from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the Port Kaituma Hospital. Though it was reported in other sections of the media that the children were severely ill and dying of starvation, Minister Persaud has since refuted the claims to say no child was critical or starving as reported. “We arrived at the Warrau settlement and found poor living conditions but no children dying of starvation as was portrayed by the media and on social media,” she shared in Facebook post. The Minister explained in her post, that she along
Rebuilding Ogle Fire Station estimated to cost $85.6M The Government of Guyana is currently inviting contractors to reconstruct the Ogle Fire Station, East Coast Demerara (ECD), at an estimated cost of $85.6M. This is according to an ‘Invitation for Bids’ issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, published in Sunday’s edition of the Kaieteur News. According to the invitation, bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding (NCB) Procedures, specified in the Procurement Act 2003, and is open to all bidders subject to provisions of Section 3 (Eligible countries) of the bid document. Bids for the project will be opened on December 7 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), which is located at the Ministry of Finance office. It should be noted that the project forms part of the $1.9B that was allocated to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) in the 2021 budget.
In February last, government in its annual budget presentation outlined that the $1.9B will go towards the relocation of the Stabroek Fire Station, the construction of a new fire station at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) which is already in its final stage of completion and the procurement of six water tenders and two ambulances. R e c e n t l y, i t w a s revealed that out of the $1.9B, the relocation of the Central Fire Station would cost $648 million. It was also announced in June, that the new location for the fire station will be at D’Urban Park area. In October, bids were opened for this project, which saw 12 companies vying for the contract. Kaieteur News understands that this project is slated to commence before the end of this year. Additionally, the Fire Service in March received four tenders from the government at the cost of $175M.
with Dr. Neil Samwaroo—a paediatrician at the GPHC—had examined the children and found cases of impetigo (skin rashes / infection), diarrhoeal diseases, conjunctivitis commonly known as ‘red eye’ and general flu symptoms and they were provided with the necessary medications. She noted however, that four children with skin infections along with a neonate (newborn) with fever had to be referred to the Port Kaituma Hospital for treatment. During the emergency intervention, the team
provided food hampers along with safe drinking water. Minister Anthony during his daily COVID-19 update yesterday said, while the children were treated for those illnesses, on Sunday when the medical team returned to the location, they were also able to detect cases of malaria among the adult population. “On Sunday, the team saw 42 adults, and again we saw similar type of illnesses among the adults, in addition to which we were able to detect among the group, some cases of malaria and again, they were given
The Ministerial and health teams who attended to the migrants. (Photo: Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud.)
treatment based on the medical condition they have,” he related. The Minister during his interview clarified that there was no emergency medical cases, but some of the children that they attend to, were chronically malnourished. Another observation, he highlighted, was that the group was living in an unhygienic environment. “What we found generally in the camp is that it is very unhygienic because you have a lot of people living together, the team estimated that there are 198 persons, living in very close
proximity and they are from 25 different families. So because of the unhygienic conditions, they are using the same water from the river, and they are using the river to wash and do other things there, the water is of no quality,” he added. In response to this, the migrants were provided with ‘jerry cans’, which would allow them to filter the water, making it safer for them to use. A c c o r d i n g t o D r. Anthony, discussions were also held on ways, which they can dispose of their garbage properly and areas Continued on page 17
Tuesday November 23, 2021
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Tuesday November 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
City Hall to spend $8.8M for holiday cleanup
VEHICLES FOR SALE Toyota Premio PAB series white, year 2008 registered August 2021. Tel:621-7993.
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SERVICES Visa Application: U.S.A, Canada & UK; Graphics design, advertisements, Wedding arch rentals. Tel: 626-7040 House plan drawing & estimates. K.Lakeram Building C o n t r a c t o r. C a l l : 2 1 6 0671,692-8464 or whatsapp 622-0267. Specialized repair/service: A/ C, refrigerator, washing machine,treadmill,stove, deepfryer, pressurepump & backwash,dryer,oven. 6949733. Arbeth Contracting Services. We specialize in landfilling, kerbwall, land clearing ,roads, culverts, bridges,buildingsetc. Call:629-3136. Amarachi African Cuisine needs palm oil,bitter leaves processor.Cooks for nsala, banga & other african native diet.Tel:688-2141. Business opportunity of a lifetime,earn extra cash,part time/fulltime.Tel:656-2682.
The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will spend some $8.480 million to clean up the Capital City for the holiday season. The collection of garbage around FOR SALE Georgetown commenced One mini Yacht,4 winns earlier last week, across o u t b o a r d & i n b o a r d , several wards in the city and mercuruiser 140 single en- will continue for 12-weeks. gine works, price $3M neg. City Mayor, Ubraj Narine, Tel:676-6288. during an interview with Kaieteur News, has 6 ton Hiab Crane.Tel:687disclosed that $5 million will 3925/602-0090. be poured directly into city PACIFIC -Houses For Sale cleanup for the picking up of Onderneeming,Tuschen, parapet waste in main areas Haslington Call/WhatsApp 223-6035,673-6210, +1(917) 771-5202. Forty-year-old Jason Roberts, of Princes Street, Georgetown, was yesterday charged for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend, a member of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and was also WANTED slapped with four other Skilled carpenters, masons, charges. Roberts appeared welder and labourers to work long termin Georgetown & virtually before Magistrate Linden. Call:602-9469,615- Dylon Bess, in the 7526.
2 bedrooms,444 Railyway Line Betterhope E.C.D.Call between 8am-4pm.Tel:6173001.
KitchenAssistant, Babysitter & Sales person, must have secondary education. Call:659-5559. Domestic Worker to work at Peter's Hall E.B.D,must be from the E.B.D age 25 to 45yrs.Cal:231-0363. 1 live in maid,salary $80,000 monthly.Call:665-0679. Kitchen assistant/cleaner (live in-out ogle E.C.D) salary $120,000 monthly. Cal:610-3974. Arbeth Contracting Services. Wanted for bobcat/ skid steer operator. Call:6293136. One male able bodied clerk. Call:616-5954,231-2029.
VACANCY
Security officers to work in the interior.Applications to innovationsamericamng@gmail.com or hand deliver to Innovations America. Vacancy at People's Choice Kitchen for cooks,kitchen assistant,handyman& counter staff,Tel:679-9449. Maid to cook and clean for East Bank.Call: 615-9132.
LAND FOR SALE 102 GoodHope Mahaica, 500ftx42ft Roadside. Call: 691-8420.
The Camp Street area with strewn garbage locale, where persons traverse daily to and from work. Additionally, drains
could be seen overflowing onto the walkways across other sections of the city.
Man charged with assaulting ex-girlfriend, cop
Vacancy exists for 1 certified Auto Mechanic with minimum 10 yrs experience. Call:231-8737. FOR RENT
in the city, and $3.840 million for the double pickup of commercial waste. This is in addition to the monthly $12 million contract that was awarded among three companies, Cevon’s Waste Management, Sandip Waste Management Solutions and Guyana Waste Solutions, to pick up garbage around Georgetown. During a tour around the city, it was observed that there are piles of garbage strewn across several areas including the Camp Street
One salesman,able bodied porters.Experience in writing bills,stocktaking & cashing. Keyfood Trading,Mc Doom village. Experienced Accounts & Bond clerk,tractor & truck drivers,porters.Apply at Alabama Trading.Tel:623-16515.
Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. The first two charges allege that on November 7, 2021, at Middle Road, La Penitence, Georgetown, Roberts unlawfully assaulted his ex-girlfriend, Nikisha Ward, and also breached a protection order by verbally assaulting her. On the same date and location, it is alleged
that Roberts unlawfully and maliciously damaged a gate, valued some $26,000, property of Jermaine Junior. Two other charges stated that on the same date at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost, the defendant assaulted Delon Sullivan—a police rank—and also damaged his shirt, which is valued at $5,000.
The sixth and final charge alleged that he behaved in a disorderly manner at the police station. Roberts denied the allegations and was placed on $10,000 bail for each charge. The matters have since been adjourned to January 3, 2022 and transferred to Principal Magistrate, Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus.
COVID-19 takes toll on drug importation for pharmacies …widespread shortages reported for common medication
Pharmacy owners are currently experiencing widespread shortages for some of their Over-TheCounter (OTC) drugs, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four pharmacists, who spoke with this publication on the condition of anonymity yesterday, related that a number of drugs and consumables are currently a major issue for pharmacies across various Regions, and that the Health Ministry should address the issue. In an interview with this publication via ZOOM, local and international certified pharmacist, Dr. Allen Henderson, told this newspaper that the shortages exist mostly in pharmacies. Dr. Allen explained that pharmacies have been experiencing shortages especially in female contraceptives, Excedrin, Tylenol, Robitussin, Paracetamol Syrup, Eye Wash, Florastor, Melatonin (3mg, 5mg, 10mg), One-a-day Women’s Vitamin, Omega 3 VACANCY Maintenance workers & labourers to work with P.S.G.C.S. Preferably from E.B.D. Call: 621-6969/6157784. 1Accounts/Inventory Clerk.Must have CXC Maths & English,email: benjamin_nathalie@yahoo.com. Cook/Baker and Pitmen for interior location. Applicants must be experienced. Call: 618-2020/231-2250.
Widespread shortages reported for common medication at pharmacies locally Fish Oil (1,000mg), etc. He lamented, that since the COVID-19 pandemic started, the pharmaceutical industry have reduced the production of those medications. Dr. Henderson related also that there is a massive shortage
of Omega 3 Fish Oil (1,000mg) at quite a few pharmacies. “Our customers are constantly complaining to us that our service is poor due to the reduction in these drugs, and there are issues concerning accessibility of
the medications.” He noted however, “things that are so common and so vital, we would expect that we could get them into Guyana as soon as possible and make the medication available to the patients.” Dr. Henderson posits nonetheless, female contraceptives, and painkillers and such types of medication should always be in a pharmacy. According to Dr. Henderson, foreign suppliers are also currently experiencing a mass reduction, not only in common medication, but also personal protective equipment. Yesterday, Kaieteur News made several attempts to contact the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, those efforts, however, have proven to be futile.
Environmentalist questions ‘independence’... She said, “…these are some very questions that were raised in this [EIA] process...” Mangal noted too that all of the waste that is coming to shore, “that are being dumped in various communities across Guyana is a result of incredibly poor decision-making and the waste is not being properly accounted for in the public.” She posited, “…we have a situation where both governments who dealt with Exxon behaved dastardly towards the people of Guyana… There is no proper monitoring of the impact and processing of that waste, the disposal of the waste on shore or off-
shore to date.” Additionally, Mangal was adamant, “we have not really done right by the fisheries; we never really examined what really are the underlying causes for the decline in the fisheries sector and you cannot have a massive oil industry that’s sitting offshore and assume that it‘s not culpable. I mean, you would have to have sufficient data to look at the causes but it is well documented in the scientific literature that seismic surveys are damaging marine life. So you can’t discount this.” Taking all the matters into consideration, Mangal accused the EPA of Guyana
of grossly failing in its duty. “I know this because I have objected to a series of EIAs that they have waived and after insisting they were doing well, they afterwards withdrew a whole series of those documents, admitting that they had been systematically breaking the law.” To this end, she contends “this agency is a mess; it is like an asylum that is being run by its inmates.” In this regard, the environmentalist said there is need for the EPA to up the ante and ensure public and environmental safety of Guyana is safeguarded.
Tuesday November 23, 2021
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Kaieteur News
Woman, 48, succumbs to COVID-19 A 48-year-old woman from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), who contracted the novel Corona virus (COVID-19) disease, is Guyana’s latest victim to have succumbed. This is according to the Ministry of Health, which reported yesterday that the unvaccinated woman died on
Monday, while receiving treatment at a medical facility. As a result of the latest fatality, the country’s COVID19 death toll has moved to 977. Meanwhile, in its daily COVID-19 dashboard, the Health Ministry said, it recorded 31 new cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 37,356.
The dashboard also documents that nine persons are admitted into the COVID19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 75 persons in institutional isolation, 1,729 in home isolation and two in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 34,566 persons have recovered from the virus.
Venezuelan child refugees treated... From page 14 where they can use to set up toilets. In collaboration with the Region’s authorities, the Minister stated that a system has been put in place, which would allow the migrants to access the needed medical care at the Port Kaituma Hospital.Speaking with Kaieteur News yesterday, Regional Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council (Region One), Brentnol
Ashley, assured that his officers are working closely with the people at Anabisi, in ensuring that they receive the assistance they need. He added that a number of foods hamper and safe water has been distributed to the people. According to Ashley, over the past months, his officials would have been distributing a number of items to migrants who have settled in the Region One area. The Re-
gional Chairman shared too that they are currently working on getting a water system in place for the persons in Anabisi. Additionally, they are teaming up with stakeholders on ways they can get some of the migrants to be employed in the Region. “We are working continuously to see how we can better the condition for the people at Anabisi,” he related.
Veteran aviator Malcolm Chan-A-Sue dies...
Shiwnandan’s Clinic now certified... From page 10 outlined process-based approach, relationship management, and ongoing improvement of business operations. In the meantime, the statement added, GSC’s vision is to provide more affordable and competitive ISO certification, inspection, and training services to companies within Guyana. GCS business profile represents over 20 years of experience within the audit, inspection, training, and certi-
fication industry. According to the company, the ISO certifications are issued from GCS office in the USA through a seamless accredited process. “…It eliminates the exorbitant cost of airfare and accommodations, making ISO certification more affordable for many local businesses. All administrative arrangements, including the application for ISO Certification to any ISO Management System Standard or request for Training
Services on any ISO Management system standard can be processed through Global Compliance Service Guyana Inc.,” the statement added. Currently, the firm has eight offices servicing 36 countries globally. Global Compliance Service Guyana Inc. is a Guyaneseowned and operated business; our team consists of Guyanese professionals who are qualified ISO management systems trainers and auditors.
ExxonMobil targeting 36 wells next year... From page 8 the aggressive exploration plan, which Exxon has lined up for next year. As for his Chief Executive Officer, John Hess, he was thrilled to speak about the massive potential value the company sees for the Stabroek Block. Hess said, “…we have now made 21 significant discoveries since 2015.” That estimate was recently increased to 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent resources from the previous nine billion.” The Hess boss added, “…we continue to see the
potential for at least six Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSOs) vessels producing on a gross basis, greater than 1 million barrels of oil per day by 2027 and up to 10 FPSOs, to develop all discovered resources. So we are planning to have an active exploration and appraisal programme next year, just as we did in 2021.” Further to this, the CEO said his shareholders and even Executive Members are excited about the Guyana discoveries since they rank among some of the largest of the past decade. Hess said too, the reser-
voirs rank among the highest quality in the world, since its sweet composition allows for low carbon emissions while adding that the discoveries carry some of the lowest costs of production. Taking those crucial points into consideration, the Hess boss said Guyana’s oil will surely be sneeded 20 years from now. “And there is going to be a lot of value from that for our shareholders,” expressed the CEO. He said, there is no doubt that Guyana is truly “a transformational opportunity” for Hess as it allows it to have “unparalleled” growth in profits.
From page 8 collided with Douglas. The minibus collided with the right side of Chan-A-Sue’s motorcar causing him to lose control, which led his vehicle to collide with another motorcar, PWW 5212 that was parked on the eastern side of the parapet. Chan-A-Sue, along with his wife Margaret—who were the only occupants of the vehicle at the time of the accident—were both admitted to the hospital in the respective male and female surgical wards. Messages of condolences and tributes have since been pouring in, as news of Chan-aSue’s demise circulated. The Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) in a statement said, it was saddened by the passing of the veteran aviator. According to that body, Captain Chan-a-Sue was the holder of a Private Pilot’s Licence, Commercial Pilot’s Licence, and the Airline Transport Pilot’s Licence with several type ratings for various aircraft, including the single engine and multi-engine land and sea type aircraft. He was also qualified to operate the Britton Norman 2 Islander, Grumman G21A, Dakota C47, DHC 6 Twin Otter, DHC 4A Caribou, HF748 and the Boeing 737 aircraft. Chan-a-Sue also worked with the former Guyana Air-
ways Corporation (GAC) and was one of the founding members of the Art Williams and Harry Wendt Aeronautical Engineering School (AWHWAES). He also worked with the AWHWAES from 1993 to 2018 in various capacities including Chief Executive Officer and remained a Director after retiring as CEO in 2018. “The Minister of Public Works, the Chairman and Board of Directors, the Director General, Management and Staff of the GCAA extend sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the late Captain Malcolm Chan-a-Sue, A.A., M.S. Guyana has lost another stalwart in aviation,” GCAA said. For its part, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) in expressing condolences on the passing of Chan-A-Sue, recalled that the veteran aviator was also a recipient of the National Award, the Medal of Service (MS) and also received the Arrow of Achievement (AA) in 2015 for his long, dedicated service and outstanding service in the field of aviation. “The Party extends heartfelt condolences to his immediate family members, relatives and friends,” the PNCR statement read. Additionally, the Aircraft Owners’ Association of Guyana (AOAG) in its response to Chan-A-Sue’s
passing said it is deeply saddened by the untimely death of Captain Malcolm Chan-aSue, resulting from a road accident. “Our condolences go out to his wife, Margaret, his children, grandchildren and immediate family. His passing is a huge loss to the aviation industry of Guyana.” Captain Chan-a-Sue’s contribution to the development and progress of aviation in Guyana is second to none and truly immeasurable, the AOAG said. Chan-A-Sue’s aviation colleague, Captain Gerry Gouveia, in expressing his condolences, said his passing is a great loss to the aviation and piloting sector of Guyana. Chan-A-Sue who served in the industry for over 50 years, is credited with contributing immensely to the development of the aviation sector including the Eugene F. Correia Airport. “The aviation sector in Guyana became better because of him, Ogle airport for what it is today in terms of compliance was because of him. He was a stickler for standards,” said Gouveia. One of his students with whom this publication spoke with, related that ChanA-Sue was a very discipline person and was very vested into aviation. “Though I have not had a lot of interactions with him, the few that I had were significant,” the student related.
PAGE 18
Police struggling to bring rape suspects to justice in Region One Region One Commander, Superintendent of Police, Boodnarine Persaud, during last week Tuesday’s edition of the weekly, “Police and You” programme said, ranks in the region are experiencing ‘trouble’ bringing suspects accused of statutory rape, to justice. Persaud noted that most of these cases are only reported when pregnancy occurs. The Commander said these incidents occur more within the Amerindian settlements and acknowledged a 240 percent increase in reported cases within the Region. According to Superintendent Persaud, the Region this year recorded 48 complaints, against the 14 that were recorded for last year. Of the 48 complaints received, there was only one specified incident of forced rape, which involved a Venezuelan migrant, who is still on the run and no arrest has been made because of lack of information received. According to Persaud, members of the Force recently visited an Amerindian settlement, where they received five reports of rape but the information was not
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
Man killed while removing friend’s car from trench
Superintendent of Police, Boodnarine Persaud
thorough enough. As such, only one suspect was named but according to reports, the accused has since left the village, and the victim of that matter already had two children. Persaud stated that when these cases are reported, sometimes the victims give information like, “I know he’s from Georgetown...a dougla bai from Georgetown”, were among some of the vague reports received which according to Persaud, is not enough for the police to conduct an investigation.
Commander Persaud related that the Force has conducted several sensitisation programmes to educate the community members. During the Guyana Police Force’s Christmas Anti-Crime Presentation, Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, had outlined that the Force recorded 55.8 percent overall increase in rape cases for the year thus far, when compared to the number of recorded cases last year. According to statistics provided, the Force recorded 163 rape cases in 2020 and 254 cases.
A canter operator who left his home on Sunday to help remove his friend’s car from a trench along the Zeelugt Public Road, East Bank Essequibo, (ECE), ended up being electrocuted in the process. Dead is Seeram Jainarine, 28, also known as ‘Akash’ of Tuschen North, EBE. Jainarine’s friend Orlando Braithwaite, 70, of Sophia, Georgetown, had reportedly suffered a tyre blow-out around 16:30hrs. As
the crane, it connected with a live Guyana Power and Light (GPL) electrical wire. The wire reportedly sparked and Jainarine was immediately flung to the ground, where he remained motionless. A car was subsequently stopped by persons on the scene at the time and Jainarine was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Motorcyclist killing after colliding with car
Remanded for allegedly killing his passenger, Kirk Beaton
Strangled to death, Indira Lall.
A Culvert City, Rupununi, Region Nine, teenager was killed on Sunday last, after his motorcycle crashed into a car close to a bridge along the Tabatinga Public Road. The dead teen has since been identified as Alex Ferreira, 19, and according to the police, he met with the accident around 23:00hrs. Investigators reported that Ferreira was speeding, and as he approached the car which was heading towards him from the opposite direction, he applied the brakes but reportedly lost control of his motorcycle and collided into the right side of the vehicle. The impact flung him several feet into the air before landing on the roadway. Public-spirited citizens subsequently rendered assistance by picking him up in an unconscious state and rushing him to the Lethem Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A sixty-two-year-old taxi driver accused of dropping home a ‘dead’ passenger, Indira Lall, 52, was yesterday remanded to prison after being charged for her murder. The defendant, Kirk Beaton of Reliance, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, appeared yesterday before Magistrate Esther Sam, at the Charity Magistrates’ Court. Beaton was represented by an Attorney and was not required to plea to the murder charge. He is expected to make his next appearance in court on December 15, 2021. Kaieteur News had reported that on Monday November 15, Beaton dropped home a ‘motionless’ security guard, Indira Lall, in his car. He reportedly told her daughter Reshma Lall, that her mother was ill and advised that
she be taken to the hospital. Reshma recalled that mother was—at the time—frothing from the mouth and Beaton refused to take her to the hospital, in his car. She noted that while removing her mother from Beaton’s vehicle, her mother was motionless and appeared to be dead. They nevertheless took her to Suddie Hospital and upon their arrival there, doctors formally pronounced the woman deceased. A Post Mortem examination later revealed that the woman died as a result of ‘asphyxiation,’ suspected to be a result of the woman being strangled, which led to police detaining and charging Beaton for her murder. Kaieteur News understands that Beaton was trusted by Lall and she would always use his taxi.
From page 3 economics of moving straight to renewable sources of energy and the small market share the region has for its gas, the experts have since warned that considerable gas assets could be left stranded. The analysts in their report said, “…we find that 70 percent of proven, probable, and possible reserves in Latin America and the Caribbean remain unburnable due to reduced demand associated with high climate ambition.”
Taxi driver remanded for allegedly killing passenger
a result, he lost control of the vehicle and his car careened off the road into a nearby trench. It was at this point, he decided to contact Jainarine—his friend—to assist retrieving his vehicle from the trench. Jainarine arrived with his canter around 18:00hrs. His canter was reportedly equipped with a Crane, which he decided to use to lift the car out of the trench. Investigators reported that while operating
Ferreira’s motorcycle.
Dead, Alex Ferreira
50 percent of Region’s gas reserves... It was noted that removing Venezuela from the sample, unburnable natural gas reserves in the rest of the region range between 39 and 50 percent.” The report concluded, “that significant volumes of unburnable gas reserves for key producers are as follows: Argentina (34 to 37 percent), Brazil (15 to 30 percent), Venezuela (89 percent), Mexico (69 to 72 percent) and Trinidad and Tobago (6 to 8 percent) unburnable.”
In light of the findings, the IDB consultants said countries in the Latin American and Caribbean region, “need to diversify their revenues and energy strategy away from dependency on gas.” The experts urged that governments should focus investments on the development of zero-carbon power generation capacity, such as wind, solar and hydro, and the use of electricity to displace fossil fuels in transportation, building and industry.
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Woman cries for justice after alleged beating by police A young woman is calling on the Police’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), to investigate an alleged severe beating meted out to her by ranks at the Sparendaam and Beterverwagting Police Stations. Sarah Baker, 24, who resides at Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) alleges that the beating was inflicted on her while she was in their custody on Thursday night. During a telephone interview with Baker yesterday, she told Kaieteur News that her brother was taken to the Sparendaam Police Station that night, following an argument between him and his girlfriend. According to Baker, her brother and his girlfriend had been arguing in the bar, which they operate at their home, after which a report was lodged with the police. The police reportedly arrived some two hours later and arrested Baker’s brother. Baker said she went the police station at about 22:00hrs that night, to enquire about her brother and was informed by a rank, to return approximately ten minutes later. During this time, Baker said she chose to return home to close up the family’s business—Benab Bar—which they own and operate at their residence. Baker told this publication that when she returned to the police station, she was informed that her brother was placed on $15,000 bail, which pressed her to ask about the charge. “When I asked the money was for what, it became a whole story. Then a CID officer who visited our home earlier told me to sit on
The marks of violence seen on Baker’s body which was caused by the police officers. Beterverwagting Police Station, but not before reportedly suffering another thrashing from the ranks. “As soon as I came down the station steps, one of the officers slapped me and another one cuff me…then the female rank held onto the chain from the handcuffs and pulled me to the vehicle.” Baker said, “After some struggle, I got into the vehicle. When I got into the vehicle, the female officer took a baton and gave me one lash to my left side shoulder and then the
Sparendaam Police Station
the bench and I asked why because I was not under arrest.” The woman related to this publication, that at this point in time the Detective, turned and told her, “well get yuh lil stinking mother sk**t out of the station.” She concedes responding to the rank with the same tone of language, after which a law enforcement officer who was seated at his desk allegedly ran and “choked” her. The incident caused her common law husband—who was not too far away—to attempt to defend his wife, to no avail. The rank, accompanied by a female police then reportedly handcuffed the woman. “How she put the handcuff so tight, it cut my wrist and they put my husband out of the station,” she said. Baker said that her husband was on the road when two policemen attacked him, kicked him to his face and caused him to lose a tooth, before hitting him with a gun to his head. He was then placed in the lockups, according to the woman. During the ordeal, she was subsequently transferred to the
male on the other side cuffing me to my belly. She said too that while “I was in the station, they told all the other officers and the prisoners that I was a prostitute and how no one paid me for the night, so I am upset and that I am on drugs, they were having a ball.” Baker told this publication she was held in custody at that police station until the following afternoon (Friday) before being taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for a medical examination. “I asking since the night to take me to the hospital and in the morning, I asked the station Sergeant to get someone to take me but they refused.” She said, it was only after her mother contacted the Police Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), “that is when I got to go to the hospital.” By that time, it was reportedly too late to obtain a full medical report from the GPHC and she was subsequently taken back to the Sparendaam Police Station and placed on $5,000 bail for allegedly assaulting a police rank. Her husband and brother were also
placed on $5,000 bail each. According to Baker, she later managed to secure a medical from Diamond Diagnostic Centre (DDC), which stated that there were severe soft tissue injuries to the right shoulder, right forearm, right thigh and lower back and visible signs of trauma consistent
with blunt force trauma. It was noted further that the injuries could cause temporary disability to the right arm. Kaieteur News contacted the Region 4C Divisional Commander, Khail Pareshram who has since confirmed that the OPR is currently investigating the matter.
Kaieteur News
PAGE 20
Police ranks questioned - Fire about Eve Leary fire Chief
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Before
Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo checking the firefighter’s report.
P
olice ranks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who occupied the barracks at Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown, are now being interrogated over the inferno that destroyed the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) building and sections of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) office on Saturday afternoon. This is according to Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo, who also related that the origin of the fire is still unknown. Fire Chief Edoo, told this
publication that they received a call at 13:50hrs on Saturday, alerting them to a fire at the location. Firefighters from the central, Alberttown, West R u i m v e l d t a n d Campbellville Fire Stations were dispatched subsequently to the scene. The Fire Chief told this newspaper that the fire reportedly started on the top floor of the western side of the building, in an area that is used as a living quarters for some ranks of the GPF. It subsequently spread to
other parts of the building, due to the aging wooden building and its contents. As a result of the blaze, the entire living quarters, the OPR, the Construction Department, and Stores were completely destroyed. Kaieteur News had reported last Sunday that prior to the fire tenders arrival, police ranks were seen throwing files out of the windows of the upper flat of the DPP’s office into the compound. The files, this publication understands, contain information on police cases and serious
matters, which are before the courts. By the time the flames were extinguished, some 98 percent of the legal documents had reportedly been saved. DPP’s Communications Officer, Liz Rahaman, in an invited comment said that she was alerted to the fire by members of the media. “When we rushed down here, the fire was raging from the western [end]
which houses the police offices in this compound. Luckily, the Fire Department [turned up] and we are so grateful for them that they were able to contain the fire…,” she added. Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, speaking to members of the media, acknowledged that the losses could have been “tremendous” since local law enforcement has a legacy of operating via “a
paper based system”. Asked yesterday about interim storage for the DPP’s files, the Minister of Home Affairs said the files are being stored at the Police Training Centre at Eve Leary, Kingston, Georgetown. The fire comes one month after the Brickdam Police Station was destroyed identically. That fire had destroyed the majority of the records stored there.
TIDYUP &foWIN r
Christmas Loreann Baptiste TidyUp Sales and Marketing Manager with some of the prizes.
After
TidyUp has launched its 2021 Christmas promotion, ‘TidyUp and Win’ with more prizes for its valued customers up for grabs this time around. To win, simply shop $2,000 or more at any TidyUp refill centre near you and have your chance to be a part of the giveaways. The promotion runs from November 16 to December 20.
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Tuesday November 23, 2021
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Kaieteur News
Crowd trouble threatens future of Young Achievers French football, says sports minister clinch DVA Senior title
Dimitri Payet has twice been struck by a bottle this season. (Getty Images)
Tuesday November 22, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You've decided to let yourself go. You're tired of being a perfectly controlled person. You don't want to restrain your urges anymore! Something in the air is different. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) The present planetary aspects could change your approach to life. Almost compulsively, you'll need to deepen your relationships with the people you've recently met. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) There might be one aspect of your nature that you ignore. You always need to be the one in charge in a relationship. It would be wise to change this. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Don't let your emotions get the better of you today. If you can harness them, you'll have the vital force of ten people. You can be invincible. You can do whatever you feel like doing and no one can stop you. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Finally, today, you'll know what it feels like to be in charge of things. You'll even feel that you were born to do it. In any case, you'll beautifully coordinate the day. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Unlike other occasions, today you'll display your true feelings. Even when you hide them they're still there. You may think that showing your feelings is a sign of weakness
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Your behavior is about to improve your love life. You're no longer hung up about your body. You're no longer distracted by it during passionate moments. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You'll have a lot of stamina in the weeks to come. Your energy will increase, thanks to the prevailing planetary transits. You thrive on your romantic desires and your creativity. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) You're a sensual person. You have a strong emotional force. Today that energy will increase and express itself vigorously. The people you encounter will be astonished by your power. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) You love to meet new people and talk to them, but you rarely get personally involved. You keep a certain distance between you and the person you're talking to. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) You'll probably feel a little lost today. You'll have to come to a decision in the near future, and your life will be greatly affected by it. Should you listen to your desires? PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Today you'll change your approach to relationships. In the past, they were based on feelings, but now you'll decide that they should be more rational.
BBC Sport - Repeated crowd trouble at Ligue 1 matches is putting the “survival” of French football “at stake”, says sports minister Roxana Maracineanu. Sunday’s game between Lyon and Marseille was abandoned after Dimitri Payet was hit by a bottle thrown from the stands five minutes into the game. Payet has already been struck with a bottle during a match this season. This season the league has been marred by crowd violence, missile throwing and pitch invasions. On Monday, the French League (LFP) announced Lyon will play their next home Ligue 1 game behind closed doors pending an investigation into Sunday’s trouble. Lyon host Reims on 1 December, with the result of the investigation expected to be delivered on 8 December. “They have to come to an agreement, this kind of problem is for the league to solve,” Maracineanu told France Info radio. “Everyone must understand that it’s the survival of French soccer that’s at stake.” France’s sports and interior ministries will meet over the issue on Tuesday. Sunday’s game was halted for more than two hours before officially being called off. “It’s a world where millions of euros are at stake,” added Maracineanu. “We can’t allow that a broadcaster, who has bought rights, must keep the conversation moving for more than an hour like they did when we don’t know if the match is going to continue.”
The Demerara Volleyball Association (DVA) closed off their season on Sunday a t t h e C l i ff A n d e r s o n Sports Hall (CASH) when the curtains fell on their Senior competition that had a total of four teams participating. When the final whistle echoed in the indoor facility, Young Achievers Volleyball Club were in jubilation after ending their season on a high with a well deserved victory. Achievers got the better
of Castrol Strikers Volleyball Club in the decider, winning 3-1. The individual trophies for the final ‘dream team’ were as follows: Best outside hittersVance Harding & Geno Carrol Best middles- Klondyke Rodney & Corwyn Richards Best opposite- Juan valesquez Best setter- Kemraj Persaud Best libero- Nicholas Khan
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Tuesday November 23, 2021
West Indies in trouble at 113-6 at close of second day, despite Chase’s 5-83, Brathwaite’s 41
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portsMax - West Indies were in a world of trouble at the end of day two of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle yesterday. Chasing a target of 386, the West Indies slumped to 113-6 at stumps still 273 runs behind on a day that promised much but instead descended into disaster. Ramesh Mendis, who took 323 and Praveen Jayawickrama 225, were the main destroyers for the hosts as the West Indies collapsed from a solid start from Captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who made 41 and Jermaine Blackwood (20). Brathwaite and Blackwood were hardly troubled by the Sri Lankan bowling as both took few risks while making effort to rotate the strike as best they could against tight-bowling and a close field. They ran singles and pierced the field for the occasional boundary steadily building a foundation for the chase.
However, the promising start would eventually unravel in the most disappointing fashion. At 46-0, Blackwood was trapped lbw playing down the wrong line to a Lasith Embuldeniya delivery that was going on to hit leg stump. Nkrumah Bonner was out soon after as after having faced 11 balls, Jayawickrama had him caught at slip for one. His dismissal triggered a slide that saw the West Indies lose four wickets for 53 runs. Among the wickets to fall was that of Brathwaite, who was caught at leg slip off Mendis for 41 as close of play approached. The wickets of Shai Hope (10), Roston Chase (2) and night watchman Jomel Warrican followed in quick succession as the West Indies slipped further from 80-3 to 100-6. Kyle Mayers 22* and Jason Holder 1* are the batsmen at the crease when play ended for the day.
Earlier, Chase took 5-83 to restrict Sri Lanka, resuming from their overnight total of 267-3 were bowled out for 386. The hosts lost their last seven wickets for 119 runs after overnight batsman Dhananjaya de Silva, who resumed from his overnight score of 56, added five runs to his score before he was first out, hit wicket to the bowling of Shannon Gabriel for 61. The big wicket of Dimuth Karunaratne, 132 overnight, followed soon after when he was caught at slip for 147. Chase also removed Dinesh Chandimal for 45 as he and Jomel Warrican (3-87) ran through the remainder of the Sri Lanka batting. Stumps West Indies 113 for 6 (Brathwaite 41, Mendis 3-23, Jayawickrama 2-25) trail Sri Lanka 386 (Karunaratne 147, Dhananjaya 61, Nissanka 56, Chandimal 45, Chase 5-83, Warrican 3-87, Gabriel 2-69) by 273 runs.
Ramesh Mendis is embraced by Praveen Jayawickrama after a wicket. (AFP/Getty Images)
NBA roundup: Lakers rally past Pistons after LeBron James ejected LA Clippers guard Paul George (13) slams dunks past Dallas Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis (6), forwards Tim Hardaway Jr. (11) and Reggie Bullock (25) in the fourth quarter at Staples Center. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)
Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) shoots the basketball against Toronto Raptors center Khem Birch (24) during the third quarter at Chase Center. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
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euters - Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart were ejected during a wild fracas in the Lakers’ 121-116 victory on Sunday. Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook led the Lakers from 17 points down in the second half. Davis had 30 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, while Westbrook supplied 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Carmelo Anthony added 18 points. Stewart suffered a large cut near his right eye after getting hit in the face by James while batting for position on a Jerami Grant
free throw during the third quarter. Stewart immediately tried to go after James and both benches cleared. Stewart had to be restrained multiple times from fighting James and other Lakers before he was escorted to the locker room. James was assessed a Flagrant Foul 2. Grant poured in a season-high 36 points for Detroit, while Cade Cunningham recorded his first career triple-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Hamidou Diallo added a season-high 17 points. Clippers 97, Mavericks 91 Paul George scored 29
points and Reggie Jackson added 23 as the Los Angeles Clippers opened the front end of a two-game set against visiting Dallas. Jackson made four 3pointers and Ivica Zubac recorded his fifth doubledouble of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Clippers, who snapped a two-game skid. Kristaps Porzingis led Dallas with 25 points and eight rebounds while Jalen Brunson added 20 points and eight assists. The teams will meet again in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Suns 126, Nuggets 97 Phoenix never trailed en
route to its 12th consecutive win, a blowout of visiting Denver. Cameron Johnson led all scorers with 22 points coming off the Suns’ bench. Deandre Ayton led the Phoenix starters with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go with eight rebounds and two blocked shots. The Suns’ winning streak is the longest in the NBA and the franchise’s best run since winning 17 straight in 200607 to 12 games. The loss marked four straight for the Nuggets, and the third during the skid by a double-digit-point margin. Bulls 109, Knicks 103 DeMar DeRozan scored
31 points and Zach LaVine followed with 21 as the Chicago defeated New York, picking up their fourth win in five games. Coby White (14 points) and Lonzo Ball (11) also finished in double figures for the Bulls, who shot 42 percent, including 11-for29 (37.9 percent) from 3point range. Javonte Green had nine rebounds for the Bulls. Julius Randle recorded 34 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost two of three. Alec Burks (13 points), Immanuel Quickley (12) and Obi Toppin (10) followed in the scoring column, while RJ
Barrett had nine points and 15 rebounds. Warriors 119, Raptors 104 Canadian-born Andrew Wiggins caught fire against Toronto, scorching the net for six 3-pointers in a 32point performance for Golden State in a rematch of the 2019 Finals. Jordan Poole went one better than Wiggins with 33 points for the Warriors, who won a fourth straight despite getting just 12 points on 2f o r- 1 0 s h o o t i n g f r o m Stephen Curry. Pascal Siakam had 21 points for the Raptors, who lost for the seventh time in their last nine games. (Field Level Media)
Kaieteur News
Tuesday November 23, 2021
Pakistan shrug off late jitters to whitewash Bangladesh AFP - Mohammad Nawaz struck a boundary off the last ball as Pakistan overcame late drama to beat Bangladesh by five wickets i n y e s t e r d a y ’s t h i r d Twenty20 international for a series whitewash. The visitors seemed to be coasting in Dhaka after restricting the hosts to 124-7 before Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah Riyad conjured up late excitement in the final over. With Pakistan needing eight runs for victory, Mahmudullah took two wickets in two balls. Iftikhar Ahmed struck the fourth ball for a six to deny Mahmudullah and put victory back within grasp before going out with only one left to bowl. Nawaz came to the rescue to take Pakistan to 127-5 and break Bangladesh’s heart. Mahmudullah, who finished with 3-10, rued their total earlier with the bat. “Batters from both teams struggled a bit,” Mahmudullah said at the end of the match. “(We) needed
IOC entering ‘dangerous waters’ with Peng video call, says Amnesty International
Pakistan’s cricketers take selfie pictures after winning the third Twenty20 cricket match against Bangladesh at Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka (AFP/Munir Uz zaman) to spend some time at the crease to capitalise.” Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was dismissed for 19 while Mohammad Rizwan’s 51-run partnership with Haider Ali gave the tourists an early boost. Debutant Shahidul Islam bowled Rizwan for 40 to break the stand but Haider took Pakistan close with 45 off 38 balls before he became Mahmudullah’s first victim in the final over. Pakistan bowlers earlier kept any momentum in
check after the hosts elected to bat first. Debutant Shahnawaz Dahani bowled Najmul Hossain for five in the second over of the innings before Mohammad Wasim and Usman Qadir rattled the hosts. Wasim claimed 2-15 and Qadir finished with 2-35 playing his first match in the series. Pakistan won the first two matches by four and eight wickets respectively. Babar credited team
spirit for the series whitewash. “The way every individual has performed, credit to the group. There is always scope for improvement,” he said. The visitors will now play two Test matches, starting in Chittagong on November 26. Scores: Pakistan 127 for 5 (Haider 45, Rizwan 40, Mahmudullah 3-10) beat Bangladesh 124 for 7 (Naim 47, Wasim 2-15, Qadir 2-35) by five wickets.
Verstappen will have first shot at F1 title in Saudi Arabia
The Amnesty International Hong Kong office is seen after its announcement to close citing China-imposed national security law, in Hong Kong, China. October 25, 2021. (REUTERS/Tyrone Siu)
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. (FIA/Handout via REUTERS)
(Reuters) - Max Verstappen will have his first shot at clinching the Formula One title in Saudi Arabia in two weeks’ time but Red Bull’s championship leader could also see his advantage disappear entirely. The 2021 title battle remains too close to call, with Mercedes’ seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton closing the gap to eight points with another dominant win in Qatar on Sunday. With two races remaining, the prospect of a winner-takes-all shootout in the final round at Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina is very much alive. For Verstappen to clinch the title at the inaugural
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Saudi Grand Prix in Jeddah on Dec. 5, he must finish at least second. But if Hamilton wins that race with a bonus point for fastest lap, and Verstappen is second, the pair will leave level on points and the Red Bull driver ahead 9-8 on race wins. In that scenario, the title will be won by whoever finishes ahead of the other in the final race, unless they take each other out. Should Hamilton win in Jeddah and Verstappen finish lower than second, it will be the Mercedes driver leading into the final race. Other current title permutations all involve Verstappen finishing second in Jeddah, with or without
fastest lap, but Hamilton failing to win. A retirement for the Briton would still require Verstappen to score 18 points, a second place, to end the contest. If Hamilton is 10th, Verstappen would need to be second with fastest lap. Should Verstappen win, with fastest lap, it will be all over if Hamilton is no higher than sixth. Without fastest lap, Hamilton would have to be seventh or lower. There have been plenty of ups and downs in this rollercoaster season, but the most probable outcome — based on form to date — is for the title race to go down to the wire. Hamilton has failed to
score in two of the 20 races so far, Azerbaijan and Italy, but Verstappen drew a blank in both as well — in Italy after they collided. Verstappen has finished second seven times, with Hamilton the winner on six of those occasions. The exception was Turkey, where Verstappen was second and Hamilton fifth. In Monaco, Verstappen won with Hamilton seventh but the Briton made sure of fastest lap. On the two occasions where Verstappen has won with fastest lap, Hamilton finished second and fourth. “It’s going to be a tight battle to the end,” said Verstappen, second on Sunday.
(Reuters) - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has entered dangerous waters by taking part in a call with Peng Shuai that was meant to provide assurances over the Chinese player’s safety, human rights group Amnesty International said yesterday. Peng, a former doubles world number one, had a video call on Sunday with IOC president Thomas Bach and told him she was safe and well after Western governments and the global tennis community expressed mounting concern for her wellbeing. The 35-year-old had not been seen for nearly three weeks since alleging on social media that former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli had sexually assaulted her. Neither Zhang nor the Chinese government have commented on Peng’s allegations. The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to an email request yesterday for comment on the Amnesty statement. “The IOC is entering
dangerous waters. They should be extremely careful not to participate in any whitewash of possible human rights violations,” said Amnesty’s China researcher Alkan Akad. “In the past we have seen various similar cases where people had no option but to say what they had been told to,” he said. Akad said the video call was barely convincing and did little to alleviate fears over the player’s wellbeing, echoing the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) earlier yesterday. “The Chinese government has a track record, especially the state run media outlets of fabricating statements or making people give forced and sometimes televised testimonies shortly after people go missing,” said Akad. Akad called on the Chinese government to investigate allegations of sexual abuse and ensure that the survivors have a platform to express themselves freely, and without any adverse consequences.
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Tuesday November 23, 2021
Captain Stafanie Taylor wants LeBron strong start as West Indies face ejected Ireland in World Cup Qualifiers for strike
HARARE, Zimbabwe – The West Indies Women open their ICC Women’s C r i c k e t Wo r l d C u p qualifying campaign today against Ireland Women at the Old Hararians Ground in Harare. The West Indies have a very experienced team with a number of players who have done well at the international level and are being considered one of the favourites to capture one of the three qualifying spots available. According to Captain Stafanie Taylor, they won’t be taking their opponents lightly, and will be going all out to win every match. The West Indies Women are confident coming off a 3-0 One-Day International Series victory against Pakistan Women in Karachi and captain Taylor is hoping to carry that momentum on. Taylor said: “We had a good series against Pakistan and I would love to see more good perforamnces, not just for tomorrow’s game but throughout the competition. We’ve been playing some good cricket and getting some really good scores ad I want to see us continue from where we left off in Pakistan. The expectations are pretty high for us to finish number one or at least in the top three and be one of the eight teams in New Zealand next year. With that being said, we’re not taking any team for granted. We’re going to go out there and play our best cricket.” Taylor added: “I believe the all-round ability of our team is our strength, our batting is peaking at a good time heading into the Qualifiers, which was exemplified with two centuries in the recent series against Pakistan. Our bowlers are showing that they can defend the scores posted by the batters. So, we are looking forward to a competitive but enjoyable tournament.” There have been four centuries in a calendar year from the top three batters on the team, a first for West Indies Women in ODI cricket. Taylor scored for two of them while Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews made for the other two. The team also sees the return of wicketkeeper/batter Shemaine Campbelle, who was very reliable with the bat
Stafanie Taylor celebrates her century • Nov 13, 2021 © PCB
to Pistons’ Stewart’s face Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) reacts after getting ejected from the game during the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. (Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports)
and the glove on the recent trip to Pakistan. FULL SQUAD Stafanie Taylor (captain) Anisa Mohammed (vicecaptain) Aaliyah Alleyne Shemaine Campbelle Shamilia Connell Deandra Dottin Sheneta Grimmond Chinelle Henry Qiana Joseph Kycia Knight Kyshona Knight Hayley Matthews Chedean Nation Shakera Selman Rashada Williams Travelling Reserves Cherry Ann Fraser Shabika Gajnabi Karishma Ramharack ICC WOMEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFER 2021 SCHEDULE All matches start at 9:30am local time (3:30am Eastern Caribbean/2:30am Jamaica) Group A: West Indies, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands Group B: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Zimbabwe, USA ICC WOMEN’S
CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFER 2021 – WEST INDIES WOMEN GROUP A FIXTURES. November 23 – West Indies vs Ireland, Old Hararians November 27 – West Indies vs Sri Lanka, Old Hararians November 29 – West Indies vs Netherlands, Sunrise Cricket Club ICC WOMEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP QUALIFIER 2021 – SUPER6 FIXTURES December 1: Super 6 Match 21 - Old Hararians Super 6 Match 22 Harare Sports Club Super 6 Match 23 Sunrise Cricket Club December 3: Super 6 Match 24 - Old Hararians Super 6 Match 25 Harare Sports Club Super 6 Match 26 Sunrise Cricket Club December 5: Super 6 Match 27 - Old Hararians Super 6 Match 28 Harare Sports Club Super 6 Match 29 Sunrise Cricket Club
(Reuters) - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James was ejected from Sunday’s 121-116 win over the Detroit Pistons for an errant swinging arm that drew significant blood from the face of Isaiah Stewart, the NBA said. The incident took place with 9:18 remaining in the third quarter, with the Lakers trailing 78-66, as James swung his arm through and struck Pistons center Stewart in the eye area when battling for a rebound after a free throw. Stewart, with blood streaming from his eye, had to be held back by multiple staff members as he attempted to confront James on several occasions. Following an official review, James was assessed a
‘Flagrant two penalty’, resulting in his ejection for the second time in his 19year career. His first ejection came in November 2017 against the Miami Heat. Stewart was also ejected, while Lakers guard Russell Westbrook was handed a technical foul for his involvement in the scrap following the incident. Pistons head coach Dwane Casey said Stewart received eight stitches and hoped the center would be spared a possible suspension. “He shouldn’t be facing anything,” Casey said. “Not getting off the court in time? The league will have to decide that. “But the man got eight stitches, whatever it is,
across his forehead. He was upset. Blood running down his face. I don’t see any ramifications from the league from that standpoint.” Lakers forward Anthony Davis defended James, saying the collision wasn’t intentional. “Everyone in the league knows LeBron is not a dirty guy,” Davis said, adding that James was attempting to apologise to Stewart immediately after the foul before things kicked off. “We’re not promoting violence. I’m not promoting violence.” After trailing in the third quarter, the Lakers bounced back in the fourth quarter to seal a win in Detroit and end their three-game losing streak.
Top of the table clash in GFF U-13 football ends in stalemate A top of the table group game between East D e m e r a r a FA a n d Georgetown FA played at the NTC Providence in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Under-13 Inter Association tournament lived up to expectation with some skillful play by both teams which had the crowd on their feet. However, the contest ended 2 all. Georgetown entered the score sheet with Shaquelle Dalrymple scoring a penalty in the 25th minute after a defender handled the ball in the penalty area. At half time the score was 1 nil with East Demerara relentlessly attacking Georgetown goal. In the 39th minute Georgetown extended the lead when Jamaul Garnett of East Demerara handled the ball at the top of the box with a free kick ensuing. Jamal Darren took the free kick with the ball going into the hand of the goalkeeper
Emanuel Wharton and falling over the goal line. Jamaul Darren was also responsible for that goal. He dribbled about 3 defenders on the right wing and chipped the ball goal wards resulting with Garnett handling the ball. Constant pressure by East Coast resulted in them earning a penalty after a defender deliberately struck the ball with his hands in the penalty area, Shaquan David stepped up and scored the penalty, the score was then 2 – 1 in Georgetown favour. In the 67th minute East Demerara earned another penalty this time a G e o rg e t o w n d e f e n d e r pulled down an East Coast striker and once again Shaquan David scored from the penalty mark. Both teams tried desperately for the winning goal but the final whistle came with the score tied on 2 all.
East Demerara lead the group with 8 points after they had finished their Quota of 4 games with 2 wins and 2 draws. Georgetown are on 7 points with 2 wins and 1 draw with a game to play against the National Female U17 team. A win for Georgetown will see them topping the group. That game will be played during the week. Meanwhile the Female U17 Team defeated Berbice FA 1 nil in a game played at Scots School Ground, New Amsterdam. Rupununi defeated Essequibo 1 nil in a game played at the Anna Regina Ground and East Bank FA edged out West Demerara in a game played at NTC, Providence. East Bank won Group A by amassing 10 points and Bartica are in second place with 9 points. The Semi Finals are slated for this weekend.
Tuesday November 23, 2021
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Group photo with coaches and youths.
Criclanes Sports Academy hosts Shivnarine Chanderpaul Criclanes Sports Academy (Indoor) of New Jersey recently hosted Legend Dr. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, former West Indies captain and recently appointed West Indies Under-19 batting consultant with Jatin Patel, Renown Multi Sport coach, Mentor and Professional Sport Performance analyst for cricket, Soccer and Cricket Hall of Famer. With 3 decades of experience with many administrative roles in cricket & Soccer, he is “aficionado” in USA Cricket, who also pioneered Cricket scholastic programmes for schools in USA & coaching programmes for the coaches at all levels since 2014. Mr. Patel conducted 2day long ACF Level 1 and Level 2 coaches’ clinic for 15 cricket enthusiasts aspiring
to become cricket coaches in the future. Coach Jatin Patel shared practical and modern methods for coaching players in a T20 dominant era as a mentor for many cricket coaches globally for all levels since 2014. CricLanes owners and management Had the honor and privilege to host Legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, as he was invited as chief Guest for the United States Carrom Association’s Silver Jubilee event in New Jersey. “Great Pride to be with the legend & cricket expert coach as around 35 kids, boys and girls, had the opportunity to display their cricketing skills and get realtime coaching advice from Mr. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Coach Patel, while Mr. Shivnarine Chanderpaul shared his coaching tips and philosophy with Criclanes Coach Vishal Patel and gave
advice to each player who attended the camp on where to improve their game,” said Hiren Patel, CricLanes Partner. Shivnarine Chanderpaul cricket academy was launched in 2020 for the elite coaches and potential / talented Players in USA. Shivnarine & Jatin both works together & organized a second large camp for this year, during last summer after Corona lockdowns where they facilitated large camps for Dallas Youth Cricket League in Texas. Hiren Patel, Bhavin Savaliya and Coach Vishal Patel from Criclanes presented Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Coach Jatin Patel with plaques for spending their valuable time coaching players and training coaches and for their contribution to cricket in USA.
Sports Minister Charles Ramson Jr (at head of table) along with other ministry officials meet with members of the swimming association last Saturday.
Legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul (2nd left) with Hiren Patel & Bhavin Sevaliya, Vishal Patel coach.
GASA meets with Sports Minister Ramson Jr. The Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) President Dwayne Scott met with the Honorable Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr and other officials at the Ministry of Culture to discuss a long term Sport Academy Development Programme on Saturday 20th November, 2021. Mr. Scott presented the Ready, Set, Goal Swim Programme which is a five (5) year developmental programme for swimmers ages fourteen (14) to nineteen (19), however, the association will accept swimmers at earlier age groups. In wake of the newly erected Sport Academy Programme rolled out by the government, Minister Ramson is dedicated to athletes’ preparedness for international competitions. He has readily accepted GASA’s plan and shows willingness to garner resources for the organization. Earlier in 2021, Minister Ramson announced the 1.5B budgeted for the development of sports, which will see local athletes benefiting from the Sport Academy Programmes that will catapult them to elite status in the professional arena.