K
AIETEUR Wife, son arrested
September 13, 2020
after bandits barge through opened back door, kills businessman
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ExxonMobil to wipe out half of Payara reserves in six years on poor contract terms Govt. to remove all shops, Police continue bars, paddy-drying, other investigations encumbrances from as teens laid East Bank main road
to rest today
Contracting firm avoids Miner abandoned by taxi driver after justifying abandoning beaten, robbed construction of St. Rose’s High by protesters Taxi driver runs US Secretary for life after being of State to visit stabbed by passenger Guyana this week GGMC gets tough… Miner fined $12M for damaging Cuyuni p.20
River bank; another gets jail time for breaches
Why do people protest? Protests for justice are always justified when conducted peacefully and lawfully. Protests arise because of injustice. People will protest when they feel they are wronged or treated unfairly. The root cause of protests is poverty. Poverty breeds hunger and hunger leads to criminality.No one in Guyana needs to be poor or hungry. The country has tremendous wealth, but our leaders are not allowing the people to get their fair share of that wealth.Instead, incompetence is rife and secretive deals are being made while the people go hungry. Just take a look at what our leaders are doing to the country’s bauxite, timber, gold and now oil.Leaders lie to the people and lead them down a loser’s path. In
time, when emotions boil over and can’t be contained anymore, people take to the streets. And in Guyana, this sometimes means that the anger and frustration are vented violently on neighbours and strangers, most of whom are usually of a different race or political complexion. The people will remain poor and have to protest all their lives, so long as the country does not obtain fair deals for its resources. Kaieteur News has been exposing the ‘sweetheart’ deals made in the oil sector, etc. Yet, none of our political leaders have come out and condemned these agreements or called for their renegotiation. Are these leaders really interested in ending poverty and protests?
Policy to control Exxon’s rate of extraction has fallen by the wayside ...Despite US$11.6M loan to implement mechanism to protect Guyana
Kaieteur News
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Sunday September 13, 2020
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor: Sharmain Grainger Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Cotton Tree: So Many Mysteries, So Much Madness We say it straight: nothing can justify the killings of the two young men of Cotton Field, West Coast Berbice. And if they were killed for coconuts, then that only makes the crime immeasurably worse. To the families, we understand the pain, because we know what it is to be poor, hungry and in need so much that, occasionally, there is only stealing for surviving. That is if that is the case. As we say this, not for a moment should anyone harbour any belief that we condone illegal activities of any kind. There is nothing that can justify such activities and we don’t because, if allowed to continue unchecked, such behavior can become the norm with great monsters made from small beginnings. Similarly, there can also be no justification for the killings and wounding(s) and burnings that have been inseparable from the protests that flared since the discovery of the mutilated bodies of the Henry cousins. There is so much on these killings that remain unanswered, and which Guyana is not any closer to the convincing exposure required, to aid getting to the bottom of a sordid story that has the usual criminal ingredients, plus other palm prints. Many are mystified, more are troubled, as they wonder to what degrading depths we are ready to descend. From the inception, it appears a script was prepared and ready. It was the table of a hazy crime scene well set, and well publicized. Yet a week later, despite the myriad rumours and speculations of who, when, where and what was inflicted on the victims, there remains heavy uncertainty. And when populations depend on slivers of rumours, or what is spoon-fed to it, then the groundwork is laid for the furies and frenzies that followed with hateful abandon. With the seemingly arranged crime scene as backdrop, all manner of allegations was hurled, including the easy and convenient, as well as the powerfully marketable political and racial underpinnings, which flows reflexively. But that is where everything froze with the peculiar and inexplicable. Access to the crime scene(s) was blocked, despite numerous appeals on the ground, and in public. Why? Why not allow investigators to proceed swiftly, to trace, unravel, and solve a sordid criminal episode? And why not, especially when time was of the extreme essence? That is, unless the idea from the beginning was that: 1) this is the story; 2) this is all there is to it; 3) now move along, as presented; and 4) close this out accordingly, with its racial and political biases and bases. From all indications, which have developed more sturdiness with time, there was more to the situation, than what was conjured, configured and used to make broad condemnations, if not criminalization of sections of society for perverse purposes. In the blink of an eye, grisly crimes converted to the political and racial, the very elements, which have savaged this society for decades and, now again, exhumed to incite mayhem and carnage. Today our people are struggling, but we are on the doorstep of untold promise, and yesterday is drummed up and delivered to damage nationally. Let’s be clear: if the underpinnings of the sickening killings of the Henry cousins were racial and political, then this country is best served that this comes to light cleanly, early. Let the chips fall honestly. But if the underpinnings are not, then great social injustices occurred, with more suspected. Just look at where we are at this time in our history and our follies shame. At first blush, here Guyana stands with all these endowments of wealth, much of it still unknown as to locations and quantum, and our people must steal to eat and feed their families. Grinding poverty means the gnawing pangs of hunger hourly, which means that many live on the edges and are compelled to risk getting themselves killed for
some product (or promise) that means food on the table. We would never rationalize stealing. But when a man is hungry and has absolutely nothing left, not even hope, we refuse to tell him: hold strain, brother. We at this paper know what it is to be hungry. Most unfortunately, this is an essential part of the numbing existence of too many Guyanese at the bottom of the barrel. The forgotten Guyanese, we call them, and we hate where we are, we who should have so much, but who have nothing but pain. In the next instance, there is so much in these increasingly suspicious murders that fail to meet muster. Some of the political symbolisms reported to be employed on the victims make absolutely no sense. First, the presumed perpetrators possess such a blatant disregard for their own safety, their own freedom, and their own defense and innocence that they recklessly left clue after clue that pointed unerringly back at themselves. Surely, no one could be this stupid, this confident of eluding law enforcement radars, this arrogance about their capabilities. Taking this to the next reasonable step, Guyanese are left with one of two hard, alarming positions. It is that the perpetrators wanted to be caught, since there were no efforts to cover tracks or it could be that someone, or group, was skilled and determined enough to commit barbaric murders, and then arrange the physical layout of their despicable handiwork so that all fingers point to one inarguable and one only cohort of perpetrators. In too many troubling aspects of these grisly homicides, the wantonly criminal meshes too seamlessly with the racial and political. Just too much for comfort. Whether this is on
the money or not, this was what played out before the community and which galvanized it towards pathways of carnage and destruction that can neither be denied nor erased. The record of street justice, brutality, and unchecked rampages tell many stories all by themselves, none of them conducive to social or racial peace. We hate the turn of events that is still not completely controlled, where innocent passersby pay a heavy physical price. We hate it when what appears to be private individual felonies of the most detestable and sickening sort, become evidence of the frightening racial rancidness and political acrimonies that rage nationally. We hate it, even though we do not know enough as yet that intellectual authors may have guided strenuous efforts to commit these gruesome murders, and then make them appear to be what they are not. That is, racially and politically motivated murders. We hate that our politics and political people have fostered an environment that give rise to the aftermath of the brutal, senseless, and wanton Cotton Tree killings and which led to more killings of a most unnerving sort. We are still struggling to recover from a most bruising elections interval. Now we have been handed on a platter the battered and grievously damaged bodies of two fallen children, which will only continue the endless wounding and savaging of this nation. With this, we maim neighbour and stranger with unmatched zeal and intensity. Cotton Tree now stands as emblem of so much that is wrong, so many secrets, so much anguish. To where Guyana and to what? We should be living a dream of oil riches, not nightmares of racial piercings.
Sunday September 13, 2020
The Vice President has been strangely reticent on the oil sector DEAR EDITOR, I have noticed something so strange that it belongs in the realm of the supernatural, similar to the HBO series, Tales from the Crypt, Guyana style. It is where the characteristically strident political has done an abrupt turn and plunks down in the domain of the diplomatic. This strangest of phenomena to which I direct the gaze of Guyanese is that of the former president, and now Hon. Vice President of this great oil gusher (18 and counting) Guyana. It is where the politically reborn, so his people tell me, Vice President segues into this diplomatic dance reminiscent of dilettantes at work with the unfamiliar material in hand and trying to make the best of it, while putting the best foot forward with the most unconvincing game face that I have ever been around. Oil does make men dance jigs, or at least engage in strange undertakings. I am talking about ExxonMobil and oil and the Vice President, who is leading the charge. I can tell all Guyana from now that, just by reading his lips and body language that it is not the Charge of the Light Brigade, but the charge of an already lost cause. It is palpable from this man who has come off the high horse of his customary sharpness on just about everything, while being curiously reticent to the point of civilized quietude and the most eerie calmness that I have beheld anywhere in a long time. As my fellow Guyanese push through though this, I remind one and all that I have never looked at a single minute of local TV since being here. My readings of the Hon.
Vice President are purely from paper and pages. As it relates to our oil and Exxon, I read his body language as alarming - unsteady and unconvincing, it is. I sense his attitude as subdued and too troubled with being pulled in different directions simultaneously. And when I read his lips from the stills of the paper pages, it is as if he is closemouthed. This is not the man I know, though I never paid him much attention before. He is on to something with that oil, and I do not think that it is in Guyana’s best interests. I am on to something else relative to the Vice President. He is only this laconic and this withdrawn on oil. On everything else he is his usual self: confident, loudly expressive, and in charge of his senses and surroundings, whether functionally above him, or across the board of the army who serves at his feet and beck and whistle. What I am beginning to believe that I am on to is that Payara is going to be pathetic for Guyana and meagerly so. That is, the same set of rusty pennies coming down to Guyana at the same tired speed and in the same limited quantities.I think that this is what explains the reserve of the Vice President. He has nothing new to give to the expectant Guyanese public. Call it elections debts that have to be paid to the Americans. Believe me when I say that I know how they operate: those who crave power, they facilitate. Of course, the price tag is high, but who cares? It is the Guyanese people who should care, they will come up short. Again. It is why I say that, if the VP puts his mind to it, there are other ways through
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which he could get some more and come out looking good. What cannot be had on the table and at the front door, can be gotten through the back and side doors. As examples, I offer auditing and legal expenses. Then, I attach a rich local content climate, with Exxon up to its neck in (or financing) joint ventures with Guyanese for ancillary or downstream projects. The company must use more of our products. Buy local sounds right and rewardingly so. Exxon could afford at 200:1 and Guyana could use much of it. I would recommend riding these waves for a start. Nibble away at the people; they are vulnerable currently. Exxon does not have to worry unduly about the reactions of other countries, since there is a readymade excuse: Guyana is being brought up to par in some areas. They are so far behind comparatively it is most fair to do. Yours truly, GHK Lall
An open letter to Christians DEAR EDITOR, I am a Guyanese by birth. I am of Portugese ancestry. I am a Christian. For a long time, I have watched and listened and grieved as the conduct of persons who call themselves Christians reveals the racism that is in their hearts. No doubt, most, if not all of these persons, would passionately deny that they harbour hatred towards persons who are of a different race than they are, but I hear and see their words written and spoken on social media and elsewhere which express outrage and pain when some injustice is visited on persons of the same race as those writing or speaking, and then I wait, in pain, as those same persons remain silent or offer some feeble, amorphous, or even ambiguous statement when a similar injustice is visited on someone of a different race. Similarly, I observe their silence, the excuses, the closing of the eyes, from persons when someone of their race has committed some wrongdoing and the outcry when
someone of another race commits a similar wrongdoing. To be clear, this is not done by Christians of one race in Guyana but by Christians of all races here. Christians, let us remember that racism is a synonym for hatred and the Bible is pellucid that hatred for your fellow man and love for God cannot co-exist in the same heart. 1 John 4: 20 states unequivocally: “If someone says, ‘I love God’, and hates his brother [fellow man], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother [fellow man] whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (NKJV. Emphasis added) Christians, let us remember also that it is not church attendance/membership or the label we wear and proclaim that makes us Christians but rather, as said by Jesus Christ, the one we purport to follow and obey, a tree is known by the fruit it bears. Thus, if our conduct does not reflect the character of Jesus Christ we are not His followers, period. And what did Jesus demonstrate as the most seminal
aspect of His character? Love. His sacrifice on the cross at Calvary for all mankind indisputably proves this. Christians, we would all (myself included) do well to heed the parable that Jesus told while on earth in response to the question as to who will be saved: “When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets,’ but He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from, depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity [lawlessness].’. Then there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth …” (NKJV. Luke 13: 25 – 28. See also Matt. 7: 21 – 24) Christians, this is an ominous and sobering warning. Heaven and hell will have many surprises. Yours truly, Valerie Leung
The ‘don’t rock the boat’ mindset must be discarded by President Ali After five years of APNU+AFC reign, followed by five months of electoral turmoil and conspiracies, Guyana breathed a sigh of relief on August 2, when President Irfaan Ali was sworn into office as the 9th president of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. It has been five weeks since the country’s rightfully elected President Irfaan Ali took office. Since then, he has encountered a myriad of problems in dealing with the almost
bankrupt economy, crumbling infrastructure, the COVID 19 pandemic, and most recently the brutally murders of the Henry cousins, Hare s h Singh of Cotton Tree, and Prettipal Hargobin of Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice. Not to mention the ensuing riots, vicious and barbaric assaults on innocent residents in and out of the region, and the callous destruction of vehicles and houses. President Ali’s administra-
tion seems to revolve around improving the economy and the lives of the masses, reopening of the three of the four sugar estates shuttered by the previous government and the upgrading of the infrastructure. Dr. Irfaan Ali should be applauded for some of the bold actions his administration has taken to combat the COVID 19 pandemic, and to provide assistance in the form of food hampers and a cash payment of $25,000 per house-
hold as allotted in the budget. The increase of old age pension from $19,500 to $25,000, the removal of VAT on several items and the exclusion of senior citizens from paying water bills have vastly improved the image of his administration. However, the applause for President Ali and his government would be more resounding if His Excellency shifts into a promethean approach (Continued on page 6)
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Sunday September 13, 2020
We need transformation in teacher education in rural areas DEAR EDITOR, I am an untrained teacher of Berbice High School, Region 6. As a youth, I am hereby extending my concerns pertaining to the services provided by The Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) and University of Guyana, Berbice Campus (UGBC). I reside in a nuclear family. We live a simple lifestyle where I would spend my time with my parents, help them financially and morally support them. My father was an employee at the Rose Hall Estate after he was laid off from the closure of the estate. Back then, I was a student at Tutorial Academy Secondary School where I studied Business at CSEC 2017 achieving Grade ones and twos in all my subjects, then I went on to complete the CAPE 2018-2019 programme at Berbice High School where I emerged as the top-student for both years in the Associates of Business Studies. As a result, I applied for my dream job, teaching. I am planning to embark on my journey to become a Trained teacher where I want to complete a business course as part of my training.
However, I was appalled when I learnt that CPCE Rose Hall branch only offers the four main courses (English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science) in contrast to Turkeyen where the Business course is offered among many others that are not offered at the Rose Hall branch. To my knowledge, I know the Ministry of Education decided on the establishment of other branches to ensure that every person who sets out to become a trained teacher has access to the training programmes provided by CPCE regardless of their race, religion, creed or socio-economic status. But why is it that only the four main courses are offered in rural branches specifically, the Rose Hall branch? I think it is unfair to me as a rural resident who has the potential to complete my desired course, and have no other alternative but to major in the courses that are only available in my area. For so many years these establishments have been made and yet there is no transformation in services, no effort to implement online training for the courses that
may not be available in some regions/areas. I agree there is a reason why CPCE have dorms for their students so that they can be housed if they travelled from very far areas. But what about those who have responsibilities and the potential as well? Is it fair for me and I am sure many other teachers who had to sacrifice their dreams to complete their desired course only because of the unavailability of courses in their areas. I’ve spoken to at least ten teachers who taught me in school and who changed their career paths because of the responsibilities they had and the unavailability of resources at rural branches of CPCE and UGBC. Sadly, one of the teachers who is a wife and mother shared her plea concerning the courses offered at CPCE Rose Hall branch. She was forced to major in English at the Rose Hall branch as a result of her being married with responsibilities. She had great passion for majoring in Business/ Information Technology but that course was only offered at Turkeyen. “I have a home to take care of, my two sons
DEAR EDITOR Guyanese can be assured that we are once again on the road to economic development and prosperity with the PPP/C Government at the helm and the $329.5 billion 2020 Budget bears testimony to that. In retrospect, in 1992 the PPP/C had taken over a thoroughly bankrupted economy with debt service being at the rate of 95 cents to the dollar. We were a highly indebted poor country and there seemed to be no solution in sight after 28 years of acute mismanagement of the economy, mass thievery, astronomical corruption, a complete breakdown of the rule of law and increasingly debilitating poverty. There was a poverty rate of 67%, dilapidated infrastructure and the worse health and sanitation, education, housing and sanitation in the Caribbean. There was mass exodus of Guyanese and they fled to all parts of the world seeking to eke a living and where many lived as last class citizens. However, a massive transformation began from 19922015, we moved from highly indebted low-income country in 1992 to a fast developing middle-income country by 2015. It was a marvel to behold. Guyanese were living a high standard many could
18%. Educational standards greatly improved and there was greater access to education. New schools were built in every Region. The Health sector became greatly improved as new hospitals were built and drugs shortages became a story of the distant past. Social ills were drastically reduced.But then in 2015, the APNU/AFC came into office and with it came tsunami of economic deprivations and hardships. They systematically began to reverse each and every aspect of development which the PPP/C Government had worked so hard to bring to this nation. Once again, corruption rose to unprecedented heights, cronyism became the order of the day, thievery became widespread and engulfed every strata of government, poverty began to rise as thousands were vindictively kicked out of their jobs, four estates were maliciously closed which added to the suffering, all the sectors began to crumble and the economy began to retrogress sharply while the rule of law became hostage to a growing dictatorship. By December 2018, the No Confidence Motion made it clear that Guyanese have had enough, but the Coalition clung desperately to power as they used old tricks and invented
months after the March 2 General and Regional Elections, despite many attempts to rig and remain illegally in power. On August 2, PPP/C’s Dr Irfaan Ali was sworn in as Guyana’s 9th Executive President and the PPP/C Government assumed office. Once again, as it was in 1992, the President and his Government embarked on the immediate task of rebuilding the economy by presenting a $330 billion Budget just 38 days after they assumed office. But this is not all, the PPP/C now has to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic which began to spread in all the regions due to the deliberate negligence and ineptitude of the former government. The content of the Budget matches the theme: Protecting our People in a COVID-19 Environment; Strengthening Democracy and the Rule of Law; Incentivising Economic Growth and Job Creation; and Enhancing Welfare. After a hiatus of 5 years, Guyanese can now be assured of the illusory ‘good life’ which was repeatedly promised by the failed Coalition government. The PPP/C Government did not wait for ‘100 days’ but have hit the road running at tremendous pace to make the (Continued on page 7)
The PPP/C has restored progress have afforded their own new ones to do so. But the and cars. Severe pov- end may be postponed but it to Guyana homes erty was reduced to about was inevitable. It came five
need my guidance and support, I couldn’t abandon them to do my studies at Turkeyen and so I had to change my choice of course”, anonymous. If these services can be enhanced at all rural branches, I believe we would have many youths to perform to their maximum level at schools because each school would be diverse in terms of subjects offered, available trained teachers to teach the rare subject areas and the problem of overstaffing on Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies teachers can be diminished. We would have an excellent population of human resources that are trained in varying areas that we know will give back to our country if this concern is encouraged. Additionally, the UGBC has been in operation for so many years and yet there is no effort to implement some courses that were never available at the branch. Even if it means to place one society at a time, it would be beneficial for so many persons residing in Berbice. We have talents in abundance all over our country but they lack opportunities to showcase what they have for our beautiful Guyana. For instance, there is no Economics society at the Berbice Campus but many young people residing in Berbice like myself would love to sign up for that course in the near future. Moreover, I heard of many persons who would have brought up this concern were only answered
with the uncertainty of batches for the required course. I think if these rural branches announce the availability of courses they would like to newly offer such as Business Management/ Information Technology, Industrial Arts; many people will surely choose to do something different from the traditional courses that were offered over the years. There is no doubt about it. In light of this COVID- 19 pandemic, many institutions including University of Guyana had to channel to online learning platforms, I would be happy if that decision remains permanent for persons outside of the region and maybe our courses can be offered globally through the same online platforms. I believe that would foster economic growth in terms of additional income. Moreover, the theme for Education Month 2020 clearly states “Finding solutions to deliver quality education and broadening opportunities in 2020”. I would be amazed to know if the Ministry of Education stands by this theme, broadening opportunities for teachers in other regions so that they can be able to seize what they truly want to do. Another point to note, teaching is a noble profession and if we do not love what we do, we can never accomplish our goals, that is, to teach our children through love and encourage them to develop love for what they will be learning. With that being
emphasized, if a teacher doesn’t feel emotionally connected to what he/she teaches, then that process will never be fruitful. This is also a main reason why we have records of bad grades for any particular subject in schools. Initially, a teacher is there to change the mindset of his/her students so they can begin to love what they are doing; a teacher makes learning fun only if they portray a vibrant attitude towards what he/she is teaching. We say we want a better Guyana and we want to accentuate our standard from ‘developing’ to a ‘developed economy’. Don’t you think priorities should be given to the education sector so that our youths not only from urban areas but rural areas can be given the opportunity to bloom? We need equality in all aspects and I believe it should start with the education sector. As a young teacher, I have so much to offer to my country, and with this interest in writing you this letter, I plead with you to work on this matter. It is time to enhance the services provided by CPCE and UGBC; it is time to innovate our learning and teaching strategies it is time to consider everyone from every corner of every region in Guyana; it is time to consider our rural youths who have responsibilities that include financial drainage, family to take care of and potential to offer so that development can flourish nationwide. Yours truly, Yogeeta Seemangal
The ‘don’t rock the boat’ mindset ... From page 4 with incisive and new methods. The ‘don’t rock the boat’ mindset must be discarded. Many have asserted that huge sums of money would be wasted by this government in its quest to resurrect the bankrupt GUYSUCO, maintain the two security state agencies, SOCU and SARA and the huge salaries paid to some officials appointed by the APNU+AFC government for doing little or nothing. President Ali must address the enormous amount of time being wasted as a result of long traffic lines; its parallel is the ever long wait in line to pay public utilities bills, obtain birth or death certificates and land titles and in other areas such as Customs, Deeds Registry, Courts and a litany of bureaucratic entanglements. Most of the above mentioned issues should be viewed as straightforward procedures, but not for bureaucrats. It should be noted
that these long waits in lines have and continued to result in a significant loss in production due to the fact that a large number of persons who spend hours waiting in lines are workers. President Ali should establish a task force aimed at creating an efficient and competent public/civil service in order to end this terrible ordeal on the people and enhance the production output of the country. President Ali’s administration should embark on the task to reduce the long hours being spent at the public hospitals throughout the country for medical treatment, but more so at the Georgetown Public Hospital, the nation’s largest referral hospital. To this end, the government should employ more competent and adequate medical staff at the public hospitals, including more qualified doctors, nurses and technicians and have more modern medical equipment. Such approach, if adopted immediately by the Ali administration
will go a far to reducing the waiting time at hospitals and save lives. Loss of human lives have become a daily phenomenon at the hospitals and have remained unabated. The fact that many have and continued to die from simple infectious diseases, child births and other trifle illnesses at the hospitals have become an accepted norm in our societal culture, but more importantly with no repercussions for the medical staff. It is the responsibility for President Ali to act immediately to reduce or end the ongoing mayhem at the public hospitals and to solve all of the aforementioned problems. The adage “new brooms sweep clean” should hold true for this administration. Whatever course President Ali takes in the coming months and years, as a people, we must hold him accountable. Yours truly, Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine
Sunday September 13, 2020
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We have the power to overcome ignorance and fear DEAR EDITOR, Over the past few days, many of us have cried a number of times over the barbaric, sadistic and uncivilized actions that some Guyanese are doing to each other. Thankfully, we have to commend and support President Irfaan Ali in how he is dealing with the inhuman and violent actions. The President has equally condemned the murder and torture of African and Indian teenagers, and the violent attacks on innocent people going about their daily business. From all religions, professions, businesses, ethnic communities and classes, more and more organizations and individuals, and many media outlets, are making a balanced and equal condemnation of hate, murder and violence, regardless of ethnicity, class or gender. For a long time, every single Guyanese has been waiting, hoping and praying for Guyana to be a better place for all our children to
live in peace where they will not be judged by their ethnicity or class, but by the content of their character. To achieve that better place, we have to start first of all with we the people, not the leaders. Michael Jackson, the great musical icon, advised that “if you want to make the world a better place, look in the mirror and make the change.” We all grew up with prejudices. Each of us has to look inside ourselves for biases and stereotypes that underlie hate.Whether we are of African, Indian, Indigenous, Mixed, Portuguese, Chinese or European descent, each person is valuable and no one Guyanese is less free than another. If we want to be free, we have to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. Gladson Henry, the father of the late 16-year old Isaiah Henry, is a true humanist and Guyanese patriot. Mr. Henry’s words touch our hearts and souls. He said, “I am not rac-
ist. I still love my Indian brothers and sisters. Many of my friends are Indians who gave me the nickname of “geerah”. Isaiah also had Indian friends. I am calling for justice and peaceful protests. I am not supporting immoral protesting.” All Guyanese have to follow Gladson Henry’s example. Every time when PPP/C and APNU/AFC supporters talk about the murders and violence, we have to totally reject all hate crimes, regardless of ethnicity or class. We know that people who hate come in all sizes, shapes, colors, ethnicities and classes. We should be guided by the well-known quote from Nelson Mandela who stated that “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
At all times, we must express to the families and communities of the victims our deepest condolences. We want them to know that they are not alone in their anger and deep sorrow. We have to support the families with words and actions of kindness and goodness so that the murders are never forgotten. Every Guyanese, man, woman and child need to say two things in the same sentence. We must condemn the hate crimes and torture of the Henry, Jonas and Singh teenagers and call for the inhuman murderers to face swift and harsh justice, and then, we must equally condemn the inhuman violence against innocent people on the roads and in the communities. We cannot be one-sided. We do not want any of our Guyanese brothers and sisters to remember that we were selectively silent and ignored some of the murders and violence. We do not condone or accept any hate crimes. If left
Identifying and remedying the root causes of political conflicts in our country DEAR EDITOR, All societies are faced with this issue of conflict. How we recognize and deal with these conflicts will be an important determinant of our success rate in identifying and remedying the root causes of the conflicts. Conflict situations are highly volatile. What works today may not work tomorrow. Perhaps the greatest causes of public conflict in today’s World are: feelings of alienation, displeasure with the manner in which scarce resources are allocated among the people, lack of accountability on the part of the Government for public funds and poor governance. The PPP/C did undoubtedly recognize these causation factors and this must be an obvious reason why the
Government, since October 1992 to May 2015 did continually focus on bringing the type of changes that would guarantee effective participation by citizens in legislative work, to facilitate and in order to influence the economic and social situation in our Country. Undoubtedly also, the PPP/C recognized early enough that they could be no democracy in places where poverty, injustice, corruption, exclusion of a significant per cent of the Nation’s population are evident. Consequentially, the participation of young people, women, Indigenous people and indeed, suitably qualified people of all ethnicities, as one of the important measures/remedies that will strengthen the Parliament; make it more representative of
our cultures, and therefore, more effective in helping to convert democracy from an ideal to an economic, social and political reality. The Party and Government have obviously determined to use remedies of accommodation, collaboration and compromise to help address the major conflicts of our Society. Already there is an air of optimism that is being felt and about which a significant number of the Guyanese people are happy. Conflicts will always be with us. But to the extent that we are able to develop political Institutions and Instruments that facilitate the removal of social fragmentation, highlight and build on economic inadequacies, provide for checks and balances on public spending, improve
the business environment, create opportunities for public consultation moreso involving Minorities … to that extent we would have helped to develop some mechanisms to remedy some of the root causes of conflict in our Society. The Government’s 2020 Elections Manifesto and its Budget 2020 certainly make the type of provisions that aim to take Guyana and its people in that direction where peace, progress and prosperity replace conflicts in our Society. The invitation is yet there for all Guyanese to come on board and be a part of the process and, I confidently say, a part of the progress. May we practice the spirit of collaboration and togetherness. Yours truly, Norman Whittaker, M.P.
The PPP/C has restored progress to Guyana
From page 6 good life possible for all.The PPP/C has kept it campaign promises as stated in its manifesto: VAT removed was from a number of essential items such as machinery and equipment, building and construction materials, reversal of VAT from water and electricity, resumption of subsidy on water and electricity for pensioners, cash grant of $15,000 and $4,000 uniform vouchers, old age pension increased to $25,000,allocation of monies to reopen the closed estates, reversal on increases of land lease fees, land taxes and drainage and irrigation charges, mortgage interest reliefs, provision of $25,000 COVID-19 relief per household, allowed importation of vehicles over 8 years old and used tires, reduction in License fees by 50%, removal of 25% corporate tax on education; removal of 25 percent corporate tax on Health and VAT on medical supplies, reversal of VAT on exports, tax concessions on investment in agroprocessing facilities, cold storage and packaging, special incentives for planting corn and soybean, 25,000 solar panels distributed to Amerindian communities, the reintroduction of the ADF to the tune of $800 million, removal of VAT on hinter-
land travel. Massive expenditure is allocated for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. And the list goes on. This Budget will see over $20 billion going back into the pockets of Guyanese. This is the complete opposite of what the Coalition did; they took out from the pockets of Guyanese and filled their own.It has been proven over time that only the PPP/C has the capacity and competence to rebuild every time the PNC destroys and it has already been said by even the APNU/AFC supporters that this 2020 Budget has proven that it is only the PPP/C, which has the ability to move Guyana forward. Guyanese from all walks of life are happy with the immediate relief which the PPP/C has brought to end the sufferings which Guyanese experienced during the past 5 years. It is an indication that the best is still to come and this is not 2011 when the APNU/AFC used their one seat majority to stymie development. No attempt to stop this progress will be tolerated by Guyanese. Yours truly, Haseef Yusuf
unchallenged, all kinds of hate will persist and grow. Let us heed the words of Martin Luther King Jr. who stated that “lives begin to end, the day we become silent about things that matter” and “we must pursue peaceful ends, through peaceful means”. Regrettably, so far, except for Ms. Volda Lawrence and Mr. James Bond, many of the APNU/ AFC leaders are not publicly making a balanced and equal condemnation of the hate, murders and violence. What is to be done? The best defence against all kinds of hate is an informed and unified nation that has space for dialogue and action to build “hate free zones” across all of our communities. We are not helpless. We the people have the power to overcome ignorance and fear, and to positively influence our children, friends and coworkers. When we demonstrate in our words and behaviour a deep respect for other cultures, our children will likely do the same. In our homes, schools, workplaces and in our faith communities, as PPP/C and APNU/AFC supporters, together we must speak up and condemn intolerance, hate, torture and murder. Beyond the present situation, we have to develop long-term solutions to address the root causes of hate and intolerance. More parents have to work with teachers to build positive racial relations in and across schools. Across the ethnic communities, we have to reach out
and organize safe spaces for sports competitions, vigils, inter-faith (Christian, Hindu and Muslim) services, “bottom house dialogues”, and music and food festivals to celebrate our nation’s diversity so that all Guyanese could get to know and appreciate each other better. When we change, the politicians will take their lead from us. Now is the time for most Guyanese to stop denying, ignoring or downplaying the reality of inter-ethnic rivalry, which is the most serious, persisting, confusing and difficult problem in our country. Until we address it frontally in a united way, it will not go away. On February 9, 1964, 56 years ago, Cheddi Jagan stated, “The time has come when the two major parties which represent the masses of this country must find some basis of living and working together, and of finding some unity, if we are to go forward in progress and prosperity.” Cold War interference prevented that unity in 1964. Now, there is no international governmental interference that would prevent Guyanese going forward together in progress and prosperity. As Martin Luther King Jr. and Cheddi Jagan advised “if we do not live together as friends, we will die apart as fools” because the Exxons and other foreign companies will take advantage of us and gobble up nearly all of the benefits from our natural resources, products and services. Yours truly, Geoffrey Da Silva
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Sunday September 13, 2020
Kaieteur News
Diamond Hospital to be fully rehabilitated in two months - will continue to cater to COVID-19 patients
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, yesterday inspected the Diamond Diagnostic Centre to oversee its current renovations in efforts to provide a better and more effective service to all its patients. During his onsite visit, Dr. Anthony highlighted that the Diamond Hospital is expected to be completed within less than two months. Upon its completion, this facility will see a new Accident and Emergency Depart-
ment, a new Outpatient Area, enhancements in the surgical maternity areas, and a much larger pharmacy to accommodate more people and faster processing of medications. The Diamond Diagnostic Centre is listed as one of the five health institutions attached to the Government’s SMART Hospitals’ project. This initiative has been actively promoted in the European Union (EU). “We have received funding from DFID [Department
for International Development]. So, DFID, in combination with the Government of Guyana has set aside the monies to be able to rehabilitate this particular facility,” Dr. Anthony stated. Leonora, Lethem, Mabaruma and Paramakatoi complete the list of facilities that will be rehabilitated through the SMART Hospitals’ project. Describing the notion of SMART Hospitals, the Health Minister said that, “the
whole concept behind this project is to ensure the buildings have structural integrity to guarantee better work and patient flow. We are utilising renewable energy, so you’ll see the installation of solar panels and most of the lighting and power structures will be running off of solar energy.” Other ‘SMART’ energy sources will be available as backup measures in efforts to lessen carbon footprints for the hospitals. Dr. Anthony conveyed that the completion of these
hospitals will serve as a model to explore other health facilities that can benefit from the initiative. An assessment of approximately of 110 other institutions was completed under the project. The Health Minister noted that these facilities will have the ability to cater to COVID19 patients. “Because COVID-19 is an infectious disease, we want to ensure that COVID-19 patients do not cross contaminate non-COVID-19 patients, and so, we have placed an isolation unit at the [Diamond
Hospital]. So, persons who are suspected of having COVID-19 will be placed in the isolation area while we process them. If we determine clinically that they have COVID-19, we will move them to another area in this compound for them to be properly isolated,” Dr. Anthony explained.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a carbon footprint is a measure of the impact your activities have on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced through the burning of fossil fuels.
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony inspecting the Diamond Hospital with other medical professionals
One of the hospital’s room
Construction being done on the hospital
Sunday September 13, 2020
South Rupununi manages to rein in COVID-19 crisis
According to an official from the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC), that Region Nine border area with Brazil, has managed to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. The region has been topping the number of cases for the outlying regions for the past few months. The SRDC is the representative body of 21 Indigenous communities of the South Rupununi area and has been working tirelessly to control the spread of the virus. In an interview with Kaieteur News yesterday, the Project Coordinator attached to the SRDC, Kid James, disclosed that a few days ago, the last set of patients that was in isolation was released. “We have only received the results last week… for tests done one month ago and they have recovered,” James added. However, James highlighted that they are still facing issues with the border. He stated that while there is
the presence of soldiers, there is little that can be done without transport. According to James, the soldiers have been in South Rupununi for three weeks now and there is still no form of transportation to take them to the Guyana-Brazil border. The SRDC has resorted to setting up gates to put a stop into the illegal entry, as they would have been pleading with both administrations to deploy officials at the border to curb illegal entry. They previously stated that they had blocked several illegal crossings along the border and have since been doing their utmost to properly handle all illegal border crossings. The council also believed that the illegal crossings were posing a serious threat to the Wapichan communities in the South Rupununi. Guyana’s immediate neighbour Brazil is one of the countries recording the highest numbers COVID-19 cases worldwide. The SRDC was of the firm belief that many persons seeking refuge
in Guyana might have been bringing the virus into the area.In addition to being endangered by illegal crossings, the Wapichan people were also facing a language barrier. The COVID19 guidelines were being published strictly in English, so despite attempts to educate Wapichan residents about the virus and preventative measures, the Wapichan people were unaware of what they should avoid. South Rupununi, which is a part of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) the largest Region in Guyana, would have recorded 320 COVID-19 cases out of the country’s total of 1,812 cases. Region Nine recorded the second-highest number of cases in the country, Region Four being number one with 704 confirmed cases. Despite having no active cases, the SRDC said it will still be working continuously to ensure that the novel Coronavirus does not escalate in the community once more.
Dem boys seh...
Everybody protesting! Everybody protesting. Dem boys see a deaf man protesting. Dem boys ask he wuh he protesting about. He seh, “I am not hearing what I want to hear!’ Dem boys see a blind man protesting. He gat wan sign which read, “I am not seeing progress!” Dem see a dumb man with a sign which read, “My voice matters!” Dem boys see a man yesterday holding a piece of cardboard. Dem boys go up to he and ask “Wuh yuh protesting about?” De man seh, “I protesting against de protests.” Dem boys seh dem gat
nuff things wah people should be concerned about but dem nah protesting about dem things. One of dem things is the oil contract. Dem boys seh de oil contract tekkin money out of you pocket, out of me pocket and out we children and grandchildren pockets. But nobody nah wan protest about dat. And de only reason why dem nah wan protest is because de political parties wah dem support nah sehing nuttin about dem contracts. De Pee N Cee and the Pee Pee Pee and de party wah de A and C runaway and leff de F nah sehing nuttin about dem con-tract wah sign.
Dat is why dem foreign company does come and tek advantage pon we. Dem know dat once dem gat we politican pon dem side, dat dem nah gan face any protests. And so dem does come hay and do what dem want. Right now ExxonMobil flaring gas over de ocean. Dat is called emission and it does pollute de atmosphere. But none of dem politician nah sehing nuttin about wah going on. And why you think so? Talk half and wait fuh de protest against dem oil deals… when fowl cock get teeth!
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 13, 2020
Prosecutors’ jobs opening… Dozens of jobs
exist for persons with Bachelor of Law degree S
The fully equipped Court Superintendant office at Brickdam Police Station
trengthening of G u y a n a ’ s prosecutorial services is seen as critical in addressing overcrowding of the country’s prison system. This will be done through support from the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) programme which is funded by the Inter-American Bank (IDB) and implemented by the Ministry of Legal Affairs. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, said that the programme will address overcrowding in the prisons by
focusing on two specific problems—the over-reliance of the criminal justice system on custodial sentences and the over use of pre-trial detention. He made the remarks at the handing over of a fully equipped Court Superintendent Office to the Guyana Police Force at Brickdam, Georgetown yesterday In his address, the Attorney General also highlighted the country’s prison population significantly surpasses the world’s average with a rate of 264 per 100,000 and an (Continued on page 13)
Sunday September 13, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Lone bandit drops cell phone after robbing security guard of his
A
security guard who is employed by a mini-mart on the Essequibo Coast, was reportedly slashed on his right hand during an armed robbery last Friday night. The security guard has been identified as Dhaneshwar Budhoo, 38, from Henrietta. Based on reports, Budhoo was attacked sometime around 19:45hrs. at Shawn’s Mini Mart, where he is usually stationed as a guard. Information reaching Kaieteur News indicates that the security guard was on duty at the time, when a masked man on a red motorcycle approached him from the south. The suspect reportedly hopped off of his
motorcycle with knife in hand, and attacked the security guard, while demanding his phone. During the attack, the victim was chopped on his right hand and was relieved of his cell phone, valued at $30,000. After the scuffle, the attacker reportedly jumped on his motorcycle, and escaped with the victim’s cell phone. Kaieteur News was also informed that during the attack, the suspect’s bag fell to the ground, along with a knife, helmet and a cell phone. The items were taken into police possession when they arrived on the scene. The victim was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital, where he was treated and sent away. Police indicated that no arrest has since been made.
Sunday September 13, 2020
The Shawn’s Mini Mart where the robbery occurred
Schools will re-open when Health Ministry gives the green-light - safety remains paramount - regional assessments underway
O
n Friday, Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, said that works are ongoing to ensure that schools are equipped with the necessary infrastructure to ensure a safe reopening for face-to-face interaction post-Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). According to Minister Manickchand, while a realistic prediction of the re-opening cannot be determined presently, it will be inevitable and the country must be ready. As such, assessments have been ongoing, using a consultant-approved checklist from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Based on the checklist, schools must be equipped with adequate hand washing sinks, ventilation, space based on registered students and teachers, running water and flushing toilets, among other amenities, a government statement yesterday said. Many regions have completed these assessments and submitted the relevant information to the Ministry. However, the process
which will need funds to rectify shortcomings in schools, has been stalled by unforeseen circumstances. “A lot of it got stuck in Region Five and Six because of the protests and the commotion that was happening there. Most of the regions have finished and we’re getting that information in. The budget is about to be passed and this kind of thing requires money,” the Minister said. Nevertheless, she assured that, “it’s not going to be delayed in any way on our part. We are going to be ready once the Ministry of Health says we can reopen schools.” Minister Manickchand further said that decisions taken by health experts will be based on the epidemiological patterns of the contagious disease and consistent mass testing will paint a more vivid image of Guyana’s situation. The Minister also reminded that the closure of schools to face-to-face interaction was not done because of failure on the Ministry’s part to ensure education delivery, but because it was necessary to protect students, parents and teachers.
“We are not closed because we are not ready to deliver education or because we don’t want to deliver education. In fact, the easiest thing to do would be to open the school doors and say to come in. Then we don’t have to create documents and create new materials and try to get content for the Learning Channel,” Minister Manickchand said. “…we are closed now because there is a pandemic that we have been advised by the medical [officials]…that we should not have children or adults gathering in large numbers in indoor facilitates particularly, because that can contribute to community spread of the disease.” As schools remain closed to in-person learning, the Ministry has announced the resumption of learning on Monday, September 14, 2020 featuring printed packages, online learning, Interactive Radio Instructions (IRI), television and other methods all catered for in a $300M allocation from the National Budget, specifically for blended learning amid the pandemic.
Sunday September 13, 2020
We live in a circle By Nal A year that landed us on every map How far more can this go, the citizens just laps What is democracy? if I may ask Is it senseless acts and brutal attacks? United we stand divided we fall One people, one nation, one destiny, our motto I recall
Why do we allow the color of our skin to identify who we truly are Cut us all, the same color of blood we see thus far Love is what brings us together Not creed, religion and race that we keep dashing to each other No race should speak ill of their own bretheren Words are like swords, be mindful dear children No man deserve to die this outrageous kind of death But why? Tell me why do we continue the blast of blood shed Peaceful justice is what we demand Fellow citizens do not apprehend and take things in your own hands In the eyes of the highest rank, acts are committed Hopelessly watching, the laws are being forfeited How many more can we tolerate What can we say to calm the hearts and stop the hate Have we forgotten that we live in a circle Dependent on each other yet every day we make scenes in the articles Justice shall be served Let peace reign and restore our turf Together as one we will rise For God is our shield let us act like the wise Regain the meaning of the country’s motto Stop taking lives, its not like a game of lotto Life is short, such killing is pointless Care for each other let love be endless The Henry lives deserve better May their souls rest in peace while we seek justice in this matter...
Dozens of jobs exist for ... From page 10 occupancy level of 137.5 percent. “There is persuasive evidence to suggest that the escalating incidence of incarceration is directly related to the over-reliance of the criminal justice system on incarceration as an effective tool for addressing deviant conduct,” the Minister stated. The AG added that, “although the laws of Guyana provide for a limited range of alternative sentencing options, these measures are scarcely utilised and is compounded further by the incapacity of the criminal justice system to adequately employ those alternative options.” Strengthening the prosecutorial arm of the state, the Attorney General said will see the enhancement of the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP) as well as the Prosecutor’s Office of the Guyana Police Force. This will be done by hiring the dozens of unemployed young people who possess a Bachelor of Law Degree.
“I have begun a process of creating a database of these persons and they will be soon contacted to join a new initiative, which will see a collaboration between the Guyana Police Force and the Director of Public Prosecutions, whereby after completing a one year accredited prosecutorial training course, they will be hired as prosecutors and will join Police prosecutors in the Magistrates’ court, right across the length and breadth of our country,” the Attorney General underscored. Recognizing that the recruits will need training, the Attorney General said that, “discussions have already begun for the implementation of a one-year accredited prosecutorial training programme at the University of Guyana.” During the handing over of the Court Superintendent Office and the Chambers of the DPP were also supplied with office equipment, computers, laptops, and required law books, among other things.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 13, 2020
Police continue investigations as teens laid to rest today
Teenaged cousins, Joel, 19, and Isaiah Henry, 16 who were slain one week ago at Cotton Tree backdam, West Coast Berbice (WCB), Region Five, will be laid to rest today as police continue investigation into their gruesome murders. The Henry boys’ bodies were found butchered a short distance from a coconut estate last week Sunday. The brutal manner in which the teens were killed gained national attention and
quickly sparked intense protests in Georgetown, several West Coast Berbice (WCB) villages, and a few other areas along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). In some locations, criminals had used the opportunity to rob, beat innocent citizens, and evening setting fires to vehicles. Several political leaders journeyed to the West Berbice areas and managed to quell the actions, with the free flow of traffic and normalcy
happening by Thursday. It was four days of onslaught. The International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly Guyana (IDPADA) has organised a farewell service to celebrate the lives of the boys. According to a funeral invitation sent out by the organisation, the service for the boys will commence at 09:00hrs at the Parade Ground, Middle Street, Georgetown.
Persons are being asked to wear masks and practice social distancing. The service will be streamed live on IDPADA Facebook’s page. Meanwhile, the police force, in a press release sent out late last evening, also acknowledged that the relevant heads have been informed of the specially organised funeral arrangements. It was also stated that the force wishes to reassure the families, relatives, friends, supporters that it will con-
Died: Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry tinue to forge partnership with them to facilitate the smooth interment of the late Joel and Isaiah Henry. Meanwhile, with regards to the ongoing investigation, a total of seven persons were arrested in connection with the brutal killings.
Among them was a rice farmer, 57, who is said to be the owner of the coconut estate next to where the boys’ mutilated bodies were found. Police reportedly found traces of blood in the man’s coconut estate, along with a bag (Conitnued on page 68)
ERC supports Pres. Ali call to crackdown on race hate on social media
The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has thrown their support behind the vow made by President Irfaan Ali to ensure that those who spew race hate on social media will face the full brunt of the law. “The use of social media,” President Ali said, “for the promotion of racial hate for political purpose is wholly unacceptable to me as your President and as a person, and my government will not tolerate it. I have spoken with my Attorney General and I have directed him to ensure that the full force of our laws is employed and is applied to those who pursue this criminal behaviour.” That statement was made by the President on Friday. In a statement yesterday, the Commissioned welcomed Ali’s pronouncements, pointing out that it will help to augment its own efforts to curb heightened racial tension due to an influx of complaints of incitement on various social media platforms. “With numerous com-
plaints received and instances captured by its Media Monitoring Unit,” the ERC said, “many online news establishments and persons were written to with some summoned through the “Persons of Interest” initiative and confronted.” The findings and actions taken by the Commission were then shared with the media. Those efforts, the ERC added, continue despite the many related challenges of fake profiles in some instances and difficulty in reaching others even with solicitation of the public’s help. Although this is being done, the ERC noted that it is cognizant these efforts are not adequate to deal with the magnitude of this worrying situation. “The Commission remains very concerned over the proliferation of race hate and incitement on social media and believes that President Ali’s announcement is therefore most timely and invaluable to improve race relations among our people.”
Sunday September 13, 2020
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US Secretary of State to visit Guyana this week
A September 11, 2020 correspondence between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Guyana Defence Force has made its way into the public and it indicates that the United States Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, will visit Guyana between Thursday, September 17 to Friday, September 18, 2020. He will be the highest, serving ranking US official to visit Guyana. A meeting with President Irfaan Ali is likely, though it is unclear what the purpose of the Secretary’s visit is. Notably, however, former President David Granger revealed in July that the APNU+AFC government had turned down a request from the US Government to relay broadcasts from Voice of America (VOA) to Venezuela, out of concern that it would destabilize relations between the two countries. The US has laid sanctions against Venezuela, and is currently working to unseat President Nicolas Maduro, which it styles a dictator, in favour
of Juan Guaido, the country’s main opposition leader, whom it recognizes as the rightful President. Pompeo is expected to be greeted by a grateful Irfaan Ali administration for the part which the US played in protecting Guyana’s democracy during the painful five-month 2020 electoral process, the results of which was held up after the incumbent Coalition of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) challenged the results. A recount verified that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic, which lost power in 2015, had won. Pompeo had paid keen attention to the electoral process, several times releasing statements nudging Guyana to maintain the highest democratic principles. This culminated in personal sanctions against former government officials and allies who were undermining Guyana’s democracy when attempts at election rigging had gone on for too long. Shortly after its install-
ment, the new Government backed a US-led international call for the establishment of a transition government in Venezuela for the conduction of free and fair elections. When it did, Guyana received commendation from Pompeo himself when Pompeo tweeted mid-August “Great to see Guyana adds its voice for the call to restore democracy in Venezuela.” Additionally, the Ali administration has supported the US in its bid for the Presidency of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Government had thrown its weight behind the US nominee, Mauricio Claver-Carone “The nomination of Mr. Mauricio Claver-Carone demonstrates the United States’ commitment to leadership in important regional institutions,” Government had said, “and the advancing of prosperity and security in the Western Hemisphere. His leadership of the IDB is expected to strengthen its ability to deliver development impact to the region.”
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo attended the IDB Special Meeting of the Board of Governors yesterday, during which the Claver-Carone was elected. The visit of Pompeo would also come when at a time when the Government of Guyana is in talks with the US-owned ExxonMobil over a contentious application for a third phase of offshore development called Payara.
US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo
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Kaieteur News
Department of Public Information (DPI) E-Learning
Sunday September 13, 2020
Teachers to see launch of online training programme by tomorrow
- through partnership with OAS and ProFuturo - GTT, Digicel to zero rate training websites The Ministry of Education has made good on its promise to deliver a mass online training programme for teachers across the nation. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, announced on Friday that this up skill will not only train teachers through a theoretical component, but will also feature a practical aspect. “It is a one hundred-hour programme done in the teacher’s own time and that will be done (commence) on Monday,” Minister Manickchand informed.
According to the Minister, the programme was secured through a partnership with the Organization of American States (OAS) and ProFuturo. The Ministry also reached out to internet service providers; Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) and Digicel to zero rate the training website, so that “teachers would have minimum expenditure on their own behalf”. Minister Manickchand further informed that the Ministry of Education has already (Continued on page 69)
Policy to control Exxon’s... From page 3 projects continue to be added on before the audit for Liza Phase One is finished, the IMF warned that Guyana would ultimately end up accepting costs as reported by the oil companies, even if those expenses are inflated. Also compounding this state of affairs is the fact that Guyana has accepted auditing timelines that are relatively short by international standards. LONGEVITY Trinidadian Energy Strategist, Anthony Paul, had advised Guyana that a depletion policy would be key to ensuring the longevity of its oil industry. In pursuing this document, Paul had told Kaieteur News that Guyana needs to have a proper understanding of the geology of the basin. The Chatham House Advisor had said, “You need to understand the quality of your reservoirs. This means that you need to have good seismic data, good technology to acquire that data, and the experienced people who can read that data for you. Those people can tell you without relying on the oil companies, what wells have oil and which have gas. They will also advise on what should be developed now and how fast…” The energy expert added: “You must also bear in mind that these companies will stumble on gas and most would not want to bring it up
because economically, it is more profitable to bring up oil rather than gas. So if there is a reservoir that has more gas than oil, the company would not drill to complete it. It will stay in the ground…” Taking this scenario into account, Paul stressed once more that Guyana needs experienced industry analysts who can put together a policy that will seek to tie those gas finds to proper development strategies. The Trinidadian said, “It, therefore, means that Guyana needs a regulator who can interpret reservoir performance and make sure you have the right economics around the development plans too. Only then can you say to the company, “Fine, we understand field by field what is going on but let us look at the country’s perspective, what the country needs”. What is the right level of production for this country given the capacity we have to manage it.” At the same time, the energy advisor cautioned that a depletion policy is in stark contrast to the company’s interest which is to extract the resources as fast as possible. “Remember, these companies want to make quick money so there will be a conflict with the interest of the government. This is where you need skillful negotiators to manage that conflict in interests. And it can be done,” the official concluded.
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World Physiotherapy Day was observed on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020.
Physiotherapists have crucial role to help rehabilitate COVID-19 patients Under the theme: “Rehabilitation after COVID-19”, World Physiotherapy Day was observed last week Tuesday, September 8 – a day designated to its observance annually. This day serves as an occasion for physiotherapists around the world to stand together in cohesion and solidarity to raise awareness about the profession and the impact it has on helping people achieve optimum functionality.Taking into consideration the COVID-19 theme of this year’s observance, it was noted in a press release issued as part of the observance last week, “This virus has impacted the global community on insurmountable levels and will be something that will be on the forefront of all plans for the foreseeable future.” With the advent of this new norm, the physiotherapy community, the statement noted, has risen to the challenge to contribute their expertise to help improve the quality of life of the persons who would have suffered from COVID-19 while being on the frontline with their colleagues. The role of physiotherapists in supporting and empowering individuals to self-manage their rehabilitation, where appropriate and able, is important at any time and particularly so when access is restricted or service delivery changed, the statement added. It also highlighted that individual rehabilitation needs may be specific to the consequence of COVID-19 for otherwise healthy people, such as recovery from the consequences of long term
ventilation, immobilization and deconditioning, including related impairments that may be respiratory, neurological, musculoskeletal or otherwise. Early reports highlight that the rehabilitation needs of people with severe COVID19 exist during the acute, subacute and long-term phases of the disease. As such, physiotherapists are vital to the rehabilitation efforts in intensive care units (ICUs), hospital wards, step-down facilities and in the community. Physiotherapists currently work in the COVID-19 ICU and, to date, over 50 patients have been seen at the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation. “The patients have had improvement to their lung function through breathing techniques and airway clearance techniques when necessary. Other treatments include range of motion and mobility exercises,” the statement added. It went on to stress the importance of preparing for the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing rehabilitation needs associated with post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) and other severe conditions. Studies, the statement continued, are indicating relatively long lengths of stay in the ICU units for patients with COVID-19, with immobilization in the prone position. “They describe specific problems in the post-acute phase such as severe muscle weakness, fatigue, joint stiffness, dysphagia, (neuro)-psychological problems and impaired mobility and functioning, highlighting how crucial
physiotherapists are in early and ongoing rehabilitation,” the statement added. The importance of coordinated rehabilitation approaches for patients with PICS, as part of the COVID19 rehabilitation pathways, it noted, emphasizes a multiprofessional approach involving relevant health pro-
fessionals and service providers across sectors to support individuals, and families. Despite the adverse effects of COVID-19, providing patient rehabilitation services had remained a top priority. Moreover, social distancing has become the norm. With that in mind rehabilitation departments in all 10 administra-
tive regions of Guyana have operated under strict protocols to ensure the safety of both the patients and professionals. Staffers, it was also noted, are working on rotations with staggered work shifts and are required to wear PPEs at all times. Also patients are not allowed to enter the outpatient facility with-
out a mask and importantly too, “all patients are screened before they enter the department.” Even as Guyana observed World Physiotherapy Day, two long standing stalwarts in the profession – Mrs. Sultana Fitzpatrick and Mrs. Paula Alexander – were recognized for their contributions.
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FRONT PAGE COMMENTS RECAP
As we continue on our mission to enlighten the nation about what Guyana deserves from its massive oil wealth, we at Kaieteur News have published a series of front page comments in hopes of having our leaders take the necessary actions in order to realize the desired outcomes. Today we recap the front page comments of the past week to bring you up to speed.
Sunday THIRD WORLD MENTALITY! Same ole, same ole! Going round in a circle from PPP/C to PNC/R and AFC. What have we learned from them all? Borrow and pledge to do this and do that, to siphon off a portion of every project!Same ole, same ole! Our leaders will and can never see beyond begging, borrowing and pledging, because they have no understanding of business. Sugar is dead and our politicians are trying to revive the dead?Guyana has an abundance of natural resources such as gold, diamond, bauxite, timber and now OIL. But we are giving it away to the
foreigners: the Russians, Chinese, Americans, etc., who come here to plunder our resources.We have so much wealth; if we can get a fair deal on Payara alone, not on the entire block, our people would not have to cut cane again. That is how much wealth we have in Payara alone. Foreign firms have been extracting our bauxite for more than 75 years. What did Guyana receive? All we got is our brothers and sisters heading back into the canefields to barely scratch out a living. Our leaders still have a Third World mentality. They
are still stuck in the plantation mindset. President Ali said he will reopen the sugar factories to put sugar workers back in the field. To scratch out a living? That is the Third World mentality and plantation mindset.Oh, Guyana, beautiful Guyana! Rather than fixing the onesided, lopsided, giveaway contracts that can pay sugar workers $200,000 a month to stay at home, these morons will spend billions to reopen the sugar factories to earn pennies in return. Oh Guyana, beautiful Guyana!
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==THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN==
Claudette Singh: The 2020 election and the Region 5 mayhem
I
t was bound to hap pen. The PNC (not so much the AFC since it hasn’t got constituencies) for five months sermonized their supporters with the song of being cheated in a PPP manipulated election. After burying their supporters for five months in a nightmare of torrential hallucinations, they themselves were overcome by vendetta instincts. They simply used a mundane incident of homicide to do two things – satisfy their lacerated psyche by creating bestial mayhem and instilling in their constituencies that they must fight to destabilize a government that is not legal. There is a direct connection between the length of time the rigging was allowed to go on – five months - and the PNC’s opportunity to use the Region 5 double homicide as incitement to race hate. We look at what happened in Region 5 and its direct link with the election nightmare and names come to mind. Claudette Singh heads the list. If she has digested the lessons of the Region 5 tragedies, then she should reflect on her own faults in allowing the nastiness to drag out for five months. Once Mingo’s caricatured tabulation hit the eyes of the world, Singh and the rest of Guyana should have insisted that it be brought to an end. From March 4, the PNC, AFC, its surrogates like university lecturers, trade unionists, newspaper columnists in both the Chronicle and the Stabroek News, the three PNC commissioners among others
fed the frustrations of PNC voters and did so for five months. The moral thing to do was to explain to them that they lost but they will ensure the PPP govern responsibly and fairly and for Singh to conduct the business of GECOM in such a way that would have made it difficult for the PNC+AFC’s mischief to spread. Singh did not do this. She acted after five months and in so doing, the genie got out of the bottle. Whether it was a double homicide in Region 5 or a killing of an African Guyanese in some remote village in Guyana’s interior that the average Guyanese never heard about, Harmon, Granger and the Freudian degenerates in the AFC had to instigate racial hostilities. But the circumstances determine the magnitude of the conflagration. A heinous murder of an African Guyanese in one of the more obscure parts of Guyana could not have been manipulated the way Granger and Harmon did in Region 5. The double homicide fell into the lap of a desperate party frenetically looking for something to destabilize Guyana. There are legitimate questions that are now swirling around Georgetown (maybe the entire Guyana). Was it a random murder that the PNC zeroed in on to create a race war to ensure it has a place at the post-violence settlement? Some theories making the round are that it could have been unmitigated vengeance by drug people who the cousins had a falling out with. Another theory is that it was an invention by politi-
cal opportunists in the leadership of the PNC and AFC as the beginning of a protracted war of “mo fyah, slo fyah.” This is a cynical interpretation because it implies that the cousins were indispensible. There are definitely bogus stories out there that even crazy derelicts who sleep on the streets would not buy. For example, why would Indian people kill two youths as an act of race hate knowing that their party won the election and their party is ruling and that such brutality will
bring vendetta upon the PPP? I simply do not buy that, and I am rejecting that perspective. Look what happened. It almost turned into a race riot. Surely, the Indians who were supposed to do that cannot be that stupid. If the boys were murdered in gang warfare and the PNC used it for an ugly power grab or the boys were sacrificed to create a race war, it has not worked out but it has thrown the spotlight back on Singh. One must remember at all times, it did not work because the PPP did not encourage their constituencies to retali-
ate.
Looking back, Singh could have prevented the volcano from erupting this month if she had done the right thing in March. It seems that a precarious calm is settling in Region 5 but the placidity may not reach the hearts of some PNC and AFC leaders. They may still be interested in fanning the flames of “slo fyah mo fyah.” What an ironic country! Who would have believed that when Khemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo were victims of “slo fyah, mo fyah” in 1997, they would be
Frederick Kissoon involved in inciting a race war 23 years after. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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The Church’s history and the critical role of the family in society (A review of David Granger’s The Holy family: Adventism and the family.) David Granger’s The holy family: Adventism and the family reveals a softer and deeply religious side of the former President. In this book, he displays a remarkable grasp of the Holy Bible, a rich knowledge of the Church’s history and a critical understanding of the vital role of the family in society. Granger argues for the centrality of the family in ensuring happy societies. He writes that “Happy families foster happy households which foster happy communities which, in turn, help us to be a happy state.” The family is the central focus of this book. Its central message is that the Church is charged with safeguarding the family. The book constitutes the texts of two addresses to the 100th anniversary observance of the Seventh-Day Adventist Family Ministries and to the 130th anniversary of Seventh-Day Adventism in Guyana, respectively. In both addresses, the then President highlighted the importance of the family and the critical role which the Church has been playing, and must continue to play, in protecting that institution. Granger presents a simple, but powerful, message in his address to the Seventh-Day Adventist Family Ministries, reminding the Church about its mission. The family, he argues, is a divine creation and has existed from time immemorial. Marriage in any culture, he notes, is associated with the family and can protect it. He observes, however, that the family is being destabilized by challenges such as domestic violence.
The Church’s mission, he writes, is also preordained. It is charged with the promoting of happy families which are characterized by mutual love, respect and responsibility to God, to one another other and to children. Granger calls on the Church to protect the family by upholding the sanctity of marriage, by preparing young couples for marriage, by providing support to families in distress and by promoting parenting and sound values. This four-fold directive is part of the mandate and is within the means and mission of the Church. It can be adopted as a part of a plan of action for family life. Such a compelling charge for the Church could have well come from the pulpit and from a man of the cloth. Granger is impressive in identifying the biblical roots of the Christian family. He establishes, through biblical references and through Christian doctrine, why the Church has a special and supreme responsibility to protect family life. His identification of the specific areas which the Church should address is instructive. These are all directly linked to the Church’s obligation to protect humanity by protecting the family. While domestic violence is highlighted, less emphasis was placed on socio-economic threats such as poverty, unemployment and poor living conditions. These have long been identified as major threats to the stability of the family. However, the measures necessary for their redress require political and economic models which are outside of the province of the Church. This may explain the absence of emphasis on these
destabilizing factors. The second part of the book is the text of an address delivered on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of Adventism in Guyana. Granger highlights, again, the importance of the family, describing it as “…the cradle of life, the citadel of safety and the classroom of the culture of loving, sharing and forgiving.” He traces the evangelical roots of Adventism as a child of the Protestant Reformation. He then essays a most insightful discussion on the
origins and development of Adventism in Guyana, demonstrating a profound knowledge of the Church’s history and activities. Granger uses the encounter to pay tribute to the tireless efforts of the elders and members of the Church. He acknowledges the growth of the Church from a mere five congregations in its first 25 years to 216 congregations located throughout the country and towards becoming one o f t he country’s leading Christian denominations, to-
day. This success, he argued, is attributable not only to preaching the word but, also, to practising good works, a view which critics of Pentecostalism may consider as more prescriptive than descriptive. The holy family: Adventism and the family is an insightful work which has relevance not only for Adventists but for all Christians. The mission of protecting the family is universal. The book makes an impassioned plea for the protection of the child. At this time of
tension in society, that message rings relevant. Granger’s four-point proposal – to protect the institution of marriage, provide family-life instruction, support troubled families and promote parenting and family values – is one which can be adopted easily by all Christian Churches since they all share a common mission to protect God’s creation. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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GNBS to offer online training to stakeholders
T
he coronavirus (COVID-19) out break is continuing to change daily routines even as the number of cases continues to rise in Guyana. With this, many organisations and businesses, including the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), have been making significant changes to continue to deliver services to customers, clients, and stakeholders during the prevailing pandemic. In this regard, the GNBS is now providing online training programmes to stakeholders. Presently, it is collaborating with Delphi Consultancy Limited of Trinidad and Tobago to offer professional training courses virtually to company representatives and other individuals who desire to become knowledgeable in implementing and maintaining the requirements of national and international standard within the operations of their businesses to enhance competitiveness.
GNBS’ Public Relations Officer, Mr. Lloyd David The training sessions will commence in October and last until December, 2020 with the availability of the following courses: Root Cause Analysis, Internal Quality Auditor Course, Risk Based Thinking, Data Analysis, Implementing and Documenting the ISO 9001 Quality Management System and Process Mapping. Meanwhile, to help companies satisfy obligatory product quality requirements within the supply chain, especially the oil and gas sector, GNBS provides technical assistance to those desirous of implementing the requirements of international standards. Over the years, GNBS has worked with several companies in Guyana towards ISO certification/ accredita-
tion. These include: Assuria Life (GY) Inc. and Assuria General (GY) Inc., Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital, Mines Services Limited, Nand Persaud and Company Limited, Power Producers and Distributors Inc. (PPDI). Other companies, which are interested in implementing management systems standards, can also confidently rely on GNBS support and contact the National Standard Body to get on board. For additional information or to register for upcoming training courses, interested personnel and organisations can contact GNBS’ Business Support Services Department on 219-0064-66, via WhatsApp on 692-4627 or email at bss@gnbsgy.org.
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Coronavirus: A strong, prepared immune system is our best bet By Dr. Zulfikar Bux Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Vanderbilt Medical Center It’s been more than six months and we are still waiting on the miracle cure for the COVID-19 infection. It has always been challenging for the scientific world to develop treatment cures for viruses. For the most part, supportive care and allowing our immune system to “fight out” the virus has been the mainstay of care for most viral infections. We have always known that a strong immune system is key to fight off viral infections such as the flu and common cold. It is no different with the COVID-19 infection. Our immune system is our body’s defense against foreign pathogens such as the coronavirus. If there has ever been a time the world needed everyone’s immune system to be strong, this is the time. The stronger your immune system, the better your chances of surviving a COVID-19 infection. I will shed some light on factors that science has shown to boost our immune system and help effectively fight off viral infections such as the coronavirus. Vitamin C Vitamin C is an essential nutrient with many roles in our body. Vitamin C helps our immune health in several ways. Its antioxidant activity can decrease inflammation, which may help improve your immune function. The vitamin also boosts the activity of phagocytes, immune cells that can “swallow” harmful viruses and other particles. In addition, it promotes the growth and spread of lymphocytes, a type of immune cell that increases your circulating antibodies, proteins that can attack foreign or harmful substances in our blood. We can get our daily requirement of Vitamin C from supplements or the following foods: • Guava
• Citrus (lime, Orange, Lemon, Tangerine) • Broccoli • Tomatoes • Peppers We need 65 to 90 mg of Vitamin C Daily. Zinc Zinc is a mineral found throughout cells in our body. There are a number of ways in which zinc boosts the immune system but primarily, it activates enzymes that break down proteins in viruses and bacteria so they are less able to spread. It also increases the activation of cells responsible for fighting infections. It also helps to reduce inflammation that can occur during viral infections. We can get our daily requirement of Zinc from supplement or the following foods: • Guava • Seafoods such as crabs and lobsters • Beans and nuts • Avocado • Ground beef We need 8 to 12mg of zinc to meet our daily requirements. Vitamin D Vitamin D is an essential nutrient, which has many roles in our body including fighting off infections. It plays a critical role in promoting immune response. It has both anti-inflammatory and immune regulatory properties and is crucial for the activation of immune system defenses. It enhances the function of immune cells, including Tcells and macrophages that protect your body against pathogens such as viruses. Low Vitamin D levels are also associated with an increased risk of respiratory diseases such as viral and bacterial respiratory infections. We can get our daily Vitamin D requirements from supplements or the following foods: • Sunlight- While this is not a food, daily exposure to sunlight is needed to help our body make Vitamin D active. • Egg yolks
• Fatty fish such as tuna and mackerel • Cheese • Beef liver We need 25-100 micrograms of Vitamin D daily. Quercetin Quercetin is a natural pigment present in many fruits, vegetables, and grains. It is a potent antioxidant that can bind to and neutralize free radicals formed from infections such as COVID-19. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties which is very handy since the COVID-19
infection triggers a massive inflammatory response in our body that worsens the illness. You can get quercetin from dietary supplements or from the following foods: • Grapes • Apples • Black tea • Tomatoes • Citrus fruits Daily intake of 500mg quercetin is sufficient to help your body. Regular exercise, reduce stress Stress has been shown to
cause inflammation and suppress our body’s immune response. Exercise has the opposite effect. The more we exercise and less we stress, the stronger our immune system gets. While we wait for preventative or curative treatment options to come out against the COVID-19 infection, we need to prepare our immune system in the event that we do get infected. It’s the main defense that we have and the best way to ensure it is prepared is to uti-
Dr. Zulfikar Bux lize the options discussed today. Let us start preparing our immune system and remember to stay home, wear a mask if you have to go out and practice proper hygiene.
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SUNDAY 17-MEMBER CH&PA BOARD SENT PACKING The 17-member board of the Central Planning and Housing Authority (CH&PA) were sent packing this past week. According to information published in the Official Gazette, Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, revoked the appointment of the entire board of the CH&PA pursuant to the powers vested in him as the Minister of Housing in accordance with Section 4 (2) of Cap 36:20 and Sections 4 (5) of Cap 36:20 of the Housing Act. CH&PA has critical housing powers including the issuance of permits for construction of buildings for business purposes. The revocation comes several weeks after the Minister announced that steps are being taken to remove all the politicallyaligned personal from key positions within the Ministry. Among those who were sitting on the old board were, Apostle Elsworth WilliamsChairman and members; Glenyss James, Thandai McAllister, Khemlall Alvin, Elton Patram, Dale Browne, Kenneth Jordan, Cleveland December, Herman Persaud, Winifred Heywood, Akeem Peter, Chattergoon Ramnauth, Imran Amin, Waneka Arrindell, Kenneth Williams, Juan Hunter and John Macedo. According to the letter signed by Minister Croal on August 29, the appointment of the members of the Board of Directors of the Central Housing and Planning Authority was made with immediate effect. JUSTICE FOR ALL PARTY LEAVES APNU The Justice For All Party (JFAP) has notified Leader of
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A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), David Granger, that it is officially withdrawing from the Coalition. The letter from JFAP General Secretary, Savitree Singh-Sharma, dated September 1, states “Like any other organization, APNU has had its strengths and weaknesses; successes and failures.” She noted that the country’s political landscape is changing significantly, and that “it demands a reexamination of roles and relationships.” JFAP is the second party to have left APNU, after the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) several weeks ago. Both parties shared concerns about nonconsultation within the Coalition. The issue became pronounced when Granger selected the APNU+AFC opposition members of the 12th Parliament without consulting with the two parties. Singh had told Kaieteur News that JFAP did indeed propose its own representation on the coalition’s list, but that the person was left out. She determined that the party may have been left out because it spoke out against the Coalition’s frustration of the 2020 electoral process, which she described as “wrongdoings”. JFAP’s Jaipaul Sharma was a minister in the Coalition. He opted to join the PNCR as a candidate for the March 2nd elections. The incumbent Coalition lost. The Coalition has been accused of embarking on a misinformation campaign to discredit the elections after it became apparent that it lost. It also later made several attempts to delay a declaration of the true results of the election, and instead endorsed fraudulent figures
produced by the Region Four Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo. JFAP is the only constituent party of the APNU+AFC to have spoken out against the Granger coalition’s attempts to rig the 2020 elections before the declarations on August 2nd. After the Parliamentary list was announced, WPA also announced its concerns in a scathing criticism of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR). The PNCR is the biggest party in the APNU component of the coalition. WPA said that it had to contend with the decisions of Congress Place, due to the mode of non-consultation. The party opposed the appointments of its parliamentary and Regional Democratic Council (RDCs) without prior consultation. It said that it was only informed that its Chairperson, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley. was selected as one of the persons after it wrote the PNCR General Secretary, Amna Ally to enquire about the state of affairs. Sarabo-Halley subsequently left the WPA, and the state newspaper reported that she would be taking up her parliamentary seat as an “independent”. The parties remaining in the once multi-partied APNU are the PNCR, the Guyana Action Party and the National Democratic Alliance. MONDAY GUYANAREMAINS THE LAST POSITIVE GROWTH STORY EXXON HAS TO SELL TO INVESTORS - DEAL SO FUNDAMENTALLY UNFAIR THAT IT IS FREE MONEY FOR OILCOMPANY ExxonMobil has claimed that it can take its investments elsewhere if it does not get its way with Guyana on the Payara Field Development Plan (FDP), for which government approval is still to be granted, but industry experts are not buying into this threat by the American multinational. President of the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Mr. Carrol Muffett has categorically stated that ExxonMobil’s comment indicates how scared it actually is. During his second appearance on Kaieteur Radio’s show, ‘Guyana’s Oil and You’, the CIEL President said it is useful for Guyanese to pay attention to the financial health of ExxonMobil before it was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, Muffett stated
We are out: JFAP Leader, Chandra Narine Sharm and General Secretary, Savitree Singh-Sharma the company had lost more than 50 percent of its share value in the last decade while adding that it is losing money in the parts of its portfolio that it had long term growth opportunities and projections. The CIEL Chief executive said, “…So this is a company that was in really bad shape coming into the pandemic and the pandemic has really exacerbated that state of affairs…Now ExxonMobil was telling investors that another big area for revenue growth was petrochemicals and plastics and it was arguing to investors that the world needs more of this.” Muffett added, “But that has been proven to be overly optimistic hence it lost over US$300M at the end of last year. We are also seeing prices for plastics and other petrochemical feedstocks struggling in the wake of the pandemic.” Outside of its operations in the USA, Muffett stated, there is no other country ExxonMobil is operating in that gives it free money the way Guyana does. He stressed that it has no deal that can compare to being so fundamentally unfair as the one it has with Guyana. The CIEL President said when one considers the dire financial situation this company is in, the fact that it is paying out more in dividends in a year than it is bringing in in revenue which means more debt, it is clear that Guyana is its last hope. He said, “Guyana remains the truly last promising and positive growth story that Exxon has to sell to investors…And in my own view, the reason why Guyana is so promising for Exxon is because the deal is so fundamentally unfair to Guyana that it is free money for Exxon.” Muffett concluded, “So
when you see Exxon making threats that it would not make sense to invest if it is faced with pressure to change the current arrangements as it would not be economical for them, I think the fundamental question is if it is not economical for Exxon to do this project while being fair to Guyanese then why do it all?” MISSING TEENAGE COUSINS FOUND BUTCHERED IN BACKDAM – COTTON TREE RICE FARMER ARRESTED AS VILLAGES ERUPT IN PROTEST Two teenage boys who left their homes at Number 3 Village, West Coast Berbice on Saturday and never returned were Sunday found dead with their throats slashed and other chop marks about their bodies and face. One 57-year-old was arrested late last night as villages in West Berbice erupted in protest over the brutal murders. The boys have since been identified as Isaiah Henry, 16 and Joel Henry, 19. They are said to be cousins who reportedly left home on Saturday to pick coconuts in the Cotton Tree backdam, West Coast Berbice. Sources have since revealed that after the boys left home and when the entire Saturday ad expired without them returning home, relatives filed a missing persons’ report and a search was launched by villagers of Number 3. It was disclosed that during the search Sunday morning, the bags that the boys left home with were found in a clump of bushes in the backdam, but there was no sign of the teenagers. It was late Sunday afternoon that the bodies of the boys were found with their throats slashed in the Cotton Tree backdam.
The t-shirt of one of the boys was pulled over his face, while the other was lying face down. Their bodies appeared to have visible marks of violence and chop wounds about their bodies and face. The police were immediately summoned to the scene and an investigation was launched. Father of Isaiah Henry, Gladston Henry spoke to reporters: “When I go to work and come back my wife told me that my son did not come back home…Then we went to the backdam and we searched for him but was already night (Saturday night) because Friday night, he told me that he was going to the backdam because we have place in the backdam but we ain’t know that he gon go to other people place because I know he was going and pick coconut because he left with a crow bar.” He stated that after searching for hours and turning up empty-handed, they decided to search again Sunday morning. REGIONALHEALTH FACILITIES TO BE RETROFITTED WITH COVID-19 ICUs — HEALTH MINISTER With Guyana’s only COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) packed to capacity, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony announced that efforts are underway to establish other ICUs at regional health facilities across the country. During a recent engagement with the press Dr. Anthony, disclosed that regional hospitals have already been assessed to be retrofitted with ICUs that will have the capacity to administer care to patients (Continued on page 45)
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From page 44 who develop the severe forms of COVID-19. “We want to have infectious disease ICUs in each region. We are already looking to get the basic set of equipment,” Dr. Anthony told the press at a virtual meeting on Friday. He said the aim is to establish those units and have them equipped within a matter of weeks. Meanwhile, the Health Minister revealed that efforts are being made to help GPHC build the capacity of its ICU. Towards this end, he noted, the Government of India made donations of several ventilators. “We have 12 beds in that unit and we had four ventilators at GPHC. As of two days ago, with the donation from the Government of India, we have been able to rectify that situation and our aim is to have a ventilator at each bed, so now if anyone in that facility has respiratory distress, they will be able to have access to the relevant equipment,” he disclosed. The Health Minister explained too that the protocol for utilising the ventilators has also changed. “Before we intubate someone, there are certain clinical guidelines that we follow and a number of other perimeters that are looked at. Once the patient would meet a set of criteria, they would be placed on a ventilator, once one is available. That has now changed because we have more ventilators that are available and, in that sense, those who need a ventilator would be able to get a ventilator,” Dr. Anthony told the media. Amid the COVID-19
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pandemic, he said, the Ministry continues to work assiduously to strengthen the country’s healthcare system. Minister Anthony stated that an analysis has been done on all the regional hospitals and their isolation areas. He further disclosed that an infectious disease unit will be set up at each facility. “We have come up with a basic set of equipment that each one of these facilities must have and have started the procurement of this equipment,” the Health Minister said. Dr. Anthony’s announcement about the establishment of regional COVID-19 ICUs comes weeks after the new government condemned the $1.6B Ocean View Hospital, converted from a hotel located at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, as being unfit to house patients battling the disease. President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali had told the press that the hospital will be converted into an isolation centre for up to 150 patients affected by the disease. TUESDAY GOVT., EXXON NOT SEEING EYE TO EYE ON SEVERAL ISSUES IN PAYARAPERMIT …JAGDEO PREFERS NOT TO TELEGRAPH GOVT’S POSITIONS Vice President (VP), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Monday informed the press that several issues remain in the Field Development Plan (FDP) for ExxonMobil’s Payara project, on which the Government and the company do not see eye to eye, but that negotiations are ongoing and
the administration’s fulfillment of its promises is a work in progress. The President, Dr. Irfaan Ali said that he has asked the Vice President, as well as Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat to examine the issues surrounding the Payara project on a daily basis, to advise and inform him. Dr. Jagdeo and Dr. Ali informed reporters of these developments during a press conference Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. The approval of the Payara project, intended for startup in 2023, has been held up partly due to several environmental infractions committed by Exxon, which pervade all of its development projects. The VP said he was informed that the negotiations have wound down from 40 issues to about seven or eight. The company has flared more than 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas at its Liza Phase One operations over the past eight months, though the gas is supposed to be re-injected into the reservoir, blaming the sustained pollution on a defective gas compressor. Dr. Jagdeo Monday reiterated the government’s position that it is opposed to flaring, though the issue persists. Environmentalist, Annette Arjoon-Martins, worries that it could have a compromising effect on Guyana’s environmental development partners who have funded development projects here. In addition, Exxon is dumping thousands of gallons of produced water into the ocean every day. The produced water, according to the World Bank’s advice on
the best practice, should be re-injected unless dumping it is found to be completely necessary. President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, had said that the company wants to continue dumping the liquids into the ocean, making poorly supported claims that it has no effect on the environment. At this juncture, the extent of the impact of produced water being dumped into the oceans is unknown. The government does not appear to have a position on whether the water should be re-injected or dumped into the ocean. Jagdeo said Monday that however it is discharged, the produced water must be treated to international standards. The issues which persist at Liza Phase One find themselves rooted in loopholes in the permit which have been exploited by ExxonMobil. These loopholes are also, according to EPA Head, Dr. Vincent Adams, repeated in the Liza Phase Two and Payara FDPs. Past Director of the National Gas Company of Trinidad & Tobago (NGC), Cathal Singh had duly shed light on the inferiority of the Liza Phase One EIA, when he said that it would not have passed the T&T regulator due to fundamental flaws. Kaieteur News was only lately informed by International Lawyer, Melinda Janki, that the Liza-1 permit was approved on the very day that Exxon submitted its 1500page EIA. Though Jagdeo expressed the government’s positions on these environmental matters, he stressed that those positions
are “generic” and that he did not want to telegraph what may be the government’s final position in the negotiations. Though he did not admit to budging on the issues, Jagdeo said that the government sees its relationship with Exxon as a continuum and that the “Payara license is not the only opportunity” as “Exxon is not gonna disappear tomorrow.” He explained that the PPP does intend to deliver on the promises it campaigned on, by ensuring the company and the people benefit, but that Payara is not the “make-orbreak” project. “There are numerous opportunities in this continuum,” he said. “This is not a one-event activity, where Payara will determine all of our relationship or determine all of our negotiating positions or opportunities, because there will be one when we come to talk about local content… and the development of our gas fields… and training opportunities.” He sought to explain that with the global downfall in the financial positions of several international oil companies, it is important for Guyana to secure investment dollars in the interest of the country.
case on Sunday last after the bodies of the boys were found butchered in the Cotton Tree backdam. Police had stated that blood stains found on the rice land located in close proximity to the land the boys bodies were found on, had led to the arrest of the rice farmer. It was during his time in police custody, one of the farmer ’s sons and his handyman were also picked up and taken in custody. Members of the Major Crimes Unit arrived in Berbice earlier Monday but were met by protesters who blocked the roads and refused to let them pass. It wasn’t until former President, David Granger, arrived that the unit managed to pass. Meanwhile, post mortems are slated to be conducted on the teens’ bodies tomorrow. It was late Sunday afternoon that the bodies of the boys were found with their throats slashed in the backdam. The t-shirt of one of the boys was pulled over his face, while the other was lying face down. Their bodies bore visible marks of violence including chop wounds across their heads and faces. The discovery sparked protests throughout West Coast Berbice and some parts of Region Six too.
GRUESOME MURDER OF BERBICE TEENS… FARMER, SON, HANDYMAN AND TWO OTHERS IN CUSTODY
PROTEST CONTINUES OVER GRUESOME MURDER OF BERBICE TEENS
Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has confirmed that two more persons have been arrested in connection with the killing of West Coast Berbice teens Isaiah and Joel Henry. Currently in police custody are a rice farmer, his son, a handyman and two other employees. The Major Crimes Unit took over the
Villagers from No.3, No.4, No.5, No.28 Village, Belladrum and Hopetown, West Coast Berbice Monday continued to protest for justice for Isaiah Henry, 16, and Joel Henry, 19, whose butchered bodies were found on a coconut farm in the Cotton Tree backdam Sunday afternoon. Persons who were scheduled to head to (Continued on page 46)
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From page 45 Georgetown or return to Berbice were stuck in traffic for miles. The traffic jam, resulting from the protest action, started Monday morning and lasted throughout the day into the night.During the morning hours, villagers blocked the public road at No.5 Village and burnt debris as a way of stating their displeasure over the killing of the two teenagers. Protesters lined the roadways and intensified their call for justice. They burnt old machinery parts, wooden planks, abandoned old tyres and other items while the police attempted to quell the situation and clear the roadways for traffic to pass. That did not work since the people formed human barricades to prevent the police from clearing the road. Road users complained bitterly over the halt in traffic that prevented them from making their way home or to work. One resident from Region 5 posted on Facebook that her car’s windscreen was damaged after some of the angry residents attacked her vehicle Sunday night. Last evening, a resident stated that “Right now Number 5, Hopetown, Number 28 and Belladrum, they block the road and burning.” Another resident stated that police were directing vehicles to turn back. At Hopetown, the riot squad was seen in a standoff with protesters after they attempted to clear the road for traffic to pass freely. An excavator, intended to help with the removal of encumbrances, was left parked on the roadway as residents shouted at police ranks and refused to allow them to clear the road. Meanwhile, over in Region 6, residents from Number One Village, Number 53 (Union) and Skeldon were picketing on the roadways for justice to be served for the Henry boys. Attempts were made to block the road at No. One Village but that was quickly quelled by a senior officer and ranks on the ground. Parliamentary opposition members: David Granger, Joseph Harmon and Nicolette Henry visited the home of the boys grieving relatives. Granger expressed his sadness over the gruesome tragedy and pledged his party’s support. He told the mother of one of the boys and the other relatives and neighbours who were gathered that they have to protect their children, women and young people. “We have to bind ourselves in some self-defence society
Kaieteur News
and live ordinary lives. Unless we protect ourselves, nobody is going to protect us, so we must ensure that young people of any race are protected from this type of crime. They must be able to travel the road, travel in school buses and go to the backdam and live ordinary lives,” said Granger. Up to press time, protesters were still out on the roadways, blocking traffic and burning whatever they could find. WEDNESDAY GUYANATO GET MORE CRUMBS AS EXXON MAKES 18TH DISCOVERY US multi-national, ExxonMobil, announced Tuesday that it made its 18th discovery offshore Guyana at the Redtail-1 well in the Stabroek Block. The exploration and production giant said this will add to the previously announced estimated recoverable resource of more than eight billion oilequivalent barrels. The company noted that Redtail-1 encountered approximately 232 feet (70 meters) of high-quality oil bearing sandstone and was drilled in 6,164 feet (1,878 meters) of water. The well is located approximately 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) northwest of the Yellowtail discovery. In addition to the Redtail1 discovery, Exxon said that drilling at Yellowtail-2 encountered 69 feet (21 meters) of net pay in newly identified, high quality oil bearing reservoirs among the original Yellowtail-1
discovery intervals. It said that this resource is currently being evaluated for development in conjunction with nearby discoveries, all of which are tied to a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) that sees it walking away with the lion’s share of the oil profits. In July 2019, Kaieteur News had done an extensive review of 130 PSAs to better understand the extent to which the GuyanaExxonMobil deal is fraught with unfair provisions. For example, according to the PSA, the government is paying the contractor’s income tax out of the country’s share of the profits. However, none of the 130 PSAs examined by this news agency shows such an arrangement. Further, Guyana’s PSA is the only one out of 130 PSAs which has no ring-fencing provisions to prevent costs of unsuccessful wells being carried over to that of successful wells. There is also no sliding scale for royalty to increase as production improves. And that is not all. Guyana’s PSA is the only one out of 130 that allows insurance premiums to be fully recovered as well as interest on loans and financing costs that are incurred by the contractors. The 130 PSAs examined are part of a register on www.resourcecontracts.org. ( h t t p s : / / resourcecontracts.org/ s e a r c h ? q = P r o duction+Sharing+Agreement+) That website offers over 620 PSAs from around the world for perusal. Below are other anomalies that were found when Guyana’s PSA
was compared to others. Stabilisation Clause In the PSA between Mauritania and Kosmos Energy, it specifically states that the contract is governed by the laws and regulations of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, supplemented by the general principles of the laws of international commerce. It notes that the contractor shall be subject, at all times, to the laws and regulations in force in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The foregoing is in stark contrast to what is obtained in Guyana’s PSA with ExxonMobil. In that arrangement, Guyana has accepted that changes to its laws in the future cannot affect the ExxonMobil PSA. If it does, the government would have to compensate the Stabroek Block operators for any loss incurred. Decommissioning Decommissioning refers to the safe removal of all the pipelines and other oil production equipment once the oil project comes to an end or is nearing its end. In Liberia, if the government decides not to accept all or part of the assets involved in the oil projects, it may, no later than 90 days following the date specified in the agreement, require the contractor, in accordance with good international petroleum industry practice, to perform abandonment operations and to remove at the cost of the contractor, the facilities relating to the surrendered area. The contractor can recover some of these costs but not years before it is time for decommissioning. In Guyana’s case,
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however, the costs will not be borne by the operator. According to Section 20.1(d)(gg) and Accounting Procedure Section 3.1 of the Guyana-ExxonMobil deal, the American oil king can tabulate a budget for abandonment, and recover a portion of that budget in the form of oil, years before it is time for decommissioning. It is able as well to recover the full costs of abandonment too. Ring-Fencing In Uganda’s PSA with Tullow, it explicitly states that for purposes of cost recovery, ring-fencing around each contract area shall apply. In the event that a licensee has more than one contract area, the calculations shall be done on a contract by contract basis. There shall be no consolidation. Guyana’s PSA with Exxon and all other offshore operators speaks nothing of this. Tullow is also an operator in Guyana’s waters. Audit Rights According to a PSA between Iraq and Western Zagros Resources Ltd, the Government reserves the right to an independent audit at the contractor’s expense, of its accounts and records, which must be kept within that territory. The Government can also do its own annual audit. The agreement specifically states that the contractor must fully and expeditiously cooperate with the government in this regard. The contractor is also expected to use its best endeavours to ensure its affiliates comply with auditing requirements while taking care of all costs. This, however, is not
obtained in Guyana. The Government accepted terms, which see the country standing the costs of all audits. It can do audits via the revenue authority or an independent firm of its choice. Importantly, it cannot go after records held outside of Guyana, which would support its audit as well. Payments According to the PSA between Mongolia and DWM Petroleum AG, the contractor is required to pay signature and production bonuses based on certain circumstances. They are: 1) The sum of US$ 500,000 as a Production Bonus if average daily quantity of Contract Crude Oil for any Calendar Month is equal or less than 5,000 barrels 2) The sum of US$600,000 as a Production Bonus if average daily quantity of Contract Crude Oil for any Calendar Month equals to or exceeds 5001 barrels but is less than 10,000 barrels. 3) The sum of US$700,000 as a Production Bonus if average daily quantity of Contract Crude Oil for any Calendar Month equals to or exceeds 10,001 barrels but is less than 15,000 barrels. 4) The sum of US$800,000 as a Production Bonus if average daily quantity of Contract Crude Oil for any Calendar Month equals to or exceeds 15,001 barrels but is less than 20,000 barrels. 5) The sum of US$1M as a Production Bonus after average daily quantity of Contract Crude Oil for any Calendar Month exceeds 20,001 Barrels. Guyana’s contract with Exxon speaks nothing of a (Continued on page 47)
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From page 46 production bonus, much less one that is subjected to a sliding scale. Measurement of Petroleum In a PSA Kenya has with Camac Energy Ltd, it speaks to the measurement of petroleum. It clearly notes that the volume and quality of petroleum produced and saved from the contract area shall be measured by methods and appliances customarily used in good international petroleum industry practice and approved by the Minister. It goes on to state that the Minister may inspect the appliances used for measuring the volume and determining the quality of petroleum and may appoint an inspector to supervise the measurement of volume and determination of quality. Further to this, it was noted that where the method of measurement or appliances used therefore, have caused an overstatement or understatement of a share of the production, the error shall be presumed to have existed since the date of the last calibration of the measurement devices, unless the contrary is shown, and an appropriate adjustment shall be made for the period of error. The Minister and the Contractor are also allowed in the PSA to determine the measurement point at which production shall be measured and the respective shares of Petroleum allocated. Kaieteur News was unable once again to make any comparison since in the Guyana-Exxon PSA; such a provision does not exist. GUYANARAPIDLY APPROVING US$B IN OIL DEVELOPMENTS – but audits pre-contract costs at a sloth’s pace Despite its underprepared capacity to efficiently scrutinize costs claimed by oil companies, Guyana has started to rapidly approve field development plans (FDPs) submitted by ExxonMobil which sum up to billions of United States dollars. No cost audits have been contemplated on the two field developments the country has already approved. Yet, Guyana is on track to greenlight a third development, the Payara project, very soon as ExxonMobil has been pressuring the government and threatening to take its investment dollars elsewhere. The Guyanese public has been made aware that ExxonMobil intends to have Guyana repay every cent it claims it spent to explore and develop the Stabroek Block,
with the money gained from the sale of Guyana’s crude. With Guyana’s lack of capacity, if the costs claimed by the company are overstated, Exxon and its partners could walk away with free cash which belongs to the people, but are allowed to slip away by hurrying the political leadership. PRE-CONTRACT COSTS Pre-contract cost includes contract costs, exploration costs, operating costs, service costs, and general and administrative costs and annual overhead charge as those terms are defined in the 1999 Petroleum agreement. ExxonMobil intends to recover hundreds of millions of US dollars in pre-contract costs. So far, the Stabroek Block agreement notes that ExxonMobil intends to recover US$460M in precontract costs for operations during the period 1999-2015. The audit of these costs started in late 2019 by a British firm government hired, called IHS Markit, since Guyana just doesn’t have the know-how to get it done. Guyana is in the ninth month of the new year, and the audit still isn’t completed, according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. Attorney-at-Law and Accountant, Christopher Ram, had said in 2018 that Exxon’s claim of US$460M is overstated by at least US$92M. He had challenged the former APNU+AFC Government to justify the figure it agreed to pay. His calculation found that all figures supplied by the companies, even when one allows for all expenses and expenditures, amount to a far cry from the US$460,237,918 that Exxon and its partners, Hess and CNOOC Nexen, are claiming. He had said that it is overstated by “at least”
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US$92M, because not all expenditure is recoverable as pre-contract costs. Ram had posited that Guyana may very well incur more pre-contract costs. He reminded that the US$460M only accounts for 1999 to 2015. He noted, however, that the contract was revised and signed in late 2016. Ram said that there could be more costs from January 2016 to October 2016 as the agreement stipulates “such cost as incurred under the 1999 Petroleum agreement between January 1, 2016 and effective date [date of contract signing] which shall be provided to the Minister on or before October 3, 2016 and such number agreed on or before April 30, 2017.” International lawyer, Melinda Janki, had said, “The costs for the whole of 2016 were about US$583M and if you apportion it to October, you get roughly US$400M. Again, Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman has agreed for Guyana to pay this. As at October 7, 2016, Government’s attempt to sell our oil costs us US$960M.” MORE EXPLORATION COSTS ExxonMobil did not stop exploring after the contract was signed. After all, it announced its 18th discovery Tuesday. All of the exploration work and other costs incurred over the years from the contract signing date in 2016 to its ongoing drilling operations, which led to those 18 discoveries, have to be recovered. There’s no telling just how much Exxon will demand, in this regard. In 2018, Exxon’s then Head of Government and Public Affairs, Kimberly Brasington, had given an idea of how the previously claimed costs were arrived at. Brasington said that
approximately $230M was spent drilling the Liza One well and early drilling costs for the follow-on wells. She said that this included mobilizing and demobilizing the drilling rig, helicopters and supply vessels in addition to drilling the well. The ExxonMobil official said that approximately $140M was spent shooting the company’s 20,000km seismic campaign over the Stabroek Block. She said that this was ExxonMobil’s largest proprietary seismic campaign. “It was required because no 3D data existed for the block. The seismic data is what helped us figure out where to drill the wells,” Brasington stated. Furthermore, the official had said that approximately $65M was spent over many years utilizing Geology and Geo-science experts and engineering teams to identify the potential prospects that the company and its partners wanted to drill and then to design the concept for safe and successful drilling. Brasington said that just about $25M spent on other costs and overheads, including block rental fees and training payments. Exxon claims it spent all of that to drill one well, perform a seismic campaign on the entire Stabroek Block, hire technical experts to identify potential prospects, and change. With 18 discoveries on its belt in that block, the company’s demands are expected to meet hundreds of millions of US dollars, if not, billions. BILLIONS IN DEVELOPMENTAL COSTS Every discovery can be developed for the oil to be produced and sold. Much of the costs will go to buying
a floating vessel to be stationed at the field, and its accompanying d e v e l o p m e n t infrastructure. The initial cost estimates for Liza Phases O n e a n d Tw o – b o t h already approved – total about US$9.7B. It became concerning when ExxonMobil revised the cost estimates for the Liza Phase One project on multiple occasions. The cost was drastically revised by nearly US$1B over the years. During Hess’ fourth quarter earnings call for 2019, Chief Executive Officer John Hess had specifically stated, “…Liza Phase One was budgeted at US$4.4 billion gross, including the purchase of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel (Liza Destiny)… We now expect the gross cost for the development to be approximately US$3.5 billion or 21% below the sanctioned estimate.” The initial estimate was published by ExxonMobil in 2017, and revised a first time in 2018 by US$700M. Hess’ announcement is the second revision, taking the cost down by $200M more. That’s a total reduction of US$900M. Speaking at a press conference earlier this year, Jagdeo said as Opposition Leader, “If you could make such a [nearly] US$1B error, that is worrying, without oversight from the government.” Presently, no firm has been hired to audit the billions of dollar in costs that Exxon intends to claim for the Stabroek Block project. But Liza-1 is already on stream, and is
set to pump an estimated 450M barrels. The Liza P h a s e Tw o project is estimated to cost US$6B, and that will have to be audited too. It is slated to come on stream in 2022, and will pump an estimated 600M barrels. Canadian-based engineer, Darshanand Khusial, had noted that there are worrying cost anomalies which exist between the Liza Phases One and Two cost estimates, which must be explained before the Government approves any other project. The former APNU+AFC Government approved the Liza Phase One project in June 2017, despite there being hundreds of millions of dollars in pre-contract costs to audit. Then, it approved Liza Phase Two in April 2019, just two years after the first. Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, said during a Monday press conference that the government intends to aggressively pursue costs, as it does not agree that some of the expenditures made out to be cost recoverable, should be so. Yet, the new PPP/C administration appears ready to further the APNU+AFC’s trend by approving Payara soon, and adding billions in unaudited costs for a government that is unprepared to provide ample scrutiny. Rystad Energy, an energy research and business intelligence company, projects that ExxonMobil will be able to place one Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel offshore Guyana, every year for the next 10 years. The Norwegian firm projected that, to do so, ExxonMobil would be expending around US$50B in projects over the (Continued on page 48)
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From page 47 period. These projects, however, would be subject to government approvals. THURSDAY GRANDSON OF SUSPECT IN BERBICE TEENS’ MURDER, KILLED IN BACKDAM – MOTORCYCLE BURNT Amidst investigations into the grisly killing of two teenagers from Number Three Village, West Coast Berbice and violent protests that erupted over the killing over the past few days, another teenager was Wednesday brutally slain in the Number Two Village backdam. Dead is 17-year-old Haresh Singh of Number Two Village. His unconscious body with chop wounds and other marks of violence was found in the Number Three Village backdam. His motorcycle was found burnt nearby. According to information released by police, the teen left home on his motorcycle to attend to his farm in the village. Sometime after, his relatives noticed smoke coming from the backdam area. Upon checking, they found Singh lying unconscious and bleeding from his nose. He was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he succumbed. Kaieteur News was later told that the teen is the relative of three of the suspects currently in police custody for the double murder of teenage boys Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry. Singh’s sister, Amrita Singh, said that there are reports that some men from Number Five Village had beaten and chopped her brother in the backdam. According to the woman, her brother had ventured to the backdam on his motorcycle to take water for some labourers. “Like around 12:00 he had to go down to the backdam to carry down water and shortly after we get message that somebody beat he…he head knock and he was bleeding from he ears and nose,” the sister said. At the New Amsterdam Hospital where Singh was taken, his uncle told reporters that he got the message around 11:00hrs that Singh was beaten in the backdam. A relative stated that prior to Singh’s death, his home was stoned by protesters who had issued threats after finding out that his grandfather and two other relatives were arrested for the Henry boys’ murder. Up to press time, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said
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that no-one has been arrested in connection with the vicious crime. Investigations are ongoing into the matter. LABOUR MINISTER PUTS EXXON, TULLOW ON NOTICE OVER UNEQUAL PAY, TREATMENT OF GUYANESE WORKERS – INTENDS TO VISIT OFFSHORE OPERATIONS Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton recently informed Kaieteur Radio that he has put oil companies ExxonMobil and Tullow Oil on notice, after receiving worrying reports of unequal pay between Guyanese workers and expatriates. He also noted his intention to very soon go on visits offshore, and to train labour officers, as well as occupational health and safety officers, to conduct requisite inspections. The production sharing agreement signed between government and Exxon states that Guyana must give the company seven days notice before visiting its offshore operations. The Minister made an appearance on Kaieteur Radio’s Petroleum 101, where he discussed the rights of the workers in the context of the petroleum and mining sectors. “Information has come to me, and has come to the party,” he stated, “even before we got into government about instances in the oil and gas industry where you have unequal payment for the same job.” The Minister expressed bewilderment that a Guyanese baker, for instance, should be paid five or 10 times less than someone from Trinidad or elsewhere, when they use the same flour and water. In his meetings with the oil companies, he was keen to note that the reports of unequal pay revolve around their subcontractors and not these two companies themselves. In this regard, Hamilton noted that it was necessary to let these two companies know of his expectations, as it is in engagements with them that
the sub-contractors are brought into the local sector. “I have put that before Exxon,” the Minister explained, “and I said to them, ‘you have a responsibility to speak to your subcontractors and the people you contract to execute jobs in this space’ because from the Guyanese people’s standpoint, the only name that comes to their mind when we discuss oil and gas is Exxon.” He said that the companies gave commitments that they would look into the issue. On the other hand, the Ministry’s officers will have to be trained for the specificities of scrutinizing offshore operations, as they would have to determine the veracity of complaints made by employees, Hamilton told Kaieteur Radio. In addition, Hamilton said that Guyanese should be given the first opportunity to be employed once they have the skills. “I said to the oil and gas industry companies I have engaged that you have a responsibility to create all the necessary conditions to ensure Guyanese are equipped with the necessary skills to function effectively and efficiently in the oil and gas industry.” From a business standpoint, he is of the view that it would be better for oil companies to have local workers, as it is more expensive to have expats who they would likely have to house. Reports of unequal pay have plagued the industry for some time now. An oil service company operating aboard the Liza Destiny Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel appeared to be using the job descriptions for some of its employees to pay foreign workers more than local workers for the same job, according to a report by Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin last year. Appearing on Kaieteur Radio’s Guyana’s Oil & You in October, he had said that the company would label the local employee with a different job title as the foreign employee, but that the work is the same. “In fact, it’s one person working one shift and the other person working the other shift,” he had said. I AM NOT A RACIST; PUT AN END TO THE VIOLENCE – FATHER OF MURDERED TEEN, ISAIAH HENRY “I will not hate, I am not racist,” were the words of Gladson Henry, father of
murdered West Coast Berbice teen, Isaiah Henry, as he appealed to protesters to put an end to their violent streak and continue their demonstrations in a peaceful manner. Tensions have escalated over the past few days on the West Coast of Berbice after the mutilated bodies of Isaiah and his older cousin, Joel, were found Sunday last dumped in clumps of bushes near a coconut estate at the Cotton Tree Backdam, West Coast Berbice. Several theories have since surfaced of the real motive for the gruesome double murder. Some have speculated that the killings were racially or politically motivated but there have been no evidence to support either. The increased attacks on random individuals by protesters have been condemned by Gladson Henry who made it clear that he will not condone any immoral act. “I am not supporting unmoral protesting because I went out in Number Five and I will tell you straight… if you want to protest, which is our right, let we do it peacefully and doing it peacefully that…we as a nation cannot be fighting against one another,” he said. The senior Henry said that the family is only seeking justice, adding that “the person who committed the act should pay for the crime.” “I still love my Indian brothers and sisters,” he said, noting that his son was never a racist and even with everything that has happened, he still holds no ill will to any race. “I wanna say…I am not a racial person. I born in Number Three, the community I live in, and I live among Indian people, we eat together, we sleep together, we live together…the majority of my friends that I move with is Indian friends, we live like brothers, big men, and because of how I was moving, they give me a
nickname, and that nickname is ‘geerah’ and the meaning of ‘geerah’ is that they come up with is because ‘geerah’ have to go in the dhall.” AUTOPSY REPORT Meanwhile, the autopsy conducted Wednesday on the bodies of the cousins by Pathologist Nehaul Singh, revealed that they were chopped repeatedly until they died. He concluded that they died from haemorrhage and shock due to multiple incised wounds. Joel received 18 wounds to the body, including many defensive wounds along with seven to eight chops to the head. He also bit his tongue. Isaiah, on the other hand, also sustained several chops to the head. The pathologist also noted that both spines of the boys were severed, with a senior police source explaining that this was the result of chop wounds to the back of their neck which almost left the boys’ heads separated from their bodies. Police have since arrested a total of seven persons as investigations continue. FRIDAY T&T CONSTANTLY IMPROVES GAS DEALS WHILE GUYANA HIDES BEHIND CONTRACT SANCTITY Trinidad and Tobago Energy Minister, Franklin Khan on Wednesday announced a license extension agreement between the Government and several oil and gas companies for four production licenses that the companies have ventures in. This represents just one of a series of actions taken by the twin-island nation to secure more value for its people, as its negotiations over the years have ensured an increasing share of the revenue from the exploitation of its petroleum resource for the people of T&T. Meanwhile, Guyana refuses to challenge oil major
ExxonMobil to secure more value for the people, leaving the country stuck with a lopsided deal constituted by provisions embedded over 20 years ago. Though the deal was renewed in 2016, improvements were negligible. The T&T’s Energy Minister stated that the agreement is the outcome of continuing negotiations on gas related issues, noting that the first phase completed late 2018 resulted in a 10-year extension of one of BP’s TT’s licenses with a benefit to the state of 1.0B for settlement of legacy issues. Khan’s ministry noted that under this new agreement, the four licensesTeak, Samaan, Poui and East Mayaro, have been extended each for a period of 10 years; and that further discussions are scheduled between the parties “to bring the licences up to date with the modern exploration and production licences”. The Ministry expects the state to benefit from incremental value of about US$250M by 2024 under the agreements. The talks are conducted by the Government’s ‘Empowered Negotiating Team’ led by Khan himself. Included are Minister of National Security, Stuart Young; a technical team from the Energy Ministry, US attorneys, and representatives of Poten & Partners UK Ltd as technical advisors. The T&T Government said that the action it has taken has been mutually beneficial to itself and the upstream producers. “Government policies have also enabled the country to derive a greater share of revenue from the monetization of the country’s hydrocarbon resources. These outcomes are testimony to the effectiveness of the Government’s energy policies and the positive (Continued on page 49)
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From page 48 collaboration with upstream stakeholders,” the Energy Ministry stated. T&T Prime Minister, Keith Rowley, has stewarded negotiations with petroleum companies for years and has insisted that if situations change, agreements must adjust to reflect those changes. He had visited Guyana in 2018, and gave Guyana advice on the prospect of renegotiation. T&T has since then, renegotiated several deals to get more for the people. He had said that it was necessary to build a platform of mutual respect “and an ability to sit in the same room as equals with these sophisticated multinational companies”. Guyana’s government has run from talk of renegotiation of the controversial Stabroek Block deal, despite local and international commentators, as well as local newspapers noting many provisions in the contract, which are lopsided and unfair. Global Witness, a watchdog body, found that the deal is so unfair that Guyana will lose about US$55B over its lifetime, compared to a fair deal. At the current juncture, ExxonMobil is financially weakened, and experts have advised that the best time to seek renegotiation is now, as the company needs Guyana more than Guyana needs it. Both the APNU+AFC and PPP/C Governments have insisted that contract sanctity should be respected. Rowley had noted, however, that though contract sanctity must be respected, contracts are not set in stone. He has told oil companies that the government has a role in ensuring that the people get “more than crumbs that fall off the table.” This has been the guiding philosophy of the T&T government’s management of
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the sector. TRAFFIC FLOWINGAS JOINT SERVICES TAKES CONTROL OF REGION 5 There was a smooth flow of traffic Thursday on the West Coast Berbice as the Joint Services took control of things. Regional Commander, Edmond Cooper, confirmed that all areas that had blockades were cleared and traffic flowed smoothly. According to reports coming out of Region Five, members of the Guyana Defence Force working together with the Guyana Police Force were on the ground removing burnt debris from the roads. Several persons said they were breathing a sigh of relief as the traffic began to move freely. Hundreds of persons were stuck in the long lines for days as protests intensified over the past few days. Persons who were stuck at different locations and needed transportation were made aware of an advisory indicating meeting points where they would be picked up and transported to a safe point so that they could make their way home safely. Person reported that soldiers escorted their vehicles to the bridge and ensured that they passed safely and freely. Persons from several villages including Number 3, Number 4, Number 5, Belladrum, Hopetown, Burma, Cottage Mahaicony, Seafield and Lovely Lass, Bath Villages turned out in numbers to protest the grisly slaying of teen cousins, Isaiah Henry and Joel Henry. The butchered bodies of the teens were found in the Cotton Tree backdam and their death has caused widespread anger and frustration to overflow. What began as a protest for justice for the teens turned into absolute horror, as persons began burning the
roads and erecting blockades, forcing drivers and passengers to be stuck in lines. On the second and third day of the protest actions, dozens of reports of attacks and robberies were made. Many persons took to social media and posted pictures of injuries people sustained at the hands of criminal elements and the damage they suffered. Vehicles were burnt, persons were stripped of their clothing, beaten and robbed of their cash, valuables and belongings. A third teen was murdered in the Number 3 backdam and a man was beaten to death by protestors at Bath Settlement. Several leaders from the Government and the opposition visited Region 5
during the protests. Although many of the leaders asked for peace to reign and for persons to desist from the violence, protestors still continued. However, Thursday, PNCR Chairman Volda Lawrence in a video that went viral and gained to support of many including from the government’s side, she called on the protestors to “stop the carnage”. Lawrence said that, “as a leader, we have to call a spade a spade and, as I speak, I am calling on President Irfaan Ali to call on his people too. I am calling on my people to end this carnage, to end the way in which they are grieving and I am asking him to do likewise. As our people pull back so he must call on his people too to pull back”. It was her loud and resounding call for peace to reign that may have played a critical role in stopping the violent protests from carrying on. In her short video, Lawrence called on “every single PNCR member irrespective of your status” to “stop the carnage”. She went on to say that, “we all would have our likes and dislikes but we certainly can display our grief in a better manner. We certainly can empathise in a different way”. Up to late last night, there were no reports of protestors on the roads and the roads
remained clear with heavy joint service presence. SUPENAAM WOMAN KILLED BY EX-LOVER AFTER LATE NIGHT PHONE CALL A twenty-four years old woman from Supenaam, Essequibo Coast, was brutally stabbed to dead Wednesday night by her exboyfriend. The woman, who was identified as Lunisa Peters, sustained multiple stab wounds to her head, and other parts of her body. Based on information reaching Kaieteur Radio, the now dead girl and the suspect, who has been identified as Namdram Persaud, once lived together at Golden Fleece, on the Essequibo Coast. When the relationship came to an end, Peters moved back to her aunt at Supenaam. Sometime around 23:30 hrs. on Wednesday, Peter’s ex-boyfriend visited her at her aunt’s Supenaam home. He was invited in, and the couple sat together on a chair.Things took a deadly turn when the young woman received a phone call, apparently from a male friend. Upon hearing a male’s voice over the phone, the exboyfriend, who was fueled by rage and jealousy, grabbed Peters by her hair and dragged her to the kitchen, where he grabbed a knife. He then took her to the bathroom where he dealt her several stabs to her head, and about
her body. The aunt of the now dead girl heard the commotion and raised an alarm, after which the suspect ran out of the house. When the police arrived at the scene and examined the body, it was observed that the young woman had several stab wounds about the head and body. A knife and a rolling pin with suspected bloodstains were also observed at the scene. The young woman was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by a doctor. The suspect was later arrested and remains in police custody assisting with the investigations. SATURDAY GUYANA #6 IN THE WORLD FOR TOXIC GAS FLARING PER CAPITA, WITH JUST ONE OIL VESSELOPERATING ExxonMobil has flared more than 10 billion cubic feet of natural gas since it started producing oil at its Liza Phase One operations, which has placed Guyana at number six in the world per capita for countries emitting toxic gas by flaring. The World Bank has noted that flaring releases gases that are not only disastrous to the climate, but also directly harmful to human health with the gases containing more than 250 toxins, including cancer (Continued on page 50)
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From page 49 causing agents. The Bank recently revealed its Global Gas Flaring Tracker Report dated July 2020. The countries which flared the most toxic gas in 2019 by gross volume are Russia, Iraq, the United States, Iran and Venezuela – in that order. However, due to their large populations, their per capita numbers would not be as high as Guyana.. The status quo at the oil major’s Liza Destiny operations causes Guyana’s rate of flaring to surpass all but one of the five nations, when the flaring is compared on a per capita basis. In this regard, Guyana trails only Libya, Gabon, Oman, Qatar and Iraq. Though ExxonMobil styles itself as an effective manager of emissions, the oil major has failed to mitigate the flaring at Liza-1, which is its very first field development in Guyana. It was only meant to briefly flare gas at project start-up in late December last year, to test and fully commission the gas compression and injection systems at the site. Yet, the public was shocked to find out in January that Exxon was flaring gas way longer than expected. As of the end of May, the company had flared more than nine million cubic feet of gas. Kaieteur News was informed that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandated a reduction in production to keep the flaring low, while the company worked to have the cause, which it claimed to be
Kaieteur News
a defective gas compressor, resolved. According to the EPA, ExxonMobil is still experiencing issues with the compressor. However, the gas flaring is reported to have reduced significantly from the 80 million cubic feet per day when it started, to 12-15 million cubic feet per day. The company has not given an end date for the flaring. If it continues at this rate, total gas flared is calculated to near 12 billion cubic feet or 337 million cubic meters by the end of 2020, by Kaieteur News’ conservative estimates. ExxonMobil is preparing to start production at the Liza Phase Two project site in 2022, with a second Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, the Liza Unity. That vessel will have the capacity to produce almost twice as many barrels of oil per day, as the 120,000 bpd Liza Destiny. The company eventually intends to have a total of five FPSOs operating in the Stabroek Block by 2025, even though it hasn’t gotten its act together on operation number one, with flaring at Liza-1 going on for almost nine months now. ExxonMobil has exploited loopholes in its Liza-1 permit to allow it to flare, and the company has requested that the EPA to preserve those same loopholes in its future permits; the company still wants to add four more development operations by 2025. The Payara project, Exxon’s third intended development, is currently
before the government for approval. Asked whether Government is prepared to approve Payara, even as Exxon continues to pollute the environment, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo indicated that the government does not want flaring. JUSTICE WILL BE SWIFT FOR SLAIN WEST COAST BERBICE TEENS, PRITTIPAUL HARGOBIN – PRES. ALI President Ali Friday met with the families of the slain West Coast Berbice teens Isaiah and Joel Henry and Haresh Singh along with the family of Prittipaul Hargobin to personally
assure them of Government’s firm support in bringing the killers to justice. He assured the relatives that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that the perpetrators responsible for the heinous crimes made to answer for their crimes. “On behalf of the people of Guyana and my own behalf and that of my family and Government, I want to again express my condolences to you and your family,” President Ali said. He also pledged to work tirelessly to ensure that the resolution of the investigation is given the highest priority. He reiterated, “I will work day and night to get to the
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bottom of what happened to those teens.” President Ali also used the opportunity to urge all residents and community members present to work with the members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to restore peace and stability. “Safety and security in all of the communities remain a top priority. As you can see, there is more visibility on the ground, more resources on the ground,” the Head of State noted. The President urged the residents to cooperate with the police, who are working to not only conduct their investigations, but to also
bring peace to the communities along the WCB corridor. This, he stressed, can be achieved through cooperation and the sharing of critical information, which can assist investigators. “No forms of criminality will be tolerated,” he added “We cannot tolerate lawlessness and criminality. We have to fix what went wrong and move forward.” The aggrieved relatives all expressed their hope that justice will be served swiftly and that all leads will be pursued. They expressed too, their appreciation for the President’s visit and his commitment to ensuring that all steps are taken towards achieving justice for the boys.
Sunday September 13, 2020
The Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon wine review Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon comes from Barefoot Cellars in Modesto, California, USA. Although the wine is imported and bottled there, this wine is actually a product of Argentina according to the label on the back of the bottle. Barefoot Cellars, which is part of the E&J Gallo Winery, got its start in 1965 by winemaker Davis Bynum. He created a Burgundy in his garage and it was given the name Barefoot Bynum Burgundy. Fast forward to today and the head winemaker is Jen Wall, who has been at Barefoot since 1995. With respect to its taste and aroma, this Cabernet
Sauvignon positively bursts with all the bold flavors of raspberry and blackberry jam that make this smooth wine an instant sensation. Finished with notes of currant and smooth vanilla, the Cabernet
Sauvignon pairs perfectly with everything from backyard barbeques to beachside bashes. It is proudly distributed by Ansa McAL Trading Limited (AMTL).
Gabrielle Union’s Response to a Possible Bring It On Sequel Deserves a Cheer Gabrielle Union, who portrayed iconic Clovers cheerleader Isis in the beloved 2000 movie, has confirmed that she and costar Kirsten Dunst are ready to get to work on a follow-up film. “We actually did like a public panel a couple of weeks ago and they asked about it,” Union told James Corden on The Late Late Show. “And we all were like, ‘We’re in, like we’re absolutely in.’ So, you heard it here.” When Corden asked if a sequel is “absolutely,
genuinely going to happen,” the 47-year-old actress replied that it is. “Absolutely, it’s absolutely going to happen,” Union assured Corden. “I think because like we got obsessed with Cheer on Netflix and, you know, it kind of brought back the whole love of cheerleading.” She added, “We kind of want to see where these people would be 20 years later.”While Bring It On inspired a series of spinoff films, Union and Dunst— who played cheer rival
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Torrance in the original movie—were not a part of them. However, it sounds like the time is right for the duo to come back together on the mat. In August, the stars virtually reunited for a panel discussion in celebration of the movie’s 20th anniversary. To get more details on a possible Bring It On sequel, watch the videos above! (https://www.eonline.com/ news/1186974/gabrielleunions-response-to-apossible-bring-it-on-sequeldeserves-a-cheer)
Enetworks to air ‘We Are Who We Are,’ tomorrow at 10PM
Tomorrow at 10PM, the Enetworks team is thrilled to air the premiere of We Are Who We Are, which is an upcoming drama limited television series created and directed by Luca Guadagnino
for HBO and Sky Atlantic. It tells the story of two American kids who live on a U.S. military base in Italy explore friendship, first love, identity, and all the messy exhilaration and
anguish of being a teenager. The cast i n c l u d e s C h l o ë Sevigny, Scott Mescudi, Jack Dylan Grazer, Alice Braga, Spence Moore II, and Jordan Kristine Seamon.
All you need to know about the Clasico Sauvignon Blanc and Clasico Cabernet Savignon
The Vina Ventisquero Cabernet Sauvignon Clasico is an expressive and intense wine with ripe red and black fruit intermingled with aromas of black pepper, caramel, tobacco, and chocolate. In the mouth, there is good body, balanced structure, and firm, ripe tannins with a delicious and persistent finish.It is best served at between 16 ° C and 18 ° C. This wine pairs well with mature cheese, grilled red meat, pasta dishes and casseroles. As for the Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is
pale green in colour; displays a blend of citrus and tropical fruit aromas, such as lime, grapefruit, pineapple and pear; and is known for being a medium-bodied wine with its vibrant acidity that retains freshness. It is best served at a temperature of between 8 ° C and 10 ° C. This wine is excellent as an aperitif and also pairs well with salad, seafood, ceviche and fish. These two wines are proudly distributed by the Wine Vault located at the Marriott Hotel.
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Kaieteur News
11 Kettlebell Swing Benefits That Will Have You Swinging From Dusk To Dawn The kettlebell is an absolutely fantastic piece of equipment to have in your home. There is so much that you can do with a kettlebell that it would blow your mind if you read it all at once. However, today we aren’t here to talk about kettlebells and their general benefits. We are actually here to talk about the benefits of kettlebell swings, the swing being one very specific exercise that you can do with the kettlebell. Let’s get right to it and talk about what all of the kettlebell swing benefits are! What Is A Kettlebell? A kettlebell is probably the simplest workout tool that you could have, yet also one of the most versatile and useful ones too. It is pretty much a large cast iron ball with a single handle on the top. Kettlebells can come in various weights. This may sound like a very simple piece of equipment, which it is, but it does in fact have many uses, with one of the best uses being the kettlebell swing. What Is A Kettlebell Swing? A kettlebell swing is a specific exercise that you can do with the kettlebell. You start out with your legs and feet spread slightly more than shoulder width apart. Hold the kettlebell’s handle with the kettlebell in between your legs, which means that you have to be crouched over slightly as well as bent at the knees. Then, start to lift the kettlebell upwards and outwards, using your legs, core, and arms to generate the force necessary to get the kettlebell up. The ending position will have your arms outstretched in front of you and slightly above your head, holding the kettlebell, with your legs straight. Then, once you have done this, simply lower it back down, going through the same process which you went through to lift it up in the first place. The Kettlebell Swing Benefit #1: Get A Total Body Workout – Muscle Strengthening One of the biggest benefits that come along with doing kettlebell swings is that they provide you with a full body workout which trains almost every single muscle in your body from top to bottom. The kettlebell swing is a very efficient exercise that you can do with the kettlebell. Just to make things clear, the first stage of the swing, where you start to swing it upwards, requires your legs, glutes, hips, and lower back to generate the force required to lift the kettlebell. Then, once the swing is in progress and you are in the process of lifting it up, your abdomen and abs contract to keep the force going, thus training your core. Then as you are reaching the upright position of the swing, your arms, shoulders, wings, lats, and chest engage in order to get it to the position where it is over your head. Then on the way down all of that happens in reverse. As you can see, a kettlebell swing is amazing for training every single muscle in your body. Of course, the end result of all
of this is that you will end up with stronger muscles after just a short period of time. Obviously, we all want stronger muscles because they help to increase physical performance in sports, they make everyday life easier, and they look great too. The kettlebell swing is a great way to get your body ready for beach season no doubt. Benefit #2: Kettlebell Swings Are Very Versatile Yet another thing that makes the kettlebell swing such an awesome exercise is because it is extremely versatile, or in other words, anybody can do the kettlebell swing. This exercise, and the kettlebell in general, is not just meant for men. Anybody, man and woman, young and old, can do the kettlebell swing. This is because a kettlebell comes in many different weights. Smaller women, older people, and younger kids can start out with a kettlebell that only weighs 2.5, 5, 7,5, or 10 pounds, whereas middle aged men, or strong people in general, can use a 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35-pound kettlebell with ease. These things can range in weight from 1.5 all the way to 100 pounds and more, which means that literally everybody can find a good kettlebell that is adequate to do the kettlebell swing with. Moreover, you don’t have to be at the gym to do kettlebell swings either. As long as you have enough space you can do the kettlebell swing at home, in the backyard, at the gym, at the park, or even in your workplace office too. There is also the fact that buying a kettlebell is much cheaper than buying various other pieces of exercise equipment. Benefit #3: You Can Target Certain Muscles – Different Arms Another thing that we really like about the kettlebell is that it allows you to target various muscles in your body quite accurately. For instance, if you want a nice even muscle workout like we described in benefit number one, simply use both hands for the kettlebell swing in order to target both sides of your body evenly. However, if you need to work out one side of your body more than the other for whatever reason, you can always do one handed kettlebell swings, in which case they will target the side of your body which you are using to do the swings with, especially that specific arm. You can even increase the challenge by doing alternate kettlebell swings, where you do one with one arm then the next with the opposite arm, and where you literally throw the kettlebell from one hand to the other every time you switch sides. It is really convenient to have an exercise like the kettlebell swing which lets you choose which parts or side of your body to target the most. Benefit #4: The Swing Incorporates More Than One Type Of Exercise The next big benefit that is
definitely worth mentioning about kettlebell swings is that they allow you to train multiple fitness aspects at the same time. A heavy kettlebell takes a whole lot of power to swing up and down time and time again, therefore it is a type of weight or strength training no doubt. However, the kettlebell swing also involves constant intense motion, because with a real kettlebell swing you never stop moving. This is a cardiovascular aspect, and doing a swing over and over again will go a long way in training your cardiovascular system too. If you want a good exercise that will allow you to train your strength and cardio, then the kettlebell swing is the way to go. It’s a great exercise to use on cross training days where you want to either take a break from pure strength training or pure cardio training. The kettlebell swing is the best of both worlds! Benefit #5: Cardiovascular Training Like we just mentioned, the kettlebell swing is a form of cardiovascular training, which means that it works out the heart just as well as it works out the muscles. If you don’t believe us, just do 20 kettlebell swings with each arm, and then do 20 with both arms, and tell us that your heart is not pumping so hard that you think it is going to explode. This is an exercise that will get your heart pumping well above your average resting heart rate, something which is definitely a good thing. Cardiovascular training is extremely important for your health and overall wellbeing. A healthy heart leads to the reduced risk of suffering from a heart attack or stroke, it lowers you resting heart rate, it lowers blood pressure, it helps reduce cholesterol, and it makes your heart not to have to work as hard to do its job, thus prolonging how long it can keep ticking for. Having a stronger, healthier, and more efficient heart also does not hurt in terms of physical performance either. Benefit #6: Healthier Lungs The next benefit of doing kettlebell swings on a regular basis is that they can help make your lungs stronger, healthier, and more efficient at their job. Just like kettlebell swings work out all of your muscles and your heart, so do they work out your lungs. This is a very energy intensive form of exercise, one that requires a lot of oxygen to continue, one that taxes your lungs quite heavily. The faster and harder you do the kettlebell swings, the more your lungs need to work in order to supply your body with the oxygen necessary to keep going, or in other words, it trains your lungs to be more efficient. This kind of exercise causes your lungs to be able to absorb and process more oxygen as time goes on, also it makes it easier for your lungs to send oxygen to your muscles. The overall result is that your muscles will have more oxygen to function with, thus increasing how long and hard they can work for.
There is also the fact that you will feel less winded, or not at all, when you walk up stairs or go for a run, not to mention that healthy and efficient lungs are also less prone to breathing related conditions too. Benefit #7: Diabetes Control Another benefit that comes along with doing kettlebell swings is that they can go a long way in helping you control your diabetes. Diabetes has to do with the inability of your body to process sugar, specifically glucose, which then stays in your body and harms your liver, kidneys, and other organs. In the long run, this can be deadly. However, the kettlebell swing can help control this by using up unused glucose. Your muscles will burn through that glucose when doing kettlebell swings, thus reducing the need for your diabetic body to process it, something which it really cannot do on its own. Benefit #8: Increased Endurance Several of the benefits that we have mentioned earlier all contribute to this benefit of endurance. Kettlebell swings help you build your physical endurance, and that is because of other benefits that come with them, benefits such as increased muscle strength, cardiovascular training, and increased lung efficiency. To start out with the obvious, stronger muscles can do more. The stronger your muscles get from doing kettlebell swings, the more physical output you will be able to muster. You will be able to lift more, throw harder, jump higher, and run faster, all thanks to those kettlebell swinging muscles. Moreover, your muscles need oxygen to function, and that is where your strong heart and efficient lungs come into play. Efficient lungs trained by doing kettlebell swings can absorbs, process, and send more oxygen throughout your body. Your muscles need that oxygen to prevent them from getting fatigued and it also helps stop the buildup of lactic acid, that stuff that makes your muscles burn. Finally, the strong heart that kettlebell swings give you is necessary for pumping that oxygenated blood to your muscles. As you can see, all 3 of these things, stronger muscles, a stronger heart, and stronger lungs, are all benefits that you get from doing kettlebell swings, and they all result in your increased ability to perform intense physical exercise for a prolonged period of time. Benefit #9: Increasing Your Ability To Balance
Yet another benefit of doing kettlebell swings is that they can help you increase your ability to balance. When doing the kettlebell swing you move it from between your legs while you are bent over, to having it above and in front of your head with your arms extended upwards and outwards. This quick and constant shifting of positions means that your body has to compensate for those positional changes, automatically move itself to accommodate the shift in position, and therefore your balance gets trained in the process. Your proprioceptors are the receptors in your muscles which account of positional changes, and they are the things which automatically force your body to adjust in order to stay upright. Just like training your muscles or your memory, the more you do things that force you to balance, the better your balance will get over time. Of course, having good balance is very important for many different aspects in life. On a side note, kettlebell swings also help improve your posture by strengthening your core and back muscles. A stronger core leads to better posture, and ultimately that helps you balance much better too. Benefit #10: Weight Loss Goals Another benefit of doing kettlebell swings is that they can help you lose a whole lot of weight. Simply put, your body needs energy to function, and that energy comes from the calories you eat, or if there is a lack of calories in your body, from your fat reserves. Well, the kettlebell swing can burn up to 20 calories per minute, which is 600 calories in 30 minutes, or 1,200 calories in an hour. You may not want to do purely swings for 60 minutes straight, but if you do, you will get massive calories burning benefits. And if you don’t have enough calories in your system, your body will burn body fat to get the energy it needs, thus getting rid of those unsightly pounds on your body. Conclusion As you can see, the kettlebell swing is a fantastic exercise that comes with many different benefits. Literally, your whole body from top to bottom will benefit from this exercise. The benefits of kettlebell swings will leave you a happier and healthier person no doubt! (https:// www.fitandme.com/kettlebellswing-benefits/)
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My secret team Can you keep a secret? I had to for a long, long time. My family were all Boxton Town fans, but I supported a different team – Boxton Rovers. It was very hard being different. I had to be very good at pretending when both teams played each other. I couldn’t cheer when my team scored. I had to go the bathroom and celebrate there. I couldn’t be sad when the other team scored. I could only have my team’s posters on my bedroom wall when I was alone. If someone came to my room, I had to be quick
to change how it looked. I had to have a secret wardrobe too. I hid my favourite team’s clothes behind the other team’s. Birthdays were terrible too. I always got football gifts for the wrong team. But then
Junior page
How to Make Bottle Cap Necklaces
my life changed. A billionaire bought both clubs in my town and made one big team – Boxton United. Now I can relax and enjoy all the matches with my family. I go to the bathroom a lot less now too.
Nessie – the Loch Ness Monster Have you heard of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster? Loch Ness is a very large, deep lake in Scotland. Many people think a monster lives in it. The first report of Nessie was back in the sixth century. A man called St Columba reported seeing a monster in the water, but he told the monster to go back, and he was safe. ‘Go back!’ ‘OK, if you insist.’ Then, in 1933, Nessie was seen again by George Spicer and his wife – she crossed the road in front of their car. ‘What a beautiful day for a picnic.’ ‘Arghhh!’ The next year, a photo was taken of Nessie, which became very famous. It was taken by a doctor – but the photo turned out to be fake. Since then, there have been several more sightings of Nessie. Some people have tried to take photos and videos, but Nessie is very
shy and the pictures are not very clear. ‘The paparazzi are everywhere!’ People have also tried exploring the lake, but it is very deep and very dark. Some people watched the lake, while other people used equipment like underwater cameras, microphones and sonar to scan the lake carefully. People have even explored the lake in submersibles. No
Sunday September 13, 2020
one has found anything definite. There are lots of possible explanations for what people have seen in Loch Ness. Maybe the monster is just a giant eel, a large bird, a tree or a seal. A few people even think it could be a plesiosaur, which is a type of dinosaur. ‘Or maybe I’m just unique!’ So, what do you think? Do you believe that Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, really exists?
Drop Quotes Drop Quotes are similar to cryptograms, in that the goal is for the solver to uncover a hidden quote. A blackand white crosswordstyle grid is set up for each quote, with a number of letters "hovering" above each column. Your task is to "drop" each of those letters into the appropriate square in each column, until the entire quote is revealed. All punctuation (commas, periods, dashes, etc.) has been removed. Good luck!
Supply List: Bottle Caps or Bottle Cap Pendants Epoxy Dots Bottle Cap Images (Use ours or your own) Split Rings or Jump Rings 1" Circle Punch (optional) E6000 Glue (or other adhesive) 1/16" Metal Punch If you are making your own pendant you may want this slick tool for punching a small clean hole in the edge of the cap. *See photos below STEP 1: Make your Bottle Cap Pendant Here’s where you have two options... Option #1 is to buy the bottle cap pendant already made for you. Option #2 is to create your own pendant. *Shown in the steps below. STEP 2: Prepare Your Necklace So, there are a couple options for adding the Split Ring to your Bottle Cap... Option #1 is to use your finger nail and feed the coil of the Split Ring onto the cap. This works fine if you are only making a few necklaces, but if you’re making lots of necklaces you might want to consider using the Split Ring Tool. And so of course... Options #2 is to use the Split Ring Tool. It’s pretty simple, it saves your fingernails and you can get really fast at it. There’s a quick tutorial here if you’d like to see how to use a Split Ring Tool.Once you’ve added your Split Ring (or Jump
Ring) to your cap, feed the Ball Chain Necklace through the ring and you’re all set. Now comes the fun part! STEP 3: Punch Image, Adhere Epoxy Sticker, Glue Image to Bottle Cap This could actually be
Going to church The people of our country, Guyana, Have always believed in God Almighty, And most of us go to some church, To worship and pray for His mercy. Going to church makes us better, And keeps our minds at peace, by Uncle Roy Helps us to always do right, And with everyone be at peace. So let us all, no matter what church, Go regularly to worship and pray; This will ensure we will always improve, And our country will prosper, come what may.
three steps but they’re so quick and simple that I’ll combine them into one step with three pictures. I like pictures! Punch Your ImageUse a 1"Circle punch or cut with scissors. Adhere the Epoxy Dot sticker to the bottle cap image.Glue the Bottle Cap Image into the Cap. Make sure to let the glue dry for about 10 mins. If you are using E6000 just a very thin coat will work perfectly. It works best if you don’t put glue all the way to the edges of the bottle cap because if it squishes out around the top of the Epoxy Dot, it can react with the Epoxy and do weird things to the image sometimes.
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 13, 2020
Make every new day an opportunity to improve yourself further
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TEEN TIME
B
e a great teammate. Whether you are interacting with others at home, at school or at a workplace, you should always see that it is important for you to realise and act as part of a team. Make sure you do your part of the work at home, which includes keeping the place clean and in good order, along with all the other things that are needed. In your class, you should cooperate with your teacher and classmates so that everyone gets the most out of the time spent there. If you are working, it would be much appreciated by your employer as well as your fellow employees if you can see yourself as part of the whole group, and work with all others to get the goods and services you deal with delivered efficiently. Do the right thing and do not let others stray you from your long-term goals. Once you have identified what you want from your life on the long term, do not let others dissuade you from the path that would lead you to achieving this. It is granted that you will have to devote some of your time to
entertainment and other socialising with friends, but you will need to make sure that these do not hamper your progress in the really serious things that you need to move towards a fruitful life later. Identify the things you are good at and plan your life around these. Each of us has our special qualities and talents, and we will get the most out of our lives if we emphasise and develop these, so that they will work to achieve our goals. In fact, once you have identified these talents, you should try to frame your goals to make the best use of them. This would give them the best
chance of success, and you will feel more fulfilled in making full use of gifts with which you have been endowed. Speak less and listen more. People have a natural habit of wanting others to listen to and accept their own views, and so they listen less to what others have to say. In fact, many times people are so anxious to get their own perspective across to others that they hardly ever listen. This of course lessens their chances of learning from others, which can serve to keep them from much information and opinion that would have enriched their own fund of knowledge. When you form a habit of really listening to others, you will be surprised at how much you can learn, by which you can help yourself as well as see the opportunity to help others. In this effort, it is true that there are times when you can help people with some problem simply by listening to them. This happens because people can find their own solutions just because they know that they have someone who is willing to listen to and understand them.
Acrostic
People of Guyana People of Guyana, join with me, Let us cooperate and build our great country, Stop idling and wasting the good things you own, And work together for the good of everyone. Stop abusing drugs and alcohol, For the benefit of one and all, Put yourself into something that is good, Pursue your education the way you should. Live together in love and harmony, So that we will have a peaceful society; Think about what God wants you to do, Respect your country and its people, too
At the start of a new period of our country’s history, each of us should try to improve ourselves so as to make the greatest contribution to its progress.
Solutions to last week’s
Sudoku
Acrostic puzzles (also known as Anacrostics or Crostics) are sort of like a mix between a cryptogram and a traditional crossword puzzle. Solve the crossword clues to gradually fill in letters in the hidden quote. As the quote begins to emerge, it will provide you with letter clues for the words you've not yet found. Work the puzzle back and forth between the clues and the quote until you've revealed the solution! (Remember: the first letter of every answer will spell out the author and/or source of the hidden quote.)
Jigoku
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Ways to Convince Your Hair to Grow Faster and Longer 1. Stop Demonizing Scissors Let’s get this one out of the way first: Yes, trims sound counterintuitive and eating a spoonful of Jif every day seems like it’d be more effective, but you should continue to trim your hair sometimes. Trims get rid of accruing damage and the split ends that end up screwing you over in the long run. 2. Study Your Shampoo Bottle The secret to maximizing the hair-growth process is babying your hair at all times, including in the shower when its wet and vulnerable. 3. And Maybe Spend Less Time With It After you’re done squinting at labels, consider spending some time apart from cleansing products if you tend to shampoo a lot. That squeaky-clean feeling may mean you’re stripping your scalp and hair of its natural oils, which can lead to brittle hair and breakage, and leave you frustrated that your hair has been the same length for months. 4. But Keep Conditioning A hair-growth journey is an excellent excuse to treat yourself to a quality leave-in conditioner, an Audrey Hepburn–approved pre-poo conditioner, a luxurious hair mask, or just an upgrade to your usual conditioner, like the extra-nourishing formula above. Anabel Kingsley, trichologist at Philip Kingsley, says the added moisture in these treatments helps plump the hair shaft, improving elasticity and strength over time, which means less breakage and more length retention for you. 5. Stop Doing That Towel Thing still doing that towel thing? It’s very fun to flip your head over and rise with a chic turban of sorts, but the combo of twisting, tension, and fabric-rubbing on super-fragile wet hair is not great for hair growth. 6. Brush Up on How to Brush You’ll probably need to brush your hair at some point, and when you do, do not employ the Marcia Brady 100-stroke method. Only brush your hair gently when you truly need to, and make sure it’s with a gentle brush. “Opt for one with rounded, plastic prongs and a vented, cushioned base,” Kingsley advises. 7. Then Give Your Hair Some Space Beyond the gentle brushing, try to leave your hair alone as much as humanly possible. 8. Learn to Love Low Ponytails You can still style your hair, but avoid high-tension styles like these ponytails. Instead, stick to something relatively innocuous, like the low pony. Here are some low ponytails to put on your vision board and discuss with your hair later. 9. Sleep on Silk For the thousandth time, encouraging your hair to grow to impressive lengths means treating it like the fragile baby it is, so start sleeping on silk pillowcases to cut down on tangles, breakage, and damage, and preserve all your hard work from following the aforementioned steps. This step is a fun one because silk pillowcases feel really nice and are good for your face, too. 10. Chill Out Burg admits this is probably the hardest tip to follow, but if you want your hair to grow, you need to calm the eff down. “Your body knows that your hair isn’t essential to maintaining your life, like your heart, lungs, and brain are, so when your body is under stress, it will move any available nutrients and energy to those essential organs and away from your hair.” If you’re freaking out, you risk prematurely sending your hair follicles into the resting phase, which means any growth will proceed at a glacial pace while your body focuses on more important things. 11. Try Massaging Your Scalp One easy way to start mellowing out right this instant is by massaging your scalp. Forget all that “increasing blood flow to the scalp” rhetoric — it’s actually the self-care part that helps with hair growth. 12. And Treat Your Scalp Like Your Face Speaking of jade-rolling, both Kingsley and Burg agree that you should basically treat your scalp with the amount of care you treat your face, so give it a skin-care routine outside of shampooing. Avoid harsh physical scrubs and look for familiar ingredients like our good friends salicylic acid and alphahydroxy acids to gently remove dead skin cells. Also good: natural ingredients with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, such as green tea, mangosteen, goji berries, rosemary, and lavender.
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 13, 2020
Sunday September 13, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Sunday September 13, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Taxi driver runs for life after being stabbed by passenger An overhead view of the Waterfront area, Port Kaituma
Wounded taxi driver: Troy Roberts
Days after a pensioner was killed on the Train Line at Port Kaituma North West District (NWD), Region One, a taxi driver on Friday last ran for his life after he was stabbed to the neck in his car, by a passenger along Airstrip Road. The wounded man, Troy Roberts, 40, of Fitzburg, Port Kaituma and Belladrum Mahaica-Berbice, Region Five, was attacked close to 18:00hrs. According to police reports, the attacker along with a gold miner, 26, had joined Robert’s car late that afternoon to head to a location within the community. Things turned ugly, however, while they were journeying along Airstrip Road.The attacker who was reportedly sitting in the back seat of the car pulled out a knife and stabbed Roberts to the neck. The taxi driver stopped the car immediately, jumped out and ran for his life. Meanwhile, his attacker moved over into the driving seat and sped off with his accomplice, the gold miner, but crashed soon after. The gold miner was injured but the assailant escaped unhurt and fled the scene. Roberts was later rescued
and the injured accomplice was also nabbed by police. Both men were subsequently rushed to the Port Kaituma District Hospital where they were treated and then air lifted to the city for further medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). Roberts has since been discharged while the gold miner suffered a fractured arm and remains in police custody. As Robert’s attacker is still at large, residents of Port Kaituma are fearful that he might strike again. It is believed that the suspect might be the one responsible for the recent brutal murder of Earl Peters, 75, a security guard, attached to the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) Office in Port Kaituma. Peters was found soaked in blood, barely conscious and lying on the Train Line by a businessman who had heard his cries for help. At the hospital, Peters managed to give important details to investigating ranks of his attacker, only minutes before dying. An autopsy conducted on Peters’ body later revealed that he had died as a result of haemorrhage and shock due to multiple stab wounds.
Wife, son arrested after... From page 18 the house does not have a Transport and as such, a Transport is needed if her mother pawned the house. She said the Transport for the house was destroyed after the previous building in the same spot burned down. This newspaper understands that investigators found the bag with the money and jewellery that was reportedly stashed by the businessman. They also took with them the cell phones of Haniff, his wife and his teen son.
The daughter was initially asked how and where the bag was found, but she did not know. However, she later told reporters that investigators found it under the bed where her father was sleeping. It was reported in sections of the media that Gopaul had pawned the house and she was being contacted frequently to repay the money. However, no relative could confirm such. Police sources said that they have not been able to confirm such. The probe is ongoing.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 13, 2020
Coalition illegally spent more than $160B by August 2 -Minister Deodat Indar Government has responded to statements of former Finance Winston Jordan regarding the recent emergency budget presented in the National Assembly. Yesterday, Minister Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, said that more $160B was not authorized or illegally spent between January 1 to August 2, 2020 when President Irfaan Ali was sworn in. Below is the full statement of Minister Indar: I am obliged to respond to the Former Minister of Finance Winston Jordan, who made outlandish claims on the current PPP/C Budget that is before Parliament for debate and approval.
Mr. Jordan is the last person who should comment on this budget, as his leadership at the Ministry of Finance wreaked havoc on the economy, and bankrupted Guyana. His misguided philosophical approach is one which not only stifled the average consumer in Guyana but was onerous and burdensome on the private sector. No incentives were given for production and the promotion of productivity. To compensate for this, unleashed on taxpayers was a regime of abrasive and wide-reaching taxation; unprecedented in its nature in the Caribbean. I would like to apprise the public that out of the Budget of $329.5B the PPP/C admin-
istration met with unauthorized and illegal spending of more than half of the budget from January 1, 2020 to August 2, 2020 as there was no Parliament since December 2018. A substantial portion of this budget had to cater for ‘rollover’ projects from 2019, undertaken by the APNU caretaker government. The claim by Jordan that the PPP/C administration has to spend $329.5B within the last quarter of the year is nothing beyond sound bites demonstrating both his ignorance and incompetence. It is important to note that in 2014, the final year of the PPP/C’s administration, tax revenue totaled $135.2B. Within a mere five (5) years,
the APNU government tax revenues sky-rocketed by $91B or, a 67 percent increase from 2014. Notably, this increase in tax revenue came directly from the pockets of the citizens of Guyana in order to fund their lavish lifestyle in office. The sumeffect of Mr. Jordan’s policies is that the citizens of Guyana were left poorer. What they did with this money is Mr. Jordan’s legacy to answer to the Guyanese people. But to point out a few, we saw bloating of the public sector characterizing this period, driving operational costs up by astronomical levels with no corresponding increase in work output. He must also answer why he transferred lands to people illegally whilst as a caretaker minister, why monies were spent on capital works in Guyana against the financial laws of the country and why he lied to the Guyanese population about the US$18M signing bonus. Mr. Jordan has the dubious distinction of being the worst Finance Minister to ever set foot in that office. Recently, a $300M fraud was discovered by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) around fuel supply at GUYOIL. Since GUYOIL falls under the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Jordan will have to answer for these as well. It is my duty to ensure that the record is clear on this matter from the outset. This Emergency Budget is a step in the right direction to rectify the wrongdoings and malpractices of Mr. Jordan and the Granger administration and seeks to usher in a new era of economic boom through our plan for prosperity. Measures enacted by President Ali’s government The PPP/C’s budget underpins its philosophy of a pro-poor approach to managing the economy where every measure is designed to affect the Guyanese population in a positive way. A few of the measures in the budget can be categorized as efforts to: -Support COVID-19 Frontline Workers by setting aside $150M for their direct benefit -Reduce the Cost of Living by the reversal of VAT on electricity and water – a hardship measure placed on the Guyanese people by Mr. Jordan’s policies which is being removed by Dr. Ali’s government. -Increase Disposable Income by directly providing $25,000 per household through $4.5B in the Budget. -Measures to Improve the Provision of Education and
Health. -Removal of 25 percent corporate tax on private education which will translate into a reduction in school fees per child. -Removal of 25 percent corporate tax on healthcare. This will translate itself to a lower hospital bill. -Removal of VAT on medical supplies. This simply means that the bill at the pharmacy is cheaper. -Support for Miners through removal of VAT on machinery and equipment. Hardship measures created by Mr. Jordan’s policies severely hampered many smallscale miners forcing them out of operation. This new measure will enable 60 percent of small-scale miners to re-enter the mining sector. -Support for Farmers through the removal of VAT on ATVs, the reversal of VAT on exports, reversal of land lease fees across all sectors which grew between 67 to 1900 percent under the APNU government, removal of VAT on fertilizers, agrochemicals, pesticides, key inputs in poultry industry, zero-rating of poultry industry and the affording of tax concessions on investment in agro-processing facilities, cold storage and packaging. These measures will help to drastically reduce the cost for farmers. -Support vulnerable groups through: · Provision of $15,000 per child · Doubling of the uniform allowance · Reduction in cost of construction material through the elimination of VAT contributing to the dream of home ownership for the average Guyana, a reality. · Reducing the cost of a mobile phone which is now used by children to access their online learning platforms · Slashing of all licensing fees by half – this will assist every person who is
Minister Deodat Indar operating a small business, shop, grocery store, transport · Increase in old age pension from $20,500 to $25,000 -Measures to Support our Amerindian Brothers and Sisters through: · The implementation of a programme that will see 25,000 solar units being distributed; · $800M for the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF)including the reintroduction of the Community Service Officers (CSO) programme aimed at developing young Amerindians in various villages. This will create job opportunities for approximately 2,000 youth; · $300M from the ADF for investments in productive assets including tractors, trailers and agriculture tools; · $10M for commencement of the design of the National Toshaos Council Headquarters; and, · Resumption of the Amerindian Land Titling programme. With the approach laid out by Dr. Ali’s administration, citizens of all walks of life can be assured that his policies and commitment will result in prosperity. President Ali has committed to ensuring that his Plan for Prosperity, despite the challenges, will ensure that standard of living for every citizen is lifted. Guyanese can look forward to an inclusionary and participatory agenda in the mediumterm, leaving behind the dark days of Mr. Jordan and the APNU’s oppressive economic policies.
Former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan
Sunday September 13, 2020
Kaieteur News
COVID-19 death toll now at 55 as three more succumb
The COVID -19 dashboard for September 12 A 70-year-old man died yesterday afternoon, pushing the COVID-19 death toll to 55. “The Ministry of Health (MOH) regrettably informs that as of 17:00hrs on September 12, 2020, one other person who tested positive for the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has died,” a Ministry of Health statement said. The latest fatality is from the Demerara/Mahaica (Region 4) who died while receiving care at a government medical facility. “The MOH expresses sincerest condolences to the family of the deceased and will make every effort to provide all the necessary support during this difficult time to render any assistance needed,” the statement said.
Officials of the Ministry have contacted all relatives and persons to facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance to everyone who may have been exposed to the now-dead person. “The Ministry is also appealing to the general public to respect the confidentiality of the deceased and his family and to allow them to mourn their tragic loss in peace.” This latest death would have followed two more earlier in the day. The deaths reportedly occurred at midnight on September 11. The two deaths were said to be a 62 -year-old male from Cuyuni/Mazaruni (Region 7) who passed away while receiving care at a medical fa-
cility/ The other is said to be a 67-year-old man from Barima/ Waini (Region 1) area. Additionally, the Ministry reported that there are 49 new cases moving the overall total to 1,812 According to the regional breakdown, four cases were recorded in Region One; two in Region Two; three in Region Three; 26 in Region Four; one in Region Seven and 13 in Region Nine. Further, new dashboard outlined that there are 48 persons in institutional isolation and 504 persons in home isolation. So far, 1,191 persons have recovered while 86 suspected cases are in institutional quarantine.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 13, 2020
Reopening of sugar estates was not a political gimmick - Min. Mustapha -$5 billion assigned to GuySuCo -closed estates to reopen, jobs to be created -$18.4 billion allocated to agriculture sector
T
he Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) will be receiving $5 billion from the Government’s new budgetary measures to rejuvenate the sugar industry, reopen the closed estates, and essentially, recreate employment. President Irfaan Ali announced that his government will begin the process of reopening three of the four sugar estates that were closed by the previous APNU+AFC Coalition Government. Enmore, Rose Hall, Skeldon and Wales complete the list of the closed sugar estates. Closure of these sugar estates saw an increase in unemployment as it was the main source of income in the sugar-producing districts. Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, who recently appeared on the National Communications Network (NCN’s) ‘Insight’, noted that one of the major fulfillments of the PPP/C Government was to resuscitate village economy and create more jobs by reopening the
Manager of the Uitvlugt/ Leonora Estate, Yudhisthira Mana Uitvlugt/Leonora Sugar Estate, West Coast Demerara.
closed sugar estates with the budgeted $5 billion. “GuySuCo was the largest single employer of Guyanese, and over the last five years, we’ve seen a decline in that due to the actions of the APNU+AFC Government. When GuySuCo is affected, the entire nation is also affected,” Minister Mustapha stated. The Agriculture Minister addressed statements made by the previous administration, which suggested that
the Government’s plan to reopen the closed sugar estates was a “political gimmick.” “…we [PPP/C Government] said that one of our first plans will be to reopen the closed sugar estates, which formed part of our manifesto. While the previous administration said that this was a political gimmick, as the Minister of Agriculture, I am extremely pleased to say that money has already been budgeted for these estates, and the reopening will be a reality
very shortly,” Minister Mustapha contested. Meanwhile, farmers across the nation have welcomed the government’s announcement towards the sugar industry with open arms, as it will replenish opportunities and jobs lost under the previous administration. Estate Manager attached to the Uitvlugt Leonora Estate, Yudhisthira Mana, believes strongly that the government’s budgetary measures for GuySuCo will profit the sugar industry. “We would’ve seen capital and infrastructural investment very much restricted
over the last four years. We would’ve seen bridges and access damns falling apart. The barges we used to transport the cane to the factory were torn apart with minimal replacement,” Mana explained. The Uitvlugt Estate Manager also appeared on the NCN programme. He noted that in keeping up with the reforming world, oil and gas should be used to modernize and enhance the sugar industry. During the reading of the 2020 Budget on September 09, Minister of Public Works, Hon. Bishop Juan Edghill, highlighted that GuySuCo will concentrate its efforts to en-
sure it achieves a break-even status in the short-term. “We will ensure better management by appointing a new, competent and skilled Board of Directors. We will ensure greater efficiency through the necessary retooling, product diversification and retraining where necessary,” Minister Edghill posited. The sum of $18.4 billion has been allocated to the overall agriculture sector to promote a diversified economy, while creating more jobs, increasing farmers’ income and ease the burden associated with the COVID19 pandemic. (DPI)
Miner fined $12M for damaging... From page 20 checks were essential for filing the requisite charges in instances where offences were committed. “Minister Bharrat has also mandated the GGMC to aggressively pursue illegal mining and operations that are not in keeping with safety and environmental standards. It must be noted, in the height of the COVID 19 pandemic, an opportunistic mine operator destroyed a section of the Cuyuni River, that resulted in extensive damage to the
buffer area of the river.” According to the Ministry, field staff were alerted, and the resulting investigation found several offences were committed by the operator. “As a result, the Commission has imposed a GY$12M fine on the operator.” Further, teamwork by field officers and the members of the Prosecutorial Unit combined their efforts to secure the first custodial penalty imposed on a miner for illegal mining. “The miner was found to
be operating illegally on a Prospecting Licence (PL) in the North West Mining District and refused to comply with repeated orders of the Commission to desist from such activities.” In the meantime, the Ministry of Natural Resources, through the GGMC, said it will continue to take a firm stance against illegal mining and prosecute defaulters, in keeping with the Mining Act and Regulations, for the sustainable governance of the mining sector.
Police continue investigations as... From page 14 with coconuts and a coconut peeler. It was while the police were investigating and the farmer was in custody that news came last week that Haresh Singh, 17, the grandson of the farmer, was also slain in the Cotton Tree backdam.The media was told that four out of those seven suspects were released on station bail.Crime Chief, Wendell Blanhum, has told this newspaper that the 72hours limit for detaining the four suspects had expired. During the protests, it was
speculated by many that the murders might be politically motivated. However, the Crime Chief had told reporters that the evidence obtained so far does not point in that direction. Reports had also surfaced that the relatives of the dead teens had told President Irfaan Ali that teens’ killing might have been gang-related and not political or race hate. It was also reported that perhaps the teens’ killers might have been the same persons who murdered Haresh Singh (main suspect’s grandson) as well.
This conclusion was drawn because Singh and the boys were reportedly friends who hung out together. Yesterday, however, attorney-at-law Nigel Hughes refuted these reports. Hughes stated on his Facebook page that such reports are totally false. He said that it is an attempt to malign the teens’ character on the eve of their funeral for whatever reason. He further described the media reports as obnoxious and grossly offensive to the Henry family in their moment of inconsolable loss.
Sunday September 13, 2020
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Kaieteur News
Amazon: Brazilian official killed by arrow near indigenous tribe
Brazil (BBC)- A top Brazilian expert on isolated Amazon tribes has been killed by an arrow that struck him in the chest as he approached an indigenous site. Rieli Franciscato, 56, died on Wednesday in a remote region of Rondônia state in north-western Brazil. He was in the area to monitor a tribe as part of his work for the government’s indigenous agency, Funai. An NGO founded by Mr Franciscato described him as an “excellent, serious and dedicated professional”.
The Kaninde Ethno-Environmental Defence Association, which he helped create in the 1980s, said the indigenous group had no ability to distinguish between a friend or a foe from the outside world. Witnesses said Mr Franciscato and his party came under fire as they approached an indigenous group. Mr Franciscato, who was accompanied by police, attempted to take shelter behind a vehicle, but was struck in the chest by an arrow, wit-
nesses said. A policeman who witnessed the incident said Mr Franciscato managed to remove the arrow, which hit him above the heart. “He cried out, pulled the arrow from his chest, ran 50m (164ft) and collapsed, lifeless,” the officer said in an audio recording posted to social media. A photojournalist in the region, Gabriel Uchida, told AFP news agency that Mr Franciscato had been trying to observe a tribe known as the “Cautario River isolated
CONSUMER CONCERNS
FACETS OF AMERINDIAN HERITAGE MONTH By Pat Dial In 1995, when Dr. Cheddi Jagan designated September as “Amerindian Heritage Month”, he did so to promote the interests and enhance the image of the Amerindian people. Each year, Heritage Month is given a theme and this year’s theme is “Fostering Traditional Practices for a Safe Environment”. The celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month recognizes Amerindians and their culture as a distinct part of the Guyanese mosaic. It is also an assertion that Guyana is a plural society and not a monolithic one. During colonial times and until about 1970s, Guyana was regarded as a society where western and particularly British culture predominated. Though there were strong strands of Portuguese, Chinese and Indian cultures in existence as well as vibrant African cultural survivals, these were regarded as of temporary existence and would either be absorbed or gradually eliminated by the dominant Western culture. Amerindians and their culture were not even regarded as part of the equation. With independence from colonial rule, African, Indian and even Portuguese and Chinese cultural groups became more assertive as to their identities and later Amerindians did the same. Amerindians had always been regarded as a marginalized group and when their assertion of their distinct identity began to appear, all groups welcomed it. Now Guyana is recognizing itself as a plural society where all racio-cultural groups have a place and could express their identities without anyone accusing them of racism. The long-held assumption of the superiority and all-encompassing nature of British culture is gradually fading away. This year, Amerindian
Heritage Month comes at a very unusual and unique time: The COVID-19 Pandemic is spreading uncontrollably and tense national elections have just concluded and a new Government has been installed. The pandemic has greatly curtailed exhibitions of arts and craft and shows of the performing arts. An attempt is being made to use the computer, TV and other IT technologies to project such Amerindian shows and exhibitions to the public and especially to the Amerindian communities in the interior. This has had the unexpected effect of exposing interior communities to the modern world of IT technology. The fact of Amerindian Heritage Month coming almost simultaneously with the installation of the new Government resulted in its gaining greater political notice and President Irfaan Ali rolled out a programme of comprehensive social and economic development for the Amerindian communities. Many of these programmes were in the PPP/C’s election manifesto and this permits the Amerindian communities to bring greater pressure on the Government to effectuate them. These programmes include the availability of potable water and electricity as well as education and better medical services to the interior communities. Amerindian land titling was also promised. The extension of social services to the Amerindian communities provides a great challenge since such communities are not concentrated in a few locations but are thinly spread over the interior. The Government will continue to work towards achieving the prescriptions of the Amerindian Act of 2006, which addresses land titling, intellectual property rights, mining and forestry rights,
Governance of Amerindian villages and environmental protection. This environment segment of the Act falls squarely within the theme of this year’s Heritage Month and supports the efforts of Amerindian communities to use natural resources sustainably. Amerindian communities have grasped the imperative of preserving a safe environment. The Heritage Month message of the Chairman of the National Toshaos Council, Nicholas Fredricks, encapsulates this concept: “This is when Mankind has to realise that money is not all; we need to protect the environment, we need to protect our land so that we can survive, and our future generation will have a safe place to live”. There is one consideration which this year’s Heritage Month has not stressed and which this column has advocated over the years. That is, the use and preservation of the American languages. Among the things advocated are Standardizing the use of the Roman script in writing the various Amerindian languages; working out grammars of the languages; compilation of dictionaries; and deciding on a Lingua Franca among the seven languages. The preservation and use of these languages is urgent as they are in danger of disappearing when faced with the growing pressures of English. This year’s Heritage Month witnessed the climactic event of all Heritage Months so far when Mr. Lenox Shuman, attired in full Amerindian dress, was installed as Deputy Speaker of Parliament. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
group”. Mr Uchida, who also witnessed the incident, said the tribe was usually “a peaceful group”, but “this time, there were just five armed men - a war party”. In 2018, US missionary John Allen Chau was killed by a tribe in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, who shot him with arrows and left his body on the beach. Survival International, an indigenous rights group, said Mr Franciscato was called to area after a number of uncontacted peoples appeared in recent months. Ranchers and loggers have destroyed much of the nearby forest in recent years and have threatened to destroy more of the region. The group said in a release that his death was “almost certainly a response to the immense pressure” the forest and its peoples are under. Indigenous groups in the Amazon and elsewhere in the world have been known to react violently to outsiders on their lands. Indigenous leaders say incidents with illegal miners, farmers and loggers on their ancestral lands have become
Rieli Franciscato spent most of his career trying to protect indigenous tribes in the Amazon much more common since Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took office in 2019, promising to develop the Amazon region. Conservationists blame Mr Bolsonaro and his government for defunding agencies including Funai and the environmental enforcement agency Ibama and turning a blind eye to farmers and loggers clearing land in the Amazon, hastening deforestation. Mr Bolsonaro has long questioned the need for large indigenous reservations in the rainforest, and has de-
fended opening up protected areas for farming and mining. The Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, is home to about 100 isolated tribes, according to Survival International.At Funai, Mr Franciscato headed a programme to protect isolated indigenous groups. “Rieli dedicated his life to the indigenous cause. He had more than three decades of service, and leaves an immense legacy for the protection of these peoples,” Funai official Ricardo Lopes Dias said.
Venezuela: President Maduro says US spy seized near oil sites Venezuela (BBC)- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro says a “US spy” has been captured near two oil refineries in the country’s north-western state of Falcón.In a televised address, Mr Maduro said the man was seized with weapons and large amounts of cash near the Amuay and Cardon refineries on Thursday. He said the man was “serving as a marine on CIA bases in Iraq”. He gave no further details. The US has so far made no public comment on the issue.Separately, Mr Maduro said that the Venezuelan authorities had recently foiled a plot to cause an explosion at El Palito refinery in the northern Carabobo state. He did not elaborate. Last month, a Venezuelan court sentenced two former American soldiers to 20
Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro
years in prison for trying to overthrow Mr Maduro. Luke Denman and Airan Berry were found guilty of conspiracy, illicit trafficking of weapons and terrorism. The pair were among 13 people arrested in May as they attempted to enter Venezuela by sea from Colombia. US President Donald Trump, long an opponent of socialist President Maduro, has denied accusations by Venezuela that he was behind
that incident. Washington backs opposition leader Juan Guaidó and recognises him as the country’s legitimate leader. Relations between the US and Venezuela are tense. Mr Maduro has accused America of manipulating political opposition to steal the country’s vast oil wealth.America and Mr Guaidó, meanwhile, have blamed the president for Venezuela’s economic collapse.
Teachers to see launch of online training... From page 16 executed a “soft launch”, where more than one thousand teachers have successfully registered and commenced training. In line with its commitment to ensure equal learning opportunities for hinterland and coastal communities, the Ministry of Education will be reaching out to educators in hinterland and riverine communities through adaptive means. “We know that teachers
in the hinterland don’t have connectivity, but they cannot be left out,” the Education Minister said. She continued, “We got permission from the Organisation to reproduce their work and we’re printing modules right now as we speak to get into those villages, so that the theory for those one hundred hours can be done. And then we’ll make arrangements to get the practical done”. Online training for teach-
ers is expected to boost education delivery, even as Guyana battles with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic. Schools remain closed to face-to-face learning and will be using a range of innovative techniques to educate learners such as online platforms, radio, television and other adaptive methods. The National 2020 Budget has allotted $300M towards these blended learning techniques. (DPI)
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STANDARDS IN FOCUS
GNBS calibrates thermometers for accurate temperature readings
FOR RENT
SERVICES Visa Forms Preparer. Tel#626-7040, Publish your Death Annoucements & In Memoriams online. Email: dthmemo@gmail.com PLANNING AN EVENT? BIRTHDAY PARTY, G R A D U AT I O N , W E D D I N G S , ANNIVERSARY, ETC. CALL DIAMOND TENTS: 216-1043; 677-6620 For all your Building Construction or Renovation needs call Quantum Investments Inc on:#592-6115236, 503-0457. Desmond Repair Services Fridge, AC, gas stove, microwave, washer, etc on the spot repairs: #678-8683,613-4953
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The accurate measurement of temperature is vital across a broad spectrum of human activities, including industrial processes (e.g. making steel), manufacturing, monitoring (in food transport and storage), and in health and safety. In fact, in almost every sector, the temperature is one of the key parameters to be measured. Even today, during the COVID 19 pandemic, the use of infrared thermometers by almost every public and private entity is common. The temperature of persons is being checked upon entry to ensure that it is within normal limits. Hence, thermometers must provide accurate readings, and for this reason, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) offers calibration service. The various means of accurately measuring temperatures have long fascinated people. One of the differences between temperature and other physical concepts, such as mass or length, is that it is subjective: different people will have different perceptions of what is hot and what is cold. To make objective measurements, a thermometer must be used to determine how the physical property of a substance changes with temperature in a reliable and reproducible way. Thermometers that are calibrated and traceable to international standards guarantee the best results. Like everything else, the thermometer has its history. The first sealed thermometer was made by the Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany in 1641. Later, the scientists Fahrenheit and Celsius both made glass thermometers containing mercury and used reference points (the melting point of pure ice and the boiling point of water) to improve the accuracy. Although the Celsius scale has taken precedence over the Fahrenheit scale, the latter is still familiar with
weather reports in the United Kingdom. In Guyana, the temperature is measured in degrees Celsius (°C). Today, there are many types of thermometers including the Liquid-in-Glass thermometers, which have been in use for almost 300 years in science, medicine, metrology, and in industry. There are also platinum resistance thermometers, Thermocouples, Infrared, and Radiation thermometers. Regardless of the type of thermometer being used, its accuracy must be determined, especially if it is used frequently and over extensive periods. Currently, the GNBS can calibrate liquid in glass thermometers ranging from 20°C to 90°C, and digital and bimetallic thermometers from 30°C to 600°C. The GNBS is also capable of testing infrared thermometers. The GNBS encourages all stakeholders including companies, laboratories, and users of thermometers to submit their instruments periodically for calibration. Finally, the following guidelines are necessary to ensure the effective use of
infrared thermometers when determining the body temperature of individuals during the current pandemic: Temperature gun labels should be in English. Always strictly follow manufacturer-operating guidelines when using the thermometer.Avoid touching the sensory areas and always clean the thermometer according to manufacturer’s guidelines.Do not drop or expose the device to physical shocks. Always store the device properly when not in use to prolong its life and accuracy. Devices for ear measurement must not be used to take readings on the skin. Industrial thermometers should not be used for taking body temperature. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.) For further information, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0062, 219-0065 or 219-0069. Please visit our website: www.gnbsgy.org and like our Facebook page: gnbsgy
France reports more than 10,000 daily virus cases French Prime Minister Jean Castex
PARIS, France - (AFP) — France reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases yesterday, its highest daily number since wide-scale testing was launched in the country. The number rose to 10,561 new cases yesterday, up from the previous day’s 9,406 new cases on Friday, the French public health agency said. Over the 24-hour period, 17 people died in hospital, bringing the country’s total to 30,910. A total of 417 new patients were admitted to intensive care over the last week — 28 yesterday, the agency said. French Prime Minister Jean Castex warned Friday there was a “clear worsening” in the country’s outbreak, and
that a recent increase in COVID-19 hospitalisations was particularly worrying. However he did not announce any major new restrictions, shortening the quarantine period for people who catch the virus to just seven days from 14. “We have to succeed in living with this virus, without returning to the idea of a generalised lockdown,” he said in a televised statement from his official residence in Paris.Castex himself ended a stint in isolation after twice testing negative for COVID19.Fears were briefly raised after he spent part of last weekend with the boss of the Tour de France Christian Prudhomme, who tested positive for COVID-19.
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Failed SARA to close; new constituted unit to take over - AG Nandlall AG Anil Nandlall
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, has indicated that the government has intentions to disband the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA). The Attorney General, in an invited comment, said that SARA was not only unlawfully established, but it was a complete failure. “SARA has been an abysmal failure. SARA is unlawfully established but, in the Act, which is the subject of
legal challenge in the court becaus e i n t h e v i e w o f many, it is unconstitutional and there are a myriad of proceedings pending in the court about the Act itself that brought SARA into existence,” the Attorney underscored. He added that “the only investigations that and charges that SARA has done relates to former Ministers of the government at Pradoville and they have charged GBTI for buying a piece of land 10
years ago from the then government. Absolutely ridiculous, they have lost the case.” The previous administration, the Attorney General pointed, violated the already unlawful Act by not having the National Assembly appoint the Director and Deputy Director of SARA. The Attorney General described SARA as a parasitic organisation that lived off the Treasury and has nothing to show after consuming millions
of dollars in taxpayer’s money per month. It was disclosed that the building in which SARA is housed cost taxpayers $2M per month in rent. This excludes the 44 employees, internet, electricity and water bills, vehicles and other expenses. With that, the Attorney General stated that, “we are going to have asset recovery in a proper legislation and with a properly constituted unit in due course.”
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...GOA boss calls for unity in Guyana Lionel Messi plays for Barcelona From page 71 and the disgrace that has been brought to Guyana as a result of the protests are to be condemned. I encourage protest and the venting of opinions but the protests in the manner that we have seen were in my humble view not justified. The murders of the two cousins were horrific, barbaric and seem to be one of rage. Unfortunately, the Police were not allowed to do their job of investigating but rather were impeded from so doing it effectively by the protests and being unable to move freely. The protesters were led to believe that the murders were to be laid at the feet of the government, the police would be unable to do a proper investigation, there will be a cover-up and it was an act against the black people of Guyana. There can be no doubt that the third murder of Haresh Singh was in retaliation to the first two murders. I commend the effort made by the Chairperson of the PNC, Volda Lawrence who encouraged protests but not with the violence and divi-
sion of our two major races. I consider the call of President Irfaan Ali for peace and to seek assistance from abroad to be more than appropriate. Let us give him time to have his efforts bear fruit. I would like to on behalf of the Guyana Olympic Association and the sporting fraternity of Guyana to call for peace and to allow the police to do their job of investigating the murders. We know now if not already, that there should be a process of healing so that we as Guyanese can live in peace and be an example to the world. Our politicians must not inflame events like these for their agenda. Our politicians should not be allowed to stoke the flames of race, violence and hate and after try to appear as if they were not responsible and call for retractions and peace. We must not have short memories but call those irresponsible politicians out. Let peace prevail, let hate disappear and let harmony envelop Guyana.” K.A. Juman-Yassin S.C, A.A. President of the Guyana Olympic Association.
Sunday September 13, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Take charge of your health today, Aries. You'll likely wake up feeling energetic. Take advantage of the energy boost from the planetary movements to actively do things that maintain your sense of well-being. TAURUS(Apr.20–May20) If you saw something in a craft shop or art studio that you'd like to buy but can't afford, consider making it. Even if you don't think you're artistic, you could surprise yourself if you try. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) It's the perfect day to head outside, Gemini. You'll likely be feeling positive and energetic, and the fresh air, sunshine, and physical activity may be long overdue. CANCER (June 21–July 22) It won't be surprising if you're frustrated with a close friend or partner who's far less ambitious than you, Cancer. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) See about using your good relationships with friends and loved ones to get future group activities going, Leo. You're probably feeling great, and the idea of socializing appeals to you. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) If you lack a regular exercise routine, Virgo, today's a great day to remedy that. Exercise doesn't have to exhaust you or hurt. Even activities like walking or yoga are excellent ways to stay healthy.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Put your ambition into action today, Libra. The day's planetary aspects should find you feeling energetic and positive, so take steps to achieve your goals. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) Don't hesitate when it comes to taking on a project or making plans today. Extra energy will complement your organizational skills, making a perfect combination for handling almost anything. SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) Today should go well for you, Sagittarius. Expect to feel a renewed energy and fresher perspective, especially concerning anything work related. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Today you may feel very creative and ambitious. You might want to use this energy to work on an artistic project, or you may choose to channel it into such activities as organizing your home or workspace. AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) Don't be surprised if you feel super today. Chances are good that you'll enjoy renewed physical strength, with energy to spare. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) The influence of the planetary aspects will bring an end to any lethargy you've been feeling, Pisces. It's an excellent day to head outside and do something active. Gardening or landscaping can make great use of your energy and creativity.
in pre-season friendly win
Lionel Messi has spent his entire career with Barcelona. (Reuters) BBC Sport - Lionel Messi made his first appearance for Barcelona since his failed attempt to leave the club, playing in their friendly with Gimnastic de Tarragona. The 33-year-old Argentine submitted a transfer request in August but decided to stay last week because no club would be able to afford his release clause. Messi started in the 3-1 win over third-tier Nastic after the club confirmed he would remain as captain. He was replaced along with the other starters at half-
...Serena out of Italian Open From page 78 forward to making my return soon.” Double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, 2019 U.S. Open champion Bianca Andreescu and top-ranked Ash Barty have also pulled out of the tournament. Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev, who will contest the U.S. Open men’s final today, have withdrawn from the event, the organisers said in a statement.
...Vinales smashes From page 78 late in FP3, Pol Espargaro eased through Q1, while it was his Aprilia-mounted brother Aleix Espargaro trailing him for much of the session with a 1m32.295s. The Aprilia rider, however, was unable to better that early effort and was unable to depose Oliveira when he leaped up the order in the closing stages. The grid will be completed by a disappointed Iker Lecuona (Tech 3), Honda’s Stefan Bradl, Bradley Smith (Aprilia) and the sister factory team Honda of Alex Marquez.
time. Ousmane Dembele opened the scoring with Antoine Griezmann and Phillipe Coutinho netting penalties. Messi, Barcelona’s alltime leading goalscorer, believed he had a clause in his contract which would allow him to leave for free and did not begin pre-season training.
Barcelona and La Liga insisted that clause was no longer valid - with any club wishing to buy him required to pay a release clause of 700m euros (£624m) - and Messi returned to training after saying he would not take the club to court. Barca’s season starts on Sunday, 27 September with a home game against Villarreal in La Liga.
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Salah hits hat-trick as Liverpool outgun impressive Leeds LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) - Mohamed Salah scored a hat-trick, including two penalties, as Liverpool began their Premier League title defence with a hugely entertaining 4-3 win over promoted Leeds United at Anfield yesterday. Leeds, making their return to the top flight after a 16-year absence, fought back from behind three times and played the brand of intense, attacking football that their Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa established during their promotion campaign last season. The champions will be concerned with some slack defending but once again did what they have done so well in the past two seasons — finding a way to win at the end. A season beginning with fans still barred from the grounds due to COVID-19 restrictions needed a start to spark some excitement among frustrated fans and this high-energy, incidentpacked encounter certainly
delivered. Juergen Klopp’s side grabbed a fourth minute lead after referee Michael Oliver harshly ruled that Leeds’ debutant German defender Robin Koch had handled a Salah shot which deflected off his thigh on to his outstretched arm. Salah himself blasted home the spot-kick and Leeds looked as though they may be in for a very long day. But eight minutes later Jack Harrison, on loan from Manchester City, brought Leeds level with a fine solo goal, picking the ball up on the left-flank and cutting inside, skipping past Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez, before drilling into the bottom corner. Liverpool restored their lead in the 20th minute and this time Leeds had only themselves to blame, leaving the obvious threat of Virgil van Dijk unchallenged with the towering Dutchman heading home an Andy Robertson corner.
But Leeds showed their resolve again with Patrick Bamford slotting home after Van Dijk had uncharacteristically failed to deal with a ball over the top, his casual attempt to control the ball finding the Leeds striker with keeper Alisson out of position. Salah, sporting a new short hair-cut, blasted Liverpool back in front, 12 minutes before the break, when he pounced on an attempted header clear from Pascal Struijk with a first-time shot which gave Illan Meslier no chance. Leeds felt for a moment they were level again when, after Harrison’s lob over an advancing Alisson, Alexander-Arnold bizarrely headed into his own goal but the linesman subsequently flagged for offside. But there was to be a third comeback — Helder Costa’s low ball into the box found Polish midfielder Mateusz Klich whose deft touch earned him space for a low
Five-time Olympian Cuthbert-Flynn creates history with ministerial appointment SportsMax - Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn created history on Friday after becoming the first Olympic medallist to be appointed a Jamaican government minister. Prime Minister Andrew Holness named Cuthbert-Flynn Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Under the last administration, Jamaica did not have a minister of state in the Chris Tufton-led ministry. The 56-year-old CuthbertFlynn became a Member of Parliament in 2016 representing the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in the constituency of West Rural St Andrew. She retained her seat during the September 3 General Elections. She was in a state of disbelief over her appointment. “Oh wow, I am so excited. I am pinching myself to wake up from this but it is truly an exciting feeling to serve. Service is such a wonderful thing and this is an opportunity for me to continue serving my country at a national level and serving the people in my constituency,” CuthbertFlynn told Sportsmax.TV. “I am just really honoured. Yes, I created history but I am not even looking at that now but I guess it is, because
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah scores their fourth goal from the penalty spot to complete his hat-trick against Leeds United at Anfield. (Pool via Reuters/Phil Noble) drive past Alisson to make it 3-3. Van Dijk had the ball in the net, blasting in from close range after a free kick only for it to be ruled out for a foul by substitute Curtis Jones on
Koch. But, with just two minutes remaining, Liverpool secured the points with another Salah penalty after Rodrigo Moreno clumsily brought down Fabinho.
It was cruel on Leeds but the Yorkshire club will take huge encouragement from their display while Liverpool, now unbeaten in 60 league games at Anfield, are up and running again.
Celtics close out Raptors, move on to conference finals
Boston Celtics last won a conference title in 2010. (Getty Images)
Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn others have come before me from sports and tried representational politics and it didn’t really happen for them; Herb McKenley, I know, and to be named State Minister is just an awesome feeling and the work continues.” In 1972, McKenley Japan. ran for the Jamaica Labour Party in the St. Andrew North constituency in Jamaica’s General Elections but lost. The newly named State Minister beamed, “I just continue to be proud of my country and continue to work
on behalf of the people of Jamaica.” Cuthbert-Flynn represented Jamaica at five successive Olympic Games starting in 1980. At the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain, she won silver medals in 100m and 200m. Four years later, she won a bronze medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team at the Atlanta Games in 1996. She also won four relay medals at the World Championships including a gold at the 1991 championships in Tokyo,
Jayson Tatum had 29 points and 12 rebounds, Jaylen Brown scored 21 and the Boston Celtics advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with a 92-87 Game 7 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night near Orlando. Marcus Smart added 16 points and Kemba Walker 14 as the Celtics will move on to face the Miami Heat in their third conference finals appearance in the last four seasons. Game 1 of the series will take place Tuesday. Fred VanVleet had 20 points to lead the Raptors, whose title defense came to an end after coming back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the series. Kyle Lowry had 16 points, and Pascal Siakam scored 13 with 11 rebounds.
Toronto turned the ball over 18 times, six coming in the fourth quarter. Still, the Raptors were within 89-87 with 1:21 remaining. Siakam got a breakaway with a chance to tie, but Smart blocked him from behind, and Lowry fouled out on the other end with 35.4 seconds to go. Celtics rookie Grant Williams missed both free throw chances, but Tatum got fouled on the rebound and hit 1 of his 2 for a 90-87 lead. VanVleet missed a potential game-tying three with 12 seconds left, and Walker made his free throws at the other end to ice the game. With Boston up by one entering the fourth, Walker nailed his first 3-pointer of the game on the opening
possession. Daniel Theis and Tatum added buckets for a 70 Celtics run and a 79-71 lead. The Raptors got within four, 82-78, on a Siakam tip-in with 6:49 to go, but a Walker three-point play helped the Celtics to an 88-78 lead with 4:51 remaining. The Raptors were down by nine, 60-51, in the third before a 17-7 stretch punctuated by a VanVleet three gave them a 68-67 advantage. Boston led by as much as 12 early in the first, but Toronto ended the quarter up 27-26. The Celtics roared back late in the second, riding an 11-0 spurt capped by a Brown 3-pointer to a 44-40 edge with 2:44 left in the half. Boston entered the break up 50-46. (Field Level Media)
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Tiger Bay fan out was great initiative by Minister Ramson - GABF’s Michael Singh - Balls distributed, clinics to be held on an ongoing basis By Franklin Wilson Presidents of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) and Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA), Michael Singh and Jermaine Slater have expressed optimism that new Minister of Sport, Honourable Charles Ramson Jr., is on the right path. The duo were part of a community Outreach that was conducted by Minister Ramson two Saturday’s ago in Tiger Bay which was also attended by President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde and Executive Committee Member, Dion Inniss among many other officials. The Tiger Bay visit was a follow up to the visit and commitment made by His Excellency, President Irfaan Ali. Singh expressed his Federation’s delight at the pace Minister Ramson has hit the ground running noting that they are willing to partner with this new administration in furtherance of the development of the game, throughout Guyana. He commented on the Tiger Bay initiative: “I think hitting the ground running, giving them {Tiger Bay youths} the opportunity where they can get a facility in an area like this would do tremendous for the community. Those of you
who know me, I played basketball in the Tiger Bay area and a lot of the athletes at the national level have played in Tiger Bay. It’s an environment that molds you to become a little bit more strong, a little bit more aggressive in areas where you take that on in life in a positive way.” Apart from sharing out some molten branded basketballs, Singh has promised that the GABF will go beyond to help empower the youths of this community. “I want to commit the federation to conducting a clinic here, we are networking with some of the more matured individuals in the area. We shared out some molten balls but it won’t stop there. We will try to put a structure in here where we will have ongoing clinics, where they will have gear and apart from basketball we will try to look after some of them off the court also.” Slater in his comments noted that the GABA’s focus would be in the areas of youth development especially at the community level. He informed that the Association has already done some ground work and would have noticed that lots of kids use old bicycle rims as rings when playing. “A lot of children are interested out there, so what
we are trying to do is get a data base of them, we will be working with players from different clubs and also Youth Basketball Guyana to get a listing of the school kids that actually play. The youths are the ones who will take the mantle and Guyana forward.” Slater further informed that they have already engaged Minister Ramson on this initiative and he is committed. “So we expect that as soon as the pandemic is through we will see a full slate of activities and we expect the Ministry to be on board with us. I am actually excited because we actually have someone in government who is actually sports oriented, who actually feels and knows the streets like us and we intend to definitely keep this partnership going.” Veteran Coach and Table Official Dennis Clarke would be working closely with the Federation and Association towards realising the Coaching Clinics for the Youths of Tiger Bay. These clinics would most likely take place at Burnham Court on Middle Street. Teaching the fundamentals of the sport would be the main aim, Slater indicated. “Not just scrubby as we know it but teaching them the fundamentals, the basics, that’s the only way
the sport can actually progress in the country; so based on what I saw there {Tiger Bay} I am sure the Minister would be going into other areas and once we are invited to go we will be doing the same.” Minister Ramson stated that his Ministry would be in regular and constant contact with all of the Federations and Associations. “And just like what Mr. Slater mentioned there, being able to develop young talent through coaching, those are things we’ll be able to collaborate on. In addition to the facilities, we’re going to
be able to identify areas with a lot of the younger talent, more dense areas; we can help to create that and continuously help progressing it, moving forward.” Ramson also applauded both GABF and GABA for the level of commitment that they have displayed in expressing the desire to partner, collaborate as well as their willingness to engage his Ministry. “They know that obviously that makes sense because many hands make light work and you can get a lot more things done, working
together. But, having said that, they didn’t have to do it, it shows that from an organisational standpoint they are committed to fulfilling their mandate. Why that matters to me is because we can only build this place and build Guyanese people in a cooperative way and an environment where there isn’t hostility, conflict and fear. That’s what we want to be able to do as a government and that’s what I would like to be able to do on behalf of the Ministry and I know for a fact, that’s what the President is interested in.”
Kragh Andersen wins stage 14 of the Tour de France
Sir Mo Farah victorious in Northern Ireland half marathon PA Sport - Four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Mo Farah swept to victory during a road race on Northern Ireland’s scenic coastline. Great Britain’s star longdistance runner broke the one-hour world record on his return to the track earlier this month. Yesterday he took part in the P&O Ferries Antrim Coast Half Marathon near Belfast and finished in 60 minutes 27 seconds. It was one of the first major sporting events in Northern Ireland following the coronavirus lockdown and spectator numbers were significantly down on the tens of thousands ordinarily expected. Rick Monroe, aged 51 and from Newtownards in Co Down, watched from the side of the road with his son. He said: “My son is in a running club. He is 13 and has always idolised Farah. “The chance to see him
in person was too good to pass up.” Yesterday’s redesigned course promised to be one of the flattest and fastest in the UK & Ireland, taking in many prominent landmarks and stunning scenery along the route. Starting at the Chaine Memorial tower built in 1888, the course makes its way through Larne town before moving onto the Antrim Coast Road. The stunning landscape was recognised by the makers of HBO’s Game Of Thrones, who used the area extensively as one of their filming locations. Turning homeward at Ballygally Castle, the course offers one of the fastest finishes to any road race. Athletics events came to a halt in March along with the rest of organised sport in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus. Spectators were urged to watch the online stream of
the race instead of attending. Those who did go in person were well marshalled and police were in attendance. Mr Monroe said: “It has been brilliant. “We had our masks at the ready if there was going to be any crowding but we were just trying to be conscientious spectators. “Everyone is nicely spaced out and there are marshals and one police officer, so it is well organised.” Mid and East Antrim Borough Council mayor Peter Johnston said normally tens of thousands would be expected to watch such an event but numbers were dramatically down due to the public health emergency. “People have tuned in and watched it live,” he said. “It is a real coup for Larne. “This would be one of the most scenic races that we would have in Northern Ireland.”
Denmark’s Soren Kragh Andersen celebrates winning the 14th stage of the Tour de France, a 194.5-km ride from Clermont-Ferrand. (Pool via Reuters/Anne-Christine Poujoulat) LYON, France (Reuters) Denmark’s Soren Kragh Andersen timed his effort to perfection to win the 14th stage of the Tour de France, a 194.5-km ride from ClermontFerrand yesterday. The Team Sunweb rider attacked with just under three kilometres to go and never looked back as Slovenian Luka Mezgec took second place and Italian Simone Consonni came home third, 15 seconds behind. Slovenian Primoz Roglic retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey ahead of today’s 15th stage, a 174.5-km mountain trek ending up the Col du Grand Colombier. Triple world champion Peter Sagan regained some ground on points
classification leader Sam Bennett when he finished fourth after the Irishman was dropped early on and could not fight for victory in the finale. Bennett, who is looking to become the first Irishman since Sean Kelly in 1989 to win the green jersey, leads with 262 to Sagan’s 219. Sagan is hoping to claim a record-extending eighth green jersey but he has been far from his best this season. His Bora-Hansgrohe team set a fast tempo on an early climb to split the bunch and Bennett found himself trailing and unable to come back despite a long chase with his Deceuninck-Quick Step team mates, but Sagan could not
deliver a win. There were multiple attacks in the short climb up to the Col de la Croix Rousse in the finale, but Kragh Andersen was patient and he jumped away at the right moment. “I waited for the right moment. Some riders attacked but I waited. When I saw that there was a quiet moment, I went,” said Kragh Andersen, who gave Sunweb their second victory in this year’s Tour after Swiss Marc Hirschi won the 12th stage in Sarran on Thursday. “When I saw Marc win and I when I look at the dynamic of the team, it’s great. We talk to each other and we’re developing as a team.”
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 13, 2020
Zverev erases 2-set hole, will face Thiem in US Open final
Alexander Zverev, of Germany, reacts after defeating Pablo Carreno Busta, of Spain, during a men’s semifinal match of the US Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) NEW YORK (AP) — For two full sets, Alexander Zverev was confused and listless, his body language as poor as his winner-to-error ratio against Pablo Carreño Busta in the U.S. Open semifinals Friday. Zverev double-faulted and smacked his left high. He put a backhand into the net to cede the opening set and covered his face with both hands. He netted a forehand early in the next set, then turned a forlorn face toward his guest box and put his palms up. When he pushed a backhand long after 1 hour, 25 minutes of p l a y a n d shook his head, Zverev trailed by two sets, a deficit the 23-year-old German never had overcome. Never had been to a Grand Slam final, either. Done and done. Zverev constructed quite a comeback, getting his game in gear to beat a fading Carreño Busta 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 and reach the title match at Flushing Meadows. Zverev, the No. 5 seed, will play No. 2 seed Dominic Thiem today, and one will walk away with his first Grand Slam trophy in a mostly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium; spectators were barred because of the coronavirus pandemic . “Mentally, I stayed in it. ... A lot of players would have gone away,” Zverev s a i d . “ T h e r e ’s n o e a s y matches anymore.
Sometimes you have to dig deep. Today I dug deep, dug very deep.” Thiem, a 27-year-old from Austria, won a far more entertaining match Friday night, holding off 2019 U.S. Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev 6-2, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5). Medvedev held a set point in both the second and third, but Thiem hung in there both times and now will try to improve his 0-3 record in Grand Slam finals. “I love these big matches — even more when there’s a full stadium, but it’s also great in front of many, many TV spectators,” Thiem said. “To face the best guys in the world, that’s what I do the hard work for all the time at home and in the offseason.” The No. 3-seeded Medvedev hadn’t dropped a set all tournament until facing Thiem. He’d been broken just three times, a total Thiem matched by Friday’s second set. In an interlude redolent of his heel turn at Flushing Meadows a year ago, Medvedev got into it with chair umpire Damien Dumusois — yes, the very same official who cited him for yanking a towel from a ballperson in 2019, prompting boos from fans and some egging on from the Russian — and Grand Slam supervisor Wayne McKewen in the first set. This time, the starting point was a dispute with Dumusois over whether
Medvedev challenged a call in time. Medvedev walked around the net to take a closer look at the mark and was called for a code violation, so he started chirping at the chair umpire, saying “Why, because you’re not smart?” at one point, and “U.S. Open is a joke, right?” at another. Then, turning his attention to McKewen, who was at courtside, and smothering his words with sarcasm, Medvedev said: “Sorry, I think I killed someone, right? Sorry, I was so bad to cross the net. Sorry. My apologies. My sincere apologies to the U.S. Open for crossing the net. Oh, my God.” After the match, Medvedev still thought he
Dominic Thiem, of Austria, reacts during a men’s semifinal match against Daniil Medvedev, of Russia, during the US Open tennis championships, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) was in the right — “I mean, what did I do? Did I hurt someone? Did I do something rude?” — but acknowledged he shouldn’t have gotten so angry. “I lost my concentration,” Medvedev said. Thiem led 4-2 there and raced through that set. Medvedev went up an early break in the second and was two points from taking it while ahead 5-3 and Thiem serving at love-30, but couldn’t came through. Medvedev held a set point at 6-5 in the tiebreaker and faltered again, even though Thiem felt something in his right heel while chasing a drop shot. Thiem began limping and wincing and was worked on by a trainer before the third
set. His team also sent him some fresh shoes, but after he slipped behind the baseline on one point, Thiem shouted in German, clearly miffed. After the match, Thiem said he was pain-free. Medvedev was a point away from taking the third set at 5-3, 40-30, but framed a forehand. “I lost the most important points,” Medvedev lamented, “and that’s how he got the win.” Zverev is the first man to win a U.S. Open semifinal after a 2-0 set deficit since Djokovic did it against Roger Federer in 2011 — and, keeping good company, he’s also the youngest male finalist at any major tournament since Djokovic was 23 in New
York in 2010. Yet after totaling 25 winners and 36 unforced errors over the first two sets, Zverev had 46 winners and just 21 unforced errors over the last three. “I started taking the ball much earlier. I started taking the ball more on the rise. I started giving myself the chance to be the one that is aggressive,” Zverev explained. “I think in the first few sets, Pablo was the one dictating much more than I did. This is how the match slowly turned around.” Undeterred when Carreño Busta twice hit balls right at him during points in the fourth set, Zverev could throw his head back and allow himself a wide smile at the end.
‘Bowlers looked 10-times better than they were’ - WI legend Roberts critical of CPL pitches SportsMax - West Indies legendary fast bowler Sir Andy Roberts has criticised the recent pitches used in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for offering significant assistance to otherwise average bowlers. The surfaces at the recently concluded Caribbean Premier League (CPL) were at the centre of attention for most of the campaign. Many argued that the condition of the surface played a significant part in scores that were much lower than usual. In the end, the tournament was won by the home team, Trinbago Knight Riders who often did not seem to struggle on the surface. In fact, the Knight Riders ended with a perfect
Sir Andy Roberts
record. Also not finding fault with the surface, however, was the majority of the bowlers. “I know we blame COVID for everything but this is not one of the things we should try to blame on COVID…we are making bowlers look 10
times as good as they are and especially in the spin department,” Roberts recently said on Antigua’s Good Morning Jojo Radio programme. The competition was held in unusual circumstances this
season, with all the matches held in Trinidad and Tobago due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Roberts, however, still believes the pitches, notwithstanding, could be better prepared. “You knew about three or four months ago that you’re going to have this tournament in Trinidad, one country, but you have two different facilities that you are going to play at so arrangements should be made to get all the pitches up to a certain standard,” he added. “When I say all, I mean the entire square, because you can’t just use two pitches for the number of matches you are going to be playing on them.”
Sunday September 13, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Naomi Osaka roars back against Victoria Azarenka to win second US Open title
M
etroUK Naomi Osaka maintained her unbeaten record in the quarter-finals and beyond at Grand Slams as she fought back from a set-and-a-break down against Victoria Azarenka to win a second US Open title in an empty Arthur Ashe Stadium. O s a k a w a s overwhelmed in the early stages of the match as Azarenka came out swinging but dug deep in the face of adversity to claw her way back into the contest. The remarkable level she’d shown throughout the tournament returned after getting a foothold in the match as two-time major winner Azarenka fell away. Her first US Open win, in 2018, will be better remembered for Serena Williams’ row with umpire Carlos Ramos and there was far less drama in this encounter. And Osaka, who will climb to world No. 3 in the rankings, claimed a third Grand Slam title with a 1-6 6-3 6-3 win in one hour and 52 minutes. For Azarenka, competing in her first major final for seven years, it will be a bitterly dissapointing pill to swallow. She was in total control when 6-1 2-0 up. But Osaka, the highestpaid female athlete on the planet, showed great resolve to drag herself back into the match. Osaka had brought seven masks – one for each round – with her to the US Open bearing the names of black victims who were killed by the police or those motivated by racism. Tamir Rice – a 12-
year-old boy killed by police in Cleveland in 2014 – was honoured by the fourth seed from Japan as she entered Arthur Ashe Stadium. Her rapper boyfriend Cordae sat in the stands wearing a ‘defund the police’ t-shirt. Azarenka had won 55% of her return games (the second-highest total of anyone in the tournament) heading into the final and she continued that rich vein of form to break in the opening game of the match. It was a nervy start from Osaka and the double break followed after just 17 minutes. She sat at the changeover 1-4 down with her towel over her face. A game later as she dumped a forehand into the net, she dropped her racquet in disgust. By the 26-minute mark, the set was done. Azarenka broke for a third time to compound Osaka’s misery. Falling a set behind didn’t bode well for the 22year-old. The last 25 US Open women’s singles finals had been won by the player who won the first set. That didn’t look like changing as Osaka was broken again in the second game of the second set, but the world No. 10 struck back immediately to get it back on serve. The wheels began falling off the Azarenka train as Osaka finally settled into the match. She began landing more first serve bullets before Azarenka cracked on her own service game, with errors flying off the Belarusian’s racquet. Azarenka saved a set point on serve in the ninth game of the second set but was powerless to deny Osaka who struck another clean winner to level the match.
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns a shot to Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, during the women’s singles final of the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Osaka was in the ascendancy now. Azarenka save one break point in the fourth game of the third set but was powerless to resist her opponent’s might as Osaka took a 3-1 lead in the decider. Azarenka wasted a glorious opportunity to strike back immediately, failing to convert three break points at 0-40, including sending a tame second serve return long. Credit where it’s due, Azarenka did not fold. She saved four break points to keep her hopes alive in the sixth game of the third and was immediately rewarded as Osaka sent a backhand wildly wide on break point. Osaka kept her cool, however, and broke the former world No. 1 to set up a chance to serve for the title. It was one she did not waste.
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, reacts during the women’s singles final against Victoria Azarenka, of Belarus, during the US Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Kaieteur News
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Hamilton takes first Mugello pole after yellow flag costs Bottas
Sunday September 13, 2020
Misano MotoGP:
Vinales smashes lap record to take pole
Lewis Hamilton set the benchmark on his first run at 1m15.144s, 0.059s faster than Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. (Motorsport Images)
O
mnisport - Lewis H a m i l t o n outpaced teammate Valtteri Bottas and received help from a yellow flag to claim the maiden Formula One pole position at Mugello. Mercedes driver Bottas was considered the favourite to lead the way in qualifying for the Tuscan Grand Prix yesterday after topping the timesheets in all three practice sessions. H o w e v e r, r e i g n i n g champion Hamilton clocked a time of one minute, 15.144 seconds to ensure he will start from the front of the grid for the fourth straight race and seventh time this season. Although Hamilton did not improve on his final lap amid high winds, Bottas had to lift off in the first sector of his last run due to
Esteban Ocon spinning off and placed second in a front-row lockout for Mercedes. Ferrari are celebrating their 1,000th grand prix this weekend and will see Charles Leclerc get away from fifth, behind the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon. H o w e v e r, L e c l e r c ’s team-mate Sebastian Vettel, who this week agreed to drive for Aston Martin next season, was unable to make into Q3 for the fifth straight race. Vettel scraped into Q2 at the expense of Pierre Gasly, bringing the AlphaTauri driver back down to earth with a bump after his incredible maiden triumph at Monza last weekend. Sergio Perez, who will make way for Vettel next year, was sixth but will start
behind team-mate Lance Stroll in seventh after being handed a one-place grid penalty for making contact with Kimi Raikkonen in FP2 on Friday. PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1:15.144 2 . Va l t t e r i B o t t a s (Mercedes) +0.059s 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.365s 4. Alex Albon (Red Bull) +0.810s 5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +1.126s 6. Sergio Perez (Racing Point) +1.167s 7. Lance Stroll (Racing Point) +1.212s 8. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault) +1.399s 9. Carlos Sainz (McLaren) +2.726s 10. Esteban Ocon (Renault) DNF
Vinales blasted Jorge Lorenzo’s all-time lap record from 2018 of 1m31.629s with a 1m31.411s to lead a Yamaha 1-2-3-4. (Motorosport Images) In a qualifying session expected to be dominated by Yamaha, Vinales blasted Jorge Lorenzo’s all-time lap record from 2018 of 1m31.629s with a 1m31.411s to lead a Yamaha 1-2-3-4. Vinales set the early pace at 1m32.130s, though this was quickly beaten by his factory Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi. The FP3 pacesetter held provisional pole for all of 30 seconds, as Quartararo concluded the opening run of Q2 fastest of all with a 1m31.791s. While the track was quiet, Vinales headed out for his second run and returned
to top spot with a 1m31.787s with just under five minutes remaining. As the rest headed back out, Vinales returned to pitlane for his second bike for a final run, while Morbidelli began setting the timing screens alight. Morbidelli fired in a 1m31.723s to take over provisional pole on the ‘Aspec’ Yamaha – essentially a 2019 bike. This was short-lived, however, as Vinales guided his works team M1 to a 1m31.411s to claim his second pole of the season and back-to-back Saturday successes at Misano – the Spaniard setting off the air
bag in his leathers during his animated celebrations. Morbidelli held onto second to claim his best qualifying result of the year, with Petronas Yamaha teammate Quartararo completing the front row. Rossi heads the second row, missing the top three by just 0.086s, with Pramac pair Jack Miller and Francesco Bagnaia split by just 0.002s to round out the top six. Alex Rins was top Suzuki runner in seventh ahead of teammate Joan Mir, who ran off track late on at the Rio corner of Turn 4, with Andrea Dovizioso ninth on the Ducati. After crashing (Continued on page 73)
Serena out of Italian Open Arsenal thrash hapless with Achilles problem Fulham in season opener (Reuters) - Serena Williams has pulled out of the Italian Open starting on Monday due to an Achilles injury, the former world number one confirmed yesterday. Williams’ bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title ended with a defeat to Victoria Azarenka at the U.S. Open on Thursday, a match in which she took a medical timeout to have her left ankle re-taped due to the Achilles problem. “I regretfully must withdraw from The Internazionali BNL d’Italia due to an Achilles strain,” Williams, a four-times winner in Rome, said in a statement. “I’m so humbled by the continuous support from my fans in Rome and I look (Continued on page 73)
Serena Williams of the United States hits a forehand against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (not pictured) in a women’s singles semi-finals match on day ten of the 2020 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports)
LONDON (Reuters) Arsenal got their Premier League campaign underway with a 3-0 win at promoted Fulham thanks to goals from Alexandre Lacazette, new signing Gabriel and captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the opening game of the season yesterday. Newcomers Gabriel and Willian enjoyed fine debuts for the Gunners, who made light work of their short trip across London to Craven Cottage and dominated against a toothless Fulham. Lacazette scored the season’s opening goal in the eighth minute after poor defending by the home side before 22-year old Brazilian defender Gabriel, who joined Arsenal from Ligue 1 side Lille, made it 2-0 in the 49th with a close-range header.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put the icing on the cake with a superb shot into the top corner in the 57th minute and missed a pair of gilt-edged chances in the closing stages to inflict even more damage on the home side. Right back Denis Odoi forced a save from Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno early on but that was as good as it got for Fulham, whose openingday performance suggests that staying in the top flight could be a tall order. Lacazette was left with the simple task of poking the ball in from close range after a comedy of errors by the home side, who enjoyed a slice of good fortune when Willian hit the post with a 22nd-minute free kick. Gabriel made it 2-0 with a thumping header after a corner swung in by Willian,
who racked up his second assist of the day when he set up Aubameyang for the third in his first game for Arsenal after his summer move from Chelsea. Willian’s delightful pass from midfield found Aubameyang on the left flank and the striker cut inside to curl a rasping shot from inside the penalty area past Marek Rodak who was left clutching thin air. The home keeper then did well to block a shot from point-blank range by Aubameyang, who had another effort cleared off the line by a defender in the dying minutes. Even at 3-0 down, Fulham were barely able to break out of their own half with their midfield chasing shadows and a porous defence all at sea whenever Arsenal went forward.
Sunday September 13, 2020
Kaieteur News
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Coach says facilities and resources are needed - Sebert Blake says Mike Benjamin for Boxing to improve is his favourite local boxer By Sean Devers If you speak to most Coaches of most sporting disciplines the common cry is for better facilities, more resources and more competitions if the standard of Guyanese sports persons are to improve to international quality and National Boxing Coach Sebert Blake is no different. New Sports Minister Charles Ramson, unlike his predecessors, is young and participated in first-division cricket as a left arm-spinner for Everest and played Basketball and seems genuinely interested in taking sports in Guyana to a new level. In addition, the funding for Sports in the 2020 Budget is the most ever. With this in mind 46year-old Blake, who has been a Coach since 2001 after his Boxing Career ended, says for local boxing to improve there is a need for facilitates and resources. “For boxing to truly develop in Guyana you need proper facilities and resources. Over the year Coaches from the USA and Cuba among others, would always say Guyana has lots of talent. But the thing we don’t have is the facilities to take the sport to the next level. We need proper Gyms, when I say Gyms, I don’t mean the regular Gyms we have now but one with all the modern equipment. As a Coach I have the knowledge and experience but that alone cannot take a boxer to the highest level. We need more competition and if we have proper facilities with good accommodation for the
Mike Benjamin boxers we could host more international Cards here which will give our boxers much needed exposure to better opponents without having to travel overseas and without paying hotel cost. Also international boxers and coaches can come here and work with our boxers which should improve our boxers, while such a facility should improve the moral of our boxers and motivate them to want to train and give their best for Guyana. This will require less founding from everyone involved including the Government,” informed Blake, the Coach of Guyana f i r s t F e m a l e Wo r l d Champion Shondell Alfred. Blake explained that one of the differences with boxing now and when he started boxing is the high number of good boxers in all divisions in those days. “Back then, because of the competition, you had to work hard and dream big to get to where you want to go. With the volume of boxers being depleted over the years, it is now easier to get to a championship round. Many boxers these days
are not showing that commitment and dedication to push hard and give their all to training. Many know that there are only a few boxers in their division and they don’t train as hard as they should because they know they will win their fights. In our days you know there are four and five good boxers in the same division and everybody training as hard as you. I never went into the ring without proper training, but the kids these days don’t want to work to be the best in their category locally but when they get to the international level they are tested for the first time,” said the Coach of Olympic hopeful Keevin Allicock. Coach Blake feels that the standard of local boxing technically and talent-wise is high compared to the rest of the Region. “It’s just the frequency and the exposure to the level of competitions at all levels that’s lacking,” said Blake who described himself as sports enthusiast. “I watch all sports locally and my two favourite cricketers are Carl Hooper for his elegance and Shiv
GOA boss calls for unity in Guyana The head of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K.A. Juman-Yassin, has expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of persons in region five who have lost their lives recently. The statement is as follows: “I would on behalf of the GOA like to extend our deepest condolences to the families of the late Isaiah Henry, Joel Henry, Haresh Singh and Prettipaul Hargobin. The violence, robbery, damage to property (Continued on page 73)
K.A. Juman-Yassin
Charles Ramson Jr. Minister of Culture, Youth Sport Chanderpaul…..you could replace the word patience with his picture in the dictionary. If athletes can show that type of patience and wait for the right moment to execute, they would do well. In Boxing I like Mohammed Ali but my favourite is Floyd Mayweather, he is best allrounder boxer I have ever seen…. good in defence and
Keevin Allicock and Sebert Blake offence. Locally, I like Mike Benjamin. I have watched him against Rawle Frank and Barrington Cambridge. I like him because he was a fighter, he could rough it out with you and he could also Box; use of jabs and move around the ring. In Athletes, I like Usain Bolt and locally Colin Boyce, I ever wanted my son who ran for police, to pattern himself after him,” said
Blake who has been doing a lot of reading lately. He thanked God for giving him the strength and talent to carry out his work and Keith Bazilo, who owns the FYF Boxing Gym, for giving him the opportunity to work with the kids in the Albouystown Community over the years and for his role as a promoter and boxing Manager.
rt Spo
GABF President Michael Singh, Minister of Sport Charles Ramson and GABA President Jermaine Slater with youths of Tiger Bay as they display the donated basketballs.
Tiger Bay fan out was great initiative by Minister Ramson - GABF’s Michael Singh - Balls distributed, clinics to be held on an ongoing basis
Sir Mo Farah Arsenal thrash hapless victorious Fulham in season opener in Northern Ireland half marathon
Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette in action with Fulham’s Michael Hector and Tim Ream. Pool via Reuters/Clive Rose)
Sir Mo Farah celebrates victory (Justin Kernoghan)
Salah hits hat-trick Naomi Osaka roars back as Liverpool outgun against Victoria Azarenka impressive Leeds to win second US Open title
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