Guyana Times - Saturday April 17, 2021

“Little Guru” Sanskrit learning App launched P5

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

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4620

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

PRICE

'Dream Realised' housing drive

Govt allocates 350 house lots to residents of Region 2

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Rupununi P17 Chamber condemns recent actions

by CANU agents Police marine security P17 boosted with restoration of patrol vessel

See story on page 9

Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, handing over a land title to a resident of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Friday during the 'Dream Realised' housing drive at the Anna Regina Town Hall. The Ministry is currently on a two-day outreach exercise in the region

Uitvlugt sugar workers call for outstanding wage dispute to be resolved COVID-19 Family slams T&T death toll Police for climbs to 267 slothfulness in as 4 more die new cases recorded investigating Guyanese …115– over 37% positive cases are young people – designer’s murder Health Minister See story on page 3

See story on page 2

$80 VAT INCLUDED

See stories on pages 10 & 14

Young fisherman feared drowned …father suspects during fishing expedition foul play

Page 7

Pyramid scheme mastermind P8 slapped with fraud charges Labourer P8 charged for raping girl, 11

APNU/AFC P11 confident ahead of High Court ruling on election petition

Gun, ganja, cash unearthed during CANU, Police operations P16

2 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Family slams T&T Police for slothfulness in investigating Guyanese designer’s murder

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he family of Guyaneseborn fashion designer, runway coach, and cosmetologist 27-yearold Latchman Singh, popularly known as “Marcus” or “Marc Anthony”, who was found dead in his apartment on Tuesday last in Eldorado, Trinidad, has slammed the Trinidad lawmen for their “slow” pace in investigating the murder.

On Friday when contacted, the family noted that the Police are yet to make an arrest for Singh’s death, even though they are in posses-

sion of a CCTV recording taken from the area. The relatives stated that since the designer’s murder, they have been making several calls to the Police in that country but they are not being furnished with any information.

Singh’s mother, Bibi Zabeda Kassim, continues to plead with Trinidadian authorities to find her son’s killer.

“My son does not deserve this, he was brutally murdered, and I need justice. It is not easy for me, so please,

Latchman Singh, aka “Marcus”

whoever is authority please help me to get justice for my son. I would feel so happy and thankful if my son’s soul can rest in peace. He was a very amazing and wonderful person to everybody…I am pleading, please, please, help me to get justice for my son,” the inconsolable woman said.

The 27-year-old who hailed from Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD), had moved to Trinidad some six years ago in a bid to further his skills in the fashion industry.

However, on the night question, he was found by a roommate in a pool of blood in his apartment, clad in his underwear, and his body bore several stab wounds.

Based on the results of the post-mortem examination that was conducted on Singh’s body, he died from multiple stab wounds to the neck and upper back, and blunt trauma to the head.

Meanwhile, reports coming out of Trinidad revealed that Police are continuing to search for clues in the designer’s murder.

The dead man’s roommate, 22-year-old Ronaldo Gosein, who shared the apartment with him, revealed to the media that he is still baffled as to who might want to kill the man since he did not have any enemies nor did he receive threats recently.

As Singh’s family continue to wait for justice to be served, they have already started making funeral arrangements. It is still unclear if the family would get the opportunity to bid their loved one a final goodbye.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, April 17 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Sunday, April 18 – 09:00h – 10:30h.

Uitvlugt sugar workers call for outstanding wage dispute to be resolved

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, April 17 – 06:30h – 08:00h and Sunday, April 18 – 07:15h – 08:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE Parika and Supenaam departure times - 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunshine during the day. There will be clear skies during the night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.

Sugar workers of Uitvlugt Estate picketing on Friday morning for better wages

their contributions.

Meanwhile, GAWU said it remains open to

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 5.81 metres.

High Tide: 07:13h and 19:45h reaching maximum heights of 2.51 metres and 2.33 metres.

Low Tide: 13:16h reaching a minimum height of 0.72 metre.

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Concerned sugar workers gather outside Uitvlugt Estate

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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Change %

Crude Oil

$66.77/barrel

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$1761.10 0.00

$1784.80 0.00%

orkers attached to the Uitvlugt Estate, West Coast Demerara (WCD), have joined calls for the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc (GuySuCo) to resume discussions on the wage/salary improvements for the period 2019 to 2021.

As such, the workers staged a picketing exercise on Friday morning.

In a subsequent statement, the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) explained that at its last meeting with GuySuCo on March 9, 2021, the parties left with the unambiguous understanding that the Corporation would inform the Union of its position by the end of March.

After not hearing from the sugar company, GAWU said it wrote GuySuCo a month later on April 9 but the sugar company has not yet acknowledged the Union’s correspondence.

“The workers held that the GuySuCo was disrespectful to them and the Union. They shared that GuySuCo has boasted of massive investments in the fields and factories but there is no such boisterousness when it comes to addressing the plight of the workers.

The workers contended in as much as the Corporation recognised the need for investment in its physical assets, its human assets also required some level of investment as well,” the Union said in Friday’s missive.

It went on to highlight the workers’ frustration over the pay freeze they suffered under the coalition’s term in office, noting that some of them were earning just above the national minimum wage.

“This, they said, was hardly sufficient to take care of their families. Workers shared that they recognised the plight of the Corporation and were in empathy but nonetheless believed that something should be done to

at least alleviate their situation as efforts are furthered to turn the industry around.

Key to the success of the industry’s climb from the doldrums is a motivated and committed workforce,” the GAWU statement outlined.

Nevertheless, the workers expressed delight at the recent comments of GuySuCo Chief Executive Officer, Sasenarine Singh, who said in an interview that the Corporation is seeking to sell sugar at higher prices.

This initiative is lauded by the sugar workers, who are hopeful that even greater quantities of sugar can be sold in the new markets touted. Workers held that their efforts are partially responsible for the improvements heralded and they ought to receive some due reward for

frank discussions with the Corporation.

“The GAWU and the workers are eager to find an amicable settlement that is fair to all sides. It is our belief that a settlement could be within reach, but it requires an open mind on all sides. We believe at this time no stone should be unturned as the workers, the Union and the Corporation put their best foot forward to reinvigorating the sugar industry,” the statement outlined.

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guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 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

Strenuous efforts needed to tackle drug trafficking

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he authorities in Guyana are facing some real challenges in relation to tackling the issue of drug trafficking and the related problems that come with such activity.

While there have been some successes at preventing traffickers from being successful in carrying out these illegal acts, it is clear that there is still much work to be done to put a real dent on drug trafficking.

In some cases, persons carrying illegal drugs slip through our ports here undetected. It is only when they arrive at their destinations that they are discovered with the illegal drugs.

The same goes for cargo containers, boxes, parcels, and so on.

In quite a few cases, they pass through the relevant security systems here undetected due to what some perceive to be collusion of numbers of officers from the relevant agencies involved.

International and regional institutions have, for quite some time now, been trying to come up with a strategy that would reverse this growing threat, but traffickers are becoming smarter and are using other methods to “beat the system,” thereby creating more difficulties for law enforcement agencies.

Counter-drug efforts have pushed traffickers to use new routes through the Caribbean as they seek to ship illegal drugs from South America into the United States, Europe and other destinations. They are also using containers with the aim of concealing the illegal items. It is no secret that, in the past, large amounts of drugs have transited in and out of Guyana on cargo and other ships. Cocaine is often concealed in legitimate commodities and smuggled via commercial maritime vessels, air transport, human couriers, “go-fast” boats, or various postal methods.

The Caribbean is the midway point between illicit drug producers in the south and consumers in the north. Despite the interception of cocaine and other illegal items by local law enforcement officials, the United States and other international agencies believe that large volumes still pass through Guyana’s borders undetected.

A key report on the global fight against drug trafficking and money laundering, which was released by the United States Department of State, had noted that Guyana has a long road ahead in combating the drug scourge. The report stated that Guyana is a transit country for cocaine destined for the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, and West Africa.

Cocaine originating in Colombia is smuggled to Venezuela, and onward to Guyana by sea or air. The report had said that smugglers also transit land borders with Brazil, Venezuela, and Suriname.

Traffickers are attracted by the country’s poorly monitored ports, remote airstrips, intricate river networks, porous land borders, and weak security sector capacity.

On the positive side, with US funding through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Container Control Programme (CCP) established “a multi-agency CCP Port Control Unit at a city wharf.

The objective in setting up the unit was to strengthen the country’s capacity to combat the threats posed by drug and gun traffickers using shipping containers to ply their trade.

This was an excellent initiative, which has seen some successes so far in preventing illegal items from passing through our borders.

Also, Guyana has enacted crucial legislation that could enable a more effective response to the threat of drug trafficking. For example, the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Act of 2009, Interception of Communications Act of 2008, Criminal Law Procedure Act (revised in 1998), and Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act of 1988 were designed to enhance the investigative capabilities of law enforcement authorities and prosecutors to obtain convictions for drug traffickers.

Certainly, drug trafficking and related criminal activities represent one of the most potent threats to democracy and stability in Guyana and the region. It undermines the rule of law and democratic governance, hence strenuous efforts must be made by all stakeholders involved to win the battle against traffickers.

It should be noted, too, that drug trafficking is not only associated with violence and organizsd crime, but evidence shows that it is linked to terrorist activities, and is also connected to money laundering, arms and human trafficking, and corruption.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips, met with members of the Junior Chambers International (JCI) Guyana to discuss a campaign which aims at encouraging the public to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines and to get vaccinated against the virus.

In photo are the Prime Minister, JCI’s President, Kestine King; JCI Vice President of Projects and Community Development, Deshawn Walcott; and JCI Senator/Advisor Kevin Cornette

Don’t waste time making head-to-head comparison of vaccines, the best vaccine is the one you take Dear Editor It seems like commentary and some people’s attitude (in every part of the world) cannot move away from “I want the best COVID-19 vaccine”, which mainly translates to vaccines with high efficacy in clinical trials.

This is a reminder that the main goal of vaccination campaigns is to get a significant proportion of the population vaccinated, to the point where person-to-person spread of the disease is unlikely.

It’s prioritising the collective, but with individual benefit in the end. The faster people realise this, the better the chances of beating this pandemic – sooner rather than later (globally). I say “sooner” because it’s not going to happen soon.

We are stuck with the coronavirus and its variants for a while, that’s the reality; so, the best thing we can do to counteract this is to get vaccinated and still practise control measures (hand washing, social distancing, wearing a mask, etc.) until we’ve driven down transmission to a minimum. Eventually, in years to come, maybe it would be eradicated; but that is going to take quite some time.

Get vaccinated, because you are giving yourself a major boost to fight the virus, by allowing yourself to build immunity (without being infected with the virus); and stock up on antibodies (our soldiers in our body’s defence system, at war with the virus). At the same time, keep up the control measures, like wearing your mask, because it would take time for you to develop immunity and make antibodies, once vaccinated.

In addition, although you

may be boosted, or don’t become ill, and death is prevented with vaccination, you can still become infected and asymptomatic, and therefore be a virus spreader, so others aren’t safe.

Again, caring for the collective is the best way to beat the pandemic. Further, if there is a significant number of people who are susceptible to infection, the virus still has the opportunity to try and evade our immune system by mutating into worse forms forms which may render current vaccines ineffective. So, until a significant portion of the population is immunised, the control measures are very necessary.

In the words of the WHO Director, “No one is safe, until everyone is safe.”

Get vaccinated with the vaccine available, unless there is evidence to show that the vaccine just does not work. To my knowledge, all approved vaccines are effective. Note, however, that lining them up head-to-head to compare according to efficacy (in clinical trials) is a waste of time, and shouldn’t factor into the decision to get vaccinated.

Here is why: 1. Every vaccine efficacy is calculated the same way, but clinical trials for the different vaccines were done in different places and under different conditions. To align the vaccines and compare efficacies, the clinical trials would have to be done in the same place and under the same conditions.

2. Efficacy is a measurement done usually in large scale Phase 3 clinical trials (10s of thousands of participants). Half of the partici-

pants get the vaccine, while the other half is given a placebo. They are then monitored for COVID-19. In the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine trial, there were 170 cases of COVID-19 out of a total of 43,448 participants injected (F. Polack et al., NEJM, 2020, 383, 260315). The number of cases in each group (placebo vs vaccine) was used to calculate the efficacy. If the number of cases in each group was equally split, then the vaccine would be considered 0% effective. If all cases were in the placebo group, then it would be 100% effective (no one given the vaccine got sick). What happened in the trial is that 162 people in the placebo group got COVID-19, while just 8 in the vaccine group got it. This corresponds to 95% efficacy; so, an individual who got the vaccine was 95% less likely to get COVID-19. So, a trial conducted at a time with more overall infections would likely result in a lower efficacy.

3. Vaccines target specific strains/variants of a virus, and if/when there are new forms, the efficacies vary, current vaccines may need to be modified to maintain efficacy (as was done for the flu vaccine, as the influenza virus is notorious for mutating to produce new strains/subtypes, and vaccine effectiveness averages 40-60%).

We have seen this with the coronavirus variants that have emerged, where there are decreased efficacies of current vaccines and, in one case, of it being ineffective against the variant (the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine against the dominant variant strain of the virus in South Africa).

Additionally, the trials (in

which efficacies were measured) for the different vaccines were done at different times in the pandemic when a different proportion of variants was circulating.

The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna trials were predominantly done in the US at a time in the pandemic when infection numbers were a lot less than when the Johnson and Johnson trials were conducted. In addition to the US, the Johnson and Johnson trial comprised a significant portion of participants in Brazil and South Africa, where there were more contagious variants emerging (B.1.351 in SA and P.1 in Brazil) in addition to a high number of infections, so it’s not surprising that the efficacy measured for the J&J vaccine was less than that of the other two vaccines (where trials were conducted when it was mainly the original strain circulating).

Therefore, you can’t just line up the efficacies of the vaccines and say the best one is the one with the largest number. It’s not that simple, as many other variables come into play. The vaccines currently being rolled out in Guyana – Oxford/ AstraZeneca, Sinopharm and Sputinik V – were trialed in different parts of the world, so a head-to-head comparison of efficacy is not meaningful.

The best vaccine is the one you take, as vaccination is the long-term tool to get out of the pandemic - when most are vaccinated and person-to-person virus transfer is suppressed. It takes a collective effort.

Sincerely, Jacquelyn Jhingree, PhD

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

5

News

“Little Guru” Sanskrit learning app launched

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Indian High Commissioner to Guyana Dr KJ Srinivasa and other officials at the launch on Friday

n order to promote one of the oldest languages, the Government of India last week launched the “Little Guru” app for persons to learn Sanskrit and now persons in Guyana, as well as other Caribbean countries, can also tap into the technology.

The specialised app was formally launched on Friday by Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr K J Srinivasa, and will see persons in Guyana, Antigua & Barbuda, St Kitts & Nevis and Anguilla being able to learn Sanskrit.

This app was launched by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on April 9 in India to commemorate the 71st ICCR Foundation Day. Ravi Dev of the Hindus

for Selfless Service (HSS) Sanghachalak and Vikas Ramkissoon, Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture also joined the High Commissioner at Friday’s virtual launch.

The dignitaries in their remarks emphasised the greatness of the Sanskrit language and suggested that all those interested in learning the language take benefit of the app. They outlined that the Sanskrit language is the best pathway to Indian culture and encouraged youngsters to learn the language using the app for their better understanding and immersion into the Indian culture.

Sanskrit, the oldest language, continues to be a living language, being used daily in religious activi-

ties as well as by scholars in accessing literary texts for research work, etc.

Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) is promoting Sanskrit across the world by providing books and material to Sanskrit institutes. ICCR also deputes teachers and professors to universities and institutes for teaching Sanskrit.

Over the past few years, ICCR has been receiving a large number of requests from across the world both from the Indian diaspora as well as foreigners interested in Sanskrit. Many of the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and other religious texts are in Sanskrit and there has been a great demand from such countries for assistance in learning the language.

Within the diaspora

Opposition Leader must stop the political grandstanding and recognise Guyana’s President Dear Editor, Guyana’s Opposition Leader, Mr Joseph Harmon, is still contending that Dr Irfaan Ali is not the legitimate President of Guyana, and says he would not recognise Dr Ali’s status as Head of State.

In my view, such a display of political grandstanding by the Opposition Leader is a case of “dolly house affair”.

Of note, the most honourable course for Mr Joseph Harmon, if he continues to disregard Dr Irfaan Ali as President of Guyana, is to resign forthwith as Opposition Leader, and give way…in order for good sense and goodwill to prevail.

If Dr Ali’s position as President is considered illegitimate, Mr Joseph Harmon’s position as Opposition Leader would equally be considered illegitimate, and null & avoid as well.

Sincerely yours, Paul Ramrattan

community, the desire to stay connected with their roots as well as to access the rich literary epics and texts of India has attracted a huge demand for Sanskrit.

A number of Sanskrit universities across the world have also been keen on an app which would help not only the students who are currently studying in these universities but also to act as a feeder for young scholars to learn Sanskrit before joining universities.

“Little Guru” is a gamified app based on an interactive platform which will make learning Sanskrit easy, entertaining and fun.

This app will help people who are already learning Sanskrit or those who are desirous to learn Sanskrit to do so in an easy manner based on games, competition, rewards, peer to peer interactions, etc. This unique app combines education with entertainment thereby helping keep the attention of the learner as

well as encouraging him/ her to advance further.

ICCR is confident that the launch of “Little Guru” will go a long way in popularising Sanskrit.

This app will help create awareness not only about language but also open the doors for people to access the rich cultural heritage of India. The developers of the app have provid-

ed the High Commission with a “special promotional code” for the people of Guyana for subscription at concessional prices to unlock the higher levels and learn advanced techniques.

For more details, interested persons can contact the High Commission at edu. georgetown@mea.gov.in or telephone +592-226 3996 & 2268965.

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SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

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SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GCCI urges young people to take COVID-19 vaccine

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oung persons are being urged to get immunised after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign has been widened to now include persons 18 years and older.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) on Friday encouraged its members, local businesses, and the general public to commit to supporting the robust COVID-19 vaccination efforts of the Ministry of Health, given the unprecedented and devastating nature of the pandemic in the country.

“During the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has had adverse effects on both lives and livelihoods. The pandemic affected business, our education system, changed how we work and interact with each other, and stretched our healthcare system to the limit. Getting our country back to health and reigniting our economy will require a large majority of our population to be safely vaccinated,” GCCI said in a statement.

According to the Chamber, the COVID-19 vaccination campaign would play a significant role in mitigating the pandemic’s economic, social, and health consequences in the year ahead.

The Ministry of Health announced on Thursday that, as of Friday, Guyanese who are 18 years and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

To this end, the GCCI strongly encourages all Guyanese within the eligible age group to visit the public vaccination sites in their communities and receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.

“While we are hopeful for a return to normalcy in the near future, the GCCI takes this opportunity to remind the public and businesses that people in our communities are still at risk. People are still in hospitals, and the coronavirus has not yet been eradicated. Therefore, we must remain vigilant in protecting

A young person getting vaccinated at the Ministry of Health on Friday

ourselves and each other by following public health measures to prevent the community spread of COVID-19, including physical distancing, hand hygiene, and the use of masks,” the Chamber has said.

Following the expansion of the vaccination, scores of young people turned up at the more than 100 vaccination sites across the country to get

Young fisherman feared drowned during fishing expedition – father suspects foul play

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young fisherman is feared drowned following a fishing trip in the Corentyne River in the vicinity of Orealla Village on Wednesday.

The missing young man has been identified as 21-yearold Devin Persaud, also called “Richard”, of Crabwood Creek, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Based on reports received, the now missing man and five othersMahendradat Mukram, 24; Azeem Naipaul, 27; Rakesh Deonarine, 47; Imran Baksh, 26; and Shazim, 16, left on a fishing expedition in the Corentyne River.

However, the men reported that at about 23:30h on the day in question, Persaud jumped overboard to “beat water to chase fish in the seine”.

About ten minutes later, Persaud called out to the others to collect him, but as they

approached him, he reportedly let go of the life jacket and, within seconds, disappeared under the water.

The others reportedly searched the area up to 3:00h the next morning, but came up empty-handed.

The owner of the boat, Parmeshwar Taju, related that the men were not expected back until Sunday, but instead they returned on Thursday evening with the devastating news.

However, the missing fisherman’s father, Parmanand, does not believe the narrative that is being told by the others, and as such, he suspects foul play.

“Me son lef fo go wuk…

Usually some boys does smoke dope on the boat. Me get fuh understand that like dem beat he and throw he overboard. Me hear dah in some boat.”

He noted that anoth-

Missing, Devin Persaud

er man reportedly told him that his son’s body was seen in another boat along the Corentyne River. “Right now, ah trying to fix this engine, so we can go and see for me self."

The matter was reported that the Police thus resulting in a search party being assembled to look for the missing man.

Uitvlugt sugar workers call...

Efforts to contact GuySuCo officials, as well as Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on this matter, proved futile.

Only in March, GAWU had accused GuySuCo of dragging its foot on the issue of wage increases for workers at the Albion, Corentyne, and Blairmont, West Coast Berbice Estates.

GAWU had explained then that salary negotiations have been ongoing for years and the Corporation seems to not be interested in bringing an end to the discussions.

At the time, the Union said that the new GuySuCo administration was informed that discussions should recommence on the issues surrounding the 2019 pay rise since it was agreed to and the workers were

asked to exercise patience while the Corporation comes up with a solution.

Following the March 9 meeting, GAWU said: “… the Corporation sought the Union to table proposals on wages/salaries for years 2019, 2020, and 2021. The GAWU’s delegation, which comprised representatives from the various estates along with Union officials, was most upset as it pointed out that the GuySuCo was already in receipt of proposals for years 2019 and 2020.

Therefore, it found the request bizarre and bluntly refused to accede to GuySuCo’s demand.”

The workers’ vexations were heightened then, after the Corporation, maybe inadvertently, disclosed the quantum of pay rise proposed for 2021 but yet re-

FROM PAGE 3

fused to put it on the table.

When the PPP/C took office in August 2020, it highlighted that due to gross neglect under the APNU/AFC coalition regime, the three existing factories – Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion – were only operating at 40-60 per cent capacity.

However, since then, efforts to revive GuySuCo have been on track with these three estates recording the highest daily production for 2021 as well as 2020 at 710 metric tonnes of sugar on March 11.

Since taking office, the PPP/C Administration has injected some 7 billion dollars into the sugar industry – $5 billion in the 2020 Emergency Budget and a further $2 billion in this year’s budget – to help in the turnaround of the sector.

immunised, in order to protect themselves from getting the most severe form of the novel coronavirus.

Government rolled out its COVID-19 vaccination campaign in February, and has since immunised over 70,000 persons.

Guyana has thus far received 83,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine as donations from the Governments of Barbados (3,000) and India (80,000). Another 24,000 doses of the AstraZeneca jab were received from the COVAX

facility, from which additional vaccines are expected next month. In addition, 20,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine were donated by the Government of China.

To further boost this amount, the Dr Irfaan Aliled Government purchased another 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine from Russia, of which Guyana has already received a total of 55,000 doses.

Another batch of some 83,000 doses of the Russianmade jab is expected to arrive early next week.

Apart from these, the Guyana Government is in talks with other manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines, including Pfizer and Moderna in the United States, as well as the Indian manufacturers of COVAXIN. Government is hoping to have the entire adult population in Guyana inoculated, in order to reach herd immunity.

Currently, the country is experiencing a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, and the death toll has been experiencing a concomitant rise.

Local authorities continue to

battle with this new wave of the novel coronavirus, which is seeing young people contracting the disease and infected persons becoming sicker, thus requiring hospitalisation.

Health authorities are reminding all Guyanese to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 EMERGENCY MEASURES (NO.16), which were extended for this month, and will be in effect until April 30, 2021.

Among these measures is the 22:30h (10pm) to 04:00h (4am) national curfew, which remains intact. Restaurants and places of worship continue to operate at 40 per cent capacity. Gyms are to operate at 50 per cent capacity, while sporting events are permitted only with approval from the Health Minister.

The order further emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home; the importance of maintaining the six-foot physical distance from others, and the need for good hand-hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

8 NEWS Labourer charged for raping girl, 11 A SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

27-year-old labourer of West La Penitence, Georgetown, was on Friday charged for raping an 11-year-old girl.

Stephen Gordon was released on $200,000 bail following his appearance before Principal Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Gordon was not required to plead to the indictable charge which stated that on December 29, 2020, in Georgetown, he

Rape accused Stephen Gordon

engaged in sexual penetration with a child under the age of 16. He will make another court appearance on May 5, 2021.

Facts presented by the Police prosecutor detailed that on the day in question, the child’s mother sent her to the shop to purchase an item but she never returned home until the next day. As a result, her mother went in search of her and notified family members that she was missing.

On December 30, 2020, the

child returned home and when questioned by her mother as to her whereabouts, she informed her that she spent the night at Gordon’s home. She also told her mother what had happened. A report was immediately made to the Police and based on investigations; the man was arrested.

A file was sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and it was advised that Gordon be charged with rape.

Pyramid scheme mastermind slapped with fraud charges

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eziah Jeuel Roberts, the Bel Air woman who is accused of allegedly operating a pyramid scheme, was on Friday slapped with four counts of fraud.

Roberts appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts where three of the indictable charges were read to her.

Police stated that on January 5, 2021, at Georgetown, with the intent to defraud, she obtained $80,000 from Lyn Melville by falsely pretending that she was in the position to invest the said money and deliver same in the sum of $360,000 within 21 days.

It was further alleged that on January 8, 2021, at Georgetown, she obtained $80,000 from Devika Hiralal, promising to convert and return same in the sum of $360,000. The

Keziah Jeuel Roberts

third charge stated that on the same date, she collected $80,000 from Melissa Rupai.

Roberts’ attorney in an application for bail told the court that her client is currently observing Ramadan and as such, bail in a rea-

sonable sum would be appreciated. The attorney furthered that the defendant had turned herself in when Police had issued a warrant for her arrest and has no problem complying with conditional bail.

Following the bail application, Roberts was released on $50,000 bail for each charge. Her final matter, due to its nature, was transferred for hearing before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan.

The charge stated that on January 9, at Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara, she obtained the sum of $40,000 from Saskia, pretending $120,000 would be delivered within 21 days.

Roberts was granted $30,000 bail on the latter charge. Meanwhile, she was ordered to lodge her passport and to report to the Special Organised Crime Unit until the conclusion of

the matter.

The matter was adjourned to May 21 On April 13, Police had issued a wanted bulletin for Roberts for questioning in relation to obtaining monies from several Guyanese while allegedly operating a pyramid scheme. Police stated that Roberts would have collected the money between September 2020 and February 2021.

6 charged for assault, use of threatening language

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ix persons who were involved in brawls appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Friday, where they were charged with assault and threatening language.

Bryan Clarke was placed on bail in the sum of $10,000 after he denied that he assaulted Latoya Osborne and Shane Clarke on March 24 at St Stephen Street, Charlestown, Georgetown.

He is expected to return to court on May 11, 2021.

Also appearing before Magistrate Daly was Daniel Joseph and Sasha Kingsley.

Joseph pleaded not guilty to the charge which stated that on April 2, at East La Penitence, Georgetown, he unlawfully assaulted Sasha Kingsley. Following his not guilty plea, he was released on $10,000 bail.

Kingsley, on the other hand, also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Joseph. She too was released on $10,000 bail and was ordered to return to court on May 11.

Additionally, Matthew Johnson, Sonia Johnson and Laxmi Etwaru were also released on bail after they denied using threatening language against each other. They reportedly verbally abused each other on April 11 at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.

They are also expected to make their next court appearance on May 11.

Starting over…

Y

…with savannah farming our Eyewitness’s ears perked up when he read that several operators - the owners of Guyana Stockfeeds Inc, Royal Chicken, Edun Farms, SBM Wood, Dubulay Ranch, and Bounty Farm Ltd., along with the Brazilianowned New Frontier Agriculture - are banding together with the Government to form a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) to produce soya and corn in our Intermediate Savannahs. Once again, the Government will be providing “infrastructural development” for the project, and has already budgeted some $500 million for it.

We’ve been trying for decades to get those savannahs to produce “stuff”, but up to now, there hasn’t been much to show after all those efforts. We can start with the PNC’s efforts from the mid-seventies, using the free labour of the Guyana National Service to produce crops: corn, soya PLUS cassava, blackeye peas, peanuts and cotton. We’ll pass over the ill-fated scam of Global Agri, when a fast talker, Stan Green, persuaded Burnham that he could transform the Kibilibiri savannahs into producing corn and soya. Billions (in today’s dollars) were spent on equipment, but Stan (the man) walked away with his commissions, and without any experience, the project was abandoned.

It was transferred to the Ministry of Agri, which tried to produce the same crops, but folded up by 1978.

Then, of course, from 1976, there was the Caricom Corn and Soyabean Project, which had financial backing from regional and international funding sources. The 800ha (2000 acre) project was set in the undulating landscape of the neighbouring Eberoabo Savannahs. And we arrive at the simultaneous efforts of the GNS at nearby Kimbia - a total of almost 5000 acres by the three entities! And they all eventually failed by the time the PNC was voted out of office! Now, one difference is that all three were not only Government run - but PNC Government run. And here we find the aphorism of Rodney apropos Burnham everything he touches turns to sh*t! - quite appropriate!

This time, we now have private operators. But one of them, the Brazilian entity New Frontier (which we’re hearing about above), in 2016 had announced it had successfully conducted trials on cultivating corn on 25 acres. It was then moving on to develop 10,000 acres of land in the Ebini savannahs. Shouldn’t this company tell us how it’s done over the past 5 years? The truth of the matter is - with all the challenges - the Intermediate Savannahs can be cultivated. We see this over the border in Brazil, where, decades ago, the Japanese were growing soya on identical types of land. The Brazilians and Colombians have successfully followed suit.

The point your Eyewitness wants to make is that we have all the information necessary for success.

Do the businesses have the will? …with coastal mega-farms We’ve all been educated about the cure for the threatened “Dutch Disease”: agricultural diversification and expansion. The Intermediate Savannahs’ project stated above is part of that drive, and, in fact, the PNC had dedicated a lot of their manifesto ink in this effort. They were probably trying to make up for their abysmal failures between 1970 and 1990.

But there’s also a need to diversify agriculture on our coastland, and there might be the temptation to encourage mega-farms here also. But before they do so, they should look at the experience of Trinidad. There, President Jagdeo had presented CARICOM with the eponymously named “Jagdeo Initiative” that included the offer for the other territories to lease Guyanese land for the proverbial peppercorn.

Rather than grabbing the offer, the then still oil-rich Trinidad - under PNM’s Manning government in 2008 decided to launch 13 mega- farms in his country, with the above govt-private business arrangement.

They all failed. Why? …on vaccination Yesterday, the Government started vaccinating all adults - those 18 and over for COVID-19. Since they’d started with the over-60, of whom, there are more than 70,000, it means many haven’t come forward.

And are at risk.

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

NEWS

9

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

‘Dream Realised’ housing drive

Govt allocates 350 house lots to residents of Region 2 the aim of executing the Government’s manifesto which is to distribute 50,000 house lots.” To date, he noted, the Ministry has distributed 3600.

Meanwhile, Minister Susan Rodrigues told the residents that the initiative is a fulfilment of the Government’s promise to the citizens of Guyana. She noted that house lots will be distributed to allottees along the Essequibo Coast during the two-day outreach while noting that the beneficiaries are those persons who have

as such encouraged them to take advantage of loans that are available at the commercial banks.

In addition, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the CH&PA, Sherwyn Greaves told residents that the agency is making every effort to make ensure homeownership becomes a reality for residents on the Essequibo Coast.

Greaves added that the massive housing drive was propelled from a recent visit to the region by President Irfaan Ali. On this note, he

Minister Susan Rodrigues engaging a resident

Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, handing over a title to a resident on Friday

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he Government, through the Central Housing and Planning Authority, has allocated 350 house lots to residents of Onderneeming in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Friday at the Anna Regina Town Council.

This was part of a twoday outreach exercise in the region which began on Friday and ends today.

The event dubbed “Dream Realised Housing Drive” saw residents leaving with smiles on their faces.

In addition to the 350

house lots, another 100 titles and transports were distributed.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal explained that the house lots are primarily for persons living in Onderneeming Phase Four while noting that $13.9 billion in infrastructure and land developmental projects were awarded in 14 areas which will see massive transformation.

“Despite the global pandemic, the Ministry of Housing kick-started the biggest housing drive with

Residents at the housing drive

applied since 2019.

She added that giving the residents the house lot is a stepping stone for residents to own their own homes and

stated that over the two-day event, over 100 titles and transports will be distributed. The Ministry, he posited, will also process new applica-

tions during the outreach.

Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva told residents the PPP/C Government would have spent just about

seven months in office and the region and the country have seen massive transformations. She thanked the Ministers for the work they have been doing.

Meanwhile, one of the beneficiaries of the house lots, Melisa Lall from Anna Regina was excited when she received the telephone call. She explained that the person on the other end of the line would have informed her that she has to pay $50,000 as an initial payment for the house lot at Onderneeming.

Lall is expected to start construction soon. Another beneficiary, Jewan Williams, was overjoyed to have been a recipient of the initiative.

10 NEWS Over 37% positive COVID-19 cases are young people – Health Minister SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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n analysis of the COVID-19 positives recorded in Guyana thus far has pointed to over 4000 young people contracting the virus since the first case was detected in March 2020.

From the 11,000-plus cases in Guyana, in excess of 1500 were between the ages of 20 and 25. In the 25-30 age range, there were over 1600 infections, followed by 1200 in the 30-35 category.

According to the Minister, this trend is due to the increased activity by younger persons – most of whom develop a milder form of the infection. However, there is need for hospitalisation when these cases become moderate to severe.

“That shows that they are active in the population. These are the ones who are going out very often. Fortunately for many of the younger people who have had the infection, they probably would have been having a milder form of the infection. A lot of people might have asymptomatic infection, mild forms but once you start have moderate forms and breathing difficulties, you have to come into the hospital,” Dr Anthony expressed.

Many young persons have recovered from the virus within 10 days, without the need for hospitalisation. It is mostly the older population that is falling victim to the virus, which is reflected in the deaths recorded. However, a worrying trend has been detected whereby more younger persons succumbed

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

to the life-threatening disease recently.

“They don’t have many symptoms and after 10 days, they get better. They recover. Our challenge over the last couple of weeks is that we have seen a few cases where younger people are coming into the hospital and that we have start analysing those cases and we also seen relatively young persons, probably 40 and so forth who would have some number of comorbidities but they have come in to the hospital, had the severe form of COVID and then died.”

Dr Anthony said the data is being examined to find a solution but persons can take the responsibility of getting themselves immunised

and reducing the risks significantly.

On Thursday, the Health Minister announced that vaccines are open to the adult population, that is 18 years and older. This, he said, is moving closer towards achieving herd immunity.

“All the vaccines that we have in Guyana are being used in the adult population and if we’re really and truly going to achieve herd immunity, it means that we have to get most of our adult population immunised. In an effort to do so, that is why we have lowered the age,” the Minister informed.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that there are currently 74 infected persons hospitalised across the country. These include nine persons at the West Demerara Regional Hospital, three at the New Amsterdam Hospital, another three at Linden Hospital and the remaining at the Ocean View Hospital, where 15 persons are on ventilators to assist with their breathing in the COVID-19 ICU. According to Dr Anthony, Region Four continues to be the epicentre for the pandemic outbreak in Guyana with several communities emerging as hotspots. These include Diamond, Herstelling and Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara; Kitty and Campbellville in Georgetown along with parts of South Ruimveldt, and Lugisnan and Good Hope on the East of Demerara.

Govt rejects claims that Councillor died after taking COVID-19 vaccine …blasts anti-vaxxers for spreading misinformation

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he Health Ministry on Friday strongly rejected claims that Region 10 (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) RDC Councillor Serjonie “Gem” Narine died after taking the coronavirus vaccine and as such, deemed the misinformation “mischievous and malicious”.

In a statement on Friday, the Ministry said it was in receipt of the information that is being peddled in relation to the COVID-19 vaccines by anti-vaxxers, particularly in Linden, Region 10.

As such, it categorically rejected the unsubstantiated claims on social media that Narine died after taking the vaccine. In fact, the Ministry stated that Narine was not even a recipient of any of the three COVID-19 vaccines being administered by the Government, through the Health Ministry.

The public is, however, reassured that the vaccines are safe and testimony is the thousands of people who would have taken their shots without any complications.

“The Ministry wishes to state clearly that the COVID-19 vaccines being administered are safe. We are hopeful influential political, faith and business leaders in Region Ten and oth-

Dead: Serjonie “Gem” Narine

er parts of the country will use their good offices to encourage citizens to get vaccinated.”

All Guyanese aged 18 and older were encouraged to visit a vaccination site in their community and get inoculated as soon as possible. As the vaccination rollout continues with almost 100 permanent sites in the 10 regions along with temporary sites in some areas, outreaches are being conducted in communities on a daily basis to get more persons immunised.

Upon the arrival of the vaccines Guyana has already acquired, the country will be able to fully vaccinate 261,000 persons. The Health Ministry’s goal is to administer 100,000 first doses by early next week.

11 APNU/AFC confident ahead of High Court ruling on election petition NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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he A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition is anxiously awaiting the High Court ruling on its only election petition left standing.

Chief Justice Roxane George is expected to deliver her decision on April 26 and according to Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, they are confident that the ruling will be in the coalition’s favour.

“We are expecting anxiously a decision of the court… We remain extremely confident that the court will find that the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections were not conducted in accordance with the law and the consequences which will flow as a result of that,” Harmon said during a press conference on Friday.

Chief Justice Roxane George last week wrapped up arguments in the election petition filed by Claudette Thorne and Heston Bostwick, who are claiming that Order 60 of 2020, otherwise known as the recount order, is invalid, null, void, and of no effect.

However, lawyers for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and then Leader of the

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon

Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo [now Vice President] as well as Attorney General Senior Counsel Anil Nandlall, are maintaining that there is nothing unconstitutional about Order 60 and Section 22 of the Election Laws (Amendment) Act. Order 60 was created pursuant to Section 22 of the Elections Laws (Amendment) Act and Article 162 of the Constitution of Guyana to resolve irregularities, anomalies, and discrepancies coming out of the March 2020 General and Regional Elections and

to determine a final credible count before declaring the results of the elections which are required by the Representation of the People Act and the Constitution.

GECOM’s lawyer, Dominican Senior Counsel Anthony Astaphan, had asked the High Court to throw out the petition, insisting that it did nothing wrong by conducting the National Recount using Order 60 given the “difficulties” GECOM was experiencing in finalising the elections results.

“In the face of these difficulties, what was GECOM to do? What should GECOM have done with the intransigence of the Returning Officer and the Chief Election Officer, and the difficulty to get cooperation for resolution of the matter. GECOM… was literally, by the Constitution and Statute, obliged to act otherwise chaos would have resulted,” Astaphan argued during the April 7 hearing.

He added, “Our primary case, My Lady… is that there is no breach [of the Constitution] …We stand by our written submissions, fully and absolutely, that there was no breach… We’re not conceding any breach at

Chief Justice Roxane George

all.”

The Dominican Senior Counsel went on to reject the claim by the petitioners’ lawyer, Trinidadian Senior Counsel John Jeremie, that there were no guidelines under Sections 22 and 162 for the recount to be conducted.

He argued that “GECOM could only possibly act under [Section] 22 if there was a difficulty being experienced in the course of the election which includes, of course, the count and the recount, and the request for recount.

If there was intransigence on behalf of election officers

or otherwise that creates a difficulty for the final declaration to be made, under Section 22, GECOM literally has a mandatory obligation to act, cause it says “shall”, if these things appear to it as necessary or expedient for it to remove the difficulty.”

Moreover, Astaphan pointed out that Section 162 (1), foresaw the possibilities of intransigence, misconduct and disobedience from public officers or persons performing elections duties that would prevent either compliance or would prevent the final process of the election to be declared.

The Dominican Senior Counsel further maintained that if these provisions did not exist then GECOM could not have acted in the manner it did but since they do exist, the Commission had a “constitutional obligation” to act.

However, the petitioners are asking the High Court to vitiate the results of the election, which saw the PPP/C winning office, arguing that it was substantially not in compliance with the law in relation to the conduct of the elections.

The Chief Justice will hand down her ruling in the

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

case on Monday, April 26, 2021, at 11:00 am.

Harmon reiterated on Friday that his party is confident of the outcome.

“We are ready for Government,” he posited.

Meanwhile, regarding the appeal of the coalition’s other election petition 99, which was thrown out by the High Court for late service, the matter came up for case management on April 12 and timelines were fixed for the filing of submissions.

The hearing will commence on June 14 at the Court of Appeal.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

1 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

14 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 death toll climbs to 267 as 4 more die – 115 new cases recorded

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uyana’s COVID-19 death toll has jumped to a whopping 267 after four more persons succumbed to the virus on Friday. For the month of April, 33 deaths have been reported.

The latest fatalities are an 81-year-old female from Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), an 81-year-old female from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); and two men from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), aged 46 and 64.

They all died while receiving care at a medical facility.

Prior to this, a 94-yearold male from Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) died on Wednesday while receiving care at a medical facility.

Last week, 18 persons succumbed to the virus.

Meanwhile, new statis-

tics released by the Health Ministry on Friday revealed that 115 persons tested positive for the novel coronavirus within one day, thus bringing the total number of positive cases to 11,642.

The Ministry stated that 13 persons remain in the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU); 77 in institutional isolation, 1224 in home isolation and 12 in institutional quarantine.

To date, some 10,015 persons have recovered from the life-threatening virus in Guyana – an increase of 46 in one day. Guyana has tested 105,519 persons; whereas 5900 males and 5742 females were positive.

Regional cases point to four new positives in Region One (Barima-Waini); 26 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); a staggering 69 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), three in Region Five (Mahaica-

Berbice), six in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and seven in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Consequently, cases in Regions Two (PomeroonSupenaam), Seven (Cuyuni-

Mazaruni), Eight (PotaroSiparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) remain at 283, 988, 247 and 461 respectively.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony indicated during the latest update that there are adequate isolation facilities in all regions if persons cannot quarantine at home.

“In every region, we have institutional quarantine arrangements and we have maintained them. They are being used less frequently because people have opted to stay home but we still have them in every region and if there is a necessity, we can keep people in these institutions.”

Persons are reminded of the Ramadan measures, whereby mosques can open for the daily prayer sessions but only at 40 per cent capacity. Where available, outdoor spaces should be utilised along with adequate social distancing.

Persons are asked to sanitise, wear a mask and ensure four feet distancing throughout prayer services.

A suggestion was made for persons to walk with their

prayer mats. The Task Force added that the elderly, pregnant women, the sick and children under the age of 11 should not attend masjid during Ramadan.

Personal iftar arrangements are allowed as long as

there is adequate spacing.

However, iftars on a congregational level is prohibited. Iftar is the first meal in the evening after fasting for the entire day. Meanwhile, the Esha and Taraaweeh prayers should be completed by 21:30h.

Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, tiredness, diarrhoea, pains, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. The more serious symptoms are difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain and loss of speech or movement.

If persons are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with a positive person, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

AFC calls on GECOM to conduct H2H Registration before next LGE T he Alliance For Change (AFC), the minor party in the coalition Opposition – is hoping to have a fresh Houseto-House Registration to clean the voters’ list before the next Local Government Elections (LGE) is held.

LGE is constitutionally mandated to be held every two years and with the last one held in 2018, it is due this year.

Already, the PPP/C Government has reassured that Local Government polls will be held this year and the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has already made provisions for it in its 2021 budget.

However, while no monies have been budgeted for the conduct of a House-toHouse Registration exercise, the AFC is adamant that there needs to be a new list.

During a press conference on Thursday, the party’s General Secretary, David Patterson, reminded that they had questioned the absence of provisions for a registration exercise.

He noted that the “bloated” voters’ list had caused a lot of issues at the March 2020 General and Regional Elections.

“So, we thought that as well as planning for Local Government Elections, GECOM could’ve also been executing or can also execute House-toHouse Registration even if it means deferring for a month or two, Local Government Elections,” Patterson posited.

He added that “We’ve asked and we’ve implored and I think we’re holding out for H2H Registration.

We have asked GECOM and there is no monies budgeted this year, according to

AFC General Secretary David Patterson

GECOM, so far for Houseto-House Registration.

Obviously, our preference would be House-to-House Registration and clean list and then any elections because, you know, the question of the list is the underlying cause of all the issues there. Obviously, we’re waiting to see what GECOM’s responses are.”

Asked what the party will do if the registration exercise is not held, Patterson said “That’s a decision that we will make but obviously we do think that the entire country is asking for House-to-House Registration. So, I don’t think it’s a question of if, I think it’s when.”

During the consideration of budget estimates back in March, Government Minister Gail Teixeira had explained that the 7-member Elections Commission, which approved GECOM’s budget presented to the Finance Ministry, will have to make a decision on the conduct of House-to-House Registration. She had noted that if they in fact decided to go ahead with the exercise then additional

funding can be sought.

Nevertheless, the National Assembly subsequently approved GECOM’s $4.1 billion 2021 budget and of that amount, some $1.1 billion is earmarked for the hosting of Local Government polls.

Included in that sum is $237.7 million that was budgeted for the printing of election materials including 500,000 ballot papers, which was based on the last Local Government polls held in 2018.

Patterson had raised concerns about the need for such a high number of ballots. A concern which was reiterated at Thursday’s press conference.

“We are very, very concerned about the size of the voters’ list and the preparations in which they are making. 500,000 [ballots] leaves a lot of opportunities for persons or individuals or groups to do things that are not required or meant to happen during an election… you already had more ballots being printed than persons who voted that our National and Regional Elections in 2020 and everybody knows that Local Government Election only affects about 70 per cent of our population,” the AFC General Secretary said.

Back in March, Minister Teixeira had explained that there are sometimes spoilt ballots, hence the excess printing of ballots, adding too that there cannot be a shortage of ballots.

“You cannot have exact ballots for voters… Please remember that the number of ballots have to match the number on the voters’ list.

If the people turn up or not, the list has to reflect that… because to underproduce

ballot papers would mean that people would be denied the right to vote,” she had contended.

Moreover, Minister Teixeira had reminded that the High Court in Guyana already ruled in August 2019 that existing registrants cannot be removed from the voters’ list unless they are deceased or otherwise disqualified in accordance with the Constitution of Guyana. This was after GECOM embarked on a registration exercise with the aim of creating a new

list of electorates.

“We’ve had a ruling since [2019]. GECOM cannot be above the law and do what it likes. It has to obey the law and the law says you cannot remove somebody [from the list] unless the person produces a death certificate.

Any other person remains on the list. That is what the Chief Justice [Roxane George] ruled in this country and so, we can’t play ‘round with these issues and make them political…

The number of ballots can

never be less than whatever the number is on the voters’ list. To do that would be treacherous because it would mean that you would disenfranchise people,” Teixeira had asserted.

At the last Local Government Elections in November 2018, the then PPP/C Opposition secured 52 of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAA). This followed the holding of LGE in 2016, during which the PPP/C also claimed the majority of the LAAs.

16 NEWS

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Caribbean businesses affected by COVID-19 to benefit from regional recovery initiative

Head of Communications at Guardian Group, Ayesha Boucaud-Claxton

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uardian Group in collaboration with the United Nations University for Peace is spearheading a “Pandemic

of Performance” initiative for small businesses and other stakeholders severely impacted by COVID-19.

The programme, which will take the form of a series of entrepreneurial and inspirational webinars, will be launched on April 21, 2021, and will offer professional advancement to business people ar potential entrepreneurs.

Head of Communications at Guardian Group, Ayesha Boucaud-Claxton said that after assessing the effects of the pandemic, three areas were identified namely, mental health, creativity and branding.

She stated that many persons are struggling to survive and would have found innovative ways to keep their livelihoods afloat.

As such, the programme is one that would have creat-

ed a powerful methodology by having world-renown speakers introduce a winning formula to interested parties throughout the region.

Director of the Centre for Executive Education at the University of Peace, Julia Delafield indicated that this initiative will have a real impact on the Caribbean as it is a dire need presently.

It was pointed out that no expense has been spared in offering reputable speakers to offer the techniques used by larger corporations to be successful and that many companies are thriving throughout the pandemic by utilising these intangible values.

This is not an academic exercise but an interactive session to transform local businesses in the various industries, commenc-

ing from April 12 to May 12. Persons can participate by logging onto intangience. com and limited spots are available.

Upon completion, the level of success and improvement generated by businesses will be measured.

Some of the speakers listed for the event include Stanford University

Lecturer, Rich Cox Braden; UNESCO Harvard Certified Coach, Dr Guila Clara Kessous; Harvard Professor, Dr Tal Ben Shahar; University of Peace Co-Founder, Mohit Mukherjee; and Innovator of Intangience Branding, Ernie Ross.

Braden’s insight is geared at introducing abilities and insights to apply

new skills while Mukherjee will share transformative processes for strategic planning, change management among other areas.

Global positivity icon, Shahar will share his profound input on how to overcome adversity and discover a purposeful life.

Meanwhile, Dr Kessous brings the theory of “The Chained Elephant” to life.

Gun, ganja, cash unearthed during CANU, Police operations

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gents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) during an operation at Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on Thursday, unearthed two shotguns, a quantity of ganja and an undisclosed sum of foreign currency.

CANU in a statement related that the operation was conducted based on intelligence gathering.

On the day in question, the drug enforcement officials swooped down on an empty camp where they found the firearms, 822 grams of cannabis and the cash.

“No one was arrested since the camp was empty, though several tracks were seen running from the camp into a nearby savannah which were searched and no one was found,” CANU related.

The ganja that was found by CANU

The cannabis that was found in Diamond

The items seized were brought to CANU Headquarters for processing.

Meanwhile, also on Thursday, Police ranks conducted a raid exercise in the Grove/Diamond area on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) where several houses were searched.

A search was conducted on an empty lot at 8th Avenue Diamond during which a quantity of ganja was found among a garbage heap. A 22-year-old man was taken into custody. The cannabis was weighed in his presence and amounted to 516 grams.

Kuru Kururu home burglarised while family slept

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54-year-old woman of Kuru Kururu, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, and her family are now traumatised after their home was burglarised on Wednesday evening.

The woman, Majorie Garraway, had secured her home at about 19:00h on the day in question and retired to bed along with her five children.

However, at about 01:00h, the woman was awakened by her son, who told her that the front door was open. The woman reportedly made several checks around the house during which she discovered that a 55-inch television was missing from the living room.

The woman is of the be-

lief that the suspect(s) might have gained entrance into the house through the kitchen window. The matter was reported to the Police and investigations are ongoing.

Just recently, a Police Sergeant of Crane, West Bank Demerara (WBD), was allegedly relieved of two motorcycles while he was

asleep.

It was reported that the motorcycles were seen in the yard before he retired to bed but when he woke up the next morning, they were missing.

The matter was reported but to date, the motorcycles were not recovered nor was anyone arrested.

NEWS

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SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Rupununi Chamber condemns CCJ celebrates 16 years recent actions of CANU agents of service to the Region

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n light of a recent video that surfaced on social media and in the news which showed that a businessman was assaulted by an agent of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) has condemned the act and has called for the dismissal of the perpetrator.

The act was reportedly committed on Thursday during an operation by CANU and the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) at Tabatinga, Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).

In a statement, the Chamber said from the evidence presented, “CANU needs to immediately withdraw these officers from Lethem and the wider Rupununi region and confine them to training facilities to ensure that they comply with established operating procedures while executing their duties.”

It went on to say that an immediate investigation into what transpired is needed, as the situation left many persons traumatised.

“This officer should be dismissed immediately as we do not have any confidence that he has or will conduct himself in a way that fits his profession. The Chamber in no way condones the violation of any law of Guyana and is aware that a senior law enforcement officer, who was caught in Linden with smuggled items, was allowed to return to ac-

tive duty seemingly without any penalties for the act he committed.”

It was reported that on Thursday two persons were arrested following the discovery of a quantity of alcohol suspected to have been smuggled into Guyana through Brazil.

Court issues arrest warrants for COVID-19 violators

O

n Friday, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly issued arrest warrants for 30 persons who would have breached the COVID-19 guideline and failed to make their court appearance.

The police prosecutor told the court that on April 4, 2021, at Kitty, the violators were picked up by ranks of the Joint Services during “Operation COVI-CURB”.

They were later released on station bail pending their court appearance.

Arrest warrants were issued for Candace Williams, Tikya Marcus, Tiovn Ming, Shirkah Cameron, Ashanti Marcus, Mark Collins, Alavida Barker, Tamika Fraser, Brian Bacchus, Frank Hugh, Jemell Maxwell, Tamara Dellon, Scarno Sinclair, Faith Forbes, Elijah Forbes, Chaitram Persuad, Angel St’Clair, Melanie Jones, Susan Paul, Malika Marslow, Paul Dennis, Sofia Sanchez, Randy Docks, July

Police marine security boosted with restoration of patrol vessel

Marine Vessel (MV) Baramani

H

ome Affairs Minister Robeson Benn on Thursday restored the Marine Vessel (MV) Baramani of the Guyana Police Force Marine Department, Ruimveldt.

The vessel will be used to boost marine security along the Demerara River and ensure safety and security on the waterways.

The MV Baramani is an enclosed vessel which will assist the Guyana Police Force to increase patrols on the waterways in varied weather conditions.

Based on reports received, 30 cases of Black Stone Whisky, four cases of Skarloff Beers and nine cases of Blend Seven Whiskey were seized following the joint operation.

Meanwhile, the two men who were arrested on Thursday were later released on $150,000 bail each.

The vessel, which was not operable since 2018, was restored at the cost of $3.7 million. Minister Benn commissioned the vessel to its full operation at the Ruimveldt Police Port in the presence of Deputy Commission of Police Operations, Clifton Hicken and his team.

MV Baramani will be used to patrol the mouth of the Demerara River as well as both sides of the river, providing security in conjunction with other stakeholders.

Williams, Candace Williams, Shank Williams, Dennis Jones, Martisha Stephen, Dequan Durant and Susan Smith.

The offenders were scheduled to make their appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts but did not show up. As a result, the Police were given up to June 11, 2021, to bring the defaulters to court.

Similarly, on Friday last, Senior Magistrate Leron Daly had issued arrest warrants for another 21 persons who failed to appear in court. In that instance, arrest warrants were issued for Eric Moses, Akisha Forester, Natalie Cush, Jason Bacchus, Elizabeth Payne, Aaliyah Harding, Mark Jones, Lisa Smith, Faith Bacchus, Sarah Tucker, Selidyn Prescott, Abiola Lackno, Abiki Moses, Shania Carter, Tiffany Anthony, Roger James, Mark Blackman, Carl Adams, Tanesa Joseph, Tasha Payne, and Janenda Singh.

T

he Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the final court of appeal for Guyana and three other countries, marked its sixteenth anniversary on Friday, April 16, 2021. The CCJ was inaugurated in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago on April 16, 2005.

It presently has a bench of seven Judges presided over by its President Justice Adrian Saunders.

The CCJ has an Original and an Appellate Jurisdiction. It is effectively two courts in one. In its Original Jurisdiction, it is an international court with exclusive jurisdiction to interpret and apply the rules in the Revised Treaty of

Chaguaramas (RTC) and to decide disputes arising under it.

The RTC established the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Caricom Single Market and Economy (CSME). In its Original Jurisdiction, the CCJ is critical to the CSME and all 12 Member States which belong to the CSME (including their citizens, businesses, and governments) can access the Court’s Original Jurisdiction to protect their rights under the RTC. In its Appellate Jurisdiction, the CCJ is the final court of appeal for criminal and civil matters for those countries in the

Caribbean that alter their national Constitutions to enable the CCJ to perform that role. At present, four states access the Court in its Appellate Jurisdiction, these being Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and Guyana.

However, by signing and ratifying the Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Court of Justice, Caricom Member States have demonstrated a commitment to making the CCJ their final court of appeal.

The CCJ is the culmination of the integration ideals of early Caribbean visionaries and an expression of independence and a signal of the region’s coming of age.

Several arrested during “Operation Safe Road”

A

total of 29 persons who were in breach of traffic and road laws were arrested by members of the Guyana Police Force during three separate enforcement exercises.

Of this total, 25 drivers were arrested within the Regional Division 4 C. Police in a statement said ranks on Thursday conducted “Operation Safe Road” at the Beterverwagting Police Station and the Vigilance Police Station.

During the operation at Beterverwagting, Police

arrested eight drivers for breach of condition of road service while one driver was arrested for prohibition of tinted motor vehicle.

In addition, at Vigilance, seven drivers were arrested for prohibition of tinted motor vehicle, while two were arrested for failure to produce their driver’s licence.

One person was also arrested for poor maintenance of motor vehicle, another for untidy conductor, along with two for overloading and one for amendment of entry.

Two persons were also

arrested for breach of prescribed fitness.

Meanwhile, in Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), an operation on Thursday led to the arrest of four drivers while two others received tickets.

Two drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol while two were arrested for obscured ID mark front. Additionally, one driver was arrested for unlighted motor vehicle front while another was arrested for failure to produce driver’s licence.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

Regional

Raul Castro to step down as head La Soufriere hasn’t “run out of Cuba’s Communist Party of steam” – volcanologist

B

y Monday, Cuba looks set to be without a Castro at the helm for the first time since Raúl and his brother Fidel swept down from the Sierra Maestra mountains in 1959, forcing the dictator Fulgencio Batista into exile.

One of the last surviving members of that “historic generation”, Raúl has said he will relinquish his post as the supremely powerful first secretary during the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), which begins in Havana Friday.

The 89-year-old leaves a country queueing for food, wracked by the economic effects of coronavirus and US sanctions, and showing increasing signs of dissent.

And yet, Raúl leaves on his own terms, in the middle of a Congress that comes together under the banner “continuity and unity”. He leaves hav-

Raul Castro led Cuba’s army, then succeeded his brother Fidel as president of the country, then first secretary of the Communist Party [Alejandro Ernesto/Pool/Reuters]

ing initiated economic and political reforms that – until the catastrophe of coronavirus – had begun, at least according to local economists, to turn the rusting ship of state around.

It’s widely believed he will be replaced by 60-yearold Miguel Díaz-Canel, who in 2018 succeeded him into the slightly lesser role of President.

Raúl Castro assumed power in 2008 as his brother Fidel’s health failed, first as President, and then in 2011 as first secretary of the communist party. Until then, he had led the army, his brother’s most loyal and trusted enforcer and advisor.

As far back as the 1980s, according to defector Jesus Renzoli, Raúl’s secretary of 20 years, Raúl was pushing pro-market reforms in arguments with Fidel. Those beliefs came to fruition at the 6th party Congress in 2011, when 311 economic reforms were introduced, creating a new class of self-employed to fill the void as Raul began to shrink the state. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Argentina closes schools, imposes curfew in Buenos Aires as COVID-19 cases spike

A

rgentina’s Government will tighten pandemic restrictions in and around the capital Buenos Aires to rein in a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases, including shutting schools and imposing a curfew from 8 pm to limit social activity.

President Alberto Fernández, 62, given his allclear earlier in the day after he was infected with the virus, said the South American country needed to “gain time” in the fight against COVID-19 after daily cases hit a record this week.

“The virus is attacking us and is far from giving in,” the

centre-left leader said in a televised address.

The measures will see schools closed in Greater Buenos Aires from Monday, and the suspension of indoor sports, recreational, religious and cultural activities until April 30.

Argentina registered 25,157 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, after hitting a record 27,001 cases on Tuesday. The country has seen a total of 2.6 million people infected, with 58,542 deaths.

Fernandez’s Peronist Government had been keen to avoid a blanket lockdown

to protect a fragile economic recovery and with poverty rates rising, but has been forced to toughen restrictions by the recent sharp rise in cases.

This week the Governor of Buenos Aires province said Argentina was facing “a tsunami” of cases. The opposition Mayor of Buenos Aires city has, however, opposed school closures.

In some neighbourhoods of the city, citizens honked car horns and banged on pans to express their disagreement with the measures, local television footage showed.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Brazil asks women to delay pregnancy over new coronavirus variant fears

B

razil asked women on Friday to delay getting pregnant until the worst of the pandemic passes, saying the virus variant that is devastating the South American country appears to affect expectant mothers more than earlier versions of the coronavirus.

The recommendation comes as Brazil continues to be one of the global epicentres of the pandemic, with more Brazilians dying of the virus each day than anywhere else in the world.

Hospitals are buckling under the strain and stocks of drugs needed for intubating severely ill patients are running perilously low, with Brazil turning to international partners for help with emergency supplies.

Previously, COVID-19 cases during pregnancy were focused on the final trimester and birth, whereas lately there have been more serious cases in the second and occasionally first trimester, he said.

V

olcanologist Professor Richard Robertson is warning that while explosions at La Soufriere volcano have been getting weaker and less frequent over the last two days, this does not mean that the eruption has ended.

“We are not convinced that the magma down here has all come up,” he said Wednesday evening on Round Table Talk on the state-owned VC3 cable channel.

“We are not sure how much [magma] it is and we are not convinced that it is completely up, that it is out, or that it has run out of steam,” he said, adding, “It will take us a little while to be sure it is really ended”.

The volcanologist, the lead scientist from the Seismic Research Centre (SRC) of The University of the West Indies (UWI), monitoring the volcano, said that residents must remain on their guard, avoid the red zone and take steps to min-

People cleaning volcanic ash from the red roof of a home after La Soufriere volcano erupted, in Wallilabou, on the western side of the Caribbean island of St Vincent on Monday. La Soufriere volcano fired an enormous amount of ash and hot gas early Monday in the biggest explosive eruption yet since volcanic activity began on the eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent last week Friday

imise the impact of the ash.

He said that the safe zones are expected to remain that way for the duration of the eruption.

The news comes even as Robertson and his team, as well as other professionals in the United Kingdom, feared that the volcano had returned to “prehistoric”

eruptions. Such an eruption had the potential to turn St Vincent into a “desert”, Robertson said.

After 42 years without any explosive activity, La Soufriere blew its cap last week Friday morning, three months after it began to erupt effusively. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Chile sees COVID surge despite vaccination success

C

hile’s Health Minister Enrique Paris has been striking a gloomy note at his daily COVID news conferences in recent days.

The number of daily cases reached a new record high on April 9, going over 9000 for the first time since the pandemic began and considerably higher than the previous peak of just under 7000 cases in mid-June.

Intensive care units are again overwhelmed, the country has for a second time closed its borders to everyone who is not a resident and most of its 18 million inhabitants are back in lockdown.

“It feels like we’re going backwards,” said Santiago

resident Sofía Pinto. “We need to download special permits online to be allowed out just twice a week for essential things like food shopping or doctor’s visits.”

The frustration and confusion many Chileans are feeling over the renewed lockdown is due partly to the fact that just two months ago, President Sebastián Piñera was boasting about Chile having one of the fastest vaccination rollouts in the world.

Critics have accused the Piñera Government of getting caught up in triumphalism over the vaccine rollout and of having loosened coronavirus restrictions too fast.

Chile’s borders had been

closed - bar for a few exceptions - from March to November 2020. But after a strict lockdown had driven the rolling seven-day average down to 1300 cases in November, the decision was taken to reopen them, including to international tourists.

Chileans were also given special holiday permits to travel more freely around the country during the southern hemisphere summer holidays after some experts argued it was important for people’s mental health.

Restaurants, shops, and holiday resorts were opened up to kickstart the faltering economy. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Caricom leaders pledge support for St Vincent

Medical workers take care of patients in the emergency room of the Nossa Senhora da Conceicao hospital that is overcrowding because of the coronavirus outbreak, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, March 11, 2021

The P.1 variant, first discovered in the Amazon city of Manaus, has quickly become dominant in Brazil. It is thought to be a major factor behind a massive second wave of infections that has brought the country’s death toll to over 350,000 - the second highest in the world behind the United States.

Brazil’s outbreak is increasingly affecting younger people, with hospital data showing that in March more than half of all patients in intensive care were aged 40 or

younger.

President Jair Bolsonaro has opposed lockdowns and held large events in which he often does not wear a mask.

He has only recently embraced vaccines as a possible solution, but the inoculation rollout has been plagued by delays and missed targets for getting people inoculated.

The surge in COID-19 cases has also left hospitals short of sedatives needed for patients who require mechanical ventilation. (Excerpt from Reuters)

C

aribbean Community (Caricom) leaders Thursday pledged their ongoing commitment to help St Vincent and the Grenadines deal with the impact of an erupting La Soufriere volcano that has so far resulted in the evacuation of thousands of residents on the Caribbean island.

A statement issued after the regional leaders met virtually under the chairmanship of Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, noted that the special emergency meeting “committed to continue providing extensive support to St Vincent and the Grenadines and pledged

solidarity with that member state as it strove to cope with the disaster”.

The volcano erupted explosively last Friday and has been spewing ash and emitting pyroclastic flows.

The eruption came three months after it began to erupt effusively and came a mere 15 hours after the local authorities had issued an evacuation order, having been advised by lead scientist Professor Richard Robertson that the monitoring team could not give an exact date of the eruption.

The explosive eruption sent plumes of ash 29,000 feet into the atmosphere, but was surpassed by an even more powerful one that

same afternoon, which sent ash 50,000 feet into the sky.

The volcano has been erupting daily for the past seven days.

St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves “briefed” his colleagues on the situation.

Gonsalves said that more than 10,000 people had been evacuated from the immediate disaster area covering approximately one-third of the island. He said they are being housed in shelters and at homes of family and friends. Accommodation for evacuees is also being arranged by neighbouring states. (Excerpt from Nation News)

guyanatimesgy.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil nudges down but secures weekly gain on recovery hopes

O

il settled modestly lower on Friday but secured a weekly gain on a stronger demand outlook and signs of economic recovery in China and the United States that offset concerns about rising COVID-19 infections in other major economies.

Brent crude settled down 17 cents, or 0.3 per cent, at US$66.77 a barrel. The global benchmark finished up 6 per cent on the week after rising in the past four sessions.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled down 33 cents, or 0.5 per cent, at US$63.13.

China's first-quarter gross domestic product jumped 18.3 per cent year on year, official data showed. read more That followed a big increase in US retail sales and a drop in unemployment claims released on Thursday.

"Strong economic data, spurred by the Biden US$1400 stimulus check, is a huge positive development for the energy patch," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho.

This week, both the International Energy Agency and the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) increased their forecasts for oil demand growth for 2021, citing the stronger-than-expected rebound in activity in certain economies.

Those forecasts were also supported by Wednesday's Government data that showed overall US crude inventories fell by 5.9 million barrels as refining activity picked up.

Not all economies are recovering, however, as India's coronavirus infection rate hit a record while Germany's chancellor on Friday said a third wave of the virus had the country in its grip.

Oil has recovered from pandemic-induced lows last year, helped by record cuts to oil output by OPEC and its allies, a group known as OPEC+.

Some of the OPEC+ cuts will be eased starting in May, and the group meets on April 28 to consider further tweaks to the supply pact.

In rival producer the United States, however, the number of drilling rigs has risen to the highest level since April 2020, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co said in its closely followed report on Friday. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Indianapolis mass shooting: 8 dead at FedEx facility

E

ight people have been killed and seven injured in a shooting at a FedEx facility in the US city of Indianapolis, Police say.

The gunman began shooting "randomly" almost immediately after exiting his car, according to Police.

He apparently killed himself minutes before Police arrived, officials say.

They have not confirmed the identities of the victims or the gunman.

This is the latest incident in a recent uptick of mass shootings across the US. The attack began around 23:00 local time (03:00 GMT) on Thursday in Indianapolis, Indiana - the

People embrace after learning that their loved one was safe after a shooting at the FedEx facility in Indianapolis, Indiana [Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar/USA Today Network via Reuters]

state capital and its largest city.

In a news conference on Friday, city officials said no motive had been estab-

lished yet, and noted that one may never be determined.

Craig McCartt, the Deputy Chief of criminal

investigations, said that the gunman began firing as soon as he arrived at the building.

Four people were found dead outside the building, and another four inside.

The attacker, who appeared to have shot himself "minutes" before Police arrived, was also found inside the facility.

Mayor Joe Hogsett paid condolences to the victims and called for Americans to tackle the "scourge of gun violence that has killed far too many in our community and in our country".

He also called for people to fight against "the assumption that this is how it must be and we might as well get used to it". (Excerpt from BBC News)

Japan’s Suga visits for Biden’s 1st White House summit; China tops agenda

P

resident Joe Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday as the first foreign leader to visit his White House, underscoring Tokyo's central role in US efforts to counter China's growing assertiveness.

Biden welcomed Suga for a one-day summit that offered the Democratic President a chance to work further on his pledge to revitalize US alliances that frayed under his Republican predecessor, former President Donald Trump.

With China topping the list, the meeting was expected to yield steps for diversifying supply chains seen as over-reliant on Beijing and a $2 billion commitment from Japan to work with the United States on alternatives to the 5G network of Chinese firm Huawei, a senior US official said.

Biden and Suga also planned to discuss human rights issues related to China, including crackdowns in Hong Kong and on Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, the official said.

The summit, Biden's first

in-person meeting with a foreign leader as President, is expected to produce a formal statement on Taiwan, a Chinese-claimed, selfruled island under increasing military pressure from Beijing, said the official, who did not want to be identified.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Biden would address with Suga China's "increasingly coercive action" on Taiwan, which is China's most sensitive territorial issue.

It would be the first joint statement on Taiwan by US and Japanese leaders

since 1969. However, it appears likely to fall short of what Washington has been hoping from Suga, who inherited a China policy that sought to balance security concerns with economic ties when he took over as premier last September.

The US official said that both countries, while not wanting to raise tensions or provoke China, were trying to send a clear signal that Beijing's dispatch of warplanes into Taiwan's air defence zone was incompatible with maintaining peace and stability. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Tens of thousands flee attacks on Opponents of Myanmar coup Russia to expel 10 US northeastern Nigerian town – UN form Unity Government, aim diplomats in response

A

s many as 65,000 people have fled the northeastern Nigerian town of Damasak following a series of attacks by an armed group, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said.

Fighters from the socalled Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) stormed the town in Borno state three times in a week to strike a military garrison, burning homes and a UN office, and killing at least 12 people, the UNHCR said on Friday.

In the latest violence on Wednesday, the fighters attacked the garrison before being forced back into the town itself, military sources and residents said.

“Following the latest attack on Wednesday 14 April, the third in seven days, up to 80 per cent of the town’s population – which includes the local community and internally displaced people – were forced to flee,” UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said.

Some have fled towards the regional capital, Maiduguri, and other nearby towns while others have crossed the border into Niger’s Diffa region, itself vulnerable to violence from armed groups.

“Due to insecurity, however, humanitarian access is increasingly challenging in many parts of Nigeria’s Borno State, including for UNHCR staff, who were forced to temporarily relocate out of Damasak in the past seven days,” Baloch said.

Jens Laerke, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told the same briefing that aid operations had been temporarily suspended in the area since Sunday because of the insecurity.

Laerke added that humanitarian workers appeared to be targets, amid reports of house-to-house searches for aid workers and the burning of their offices.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

for “federal democracy”

O

pponents of Myanmar's junta announced a National Unity Government on Friday including ousted members of Parliament and leaders of anti-coup protests and ethnic minorities, saying their aim was to end military rule and restore democracy.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the Feb 1 coup that ousted a civilian Government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi which had held power for five years and was starting its second term after a landslide election victory in November.

People have taken to the streets day after day to demand the restoration of democracy, defying crackdowns by the security forces in which more than 700 people have been killed, according to a monitoring group.

At the same time, political leaders, including ousted members of Parliament from Suu Kyi's party, have

been trying to organise to show the country and the outside world that they and not the generals are the legitimate political authority.

While setting out few positions, Min Ko Naing said the will of the people was the Unity Government's priority, while acknowledging the scale of the task at hand.

The generals justified their takeover with accusations of fraud in the November election won by Suu Kyi's party, though the election commission dismissed the objections.

One of the Unity Government's primary objectives will be to win international support and recognition.

International pressure has been building on the Myanmar military, particularly from Western governments that have imposed limited sanctions, though the generals have a long record of dismissing what they see as outside interference. (Excerpt from Reuters)

to US sanctions

R

ussia has responded in kind to a barrage of new sanctions by the United States, saying it would expel 10 US diplomats and take other retaliatory moves in a tense showdown with Washington.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday also said Moscow will add eight US administration officials to its sanctions list and move to restrict and stop the activities of US non-government organisations from interfering in Russia’s politics.

On Thursday, the US had announced new sanctions and the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats in retaliation for what Washington says is interference by the Kremlin in the US election, a massive cyberattack and other hostile activity.

“We will respond to this measure in a tit-for-tat manner. We will ask 10 US diplomats in Russia to leave the country,” Lavrov told reporters.

He said the Kremlin suggested that US ambassador

John Sullivan follow the example of his Russian counterpart and head home for consultations.

Russia will also move to deny the US embassy the possibility of hiring personnel from Russia and third countries as support staff.

Smith also said that Lavrov threatened to go “a bit further” if the US escalates its own sanctions, by asking the US to remove the 150 Russian personnel working in the United Nations.

Russia-US ties slumped to a new post-Cold War low last month after US President Joe Biden said he thought Putin was a “killer” and Moscow recalled its ambassador to Washington for consultations. The envoy has still not returned almost a month later.

While the US wields the power to cripple the Russian economy, Moscow lacks levers to respond in kind, although it potentially could hurt US interests in many other ways around the globe. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

Take the plunge, indulge in pastimes that bring you joy, and surround yourself with people who make you laugh. Look for the positive in whatever situation you face.

Romance is on the rise.

Keep your life simple, focus on your responsibil(April 20- ities and clear your schedMay 20) ule to assure you have time to spend with a loved one.

Embrace change that leads to less stress.

TAURUS

DILBERT

Expand your mind to disGEMINI cover something that brings (May 21- you joy. Educational purJune 20) suits, using your skills diversely and spending time with like-minded people will pay off.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Don't invite change. Sit with what you've got and consider ways to make it work -the less commotion, the better.

Use your intelligence to guide you in the best direction. Work to improve a relationship.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Leave nothing to chance.

Take care of every detail personally. Make a physical change that will give your ego a boost and invite compliments from a loved one.

Romance is on the rise.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

If you share your feelings with someone you care about, it will make your life easier.

Shared expenses will pose a problem; keep money matters separate. Engage in something that will expand your mind.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

Take a moment to analyze what's going on around you. If you jump to conclusions or let your emotions run wild, you will end up making a mistake.

Keep the peace.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Simplify matters. Don't feel pressured to make a change or move before you are ready. If you sell off things you don't need or use, it will give you the cash required to chase your dreams.

Don't trust anyone putting SAGITTARIUS pressure on you. Take a step (Nov. 23back to gain insight. Someone Dec. 21) you least expect will offer an interesting point of view. Safe socializing will lead to an opportunity.

Don't lose sight of your CAPRICORN goals. Don't put a change you (Dec. 22want to make on hold for the Jan. 19) wrong reason. Waiting for someone to make up their mind will lead to frustration.

Go ahead with your plans.

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

Say what's on your mind.

Don't expect others to come along for the ride or put your plans on hold in the hope that someone will have a change of heart. Pursue your goals and get on with your life.

Don't let anger set in, or PISCES you will lose sight of what's (Feb. 20important to you. Focus on March 20) personal gain, self-improvement and what you can do to get ahead. Someone from your past will inspire you.

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

21

West Indies U-19 players’ preparation progressing smoothly – Coach Smith

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Coach Winston Smith testing the temperature of a player (Brandon Corlette photos)

ricket West Indies (CWI) is set to host the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 World Cup in the Caribbean in January 2022. Floyd Reifer, who has been assigned to coach the West Indies U-19 team, has said shortlisted players throughout the Caribbean have continued smooth preparation.

CWI had sent out training programmes to these players from the different territories.

From a Guyanese perspective, the players are engaged in intense training sessions, with CWI Level three Coach Winston Smith having the two Berbicians, Rampertab Ramnauth and Isai Thorne, under his wings.

Mavendra Dindyal and Matthew Nandu are the other two players in the programme.

In an invited comment with this daily publication, Coach Smith said the two players completed the March

programme with great success, but due to the inclement weather and COVID-19 restrictions, the April programme has been halted.

“In terms of strength work, they are coming very good. The boys are getting stronger, and they are working very hard. In terms of fitness, the players are at a better level. At first the players could not throw the ball 40 metres, now they are able to throw (it) 60 metres. All in all,

Barakat Brothers Cricket wish GCB success in development of cricket in Guyana

T

he Barakat Brothers Cricket, a West Demerara-based cricket organisation, has congratulated the newly elected members of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), and wishes them every success in development of cricket in Guyana.

This organisation has been very instrumental in development of cricket on the West Demerara for almost 14 years.

In his message, Feroze Barakat, CEO and Managing Director of Barakat Brothers Cricket, said, “Success is not only measured by money; it is measured by hard work, discipline and the will to succeed. You, the present executive of the GCB, (have) demonstrated this quality.

Hearty congratulations on

W

Isahack Barakat

Feroze Barakat

your success, and (I) do hope that you keep on striving for the betterment of cricket in Guyana.”

Feroze Barakat is also CEO of Odyssey Sightseeing Tours and Odyssey Transport Services Inc. Speaking about the Barakat Brothers Cricket Organisation, he has said: “Our main aim was to promote cricket as a whole on the West Demerara, after noting that cricket was quite dormant and there was a big void for quality competition.

“We had our challenges with the relevant board, who, from time to time, would sanction players and umpires who partook in our competitions. This was the main factor that forced us to eventually suspend our competitions, taking into consid-

everything is going to plan,” Smith said.

He also disclosed that he has been in constant contact with the likes of Graeme West, Floyd Reifer and Courtney Walsh.

Meanwhile, Reifer, speaking on the Mason and Guest radio programme, said the coaching programme has taken a scientific approach in addition to the customary approach, and players are being prepared to play at a high level.

“We have the nutritionist and sport psychologist who comes online every Sunday to talk to the boys,” he said.

Reifer said Barbados is under pressure in terms of

eration the welfare of the players and officials.

“It is heartening to note the fresh faces in Mr Bissoondyal Singh and Mr. Hilbert Foster being at the helm of cricket in Guyana. I am very impressed with structure of cricket in Georgetown, East Coast of Demerara, and in the Berbice area.

I wish to see similar developments in Essequibo, (and) in the near future for West Demerara. I say there is still hope with Mr Bissondyal Singh and his team at the Demerara Cricket Board.”

Barakat also wished Bissondyal Singh and his team “all the best in the future”, and for them to all work together and put cricket in Guyana first.

est Indies T20 skipper Kieron Pollard took T20 hitting to new heights in 2020. He scored 59 sixes across his matches at a rate of one every 5.5 balls. His strike rate for the year was 199, and he averaged 53.

Kieron Pollard feels elated, and has said it is a “fantastic achievement” to be named by Wisden Cricket Almanack as the Leading T20 Cricketer in the World.

He says he is hoping to create more history in the coming year.

Cricket’s most authoritative and respected publication noted that the West Indies white-ball captain distinguished himself by helping the Trinbago Knight Riders juggernaut to CPL glory – winning all 12 matches in the tournament last year. He then was part of the Mumbai Indians powerhouse which won the IPL title.

“2020 has not been great for all of us, being hit by a COVID-19 pandemic. We did not expect something like this, but we were able to

the COVID-19 lockdown and the ash falls, and Jamaica has had a spike in the pandemic.

Director of Cricket West Indies, Jimmy Adams, also disclosed on the Mason and Guest programme that CWI is hopeful of hosting an Under-19 series versus South Africa.

(Brandon Corlette)

Mavindra Dind

yal

Wisden hails Kieron Pollard’s huge impact on cricket’s T20 format

use this time wisely, spend time with family, reflect, and think about what we want to do,” Pollard said.

“I got the opportunity to play some cricket as well, and it has worked. Being able to be named T20 Player of the Year, I think, was a fantastic achievement in what would’ve transpired.”

Pollard emerged as one of the world’s leading T20 cricketers over the last decade, becoming renowned for his sensational power-hitting, brilliant fielding, and seam bowling. With 10,641 runs, he sits second on the all-time list of run-scorers only behind Chris Gayle, who has 13,760 runs, and has taken 293 wickets. His tremendous achievements have led to him being named last year on the International Cricket Council’s Team of the Decade.

“Winning CPL, 12 games on the trot without losing a game, was fantastic; winning the IPL for a fifth time, I think we continued to break records and personally continued to score runs,”

said Pollard. “I just want to continue to entertain you, fans; entertain my family, entertain my friends, and at the end of the day, just try to do what God has given me talent to do, be it what format.”

He added: “Being named T20 Player of the Year [for] 2020 and also being named in the T20 Team of the Decade. These are fantastic, small-small achievements.”

Pollard has said he was also pleased with his efforts this year: leading West Indies to a 2-1 win over Sri Lanka in the CG Insurance T20 series, and 3-0 in the CG Insurance ODI series, while becoming the first West Indies player to hit six sixes in an over on the international stage.

“We look forward to 2021, which has started pretty decently as well, joining some esteemed company in hitting six sixes in an over in international cricket, and I look forward to continuing that sort of form and continuing to perform,” he said. (Windies Cricket)

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GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

Deepak Chahar’s 4 for 13 sets up big CSK win

Moeen Ali scored 46

fter four successive matches that swung wildly at the death for come-from-behind-wins, the Chennai Super Kings eased to a straightforward victory against the Punjab Kings, thereby notching their first points of IPL 2021.

A bowling masterclass led

by Deepak Chahar dismantled the Kings’ top order, and there was no magic recovery this

Dhoni continuing to bowl him beyond the powerplay for all four overs in one stretch, and he ended with 4 for 13, after bowling an incredible 18 dot balls.

It was left to Shahrukh Khan to show a glimpse of his muscular hitting capacity, with 47 off 36 from No. 6 to drag the team into three figures. The 106 for 8 they ended up with was still the lowest total for

Rahul Chahar (C) bagged 4-13

time. Chahar took out four of the Kings’ top five, while the other man - KL Rahul - was run out. For a team structure heavily dependent on the top order to make the bulk of the runs, being 26 for 5 meant the end of the Kings’ hopes in this game.

Chahar bowled a spectacular first spell, with MS

any team that has batted out its 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium in the IPL. The Super Kings had a good opportunity to beef up their net run rate. Moeen Ali, who scored 46 off 31, did exactly that, and although a two-intwo burst from Mohammed Shami then slowed the charge, the Super Kings still eased to

SCOREBOARD PUNJAB KINGS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) KL Rahul (c)† run out (Jadeja) 5 Mayank Agarwal b Chahar 0 Chris Gayle c Jadeja b Chahar 10 Deepak Hooda c du Plessis b Chahar 10 Nicholas Pooran c Thakur b Chahar 0 Shahrukh Khan c Jadeja b Curran 47 Jhye Richardson b Ali 15 Murugan Ashwin c du Plessis b Bravo 6 Mohammed Shami not out 9 Riley Meredith not out 0 Extras (w 4) 4 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 5.30) 106/8 Did not bat: Arshdeep Singh Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Mayank Agarwal, 0.4 ov), 2-15 (KL Rahul, 2.5 ov), 3-19 (Chris Gayle, 4.2 ov), 4-19 (Nicholas Pooran, 4.4 ov), 5-26 (Deepak Hooda, 6.2 ov), 6-57 (Jhye Richardson, 12.1 ov), 7-87 (Murugan Ashwin, 16.5 ov), 8-101 (Shahrukh Khan, 19.1 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W 4-1-13-4 Deepak Chahar 3-0-12-1 Sam Curran Shardul Thakur 4-0-35-0 4-0-19-0 Ravindra Jadeja

Moeen Ali Dwayne Bravo

3-0-17-1 2-0-10-1

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS INNINGS (TARGET: 107 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Ruturaj Gaikwad c Hooda b Arshdeep Singh 5 Faf du Plessis not out 36 Moeen Ali c Shahrukh Khan b Ashwin 46 Suresh Raina c †Rahul b Mohammed Shami 8 Ambati Rayudu c Pooran b Mohammed Shami 0 Sam Curran not out 5 Extras (lb 5, w 2) 7 TOTAL (15.4 Ov, RR: 6.82) 107/4 Did not bat: Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c)†, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Ruturaj Gaikwad, 4.6 ov), 2-90 (Moeen Ali, 12.3 ov), 3-99 (Suresh Raina, 14.2 ov), 4-99 (Ambati Rayudu, 14.3 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W 4-0-21-2 Mohammed Shami Jhye Richardson 3-0-21-0 2-0-7-1 Arshdeep Singh 3.4-0-21-0 Riley Meredith Murugan Ashwin 3-0-32-1

victory in the 16th over for the loss of just four wickets.

Chahar strikes, Jadeja prowls In the very first over, Chahar got one to curl past Mayank Agarwal’s bat to knock out the off-stump. Pitched on a length and curving away wickedly, it left Agarwal squared up, and would probably have accounted for most batsmen.

He also got Chris Gayle two balls later, but Ruturaj Gaikwad shelled a straightforward chance at backward point.

Two overs later, Rahul took off for a quick single from the non-striker’s end when the ball had rolled off Gayle’s pad to short cover, but he misjudged Jadeja’s panther-like quickness in the field. Swooping down on the ball and rifling a direct hit in one smooth motion, Jadeja caught Rahul short even though the batsman had taken a decent start.

Chahar was not to be denied Gayle’s wicket either, and a knuckle ball did the No. 3 in, chipping a drive because he played it early. It was again towards cover, and Jadeja was in the thick of it again, diving to his right to hold a good catch.

For good measure, Chahar added Deepak Hooda’s wicket in his final over, an awayswinger being lobbed tamely to mid-off. His final over ended a wicket maiden, and with seven overs bowled, the Kings were going at less than four an over with all of their main batsmen back in the hut at 26 for 5.

Shahrukh strikes at Wankhede He had walked into the middle in just the fifth over, and as the last recognised batsman remaining, Khan could afford to just play and not bother about the scoreboard.

If the Kings were going to get anything defendable, it was all on him, so he could pace his innings his own way.

With Chahar bowled out, batting became a mite easier too, and Khan muscled the ball to the fence whenever he was given width. He fell in the final over, missing out on a maiden IPL fifty, but he had ensured the team wouldn’t be bowled out before crossing 100.

Moeen leads the way in the chase The Super Kings stuck to their opening combination of Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis, who both were circumspect against some sharp new-ball bowling. With the target so low though, it didn’t matter, even though Gaikwad fell in the powerplay.

Ali’s association with du Plessis yielded 66 runs in 7.3

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Shahrukh Khan led with 46 for the Punjab Kings

overs for the second wicket, and there was no way the Super Kings were losing after that. Ali had begun to find the boundary with trademark fluency right from when he walked in in the sixth over, while du Plessis was content to hold his end up. Ali, however,

WANTED fell before he could get to his fifty, flat-batting M Ashwin to deep midwicket.

There was a minor moment of drama when Shami got both Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu off successive balls, but by then victory was only a formality. (ESPNcricnfo)

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Central Essequibo Cricket Committee holds AGM/elections

– Trevis Simon elected CECC President

The new president, seated second right, is with the other executives

W

hen the Central Essequibo Cricket Committee (CECC) held its Annual General Meeting last Tuesday at the Imam Bacchus Sports ground at Affiance, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, Long-serving cricket administrator Trevis Simon was elected its new president.

Simon, who still plays competitively for Reliance Hustlers Cricket Club, was uncontested for the top position.

After the completion of proceedings, Simon declared himself humbled by the confidence invested in him, and thanked the cricketing fraternity in Central Essequibo for their display of faith. He mentioned that he would love to see continued development of the game in Central Essequibo, and by extension the entire Essequibo and Guyana.

“Well, I just want to say that we will continue the work that we [are] doing at the Central Cricket Committee level, and we intend to extend that to the Essequibo Board (ECB), and also definitely intend to work with anyone who is willing to see cricket developed and moved forward in Central and at the ECB [Essequibo Cricket Board] level, and… at the GCB [Guyana Cricket Board level] also.”

Simon has also been assigned the responsibility

of chairing the Selection Committee. He said he and his team are already at work to get things cracking with an invitational youth tournament, set to bowl off this weekend. Six under-19 teams will compete for championship honours in the round-robin 40-over competition.

It has been noted that outdoor activities have been challenging since onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the CECC has assured that all COVID protocols would be observed. Only the players are expected to grace the games, and no spectator would be admitted to witness any game being played.

The full executive membership elected to serve is as follows: Trevis Simon - President, Atto Christiani -Vice-President, Rohan Boodram - Secretary, Sanja Rajkumar -Treasurer, Chevraj Boodram -Asst Secretary/Treasurer, Kumar Dass - Public Relations Officer.

Committee members are Premnauth Persaud, Parmesh Persaud and Eickey Persaud. Chairman of the Fundraising Committee is Sanjay Rajkumar. Chairman of the Competitions Committee is Parmesh Persaud, and Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee is Atto Christiani.

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SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Too much Reggae…

23

Guyana go down to Jamaica despite Moe's resistance

I

t was a battle that did not even come down to the wire. Jamaica were all over the local side. In the end, Guyana went down to Jamaica 107-87 in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 - Central American and Caribbean Pre-Qualifiers at the Gimnasio Nacional Adolfo Pineda.

There is nothing more that could be said but that

the local side again failed to make it count in the third quarter.

Leading the fight for Guyana was Anthony Moe with 25 points, Stanton Rose Jr with 20, and Delroy James with 18.

Jamaica’s top-scorers were Omari Johnson, with 26; Marcel Robinson, with 21, and Romaine Thomas, with 18.

Guyana started off the first quarter rather comfort-

ably, and one could say they evenly matched their counterparts.

The first quarter ended 24-20 in favour of Jamaica, and with a 4-point deficit for the local side, there was still hope. Heading into the second quarter, the scores read 4742, still in favour of Jamaica, but still there wasn't much of a points’ difference.

But just like in Thursday’s loss to Nicaragua, Guyana gave it away in the third

quarter. Jamaica led that quarter with the score on 78-57, meaning they scored 30 points as compared to Guyana’s 18 points.

Nevertheless, the action continued, but the difference in scores was too much, and the Jamaicans made full use of their opportunities to register their second win.

Guyana gave their all as the fourth quarter read 3029, and while it was in fa-

GCB/Dave Narine to launch Dave’s West Indian Imports & Exports Educational Trust Fund

T

he Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) will, next Friday, April 23, launch the Dave Narine Educational Trust Fund for 15 young cricketers across Guyana.

Under this initiative, each county would submit the names of 5 Under-17 cricketers who would each benefit from a grant of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).

Two of the important criteria to qualify for the grant are personal discipline and school attendance.

The current GCB executives are cognisant of the constraints imposed on players by the COVID-19 situation; in particular, the present rise in recorded cases, and the financial impact on families, and will continue to monitor the situation to establish a time frame - based on professional advice - in which GCB competitions can recommence.

The GCB Cricket Development Committee (CDC) would continue to focus on the requisite programmes that are

geared at on-field and off-field developmental activities.

The Guyana Cricket Board wishes to express immense gratitude to Mr Dave Narine, proprietor of Dave’s West Indian Imports and Exports, for his continued support of the development of youth cricket.

Mr Narine has expressed his intention to again donate a large quantity of exercise books for distribution to youth cricketers, and to renew his sponsorship of the Under-15

Dave Narine

Inter-County Tournament.

Each county is being asked to submit, by Tuesday, April 20, their list of 5 players who would benefit from this initiative.

T

national squads convene for encampment only in the days before international fixtures and when the FIFA international window opens.

Squads are also generally announced only in the days before the window opens, once it is clear which players are fit and available.

“We’ll be looking to work on more technical and physical aspects for the next few weeks,” said Golden Jaguars Assistant Coach Charles Pollard. “We will be looking for good commitment and attitude. We always know that the local players are never short of commitment and attitude – so that’s a plus.

“We want to continue to build on their fitness and

awareness, and to get them to concentrate for longer periods of time,” the former national team captain added.

Twelve places in the 23man final squad which faced Trinidad and Tobago and the Bahamas in March were handed to domestic-based players, including eight alumni of the GFF’s pioneering elite youth Academy Training Centres.

Goalkeeping coach Eon De Vieira has said: “With the goalkeepers coming back from a short break, we would like to reinforce the importance of the many games we have coming up in FIFA World Cup qualifiers and the Concacaf Gold Cup playoffs. With respect to training, we will be focusing

on strength training mainly for the next few weeks.”

Guyana faces Guatemala in part one of the preliminary round of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup in July.

The GFF has set the following key targets for the Golden Jaguars this year: • • Reach round two of 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification • • Improve on the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup performance, when Guyana secured one point in the group stage of the tournament.

Guyana must win both matches, against Saint Kitts and Nevis and against Puerto Rico, to have a chance of qualifying for round two of FIFA World Cup qualification.

21:00hrs, as they aim to register their first win.

On Thursday, April 16, 2021, the Guyana Basketball Men’s National Team dropped their opening game by 11 points to Nicaragua 73-84. Top performers for Guyana were Stanton Rose with 20 points, Anthony Moe with 13 Rebounds and Delroy James with 8 Assists.

Williams engineers Zouks’ comeback in Esports series

T

Domestic-based Golden Jaguars to resume training on April 17

he domestic-based Guyana Senior Men’s National Squad will restart training sessions at the Guyana Football Federation’s National Training Centre on Saturday, in preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.

Twenty-eight players, who will undergo regular testing for COVID-19 while in training, have been invited to train for five sessions per week until the final squad is selected, before Guyana takes on Puerto Rico and Saint Kitts and Nevis in the last two matches in Group F of the first round of qualification.

Guyana currently lies third in Group F, following a 3-0 defeat to Trinidad and Tobago and a 4-0 win against the Bahamas in the Dominican Republic in March. Only group winners progress to round two.

The extraordinary domestic squad training arrangements, also deployed in the months before the March games, have been arranged and fully financed by the GFF to provide players with a professional coaching environment to compensate for a lack of club and competition activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In normal circumstances, once released by their clubs,

vour of Jamaica, it showed the fight and resilience of the local side, but alas, it was a little too late to avoid the 107-87 defeat.

Guyana did show improvement, as their shooting showed an FG% of 46.5, which means of the 71 attempts made, they scored 31 of them, this being a vast improvement over their battle with Nicaragua. They will now see off El Salvador at

he third match of the Hero CPL Esports series was a topsy-turvy affair, with Kesrick Williams of the St Lucia Zouks emerging victorious against Sheldon Cottrell of the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots after a brilliant comeback with the ball.

The Zouks batted first, and Cottrell controlled himself with the new ball. After a chaotic first over, the St Lucian team were on 16/2 after two dropped catches, a run out, and a catch taken in the deep.

The madcap start continued within the second over with wickets falling from the first, third and fifth balls from Alzarri Joseph to leave the Zouks at 21/5.

Yet another dropped catch prevented the score from progressing to 21/6 when Daren Sammy chipped one to mid-wicket off the bowling of Sohail Tanvir. That dropped catch seemed to be the wakeup call that the Zouks needed, with Sammy finally finding the boundary with some regularity.

It was Sammy who took the Zouks to a total that they had a chance of defending, with 42 (11) before he holed out looking for yet another six.

Rayad Emrit, who put an end to Sammy’s innings, nearly had a hattrick in the final over - a tricky chance at square leg, put down by Chris Lynn to deny him.

The Zouks closed their innings at 77/8, and the Patriots set off in pursuit of that total with a bang.

Evin Lewis ploughed into the bowling of Chemar Holder, taking 28 off the first over before being caught on the boundary going for another six.

At the other

end, Chris Lynn was as explosive as his opening partner, taking 16 from five balls before he was dismissed

by Obed McCoy. Lynn was soon followed

by Denesh Ramdin, who went for a golden duck; but with the score at 45/3, and with just 33 more runs needed, it looked like the Patriots were still favourites.

A stunning caught-andbowled from Williams brought the Zouks back into the game, with the Patriots now 55/5 and with two overs to go.

When that became 62/7, the Patriots were in real trouble, with 15 needed off the last over.

Scott Kuggeleijn was given the responsibility of bowling the last over, and he didn’t let the Zouks down, conceding just 2 runs as his team won a fascinating match by 12 runs. ( C P LT 2 0 .

COM)

Sheldon Cottrell

SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 2021

Pg 23

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

Too much Reggae…

Pg 23

Guyana go down to Jamaica despite Moe’s resistance Pg 23

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