Guyana Times -- Wednesday, February 9, 2022

800 small businesses to benefit from $300M in grants P20

Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4915

THE BEACON OF TRUTH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

VP Jagdeo nails sensationalised allegations ambush – outfit fighting to

by VICE News survive implosion See story on page 11

Contract awarded to British company Bayphase to review US$9B Yellowtail Project

PRICE

$100 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Leopold Street man wanted for murder of clothes vendor

P21

Admission to GPHC postgraduate P21 programmes continues to be strictly meritbased – GPHC ...rejects Dr Karen Cummings’ malicious statement

– firm had 2nd lowest bid out of 11 int’l companies – at least 90 crude lifts expected for 2022

See story on page 3

$30B controversial bond Region 3 arranged by APNU/AFC men latest for GuySuCo exhausted COVID deaths – death toll now 1185 – Min Mustapha – 118 new cases detected See story on page 21

Page 5

...says only $3.8B remained from NICIL bond when PPP entered office

Cybercrime Act

Page 7

Sedition laws reintroduced

by APNU/AFC will be removed at appropriate time – Teixeira

...says they were removed in 1997, but returned in Cybercrime Act of 2018

Carpenter P15 dies while “backflipping” into canal 3 busted with gun, ammo, P22 drugs in Sophia

Nonpareil P15 pensioner dies after falling off roof at worksite P13 National athlete critical, others injured following 2-vehicle collision along Mandela Avenue

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, Feb 9 – 10:00h – 11:30h and Thursday, Feb 10 – 10:30h – 12:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, Feb 9 – 09:40h – 11:10h and Thursday, Feb 10 – 11:10h – 12:40h.

Contract awarded to British company Bayphase to review US$9B Yellowtail Project – firm had 2nd lowest bid out of 11 int’l companies – at least 90 crude lifts expected for 2022

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Northerly to Northerly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 10:15h and 22:55h reaching a maximum height of 2.2 metres and 2.08 metres.

Low Tide: 16:22h reaching minimum heights of 1.04 metre.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

14 16 19

21 22 25

FREE TICKET

26 Bonus Ball

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2022

DAILY MILLIONS

05 14 17 19 25 LUCKY 3

7

6

7

1

Afternoon Draw

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2

DRAW DE LINE

05 09 12 14 15 17 19 SUPER

PAY DAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022

06 11 12 13 14 13

06 08 09 12 19

0

0 Afternoon Draw

3X Afternoon Draw

9

1 Evening Draw

2X Evening Draw

DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$90.78/barrel

-2.06

Rough Rice

$274.91/ton

-1.15

London Sugar

$500.10/ton

0.00

Live Spot Gold

B

ritish company Bayphase Limited, one of almost a dozen international companies which had submitted bids to review ExxonMobil’s US$9 billion Yellowtail Project last month, has been awarded the contract.

Last month, 11 international firms had tendered bids for the contract to review Exxon’s Yellowtail Field Development Plan (FDP). Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat confirmed to this publication on Tuesday that the contract has since been awarded to Bayphase Limited.

Bayphase Limited, a British firm, won with a bid of US$423,360… the second lowest bid. Other bidders included Strat Oil Energy Services (US$324,080), Infinity Services and X Well Mexico (US$617,500); Orwell Offshore (US$671,650); Endeavour Management (US$598,934); Future Energy Partners Limited (US$901,482) and MSI International (US$817,761).

IHS Global Incorporated (US$1,493,502); Sun Stone Energy Advisory Service (US$785,040); RPS Energy Consultants Limited (US$494,000) and Sproule (US$661,440), also bid for the contract.

Terms

Evening Draw

PAY DAY

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1825.50

$1826.50

Low/High Change

$1815.30 -0.10

$1829.70 -0.01%

According to the Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources for the consultant to review and evaluate the Yellowtail FDP, the consultant will have to review not only the FDP, but also all supporting and reference documents, as well as the environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) submitted by Exxon and its Joint Venture (JV) partners in the block.

The consultant will also be tasked with preparing a report setting out its opinions and assessments formed while evaluating the FDP and ESIA. According to the Ministry, it is expected that the consultant’s assessment will address compliance or lack thereof, with the existing legislations - Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act 1986 and the Environmental

Protection Act 1996, the Petroleum Agreement.

It is also expected that the assessment will evaluate the compliance of Yellowtail to international best practices and industry standards, while pointing out unresolved issues and areas where additional assessments should be done by Exxon before the FDP is approved. And with an existing no flaring policy in place by the Government, the consultant will also evaluate the FDP in that context.

The consultant will also be expected to provide support to the Natural Resources Ministry, specifically when it comes to drafting a Petroleum Production Licence for Yellowtail and supporting the Ministry’s engagements and information exchanges with Exxon and its partners.

The FDP will outline how ExxonMobil plans to develop the oil field while also mitigating against environmental phenomena. Bayphase has history reviewing FDPs in Guyana, having also con-

Bayphase Limited

ducted the review into the FDP for Payara, Exxon’s third development. The Energy Department had contracted Bayphase to conduct a review of the Payara FDP in December of 2019.

The review was completed but in the wake of the controversies that followed the March 2, 2020 elections, the FDP was not approved until September 2020, after their work was reviewed by a team of consultants led by former Alberta Premier Allison Redford.

ExxonMobil has said it anticipates at least six projects offshore Guyana will be online by 2027, with the second one, the Liza Phase 2 project, expected to begin producing next month. The Yellowtail development will be Exxon’s fourth development in Guyana’s waters.

In terms of barrels per day (bpd) of oil, it will also be the largest project with 250,000 bpd targeted.

Lifts

Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat announced during the examination of the

budget estimates for his Ministry that at least 90 crude lifts are expected for this year. This, the Minister said, is owing to the start-up of the Liza Unity FPSO. “In 2021 allocations (were) made to cover demurrage cost, which we significantly managed to reduce due to prudent management of the sector. And this year, we’re asking only for $53 million of the $127 million to cover demurrage costs for 2022. And we’re estimated to have at least 90 lifts in 2022, due to the start-up of Liza Unity,” Bharrat said.

Guyana, with US oil giant ExxonMobil as the operator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019, in the Stabroek Block. Guyana received its first payment of US$54.9 million for an oil lift dated February 19, 2020.

Guyana officially completed its final oil lift for 2021 in November, with a little over one million barrels of oil being lifted from the Liza Destiny Floating Production and Storage Offloading (FPSO) vessel and sold by Saudi Aramco.

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

The “rum culture” T

here have been many public debates and discussions in the past on alcoholism and the negative effects it has on individuals and society as a whole. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), alcohol kills a whopping three million people worldwide each year — more than AIDS, violence, and road accidents combined. It was stated that men are particularly at risk.

WHO’s Global Status Reports on Alcohol and Health, over the years, have presented a comprehensive picture of alcohol consumption and the disease burden attributable to alcohol worldwide.

In the past, several letters to the Editor of this newspaper had expressed the view that alcohol is being promoted by some chutney singers in their songs. A few years back, Guyanese were being bombarded with “rum songs” which featured characters who resort to rum drinking to ‘end’ their sorrows.

Some of these songs are still being featured at concerts and parties across the country.

One letter writer proffered that alcohol is considered to be a “downer” type of drug, so it should not be consumed if one is in a depressed state of mind. In essence, drinking while in a depressed state will certainly contribute to feelings of more depression and do more harm than good.

The negative effects of drinking too much alcohol can be divided into short-term and long-term effects. The short-term effects of drinking too much alcohol are loss of judgment, loss of coordination, blurred vision, slurring of speech, and loss of balance. These negative effects can cause one to make bad decisions while being under the influence. The long-term effects include loss of brain cells, liver failure, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer, epilepsy, nerve damage, and heart failure. If the abuse of alcohol does not cause immediate problems, then excessive use over a period of time can cause major problems down the line.

Further, alcoholism contributes to a range of social problems; for example, there has been an increase in cases of domestic and other forms of violence in our society. Official statistics show that one in four Guyanese women have been physically abused in a relationship. The increase in domestic violence has been blamed on several reasons, including children being socialised in a society that propagates violence and abuse of alcohol and drugs. While there are many solutions that have been previously put forward to protect our women and girls from experiencing the level of violence we see in our society today, what we know for sure is that there is no one solution, there needs to be a combination of ongoing measures with the involvement of Government, the Police, the Judiciary, religious bodies and other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the communities as a whole, to holistically address the problem.

In addition, research shows that alcoholism contributes to suicide, which has been, and continues to be, a major social problem in Guyana.

The effects of alcohol abuse are well known. Citizens should, therefore, be encouraged to make better judgment in every situation in the interest of one’s self, family and community, and ignore the messages that encourage rum drinking. While it is not our intention to place the blame for all our problems on alcohol, one cannot dispute the fact it is indeed a contributory factor to some of the social ills we face in our country today. There is, therefore, urgent need for all stakeholders to redouble their efforts and step up the campaign to spread more awareness and education about the dangers of alcohol abuse.

While the Government must play a crucial role in designing the relevant programmes and policies and putting in place the necessary legislative framework and other support mechanisms aimed at addressing the harmful use of alcohol, this burden must also be shared by other stakeholders too, such as religious groups, the Private Sector and NGOs, etc.

An Egyptian boy rides his donkey at a village, near Giza, on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt (Reuters)

Remarkable story of graduation of convicted murderer

Dear Editor, When in 1998, I was incarcerated on a charge of trafficking in narcotics, what save me from the negativity that is associated with prison life was my academic knowledge. When the inmates found out that I could read and write at a higher level than they could, I was asked to assist with their cases, or to write letters of apologies to their parents and children, on their behalf.

Unlike me, many of them were incarcerated falsely, or they were on remand for long periods of time due to legal technicalities. And so, because of my slightly above average academic capabilities, I was able both to secure a safe stint at the Tobago Prison, all the while using my academic skillsets to help my fellow inmates, as best I could.

I grew up as a truant adolescent and teenager in a broken single-parent home on Laing Avenue, in the shadows of Albouystown and East and West Ruimveldt.

I saw a lot of criminality and was involved in my fair share. However, it was during my short stint in prison and the realization of the needs of my fellow inmates ignited my passion for helping with their rehabilitation. And it was while in prison that I made the promise to God that I will commit my life to the behavior modification of those who, like me, have fallen through the societal cracks and have become deviant and truant.

I left prion and moved with my family to the USA where I study Theology, both at the undergraduate and

the graduate levels. While living in the US I also founded the Practical Christianity Ministries organization and formalized my pledge to God to work with the offender population. This is a commitment that I have kept for over 20 years. While living in the USA I became a volunteer Chaplain in the State of Indiana and I traveled all across the US, Canada, Central America, Africa and the Caribbean conducting training workshops, counselling and consulting in regards to crime and recidivism reduction.

And that is why this remarkable story of the graduation of the convicted murderer, Mr. Orwain Sandy, is so emotional to me; if only because I know the positive potential for good that can be realized. Mr. Sandy might never be released from prison, however, he can use his formal training – like I did - to assist many of his fellow inmates. As a graduate of Psychology he can assist with anger management counselling. He can assist the inmates with grief and trauma issues. At a very basic level, he can help with their foundational academic needs. The scope is vast!

Now imagine if this becomes a norm in the arena of rehabilitation in Guyana.

Think of the possibilities for crime and recidivism reduction if more inmates aspire to higher learning. I am so excited I can scream There are some who believe that prisoners need to be locked away and forgotten. Many of those who think this way have emotionally attached reasons to

justify their feelings. And I understand that. However, 97% of all inmates will one day be released from prison. Mr. Sandy might one day be released. So we must ask ourselves, What kind of persons do we want leaving those prison walls? Would society not be better and our communities safer if the ex-offenders return healthier, more educated and better able to finance and manage their post incarceration lives? I think so.

In closing let me lavish a perfuse thank you to all those involved in this new push to make rehabilitation of inmates more holis-

tic and progressive. Please know that what you are doing is universally accepted best practice for prisoner rehabilitation. Prisons in the developed countries are moving away from just penal, warehousing, institutions, to more humane and commonsensical approaches to offender rehabilitation.

In this regard, the Minister of Home Affairs and the Guyana Prison Service are on the right path and they should be commended and supported.

Sincerely, Wendell Jeffrey

Our Amerindian people will not be ‘museum pieces’

Dear Editor, The global experience, as it relates to Indigenous People, is not the Guyana experience.

The recently aired interview with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and a rep from Vice Media Group (the America/Canadian media company) demonstrated that this fact is not clear in the minds of those who would try to paint Guyana in a negative light.

As unfortunate as it is to say, it is a mindset of one too many in the developing world when it comes to developing countries, like Guyana.

The interviewer asked the Vice President wheth-

er or not enough was being done to protect Indigenous people in Guyana and the indigenous way of life.

First off, much has been done to support the rights of Amerindians in Guyana: 1. Legislation to protect our Amerindian people, the Amerindian Act. 2. The creation of a constitutional commission – the Indigenous People’s Commission (IPC).

3. Land titling that has moved from Amerindians having an absolute – meaning forever – ownership of 6 per cent of Guyana to about 14 per cent. And work is still ongoing in this area.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

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News

$30B controversial bond arranged by APNU/ AFC for GuySuCo exhausted – Min Mustapha ...says only $3.8B remained from NICIL bond when PPP entered office

T

he $30 billion syndicated bond that was controversially arranged by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration for the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), has been exhausted.

This was revealed on Tuesday by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, while responding to questions during the examination of the Budget 2022 estimates for his Ministry in the National Assembly.

Opposition Member of Parliament Tabitha SaraboHalley questioned the status of the $30 billion GuySuCo bond which was arranged in 2018. In response, Mustapha revealed that the funds have been exhausted and that only $3.8 billion was remaining when the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration assumed office in August 2020.

“That money started to use under the former Government, which GuySuCo has to pay it back.

That bond has been exhausted. And that is why we were forced to give subsidies to GuySuCo, to continue the investment into GuySuCo,” he explained.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

“I can’t say what the bond was exhausted on… however, some money was used from the bond to do some work in GuySuCo. I don’t have the details here. I will lay it over. Over the last 18 months, the bond was exhausted… when we took office, $3.8 billion was remaining out of the $30 billion,” the Minister added.

In June 2021, it was revealed that a whopping $606 million in interest payments were made so far on the bond. At the time, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh lamented that “this bond was concluded at an exorbitant interest rate of 4.75 per cent, considering it was backed by a Government guarantee and they locked

in that interest rate with a penalty clause for early repayment.”

In fact, Dr Singh had said that the bond was no more than a ruse by the former Government, to borrow monies and keep it off the balance sheet, foisting it instead onto the NICIL/Special Purpose Unit (NICIL/SPU).

The Finance Minister had explained that when the bond was issued, it came with a Government guarantee that it would back the bond payments should NICIL be unable to make any payments. And this is just what the PPP Government had to do last year.

The bond, which was heavily criticised by the

The bond was arranged by NICIL/SPU back in 2018

then PPP/C Opposition, was intended to recapitalise GuySuCo and return it to viability after the former APNU/AFC Government had shut down four estates and placed thousands of sugar workers on the breadline.

Back in 2018, NICIL, through Republic Bank, went out on a limb to arrange a $30 billion syndicated bond at a rate of 4.75 per cent interest and a fiveyear repayment period for GuySuCo. According to the agreement between NICIL and Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation as the trustee, the first tranche payment of $16.5 billion from the bond

Our Amerindian people will...

FROM PAGE 4

4. Guarantee of not only right to land but sub-surface rights, meaning rights over the minerals in the ground.

5. Presidential Grants to all 215 Amerindian communities to support advancement as the communities see fit.

6. Agriculture Support via vehicles, vessels and equipment to increase production.

7.

Re-injection of over $700 million into the village economies of Amerindian communities with the Community Service Officer (CSO) programme. And there is planned expansion of this in 2022.

These are only some examples of the work that we see being done.

What was instructive from the interview was the interviewer asking about preserving Indigenous culture – meaning having our people remain living in the way developed countries think of our Amerindians.

This is disrespectful.

As the Vice President rightly said, Amerindians across the country have opted for integration and for preserving their heritage – both aspirations being supported at a national level with Amerindian Heritage Month and the work of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.

He said: “They want – the doctors, the lawyers and the accountants in our society – they want to live that life and they want to live in the city too…. the communities get to choose what they want…. this is not a dictatorship…once you have a titled land, it is absolute, forever…. they will always have that opportunity to live off the land and utilise the resources, if they wish. If they wish!

Not because we want to keep them as museum pieces to satisfy some global perception that they are preserving an Indigenous way of life. The people must make their own decision. That is what we believe. The Government

has to give choices – if you want to go that route, you have our full support, but if you want to integrate you get full support.”

What Guyana has done for our Indigenous people surpasses the record of many countries around the

world and we, as a people, will not let global perceptions and misconceived notions diminish that.

Sincerely, Alister Charlie Member of Parliament

was to be used for a longterm project and capital financing for GuySuCo. Specifically, the money was to be used to acquire two co-generation plants, upgrade the existing factories to produce plantation white sugar, build storage and packing facilities, and help pay for two years of general operational costs.

However, a significant

part of the bond was never used for the purposes it was secured. The previous APNU/AFC Government itself had said that between July 2018 to February 2020, $9.7 billion was disbursed from the bond to GuySuCo to fund its operational expenditure – much of which was outside the terms of the bond.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

Unit test answers 1)

Obtuse Angle

16) First row: Trapezium, 2) Right Angle rectangle, kite, trapezium, rhombus 3) Acute Angle Second row: Parallelogram, trapezium, parallelogram, 4) C o m p l e m e n t a r y rectangle, kite angles: they form a right angle 17) A 5) S u p p l e m e n t a r y 18) angles: they form a line and add up to180 degrees 19)

DG HF

6) C o m p l e m e n t a r y 20) AH, AF angles: they form a right angle 21) Sphere: No bases, faces, edges or vertices 7) Equilateral triangle 22) Square (a square is 8) Isosceles triangle not a solid figure, a cube is a solid figure) 9) Scalene triangle 23) Square pyramid: 1 10) Scalene triangle base, 5 faces, 8 edges and 5 vertices 11) Equilateral triangle 24) Cone: 1 base, 1 face, 12) Isosceles triangle 0 edges and 0 vertices 13) 14) 15)

Obtuse triangle

25) Prism: At least 5 bases, at least 5 faces, at Right-angled triangle least 9 edges and at least 6 vertices Acute triangle

After Bill Olsen’s “Our Heron”

I

n this fun and easy human body science experiment for kids, we’re going to see if we are eating iron for breakfast.

Materials:

Measuring cups Magnet Quart-sized ziplock bag Iron fortified cereal Warm water

Instructions:

Put one cup of cereal in the bag and crush it up.

Fill the bag halfway full with warm water. Be sur to leave an air pocket in the bag.

Shake the bag for a minute and then allow it to sit undisturbed for thirty minutes.

Now hold the bag in the air. Touch the magnet against the bag and move it around in slow circles.

Gently flip the bag while keeping the magnet against it. Move the bag to get the magnet in the air pocket.

Observe the iron that has been attracted to the magnet.

How it works:

If the magnet is very strong, it will be able to pull enough iron from the liquefied cereal that you can actually see it with your own eyes. Iron is a mineral that is very important for human development and growth.

Humans get the iron we need by consuming iron-rich foods like meat, eggs, and leafy green vegetables.

Make this a science project:

Try different cereals. Try pureeing lettuce and kale.

Try pureeing iron vitamins or supplements. (sciencefun. org)

You know wonder by its silence. Pinsky’s ineffable this evening. A field that isn’t quite ours, darkness, clusters of lightning bugs. Get your camera out. I can’t catch anything, too dark.

This isn’t ours to take with us. A lesson we’re told over & over but haven’t quite learned because of the delicacy of the reminder. We move the night as the strangers we are in that we leave the quiet to, finally, do its great work.

Some nights our walk precedes dusk & there is just the waiting. The twilight’s generous pinks & baby blues. An exercise in loneliness, & once you’ve let it be still, a reward. Lightning bugs, fireflies, depending on the region. Nomenclature in & of itself a way to divide, but we’re brought together through observation, a swarm of conclusions bright in the way they forgive the darkness.

We tell everyone we know about the field & the lightning bugs, & how we wouldn’t dare try writing them into a poem because we’d fail.

A poem, just a series of failures broken down into lines, a series of attempts to assuage the self scattered about & glowing. Lightning bugs pulse, pulsate, beat, throb—all the glorious verbs we usually reserve for the human heart.

They don’t vanish, it is we who leave them, as if that isn’t the first movement in loss. We leave because we’ll never understand their intimacy, because in understanding there is a slowing that would keep us from our lives.

For a few singular minutes we watch the lightning bugs while we brush mosquitoes away from ourselves. & how many more sentences have we made with that preposition that keeps things at arm’s length, that ending of from ourselves, from ourselves.

Source: Poetry (April 2021)

Teacher's Tip

“Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” – John Dewey

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Cybercrime Act

Sedition laws reintroduced by APNU/AFC will be removed at appropriate time – Teixeira ...says they were removed in 1997, but returned in Cybercrime Act of 2018

T

he sedition laws included in the controversial Cybercrime Act, which criminalises utterances against the Government of the day and which were introduced by the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, will be reviewed and removed at the appropriate time.

This revelation was made

by Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira, while she was fielding questions from the parliamentary Opposition during the examination of the budget estimates for her Ministry in the National Assembly on Monday.

At the time, the Opposition was question-

ing allocations to the security services and whether such monies would go towards spy equipment. This was vehemently denied by Teixeira, who noted that the Government had better things to do than monitor the Opposition. She also informed that the sedition laws will be removed from where they were included in the Cybercrime Act. “Just to remind the honourable member, the laws of this country and one of them is called the Interception of Communications Act, were any security entity in Guyana wishing to tap anybody’s phone or intercept it, they would have to go to the court and the court gives permission.”

“And so the issue is that

the laws of Guyana provide for interception for crime-fighting etcetera. And by the way who brought in the sedition laws again? It’s you! The sedition laws were removed in this country in 1997. And it was brought back into the Cybercrime Act, a retrogressive Act. And it will be removed, Sir. At the appropriate time,” she also said.

Back in 2018 and unmoved by the criticism of the then PPP Opposition, organisations and individuals who spoke out against the move to place the sedition clause into the Cybercrime Bill, the APNU/AFC Government had pushed through the Bill and signed it into law.

Clause 18 of the Bill had stated that persons commit

Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira

an offence of sedition when they, “attempt to bring into

hatred or excite disaffection towards the Government.”

These provisions have, in fact, excited worry among social media users, young people and Guyanese as a whole.

Since the introduction of the legislation, many members of the public have sought to criticise the clauses and Government, while calling for it to be removed from the Bill; the original purpose being to protect Guyanese and their children from the dangers of cyberspace.

Then Minister of State Joseph Harmon had claimed that people are taking that section of the Bill out of context. He maintained that the words in that specific clause speak to threats to national security.

Laid in the National

Assembly since 2016, the Cybercrimes Bill had catered for, inter alia: illegal access to a computer system; illegal interception; illegal data interference; illegal acquisition of data; illegal system interference; unauthorised receiving or granting of access to computer data; computer-related forgery; computer-related fraud; offences affecting critical infrastructure; identity-related offences; child pornography; child luring, and violation of privacy among a sleuth of other offences.

Presently, several Members of Parliament from the Opposition are before the court charged with cybercrime. In addition, citizens have also been charged under the Act.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

It’s only (your) money…

S

…so LOO should splurge? ince Monday, the entire National Assembly has transformed itself into a “Committee of Supply” to conduct the Approval of the Budget Estimates. It’s the most tedious process imaginable since every “line item” in every Budget agency has to be scrutinised and voted on.

It’s like watching grass grow as the brain becomes numbed with the tedium of the unending thousands and thousands of items.

You’ve got to give the Opposition credit for sticking it out!! Cause all they can hope for is that the voters will remember at the next elections how much they were fighting to prevent the PPP government from overspending or spending on boondoggles!! But with this in mind your Eyewitness was a tad taken aback when they insisted on making a big fight about the funds for the Office of the Leader of the Opposition (OLoO). This isn’t exactly what they’d want voters to hear about, would they? Now this line item doesn’t include the SALARY of the LoO and his perks. That was increased to over $800,000 back in 2015 when the PNC gave themselves that 50% raise to “discourage temptation to corruption”, according to Harmon. But Jagdeo had committed to passing on his “increase” to charity. No doubt whoever becomes the new LoO will be pocketing $800,000 monthly! To “save him from temptation”!!

Now, the fella creating the ruckus was no other than Harmon’s closest associate and since Harmon’s out of the picture, it can only be he (the toady, not Harmon) was trying to brownnose the incoming LoO! Seems that last year they’d requested $48M for capital expenditures alone!! The mind boggles as to what they wanted to do with their office space!! They received the usual $5M plus $37M for current expenses. This year they came back with some exorbitant figure and got $32M for current expenses and $5M for capital expenses.

Now if you think the PPP was being mean, you just need to look at the numbers for the LoO when Jagdeo filled the office. For the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, the office received $34.5M, $37Mand $35M, respectively!! It didn’t matter whether the PPP jumped up and down, the PNC said that sum was more than enough and they should be thankful!! So the Opposition should be grateful - sauce for the goose being same for the gander! Especially when there is no Opposition Leader in sight to fill the office, isn’t this money just going to pile up?! No secretaries and researchers to be hired! Conservatively, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether that predicament of the PNC will be resolved by the end of the year!!

Even with that intervention of the “elders”!! …so how to spend?

From the historic $530B budget, the Government’s gonna spend some $217B on capital expenditure TWICE that of the previous year!! That’s right…the PPP government’s focusing on using the oil money to actually invest in BUILDING the country - especially in infrastructure that’ll last generations!! Unlike the Opposition who’d use the money to spend on current expenses and return us to a “hand to mouth” existence thirty years from now when the oil runs out!!

But unlike what the IMF and other multilateral institutions have been recommending, the government hasn’t cut the current expenditure - which goes mostly to salaries in the top heavy and bloated Public Sector, etc. One study shows that the PNC/APNU had increased the Public Sector with their supporters by 35% in their 5 years!! Yet the PPP increased current expenditure this year by 10% from $275M to $302B - but now below the 66% we’d been averaging for the last decade.

More than double our Caricom neighbours!! …so enjoy The government has set the groundwork through scholarships and local content legislation for us to buckle down and get more and more of our oil money through our own efforts.

It’s up to us - handouts will not prepare us for the future! Save make us more dependent!

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

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VP Jagdeo nails sensationalised allegations ambush by VICE News – outfit fighting to survive implosion

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ice President Bharrat Jagdeo has conclusively nailed several allegations of corruption thrown at him by a Journalist of VICE Media Group during an interview at his office on February 1, 2022, which was later aired on his social media on February 5, 2022.

The Media Group has been on a downward spiral in recent years and is clearly trying desperately to survive by inventing “exposés” of corruption in developing countries to feed the old colonial narratives in its North American markets.

On May 8, 2019, Disney had told investors that it had wiped out US$353 million of the money it had previously put into VICE. A month later, on June 10, 2019, HBO cancelled Vice News Tonight, putting an end to its seven-year relationship with VICE. A year later, the downward spiral continued when VICE laid off 155 employees in May 2020. Finally, in August 2021, they launched a new wave of layoffs, reflecting the youth-culture media company’s ongoing financial struggles and need to realign toward profitable areas of the business — amid a broader shift toward video and visual content.

In the interview with Jagdeo, after asking innocuous questions about the policies of the Government on investment in light of the massive oil find, the reporter suddenly alleged that

based on “information” she had received, a Chinese logger named “Su” claimed that the only way to do business in Guyana was to pay incentives and more so, he stated that as long as the Vice President was alright, everything would be cleared.

Jagdeo immediately rebutted the allegation, stating that while he knew ‘Su’, who was a tenant at his property, how could he be expected to answer questions on hearsay that either the reporter or the claimed informant could have concocted.

On this note, Jagdeo, at a specially-convened press conference on Tuesday evening, repeated his response as he castigated the Media Group for its sensational reporting tactics. He noted that the interviewer was more or less hunting for something spectacular hence the biased line of questioning.

“I believe when these not-mainstream media come to Guyana, particularly like VICE News, the way they get into the media cycle is to say something spectacular… they can’t get in and talk about all the positive things in Guyana… Clearly from the beginning of the interview…

I made it clear that we don’t want to be caught up in a cold war like China and US,” the VP said.

In fact, the reporter’s line of questioning suggested that Guyana was taking financial incentives from the Chinese hence most of the contracts

that are being awarded were given to Chinese contractors.

But Jagdeo highlighted that some of the projects that were listed by the interviewer were not awarded to Chinese companies. He further pointed out the recent contract for the Linden to Mabura Road was awarded to a Brazilian company. With respect to the Amaila Falls Hydro Project and the Demerara Harbour Bridge Project, the VP noted that they were still in the negotiating stages.

Jagdeo also made reference to the reversing of a decision to establish a Taiwan Office here in Guyana.

“Taiwan was given permission to establish an office here, but it was reversed the next day… this decision was not made at the level of the President or Cabinet and as such, it was reversed, but this has nothing to do with China’s interference,” he explained.

It was also put forward that immediately after the decision was reversed that Guyana secured a $1.5 billion loan from China. The Vice President made it clear that since the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) returned to power, the Government has not received any such loan from China.

Jagdeo pointed out that the reporter was trying to create a conflict, by contrasting Guyana’s relations with the US and China and suggesting that the Government was favouring China. Jagdeo reiterated that it is Guyana’s policy to be

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

friendly with all countries but maintain its special relationship with the US where “half of the Guyanese population live”.

He pointed out that he helped and saw a lot of investors. “I help a lot of people but without consideration… I see lots of companies, but is not for money or a bribe… She asked me about the laws we are changing to help the contractors… she then went on to say that Su said we have changed the Constitution of Guyana so we can give them contracts… I don’t know that I have the power to change the Constitution of Guyana to give contracts to people,” he reiterated.

On receiving a financial incentive, he noted that all his earnings and assets are with the Integrity Commission.

“All my properties in Guyana are accounted for in my declaration to the Integrity Commission, on both of properties [that] were acquired before APNU came into office,” the VP said.

In addition, he noted that the agreement with tenants is known to the commercial banks in which he has two accounts.

Meanwhile, since the interview was aired and based on newspaper articles, Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton has called for Jagdeo to disprove the allegations by matching his earnings with his assets.

In response, Jagdeo related, “Now I know Mr Norton as I said before has always been a junior functionary of his party and in the government.

So I can excuse his unfamiliarity with the law that was passed and that was complied with, which is the Integrity Commission Act of Guyana.”

He noted that from 1999 to 2015 all Government officials had to submit their statements of income and assets to the Integrity Commission.

“The Act states that you can be jailed for one year for false declaration or not submitting a declaration.”

He reminded that when the A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) took office, members did not submit any declaration for three years. Jagdeo, nevertheless, agreed that the Police should be called in to deal with any form of corruption.

“We were subjected to SARA [State Assets Recovery Agency] and SOCU [Special Organised Crime Unit] upturning our lives… I am sure that Mr Norton did not think this through before getting involved in the matter.”

“They will never ever find anyone who can provide any evidence that they have given me a bribe directly or indirectly, because I never took a bribe, and that is why I was so confident about it when the interviewer asked me,” the Vice President related.

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78% HIV patients receive 1st COVID shot …2400 persons did not return for treatment during pandemic

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ith just over 6600 persons being treated for HIV in Guyana, statistics show that over 78 per cent of them have taken at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said that some 5224 or 78.1 per cent of

the 6681 HIV patients taking treatment in the public health sector have received a first COVID-19 dose. In terms of the second dose, 3839 persons or 57.4 per cent returned for their jabs.

Reflecting on the coverage of second doses, he said the factor of an im-

mune-compromised condition should be a reason to also take the booster doses being offered.

“We want to encourage people to get their booster shot because with HIV patients, their immune system might be depressed. In other countries, the protocols would have been not just one booster shot but a second booster shot… It is important for everybody to get vaccinated, especially if you have an underlying illness.

HIV is one such underlying illness and therefore, we would encourage everyone to make sure that they’re vaccinated,” said Dr Anthony in Tuesday’s COVID update.

Notwithstanding, the Health Minister pointed out that it is estimated that over 9000 persons in Guyana are living with the virus.

However, an alarming 2400 of them did not return for treatment after the pandemic struck.

“We estimate that we have 9081 persons who are positive for HIV and of those, during the pandemic, several of them did not come back for treatment. We have approximately 2400 of them that have been lost to follow-up, meaning that they have not been coming back

for treatment, it’s difficult to locate them.”

The Ministry is aiming to move the first dose coverage up to 90 per cent while simultaneously increasing second dose uptake.

Speaking on the side effects of the vaccines on HIV patients, Minister Anthony relayed that the symptoms do not extend beyond the normal threshold – all of which are temporary and subside within 24 hours.

“Generally, when you get vaccinated, depending on your individual make-up.

Some people might extend a little pain at the site of the vaccine. These are typical things that people would

get when they’re vaccinated and it doesn’t matter whether you’re HIV-positive or not. So, people would experience the same kinds of side effects.”

The country’s vaccination statistics show that 426,841 persons or 83.2 per cent receiving a first dose.

Second doses account for 318.677 or 62.1 per cent. In addition, for the 12 to 17 age group, 23,466 or 32.2 per cent are fully vaccinated. Booster doses have increased to 43,154.

For HIV-positive children under the age of 12, who are essentially not eligible for a coronavirus vaccine, the health official advised,

“Parents should ensure that the child is on their antiretroviral medication and that they’re able to suppress the HIV virus. If they’re doing that, then the chances of the HIV virus compromising their immune system is relatively small.”

Secondly, these children should follow all public health measures designed to protect against infections.

Last November, data showed that over 94 per cent of the persons living with HIV in Guyana know their status but only 70 per cent are on treatment with antiretrovirals and 87 per cent are virally suppressed.

Prior to that, World Health Organisation report confirmed that HIV infection is a significant independent risk factor for both severe or critical COVID-19 presentation at hospital admission and in-hospital mortality. Overall, nearly a quarter or 23.1 per cent of all people living with HIV, who were hospitalised with COVID-19, died.

The report was based on clinical surveillance data from 37 countries regarding the risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes in people living with HIV admitted to the hospital for COVID-19.

NEWS

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National athlete critical, others injured following 2-vehicle collision along Mandela Avenue sions on their bodies and later sent away, while Shepperd was admitted a patient.

A breathalyser test conducted on the driver of the truck proved that he had no

The car that was involved in the accident

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hree persons including national volleyball player Kristoff Shepherd and national table tennis player Chelsea Edghill were injured following a 2-vehicle collision on Monday evening on Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

The accident occurred at about 21:00h and involved motor car PPP 6198 driven by Shepherd, 22. At the time of the accident, 24-yearold Edghill and 23-yearold Nickasie Lewis were in the motor car. The truck, GWW 3741, was driven by a 31-year-old man.

The driver of the truck alleged that he was proceeding north along the western carriageway of Nelson Mandela Avenue while the car was proceeding east along the north-

Chelsea Edghill Kristoff Shepherd

ern drive lane of Homestretch Avenue.

On the approach of the intersection, the motor car was negotiating a right turn onto the eastern carriageway of Nelson Mandela Avenue to proceed south, and in the process, ended up in the path of

the lorry.

As a result, the front right-side portion of the motor lorry collided with the right-side portion of the motor car. The occupants of the car reportedly sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital where Edghill and Lewis were treated for abra-

trace of alcohol in his system. He remains in custody as Police continue their investigations.

A relative who asked to remain anonymous told Guyana

Times that the volleyball player is said to be in a critical state and he remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Georgetown Public Hospital battling for his life.

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Ramsammy’s Ruminations Nonpareil pensioner dies after APNU/AFC is not fit and proper to be Guyana’s Opposition party in Parliament

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here is little doubt in anyone’s mind that APNU/AFC is a weak, non-effective opposition party. Without a shadow of doubt, they are not fit and proper to represent the Guyanese people as the opposition in Parliament. In fact, they are so inept they went through the totality of the Parliamentary debate without an Opposition Leader; they were rudderless, and it showed in their performance. Now that the committee meetings are underway to scrutinize the line-by-line budget for each sector, APNU/ AFC continues their clueless performance, still without a Leader of the opposition.

APNU/AFC could not even figure out that until it is able to decide on a new leader of the opposition, it should continue with Joe Harmon. Instead, Harmon sat in Parliament as a regular member, but spoke last in the regular line-up spot reserved for the leader of the opposition.

Dr Leslie Ramsammy While Harmon resigned as the Leader of the Opposition, he was still the senior MP for APNU/AFC and the very least one would have expected him to do was to be present in Parliament for his budget speech. Instead, he spoke remotely by Zoom. But that was not the only insult to the Guyanese people, APNU/AFC MPs boycotted Harmon. If an MP cannot respect a senior MP from his or her own party, how can ordinary citizens expect respect from such an MP? It is disgusting to see that MPs who are paid for a few days of work each month, most of their workdays being during consideration of the budget, find so little time to be present in Parliament to listen to the debate. In every Parliament, MPs come and go during debates. However, there is a certain decorum that is expected of the people’s representatives. For one, MPs are expected to be present when certain senior members speak.

The APNU/AFC MPs also boycotted Khemraj Ramjattan. Not one MP from APNU/AFC was in his or her seat when Ramjattan spoke. Ramjattan sits in Parliament as the Leader of the AFC which represents the second largest party in the coalition. This is what happens when there is no leader. Joe Hamilton, the Minister of Labour, and a Government MP was correct that the opposition is like thirty-one “headless yard fowls, fluttering and flattering” about aimlessly. In David Granger’s infamous words, they are not “fit and proper”.

Obviously, the MPs from APNU/AFC had no theme in debating the budget. Prior to the debate the PNC’s General Secretary made the only pre-budget debate remarks on Budget 2022, stating the budget was not “fit for purpose”. I thought they would have shown up with this theme, that Budget 2022 was not “fit for purpose”.

But absolutely nothing was presented in 31 speeches made by their MPs to show that Budget 2022 was not “fit for purpose”.

The MPs attacked the budget on hearsays, made-up excuses and numbers, nothing in the way of logics.

In the opening salvo, Amanza Walton-Desir, their MP serving as the shadow foreign affairs minister said that “numbers matter”, but she did not critically review any number. The main argument in the “numbers matter” theme was that $218B allocated for infrastructure was too much for a country like Guyana to manage.

For the first time in a budget debate, it is not whether Guyana has enough resources for infrastructure development, but that we have too much money for infrastructure development.

In fact, there were many nonsensical points raised by APNU/ AFC MPs. One was made by the new Chairman of the PNC, MP Shurmayne Holder who loudly and slowly for effect regaled the Parliament and the nation with his own form of mathematics.

So as to be politically correct, we cannot dub PNC mathematics “voodoo” mathematics anymore. These days, we simply denounce PNC mathematics as “surreal” or not “fit and proper”.

MP Holder, declared that, with US$608M oil money Guyana already has accumulated, we can give every Guyanese, “every man, woman, child” US$5000 or Guyana $1M. That he was not even in the ballpark did not matter to him or his colleagues. In my days in Parliament, Bharrat Jagdeo would have called me to his office and gave me a good lecture for being so ridiculous.

In the meanwhile, the PNC forced MP Nicolette Henry to resign and make way for Aubrey Norton. This too they could not do right. So now Norton is not expected in Parliament until after April 1. The party that clumsily tried rigging an election in the full view of everybody is now in full view showing off its cluelessness.

President David Granger in 2018 rejected eighteen Guyanese professionals nominated by the Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo as not “fit and proper” to be GECOM’s head. Today, the same Granger is Head of a List that is essentially full of persons not “fit and proper” to represent the Guyanese people in Parliament.

This is visible when one of the senior MPs screamed to the government “mash your brakes, you going forward too fast”.

Guyanese want to move forward as rapidly as we can so that we are not just a high middle-income country on paper, but we look like, feel like, and live like we are in a high middle-income country.

Our country is “fit and proper” for this to happen.

falling off roof at worksite T ragedy stuck on Friday when a pensioner reportedly fell to his death while working at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Dead is 64-yearold Omrowa Shamlall also called “Bunta” of Block 12 Nonpareil, ECD. Police stated that an investigation has been launched into the incident which occurred at about 11:30h at Yorkshire Hall, Drill, Mahaicony, ECD. Preliminary investigations revealed that on the day in question, the now

dead man was employed by his cousin, a businessman.

The businessman reportedly told Police that he was in the bond at the worksite, when he heard one of his workmen scream.

Soon after, one of his employees informed him that his cousin had fallen from a beam on the top of the house. Without hesitation, he rushed to the scene where he saw the now dead man lying on the ground.

With the assistance of two other workers, the injured pensioner was picked up and transported to

Mahaicony Public Hospital where he was seen and pronounced dead on arrival.

The body is at the said hospital’s mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination.

Just over two months ago, a 23-year-old construction worker lost his life after he fell from a building, he was working at Third Street, Montrose, ECD. Norman Abrams of B Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, was employed

by Christopher Menezes of Montrose, ECD. It was reported that Abrams was on a scaffold

along with another worker putting on moulding on the outer part of a western roof of a two-storey concrete structure.

While doing so, the wood turned over and both of the men fell off the scaffold. The other worker fell under the scaffold while Abrams fell into the neighbour’s yard.

He was found lying on his back in a pool of blood with injuries to his head.

He was picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Carpenter dies while “backflipping” into canal T

he family of a 28-yearold man was plunged into a state of mourning after he reportedly died while backflipping into a canal at Tempe, West Coast Berbice (WCB), on Monday.

Dead is Ramesh Ramphal, a carpenter of

Britannia Village, WCB. The incident occurred at around 17:00h in the presence of the victim’s 23-yearold girlfriend.

Police reports stated that the couple was reportedly swimming when the carpenter decided to do a backflip

into the canal.

The girlfriend told investigators that after waiting for about ten minutes and the man did not resurface, she rushed to his home to inform his family.

A search party was formed and they found the

man stuck in the mud at the said area where he allegedly did the backflip. The carpenter was taken to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A post-mortem is expected to be performed shortly.

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20 NEWS 800 small businesses to benefit from $300M in grants WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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n a bid to stimulate the growth of small businesses and budding entrepreneurs, the National Assembly has approved the Government’s proposed $300 million for the Small Business Bureau’s (SBB)

Development Fund.

Speaking on the floor of the Assembly’s Committee of Supply, Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond, assured that the budgetary allocation will be spent in

a transparent and accountable manner.

Minister Walrond said, “We have a very robust application process, as well as follow up with the small business applicants, and when they are given their

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Oneidge Walrond

grants, we also continue to do training and developmental training”.

“We have methods of

verification. We do site visits before the grants are given. Project proposals are done. The invoices have to

be submitted for the exact amounts… It is a very robust system of verification,” she further explained.

While noting that the Bureau, over the past year, has made history in meeting its grant distribution targets, Minister Walrond said 2000 entrepreneurs will benefit from training opportunities to enhance their businesses in 2022.

The training programmes will cover areas such as business plan writing, small business management, record keeping, WhatsApp for business, financial management, and marketing, among others.

Since 2020, the SBB Fund has grown by $200 million. In the 2020 and 2021 budgets, $100 million and $250 million were approved, respectively. Budget 2022 is themed: “Steadfast Against All Challenges, Resolute in Building Our One Guyana.” [Extracted and Modified from DPI]

NEWS

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Region 3 men latest COVID deaths – death toll now 1185 – 118 new cases detected

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he Ministry of Health on Tuesday reported that three men of Region Three who tested positive for COVID-19 have succumbed, thus taking the country’s death toll to 1185.

The fatalities are a 79-year-old, 52-year-old, and 44-year-old. They died between January 30 and February 7, 2022. The vaccination status of all three men is unknown.

New deaths were accompanied by 118 new infections

of the virus, taking the total positives recorded to date to 61,734. There are 16 persons in the Intensive Care Unit, 102 in institutional isolation, 4055 in home isolation, and 18 in institutional quarantine. Recoveries are at 56,376 while 518,964 persons have been tested.

A breakdown showed that 21 new cases were recorded in Region One (BarimaWaini); two in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); two in Region Three (Essequibo

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD FEBRUARY 8, 2022 UPDATE

Islands-West Demerara); 31 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); six in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 18 in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); five in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); and 35 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) Cases in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) remained unchanged.

Active COVID cases are slowly declining with the

Admission to GPHC post-graduate programmes continues to be strictly merit-based – GPHC – rejects Dr Karen Cummings’ malicious statement

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

118

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

102

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

4055

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

16

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

18

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

33,261

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

28,473

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

61,734

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

56,376

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2392

REGION 2

2375

REGION 3

7919

REGION 4

30,671

REGION 5

2301

REGION 6

5599

REGION 7

2392

REGION 8

865

REGION 9

3787

REGION 10

3433

HERE IS HOW YOU CAN BE SAFE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Wear a face mask.

426,317 317,770

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1185

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

Wash your hands or use handsanitizer If you have any symptoms, call the COVID-19 Hotline.

GET MEDICAL ADVICE ON COVID-19 FROM MOH 24/7 HOTLINE NUMBERS: 2311166; 226 7480; 624 6674; 624 2819; 624 3067 OR 180/181.

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he management of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has emphatically rejected the unsubstantiated and disparaging remarks made by the former Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr Karen Cummings, in the National Budget Debates on Thursday last.

Dr Cummings alluded to “significant disparities along ethnic lines” within the surgical department and surgical training programme at the GPHC. In a statement issued by the GPHC, it stated that it is unfortunate that Dr Cummings has made allegations of racism in the training programme that is jointly delivered by the University of Guyana and the Institute of Health Science Education (IHSE).

“In making her remarks, Dr Cummings specifically identified the post-graduate training programme in surgery. Dr Cummings failed to recognise that all batches of recruitment for the post-graduate programme in surgery since 2015 were done during the period that APNU/AFC was in Government and for most of that period Dr Cummings served as a Minister in the Ministry of Health.”

The medical facility explained that the process for selection for all of the

Former Minister within the Ministry of Public Health Dr Karen Cummings

post-graduate programmes offered by the GPHC through the IHSE and UG are solely merit-based on established admission criteria and overseen by a diverse selection panel which comprises of esteemed personnel from various entities, including the University of Guyana and international partners.

The IHSE/UG operate a competitive surgical programme with a rigorous application process that requires that the applicant satisfy multiple requirements prior to admission. At no stage of this process is information related to the race of the applicant requested or considered by the IHSE, UG or the GPHC.

On this note, the GPHC formally invited Dr Cummings to provide any evidence she claims to have while adding that the GPHC will investigate any allegations that Dr Cummings claims to have once those allegations are provided to the GPHC. “Since 2015, the IHSE has admitted a total of 33 successful applicants, including the last intake of six (6) applicants in May 2020 into its post-graduate surgery programme. As stated before, all the recruitment batches and all the successful applicants were during the time Dr Cummings was a Minister in the Ministry of Health or when she served for a short period as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

All the 33 students accepted in the programme occurred while the Government in place was led by the party Dr Cummings now represent in Parliament.”

The GPHC has confidence in the selection process. As far as remuneration is concerned, these are guided by clearly documented human resource guidelines that are compliant with public service regulations, the release added.

Meanwhile, the GPHC urged Dr Cummings, as a fellow healthcare professional, to refrain from repeating unsubstantiated claims and hearsay.

numbers reducing to 5103.

This is attributed to lower daily infections and a higher discharge rate. Of the current infections, 94 persons are hospitalised – 69 are in the Infectious Diseases Hospital.

The Government started administering booster shots after studies around the world showed that the efficacy of the vaccines wanes after six months of receiving both doses. Persons have been encouraged to take the booster dose since protection against the disease would

wane after months of complete immunisation.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 Emergency Measures, which are in effect on February 28, 2022.

This order emphasises the need for everyone, 12 years and older to get vaccinated against COVID-19; the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene

to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy Around the world, some 395 million people have been infected, with over 5.7 million reported deaths. In the Americas, cases have surpassed 139 million with 2.5 million deaths.

Leopold Street man wanted for murder of clothes vendor

Akeem Rajkumar, called "Barney"

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he Guyana Police Force (GPF) has issued a wanted bulletin for Akeem Rajkumar called ‘Barney’ for questioning in relation to the murder committed on Carlos DeShawn Waithe on Monday.

Police stated that his last known address is Leopold Street, Georgetown.

Twenty-four-year-old DeShawn Waithe, a clothes vendor was shot and killed

when he attempted to rescue a friend from a brawl on Leopold Street between Breda and Smyth Streets, Georgetown.

Reports are that Waithe was consuming alcohol with friends in Charlestown on Sunday evening, after which he indicated to them that he was leaving to head to a known bar at Breda Street, Georgetown.

It was reported that on the day in question at about 04:00h, DeShawn Waithe, while in the company of another friend, arrived at the bar, during which the dead man’s friend became involved in an argument with another patrons at the bar.

The friend, Police said, was then seen running east on Leopold Street towards Smyth Street while being chased by a group of men.

Loud explosions were heard during the chase which caused Waithe to also give chase behind the men, yelling "y’all can't shoot da man".

The men then turned their attention to Waithe and an argument ensued,

Dead: Carlos DeShawn Waithe

during which he was shot.

Waithe was then rushed to a private city hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Meanwhile, anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Rajkumar also called ‘Barney’ is asked to contact the police on telephone numbers 226-6977, 225-8196, 226-9941, 2261326, 225-3061, 225-3650, 911 or the nearest police station.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

$88M approved to review “We want Guyana to produce oil in a net zero Guyana’s 5th oil development carbon world” – VP Jagdeo – Natural Resources Minister

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

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ice President Bharrat Jagdeo said the PPP/C Government intends for Guyana to be an oil producer in a net zero carbon world.

He made the comment in an interview with the New York-based publication, Vice News, which aired on Monday.

The International Energy Agency had launched a report called Net Zero by 2050, which outlined a scenario in which the world could achieve the global climate target, in a manner that prevents the world from overheating.

Dr Jagdeo believes that even in this scenario, Guyana can, and has the right to pursue rapid development, with the exploitation of its sub-

stantial oil resources.

“The world will need in 2050, in a net zero carbon scenario, 24 million barrels of oil a day. So, it’s not that we’re going to stop producing oil entirely in a net zero carbon world. This is based on the assessment recently done. We want to be, our oil is light, sweet crude, and we are a relatively low-cost producer. We want to be part of that energy mix.”

He said once there is a market for oil, Guyana will work to be part of it.

“People legitimately want to prosper in the country.

You can’t tell them that, you know, if you don’t have electricity – like in many parts of Africa and India, millions of people, tens of millions of people don’t have electrici-

ty – that we want a zero-carbon world, and to achieve a zero-carbon world, you have to remain without electricity forever.”

He explained that Guyana wants to be of service to the world in protecting the environment, but that Government will not do so in a manner that affects the legitimate right of the Guyanese people to prosper and achieve what they want out of life, which is why it was so important to launch a development strategy that reflects that.

“So now we just relaunched it, the Low Carbon Development Strategy. We believe that you can find a balance,” Dr Jagdeo said.

While the country pursues rapid development of its 10 billion oil-equivalent barrels, the LCDS 2030 has set out the Government’s agenda for the next 10 years that sees the proceeds from oil being used to build sustainable infrastructure that reduces Guyana’s carbon footprint and provides cleaner energy for its people. The gas-to-energy project and the Amaila Falls Hydropower project, both slated for construction commencement this year, are expected to commence in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

They will replace the heavily polluting heavy fuel oil, and will provide 415 megawatts (MW) of power to meet Guyana’s development needs for the next five years.

N Uaru-1

atural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat has announced that $88 million has been approved for a consultancy firm to review the Field Development Plan of Guyana’s fifth oil development - Uaru.

This news was shared on Tuesday during the consideration of estimates and expenditures for the Natural Resources Ministry in the Committee of Supply.

In January 2020, ExxonMobil announced that Uaru-1 was the 16th discovery in the Stabroek

Block. The well encountered approximately 94 feet (29 metres) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled in 6342 feet (1933 metres) of water.

In April 2021, Uaru-2 was announced by the oil giant. Drilling at Uaru-2 encountered approximately 120 feet (36.7 metres) of high-quality oil-bearing reservoirs including newly identified intervals below the original Uaru-1 discovery. The well was drilled in 5659 feet (1725 metres) of water and is located approximately 6.8 miles (11 kilo-

3 busted with gun, ammo, drugs in Sophia

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hree men are now in Police custody after a quantity of ganja, a firearm and ammunition were found in a house at Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Based on reports received, Police conducted an intelligence-led operation in A Field Sophia which re-

The items that were found in the house at Sophia

sulted in the discovery of a .32 pistol, a magazine, 11 .32 rounds of ammunition, two 9mm rounds of ammunition, and seven .38 rounds of ammunition.

At the time of the discovery, three males were at the location.

Police also said a further search of the residence in

Sophia resulted in the discovery of 50 grams of marijuana and a six feet marijuana plant. The men were arrested and an investigation has been launched.

Two days ago, an 18-yearold labourer of Mocha, East Bank Demerara, was taken into Police custody after a number of cannabis plants

were found at his home.

A party of policemen, acting on information received, went to Barnwell North, Mocha, EBD, and made contact with the 18-year-old labourer.

A search was carried out on his home, and several buckets with mould were found. Three of those buckets had what the Police sus-

pected to be cannabis plants, measuring from seedling to 8 inches in height.

The man was immediately told of the offence, and he admitted thereto under caution. He was arrested and escorted to the Providence Police Station, where he is presently in custody assisting with the investigation.

metres) south of the Uaru-1 well.

The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometres). ExxonMobil affiliate, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEGPL) is operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block.

Hess Guyana Exploration Limited. holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds 25 per cent interest.

This development in Guyana increases the potential to as many as 10 floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels with an increase of the estimated recoverable resource given by operator, EEPGL. The Government of Guyana stands committed to the sustainable development of Guyana’s oil and gas resources to ensure that the benefit from this sector transforms all traditional productive sectors to enhance the lives of all Guyanese.

I m p o r t a n t l y , Government earlier this week selected Bayphase – a United Kingdom consultancy firm – to review the Field Development Plan for country’s fourth oil development, Yellowtail. Just last week, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo stated that the Government is putting all systems in place for the approval of Yellowtail, with completion anticipated for March.

Yellowtail is Guyana’s fourth and biggest oil project in the Stabroek Block and is proposed by ExxonMobil’s local subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

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he fallout from England's disastrous Ashes tour has moved from management to the dressing room with James Anderson and Stuart Broad, the country's two leading wickettakers in Test cricket, left out of the squad for the forthcoming tour of the West Indies.

Neither Anderson nor Broad, together the most-successful newball pair in Test history, will travel to the Caribbean for the three-Test

series after an interim selection panel of Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood and James Taylor decided to give opportunities to a younger set of pace bowlers, including uncapped pair Saqib Mahmood and Matthew Fisher.

Anderson, who is third on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers with 640, topped the averages for England in Australia, taking eight wickets at 23.37 from three matches. Broad, with 537 wickets

Malteenoes, Edghill boosted with GCOS generosity

Linden “Jumbie” Jones makes a presentation to Guyanese Olympian Chelsea Edghill

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he Guyana Committee of Services (GCOS) on Monday made several donations to the sport of table tennis.

The Committee, which has made it its business to lend a helping hand to several sport

our sportsmen and women in Guyana and we’ve been doing little things here and there, but we know it means quite a lot,” Linden “Jumbie” Jones said on behalf of the GCOS during the presentation.

The first donation was made

Linden “Jumbie” Jones hands over the GCOS donation to Coach Idi Lewis

disciplines across the country, was chiefly motivated by the electrifying competition over the weekend hosted by the Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

“Our mandate is to support

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to the Malteenoes Sports Club for their table tennis programme and was presented to National Coach Idi Lewis.

Jones explained why the Committee opted for a cash donation, stating, “Many times, when you give stuff and you’re not sure what is needed, you miss sometimes like that. So, we much prefer to finance whatever it is that they need.

“Thank you very much for your contribution to table tennis in Guyana and keep up your good work,” he said to Coach Lewis.

The next donations were made to individual players, which included Olympian and national women’s champion Chelsea Edghill.

“We saw her perform yesterday and I was very impressed,” Jones said.

He continued as he made the presentation to Edghill, “We believe that showing appreciation and thanks goes a far way.

Guyanese need to know that they’re supported and loved by their fellow Guyanese and so we just decided that we want to show some love for you.”

Additionally, vouchers from the Payless Variety Store were handed over to Coach Lewis, in order to reward some of the younger, hardworking players.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

in his Test career, claimed 13 at 26.30 to move past Bob Willis and Ian Botham as England's mostprolific Ashes bowler.

Strauss, England's interim Managing Director, said that the newly-convened selectors, who reportedly took input from the Test Captain, Joe Root, wanted to "draw a line" under the defeat in Australia, but stressed the decision to omit Anderson and Broad "does not mean the end for them as England players", with that decision set to confront the new management team that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will hope to have installed by the summer.

England's first Test squad selected since the sacking of Chris Silverwood, the Head Coach and Chief Selector, last week saw eight players dropped after being involved in Australia – as well as

Anderson and Broad, Jos Buttler, Rory Burns, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Sam Billings and Dom Bess all missed out.

In the absence of Buttler, whose Test career like that of Burns and Malan may well now be over, wicketkeeper Ben Foakes has been recalled, while Durham opener Alex Lees is set for a debut as one of only two openers in the party, alongside Zak Crawley.

Despite England opting to begin the process of moving on from Anderson and Broad, their problems against Australia largely centred around a brittle batting line-up, which failed to top 300 in the series and made scores of less than 200 on six occasions. Burns, Hameed, and Malan – England's second-leading run-scorer behind Root – have all paid the price, but there was a reprieve for Ollie Pope, who averaged 11.13 from six

innings.

"With the start of a new cycle, it has allowed the selection panel to refresh the Test squad with a particular focus on competing away from home," Strauss said.

"We felt that it was time to draw a line after the Ashes defeat, look forward ,and give some impetus with an influx of new players.

"In respect of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, I want to emphasise this does not mean the end for them as England players.

We feel that it is important to look at some exciting new bowling potential and give some added responsibility to other players who have featured previously. No one doubts the quality and experience that James and Stuart bring to the England set-up. It will be up to the new Managing Director and permanent Head Coach to decide on whether they will be involved this summer and beyond.

"This selection of this squad is the start of a process and a journey to get England Test cricket back to where it needs to be, and the hard work starts now."

Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, and Ollie Robinson – who only made his debut last summer – will be the senior seam-bowling options in the Caribbean, supplemented

by Mahmood, Fisher and Craig Overton. Fisher, a former England

23

Under-19, made his Yorkshire debut in 2013 as a 15-year-old, but has suffered greatly with injury since then. He was also involved in the Lions tour and has a solid First-Class record, picking up 20 Championship wickets at 19.65 last summer.

The inclusion of Lees, who captained England Lions on their tour of Australia, had been widely tipped, having resurrected his career after leaving Yorkshire for Durham in 2018. He is set to make an immediate step up to Test cricket, with the other batting options – Pope, Jonny Bairstow and Dan Lawrence – all candidates to bat alongside Root in the middle order.

Jack Leach is set to continue as the first-choice Test spinner, but uncapped Lancashire legspinner Matt Parkinson has also won a recall, having previously toured South Africa in 2019-20.

Collingwood was installed as interim Head Coach on Monday, following the sackings of Silverwood, Assistant Coach Graham Thorpe and England men's Managing Director Ashley Giles.

England depart later this month to play World Test Championship fixtures in Antigua, Barbados, and Grenada, having managed just one series win in the Caribbean since 1968. (ESPNcricinfo)

"I'm focused on the task at hand" — Hosein …only has eyes on winning India series, despite IPL auction fast approaching

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est Indies all-rounder Akeal Hosein has enjoyed a brilliant start to his international career.

The Trinidadian left-arm spinner has so far taken 21 wickets in 13 One-Day Internationals and 15 wickets in 18 T20 Internationals.

Hosein is currently representing the regional side in an ongoing white-ball tour of India in which the team find themselves 1-0 down in the three-match ODI series.

He took 1-46 from nine overs in the game the West Indies lost by six wickets.

Speaking in a press conference on Tuesday, ahead of the second ODI today, Hosein, who is on his first tour of India, explained that figuring out the bowling in the conditions remained a work in progress.

“It's just about reading what type of pitch it is, what type of soil it is, and see what works on the day. Sometimes, you get information and it doesn’t really help you in the match, so it’s

definitely something that you have to go out there and feel for yourself and you can probably just keep that information at the back of your mind as well,” he said.

In their turn at the crease, in the first ODI, the West Indies batsmen were put into a blender

by India’s spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar, who took seven wickets between them. So the question remains, how do the Windies batsmen plan to manage the spin onslaught in the second ODI? “I think more of that will be revealed tomorrow. We don’t

know how the surface might play; it might play the same, it might play better, it might play worse.

One game plan that we do have no matter what is to just be positive and get ourselves into proper positions. To play strong scoring shots, and I think that’s something we’re going to stick with, no matter the surface and conditions.

The more we’re able to do those things, we’ll be able to get through it,” Hosein said.

“The conversation after the game was generally about not getting our heads down. Yes, we’ve lost the match and it’s

a short series with only three matches, but more around the positives we took from the game.

Although we lost, there were still positives and it’s just about how we plan to bounce back and come back stronger in the second game,” he added.

His performances this year have certainly caught the eye of the now 10 lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, with the auction for the 2022 season just a few days away but Hosein says his focus is on winning this series.

“These two games are very important for me, because they will determine the series for us.

I’m not really focused on the IPL. I’m focused on the task at hand right now. Yes, we know the IPL is the best league around, but, having said that, I think once I do the right things and perform well for my team, other doors will open for me. The focus now is to try to win this ODI series,” he said.

The second ODI takes place today. (Sportsmax)

Cornelius elected BTTSC President

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ollowing the hosting of an Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Sunday, January 23, Timothy Cornelius was elected President of the Bartica Table Tennis Steering Committee (BTTSC).

Jermaine Joseph has been elected to the post of Vice President while Diane Williams is the new Secretary and Tiffany Sampson is the Treasurer. In the position of Secretary-Treasurer is Rovika Dhanrajh, while Stefon Dass, Naomi Tobin, Lorenzo Bess, and Colleen Campbell comprise the Executive’s Committee members.

According to a missive from the body, the Executive already has a number of clearcut plans for its time in office.

The proposed plans include: “To continue to facilitate training and coaching programme in the areas of coaching, umpiring, administration in collaboration with the Guyana Table Tennis Association; National Sport Commission Guyana; Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sports

programmes as a means of providing developing for our student athletes, teachers, coaches."

•To strengthen the schools table tennis programme with the hosting of training programmes for students/teachers, competitions at the inter-house and inter-

school levels to identify talented athletes for further training •Establish a calendar of events which will stimulate regional and national participation in Bartica (hosting of regional and national events) •Hosting of talent identification and developmental training programmes for student athletes’ sessions at the Bartica Community Centre Ground Hall every third Thursday in the month, with the aim of developing talent for national representation •Provision of equipment for table tennis development in Bartica •Develop working partnerships to advance the development of the sport among other initiatives

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2022

Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business

Guyana Harpy Eagles open 4-day campaign today Captain Leon Johnson had a Player-of-the-Match 189* the last time he played Volcanoes

By Brandon Corlette

A

high-spirited Guyana Harpy Eagles will take on the Windward Islands Volcanoes from today, Wednesday, February 9, at the Queen’s Park Oval from 10:00h Eastern Caribbean time.

Speaking to the media in a virtual press conference on Tuesday, Harpy Eagles Captain Leon Johnson said the players are eager to get going in this Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional FourDay Championships.

Sharing his sentiments on the conditions at the Queen’s Park Oval, Johnson said they were similar to what the team were accustomed to. “A bit of grass on the pitch, not too much, a bit of dry areas and it will have something for the bowlers in the morning and then become good for batting and the ball will spin,” Johnson said.

The star-studded Harpy Eagles team are stacked with three leftarm spinners in Veerasammy Permaul, Gudakesh Motie, and Anthony Adams. Johnson said

that the team were missing variety, but he believed that the spinners in the squad would do the job.

“It is missing that variety. Over the last couple of years, we have done well with our two left-arm spinners Permaul and Motie.

The guys that have performed in the trials and in Four-Day cricket recently are the left-arm spinners.

It is only fair they have a go; we have three right-arm fast bowlers as well, we don’t look at these things. If they are the three best spinners available to us, then so be it,” Johnson said.

The five-time Regional FourDay championship winning captain, who scored an unbeaten 189 against the Volcanoes the last time these teams met, did not attempt to disclose the final XI for the first match, but he noted the team were selected after the final training session on Tuesday.

During the three trial matches before the team departed Guyana, Shimron Hetmyer and Tevin Imlach scored centuries.

The Guyana Harpy Eagles skipper said Anthony Bramble was the experienced wicket-keeper who was expected to take the gloves, but if Imlach played, he would bat in the top three.

The first two rounds of the red-ball season will be of great importance, since the West Indies Test team will play three Test matches in the Caribbean against England. Johnson said the batsmen especially would fancy their chances for selection into that West Indies Test team, after strong performances in the first two rounds of this season.

“It always is, selection into the international side has to be the goal of every player. It would not happen overnight or after two games for some, but good

Regional veteran Devon Smith will turn out for Volcanoes today

Guyana Harpy Eagles team will be boosted by Keemo Paul and Shimron Hetmyer

performances always count.

Looking at the Test side, they have struggled a bit, and I think there are places there for batters who score big runs,” Johnson explained.

Guyana Harpy Eagles, who surrendered the title after five consecutive years in the 2020 season to Barbados Pride, will be eager to get a grip on that Headley/Weekes trophy again.

With Hetmyer and Vice Captain Keemo Paul in the mix, the squad will have that extra boost.

“It is great to have those guys around. They bring international experience, they have done well when they played for Guyana, and they are both leaders in their own right. Keemo is the Vice Captain

now, so a bit more responsibility on his shoulder,” Johnson noted.

This Four-Day season will be played for five rounds owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and scheduling in the Caribbean.

Johnson said this was a concern for him, because five games were not enough to select the best international players.

In their last encounter, Guyana and Windward Islands Volcanoes played to a draw. Guyana made 426 all out, with Johnson scoring 189* and Christopher Barnwell scoring 107. On the other side, Devon Smith, who is again in the team to play Guyana today, scored an unbeaten 147 and skipper Kaveem Hodge also scored a century.

Guyana Harpy Eagles squad reads: Leon Johnson (Captain); Keemo Paul; Chandrapaul Hemraj; Tagenarine Chanderpaul; Vishaul Singh; Askhaya Persaud; Anthony Bramble; Tevin Imlach; Veerasammy Permaul; Gudakesh Motie; Nial Smith; Clinton Pestano; Shimron Hetmyer; Keon Joseph and Anthony Adams.

Windward Islands Volcanoes squad reads: Kaveem Hodge (Captain); Keron Cottoy; Denis Smith; Devon Smith; Kimani Melius; Alick Athanaze; Ryan John; Larry Edward; Kenneth Dember; Shermon Lewis; Preston McSween; Teddy Bishop; Darel Cyrus; Josh Thomas and Ackeem Auguste.

Curtez Kellman lands US club tryout …grateful for shot at professional club

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uyanese midfielder Curtez Kellman has embarked on the opportunity of a lifetime, trying out for the Kansas City II in the USA from February 6-25.

This was made possible by the Alex Bunbury Sport and Academic Academy (ABSAA), which stated that it was “pleased to be supporting the development of young football players in Guyana by securing pro tryouts overseas in order for the athletes to gain experience from the First World training regimen”.

Kellman, who recently led Western Tigers FC to a secondplace finish in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Kashif and Shanghai Men’s Super-16 Cup, has also turned out for the Guyana national team and Georgetown Football Club (GFC). The 23-year-old has also plied his trade at Eastern Florida State College and Daytona State College in the USA’s college soccer circuit.

The ABSAA has reported that Kellman arrived in the US late Sunday night and would

Curtez Kellman in the Kansas City dressing room this week

be settling in with Bunbury’s young son, 16-year-old Sporting Kansas City II forward Mataeo Bunbury – sharing the same apartment since the young Bunbury is training on the Kansas City II team, which play in USL Championship. Kellman’s travel costs were also covered by Bunbury.

Bunbury, a Canadian Hall of Famer, stated that he was passionate about the development of football players

and it brought him tremendous joy to be able to be of assistance to young men and women in Guyana.

When Guyana Times Sport reached out to Kellman for a comment, the youth noted that he was extremely grateful for the opportunity.

“I feel very grateful for this opportunity that was created

by Mr Alex Bunbury. I’d really like to thank him for providing these few days of trials with the

team to, you know, showcase my talent and show what I have, so that I can get a chance at getting a contract and do what I love most – playing football,” Kellman told this publication.

When asked to recount the few days he has been at the club’s tryouts, the midfielder noted that he was especially fascinated with the professional atmosphere.

He explained, “It has been

a really good experience thus far. Getting the chance to see and be around a professional set-up. Everything that they do, both on and off the pitch, is from a professional standpoint and mindset and thus far the experience is really great.”

“I’d love to get the opportunity to be here, to be around the professional set-up for a very long time,” he went on to add.

Not only is Kellman looking to make his country proud but to also lend a hand to other up-andcoming Guyanese ballers.

“With this opportunity, I’d really be grateful I’d make Guyana proud, my family; and also it would be a big opportunity for me to create chances for other young, talented players back in Guyana,” he told Guyana Times Sport.

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