Guyana Times - Monday May 2, 2022

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

Issue No. 4996

THE BEACON OF TRUTH MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

Govt working to ease burden of locals investing in training for O&G sector – Head of Local Content Secretariat See story on page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Unidentified miner missing after boat P12 collides with rock in Mazaruni River 5 busted with $20M worth of ganja in La Penitence P10

Rupununi farmer beaten to death during argument P10 Canje River mishap

Body of missing man found P16 President Dr Irfaan Ali on Sunday hosted union leaders for a breakfast on the occasion of Labour Day. Among those who attended the event were representatives of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the Clerical and Commercial Workers' Union (CCWU), National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), Guyana Labour Union (GLU) and the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU). President Ali was accompanied by Ministers Dr Ashni Singh, Gail Teixeira and Sonia Parag, and Member of Parliament, Jennifer Westford

May Day rally

Union leaders call for swift implementation of new minimum wage for workers – in light of Guyana’s economic growth propelled by oil & gas industry Page 7

Public Procurement Venezuelan Commission to be national appointed soon – VP killed in ECD President not required to consult Jagdeo ...says with Opposition Leader on this hit and run National squash player dies, friend critical in 2-vehicle smash-up Page 14

GDF rank P16 arrested for robbing girl, 17, with toy gun Active COVID-19 cases up to 111 after 9 more infections detected P16

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Monday, May 2 – 03:30h – 05:00h and Tuesday, May 3 – 03:30h – 05:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, May 2 – 17:30h – 19:00h and Tuesday, May 3 – 05:05h – 06:35h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine during the day. Expect partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 17:30h reaching a maximum height of 2.61 metres.

Low Tide: 11:04h and 23:14h reaching minimum heights of 0.47 metre and 0.64 metre.

SATURDAY, APRIL 30, 2022

LOTTERY NUMBERS H

01 05 09

11 15 19

FREE TICKET

28 Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

06 10 16 18 21 LUCKY 3

3

6

3

8

Afternoon Draw

1

7

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

03 09 12 15 19 20 21 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2022

05 10 11 12 17

08 13 14 16 19

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$109.34/barrel

+1.60

Rough Rice

$312.39/ton

-0.72

London Sugar

$529.40/ton

0.00

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1893.10

$1894.10

Low/High Change

$1892.50 -3.60

$1901.00 -0.19%

Govt working to ease burden of locals investing in training for O&G sector – Head of Local Content Secretariat

H

ead of the Local Content Secretariat, Martin Pertab has disclosed that they are working with operators in the oil and gas industry to provide training for local persons and suppliers so that they can be deemed eligible to benefit from opportunities in the petroleum sector.

Speaking at a seminar hosted on “Opportunities for the Diaspora in Guyana’s New Economy”, Pertab highlighted the work they have been doing to get operators in the sector in line with the legislation so that Guyanese persons and companies can benefit from the industry.

This, he explained, is as a result of locals, especially suppliers, complaining of the burden they incur in training persons, who eventually leave to join the big operators in the petroleum sector.

“One of the complaints from several of our suppliers is that, for example, in the welding and fabrication, training is a huge burden. What happens is that these locals would have to invest in training; they would have to invest in bringing Guyanese up to standards where the sub-contractors would deem them eligible. But then the complaint is that the same employees would leave to join sub-contractors so there is no way for locals to recoup that investment,” he pointed out.

According to Pertab, they have been pushing for the operators to provide training not only for employees but local suppliers as well in order to offset that burden and investment in training. This provision is outlined in the Local Content legislation that was passed in the National Assembly in December.

“We have tens of thousands of local suppliers who are interested in providing the services but they don’t have the kind of standards that these companies would deem them eligible for them to participate. So, what we’ve said to them is that you have to provide training for our locals to ensure that you yourself would consider them eligible so they can participate in the procurement process and that is under our objective of boosting local participation [in the oil and gas sector].”

“These companies are requiring experience, and we can’t get the experience

if we can’t get the work.

So, the idea is to have them make the first move to have to provide training whether in-person or through mentorship to our locals who are interested and of course, to our local suppliers,” he noted.

The Local Content Secretariat, which was set up in February, allows Guyanese and Guyaneseowned businesses to register their businesses and their individual skill sets. This is so there is a ready-made pool of skills and services to draw from when opportunities become available in the sector.

There are two portals for registration, which are ongoing. One register deals with supplier registration and the other deals with employment registration.

Applicants have the option of submitting their applications in either electronic or hardcopy form. Once their applications are submitted, applicants will receive an acknowledgment of receipt and a reference number, after which a review process will start.

After conducting the necessary checks and balances, the Secretariat will either approve the application and issue a Certificate of Registration or refuse the application and notify the applicant. Once an application is approved and a Certificate of Registration granted, the applicant will be issued with log in credentials to gain ac-

Local Content Secretariat Head Martin Pertab

cess to either the Supplier Registration Portal or the Employment Portal.

The Local Content Secretariat will then communicate available procurement and employment opportunities to registered Guyanese suppliers and those seeking employment, respectively. This, they noted, will be done through the respective portals.

According to the Local Content Act passed last year, oil and gas companies operating in Guyana, as well their contractors and sub-contractors must procure from Guyanese companies by the end of 2022, 90 per cent of office space rental and accommodation services; 90 per cent of janitorial services,

laundry and catering services; 95 per cent pest control services; 100 per cent local insurance services; 75 per cent local supply of food; and 90 per cent local accounting services. These are just some of the 40 different services outlined in the first schedule.

Currently, the Secretariat is in the process of receiving and reviewing the local content plans of operators in the local oil and gas industry.

According to the Local Content Secretariat Head, based on the plans being submitted by contractors, they are surprised at the kind of skill sets that are needed by operators and sub-contractors in the petroleum sector.

“I’ve been quite surprised to see the kind of skill set that is needed.

The bulk so far hasn’t been what we’ve anticipated and that information will be presented so that we can have a discussion with [the Ministry of] Labour and all the other major stakeholders on how do we address this and how do we put proper systems [and] measures in place to ensure that our locals are up to standards in terms of reaching the criteria that would deem them eligible to participate,” Pertab stated.

He further outlined that the Secretariat is also trying to address other issues such as access to financing for Guyanese businesses.

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

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

Democratic roadblock in Guyana

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P Bharrat Jagdeo just informed the nation on the status of the proposals for electoral reform through amendments to the Representation of the People Act (RoPA). The new PPP Government and the nation had accepted the need for these changes so that the abomination of the rigging attempt by the PNC-led APNU/ AFC coalition in the 2020 elections would not be repeated.

Last November, the Government had announced a number of amendments it thought appropriate and had invited the nation and the Diaspora to comment on the proposals or make additional suggestions, as they saw fit. The timeline for submissions expired in mid-December.

In the meantime, to make it clear that there is additional underbrush to be cleared, the VP revealed that changes to the Registration Act will also have to be made. More specifically, for instance, he said that while it had always been the law for the names of the dead to be removed from the National Register of Registrants (from which the Preliminary Voters List (PVL) is extracted), the procedure has to be made more specific since it became clear that some names of the deceased stubbornly remained. The very common-sense suggestion was proffered by the Government that the General Registrar’s Office (GRO) compile an annual list of the deceased and this is used by GECOM to “sanitise” the PVL. To make the process more transparent, it was suggested that this list be publicised so that all stakeholders can be informed and comment.

However, five months have elapsed since the process of electoral reform was initiated and we now learn that most of the input has only come from GECOM and a civil society group – Electoral Reform Group (ERG) – formed explicitly for this purpose. Most worryingly, the Opposition, which had complained strenuously about the electoral system explicitly and implicitly through its election petitions, has not proffered any suggestions. For a party that claims that thousands of dead and emigrated persons voted in 2020 – unlike in 2015 when they won the elections – one would have thought they had cogitated long and hard as to how this was achieved and would be chock-full of suggestions on how to prevent such occurrences in the future.

The Government’s proposal on dealing with deceased voters on the NRR addressed one subset of the Opposition’s protests about the ”bloated list” of 600,000 registrants in a population of 750,000. This seeming anomaly is very common in all Caricom jurisdictions because of the combination of a high emigration rate and a constitutional right of overseas citizens to vote. As has been pointed out before, during and after elections, the only ex-ante “solution” is to abolish this latter right. This, however, needs a constitutional change that would require the agreement of the Government and Opposition on the issue. The Opposition has not shown any inclination to suggest this path. The operational “solution” which exists is the very detailed checks-and-balances system in place institutionally at the polling stations. These are intended to prevent persons from voting for either the departed (dead) or departed (emigrated) because of the built-in redundancy.

However, from some comments made by the Opposition camp, it would appear that they have more fundamental objections to the electoral system. They seem to have given up on democratic elections to deliver legitimate Governments in Guyana. At one time, their complaint was that because of entrenched ethnic voting, and their ethnic base being a minority, power-sharing was the only option for a legitimate Guyanese Government.

However, this claim was performatively disproved in 2011 and 2015 when the PPP was effectively defeated because of the changing demographics. We now have no single ethnic majority so either of the two major parties that moderate their rhetoric to attract a small percentage of the “outside” group can now win elections.

David Granger did not heed this caution and we hope that the new PNC leader, who appears to be much more pragmatic, embraces this New Democratic opportunity.

First Lady Arya Ali interacts with a special guest on Saturday evening as the First Family hosted Iftar at State House. The occasion coincided with First Son Zayd's third birth anniversary. Iftar is the evening meal with which Muslims break their daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan

It is Indian Arrival Day

Dear Editor, May 5 is Arrival Day. Although that is the day that Indians arrived in Guyana in 1838, and no other group came that day or use it for self-reflection, observance, and recognition, succeeding governments have consistently refused to call it Indian Arrival Day (IAD) when it was legislated and assented to by the President in 2004. IAD is a day of reflection on the presence of Indians in Guyana, no other groups. It salutes the Indian pioneers for their sacrifices, hard work, perseverance, and contributions to Guyana.

As we commemorate their arrival, we must do so in acknowledgment of their struggle to survive in harsh surroundings and to build a better society for all. There was a long struggle for the recognition of that day as a holiday in Guyana. It is important for the nation to reflect on how and why Indian Arrival has become a national holiday.

The public struggle for IAD was initiated by Indian Guyanese in the diaspora supported by Indo-Trinis – affiliated with the IndoCaribbean Federation (like myself and Ravi Dev), Conservative Party of Guyana (like Dr Baytoram Ramharack), and Jaguar Committee for Democracy (Vassan Ramracha). I agitated for this holiday going back to the early 1980s after visiting IAD celebra-

tions in Trinidad. I played a prominent role transplanting the celebration in New York thru the ICF. The idea of an IAD was transplanted to Guyana by activists like Ravi Dev and myself and took on a life of its own when it was enjoined by GIHA and other groups. Other individuals and organisations like Dharmic Sabha were also speaking the language of a holiday for IAD which was celebrated by that organisation going back decades. Before Dharmic, British Guiana East Indian Association led by Dr JB Singh celebrated IAD as did other groups like Gandhi Org led by Dr Balwant, that celebrated Rama-Khan Day. Among the other groups that later joined the movement for IAD were: Guyana Islamic Trust, Guyana Indian Foundation Trust, ROAR, and Indian Arrival Committee (IAC); etc.

The indentured labourers or girmityas who came to Guyana have left an indelible imprint on the cultural (language, cuisine, music, clothing, dance, arts, etc) landscape, and on the economic, social, religious, and political fabric of the nation. Their immense contributions and accomplishments in every field of endeavour have been on the basis of great personal sacrifice (of disconnection with their ancestral homeland) to better Guyana.

The indentured have been ethnically persecut-

ed people since the time they arrived on May 5, 1838. They lived in most degrading and in inhumane slave-like conditions. They were often cheated out of their pay and denied land as compensation that was promised. They were battered and bruised by the white colonial masters and other ethnic groups. They persevered under very harsh conditions.

They struggled very hard to overcome the adversities they faced, doing so with dignity and with much cultural retention of the practices of life in Mother India. Their presence has added to the richness and uniqueness of the Guyanese nation: multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic, and cuisine. Their values have persisted till this day.

Thus, it is appropriate for the nation to recognise the contributions made by the pioneering Indians and the values and material things that they brought from India.

It took decades after independence to convince national politicians that the tremendous contribution and sacrifices of Indians to the nation must be recognised with a national holiday similar to the honour (Emancipation Day) given to enslaved Africans, whom the Indians replaced on the plantations under similar conditions of abuse. Emancipation Day was recognised as a

holiday early in the nation’s history, but it was a long struggle before the Indians were given recognition of a national day in 2004. Indian activists and community leaders had to wage an arduous battle for this recognition to be accorded the indentured Indians. The PNC was adamantly opposed to it. It took intense lobbying from Ravi Dev, myself, and others to convince the PPP to honour the Indians with IAD. This holiday honours the hard work and great sacrifices made by Indian indentured labourers, who laid the foundation for a better life for their descendants.

It is befitting to honour them with an appropriate recognition like making May 5, Indian Arrival Day as was requested by Indian rights activists like Ravi Dev, Rhyaan Shah, and myself, among others. Right now, the holiday is Arrival Day. As Ravi Dev pointed out, the title of the holiday is contrary to the recommendation of the parliamentary committee that proposed the holiday. The Indian in front of it is missing.

Patrick Manning had similarly called the holiday Arrival Day in 1995.

When Basdeo Panday became PM, he changed it permanently to IAD in 1996. The same must be done in Guyana.

Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

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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

Don't make jokes with the Guyana Police Force!

Indian trade unionist Ayube Edun

By Guyanese of Indian Ancestry Association (GIAA)

D

uring the Indentureship period between 1838 and 1920, the grievances of the mainly Indian Guyanese sugar workers on the plantations erupted in spontaneous protest actions during which dozens of protestors were killed. In 1919, the first Trade Union in the country was registered by Nathaniel Critchlow and the idea of organised representation for workers spread. After an extended visit to Britain in 1928, a young man from Philadelphia, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), Ayube Mohamed Edun returned to Guyana and started organising sugar workers.

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, as conditions worsened, Edun, who was a goldsmith in Philadelphia and publisher of the “Guiana Review”, registered the “Man Power Citizens’ Association” (MPCA) along with a businessman CR Jacob on Nov 5,

1937. The latter was President of the BGEIA and, like Edun, a member of the Legislative Council. Harri Barron was the General Secretary.

In February of 1939, a number of workers at Leonora on WCD protested the rate of pay for allocated tasks without any redress. The protest widened and the workers contacted Edun, but management and the Sugar Producers Association refused to bargain. On Feb 16, the entire estate’s workers went on strike and an altercation ensued. The management summoned the Police, they read the riot act and started to fire: four workers were killed and 12 others were injured.

As an Inquiry was being conducted into the shootings, finally by March 1939, the SPA gave recognition to the MPCA. By 1940, the MPCA had over 20,000 members. In the 1940s, Edun and the MPCA also represented bauxite workers in now Linden and Kwakwani. Dr Cheddi Jagan, after he returned from studies in the USA, became a member of the MPCA and was briefly its treasurer in 1945.

Edun was also a member and executive of several Muslim organisations in Guyana. He was born in 1893 and died in 1957.

DID YOU KNOW? The first Mosque (Masjid) in Guyana (and the entire South America) was established at the same village that gave birth to Ayube Edun – Philadelphia, East Bank Essequibo.

The Masjid was an informal enclosure within which Muslims would pray and according to research, around 1869 a structure made of mud and palm leaves was constructed.

Dear Editor, Over the years, many people, especially drivers, got accustomed to bribing their ways out of situations and got accustomed to getting away, and in some cases ignoring the tickets that are issued to them. The system was in such a way, that everyone was benefitting, but conveniently Police do take action and penalise errant people.

Editor, many people usually get tickets, discard them without paying and

those who got charged refuse to attend court, and instead would go to the arresting officer, senior officer, court orderly, or the prosecutor and offer a bribe to duck the jacket.

Now, many drivers were enjoying this lawlessness and fortunately, they don't know or believe things okay, even though changes are happening, they disregard them. Unknown to them, many warrants were issued when the matter was called in court.

Unknown to many, when a warrant is issued, the Police would wait to execute the warrant on weekends, especially when the weekends are long. The law is in such a way, once a warrant is issued, the Police could arrest you and compel you to keep you in custody until the next court day. No one can legally get the Police to release them from Police custody.

Now, this weekend is very long, and conveniently the Police decided to act

accordingly against a few Route 32 minibus drivers and made quite a few arrests on Friday. Today, numerous drivers are at the La Grange Police lock-ups and their families are complaining because the drivers’ families are making all attempts to reach all types of people to get their release. Hope they learn their lesson.

Sincerely, Sahadeo Bates

Avoiding the pitfalls of our neighbour Dear Editor, Today our discussion centres around the pitfalls made by our oil-rich Caribbean neighbour Trinidad and the way they utilised their sovereign wealth. I would pause here to offer an apology to Dr Rowley if unintentionally I might have stepped on his toes, because these days once you mention the word Trinidad, you are automatically a UNC member and an enemy of the honourable doctor. I am neither of the two, so I stand in the clear when I speak.

Now, we are all in remembrance of the oil boom years of the republic and the prosperity with which it brings, Trinidad was in the height of prosperity as black gold flowed bountifully. Trinidad had its own refinery, refining its own oil, there were other spinoffs such as having a vehicle assembly plant and its own national airline. Not forgetting the massive infrastruc-

tural works in roads and superhighways; this country was at the top of its game; Trinidad's remarkable achievements spanned far and wide.

Now, the economic planners of the day decided to be a little more generous to the people at the bottom of the economic ladder by instituting that grand welfare programme, Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). It afforded the masses a monetary sum to offset daily expenses. In layman's terms, with COLA a man could have taken care of his immediate family and his "jabal/s" at the side quite comfortably and believe me, this is exactly what took place.

Many left their jobs and subsisted solely on COLA. Some of the very same people who strongly agitated that they were poor and wanted part of the sovereign wealth, suddenly became owners of two or more vehicles, living in a proper-

ty that was not theirs. They were living life to its fullest. So when things took a downturn in that country, you could have heard many grumbling in that sing-song "Trini Accent" life is hard in Trinidad. We want to avoid those pitfalls.

So, like Trinidad, Guyana is on the upswing, we are in the top ten oil-producing states in the world with matching income from oil revenue. Some of the socalled economic geniuses of the day are of the opinion that Guyana should become a "welfare organisation" and just share out oil monies far and wide. I think it is the WPA doctor who advocated that each person living in Guyana should be given US$5000. A pretty nice-sounding proposal but very backward when it comes to real economic terms. You give a man a fish and he will always be back for another fish, rather, teach him the indepen-

dent economic philosophy of catching a fish for himself, because if we stick to that giving out thinking, we are well into making the same mistakes as other countries did.

We have a far way to go, I am talking about fixing our infrastructure, housing, water, and healthcare as well as opening up our country for investment and the provision of jobs. It is also putting away for a rainy day, these are the pillars on which true development is pivoted. It is the long-term benefits and futuristic outlook of any country, rightly called people living comfortably in a rich country and not the other way round.

The economic planners in the PPP/C are taking care of these fundamental principles and for this we are proud.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

I love science!

Dear Editor, Last year I wrote the CSEC examinations and as a business student, it's very hard getting a job in my field.

I’m tired waiting on a job, for about over a year it has been.

No one has answered my job applications and most times when I call the positions are usually filled. I have regretted that I didn't write a science subject for the CSEC examinations last year.

The famous superwoman aka Miss Lily Singh says “When one ladder doesn't work, we should climb another ladder.” I need to have a science subject to get into other career options which are nursing, working in a lab, or even with a dentist.

Therefore, I have decided to write a science subject for this year’s CSEC examination privately and would like to encourage other students to do the same in the future.

Science is love and can solve most of our life's problems.

They say light travels faster.

That's science. Light on many situations. I consider science important today since it has many options for a good career path and it's useful in society tremendously because it focuses on saving lives and maintaining good health by allowing us to care for our physical self.

Yours sincerely, Anna Garraway

Monday, May 2, 2022

06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 23:00 23:30 00:00

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

Page

Foundation ◄

I

n this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate colours by creating a walking rainbow.

This classic experiment is awesome, bright coloured, and packed with amazing science!

Materials:

Several shades of food colouring 3 clear plastic cups or glasses of the same size Paper towels Water

Instructions:

Select the colours you would like to incorporate into the walking rainbow water experiment.

Fill up a plastic cup or glass with a few drops of food colouring. Fill the rest of the cup about halfway full with room temperature water.

Now replicate this step, but use a new

colour. You need to have an extra empty glass of the exact same size for the water to walk into.

Cut a paper towel in half and after that, fold it into quarters lengthwise.

Put one end of the paper towel into the coloured water and another end into the empty jar. Now use the other halved and folded piece of paper towel by placing one end in the other cup of coloured water and its opposite end into the empty cup.

Wait for the science to take place!

You should soon see both coloured waters climbing the paper towels and joining in the empty cup.

23.82

2.382

PROSPERO Come forth, I say! there's other business for thee: Come, thou tortoise! when?

Re-enter ARIEL like a water-nymph Fine apparition! My quaint Ariel, Hark in thine ear.

ARIEL My lord it shall be done.

Exit PROSPERO Thou poisonous slave, got by the devil himself Upon thy wicked dam, come forth!

Enter CALIBAN CALIBAN As wicked dew as e'er my mother brush'd With raven's feather from unwholesome fen Drop on you both! a south-west blow on ye And blister you all o'er!

PROSPERO For this, be sure, to-night thou shalt have cramps, Side-stitches that shall pen thy breath up; urchins Shall, for that vast of night that they may work, All exercise on thee; thou shalt be pinch'd As thick as honeycomb, each pinch more stinging Than bees that made 'em.

CALIBAN I must eat my dinner.

This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, Which thou takest from me.

When thou camest first, Thou strokedst me and madest

Make this a science project:

Try different colours.

Try expanding the experiment with more cups or jars of coloured water and additional empty vessels to see how far you can make the water walk.

Try different types of paper. Try substituting water with vinegar. Try adding salt to the water. Try very cold water. (sciencewalk.org)

How it works:

Because of capillary action, the water flows or “walks” up and over the paper towels right into the empty cup. The empty cup fills up with water until the water levels of every one of the cups are equal. The original colours will mix creating a new

The Tempest CONTINUED FROM SATURDAY

colour.

much of me, wouldst give me Water with berries in't, and teach me how To name the bigger light, and how the less, That burn by day and night: and then I loved thee And show'd thee all the qualities o' the isle, The fresh springs, brinepits, barren place and fertile: Cursed be I that did so! All the charms Of Sycorax, toads, beetles, bats, light on you!

For I am all the subjects that you have, Which first was mine own king: and here you sty me In this hard rock, whiles you do keep from me The rest o' the island.

PROSPERO Thou most lying slave, Whom stripes may move, not kindness! I have used thee, Filth as thou art, with human care, and lodged thee In mine own cell, till thou didst seek to violate The honour of my child.

CALIBAN O ho, O ho! would't had been done!

Thou didst prevent me; I had peopled else This isle with Calibans.

PROSPERO Abhorred slave, Which any print of goodness wilt not take, Being capable of all ill! I pitied thee, Took pains to make thee speak, taught thee each hour One thing or other: when

“Books are the training weights of the mind” – Epictetus thou didst not, savage, Know thine own meaning, but wouldst gabble like A thing most brutish, I endow'd thy purposes With words that made them known. But thy vile race, Though thou didst learn, had that in't which good natures Could not abide to be with; therefore wast thou Deservedly confined into this rock, Who hadst deserved more than a prison.

CALIBAN You taught me language; and my profit on't Is, I know how to curse.

The red plague rid you For learning me your language!

PROSPERO Hag-seed, hence!

Fetch us in fuel; and be quick, thou'rt best, To answer other business.

Shrug'st thou, malice?

If thou neglect'st or dost unwillingly What I command, I'll rack thee with old cramps, Fill all thy bones with aches, make thee roar That beasts shall tremble at thy din.

CALIBAN No, pray thee.

Aside I must obey: his art is of such power, It would control my dam's god, Setebos, and make a vassal of him.

PROSPERO So, slave; hence!

Exit CALIBAN

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

May Day rally

Union leaders call for swift implementation of new minimum wage for workers – in light of Guyana’s economic growth propelled by oil & gas industry

L

abour Day 2022 saw hundreds of workers taking to the streets under the banners of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG) and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), among others, the first such march after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As members of FITUG and the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers Union (GAWU) made their way to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) ground at Carifesta, the other unions

even the proposed $60,000 may have to be looked at further in the future.

GTUC

A section of the gathering at the NIS ground

Some of the unions out on the street

ended up at the Critchlow Labour College.

In his address to the gathering, FITUG President Carvil Duncan saluted the workers for their priceless contributions, but also made a call to the Private Sector, to take the initiative when it comes to paying workers a liveable wage.

There is a recommendation, from the National Tripartite Committee (NTC), for the minimum wage to be increased from $47,000 to $60,000 for the Private Sector. This increase was greenlit by the Private Sector Commission (PSC) last year and up to earlier this year was before Cabinet.

However, Duncan urged the Private Sector not to wait for the policy to be implemented.

“There are some employers who are saying to us, they are willing to pay the $60,000. But at the same time, they need the State to make the pronouncement and make the law. I say to them now, if you have the ability to pay and you are satisfied that your workers are poorly paid, then pay them and don’t wait on no-

body. Because it is said, that the Private Sector is the engine of growth. You have to demonstrate that growth,” Duncan said.

Meanwhile, GAWU General Secretary Seepaul Narine was of a similar view when it comes to the time for paying workers an increased minimum wage. He also lauded the Government’s efforts to cushion the cost of living.

“The provision of grants and other direct support to vulnerable groups would have assisted to stem the challenges. We recognise too, fiscal measures to reduce duties payable on important commodities.”

“We had anticipated that by this time that the new minimum wage of $60,000 per month, which enjoys the support of the social partners, would have been implemented. It is our considered view, that it is difficult for any worker to survive on the current minimum wage,” Narine said.

In fact, the trade unionist noted that the current minimum wage, adjusted for inflating, is worth less than $39,000. According to him,

The gathering at Critchlow Labour college featured the presence of a number of Opposition Members of Parliament, including Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton and MP Ganesh Mahipaul.

Also attending was Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine, also a member of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

In his address, Norton called for the abolition of income tax and also a minimum liveable income. According to him, it is important for the workers movement to unite and organise in order to achieve these things.

According to him, there is no “free lunch.”

“In the context of an oil and gas economy, the poor workers in this country should not be paying income tax. I believe that we have adequate resources to make that a reality. And if one does that, one almost immediately increases the real income of the Guyanese worker.”

M e a n w h i l e , Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) General

FITUG President Carvil Duncan

Secretary Lincoln Lewis paid tribute to workers across Guyana, in particular for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, while COVID brought out the best and worse in people, the workers at times put aside their own interests towards a common goal.

“May Day is recognised as a symbol of workers’ continued struggle to lift their standard of living and better their standard of living under which labour. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created a new challenge for the safety and security of workers, who were subject to and dependent on the discretion and management of (managers). COVID-19 brought out both the best and worst in us,” Lewis said.

8 NEWS Venezuelan national killed in ECD hit and run MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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construction worker was killed following a hit-andrun accident on Saturday evening along the Better Hope Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Dead is 37-year-old Lizardo Bastardo originally from Tucupita Volcano, Venezuela.

The accident reportedly occurred at about 23:55h and involved a white motor car. The registration number remains unknown.

Police stated that the white motor car was proceeding along the Better Hope, ECD highway when Bastardo attempted to cross the road.

As a result, Bastardo ended up in the path of the motor car thus causing a collision. He was reportedly dragged several feet by the vehicle which sped away.

Shortly after the accident, the

man’s brother, Exiobar Bastardo, came to the accident scene and identified the body. An ambulance was summoned and a doctor attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital pronounced the construction worker dead at the scene.

The body was then taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home awaiting a post-mortem.

Guyana Times understands that Bastardo left his native country in May 2021 to seek better living conditions. He would work and send money to his family including his three daughters who remain in the Spanish-speaking country.

Police are now looking for the driver and the vehicle involved in the fatal hit-and-run accident since they would have collected parts from the vehicle at the scene.

Fulminations…

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Dead: Lizardo Bastardo

…of labour s expected, your Eyewitness read with bemusement the opening salvo on blaming the abysmal state of the trade union movement on everything but themselves, the leaders. Reminds yours truly of his kid blaming the living room table for “bumping into him” and making him spill his ice cream cone!! But take, for instance, the separate marches by the two “umbrella” bodies yesterday. Do they connect the sparsely attended events to their own refusal to be constructive in their duties to get better salaries and working conditions for workers??

One particular trade union leader (TUL) keeps harping ad nauseum (till you feel like throwing up!! Hence “nausea”!!) about the Government ignoring Article 13 of the Constitution which says “The principal objective of the political system of the State is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organisations in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their well-being.”

While this is all well and good, the fella refuses to say that this article’s in Chap 2 of the Constitution and all of them (from 9 to 39) are merely aspirational and not enforceable in any court of law!! In fact, Art 39 explicitly declares in its heading: “This Chapter (2) is not enforceable unless legislation enacted for that purpose”!!

The point of the matter is the Constitution has all sorts of Articles that demand all sorts of things – but it’s a political matter as to whether they can be enforced. Take the very FIRST Article in the Constitution – it states that the “state is in transition from capitalism to socialism”. Did the TUL ever wonder why those die-hard socialist politicians who’re still there in the PPP and PNC didn’t take their governments to court for not operating according to socialist principles??

Even though both the PPP and PNC are pursuing a flagrant capitalist course??

Anyhow, what these whiners are doing is demanding THEY call the shots on the Government’s development programme. Your Eyewitness wonders whether they’ve forgotten (or they’re “playing stupid”) on the distinction between “government” and “civil society”. Civil Society gets the opportunity to go to the polls every five years to elect the Government – which has to declare what they’ll be doing if they get into office. It’s found in their “Manifesto”!! Sure, between elections they can make their views known – it’s a free country, ain’t it?? But the way this fella is jumping up and down and calling his “troops” out, it’s clear that he can’t wait till the next elections.

Hope his membership remembers what happened to those who followed the Pied Piper!! …for anarchy But really folks…Running a country can’t work with what the TUL demands, can it?? Soon we’d have every Tom, Dick or Harriett demanding THEIR priorities get implemented – or else!! But HOLD IT!! Isn’t this what’s going on right now?? Like the demand that we leave our eleven BILLION barrels of oil (and counting!!) under the Ocean for the “good of the planet”!! Meanwhile our poor have been left right where they are at the bottom of the ladder since the beginning of time (well, since the beginning of our history!) and this never bothered the rest of the planet – nor the Luddites in our midst!!

In case you forgot, Dear Readers, the Luddites were that bunch of fanatics in England who went berserk and started destroying machines in cotton and wool manufacturing because they didn’t like “progress”. They preferred the way things “always were” – to remain in grinding rural poverty!!

But most Guyanese (not only those who voted PPP) are happy at the pace of development.

Down with anarchy!! …in Europe Imagine the consternation of those who believed sanctions against Russia would rein in Putin. Facing their economy grinding to a halt if Russian energy’s cut off, even Germany has buckled!!

Ho hum…another billion barrels Europe divides on gas The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

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

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

5 busted with $20M worth of ganja in La Penitence

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The barrels in which the drug was found

The ganja unearthed in the barrels

ive persons were taken into custody on Friday following the discovery of 20 million worth of cannabis during an operation at Broker Scheme, North East La Penitence, Georgetown.

Based on reports received, CANU officers on the day in question conducted an operation at a house in Broker Scheme, North East La Penitence, Georgetown, during which nine parcels of cannabis were found hidden in two blue barrels.

The barrels with the illegal substance were stashed in an empty room of the

house.

Following the discovery, the ganja was transported to CANU Headquarters, where it was weighed and amounted 66.8 kg, with a street value of approximately $20 million.

The five persons remain in custody pending charges later in the week.

About one week ago, a former media operative, an ex-Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) employee, and a Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) officer were charged over the discovery of $60 million in cocaine at the Cheddi Jagan International

Airport (CJIA).

Ex-DPI worker, Zanneel Nirmala Williams, 25, of Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown; former CANU officer Anil Sookhoo, 33, of Kuru Kururu, SoesdykeLinden Highway; and GRA officer Shameka Caesar, 27, of D’Urban Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Diamond Golden/Grove Magistrates’ Courts.

Williams pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on April 22 at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, she had 9.628 kilo-

grams of cocaine in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.

As a result of her guilty plea, Williams was remanded to prison until May 30 when she will be sentenced.

Meanwhile, Sookhoo and Caesar denied the charge and were each released on $750,000 bail.

It was reported that on the day in question, Williams was an outgoing passenger on a JetBlue flight destined for the JFK International Airport, USA, when CANU officers found a quantity of cocaine inside her hand luggage. As a result, she was arrested and taken to CANU's Headquarters where another set of cocaine was found strapped to her body.

The house where the operation was conducted

Based on investigations, Police later arrested Sookhoo and Caesar. The cocaine found in her lug-

gage amounted to 7.962 kilograms while another 1.666 kilograms of cocaine was found strapped to her body.

Rupununi farmer beaten to death during argument

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Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) farmer was on Friday beaten to death during an argument with another man. Dead is 59-year-old Cedric Jones of Bashaizon, Deep South Rupununi, Region Nine.

Based on reports received, on the day in question at about 17:20h, the suspect was consuming “local pine wine” when the now deceased man was passing. The two men are known to each other.

Upon seeing him, the

now dead man stopped and spoke with him. Soon after, an argument broke out between them. It is alleged that Jones’ animals were going into the suspect's yard.

However, the suspect reportedly pushed Jones to the ground and kicked him several times, causing him to receive injuries and became motionless.

A report was made and the suspect was arrested and cautioned by the Police during which he stated, "I told him (Jones) to take care of his animals,

that the animals are coming into my yard and damage my cassava. Jones then charge towards me and I pushed him to the ground and kicked him but I can't recall which part I kicked him and he never moved."

Jones was taken to the Lethem Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The body was then placed at the hospital's mortuary awaiting a post-mortem. The 27-yearold suspect, also from Bashaizon, remains in custody pending charges.

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

12 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 2,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Unidentified miner missing after boat collides with rock in Mazaruni River

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n unidentified miner is now feared dead following a boat mishap at Gatie Falls, Semang Creek, Middle Mazaruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Police in a release stated that on the day in question at about 08:30h, the boat captain, 41-year-old Garfield Benn of Tassarene Village, Issano, Mazaruni River, boarded a wooden vessel powered by a 75 HP outboard engine along with five occupants.

Two of the occupants were identified as 43-year-old Griffith Joseph Fredericks and 47-yearold Kenneth Tancredo, both of Seventh Field, Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

The identities of the three others are yet to be ascertained.

However, the six men departed Long Island, Middle Mazaruni River, and travelled to Semang Creek. Upon arriving at the location, they stopped at Semang Landing and later continued their journey.

Police stated that sometime after leaving the

landing, the captain experienced a problem with his leg and as such, one of the occupants took control of the vessel.

It was reported that whilst navigating the boat in the vicinity of Gatie Falls, the boat’s engine collided with a rock. As a result, the occupants were thrown overboard. Five of the men managed to swim to shore but the sixth did not surface.

A search party was formed and a search was conducted in the area but it came up empty-handed.

The matter was reported to the Police who subsequently joined the search party.

Back in February, a miner commonly known only as “Brother Ken” reportedly drowned at

Matouk Falls, Cuyuni River, in another river mishap.

It was reported that “Brother Ken”, who hailed from Karau Village, Mazaruni River, was shuttling fuel with a metal boat powered by two 75 HP Yamaha outboard engines.

On his return journey after offloading the fuel, one of the engines developed a mechanical problem, thus causing the boat to start drifting while at the same time taking in water.

As such, “Brother Ken” reportedly went to the bow of the boat and attempted to tie the boat to a nearby rock, but while doing so, he allegedly slipped and fell overboard. His body was found a few days later.

13 National squash player dies, friend critical in 2-vehicle smash-up NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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Dead: Ian Mekdeci

Injured: Sheik Baksh

ne man was killed while another remains in a critical condition after the car in which they were travelling was hit by a drunken driver at the intersection of Sandy Babb Street and Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, in the wee hours of Sunday.

Dead is 27-year-old Ian Mekdeci of First Avenue Subryanville, Georgetown, and his injured friend is

31-year-old Sheik Baksh of Dowding Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

Police stated that the accident occurred at about 02:15h and involved motor car PXX 4592 driven by Baksh and motor jeep bearing registration number PTT 4136 which at the time was being driven by Roberto Narine, a 37-year-old male of School Street, Peters

Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD) At the time of the accident, the jeep was proceeding along Vlissengen Road whilst the motor car was travelling along Sandy Babb Street.

However, upon approaching the intersection, the driver of the motor car was reportedly crossing on the ‘green light’ but the driver of the jeep failed to stop, thus resulting in a collision Mekdeci and Baksh sustained injuries to their bodies and were picked up by an ambulance in an unconscious condition and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital.

Baksh was admitted as a patient to the Emergency Unit at the hospital suffering from a broken left arm, a laceration to the head, and a punctured left lung.

Mekdeci, on the other hand, was pronounced dead on arrival.

A breathalyser test ad-

The car in which the two young men were travelling

ministered on the driver of the jeep proved that he was above the legal alcohol consumption limit. He was arrested and is assisting with

investigations.

Mekdeci was a squash player and would have recently participated in the Georgetown Squash

Association (GSA) organised Squash League. In 2019, he performed exceptionally in the Bounty Farm Handicap Squash tournament.

14 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Public Procurement Commission to be appointed soon – VP Jagdeo ...says President not required to consult with Opposition Leader on this

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Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

PPC nominee Rajnarine Singh

PPC nominee Joel Bhagwandin

PPC nominee Pauline Chase

he Public P r o c u r e m e n t Commission (PPC), which has a vital role to play in overseeing the multimillion-dollar procurement process, will be appointed soon since names have already been identified by the National Assembly.

This is according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during his recent press conference. He explained that President Dr Irfaan Ali is not required to consult with the Opposition Leader on these appointments.

“I think we’re at the stage where now, you can have movement forward. You can expect, very soon, the appointment of the Public Procurement Commission. Because those names were sent from the Parliament on April 13 and only came to the executive after that sitting of Parliament.”

“That’s a few weeks back. Those names. The

President is not required to consult with the Leader of the Opposition, once Parliament submits the names,” Jagdeo further explained during the press conference.

The Government nominees for the PPC are Attorney-at-Law Pauline Chase, Financial Analyst Joel Bhagwandin, and Rajnarine Singh, while the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) had nominated Economist Rawle Lucas, and former Chairman of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), Berkeley Wickham. Lucas was subsequently withdrawn and replaced with Diana Rajkumar.

Rajkumar is an AFC Executive member and under the APNU/AFC Government, she was the personal assistant to former Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan.

Pauline Chase currently serves as President of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA), while Bhagwandin is the former director of the Private Sector Commission (PSC). Up until 2021, Wickham served as the Chairman of NPTAB. Previously, the PPC had as its members Chairperson Carol Corbin, Ivor English, Nanda Gopaul, Sukrishnalall Pasha and Emily Dodson. While the life of the Commission ended in 2019, Corbin was retained until 2020.

The PPC has the vital role of overseeing contract approvals and mediating contractor complaints. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is responsible for approving members of this Commission, as well as requesting background checks on candidates, had been engaged in the process of seeking members since last year, before the five names were finally arrived at in January.

Among the PPC’s key functions are, according to the Procurement Act, to “Monitor and review the functioning of all procurement systems to ensure that they are in accordance with law and such policy guidelines as may be determined by the National Assembly; promote awareness of the rules, procedures and special requirements of the procurement process among suppliers, constructors and public bodies; safeguard the national interest in public procurement matters, having

PPC nominee Wickham

Berkley

due regard to any international obligations; monitor the performance of procurement bodes with respect to adherence to regulations and efficiency in procuring goods and services and execution of works; approve of procedures for public procurement, disseminate rules and procedures for public procurement; and recommend modifications thereto to the public procurement entities.”

The PPC has in the past intervened in contracts when there was a discrepancy with the procurement

PPC nominee Diana Rajkumar

of the contractor. One of the most famous cases of this was the sole-sourced consultant for the design and feasibility study of the new Demerara River Bridge.

The Procurement Commission conducted a probe into the award of the feasibility study and design contract and had flagged the then Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson for requesting from Cabinet that the $148 million contract be sole-sourced. This subsequently resulted in them calling in the Auditor General.

Bartica to get new landfill site

Minister Nigel Dharamlall, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Kerwin Ward, and Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall at the meeting

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he Local Government and Regional Development Ministry is currently in the final stages of acquiring a new area, suitable for a landfill sanitary site in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Once finalised, the area will be commissioned this year. The current sanitary site is located at Byderado, in the centre of the township.

Subject Minister, Nigel Dharamlall made this disclosure during a community meeting held at St Anthony’s Primary School on Saturday.

Also present were Regional Executive Officer (REO) Kerwin Ward, Mayor of Bartica, His Worship Gifford Marshall and other officials.

Minister Dharamlall said the location of the current sanitary site is not good for

human health.

“We are going to do some development work where that (sanitary site) is concerned. Solid waste is always a major problem, and I think the township of Bartica has been able to manage it much better than other areas. So, it means that we have responsible people in this township.”

The Minister reiterated Government’s commitment to creating an integrated sanitation management system to enhance citizens’ quality of life. With this in mind, the Ministry has partnered with the Bartica Town Council to procure a garbage truck for 2022.

Minister Dharamlall noted that the Ministry will provide the funds to the Town Council for the garbage truck.

He also urged that persons

be employed as Community Enhancement Workers (CEWs) to preserve the township’s aesthetics. This will in turn, boost the town’s economy, and create jobs in keeping with Government’s manifesto promise.

This year, the Ministry has been allocated $1.4 billion to improve sanitary and environmental conditions through infrastructural development countrywide. It includes monies for the design and construction of a gas management system and stormwater ponds for the Haags Bosch Sanitary Landfill site.

So far, a $40 million gas management system has been installed at Haags Bosch to reduce the stench emanating from cell one of the sanitary site.

NEWS

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Magga Man” appeals life sentences for Agricola, Nandy Park killings

Dead: Gladstone George

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rpheus Johnson, who was handed two life sentences for fatally shooting two men at Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and Agricola, Greater Georgetown, has filed an appeal in which he complains that the jail terms are manifestly excessive and severe.

In court documents filed at the Court of Appeal, it was revealed that the killer is desirous of adding other grounds.

On May 3, 2021, 34-year-

old Johnson called “Magga Man” was handed two life sentences for unlawfully killing Travis Rudder, 26, and 32-year-old Gladstone George. Rudder was killed on June 21, 2015, at Nandy Park, while George was killed on April 22, 2015, at Agricola.

Johnson, a father of three, formerly of Craig, EBD, was initially indicted for the capital offence of murder but admitted guilt to the lesser counts of manslaughter when he appeared before Demerara High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon. The Judge sentenced him to life in prison on each of the two counts.

The convicted killer only becomes eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 30 years.

According to reports, Rudder, his reputed wife, Mowanza Gill, and their then 18-month-old son Jaheal Rudder were shot while they were sleeping at their Nandy Park home on Father’s Day of June 2015.

Johnson opened fire on the couple and their baby through a window.

As a result of the attack, Rudder was reportedly shot 21 times about his

Dead: Travis Rudder

body. His reputed wife was reportedly shot seven times to her legs. Their son received injuries to his stomach and leg. The family was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where the older Rudder was pronounced dead on arrival.

Gill and her baby were admitted in serious condition but they survived.

George was shot several times by Johnson while he was a passenger in a minibus that had stopped at Agricola.

Johnson walked up to the win-

Family Court records “rapid increase” in divorce matters

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he Family Court is recording a “rapid increase” in the filing of divorce matters. This is according to the Supreme Court of Judicature’s Annual Report 2018 which was tabled in the National Assembly earlier this month.

Here is a breakdown of the applications filed in 2018: divorce with custody (45); divorce with maintenance (15); divorce with access (22); divorce with the division of property (98); and divorce with access and custody (30). The Family Court recorded an intake of 1129 divorce matters in 2018. When compared with 2017 which had an intake of 606 matters, the report noted that a “rapid increase” amounting to 46 per cent can be seen for 2018.

According to the annual report, 1253 petitions for divorce were before the

Family Court in 2018. By the end of the reporting period, 912 Nisi Orders were granted, 139 applications were either withdrawn or dismissed, eight were struck out, and another 456 were concluded.

At the end of 2018, 673 of these petitions were still pending before the court.

Importantly, at the end of 2018, there were 240 children accessing childcare facilities. This included 71 court referrals, 109 Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) cases, 42 sexual offences matters, and 18 drop-ins. The Family Court, which was commissioned in 2016, is located in the compound of the Supreme Court of Judicature in Georgetown. It hears and determines all proceedings that touch and concern family matters. The procedure of the Family Court will be governed by

the Family (Proceedings and Procedure) Rules 2016 (FPPR).

However, the FPPR is applied by Judges who are assigned to the Berbice and Essequibo jurisdictions of the High Court.

Applications can be made before the court for divorce, custody and access, division of property, maintenance, guardianship, parentage orders including paternity orders, protection of children, wardship, variation of an existing order, and breach of orders. The Family Court is meant to encourage dispute resolution, including alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, and therefore facilitates a participatory approach to problem-solving so that family disputes can be dealt with justly and expeditiously while ensuring the welfare of family members, especially children.

Moreover, the Family Court has its own registry and includes a child-friendly space in the form of a Children’s Waiting Room for parties who are required to attend proceedings. The Family Court also works in close liaison with CC&PA in matters affecting the welfare of children.

dow and discharged several rounds at George. The injured man was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he too was pronounced dead.

Johnson was also indicted on two counts of attempt to commit murder committed on Gill and her son. To these charges, he also pleaded guilty, thereby admitting that on June 15, 2015, at Nandy Park, he discharged a loaded firearm at Gill and little Rudder with intent to murder them.

Johnson was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 20 years on each of the two counts of attempt to commit murder. Like the life sentences, these two sentences were ordered to run concurrently. The two life sentences with parole after 30 years and 20 years’ jail terms will run concurrently. The prison authorities were ordered to deduct the time Johnson spent on remand awaiting trial.

A probation report revealed that after Johnson dropped out of school at age 14, he developed delinquent tendencies which led to him appearing before the courts.

Confessed killer: Orpheus Johnson

Besides being committed to the New Opportunity Corps, Johnson was listed as a person of interest by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters as he was reportedly the leader of a gang that operated in Craig, EBD, Kaneville, EBD, and Agricola.

CID records revealed that he was involved in several criminal activities such as robbery under arms, possession of an illegal firearm, and ammunition for which he was con-

victed.

The probation report disclosed that although his family members reprimanded him for his delinquent lifestyle, he continued along that path. The mother of one of Johnson’s three children also attempted to smuggle marijuana into the prison for him.

But although Johnson pleaded guilty to the killings, he continued to profess his innocence.

In fact, at his sentencing hearing, he told Justice Kissoon, “I am innocent of this charge sir and I am very sorry to the family that got hurt and everything. It wasn’t my fault and them things sir. Just being at the wrong place at the wrong time mek I get caught up in this story here…”

Johnson was previously indicted for the April 2009 murder of Kaneville, East Bank Demerara resident Brendon Charles, whose lifeless body was discovered in a yard a short distance from his home. After a trial, a jury at the High Court in Demerara found him not guilty of the capital offence.

16 NEWS

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Active COVID-19 cases up to 111 after 9 more infections detected

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ine more persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus within a 24-hour period, according to the Health Ministry on Sunday.

This took the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Guyana to 63,482.

However, only 111 of these are currently active cases including one patient in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the remaining 110 persons in home isolation. There are also two other persons in institutional quarantine.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 death toll in Guyana remains at 1228 with the last fatalities recorded since April 13 when a 76-year-old male from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and a 90-year-old female from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) died.

Those were the only two fatalities recorded in April.

On the other hand, some 62,143 persons have recovered from the life-threaten-

ing virus to date.

Meanwhile, since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Guyana over two years ago, a total 597,749 tests have been conducted countrywide and of this, some 29,230 males and 34,252 females were found to be positive.

Of the nine new cases recorded on Sunday, two were from the Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara region, and the remaining seven cases were from the DemeraraMahaica region.

There were no new cases in the other eight regions across the country within the reporting 24-hour period.

This declining trend in COVID-19 cases resulted in the Guyana Government in March removing most restrictions as the country moves to recover from the pandemic and return to normalcy.

But while mandates such as masking in public and social distancing are no longer in place, health au-

thorities are still encouraging persons to get vaccinated, and for those who are qualified to get their booster shots, in order to add a layer of protection against the virus.

Latest figures show that so far, more than 440,282 or 85.8 per cent of adults have taken a first dose and of that amount, some 339,532 or 66.2 per cent of persons 18 years and over are fully vaccinated.

For adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, approximately 34,545 or 47.4 per cent of them have received their first dose, while some 25,268 or 34.6 per cent of them are fully immunised.

In addition, in excess of 60,000 persons have returned for their booster shots thus far.

According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recent figures, some 510,270,667 confirmed cases were reported globally along with 6,233,526 deaths.

GDF rank arrested for robbing girl, 17, with toy gun – 2 accomplices on the run

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serving member of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) was among three persons who were arrested after robbing a 17-yearold girl on Friday evening.

Police say the victim was relieved of one ZTE cell phone and one Samsung Galaxy cell phone during the robbery which took place between 19:50h and 20:00h at Good Hope Mahaica, East Coast Demerara.

Reports are the teen and her friend were on their way home on a bicycle when they

noticed three males on the road fixing their bicycles.

As they approached the men, one of them grabbed onto the victim’s bicycle and demanded that she hand over her belongings. He then took out her cellular phone while his two accomplices turned their attention to the friend but they found nothing on him.

A scuffle ensued between the accomplices and the victim's friend during which the other suspect walked up to him and lashed him to his

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD MAY 1, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

9

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

0

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

110

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

1

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

2

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

34,252

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

29,230

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

63,482

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

62,114

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2519

REGION 2

2495

REGION 3

8069

REGION 4

31,404

REGION 5

2381

REGION 6

5794

REGION 7

2423

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4037

REGION 10

3472

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

439,616 338,785

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1228

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.

head. After the gun connected to the friend’s head, it broke and it was then they realised it was a toy gun.

The three suspects then made good their escape. The matter was reported to the Police who turned up at the scene and found pieces of the toy gun.

One of the three suspects, who is a GDF rank of Mahaica, ECD, was later arrested and placed into custody. The Police are on the hunt for his accomplices as investigations continue.

In the Region of the Americas, that is, Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has in-

creased to 152,929,420 while the death toll in the region has gone up to 2,722,343.

As it relates to vaccina-

tion against COVID-19, the WHO also reported that a total of 11,477,767,378 doses have been administered worldwide.

Canje River mishap

Body of missing man found

The body of Richard John being removed

Dead: Richard John

T

he body of 29-year-old Richard John of Mimi Dam Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, who went missing when a boat submerged in the Canje River on Friday evening was on Sunday pulled from the river.

The body was found at about 17:00h on Sunday in the vicinity of the incident site. After the discovery, the body was identified as that of John by his brother Dennis John, the captain of the boat at the time of the mishap.

The search is still on for Shellon Williamson, a 27-year-old mother of three who was in the vessel at the time of the mishap.

It was reported that on Friday at about 20:30h, just off the Canje Bridge, the

boat with the captain and three passengers started to take in water and eventually sank.

The captain and his two brothers were able to swim to safety and after realising that Williamson was left behind, the now dead man returned to the boat but was not seen until his lifeless body was discovered floating some 34 hours later.

Reports are that the Coast Guard intercepted the boat and tied same to a pontoon which subsequently started to sink. As it went down, it pulled the boat with it causing it to capsize and take in water until it submerged.

The captain subsequently related that he was asleep and was awakened

by Williamson, who told him that there was water in the boat.

At that time there was more than one foot of water in the vessel. Efforts

Still missing: Shellon Williamson

were made to bail the boat but it was taking in more water. As such, the boat was abandoned as the men swam to shore, leaving behind Williamson who could not swim.

On Saturday, Williamson’s mother, Donna Ceres, told <<<Guyana Times>>> that she was still hopeful that she will find her daughter alive.

17

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

messages

Continue to demonstrate compassion, Be motivated to individual and kindness to one another – Opposition Leader

collective advancement – PPP/C O A s the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end and Eid-ul-Fitr is being observed, on this sacred and joyous occasion, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) takes this opportunity to say Eid Mubarak to all our Muslim brothers and sisters here in Guyana and in the Diaspora. During Ramadan, Muslims made tremendous sacrifices for spiritual ad-

vancement through fasting.

It is the Party’s wish that the virtues of fasting and the spirituality sought would have been achieved by all.

Eid-ul-Fitr brings joy of the feast following the monthlong fast and is associated with the Zakat or charity whereby Muslims selflessly contribute to the upliftment of mankind especially the less fortunate.

This aids in the removal of societal barriers and, in the process, bonds of brotherhood are strengthened to help derive peace globally.

As customary, on such occasions, our Party urges reflection on its significance allowing us the opportunity to be motivated given the value and potential for individual and collective advancement.

Eid Mubarak!

n behalf of the PNCR, the parliamentary opposition, and on my personal behalf, I extend warm Eid-ul-Fitr greetings on this joyous occasion to all Guyanese, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters here in Guyana and in the Diaspora. The festival of Eid-ul-Fitr signals the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan in which Muslims increased their worship and chari-

ty, and fasted the entire month in obedience to God Almighty.

Ramadan reminded us of our responsibilities to nurturing brotherhood, social responsibility, and the commitment to self-sacrifice to ensure the less fortunate can benefit from food, clothing, and shelter. As Ramadan comes to an end and as we celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr, let us continue to demonstrate compassion and kindness to one

another. Let us continue to strive for social cohesion in Guyana. Let us live up to the ideal of religious tolerance as is enshrined in our constitution.

Eid Mubarak to Guyana on this festive occasion. May God Almighty grant us unity and harmony as we endeavour to build a Guyana free from fear and ill will and seek to nurture the goodness of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr.

Eid Mubarak!

It is our duty to build on progress made in Ramadan throughout the year – CIOG President Al-Hajj Shahabudeen Ahmad

M

y dear Brothers and Sisters in Islam and Humanity, Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuh. May the Peace, Guidance, Mercy, and Blessings of Allah (SWT) be upon us all!

Eid Mubarak, Eid Mubarak, Eid Mubarak!

On this joyous day of Eidul-Fitr, the Executives and Staff of CIOG join with you in celebration. Congratulations for having fulfilled the honorable obligation of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan which was a time for patience, discipline, and cleansing.

Now comes the time of celebration, reflection, and gratitude. Let us Glorify Allah (SWT) with pure love and immense gratitude for all the Blessings He has bestowed upon us. The 1st of Shawwal is a day of Eid, great Joy and Reward.

The Prophet (SAW) said, When the day of Eid alFitr [begins], the angels descend on earth, where they take their positions at access points of roads, calling out with a voice that is heard by the whole creation of Allah, except men and Jin, “O Ummah of Muhammad (saw)! Come out to your most Noble and Gracious Lord, who grants much, and pardons the major sins”.

When they (the Ummah) proceed to their places of prayer, Allah, Exalted is He, says to His angels, “O My angels! What is the reward of a worker when he has done his work?” So, they (the angels) say, “Our Lord and Our Master! To receive his reward [for the work, in full]“.

So, He [swt] says, “I call you to witness that, for their fasts [during Ramadan], and for their standing in prayer at night, I have made their re-

ward My Pleasure, and my Forgiveness. Depart [from here], you are forgiven”’.

[Lataif al-Ma’arif] In our celebration, let us not forget those among our brothers and sisters who face difficulties and hardship, those facing the challenges of illness, hunger, and despair. Reach out, find ways to help, comfort and sustain others while filling them with hope and reminding them that Allah (SWT) is Gracious, Merciful, and Abundant.

Today does not signal the end of worship or letting go of the concerns of the

Akhirah. On the contrary, it is our duty throughout the year to build on the progress we made in Ramadan so that each Ramadan finds us stronger and closer to Allah (SWT), as individuals and as a community. Let us reaffirm the importance of prayer. The strength of our community and the quality of our lives will be improved as more of us observe the five daily prayers, which are the spiritual sustenance of the believers.

We should leave aside all excuses and delays and observe our prayers, a seemingly small act that yields count-

less benefits and blessings.

Allah (SWT) reminds us in the Holy Quran: "Be steadfast in prayer and regular in charity. Whatever good you send forth for your souls before you, you shall find it with Allah. For Allah sees well all that you do". (Holy Quran Surah Al-Baqara 02:110) Let us nurture harmonious relationships in our families, communities, and our nation.

I encourage you to invite our non-Muslim brothers and sisters to join in our Eid celebrations. It is our duty to promote the core Islamic values of coexistence, tolerance, and

khidma – to be in the service of others. Let us lovingly serve and protect all of Allah’s (SWT) Creation. Allah (SWT) reminds us in the Holy Quran: We have appointed a law and a practice for every one of you.

Had God willed, He would have made you a single community, but He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete with each other in doing good. Every one of you will return to God and He will inform you regarding the things about which you differed.” (Holy Quran Surah AlMa'ida 05:48) May Allah (SWT) Bless and have Mercy

on us all. May Allah (SWT) Bless and have Mercy on our country and the entire world.

We beseech Allah (SWT) to accept all our good deeds and forgive all our shortcomings, (Ameen). May Allah (SWT) graciously grant us Healing and Abundance, (Ameen). I close with the pillar of reliance of trust in Allah (SWT).

Wakeel Mal' Nia Wa Hasbunallu Allah (SWT) is enough for us; and how excellent a guardian is He (SWT) Wa-AlaikumusSalaam WaRahmatullahiWaBarakaatuh.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

Regional

Cubans take to streets on Workers’ US Vice President Harris reaffirms America’s commitment to Caribbean Day for 1st time in 3 years

T

C

ubans poured onto the streets in celebration of International Workers’ Day on Sunday, the first such parade since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, toting fluttering flags, posters of former leader Fidel Castro and chanting “Cuba Lives and Works”.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and former revolutionary leader Raul Castro, wearing a white mask and dressed in hallmark military fatigues, oversaw the rallies from a stage overlooking Havana’s “Plaza de la Revolucion”.

The marches, held each year across the Communistrun country prior to the pandemic, are rife with symbolism, a celebration of the 63-year-old Cuban revolution, but also, a Governmentled rebuke of the Cold Warera embargo imposed on the island by the United States.

Juana Garcia, a worker with the Cuban Institute for Philosophy who waved a small Cuban flag on a wooden stick, said the march had

Thousands march to Revolution Square to mark May Day, in Havana, Cuba, May 1, 2022

far exceeded her expectations, a show of solidarity for the cause, she said.

“Despite so many difficulties, the majority of Cubans support the revolutionary process. We Cubans work to fix our own problems. We do not want interference of any kind,” she said.

The rallies this year were also the first since anti-Government protests on July 11 – the largest since Castro’s 1959 revolution – rocked the nation, a major test of the is-

land’s first non-Castro-led Government since the start of the revolution.

There was no official estimate by mid-day of how many had marched during the early-morning rallies.

Cuba, a Caribbean island of 11 million, is suffering through a grinding economic crisis that has led to food and medicine shortages and has prompted a mass exodus to its northern neighbour, the United States. (Excerpt from Reuters)

he Joe Biden Administration on Friday renewed its commitment to the Caribbean, saying that its partnership is “key” to “shared prosperity and security”.

In a virtual meeting with Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders and the President of the Dominican Republic Luis Abinader, US Vice President Kamala Harris, the daughter of a Jamaica-born retired economist, said that “as a neighbour in the Western Hemisphere, the United States shares a common bond with the nations of the Caribbean”.

“As neighbours, we know our partnership is key to our shared prosperity and se-

curity,” Harris said in the meeting that was also attended by Caricom Secretary General, Dr Carla Barnett.

“We also know that we have common challenges. And that is why I’ve convened this meeting to strengthen our partnership and chart a path forward together.

“As we all know, our nations have extensive people-to-people ties,” she added. “Millions of Americans have Caribbean heritage.

Millions of Americans travel to the Caribbean each year for vacation, to visit friends and family, and to engage with the richness of that history.

“From South Florida to New York and beyond, Caribbean culture has be-

come a meaningful part of American culture,” Harris continued. And we are all grateful for that. At the same time, we recognise that we find ourselves collectively in a challenging time.”

She said the COVID-19 pandemic has upended many aspects of the lives of people worldwide, stating that economic recovery has been difficult and uneven for many in the region”.

Harris said there was also an existential threat that the United States and the Caribbean face in the climate crisis, declaring that “we are acutely aware that the world’s emissions have an outsize impact on the Caribbean”. (Excerpt from Nation News)

2 dead and 1 person missing after Guadeloupe floods

T Peru’s annual inflation rate hits 24-year high in April

P

eru’s annual inflation rate hit 7.96 per cent in April, its highest level in 24 years, as the copper-producing Andean nation grapples with protests over rising food and energy costs linked to a commodities price spike since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The country’s INEI statistics institute said on Sunday

that 12-month inflation was at the highest since May 1998.

Meanwhile, monthly inflation cooled slightly to 0.96 per cent from 1.48 per cent in March, which had been the highest monthly figure in 26 years.

To combat inflation, Peru’s central bank has steadily raised the country’s benchmark interest rate this year, hiking it in early April by 50

basis points to 4.5 per cent, the highest since 2009.

Peru’s Government tweaked some projections for 2022 over the weekend, trimming its growth outlook to 3.6 per cent from 4.8 per cent.

The country is the world’s second-largest copper producer, though mining firms are being hit by a spate of community protests.(Reuters)

wo people died and another was missing on Sunday after heavy rainfall caused flooding on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe on Friday night, local authorities said on Twitter.

One of the deceased was found trapped in a vehicle in Gosier and the second was found dead in a vehicle in the Grand-Camp sector, the Prefecture said.

Extreme rainfall of more than 300mm in a single day left extensive flooding across the island.

(Reuters)

Flooding in Guadeloupe

Nicaragua convicts businessmen in Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Lula competing rallies a preview latest phase of political crackdown of presidential campaign T

R

io de Janeiro’s famous Christ the Redeemer has competition.

The small town of Encantado in southern Brazil has built a taller Christ to attract tourism.

Christ the Protector is 43 metres (141 feet) high, compared to Rio’s statue, which is 38 metres (125 feet), including in both cases their pedestals.

Built with concrete over a metal structure, it has already been erected on a hill above the town, but the venue will only open to the public sometime next year, said Robison Gonzatti, vice president of the association that sponsored the statue.

“It is the largest Christ in the world,” he told Reuters.

The statue has an observation point for visitors

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro meets supporters during the demonstration “For Freedom and for Brazil” in Brasilia, Brazil, May 1, 2022

who can look out through a large heart-shaped window.

The view will have to compete with the spectacular sight tourists have looking out over Guanabara Bay from the Christ standing atop Rio’s Corcovado mountain.

Rio’s Art Deco statue was built with reinforced concrete and soapstone and took nine years to complete in 1931, becoming an icon of Rio de Janeiro and one of the wonders of the world. (Excerpt from Reuters)

wo top executives of Nicaragua’s largest business association have been convicted of “undermining national integrity”, in the latest of a series of judicial actions against political opponents of President Daniel Ortega.

More than 40 of Ortega’s opponents have been convicted of crimes such as treason and money laundering since the lead-up to presidential elections in November that handily won him a fourth consecutive term in office. r Friday’s convictions of Michael Healy, President of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), and its Vice President, Alvaro Vargas, came on charges comparable to treason under Nicaraguan law, a rights body said.

“We reject and condemn this judicial pantomime,” the body, the Nicaraguan Centre for Human Rights (CENIDH), said in a statement demanding their immediate release.

Healy faced up to 13 years in prison and Vargas faced up

Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega attends a two-day meeting with ALBA group representatives at the Revolution Palace in Havana, Cuba, December 14, 2021

to nine, with sentencing expected next week, it added.

The Nicaraguan Government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Healy and Vargas, arrested last October and accused of “laundering money, property and assets to the detriment of the Nicaraguan State and society”, were also members

of the Opposition group Civic Alliance.

Ortega’s Government has become increasingly isolated and condemned internationally for its crackdowns against the President’s opponents and critical media in the Central American country he has dominated since returning to power 15 years ago. (Excerpt from Reuters)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS EIA monthly data shows a dip in US oil production

W

eekly US crude oil production figures by the Energy Information Administration are a closely watched data set, but monthly production figures—which lag by months—often are seen as painting a more accurate picture of true production. And the most recent data shows that US crude oil production is on the decline as of February.

According to EIA data, US crude oil production dipped in February to an average of 11.312 million barrels per day—a 457,000 bpd decline from November 2021. January’s average monthly production was also down, to 11.362 million bpd compared to 11.604 million bpd on average in December. In fact, the monthly data shows that production has been declining since November 2021.

And data shows that US production is still a far cry from where it was in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

The weekly data that is more frequently followed due to the timely nature of the data releases does show a downtrend in January and February, but not by nearly as much.

Until the EIA published its February monthly on Friday, the only EIA production data available were weekly figures.

For each of the four weeks in January, the EIA had estimated that production in the United States averaged 11.7 million bpd, 11.7 million bpd, 11.6 million bpd, and 11.5 million bpd. In February, weekly figures showed that production stood at 11.6 million bpd in each of the weeks. But using this weekly data, those figures look like an improvement on November, and February looks like a slight gain compared to January’s sliding production trend.

Weekly data shows that US production has increased in March and April, and we must now wait months to learn if those figures are accurate. (Excerpt from Oilprice.com)

US speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Ukraine, meets President Zelenskyy U S House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a Congressional delegation to Kyiv to meet Ukraine’s President in the latest show of support for the fight against Russia by a senior Western politician.

Pelosi, second in line to the presidency after the Vice President, is the highest-ranking American leader to visit Ukraine since the start of the war, and her visit marks a major show of support for the country’s struggle against Moscow’s invasion.

“We believe that we are visiting you to say thank you for your fight for freedom… Our commitment is to be there for you until the fight is done,” Pelosi told President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a video from the Ukrainian

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shakes hands with Ukraine's President during their meeting in Kyiv on Saturday [Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP]

presidency.

“Our delegation travelled to Kyiv to send an unmistakable and resounding message to the entire world: America stands firmly with Ukraine. We are here until

victory is won.”

She also condemned Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “diabolic invasion”.

Moscow calls its actions a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine and rid

it of anti-Russian nationalism fomented by the West.

Ukraine and the West say Russia has launched an unprovoked war of aggression.

Zelenskyy took to Twitter to thank the United States “for helping protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state”.

“The US is leading strong support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression,” he said. “We’ll win and we’ll win together.”

US President Joe Biden last week proposed a $33bn package for arming and supporting Ukraine. He also outlined proposed new laws to allow using luxury assets stripped from Russian oligarchs to compensate Ukraine for the destruction wreaked by the invading Russians. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Nine people arrested in China over Changsha building collapse

C

hinese Police say they have arrested nine people over the collapse of a building in the south-east city of Changsha, where several people remain trapped or missing.

Police said the building's

COVID's new Omicron sub-lineages can dodge immunity from past infection, study says infections that seems to be driven by the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron sub-variants.

Only about 30 per cent of South Africa's population of 60 million is fully vaccinated.

"Based on neutralisation escape, BA.4 and BA.5 have potential to result in a new infection wave," the study said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

owner was detained, along with three others responsible for its construction.

Another five were charged with writing a false safety report for the building, which collapsed on Friday.

The cause of the disaster has not been confirmed by authorities.

On Saturday President Xi Jinping called for a

search "at all cost" and ordered an investigation into the collapse in the city's Wangcheng District.

Six people have been rescued, but dozens are still trapped inside or unaccounted for, according to Changsha Mayor Zheng Jianxin.

The six-storey building was mostly residential, but

also featured a cinema and hotel.

A local fire official told state broadcaster CGTN that rescue efforts are being hampered by limited space for heavy machinery to lift away debris.

They said there was also a risk that adjacent buildings damaged by the incident could eventually collapse.

Weak safety and construction standards, along with corruption among local officials, have led to a number of building collapses in China.

Earlier this year, at least 16 people died after an explosion, triggered by a suspected gas leak, brought down a building in Chongquing.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Eid brings little joy for millions of Afghans facing hunger A man receives a booster shot for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at a McDonald's, as the Omicron coronavirus variant spreads through the country, in Chicago, Illinois, US, December 21, 2021

T

wo new sub-lineages of the Omicron coronavirus variant can dodge antibodies from earlier infection well enough to trigger a new wave, but are far less able to thrive in the blood of people vaccinated against COVID-19, South African scientists have found.

The scientists from multiple institutions were examining Omicron's BA.4 and BA.5 sub-lineages - which the World Health Organisation last month added to its monitoring list. They took blood samples from 39 participants previously infected by Omicron when it first showed up at the end of last year.

Fifteen were vaccinated eight with Pfizer's shot; seven

with J&J's -- while the other 24 were not.

"The vaccinated group showed about a 5-fold higher neutralisation capacity ... and should be better protected," said the study, a pre-print of which was released over the weekend.

In the unvaccinated samples, there was an almost eightfold decrease in antibody production when exposed to BA.4 and BA.5, compared with the original BA.1 Omicron lineage. Blood from the vaccinated people showed a threefold decrease.

South Africa may be entering a fifth COVID wave earlier than expected, officials and scientists said on Friday, blaming a sustained rise in

P

eople across Afghanistan celebrated Eid on Sunday, but for millions of Afghans, it was yet another day of struggle to bring food to the table.

More than 90 per cent of Afghans have been facing a shortage of food, according to the United Nations.

Jamal, who did not wish to share his real name, is among those for whom Eid, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, brought little joy.

The 38-year-old has struggled to make ends meet as the country finds itself gripped by a severe humanitarian crisis triggered since the Taliban takeover last August.

A few pieces of bread

Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhunzada on Sunday congratulated Afghans on "victory and freedom” without mentioning the humanitarian crisis in the country [Photo by Taliban Authorities via AFP]

from the nearby bakery is what Jamal could secure for his family of 17 members.

Some of it will be saved for later to be had with whatever meal they are able

to receive from charitable friends and neighbours.

“But I don’t expect we will get much even for Eid. Who will give me money or food? The whole city is liv-

ing under poverty. I never saw anything like it even in the refugee camps where I grew up,” he said, referring to his upbringing in refugee camps in neighbouring Pakistan.

The loss of the only source of income hit Jamal’s family very hard, and they were financially crippled in a short time. “Since the Taliban takeover, my family hasn’t had a full meal. And this Ramadan we were breaking our fast with just water and bread. And the Eid is no different,” he said.

“Last Ramadan, during the last few days, we were out shopping for the kids, and even took the family out for the last iftar dinner. But this year, all we can do is not die of hunger.”

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

Consider the possibilities and make a plan that will help you excel. Refuse to let what others do or say get you down.

Consider what you have to offer and make a big play.

(March 21-April 19) Take a chance and do something that makes you feel good about yourself and your contributions. Expand your awareness. Be willing to go the extra mile; rewards will follow.

DILBERT (April 20-May 20)

Push your way forward. Draw on experts and people you know you can trust to come through for you. Be patient, compassionate and resourceful, and you will leave a lasting impression.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

Fulfill promises and reap the rewards. How you act and what you do will affect how others treat you. A financial gain will allow you to invest more time and money into something you want to pursue.

Act in haste, and you'll end up backtracking. Use your intelligence and get to the bottom of certain problems. Keep an open mind, look at every angle and maximize your skills.

(July 23-Aug. 22) A show of weakness will hold you back. Don't put yourself in a vulnerable position emotionally. Do whatever is needed to take care of responsibilities and outmaneuver any rival.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Invest more time and money into things that matter to you. Make improvements to how you live and look.

Show pride in what you do. Work hard, play hard and shoot for the stars.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Whether working alongside others or taking the lead, compromise and consistency will make it easier to reach your goal. A change of heart will set you on the right path.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Speak up, leave nothing to chance, and make your needs and wants known.

Stability will come from knowledge and bringing people together. Draw people in with peaceful interactions.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Put your heart into your plans, and you won't be disappointed. Share with the people you love and trust, and together you will build a better future. A short trip or social event will prove valuable.

SATURDAY'S WORD -- NEARLY

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Embrace challenges head-on and use your experience and wit to push your way to the top. Don't procrastinate. Size up situations and do whatever it takes to set your plans in motion.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Evaluate your position and lifestyle, and consider how you can make your life easier. Reach out to people you trust to give you good feedback or expert advice.

A change will pay off.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

21

Mohsin Khan's four-for downs Delhi Capitals as Lucknow Super Giants continue to soar H

Hooda scored a fifty

alf-centuries from KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda, followed up by a special spell from Mohsin Khan sealed a tight six-run win for Lucknow Super Giants over Delhi Capitals on Sunday.

For Super Giants, the result appeared in doubt when their dropped catches and sloppy fielding gave Rishabh Pant's men extra chances and bonus runs, but left-arm quick Mohsin's dismissals of Pant, Rovman Powell, and Shardul Thakur in his last two overs appeared to end the contest.

Shaw fined for code-of-conduct breach

Delhi Capitals opener Prithvi Shaw has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching the IPL's code of conduct during Sunday's afternoon match against Lucknow Super Giants.

Shaw admitted to the

Axar Patel had a good all-round game in vain

did not offer big bounce, but stayed slow and low as the game progressed. Despite the lack of a big flurry at the death with wickets in hand, they still finished on 195 for 3.

It was a target that needed runs from Shaw and David Warner in the second innings, and after both openers fell early, Capitals were always behind in the game. Despite Mitchell

Rovman Powell got a good score again late in the innings

Level 1 offence under Article 2.2 of the code, and accepted the sanction imposed by the match referee. Article 2.2 relates to "abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match".

Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav did rally at the death with an unbroken partnership of 41 in 3.2 overs, but Marcus Stoinis successfully defended 20 in the final over, conceding 14, to seal the win.

It was the second time that the team winning the toss and batting first in this tournament was victorious. Rahul (77) and Hooda (52) struck a partnership of 95 in 61 balls after Super Giants opted to bat first, and it was a decision that paid off since they made early use of a surface that

Marsh's 20-ball 37, Pant's 30-ball 44, Powell's 21-ball 35 and Axar's late burst of 42 not out in 24 balls, it was not enough. After nine games, Capitals now have more losses than wins, while Super Giants moved to second on the points table.

Rahul, Hooda impress

Pant started with five different bowlers in the first five overs, but Quinton de Kock was unfazed for the most of it, racing away to 23 in 11 balls, especially brutal on Chetan Sakariya.

However, Thakur had him caught at point in the fifth over, bringing Hooda in to bat alongside a sedate Rahul.

Hooda started aggressively, hitting four of his first five boundaries through the covers off Axar

and Kuldeep. Rahul, meanwhile, got to 27 in 24 balls, before hammering Kuldeep and the seamers in the next 11 balls to reach his fifty in 35 deliveries. Hooda, too, raced to a 32-ball fifty in the 14th over. Even though Hooda moved around in his crease, his shots were not audacious; he hit six fours and just the lone six.

Rahul charged along after his fifty. With Hooda falling to Thakur soon after his half-century, Rahul hit two more sixes off the seamers. But he was not getting much support from the other end, with Stoinis, the number four, struggling to find fluency. Rahul fell in the 19th over as the third Thakur wicket, and a final-over six from Stoinis took Super Giants into the 190s.

A chaotic start to the chase

Warner and Shaw both fell early to the seamers, mis-timing a length and short ball respectively. Shaw was the first to go in the second over, top-edging a pull off the tall Dushmantha Chameera while Warner mis-hit a pull off Mohsin to midwicket.

That brought in Marsh and Pant early, and instead of looking to rebuild, they counterattacked. Krunal Pandya's fourth over went for three fours and a six off Pant's bat, and the fifth from Jason Holder went for

Capitals celebrate the wicket of Quinton de Kock

two sixes and a four. To end the powerplay, Chameera was hit for two fours and a six. Together, the duo had struck 53 runs between overs four to six to finish on 66 for 2 after the powerplay.

And then came the ghost wicket. Marsh, on 37, and looking imperious against both spin and pace, tried to punch a skiddy K Gowtham delivery, only to miss it.

The umpire gave him out caught behind, and Marsh walked back. However, replays showed that there was no spike when the ball passed the bat, and there was no way to pinpoint what caused the sound in real time. The d i s m i s sal came against t h e run of play, and Capitals were 73 for 3 after 7.1 overs.

KL Rahul in full flight

Mohsin does the damage With Pant around, and Powell having already produced a match-winning

innings from the middle order, it was still game on after Lalit Yadav fell for 3.

The Super Giants fielders – including the Captain Rahul – dropped regulation catches and slipped up in the field, and Pant and Powell made the most of the unforced errors to build another partnership.

Gowtham, playing in the XI instead of Avesh Khan due to more left-handers in the Capitals line-up, was punished by Powell for 6, 6, 4 as ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster gave Capitals a 24 per cent chance of a win with six overs to go and 61 needed.

But Mohsin returned, and set Pant up with four length deliveries, including cutters, up front. He then went full and had Pant failing to flick from around his pads, and saw his stumps flattened on 44. Axar and Powell then found a cou-

ple of boundaries to keep the required run rate to around 12, but Mohsin's final over provided the body blow. A length ball angling across was dragged by Powell to Krunal Pandya at deep midwicket. A few balls later, Shardul slog-swept Mohsin to the same fielder, and it looked like the game was in the bag. But Kuldeep and Axar eked out 15 off the penultimate over from Chameera to take it to the final over.

Rahul turned to Stoinis – who hadn't bowled all day – for the 20th, and he started poorly, conceding a six off Kuldeep's bat. But Stoinis returned with four tidy balls to take the equation out of reach. With 12 needed off one ball, Axar hit a six that was mere consolation for a side that fell one boundary-shot short.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS INNINGS (20 overs maximum) Quinton de Kock † c Lalit Yadav b Thakur 23 KL Rahul (c) c Lalit Yadav b Thakur 77 Deepak Hooda c & b Thakur 52 Marcus Stoinis not out 17 Krunal Pandya not out 9 Extras(lb 4, w 13) 17 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 9.75) 195/3 Fall of wickets: 1-42 (Quinton de Kock, 4.2 ov), 2-137 (Deepak Hooda, 14.3 ov), 3-176 (KL Rahul, 18.4 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Mustafizur Rahman 4-0-37-0 Chetan Sakariya 4-0-44-0 Axar Patel 4-0-25-0 Lalit Yadav 1-0-16-0 Shardul Thakur 4-0-40-3 Kuldeep Yadav 3-0-29-0 DELHI CAPITALS INNINGS (Target: 196 runs from 20 overs) Prithvi Shaw c Gowtham b Chameera 5 David Warner c Badoni b Mohsin Khan 3

Mitchell Marsh c †de Kock b Gowtham 37 Rishabh Pant (c)† b Mohsin Khan 44 Lalit Yadav b Ravi Bishnoi 3 Rovman Powell c Pandya b Mohsin Khan 35 Axar Patel not out 42 Shardul Thakur c Pandya b Mohsin Khan 1 Kuldeep Yadav not out 16 Extras (w 3) 3 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 9.45) 189/7 Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Prithvi Shaw, 1.2 ov), 2-13 (David Warner, 2.6 ov), 3-73 (Mitchell Marsh, 7.1 ov), 4-86 (Lalit Yadav, 8.5 ov), 5-120 (Rishabh Pant, 12.6 ov), 6-146 (Rovman Powell, 16.1 ov), 7-148 (Shardul Thakur, 16.4 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Mohsin Khan 4-0-16-4 Dushmantha Chameera 4-0-44-1 Krunal Pandya 1-0-19-0 Jason Holder 4-0-45-0 Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-28-1 Krishnappa Gowtham 2-0-23-1 Marcus Stoinis 1-0-14-0

22

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

– Gaikwad strokes classy 99

H

e has had a largely ordinary season so far, but against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ruturaj Gaikwad displayed stroke-play that has had many excited about him to help set up a win for Chennai Super Kings in MS Dhoni's first match back as Captain. This was Super Kings' third win in

CSK duo Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway played classy knocks

acceleration through the middle overs, batters who get in going on to play big innings. Gaikwad fell one short of a hundred, opening partner Devon Conway scored an unbeaten 85 off 55, and the two added 182,

Theekshana and Ravindra Jadeja went for just a run a ball in the seven overs between them to help create wickets at the other end.

And, Mukesh Choudhary starred with four wickets for the defending champions.

Sunrisers eventually fell short by 13, which left them with 10 points from nine games, joint fourth with Royal Challengers Bangalore, but with a game in hand.

Slow and steady

The 40 for 0 at the end of the powerplay was a typical Super Kings score. They like their top-order batters to take their time early and then strike later. However, in doing even that, Conway was particularly slower, so Gaikwad had to be more assertive. Having seen the Marco Jansen meltdown at the death in their last match, Kane Williamson bowled three of his overs inside the powerplay, just for 19 runs.

Nicholas Pooran’s innings went in vain as CSK prevailed

but there was not much Williamson could do about that. The crowning glory was the off-drive off Malik for a six over long-off. Super Kings 117 for 0 in 12.

Jansen's last-over blues

Bhuvneshwar Kumar pulled things back a little with a boundary-less 13th over, Shashank Singh followed it up without incident to fulfil the fifth bowler's quota, and Williamson went back to Jansen for the 15th.

The idea, perhaps, was to not protect him from the

gressive intent. It came off for the first few overs when Williamson got a free hit that he hit for a six, Abhishek Sharma got three boundaries off edges, was dropped once, and 46 came in the first three overs.

Choudhary, who had dropped a sitter, his third drop this IPL out of five catches that have gone to him, came back with the ball to have Abhishek caught at long-on and Rahul Tripathi ramping a short ball straight to short third man. That turned the pow-

Washington injures himself again

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It might be the same split webbing as Washington Sundar injured himself while trying to save a boundary. He had not even started bowling at that time, which left Williamson a tough call to fit in the fifth bowler.

Mukesh Choudhary claimed four wickets for CSK

nine matches this Indian Premier League (IPL).

It was mostly a vintage Super Kings innings: a slow and steady start, consistent

the highest stand this IPL. The defence of 202 wasn't an easy one with the absence of the injured Dwayne Bravo adding to their bowling woes, but Maheesh

SCOREBOARD CHENNAI SUPER KINGS INNINGS (20 overs maximum) Ruturaj Gaikwad c Kumar b Natarajan 99 Devon Conway not out 85 MS Dhoni (c)† c Umran Malik b Natarajan 8 Ravindra Jadeja not out 1 Extras(lb 6, w 3) 9 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 10.10) 202/2 Fall of wickets: 1-182 (Ruturaj Gaikwad, 17.5 ov), 2-192 (MS Dhoni, 19.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-22-0 Marco Jansen 4-0-38-0 T Natarajan 4-0-42-2 Aiden Markram 3-0-36-0 Umran Malik 4-0-48-0 Shashank Singh 1-0-10-0 SUNRISERS HYDERABAD INNINGS (Target: 203 runs from 20 overs) Abhishek Sharma c Pretorius b Mukesh Choudhary 39 Kane Williamson (c) lbw

b Pretorius 47 Rahul Tripathi c Simarjeet Singh b Mukesh Choudhary 0 Aiden Markram c Jadeja b Santner 17 Nicholas Pooran † not out 64 Shashank Singh c †Dhoni b Mukesh Choudhary 15 Washington Sundar b MukeshChoudhary 2 Marco Jansen not out 0 Extras(lb 2, nb 1, w 2) 5 TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 9.45) 189/6 Fall of wickets: 1-58 (Abhishek Sharma, 5.5 ov), 2-58 (Rahul Tripathi, 5.6 ov), 3-88 (Aiden Markram, 9.5 ov), 4-126 (Kane Williamson, 14.2 ov), 5-151 (Shashank Singh, 17.4 ov), 6-153 (Washington Sundar, 17.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Mukesh Choudhary 4-0-46-4 Simarjeet Singh 2-0-24-0 Mitchell Santner 3-0-36-1 Maheesh Theekshana 4-0-26-0 Ravindra Jadeja 3-0-15-0 Dwaine Pretorius 4-0-40-1

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Gaikwad, Conway break free

So the replacement for Washington was Aiden Markram with his parttime offspin. They let him bowl the first over, but from the eighth over onwards, Gaikwad began the onslaught. First up was Umran Malik, whose pace and hard lengths in the middle overs have given Sunrisers an edge in this IPL. Gaikwad, though, loves pace when he is in. At 28 off 23 at the start of the eighth over, he was properly in.

Gaikwad went over cover first and then over longon to take 13 off the eighth over. Conway dished out the same treatment to Markram in his second, finally going past a run a ball.

The quickest ball of the tournament, bowled at 154kmph by Malik, came back just as fast off Gaikwad's bat and went between the stumps and the non-striker. A bounce took the top edge for a four.

Markram's third went for two sixes off Gaikwad's bat,

but this was not the day for blinders. They had left themselves too much to do – 101 in the last eight – and despite a switch hit for a six and the odd boundary, they needed 78 from the last six, which is still manageable.

Dwaine Pretorius, though, benefited from all the pressure as Williamson went to ramp a ball, but was trapped right in front. Choudhary then signed off with the wickets of Shashank Singh and Washington, leaving them 50 to get off the last two.

Pooran fought, scoring a 29-ball fifty, but he had too much to do. Fifty from the last two was always going to be tough, never mind Pooran's explosive batting.

That turned out to be the case. (ESPNcricinfo)

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Kane Williamson looked in good touch

death overs, but he did not bowl a great over. If his last over in the previous match cost Sunrisers 25, this one went for 20 and also brought up Conway's fifty in the process.

A Gaikwad slowdown ensued in his 90s, and he fell for 99, trying to place a short and wide ball as opposed to hitting it hard. Kumar – 4-0-22-0 – and Malik, who conceded just eight in the 19th, pulled things back, resulting in just 49 runs in the last five, but 202 was always going to be challenging for Sunrisers.

erplay Super Kings' way even though 58 came off it.

Luck runs out

It was now down to Williamson and Nicholas Pooran to play blinders,

Sunrisers had no choice but to come out with ag-

The spin strangle

Williamson now went into the anchoring mode, hoping the batters at the other end would take them closer before he hit out again. Theekshana's unpredictability and Ravindra Jadeja's accuracy, though, slowed them down. When Markram tried to hit out against Mitchell Santner, his two sixes were followed up by a short ball pulled straight to deep midwicket.

The endgame

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23 Griffith wins Arokium Cycle Race in Berbice as Team Evolution dominate MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Cyclists, organisers, and sponsors at the presentation

More than 40 riders battled for supremacy in Berbice Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

C

hristopher Griffith and his Team Evolution team-mates came and conquered the Corentyne roadways at the Arokium Funeral Home 60-mile cycle race. Griffith, who finished solo, stopped the clock at two hours, 33 minutes and 45 seconds.

Two minutes later, Curtis “Chappy” Dey came in second in another solo finish.

Paul DeNobrega then edged away for the third spot, beating pre-race favourite Andre “Padlock” Green (fourth) and Team Alanis rider Kemuel Moses (fifth).

Under brilliant sunshine, more than 40 riders from across the country started at Alexander Street, New Amsterdam, and pedalled towards Number 43 Bridge before returning to the point of origin for the finish.

Top junior rider Mario Washington came sixth and got the better of top veteran Alex Mendes. In the junior category, Washington emerged as victor, while David Hicks and Adjani Cutting rounded out the top three. In the veterans’ category, Mendes got the better of Paul Choweenam and Kwame Ridley in that or-

der. Robin Persaud was the fourth-placed veteran.

Linden's Clevicia Spencer was the top female while Marcia Dick came in second.

In the beginner's category, Richard Crandon emerged as the top rider and Stephon Cumberbatch placed second.

Deeraj Garbaran, who led the race from Number 19 to Alness, took four sprint priz-

back at Alness Village.

The riders raced towards the turning point, and junior Team United rider Alexander Leung was in the mix. At the turning point, Moses then joined the leading peloton and multiple attacks came between Ulverston and Bloomfield.

At Tain, Griffith took the lead, and that was "all she

The leading peloton after the turning point

es while Griffith had three sprint prizes. DeNobrega, Green, and Junior Niles had one sprint prize each.

As it happened

Garbaran led the race from Number 19, but the chasing pack that included Griffith, Dey, and Green pulled him

wrote". He led the way battling in the heat and cruised to victory. He was welcomed by a host of supporters at the finish, and he celebrated in style.

While Green enjoyed a great deal of home support from his fellow Berbicians, it was not to be his day. In a reg-

GCB, WIPA saddened at death of Veerasammy Permaul's mother

T

he Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) have expressed condolences to Veerasammy Permaul and his family, after the death of his mother.

GCB statement

The cricket fraternity has just been hit by the sad news of the unfortunate demise of Waynumattie Permaul called “Dataley”, the mother of wellknown national and West Indies cricketer Veerasammy Permaul.

Consequently, the President and executive members of the Guyana Cricket Board wish to express sincere condolences to Veerasammy Permaul and his family at her passing. “We trust that you gather strength and fortitude to withstand the pains and sorrow associated with this tragedy.”

Waynumattie Permaul called “Dataley”

May her soul rest in peace.

WIPA statement

The West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) extends sympathies to West Indies spinner Veerasammy Permaul and his family.

Waynumattie “Dataley” Permaul, Veerasammy’s mother, had been missing for seven days when her son made the report of such to the Guyanese authorities on Thursday, April 28. Upon searching her Berbice

Veerasammy Permaul

home, her body was found lifeless in a shallow grave. She was 52 years old.

WIPA President and CEO Wavell Hinds expressed, “The WIPA family extends condolences to Veerasammy Permaul and his family during this stressful time. We regret the untimely passing of his mother and hope he will find the strength and courage to continue his lifelong journey.

May her soul rest in peace and light perpetually shine upon her.”

ular sprint, he was pipped by DeNobrega for third.

The race was held in remembrance of the late Phillip

Arokium who was a cycling enthusiast. The Guyana Police Force displayed a collective effort to ensure the

race was accident free. The race was organised by Flying Ace Cycling Coach Randolph Roberts.

Guyana U-17 Girls suffer 15-0 defeat to Mexico

G

uyana’s Under-17 Girls’ team suffered a heavy defeat in the 2022 CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship in the Dominican Republic, losing 15-0 to Mexico in the Round of 16 on Saturday evening. This defeat meant the Guyana ladies were booted from the championships.

The Guyanese were down 2-0 in the fifth minute of play and Mexico took advantage of the early breakthroughs to record a comprehensive win.

Valerie Vargas, who opened the scoring in the second minute, added two

more goals in the 49th and 54th minutes, while Layla Sirdah (27th, 33rd, and 44th) and Tatiana Flores (47th, 56th, and 60th) also recorded hat-tricks.

Michel Fong (5th), Jade

Martinez (34th), Katherin Guijarro (59th), an own goal by Alyssa Blake (74th), Maribel Flores (82nd) and Deiry Ramirez (90th) accounted for the other goals for Mexico.

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2022

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

Pg 23

Griffith wins Arokium Cycle Race in Berbice as Team Evolution dominate Page 23

Page 22

– Gaikwad strokes classy 99

GCB, WIPA saddened at death of Veerasammy Permaul's mother

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