Guyana Times - Friday, October 15, 2021

Competence-based P content should replace "pressuring" syllabus – CXC Registrar 18

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

Issue No. 4801

THE BEACON OF TRUTH FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

Criminal probe for APNU/AFC’s Winston Jordan’s “nefarious, questionable transactions” – AG

See story on page 3

…Jordan denies any wrongdoing, says allegations false, baseless

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

1 hospitalised following WCB smash-up P10 …driver says smoke blurred vision

Mon Repos man wanted

by Police for P11 fraud

Top performance in 20 CSEC subjects for Guyana – CXC Page 7

…students scored beyond regional average for CSEC, CAPE

Ex-cops who raped woman at Police Station jailed for 25 years Page 2

4-year-old among 6 new COVID-19 deaths See story on page 19

…159 new cases, 32 in ICU

Illegal strike action by nurses

GPSU withdraws case seeking to block salary Page deduction for absenteeism, unpunctuality 9

Mechanic charged for robbery, illegal gun

P8

“We need P16 Private Sector” – Bharrat …says Govt alone cannot provide employment

T&T gas station awaiting P16 approval to set up in Guyana

2 NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ex-cops who raped woman at Police Station jailed for 25 years

T

he Demerara High Court has handed a 25-year prison sentence to each

of two former Policemen who raped a woman at the Turkeyen Police Station.

The punishment was on Thursday imposed by Justice Jo Ann Barlow on 29-year-old

Delon Chapman and 35-yearold Leon Ashby.

Details of their conviction

Convicted rapists: Former Policemen Delon Chapman (right) and Leon Ashby

state that on January 1, 2018, in the county of Demerara, they engaged in sexual penetration of the woman without her consent.

At the start of their trial, they had pleaded not guilty to the joint charge, but following deliberations on September 27, a 12-member jury unanimously found them guilty of the offence.

At about 01:13h on New Year’s Day 2018, the woman had left her Sophia, Greater Georgetown home and had gone to the Police Station to make a report against a man who had thrown a squib at her son’s face.

After lodging the report, she had requested to use the washroom, and was guided to the upper flat of the building.

Chapman, the jury heard, had taken the woman upstairs and pointed her to a hallway, where she did not see a toilet, but instead two bathrooms that were under construction. After the woman had used the bathroom, Chapman had followed her up the stairs and grabbed her by the neck.

The jury was told that he had “viced” the woman from behind and told her, “You gotto get f***.”

The victim said Ashby, who was there, fetched her into a room and placed her on a mattress on a spring bed. She said she was placed to lie on her belly. She recounted that Ashby then pulled down her underwear and raped her. The ordeal lasted for about 20 minutes.

According to the victim, Ashby then grabbed her neck, while Chapman mounted her and raped her for about 10 minutes.

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, State Counsel Sarah Martin, who had led the case for the prosecution, urged the court, when considering an appropriate sentence, to consider the serious nature and prevalence of the offence, as well as the manner in which the former Policemen had committed the crime.

Prosecutor Martin also asked the court to consider the fact that Chapman and Ashby were serving members of the Guyana Police Force, who had sworn to serve and protect, “but did the complete opposite”.

For his part, their defence lawyer Ravindra Mohabir, in a plea in mitigation, had told the court that his clients are suitable candidates for rehabilitation, given their youthfulness.

Counsel submitted that his clients’ children would be gravely impacted by their incarceration. The lawyer also reported that none of his clients have prior antecedents.

“It is my respectful submission that this honourable court pass sentence that is in keeping with both the victim - what the victim has passed through - and balance that also with these mitigating circumstanc-

es,” Mohabir added.

“I just want to say that I am innocent, and if this matter ever retry again, I just want y’all to understand that none of this never happened,” said Chapman in brief remarks to the court.

Ashby told Justice Barlow, “I have been a law-abiding citizen all my life. I have been in the Police Force for 12 years, and I have risked my life and a whole lot of things for the Force.

This did not occur. When my family provides a lawyer and appeal this case, I hope you can retry this case and give me a fair retrial.”

Recapping the facts of the case, Justice Barlow noted that Ashby and Chapman lured the woman to a place where their unlawful acts could have gone undetected by other persons at the Police station. According to the Justice, the aggravating circumstances in this matter outweigh the mitigating circumstances.

Noting that Ashby and Chapman were serving Policemen at the time they had committed the offence, Justice Barlow pointed out that a serious breach of trust had occurred when “ranks sworn to serve and protect violated the woman in the manner she detailed”.

The Judge said the evidence revealed that the duo had threatened to kill the woman if she told anyone about the incident. “According to the victim impact statement, fear and anxiety still affect the virtual complainant’s life,” the High Court Judge outlined in her sentencing remarks.

After examining the case, the Judge said an appropriate starting sentence is 25 years’ imprisonment. Following this, the court went on to assess the probation reports in favour of the convicts, the victim impact statement, the plea in mitigation, as well as the statements made by the convicts. However, the court found no mitigating factors to adjust the sentence downwards.

“There was a total lack of remorse, as both [convicts] indicate that they have not committed this offence,” the Judge has said.

Further, the Judge noted that the court cannot consider hardships that may occur due to the convicts’ incarceration.

She said those hardships would have to be treated by family members who can assist.

In the circumstances, the rape convicts were each sentenced to a term of 25 years in prison. Justice Barlow has ordered that the men are to undergo counselling tailored for persons convicted of sexual offences during their incarceration.

Chapman and Ashby had each been placed on $80,000 bail pending the hearing and determination of their trial. (G1)

3 Criminal probe for APNU/AFC’s Winston Jordan’s “nefarious, questionable transactions” – AG NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Friday, October 15 – 01:00h-02:30h and 12:30h-14:00h and Saturday, October 16 – 01:30h-03:00h, 13:00h-14:30h and 23:30h-03:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, October 15 – 12:50h-14:20h and Saturday, October 16 – 13:50h-15:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day.

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Winds: North North-Easterly to South SouthWesterly between 1.78 metres and 6.26 metres.

High Tide: 12:58h reaching a maximum height of 2.14 metres.

Low Tide: 06:15h and 18:51h reaching minimum heights of 1.01 metres and 1.11 metres.

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…Jordan denies any wrongdoing, says allegations false, baseless

W

inston Jordan, who served as Finance Minister in the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Chance (APNU/AFC) Government, alleged engaged in a number of corrupt transactions during his tenure in office and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), very soon, is expected to begin probing these dealings.

This revelation was made

by Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall on Thursday.

While the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was in Opposition, from 2015 to 2020, it had been critical of the operations of the David Granger-led Government and promised to ensure their every move was investigated once the PPP/C took the reins of Government.

Nandlall had been quite vocal about those investigations and now that the Party was in power, the Senior Counsel said that it intended to deliver on the promise.

“We promised that once we got into Government, there are a number of transactions that were done under the previous government that will be subjected to investigations and charges may flow if those investigations yield those charges based upon the advice, of course, of the Director of Public Prosecutions. That is an ongoing process.

“But many people believe that we may have not been pursuing it with the desired speed. That is not so. There are so many other things that have happened since that, and have diverted the attention of the Police Force in other directions, but we remain committed.

We remain committed to that promise to investigate these transactions,” Nandlall said.

Giving an update on the investigation, Nandlall explained that they had observed a number of seemingly corrupt transactions attributed to Jordan during his time in office and after investigating, they have complied a file to be sent to the Police for the commencement of a criminal probe.

“The former Minister of Finance, Mr Winston Jordan has been implicated in a number of nefarious and questionable transactions, which we intend to send to the Police Force and to other law enforcement agents for their investigation…

Police will begin their investigation, the files have been assembled already and they are on their way to the Police,” he explained.

Pointing to some instances of the alleged dealings, Nandlall said they have found that several vehicles were sold by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), without due process, to persons who are allegedly close to the former Minister. Additionally, he said that the investigation found that a number of State properties, valued millions of US dollars, were sold for prices far below market value and without any public procurement process by Jordan. The AG said

Attorney General Anil Nandlall

that the sale of those properties occurred after the APNU/AFC lost the March 2020 General and Regional Elections – between March 2 and August 2, 2020 – while the results of the elections were being contested.

“Those transactions are clearly, clearly offensive to law, and, therefore, ought to be subject to investigation. Another one that comes to mind, also, is the transaction or the circumstances surrounding the deposit from ExxonMobil. You would recall the Finance Minister at the time completely denying that we ever received that US$18 million bonus (from ExxonMobil) and then we subsequently found that it was deposited in some account at the Central Bank authorised by him (Jordan) in writing and then, of course, he took that money and invested it some-

where in the United States and it is unclear where that money is or whatever is left in that account,” the Attorney General informed.

He added that the matters were steadily engaging the attention of the relevant State agencies and investigative arm of the State, adding that as a Government, it was their duty to ensure those responsible for pillaging the country were held accountable.

“We will continue to persevere in that direction to fulfil that promise that we made, not only in relation to Jordan, but in relation to various other land transactions,” he said.

After taking office in August 2020, the PPP/C Administration unearthed a number of corrupt land transactions and giveaways of prime State lands and has been going after those culpable. Nandlall, on Thursday, said that some of the beneficiaries of those lands have returned the properties to the State or they have arrived at an amicable solution.

However, he was quick to point out that they have not yet begun properly going after those that benefited from below-market-value State lands since that would require a more in-depth investigation.

“There are hundreds of these transactions that where there were giveaways of prime State lands in prime areas, in particular, along the ocean front and on the banks of the various rivers in Guyana.

Those lands have peculiar val-

Former APNU/AFC Finance Minister Winston Jordan

ue due to the oil and gas sector; we have not even touched those transactions as yet,” the AG said.

“What we are focused on are simply a few in the vicinity of Ogle, and along the East Bank of Demerara. But a large part of those transactions have not yet been handed over to the investigative arm of the State, and we are going to do that, but as I said, we don’t want it to appear that we are a government that is focused only in this direction. Our priority remains developing the country, addressing the welfare of the people, ensuring that our people continue to live a proper life, and protect them in this global pandemic. But that doesn’t mean that we are not going to pursue the other promises that we have made,” he said.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

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

More “Dream Realised”

T

oday another couple of hundreds of Guyanese will receive house lots when the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) hosts a further “Dream Realised” housing drive at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, EBD. If one can recall, the Opposition scoffed when, during the campaign trail, the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) declared it would be delivering 50,000 house lots during the next five years when it gets into office. In its previous iterations, the housing sector was one of the PPP’s glowing successes, and it was not coincidental that much of that success occurred under the watch of Irfaan Ali, who was then the Housing Minister. With him becoming President on August 2, 2020, the promise was almost guaranteed, since he knows exactly what needs to be done.

And now, just over a year later, we can see from the trajectory of house lots’ allocation that the goal is well within sight. This compares with the 7,089 lots allocated over the five years the APNU/AFC coalition was in office.

However, the Government is not stopping at house lots, but has set its sights on their owners becoming home owners. It has done this by encouraging easier access to loans with lower interest rates, increasing the number of institutions granting mortgages with the authorisation of the Bank of Baroda to enter the mortgage market, and reducing taxes on construction and building materials.

The NBS has been persuaded to grant loans of up to $6 million with an interest rate of four per cent; $6-12 million @ 5.9 per cent, and $12-15 million @ 6.25 per cent. This is against a background of Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh introducing the Income Tax Mortgage Interest Relief back in 2013. Any individual taking out a mortgage of up to $30 million for the purchase of a home would be able to deduct from their taxable income the interest paid on the mortgage.

Immediately, homeowners will benefit significantly. Since, in the early mortgage, most of the payments are applied to interest on the mortgage, these payments would now act to raise the “non-taxable” income of the homeowner from the present $720,000 by the total interest paid for the year.

But the benefits from the Government’s overall facilitation of housing for the entire population go far beyond the tax exemption etc. One of these is that a mortgage is a form of long-term forced savings. Many persons have great difficulty in saving directly from their paychecks or wages, which is not just a problem for the individual, but for the nation. Developing countries need savings to make investments, and when individuals take out mortgages, the banks can count on a steady income stream, which can be invested. For the home owners, rather than paying rentals, they accumulate increasing equity in their houses; which, historically, has always tended to go upwards.

Home ownership also has immediate spinoff benefits for the rest of the economy, as owners seek to furnish and constantly upgrade their properties. Businesses that cater to this trade typically employ a large number of unskilled persons, as well as give a boost to local manufacturers of furniture and other household goods.

The NDCs can now collect rates and taxes to provide various services to the area.

But just as important are the social benefits that give families a sense of stability and security. The moment someone owns a home, the family acquires pride in home ownership, and typically sees itself as having a stake in the community. This leads to the development of social capital in the form of trust between residents. If countries do not have this kind of social capital, it is almost impossible for them to mobilise their citizens for the sacrifices a sustainable developmental thrust demands.

President Dr Irfaan Ali was on Thursday presented with the official invitation to the Conference of Parties (COP) 26 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller at the Office of the President. Also in photo is Deputy British High Commissioner to Guyana, Ray Davidson (Office of the President photo)

Shubh Navratri Dear Editor, Sharada Navratri is a nineday/night period dedicated to the worship of the Universal Mother, Mata Durga. She is the embodiment and consolidated form of Mother Parvati, Lakshmi and Saraswati; and, as such, she is the invincible fortress that represents Shakti (power), and whose blessings are sought for the protection against negativity and evil.

Each night is dedicated to one form of her manifestations, as listed here: 1.Shailputri: Goddess Shailputri (Goddess of Nature) is depicted with a beautiful face, having a crescent moon on her forehead. She destroyed the demoness Tarika, and is worshiped for the realisation of the self within, on the first day. 2. Brahmacharini: Goddess Brahmacharini is depicted bare-footed and carrying a Jaapmala in the right hand and a Kamandalu in the left.

She is worshipped for ascetic qualities, on the second day.

3. Chandraghanta: Goddess Chandraghanta is depicted with ten hands. She rides on a tigress, and is worshipped for peace and serenity, on the third day. 4. Kushmanda: Goddess Kushmanda rides on a lioness, shines as the sun, and is specifically known for her prowess. She is worshipped for health, wealth and strength, on the fourth day. 5.

Skandmata: She is shown with four hands, in two of which she carries lotus flowers, in the second left hand she carries baby Skanda, and the second right hand is Abhaymudra.

She rides on a lion, and is worshipped for wisdom and purity of the heart, on the fifth day. 6. Katyayani: Goddess Katyayani is depicted sitting on a lion, and she was born to attack Mahishasura, and came to be known as Katyayani.

She is worshipped for the desire of a righteous partner for marriage, on the sixth day.

7. Kalratri: The Goddess of Fierceness, was manifested to

destroy the demon Raktabija.

As the name suggests, she is depicted in a very ferocious form. This form of the Goddess is worshipped for the removal of ignorance and darkness, on the seventh day. 8. Mahagouri: Goddess Mahagouri is depicted sitting on a bull. This form of the Goddess is worshipped for the removal of suffering and the enlightenment of spiritual seeker, on the eighth day of Navratri. 9. Siddidhatri: Goddess Siddhidhatri is the moola roopa of Goddess Parvati. When, at the beginning of the universe, Lord Shiva worshipped the unmanifested form of Shakti, she had no form; therefore, she was depicted as the left half of Shiva.

The devotee seeks her blessings for the realisation of the Divine or Brahman, as she completes the mundane world, on the ninth day of Navratri.

As the warrior form of Goddess Parvati, she was transformed into Durga by combining the power and divine energies of all the Gods.

These divine powers and energies of all the Gods are represented by the different weapons held by Goddess Durga.

Not only the weapons, but each and everything related to Goddess Durga symbolises some or the other divine things, as noted below.

1. Lion: Symbolises courage and the uncontrolled materialistic desires and tendencies, such as greed, jealousy, anger, selfishness, arrogance, etc. Goddess Durga sitting on a lion symbolises that we need to control our materialistic desires, needs and emotions, and face our problems with courage.

2. Red Saree: The red saree symbolises passion. It also represents her way of protecting mankind against evil and bad.

3. Conch: The conch represents happiness and dedication for fulfilling our responsibility happily. It gives us a lesson that one must perform

his/her duties with contentment, and not with resentment.

4. Sword: The sword signifies the importance of distinguishing and eradicating our negative and evil qualities, be ready to quit his/her bad habits, and embrace good habits; and, also, one should raise voice against unjust and mean actions.

5. Chakra: The chakra symbolises duty and righteousness. It shows the importance of acknowledging our duties and responsibilities, and fulfilling them to achieve our goals in life.

6. Lotus Flower: The lotus flower symbolises austerity, purity, and detachment from the materialistic world. It gives us a lesson that, despite staying in the mud water, the lotus water remains pure, lively, and full of colours. Similarly, we, humans, too should try to reflect the good in bad, be a humble soul even during the toughest of times, and never be impudent.

7. Trident: The trident symbolises courage and bravery. It tells us that no matter how grave the situation, we should never lose our hope.

Instead of running away from the problems in our lives, we should stand strong and face our problems with full courage, hope and determination.

8. Forgiveness: The right hand (the forgiving mudra (positions)) symbolises the need to forgive others. There’s no good in holding on to the grudges.

We should always forgive others, and seek forgiveness from those whom we have hurt. In addition to this, we must not say rude things to others, or hurt others for our pleasure and selfish needs.

9. Club: The club symbolises devotion and bravery.

We must accept whatever the Almighty sends to us. Whether it is happiness or sorrow, we must accept whatever comes in our way, and face it with

bravery.

10. Bow and Arrow: The bow and arrow symbolise perseverance. No matter what problems come in our lives, we need to persevere and always stick to the truth. We must not lose our character or make wrong decisions.

11. Snake: The snake represents the beauty and truth of destructive times. Those who are living on this earth will have to die, and their souls will take a new form in the next life. It also symbolises goodness in darkest times.

Guyanese revere the auspiciousness of this significant period, and hope that COVID-19 can dissipate and a healing process can materialise from the eradication of evil, suffering, and unhappiness. Let us pray that all leaders will overcome any ignorance, and allow wisdom to prevail, so that light will replace darkness. As we prostrate for the protection from any form of negativity, let us envelope the love for our fellow mankind in our bosoms, and sanctify our hearts with purity and peace.

As we successfully conclude another celebration of Sharad Navaratri, may the weapons of Shakti Ma, represented by the power to withdraw, discern, decide, tolerate, accommodate, let go, face and cooperate be used to destroy any lust, ego, anger, greed, jealousy, attachment, pride or malice that may surface. Let the darkness be removed and be replaced with purity and love, so that our intellect may remain clear, positive and powerful.

The advent of Vijay Dashmi heralds the culmination of Sharad Navaratri. May the grace of Durga Ma’s Divinity continue to evolve around your wellbeing, providing you with the energy to prosper with enlightenment.

Shubh Navratri.

Respectfully, Jai Lall

guyanatimesgy.com

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

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You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

Oil sector a great success Dear Editor, I was surprised to learn that, by next year, oil production will triple from its 2021 levels with the arrival of the second FPSO, Liza Unity.

If this information is correct, that would mean instead of six lifts this year, Guyana will be entitled under the Production Sharing Agreement to 18 lifts.

That would be Guyana selling 18 million barrels of oil at a price that could be around US$70 per barrel. (It seems hard to be certain, but many see this as the price through 2022) That translates into

US$1.26B in revenue plus about US$170M in (2%) royalties on total production. We are therefore looking at US$1.4B in income in addition to the US$500M already in a NY bank account. US$1.9B! We can learn two lessons from how events are unfolding down in Guyana.

The doomsayers who wrote over and over that Guyana would get little to nothing from the PSA were wrong. In fact, it is working out astonishingly well, and a lot of this is down to Exxon’s ability to discover oil at unheard of rates of success, and then move through what is an ex-

tremely complex process to start production so quickly.

As for those who said the Stabroek Block was too big for one consortium, they should ask themselves how well the other operators are doing in the basin, and where we might have been in a different scenario.

This is an incredible success story for all involved, but especially for the land of my birth, which was forever poor and depressed.

Now is the time for Guyanese, as one voice both at home and in the diaspora, to call on our

GECOM has vacancies galore!

Dear Editor, All the newspapers are fully decorated with seven prominent vacancies that are at the Guyana Elections Commission. It is amazing to know that this prestigious and very powerful organisation is so depleted, and now desperately needs to set up a fit and proper secretariat.

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is responsible to run off free and fair elections at any time when such elections are due. Local Government Elections are due to be held this year, 2021, and the Government of the day has allocated money in the 2021 budget for the holding of the LGEs. Our people must therefore demand that Local Government Elections be held at the earliest opportunity.

While the Commission had to dismiss the Chief Elections Officer and the Deputy Chief Elections Officer, it must be noted that the other vacancies came about because of serious allegations and questions surrounding the performance of GECOM. The vacancy for the Assistant Chief Elections Officer, The Logistics Manager, Civic and Voter Education Manager, Legal Officer and Chief Account are all crucial vacancies that must be in operation for the smooth running of the Commission.

However, this nation would like to know that persons who were in their well-paid jobs are not there presently.

Former GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield is before the courts for fraud and other serious charges. He was properly dismissed and removed from the Guyana Elections Commission.

It is indeed sad to know that Lowenfield, after struggling for his survival and was fully aware that he was on his way out of GECOM, went and renewed the contract of his personal assistant, Duarte Hetsberger, for a further

three years.

Hetsberger’s contract was due to expire on 8th December 2021. According to standard procedure, Hetsberger was supposed to put in writing a request to renew his contract three months before his contract expired. It is utter nonsense and total disrespect to the Commission, and the Chairperson in particular, for Lowenfield to renew Hetsberger’s contract six months before the time due.

The Act clearly states that all employment must be done by the Commission, and not by Lowenfield. All contracted workers must apply for the renewal of their contract, and there must be the necessary evaluation before the renewal is facilitated.

Let us make it crystal clear that the serious queries that were made by the Auditor General’s Office in respect to the 2015 National and Regional Elections are yet to be cleared. The 2016 and 2018 Local Government Elections were not audited, while the 2021 National and Regional Elections are

waiting to be audited.

This nation is fully aware of all the phantom staffers who were paid. We are fully aware of the many contracts that were introduced and made in hotel rooms. Today GECOM, as an organisation with millions of dollars, cannot and is not paying up legitimate debts.

It is imperative that GECOM Chairman Justice Claudette Singh make bold decisions and get down to serious work in preparation for Local Government Elections. With all the talk of democracy at this time, and the tremendous development that we are witnessing in the country, we must have Local Government Elections, so that our people at the grassroots level could participate in the development of our country.

Justice Claudette Singh and the Commissioners must get down to serious work, and cleanse the corrupt elements that are remaining at GECOM. Down with corruption!

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

Government to start addressing poverty in our homeland in a systematic and sustained way. There is no reason, with this

kind of wealth, why a single Guyanese household should have to live in poverty for a single day more.

2022 should be dedi-

cated to the eradication of poverty.

Sincerely, Arjoon Singh (NYC)

Our women deserve to be free

Dear Editor, Something I have long argued for is that perpetrators should be in safe houses, and women should be living in their family homes. Domestic Violence is a crisis that has been flashing red in Guyana and across the Caribbean.

The evidence is domestic violence is widely prevalent, and is stubbornly resistant to the various interventions on offer by authorities and entities operating in this area.

Guyana has a legislative framework underpinned by the Domestic Violence Act, Sexual Violence Act, and some of the most comprehensive systems, processes and guidance. Yet, “the first national survey on gender-based violence revealed that more than half (55%) of all women experienced at least one form of violence.

More than one in ten has experienced physical and/ or sexual violence from a male partner in the past 12 months”.

Something is not working. Something needs to change. Supporting victims of domestic abuse is important, but this will not change the perpetrators’ behaviour.

We know from evidence the perpetrator’s narrative is, “My dad used to beat me up, my dad used to beat my mum up, and I thought it was normal just to beat people up if they make you angry”.

Violence is normalised, drugs are normalised, crime is normalised, and that is how people live for generations.

So, what if the perpetrator was treated like the victim, offered a safe house, cognitive behaviour therapy, rehabilitation, and the

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

required support under supervision of the authorities? What if this approach became a first response for handling domestic abuse in the family home?

To end violent behaviour, you have to find and address the source. It is not as simple as getting women to leave, and punishing the perpetrator; it’s about therapy and behavioural change. One way to measure behavioural change is to look at reoffending rates. To support my argument, I will cite the findings of the ground-breaking Ghandi Nivas five-year study undertaken in New Zealand

by Massey University (2020), which offers conclusive evidence that using an early intervention therapeutic approach reduces reoffending.

The study concluded that 57.5% of men did not reoffend after engaging with Gandhi Nivas services.

So, in Guyana, we have 55% of women facing up to domestic violence from men, whilst this study shows over 55% of men with a history of violence towards women did not reoffend.

Gandhi Nivas was

launched in 2014 in Counties Manukau, Auckland to meet the counselling and housing needs of men who are bound

by Police Safety Orders (PSOs) and cannot return to their homes. PSOs came into operation in July 2010 to provide Police with a means to immediately improve the safety of persons at risk of family violence. The Report, titled, Gandhi Nivas 20142019: A statistical description of client demographics and involvement in Policerecorded Family Violence occurrences, is a widely available publication.

I am hopeful that policy makers in Guyana and across the Caribbean can look to the future with this kind of service model: fully funded, fully staffed and fully evaluated.

We need to recognise that many countries are redefining domestic violence as hostage taking and terrorism.

Our women deserve to be free from both.

Sincerely, Devv Ramdas TCV – Technical Team, UK

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ave you ever seen a great movie and then rushed out and bought its soundtrack? Did the soundtrack bring back the thrill of an action chase? Or the sadness one of the movie's characters felt? Music is a big part of the movie experience.

It intensifies the emotions in scenes so that you do not just jump when that hairy spider comes around the corner, you scream! In this music science fair project, you will find out if happy, sad, scary, and action scenes in movies use music with the same qualities.

Objective

To determine if movie scenes of the same type are accompanied by music with similar characteristics.

Materials and equipment

• DVD player • Children's fulllength feature movies with instrumental or classical music soundtracks, the songs do not all have to be acoustic. (10) • Optional: Timer or stopwatch • Lab notebook

Experimental Procedure

Step 1. Select 3-4 scene types to investigate, such as action, scary, happy, or sad scenes.

Step 2. For each scene type that you choose, find at least 5 examples from ten of the children's full-length, feature movies. It is unlikely that you will find all scene types in one movie, so you will need to gather scenes from different movies until you find five examples of each scene type. For example, one movie might have a lot of action scenes, so you might be able to get three action examples from that one, and

Foundation find two more examples in two other movies. Another movie might have a lot of scary and some action scenes, so you might be able to find both action and scary scenes from that one. Each example scene should be at least 20 seconds long, and should be accompanied by music, preferably instrumental or classical music.

Step 3. In your lab notebook, make a data table like Table 1, below, for each type of scene you want to investigate. This means you should have 3–4 data tables total, one for each scene type.

Table 1 has been made on action scenes as an example.

Step 4. Try to figure out which main instruments are being used to accompany the scene. For example, do you hear mostly the banging of drums or the clash of

cymbals? If so, write down "percussion" in a data table like the one below. If you hear violins or cellos, then write down "strings." If you hear big brassy sounding trumpets, then write down "horns."

Step 5. Listen to the scene again and see if you can hear rising or falling scales. A rising scale is like the sequence dore-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do, while a falling scale is the reverse.

When you listen for a scale, you do not have to hear a whole scale to say you have found a rising or falling scale; it can just be part of it; for example, do-re-mi. Write down your observations in your data table.

Step 6. Listen again and focus on the melody. Is it high-pitched like the songs of birds? Or low-pitched and deep sounding? Record your observations.

Step 7. Listen again and see if you can tell if it is in a minor or a major key. A minor key might sound sadder or more serious to you, while a major key might sound more cheerful. Examples of minorkey songs are "Summertime" from George Gershwin's opera, Porgy and Bess , or "My Favourite Things" from the movie The Sound of Music . "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" is an example of a song typically sung in a major key.

Write down your observations about the key for each scene in your data table.

Step 8. Listen again and pay attention to the volume of the music. Is it quiet or loud?

Write down your observations about the volume in your data table.

Step 9. Finally, count out the beats per minute, or tempo, of the scene. You can

By Carl Sandburg I spot the hills With yellow balls in autumn.

I light the prairie cornfields Orange and tawny gold clusters And I am called pumpkins.

On the last of October When dusk is fallen Children join hands And circle round me Singing ghost songs And love to the harvest moon; I am a jack-o'-lantern With terrible teeth And the children know I am fooling.

tap or clap out the beats yourself for 10 seconds and then multiply by 6 to get beats per minute (bpm), or you can use a software tool to measure the tempo. Record the tempo you measured.

Step 10. Repeat steps 4–9 for at least 4 more scenes (of the same type of scene) so that you have analysed at least 5 scenes total for that scene type.

Step 11. Repeat steps 4–10 for the other scene types you want to analyse. Be sure to use a different data table for each different scene type.

Step 12. When you are done making your data tables, analyse each one. For example, when you look at all the action scenes that you evaluated, is there a dominant instrument that was used in every action scene, or in nearly every one?

Was the tempo consistently fast in all the action scenes you evaluated? Did you see rising scales? Falling scales? Or was there a mix of both? Record your analysis in the last column of each data table.

Step 13. Look at and compare the last columns in each data table. Do any features stand out? When filmmakers make an action scene, how would you describe the instrumental or classical music that they use to accompany the scene? How about the music for scary, happy, or sad scenes? (Science Buddies)

WORD SEARCH

7 Top performance in 20 CSEC subjects for Guyana – CXC NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…students scored beyond regional average for CSEC, CAPE

Education Minister Priya Manickchand with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CXC, Dr Wayne Wesley (fifth from right) and other officials during the results’ release

I

n this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE), Guyana has secured better performances than the regional average.

Director of Operations, Dr Nicole Manning made this disclosure on Thursday at the official release of the results at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), in the company of officials from the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC)

and the Education Ministry.

She informed that 20 subject areas saw top performances, with 70 per cent acceptable grades for CSEC. “Seventy per cent of the candidates who were registered from Guyana received acceptable grades, compared to the Region’s 68 per cent.

For 20 of the 33 subjects that we do overall, they would have had top performance in those,” the CXC official said.

For CAPE, 88 per cent of students received acceptable grades, higher than the

Region’s 87 per cent.

“Overall, Guyana’s performance was marginally higher compared with the rest of the Region. Notably, we had 16 units in particular with 100 per cent candidates for Guyana received acceptable Grades One to Five,” she announced.

For CAPE, 92 per cent of students attained acceptable grades for Caribbean Studies, 97 per cent for Communication Studies, 96 per cent for Sociology Unit 1; 96 per cent for Sociology Unit

Criminal probe for APNU/AFC’s...

FROM PAGE 3

No wrongdoing

Jordan, in a statement, shortly after the Attorney General’s announcement said that the allegations of possible corrupt actions by him were “false, baseless and repugnant”.

“I say without fear that they are designed to impugn my character, tarnish my image and lower my esteem in the eyes of my family, friends, admirers, well-wishers, and the general public.

Moreover, they are intended to intimidate me, in light of my scathing criticism of the Government’s approach to development of my beloved country. I cannot and will not be intimidated,” Jordan said in his statement.

Additionally, he indicated that his Attorneys have already been informed of the latest development.

The former Minister also stated that he performed his duties in compliance with the law while serving as Finance Minister.

In November 2020, Nandlall had indicated that Government would bring charges against Jordan after a number of questionable transactions were approved by him. He had said that the Government sought legal advice and would be initiating legal proceedings against Jordan and former National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Head Colvin Heath-London.

Data released by Nandlall showed that persons, including Jordan and HeathLondon, have been transferring land worth hundreds of millions of dollars, to various companies with only a small fraction of payments being received. This was all done after the elections, at a time when the Government should not have been engaged in any such transaction.

Between them, the pair vested almost 100 acres of prime State land in Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD), to eight different companies.

All told, the total value of the lands is $2.9 billion. But NICIL only received approximately $64 million in payments. (G2)

2; 95 per cent for Law Unit 1; 96 per cent for Law Unit 2; 80 per cent for Integrated Mathematics; 59 per cent for Pure Mathematics 1; 75 per cent for Pure Mathematics 2; 84 per cent for Chemistry Unit 1; 95 per cent for Chemistry Unit 2; 90 per cent for Biology Unit 1 and 97 per cent for Biology Unit 2.

At the CSEC level, Guyana scored higher than the regional average in Integrated Science, Electronic Document Preparation and Management, Office Administration, Information Technology, and Human and Social Biology. The country’s performance was, however, lower than the regional average for Mathematics, Chemistry, Principles of Business, and Social Studies.

In 2021, there was a reduction in the School-Based Assessment (SBA) requirements by as much as 50 per cent in some instances. The requirements for specific subjects were also reduced owing to the prevailing COVID-19 circumstances, specifically for modern languages.

Along with a delayed date for examinations and submission of SBAs by six weeks, the Council also released topics five weeks prior to the sittings. A deferral option was put in place for students if they felt unprepared for the examinations, enabling them to write some or all of their subjects in 2022. Overall, deferrals stood at 1251 subject entries for CAPE and 15,179 for CSEC.

Absenteeism

However, Dr Manning pointed out that this year saw a reduction in both candidate and subject entries for CAPE measuring 27,715 and 110,020 respectively. It is the lowest cohort in four years.

The same was observed for CSEC, with 103,445 candidates and 502,859 subject en-

Director of Operations, Dr Nicole Manning

tries.

A trend showed increased absenteeism this year for both cohorts. She pointed out, “It’s the highest we’ve had for four years – 8.83 per cent. I want us to remember that this group would have not necessarily deferred, but decided not to attend the examinations… As we had it for CAPE, we had a large number of absenteeism –11.23 per cent.”

Some 4839 CSEC SBAs or five per cent of the intended target were not submitted to teachers, which the Director asserted called for an analysis to understand the underlying issues. Some 31,270 CAPE students did not submit their SBAs to teachers for a 92.3 per cent submission rate.

She added, “We do have a few SBA scores missing. This is not so much of an alarm for the Caribbean Examinations Council at this time, because we are getting good responses from the local registrars and the Ministries of Education.”

Notable challenges which the Council mustered through were the COVID-19 pandemic, the volcanic eruption in St Vincent and the Grenadines; and Tropical Storm Elsa – all of which had varying impacts on the Region.

Electronic testing was one of seven digital transformations undertaken to keep abreast with demand, with usage increasing by 27 per cent for CAPE and 84 per cent for CSEC.

Top performers

Education Minister Priya Manickchand told media operatives that CXC would determine the names of top students for both examinations, using the standardised protocols.

“At this stage, you don’t know a top student…At this point, what we could tell you is that who received the most Grade Ones. We don’t declare the top students. CXC does that and that’s because a top student requires not only numerical number of subjects, but you have to have a certain combination. For example, a foreign language [or] they might want a TVET type of subject. There’s a different combination that determines what the top student is,” she stated.

She said the list of students who acquired 12 Grade Ones and more will be announced shortly. Today, persons will be able to access their grades on the online portal. (Rupa Seenarine)

8 NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mechanic charged for robbery, illegal gun T

hirty-two-year-old Kashief Peters, a mechanic of Republic Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was on Thursday remanded to prison for allegedly trailing and robbing two females after they left the Ogle Airport earlier in the week.

Peters appeared before Magistrate Alisha George at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, where he was slapped with an armed robbery charge as well as possession of firearm and ammunition without being the holder of a licence.

The robbery was committed on Melanie Leung,

37, of Providence, EBD, and Joanna De Oliveira, 20, also of Providence, on October 11 at La Bonne Intention (LBI), ECD. The women were relieved of an iPhone, 75 grams of raw gold, two handbags, and $55,000 in cash.

It was reported that the victims had left the Ogle Airport, ECD, and made a stop at a boutique on LBI Public Road. While there, the suspect held them at gunpoint and demanded that they hand over their valuables.

Fearful for their lives, the two women handed over the items and the suspect escaped.

Charged: Kashief Peters

The matter was subsequently reported to the

Police and using a tracking device on one of the phones, the Police were able to intercept the getaway car at Industry, ECD. The driver of the said motor car disembarked with a handgun in his hand and began to run. He eventually disposed of the firearm, but it was retrieved and turned out to be a silver Taurus .32 pistol, along with a magazine with one .32 round of ammunition and six 9mm rounds.

A further search of the motor car was conducted, and the stolen articles were found. The defendant will make his next court appearance on December 1, 2021.

ss

Measuring when...

W

…t’ing really baad as a time when you poor, you poor. And since the Bible said “the poor will always be with us”, we accepted our lot and struggled to keep our heads above the (dirty) water. For us in Guyana - a land of former slaves, Indentured servants and Indigenous Peoples - we all started out dirt poor. But, as time went on, some were able to climb out and up from the mud. But they developed airs about the poor, who were now not only grubbing for a living, but were looked down upon by their own countrymen!! Some of the nouveau rich even outdid the white man - who was supposed to’ve squeezed us dry like sucked oranges!

Oh…the indignity of it all! Stepped on by your own!

Anyhow, with us getting Independence and kicking the white man out (at least that’s what we were told), we’d now be in control of our country’s riches, and everyone would share in the same and become stinking rich. The small man would become the REAL man!! Sounded good!

Well, here we are, sixty years down the line and we’re still wallowing in poverty! How do we know that? Well, starting in the fifties, various and sundry organs of the UN system started measuring how its various member countries were doing about improving the lives of their citizens.

And that, of course, meant what they were doing about poverty. They started out with GDP - valuing everything each country produced - and dividing that by the number of people in the country. That gave us the Per Capita GDP… which obviously was an average that covered many sins such as there could be a small bunch of stinking rich folks on top of a mass of poverty-stricken plebes.

The UNDP then came up with a new, more nuanced measurement, called the HDI - the Human Development Index. This combined an education index and a life expectancy index with the per capita GDP. Well, that still hid several sins, and of recent, the UNDP and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) have developed a “Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to give a more granular measurement of poverty.

Now, the goal of all these measurements is supposedly to help policy makers in each country to hone in more specifically on the most poverty-stricken groups. And guess what? For Guyana, starting in the fifties, that group has consistently been our Indigenous Peoples in our interior!

So what about all the national and international efforts - such as Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development Goals - to eradicate poverty in our most vulnerable group?

The PPP just have to keep focused on this vulnerable group in their development goals.

…we’ll all be equal The problem with this goal called “equality”, that we’re all driven to achieve, is that we’re not born in any way equal…in skills, in intelligence, in strength, in looks, or whatever metric we may choose. Somewhere along the line, some European “Enlightenment” philosophers proposed that we’re all “equally human”, and that has kept us striving to achieve that goal. Trouble was, those same philosophers believed in the inherent inequality of “races” they created - which they arbitrarily defined on a descending scale, with Whites at the top and Blacks at the bottom.

And left us struggling with that ridiculous situation of assuming that just because of the colour of one’s skin or texture of one’s hair, one could be “superior” or “inferior”!

Now, if they’d picked any one of the things mankind did, and chose to measure superiority or inferiority based on how well folks performed them, there wouldn’t be any problem, would there?

Well, maybe not. But at least we’d know our placement wasn’t arbitrary!!

…the PNC will be back Your Eyewitness misses the PNC. They used to provide much grist for his mill that must turn out something daily.

With them seemingly comatose, is there need for the Big Guy to raise them?

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

NEWS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Illegal strike action by nurses

GPSU withdraws case seeking to block salary deduction for absenteeism, unpunctuality

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he Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) has conceded that the High Court cannot grant injunctions against the State, and, as such, has withdrawn an application seeking to restrain the Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry from making deductions from wages and salaries of employees who are absent and persistently not punctual.

By way of a Statement of Claim against the Permanent Secretary of the Health Ministry and the Attorney General, filed on June 24, the GPSU had, among other things, sought a declaration that deductions for “absenteeism and persistent unpunctuality” from the wages and salaries of the employees were unlawful, illegal, and a nullity.

According to a statement

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

from the Attorney General’s Chambers, these deductions were made after these employees, mostly nurses attached to the Linden Hospital Complex, refused to turn up to work, and were

Couples nabbed with ganja, firearm and ammunition during Police operations

found a black 9mm pistol with magazine, five live 9mm rounds of ammunition, and 80 grams of cannabis on a 34-year-old man and his wife along the Bagotstown Public Road.

Police who were on mobile patrol reportedly gave chase to a white Toyota Axio (registration number PYY 4135), which was eventually intercepted at

The cannabis that was found at East Canje, Berbice

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quantity of ganja, a firearm, and rounds of ammunition were found during Police operations conducted at Betsy Ground, East Canje, Berbice and at Bagotstown Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD) respectively on Monday and Wednesday.

The Police have said that a 25-year-old male and a 19-year-old female were arrested on Monday at Betsy Ground, East Canje Berbice with 178 grams of cannabis in their possession.

Acting on information received, Police went to the home of the couple and conducted a search in their bedroom. They found a black plastic bag hanging on the wall, and when inspected, the bag was found to contain a quantity of ganja. The suspects were told of the offence committed, cautioned, arrested, and taken to the Central Police Station along with the cannabis.

The narcotic was weighed in their presence and amounted to 178 grams. They were placed in custody, pending charges.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday at about 8:30h, law enforcement officers

The firearm and cannabis that were found at Bagotstown Public Road

Bagotstown.

The driver identified himself along with his wife, who was in the car at the time. A search was conducted on the vehicle in their presence, and a black 9mm pistol along with a magazine were found.

In addition, a black plastic bag containing the ganja and five live rounds of 9mm ammunition was found.

Asked to produce their firearm and ammunition licence, they could not do so. Accordingly, the couple were told of the offences committed, cautioned, arrested, and escorted to the Ruimveldt Police Station, where they were placed in custody pending charges.

engaged in a strike which the Health Ministry considered “illegal and premature”.

The Health Ministry had notified employees by a memorandum dated March 10 that monies would be deducted from their salaries for absenteeism and persistent unpunctuality at work.

On September 20, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC raised a point in limine before Justice Damone Younge, that injunctions cannot be granted against the State.

The Attorney General submitted that by Section 23 (1) of the High Court Act, the High Court is vested with powers to grant injunctions when the court finds it to be convenient.

However, Nandlall submitted that this power is circumscribed by the provisions of Section 16 of the State Liability and Proceedings

Act, which prohibit the Court from granting injunctive/coercive orders against the State.

Section 16(6) provides that: “Where in any proceedings against the State any relief is sought as might in proceedings between citizens be granted by way of injunction or specific performance, the Court shall not grant an order declaratory of the rights of the parties.”

Further, Section 16(8) of the said Act provides that: “The Court shall not in any civil proceedings grant any injunction or make any order against an officer of the State if the effect of granting the injunction or making the order would be to give any relief against the State which would not have been obtained in proceedings against the State.”

The Attorney General further submitted that, in essence, these provisions prohibit injunctions that are

GPSU President Patrick Yarde

prohibitory or mandatory, and also a decree of specific performance against the State in any proceedings.

Notably, he pointed out that these provisions were interpreted by Chief Justice Ian Chang, SC, as he then was, who in the case of Guyana Softball Association v the Attorney General of

Guyana, refused injunctive remedies sought against the State on the basis that “there can be no rational basis for the existence of a jurisdiction or power to grant an interim or interlocutory injunction when, in the final analysis, a final injunction cannot be granted to a plaintiff.”

Therefore, Nandlall submitted that it would go against the grain and policy of Parliament to grant coercive orders against the State.

On October 13, counsel for the GPSU conceded to the State’s submissions on the point in limine and sought leave to withdraw and discontinue the application for the injunction. The said leave was granted by Justice Younge. There were no orders as to costs.

Meanwhile, the Statement of Claim seeking declaratory orders against the State is yet to be heard.

(G1)

10 NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

1 hospitalised following WCB smash-up …driver says smoke blurred vision

ports received, Daniels claimed that at the time of the accident there was thick smoke in the area which obscured his vision, thus causing him to lose control of his car and run into the rightside rear of motor car PPP 4151.

As a result, motor car PPP 4151 was then propelled forward into motor car PAB 1558 before coming to a stop.

Bacchus reportedly received injuries about his body and was taken to

The accident scene on Thursday

O

ne man is now hospitalised following a four-vehicle smashup along the Foulis Public Road, West Coast Berbice (WCB) on Thursday.

Rawle Bacchus, 43, of Catherine Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was admitted a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Based on reports received, the accident involved motor car PYY 7837, driven by Akeem Daniels of Number 28 Village, WCB with occupants Marica Brown, 40, of Enterprise, ECD, and Trimel Sears, 22, also of Number 28 Village.

The other vehicles involved were PWW 5627, driven by Jaichand Jaikaran, 41, of Fifth

At the scene of the accident on Thursday

Street, Success, ECD; motor car PAB 1558, driven by Abocy Lynch, 36, of Bel Air, WCB, and motor car PPP 4151, driven by Bacchus.

Based on reports received, a motor lorry was also involved in the accident.

Police stated that on

the day in question about 11:00h, motor car PWW 5627 was proceeding east along the said road while motor cars PPP 4151 and PYY 7837 were proceeding in the said direction behind each other.

However, based on re-

the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital, where he was treated and subsequently transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

The other occupants were taken to the Fort Wellington Hospital, where

Guyana Defence Force (GDF) ranks attending to the injured man

they were treated and sent away. Police stated that breathalyser tests were ad-

ministered on all the drivers, but there were no traces of alcohol in their systems.

NEWS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Prohibited items found during Berbice duo injured in brawl raid at Lusignan Prison T wo men, a 25-year-old and a 30-year-old, have been admitted as patients at the New Amsterdam Hospital following a brawl at Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice on Wednesday evening.

Based on reports received, on Wednesday, at about 19:45h, the two labourers were

A

Joint Services operation conducted at the Lusignan Prisons on Thursday at about 6:15h has unearthed a quantity of contraband items in several sections of that penitentiary.

The items found are one cell phone with battery, several smoking utensils, four lighters, a charger adapter, six cigarettes, two fans and a quantity of razor blades.

The Police have said that the search was conducted in the quarantine areas and the dorms of the Lusignan Prison, and the items unearthed have been confiscated as investigations continue.

Over the years, searches at various prisons have unearthed contraband items such as ganja, improvised weapons, and several other gadgets that can be deemed dangerous. Last July, a search at the Lusignan Prison had unearthed 25 improvised weapons, two cellular phones, two cellular phone cases, eight lighters, a quantity of Ziplock bags, and two metal objects in Holding Bay One. And 14 improvised weapons, five charger heads, seven lighters, three scissors, a quantity of Ziplock bags, one cellphone, one cellphone housing, two cellphone batteries, one cellphone charger, a quantity of wires and two metal objects were found in Holding Bay Two. In Holding Bays Three and Four, a small quantity of homemade wine, 12 improvised weapons, 14 lighters, two scissors, one cellphone charger, one cellphone cable,

at a function when a heated argument broke out between them. This eventually led to a scuffle, and the Police have said that the 30-year-old broke a bottle and dealt the 25-yearold several stabs about his body.

In retaliation, the injured man armed himself with a cutlass and chopped the other

man to his hand.

They were both taken to the Port Mourant Hospital, where they were treated and referred to the New Amsterdam Hospital for further attention.

They both are in a stable condition at that institution.

The matter was reported to the Police, and an investigation has been launched.

Tuschen man attacked, beaten while liming with friends

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The contraband items that were found during the search on Thursday

a quantity of wires; and one small transparent Ziplock bag of suspected cannabis, amounting to 1/2 gramme, were discovered.

Only recently, the acting Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot, had told Guyana Times that efforts are being made to address the issue of collusion between prison officers and inmates.

He was, at the time, asked about instances of collusion between prisoners and law enforcement officers.

“Based on intelligence, yes, this has been happening; that is why we are

working to reduce that… that is why these searches are being conducted to retrieve whatever items are within the prisons,” he had explained.

Over the past month, Joint Services ranks have unearthed almost 100 improvised weapons, along with large quantities of ganja, razor blades, cigarettes, metal objects and lighters from prisons across the country.

The Director of Prisons is hoping that these constant raids would deter collusion between prison officers and inmates.

23-year-old man is now hospitalised after being beaten by two men on Tuesday at a popular drinking bar at Tucshen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

The injured man has been identified as Damian Ramnaraine.

Based on reports received, Ramnarine was in the company of three of his friends at the bar, consuming alcohol when an argument broke out between two of them. He was reportedly standing approx-

imately 10 feet away from them, but, during the argument, someone threw a bottle that hit Ramnaraine to the top of his left eye, causing him to sustain injuries.

Shortly after, two men exited a red Toyota NZE and approached Ramnaraine, and another argument ensued among them. The men then armed themselves with Guinness bottles and dealt Ramnaraine several lashes about his head. Ramnarine, however, managed to escape

from his attackers, and hid in a nearby yard. The two men then boarded their motorcar and drove off.

Ramnaraine’s brother later arrived at the scene, and he took Ramnaraine to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he was treated and referred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital, where he has been admitted a patient.

The matter was reported, but the two suspects remain at large. Police are continuing their investigations.

Mon Repos man wanted

by Police for fraud

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he Guyana Police Force has issued a wanted bulletin for 28-year-old Kevon Lloyd Lagodou, also called Yusuf Ali Lagodou, or Shaykh Yusuf Ali Ibn Lagodou.

He is wanted for questioning in relation to the offence of obtaining money by false pretence, and for fraud.

The Police have said that Lagodou’s last known addresses are Lot 11 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara and Lot

222 Mon Repos, ECD. The offences for which Lagodou is wanted for questioning were allegedly committed in Georgetown, and the Police are asking anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Kevon Lloyd Lagodou, also called Yusuf Ali Lagodou and Shaykh Yusuf Ali Ibn Lagodou, to contact the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) on telephone numbers 225-3079, 225-3084, or at the nearest Police station.

Wanted: Kevon Lloyd Lagodou, aka Yusuf Ali Lagodou and Yusuf Ali Ibn Lagodou

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NEWS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Education Ministry queries World Sight Day CXC’s ‘ungraded’ results for Guyana Society for the Blind CSEC, CAPE – Manickchand receives donation of white canes

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

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he results of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) have been released to the Education Ministry, but clarification has been sought for instances of ungraded results issued.

The Caribbean Examinations Council released the results to the various Education Ministries regionally, and after analysing the data provided, Guyana was among other countries to request queries.

At the official announcement on Thursday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), Education Minister Priya Manickchand said officials are still combing through the figures, but each school is being reviewed for discrepancies.

“I believe all our queries are in relation to ungraded marks, particularly in the area of Mathematics, and I believe we had Geography…

We have been resolving those as we went along. I believe at this stage, many of the issues raised have been addressed, and we are assured that CXC will not stop until they’re all addressed.

We are also undergoing, at the level of the Exams

Division, a review of each and every school, inclusive of sitting with our teachers and head teachers to make sure that the results that are proposed that they look like what we expect them to look like,” she underscored.

Last year, the structure of the exams was modified in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a total of 20 schools in 15 CSEC and CAPE subject areas had received ungraded results and subjects. These revelations sparked widespread public outrage, with other students demanding answers from the examinations body as it relates to the poor grades assigned.

However, following intervention from Guyana, other countries soon led similar calls for a review. There was a total of 14 schools where students who were “ungraded” received results with grades. The Independent Review Team convened by the Chairman of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, later completed its report on the review of the modified approach for the administration of the 2020 Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary

Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

Coming out of the review, the Minister said, all of Guyana’s queries were addressed. From the surplus of 11,400 cases, thousands of students had seen positive changes to their grades.

“All of our queries last were resolved…In Guyana, we had a significant number of queries changed for the better, where students did better. It was Guyana that led that charge. We were the people that brought this to the attention of CXC, and said that our children are not going to accept these grades. So, we had a universal remark, sort of,” Manickchand posited.

Chief Executive Officer at CXC, Dr Wayne Wesley, added that in light of what transpired, a decision was taken this year for the Ministries to view the results and highlight concerns. According to him, the ungraded status connotates that the Council is yet to make a ‘final determination’.

“Coming out of what occurred last year, we would have consciously made the decision, under recommendations of the Ministers of Education across the region, that we have discussion with the Ministry before we release the results.

So, if there are any concerns that they have, it can be addressed before the release of results…Ministries would have raised concerns particularly where we had ungraded, which is an indication that we’re still awaiting additional information to make a final determination. The other queries were somewhat operational and restrictive in nature,” Dr Wesley detailed.

Gun-toting bandit sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment

J

ohn Blair of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was on Thursday sentenced to four years and six months’ imprisonment for armed robbery and possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Blair was arraigned before Sparendaam Magistrate Alisha George, who read the charges to him. He reportedly pleaded guilty to the charges, and accordingly was sentenced to four years, six months’ imprisonment and fined $100,000.

Blair was, on October 10, arrested for robbery committed on Joel Prince, 29, of South Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and Otisceia Innis, 21, of Cummings Lodge, ECD. The robbery reportedly took place at Industry, ECD. It was reported that on the day in question, Prince and his girlfriend were at the sea-

Robbery convict John Blair

walls at Industry when the suspect and his accomplice held them at gunpoint and relieved them of their valuables, as well as the motorcar.

However, the victims reported the robbery to ranks of a Police mobile patrol that was passing at the time, and

the ranks gave chase and were able to apprehend the robbers. In an attempt to evade the Police, the suspect and his accomplice crashed the car into a bridge under construction.

Blair was apprehended by residents in the area, and handed over to the Police, but not before receiving a sound thrashing. His accomplice had managed to escape.

Meanwhile, upon checking the crashed car, an unlicensed handgun and a magazine with five live rounds of ammunition were found on the front passenger’s seat. Blair was subsequently charged.

Guyana Times understands that, during interrogation, Blair admitted that he had stolen the firearm from a security guard during a robbery committed on a Chinese supermarket along the East Coast of Demerara almost a month ago.

Co-founder of the Let’s Change Forever foundation, Mineva Fogenay, handing over the white canes to President of the Guyana Society for the Blind Cecil Morris

I

n observance of World Sight Day, themed “Love Your Eyes”, the Guyana Society for the Blind (GSB) on Thursday received a total of eight white canes from the Let’s Change Forever foundation, a non-profit organisation in Guyana.

The foundation had received a total of 30 white canes from the US Army Veterans, which it distributed to the GSB, the Archer’s Home, Uncle Eddie’s Home, and to other visually impaired persons who were in need of the canes.

The white cane is a long, foldable cane that assists someone who is partially or completely visually impaired to navigate and avoid obsta-

cles on the road. It is their visual aid that helps identify dents, platform edges, steps and uneven surfaces, among other things.

Co-founder of the Let’s Change Forever foundation, Mineva Fogenay, made the presentation to the President of the Guyana Society for the Blind, Cecil Morris.

Morris expressed gratitude to the foundation for the timely donation, and noted that the GSB’s members are in dire need of the white canes.

“Well, today (Thursday) is World Sight Day, and because it’s World Sight Day, the Let’s Change Forever foundation decided that they want to do something and donate some

canes, which is really badly needed by the Society, cause our members, you might see some of them with pieces of stick walking on the road and things like that. Then somebody might not want to take them in their vehicle because they frighten the stick might damage their vehicle; so, when you get canes like this, you could easily fold it up, put it in your pocket or in your bag, and things like that,” Morris explained.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than two billion people have a vision impairment or blindness, and at least one billion of those could have been prevented, or have yet to be addressed.

16 NEWS “We need Private Sector” – Bharrat FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…says Govt alone cannot provide employment

“G

overnment alone cannot do it.

Government alone cannot provide employment for all of its people. We need the private sector. So, the private sector is a partner to us in development and in helping to create jobs and opportunities for Guyanese.”

This statement was made by Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat as he addressed the attendees, most of which made of the private sector, at the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) National Quality Awards (NQS) recently.

The minister stressed on the fact that the private sector is key player in Guyana’s development, and therefore, the Government will be supporting the sector in every way possible. “…we will continue…as a Government to create and provide incentives for the private sector, we will continue to work with you to grow the private sector,” the Minister assured.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

“We will continue to work with you, so that you can provide quality goods and services because we need to compete regionally and internationally.”

Bharrat made it clear that the top priority is making sure Guyanese as a whole are the main beneficiaries in all of the sectors.

To this end, he made note of the fact that the local content legislation – which is

in its drafting stage and expected to be presented to the National Assembly soon, be in the best interest of indigenous companies, however, it will not be created as a shield of protection for local companies that do not up keep the level of standards that is being targeted. This level being that of the first world countries.

“Local content is important to ensure that Guyanese and Guyanese businesses benefit from our resources.

That is the whole idea. That is the whole purpose of ensuring that we have a strong local content policy in place, supported by the requisite legislation – to ensure that our homegrown indigenous companies, our Guyanese companies, benefit from this sector and all the other sectors, not only oil and gas.”

“The local content legislation…will not be passed in the national assembly to protect mediocracy by local companies. The local content legislation will not be passed to give you monopoly. We need

to compete on the international stage, we need to compete on the regional stage,” he said.

Additionally, he further implored that “our goods and

services and the prices associated with it must be competitive… we must boast and pride ourselves in providing quality goods and services.

And that is where the GNBS will play a more meaningful role as we move forward in growing the oil and gas sector and the other sectors.”

T&T gas station awaiting approval to set up in Guyana

By Amar Persaud

T

rinidad and Tobagoheadquartered UNIPET is currently awaiting approval from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin construction of a gas station in Guyana.

UNIPET is said to be partnering with a local company to open a 24-hour gas station and minimart – an investment valued some US$4.9 million.

EPA Executive Director Kemraj Parsram, in an interview, said that the application was currently being reviewed and from all indications, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would not be required.

“For now, I haven’t gone into the details of the application, but the application is still being processed, right now it’s at the statutory publication notice of 30 days, EIA not required,” he said.

The gas station, which will be established at Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara (EBD) ,is expected to feature charging ports for electric vehicles.

In a recent statement on its Facebook Page, UNIPET said the “investment will provide a Bulk Fuel Storage

Facility with gantry loading, office buildings, a gas station and convenience store”.

Further, UNIPET posited that once approval was granted, construction would begin with the actual opening projected for 24 months later.

“The overall life of the project is 30 years, with the first two years devoted to construction and commissioning. From construction to commissioning, the project is expected to provide employment for locals from a range of professions,” the T&T firm explained.

The company is also working under the guidance of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

GCCI President Timothy Tucker told Guyana Times that this foreign investment would add value to Guyana.

“They’re coming with something unique, where they’re coming with charging

stations for electrical cars, [their] service station and mart is going to be a lot more vendor-friendly, easy access… so, what they bring is something unique, it’s new technology and we believe that it’s embracing as Guyana grows,” he stated.

“With the projective growth and development that is needed in Guyana, we can’t do it alone…the amount of infrastructure development Guyana needs, Guyanese by themselves cannot undertake all of that. We need new technology to come, we need new ideas and we also need foreign investment,” Tucker added.

“Foreign investment does not only come in and take stuff out, foreign investment shows the world that they are large companies confident in the Guyanese economy, in Guyana; that they’re putting their money into this market, that is very important.”

NEWS

17

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Relatives of murdered teen receiving death threats from suspect who remains at large

Murdered: Jumal Parks

O

ne year after 16-yearold Jumal Parks, of Nonpareil Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, was brutally beaten and stabbed to death by three teenagers, his family claims that members are receiving threats from one of the suspects who is still on the run.

On October 13, 2020, Parks was at his place of

employment – Wanita’s Wash Bay located at Front Road, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, when he was approached by the three suspects aged 17, 18, and 19.

Parks and the three teens had a disagreement a few days before his murder. Two suspects have since been arrested and charged while the third suspect remains at large.

On the young man’s oneyear death anniversary, family members expressed fear for their lives.

His sister, Aneisa Parks, is contending that the third suspect continues to roam the area and Police are making no efforts to apprehend him. In fact, she revealed that it was only on Tuesday last the suspect sent her mother several threatening photos of him holding a gun.

“This boy send a picture with a gun to my mother…

So, I don’t know if he thinks that’s funny,” the sister related.

She also revealed that her family had to move

out from the area, owing to threats that were being made to them.

“My mother had to move out from the area, because my small brother was going to the shop a day and someone was troubling him and telling him that ‘you mek my brother in jail’,” the sister explained.

She stated that her family needed justice, and she would not stop fighting until they get it. She explained that while two suspects have already been charged, the third suspect must also pay for his crime. “Two persons can’t pay and one on the run enjoying life…Who knows, sometimes he feels so hype that he would go and kill somebody else,” the woman contended.

Moreover, she explained that her mother was still struggling to accept that her son was murdered, noting that the situation was now affecting her health.

“Mom is not the same, when I look at her eyes, I see grief… she said she

Decomposed body of Parika pensioner found in drain

T

he partially decomposed body of 65-yearold Mahadeo (only name given), a pensioner of Parika Backdam, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), was on Tuesday found in a drain.

The Police have said that after they had received a report from an unknown caller that a body was seen lying mo-

tionless in a drain at Parika Backdam, EBE, a team of Police ranks travelled to the scene and saw the partly decomposed body of the man.

With the assistance of residents, the body was pulled out of the drain and checked for marks of violence, but none was seen.

The body was later iden-

tified by Mahadeo’s cousin as that of Mahadeo, who had last been seen on Thursday, October 7, 2021 in a drunken state. At the time, he was walking along the main access road at Parika Backdam.

The body has been taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home to await a post mortem.

One of the photos sent to the mother of the murdered teen by the suspect

didn’t even get to tell him goodbye… coming on to this time, she is not well right now and I am heartbroken that my mother has to go through this. She is a battered woman that never had help from nobody, no social

worker, nothing. She tried on her own and I want her to feel safe and that justice is being done,” Parks explained.

She further stated that her now dead brother was supposed to be in school, but

had to discontinue his education owing to financial constraints. On the fateful day, the now dead teenager was at his place of employment – Wanita’s Wash Bay – when he was approached by the three suspects.

After their prior disagreement, one of the suspects, who was armed with a piece of wood, visited the car wash and reportedly called out to Parks.

The teen, however, did not pay him any heed, since he was working, but the suspect advanced towards him, so he ran into a nearby yard, where he was cornered by the three suspects and stabbed to the left side of his chest and right upper arm.

He reportedly collapsed and was later picked up and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he died while receiving medical attention.

The incident was reportedly committed by a 19-yearold labourer of Hunter Street, La Penitence, Georgetown; an 18-year-old unemployed male of West Ruimveldt, and a 17-yearold unemployed male of East La Penitence, Georgetown.

18 NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Full Court reserves ruling in Jagdeo-Ferguson defamation case

T

he Full Court has reserved its ruling on Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s appeal against a default judgement granted to former APNU-AFC Government Minister Annette Ferguson in a defamation action she had brought against him regarding statements he made about her acquisition of a plot of land.

The default judgement was awarded against Jagdeo on March 11 after he failed to file a defence within 28 days of the filing of Ferguson’s Statement of Claim, which was done sometime in January 2020. The 28-day period is prescribed under Art 12:01 (2) (d) of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR).

During the hearing of the appeal on Thursday afternoon, Jagdeo’s lawyer Devinda Kissoon urged the Full Court - comprising Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, and Justice Priya SewnarineBeharry - to overturn the de-

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

fault judgement which was granted by Justice Sandra Kurtzious. In doing so, the lawyer argued that Ferguson did not meet the requirements for the granting of such a judgement.

Moreover, he contended that his client has a real prospect of defending the lawsuit, since the statements he

had made about the former Government Minister were not defamatory.

Jagdeo had asked Justice Kurtzious to overturn her own judgement, but his application had been dismissed after the Judge had found that his excuse for the non-filing of the defence was unreasonable, and that the statements he had made about Ferguson were indeed slanderous.

Kissoon submitted that his client’s then-lawyer, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, had been preoccupied with the 2020 National Elections, and the constraints brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic had led to him inadvertently failing to file the defence, though it was drafted.

Before the Full Court, Ferguson’s lawyer argued that inadvertence by counsel as a reason for non-compliance with the CPR cannot be countenanced as a reason for non-compliance. If that were to

be allowed, he said, all lawyers would advance such a reason as a ploy to get an extension.

According to the lawyer, the elections were concluded on August 2, 2020, and right up to the time Jagdeo was served with the judgement order in April - more than half of a year later - there was no application filed by his lawyer for relief from sanctions, nor was there any request for an extension of time to file his defence.

While Jagdeo contended that the pandemic had caused some level of constraint in the judiciary, Ferguson’s lawyer noted that the pandemic is still affecting the world, and he went on to point out that it did not affect Jagdeo from filing, within a few days of the judgment order to pay, an application to have same set aside.

In the lawsuit, Ferguson complained that Jagdeo made statements in which he questioned her acquisition of a house lot and the construction of her home at Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara. The former Government Minister submitted that the unjust statements have tarnished her

APNU/AFC’s Annette Ferguson

reputation.

Justice Kurtzious, in her ruling, had said that although the reasons proffered by Jagdeo to justify his not filing a defence were numerous, “they left the court unconvinced as to their accuracy and reasonableness.” She noted that the time for filing a defence began to run from January 2020, and one year later, in January 2021, no steps had been taken to cure the default; and, more so, no evidence was provided to prove same.

Kissoon’s submission that the defence of justification, fair comment, qualified privilege, and the provisions of the Defamation Act were applicable in this case was rejected by the Judge. Having examined the statements made by the Vice President about Ferguson, Justice Kurtzious held that they were very serious allegations, as they suggested that she was corrupt and involved in misappropriation. To this end, the Judge held that as a result of Jagdeo’s statements, Ferguson stood to be prejudiced by suffering financial loss and injury to her character.

Jagdeo was also ordered by the lower court to pay $75,000 in costs.

In the meantime, until a ruling has been rendered, the Full Court has granted a stay of the default judgement against Jagdeo, for which damages were to be assessed by Justice Kurtzious.

Ferguson has been seeking more than $50 million in damages from Jagdeo for statements he made on December 18 and 19, 2019. (G1)

Competence-based content should replace “pressuring” syllabus – CXC Registrar …2021-2025 strategic plan to transform education

T

he packed content entwined in assessment syllabuses for the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) should be replaced with an approach which prepares students to adopt competencies to function in society.

This has been the position shared by Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the CXC, Dr Wayne Wesley, on Thursday as he presented, during the release of CAPE and CSEC results, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

It has been highlighted that the current makeup presents a pressuring environment and ‘information overload’ for students to prepare for these examinations.

“I don’t know why we can’t have a curriculum that allows students to complete what they need to know in the four years the Ministry of Education would have established for students to learn. We have an attitude now for a lot of extra lessons. We are pressuring the students, giving them an information overload, and when they’re stressed out, we wonder what is happening,” Dr Wesley highlighted.

He suggested that a balanced approach be implemented by reimaging and rethinking education assessment – a move which CXC is formulating. This is especially since some of the materials used have little application to the present setting.

As such, he said the CXC must keep abreast with the changes unfolding.

“We need to find an approach that creates an appropriate balance, that allows students to demonstrate the critical competencies required to function in society and help them to apply to any content, rather than focusing on the syllabus content…In this regard, the current thinking around the development of examination is to have a greater focus on the appropriate balance between critical competences and con-

CXC Registrar, Dr Wayne Wesley

tent coverage.

“With the rapid expansion in information and communication technologies, access to content and a wider range of information is more attainable.

Consequently, the emerging approach is to consider the critical competencies required for individuals to function effectively in society,” he said.

Dr Wesley pointed out that operations for the past two years were impacted with COVID-19, which he said paints the need for greater resilience, and responsive mechanisms in the future.

The Registrar detailed, “Over the last two years, the capability and capacity of all non-native systems were, and continue to be, tested, revealing the inadequacies and vulnerabilities within the regional education system. Therefore, the imperative for member states is the development of a greater level resilience in the education sector. This, the very least, requires a robust and sustainable transformation of our development infrastructure and operational systems to become responsive and agile.”

Across the Caribbean, the regional official pointed towards not just building back stronger, but identifying weaknesses in the failed system, and building back sustainably.

“While the emerging narra-

tive is to build back stronger, I dare to say at this point that it is more than building back stronger; it is building back sustainably. To build back better or stronger suggests rebuilding the same structure and systems that would have failed to cope with the challenges of the global pandemic. Therefore, the approach to the rebuilding efforts is to build back sustainably through innovative transformation,” he said.

CXC is embarking on a fiveyear plan to position the body as a digitally transformed enterprise that can withstand any force. The strategic plan would present a structured system to map transformation using artificial intelligence and digitised systems. He said the Council must no longer operate in a vacuum.

“The Caribbean Examination Council is by no means immune to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. In recognition of this, CXC is now implementing a new five-year strategic plan for the period 2021 to 2025. The vision is to create a digitally-transformed enterprise providing quality, relevant, and globally-recognised educational services,” the official outlined.

Guyana has been lauded for its efforts thus far, especially in the inclusive decision-making framework and incorporation of critical stakeholders. He added that the structure will undertake new methods to integrate children better into society when they leave the school system.

“We would worry about ensuring that students demonstrate the requisite competence to perform in society. Within the regional construct, the transformational processes of teaching, learning and assessment have emerged a common platform for regional discourse in terms of cooperation, collaboration, and the preservation of standards.”

(G12)

NEWS

19

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

4-year-old among 6 new COVID-19 deaths …159 new cases, 32 in ICU

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD OCTOBER 14, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

159

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

126

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

3613

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

32

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

23

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

17,983

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

16,149

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

34,132

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

29,504

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

371,007

FULLY IMMUNISED

228,262

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

857

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1553

REGION 2

1339

REGION 3

4644

REGION 4

16,341

REGION 5

1200

REGION 6

2397

REGION 7

1712

REGION 8

538

REGION 9

2430

REGION 10

1978

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

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.

T

he Health Ministry on Thursday announced six more deaths related to COVID-19, causing a rise in total deaths from the virus locally to 857.

The patients were admitted with COVID-19-like symptoms, and died while

receiving care at medical institutions. Samples taken at the time of admission subsequently returned positive results.

Among the deaths was a four-year-old boy from Region One (Barima-Waini).

He died on October 13, along

with one fully-vaccinated and four unvaccinated persons. They were a 56-yearold female from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); a 73-year-old male from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); a 38-year-old female from

Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); a 79-year-old male from Region Four; and a 68-year-old male from Region Six. Meanwhile, the daily dashboard showed an increase of 159 cases, resulting in a total 34,132 cases. Some 16,149 males contracted the virus along with 17,983 females.

There are 32 persons in the specialised Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 126 in institutional isolation, 3613 in home isolation and 23 in institutional quarantine.

The number of recoveries now stands at 29,504, while 334,413 persons have been tested to date.

Regionally, there were 20 new cases Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); 31 in Region Three; 81 in Region Four; nine in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); seven in Region Six; eight in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and two in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

No increases were reported in Regions One, Eight (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and

Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

Monitoring J&J 2nd dose

As the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) explores the possibility of a possible second dose for Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, the Health Ministry will be monitoring these developments to institute contingency plans locally.

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is currently a single-dose regimen and has been used locally in Guyana’s vaccine efforts.

In the latest COVID-19 update, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony pointed out that if a second dose was recommended after the FDA completed its review, then persons would have to return for their booster shot.

“We’re paying keen attention, because – at least for the J&J –because we have been using that in Guyana and if we have to get a second dose now, then we’ll have to go back or encourage those persons who re-

ceived it to come and get their booster shot,” he stated.

Eight months after the vaccination campaign began, Guyana has managed to vaccinate approximately 371,007 persons or 72.3 per cent with a first dose. Some 228,262 or 44.5 per cent of the adult population received both doses.

For children, 26,130 first doses covering 35.8 per cent, have been administered.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 231-1166, 2267480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health. gov.gy.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures which emphasise: correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home, maintaining six feet of physical distance from others and good hand hygiene. (G12)

20

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

You are heading down the right path. Don't worry about (March 21a couple of hiccups along the April 19) way. Take a moment to adjust, then carry on with your plans. Your enthusiasm and competence will win favors.

TAURUS

DILBERT

(April 20May 20)

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Take a moment to go through each step before you agree to something. It's better to be safe than sorry when dealing with money, contracts or your reputation.

You've got all the right moves. Trust and believe in yourself, and good things will unfold. An opportunity to take on a project will lead to research that stimulates your mind.

You are on the right track, but if you are presumptuous or act in haste, you will make a mistake.

Nurture what you are trying to achieve and take nothing for granted.

You'll get your way if you are persistent, generous and entertaining. Use your charm to dazzle everyone, and you will come out on top. A meaningful relationship will flourish if you are attentive.

Don't wait for someone else to make the first move.

If you offer too much information, you'll put yourself in a vulnerable position.

Put pressure where it's needed.

Listen to your inner voice, then proceed. It's up to you to initiate your plans and to follow through. Don't wait for someone to jump in and take charge. Be demonstrative and set the pace.

Keep a low profile and finish what you start, but don't present anything until you are satisfied with it. Too much information will lead to confusion or interference.

Exude confidence.

Call the shots, and you'll SAGITTARIUS outperform any competition (Nov. 23you encounter. Make plans to Dec. 21) kick back and spend time with someone who puts a smile on your face. Romance will lead to a quality commitment.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

TUESDAY'S WORD -- CLAVIER

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

Concentrate on gathering information, clarifying what your options are and making financial decisions that will buy you the freedom to enjoy the comforts and conveniences you desire.

Let go of regrets and mistakes, and channel your energy into what matters to you. Dedicating your time and effort to something you feel passionate about will give you a sense of pride and hope.

Put more effort into how you look and feel. Spending (Feb. 20time updating your image or March 20) getting in tiptop shape will make you feel good and bolster confidence. Trust your instincts.

PISCES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

21

IPL 2021 championship game…

Big picture

When the IPL came to a halt in May, the Kolkata Knight Riders were gripped

by COVID, gripped by the fear of losing their wickets, gripped by their opponents' bowlers in the powerplay, and gripped by surfaces that didn't aid their game.

Their approach was far from the blueprint Brendon McCullum was trying to inculcate.

Needing to win virtually every game in the second half, they hoped they would be able to invoke the spirit of 2014, when they went on a bull run - going from two wins from seven matches to winning every single game from there on - to lift the trophy.

They haven't come close to winning the cup since, but four weeks into the UAE leg, they are a step away from the miracle they were trying to draw crumbs of comfort from, after being isolated in their hotel rooms in Ahmedabad in May. Their opponents, the Chennai Super Kings, have been there and done that so many times now that approaching a final doesn't seem new anymore. The hurt of having not qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 2020 seems to have been a big turning point in terms of the direction they have taken. From the chopchange of last year to the change-only-ifneeded mantra, they look as settled and calm as a side can be during a knockout, knowing very well how to put together all the pieces of their jigsaw blindfolded.

Deepak Chahar: new ball. Ruturaj Gaikwad: anchor. Faf du Plessis: enforcer.

Robin Uthappa: aggressor. Dwayne Bravo: death bowling. Josh Hazlewood: hard lengths. MS Dhoni? Magic. Of the kind from four days ago, when he got the better of Avesh Khan when it came to a one-on-one battle; under pressure, of the

kind he has thrived on for so many years.

This being the last game before the mega auction, it is sure to elicit emotions.

The "Dad's Army" will possibly be playing together for one final time. There won't be a better way to go out than with the cup.

It's a game between a side that hasn't lost a final against one that makes so many that they treat all of them like just another game.

It's a contest between two World Cupwinning captains who have been far from their best with the bat. Dhoni provided glimpses of the old Dhoni earlier in the week. Will an out-of-form Eoin Morgan have the last laugh here?

In the news

Shakib Al Hasan, a two-time IPL winner with Knight Riders, will be available for the game. His participation needed some sort of a sign-off from the BCB, given he would have to leave for Oman, where Bangladesh open their T20 World Cup campaign against Scotland in less than 48 hours after the IPL final. The only call Knight Riders may have to make is picking between Shakib and Andre Russell, if fit.

For Super Kings, Suresh Raina may continue to sit out, after having an indifferent tournament with the bat.

Robin Uthappa, who hit a sparkling halfcentury in the previous game, is expected to retain his place in what could be an unchanged XI.

Likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Shakib Al Hasan,

CSK and KKR will face off in today’s IPL

8 Sunil Narine, 9 Shivam Mavi, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Lockie Ferguson.

Chennai Super Kings: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Robin Uthappa, 5 Ambati Rayudu, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Josh Hazlewood

Strategy punt

One of the reasons for Super Kings' resurgence this season is their partnership of Gaikwad and du Plessis, whose 1150 runs together is the most by an opening pair.

Knight Riders need to find a way to disturb this. du Plessis has gone at 137.2 in the powerplay so far this season. Against fast bowlers, this strike rate goes a notch higher (141.86) in the first six. Perhaps

Morgan can look to find a way out by introducing spin early, with Sunil Narine, who has a favourable match-up against du Plessis, having dismissed him twice recently, while conceding at a strike rate of just 67 in the 9.1 overs he has bowled to him.

Gaikwad is in the midst of a prolific season, having been the only batter to top 400-plus runs in the UAE leg of the tournament, and is 24 runs short of upstaging KL Rahul for most runs this season. Surely, he can't have too many weaknesses, right?

Well, there is one grey area that hasn't been exploited much. Teams have bowled only 19 short or short-of-length balls to him, three of which have resulted in wickets. So raw pace, short and into the body is the way to go upfront against

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he Guyana Table Tennis Association’s project proposal for the 2021 edition of “My Gender, My Strength” - member association’s assistance programme for women’s development in table tennis - has been selected by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) among several globally submitted projects.

This annual ITTF developmental programme seeks to enhance and advance women’s participation in table tennis by supporting ambitious and creative national projects designed for female players, coaches, match officials, administrators or managers.

It seeks to ensure maximum women’s participation, combined with high quality benefits for women’s development in table tennis. It shares a sports spirit and highlights a gender balance matter.

Stats that matter

* Knight Riders have restricted their opponents to under 140 in five of the six games they have bowled first in the UAE leg of IPL 2021. * The team chasing has won the last eight games in Dubai. * Moeen has been the most economical spinner so far this season, going at just 6.4, better than the likes of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. * Super Kings have a 100% chasing record this season, winning six out of six.

Only Mumbai Indians (2020) have gone through an entire season without a loss in chases (barring one in the Super Over).

Chelsea Edghill Olympian developing core skills, engaging in friendly competitive activities and generally having a great time.

Every session will consist of a warm-up, some off-the-table activities on-the-table exercises and fun games. The focus is on FUN. TT will quickly learn to love the great game of table tennis. Utilize the services of our ITTF trained coaches in regions 3,4,6,7.10 and Georgetown to provide orientation sessions in the fundamental aspect of the games for a minimum of 9 hours weekly over the period of 3 months observing all Covid-19 protocols.

The “Pink Pongster” will also receive their very own bag, holding everything they need to get started – including their very own TT Kidz T-shirt, bat, balls, and activity book/sticker album.

Guyana context

Guyana’s TT Pink Pongsters “My Gender My Strength” programme provides the unique opportunity for the GTTA, in partnership with key stakeholders, to establish a programme specifically geared towards the establishment of a national talent identification programme to encourage girls actively participating in the sport of table tennis in Guyana.

Guyana has enjoyed a fair measure of success at the regional and international level with female players/teams very many years The likes of Barabra Jekir, Hodiah, and Carol Davidson, Francine Abrams, Bertnell Richards Chelsea Edghill , Trenace Lowe, Natalie Cummings , Michelle John among many others have done well for Guyana at the International level, however, this is not as a result of any unique strategic established or targeted program implemented by the association but rather through an Adhoc system.

It is therefore our belief that the institution and implementation of a national talent identification program that offers training opportunities for young Girls will provide the catalyst for the participation of more females in the sport of table tennis. Leading to the provision of competitive advantage to Guyana in regional competitions in future years to come The recent success of National table tennis Player Chelsea Edghill at the Tokyo Olympic games 2020, the selection of Guyana;’s women’s team for the World Tem Table Tennis Championships in Busan South Korea, teams’ performance in four consecutive quarterfinals at the Commonwealth games among other key performances highlights the opportunity available.

Gaikwad; and, in Lockie Ferguson, Knight Riders have a readymade option to try and exploit this weakness.

Aims and Objectives

Execution

Twelve 12 weeks packed with learning!

Through a series of sessions, the girls will learn all the basics necessary to enjoy a great game of table tennis. keeping active, socializing, developing hand/eye coordination, education sessions, and motivational engagement by national players and key figures such as

• Established a talent identification program that specifically targets the training and orientation of girls into the sport of table tennis in Guyana • Activate and stimulate the participation of Get more Girls actively engaged in the Sport with a view of achieving gender balance • Unearthing of talent of the Sport for training for further development for domestic and international representation • Motivate girls to pursue active, healthy lifestyles create equity and access to have more girls participating • To have a minimum of 100 Girls between the ages of 5 years to 13 years old trained oriented • To establish a core of coaches, schools’ community who would work and engage with the program • To established linkages with partners which will result in synergistic benefits to advance the development of the program • Grow and expand the sport across Guyana • Inspire a new generation of girls to love the game of table tennis and have loads of FUN This program is in keeping with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport - Guyana academy program which seeks to synchronize activities at the nursery and cadet level of sports thus creating a foundation for our nation's athletes as they progress in the discipline.

A subsequent press conference will happen in the near future which will include key resource personnel from the GTTA and the Unión Latinoamericana de Tenis de Mesa.

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

As title sponsor, GTT invests $3M in Guyana Open 2021 golf championship

− reaffirms commitment to local sports

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All eyes will be on the man in yellow, Jamual John (Brandon Corlette photo)

F

resh from a thumping win in last Sunday's Ounce of Gold race, Jamual John has described his win as an unbelievable one. The consistent rider won the race in three hours, 17 minutes and 21 seconds in a dominant solo mission.

Speaking to Guyana Times Sport, John said the race was tough, since he was doing a lot of chasing in the initial stages. Asked what this win means, John shared, "It means a lot, words cannot explain."

The man with three ‘Ounce of Gold’ wins under his belt has said he is now focusing on the upcoming race set for Sunday October 17th in Bartica.

"The next focus is on the next ‘Gold’ in Essequibo," John said.

John enjoyed a five-month stint

in the United States of America, and since his return to Guyana, has registered two wins in as many races. "The acclimatised part does not really affect me that much, I was born and grown here," he said.

The upcoming ‘Gold’ race in Essequibo is the fourth ‘Urban Benjamin Memorial’ road race organised by Evolution Cycle Club and sponsored by Conrad Gomes.

The late Urban Benjamin had been a cycling enthusiast before he met his demise in an ATV accident whilst working in the interior.

Sponsor Conrad Gomes and his company, in an effort to keep the memory of a good worker alive, one who had been a lover of cycling, decided to host this event for the lad who hailed from

Pomeroon.

President of the Team Evolution Cycle Club, Keith Fernandes, has informed that it has been the tradition of the club to present all entrance fees garnered to Benjamin’s widow, who attends all the races and would be present on Sunday for the contest that would pedal off from Charity.

The last race was held in 2019, and was won by Jamual John, who is expected to defend his title since he is fresh from last Sunday’s Kadir Mohamed Memorial ‘Ounce of Gold’ race triumph.

The inaugural race was won by Paul De Nobrega, with his Team Evolution teammate Christopher ‘Chicken Legs’ Griffith winning the second year.

(Brandon Corlette)

Chase up for anchor role challenge in T20 World Cup T he 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL’s) most valuable player, Roston Chase, is ready to take up the anchor role challenge in the West Indies T20 team at the upcoming International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) T20 World Cup. Addressing the media on Thursday, Chase said he sees himself playing that anchor role in a team comprised of big hitters.

"I see myself playing a similar role. It's a role I played for the St Lucia franchise for the last two years, where I just come in and just knock it around, pick up the ones and twos and get the occasional boundary when the ball is in my area to score. So, it is an easier role for me; I like that role, and with the power-hitting guys we have in this team, my role should be just to give them the strike. But if the ball is in my area, I would put it away," Chase has said.

In the 2020 CPL, Chase, representing the St. Lucia Zouks, had managed to lead the team in runs throughout the competition, amassing a total of 225 runs at an average of 37.5 in 11 matches. He had two fifties in the process, and also picked up 9 wickets for the franchise.

Unfortunately, that franchise lost in the final.

This year, Chase returned to the CPL, and emerged as the top scorer in the entire competition, with 446 runs in 12 matches at an average of 49.55 and an impressive strike rate of 144.33, especially considering his primary role as an anchoring batsman.

Yet to make his T20 debut, Chase is eagerly awaiting his maiden cap. "I would love to be in the first XI. Given the opportunity, it would be very special to make my debut in the first game of the World Cup, and hopefully it happens and I put my best foot forward," Chase explained.

Giving his opinion on the surfaces in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Chase said: "It is just to spend time on each wicket that we play on, but we have had three training sessions so far, and the pitches are coming on pretty well, but

the only issue is that they are keeping a bit low."

West Indies will play their first warm-up match, against Pakistan, on October 18, and will play their first official match of the tournament, against England, on October 23.

(Brandon Corlette)

he Guyana Telephone & Telegraph company (GTT) has recently invested $3M in the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) as the title sponsor of the GTT Guyana Open 2021 golf championship, slated for October 29-31.

As the GTT continues its quest to fulfill its promise of strengthening the community, its Chief Operation’s Officer of Business Solutions, Orson Ferguson, has reminded of the company’s and his personal commitment to sports in Guyana.

“This year, we have made quite some investment in local sports. I have recently reaffirmed my

GTT COO of Business Solutions, Orson Ferguson

commitment to local sports mainly because of the discipline it instills in an individual. This specific game demonstrates a number of lessons, like precision, practice and commitment, and focus even in tough conditions. GTT is pleased to make yet another investment in the sports sector, and we look forward to a successful two-day tournament,” Ferguson said.

He noted that even with the current pandemic, this specific sport would allow for players to observe COVID-19 protocols easily.

In a recent interview with Guyana Times, LGC Secretary Chet Bowling gave recognition to GTT for its dedication to local sports.

“The Lusignan Golf Club is very grateful and happy that a company of GTT’s status has decided to be the title sponsor of the Guyana Open golf tourney. Having a company like that on board

LGC Secretary Chet Bowling

demonstrates the value that the LGC brings to the market in terms of companies doing their corporate social responsibilities,” he said.

According to Bowling, this anticipated golf tournament would commence on October 30 with the participation of top golfers. He noted that gross and net prizes will be up for grabs in all flights, along with nearest to the pin and longest drive for both male and female golfers over the twoday tournament. The tournament hopes to attract over 70 (seventy) golfers from Guyana, neighbouring territories and North America.

Only recently, GTT invested in the local sports sector with a donation of five million Guyana dollars to the Everest Cricket Club for the renovation of its Racquet Centre, and two million Guyana dollars to the Guyana Hockey Board to support its female hockey team in their quest for gold at the 2021 Women’s Indoor Pan American Cup in Pennsylvania, USA.

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he first five footballers to participate in a groundbreaking Guyana Football Federation-MACORP industrial scholarship scheme have successfully graduated from the programme, each receiving level one certification as excavator operators.

The first-of-its-kind partnership between the GFF and MACORP, the sole distributor of Caterpillar products in Guyana, will ultimately see ten footballers receive expert training in excavator operation in the first year of the programme, as the two organisations strive to support more players as they transition into the world of work.

Horicia Adams (19), Charles Darrel (26), Kevin Dundas (25), Micah Erskine (29) and Sasha James (24) have completed 120 hours of training, including safety instruction, simulator drills, examinations, and practical exercises in order to qualify from the programme.

“I am happy to say that we have successfully completed this first batch,” said MACORP CEO Guillermo Escarraga. “I am sure that companies are taking note of their newlyacquired skills in this market, where there is high demand; that’s what makes the whole

MACORP CEO Guillermo Escarraga and GFF President Wayne Forde

Four of the five graduates

effort worthwhile. I want to congratulate you on achieving this certification, and I wish you success in your new careers,” he told the players at a graduation ceremony at MACORP’s headquarters at Providence, next door to the GFF National Training Centre.

“We look forward to continuing this support with the Guyana Football Federation. If there might be some other way in which we can collaborate, we have taken note of your goal to reach the World Cup, anything we can help you with, we will be

more than happy to do so.”

The second batch of participants in the scholarship programme commences training with MACORP next week.

“While the GFF is developing football for all, in doing so, we cannot forget the human element of our responsibilities,” said GFF President Wayne Forde. “What we are doing here together, the GFF and MACORP, is really demonstrating to this entire nation that we care deeply about the welfare of our young people, not only when

they are in the prime of their life, but when they are also in the twilight of their sporting careers.

“We would like to see players transition to productive lives, and we would like to see them access employment opportunities that will allow them to invest in their children.

We would like to see them contributing to the building of this nation, and the skills these players have acquired through this programme will put them at the forefront of the construction boom that has

already started,” Forde added.

Lady Jags and Fruta Conquerors defender Sasha James has said the course was a “new beginning and a chapter” in her life.

“Being around the course made me realise that even if you are a woman, you can still do things that people say you cannot do,” she said. “This course has brought so much to me, and it’s opened my eyes to bigger opportunities that will be coming. It’s another step into the world of work,” she said.

“I would like to thank the GFF for this opportunity,” she added. “They have given me the push to move forward in

life, not just in football.”

Golden Jaguars and Santos FC defender Kevin Dundas has said the experience had opened his “mind up to a whole new world of work”.

“It was really exceptional,” he said. “My future plan is to widen my knowledge around the field of excavator operation, and to help others in the field where I can. I felt comfortable and at home in this field, and I am eager to see what it holds.

I want to thank the GFF and MACORP for making this a huge success, and for giving us this opportunity. They are taking steps to see that we have a future after football.”

Noelex Holder

Joanna Archer

Daniel Williams Chantoba Bright

AAG President, Aubrey Hutson

By Jemima Holmes

A

quartet of Guyanese athletes will this weekend represent the Golden Arrowhead at the South American Under 23 Championships. While the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has high hopes for the team’s performance, getting them to the host country, Ecuador, came with a lot of constraints.

In spite of those limitations, Noelex Holder will contest the sprint double, while Daniel Williams is billed for the 200m and 400m races. For the ladies, Joanna Archer will feature in her pet event, the 800m, while Chantoba Bright would be leaping into the long and triple jumps. The team will be coached by Johnny Gravesande and managed by Orin Thomas.

“I see all of them as medalists. They're very great athletes. Their colleges was able to taper their programme

to suit the championships, and I must say this time around we were able to get the schools to give them the necessary time off from studies,” Athletics Association of Guyana President, Aubrey Hutson, told Guyana Times Sport during an exclusive interview.

Turning his focus to the disappointment at not being able to send a much large contingent to Guayaquil, Ecuador, Hutson said: “You know, this is far being what

we wanted to send, but to get to Ecuador is a logistical nightmare for most of our athletes who don't have US visas. The ones who are residing in the US and Mr. Noelex Holder are the only athletes that will be attending to meet this time around.”

Hudson further disclosed, “It's unfortunate. We would have really and truly liked to send a lot more than that. As a matter of fact, we had enough funding to send at least 12 to

15 athletes to those championships, but because of what's going on in terms of the whole airline industry, for us to get to Ecuador, the easiest part for us was to go to Miami and to come back down to Ecuador, two direct flights.

“Without a US visa, we cannot do that. And you know the US Embassy currently is on shutdown, they're only dealing with emergency cases. And even if we were trying to make a case for that emergency, we would have had to at least be there two weeks prior”.

In relating the unfortunate tale, Hutson added, “We were only able to complete most of the application forms for US visas for athletes last weekend, and for them to be able to travel by this morning, it was really and truly an uphill task.

I…have tried personally to get those visas secured in time for them to travel this morning, but I was unfortunately unable

to do that.”

In communicating his apologies to those unlucky athletes, who were unable to travel this weekend, Hutson vowed that these issues would be ironed out ahead of a sizeable calendar in 2022.

In singling out promising candidates who would have made their mark in Ecuador, Hutson zeroed in on Stephon Roach, who had met the qualification mark for the event. However, it was the same travel issues that kept the talented jumper away from the October 16-17 event.

“The other unfortunate thing is Stephon Roach, who would have made our entry standard, has accepted a scholarship to Jamaica College in Jamaica. Now, getting him from Kingston to Ecuador was a greater nightmare than anything that we would have faced here. I mean, his ticket costs was heading into US$3500 dollars, which meant flying from Jamaica to Panama, Panama to Ecuador, Ecuador

back to Guyana, and then back to Jamaica.”

“I want to send a special message to those athletes: ‘We're going to continue to work with you. Please understand there is a lot more competition coming up early next year. And we are going to try to secure those visas, because we are beginning to realise that, logistically, getting around the world, the best path is to go through the United States of America,” he shared.

One issue that the AAG did not face this time around was funding. As Hutson explained, that came easy, given the importance of the meet.

The AAG President revealed, “So, with the South American U23 coming on board, we've communicated to the GOA saying that, ‘Look, this is a meet that will give us a team to Panama, which you're responsible for’, and the GOA would have committed, you know, quite a large amount of money towards this. I don't think we will utilise all those funds.”

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2021

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

IPL 2021 championship game…

See story on page 21

Page 23

See story on page 23

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