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AIETEUR NEWS

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Govt. now begging oil companies to

Tuesday Edition October 12, 2021 - Vol. 14 No. 39

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hire sugar workers

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $80 readership yesterday, 68,059

Relinquishment provision in 2016 Stabroek Block deal p.3

reckless and irresponsible- Ram Govt. ready to spend $600M more to rehabilitate CJIA Man arrested for Police chase causes allegedly raping 3 hijacker to boys at knifepoint crash stolen car Guyana receives US$12.5M in Royalties at third quarter - Report p.

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p.

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CHANGE THE CONTRACT NOW!!!

Suspected GAWU field officer bandit killed arrested for assaulting by cops Rose Hall Mayor p.

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Almost $500 million worth of computers procured for

OLPT project were damaged

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PAC hears -

$500M in Chinese Laptops came damaged, $290M Scanner breakdown, another $600M bid out for CJIA, Mayor get cuff to head, 20 new hotels to be erected, foreigners allowed to build gas station & storage bond as Local Content, fishing and sugar industries gone, disappear with the wind, Govt. now begging oil company to hire sugar workers. @11:00hrs on Kaieteur Radio 99.1/99.5FM

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday October 12, 2021

Guyanese marine experts complete ground-breaking - Ocean expedition captures wildlife survey rarely seen species A n all-Guyanese research team r e c e n t l y completed the first extensive expedition and survey of Guyana's marine area. The exercise is meant to establish a baseline of the country's large marine wildlife within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Kaieteur News understands that the ocean expedition is part of the European Union funded

Marine Spatial Planning project titled, “Promoting Integrated Ocean and Participatory governance in Guyana and Suriname: The Eastern Gate to the Caribbean.”

L o c a l l y, i t w a s implemented through a partnership lead by WWFGuianas and the Protected Areas Commission (PAC).

This newspaper understands that the project aims to significantly enhance the

Members of the Ocean Expedition Team governance and protection of marine and coastal resources of Guyana through collaborative marine spatial planning processes with all ocean stakeholders and improving knowledge about the coastal and marine environment. The findings from the ocean expedition, along with the other project outputs, are expected to assist ongoing efforts to complete a Comprehensive Marine Spatial Plan.

Donnette Streete, Director of the Frontiers Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, posited, “Guyana has in excess, 138,000 km2 of exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and that space is a critical contributor and enabler to the overall economy of Guyana.

Any project, therefore, aimed to enhance the governance and protection of marine and coastal resources of Guyana, improved knowledge of the coastal and marine environment, enhanced capacity of key stakeholders and informed marine spatial management, as this project aimed to do, will have many more spinoff benefits for this country.”

From the onset of the expedition, and while enduring rough seas, the team said it spotted the magnificent Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus).

Over the six-day expedition, the team also said it observed three rarely seen dolphin species including Pygmy S p e r m W h a l e (Feresaalttenuata), numbering between three-15 individuals. The team also spotted one of the four species of marine turtle, the Loggerhead (Caretta caretta), which is known to forage in Guyana's waters.

Several species of birds were

also observed throughout the six days including terns and boobies.

His Excellency Fernando Ponz Cantó, EU Ambassador to Suriname and Guyana stated, “I would like to commend the partners for organising this remarkable expedition at a time where both Suriname and Guyana have embarked on new economic paths in the oil sector. It is now more necessary than ever that these countries collaborate to protect their ocean space and ensure sustainable use of its resources.”

Deputy Commissioner for the PAC, Ms. Odacy Davis, also expressed profound gratitude to the team for their commitment and professionalism in the conduct of the surveys.

The PAC official said, “This expedition has allowed us to verify and document several important species which again shows how biodiverse and naturally rich Guyana is - we should all be proud. This data will contribute to the marine spatial planning process which will inform decisionmaking with regard to marine and coastal governance and conservation.”

The 100 percent Guyanese research team was led by Sopheia Edghill, WWF-Guianas Marine Conservation Officer and Scientific Lead Researcher, Elford Liverpool, Fish Expert and Lecturer at University of Guyana, along with other team members.

WWF-Guianas, along with its partners, also led a similar ocean expedition in Suriname, which concluded one week ago with another expedition team. WWFGuianas, the Protected Areas Commission and the research team will publish the full results of ocean expedition later in October.

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

As National Quality Week is obser ved...

PAGE 03

GNBS advocating for internationally recognised standards in oil sector T

hrough its N a t i o n a l Standards Council (NSC), the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has been channelling its response and support to the nation's rapidly developing oil and gas sector. This is according to the NSC Chair, Vladmin Persaud, who revealed that “it is crucial that all hands be on deck to ensure that the requisite measurement systems are in place, and that crucial internationally recognised standards are adopted for use in the sector.”

Mr. Persaud encouraged the Bureau to continue to train and offer support to spinoff businesses which are inclined to offer their products and services to oil and gas companies.

His remarks were contained in a statement issued by the GNBS detailing plans for the observance of National Quality Week (NQW), 2021.

Also commenting on the Quality Week observance, Executive Director (Ag) of the GNBS, Ramrattie Karan, noted that, “Standards are the key to guaranteeing sustainability to safeguard the benefits for future generations.”

Ms. Karan assured that the GNBS would continue to work with stakeholders in every sector to improve and implement standards for the benefit of all. She added that the GNBS looks forward to new and sustained partnerships with regional and global standards organisations as “we join in creating a shared vision for a

GNBS Executive Director, Ramrattie Karan better world.”

Finally, the Executive Director (Ag,) took the opportunity to express her thanks and appreciation to all members of staff at the

Relinquishment provision in 2016 Stabroek Block deal reckless and irresponsible- Ram

C

h a r t e r e d Accountant and Attorney-at-Law, Christopher Ram is of the firm conviction that the arrangement for relinquishment in the 2016 Stabroek Block Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) is not only “reckless” but “absolutely irresponsible.”

Expounding on his perspective, Ram explained that the initial period of a prospecting licence is four years. Such licence is subject to two renewals of three years each.

The lawyer further noted that the standard provision in the Petroleum Act is that on an application for first renewal at the end of the four years, the company is required to give up 50 percent of the block granted and on an application for the second renewal, which is at the end of seven years, it is required to give up 25 percent of the remaining concession.

He added, “At the end of the 10 years, which brings you to the end of the third renewal period, the company has to give up all portions of the block not subject to a production licence…”

He noted that under

Chartered Accountant, Chris Ram normal circumstances, ExxonMobil would have been expected to follow the foregoing process.

“Instead, through the reckless abuse of the loophole in the law which obliges that the subject Minister can vary the relinquishment arrangements, no relinquishment is required after four years and only 20 percent after the end of seven years, compared with 75 percent in normal situations,” expressed Ram. He was keen to note that the first person to utilise this loophole was Janet Jagan in

the 1999 Pre-discovery Agreement and made worse under the 2012 model Agreement produced during the time of former President, Donald Ramotar, and former Natural Resources Minister, Robert Persaud.

But, the Chartered Accountant reserved his disgust with former Natural Resources Minister, Raphael Trotman, former Foreign Affairs Minister, Carl Greenidge, and former President, David Granger, the key players in the 2016 postdiscovery Agreement and its relinquishment provisions.

The lawyer in concluding his viewpoint stated, “It is therefore completely reckless that we would give ExxonMobil such an arrangement after oil has been discovered and it is the reason why you are seeing this mad rush to explore for more oil regardless of the country's capacity to manage the development and provide proper oversight.”

To date, ExxonMobil has made over 20 discoveries in the Stabroek Block. It is also rushing to find more oil discoveries before the end of the year and no doubt before 2023.

GNBS for their committed efforts to provide the standards and services stakeholders' need. She also congratulated those staff who would be receiving long serving awards during the observance National Quality Week 2021.

The GNBS has planned a number of activities in observance of National Q u a l i t y We e k 2 0 2 1 , including radio programmes, a free food safety training for small food handlers and agroprocessors, the National Quality Awards Ceremony, Social media engagements, and its Long Serving Awards and Staff Appreciation Ceremony.

The GNBS encourages

the Guyanese public to be engaged in the activities of National Quality Week 2021 and beyond to learn how its services and standards impact businesses and the life of every individual.

The observance of NQW will take place from October 10 to 15, 2021. In addition, the GNBS has planned a number of exciting and engaging activities for its stakeholders. This week of celebrations surrounds World Standards Day, which is commemorated annually on October 14.

The GNBS noted that the theme chosen for the 2021 observances by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), International Electro-

technical Commission (IEC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is “Standards for SDGS – our vision for a better world”.

In a combined message, the aforementioned international standards organisations stated that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which project to address social imbalances, develop a sustainable economy, and slow the rate of climate change, are highly ambitious.

However, collectively, they believe, to reach these goals will require the cooperation of many public and private partners, and the use of all available tools, (continued on page 8)

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday October 12, 2021

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

Guyana’s EPA is its biggest white elephant What is the purpose of today’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Guyana? Whose interests come first for this politically paralysed, comatose state entity? What comfort can Guyanese anywhere take from the work of the EPA? Who are these Guyanese at the EPA that bend over backwards so that locals can be worked over without interference and without reasonable protection? Where are those Guyanese, who bleat that they are for clean leadership, good governance and oil prosperity? Why are the loud public voices suddenly silent, disinterested and distant?

There are, however, some Guyanese, only a small handful presently that will not be silent. Not where their safety and welfare are concerned and certainly not when the future of their children could be endangered by the deeds of weaklings we have for political leaders who, in turn, set up human resource mechanisms at the EPA, so that their own weaknesses and betrayal can continue under numerous umbrellas.

Look at the local EPA today, and it is a shadow, a gash on conscience, an insult to intelligence. Guyana’s EPA should be sharply vigilant in looking out for Guyanese, but it is not. Guyana’s EPA is a doormat for Politicians to walk all over and push this way and that. This makes this vital agency look and smell like a carcass that every Guyanese holds their noses, and retch at the stench of an agency that should protect our interests, but instead colludes with. This is what leading political figures have compressed the EPA into; to run rackets with Exxon, while running citizens’ concerns into the ground, with one verbal sleight-of-hand after another.

Some bold citizens, however, will neither be misled nor cowed. They will not allow themselves to be victimised by corrupt and reckless Leaders or by bureaucrats jumping to the tune of outsiders, who train locals in their slick Public Relations stupidities that fool no one. This was the case of some residents in the East Coast area, now categorised as ‘Appellants’ because of their fierce resistance to the pending arrival of a what is called an ‘oil well cement’ facility (KN October 8). They have raised hands and voices in objection to such a facility being located in their community.

They have many fears, with serious concerns about health at the top of the pile.

The East Coast Demerara residents, through their advocate, got a Hearing. But that is all that they may get from the EPA which cross every ‘t’ and dot every ‘i’ in the procedural game. But as any sensible and reasonable Guyanese, those not directly involved in the objection, could conclude by now, the local EPA labours in vain with its efforts at seeming to be there for Guyana first. So near to zero is the credibility and integrity of the EPA that it has no standing anymore. Its own shabby record condemns it to this fate, which does not bounce in its favour. Not with its history of casting aside Environmental Impact Assessments for almost everything that comes before it. Not with its feeble defense of the “approval process for the project is not completed.. Of course, that is the public cover to soothe, but intended to buy time and give room to maneuver in private and away from the public heat, and come up with some harebrained concoctions that favours foreign (and local) enterprises giving them an unobstructed path to whatever venture is in mind. The interests of Guyanese are not foremost on the Agenda of the EPA. Rather, it is dancing these public jigs, part of the now traditional masquerade, that ensure there is a document trail of consultation but always lead to the same places of resolution.

It is ‘yes’ to foreign companies, and ‘no’ to the legitimate objections of Guyanese. It has well-prepared phrases that reek of conmen’s slickness and lacking dependability.

Strangely, there are few Guyanese in civil society or the media saying to the EPA: “this will not work, do these Duties right, and safeguard Guyanese.” This is what is nationalistic and which oversees this oil treasure, not the darting about of the President and Vice President. It is about patriotic stewardship and getting the best for us in the safest possible way. More Guyanese must speak up. No political loyalty should be greater than such concerns, such national oil visions.

How we conduct ourselves in regular life DEAR EDITOR, Many believe, I think, the worst of Guyanese leaders in Government and Opposition.

Guilty, for it is justified. I highlight how we (you and I) conduct ourselves in developments from regular life: prudent, self-protective, managing expectations, and commonsense.

I focus on this country’s unholy trinity, the President, Vice President, and Opposition Leader, because as they lead and go, so do their attendants, including ministers, senior bureaucrats, and supporters. I present what we normally do, how we react, when faced with reallife challenges. I know so, because I am so too.

We have arm’s length relationships with intimates and strangers or their proxies.

Business transacted, promises made and expectations settle in routines. It could be officially documented; affairs between family and/or friends; the

intercourse with familiars or unknowns. It could involve money, property, goods, sometimes, the priceless intangibles of bonds; professional, commercial, or private.

But what characterizes each opportunity or interaction, are huge elements of trust, as relationships dictate and as matters require, due to what is involved and how much is vested.

Trust and expectations, confidence and dependence are all inseparably involved in what is called ‘good faith.’

Many times, it is there, with the other ingredients everpresent. When it fails the first time, there is a pausing, a worrying. A second time there is a warning. And when more such faltering (individual or group) occurs, there is the alarming and flaring disgust from what is infuriating and insulting. Who takes a drink, a gift, an invite from such a betrayer? Not me!

My reactions usually are:

“this can’t be happening”.

This is neither accidental nor pardonably circumstantial.

This is premeditated and crooked and of this person, I will have no part. No dealings since there is no believing or no trusting.

There just can’t be; not after repeated falsehoods, evasions, disappointments.

These are the everyday reactions and human protections triggered, when things go wrong and costly consequences result, because the other man believed in, relied upon, was tricked. No one cherishes the “sucker” label.

Not even for brother or best friend; maybe not even for in-house bosom partner.

When credibility is dashed, then any residual loyalty is shatters. Now I assert this: what applies to me is just as good for you, Editor, and any other reader. Remember all the time that this is on a personal, familial, individual one-to-one level.

To

emphasise: what is good for me is good for you. Perhaps swifter, maybe sharper, as applied by you.

I expand: this has been the record and history of Guyana’s political leadership across the board.

They mirror, to the worst degrees, deceiving contemporaries. Leaders lie; Trick; Cheat; Hurt; Cost.

Still, they make pretense at caring and having principles.

I look at Leaders and dismiss them all: none trustworthy, all nakedly crooked. As political Leaders go, so Guyana goes.

All Guyanese can go with them.

Exclude me; I denounce them. Frauds and cons! Who still believes?

Who is willfully blind? Who keeps going the same way?

Real life, real situations, and the reality are of craven leaders and more craven citizens. Marx called them “rural idiots’, I settle for slavish.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

TO BEE OR NOT TO BE: Attack of the “killer bees” is certainly a national emergency DEAR EDITOR, In the 1978 American horror movie The Swarm with an ensemble cast including Olivia de Haviland, Richard Widmark, Michael Caine and Henry Fonda, great swarms of angry bees attack entire cities and sting hundreds of people to death. At the time it was thought that such fiction could never happen in real life, but today strangely enough and thanks to an insect called the “Africanised Killer Bee” encounters are sending individuals to the cemetery. Deaths in Guyana from Killer Bees is nothing new, but what is highly unusual and visibly absent is the presence of stringent and continuous measures on the part of the Government to put an end to this mortiferous apiarian carnage.

In 1956, in an effort to improve the health and hardiness of the European Honey Bee, which came from Portugal in 1834, and also to increase the country’s honey production, Dr. Warwick Kerr, a Brazilian geneticist, imported 26 queen bees from Tanzania. The existing tropical conditions in Brazil suited the African Bees well. The Killer Bees were created when bees from Southern Africa mated with the local Brazilian Honey Bees.

However, in what appears to look like a plot from a horror movie, swarms of bees were accidentally turned loose by a technician at a genetics lab in San Paulo.

The bees spread northward at a rate of about 200 to 300 miles per year, and today ev-

ery country in Latin America except Chile has established populations of Africanised Honey Bees. In October 1990, the first natural colony of Africanised Honey Bees was found in the United States near Hidalgo, Texas.

The bees are exactly as their name implies— “killers”.

International reports state that Africanised Bees are typically more aggressive and defensive than other species of Bee and react to disturbances faster than the European Honey Bees. They are sensitive to vibrations mistaking them for approaching predators. Another strange characteristic of this apian species is the displayed almost human-like behaviour.

They are very determined insects. Human victims have reported seeking refuge underwater to avoid the sting, but the bees are willing to wait. The insects are alleged to have continued their attack when their targets come up for air. With each sting a pheromone is released signaling more bees from the colony to join in the onslaught. There have been reports of swarms of 300,000 - 800,000. What is the Guyana Government doing about the continued loss of lives at the hands of these flying killers?

As far back as January 2007 children from Zeeburg Secondary School were attacked in school, forcing the school to be closed until an experienced beekeeper visited and removed the nest.

In the same month beekeeping expert Linden Stewart contracted by the Ministry of

Agriculture, removed a swarm of about 60,000 from the roof of the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown. According to Mr. Baydewan Rambarran, Regional Education Officer, Region Three, a similar attack took place at the Zeelandia Secondary School, Wakenaam Island, and the nest was destroyed. Abdool Hamied, a farmer of Friendship, East Bank Demerara, was also attacked by killer bees on his farm and died while being transported to hospital.

Among the list of fatalities over the years: May 2009, Yvonne Abrams and family of L’Oratoire, Number 1 Canal Polder were attacked by the killer bees. Four dogs and 1 sheep were also killed.

August 2010 Kawal Singh of Parika, 2011 Sheikh Hassan of Eccles, February 2012, at Cane Grove, Mahaica, Sanicharra Abdullah a Pensioner was killed by killer bees, September 2012, Hazim Bacchus, a Gravedigger, was

rushed to the Fort Wellington Hospital following an attack, but was pronounced dead on arrival, August 2014 - 9 year old Romesh Samaroo of Lima Housing Scheme , Essequibo, 2015 GuySuCo Sugar Estate workers were attacked at Utivulgt, another worker, Corinne Greene of West-Meten-meer-Zorg succumbed to bee stings. March 2016 Romesh Lalaram of Bath Settlement, and a GuySuCo worker for 23 years, became another statistic.

October 2016, Jeenarine Taijram aTractor Operator for GuySuCo was stung to death while working on a dam at the Skeldon Estate, Berbice, November 2017, a male identified only as Ramnarine was killed while walking along the Mon Repos Public Road en route to the market.

The apiarian killer instinct knows neither bounds nor boundaries. In 2019 Martin King returned to his Parfaite Harmonie residence to find (Continued on page 6)

I WILL STILL BE IN MY 60S IN 2025 DEAR EDITOR, Please allow me space to respond to Freddie Know it All Kissoon, who stated in his column of 11 October 2021 that in 2025 I will be 70 years of age.

Freddie, I generally do not respond to your rantings. On this occasion, you have falsified information again, and so I am constrained to reply to your wicked missive. I will still be in my 60s in 2025. I thought something as simple as calculating one’s age you can get right. Not so. Simple mathematics seems to elude you. To satisfy your puerile argument you had to make me a septuagenarian. Fortunately, Freddie I am not and so your argument is as weak as your mathematics.

Aubrey C. Norton

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Guyana and Ghana DEAR EDITOR, Vice President Jagdeo is off to the West African state of Ghana.

His visit follows on the heels of a high-level meeting between President Irfaan Ali and President Nana Akufo Addo of Ghana on the margins of the just concluded 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Vice President Jagdeo is no stranger to Africa. He has been there before in the mid1990’s as Minister of Finance to share Guyana’s experience drawing on its National Development Strategy and its applicability to other developing countries.

As President of Guyana, he attended the 16th Conference of Commonwealth Heads of Government held in 1999 in Durban, South Africa.

Later, in 2010 Jagdeo along with other members of the UN High Level Group on Climate Change Financing met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to explore potential sources of funding for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

In 2001 Jagdeo attended a Special Summit for Regions with Tropical Rainforests in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

High level meetings apart, Guyana has enjoyed close and friendly relations with Ghana which gained its independence from Britain on March 6, 1957 under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah.

Cheddi Jagan, then Premier of British Guiana was invited for the independence celebrations in 1957.

Two years after the split engineered by Burnham took place in the PPP, Cheddi Jagan

and Forbes Burnham were invited to join in the independence celebrations in Ghana.

While in Ghana, Jagan called for a meeting with other West Indian Leaders to discuss common problems with the hope that the Leaders would pressure Burnham to reunite with the PPP or join in a united-front Government.

According to Dr. Jagan, ‘I even tried to get Dr. Nkrumah to exert his influence on Burnham.’

But to Dr. Jagan’s surprise, a meeting was held behind his back; ‘To which I was not invited and there Burnham convinced the West Indian Leaders that he would not only win the 1961 election but would also take British Guiana into the West Indies Federation’.

Later at a meeting in New York, chaired by the Foreign Minister of Ghana to find a settlement to the political crisis obtaining at the time in Guiana, the main issue discussed was the electoral system and sharing of ministerial portfolios in a PPP/PNC coalition government.

With no solution in sight, Dr. Jagan wrote in ‘The West on Trial’: ‘Kojo Botsio the then Foreign Minister of Ghana intervened and got an agreement from all the parties present, that a Commonwealth team visit Guiana to try to work out a settlement.’

According to Dr. Jagan ‘The Ghanaian Foreign Minister’s intervention was as a result of my communications with President Nkrumah.’

The Commonwealth Mission led by Professor W.E. Abraham, a close associate of

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Kaieteur News

Kwame Nkrumah, arrived in Guiana in February 1963.

Ten days of protracted negotiations followed; in the course of which compromises were made and a final agreement reached on the percentage of votes required under a mixed system of voting for the distribution of seats and the sharing of ministries.

In the end, this is how Dr. Jagan put it: ‘He (Professor Abraham) telephoned Burnham and then told me Burnham had agreed; he wanted to know whether he could make an announcement at the airport. I told him this could be done after my meeting with Burnham. This was a fatal mistake, for Burnham used the departure of the Mission to frustrate our efforts to make a settlement.’

I recall as a boy, growing up in Georgetown, my parents took me to what was then known as ‘Bourda Green’ to observe ‘Ghana Day’ where Hundreds of Guyanese would turn out to listen to speeches

by National Leaders ‘Ghana Day’ has been celebrated in Guyana long before we gained our independence.

As Foreign Minister of Guyana, I met Kofi Annan as Secretary General of the UN and presented to him a copy of Cheddi Jagan’s ‘The West on Trial’ along with a letter from President Janet Jagan.

Vice President Jagdeo’s visit to Ghana comes in the sixty fourth year of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Guyana and Ghana.

His visit will coincide with a three- day conference sponsored by the World Resources Forum ’21. The (Continued on page 6)

I think I know something about sugar DEAR EDITOR, We are getting mixed signals re the sugar estates. I am not sure of the direction and if there is any strategy. Decision to reopen the estates have to be followed by ensuring a clear understanding of the problem i.e. why production fell from 3.4 tons of sugar per acre (TSA) to actually below 2.4 TSA. I am reading about packaging and increased prices but nothing about how to improve the efficiency of the field and factories.We are not hearing anything about the diversification. We can no longer afford “routinism”. It is time for some vision and creativity. It is time for those in charge to have discussions with persons who are knowledgeable.

The industry needs a ThinkTank. Can anyone tell if such has been set up? I do not believe the new CEO has much knowledge and experience re sugar. I really believe he needs help.

There are those who say that the private sector should take over and that it can do a better job. My question is, do we not know what the private sector would do to turn around the industry to profitability? We should learn this and implement same. There has to be a reason why the World Bank supported the retention of sugar in Government’s hands.

What I would like to see is something in the Press re the present statistics, re TCTS (Tons of cane per ton

of sugar) and the TSA of the various estates for a start. All I am hearing is increased prices and packaging.

I suggest that the CEO get hold of my letters to the Press and read them.

I recall the last CEO called me in to have a discussion re sugar. The Present CEO was my friend for over 30 years.

Don’t know if we still are, but even though I called him he has not invited me to have a discussion.

I grew up in sugar. My father who commenced working for free became sample boy at the lab and rose to be Assistant Factory Manager. My cousin was Factory Manager.

I think I know something about sugar.

Rajendra Bisessar

An appeal to the Minister of Education to help us please DEAR EDITOR, I am a parent of two children attending New Market Primary School in No. 64 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. I am very frustrated.

The Headteacher of the school is bullying the parents to purchase workbooks that she and another teacher at the school prepared. It is $2500 for Grade 1 and $3000 for Grade 2. This workbook is ONLY for 5 weeks. I can’t afford to pay $5500 every 5 weeks. It is too expensive and I know many others who can’t, but are afraid to speak.

To register my child in the Grade 1, I had to pay $2,500, because she called and demanded that from me. One parent advised me to pay, or else she will victimise my children, because it happened to

her children. Complaints to the other Teachers fall on deaf ears, since they are saying that they can’t do anything because they are being bullied also.

Days when my children are not in school, no work comes online. Teachers are saying that they are in school every day, regardless if their

class is in school or not, and they can’t teach face to face and online also. This is so unfair. This community is made up of Fishermen and Farmers, even though we have young people most did not go far in school.

Our children are suffering.

Calls to the Department of (Continued on page 6)

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The open letter from the Women’s Commission disappoints DEAR EDITOR, It was disappointing to read the open letter from the Women and Gender Equality Commission (WGEC) seeking ministerial intervention for the “anomaly” of the all-male GWI Management team “to be immediately corrected” (SN and KN, October 9). Disappointing because the WGEC (i) reduces the complex issue of gender equality in employment to pure arithmetic, irrespective of variables such as women’s choices, (ii) thinks it best to address the GWI issue through public criticism and by going above the Agency’s head, instead of directly engaging it, (iii) weaponises (rightly) Guyana’s Constitution and its commitments under global agreements, but only to defend the job opportunities of, at best, a few educated women, while ignoring to similarly fight for the socioeconomic rights of the mass of Guyanese women, and (iv) exposes its ineffectiveness in fulfilling its full constitutional mandate.

My disappointments lie mostly at (ii), (iii) and (iv).

Among the fourteen direct functions with which the Constitution tasks the WGEC (under Article 212R), the two that matter here are at (g) educate and monitor employers…on desirable employment practices in relation to women, and at (j) recommend and promote the implementation of Legislation and the formulation of Policies and measures so as to enhance and protect the status of women. These functions require direct employer-com-

mission engagement and partnering, rather than highhanded attacks in the press.

In this regard, a highly effective approach is that used by the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission through its Equality Duty mechanism (details on its website).

An Equality Duty is an obligation placed on public bodies to proactively embed equality in their routine operations.

Routine operations include staffing (such as hiring, compensation, and promotion) and those outward-looking (its service delivery and its procurement practices).

To ensure that public bodies meet this duty, the UK Rights Commission offers guidance but is also legally empowered to set rules, exercise oversight, and impose penalties.

An Equality Duty can be of several types other than gender-related. We can also have an Ethnic Equality Duty (for the ERC) and a Disability Equality Duty.

In practice, such a system works by ensuring public entities: (i) take responsibility for integrating best practices on equality into their operations; (ii) collaborate with the Rights Commission on crafting measures specific to their organisation; and (iii) are regularly monitored and guided by the Commission in a structured manner.

This approach, as I pointed out to the WGEC, in my unacknowledged letter to it last year, “transforms attitudes and actions within public agencies from reactive to proactive, from cosmetic to

systemic, from one-time to alltime, and from merely prevention of negatives to promotion of positives.”

Had WGEC routinely interfaced with the GWI and other employers, for that matter, such violations could have been prevented or corrected. Should the Commission see the need for specific powers to compel compliance, it should so recommend to the National Assembly. But much can be achieved as is.

On my third grumble above, we can ask the WGEC one question, prompted by its reference to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Has it ever engaged with this or the previous Government on the several SDGs that directly affect women?

Yes, SDG#5 speaks to gender equality but what about SDG#1 (no poverty) and SDG#3 (decent health and well-being)?

Which gender mostly bears the pain of poverty and deficient health care?

Ineffective execution of constitutional mandate (my fourth and final complaint) afflicts all our Rights Commissions and the ERC. To be sure, the WGEC has a five-year Strategic Plan (2013-2018).

This is a good start, but only a start. In my letter last year to the Commission, I explained how the very Equality Duty mechanism can be used to operationalise several of the Strategic Objectives in the plan by including them as part of Equality Duty agreements with targeted public agencies.

Sherwood Lowe

Those responsible are not insulated from prosecution DEAR EDITOR, Ever since their party lost the last General Elections here in Guyana, there has been a flurry of activities by political opponents of the PPP/C both local and overseas. There have been veiled as well as overt threats made against the Government in power, the overt ones coming mainly from the diaspora. The more recent of these came in open statements to the effect, “If we can’t get it, then burn it down.” Another one of them said “undermine this Government in whatever way you can.”

Now, in a strange turn of events there have been three fires of Government buildings notably the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School, The Mabaruma Secondary School and The Brickdam Police Station. No sooner were the threats made the burnings

gency and wishing to urgently have the bees removed, must be prepared to find within the vicinity of $17,000 to $20,000 to have the bees disposed of.

The time has come when the Government must revise and devise what could or should be done with these flying assassins.

On August 23, 2020 at the opening of the 9th Beekeeping Congress held at the Guyana School of Agriculture, the Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder spoke thus: “Our Beekeepers play a pivotal role in the sector and the work of this organisation (Guyana Apiculture Society) is an important element in reshaping and repositioning the Caribbean Honey industry by exposing new persons to Beekeeping, introducing international best practices to existing Beekeepers, developing export potential of the apiculture trade in the Caribbean and boosting local Beekeeping businesses via the

promotion of local apiculture products to Caribbean visitors. This sweet liquid goodness offers a much healthier option than sugar and could become the next best natural economic earner with Guyana becoming a major producer while promoting the nation as a true emerging Green State.

The Catch 22 situation is that while Guyana is poised to become a major honey producer, the Agent of Change is an identified population reducer. What is needed is an Advisory Committee dealing with Public Education, Public Information, Public Health, a Bee Management Plan and a fully functioning up and ready Extermination Unit. The input of all relevant stakeholders should be solicited so that a harmonious and lifesaving solution can be arrived at.

Apiculturist and owner of several Bee farms across Guyana, and also an expert on bees, Frances Bailey made it very clear during one of his speaking engagements, that

began, which shows a direct cause and effect developing.

So my question is, should we gloss over these calls as mere idle threats when the actual situation tells the true intent of the subversives?

My answer is most certainly not. Those who have made the call to arson must be brought before a Court of Law, and these terrorists must atone for their actions. Because to date, no one from that party has come forward to condemn those statements, nor the individuals who made them but only adding salt to the wound by going viral in support of the arson attacks.

Such behaviour cannot be condoned. The logical conclusion behind all of this is that those responsible may think that they can run away with the belief that because they are American Citizens they are insulated from pros-

ecution.

Well, they are ever so wrong, because the United States as an anti-terrorist nation is thoroughly against all forms of terrorism and would shudder to think that persons can be so brazen enough that they can do so on American soil.

Nor would they even savour the thought that they are harbouring criminals of that nature. Therefore, those who are culpable of such subversive attacks must atone for their actions now!

Those responsible must be hauled before a Court and legal proceedings begin immediately! These latest attacks against the Government and People of Guyana is no joke, hence I call upon our Government to begin legal proceedings against the terrorists.

Respectfully Submitted, Neil Adams

The Govt. should relocate the fire station from Stabroek Market to D’Urban Park DEAR EDITOR, For everything, there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven…a time to tear down and a time to build up…Ecclesiastes 3:1-3.

The time to tear down is upon the powers that be and the time to build may not be too late for the construction of a new and modern Fire Station to serve the nation’s Capital and its environs.

We are in a post-colonial era but our current Fire Sta-

TO BEE OR NOT TO BE: Attack of the “killer ...

From page 4 that his six ferocious dogs had seemingly met their match in the form of killer bees. March 2019, Rameshwar Poonoo was clearing bushes while employed at the Albion Sugar Estate when he was fatally attacked by a swarm of bees.

In Guyana, every month on an average, one or two persons die from attacks by Africanised bees and scores of others suffer stings. Two individuals recently became the hapless victims of killer bees attack. The two persons have been identified as Sirpaul Rishi Hemraj, 62, of Black Bush Polder and Dorothy Adams, 58, of Rotterdam, East Bank Berbice.

Compounding the afore mentioned saga is the fact that residents are forced to defray expenses for the removal of the nest. According to a newspaper report in 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture has long disbanded its ‘bee unit’, so that anyone or any entity faced with a bee emer-

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Guyanese see bees as enemies instead of co-existing habitants of the planet. He posited that in Guyana, we have the Africanised Bee which has adapted to the climate and weather patterns of Guyana. He also noted that bees do not attack without reason. Bees are deaf but they respond to vibration and scents.

This may be true, hence the existing living arrangement between Man and Bee must be re-examined so that the Africanised Killer Bee shows no further mastery.

Best regards, Y. Sam

tions, Police Stations and Post Offices, among others are from a pre-colonial period.

What a shame?

Both present and past Governments have acknowledged the horrendous location of one of the country’s main firefighting units at the Stabroek Market Square, which is a nightmare for fire trucks to exit their location quickly in case of a fire.

The mere fact that Governments have allowed the Fire Station to remain at that location, instead of a central position, is a clear example of poor planning and a lack of vision. Any proactive Government would have done otherwise to protect the residents of the city. It is worth mentioning that the population of Georgetown and its huge influx of vehicles have outgrown its narrow and outdated city streets.

Having spent huge amounts of taxpayers’ dollars on fire trucks and equipment and to train Firefighters, one wonders why the performance of the Fire Service, in wake of the Brickdam Police Station fire was so pathetic.

It seems that not much has changed in Guyana, especially in the Public Service.

An appeal to the Minister...

From page 5 Education, Region 6 were made but no one came. The Ministry of Education Georgetown needs to send someone to visit this school.

They need to have the Parents and Teachers voice their

complaints.

They show up and parents are going to be there.Honourable Minister Priya Manickhand I am pleading with you to look into this matter.

Distressed Parent

The present Government has certainly, and rather ironically, been handed a golden opportunity to utilise public funds to build new Fire Stations, and equip them with modern state of the art equipment, so that the taxpayers could get their Tax-dollars’ worth.

Also, the time has come for the Government to haul down the D’Urban Park Stadium which has become an eye sore and relocate the Fire Station presently adjacent to the Stabroek Market to D’Urban Park.

To do otherwise is to abandon their responsibility to properly govern that nation in the interest of all.

Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine New York

Friendship and... from page 5 Conference will be held from October 12 to 14, the first ever to be held on African soil.

Keynote speeches will be made by renown global actors centered around the theme ‘A Green Deal for Sustainable Resources’, no doubt with an eye on the upcoming 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 31 October to 12 November 2021.

Guyanese look forward to strengthening the bonds of friendship and cooperation with the people of Ghana.

Yours faithfully, Clement J. Rohee

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BL TLUNT.. UNT...B BL Tuesday October 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

Guyana is now benefiting from Japan's gift of 23 Viral RNA test kits that can enable 5,750 tests for COVID-19.

But no Guyanese should believe that Japan is doing this out of the kindness of its heart.

Japan is doing this, so that it has chips to cash in when the big business opportunities come up for participating.

They will say: we were there for Guyana.

Bottom line is: everybody wants to be our friend.

Everybody is using us - from local leaders to foreign powers.

PAGE 07

Kaieteur News

PAGE 08

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Pedestrian critical after being GAWU field officer arrested struck down by drunk driver for assaulting Rose Hall Mayor

A

5 3 - y e a r- o l d pedestrian is critical after he was reportedly struck down by a drunken minibus driver along the New Road, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara (WCD) Public Road around 18:00hrs Sunday night.

The injured has been identified as Pooran Chatterpaul of Lot 117 N e w R o a d , Vr e e d - e n H o o p , We s t C o a s t Demerara (WCD).

According to police, Ryan Barclay, a 46-yearold minibus driver of N o r t o n S t r e e t , Wo r t m a n v i l l e ,

Georgetown, was proceeding along the public road at New Road, Vreed-enHoop when Chatterpaul reportedly ran into the path of the vehicle while attempting to cross the road.

Barclay reportedly swerved to avoid a collision but despite his efforts, the front side of the minibus struck Chatterpaul, causing him to fall onto the roadway thus sustaining multiple injuries about his body.

He was picked by Barclay who rushed him to t h e We s t D e m e r a r a Regional Hospital (WDRH) where he was

admitted to the Emergency Ward suffering from injuries to his head and other parts of his body.

A notice of intended prosecution was served to Barclay after a breathalyzer test was conducted which determined that he had .42 percent and .39 percent BAC micrograms of alcohol in his breath which proved that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident.

He was then placed in custody at the Vreed-enHoop Police Station as inves tigation into the matter continues.

T

he Mayor of Rose Hall Town has once again caught himself in another incident hot on the heels of a previous one in which a man threatened to kill him.

Mayor Dave Bhudu was this time around assaulted by a Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) field officer and councillor on Sunday at the Hampshire Civic Centre.

Police in a statement said that the incident occurred at approximately 11:50hrs after the conclusion of a meeting that was attended by the Minister of Local Government, Nigel Dharamlall.

According to police, the Mayor indicated that on the day in question, he was at a meeting at the Hampshire Civic Centre with the Minister and the N e i g h b o u r h o o d Democratic Council (NDC) councillors from Kilcoy/Hampshire and

Mayor Dave Bhudu Rose Hall Town.

He said there was a discussion about drainage and irrigation and upon conclusion of that meeting, he and the suspect got into an argument.

He reportedly told the police that the argument was premised on the cleaning of the Wi l l i a m s b u rg S t r e e t ,

located in the Corentyne area, and that the suspect became annoyed and began to verbally abuse him.

It was alleged by Bhudu that the suspect dealt him a cuff to the back of his neck after calling him “a waste man”.

The matter was reported to the police at the Rose Hall Town Police Outpost and Bhudu was escorted to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty, treated and sent away.

The suspect was arrested and placed in custody pending charges.

Meanwhile, when Kaieteur News contacted Bhudu, he stated that he was not in a position to provide a comment on the incident but when asked if there was an argument that led to the assault, he stated that there was no argument. He also denied that it was the said suspect who threatened to kill him before.

Man arrested for allegedly raping three boys at knifepoint

P

o l i c e a r e investigating the alleged rape of three teenagers, ages 15, 17 (brothers) and 16 from Corentyne, Region Six. The man, whom the allegations were levelled against, was arrested on Sunday and is assisting with the investigations.

Reports are that during 2020 and between the January 1, 2021 and October 8, 2021, the act was allegedly committed on the

boys against their will by the 39-year-old suspect.

The victims have told the police that the suspect is known to them personally and that they would frequent his home upon his request to do chores.

Permission was granted by their parents.

However, on several occasions, separately, the victims alleged that they were threatened at knifepoint by the suspect before he committed the act.

They stated that they were scared to confide in anyone about what took place at the house because of the threats from the suspect.

They added that the situation got "overbearing" and one of them confided in a relative.

From thereon, with the support of relatives, a report was filed with the police and an investigation led to the arrest of the suspect on Sunday, October 10, 2021 about 12:30hrs.

GNBS advocating for internationally recognised standards in oil sector From page 3 including international standards and conformity assessment.

“The intense battle against a persistent global pandemic revealed the absolute necessity of addressing the SDGs in an inclusive way, to strengthen our societies, making them more resilient and more equitable.

Today, we are asking you to join us on a mission that affirms the importance of the SDGs to build back better. In this pursuit, standards are more relevant than ever,”

they said.

Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond, in her message to mark the occasion said, “Goals nine and 12 focus on industry, innovation and infrastructure, and responsible consumption and production, respectively.

These SDGs are directly related to business and commerce, and the Government of Guyana continues to take a comprehensive approach to support business sustainability in Guyana,

regardless of their type and size.

According to Minister Walrond, “We want to see more businesses grow in numbers and size, and in a considerable way, the M i n i s t r y o f To u r i s m , Industry and Commerce and its sub-Agencies have been offering direct support towards making this a reality.”

(For further information and daily updates, please visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org or follow them on facebook or Instagram.)

Kaieteur News

Tuesday October 12, 2021

PAGE 09

Guyana is being run like a cake shop Y

e s t e r d a y, a n image appeared on social media of the President and the Vice President attending what was described as a virtual 22nd Special Meeting of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. The image showed only the two of them at a long table.

Where were the officials of the Foreign Ministry who should be there to advise the President and to ensure follow up action? Even if we assume that they were zoomed in from another location, they ought to have been present in that same room.

But this is the type of cake shop style of governance that is taking place in the country in which the President and the Vice President attend certain meetings without any support staff in attendance.

This is Stone Age governance, not modern day governance.

And just what was the Second Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo doing at that meeting? His responsibilities are supposed to be natural resources and the environment. So why was he at a meeting when one would have expected the Foreign Minister, or in his absence, the acting Foreign Minister to be in attendance? And where was the Foreign Secretary?

What image is Guyana

Dem

boys seh...

D

e price of fish increase.

Whether yuh buying it in de morning, at midday or at midnight, yuh paying more.

Dem fishermen seh how dem fish tun like migrants; dem gone overseas. Some ah dem fishermen so frighten de guvament dat dem claiming how is de weather cause de fish fuh swim away. Dem boys wan know if dem fish frighten rain.

Dem fishermen casting dem net but de catch getting smaller and smaller. Dem b o y s k n o w w h y. A n d everybody know why. But some people so frighten de guvament dat dem might want claim dat de fish frighten COVID. Dem fishermen trying all

presenting to the world by having the President and Second Vice President attending a conference of CARICOM and the support staff are either absent or zoomed in from another location.

The days of the Superman leader who knows it all and does it all has long passed.

Such a management style is not associated with modern governance but rather with leaders who may be insecure and who wish to hog decision-making.

In Guyana, there is the appearance that decisionmaking is being confined to the top echelons of government. And this is a sure recipe for incompetence and disaster.

The concentration of decision-making in the hands of a few persons is not how modern governments work.

This is stone-age governance which is going to always see Guyana trying to catch up with the rest of the world rather than moving forward.

A country today simply cannot be run like a cake shop. The world is too modern, and the issues too complex and technical to be mastered by a few leaders a c t i n g a l o n e .

Micromanagement is sure to result in mismanagement.

Cake shop management in the past saw Guyana retrogress. Decisions which should be made urgently are

delayed where there is such a style of management. Many years ago, Guyana was almost sanctioned because it took too long to pass legislation relating to money laundering and the countering of the financing of terrorism.

Micromanagement also will place the country in perpetual fire and we will always be in a fire-fighting mode rather than ensuring forward thinking and planning.

But even more appalling was what took place in the Sugar Belt while the President was in Barbados.

The Second Vice President went into the sugar areas and announced that the government would be paying the sum of $250,000 to each severed sugar worker.

This is not as strange a decision as it appears. The government may now have realised that it cannot honour its Manifesto pledge of reopening the sugar estates closed under the APNU+AFC and therefore it is seeking to appease the former sugar workers.

But such a pay-out cannot be a substitute for a plan to revive the rural economy which is in tatters as a result of the closure of the sugar estates, the pandemic and the devastating floods of this year.

The government has no

Fish gone overseas kinds ah old wives tales to catch dem fish.

One ah dem even tell he friend to play some music when he at sea. De friend ask he wah kind ah music to play.

He answer, “Play something catchy.”

Fish suh short dat some ah dem fishermen taking to fishing in dem trench in dem sugar fields. One night de warden ketch a man with a basket ah fish.

De warden ask he if he gat permit fuh ketch de fish.

De man answer, “No sir, dey are all my pet fish.”

De warden thought de man was making him a fool but he still ask de man fuh explain.

De man explain, “Every night I take all meh pet fish and put dem in de trench fuh get lil exercise. I let dem

swim fuh about half hour, and den I whistle and dey all come back and jump in my basket and we go home. We do dis every night.”

De warden get vex and ask de man if he think he is a fool.

De man tell he how he gan show he and de man release dem fish into de trench. De warden stand up waiting fuh see how de fish dem gan come back in de basket. He wait fuh 10 minutes and den tun to de man and seh, “Well???”

De man ask, “Wah?” De warden reply, “I am waiting on your pet fishes to jump back in de basket.”

De man answer, “Wah fishes?”

Talk half and tell dem fisherman nah mek fishy excuse.

answers as to how to reopen the closed sugar estates. They once railed against a suggestion by Granger for private input into the sugar industry. They accused him of wanting to privatise the sugar industry. But their solutions are no different, except that the Private Sector involvement which they were counting on does not involve the production of sugar.

But what was amazing about the $250,000 grant was the manner of its announcement. The President has not indicated that Bharrat Jagdeo is a super-Minister.

So why should he have to go

into the Sugar Belt to make such an announcement?

Why steal the Minister of Agriculture's thunder? Why was he not allowed to make that decision?

The public should demand to know whether this proposal went before Cabinet or whether it was part of the Stone Age decision-making process. Such an important decision should have been exhaustively debated within Cabinet. Was this done? Had there been the usual postCabinet briefing, as in the past, such questions could have been asked.

The country will pay a terrible price for cake shop

style of management. As I mentioned in these pages years ago, our political leaders need to realise that things need to be done differently.

If Guyana wants to become a modern developed society, it has to dump traditional ways of doing things. Cake shop management is not suited to a modern day economy.

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

Kaieteur News

PAGE 10

Tuesday October 12, 2021

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Mo fyaah, slo fyaah: Volda Lawrence kills Macbeth's witches “

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.”

Those were some of the words of the witches in Macbeth as they prepared their fiery brew for Macbeth to satisfy his lust f o r p o w e r. M a c b e t h ' s witches have had a long life in Guyana.

They met as a group in October 1992 and decided that Macbeth must stay in power.

They continued to mix their brew way into the 21 st century, cooking their soup for four years in Buxton (actually real soup was cooked in Georgetown and sent up to the gunmen in Buxton), the dynamics of power intoxication were dissolved, only to appear once again in West Berbice in September, 2020 Vo l d a L a w r e n c e c o n f ro n te d M a c b e t h ' s witches last week and has murdered them in self-

defence. The question is: could the women return?

The women are not of this world and are unlikely to stay dead given their supernatural being. But the witches could only have survived once Macbeth was around lusting for power.

Macbeth lost the fight for power on July 31, 2020 on High Street, Kingston, at the Court of Appeal but he survived to fight another day, until Volda went up to Region Five and confronted the witches who were keeping Macbeth alive.

No one in this country knows if Volda has in fact killed off the witches and no one knows if Macbeth has actually died.

Let's trace the witches' cooking, beginning in October 1992. After Jimmy Carter's quick count showed the PPP had won the 1992 election, the women lit their pot. It did not help Macbeth. The year 1997

saw the witches in action again. The brew did not put Macbeth in power. The women stirred their pot again in 2001. This time they moved from Georgetown to Buxton.

The pot boiled and boiled and boiled for four years – 2002-2005 in Buxton but Macbeth did not get his throne. In M a r c h 2 0 2 0 , Macbeth summoned the witches with one last fiery exhortation – the brew has been a failure since 1992, another recipe has to work.

The world left the witches and their hero behind. But that was not the last of the unholy alliance between supernatural invocation and power intoxication.

Macbeth and the witches were at it again in We s t B e r b i c e i n September 2020. Volda went up there and the witches ran away. Volda

was not content to let them hibernate. She met them head on last week.

Last week's speech, on the 64 th anniversary of the P N C , b y Vo l d a contained these words: “I wish to affirm today that it i s c lear that political confrontation would lead us n o w h e r e . ” Vo l d a w a s referring to the work of the witches which in Guyanese parlance is known as “mo fyaah/slo fyaah.”

Has Volda brought down the curtain on mo fyaah/slo fyaah?

Changing dynamics would suggest so. Here are some of those dynamics at play.

The year 1997 was 23 years ago. It was in that year, reeling from the loss of power in the 1992 election, the PNC birthed mo fyaah/slo fyaah. It claimed the 1997 election was not free and fair.

Substantial numbers of youths who are 23 years of age do not know about mo fyaah/slo fyaah. There is no symbol from that era in the PNC's biology today that

Frederick Kissoon can galvanise them to yearn for mo fyaah/slo fyaah.

Secondly, 23 years ago, Guyana didn't have social media.

The youths of today use social media to see live action on the roadways. They don't see the need to be part of the action when they could lie in their beds and see the protests. Social media has drastically cut down the number of people who would have been on the streets 23 years ago.

Thirdly, from 1997, PNC supporters only knew one government – t h e P P P. O p p o s i t i o n leaders thus manipulated the minds of their supporters urging them to stop the PPP from having

“forever power.” But the equation changed profoundly after 2015. The PNC acquired state power.

The PNC has to use other slogans because “forever power” has lost its sting.

Fourthly, the PNC leaders can no longer pack Georgetown or elsewhere with hundreds of agitators.

African Guyanese know that they were lied to about the 2020 March election.

The Cotton Tree riots last year was different because two youths were killed. The PNC led street protest against the COVID-19 vaccine, the Teachers' Union's protest and strike, and the “shut down Georgetown” march were all ignominious failures.

There was no outpouring of anger after the leaders of those agitations were arrested.

Volda Lawrence is no genius but she is also no fool. She knows that the era of mo fyaah/sloi fyaah is dead and gone.

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

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 11

Kaieteur News

PAGE 12

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Guyana receives US$12.5M in royalties at third quarter - Report F

or the third quarter of 2021, inflows into the Natural Resource Fund amounted to $19.5B (US$91.92 million) comprising of profit oil totalling $16.6B (US$79.62 million) and royalties to the tune of $2.5B. This is according to the latest financial report on the Fund, which is prepared and published by the Central Bank.

The report noted that since its inception, the Fund which is held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has received G$81,030.74 million (US$388.64 million) from seven lifts of profit oil and G$9,888.21 million (US$47.42 million) from royalties.

The Fund has also earned $ 1 0 . 8 8 m i l l i o n (US$52,197.16) in interest income over the quarter. With respect to the market value of the Fund, the report notes that at September 30, 2021, it stood at $90,933.70 million (US$436.13 million), an increase of 26.72% ($19,176

million/US$91.97 million) from the previous quarter.

Furthermore, the Fund recorded a profit of $10.88 million (US$52,197.16) this quarter solely due to interest earned on deposits as the overnight deposit rate increased by five basis points.

To date, there has been no investment mandate for the Fund. A letter from the then Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, dated June 8, 2020 stated that pending the constitution of the Investment Committee and preparation of the Investment Mandate, all petroleum revenue should be held as cash deposits in the Natural Resource Fund account.

The government has publicly disclosed its intentions to let the fund remain untouched in the Natural Resource Fund Account until a series of reforms is enacted to strengthen the regulatory infrastructure of the oil and gas sector.

Prosecution given time to gather evidence in matter involving Fire Chief

T

he prosecution was yesterday granted time to gather all statements in the case involving Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo, who was previously placed on $10,000 bail for a private charge which was brought against him for allegedly removing the name of a firefighter from the entity's promotion list.

The matter was called in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Principal Magistrate, Sherdel IsaacsMarcus. Fire Chief Edoo is being represented by attorneyat-law Sase Gunraj.

When the matter was called, the prosecution made an application to the court requesting time to gather statements before full disclosure is made to the defence.

Principal Magistrate IsaacsMarcus granted the prosecution's request and the matter was adjourned to November 15, 2021.

Kaieteur News had reported that a private charge was brought against Edoo by firefighter Neville Cumberbatch.

On his first court appearance, the Fire Chief was

not required to plea to the indictable charge which alleges that in his role as the statutory and general superintendent of the GFS, he unlawfully discriminated against Cumberbatch by removing his name from a list of persons deemed eligible for consideration for promotion by former Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle, on January 29, 2021.

It was reported that Cumberbatch alleges that his name was removed from the GFS promotion list on the basis of disciplinary infractions, whilst retaining on the same list persons who were guilty of equal and more egregious disciplinary infractions contrary to the provisions of Section 5 (2) (d) Prevention of Discrimination Act Cap. 99:08.

In August, about 30 firefighters had threatened Edoo with Court action after their names were allegedly removed from the promotion list due to “disciplinary infractions” for which they were reportedly punished for years earlier. Cumberbatch is among the group of firefighters who, through a lawyer, had written to the

Fire Chief, Kalamadeen Edoo Fire Chief asking that he issue to the Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, the list of all officers who passed the necessary examinations and are therefore eligible for promotions or face a “constitutional action for discrimination.” They had given the Fire Chief until Monday August 23, last to correct the issue but since this was not done, further action was taken.

This newspaper understands that some of the firefighters, who were removed from the list, were charged departmentally and/or had their pay deducted.

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 13

Westminster Secondary school poised to deliver well-rounded students - Education Minister I

n keeping with its mandate to achieve universal secondary education, the state-of-theart Westminster Secondary School was constructed in Region Three and yesterday marked the first day that students were able to enter the school for physical classes. The school was completed in April of this year and can accommodate 1,000 students along with 60 teachers.

This is according to a release issued by the Education Ministry yesterday. It noted that Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, visited the school to interact with the students and teachers on their first day and noted that the Westminster Secondary School which is located in the Parfaite Harmonie community, is well poised to deliver well-rounded students.

She said that the school will mean a lot to parents in the region since many will no longer have to think about paying for transportation for

their children to attend schools out of the region.

During her visit yesterday, Minister Manickchand engaged with students who previously attended Dolphin Secondary (Georgetown) and Covent Garden Secondary (East Bank of Demerara) among other schools which are located further away from their home.

Another benefit that the school has already brought to the region and the education sector is that it allowed for the closure of three secondary departments or 'Primary Tops' in primary schools in the region, specifically at Goed Fortuin Primary, La Grange Primary and the Windsor Forest Primary school.

Minister Manickchand explained that children are usually placed in Primary Tops after they write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and there is no space remaining in any of the secondary schools in the region. These children remain in primary

A view from the front of the Westminster Secondary School school but are taught secondary level work.

She said that this is not the proper or optimum way to educate children and as such with the completion of the Westminster Secondary School, the children who attended the three Primary Tops in the region can now benefit from a proper secondary education in an institution that is equipped to deliver.

“I am very, very glad.

The school is well poised to

deliver top students in this region and therefore children who will be well-rounded to take over Guyana,” the Education Minister remarked.

Speaking to teachers in the auditorium, Minister Manickchand said that they are teaching at a school, which the Ministry of Education intends to be one of the high-performing schools in Guyana.

She told teachers, “We hope that we have in you the

best because the kids who are coming here are children whose lives you can change.

Your purpose is to change the lives of children and their families, transform children who entered with certain biases but leave without those biases and have a quality life.”

Minister Manickchand told the staff yesterday that “today is a historic day for Region Three, the community and the education sector.” She said

that the teachers have a blank canvas at a brand new school to create something great.

There are 11 departments at the school that will equip learners with the skills that will help them to function effectively in society. The 11 departments are Allied Arts, Agricultural Science, Business Studies, English, Home Economics, Industrial Technology, Information Technology, Mathematics, Modern Languages, (continued on page 17)

Kaieteur News

PAGE 14

Tuesday October 12, 2021

SOPs, SORs disclosed, trial to commence in December Elections fraud cases…

A

canter load of Statements of Polls (SOPs) and Statements of Recount (SORs) were yesterday disclosed to seven persons charged with electoral fraud.

The matter was adjourned to October 17, 2021, for report and trial is slated to commence in December 2021.

The defendants in the matter that was called yesterday are: Chairperson of the People's National Congress (PNC), Volda Lawrence, former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) activist, Carol Smith-Joseph, GECOM's Information Te c h n o l o g y O ff i c e r – Enrique Livan and GECOM Clerks: Michelle Miller, Sheffern February and Denise Bab-Cummings.

The matter was called in the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

While the defendants appeared virtually, the prosecution appeared in court.

Moreover, attorney-atlaw Nigel Hughes, who is

PNC Chairperson, Volda Lawrence representing Mingo, Lawrence and SmithJoseph, was present in court while attorney-at-law Eusi Anderson, who is representing the other defendants, appeared virtually.

When the matter was called, attorney-at-law Darshan Ramdhani, who is representing the State, informed the court that he has brought the SOPs and SORs to court and that he is ready to serve them on the defendants. He further stated that there are several boxes sitting in a canter outside of the court, containing the SOPs and SORs for all 10

Former GECOM Region Four RO, Clairmont Mingo

APNU+AFC activist, Carol Smith-Joseph

Sheffern February

Enrique Livan

Denise Bab-Cummings

Michelle Miller

The boxes with the SOPs and SORs at court yesterday Regions. The prosecution also handed over other statements and video evidence to the defence and

the court.

On October 17, 2021, the matter will be called for a report and this will then pave

the way for the trial to commence. Earlier this year,

the Chief Magistrate had (continued on page 16)

Almost $500M worth of computers procured for OLPT project were damaged - PAC hears

A

lmost $500M worth of the l a p t o p s procured for teachers under the One Laptop Per Teacher (OLPT) Project, which was implemented under the David Granger-led A Partnership For National Unity +Alliance For Change ( A P N U + A F C ) administration, were found to be damaged or defunct.

The damaged computers were part of 9,609 laptops which were purchased by the E-Government Unit established under the People's Progressive Party /Civic (PPP/C) Government in 2015.

The PPP/C had paid $1.6 billion for the Chinese branded Haier computers in 2015 for their One Laptop Per Family project but demitted office shortly after.

The computer programme was rebranded

Flashback: Former President David Granger as he donates one of the laptops to a teacher in 2015. by the Granger administration as the One Laptop Per Teacher project and distributed them to teachers across the country when the APNU +AFC administration took office, a year later. It was however

discovered that hundreds of the computer were damaged and not functioning.

The issue came up for discussion before the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday where it was noted

that no steps were taken by the government to be compensated for $495M worth of damaged computers bought from the Chinese company.

APNU +AFC Member of Parliament (MP) and PAC

member, Ganesh Mahipaul, lamented on the fact that some five years have passed since a police investigation was launched into the issue. “… It is honestly quite disappointing that after all these years, there seems to be no aggression in seeking compensation from the vendor of these damaged laptops. Five years have gone and this is going down as a loss,” Mahipaul stated.

Mahipaul alluded to the fact that the damaged laptops and the police investigation are mentioned in consecutive reports of the Auditor General with no word of a solution.

“We have been waiting on the police report. I personally asked about it a number of times, up to last year, the Auditor General Report cited it and it has been appearing year after year,” he said.

Mahipaul added, “There is need for a holistic investigation. This is a very important where millions of dollars were spent. We should await that report before we draw conclusions.”

P P P / C M P, Dharamkumar Seeraj, enquired whether the investigation was conducted to determine whether the damage to the computers was as a result of manufacturer defect or because of the conditions under which they were stored.

In response, General Manager of the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), Francis Simmons, noted that the laptops were i n f e r i o r.

Simmons explained that although the laptops had remained in storage for some time before (continued on page 16)

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 15

Kaieteur News

PAGE 16

Tuesday October 12, 2021

SOPs, SORs disclosed, trial to commence in December

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From page 14 ruled on the mode of trial for Lawrence, Mingo and SmithJoseph's court matter. The Magistrate had ruled that the matter will be tried summarily.

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ecution and the defence attorneys to make their submissions, and had set a date for the ruling on the mode of trial.

This resulted in her ruling in favour of the prosecution, thus the matter will be tried in the Magistrates' Courts as opposed to going to the High Court for trial.

Some of the charges the defendants are facing are misconduct in public office, conspiracy to commit fraud, forging a document and forgery.

Mingo faces a joint charge with Lawrence, another with Smith-Joseph and two separate joint forgery

charges. In addition to the joint charge with Mingo, Smith-Joseph also faces two individual charges.

Moreover, Livan, who was named in a USB flash drive scandal surrounding the tabulations of votes that happened on March 5, 2020, was slapped with one fraud charge, and February, another GECOM employee, is facing two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud.

Miller and Bab-Cummings, who are GECOM clerks, were both slapped with two fraud charges each.

The police had an-

nounced in August 2020, that they will be conducting a comprehensive investigation into the criminal conduct of former Chief Election Officer, Keith Lowenfield, former Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers, Mingo and others, in relation to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections and the events that followed. During the ongoing probe, several GECOM officials were arrested and placed before the court for electoral fraud.SOPs, SORs disclosed, trial to commence in December

Almost $500M worth of computers procured...

From page 14 being distributed, the general poor quality of the laptops were to be blamed for the damage.

Additionally, it was pointed out to the PAC that 103 laptops stored at the E-Government Unit were stolen in 2011. Former Permanent Secretary of the then Ministry of Public Telecommunications, Derrick Cummings, in response to queries about this said that he could not provide any update on the police investigation into the issue of the stolen laptops.

The stolen computers related to the One Laptop Per Family project which was initiated some 10 years ago. The cost of the 103 computers is estimated at some $17 million.

Cummings revealed that, “The PS at the Office of the President was more intimately involved in the matter.”

Back in 2011, an audit investigation revealed that the National Frequency Management Unit (NFMU) was unable to account for the missing laptops.

It was further deduced that financing of that project was opaque and funded out of moneys received by the NFMU, which was itself retaining funds from the Consolidated Fund.

“The project did not maintain any proper system of accounting and the only accounting done was by way of instructions to the NFMU to approve invoices for payment. There was no accounting for transactions executed on behalf of the project, nor was there any reconciliation of the records of the OLPF and the NFMU,” the report added.

Substantive testing and expenditure analysis also confirmed that $1,263,454,790 was paid by the NFMU for the administrative, employment, training and distribution expenses incurred by OLPF during the period May 9, 2011 to May 31, 2015.

Given this situation, the auditors had recommended that the matter be referred to the police for a full investigation.

Tuesday October 12, 2021

PAGE 17

Kaieteur News

Govt. ready to spend $600M more to rehabilitate CJIA

With over US$160 million already spent on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport’s (CJIA) expansion project, the government is prepared to spend even more money to facilitate rehabilitation and construction works at the country’s main port of entry.

The Ministry of Public Works recently released a notice inviting sealed bids for the “Construction and Rehabilitation Works of VIP, New and Existing Commercial Buildings - Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation”.

The Ministry noted that this project is estimated to cost GY$612,500,000. Bidding will be conducted through the National Competitive Bidding procedure specified in the Procurement Act 2003. Bids for this project are slated to open on October 21, 2021.

In Budget 2021, a sum of $2.5 billion was allocated for the further upgrade and modernisation of the CJIA to finance major improvements including the procurement of the additional two passenger boarding bridges to accommodate large transatlantic aircraft, bringing the total to six boarding bridges. This money was allocated to be

spent on rehabilitating the airline and airport administration office and outfitting the commercial complex.

Earlier in the month, this publication had reported that four construction firms had bid to execute rehabilitation works to the existing roof at the airport. That project is estimated to cost $23,223,375.

In September, the Ministry had awarded a contract for US$2 million to a local company named Total Solutions for the supply of two additional air bridges for the long ongoing expansion project. Previous to that, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, had commissioned a new runway, complete with an Instrument Landing System (ILS) touted to reduce flights diversion by 90 percent. That project saw some $518 million being spent.

According to reports, in August, the Minister had facilitated the signing of three multi-million-dollar contracts for the upgrading of facilities at the CJIA. There, Kallco Guyana Incorporated was awarded a contract valued over $51.7 million for the construction of an office building at the airport. The office building will be joined to the existing

The Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). (Mike Charles’s photo).

Terminal building and is expected to house a conference room, offices for the airlines, other agencies and a duty-free bond. That project was given a fourmonth period to be completed.

Another company, Colin Talbot Contracting Services, signed a contract valued over $38.3 million to conduct repair works to the international apron and to build a taxiway. Four months was given to com-

Westminster Secondary school poised to deliver...

From page 13 Science, and Social Studies.

Each department is equipped with trained teachers who will ensure that the curriculum is transmitted in a safe and conducive environment. The school also has a permanent Welfare Officer, Mr. Azharuddin Zahaur. After completing five years of study at the Westminster Secondary School, students would be entered as candidates to sit the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate Examination (CSEC). Embracing their motto: “Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow”.

In addition to the CSEC programme, the school will be offering the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) programme, which is a competency-based approach to training, assessment, and certification. The CVQ certificate is recognised across the Caribbean.

The school also has a Conference Room, Reading and Research Centre, Library, Language, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Agricultural Science Laboratories. In addition, the school has 32 classrooms, a dance studio, an Audio/Visual, Music Room and a large auditorium. Within the next three years, the school would

be offering subjects for the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination to students of Region Three.

The school was opened for the first time on September 6, 2021, for online learning with Ms. Tulsidai Raghubansi as the Head teacher and Ms. Lisa Henry-Aaron as the Deputy Head teacher along with a team of 15 senior teachers and 34 junior teachers. Over the

recent months, these teachers were trained to use different online modalities such as Google Classrooms, Google Meet, and Google Teams to deliver online classes. Further, teachers were exposed to EMIS, Microsoft Excel and Google drive which will enhance the delivery of education and the completion of records at the Westminster Secondary School.

plete this project.

The Minister had also awarded a contract to Kalitech Incorporated valued $25.9 million to construct a new office building for CJIA’s 280 personnel.

With the completion of this project, the new building would allow for more space in the terminal building to be used for commercial pur-

poses.

The CJIA expansion project, which has been going on for years, was signed in 2011 under then President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and was passed through the truncated presidency of Donald Ramotar. The deadline given to complete the project was slated for December 31, 2021, but due to the con-

straints of shipping, as a result of the pandemic, works might not be completed until early 2022.

Moreover, when questioned on the final costs for the CJIA expansion, Minister Edghill had mentioned that the cost is still unknown, but was keen to note that the cost will not surpass US$200 million.

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday October 12, 2021

Govt. now begging oil companies to hire laid off sugar workers The government has been pleading with oil and gas companies to hire workers who have been laid off by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo).

At least this was what the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, said on Sunday during an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI).

He was at time attending a career fair hosted by Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI) at the Uitvlugt Community Centre Ground.

He had told DPI that his government is encouraging companies in the oil industry to seek out areas that would allow persons who have been laid off by GuySuCo to be employed.

The fair currently being hosted by GYSBI, which began on Saturday at the Providence Stadium located on the East Bank of Demerara, is seeking to recruit 150 persons to work with the company.

Indar had stated that GYSBI had approached the

Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo governme nt for advice on where it could look for workers to fill those spots.

The Minister said that he had told them that the best place to recruit persons is from the “catchment area” where GuySuCo had lost workers.

His exact words to the DPI were, “I said the catchment area is the best place, the catchment area where GuySuCo lost workers…because GuySuCo lost a lot of technical persons, they had

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar

tec hnical education, they had good worker welders, good mechanics, etc.”

He further stated that the reason his government has been encouraging the oil and gas companies to recruit laid off sugar workers is because “when they left GuySuCo, no other industry could help to absorb them so they were unemployed.”

Indar added that during his discussions with the executives of GYSBI, he had explained to them that the

b e s t w e l d ers in the country are from GuySuCo and they along with machine operators and mechanics were pushed out of the sugar industry and had no place to work.

The Minister continued that these laid off sugar workers are the ones that the oil companies can employ and train to work in the sector because it is much easier for them to make the transition. It should be noted that Minister Indar is not the

first government official to highlight that efforts were being made to negotiate with oil companies to employ the severed workers from the sugar industry.

The Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, had stated during a recent visit to Region Six that prospective employers from the oil sector have expressed their need for “several hundred” persons to be employed and there has been discussions with them to employ these laid off workers from GuySuCo. “They need several hundreds of people employed but we are not getting the people to train, and they want people basically from Region Four, maybe closer, Three. Right now, there is an industrialisation process in the Demerara River because you have a lot of shore based facilities being built, an industrial area that require a lot of workers and we have already started working on the project,” he had said.

Four of the main sugar estates, Wales, Skeldon,

Rose Hall and Enmore were closed in 2018 by the previous administration and at least 7000 workers were sent home.

One of the reasons given by the Coalition for the closure of the estates was that the sugar industry was not making money and they had to be closed as a major cost-cutting exercise.

When this government took power in August 2020, it started off by trying to revitalise the sugar industry – a promise in its manifesto.

A large part of this year's budget was also injected into the sector with the hopes of making it profitable again.

However, the recent midyear report that was recently released revealed that the industry has declined by 22.4 percent for the first half of the year and by the end of this year, it is projected to have an overall decline by 10.4 percent.

The government has since stated that major floods earlier this year are to be blamed for this significant lost.

Suspected bandit killed by cops A 34-year-old man was killed yesterday morning during a shootout with ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) at Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The dead man has been identified as Kevin Andries of Grove Housing Scheme, EBD. A c c o r d i n g t o information reaching this publication, Andries and his alleged accomplice exchanged gunfire with the

police sometime around 02:50hrs following a highspeed chase at a location in Grove.

Based on police information, moments before the shooting, ranks were on mobile patrol on the East Bank of Demerara when they received a report that a motorcar, bearing licence plate PVV 5380, was transporting suspected stolen items. According to

reports, the vehicle was spotted in the Diamond area and pursued by ranks.

The police said that the car reportedly sped through an access street into the Grove community where it stopped and two men exited.

There, police claimed, one of the men opened fire on them which led them to retaliate.

One of the men was struck to his body while the other escaped.

Ranks, according to a police report, picked up the injured man and rushed him to the Diamond Public Hospital where he succumbed while receiving treatment.

So far, police revealed that they have recovered an A.32 spent shell from the scene which detectives suspect came from the gun of one of the suspected bandits.

Kaieteur News also learnt that no stolen items were recovered from the car which is currently lodged at the Diamond Police Station.

Detectives said too that Andries was no stranger to the law and that he was recently charged with robbery under arms.

Following the fatal shooting yesterday, residents of Grove had blocked the main road in the community in protest.

Killed, Kevin Andries.

The motor car which police suspected was carrying stolen items.

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

Police chase causes hijacker to crash stolen car A

32-year-old man is now in police custody after he crashed a stolen car into a bridge, which is still being constructed, during a police chase at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara (ECD) at around 21:45hrs on Sunday.

The suspect had stolen the car and other items from a 29-year-old male technician and his girlfriend at Industry ECD. According to investigators, the victim borrowed his uncle's car, PYY 9631, and went to Industry where he parked and secured the car on the southern side of the main road.

The technician and his girlfriend then went across

The stolen vehicle and the gun that was found

the road in the vicinity of the Arch where they were

Men robbed by bicycle bandit while having lunch

A

64-year-old man was on Sunday last, robbed and beaten while on a bench having lunch with his colleagues at the Lusignan Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Kaieteur News learnt that the man and his colleagues were sitting on a bench and eating around 19:20hrs on Sunday, when the suspect rode up on a pedal cycle and approached the victim with a small black object, which he had in his waist, demanding that he stand up.

The man complied and

the suspect proceeded to reach into his pocket and relieved him of $4,500 in cash and a Samsung galaxy smart phone valued $25,000 which was on the table in front of him. The suspect then lashed him to his head, which resulted in him receiving injuries that rendered him unconscious.

A grey motorcycle, belonging to one of the victim's co-workers, bearing registration number CK7908 was also taken.

This publication understands that a police investigation is in progress.

2 unvaccinated persons are Guyana's latest COVID-19 fatalities

Y

esterday, the Ministry of Health reported that two more persons, who contracted the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, have died. As a result, the country's COVID19 death toll has moved to 842.

According to the Health Ministry, the fatalities are that of an unvaccinated man and unvaccinated woman who both died on Sunday while receiving treatment at a medical facility.

The fatalities are that of a 63-year-old woman from Region Four (Demerara-

Mahaica) and an 88-year-old man from Region Three (Essequibo Islands – West Demerara).

Meanwhile, in its daily COVID-19 dashboard, the Ministry recorded 52 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 33,748.

Presently, there are 29 patients in the COVID-19 Intensive Care UnitU), 145 in institutional isolation, 3,728 in home isolation and three in institutional quarantine. To date, a total of 29,004 persons who tested positive for the virus have recovered.

“relaxing and taking some fresh air”. The couple was approached by two men – one armed with a silver and black handgun.

The unarmed suspect relieved the couple of one 12-pennyweight gold chain valued at $150,000, $3,000 cash, and one gold chain valued at $84,000.

As the suspect entered the car and was about to start the vehicle when the police approached.

The couple informed the police of what transpired and they gave chase. One of the suspects was caught as he drove into the incomplete bridge at Plaisance, Railway Embankment and crashed.

It is not clear how the second suspect escaped or if the loot was recovered.

Police revealed though that one silver and black handgun with a magazine of five rounds of ammunition

was retrieved from the front passenger seat of the vehicle.

The suspect was arrested and placed in custody.

According to police, an investigation into the matter is ongoing.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday October 12, 2021

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Tuesday October 12, 2021

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Amy Hunter becomes world’s youngest international when I came to my hundred I didn’t know what to do, take centurion on her 16th birthday my helmet off or keep it on, ESPNcricinfo - Ireland’s Amy Hunter has become the youngest player to score a senior international century, hitting an unbeaten 121 and taking her side to a win against Zimbabwe on her 16th birthday.

Hunter overtook the record previously held by India’s Mithali Raj, who scored 114 not out in and ODI against Ireland at the age of 16 years and 205 days in June 1999. Shahid Afridi is the youngest man to hit an ODI century. He was 16 years and 217 days old when he scored 102 against Sri Lanka in 1996.

Hunter is younger than any man or woman who has

scored a century in T20Is. No one has scored a hundred in Test cricket at a younger age, where records are known.

Playing just her fourth ODI on Monday, Hunter’s knock came off 127 balls and included eight fours. It was the highest score by a batter for Ireland Women, passing Karen Young’s 120 made in 2000 against Pakistan.

Having managed just seven runs across her previous three innings - all against Zimbabwe - Hunter’s latest performance helped her side to a total of 312 for 3 from their 50 overs in the fourth and final ODI in Harare, the highest team total by Ireland Women

Amy Hunter.

Zimbabwe Cricket in ODI cricket. Ireland won the match by 85 runs to seal the series 3-1. ”It feels really good, it’s a bit surreal right now,” Hunter said. “When I was coming up to my fifty, I just wanted to stick by and get there, then

Tuesday October 12, 2021 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Family members might have too much on their minds today and ask you for more help than you're prepared to give.

Make sure you stay calm and focused so you can decide which difficulties are most urgent and need to be handled first.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Today you might spend time helping a sibling or neighbor prepare for a trip. Or more than one person could ask you for advice on business matters, legal papers, investments, homework, or other intellectual concerns.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Someone may approach you talking about investments.

This person may make whatever he's pushing sound like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

PAGE 23

Kaieteur News

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Today you could be in the public eye in some way.

Perhaps you're teaching a class, giving a lecture, or leading a discussion group.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Too many errands to

run? Too many calls to make? Don't be surprised if you feel like you're running in circles. You might be trying to juggle career concerns while making plans for a journey of some kind.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Unexpected expenses, perhaps for house repairs, might require some budgetary juggling. You might have to rob Peter to pay Paul. This will probably offend your practicality, but it's only temporary.

CANCER(June21–July22) Today you may feel like you're brimming over with physical energy. You have a lot

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Surliness on the part of a partner could catapult you into a gloomy mood. Your friend isn't communicat-

of energy, but it isn't a good idea to go climbing mountains, running marathons, or swimming long distances right now.

something you said or did.

Chances are it's not.

ing very well, and you probably wonder i f it's

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Responsibilities may be weighing on your mind today.

Perhaps you've promised someone help but don't have the time and energy to come through right now. Don't be afraid to tell the person.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Too much partying could have you feeling a little under the weather. The food and drink may have been great, but today you'd better eat plain but nourishing food.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) A tremendous burst of creative energy regarding a cherished project could hit today.

Inspiration could strike, and you'll want to turn as much of that into physical reality as possible.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Friends and lovers alike may take unfair advantage of your good nature. Some may want you to do them favors. Others might want to use you as a sounding board for their problem

but it was unbelievable. ”I felt more nervous for my fifty. I didn’t do so well in the first three games so I was just delighted to be out there and get that first four away and from there it kind of flowed.

From fifty to a hundred felt like it went much quicker than from nought to fifty.”

Hunter shared a 143-run stand for the third wicket with captain Laura Delany. Delany, who scored 68, was in the middle when Belfast schoolgirl Hunter brought up her ton. “Del’s so supportive of me and she always backs me and tells me to back myself and back my skills so it was unbelievable,” Hunter said.

Commonwealth Games-Only two compulsory sports as Games set for major revamp Reuters - Athletics and Swimming are set to be the only compulsory sports at future Commonwealth Games under a proposed “strategic roadmap” to give hosts more flexibility, increase the event’s appeal and drive down costs.

Next year’s Games scheduled to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to Aug. 8 will feature 19 sports, but the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) has recommended that “approximately 15 sports” feature at future Games from the 2026 event onwards.

The CGF is still searching for a host city for the 2026 Games despite an announcement ini-

tially being planned for 2019.

Athletics and Swimming would be afforded protected status due to their historical place in the programme, popularity, para(sport) inclusion and gender balance, the CFG said in a statement on Monday (yesterday). ”As part of an ongoing consultation with International Federations, there are ambitions for a revised Sport Programme to provide hosts with more flexibility to choose from a wider list of core sports,” the statement read. ”This will now include disciplines that have previously been listed as optional sports such as T20 cricket, beach volleyball and 3x3 basketball.

“This will allow hosts the ability to propose entirely new sports, relevant to their nation or culture, to enhance cultural showcasing and community e n g a g e m e n t . ” The CWG added there would be no requirement for future hosts to have an athletes’ village, instead encouraging alternative solutions to reduce costs. “Our Games need to adapt, evolve and modernise to ensure we continue to maintain our relevance and prestige across the Commonwealth,” CFG president Louise Martin said. ”Our next step is to work closely with our International Federation partners to ensure they can contribute to the vision and direction of the Roadmap in order to underpin the future of the Games.”

Narine stars with bat...

From page 27 has had the honour for pretty much the entire time Royal Challengers have been around. He created the DRS drama.

Dan Christian has had the honour in various T20 leagues around the world.

Even at 38, he broke into the Australian World Cup squad on the basis of that. But here he missed his areas. Narine pulled a short ball that didn’t rise high enough for six over square leg to start his innings. Then he launched a length ball on leg stump over midwicket. And to top it off, he cleared the long-off boundary with one hand.

Just one hand. That brought the required rate down from 6.9 to 4.8.

And though Royal Challengers continued to fight Mohammed Siraj took two wickets in the 18th over to throw the game open again Eoin Morgan and Shakib Al Hasan harnessed over 600 T20s worth of experience to eventually seal the game.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 24

Saturday October 12 ,2021

Mbappe winner as France beat Spain in Nations League final

Milan, (Reuters) World champions France won the Nations League final with goals from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe earning them a 2-1 win over Spain at the San Siro stadium on Sunday.

Didier Deschamps side had struggled to get a foothold in the game during a first half dominated by Spain but after going a goal down, following Mikel Oyarzabal’s strike, they came alive. With Paul Pogba excellent in midfield, Mbappe’s speed and movement stretching Spain and Benzema a constant threat, the French were good value for their victory. ” We s h o w e d o u r character against a very strong team. We never gave up,” said Benzema. “It shows what great teams do — never panic, be patient and wait for the right time.”

Luis Enrique’s young Spain side, who had beaten European champions Italy in the semi-finals, had played their trademark possession football with patience and precision but in the end could not compensate for the absence of a genuine striker. ”It was a difficult defeat,” said Spain’s France-born

defender Aymeric Laporte.

“We have proven to be a great team despite our youth, we have shown better football than them, but what counts is the result.”

The first half was a relatively subdued affair with Spain moving the ball well but without dangerous penetration while France were disrupted by the loss to injury of centre-half Raphael Varane.

But both sides were awoken after the break when France full-back Theo Hernandez thundered a shot against the underside of the bar after a swift break. Spain responded to that warning in clinical fashion, taking the lead when Oyarzabal latched on to a long pass from Sergio Busquets, held off Dayot Upamecano and fired into t h e b o t t o m c o r n e r.

The French response was s w i f t , h o w e v e r, w i t h Mbappe finding Benzema who cut inside before unleashing a brilliant curling shot into the far corner to make it 1-1. Mbappe then grabbed the winner, 10 minutes from the end, racing on to a through ball from Hernandez and keeping his cool to slot past Unai Simon.

Spain protested that Mbappe

w a s o ff s i d e w h e n h e received the ball but the VAR check found a slight touch from defender Eric Garcia had played the France striker onside. France had keeper Hugo Lloris to thank for two late saves as Deschamps’s side held on for the victory against intense Spanish pressure.

Lloris got down well to keep out a low shot from Oyarzabal in the 89th minute and then in stoppage time he reacted superbly to parry a strike from substitute Yeremi Pino. Nations League, in just

its second edition, remains clearly UEFA’s secondary tournament for national sides, as the Italian fans singing of their team’s Euro 2020 triumph reminded, but that didn’t dampen France’s celebrations.

”We did not get off to a good start we were dominated and waited until the first goal to react,” said Pogba, who was crucial to France’s response. “We know we have to do better.

But if it’s the way we have to

win, so be it. Winning a trophy is always good. We’re always hungry for those,” he added.Earlier on Sunday, Italy had claimed third-place in the Final Four tournament by beating Belgium 2-1 in Turin.

‘Green Machine’ scores $1.2M NSC support for RAN 7’s The Green Machine, yesterday scored a $1.2M touchdown, receiving much needed support from the National Sports Commission (NSC) as they get-set to depart Guyana on Thursday for Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands with the aim of reclaiming the Rugby Americas North 7’s title.

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle made the presentation to the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) at his Middle Street office where he highlighted the NSC’s pleasure in being able to support one of the country’s most successful sport teams – the Green Machine. ”Rugby is one of our 12 Core Sports disciplines. And not because it is a core sport, we would want to assist as many sports disciplines as possible. We understand that this is a very important tournament and that is why we try to muster as much support as possible,” N i n v a l l e s a i d .

According to Ninvalle, “This is not the last that we (the NSC) will be lending support to the GRFU. We do wish them well and hopefully they can come back with the

highest accolade.”

Meanwhile the GRFU’s Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, Tiffany Spencer, lauded the NSC for the timely support, calling it a “great assistance” towards the Green Machine.

The GRFU said they were in a deficit of approximately US$19,000 to make the t e a m ’s p a r t i c i p a t i o n possible, as Spencer pointed out the NSC’s contribution, “Will assist the team a great deal. We only have a little more to go, which we can handle.

But we’re grateful for the assistance and we will be coming back again.”

The ‘new-look’ Green Machine will scrum off their quest to reclaim their RAN 7’s title against Belize on Saturday.

Organisers released the tournament’s fixtures ahead of this weekend’s showdown that will feature nine countries vying for the c o v e t e d t i t l e .

The two-day tournament, set for the Meridian Fields in Providenciales, will see Guyana in Group C alongside Bermuda and first time participants, Belize.

Three-time winners Jamaica

were placed in Group A with the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and the Turks and Caicos, while in Group B, Mexico will come-up against Barbados and Curacao.

The Green Machine, seven-time winners of the prestigious tournament, will send a 12-man squad blended with both youth and experience. Jamal Angus will lead Coach Theodore Henry’s team of experienced players which includes Godfrey Broomes, Osei McKenzie, Rondel McArthur, Lancelot Adonis, Avery Corbin and Peabo H a m i l t o n .

Phibian Joseph, Tyresse Prescod, Oniel Charles, Jonathan Garnett and Lionel Holder are the other players on the team that will seek to return the RAN trophy to Guyana since Guyana surrendered the title to Jamaica in 2017.

This year’s RAN tournament marks the return of international Rugby to the Caribbean for the time since the Covid-19 global pandemic began in 2020 and also acts as a qualifier for next year’s World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series.

Kaieteur News

Tuesday October 12, 2021

Excellent weekend for Dorado swimmers

Dorado Speed Swim Club (DSSC) swimmers Raekwon Noel and Vladimir Woodroffe both participated in meets last weekend. It was their first competition since February 2020.Woodroffe participated in Barbados at the 29th Annual Aquatic Centre International Invitational where the versatile swimmer produced outstanding performances over the duration of the competition winning six gold medals, three silver medals and a bronze medal in the Boys 13-14 Age Group category.Noel competed in the SJAC Duel In The Pool Meet in the USA; having recently moved there to continue training, in hopes of competing for his home country in the near future.

The SJAC Duel In The Pool

Swim Meet was held in New Jersey, October 9-10, 2021 at the NL Aquatic Centre in a 25-yard pool. Noel competed in the Boys 15 & Over category.

In the 100-yard freestyle Raekwon placed 5th with a time of 49.48 seconds. In the 200-yard Backstroke he reduced his entry time by almost 13 seconds clocking 2:04.90 seconds and finishing 7th. In the 100-yard Backstroke he placed 4th with a time of 55.62 seconds.

Noel missed out on the medals again with another 4th place finish in the 200yard Freestyle with a time of 1:48.24 seconds. He finally broke through to win his first medal in the 200-yard Individual Medley with a time of 2:01.77 seconds.

(Sean Devers)

Jonathan van Lange gains wildcard spot for Junior Panam

Y

esterday, the Guyana Table T e n n i s A s s o c i a t i o n ( G T TA ) announced that national Starlet, Jonathan van Lange has qualified for the inaugural Junior Pan American Games, scheduled for November 25 to December 6 in Cali, Colombia.

This is a multi-sport Junior Olympic cycle event which is intended to promote and develop the next generation of athletes in the Americas. The GTTA said that “Panam Sports outlined that given the central concept for the institution and implementation of the Junior Pan American games being to develop the next generation of athletes in the Americas, they decided to open up additional wild card slots for athletes who were unable to attend qualification events due to covid and travel restrictions as well as for those from nations that normally do not participate in many disciplines. ”In this regard the G u y a n a Ta b l e Te n n i s Association and Guyana Olympic Association nominated and submitted Jonathan as one of its talented prospects for the available wild card positions.”

The GTTA said that after careful analysis and the

Godfrey Munro GTTA President cooperation of the respective Pan American Sports confederations among other factors, van Lange was selected as a qualifier among the list of talented prospects in the Americas region. ”An exceptional talent who has great prospects for regional and international success if given the correct support and nurturing in the ideal environments for g r o w t h , J o n a t h a n ’s qualification for participation at this event provides a great platform for him to register and commence his quest for qualification at the Junior Olympic Games, Junior South American Games 2 0 2 2 , J u n i o r Commonwealth Games among other Junior Olympic cycle and key international events within the junior r e a l m , ” t h e G T TA concluded.

PAGE 25

T20 World Cup prize money: Title winners to get $1.6 million Runners-up to take home $800,000, and losing semi-finalists get $400,000 each ESPNcricinfo Whoever lifts the T20 World Cup trophy on November 14, 2021, in Dubai, will get a cash award of USD 1.6 million to go with it. This was confirmed as the ICC announced the list of prize money for the tournament - a total of USD 5.6 million overall - on Sunday.

The losing finalist will get $800,000, while the two losing semi-finalists will get $400,000 each.

Every win in the Super 12s stage of the tournament will fetch teams $40,000 - 30 Super 12 games will be played, totalling $1.2 million in prize money.

The teams that go out at this stage of the tournament eight teams in all - will get $70,000 each. Wins in round one of the tournament - 12 matches in all - will fetch $40,000 apiece, and the four teams that don’t make it to the Super 12s will get

The prestige of winning the T20 World Cup aside, there’s a fair bit of cash up for grabs Getty Images/ICC

$40,00 0 each.

Eight teams will take part in round one, starting on October 17 - Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands, Sri Lanka (who all constitute Group A), Oman, Papua New Guinea, Scotland and Bangladesh (Group B). The top two teams from Group A and Group B make the Super

12s.

Australia, England, South Africa, West Indies (Group 1), Afghanistan, India, New Zealand and Pakistan (Group 2) are already in the Super 12s.

All innings to have drinks breaks - The ICC also announced that the tournament will feature official drinks breaks - that

is, a two-and-a-half-minute break in play at the 10-over mark in each innings.

The UAE’s weather could have had an influence on this decision. While the worst of the summer is over, the country is still transitioning into its cooler months, though temperatures are expected to be relatively pleasant in November.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 26

Havertz and Werner score as slick Germany become first to qualify for World Cup BBCsport - Germany became the first team to join hosts Qatar at the 2022 World Cup with a thumping victory in North Macedonia.

Former England youth international Jamal Musiala opened his account for the Germans, running in on goal and stroking home a confident finish.

Kai Havertz claimed the first goal in the second half, slotting in from Thomas Muller’s unselfish pass.

Timo Werner smashed home the second following Muller’s superb flick and also curled in a delightful third.The Germans could have had more, but Chelsea forward Werner rattled the post with a thumping low drive on the stroke of half time, but managed to score twice as his side got the job done with clinical finishing in the second period.

It will be a night to remember for 18-year-old ex-Chelsea academy graduate Musiala,

Jamal Musiala scored his first Germany goal on his ninth cap.

who played 19 times for various England youth teams but declared to play for Germany through his mother, as he netted a first senior goal on his ninth cap.

Hansi Flick’s men, who are four-time world champions, reach the tournament for the 20th occasion, with only Brazil (21) appearing more times. They did it with two games to spare, with meetings against

Liechtenstein and Armenia to come next month.

Results from matches elsewhere: Cyprus 2 Malta 2, Iceland 4 Liechtenstein 0, Romania 1 Armenia 0, Belarus 0 Czech Rep 2, Estonia 0 Wales 1, Latvia 1 Turkey 2, Netherlands 6 Gibraltar 0, Norway 2 Montenegro 0, Croatia 2 Slovakia 2, Slovenia 1 Russia 2. s

Tuesday October 12, 2021

GFF promotes former national player Bryan Joseph to Assistant Technical Director The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has promoted former Golden J a g u a r a n d Yo u t h Development Officer Bryan Joseph to the newly-created position of Assistant Technical Director, as it accelerates its efforts to empower homegrown talent and boost administrative capacity ahead of the return to play.

Qualified as a Concacaf Coach Educator, Joseph is one of three GFF-affiliated coaches certified with a valid Concacaf “C” License. He has been instrumental in the roll out of the GFF’s pioneering Academy Training Centre network, the rapid improvement in the performances of Guyana’s national youth teams, and in the enhanced impact of youth football development programmes around the country. ”I’m honoured to be given this opportunity to continue my work in the development of football.

This new role will push me to new heights within the

t ec h n ica l d e v el o p m e n t strategy of the GFF,” Joseph said. ”I am elated that President (Wayne) Forde, the Executive Committee and the Technical Director (Ian Greenwood) are showing confidence in my abilities through this appointment and I, therefore, will be diligent in the execution of my duties,” he said.

Following an impressive career as a player, Joseph’s experience in Guyana’s football pyramid features a wealth of experience coaching national teams at various levels, including guiding the U15 boys’ national team to Guyana’s first international youth title - the Soualiga Cup - in 2017. ”Bryan has been a dedicated and hard-working professional throughout his tenure with the GFF, and has contributed significantly to the success of our organisation,” said President Forde. ”His personal and professional growth over the years is quite exemplary and

reflects positively on a culture of continual professional development, which has been embedded in our organisation,” he added.

Joseph’s promotion is part of the GFF Executive C o m m i t t e e ’s o n g o i n g strategic focus on longterm capacity building and uplifting Guyana-based talent across the entire football spectrum, from players and coaches to referees and administrators. ”Bryan has progressed well during his time at the Federation as its Youth D e v e l o p m e n t O f f i c e r, especially at the grassroots level,” said Technical Director Greenwood. “Our immediate next steps are to support him to pass his Concacaf ‘B’ License, and this would then be followed b y t h e ‘ A’ L i c e n s e .

Upskilling his certification and qualifications is vital to ensure that he maximises his impact on football development within the member associations. We wish him all the best in his new role.”

Kaieteur News

Tuesday October 12, 2021

PAGE 27

Narine stars with bat and ball, puts KKR in Qualifier 2, ends Kohli’s tenure as RCB captain with defeat ESPNcricinfo - Three balls of Sunil Narine, with the bat, changed the game.

And now Kolkata Knight Riders are one step closer to the final. It was tough though. Royal Challengers Bangalore were defending a total of 138 with fearsome spirit.

The score was 80 for 3 in the 12th over. The Sharjah slowdown was well and truly on. On this pitch an equation that reads 59 from 51 can be dicey. You can’t leave it too late. Too many variables. So Knight Riders sent in their pinch hitter and he went 6, 6, (wide) and 6.

Three balls of Narine changed the game. Twentyfour balls earlier had set it up. Royal Challengers

actually had a solid powerplay - 53 for 1 at 8.8.

Then he came on and the runs dried up. Only 60 came off the next 11 overs. 60 for 4 at 5.45.

Narine Sublime - Virat Kohli. Clean bowled. AB de Villiers. Clean Bowled.

Glenn Maxwell. Utterly deceived. Most people need a cheat code and a computer screen to pull that off. Narine doesn’t. He imposed video game logic on this real life game and turned it in Knight Riders’ favour.

Pressure was mounting on Kohli. He had slowed down once again after the powerplay - 24 off 16 and 15 off 17 - and his desperation was apparent. Narine knew that in these situations,

Annual Mayor’s Cup KO Football set for December To honour GT Mayor who turns 30 today Mayor for the City of Georgetown, the youthful Ubraj Narine will celebrate his 30th birthday today and the Organising Committee of former Mayor Hamilton Greene which includes Lennox Arthur and David Erskine have planned their annual Mayors Cup tournament in his honour.

The Inter-Ward/Inter Village knock-out 32-team Mayor’s Cup Football tournament will be played in adherence to covid-19 protocols for the smooth running and safety of officials, players and patrons.

Due to covid-19 Pandemic, the tournament is scheduled to commence in December and will run until February, 2022. It will be contested at the GFC, Den Amstel and Buxton Community Centre Grounds.

The games will be 11-aside but instead of the usual 90 minutes, will be played for 60 minutes and go kicks from the penalty mark in case of a draw to arrive at a winner.

The first game is scheduled to start at 18:00hrs since all three venues are equipped with flood lights.The 32-teams with come from the City, West Demerara, Berbice, East Coast and East Bank with East Coast fielding the

batters often forget about the basics and just swing across the line. Even one as good as Kohli was susceptible to this w e a k n e s s a s a straightforward offbreak sneaked through his defences Taking down the big boys - Doing de Villiers required a bit more subtlety.

Royal Challengers’ talisman had come out with a plan. It involved thrusting his front foot outside off stump to eliminate lbw, and playing across it. Narine, though, spotted the smallest gap between bat and pad and he targeted it with missile-like precision. Pace, drift, length and spin - everything came together as de Villiers played all around an offbreak and lost his middle stump.

That only left Maxwell. And having to do all the heavy lifting with time running out and the spinners closing in,

even those invincible sweep shots of his suddenly looked not quite invincible. Narine got him to top edge one straight into the hands of short third.

Knight Riders had saved their mystery spinner for Royal Challengers’ big three. And it worked a treat.

Twelve runs. Seventeen balls. And three massive wickets.

The fightback - Kohli wanted this one badly. He got in the face of the umpire when he made a poor decision. When the resulting DRS proved how plumb the lbw was he roared like only he can. He had said this would be his last season as captain in the IPL. He would have imagined signing off with that big shiny trophy. So he kept going to his matchwinners.Harshal Patel has the honour in 2021 and he responded by knocking out

most teams while East Bank has the least, three. The contesting teams are: Charlestown, Bourda Blues, Road Warriors and Tucville (GT), Den Amstel, Stewartville, Pouderoyen, Uitvlugt, Sara Lodge, Crane, West Side Spartans and Bagotville (W/Dem), Paradise, Mahaicony, Airy Hall and New Amsterdam (B’ce), Golden Grove, BV, Victoria, Ann’s Grove, Mahaica, Melanie, Friendship, Diamond, Tu r k e y e n , L i l i e n d a a l , Plaisance, Annandale, Brush Dam (East Coast), Timheri, Agricola and Mocha (East B a n k ) . T h e O rg a n i s i n g Committee takes this opportunity to extend best wishes to His Worship Mayor Narine on his very special day.

Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer. Those two wickets took his season tally to 32, an IPL

record, tied with Dwayne Bravo.Yuzvendra Chahal (Continued on page 23)

Georgetown FA appoints former National player Colin Nelson as YDO

By Franklin Wilson

His Worship Mayor Ubraj Narine

Virat Kohli desperately wanted this one, but Eoin Morgan wasn’t going to let him have it BCCI

Former junior and senior National Footballer Colin ‘Callo’ Nelson has been appointed as the Youth Development Officer of the Georgetown Football A s s o c i a t i o n ( G FA ) .

This was disclosed on Saturday last by GFA President Otis James at the GFC Ground during a presentation of balls from former Under-15 and 17 national player, Kerdell Younge who now resides in t h e U S A .

James informed that Nelson has been volunteering as a C o a c h w i t h t h e G FA Academy Training Centre for the past six weeks and he has shown admirable commitment which prompted the GFA to make the appointment. ”So, presently, you will see ‘Callo’ at all the youth activities as we try to get the best youths out of the GFA. We w o u l d l i k e t o congratulate Mr. Nelson on his appointment and wish h i m w e l l . ” Nelson, made the National U20 team at the age of 15 after he started playing organised football from age of 11 with Western Tigers FC. He went on to play for

Colin Nelson (left) being welcome aboard by GFA President, Otis James.

several top clubs in Guyana as well as in Trinidad and Tobago. HE expressed delight at being appointed. ”It is always good giving back, sharing experience and educating youngsters coming forward. We need a lot of this in Guyana, players after playing, coming and giving back; teaching and sharing their knowledge with the youngsters.”

He noted also that it is a good opportunity for other players to see him doing what has

agreed to do which he hopes will motivate them to follow a similar path in the not too d i s t a n t f u t u r e . ”I came through from the youth system and there are lots that I have learnt over the years playing, the experiences and the places that I’ve been, most recent Portugal. The teaching there for example, was far different from the teaching here, so maybe I can share some of those experiences with the youngsters so that

they can be better players.”

Nelson has promised to keep an open mind as he makes progress in his coaching career and will be focused on constantly improving this art whilst gaining and sharing more knowledge; acknowledging that the game is the best teacher. ”These youngsters have taught me even though I think I know a lot, they have taught me more and you can never stop learning as this is a continuous thing.”

Jonathan van Lange gains wildcard spot for Junior Panam Bryan Joseph

GFF promotes former national player Bryan Joseph to Assistant Technical Director

Jonathan van Lange

t r o Sp Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle handing over the NSC’s cheque to the GRFU’s Assistant Secretary/Treasurer, Tiffany Spencer.

Vladimir Woodroffe in Barbados

Christine Mboma (centre) won the 200m at the Diamond League meeting beating Shericka Jackson (3rd left) and Dina Asher-Smith (right).

Raekwon Noel in the USA

Excellent weekend for Dorado swimmers

‘Green Machine’ scores $1.2M NSC support for RAN 7’s

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