Guyana Times - Monday October 4, 2021

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Guyana, Suriname Ministers to meet today to discuss ferry service Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4790

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

PRICE

Brickdam Police Station fire

President Ali blasts Fire Service for “lackadaisical …robbery accused confesses approach” to starting blaze Pages 3&9

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Govt reiterates commitment to grow nonoil economy …as small miners given land in lottery P16

Man chopped, stabbed by P15 reputed wife’s 'child father' "Oh Lord, take my life!" – P10 drunken man pleads as fire guts home

Teen, security guard nabbed with illegal P15 gun, ammo

Govt signals zero tolerance for undue delays on Leguan, Bartica Stellings

Page 7

More than 1000 vaccinated at NCC drive-thru See story on page 19

Govt seeking consultant to design secondary Page 18 school at Prospect

Couple bound, beaten, robbed by bandits P7

5 to go on trial today for murder of British teen

3 more unvaccinated persons die from COVID-19 …186 new cases recorded Page 17

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Monday, October 4 – 02:30h-04:00h and Tuesday, October 5 – 03:00h-04:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Monday, October 4 – 15:15h-16:45h and Tuesday, October 5 – 15:45h-17:15h.

Brickdam Police Station fire

President Ali blasts Fire Service for “lackadaisical approach”

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers and sunny intervals are expected during the day. Clear skies are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to South South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 15:20h reaching a maximum height of 2.61 metres.

Low Tide: 08:53h and 21:13h reaching minimum heights of 0.62 metre and 0.58 metre.

President Dr Irfaan Ali with Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and other security officials at the temporary site of the Brickdam Police Station

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2021

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resident Dr Irfaan Ali has described the Guyana Fire Service’s (GFS’s) response to the Brickdam Police Station fire as “poor at its best”, and publicly blazed the entire GFS, citing that ‘things’ will have to be shaken up.

The Brickdam Police Station went up in flames on Saturday at around 11:00h, and the fire raged on for well over three hours as the entire three-storey structure, along with other buildings, besides vehicles, was destroyed. This has crippled the operations of the largest Policing Division in the country.

The Fire Service, however, had been less that admirable in its response, and some have even described the response as mediocre.

The Brickdam Police Station’s operations have temporarily been shifted to the nearby campus of the St Stanislaus College. On Sunday morning, President Ali visited the temporary site, as well as assed the situation at the block that previously housed the Station.

The President was on his way to the airport to attend the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Barbados when he made the stop.

“This is an extremely difficult situation for the Guyana Police Force, especially the ranks at Brickdam Police Station,” he said. “This is a grave loss of an asset to the Police Force and to the people of our country,” he commented.

Ali expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Force and the Ministry of Home Affairs for their efficiency in setting up temporary operations for the continuation of the services the Brickdam Police Station offers.

Additionally, he praised the efforts of all the ranks who came out to help save whatever could be saved from the burning buildings.

“To say I'm not bothered would not be a true reflection of how I'm thinking. Bothered because this is not the first public asset we have lost. Now the investigation into this fire will go on, and we will hear about the results,” Ali said.

Lackadaisical approach Over the years, the Guyana Fire Service’s response to fires has been heavily criticised.

Fire tenders often arrive on the scene without water and very late, and when they do arrive early, they have issues sourcing water. Such incidents are not isolated to one district; rather, they are widespread across the country.

Government has been investing in the Fire Service to bolster its response, but Saturday’s fire has painted a picture of sheer chaos within the GFS. “We have been making tremendous investments in last year in the Fire Service, and I've made it very clear: In this

country, people will have to be held accountable for their actions. We cannot be making investment in state apparatus and state institutions and do not get the results from those investments. The response (of) the Fire Service was poor at its best yesterday.

“As President, I hope the Fire Service can acknowledge this, because if you've got acknowledge the problem, you can deal with it. It upsets me, because Minister (Robeson) Benn will tell you the type of investment we're making,” an angry President Ali related.

The President castigated the top brass of the GFS for its state of readiness when it came to fighting the fire at Brickdam Police Station. Indirectly referring to the mode of dress of Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo, who turned up on the scene in civilian clothing, President Ali said the state cannot be providing the officers with safety gear and then sit back and watch them arriving on scene without the gear.

“It means that you are not in any state of readiness to respond to an emergency. It means, from a personal level, you're not taking the job that you're entrusted to do with the level of seriousness that is necessary. When you're part of an emergency service, you're entrusted with certain responsibilities,” he said.

He pointed to the fact that the Fire Service’s headquarters are located just a stone’s throw away from the

Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo at the scene on Saturday

Brickdam Police Station, and yet there were issues with their response.

“We spent hundreds of millions of dollars, and to put it crudely, you can’t respond to events in your backyard. And the response is not about asset, you know; the response is about attitude, it's about commitment, it's about discipline, it's about professionalism, it’s about being in a state of readiness,” the President said.

He expressed that Government cannot continue to function if these issues are not addressed, and he issued a sound warning to all those in the public service as well as in the Forces. Ali said if they do not want to perform public service, then they should “do the honourable thing”.

TURN TO PAGE 9

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guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

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

October and Democracy

T

omorrow is October 5th - a date synonymous with the “return of free and fair elections” to Guyana after the 28-year-long darkness of dictatorship through rigged elections by the PNC. It culminated a long struggle waged

by Guyanese here and abroad, in which the international community was lobbied to help Guyanese to have their fundamental right to choose their Government returned.

The PNC fought these efforts tooth and nail, often through brutal means that included murder and assassination. While the world is aware about Dr. Walter Rodney’s assassination because of his fame as a historian and his activism, he was only one of several killed among hundreds imprisoned and tortured.

But, 29 years later, we are once again in the throes of fighting for democracy’s survival in our land, as the PNC remains hell-bent on refusing to accept the fundamental rule of democracy. To wit, that each vote should count, and that an agglomeration of the majority of votes of the populace confers the legitimacy for the winning party to govern on behalf of all the people. They blatantly attempted to rig the March 2 elections in front of literally the world not via news reports, but directly by the representatives/ observers of Caricom, the Commonwealth, the OAS, EU, US and other embassies like India. They scrutinised both the count and recount that went to the Caribbean Court of Justice, but the PNC still insisted they won and the PPP was “illegally installed”.

This year, Oct 5th also launches “Breast Cancer Awareness Week”, and reminds us that the PNC’s predilection for rigging elections is like a cancer that eats away at the innards of our democratic motherland. This cancer must be eliminated before it destroys our country, as it almost did by 1992, when we were made into a Highly Indebted Poor Country, perched precariously above Haiti at the bottom of the world’s indexes of development.

Illegal Governments inevitably act in oppressive ways, as they institute draconian measures to hold on to power. But these provoke reactions in the populace that undermine institutions other than just the political. In our case, our economy imploded after the PNC nationalised 80% of its “commanding heights”, and we are still recovering from that disaster. Half of the country fled to whichever country they could enter, legally or illegally.

Last week, former Prime Minister Sam Hinds, who served from 1992 to 2015 as a member of the Civic addition intended to add ethnic balance to the PPP administration, made the suggestion that the PNC should vow to end its rigging culture. He made a suggestion to the new PNC/R Executive that is supposed to be elected by the end of Nov-early December: ‘A “Proclamation to End Rigging” would open many wonderful doors for all our people, our country, and most of all those who, for understandably good reasons, support the PNC/R/APNU.’ Maybe so, but it will never happen.

And Mr Hinds put his finger on the reason when he noted that former PNC Executive Raphael Trotman was ignominiously rejected when he suggested that the PNC should apologise for its post-1964 serial elections’ rigging.

None of the present crop of PNC leaders - the incumbent and the challengers - has ever conceded that the PNC rigged elections, and their new tack is to insist that the PPP rigged the last elections. The latter did not do so when in office, and were checkmated in 2011 and defeated in 2015, but pulled it off when the PNC was in charge of the electoral machinery through its proxies, who are now before the courts for fiddling with the SOPs. The great Indian political and social philosopher Chanakya once pointed out: “If the right task is not accomplished at the right time, then time itself wrecks the chances of success.” The “right task” for Guyana right now is to extirpate the PNC’s rigging culture. The PPP has the mandate to even alter the constitution and its enabling laws to accomplish this task. Just do it.

President Dr Irfaan Ali was given a Guard-of-Honour welcome by the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) upon his arrival at the Grantley Adams International Airport on Sunday morning. President Ali is scheduled to be in Barbados for three days, to take part in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (Office of the President photo)

Diversity under Biden

By Ben Jealous

O

ne of the most important reasons to vote Donald Trump out of the White House was to stop him from packing our federal courts with even more anti-voting rights, anti-equality, pro-corporate judges.

Stopping the flood of bad Trump judges was a huge accomplishment for every Democratic Party political organiser and voter, who helped to elect Joe Biden as President. And that’s only part of the good news.

President Biden is making history with the most diverse set of judicial nominees ever.

Former President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees were overwhelmingly white men, often young and unqualified.

They were almost always picked for their commitment to a right-wing judicial ideology that makes it harder for millions of Americans to count on the courts for justice. Thanks to former President Trump and his Republican enablers in the Senate, we will be dealing with hundreds of those judges for years to come.

Elections matter. Right now, instead of judges being hand-picked by right-wing legal activists and their corporate allies, President Biden is making good on his promise to bring great-

er diversity to our federal courts. Biden is naming far more brilliant black judges, men and women, than any other President – including Barack Obama.

Let’s look at some numbers, because they are impressive.

More than 30 per cent of President Biden’s judicial nominees so far have been black. Fewer than 5 per cent of former President Trump’s judicial picks were black.

More than a quarter of President Biden’s judicial nominees have been black women. In fact, almost half are women of colour. Under former President Trump, it was less than one per cent.

Biden has been in office for less than a year, and he has already doubled the number of black women judges sitting in the circuit courts – the highest level of federal court below the Supreme Court. Former President Trump named zero black judges to the circuit courts, while nearly 40 per cent of President Biden’s circuit court nominees have been black.

There’s also a lot more diversity in President Biden nominees’ life experiences and professional backgrounds. They aren’t all corporate lawyers and law professors. Almost onethird of them have had experience as public defenders. Some of them have

worked at respected civil rights organisations. Some have devoted their legal careers to protecting and representing workers. One started her career at the Legal Aid Society.

This is how we get federal courts that represent all of us, not just the most privileged and powerful.

And that brings us back to elections.

President Biden has been able to get his nominees confirmed — more lifetime judges at this point in his term in office than any other President since Gerald Ford — because voters in Georgia elected Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.

If Republicans still held a Senate majority, Mitch McConnell would be slow-walking and making every effort to block President Biden’s judicial nominees.

When Trump was in power, McConnell laughed and bragged about how he kept many of former President Obama’s nominees from getting confirmed, so that then President Trump would have lots of vacancies to fill.

McConnell would love to regain the power to block President Biden’s judicial nominees. He would love to return to his practice of refusing to schedule hearings and votes on even the most qualified judges. He

would love to abuse his power to keep hundreds of judicial seats vacant in the hope that Republicans will take back the White House in 2024 and bring back the flood of white, right-wing men determined to impose their ideology on the federal courts and on all of us.

We can’t let that happen.

Let’s praise the good work being done by the Biden White House and Senate Democrats. Let’s thank them for bringing balance and diversity and a commitment to equal justice for all to the federal courts. And let’s work as hard as we can to keep the Senate and White House in Democratic hands in 2022 and 2024. (Jamaica Observer) Ben Jealous serves as President of People For the American Way. He has decades of experience as a leader, coalition builder, campaigner for social justice, and seasoned non-profit executive. In 2008, he was chosen as the youngest-ever President and CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

He is a graduate of Columbia University and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and he has taught at Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

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

APNU/AFC must be serious about its role

Dear Editor, The APNU/AFC Opposition parties and members just do not appreciate the gift that the parliamentary floor is. The opportunity it gives to MPs to express themselves and their policy views is phenomenal.

One reason could be that Opposition leaders do not care about the people of Guyana, and do not therefore have anything substantial to say. However, APNU must be serious about its role.

While there are those sad Opposition specimens who talked nonsense while suffering from knowledge-cum-information deficiency, there are those who talk loosely before the anti-Government media houses, spreading propaganda.

There are those who call on their supporters to do anything possible to interrupt development in Guyana, and not to support the Government’s efforts.

As recently as one day ago, threats were made on the capital city by APNU/AFC supporters from New York.

The Opposition APNU/ AFC have failed to realise that they are as important as those of the ruling party.

The role of the Opposition party is not to oppose every decision of the ruling party. Rather, it is the duty of the Opposition party to support the ruling party for the acts that are in the interest of the nation.

Opposition parties play a very significant role in a democracy, as representatives of the people. The Opposition act as watch dogs of the system, forming a shadow Cabinet to exercise vigil over the performance of the Government.

However, we continue to see hard-core evidence of the APNU/AFC Opposition leader calling on their blind supporters to undermine the progress and development of the PPP/C Government.

The question every Guyanese should post to the APNU/AFC is: What is your plan for Guyana? The preamp answer must be a whopping “Nothing”, induced with backwardness and mediocrity.

The APNU/AFC need to reorient their thinking by levelling with their supporters and Guyanese citizens in general. Up until now, the APNU+AFC have refused, and are refusing, to disclose to the public and to the world their SoPs, which they claim they have won the elections upon; that by itself should put to rest issues regarding the credibility and authenticity of their claims.

APNU/AFC need to stop playing dirty politics and looking for attention. The Opposition need instead to focus and embrace our Government’s economic policies, and help to develop our society so the next generation can have a greater foundation on which to develop their lives to become positive and fruitful members of society.

Deviation from reality check is the ticket the Opposition choose to take since losing the General and Regional Elections.

Common sense would lead Guyanese to believe that whatever the Opposition are doing, despite their great failures while in Government, would not work when out of Government. The APNU/AFC Opposition destroyed whatever chances they had of being a trusted Opposition during the March 02,2020 General and Regional Elections.

The truth is APNU/AFC failed their supporters and the people of Guyana, and as Guyanese, we must not trust them again.

Guyanese are becoming tired of the endless claims of racial discrimination being made as a political strategy of the Opposition political leadership, exposing their weaknesses to deal with real issues of national importance that should be carefully monitored, examined, raised by the Opposition, and debated intelligently for our democracy to function optimally.

The APNU/AFC claim of racial discrimination in the human resource management of the Public Service is completely false.

However, what is truth is our Government’s development programme is never tailored to any one ethnic group. The fact is that all public servants would be receiving salary increases before the end of 2021, and it would be retroactive.

The PPP/C Government is looking at the mechanism that would allow every public servant to own their own home. They would also benefit from help through the COVID-19 Cash Grant. The Government has empowered public servants so that their children also can benefit from the scholarship programme, many of whom are already benefiting. The public servants themselves are benefiting. In addition to housing and education programmes that are putting money back into the pockets of public servants, the Government has also implemented measures to support citizens during the pandemic. Those measures include the reversal

of taxes on a slew of utilities and items, as well as the removal of value-added tax on electricity, water, healthcare, education, and even construction materials. The Government estimates that those tax reversals automatically put billions back into the pockets of Guyanese.

Earlier this year, public servants also received a $25,000 one-off grant. A total of $2 billion was budgeted for this initiative, and it was said to benefit over 60,000 workers. The beneficiaries of this grant include workers within the central Government, statutory bodies, subvention agencies, public corporations, teachers, medical workers, members of the Joint Services, Government pensioners and staff of the University of Guyana, to assist them with the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In December 2020, the Government had also distributed a two-week, taxfree bonus to members of the Disciplined Services and frontline workers in the health sector. Further, citizens also benefited from the ongoing $25,000 COVID-19 Relief cash grant. The twoweek, tax-free bonus and the COVID-19 cash grant initiatives have already put over $8 billion of disposable income into the hands of Guyanese; $2 billion will take that figure past $10 billion.

And just recently, there was the Flood Relief Grant that was distributed to every Guyanese in every region and community that was affected by the flood.

The people of Guyana must be thoroughly disgusted at the behaviour of APNU/AFC as they continue to mislead the Guyanese public and lie to their supporters.

Sincerely, David Adams

Time for full vaccination mandate Dear Editor, Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, said, “It is with a heavy heart that I…announce the ‘untimely death’ of our friend and colleague, Imran Khan, who served as Communications Director in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition up to today.” Unfortunately, the popular Khan, just 43 years old, was not vaccinated”.

Blogger Matthew said, “Mr. Harmon, that is a well thought out comment…why do you not make such a well thought out appeal to your supporters to get the vaccination?”

Blogger “Ashton” said, “Why can’t the APNU/ AFC come forward and state that it joins with the Government for mandatory vaccination of all Guyanese? Many have fallen already, and a lot of blame is at the feet of the Opposition. All lives matter, and we have the responsibility to accept scientific evidence-based facts in relation to the vaccines. We must all demand Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon to come out and lead the APNU/AFC on this issue.”

Mr Harmon, what will it take for you to act in the national interest by encouraging your supporters to be vaccinated? Do you not care? Do you have Pharaoh’s hard heart?

There is another report of the popular Mr CN Sharma battling, too.

Former PM Nagamootoo also lamented the death of his best buddy Imran.

I say, “Friends don’t let friends remain unvaccinated.” With COVID, you can be “here today, gone tomorrow.”

Blogger “Borapork” said, While the vaccine is not a cure for the COVID-19 virus, it can offer relief from the serious effects of the disease by stimulating the creation of antibodies that in turn minimise debilitat-

Change in location is of concern

Dear Editor, In a previous rollout schedule for the $25k one-off grant and 2022 pension book distribution, it was stated that the location for North Cummingsburg would be the Post Office located at Lamaha and Carmichael Streets.

Now, in a subsequent publication in the newspapers of Sunday, October 3, it is stated that the distribution location for this award is Parade Ground.

I find this confusing and concerning for security reasons in the prevailing circumstances. Were this change in location and the possible ensuing ramifications carefully thought through?

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

ing damage to the health of the infected…Many are refusing the vaccine for various reasons, mostly unscientific but mainly purely political. Many have begged for the vaccine as their oxygen levels dropped, but it was too late. Don’t join the ‘too late’ club. Get your jab.

Let the jab be part of your effort to remain alive….

Rest in peace, Mr. Khan.”

The PNC, PNC unions who held protests and filed lawsuits against vaccination, some churches and other anti-vaxxers must ask themselves if they are in any way culpable for influencing the unvaccinated to court suicide by refusing the vaccine. If they think they are “sticking it to the PPP,” they are seriously misguided. It’s your own people, friends and loved ones who are dying “unexpectedly,” “untimely,” and “unnecessarily.”

Blogger Col123 said, “… some folks are just wishing for the health care system to collapse…as if that will bring down the Government!…”

COVID has made widows and orphans in many families.

Many moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandmas, grandpas have died largely because most were not vaccinated. Breadwinners of homes were wiped out in the twinkling of an eye.

Khan’s death - which would have been avoidable if he were vaccinated - is one of the more-than 150 that have occurred in September, the deadliest

month since COVID hit Guyana. Infection rates have also been extremely high for September, with 6,000 new infections. Our health facilities in our poor country are straining towards breaking point. Our Intensive Care Unit staff are tired.

So you wonder: how can our Guyanese people see and hear all these things and don’t learn a lesson?

What more education do they need, Dr. Carpen?

I find it hard to disagree with Howard Stern that the “unvaccinated” are idiots. My friend Suresh said, “Ignorance can be educated and crazy can be medicated, but you can’t fix stupid.”

Former Minister Ms Cathy Hughes and Dr Somar are to be commended for encouraging vaccinations. Mark DaCosta said, “…it is time for the kidgloves to come off. It is time for vaccination to be made mandatory. It is time for all politicians to openly and clearly explain to their constituents the importance of being vaccinated. It is time for vaccine-refusers to be pointedly informed of the selfishness of their decision.

It is time for Guyanese to get serious about this pandemic, and put a stop to a crisis that is entirely within our power to contain.”

We have already lost almost 800 persons. Let’s all get vaccinated now! The rush to get the Sputnik second dose is commendable!

Sincerely, Dr Jerry Jailall

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

Page

Foundation

H

ave you ever stretched and launched a rubber band at someone? Put that energy to good use and build a rubber band-powered cotton ball launcher in this fun activity!

Materials Short pencil or popsicle stick Thin rubber bands (2) Cardboard tube (2 empty toilet paper tubes or empty paper towel tube cut in half) Packing tape or other strong tape Scissors Cotton balls Single-hole punch Procedure Use your scissors to cut one of the toilet paper tubes in half lengthwise.

Squeeze the roll so that it becomes narrower, about half the original diameter, then tape it to hold in place.

Use your scissors or your hole punch to punch two holes in the skinny tube (if you are using a popsicle stick, use scissors to make narrower holes the same shape as the popsicle stick). Make the holes opposite one another, half an inch away from the end, so that you can poke your pencil or popsicle stick all the way through the tube.

Carefully push your pencil or popsicle stick

By Lord Byron (George Gordon)

through the holes.

On your second toilet paper tube, cut two slits into one end of the tube, about 1/4 inch long and 1/2 inch apart.

Cut two more slits on the same end of the tube, directly across from the first two.

Carefully loop one rubber band through the slits on one side, so that it hangs from the cardboard piece in the middle. Put a piece of tape over the slits to reinforce the cardboard tab.

Loop the other rubber band through the slits on the other side of the tube.

When you are finished, the tube should have a rubber band hanging from each side.

Holding the rubber band tube so that the rubber bands are at the top, slide the narrower tube

into the wider one, with the pencil end at the bottom.

Carefully loop each rubber band end around the pencil.

Hold your launcher so that the pencil is at the bottom. Place a cotton ball on the top, so that it rests inside the narrower tube.

Hold your launcher slightly horizontally without dropping the cotton ball.

Pull back on the pencil so that the inner tube extends two inches out the back of the launcher.

Carefully aim your cotton ball – away from people!

Release the pencil and watch your cotton ball fly!

What happened?

In this activity, you used two types of energy to load and launch your cotton ball. As you drew

back on the pencil with the cotton ball loaded, you added potential energy to the system. The farther you pulled back on the pencil, the more potential energy was being stored.

When you released the pencil, the potential energy became kinetic energy, and the cotton ball should have gone flying through the air!

As you pulled back farther on your launcher, more potential energy was added to the system. And the more potential energy you stored, the more kinetic energy should have been released when you shot the cotton ball. As a result, the farther you pulled back on the launcher, the farther the cotton ball should have travelled.

(Megan Arnett, PhD; Ben Finio, PhD; Science Buddies)

So, we'll go no more a roving So late into the night, Though the heart be still as loving, And the moon be still as bright.

For the sword outwears its sheath, And the soul wears out the breast, And the heart must pause to breathe, And love itself have rest.

Though the night was made for loving, And the day returns too soon, Yet we'll go no more a roving By the light of the moon.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt signals zero tolerance for undue delays on Leguan, Bartica Stellings Attorney General Anil Nandlall, on behalf of the State, had sought $100 million in general damages, $100 million in aggravated damages, and $81 million under the mobilisation bond.

The State was also seeking $41.3 million as liquidated damages and $41.3 million for the performance bond. However, it has since been revealed that a settlement was reached between the contractor and State.

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill inspecting works at the Bartica Stelling last month

W

orks on the Leguan and Bartica Stellings are well advanced and according to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, the Government is keeping a close eye on both projects to ensure there are no further undue delays.

In a recent interview with the media, Edghill was asked about the Leguan Stelling in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and the Bartica Stelling in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Both are projects that should have been completed under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government. Both are projects that are still ongoing.

“We are well advanced.

We’re not going to allow further delays. We have engaged the contractors on both projects, Leguan and Bartica. And we are work-

ing through the issues to ensure we get the projects delivered,” the Minister explained.

“These are projects that we inherited, that were at the stage of failure. Poor performance, delays, creating suffering and hardships for the people. We are working to remedy that,” Minister Edghill said.

In February of this year, the Public Works Minister had ordered that the $413 million contract to reconstruct the deplorable Leguan Stelling be terminated since the contractor, S Maraj Contracting Services, failed to meet his obligation.

This came one day after the Minister and his team met with residents who echoed their concerns about the slow pace at which the project was being executed. On this note, Minister Edghill stated that the contractor applied for an exten-

sion to complete the project, but he posited that it was unacceptable.

A special report was done by the Auditor General, which determined that the contractor, S Maraj Contracting Services, was incapable, unable, and not in possession of the wherewithal to successfully execute the project.

The contract was signed on September 20, 2018, under the leadership of the then Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson.

The contractor received $199,435,000 in payments.

This is outside of the normal procurement practices and a breach of the Fiscal Management Accountability Act. The Government of Guyana subsequently initiated legal proceedings against S Maraj Contracting Services in March of this year for breach of contract.

When it comes to the Bartica Stelling, works were also supposed to have been completed under the former Government. However, works are now ongoing with contractor Courtney Benn Contracting Services carrying out the project.

Back in 2016, the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) of the Public Infrastructure Ministry had undertaken rehabilitative works on various stellings and wharves

across the country. These works were estimated to cost in excess of $311 million.

During that time, there was a complete reconstruction of the northern high ramp, and replacement of defective beams and planks of the Bartica docking area.

Repairs were also done to the timber roof valley and the supervisor’s office, as well as the northern fender system. Forty-six piles were driven during these rehab works. (G3)

Couple bound, beaten, robbed by bandits

A

36-year-old driver and his 30-year-old wife have been left traumatised after they were tied up, beaten, and robbed by two men armed with a handgun and a cutlass.

Reports are that the victims, who live together, retired to bed around 22:00h on Saturday at their Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank

Demerara (WBD) home.

However, about 03:45h, they were awakened by a male voice that commanded that they not move while hand over their money and jewellery.

The one of the suspects then proceeded to duct tape the male victim’s face preventing him from seeing and bound his hands with

straps.

He then proceeded to point a firearm in the direction of the woman, and demanded cash and jewellery while the other suspect kept watch at the door.

According to Police, the suspect with the gun then gun-butted to his head the male victim, who eventually directed them to the cash and jewellery. Meanwhile, the other suspect dealt the female victim a lash to her back with the cutlass.

Both suspects then ransacked the house. They made good their escape on foot through the front door in a northerly direction.

A report was subsequently made to the Police about 05:20h. Police have since launched an investigation.

(G9)

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The fire this time…

H

…hits the GPF’s solar plexus ere we go again - another day, another fire. But this time it’s not just any old building, but the most famous of all of Guyana’s Police stations - Brickdam Police Station. It’s on Brickdam St - the first road built (by the French) in the Stabroek section of what was to become Georgetown under the British. So, there we have it - a confluence of French, Dutch and British heritages gone with the wind like so many other historic buildings.

The most egregious, in the estimation of your (nostalgic) Eyewitness, was the spectacular New Amsterdam Hospital, which - not so incidentally - was also designed by the premier architect of Guyana - Cesar Castellani. His most famous creation - City Hall - was about to implode from the (lack of) ministrations by the PNC that’s been running the City since Burnham from the 1950s. Didn’t know that Burnham was once Mayor of Georgetown? Go to the back of the class, not-so-dear reader!

For those with a historic bent, your Eyewitness provides a background to what will be no more: “The Brickdam Police Station Complex is located with its main entrance on Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown and occupies an entire block ((Hadfield Street & Brickdam (east to West) & Sendell & Manget Places (north to south)).

The main building is believed to have been designed and constructed by Cesar Castellani. It’s decorative cast iron and a weather vane atop the roof are among some of its notable architectural features. Housed within the complex are several offices, which were once residences of affluent men in society and the police force.” Just change all the “is” to “was”.

Your Eyewitness won’t dwell too long on the response by the GPF’s fellow member of the Disciplined Forces the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) - to their then smouldering tragedy. Citizens who’ve bemoaned the ineffectiveness of the GFS in “outing” conflagrations can at least be assured they weren’t being discriminated against!! From all reports, there was as much cussing out of the GFS by their (uniformed) brothers as by long-burnt-out citizens. The main Fire Station in all of Guyana was just a block away!!

Your Eyewitness raises the possibility that Brickdam fire mightn’t be unrelated to the one that gutted that school in Mabaruma - or the fires in West Berbice last year.

We know, from investigations by the GFS, that Mabaruma was deliberately set; and, in fact, two explosions had been heard before that fire broke out. There will be, of course, an inquiry into the Brickdam Station fire, and your Eyewitness awaits this with bated breath. As Dr No proposed in the matters, the first time is “happenstance”, the second is “coincidence”.

And the third is “enemy action”.

…outed by Gandhi St? For too long, our poor mudland - especially in our once glorious Garden City - has been wracked by fires. Not just because of our ubiquitous wooden buildings, or children playing with matches. Sadly, too many of our (in)famous fires were acts of arson. It all began, of course, with the Black Friday fires of Feb 16, 1961 - executed by the PNC and the UF as their marriage was being stage-managed by “external forces” who wanted to see the back of Dr Jagan.

The subsequent arsons of 1963-1964 spread from the city into the Demerara countryside, to become a crescendo at Wismar - when Guyana experienced its first ethnic cleansing. After the PNC was sent backing in 1992, we experienced another extended bout of arson in the city. As we appear poised for another slow fyaah, maybe the suggestion that Middle Street be renamed “Mahatma Gandhi St” might calm matters?

If the reminder of the Apostle of non-violence, who inspired MLK, won’t calm some savage breasts, what will?

…but solar power next?

Your Eyewitness is happy about the 25,000 solar panels designated for the hinterland, where REDD funds have supplied panels for years.

Could some be sent to communities in the Mahaica and Mahaicony Creeks, where kerosene lamps are still being used by many?

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

NEWS

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Brickdam Police Station fire…

Robbery accused allegedly confesses to starting blaze A 26-year-old man of Lot 2292 Princes Street, Lodge, Georgetown has allegedly confessed to starting the fire that destroyed the Brickdam Police Station on Saturday.

The man reportedly made the confession on video after he was ratted on by two of his cellmates.

The Guyana Police Force on Sunday said the suspect was arrested on Saturday morning in connection with an alleged robbery-under-arms incident, and was placed in the Brickdam lockups prior to starting the fire.

The man reportedly told the Police that he became frustrated after being detained for a long period of time, and he then decided to start the fire.

The alleged confession resulted from the Police questioning all the prisoners at the Brickdam Station at the time of the incident.

Following the fire, the two informants were taken from the Brickdam lockups to the Sparendaam Station on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD), where they were placed in a cell with the suspect.

During that time in the cell, the suspect allegedly informed

The aftermath of the fire

the men that it was he who had started the fire which destroyed the Station.

The duo said the man allegedly told them that he took a piece of sponge, wrapped it on a piece of wire, and lit same with a cigarette lighter before pushing it through a ventilation hole in the cell. The cell was connected to another room that had some documents in it, and that was how the fire was started.

After the information was relayed to the Police, the suspect was interviewed on camera, and he allegedly confessed. He related the same series of events that occurred prior to the fire.

In a statement on Sunday, the Home Affairs Ministry said that while investigations are ongoing into the circumstances of the fire, efforts are underway to evaluate the performance of the Guyana Fire Service. The statement added that identification, recording and photographing of the destroyed vehicles in the Station’s compound are ongoing, along with the removal of debris.

“It is anticipated that, fairly shortly, the operational activities related to the Brickdam Police Station would recommence,” the statement read.

The fire started at about 11:00h, and blazed for over three hours, consuming a sig-

President Ali blasts Fire Service...

The rubble in the aftermath of the fire

He added that inefficiency in the public service will have to be weeded out.

Reverting to the Fire Service’s failures, the President said that, during the fire, several businesses called and offered support to help contain the blaze, but the Fire Service was unable to capitalise on that.

“I am publicly putting the Fire Service on warning: This cannot, and will not, be tolerated… One of the businessmen has his entire pool and a well that flows continuously, and the Fire Service was not in a position to make use of that offer. This lackadaisical approach, inefficient approach and indifferent approach, can-

not continue. No, it cannot continue,” he informed.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn has since been directed to launch an investigation into the GFS’s response to the fire, as well as look into more permanent solutions to house the operations of the Brickdam Police Station.

“I've asked them to look at containerised office and also reconfiguration of containers into office-type facility to support their operation. At the same time, I want to assure the public that we have heard them also, and we're going to examine the response from the Fire Service in its totality. I've expressed my own views on the response based

FROM PAGE 3

on factual positioning of what was happening and based on the type of calls I received to support that they were unable to take because of a state of readiness,” he said.

President Ali also directed the head of the Diaspora Unit to compile a list of names of retired Fire Chiefs in the diaspora in an effort to bring their expertise to the GFS. He noted that the move is more aimed at professionalising the Fire Service so that it can be more efficient.

As recently as in last August, the Fire Service hosted operation “Get Ready” on Robb Street, Georgetown, as it tested the ability of 60 of its ranks to respond to major fires. As part of the exercise, several fire trucks, the high ladder truck, and the fire boat - which was sending water from the Demerara River at the John Fernandes Wharf - were operationalised.

Additionally, all fire hydrants in the city were checked.

The Guyana Police Force has since said that the fire was started by a prisoner housed in the Brickdam lockups.

nificant chunk of the three-storey structure.

Three hours later, 80 per cent of the Brickdam Police Station was ravaged, painting a picture of charred vehicles and tonnes of debris within the compound. Fire Chief

Kalamadeen Edoo was on site, but did not engage the media at that time. Among the destroyed facilities are the Property Room, Inquires Office, Traffic Department and Officers’ Mess. Just the barracks, located on the western

end and lining Manget Place, remained intact, along with the Impact Building and the lockups.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn had called a press conference, in which he labelled the situation as a “great loss” for the Joint Services. According to Benn, the Police were able to account for all 16 prisoners within the facility, salvage records, and secure the station’s arsenal of weapons before the situation descended into greater chaos.

This publication understands that 398 officers were working from the compound – which was over 100 years old.

The complex also lacked the requisite fire prevention equipment, namely fire buckets, extinguishers, sprinkler system.

(G2)

10 NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

"Oh Lord, take my life!" – drunken man pleads as fire guts home R

esidents of Kwakwani Park, Region Ten (Upper Berbice River) had to pull a drunken Kelvin Gordon from his burning home on Sunday morning before the structure was completely destroyed by fire.

The Police have said that at around 09:50h on Sunday, the single-storey wooden structure belonging to the 28-year-old Kelvin Gordon

Kelvin Gordon’s house was completely destroyed by fire

was on fire, but he was at the time lying on the stairway in an intoxicated state, yelling, "Oh Lord, take my life!"

Gordon was reportedly the only occupant of the building, and he allegedly is in the habit of consuming alcohol on a daily basis.

According to Gordon’s neighbour, a 62-year-old machine operator, on Sunday, at about 10:00h, he was at home when he sniffed something burning in the area. He immediately went to his verandah, and saw smoke emanating from Gordon’s home while the man was lying on his stairway in an intoxicated state, yelling: “Oh God, take my life!”

Neighbours rushed to Gordon’s home and removed him from the stairway, before forming a bucket brigade to battle the fire. Their efforts, unfortunately, were without success, because the fire spread quickly and consumed the entire building.

Police were later summoned to the scene, and Gordon was contacted and interviewed.

“He appeared to be highly intoxicated, and was unable to give vital information surrounding the fire,” the Police have said.

The origin of the fire is still unknown, but an investigation has been launched.

(G9)

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Teen, security guard nabbed with illegal gun, ammo Man chopped, stabbed by reputed T wife’s 'child father'

P

olice has launched a probe into a stabbing-and-chopping incident that occurred at Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara on Saturday at about 19:30h.

It has been reported that, in that incident, 29-yearold Terrence Glasgow of Nabaclis, ECD was stabbed and chopped by his reputed wife’s child-father.

According to reports, Glasgow was at his reputed wife’s residence at Golden Grove when the child-father turned up there, and an argument ensued between the child-father and Glasgow’s reputed wife.

This led to Glasgow in-

tervening, and resulted in the child-father stabbing Glasgow to his right-side chest and chopping him to his abdomen and other parts of his body before making good his escape on foot.

Glasgow’s mother rushed him to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. He remains hospitalised, but the Police have launched a manhunt for the suspect.

A few weeks ago, a man who attempted to make peace between his brother and another man was stabbed to his chest at Kildonan, Corentyne, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). (G9)

wo men were on Sunday morning arrested with illegal firearms during separate Police operations.

The Police have said that arrests were made in Pineapple Street, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown and at Micobie Village in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). In both instances, the men were caught with illegal firearms and ammunition.

It was reported that the first incident occurred at about 04:00h at Pineapple Street, East Ruimveldt.

Police have said an 18-yearold male suspect of Rasville, Roxanne Burham Gardens, Georgetown was found with a .38 revolver without ammunition.

Acting on information received, a party of Policemen went to Pineapple Street and conducted a search on the suspect. At the time, he was carrying a blue Lacoste shoulder bag which contained the .38 revolver.

The firearm found at Pineapple Street, Georgetown

He was arrested and taken to the East La Penitence Police Station pending charges.

And at Micobie Village, a 30-year-old male security guard was arrested with a 9mm Glock 19 pistol and nine live matching rounds.

It was reported that, af-

The firearm found at Micobie Village

ter receiving information, a party of Police ranks conducted a search at Lalo’s Shop at Micobie, and the suspect was found with the black 9mm Glock 19 pistol hidden in his crotch. There was a magazine containing the nine live matching rounds.

As a result, the accused was asked if he was a licensed firearm holder, and he produced a precept on behalf of a security service.

He was arrested and escorted to the Mahdia Police Station, where the firearm and ammunition were lodged. (G9)

16 NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt reiterates commitment to grow non-oil economy …as small miners given land in lottery

M

aking it clear that Guyana will learn from the mistakes of countries who failed to diversify their economies and suffered from the ‘resource curse’ after finding oil, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat has said that Government remains committed to growing the mining sector.

Bharrat was at the time speaking during a Mining

Lottery in Mahdia, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), arranged by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Natural Resources Ministry to allocate land to small miners.

According to Bharrat, mining benefits over 100,000 Guyanese, whether directly or indirectly. This includes those who are employed in the sector and their families, as well as the mechanics and those in

the trucking and other service industries which support the sector.

Bharrat has noted the importance of mining to Guyana in the context of Guyana’s population.

“We, as a Government, are committed to ensuring that we grow the non-oil sector.

Many countries in the world, especially those around us, like Trinidad and Venezuela, they made that mistake.

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat during the lottery

When they start producing oil, they forget about agriculture and other sectors.

We will learn from their mistakes. That is why we’re committed to growing the mining sector,” he said.

Bharrat spoke of the resilience of those involved in the sector, and noted that amid the global conversation surrounding protecting the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change, some attention has been turned towards gold mining.

“I know, over time, the way we do mining, our practices will have to change and adapt to new technology, methods and regulations. But the good thing about us, and more so as Guyanese, is that we’re resilient people and we can adapt to changes. And we know how to get things done, regardless of circumstances,” he said in his address to the miners.

“I say that in the vein that we’ve been hearing a lot about climate change of recent. And the big question among people is whether we will stop mining

in Guyana, because of climate change and global warming and amount of attention the protection of the environment is raising now.”

Referring to the recent floods in Guyana that saw communities throughout the country being flooded and the situation being categorised as a national disaster, Minister Bharrat noted that climate change is becoming more palpable. The Minister noted that the advocacy for protection of the environment can only grow under these conditions.

“Mining will be under some amount of pressure. However, I want to say to you that, as a Government, we are committed to building the mining sector. We are committed, and we will always say this: that we will continue to build the non-oil sector, and mining is a big part of the non-oil sector,” Bharrat said.

“Because, after oil and gas, the next sector that brings in the most revenue in our country is mining. Oil and gas cannot provide the amount of em-

ployment, whether directly or indirectly, as mining is doing or will do in the future. Oil and gas is not labour-intensive,” Bharrat said.

Meanwhile, several of the miners who benefited from the lottery spoke on camera.

Oswald Junior, who lives in Mahdia, lauded the initiative, and spoke of the importance of upgrading hinterland roads.

“It’s a good initiative, a good programme set by the Ministry of Natural Resources for small miners. And something very important I would like to emphasise, another point of support for the miners is maintaining and upgrading the hinterland roads to the mining district,” Junior said.

Leandra Samuel, another Mahdia resident, expressed happiness with the chance to be part of the activity and be awarded a lot. While Samuel is not directly involved in the mining sector, her husband is, and she noted it was a great opportunity for her husband to be an independent miner.

(G3)

NEWS

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 more unvaccinated persons die from COVID-19 …186 new cases recorded

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD OCTOBER 3, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

186

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

132

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

3925

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

31

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

8

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

17,077

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

15,406

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

32,483

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

27,596

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

359,222

FULLY IMMUNISED

199,978

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

G

799

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1499

REGION 2

1193

REGION 3

4342

REGION 4

15,583

REGION 5

1143

REGION 6

2317

REGION 7

1643

REGION 8

507

REGION 9

2380

REGION 10

1876

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

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

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

uyana’s COVID-19 death toll continues to rise, with the three more deaths that have been recorded as at October 03 taking the total number of deaths from the pandemic to 799.

Additionally, 186 new cases of the virus have been recorded.

The patients were admitted with COVID-19like symptoms, and died while receiving care at var-

ious medical institutions.

Samples were taken at the time of admission, which subsequently returned positive tests.

The deceased persons have been identified as a 63-year-old female from Region Three (Essequibo Islands–West Demerara), who died on Sunday; and a 52-year-old male and a 72-year-old female from Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), who died on

Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Based on the Ministry’s daily statistics, 31 persons are currently housed in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), while 132 are in institutional isolation and 3925 are in home isolation. There are 8 persons in institutional quarantine, and 27,596 recoveries have been recorded.

A breakdown of the gender statistics shows that

15,406 males and 17,077 females contracted the virus.

Regionally, there were 16 new cases in Region One (Barima-Waini); two in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); 34 in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 73 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); seven in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 11 in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); seven in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni); seven in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); five in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), and 24 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Adult first-dose vaccination uptake stands at over 359,000 persons, while the second-dose uptake figure has surpassed 200,000.More than 11,000 adolescents have also been completely immunised against the virus.

For this month, national emergency COVID-19 measures have allowed for the Lethem cross-

ing (Takutu Bridge) to be open on Fridays to facilitate the movement of people between Guyana and Brazil. The other measures have been renewed, and have taken effect from October 1, 2021. They will be in effect until the end on October 31, 2021, unless earlier terminated, extended, or amended by notice of the Health Minister after an assessment of the prevailing public health conditions.

The Lethem crossing will also be open on Thursdays, but only to facilitate the transport of essential goods and services.

Apart from these two days, the Takutu Bridge will not be open, and no flights are permitted to or from Brazil.

Other travel restrictions mandate that the Moleson Creek crossing between Guyana and Suriname shall be open three days per week, and the Public Works Ministry shall determine the days and times when the crossing shall be open.

The Ministry is also appealing to the general public to respect the confidentiality of the three deceased and their families, and to allow their loved ones to mourn their tragic loss in peace.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 EMERGENCY MEASURES (NO.2), which are in effect until October 31, 2021. This order emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or need any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline: 2311166, 226-7480 or 6246674 immediately, or visit us at www.health.gov.gy.

(G2)

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News

Govt seeking consultant to design secondary school at Prospect H

aving turned the sod for the construction of the new general secondary school at Parcel 106, Plantation Prospect, East Bank Demerara, the Government is now seeking consulting services for the design and supervision of the school.

Guyana has received funding from the World Bank for the cost of the Guyana Secondary Education Improvement Project (GSEIP), and intends to apply part of the proceeds for consulting services.

According to an Expression of Interest (EoI) published in the daily newspapers, the Education Ministry has, by virtue of its ongoing programme of school construction, an evolved design model of a secondary school. However, in keeping with the development of the curriculum and pedagogy, the design morphology must be continuously developed and refined to meet the current and future requirements of the Ministry.

The Government recently completed the construction of two secondary schools, at Westminster, West Bank Demerara and at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, which can house 1000 and 800 students respectively, based on a design developed

by VIKAB Engineering and Consultants Limited.

The Education Ministry now requires the services of a firm with suitably qualified consultants to work from that design, adapt it to the site-specific requirement, and incorporate such

In the case of a joint venture, all the partners shall be jointly and severally liable for the entire contract, if selected. Moreover, the EoI states that a consultant will be selected in accordance with the quality and cost-based selection (QCBS) method set out in the procurement regulations.

EoIs must be delivered in written form via the tender box to the Chairman, National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, which is located at Main and Urquhart Streets, Georgetown by Tuesday, October 12, 2021 at 09:00am.

File photo: Education Minister Priya Manickchand (right, holding spade) along with other officials of the Ministry, at the sod-turning ceremony in February for the new school

changes as are deemed essential by the Ministry for the proposed new general secondary school at Prospect.

The successful proponent will be expected to assume full design and professional liability for all services provided under this engagement.

Eligible consulting firms can indicate their interest in providing the services, and should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the services.

According to the advertisement, to be shortlisted, firms must have at least 10 years of experience in architectural, civil, and structural engineering design and development, with similar and proven experience in contract administration,

project and construction management, inclusive of schedule management, cost management, quality management, and safety management.

Additionally, firms must have successfully completed similar assignments during the last eight years. For this EoI, similar designs shall mean the design and contract administration of new primary, secondary, or tertiary education facilities that have a minimum student capacity of 500.

Firms should also have qualified professionals in the field of architecture, civil and structural engineering, quantity surveying, mechanical and electrical engineering; and health, safety security, and environment. Experience working in Guyana would also be an asset.

5 to go on trial today for murder of British teen

Murder accused Aaron Hing and Staymon George

T

he trial of five persons who are implicated in the 2015 murder of British teenager Dominic Bernard will commence today before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Berbice.

The accused are Aaron Hing, also known as “Neutral”, 29; and his friend Staymon George, called “Sherwin”, 27; who will be tried for the capital offence of murder.

Krystal Thomas, called “Kathy,” 25; Jahmeil Sinclair, called “Fross” or “Bacchus,” 24; and Sinfine Henry, called

“Coreen”, 39, will be tried for accessory to murder.

While Hing and George remain on remand, Thomas, Sinclair and Henry were each released on $300,000 bail pending the hearing and determination of their trial.

Hing is Bernard’s godbrother.

Bernard, 18, of Epsom, Surrey, England, was reportedly murdered at Kildonan, Corentyne, Berbice in October 2015. It was reported that the two men allegedly bludgeoned him before burying him in a shallow grave.

According to reports, Bernard had arrived in Guyana for a three-week vacation with his godbrother.

He was scheduled to fly back to England on November 5, 2015, and after he did not return home, his father contacted Hing to enquire about his son’s whereabouts.

However, Hing reportedly told his godfather that he was unaware that the teen was coming to Guyana. This raised suspicions, and after the father flew to Guyana, British and local law enforcement personnel were called in to investigate the teen’s disappearance.

This led to the teenager’s decomposed body being found in a shallow grave. His body was mutilated. A post-mortem examination had revealed that the young filmmaker had been struck at the back of the head. He sustained a fractured skull, as well as a broken neck. Police reportedly recovered a hammer which is believed to be one of the murder weapons. (G1)

The EoI outlines that the attention of interested consultants is drawn to Section III, paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for Investment Project Financing (IPF) Borrowers July 2016, setting forth the financial institution’s policy on conflict of interest.

Consultants may associate with other firms to enhance their qualifications, but should indicate clearly whether the association is in the form of a joint venture and/or sub-consultancy.

<<Quality education>> Meanwhile, during the sod-turning ceremony, Education Minister Priya Manickchand had said that the school would serve to provide access to quality education at the secondary level for students living along the East Bank Demerara corridor.

She disclosed that there are eight secondary departments within primary schools known as ‘primary tops’ and approximately 450 students being taught in auditoriums in three secondary schools on the East Bank of Demerara.

Manickchand revealed that the Education Ministry

wants to abolish these secondary departments and allow students that are being taught in less-than-desirable conditions to be placed in schools that would allow them to receive a high quality of education.

According to her, the United Nations reported that Guyana achieved universal primary education between 2012 and 2014. As such, she said, the Ministry is on the move to achieve universal secondary education.

To achieve this milestone, the Education Minister said, in 2014, the Ministry sought and received funding from the World Bank for the GSEIP. She added that, under this project, secondary schools were built at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara and Westminster, West Bank Demerara.

Moreover, she assured parents and students that the Government is committed to ensuring that the construction of the school at Prospect would not suffer from lacklustre management.

The Minister told parents that even with the Ministry creating access to quality education, the absence of parental support would cost children opportunities. (G1)

Guyana, Suriname Ministers to meet today to discuss ferry service

D

iscussions on resumption of the Canawaima ferry service, which has been out of commission for some time, will begin today with officials from both Guyana and Suriname meeting to iron out outstanding matters concerning the ferry.

This was revealed by Guyana’s Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, who explained that he would be meeting his Surinamese counterpart, the Minister of Transport, Communication and Tourism, Albert Jubithana.

“On Monday, both the Management Committee and the joint venture board of the Canawaima ferry service will be meeting at the border for discussions with the two Ministers responsible, which is the Ministers responsible for transport,” Edghill said.

“In the case of Guyana, myself, and in the case of Suriname, the honourable Jubithana. So, we’ll be meeting at the border on Monday to finalise all outstanding matters as (they relate) to the Canawaima ferry service.”

While the Canawaima ferry has left the dry docks, it is still not in service. At present, it is the MV Sandaka that is working the route. Edghill noted that the Sandaka is not conducting a daily service in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. He also explained that the Public Works Ministry has sent technical personnel to Suriname ahead of the talks.

“These management boards

The Canawaima ferry

have not met for long periods because Suriname did not have their directors in place. We were eager to get on with this since we got into Government; it took them a while,” Minister Edghill explained.

“They have since named their directors, and we want to be able to put all of the administrative and management issues that are outstanding to rest, so that the partnership between Guyana and Suriname and this all-important border crossing can be smooth, and safe, and cost efficient.”

In February 2021, the Guyana-Suriname ferry service had recommenced operating for residents travelling between the two neighbouring countries, following months of closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That changed in April of this year when the Public Works Ministry, in conjunction with the management of the Canawaima Ferry Service, had announced a suspension of all leisure travel to Suriname until further notice. The Ministry had stated at the time that only repatriation trips and health emergency evacuations would

be allowed during the lockdown.

The Canawaima Ferry Service Inc was introduced to Guyana on October 28, 1998 under the Companies Act, Number 29 of 1991, of the Laws of Guyana. It is jointly owned by the Governments of Guyana and Suriname, as each country owns 50 per cent of the issued share capital. Under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, some $488 million was spent to rehabilitate the MV Kimbia which serviced communities along the Berbice River and the North West District.

Additionally, major upgrades were done at the Guyana-Suriname Ferry Service… upgrades that included repairs to the manager’s office and VIP lounge; removal of vents and installation of doors; removal of windows, repairs to the washroom and waiting area, and some other works in the canteen and waiting area.

The project, which commenced on May 30, 2017, was executed to the tune of $9.2 million by Kascon Engineering Services of Region Six. (G3)

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

19

News More than 1000 vaccinated 341 cases for trial as Demerara Criminal at NCC drive-thru Assizes opens tomorrow

U

nder COVID-19 health protocols that are on par with international best practices, the October session of the Demerara Criminal Assizes will open on Tuesday with a total of 341 cases listed for trial.

The cases listed to be tried are for various offences, including murder, manslaughter, carnal knowledge, buggery, rape, indecent assault, sexual activity with a child family member, sexual activity with a child by abusing a position of trust, sexual assault, incest, attempt to commit murder, inflicting grievous bodily harm, trafficking in narcotics, abduction, obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy to commit a felony, robbery-under-arms, conspiracy to commit murder, wrongful confinement for ransom, and accessory after the fact.

Due to the pandemic, there will not be the highly-anticipated ceremonial opening, with traditional horsemen and Policemen marching through the streets of Georgetown.

The Judiciary has implemented Practice Directions for jury trials that serve to preserve the right of an accused person to a fair trial within a reasonable time, and maintain the integrity of the judicial process.

The Practice Directions were designed to minimise exposure to infection by Judges, jurors, court staff, the accused person, lawyers, witnesses, members of the media, and members of the public.

Parties to court proceedings will have their temperature checked before entering the courthouse. The wearing of face masks and observing the six feet distance are also mandatory for those in attendance. The courtroom and documentary evidence will also be sanitised periodically.

Face masks and sanitisers will be provided when necessary. Selection of potential jurors will be done remotely. According to the Practice Directions, cameras will be appropriately positioned to allow the Judge to have sight of each card pulled from the lot during the juror selection.

This process would be video recorded and noted by the Judge in his or her minute book with the Court Registrar supervising the Marshall and other staff at the location where the cards are being pulled. A written note of the process would also be made on-site by the Registrar.

Witnesses will have to remove their face masks while testifying, so that their de-

meanour can be assessed, except where they are wearing a transparent face mask.

According to the Practice Directions, in-person attendance of the prosecution and defence is optional for all sittings, as they can join via video link.

In the event that there is more than one counsel represents either side, only two of them for either side would be permitted in the court, sitting six feet apart. The other counsel can join via audio/video link.

Unless ordered by the court, an accused shall attend the trial remotely from prison using audio/video link.

Where the accused is on bail, their attendance at court is subject to directions of the court and social distancing requirements. All local witnesses may be required to attend court for the purpose of giving their evidence at trial, or they may testify by way of audio/ visual link.

A party responsible for calling a witness with a health risk shall make an appropriate application in advance to the Judge for the taking of the evidence of that witness via audio/visual link. All religious books to be used shall be placed in clear laminated covering.

The court will recess every 60 minutes to allow participants to move around while still social distancing, and for the courtroom to be ventilated.

Where the trial courtroom cannot accommodate members of the public with appropriate social distancing, they may view the proceedings remotely, but are prohibited from recording.

Where appropriate, members of the media may be invited to join the trials remotely. (G1)

Health personnel assisting persons at the drive-thru (DPI photo)

T

he Health Ministry’s COVID-19 vaccination drive at the National Cultural Centre (NCC) on Sunday saw more than 1000 adults and children being vaccinated.

Speaking with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Dr Ariane Mangar, Director of Disability and Rehabilitation at the Ministry, said persons turned up in their numbers to get vaccinated.

“It’s been quite a success.

As you can see, the cars have not stopped coming. Hopefully after today ,we’ll hit our 70 per cent mark with first dose administered to the public in Guyana,” Dr Mangar said.

Vaccines available to the public included Johnson and Johnson (single dose);

AstraZeneca (second dose); and first and second doses of Sinopharm and Sputnik V. The Pfizer vaccine was also available for adolescents.

Dr Mangar said the vaccination drive-throughs have proven to be effective.

Several of the persons who benefited from Sunday’s vaccination campaign spoke with DPI. “The experience was pretty quick actually; I was expecting to stay a lot longer, but the process was really fast, so kudos to the Ministry of Health for that and the jab was just painless,” said Jason Glasgow, who took his first dose of the Sputnik V. “The drive-throughs are a good initiative, plus it reduces the issue of crowding, so this is a pretty good idea,” he added.

Manicia Bouyea opted for the single-dose vaccine.

“I just got my dose of Johnson & Johnson. It wasn’t too bad, a little sting but that’s about it,” she said.

Vashri Badal had been waiting for three months to access the second dose of Sputnik V and was happy she could receive it “My experience was really good; the staff here were very pleasant and they work very quickly, so that was a plus,” she said.

The vaccination campaign continues in the coming week as Guyana works towards achieving herd immunity. Persons desirous of taking their vaccines can visit the Health Ministry’s online platforms for vaccination sites across the country.

Church sex abuse: Thousands of paedophiles in French Church, inquiry says

T

housands of paedophiles have operated within the French Catholic Church since 1950, the head of a panel investigating abuses by church members says.

Jean-Marc Sauvé told French media that the commission had found evidence of 2,900 to 3,200 abusers - out of a total of 115,000 priests and other clerics.

"That is a minimal estimate," he added.

The commission is to release a lengthy report on Tuesday. It is based on church, court and police archives, as well as interviews with victims.

The independent inquiry was commissioned by the French Catholic Church in 2018, following a number of scandals in other countries.

Sauvé, a senior civil servant, told France's Le Monde newspaper that the panel had handed over evidence to prosecutors in 22 cases where criminal action could still be launched.

He added that bishops and other senior church officials had been told of other allegations against people who were still alive.

Commission members included doctors, historians, sociologists and theologians.

More than 6,500 victims and

witnesses were contacted over two and a half years. The final report is 2,500 pages long.

Christopher Lamb, of the Roman Catholic publication The Tablet, told the BBC that abuse scandals had plunged the Church into "its greatest crisis in... 500 years".

Earlier this year Pope Francis changed the Catholic Church's laws to explicitly criminalise sexual abuse, in its biggest overhaul of the criminal code for decades.

The new rules make sex abuse, grooming minors, possessing child pornography and covering up abuse an offence under Canon Law. (BBC News)

Man’s body found at wedding house Pandora Papers: Secret wealth and … 1 in custody

P

olice on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) were, in the wee hours of Sunday, summoned to a wedding house at Goed Fortuin after receiving a report of a dead man’s body being found.

Dead is Rickey Persaud, 34, a labourer of Lot 8 Harrison Street, Goed Fortuin, WBD. Reports are that at around 02:30h, the man’s body was found lying motionless in his upper apartment, located at his sister-in-law’s home.

According to the dead man’s sister-in-law, who

lives at Recht-Door-Zee, WBD, she, her husband and other relatives were at Goed Fortuin celebrating the wedding of the dead man’s sister when there was a power outage.

After seeing that other houses nearby had electricity, she and her husband went to the upper flat of the house to check whether there was a problem with the mainswitch/fuse box. When she put on the electricity from the main switch, she saw her brother-in-law lying on the ground, motionless and facing upwards.

The Police were summoned, and several persons were interviewed. The body was examined, but no marks of violence were seen.

However, Guyana Times was informed that there had been an altercation at the wedding house earlier in the day.

The body was later taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), where it was seen by Dr. Barker and pronounced dead. It is presently at the WDRH’s mortuary, awaiting a PME. One person is in custody as investigations continue. (G9)

dealings of world leaders exposed

T

he secret wealth and dealings of world leaders, politicians and billionaires has been exposed in one of the biggest leaks of financial documents.

Some 35 current and former leaders and more than 300 public officials are featured in the files from offshore companies, dubbed the Pandora Papers.

They reveal the King of Jordan secretly amassed £70m of UK and US property.

They also show how ex-

UK PM Tony Blair and his wife saved £312,000 in stamp duty when they bought a London office.

The couple bought an offshore firm that owned the building.

The leak also links Russian President Vladimir Putin to secret assets in Monaco, and shows the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis - facing an election later this week failed to declare an offshore investment company used to purchase two villas for £12m in the south of France.

It is the latest in a string of leaks over the past seven years, following the FinCen Files, the Paradise Papers, the Panama Papers and LuxLeaks. BBC Panorama in a joint investigation with the Guardian and the other media partners have had access to nearly 12 million documents and files from 14 financial services companies in countries including the British Virgin Islands, Panama, Belize, Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Switzerland.

(BBC News)

20

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

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Make positive changes to how you live, handle your fi(March 21nances and get along with April 19) loved ones. It's essential to talk matters through and make fair decisions that everyone can agree with.

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(April 20May 20)

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CALVIN AND HOBBES

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SUDOKU

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Do what's best for everyone, not just yourself. Keep things in perspective and be open to suggestions. Take care of unfinished business.

You need to work to be part of the solution.

Live and learn. Ask questions to find out where you stand and what you can do to get ahead. Learn new skills to add to your resume, and market yourself to fit what's trending.

Stop thinking about how you want things to be and start making changes that will get you closer to your objective. Refuse to let someone make decisions for you.

Socialize and stay active.

Discuss your plans with someone who can offer expert advice. Finding out what's possible and what isn't before you dive into something will help you succeed. Make sure you are prepared.

Pay attention to how you present yourself to others, and you'll receive a compliment that gives you the boost you need to forge ahead with confidence. A romantic encounter will change things.

Follow the path that encourages you to do what brings you joy and makes you want to work harder. A creative outlet will prompt you to try something new and exciting.

Inconsistency will drag you down and hold you back. Make up your mind, then follow through. Use your imagination, and you'll discover new ways to overcome pending problems.

You can make a difference.

Refuse to let sentimenSAGITTARIUS tality stand between you (Nov. 23and what you want. Stay foDec. 21) cused on what's important to you. Refuse to let anyone sidetrack you or stand in your way.

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Put your money in a safe place, and don't let anyone persuade you to make a hefty donation. Trust in yourself and what you know, not in what someone tries to convince you to believe.

Opportunities will unfold if you are realistic and moderate in how you approach learning, work and spending habits. Refuse to let the changes others make influence you.

Emotions will skyrocket, and unexpected changes (Feb. 20will take place. Before you March 20) let worry and anxiety take charge, look for the positive in whatever situation you face. Better days lie ahead.

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21

Bowlers and Shubman Gill boost KKR's play-off chances

K

olkata Knight Riders simply had to win, and they kept their end of the bargain thanks to a superb bowling performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad that moved them to 12 points with one game to play. Winning with just two balls to spare meant their net run rate didn't jump by much, but their NRR is the best among all the contenders for fourth place, which means a win in their final game should see them through in all likelihood.

Sunrisers off to disastrous start Wriddhiman Saha was out second ball to a Tim Southee nipbacker, but could have survived had he reviewed. Jason Roy, who has come in since David Warner's ouster, looked to cut loose, but was tied down by

Varun Chakravarthy was good with the ball

through point, a front-foot cover drive, and, to top it off, a neat little dab past short third. It gave

leaving two youngsters --- Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma – having to resurrect the innings.

That wasn't to be. Shakib had Sharma stumped with a slider in the 11th over and finished with 4-0-20-1.

The slide continues Sunil Narine, brought into the attack in the eight over, maintained the Knight Riders' stranglehold. In trying to break

let it rip as soon as he came on in the fourth over. Originally in the Sunrisers contingent as a net bowler and signed as a shortterm COVID-19 replacement for T Natarajan, Malik bowled the fastest delivery by an Indian in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 with the third ball of his first over, which clocked 150 kilometres per hour. Having made Iyer hop around, he then troubled Nitish Rana with his zip off the pitch in his second over.

This spell coincided with the Knight Riders treading a cautious path, with Rana and Shubman Gill crawling along to add 9 off 25 balls at one stage. The asking rate was creeping up, with the Knight Riders 44 for 2 at the halfway mark. With three more overs to come from Rashid, it was by no means going to be a cakewalk.

Gill shreds pressure to secure victory After the famine came the feast as Gill changed gears. Using his feet to throw Jason Holder off his lengths, he pulled him imperiously for two boundaries in the 12th over to signal a

Sunil Narine conceded just 12 runs from his four overs

Shivam Mavi's tight lines as he kept premeditating and missing.

The frustration eventually got to him as he slapped a length ball straight to mid-on as the Sunrisers crawled to 17 for 2 in five overs.

Mavi's figures read 2-0-41 when Eoin Morgan decided to gamble with a third over for the fast bowler inside the first six. He erred and got picked off.

Kane Williamson took him for

Sunrisers a hint of momentum.

Shakib makes an impact Playing his first game of the second leg, and only his fourth overall this season, Shakib Al Hasan made a mark in his very first over, not with his left-arm spin, but with his athleticism.

A quick sprint, a turnaround and throw in one motion at the bowler's end had Williamson short of the crease as he tried to

Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik celebrate after pulling off the win

18, including four boundaries: a back-foot cover drive, a slap

steal a single in the seventh over.

It left the Sunrisers three down,

David Warner cheers for his team from the stands

the shackles, Garg, who could have been out on 5 had Shakib taken a simple pop-back, was out slog-sweeping to deep square for 21 to give Varun Chakravarthy his first wicket to leave Sunrisers 70 for 5. Two monstrous hits from the threatening Abdul Samad, Rashid Khan's failed helicopter shot, and Venkatesh Iyer's towering presence as a boundary catcher highlighted the rest of the innings as Sunrisers limped to 115 for 8. The spin trio of Shakib, Narine, and Chakravarthy ended with combined figures of 12-058-3.

In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Knight Riders have so far been able to shellack bowling attacks upfront to reduce the pressure on their middle order.

But here they were given a proper workout early on. Iyer was beaten for pace three times before he miscued an attempted hoick to Williamson at mid-off in the fifth over. Two overs later, Rahul Tripathi erred in picking length as he swatted a Rashid Khan delivery to midwicket.

Enter Umran Malik Talk about making a mark with raw pace. Umran Malik, the 21-year-old from Srinagar,

turnaround. He then took on Rashid and Malik, who slightly erred in trying to go full throttle.

Gill soon brought up a halfcentury, his first of the season.

When the Knight Riders took

Shubman Gill acknowledges the cheers after getting to his half-century

the strategic time-out at 84 for 2 in 15 overs, they were well on their way to victory. Gill and the struggling Rana departed soon after, but Dinesh Karthik and Morgan calmly completed

the job; Karthik's bullet drive first ball and a cracking cut off Bhuvneshwar Kumar crushing any little hope Sunrisers may have had. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD SUNRISERS HYDERABAD INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Jason Roy c Southee b Shivam Mavi 10 Wriddhiman Saha † lbw b Southee 0 Kane Williamson (c) run out (Shakib Al Hasan) 26 Priyam Garg c Tripathi b Varun 21 Abhishek Sharma st †Karthik b Shakib Al Hasan 6 Abdul Samad c Shubman Gill b Southee 25 Jason Holder c Iyer b Varun 2 Rashid Khan c Iyer b Shivam Mavi 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar not out 7 Siddarth Kaul not out 7 Extras (lb 2, nb 1) 3 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 5.75) 115/8 Did not bat: Umran Malik Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Wriddhiman Saha, 0.2 ov), 2-16 (Jason Roy, 3.4 ov), 3-38 (Kane Williamson, 6.5 ov), 4-51 (Abhishek Sharma, 10.1 ov), 5-70 (Priyam Garg, 14.2 ov), 6-80 (Jason Holder, 16.1 ov), 7-95 (Abdul Samad, 17.2 ov), 8-103 (Rashid Khan, 18.2 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Tim Southee 4-0-26-2 Shivam Mavi 4-0-29-2 Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-26-2 Shakib Al Hasan 4-0-20-1 Sunil Narine 4-0-12-0

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS INNINGS (TARGET: 116 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Shubman Gill c Holder b Kaul 57 Venkatesh Iyer c Williamson b Holder 8 Rahul Tripathi c Abhishek Sharma b Rashid Khan 7 Nitish Rana c †Saha b Holder 25 Dinesh Karthik † not out 18 Eoin Morgan (c)not out 2 Extras (w 2) 2 TOTAL (19.4 Ov, RR: 6.05) 119/4 Did not bat: Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Tim Southee, Varun Chakravarthy, Shivam Mavi Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Venkatesh Iyer, 4.4 ov), 2-38 (Rahul Tripathi, 6.4 ov), 3-93 (Shubman Gill, 16.3 ov), 4-106 (Nitish Rana, 17.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-20-0 Jason Holder 4-0-32-2 Umran Malik 4-0-27-0 Rashid Khan 4-0-23-1 Siddarth Kaul 3.4-0-17-1

Too many vets, frets Wallace

Philo Wallace

F

ormer Barbados Captain and West Indies opener Philo Wallace believes the decision to include several experienced players in the Windies squad for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Twenty20 World Cup was highly questionable.

Wallace said he preferred

Veteran top-order batsman Chris Gayle has been given a medical exemption and controversially selected despite a prolonged run of low scores

to see younger players included in the 15-member squad because of the physical conditions that will exist for the global showpiece from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

“The selectors have seemingly placed a higher value on experienced players that

have been tried and tested rather than youth,” Wallace said.

“It is going to be a challenge for such a squad in such trying conditions in places such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Oman, where the T20 World Cup will be played.” (Nation News)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

Glenn Maxwell and Yuzvendra Chahal fire Royal Challengers Bangalore into the play-offs

V

irat Kohli's quest for a maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) title before stepping down as Captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore at the end of the season is still very much alive after his side became the third team to clinch a play-off berth in IPL 2021, holding on for a six-run win over Punjab Kings in Sharjah. Choosing to bat first, Kohli helped lay a solid foundation in tandem with Devdutt Padikkal by adding 68 for the first wicket before Glenn Maxwell powered on further with a half-century to take RCB to the highest total made by any side in Sharjah since the tournament resumed in September.

For the first half of the chase, Kings looked like they would track it down, reaching 81 for 0 at the 10-over mark. But despite 57 from Mayank Agarwal as part of a 91-run opening partnership alongside orange-cap wearer KL Rahul, the wheels fell off soon after thanks to an inspired spell of leg spin from Yuzvendra Chahal who claimed three wickets, including Agarwal’s. By the time the final over came around, 19 runs were needed and purplecap holder Harshal Patel had little trouble containing Kings’ lower order to secure victory.

Kings luckless in the field, with or without the umpires

Devdutt Padikkal and Virat Kohli put on a 50-run partnership for the first wicket

Despite a wicketless powerplay, Kohli and Padikkal's

RCB celebrating their win

to their last 10. The Kings Captain continued his run as the leading scorer in the IPL with another sharp burst at the top of the order in tandem with Agarwal.

But once he fell for 39 off 35, the chase began to flounder.

Chahal built off the Rahul breakthrough by inducing a topedged sweep from Nicholas

AB de Villiers and Glenn Maxwell put on a 73-run stand

partnership was at times a meandering one, and also had its share of luck. Kohli was dropped twice, on 9 and 10, while

Yuzvendra Chahal gave RCB key breakthroughs once again

SCOREBOARD ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Virat Kohli (c) b Henriques 25 Devdutt Padikkal c †Rahul b Henriques 40 Dan Christian c Khan b Henriques 0 Glenn Maxwell c Khan b Mohammed Shami 57 AB de Villiers run out (Khan) 23 Shahbaz Ahmed b Mohammed Shami 8 Srikar Bharat †not out 0 George Garton b Mohammed Shami 0 Harshal Patel not out 1 Extras (lb 5, w 5) 10 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 8.19) 164/7 Did not bat: Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Fall of wickets: 1-68 (Virat Kohli, 9.4 ov), 2-68 (Dan Christian, 9.5 ov), 3-73 (Devdutt Padikkal, 11.4 ov), 4-146 (AB de Villiers, 18.2 ov), 5-157 (Glenn Maxwell, 19.2 ov), 6-163 (Shahbaz Ahmed, 19.4 ov), 7-163 (George Garton, 19.5 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Aiden Markram 1-0-5-0 Mohammed Shami 4-0-39-3 Arshdeep Singh 3-0-42-0 Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-35-0 Harpreet Brar 4-0-26-0 Moises Henriques 4-0-12-3

Padikkal was allowed to continue batting on 35 in controversial

PUNJAB KINGS INNINGS (TARGET: 165 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) KL Rahul (c)†c Patel b Shahbaz Ahmed 39 Mayank Agarwal c Mohammed Siraj b Chahal 57 Nicholas Pooran c Padikkal b Chahal 3 Aiden Markram c Christian b Garton 20 Sarfaraz Khan b Chahal 0 Shahrukh Khan run out (Patel) 16 Moises Henriques not out 12 Harpreet Brar not out 3 Extras (lb 2, nb 1, w 5) 8 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 7.90) 158/6 Did not bat: Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh Fall of wickets: 1-91 (KL Rahul, 10.5 ov), 2-99 (Nicholas Pooran, 12.5 ov), 3-114 (Mayank Agarwal, 15.2 ov), 4-121 (Sarfaraz Khan, 15.5 ov), 5-127 (Aiden Markram, 16.5 ov), 6-146 (Shahrukh Khan, 19.1 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W Mohammed Siraj 4-0-33-0 George Garton 4-0-27-1 Shahbaz Ahmed 3-0-29-1 Harshal Patel 4-0-27-0 Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-29-3 Dan Christian 1-0-11-0

circumstances after Rahul's use of a DRS was unsuccessful despite UltraEdge showing a clear spike on a failed reverse sweep where the ball appeared to graze Padikkal's gloves on the way through to the keeper.

Moises Henriques finally broke the partnership and then some, taking three wickets in the space of seven balls in the 10th and 12th overs. Kohli was bowled for 25 by one that kept low. Dan Christian bagged a golden duck, mistiming a drive to backward point. And Padikkal was finally sent back for 40. This time there was no need for the third umpire to intervene as an attempted cut produced a thin edge that was well held by Rahul standing up to the stumps. Royal Challengers were under pressure at 73 for 3.

Maxwell tortures his former franchise The Australian power hitter gave a handy reminder to his old team-mates about why he's such a valued resource in T20 cricket, hitting 57 off 33 balls. With AB de Villiers struggling to get going at one end, Maxwell dominated their 73-run partnership with a flurry of sixes, mostly off the slog sweep against the spin duo of Harpreet Brar and Ravi Bishnoi.

But it wouldn't have been Maxwell ball without a reverse at some stage and he executed one to perfection against Bishnoi in the 18th over to secure another boundary. He brought up his half-century off 29 balls and was dismissed only in the final over, by which time Royal Challengers had put up a strong total on the board, the best by any team in Sharjah this season.

Another excellent Kings platform goes to waste Rahul might well become a chief lobbyist on behalf of the T10 brigade following his team's contrasting fortunes this season in their first 10 overs compared

Pooran, dismissing him for 3 in the 13th over. Agarwal was another victim of the extra bounce in Chahal's legbreaks as a catch swirled over to short third man in the 16th over. Three balls later, Chahal capped his haul by defeating a flummoxed Sarfaraz Khan for a golden duck. At 121 for 4 in 16, the Kings’ required rate of

11 per over through the last four proved to be a herculean task.

Now in addition to needing a victory in their final match, the Kings will need a series of other results to go their way to have any chance of securing the fourth and final play-off berth.

(ESPNcricinfo)

“I really enjoy coaching at the youth level” – Sir Curtly … says coaching youths gives him the chance to make a difference

S

uccessful West Indies fast bowler, Sir Curtly Ambrose said he has enjoyed his recent sting as specialist bowling consultant during the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Under-19 High Performance Camp in Antigua during the month of August.

According to the Antiguan, he prefers to work with cricketers at that age as it presents the opportunity to ensure they develop the proper techniques at an early age.

“I really enjoy coaching, especially at the youth level because I think this is where it starts, at the youth level. Once we get to the international level, I am seeing too many deficiencies in international cricketers from the Caribbean which simply means that something didn’t go right in their development.

I believe that as long as I am involved with the youth, that I can get these guys to be better cricketers so that when they get to the First-Class level and ultimately the international level, they are not

too far off,” he said.

The Antiguan, one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time with 405 Test wickets and another 225 in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), said the young players made his job extremely easy given their inquisitive nature.

“These guys are a bunch of good guys to work with and they question me about cricket every single day in terms of the past and how I did it, what it takes and so, it makes my job a lot easier because they are willing to learn and they are seeking knowledge, so that is very important. They are coachable and that is key,” Sir Curtly said.

The Under-19s recently returned from a tour of England where they were beaten 4-2 in a six-match series against the England Under-19s.

England Under-19s won the opening match by 166 runs before taking the second match by just one run. West Indies rebounded in the third contest to

win by two wickets before England won the fourth contest by nine wickets.

West Indies again rebounded to win the fifth match by two wickets before England secured the series win with a nine-wicket victory in the sixth and final contest. (Antigua Observer)

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

O

n Saturday, October 2, the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) was host to a tournament generously sponsored by Sankar’s Auto Works and Auto Color. The tournament saw many of Guyana’s top golfers competing for the day’s honours. Also making a special appearance at the tournament was Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa.

Coming in at first place was Pandit Rabindranauth Persaud, who was five shots clear of his nearest competitor – shooting an amazing net score of 63,

Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa made a special appearance at the tournament

won prizes for best net score on

Avinash Persaud won closest to the pin

besting his 16 handicap by seven strokes. Persaud also

both the front nine and back

nine.

Full results: * 1st – Rabindranauth Persaud Net 63/Gross 79 * 2nd – Hardeo Ganpat Net 68/Gross 96 * 3rd – Eureka Giddings Net 68/Gross 99 * Closest to the Pin – Avinash Persaud The first-place winner carted off a trophy plus a $5000 voucher, while the secondplace winner got a trophy plus a $4000 voucher, and third place received a trophy plus a $3000 voucher. The best net front nine winner received a trophy plus a $1500 voucher and the best net back nine winner received a trophy plus a $1500 voucher, and the player nearest to the

flag received a trophy plus a $1000 voucher.

Making a statement on behalf of the LGC was President Patanjilee Persaud, who thanked everyone for playing their part as the Guyana Open was but a few weeks away. He went on to shower the sponsors (Sankar’s Auto Works and Auto Color and Valvoline) with high praise and invited them to come out to train at the club.

The highlight of the tournament was when the competitors were graced with the presence of Indian High Commissioner, Dr KJ Srinivasa.

In his speech,Dr Srinivasa said, “ It is great to be at this place; every time I come here I see great changes. The golf course is looking good, it tempts me to start golfing. I am happy that this tournament was held in honour of Mahatma Gandhi, who is celebrating his 152nd birthday. He fought against British colonialism, racism and [was] the man who got us independence. Of course, when India donated its first doses of over 80,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Guyana, that was part of the worldly outlook. Where Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi decided that despite India not being vaccinated, we must look out for our friends across the world.

I am very happy to say that over

Bartica Football Association hosts referees’ beginner course

Pandit Rabindranauth Persaud copped first place

65 per cent of this country is vaccinated and that again was a philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, that whatever we have we must share with our friends and with the world, and I wish that we can have more tournaments where we can have the Guyanese flag up more frequently.”

The LGC has noted that players who participate in tournaments from September 18 to October 25 would be eligible for consideration for

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team of professionals from the Guyana Football Federation's Refereeing Department conducted a three-day course in Football Match Officiating, which commenced on Friday, October 1 and ran until Sunday, October 3, at Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

The course was conducted at the Bartica Secondary School and was designed for persons interested in pursuing a career in refereeing.

Leading the team was Deon Innis, who is Head of the Refereeing Department and Executive Member of the Guyana Football Federation. He was accom-

panied by Natasha Lewis, Sherwin Moore, and Tyrone Tyre, all of whom function in various capacities.

Fourteen Barticians at-

tended the course, providing good prospects for the boosting of refereeing staff in the Bartica Football Association's jurisdiction.

free entry as a player in to the Guyana Open Tournament via a competition format. The points for free entry will be for the 10 best net scores for each tournament; also, points will be awarded to the top five players of the day, based on their net scores. The player who accumulates the most points at the end of the exercise will be declared the winner and can participate in the Guyana Open without having to pay the tournament fee.

“You can’t beat experience”

– Pollard confident veteran players will make big difference at World Cup

W

Some of the participants who attended the course

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est Indies Captain Kieron Pollard believes the team’s overall experience will be a critical factor in their bid to successfully defend their World T20 title.

The final 15 selected to represent the West Indies for the tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman has stirred up considerable debate in the Caribbean, with several questioning the age of the squad. Currently, the team boasts four players over the age of 35, with an average age of 30.6.

Pollard, however, sees the likes of Chris Gayle, Ravi Rampaul, and Lendl Simmons among several of the players who have won multiple World Cups, as a major advantage, particularly in tight situations.

“It’s great to have all these guys and myself playing together again,” Pollard told India.com.

“This hasn’t happened in a very long time. No matter

which way you look at it, you can’t beat experience because we have seen different scenarios time and time again,” he added.

“We react (to those scenarios) and we get the other players to react and understand the magnitude of what we are in and what we are about to do. Having guys like that to lean on is great, and guys that can get you out of situations where people might think, or you might think as well, that you can’t get out of.

“The younger guys get to learn and get to understand some of the things that are needed to be successful, especially from a T20 aspect.

As I’ve said before, we would have seen it time and time again all over the world, different situations, different conditions, different bowlers – having guys like that to help the younger guys, I think you can’t ask for anything better than that.” (Sportsmax)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2021

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

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