Kaieteur News

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Further spike in Tuesday Edition NEWS COVID-19 cases could “break” our medical system p.

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AIETEUR

September 22, 2020 - Vol. 13 No. 38

Online: www.kaieteurnews.com

Guyana’s largest selling daily & New York’s most popular weekly

Price $80

- Emergency Medicine Specialist

Online readership yesterday 124,133

US$150M decade-long CJIA renovation scandal…

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I will not accept - investigations this project to be launched

…Pres. Ali tells Chinese contractor, other stakeholders

Public school boys share top place at 2020 NGSA

Samuel Barkoye – 525 marks

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Rovin Lall - 525 marks

Asphalt Untraceable Florida company plant handed $30M for birth certificates racket by APNU+AFC - Minister Teixeira p.

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uncovered - investigations reveal company headed by Larry London

We demand BETTER deals!

Foreign investors fetch away our riches and leave us empty-handed and hungry. Not content with only raping our resources, they also abuse and discriminate against our workers, while putting us against each other.

The Americans cart off our oil; the Chinese decimate our forests; the Russians pillage our bauxite ore; the Canadians ream away our gold. They take everything and leave very little behind. And all of them are granted license to do this by our leaders.

Our leaders have betrayed us.

They, along with the foreign investors, wave before us the promise of jobs, asking a desperate nation to settle for the crumbs which are offered.

It is time to demand better from our leaders. It is time to reject their sweet talk and glossy promises.

We must insist on an end to the one-sided and lop-sided deals which our leaders make with foreign investors. Let them obtain more for our wealth so that instead of relying on foreigners for jobs, we ourselves can create our own jobs.

Revisit and reconsider all the signed agreements with foreign investors operating in the local bauxite, gold, oil and forestry sectors.

If they refuse to give us a better deal, kick them out!

Ramjattan bypassedp. board to 17 p.

3 approve gun licenses

Guyana's oil will give Hess 10% growth rate in a few years despite pandemic -

Robeson Benn

Who really owns the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks, do the leaders of this land care to tell the nation?

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday September 22, 2020

Public school boys share top place at 2020 NGSA

Samuel Barkoye - 525 marks

Brandon Ramdin

Charisma Etwaroo

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his year's top spot for the National Grade Six Assessment NGSA is being shared by two students of the public school system.

The boys, pupils of the North Georgetown Primary School and Stella Maris Primary School, were among thousands sitting the exams this year under COVID-19 restrictions.

Here are their stories…

Samuel Barkoye - 525 marks Samuel Barkoye, the North Georgetown Primary School pupil who shared the spot with Rovin Lall of Stella Maris Primary, was ecstatic about scoring the highest marks and securing a place at Queen's College.

“I was really happy that I was able to get into the school that I wanted. Being a student at Queen's College (QC) was always my dream and now that fantasy is becoming a reality,” Barkoye said.

The NGSA pupil who wants to be an electrical engineer when he is

Rovin Lall – 525 marks

Alexander Singh

Lianna Dharampaul

Dhanash Tularam

Gabriel Felix

Britney Peters

Salmah Bacchus

Yuki Clarke

Robert Forrester

older expressed gratitude to his parents and teachers, especially his teacher who gave him extra tutoring along the way.

His proud parents said that they knew their son was aiming for QC because he has two older sisters who attend that school.

The parents said that for them it was not really about the top position their son scored. “We are just glad that he was able to achieve his goal,” the proud parents said.

Rovin Lall - 525 marks Rovin Lall of Stella Maris Primary School expressed similar sentiments as Barkoye. He said that his achievement must be attributed to the hard work and dedication as well as the extra push from his parents and teachers. The top performer hopes to become a medical doctor when he grows older.

Alexander Singh - 524 marks Alexander Singh of Marian Academy who is the only student ranking third place at the NGSA

said that his parents are extremely proud of his performance given that he wrote the exams during a pandemic. His father, Francis Singh, said that his son was hoping to break his record as a top achiever who placed third in the country several years ago but he ended up in the same position.

The elder Singh said that his son is nevertheless looking forward to attending Queen's College to make them even more proud of his academic achievements.

Lianna Dharampaul - 523 marks Lianna Dharampaul of Mon Repos Primary School shares fourth position with another top achiever to score the highest marks at her school. She said that being in the top 10 makes her proud of the hard work she put in along with her teachers and parents.

“I am extremely proud to be here today,” she said.

The pupil noted however that she didn't study too much and there

was a balance between her work and play.

Brandon Ramdin - 523 marks Brandon Ramdin, who attends Westfield Preparatory School and hails from Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara is also the top student at his primary school.

He said that the achievement must be shared with his family and teachers who ensured that he studied to attain noteworthy marks at the NGSA. “I also had to focus and work hard as well; it did not come easy,” he added.

Dhanesh Tularam - 521 marks Dhanesh Tularam, who shared the sixth spot with two other pupils, said that he was most excited to be named in the top 10.

“I had to work hard. My parents ensured that I had extra lessons.

My teachers, they worked with me too. So, I would especially like to thank Ms. Gopaul for providing all the books and other reading

material to help us prepare for the NGSA exams.

Gabriel Felix - 521 marks Gabriel Felix of New Guyana School said that he scored high marks by putting in the extra work.

“I wake early every morning to study and had lots of extra lesson,” Felix said.

Britney Peters - 521 marks Britney Peters of One Mile Primary School, in Linden, Region 10 secured the highest score for her school and Region. She shared in the proud moment along with her parents and teachers.

Charisma Etwaroo - 520 marks Charisma Etwaroo of Academy of Excellence, a school located at C o r n e l i a I d a , We s t C o a s t Demerara, told Kaieteur News that she was especially grateful to her many tutors, particularly her grandmother, a retired teacher who helped prepare her for the NGSA. The pupil said that her (continued on page 16)

Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 2020

PAGE 03

Guyana's oil Untraceable Florida company will give Hess handed $30M for birth certificates 10% growth rate

by APNU+AFC - Minister Teixeira in a few years despite pandemic - investigations reveal company headed by Larry London

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s a result of the economic pains unleashed on oil and gas multinationals and service companies during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is expected that some would take years to recover from the losses sustained. But this is certainly not the case for Hess Corporation which holds a 30 percent stake in the Stabroek Block.

According to the company's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), John Hess, its interest in blocks offshore Guyana, will pave the way for it to see a 10 percent growth rate by 2023. Hess said that at the end of the day, it is the low-cost producer who wins while adding that the best rocks with the best returns will ensure some companies are well positioned for success after the pandemic.

The CEO said, “…We feel that our company with Guyana (which has) probably the largest oil discovery in the last 20 years, a world class resource with low breakevens costs and given our opposition in the Bakken, USA… we think we are in a strong position relative to competitors to provide industry leading cash flow growth.”

Hess added, “…Our cash flow compounds out to 2023 to 10 percent per year while the median of our peers actually decreases 10 percent a year. So we have raised the bar. And again, our 10

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Hess Corporation's CEO, John Hess percent growth is competitive with big tech firms, big pharmaceutical companies and big consumer companies and so our value is unique…”

While the Stabroek Block consortium which includes ExxonMobil as the O p e r a t o r a n d CNOOC/NEXEN, have already chalked up 18 massive discoveries, Hess Corp.'s CEO was keen to note that this is still the early innings for Guyana. The CEO said that Hess continues to see multibillion barrels of future exploration potential remaining on the block.

In providing an overview of the Guyana operations, he reminded that Liza Phase One, which is already producing oil, is expected to (continued on page 10)

ccording to the Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Te x e i r a , t h e p r e v i o u s APNU+AFC regime had awarded $30M to a barely discernible Floridianregistered company for the procurement of 20,000 birth certificates during the period 2019-2020.

What is further alarming, the Minister told the House, is that the contract was signed by longtime stalwart Director of Public Works, and executive member of the People's National Congress President and Secretary (PNC), Larry London, who of Universal Procurement Services Incorporated, was recently at the center of Larry London political controversy. In fact in August of this year, Kaieteur News had reported was at the time presenting to that London, once listed as the National Assembly's c o - o w n e r o f t h e Committee of Supply, went controversial Homestretch on to indicate that the 20,000 Development Incorporated, birth certificates were the company behind the sourced from Universal D'Urban Park Project, was P r o c u r e m e n t S e r v i c e s given a mystery job by the I n c o r p o r a t e d , a U . S p r e v i o u s G r a n g e r company registered in the administration. state of Florida.

Operating under the “It's the first time I'm d e s i g n a t i o n l i s t e d a s hearing of it [the company],” 'Director of Public Parks', the Minister said, as she London was in receipt of a net salary of $500,000 m o n t h l y, a l o n g w i t h additional perks being footed by the state, including home security services, a personal driver and car, as well as duty free allowances and a 22½% gratuity twice yearly, despite the fact that the overseas-based London seldom returned to Guyana.

Minister Teixeira, who

Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira revealed that under her tenure as Minister of Home Affairs, birth certificates were supplied by local printers under “strict security”.

Investigations conducted

by Kaieteur News indicate that Universal Procurement Services Incorporated is filed as a Domestic for Profit Corporation, but is no longer active.

This corporate entity was filed approximately 13 years ago on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 at two known addresses— 15221 SW 20th St Hollywood, FL 33027 and 15221 SW 20th St Miramar, FL 3302, as recorded in documents filed with the Florida Department of State.

A c c o r d i n g t o Corporation Wiki, there are a few officers known to have been associated with this organization, with London as the man leading the company's operations.

Information on this aforesaid site explicitly states that London held the position of President and Secretary, with Donna London as President; Roger Simon as Director; Victor D. Wilson as Secretary; Lyndon Rohlehr and Diedre Downer serving as Directors.

Based on calculations, the APNU+AFC would have paid $1,500 each for the 20,000 birth certificates, when in reality the average birth certificate may cost no more than a meager G$100.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 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

Lusignan - a grenade with pin pulled From reports in the media, it seems that there is frequently some alarming incident at the Lusignan Prison facility. This temporary holding facility is, once again, visited by death and has come to represent a grenade with the pin pulled. It is problem creating with the disturbing waiting to happen. It must go.

The list of troubling developments is long, with fatalities occurring from time to time, and the latest fallen reported on Saturday last. There have been internal squabbling and bad blood leading to clashing between inmates, with serious injury and death following. There have been riots and reports of contraband smuggled successfully, and some items and efforts thwarted by officials. The pictures of weapons and products speak of a porous, maybe compromised, system.

There have been attempted escapes and actual escapes from this supposedly temporary facility. There have been, as said earlier, deaths at different times. And, yet this abomination in the center of a large community, this priority for quick and concrete action, still stands years later in a place and a society that dreads its nearness and very existence.

The dangers are palpable and frightening. Can this facility hold? How much longer can its crowded confines withstand the agitations and pressures from the inside?

For, no matter how well viewed, this Lusignan Prison facility is more than a constant threat. It is a clear and present danger that hangs over the head of nearby community and country at large. To be blunt and realistic: the Lusignan Prison is the equivalent of a runaway truck without brakes or operator barreling rapidly towards a crowded marketplace.

There are untold consequences promised.

Without getting too far into any politics, the government is relatively new, all of seven weeks old, but it must pick up the pieces and bring swift closure to this thorn in the eye and potential dagger in the heart. Of the utmost urgency, the facility has to be moved to a more well-situated, permanent home that induces some degree of security among citizens nationwide. We have heard of a construction project in the works; it must now be placed as a priority among the many other priorities for expedited resolution.

It does not help, in the least, to point fingers and seek answers as to who dragged their feet, or which group failed to deliver on obligations due to citizens very unhappy with the situation and the plights hovering over their daily existence. The situation is not eased by the arguments now routine in Guyana, the fears do not disappear, the menaces merely languish and multiply.

What matters now, and it is imperative that these associated issues be addressed without delay is how to ease the overcrowding, how to bring about a greater sense of control and confidence, relative to what goes on inside the facility. Passions and tensions are at fever pitch, and ways have to be found to defuse the explosive situations that now appear to be almost run of the mill.

In the absence of an early transfer of hardcore inmates, or similar removal of the facility, there must be casting around for ways to dissipate the calculating conspiracies and hard angers that spiral within those walls. Visitors could be one weak spot that affords transfer of items and, hence, the availability of accessories that empower those detained to risk danger and take matters in their hands with either bloody results or lethal effects. Visitors must be monitored better, carefully and sensitively, but comprehensively with a view to doing better.

More cell sweeps may have to be implemented, with the intention of those becoming part of the routine to nip nefarious visions in the bud. The official objective must be that, since there is no choice but to live with the hand that is held, of keeping criminal calculations from developing into full blown plots, riots, or escape attempts. To put differently, the strategy would be to keep the plotters and ringleaders off balance. In addition, the perimeter of the prison has to be layered with both overt and covert personnel, if only to send stronger messages.

Whatever is done, this is non-negotiable: the Lusignan Prison must go and the quicker the better.

Arming ourselves as racial groups but will not provide us with the safety and lasting peace we desire DEAR EDITOR, Recently, Dr. Roshan Khan advised East Indian dominated villages in Berbice to arm themselves “with batons and sticks for self defense…”. I understand, he did change his initial post substituting “Guyanese” for “East Indian.”

In doing so, he seems to be suggesting this revision (which suggests impartiality on his part) legitimizes his call to arms. If this is his intention, he clearly is not aware of the dangers lurking in his proposal.

Generally when persons advise the creation of what Dr. Khan refers to as “watch and protection groups” among their justification for so doing, they offer the following: (A) Individual’s and groups’ right to protect themselves and their property. (B) Self defense groups act as a deterrent to would be offenders.

In response to the above I must note that there is nothing new about geographical communities (whether they define themselves as poor, wealthy, ethnic or racial) forming defense groups in the face of real or perceived threat from

other groups. In the case of ethnic and racial communities, the history of Europe, Africa, India and China are replete with examples of the existence of such groups.

Indeed, in Britain, the concept of crimes against the King, had its genesis in the need to stop individuals and groups from administering their own justice on persons they deem as threat to their communities.

However, even with the development of modern organized systems for dispensing justice, respect for individual and groups right to protect themselves is generally upheld by law. As one legal mind puts it “selfdefense is an inevitable feature of any legal system.”

But even with this general support for the right to self defense, a number of authorities warn about some of the draw- backs to this approach for achieving community safety.

These authorities point to the fact that such groups have a tendency of quickly taking on the form of vigilante groups. In their book “Police and Society” Roberg, Novak, Cordner and Smith reminds us

that the word ‘vigilante’ is of Spanish origin and means “watch man or guard.”

They then make the observation that a “vigilante group is a voluntary association of men (they rarely include women) who organized to respond to real or imagined threats to their safety, property or power, or seek revenge.”

It is of interest to note that in the USA the term lynching was originally used to describe public whipping carried out by a Colonel Lynch, head of a vigilante movement in the late 1700s in Virginia. The possibility of Dr. Khan’s “watch and support groups” taking on the characteristics of vigilante groups is as real as they have been in other parts of the world.

Indeed, in certain parts of Georgetown the various newspapers have, over time, reported of community members beating suspects (sometimes tying them to lamp posts), into a state of unconsciousness. In other cases we read of persons who are not of the race of the majority of the community they happen to enter, being

beaten or killed (especially during election time) because they “look suspicious,” and offer, what the community group consider, inadequate excuse for being in the village.

This means that community groups of the nature proposed by Dr. Khan are notorious for overlooking the rights of suspects. One writer says of such groups that they have the tendency of “valuing property over a person’s life.”

That they also tend to move “away from a basic sense of proportion.” He concludes by offering this example – “Even if burglary is wrong, it cannot be right to allow a far greater wrong to be committed against the burglar on the grounds that he had asked for it by committing the crime.”

On the same issue, Banks in her book ‘Criminal Justice Ethics,’ reminds us that suspects have a right “not to suffer ill-treatment.”

For these and other reasons, groups in the mold of Dr. Khan’s “watch and protection groups” are discouraged. This give rise to the question – ‘what should (continued on page 6)

Hypocrisy over Roshan Khan’s statement DEAR EDITOR, In reference to missive that Haji Roshan’s “utterance on the violence against people in West Berbice betrayed the trust placed in him as an ERC rep” (KN Sep 21), many view it as hypocrisy.

KN also carried an editorial on the remarks (Sep 18). The editorial was fair and balanced.

Haji is condemned but not the politicians who organized and those who actually perpetrated the brutal violence. He owned up to his faults. He shamed his colleagues for being silent as crimes were being perpetrated on people on account of ethnicity.

He spoke on his own behalf not as a spokesperson of ERC. The public, including that 520 who signed the missive, should emulate him in condemning the violence.

There is nothing wrong in being constructively critical of a body of which one is a member.

There are many who support Haji based on conversations I have been having with them on the matter. Obviously, people are divided on the remarks with some making their views known in the media and others quiet. The majority seems to be in support of Haji. Why can’t people speak out and

why can’t they defend themselves against thuggery?

Haji Roshan’s ‘crime’ was to tell people to protect themselves from violence, robbery, sexual molestation, and other atrocities unleashed on them. Being a member of ERC or any body should not constrain one from taking a principled correct position.

He spoke out of anger at the criminals with victims picked upon on account of ethnicity and the authorities not taking effective measures to control the situation. The 520 individuals who signed the missive disagree with Haji suggesting instead that the victims should not resist the perpetrators of the heinous crimes.

Accept it, turn the other cheek, and get some more blows. Violent response could trigger more violence or end the violence, based on studies of sociologists.

At the spur of the moment when confronted with sudden physical violence, people think and react differently.

Some react violently and some passively – as they measure the situation. Some speak in anger and frustration and don’t really mean what they utter. Haji probably falls under that category.

In most cases, a violent response is not practical. If

confronted by dozens of armed bandits, how can one person respond violently? For those of us who study criminology, when confronted with a crime, one has to act within a split second what to do.

Safety must be the priority.

I was robbed countless times in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Harlem in minority neighbourhoods. Some of the bandits were no more than eight years old as they were trained to become career criminals near my university at daybreak or at dusk. I didn’t resist because criminals are known to be deadly; I valued my life.

What took place in West Berbice was not ordinary, run of the mill criminality, but ethnic bullyism. When confronted alone by gangs or even one-armed individuals as in my experience in minority neighbourhoods in NY, one could not and must not resist the bandits out of sanctity of life.

But when there is organized crime against victims, criminologists disagree on the response.

Some suggest counter response. In studies of criminology, experts suggest that when criminals are confronted as a group, they back down and go into hiding.

Clearly, Guyanese didn’t

take Haji’s statement literally to respond to the violent criminals and in fact there was no reported resistance or organized response to the criminals.

The violence ended when the politicians called off the thugs from the roads.

Of the 520 who reprimand Haji, would they now chastise the politicians who unleashed the goons on the people?

Why haven’t they done so?

Is there hypocrisy? Would they call for the politicians to be held accountable via a commission of inquiry as suggested by Kit Nascimento? Should the politicians not be arrested and prosecuted?

The 520 should have come out publicly and condemn the violence instead of attacking Haji Roshan alone. And as Pompeo was visiting Guyana, they should have penned an appeal asking the US for assistance to solve the crime of the three youngsters who were killed in what was no ordinary violent murders.

Did people notice that when President Irfaan said he would seek US, UK, UN, RSS, and Caricom help to investigate the violence, the criminals were pulled off the road?

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Be upfront on oil renegotiation DEAR EDITOR, In reference to your ongoing series on how the country is being robbed of oil resources, increased pressure is warranted to get an increase in the royalty and revenue sharing.

The support for democracy was done not out of good of western nation’s heart but of guarantee of oil and gas contract. The western nations would benefit enormously from the emerging oil sector. So far, we are not.

Therefore, every effort must be made to have the oil contract renegotiated to the benefit of ordinary Guyanese with a few more percentages in the royalty (to 10%).

I am worried that too many tainted figures are lurking around the government. It looks like the people voted for immorality and nepotism with several tainted characters back in government. PPP has returned to its same old behavior and some of the same tainted characters. That does

not augur well for the future.

It is like PPP did not learn anything from being in the opposition for over five years.

Family and friends of the PPP would be beneficiaries of oil - nepotism. The PPP must understand that it barely won a majority.

The Granger government was the worse the country experienced and yet PPP only managed to get just over 50% of the votes. Clearly, PPP does not enjoy overwhelming support. Given racism in country and corruption over the five years, it was not a big win and defeat is inevitable come next time.

It should be clear to PPP that it would not have won the election if the coalition were not racist and corrupt. And had it not been for the intervention of US and western diplomats, the coalition would have stayed in power.

The coalition controls the military and the police. The coalition’s supporters don’t

need much cajoling to use force to cripple the government. We saw that in West Berbice earlier this month.

If the small parties had gotten 2,000 votes more or if all the small parties had come together, the PPP would have been a minority government.

If Harmon and Granger were to walk, APNU would recover support and once again become popular. Volda has reemerged as a likeable person, forgiving the statement that only “PNC people” would be hired by her in the Ministry of Health and Indians are speaking well of Volda after she dissociated from the violence.

Had APNU behaved itself, the small parties would have ganged up with the coalition holding the PPP accountable.

The government must be upfront with the public on oil – is it willing to seek renegotiation?

Yours truly, Haresh S Kumar

With or without pandemic, online classes seem here to stay DEAR EDITOR, I am happy to see the Ministry of Education has started to train teachers for online delivery to students as we continue to be innovative.

Online classes I feel are here to stay with or without a pandemic. As I previously wrote, even though it might be challenging, this method is one of the main ways to accomplish distant learning once there is the availability of a computer/tablet with internet access.

We all know that teachers are dedicated to their profession and they all specialize in different areas, but not all of them would be comfortable with information technology.

As such, we can suggest moving to a model whereby groups of teachers within the same class level and content area can collaborate to create similar modules for delivery to schools within their community and even beyond. This will allow the teachers who are weaker with technology to be able to benefit from the ones that are very comfortable with technology.

Logic would dictate for example, that if a secondary school student in Georgetown will do a CXC exam in Biology at the end o f t h e s c h o o l y e a r, a comparable student in an Anna Regina secondary school would be doing the exact same work to also take a CXC Biology exam.

As such, the online content does not have to be created t w i c e b e c a u s e i t ’s t w o different schools. This way we can have the best Biology teacher who may be a great face to face teacher but struggles with technology, now teaming up with another teacher who thrives on technology to form the perfect team to create and deliver the best online Biology class.

The model can be setup in a hierarchy starting with subject and followed by grade/class level; i.e. create a Biology module – assign to Form 5 students. The thing to wrap your head around is that the teacher is not going to the student in a classroom, the student is going to the teacher in an online environment.

One teacher can only have a limited number of students in a class, but one online teacher can have an infinite number of students logging on to a class with the right technology. This model allows the content to be of the highest quality, consistent across all schools and less preparation thereby allowing delivery to students faster.

As an educator for the last 21 years, I have been fortunate to be in an environment that encompasses all different forms of delivery when it comes to education and I am grateful for this platform that allows me the

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Kaieteur News

opportunity to continue to share some of my thoughts which I hope may be useful to help students continue learning in these trying times.

We k n o w t h a t t h i s pandemic will end e v e n t u a l l y, b u t i n t h e meantime as students adapt to different methods of learning, keeping schools closed appears to be a good choice. I have noticed that the Covid-19 numbers are going up and as I had mentioned a couple weeks ago, I think face masks should be mandatory.

Health officials have also repeatedly said that social distancing is the best way to control the virus spread, so maybe we should be seriously looking at what is deemed essential to be open or at the least, limit the number of people to these places.

There are so many areas that are high risk, but one that definitely should be on the radar is public transportation. Let us all stay safe.

Yours truly, Danny Nasseir

The Amerindian Act is good but needs to be updated DEAR EDITOR, S u c c e s s i v e governments for a few decades over, have been making valiant efforts to craft an Amerindian Act that could really reflect government’s policy towards Indigenous Peoples, compliant with international standards as far as possible.

For some time there were amendments of the Amerindian Act for sure; revisions, some tweaking here, some there, etc., all in an effort to comply with the Universal Standards.

In 2006, a bill was passed whi c h saw a new Amerindian Act promulgated and passed into law, piloted by Carolyn Rodrigues, the then Minister of Amerindian Affairs.

We now have an Act that provides to a large extent which allows for selfdetermination, but it must be studied carefully to understand its implications. Communities therefore can take full advantage of the provisions given.

Ta k e e l e c t i o n s f o r toshaos and councillors, for example, which will be some time soon. Provision is made for a Nomination day and an Election day to b e s e p a r a t e d a y s . Ye t certain communities allow Regional officials to run off nominations and elections on a single day.

These are modern times, sir, and as for the National and Regional Elections our Indigenous communities need time to study, to scrutinize our candidates, to listen to them answering our questions, etc. What

prevails leaves a lot to be desired as it relates to the behaviour of some Regional officials and which seems to have become a tradition. It is totally unacceptable although the Amerindian Act allows for otherwise.

This will not take much time and simply necessitates a request from a community for the system t o b e r e v i s i t e d . Ye s , changes should be made – after all it is provided for in the Act. That in itself typifies and allows for Self-determination to a certain extent.

Albeit nothing has changed since 2006 as far as the Amerindian Act goes, there is hope that one day it will reflect International Standards this generation and the ones to come must continue to lobby for.

Yes, each successive administration has done its utmost to craft a new Amerindian Act with the input from us the Indigenous populace, doing so in an atmosphere of peace and understanding.

Many extraneous factors admittedly along t h e w a y, w o u l d h a v e negatively impacted the process and what serves as the latest document, the Amerindian Act 2006, with all its positives, needs to be revisited.

No Act is at all perfect.

As Amerindians continue to grapple with the challenges of governance in our communities the Act

would only do us justice should it include compulsory qualifications for the positions of toshao, a t t h e l e a s t . To o m a n y instances of insubordination do occur and the reason is obvious.

Next, what of a toshao being given the powers to select his own team of councillors, or vice versa?

How will the new Revised Amerindian Act read into correcting many instances of weak governance all because of the quality leadership.

Again, what educational standards should be set for those who vie for leadership; who should, or should not, qualify in the future as toshao, or councillor, etc.

Last but not least, it does seem obvious there is an impending leadership crisis in some Indigenous villages: most young people are employed elsewhere; most leave school with little or no leadership skills.

How do we stop such a crisis from occurring? Can the community make provisions to ameliorate such a crisis? Or, how do we begin training programs with help from government for those who are willing, but not yet prepared to take up the mantle of leadership?

So many questions seem to be looming and of course answers are needed, or communities will continue downhill, retrogressing, instead of progressing.

Yours truly, Joseph Atkinson

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Kaieteur News

...Arming ourselves as racial groups but will not provide us with the safety From page 4 we do as communities, to protect ourselves from would be aggressors?’

The suggestions that follow are not stated in order of priority, but merely form a set of approaches that I consider acceptable for civilized societies.

First, community policing groups should be encouraged. However, they should be properly constituted. All the major writers on community policing groups that I have read emphasize the point that these groups should always have a policeman/woman as a member.

This is encouraged, because to determine who is a threat to a community can only accurately be ascertained by way of skillful, competent interrogation and investigation. Members of community groups are not usually trained to do this, and therefore are inclined to make hasty, emotional decisions on the level of threat (if any at all) a suspect poses.

Second, the need for communities to form protection groups grow out of our police inability to provide the service they are intended to provide. So, lets address this. Doing so would mean our government, with assistance from the private sector, has a duty to ensure the police have the resources needed for it to satisfy its purpose. Resources here include adequate training for ranks, increase in its numerical strength, vehicles, weapons, communication equipment etc.

Third, we need to accept that to a large extend, our politics drive race-based attacks. That there is also a high level of racial distrust and the major races are close numerically. In such an environment, so long as we continue to embrace a political system that allows a party that does not win even 51 percent of the votes, the right to solely, form the government, we will have problems.

Discontent will be prevalent and race-based violence as an expression of this discontent will be a reality.

Most serious Guyanese seem to hold the view that a national front government; for at least a period; is the best way for promoting racial peace in Guyana. Many of those

supporting same, do so after expressing disappointment that a third force (an independent and moral party) has constantly eluded us. In Guyana’s history, parties like the UF, AFC and now the Joinder List parties all had the opportunity to become this third force, the Joinder list to a lesser extent. Instead of satisfying this purpose they all chose (for selfish purpose, in my estimation) to join with whichever of the tribal parties occupy the seat of power, no matter how infinitesimal the victory.

Even now, those supporting a national front government can feel discouraged that this will ever be realized. Let us not forget, that after the 2011 general elections the PPP chose to form a minority government, rather than vigorously pursue efforts at the creation a national front government. An occurrence which brought back memories of the late Randolph Cheeks’ painful cry after one of the PNC’s rigged election victory – “throughout the corridors of history this day shall be remembered with shame.”

Let us also note the absurdity of some politicians, who defend their unwillingness to meet and discuss the possibility of a national front government by declaring that “trust” must first be present. They do, so even though the purpose for suggesting a national front is precisely to build trust between the major races. How politicians could demand that what we seek to bring into being exists before we take steps to bring it into being, is a mystery to me.

So, this important component to achieving racial harmony is no more in sight than it were in the 1960s.

However, men and women dedicated to bringing about racial peaceful in Guyana, have no alternative but to continue fighting for a political coming together - we have no choice.

Arming ourselves as racial groups and communities with “batons and sticks” might soothe our immediate anxiety, and fear, but will not provide us with the safety and lasting peace we so desperately desire.

Yours truly, Claudius Prince

Tuesday September 22, 2020

The unreality of Guyanese democracy DEAR EDITOR, We purport to celebrate democracy in Guyana. I say purport because an honest look confirms that it does not exist to the extent that it should. In contrast, what is present is so fragile and fraught with fulminations as to fall apart at the slightest whiff.

One of the hallmarks of true democracy and an accompanying characteristic is that no matter how terrible the adversarial turmoil engaged in, no matter the pitched rhetorical and propaganda battles fought, and no matter the political antagonisms that raged in the white hot heat of clashes that came, there is always that temperate and wise maturity manifested and great responsibility exercised to avoid the infusion of personal enmity into proceedings. It may be electoral. It could be procedural. It may have been anything on which hinged the success or fate of a special vision or program favored.

But political passions neveror should never-deteriorate into the deep personal differences that sabotage the workings of democracy.

Our pervasive political enmities-and it is nothing lessprohibit those in the fray from extending condolences on the passing of fellow fighter in the trenches.

Those same

enmities, other than for backdoor acquaintanceships (nothing more) here and there, inhibit the frequency and texture of communications so direly needed here to move this society forward. My position has ever been that no single group could successfully carry us forward; racial arrogance inevitably leads to mistakes, on the one hand; and, on the other, racial bitterness contributes to noncooperation (at best) or sabotage (at its worst). At its heart, the compromises for consensus that contributes to cooperation, all pillars of democracy, are conspicuously absent. But it is those very missing links in which we rejoice in the appalling ignorance that has come to characterize governance in this country.

Democracy is the most intricate, that most frail of systems. It is built on compromise and statesmanship. It cannot succeed with either the dogmatic or the vindictive. In Guyana-long a tinderbox, a special case of functioning under the racial sword of Damocles, a case study indysfunctions and contradictions, if ever there was one-the dogmatic and the vindictive are what have been displayed with relish since the official cessation of this year’s elections season in August.

There is a studied malice that has decorated governance since a government has been ushered into office. Indeed, I tender that governance has not truly begun, and the politics of elections has not stopped. In the minds of political leaders (and their trusts) as seen and sensed, the elections are still being fought over, with objective being to inflict much damage, to extract harsh prices. I caution against continuing.

There were and are the sweeps for political appointees, an absolutely avoidable denouement on both sides which, from my perspective, disgraced both inquisitors and targets. The same rancor, with equivalent intensity of personal animosity, was brought to bear on appointments related to state boards by those from the opposition.

It was more than petty and petulant, simply part of the acrimonious political continuum reeking of raw enmity and intended to be not just wounding, but deliberately humiliating. It is said that it is deserving, but at what price, I ask, given the feeble state of Guyanese democracy? For when such is harboured deep within and then put into sharp practice, the delicate balance of this ideal called democracy is distorted into the

unrecognizable.

I submit that when the dictates of prudence are ignored to deliver that which savage opponents, there is toying with the unknown.

The thin constraints that hold things together threaten to rent asunder. Cotton Tree is testimony for how such circumstances are easily and viciously, as well as dangerously, exploited.

Fragility subtracts from fragility leading to still more instability, even when not palpable, but purely mental.

So, when the Hon. Vice President speaks of engagement being well-nigh impossible because of the absence of any ‘honest interlocutors’ on the opposition’s side, then poison combines with acid and carries the day. The days in Guyana are never dull nor anything less than psychically damaging, as well as socially endangering. I will go so far as to say that there are very few honest people in this country on anything, and most particularly with those wrapped in our political ploys and wiles. This includes the many claiming the same being lacking in foes.

Democracy is not raised to another level, but weakened. Guyana labors, breathes heavily.

Sincerely, GHK Lall

The young people in Zeelugt are indeed in danger from drug addiction DEAR EDITOR, My letter is a follow up to a letter KN News published on the 16th September, 2020 which spoke about the drug addiction among youths in the community of Zeelugt.

I wish to address the leaders responsible for the running of the community.

To s t a r t o ff , I a m i n a g r e e m e n t w i t h M r.

Harbajan who adequately highlighted the above issue. It is with great discomfort that I must condemn the leaders of my community for not making an appropriate stand to the drug problem that has engulfed this village I don’t want to speak of this problem now, as this is an aftermath of many other reasons. I wish to highlight possible underlying causes of the drug abuse. In Zeelugt most youths emerge from poverty.

Some choose to make the best of it and dream to escape it; while some are enflamed by its grip and turn the tides. I would only want to assume that this poverty is as a result of the

Community not having enough jobs to supply its inhabitants or rather the inhabitants choose not to work.

Wi t h many distraught, they inevitably turn to the drug trade, particularly the youths in the village).

A second cause I could only assume based on observations is the lack of educational distribution in this community. Over the last two years there has been no effort to apply any infrastructure that would cater to the development of the people of this village.

There has not been any outreach programmes or any other session set up by either the public or private arenas. It is in this way that the older folks remain uneducated. Right away there is a limitation in what the elders in the village can offer.

Thirdly and lastly as to what I think contributes to the increase in substance abuse is the non-presence of the law in this area. I can tell from my years in the village about 2 years ago the police would do routine

checks in this village every day; even if it was just a pass through inspection.

As menial as this seems, it would make the world of difference. People were afraid to get into illegal activities during this time, but the police seem to have abandoned this village.

There is no audit of this place and as such, members get the feeling they aren’t being watched and as such they parade the Old and New schemes distributing their dope.

Now I will not only protest about the problems in the village, but I will offer some solutions that I think are practical.

Firstly, the NDC being the extension of the Government should seek to provide valuable infrastructure that can aid unemployed persons. There needs to be more production of job opportunities for persons who are finding it hard to obtain jobs. I’m sure there are places to build, places to clean or places that require some form of help or the other.

Secondly, leaders in this community need to step out of the shadows. Teachers, religious leaders, youth groups and lawmen need to encourage the youths to get an education.

The government can only provide so much. Youths need to be enlightened about the benefits of having a proper education. This village needs to have more sessions that can in turn be beneficial to the community at large.

Lastly, the police need to bring a threatening presence to the youths in this village. They are getting out of hand and it disappoints me. Youths between the ages of 15 to 25 are jeopardizing their futures by abusing dope and it is sad. The police need to get them off the street (parents can only do so much).

Stronger disciplinary action needs to be implemented. Thank you for reading, please share with a member of this community or a person who may be able to help.

Yours truly, Sonnie Kaimangall

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

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Tuesday September 22, 2020

Guyanese man who Death toll now at 67 as COVID-19 cases climb to 2,402 migrated to NY three years ago, killed at bus stop

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s the COVID-19 cases continue to mount, the Ministry of Public Health yesterday announced the two more related deaths.

The COVID-19 death toll now stands at 67.

In a release the Ministry regrettably informed that “as of 15:00hrs on September 21, 2020, another person who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID19) has died.”

A few hours later the Ministry reported another death stating that “as of 18:00hrs on September 21st, 2020, one other person who tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has died.”

The deaths, according to t h e M i n i s t r y, w i l l b e reflected on the COVID-19 dashboard that will be released today.

The first death yesterday was that of a 67 -year-old man from Barima/Waini (Region One) while the second was that of a 57 -

year-old woman also from Barima/Waini (Region One). The two died while receiving care, the Ministry revealed.

It was noted that a sample was collected from each of the patients at the time of admission and subsequent laboratory tests confirmed that they were COVID-19 positive.

“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 Ministry added.

Since learning of the patients' status, the Ministry said that its officials have contacted all relatives and persons to facilitate contact tracing and rapid assistance to everyone who may have been exposed to them.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e Ministry said it is appealing to the public to “respect the confidentiality of the

deceased and family and to allow them to mourn their tragic loss in peace.”

To date, the Ministry has recorded 2,402 confirmed cases with 1,359 recoveries.

In order to help combat the disease, the Ministry is calling on all Guyanese to observe the protocols of the C O V I D - 1 9 e m e rg e n c y measures (NO. 9) which are in effect until September 30, 2020.

The order emphasises: the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others and the need for good hand-hygiene.

“If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline: 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit us at www.health.gov.gy,” the Ministry announced yesterday.

(New York Daily News) Dinner was waiting for him, but Omesh Persaud never got to eat it, crushed to death instead by a wayward SUV as he stood on a Brooklyn sidewalk waiting for a bus home.

Persaud's last words were about how hungry he was, according to Sara Socra, 38, who had fixed him a plate of roasted pork, fried plantains and rice — and waited for him to return to their Jamaica, Queens, home. The couple considered themselves spouses though they had yet to legally marry.

“He was like, 'Man, I'm hungry, I'm coming home from work right now,' and then when he hung up the phone, that's when he got hit," said Socra's son Avinas Singh, 22, who considered the victim his stepdad.

Police and witnesses said Persaud, 47, was struck and killed Friday when a car wash attendant lost control of a customer's Jeep Commander and mounted the sidewalk where Persaud was waiting for a bus to take him home.

Two days later, Socra was still too devastated to throw away the meal she had prepared.

“She can't believe it,” said Socra's son. “She said that he will come again to eat. She can't sleep. We're actually scared when she enters the funeral home and sees the body, what's going to happen.”

Persaud, who normally took the subway home from his construction jobs, was waiting for a bus at Atlantic Ave. and Milford St. about 4:30 p.m on Friday when he was struck. Persaud decided to take the bus because he was in a new part of town to get a work certification.

“That was actually going to be his first time catching the bus, because the train is [usually] faster,” said Singh.

The 64-year-old car wash employee, Joseph Razzano,

Victim Omesh Persaud with Sara Socra (Obtained by Daily News) was pulling the freshly cleaned SUV out of the drivein car wash when he lost control of the vehicle, cops said. Persaud died at the scene after the Jeep hopped the curb, struck him, and pinned him against a building wall. Razzano did not have a valid driver's license and was arrested and later released with a desk appearance ticket for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, cops said.

“It's unfair,” Singh said, “When the cops came, they said the man who was driving, he had a suspended license. It doesn't make any sense. To me, the guy's in the wrong."

“It's really hurtful the way it happened, that the car hit him to the wall," Singh added.

Persaud immigrated to Jamaica, Queens, from Guyana three years ago. He worked hard at construction, specializing in welding, but always loved returning home to have a good time and hang out with his stepchildren, relatives said. He was the family goofball, they added.

“We used to work out, go to the gym together,” Singh

said. “Last week he bought a new car and he was so happy.

He said, 'Now we can go places.' Now the car is just sitting there.”

Persaud and Socra, who were acquaintances back in Guyana, bumped into each other on a New York City bus and reconnected, Singh said.

Socra was too upset to speak with a reporter, but posted a heartfelt Facebook message about her loss.

“How to accept that u is not anymore in this world, how to continue my journey in this world, how to enter my home without u at my side?” she wrote. “U always said we born for each other u teach me million of things but never how to live without u.”

Persaud leaves behind three children in Guyana and five stepchildren in New York, Singh said.

At the scene Friday, the owner of the Jeep told the Daily News that the SUV is equipped with a Chrysler Hemi engine that provides more power than regular engines. “It's a powerful car," she said. “He must have lost control and he just tried to turn and he hit the man."

Dredge owner dies after being run over by skidder

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dredge owner, 41, died on Sunday last after he was run over by a skidder at Polvotario Backdam, North West District (NWD), Region One. According to police reports, the dredge owner, Kerwin Schultz, met with the fatal incident at around

10:00hrs.

Ranks were told that Schultz was in a tractor with two of his employees travelling behind the skidder.

As they were ascending a hill the skidder encountered some difficulties and started to roll backwards at a fast rate. Anticipating that the skidder was going to collide

with the tractor, Schultz jumped out but fell on the roadway.

The skidder collided with the tractor but afterwards its left wheel ran over Schultz.

The dredge owner was picked up but succumbed minutes later before receiving medical attention.

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Give credit where credit is due T

he President should have a chat with his Minister of Education. Her comments at the announcement of the results of the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) were petty and ridiculous.

If Guyana had a more vibrant civil society and if the politics of the country was not as polarized as it is, the Minister of Education would have come under pressure to resign and revert back to private law practice.

It may not be too hard for her to do so and relieve the country of the burden of ever listening to the sort of remarks which she made yesterday.

The Chief Education Officer announced improvements in the performance of students in three areas.

The Minister, however, did not wish to credit the previous administration with this success. Instead, she said that the students did well in spite of the efforts of the previous administration.

This is a cheap and petty shot across the board of the previous government. But it also stands in contradiction to the report which was read by the Chief Education Officer. That report spoke about improvements in the performance of students in three subject areas.

Without explaining how she came to her conclusion that these improvements cannot be credited to measures of the previous administration, the Minister was adamant in her stance that the students did well in

Dem

boys seh...

D

em boys seh that one of the pitfalls of democracy is dat we does elect leaders fuh run we affairs fuh 5 years but we have no say in what they do.

Right now there is no need for a referendum to find out whether people feel that there should be a temporary lockdown to help suppress the COVID-19 cases.

Dem boys talk to wan man and de man predict that within a couple of weeks, de amount of cases gan double every week and dat could eventually mean about seven deaths per day for about two

spite of the previous government.

Yet, she herself had used the very improvements in exam passes at examinations in order to justify improvements in education in general.

During her 2014 Budget speech, this is what she had to say: “Let us talk about how results have come over the years. In 1990 – which is the overall pass rate with students getting five or more subjects, grades 1 to 2 and then later on 3 – we had 21% of the population passing generally at CXC. In 1995, with a commitment of the people of this country and the necessary allocation in the budget, we had seen a 9% increase and 29% of our c h i l d re n h a d p a s s e d , generally. By 2000, it had moved to 46%. By 2005, CSEC results moved to 60%.

By 2010, it was 66%.”

She went on: “Let us talk about how results have come over the years. In 1990 – which is the overall pass rate with students getting five or more subjects, grades 1 to 2 and then later on 3 – we had 21% of the population passing generally at CXC. In 1995, with a commitment of the people of this country and the necessary allocation in the budget, we had seen a 9% increase and 29% of our c h i l d re n h a d p a s s e d , generally. By 2000, it had moved to 46%. By 2005, CSEC results moved to 60%.

By 2010, it was 66%.”

The Minister was not making an argument that these improvements were in spite of what the PPP/C had

done. In fact she sought to link these improvements to the increased Budgetary spending on education.

It is therefore a case of double standards for her to now refuse to provide the APNU+AFC with credit for doing the same and for achieving improved results; significantly improved results this year.

It may have been understandable if she had argued that perhaps the better results were because of an easier examination.

Many persons are of the view that there is no consistency in standards when it comes to these examinations.

Some of the high-flyers said that the examinations were easy. But in one year when the Caribbean Examinations Council has set the examinations, one top student complained that he found the mathematics examination difficult.

Each year the Ministry reels off the names of the high-flyers and increased in passes. But no mention is made of the large numbers who fail the examinations.

And during Manickchand's previous tenure, there were massive failures. In fact even yesterday results point again to the general pattern of the top-flyers coming mainly from Region 11.

No one is arguing that the APNU+AFC was able to transform education. Very few would argue that. The measures for this are not made because politicians do not wish to confront their failures.

But if results have improved then try to find out

Plenty more people will die unless there is a lockdown months. This could mean more than 400 persons dying before Christmas.

De majority of people feel dat is time fuh a lockdown.

But dem too powerless because all dem does do is elect a government every five years but dem nah gat no say as to what gan happen.

Dem boys hopeful though that Frankie gan do de right thing.

Dem boys watching fuh see what gan be de outcome of de tour wah de President mek of de airport. Dem hoping is nat wan photo opportunity. Because dem

boys done feel Guyana get a 6 fuh 9 when it comes to dat project and dem boys feel dem should bring in some international auditors fuh see whether we get we value fuh we money.

Dem boys seh dat de majority of people also not pleased with the de oil contract and dat it should be renegotiated. But like everything else what matters is not what the people feel, but what the leaders wants.

Talk half and remind dem leaders dat if dem nah lockdown dem might nat gat any people leff by de time next year end.

why and give credit where credit is due rather than making political statements which are not backed by evidence.

For the Minister, without proof, to say that the performance of the students this year is in spite of and not

because of the previous administration is a signal, if ever there was one, that President Mohamed Irfaan Ali has blundered in his choice to head the Education Ministry.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the

author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Kaieteur News

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Tuesday September 22, 2020

THE FREDDIE KISSOON COLUMN

Guyana has a surfeit of morally questionable entities and individuals T

ransparency Institute of Guyana (TIGI) has published a letter on me in the Sunday edition of the Stabroek News. The statement is deliberately opaque. The reader would not know what the issues are. I will offer selected quotes from the missive to highlight TIGI's dishonesty.

Quote 1: “TIGI sent out four letters during the five months (of) the elections… three of those letters were published by his (Kissoon) own newspaper.”

My charge against TIGI and the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) is that during those five months of one of the most brutal attempts at the depraved

possession of illegal power, they refused to condemn these heinous acts never before seen in any democratic country worldwide. I hope Guyanese both at home and abroad disassociate themselves permanently from these two opportunistic organizations which showed no shame in subtle support for

APNU+AFC's violent deportment at a time when Guyana needed patriotic citizens to protect its democracy.

It is quite deliberate that the signatory, Alfred Bhulai, cited four letters with absolutely no links so one could peruse the contents of those notes.

Quote 2: “Mr. Kissoon seems to bear a grudge against TIGI because we exposed his false assumptions in a matter, where he wanted to make news out of TIGI's apparent lack of enough activism to satisfy him.”

It is pathetic that TIGI can reduce my love of country and desire for transparency and good governance with an ulterior motive at what was taking place at UG. Since TIGI chose to hide the details of my 'ulterior motive,” I will be transparent, and fulfill my obligation to society by letting the public know what this “ulterior motive is about.”

I have been in a relation with UG as a student for four years and a lecturer for 26 years. During those three decades, TIGI head, Dr. Troy Thomas, wasn't even in high school. During those three decades I had been sued for libel by three sitting Vice Chancellors. I say in my UG experience, the largest threat to transparent and accountable governance was during the tenure of then Vice Chancellor, Dr. Ivelaw Griffith, who was a close friend of President Granger.

Under Dr. Griffith not only was there authoritarian power but UG never spent money so lavishly and wastefully. Dr. Griffith held the first and only inauguration ceremony for a Vice Chancellor, the cost of

which ran into dozens of millions; each invitation was costly to print. At one of the statutory meetings of the UG Council, which is the legal boss of the Vice Chancellor, the UG administration refused to disclose Dr. Griffith's monthly salary.

In the midst of these cascading insanities, Dr. Thomas was head of an organization with the word

Frederick Kissoon “transparency” in its name. So I did a column calling on TIGI to hold Dr. Griffith accountable.

In his response carried in letter form in this newspaper, Dr. Thomas took the position that to comment on the situation at UG with Dr. Griffith would be a conflict of interest since he works at UG and he had to protect the name of TIGI's parent company in Europe.

To this day, I cannot see how condemning unaccountable, opaque governance at UG by TIGI would have put Dr. Thomas in a conflict of interest.

The decent, honest and commonsensical thing was for Dr. Thomas to recuse himself from TIGI's action against Dr. Griffith. But this is Guyana where TIGI, GHRA and others like them continue their hypocrisy

unabated.

It is going on to three weeks since David Granger and Joe Harmon went to Region Five and used unambiguous language of incitement and Guyana came close to national ethnic clashes. This columnist was told that in Bath Settlement, some groups were already in overdrive to retaliate when certain PPP leaders acted quickly and instilled rationality in them.

How can any women's right group, human rights groups and organizations like TIGI remain silent after what Harmon and Granger did? In every country, civil society and political organizations do not allow what Granger and Harmon did to pass without condemnation.

My mind goes back to an incident involving then PPP M i n i s t e r, D r. B h e r i Ramsarran, who threatened social activist, Sherlina Najeer.

There was a national outcry over this isolated i n c i d e n t . R e c e n t l y, controversy swirled over an incident involving Ruel Johnson and a former female lover.

People openly used their names to condemn Ramsarran and Johnson but these very names have shamelessly refused to call out Granger and Harmon.

Quote 3: “TIGI has much work to do and few are willing to do it in a civilized way.”

Well, in life humans put different meaning to the same word. If one cannot reject what Granger and Harmon did, such silent people are uncivilized.

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

Guyana's oil will give Hess 10%...

From page 3 reach its peak production of 120,000 barrels of oil by month-end.

As for Liza Phase Two, Hess said that the Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPDO) Vessel is on stream for its 2022 target.

It is expected to produce 220,000 barrels of oil per day. As for the works on the Payara vessel, Hess said that this has been suspended pending government approval. He is nonetheless optimistic that “technical

issues” plaguing that process will be addressed and the partners will get the government's blessing by month-end.

For future operations, the CEO said that the partners are looking at developing the Yellow-tail discovery as it is a large resource which consists of lighter crude. “…We are doing the predevelopment work now to make that the fourth ship…”

Urau-1, the 16th discovery at the offshore deep-water Stabroek block,

is likely to be developed to support a fifth drillship while the Turbot , ExxonMobil's fifth oil discovery, is earmarked to support a sixth ship.

The potential, he said, also exists to develop Hammerhead, a heavy oil discovery, for a seventh ship. “…So there is the potential for seven ships but right now we are talking about five to bring on board, which will give you 750,000 barrels of oil by 2026,” the CEO concluded.

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Tuesday September 22, 2020

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Asphalt plant racket uncovered D

etails are now emerging of what seems to be a racket involving the purchase of asphalt at a staterun entity.

According to wellplaced sources, contractors working on government projects were up to recently mandated to take their asphalt from the Garden of Eden plant.

Kaieteur News was told by a number of persons that contractors would get asphalt at huge discounts under a scam that stretched all the way to the Ministry of Public Works.

“What happened is that there is a special department in the ministry that conducts road repairs and other maintenance works.

They would order a certain amount from the plant to be billed to the ministry. They, however, collect less. The difference is what is sold at discount to contractors.”

It was explained that contractors would come in a few days later and pay about half price for the asphalt.

“This has a lot of impact.

It means that a contractor is buying raw materials cheap, below cost, and can effectively compete with other contractors,” persons with knowledge of the scam said.

The new asphalt plant at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara

The asphalt plant is being operated by the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC).

It would mean that the state would have lost tens of millions of dollars in revenues.

In fact, operators of privately-run asphalt plants have been complaining of little or no business.

“What they do is force

contractors to buy from Garden of Eden. In fact, contractors all the way from Berbice were asked to travel all the way to East Bank Demerara when there are asphalt plants in operations in Berbice.”

It was explained that the only way this made financial sense is if the contractors were getting discounts.

“There is a simple way to

check how it is happening.

There needs to be a special audit.

Everybody knows it takes a certain amount of bitumen to make so much

asphalt. An audit of what the department of the ministry was doing will clearly show something is wrong,” one contractor admitted.

The asphalt plant would

have been visited recently by the new ministers.

It will be recalled that in February, it was reported that the Eco 2000 Batch Mix Asphalt Plant, which arrived in Guyana in July 2019 was nearing completion.

It was noted then that the mechanical installation of the plant is currently about 98 percent complete, while the electrical aspect is approximately 80 percent complete.

Works commenced on the installation of the plant on January 7, 2020. It is being assembled by a team of 25 persons – 23 local DHBC staff and two German technicians.

The old asphalt plant could have produced 30 tonnes of materials per hour.

It does so with the use of bitumen, sand, stone and sifting.

The new asphalt plant, it was said, will be able to produce 160 tonnes of material per hour.

The state-of-the-art machine will also be able to utilise plastic bags, bottles as well as used tyres to produce material to pave roads.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Landline services restored to Region 3 Repairs to restore landlines in Region 3 were completed on Sunday

T

he Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) announced Sunday night that it restored landline services to customers in Region 3 (West Demerara/Essequibo Islands), completing underwater repairs ahead of schedule.

The company said it was days earlier than anticipated.

“On September 8, 2020 suspected sabotage to a fiber-optic cable belonging to GTT impacted over 25,000 customers in West Demerara – within 24 hours, mobile and internet services were restored but landline service remained impacted,” the company had announced.

“We have since been able to restore landline services to all communities and are thankful to our technicians for ensuring that this restoration was done ahead of schedule,” said GTT's Public Relations Manager, Jasmin Harris.

She explained that to fully restore service to Region 3, approvals from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) was necessary, and divers had to

map the points of the damage to begin splicing and repairs.

“GTT apologizes to its customers for the major service disruption and calls on communities across Guyana to work together to prevent future acts of sabotage,” Harris stated. “ We a l l h a v e a responsibility to be vigilant, to prevent service disruptions that negatively impact a range of customers including children reliant on

telecommunications for their learning,” Harris stressed.

“It's unfortunate the state in which we retrieved our cable – let's avoid these unnecessary disruptions and bring the perpetrators to justice,” she added.

Persons can report acts of sabotage to GTT infrastructure, by calling 0908 or emailing ?tips @gtt.co . g y. A $2 million reward is being offered.

Man, who went fishing after killing victim, granted $250,000 bail

A

22-year-old fisherman of K i l c o y Squatting Area made his first court appearance yesterday at the New Amsterdam Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Peter Hugh to answer to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

According to the charge, Arjune Mohabir on Tuesday September 15, 2020, at Kilcoy Squatting Area, unlawfully killed John Alexander Yhap. He was subsequently placed on $250,000 bail.

The facts of the case stated that the accused told

The accused: Arjune Mohabir

DEAD: John Alexander Yhap

police while in custody that the deceased attacked him with a piece of wood and he

retaliated by whipping out his Rambo knife and stabbing (continued on page 16)

PAGE 15

PAGE 16

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Kaieteur News

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50 law graduates signal intention to become prosecutors Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, has said that 50 law graduates from the University of Guyana (UG) have indicated their interest in being trained to serve as prosecutors.

AG Nandlall made this disclosure during his address at the Budget 2020 debates on Friday.

The graduates, all holders of Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degrees, will have to undertake a one-year accredited prosecutorial training programme at UG, which will

soon be implemented.

This will be done through Support from the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) programme which is funded by the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB), aimed at strengthening Guyana's prosecutorial services.

Graduates who are selected will be hired as prosecutors in the Magistrates' courts in collaboration with the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Guyana Police Force.

The AG said one of the goals of the initiative is to ad-

dress the overcrowding of local prisons. Guyana's prison population significantly surpasses the world's average with a rate of 264 per 100,000 and an occupancy level of 137.5 per cent. AG Nandlall attributed this to an over reliance on custodial sentences and the overuse of pretrial detention in the criminal justice system.

The AG first spoke of the initiative at the commissioning of the Court Superintendent Office at the Brickdam Police Station earlier this month. (DPI)

Following COVID-19 scare…

Scotibank to fully re-open Carmichael Street branch Monday Canadian-owned Scotibank says it will fully reopen its Carmichael Street, Georgetown branch on Monday after a temporary closure due to a staffer testing positive for COVID-19.

“We advise that our Carmichael Street Branch will re-open…following a temporary closure due to confirmation that an employee was diagnosed with COVID-19.”

The bank said that on Friday, September 25, 2020, it will partially re-open with only teller transactions being facilitated for withdrawals/deposits that cannot be done at the ATM and Express Cheque deposits.

On Monday, there will be full resumption of services.

“The branch will undergo stringent deep cleaning and sanitization prior to re-opening as we continue to safe-

guard the health and wellbeing of employees and customers. We have also taken all the necessary protocols as advised by the Ministry of Health.”

Scotiabank said that at all its locations, it will continue to have the following measures in place: social distancing - there is a limit to the number of persons that can enter any location and conduct business at any given time; contactless temperature screening upon entry at all locations; requirement that all visitors/customers wear face masks when visiting the branches - these may be temporarily removed for transactions requiring when ID confirmation; transparent panels have been installed at the counter spaces to help provide a safe barrier while

conducting transactions these barriers are also within the employee spaces.

Scotiabank said it will also deep clean its branches every business day, including sanitizing of all surfaces (door handles, ATM keypads and s c r e e ns, pin pads, chair handles, desks, reception areas, teller wickets and washrooms), with hand sanitizer available in-branch for use by both employees and customers.

“We encourage you to take all the necessary precautions to remain safe at this time and remember that you can do mostofyourbankingwhenyou register and use Scotia OnLine Banking to pay your bills, transfer funds, plus more. Follow our easy step by step guides on gy.scotiabank.com to learn how to use OnLine Banking,” the bank added.

Man, who went fishing after killing...

From page 15 him. Police sources had stated that at least two eyewitnesses Wanted experience Baker, gave statements supporting Pastry Maker & this version.

Handyman.Apply 112 3rd & Meanwhile, relatives of Albert Street, Albertown. the deceased had told reportTel:#226-9000 or 225-6255 ers that Yhap was killed over Experienced cashier Roti/Puri an old grievance he had with cook,sweet meat maker.Apply the accused. Yhap's brother, Hack's Halaal,5 Commerce Vishnu Phillip, had disclosed that approximately a week Street. prior to Yhap's death, there One diesel mechanic to work was a fight between Yhap and in the Interior.Interested per- the accused. The accused resons can make contact on: #625-5136

portedly had an issue with his girlfriend braiding the victim's hair.

It reportedly sparked an argument and the two fought, Yhap was injured with the said Rambo knife by the accused and the matter was reported to the Albion Police Station.

However, the accused was not arrested.

It is alleged that a week later the two were at a Superbet location when an argument between the two

erupted and the accused stabbed Yhap to the chest. A post mortem result revealed that he died from a stab wound to the chest.

The accused was arrested hours later on his fishing boat in Corentyne waters and he reportedly confessed. The input of the Director of Public Prosecutions was sought in the matter and the forthcoming advice was that the accused be charged with manslaughter.

Public school boys share top place...

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Salmah Bacchus and Yuki Clarke - 520 marks Yuki Clarke and Salmah Bacchus are sharing the sixth position with their colleague Charisman Etwaroo. Both of them expressed their excitement to be joining the other top achievers at QC. Robert Forrester - 520 marks Meanwhile, Robert Forrester of Winfer Gardens Primary School said that he was a little

surprised to hear his results but nevertheless extremely grateful that he performed so well.

His mother related that she worked tirelessly with him to ensure he learned enough during the pandemic and the closure of schools.

Forrester said that he looks forward to attending QC and learning new things. He said that he is a little disappointed that he could not be at school in light of COVID-19.

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 17

Man found unconscious on roadside Ramjattan bypassed board to approve after beaten, robbed by bandits

By Shervin Belgrave

A

mason was on Saturday last f o u n d unconscious on a roadside at Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD) after he was reportedly beaten with an iron bar and robbed by a group of bandits. Currently paralyzed from the brutal attack is Yadunauth Lalgie also known as Richards, 49, of Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD. The man's relatives told Kaieteur News that the attack took place sometime between 18:00 and 19:00hrs.

They said that they questioned him about the attack after he regained consciousness at around 13:00hrs the following day.

In a video recorded by family members and seen by this newspaper, Lalgie said that he had left his Diamond residence that evening on his bicycle in search of cigarettes.

He mentioned riding over a bridge and entering Kaneville in order locate a green shop on Fourth Street.

Lalgie said that when he arrived at the shop it was closed and so he decided to ride around a corner in search of another shop.

However, he continued, his search was abruptly ended after he came under attack from the bandits.

Lalgie claimed that he could not recall how many bandits attacked him nor did he recognize their faces. He, h o w e v e r, r e m e m b e r e d receiving a blow behind the head with an iron bar. He said that the hit cause him to fall to

Beaten, robbed and currently paralyzed: Yadunauth Lalgie the ground.

The men then continued their assault, he recounted, by striking him repeatedly with the iron bar. He was also dealt several cuffs and kicks about his body until he was completely unconscious.

Although unaware of how long he was unconscious, Lalgie said that he awoke to a kind woman sapping his face and head with limacol.

It was then that he realized that his cash and cell phone were missing and his bicycle was nowhere to be seen as well. He told his family members that it was the woman who made a call and shortly after police ranks arrived in a patrol vehicle.

Lalgie said ranks picked him up and placed him in the vehicle but after that he remembers nothing else.

The man's brother, Tony, told this newspaper that he was able to confirm that an unconscious Lalgie was dropped off at the Georgetown Public Hospital

Corporation (GPHC) by policemen. According to Tony, his brother received severe injuries to his neck, head and face and these may have contributed to him being paralyzed. The man said that the family is awaiting the results of a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to determine whether his paralysis is temporary or not.

Meanwhile, residents of Diamond, Grove, and Kaneville said that they are fearful because of the escalating robberies and attacks within the communities. A member of the Diamond/Grove Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) told this publication yesterday, that news have been circulating about a criminal gang called “Hammer Head”.

The councillor said that most of the robberies that have been occurring in the area are believed to be the handiwork of the gang.

Theses robberies range from breaking and entering, ransacking of automobiles and stealing of their parts.

As of recent, the man informed, “it seems as if things are getting out of hand since the bandits are now robbing with violence.”

“I myself have been a victim,” the man added.

The councillor claimed that just last month he parked his car and truck at his residence and these were vandalized. The perpetrators, he said, escaped with a cell phone he had in his car and millions of dollars in mining equipment that were in his

truck. “There are many robberies that have occurred but persons are afraid to report them because of the so called Hammer Head Gang which might be responsible,” the man said.

Kaieteur News has also been in receipt of reports about frequent robberies that have been occurring in these areas, especially in the Diamond Housing Scheme.

Recently a Kaieteur News staffer woke up and found his car without rearview mirrors.

Another resident of Avenue A, Diamond woke up and found her cars vandalized -tape decks stolen along with cash and T-shirts.

Recently this publication had reported of a robbery at Grove, EBD where a bandit shot a man in retaliation after stumbling over a fan. The gunman reportedly startled the man and his family who were asleep in their home at the time. The bandit, on that occasion, escaped with the family's cell phones, ATM cards and cash.

Last week Thursday a group of young bandits were caught on camera, robbing and beating the driver of a water truck along a street in Kaneville. One of the suspects had thrown his bicycle into the path of the vehicle causing the driver to stop. They then circled the truck and attacked the man.

The victim claimed that he was stabbed twice to the left hand with a sharp object and relieved of his cell phone and $1,300 in cash. Police later arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with that robbery.

firearm licenses - Robeson Benn

M

inister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, has put the former Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan, on blast for single-handedly issuing gun licenses.

During his budget debate presentation, Benn stated that Ramjattan was issuing firearm licenses without any engagement with the Firearm Licensing Board, and more so, while his government was in caretaker-mode following the no-confidence motion.

The usual process for obtaining a firearm license involves the application first being sent to the Divisional Commander where a rank is tasked with checking the individual's character within his or her community. The application is then sent to the Commissioner's Office to ensure the applicant possesses no convictions or interferences with the law and once the applicant is cleared the application is then sent to the Minister and the final stamp of approval is given.

Minister Benn said, “It appears as though 2020 was a banner year for the issuance of firearms at the hand of the Minister without the engagement of the Firearm Licensing Board. Sixty-one percent of all firearms issued in 2020 were issued at the hands of the Minister without the engaging of the Firearm Licensing Board.”

The Firearm License

NGSA pupils did exceedingly well despite...

From page 11 Social Studies while a m a rg i n a l d e c l i n e w a s recorded in Mathematics.

According to him, in 2020, 61.2% of the candidates secured 50% and more in English as against 57.4% in 2019.

He stressed that all administrative regions recorded improvements in

the number of candidates securing 50% and more in English with Region 3 recording 63.4%, Region 6 57.5%, Region 10 - 71.9% and Georgetown - 78.9%.

A significant improvement was also noted in Social Studies with 53% of the candidates securing 50% and more in 2020 as against 39% in 2019.

“A ll a d mi n is tr at i v e regions recorded improvements in this subject area. Region 7 moved from 21% recording 50% and more in 2019 to 30.8 % in 2020 and Region 5 recorded 49.2% in 2020 as against 33.7% in 2019.

Mathematics moved from 42% gaining 50% and more in 2019 to 39.4% in

2020. In Science 44.1% of the candidates gained 50% and more in 2020 as compared to 42.4% in 2019,” he added.

The CEO said that the attainment was a result of the Ministry of Education's continued collaboration with the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) to improve the quality of all national

primary grade assessments. “ Te a c h e r s , s u b j e c t specialists and test development officers developed the test items with the technical guidance of the Caribbean Examinations Council, addressing key areas such as item construction, weighting of items, sampling and other psychometric elements,” Dr. Hutson said.

Gunmen rob Ace...

From page 11 doors behind him.

The two gunmen behind the counter with the hostages began searching the shop and located some cash on the owner's desk which they packed into two small boxes.

Armed with a gun, the businessman opened the door and attempted to shoot at the bandits but

was forced to re-enter the room, in which he had taken cover, after one of the gunmen returned fire.

The men then ran out of the shop, one with the boxes of cash and the other with cash in his hands. The businessman also emerged from his room at this point and discharged a round behind them.

Police are investigating.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn Board would have been bypassed by other officials in the past, including former Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud. The former commissioner had attempted to grant himself a license to open a firearm dealership and he also sought to upgrade the calibre of weapons he was allowed to carry but Ramjattan had stripped him of the license when what he did was revealed.

Following this, Ramjattan decided to open talks about amending the regulations on firearm licenses. “We are giving that serious consideration as we speak. It has been a situational problematique…

I had really thought that there were regulations already made that it has to come to the Ministry,” Ramjattan had told the media.

He even stated that he believed the regulations regarding gun licensing could have been amended without going to Parliament, but noted that he was unsure and asked the former Attorney General, Basil Williams, for his opinion.

“I was trying to find the recent edition of the regulations but did not, so I will have to check it…I believe we do not have to go to Parliament because it can be done in regulation and not an amendment of the Policing Act,” he said.

Minister Benn in his presentation said that there were many complaints regarding the granting of firearm licenses after he took office, but he assured that these practices will not be continued by his administration and there will be accountability.

Kaieteur News

PAGE 18

Tuesday September 22, 2020

US$150M decade-long CJIA renovation scandal…

I will not accept this project - investigations to be launched

President Irfaan Ali and other stakeholders in one of the passengers' bridges. The bridges are not in use now because of unsafe foundation which is being fixed

…President Ali tells Chinese contractor, other stakeholders

Y

ears of anger o v e r t h e o n g o i n g US$150M-plus expansion at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, culminated yesterday with an angry President Irfaan Ali making it clear that Guyana will not be accepting the project as is.

During a meeting and tour of the project, the president also vowed an investigation will be coming and that it is unacceptable that a fixed-price project could be so drastically reduced in scope.

The highly-charged statements would have been made in the presence of Chinese ambassador, Cui Jianchun, and come days after a high-profile visit of the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who batted for his country, urging that Guyana use US companies more.

The Donald Trump-led United States has been on icy terms with China, with the battle even spilling over to ownership of social media apps like Tik Tok. It was the People's Progressive Party/Civic, Ali's party, which had launched the project in 2011 with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) being named the contractor.

This is the fourth presidency that the project has gone through, starting with Bharrat Jagdeo in 2011, and continuing with Donald Ramotar, David Granger and now Ali. From changing the designs to a renovation of the old terminal building instead of a new one as committed to in the contract, Guyana would have watched helplessly as the Chinese contractor steam-rolled on the project, with very little whimper coming from the government of day until now.

Yesterday, President Ali made it emphatically clear that the Government of Guyana will only accept the CJIA expansion works, as it was outlined in the original contract.

In addition to the

Chinese ambassador, there were representatives of China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), the Project Consultant and the Project Manager.

"I am holding everyone responsible; the contractor, the consultant, the project management team...this is not acceptable for the Guyanese people. In this current position it is very clear from all that I have seen and heard, and from all the questions asked, it is very clear that something is horribly wrong. The right decision at this moment is that we cannot accept this,” President Ali stated.

His statements came following an update from the Project Manager of the CJIA Expansion Project, Carissa Gooding.

During the presentation, Gooding along with the project consultant failed to answer key inquiries as posed by the Head of State, which included the outline of the original contract, and the details of the revised scope of works and costs attached.

In addition, President Ali sought clarification on what grounds the decision was taken to omit aspects of the project. Gooding confirmed that aspects of the airport expansion were downplayed and omitted while monies were diverted to other aspects of the project.

We need answers “We need answers as we have decisions to make,” President Ali insisted yesterday.

According to a government release of the meeting, the representative of CHEC also informed the Head of State that after the contract was signed; there were other works which needed to be done following an assessment.

However, his assertions did not impress the president.

“No, no this is a fixedprice contract, and that is not how it works. A fixed-price contract means that you examine all the works which have to be done before you sign on to the contract. So

please, let's get that clear,” President Ali said.

The Head of State enquired as to who made the decision to pay the contractor for delays, and was informed that this decision was made under the former Government.

According to the president, this was shocking.

Damning Story “This tells a damning story… there are more questions than answers from this presentation.”

The original contract would have seen the completion of 17,000 square feet of work, but currently there is only an existing 6,000 square feet – a difference of 11,000 square feet. In addition, key aspects of the project were either omitted or poorly completed.

President Ali said that an investigation is likely to be launched into the entire airport expansion project.

He also pointed to the importance of a joint approach to the realization of the project. He maintained that the works completed do not reflect the monies spent.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador agreed that the provisions in the original contract have to be honoured.

He pointed to the importance of the meeting and pledged that he will play

his part to ensure that the project is completed.

Following the project update presentation, the Head of State along with the representatives from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) toured the facility to inspect several areas including the departure area and an air bridge.

As part of the original contract, the CHEC was expected to tear down the existing terminal building, and construct a new one which could accommodate eight air bridges. But what the contract actually did was facilitate the refurbishing of the terminal building and installation of only four air

bridges. There are also a myriad of other issues plaguing the facility including a malfunctioning sewerage system.

The original designs had allowed for a brand-new terminal building with stateof-art equipment, information monitors and a host of other modern bells and whistles.

However, it appeared earlier on that CHEC did not do its soil and other analysis which would have determined what needed to be built and at what cost.

It was forced to abandon the lengthening of the runway on the northern end, during to the swampy area, and shift to the southern side.

The Chinese company

has received billions of dollars of concessions for a contract that was overpriced.

Some contractors said that they could have built a new terminal building below US$20M with everything, including escalators and elevators and electrical items.

CHEC, the Chinese contractor, after being awarded the CJIA contract in 2011, would have built the privately-owned MovieTowne and completed it, and now on the way with Pegasus Hotel expansion which started just a couple of years ago and now significantly completed.

In the meantime, the CJIA expansion is dragging, almost a decade later.

Passengers rob, hijack taxi driver - One apprehended with stolen car

T

hree passengers l a s t w e e k T h u r s d a y hijacked a car driven by a taxi driver, Henchndra Hoolas. The incident occurred at around 21:00hrs at Humming Bird Street and Blue Mountain Road, F e s t i v a l C i t y, N o r t h Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

According to police reports Hoolas, 40, also had his cell phone stolen.

The man had told

investigators that he was asked by his base to make a pick-up at Pike and Sherriff Streets, Georgetown. Upon arrival at the location, the taxi driver said that two men, along with a female, entered his car and instructed him to take them to Festival City.

H o w e v e r, w h i l e a t Festival City one of the passengers pulled out a gun and ordered the driver to stop and exit the car. He was told to leave his cell phone

behind.

Fearful for his life, the man said that he did as he was told before the passengers drove off with his car.

Days later, investigators received a tip that the stolen car was at a location in La Parfait Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

Ranks acted quickly and swooped down on the location where the hijacked car was recovered. One of the suspects was also arrested.

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 19

NGSA pupils did exceedingly well despite COVID-19 challenges - CEO This year's top NGSA achievers flanked by officials of the Ministry of Education

Chief Education Officer, Marcel Huston

pupils who sat the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) written on July 1 and 2, 2020 have done exceedingly well.

This, Chief Education Officer (CEO) within the Ministry of Education, Dr. Marcel Huston, told a small gathering as the NGSA results were released yesterday at the Kingston, Georgetown National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).

In fact, Dr. Hutson told pupils, parents, teachers and well-wishers gathered at NCERD that this year's top

NGSA performers, Samuel Barkoye of North Georgetown Primary and Rovin Lall of Stella Maris Primary, each secured 525 marks--three marks short of the highest attainable score of 528.

Alexander Singh, a pupil of the Marian Academy came in third position with 524 marks wh i l e t w o candidates, Lianna Dharampaul of the Mon Repos Primary and Brandon Ramdin of Westfield Prep, who gained 523 marks each, shared the fourth position.

The sixth position was shared by three candidates, Britney Peters of the One Mile Primary, Gabriel Felix of the New Guyana School, and Dhanesh Tularam of the Academy of Excellence, who gained 521 marks each.

The ninth position was shared by four candidates: Yuki Clarke, Charisma Etwaroo, and Salmah Bacchus, all from the Academy of Excellence, and Robert Forrester of the Winfer Gardens Primary School.

The pupils were tested in four subjects namely:

Mathematics, English, Science and Social Studies.

The examination in each subject area consisted of two papers. They achieved the highest scores among the 14,032 candidates who wrote the assessment exams this year.

Paper One consisted of 40 multiple choice items while Paper Two consisted of essay type or open ended items.

According to Dr. Hutson, the areas tested for each subject were: Mathematics-- Knowledge, Algorithmic Thinking, Reasoning;

Science-- Knowledge, Comprehension, Application; Social Studies- Knowledge, Conceptual Understanding, Use of Knowledge and English Language--Reading, Comprehension and Vocabulary: Structure and Mechanics; Content, Focus, Vocabulary; Language and Organization.

Giving a breakdown of the overall results based on the assessment, the CEO said that the pupils' improved performances were recorded in English, Science and (continued on page 17)

D Gunmen rob Ace Shopping Center - exchange gunfire T with owner;

espite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic,

hree armed bandits, on Saturday last, barged into the Ace Shopping Center located at Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD), held its customers hostage and exchanged gunfire with its owner, before escaping with cash.

According Commander of Region Four Division 'C', Khali Pareshram, the robbery took place at around 17:00hrs.

In video footage seen by this newspaper, one of the men, wearing a flap hat, approached the business place and appeared to have instructed someone to open the gate for him to enter. The

customers held hostage

The bandit wearing a flap hat approaches the business place man walked up to the counter, pulled out a gun and grabbed a female customer who he forced behind the counter.

Upon seeing this, the owner of the shop turned, ran and picked up what appeared to be a black pouch and entered a room, closing the

Customers being forced into the store by gunmen

door behind him. The gunman ran behind him, fired a shot and attempted to kick open the door.

Shortly after this,

another man ran up to two customers loading goods into their car. He too pulled out a gun and forced them into the shopping center

where they were also held hostage behind the counter.

The third bandit ran in the business place and closed the (continued on page 17)

PAGE 20

Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

PAGE 21

Further spike in COVID-19 cases could “break” our medical system - Emergency Medicine Specialist

S

ocial distancing is one of the key tactics being pushed to combat the spread of the very contagious COVID-19 disease. So, it is no surprise that recent protests have caused much worry among those within our health care system.

The protests, mainly on the West Coast of Berbice, were spurred by the killings of teenage cousins Isaiah and Joel Henry, whose mutilated bodies were found in a Cotton Tree, West Coast Berbice backdam.

“The protest actions, especially in Region Five, were the most reckless acts thus far. While we were all a g g r i e v e d , o u r demonstrations were reckless and irresponsible and we only have ourselves to blame should this pandemic get out of control

in Guyana,” said Dr. Bux. Drawing attention to the possible fallout from the protests, Dr. Zulfikar Bux, a weekly contributor to this newspaper, said, “I had pleaded previously for us to not gather in crowds to celebrate or protest the outcome of the elections. My plea was because of what I knew and what I'm seeing daily with this pandemic.”

According to the Emergency Medicine Specialist, the coronavirus causing disease is one that “loves gatherings” since this is the best medium for it to spread and quickly cause a surge in cases. Moreover, transmission in a protesting crowd can become especially easy, Dr. Bux explained, because persons may find it inconvenient to wear a mask while they try to voice their concerns. The

heat of the day, the doctor noted too, can be a deterrent to adherence as well.

“Others tend to wipe their faces of sweat given the high temperatures and tense nature of the surroundings.

All of these are factors that hasten the spread of the coronavirus from person to person. I worry that we will be seeing a surge in infections this week from the places where the protests occurred. This surge will spill over and hasten the spread of the infection throughout the country,” said Dr. Bux. And should there be an unprecedented spread of the disease, Dr. Bux added, “I fear that it will break our medical system and many more lives will be lost.”

Of the more than 2,000 positive cases, Guyana has recorded just over 60 deaths

Emergency Medicine Specialist, Dr. Zulfikar Bux to date.

According to the medical p r a c t i t i o n e r, w i t h t h e majority of positive cases recovering it could be deduced that the country is faced with a milder form of the disease. While most people's immune system may prove strong enough to

fight off this, there are others who may not be so lucky, said Dr. Bux. Some asymptomatic persons, he theorized, can expose their relatives and friends including “the elderly and those with other medical conditions” who could become indirect casualties of COVID-19 acquired during protest actions.

Since early August Guyana has been witnessing an alarming increase in cases suggesting an extraordinary spread of the disease.

Even as he anticipated a further surge in cases, Dr. Bux said, “It's fair to say that everyone that gathered at the

protests is now at risk of having COVID-19.”

And should a spike in cases materialize in the coming days, it could easily overwhelm the medical s y s t e m , D r. B u x h a s concluded.

“If we continue to destroy the environment that we depend on for our survival, then there will come a point where each and every one of us cannot thrive,” he added.

As such, surviving the disease, he underscored, is dependent on sensible people working together in a responsible way to “fight the virus”.

President Ali urges for more resources, financing in maiden UN address - says COVID-19 has exposed weaknesses of developing country

President Irfaan Ali delivered his first UN address yesterday

H

ead of State, Irfaan Ali, has urged the United Nations (UN) to push for more help to countries hardhit by COVID-19.

In his maiden address as president of Guyana and Chairman of the Group of 77 and China, Ali, on the occasion of the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, also made it clear that the world must seek to strengthen solidarity to address the pandemic, commit to take forward the 2030 'Agenda' and intensify the global partnerships.

It was five years ago that the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a blueprint and compass to address poverty challenges facing the globe.

“We cannot fail in this aspiration.

Th e 2 0 3 0 ' A g en d a' reflects the major povertyenvironmental challenges facing the world's population: depleted natural capital, climate v u l n e r a b i l i t y, g e n d e r inequality, rural-urban migration and growing

resource demands – all of which disproportionately harm the livelihoods and well-being of the poor.”

Sadly, Ali said in his speech made virtually, the COVID19 pandemic has undermined many of the development gains of the past decades.

“This pandemic has brought to the forefront the development bottlenecks faced by developing countries, ranging from insufficient financing, inadequate market access for goods and services, the expanding digital divide, restrictions in accessing needed pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and reductions in revenue from tourism and exports, among others. We value and welcome the support provided by the United Nations system in our response to the pandemic and in our efforts to pursue the 2030 'Agenda'.”

The President insisted

that the imposition of unilateral coercive economic measures against developing countries is an impediment to economic and social development and to dialogue and understanding among countries.

“We must do everything we can to fulfill our obligations to the peoples of this world, in this Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development.

All of our actions must, at all times, ensure democratic rule and adherence to the constitution and the rule of law.”

He said that the Group of 77 and China is calling for more resources and actions to be mobilized in a timely manner to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

“We are committed to taking the actions needed for coordinated and comprehensive multilateral response to the development

challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including initiatives on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and beyond, aimed at producing a menu of policy options necessary to resolve the crisis and to ensure resilience.”

President Ali bemoaned the fact that 75 years after the bold step to establish the United Nations, it is disheartening to note that millions of the world's people are still living in poverty.

“Eradicating this scourge remains the greatest global challenge and the first priority for our Group.

We m u s t r e m i n d ourselves that poverty entails more than a lack of income or productive resources for sustainable livelihoods. It affects many aspects of life and it impedes the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

A newly independent Guyana in 1966 joined the United Nations and pledged to be active in making an honest contribution to advancing and realizing the ideals of the organization.

The Group of 77 (G-77) of the United Nations was established on 15 June, 1964 by 77 developing countries signatories of the “Joint Declaration of the SeventySeven Developing Countries” issued at the end of the first session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva.

It is the largest intergovernmental organization of developing countries in the United Nations, which provides the means for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, and promote South-South cooperation for development.

The UN is headquartered in New York. The global COVID-19 pandemic has forced leaders to attend the world leaders meeting via Zoom and other videoconferencing means.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Tuesday September 22, 2020

...NFL roundup: Wilson tosses five touchdowns as

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) throws a touchdown pass against the New England Patriots during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. (Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)

From page 20 Watson. Jackson completed 18 of 24 for 204 yards and connected with Patrick Ricard on a 1-yard touchdown.

Watson completed 25 of 36 for 275 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Texans (02). He rushed for just 17 yards.

Baltimore outrushed Houston 230-51.

Bears 17, Giants 13 Mitchell Trubisky threw two touchdown passes, and Chicago (2-0) held on for the win over visiting New York (02, which lost star running back Saquon Barkley to a right knee injury on the first play of the second quarter.

David Montgomery and Darnell Mooney each caught a touchdown pass for Chicago, which has won its first two games of the season

Tuesday September 22, 2020 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) This is a good time to forge new relationships, Aquarius.

Be open-minded if someone you know approaches with a proposal.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) Expect to receive interesting communications today. You might hear from a long-lost friend and have a chance to catch up on the news.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Circumstances are favorable for you if you're contemplating investment in real estate.

Any sort of investment looks good for you right now.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You're in a great position to reap the rewards from all your past hard work.

In the coming weeks you'll be able to realize important gains in your career and personal projects.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Did you forget to take two aspirin before you fell into bed last night? This morning you may feel in a fog, but it should lift around midday.

CANCER(June21–July22) If it's true that you reap what you sow, Cancer, you're in for a great harvest in the coming months. Your hard work and focus will start to pay off handsomely with promotions and raises just when you may have given up on being acknowledged for all you do.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You're highly esteemed in your profession because of your strong business acumen and nononsense approach to problem solving. Recent successes may be preparing you for the next leap in the progression.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Opportunity may knock for you today from an unlikely source, perhaps total strangers! Use your intuition to follow potential leads. Real estate, particularly residential, looks especially promising for realizing financial gain for you right now.

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Kaieteur News

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21) With the current celestial energy, you might be going on a trip. It may be for business, pleasure, or both. It's likely that this trip will achieve certain goals. Perhaps you're aiming for a promotion.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19) Don't be surprised if money comes from an unlikely source. It could be a surprisingly good return on an investment or a bequest from a relative.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18) This is a good time to forge new relationships. Be openminded if someone you know approaches with a proposal.Do your homework and examine the potential risks.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You're feeling your power and strength today, Pisces. You've worked hard to get into good physical shape. Similarly, you've exerted a great deal of energy in your work life and it's paying off.

for the first time since 2013.

A bad start to the season quickly got worse for New York. Barkley was scheduled to undergo tests on his right knee yesterday, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the Giants fear he might have a torn ACL. In other results: Steelers 26, Broncos 21 Buccaneers 31, Panthers 17 49ers 31, Jets 13 Titans 33, Jaguars 30 Packers 42, Lions 21 Rams 37, Eagles 19 Colts 28, Vikings 11 Cardinals 30, Washington Football Team 15 Bills 31, Dolphins 28 (Field Level Media)

Los Angeles Lakers double series lead over Denver Nuggets BBC Sports - Anthony Davis’ buzzer-beating threepointer saw the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 105-103 to go 2-0 up in the Western Conference finals.

Forward Davis scored the Lakers’ final 10 points of the game, with 22 of his total 31 coming in the second half.

The Lakers wore ‘Black Mamba’ jerseys in tribute to team legend Kobe Bryant, who died in January.

“Special moment for me, special moment for the team,” said Davis, who also finished with nine rebounds.

“Especially in a situation like that trying to go up 2-0 against a special team, who are great competitors and [fought] for the entire 48 minutes.

“To do something like in the jerseys we wore tonight makes it even more special.”

LeBron James added 26

points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who blew a 16point lead in the third quarter.

Nikola Jokic top-scored for the Nuggets with 30 points with point guard Jamal Murray adding 25.

Jokic had put the Nuggets 103-102 ahead with 20.8 seconds left on the clock, and when the Lakers’ Alex Caruso missed a threepointer with 6.9 seconds remaining, it looked as though the Nuggets would level the series, before Davis sunk the winner.

“It’s not about making the shot,” said James. “It’s about having the belief with just taking it for one and living with the result.”

Game three of the bestof-seven series takes place today.

In the Eastern Conference finals, Miami Heat lead the Boston Celtics 2-1 with game four tomorrow.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Yuzvendra Chahal three-for, Sunrisers Hyderabad collapse hand Royal Challengers Bangalore win ESPNcricinfo - Sunrisers Hyderabad’s inexperienced middle order hurt them big time as they collapsed spectacularly from 121 for 2 in a chase of just 164, giving Royal Challengers Bangalore a winning start to their campaign. The knowledge of such a flaky batting order will leave a big question mark against the dismissal of Jonny Bairstow, trying to hit a six in the last over of Yuzvendra Chahal, the only bowler he hadn’t got on top off.

They needed just 43 off 29 at that point. ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster gave them a 76% chance of winning; any other team would have been 82% favourites but this adjustment by the tool told us what followed was not reliable.

A panic-stricken collapse followed: it involved a ramp into the helmet onto the stumps, a mid-pitch collision between the two batsmen, a Navdeep Saini coup de grace and 8 for 32 in 27 balls. Royal Challengers needed all that after they had wasted a quick start themselves to end up with what a below-par total against a stronger batting unit.

Padikkal announces himself To average over 30 and strike at over 150 is the gold standard of T20 cricket.

Karnataka’s Devdutt Padikkal came with 64 and 176 but only over 12 games.

He also came with a rare record of scores of 50 or above in all his debuts: first-

Devdutt Padikkal launches one down the ground. (BCCI) class, List A and T20. He got a fifty on IPL debut too, and showed glimpses of what gives him those striking numbers.

He left the first ball alone, gave himself four balls of quiet, and then got stuck into Sandeep Sharma. He made good use of lack of pace in the Sunirsers attack and the pace restrictions to race away to 34 off 22 in the first five overs, taking Royal Challengers to 48 for 0 in those overs.

The slowdown, part I At the other end, Aaron Finch struggled to get going against the predominant inswing in the first few overs.

Despite two free hits, he got 10 off 10.

Towards the end of the powerplay, Padikkal joined in on the slowdown. To start off with, Sandeep Sharma bowled a quality sixth over, conceding just five. The four and a six off Rashid Khan’s second over were the only boundaries they could hit

after those free hits in the fifth over. When Padikkal tried, he offered two chances in the deep, both of which were dropped.

Eventually he fell to the returning Vijay Shankar immediately followed by a plumb lbw for Aaron Finch to the left-arm spin of Abhishek Sharma. Last 37 balls: 42 runs, two wickets.

Royal Challengers 90 for 2 after 11.1 overs.

The slowdown, part II The double strike brought together two of Royal Challengers’ best: Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

The two batted together for 28 balls for just 33 runs and just two boundary attempts.

Twelve of these 28 balls were bowled by Rashid. So it could be argued the two didn’t want to take chance against him just after they had lost two wickets in a hurry.

However, they also allowed the Sharmas, Abhishek and Sandeep, to get through their overs. When they took on the left-arm seam of T Natarajan, Kohli holed out to a slower ball, his only boundary attempt of the night. Royal Challengers 123 for 3 after 15.5, just 75 off their last 65 balls.

De Villiers gives RCB a total to bowl to De Villiers went on to show his class as he converted his start of 14 off 13 into an eventual 30-ball 51.

Along the way he hit his 200th six in the IPL, and took his overall T20 sixes tally to

399. Yet, at the other end, the promoted Shivam Dube went at a run a ball, which meant Sunrisers controlled the damage de Villiers caused.

The last four overs got them 39, giving them a total only six in excess of what Delhi Capitals posted after a disastrous start at the same venue the previous night.

Bairstow keeps Sunrisers ahead Even after running David Warner out in a freakish manner via a deflection off the bowler Umesh Yadav’s hand, Bairstow looked in sparkling form. He tucked into some Yadav freebies to keep Sunrisers ahead of the asking rate despite a run-a-ball effort from Manish Pandey at the other end. Pandey kept trying to hit, which brought about his dismissal off the bowling of Chahal. However, Bairstow made up for it with another Yadav over in which he was dropped - his second life - and took 14 runs. Dale Steyn’s comeback brought 13 runs, and now the Forecaster brought down the difference between historical probability and winning chances for Sunrisers in this game to 6% from 10%. There were signs Sunrisers were getting close enough for the inexperience of the middle order to not matter.

Chahal gets Bairstow, and then it goes bust You would have thought Bairstow wouldn’t take a risk off Chahal’s last over, especially with their allrounder Mitchell Marsh

injured and unlikely to bat. He had not gone for a boundary yet, and the asking rate was under control. He played the first ball watchfully, but then went for a slog and missed altogether. The flood gates then opened.

A perfect wrong’un followed to send back Vijay Shankar first up. India’s Under-19 captain Priyam Garg then chose the slowest bowler on the park, Shivam Dube, to play a ramp off. He was bowled for 12 off 13 after having tried all sorts of shots.

Abhishek and Rashid made bright starts to their knocks with early boundaries to calm some nerves down, but then got involved in a horrible mid-pitch collision.

This resulted in the run-out of Abhishek, and a possible concussion for Rashid. There has been precedent of teams not claiming such run-outs, but Royal Challengers were not in the mood for any such spirit of cricket. None was asked for by Sunrisers.

Saini’s finishing touch Saini brought Sunrisers back with five wides in his last over, bringing the equation down to 24 off 17, but his pace was too much for Bhuvneshwar Kumar and a shaken Rashid. That was all over.

Scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 163 for 5 (Padikkal 56, de Villiers 51, Natarajan 1-34) b e a t S u n r i s e r s Hyderabad 153 all out (Bairstow 61, Pandey 34, Chahal 3-18) by 10 runs.

NFL roundup: Wilson tosses five touchdowns as Seahawks outlast Pats

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) throws on the run against Atlanta Falcons linebacker Dante Fowler Jr. (56) at AT&T Stadium. (Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)

Russell Wilson threw five touchdown passes and the Seattle Seahawks made a defensive stand at the goal line on the game’s final play to defeat the visiting New England Patriots 35-30 on Sunday night.

Cam Newton nearly rallied the Patriots from a 12-point deficit in the final 4:32. He scored on a 1-yard TD run with 2:16 left to make the score 35-30 and, after Seattle went three-and-out, drove to New England’s 1-yard line with two seconds left. Newton tried to run for the score, but was stopped by Seattle’s L.J. Collier for a 1-yard loss.

Wilson completed 21 of 28 passes for 288 yards and rushed for 39 yards for the Seahawks (2-0). Wilson threw four TDs last week in a 38-25 victory at Atlanta.

DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, David Moore, Freddie Swain and Chris Carson made TD

receptions for the Seahawks, who outscored New England (1-1) 14-3 in the third quarter to pull away from a 14-all halftime tie.

Newton completed 30 of 44 passes for 397 yards and a touchdown and had a teamhigh 47 yards rushing and two TDs. The Patriots’ Julian Edelman made eight receptions for 179 yards.

Cowboys 40, Falcons 39 Dak Prescott threw for 450 yards and a touchdown and ran for three scores, and Dallas pulled off an improbable comeback with a win over Atlanta in Arlington, Texas.

Greg Zuerlein’s 46-yard field goal on the game’s final play completed a wild rally — including Dallas’ recovery of an onside kick — after the Cowboys trailed by 20 points in the first half, by 15 in the fourth quarter, and by nine with two minutes left.

Dallas (1-1) avoided its first 0-2 start since 2010.

Atlanta is 0-2 for the first time since 2007.

Chiefs 23, Chargers 20 (OT) Patrick Mahomes passed for two touchdowns, and Harrison Butker’s franchise record-tying 58-yard field goal in overtime spoiled Justin Herbert’s impressive debut, as Kansas City beat AFC West-rival Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

The Chiefs (2-0) fell behind 17-6 in the second half, but erased the deficit with 11 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. The run capped when Mahomes threw for 54 of his 302 yards on a one-footed toss to Tyreek Hill for a touchdown.

Hill finished with 99 yards on five receptions.

Herbert, the Chargers’ first-round draft choice, was

a late insert into the lineup with Week 1 starter Tyrod Taylor scratched just before kickoff due to a chest injury.

Herbert led the Chargers (11) on an opening 79-yard, eight-play drive, capped on a 4-yard run for a touchdown.

He finished with 311 yards passing, threw a touchdown and ran for a score.

Ravens 33, Texans 16 Lamar Jackson threw a touchdown pass and Mark Ingram II rushed for a score as Baltimore pounded host Houston with more than 200 yards rushing.

L.J. Fort added a fumble return for a touchdown and Justin Tucker kicked four field goals as the Ravens (2-0) didn’t trail in a game that never turned into a shootout between Jackson — the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player — and Texans star quarterback DeShaun (Continued on page 19)

Tuesday September 22, 2020

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Kaieteur News

Tammy Beaumont’s opening gambit steers England to victory over West Indies ESPNcricinfo - A halfcentury from Tammy Beaumont, looking at home back at the top of the order, led England to a comfortable 47-run victory over West Indies in the first T20I of their five-match series in Derby.

Beaumont’s 62 from 49 balls was more than enough, despite the England line-up falling away from a promising start, steering the hosts to 163 for 8 before West Indies managed just 116 for 6 in reply in the first international women’s match between fullmember nations since the T20 World Cup in March.

Deandra Dottin’s 69 from 59 balls was in vain as England’s bowlers kept West Indies well contained, refusing to let them get near the run-rate required.

Beaumont back to the top Having endured a lean T20 World Cup playing a floating role, Beaumont was restored to her favoured opening position in what turned out to be England’s last match of the T20 World Cup, a 46-run victory over West Indies in the group stage before the semi-final wash-out that allowed India to advance.

On that occasion, Beaumont fell for a second-ball duck.

But, sticking with the

formula in the first match in six months for both sides, England prospered as Beaumont produced an innings characterised by flawless footwork, precision placement and power.

Beaumont flayed the fourth legitimate ball of the match off Shamilia Connell through midwicket for four and took a similar liking to Shakera Selman in the second over, helping herself to two more boundaries and in between them lofting the ball into the deep on the leg side where Britney Cooper put down a difficult chance.

Her four off Connell in the fifth over, skipping down the pitch and piercing the covers, was gorgeous and fittingly she brought up her fifty with a boundary off Aaliyah Alleyne through midwicket. It was Beaumont’s first halfcentury in 16 T20I innings.

But her best shot came two balls later when she drilled Alleyne over mid-off for six, clearing the rope by some way. She shared a partnership with Heather Knight worth 50 off just 33 balls but England’s captain fell for 25 a short time later, wafting at a wide Selman delivery to be caught behind

by Shemaine Campbelle.

Beaumont’s innings came to

a close on 62 from 49 balls when she attempted a reverse-scoop off Selman and found Afy Fletcher, who juggled but held on at short third man and England were 136 for 4.

Amy Jones, who had been opening instead of Beaumont during the T20 World Cup and had looked far more comfortable when moved into the middle order in that previous match, played a similar innings in her 50th T20I, contributing a handy 24 off 16 deliveries.

Taylor makes things happen Stafanie Taylor, the West Indies captain, brought herself on in the sixth over and struck with her second ball when she drew an edge from Danni Wyatt, who had struck 17 off 11 by that point but ended up nudging the ball onto the off bail.

Wyatt and Beaumont had taken England to 49 for 1 by the end of the Powerplay and Taylor managed to stem the flow further with the valuable wicket of Nat Sciver in her next over, with a mis-timed slog-sweep that sailed to Cooper at deep midwicket.

Once Jones fell to Selman, the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 3 for 26 from her four overs, that was the end of the England batting as they lost five wickets and added

just 31 runs in the last five overs.

Dottin back with the bat Allrounder Dottin did not bowl as she continued her comeback from a serious shoulder injury, but she made a valuable contribution with the bat.

Her six off Sarah Glenn over deep midwicket measured at 88 metres - was positively massive, moving her within two runs of her half-century and following another straight down the ground off Anya Shrubsole earlier in her innings.

She brought up her fifty off 45 balls, but had faced 21 dot balls in that time. Her four off Glenn in the 11th over was West Indies’ first boundary since the fifth over as the tourists were contained following the loss two early wickets, including Taylor, bowled by a gem from Glenn to put them at 28 for 2 after they had ended the Powerplay on 26 for 1.

Dottin was also on the scene during the comical runout of Lee-Ann Kirby which featured mix-ups on both sides. Dottin called for two runs off Shrubsole, but was sent back by Kirby after the single and narrowly avoided being run out herself before, as Kirby attempted a run on the misfield, she could only watch in horror as Jones

Jackman wants to be Guyana’s next female world champion

By Calvin Chapman At just 15-years-old, Forgotten Youth Foundation’s Alesha Jackman is already a Caribbean champion and is on the right track in achieving her dreams of following in the footsteps of local female pugilists Gwendolyn O’Neil and Shondell Alfred to be a world champion lady fighter to emerge from Guyana.

Last year, Jackman punched her way to the Caribbean junior title in August after beating Trinidad & Tobago’s (T&T) Shirley Wolfe in the final here at the Cliff Anderson Sport Hall on Homestretch Avenue.

Later in the year, in December, the teenager won her second consecutive Senior Caribbean Championship gold medal after out-punching Jamaica’s 20-year-old Britney McFarlane in the final which was contested in the twin island republic of T&T. The undefeated fighter, who hails from East Ruimveldt, shared with Kaieteur Sport that she was

extremely disappointed that she couldn’t get the opportunity to extend her unbeaten run in the Caribbean Boxing Championships due to the worrisome COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the sports industry worldwide.

However, the New Central High School senior student revealed to Kaieteur Sport that she is remaining focused on her studies and training despite the current situation that may be depressing for many.

“I sometimes train in the morning but mostly in the afternoon…

Mainly running and cardio exercises at the moment since gyms are not allowed to open as yet but hopefully soon we can get a grip on the coronavirus in Guyana and return to some form of normalcy,” Jackman shared with this publication.

In February this year, Jackman won gold at the Ronald Wilson Memorial senior tournament in

Deandra Dottin swings into a pull, England women v West Indies women, 1st T20I, Derby, September 21, 2020 © Getty Images stretched to collect the ball, thrown in on the bounce by Knight, and whipped off the bails.

Dottin eventually fell for 69, bowled by a Sophie Ecclestone delivery that skidded on from round the wicket at clattered into off stump to leave West Indies still needing 52 more with

only nine balls remaining.

Ecclestone, showing no ill effects after being struck hard on the helmet by a vicious Connell bouncer, followed up two balls later when she had Chinelle Henry lbw for a duck.

Scores: England 163 for 8 (Beaumont 62, Selman 326) beat West Indies 116 for 6 (Dottin 69) by 47 runs.

...FIFA lifts restrictions

Coach Sebert Blake (left) and Alesha Jackman.

Barbados following a convincing points-decision victory over 20-year-old Chole Jenkins of the United Kingdom.

The young woman noted that the victory was extraspecial to her because it sort of validated her skills against

the likes of competitors from Europe who are exposed to a higher level of training and competition.

Jackman declared that it was a big step and she has nowhere to go rather than up and she will remain committed in being a better fighter.

From page 23 things were at a premium and they wanted us to reduce that drastically and we have done so.”

There were also other issues that the JFF had to address, Wint said.

“There is a situation in which funds from our FIFA account were being transferred to another account; that is something they don’t want happening, you should just spend directly from their account.

And our accounting system needed upgrading and we did that,” he said.

Now that those matters have been resolved, Wint

says the JFF will now be able to receive their full tranches from FIFA in January and July instead of the incremental payments they were getting from FIFA during the period of the review.

Meantime, the FIFA administration thanked the JFF for the steps taken thus far to address the risks identified as part of the central review process and encourages the prioritization of this ongoing implementation.

FIFA also pledged its support for Jamaica, placing its Finance Governance Team at the JFF’s disposal as it works to modernize its operations.

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Kaieteur News

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Halep claims Rome title after Pliskova retires with injury ROME (Reuters) - Top seed Simona Halep gave her French Open preparations a boost when she claimed the Italian Open in Rome yesterday after second seed Karolina Pliskova retired from the final with injury when she was down 6-0 2-1.

Victory gave Halep her first title in Rome and her third consecutive title of the year after wins in Dubai — before the COVID-19 hiatus — and Prague last month.

Pliskova attempted to continue playing after

receiving treatment on her lower back and leg between sets but eventually decided to retire, not willing to take any chances before the French Open which begins on Sept.

27.

“I know that’s not the way how Karolina wanted to finish the tournament and the final,” Halep said at the trophy presentation ceremony. “Good luck in the French Open, hopefully we will meet again there in the final.

“Finally, after two finals

I could win this title. I love this tournament and I’m really happy that I have this beautiful trophy in my hands now,” she added, having lost the final in 2017 and 2018.

Halep raced into a 5-0 lead in the opening set, breaking the Czech defending champion three times and the Romanian also saved three break points at 0-40 down in the fourth game.

Halep, who even shook off a hard fall in the second game, was at her aggressive

and disciplined best while Pliskova looked sluggish with her on-court movement, failing to hit a single winner as she was bagelled in 20 minutes.

The limited number of fans allowed into Foro Italico’s centre court urged Pliskova to make it a contest,

applauding the rare points she got on the score board, and it seemed to work as the second set started with the pair breaking each other.

However, Pliskova was clearly struggling with the injury and retired after she was broken for a fifth time to give Halep the trophy.

Halep, who chose to skip the hardcourt swing in the United States to practice on clay, will head to Roland Garros as one of the firm favourites with world number one Ash Barty and U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka both skipping the tournament this year.

Romania’s Simona Halep as she celebrates winning the final with the trophy after the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova retired from the match after sustaining an injury. (Antimiani/Pool via Reuters)

Tuesday September 22, 2020

Kaieteur News

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Djokovic wins fifth Italian Open to make Masters history

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic kisses the trophy after winning the final against Argentina’s Diego Schwartsman. (Pool via Reuters/Clive Brunskill)

FIFA lifts restrictions from JFF following successful review SportsMax - FIFA has lifted financial restrictions imposed on the Jamaica Football Federation last year.

The decision by football’s world governing body, that takes immediate effect, came after what the JFF described as “thorough review of the financial management and governance of the Federation.”

The review and recommendation procedure took place during several visits from FIFA lasting a

period of over one year.

JFF General Secretary Dalton Wint explained that the FIFA review process uncovered several issues of concern.

“FIFA had imposed some restrictions based on the fact that we were not doing some of the things that would have loved to see us do,” he said. “ F o r F I FA , c a s h payments should be at a minimum and based on how we used to operate, cash payments for players and (Continued on page 21)

ROME (Reuters) - World number one Novak Djokovic overcame a sluggish start to lift his fifth Italian Open title y e s t e r d a y, d e f e a t i n g Argentine Diego Schwartzman 7-5 6-3 for a record 36th ATP Masters crown.

Playing his maiden ATP 1000 final, eighth seed Schwartzman raced out of the blocks to convert two break point opportunities for a 3-0 lead as Djokovic struggled to put a lid on his backhand errors.

An on-and-off drizzle at Foro Italico added to Djokovic’s frustration but he still found a way past

Schwartzman’s serve to draw level at 3-3.

Djokovic’s relentless baseline hitting came to the fore when he broke Schwartzman in the 12th game to take the opening set, despite committing 18 unforced errors.

Schwartzman, who outplayed defending champion Rafa Nadal in the quarter-finals, snatched another early break in the second set but this time Djokovic was quick to respond.

The top seed stepped up the intensity to break Schwartzman’s serve twice before serving out the match

comfortably to seal victory . The result also comes as a relief for Djokovic, who was desperate to return to court this week following h i s U . S . O p e n disqualification for inadvertently striking a line judge with a ball. Heading

into next week’s French Open, Djokovic has now won 31 of his 32 matches this season, and will be one of the favourites in Paris alongside 12-times winner Rafa Nadal and newlycrowned U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem.

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Tammy Beaumont’s opening gambit steers England to victory over West Indies

Tammy Beaumont drives through the covers, England women v West Indies women, 1st T20I, Derby, September 21, 2020 © Getty Images

Shakera Selman pegged England back at the death, England women v West Indies women, 1st T20I, Derby, September 21, 2020 © Getty Images

Alesha Jackman (right) and Chole Jenkins of the UK.

A happy Royal Challengers Bangalore players gathering after yet another wicket. (BCCI)

Yuzvendra Chahal three-for, Sunrisers Hyderabad collapse hand Royal Challengers Bangalore win

FIFA lifts restrictions from JFF following Jackman wants to be Guyana’s successful review next female world champion Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.