Guyana Times - Sunday April 25, 2021

COVID-19 led Essequibo Coast CSEC high-achiever to entrepreneurship Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4628 guyanatimesgy.com

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THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021

PRICE

GuyOil fuel racket

$120 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Aaron Royalty Inc not licensed to import fuel – GEA …ex-GM denies negotiating fuel purchase

Armed bandits storm EBD P22 Chinese supermarket

Page 7

India discussing potential long-term deal for Guyana’s crude Page 3

…deal would be dependent on price - Natural Resources Minister

Diamond Diagnostic Centre commissioned as a Smart Facility

Children's P11 vaccination coverage remains high despite COVID-19 impact – Health Minister Bartica woman, boatbuilder nabbed with stolen boat, P26 engine

Venezuelan soldier shot by countrymen P10 in Guyana Gladwin Samuels no longer Director of Prisons P9

Not afraid of leadership P25 challenge – claims Granger on PNC congress …blames COVID for delay

Page 23

Recognition COVID-19 claims 48 of excellent lives to date in April performance motivated …4 more deaths, whopping 152 Essequibo Coast top student new cases recorded

Page 24

…as Region 2 girls shine at CSEC

Page 6

Berbicians P28 could save $$$ after completing skills training – Labour Minister

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, April 25 – 03:00h – 04:30h and 13:30h – 15:00h and Monday, April 26 – 03:30h – 05:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

India discussing potential longterm deal for Guyana’s crude …deal would be dependent on price – Natural Resources Minister

Sunday, April 25 – 15:05h – 16:35h and Monday, April 26 – 15:55h – 17:25h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 11:00h and 16:00h daily

WEATHER TODAY There will be light rain showers and sunny intervals during the day. There will be clear skies at night.

Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-Easterly to NorthEasterly between 2.23 metres and 5.36 metres.

High Tide: 15:36h reaching a maximum height of 2.77 metres.

Low Tide: 09:09h and 21:27h reaching minimum heights of 0.45 metre and 0.44 metre.

SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS A

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Bonus Ball

DAILY MILLIONS

06 19 21 22 24 LUCKY 3

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DRAW DE LINE

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$66.11/barrel

+1.07

Rough Rice

$241.52/ton

+0.43

London Sugar

$461.20/ton

-0.26

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1776.90

$1777.90

Low/High Change

$1769.50 0.00

$1797.10 0.00%

The HPCL-Mittal Energy Ltd refinery in Punjab, India bought oil from Guyana last month

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ndia, the world’s third-largest importer of oil, bought its first cargo of light sweet crude from Guyana in March 2021. According to the Government, India is now in talks with Guyana that can lead to a more long-term arrangement.

This was revealed by a report published by Reuters quoting Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat as saying that India has approached the Government of Guyana about the possibility of a long-term agreement to buy crude, currently being produced from the Liza field offshore Guyana.

Calls to Bharrat’s local telephone number in Guyana went unanswered on Saturday. However, Reuters reported that Bharrat said that India is interested in buying one of the million-barrel oil lifts that Guyana is entitled to, with the intention of testing the crude in its refineries. According to Bharrat, if the crude is compatible, India could begin talks on this longterm agreement.

The Reuters report added that these talks would be on a Government-to-Government basis and that India is interested in Guyana’s crude as part of its efforts to diversify its crude source, which is currently dominated by Saudi Arabia.

According to the report, the crude would be processed

by India’s State-owned refineries. Minister Bharrat, meanwhile, told Reuters that pricing for the crude will be the most important factor for Guyana in any potential agreement.

The Reuters report also referenced Bharrat saying that the Government planned to re-launch the search for a marketing firm "soon" that would market Guyana’s oil. This comes after one of ExxonMobil’s co-venturers in the Stabroek Block had to market Guyana’s fourth oil lift.

Last year, Guyana had received 29 bids from companies interested in marketing the country’s crude. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo subsequently revealed that 28 of these companies were disqualified owing to “nonsensical” bid requirements, even though these companies have proven track records in marketing crude and are trading billions of barrels per day.

This resulted in the Government having to approach the Stabroek Block co-venturers – ExxonMobil, CNOOC/NEXEN and Hess, in order to bid for the contract

to market Guyana’s fourth lift back in December. As a result, Hess marketed the fourth lift of one million barrels of oil.

Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat said there was no guarantee the Government's next cargo - which he said is due in June but may be delayed due to mechanical issues that have reduced production levels - would go to India.

This publication had reported last month that one million barrels of oil from Guyana was bought by HPCLMittal Energy Ltd (HMEL), a joint venture between Staterun Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Indian steel tycoon LN Mittal.

The report states that HMEL operates a 226,000 barrel per day Bathinda refinery in the northern state of Punjab. Reuters reported that the one-million-barrel cargo of Guyana’s Liza light sweet crude set sail from offshore Guyana on March 2 on the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Sea Garnet bound for India’s Mundra port, where it was set to arrive around April 8. The cargo’s charterer is Trafigura, according to the Refinitiv Eikon data.

Guyana, with US oil giant ExxonMobil as the operator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019, in the

Stabroek Block. Guyana’s oil revenues are being banked in the New York Federal Reserve Bank, where it is earning interest.

To date, the country has received payments for five lifts of oil. The most recent payment was made earlier this month for a 997,420-barrel oil lift in February from Liza Destiny. That lift was valued at US$61 million, taking the total amount received at the time for Guyana’s share of oil to US$246.5 million. Inclusive of royalties, the total in the

Natural Resource Fund account stood at US$267.6 million.

The Natural Resources Ministry reported that Guyana received its first payment of US$54.9 million for an oil lift dated February 19, 2020. Guyana’s second lift, on May 21, 2020, was valued at US$35 million. The third lift, which occurred on August 9, 2020, was valued at US$46 million, while the fourth lift occurred on December 9, 2020, and came in at US$49.4 million in value. (G3)

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021

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

The sugar industry

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ews that the verbal spat between the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) and GuySuCo was defused through the intervention of VP Bharrat Jagdeo was most welcome. The agreed-to payout going back to unresolved wage issues from 2019 under the vindictive PNC regime - of a nominal $28,000 per worker was an acknowledgement of the cries for justice by the sugar workers. And this is the point made by the VP - that the new management team of GuySuCo must appreciate.

Sugar workers have been exploited for four centuries, starting with slavery and indentureship, and they have had to struggle for every right they now possess. They are very sensitive to being treated as if they are objects rather than autonomous subjects. Every one of these workers, whether in the factories or the cane fields, has tremendous institutional knowledge of the industry. And just as the Scottish and Irish neophyte managers and overseers of yore used to be groomed by them into the minutiae of field and factory operations, the new management must be humble enough to include them in analysing what ails the industry and in charting a path to success. One can state unequivocally that regardless of the “best laid plans” of management and ministry, there will be no success without the buy-in of workers.

The second point to be noted - which is not unrelated to the first - is that the sugar industry would be more properly appreciated if it is dealt with as a “sugar cane industry”, with a factory appendage to extract the sugar crystals from the sugar cane. GuySuCo is therefore a hybrid agricultural and manufacturing entity, and the two components must be closely coordinated. It was this coordination imperative that necessitated pliant, cheap, and always available labour, which was used to justify slavery and indentureship. With those “labour arrangements” having been abolished, management will have to be more realistic and creative to use all means at their disposal to ensure that labour is made comfortable without the old draconian measures.

For instance, back in 1968, the Crane Commission had introduced annual “profit sharing” based on a 6040 breakdown between workers (60%) and owners (40%).

When sugar prices skyrocketed in 1974, Burnham’s PNC Government introduced the “Sugar Levy” that scooped off the windfall and profits thereafter. Rather than reinvesting the Levy to recapitalise the factories, Burnham embarked on his Hydro-Power pipe dream, and workers lost “corn and husk”. The factories were never rehabilitated, and the workers lost profit-sharing.

The sugar-cane industry in Guyana is labour intensive, and while there has been much talk about “mechanisation” picking up the slack of the high field-employee absentee rate, it is a bit more complicated. Ultimately, because of our peculiar hydraulic conditions, that ensure our soils are always waterlogged, mechanised planting and reaping whether cutting and loading, or combined - compact the soil and strangle plant growth because of poor soil aeration. The poor ratoons after the first crop bear witness to this factor.

Guyana’s sugar cane industry, based on our coastland, will always be more labour intensive than others.

Furthermore, as Guyana’s economy improves and expands with the execution of the manifesto and plans of the PPPC Government, there will be new opportunities opened up for labour - skilled and unskilled - in the economy.

If, at this time, when the economy is still at the take off point, GuySuCo cannot incentivise workers’ participation, unless there is a more nuanced approach, the alienation will only increase. There have been suggestions that workers be allocated 15-acre plots as was done in the Belle Vue, WBD scheme back in the Bookers days. The productivity from this pilot project was always higher than GuySuCo’s, as were that of the private farmers in the Canals Polders. This might be one way to address the labour conundrum in the sugar cane industry.

Producing value added sugar products would also increase profitability. For this reason, we are somewhat nonplussed that the production of Factory White Plantation Sugar has not been initiated.

Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips meeting with a resident of Dundee, Mahaicony, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice). Phillips hosted an outreach in the region to meet with citizens and to hear some of their concerns. Prime Minister had a walkabout to meet vendors and shoppers at the Mahaicony Branch Market. (Office of the Prime Minister photo)

Miserable, disappointing performance of senior administrative staff at GECOM Secretariat

Dear Editor, Many justifications exist for a detailed review of the 2020 March to August events involving the miserable and disappointing performance of senior administrative and other key staff in the Secretariat of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Full exposure of this performance is necessary, and should be effectively addressed by the appointment of a neutral Commission of Enquiry. Notwithstanding, even the most cursory examination of the despicable and flagrant failures highlights alarming reasons for the nationwide concerns that necessitate and demand swift remedial actions.

In this framework, it is crucial to recognise the constitutional role and responsibility of the Chairwoman and Commissioners appointed to the GECOM Commission, as they possess the legal authority to ensure the conduct of GECOM staff concerning elections’ matters is upheld within the constitutional parameters. This position is enshrined in Section 162 of the Constitution, Cap. 1.01, which states: “(1)The Elections Commission shall have such functions connected with or relating to the registration of electors or the conduct of elections as are conferred upon it by or under this Constitution or, subject thereto, any Act of Parliament; and, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Commission – (a) shall exercise general direction and supervision over the registration of electors and the

administrative conduct of all elections of members of the National Assembly; and (b) shall issue such instructions and take such action as appear to it necessary or expedient to ensure impartiality, fairness, and compliance with the provisions of this Constitution or of any Act of Parliament on the part of persons exercising powers or performing duties connected with or relating to the matters aforesaid.”

It therefore contradicts logic and rationality that the Commission’s lack of action and slothful disposition has not yet confronted the conundrum of flagrant impartiality, brutal unfairness, and noncompliance executed by some of its key staff members in the National and Regional Elections. Of note, these events, following the smoothly conducted voting process on March 2, 2020, were dragged on for over five months to August 2020. Along the way, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield openly defied the directions of Chairwoman Justice (retired) Madam Claudette Singh, after both the courts and the Commission had ruled on related matters brought before them.

A central aspect of the plot which stands out as evidence of the CEO’s contentious vulgarity is his clandestine failure to produce copies of the Statements of Poll in support of an accurate verification of the votes cast at polling places on Elections Day. In his sub-optimal supervision of the operational procedures of GECOM, that should have ensured the attainment of the insti-

tution’s constitutional mandate, there is much evidence to support his conclusive brutal assault on the receipt and use of these key instruments to ensure effective validation of the elections’ results.

The surreptitious manoeuvres which produced the false spreadsheet and fictitious tally were accommodated by Mr Lowenfield, who had the absolute scope of review and correction.

Through his seemingly and somewhat pretentious tantrums of feigned responsibility, he attempted to disguise the glaring measures of thieving corroboration with the PNC/R’s crookery, which resulted in the unnecessary expenditure of billions of taxpayers’ dollars.

Editor, an abundance of public evidence informs the subsequent court proceedings filed against some GECOM officials by the Commissioner of Police, who acted in concert with the approval of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

The basis of these charges is certainly hinged on the failure of the CEO and other persons under his supervision to produce the certified copies of the Statements of Poll (SoPs) that were in the possession of GECOM’s electoral officials. Not only is this position overwhelmingly alarming and serious, but it is also ridiculous that the Commission still seems uncertain of what is required amidst this plethora of evidence.

Our nation must demand that all fraudsters and riggers be sent home and removed from the payroll of GECOM.

Of significance, Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie and DPP Shalimar AliHack are seeking orders compelling the Registrar of the High Court to disclose certified copies of the 2nd March National and Regional Elections’ SoPs that are in the possession of the Registrar. The certified copies of these SoPs and the Statements of Recount are necessary to prove that the figures submitted by Mingo and Lowenfield did not reflect the results of the true election. The DPP’s affidavit asserts that these documents will prove the defendants’ guilt in criminal offences, and will confirm that the defendants deliberately ignored the correct votes and made false declarations in the furtherance of a deliberate conspiracy.

Further, Keith Lowenfield is presently facing the court on three counts of forgery and three counts of misconduct in public office. He has been placed on $300,000 bail, while his deputy, Ms Myers, is slapped with two counts of misconduct in public office and has been placed on $300,000 bail concerning both charges.

Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo is on $600,000 bail for charges related to his wilful and serious derelictions.

Further, several other GECOM officials, including Denise Bob-Cummings, Michelle Miller, Elections Officer Shefern February and Information Technology Officer Enrique Livan, are all facing electoral fraud charges and are currently on bail.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021

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

Alexander’s selective amnesia and inaccuracies

Dear Editor, Permit me space to comment on a letter published in a section of the media on April 21, 2021.

Clearly, Mr Vincent Alexander was being himself.

Besides groping for answers, the letter is littered with inaccuracies. First, I wish to deal with the inaccuracies. It is not true that the awardees would be bonded. They would be required to do community service stints of varying lengths, based on the respective programmes, before they graduate. Clearly, they can seek jobs in any sector of the economy.

Beneath the veneer, however, Mr Alexander seems to be querying whether the

awardees of these scholarships would eventually infiltrate the public sector.

Further, the programme(s) for teachers contemplate active teachers. An integral part of these scholarships, as envisaged by President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Government, is the training of our people in their homes and environments in remote parts of Guyana.

The aim of this kind of programme, therefore, is not to bring back teachers, but rather to upgrade the skills of those in the profession.

Mr Alexander is probably experiencing selective amnesia. He is well aware that many teachers and nurses, among others, have not been

able to upgrade their skills/ knowledge to their potential due in part to their locations of employment in remote parts of the country.

This is a vital point when one considers that not all teachers or nurses can achieve upward mobility or promotion.

Upgrading of qualifications provides some semblance of parity by way of increased salary.

While the BPP may not close the academic gap between O’ Level/CSEC and Advanced level/CAPE, it will sufficiently prepare the student for entry into the respective programmes.

Furthermore, it must be noted that only one institution offers this option, which is

based on its own national education requirements.

Let me now explain briefly where GOAL fits into the scheme of things. The first nationally established institution for online and distance education, GOAL functions as an intermediary, broker or clearing-house for education programmes. It identifies internationally recognised programmes that fit the actual and perceived needs of the various sectors of the economy, and negotiates reduced prices for the students.

Furthermore, applicants who for one reason or another may not have been awarded scholarships can still pursue their education dreams, because they will benefit from

Guyanese New Yorkers helping compatriots

Dear Editor, Guyanese New Yorkers have responded to the needs of their compatriots during this COVID pandemic.

Richmond Hill, Flatbush, Queens Village, Jamaica, and other areas where Guyanese communities are established seem to have been hit very hard by the pandemic. Many Guyanese New Yorkers have lost their jobs, and a lot of them who owned small businesses have been forced to close them.

The increase in need of Guyanese New Yorkers, and perhaps those in Florida, New Jersey, Georgia, Washington and other places, shows the damage that’s been done by the pandemic in Guyanese-American communities.

Guyanese have been severely affected by the pandemic in a variety of ways. A drive thru Guyanese neighbourhoods reveals too many shuttered shops.

Many Guyanese are struggling through job losses and wage cuts. Also, COVID infection rates are higher in Guyanese and other migrant neighbourhoods.

Guyanese communities in Queens, Brooklyn and elsewhere have been in desperate need of food and other forms of assistance. These neighbourhoods have seen many struggles, including a heightened need for food, masks, five-pack face shields, hand sanitisers and personal protective equipment, as COVID-19 cases spiked.

Their compatriots have not disappointed them.

Generous GuyaneseAmericans and Guyanese food pantry volunteers have responded to such needs in Queens in particular. Some assist with rental money and/or rent forgiveness. And several food pantries staffed

by Guyanese have been doling out food to alleviate hunger.

Mandirs, churches and masjids have also become centres for food distribution, COVID testing, and

vaccination. Food pantries and food distribution sites have helped Guyanese and non-Guyanese in Greater Richmond Hill to access food and protective equipment at critical times. Every week, sometimes twice a week, they gave out hampers and/ or equipment to protect against COVID. They not only help Guyanese, but members of other ethnic groups as well.

And mandirs have been helping not only Hindus, but also followers of other faiths.

The Guyanese neighbourhood leadership have responded positively to help their compatriots. Some mandirs handed out prepared meals and food boxes.

Many individuals and organisations have been behind the effort to help the community. They all deserve public credit.

Among those who really stood out in organising assistance for the Richmond Hill area are Vishnu Mahadeo of Richmond Hill Development Incorp, Balram Rambrich of Arya Samaj USA, Pt. Lakhram Ramdat Maharaj of Tulsi Mandir. Rambrich procured equipment that is shared with other organisations and distributed to the public. Mahadeo and Pandit Lakeram Maharaj have been able to procure food and equipment, and, without fail, have shared same with the public. Mahadeo has been distributing food, masks, gloves, hand sanitisers and shields, and at times hot meals several times every week, while Pt. Lakeram has been doling out his handouts on Saturday mornings.

In addition, to material assistance, Mahadeo has been able to lobby for, and procure, a mobile testing van that is posted almost permanently in Richmond Hill. He has been fetching seniors and bringing them for testing. He also has arranged vaccine appointments for seniors, and arranging transport for those in need in order that they might get vaccinated.

I would like to recom-

mend Vishnu Mahadeo for national honour by the Guyana Government for his extraordinary efforts to help Guyanese New Yorkers.

No one has done more than he has to help GuyaneseAmericans to combat the COVID, or to recover from infection.

Access to healthy nutrition and protective equipment is important to overall physical and mental health and well-being. And the public, Guyanese and non-Guyanese, is most grateful for the assistance provided by volunteers provided to meet the challenges.

Increasing numbers of Guyanese are being tested and vaccinated. Testing is

free, and multiple tests are allowed without any limit. Lives are being saved through regular testing and vaccination. Anyone and everyone who wants a vaccine gets it; no one is being turned away. An appointment is hardly needed now to get the vaccine. Walk-ins are allowed. There are few who have been resisting the vaccine. And the vaccine has been working.

Guyanese-Americans are urged to take the vaccine, and to get regular testing and take all necessary precautions to protect themselves and others.

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram

the same reduced tuition/ fees. They would, however, have to apply through GOAL. Besides connecting and enrolling students in the various programmes, GOAL monitors students’ performances and offers a range of services relating to student

and academic affairs.

This letter-response I trust would set some minds at ease on the role of GOAL in the 20,000 scholarships over the next five years.

Sincerely, Dr Jacob Opadeyi

Miserable, disappointing...

Besides, Lowenfield shamelessly and falsely reported to the Commission that the PPP/C gained 166,343 votes and that the APNU/AFC gained 171,825 votes. The fully televised and certified results from the recount exercise supervised by GECOM along with a high-level team from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) revealed that the PPP/C won with 233,336 votes while the Coalition received 217,920 votes.

It is therefore quite disgusting that with all of this overwhelming evidence of absolute wrongdoing, GECOM has taken no meaningful remedial action regarding staff involved in the obvious corruption.

This is a very serious matter, given that Local Government Elections are constitutionally due this year, and the Commission cannot reasonably expect the nation to be subjected to the same affront by these corrupt staff. It is there-

FROM PAGE 4

fore imperative that all of these persons charged and placed before the courts be removed from GECOM immediately. Our citizens will not accept that these GECOM staff members, along with many others who were part of the rigging and who deliberately made sinister efforts to derail the elections - are still on the job.

The actions and performance of GECOM in this setting warrant a full investigation on the many burning issues, including instructions that were given to the ‘Presiding Officers’ on the East Coast of Demerara in respect to the placements of the voting day documents.

It is clear that the PNC had a plan to derail the Elections if they cannot win on the East Coast of Demerara, and many of their planted henchmen hiding out in the GECOM Secretariat complied.

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021

News

Recognition of excellent performance motivated Essequibo Coast top student …as Region 2 girls shine at CSEC

By Raywattie Deonarine

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reparing for a big examination can sometimes be nerve-wracking, particularly if it is one that may determine your successive move towards a prosperous adulthood.

Duvina Seurattan had to tuck that nervousness away as she entered the examination room last year to sit the 2021 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations, where she managed to secure passed in 21 subjects – copping the top performer spot in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and the second position amongst the country’s top 10.

Born in 2003, Seurattan called “Cassie” hails from Cullen, Essequibo Coast, and is the youngest in her family of four which includes her mother, Kumarie Seurattan – a teacher at the Abram Zuil Secondary School. Her father, Gobin Seurattan, is a sales agronomist and her brother is currently pursuing his studies at the Humber College in Canada.

During the years 20062009, a foundation was laid for young Duvina at the Carmel Learning Centre after which she attended the Fisher Primary School at Golden Fleece during the years 2009-2015.

“Despite the numerous thoughts of attending other primary schools, my parents had their decision set to send me to Fisher Primary School so... I went along with their decision. And, with the guidance and support from my parents and teachers, I was able to cop the first position in my classes," she ex-

19 Grade Ones and 2 Grade Twos: Duvina Seurattan

plained during an interview with Guyana Times.

The now 17-year-old recalled that she managed to maintain the first position in class, shining throughout her years at the primary school. This performance was reflected when Duvina sat the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) and was awarded a spot at Guyana’s top secondary school, Queens College in Georgetown – a proud feat as she was named the Region’s top performer at the 2015 NGSA having obtained 522 marks.

However, the parents of the then 12-year-old girl opted for her to attend the Anna Regina Secondary School on the Essequibo Coast instead. According to the young woman, during her secondary years, she did not only immerse herself in her academics but also anxiously participated in many extra-curriculum activities in school including athletic sports and debating competitions. She was also a member of the social cohesion club.

“The love for this insti-

18 Grade Ones and 3 Grade Twos: Swasti Saytoo

tution [school] grew more and more since the teachers of the school recognised our contribution as students.

Each year, I was invited to ARMS prize-giving exercise where I received several achievement awards for being the best performer in different subject areas."

Her performance was consistent and this was shown in 2018, when Duvina sat the National Grade Nine Assessment, where she successfully named top performer, once again, at not just her school but the region as well.

However, the journey thereafter was not such a smooth ride.

“Fifth form was quickly approaching; the thought of the class sometimes caused me to shiver... But it was time to buckle up so I decided to accept the challenges wholeheartedly. I aimed for the stars so I set my foot forward and got more serious than before."

With that commitment and dedication to work – and her intelligence, of course – coupled with the guidance of her teachers, Duvina com-

16 Grade Ones and 4 Grade Twos: Tabitha Alves

pleted her School-Based Assessments (SBA) in a timely manner.

But with her nerves already reaching extreme heights leading up to the 2020 May-June examinations, Guyana and the rest of the world were caught in the midst of a global pandemic – the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Without a doubt, Seurattan was stressed out and concerned. She was even a bit sceptical to sit the examination since, for the first time ever, Paper 1 and the SBA components were used to determine the final grade.

Adding to the anxieties, students were forced to sit major examinations as the pandemic was starting to spread in Guyana and was already ravaging countries around the world. Despite these challenges, however, a nervous Duvina headed to the examination room all masked up and equipped with her sanitiser, to sit all 21 of her CSEC subjects.

When the results were finally released almost a year later on Friday last,

the 17-year-old was able to breathe a sigh of relief as she obtained 19 Grade Ones and 2 Grade Twos and was named the valedictorian of her school.

"I felt elated and overjoyed because my prime objective was to make myself, my parents, and also my school proud and I've certainly attained that. Now that I would have finished my secondary education, it is my fervent wish to further my studies at an overseas university... I would like to follow along the path of engineering especially chemical or petroleum engineering because I have a deep love for chemistry and also there is endless opportunity for me to progress my career as an engineer," an elated Duvina related.

However, Duvina is sharing the limelight with two other Essequibo Coast girls who also managed to secure spots amongst the country’s top 10 2020 CSEC performers.

Swasti Saytoo, also of Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School, copped the third highest perfor-

mance in the country with 21 passes, while Abram Zuil Secondary School’s Tabitha Alves copped the country’s 10th spot with 20 subjects.

Swasti Saytoo attained 18 Grade Ones and 3 Grade Twos. The jubilant Zorg, Essequibo Coast resident said, “I’m excited, overjoyed at my performance although I had to wait one year for [the results]. I will also be seeking scholarship to go overseas to study Civil Engineering.”

According to Swasti’s overjoyed mother, Malini Lall, her daughter had spent long hours studying in order to excel at her studies.

However, for Tabita Alves, her achievement of 16 Grade Ones and 4 Grade Twos came as a surprise.

The Queenstown Village, Essequibo Coast girl is nonetheless thrilled and related how grateful she is to God for seeing her through a tough time.

“The journey wasn’t easy cause my mom fell ill like two months before I had to write my exam so I was really frustrated but I’m overwhelmed with tears of gladness and I’m thrilled that I made it… It’s indeed a wonderful feeling. My parents are as proud as I am because even though they didn’t have to write the exam they were with me every step of this journey.

They gave me all that they can give and rallied around me and made sure I had all that I needed. My family members were my biggest supporters,” Tabitha said to reporters.

The teenager is currently invested in a small business named “T.A Personalised and Virtual Design”.

NEWS

Alleged GuyOil fuel racket

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Aaron Royalty Inc not licensed to import fuel – GEA …ex-GM denies negotiating fuel purchase

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aron Royalty Inc, the company which claimed that it had a “verbal” agreement with the Guyana Oil (GuyOil) company to import fuel does not have and never applied for an import licence.

This was confirmed on Saturday when this publication contacted Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) Dr Mahender Sharma, who also revealed that Aaron Royalty has not even applied for the

fuel import licence needed to import fuel.

According to Dr Sharma, investigations are underway to ascertain how exactly the company imported the fuel. The CEO also noted that “pending that investigation, we’ll determine a course of action.”

Reports had emerged last week that Jason Aaron of Aaron Royalty alleged officials at GuyOil contracted him to import fuel. However, Aaron claimed that after the company got a “sweeter” deal, the transaction was quashed.

However, GuyOil Chairman Paul Cheong subsequently denied the allegations made by Aaron. The Chairman noted that while GuyOil did have discussions with the company, the company was never contracted to bring in fuel.

Further, on April 21, Attorney-at-Law Dexter Todd, who is representing Aaron Royalty, related that he had dispatched a letter to GuyOil seeking clarification on a number of issues.

The lawyer told Guyana Times that his client needed clarification on who would take responsibility for the fuel that had already been procured.

“So, we have to determine, at the end of the day, who will be responsible for the fuel that is here… this oral agreement seems to have been performed by one party which is our client and there is some form of reneging because of whatever is their wrangle, I’m not too sure what exactly is the internal wrangling.”

This is likely a reference

Guyana Energy Agency CEO, Dr Mahender Sharma

to former GuyOil General Manager Trevor Bassoo, who resigned from the company after he reportedly distributed printouts of a WhatsApp conversation between Aaron Royalty and a manager at the company. In those messages, the manager was allegedly implicated in the transaction, though he has staunchly denied involvement.

In a statement issued on Friday, Bassoo said that the events that led to his resignation were in no way connected to the matter of fuel imported by Aaron Royalty Inc and alleged kickbacks related to that transaction.

He said that he had emailed the Board of Directors (BOD) of GuyOil to advise that representatives of Aaron Royalty Inc

reached out to him expressing their dissatisfaction with specific officers at the company. He claimed that he advised the representatives that they should reach out to the Guyoil Board to seek redress. According to Bassoo, on April 15 during a meeting with the Chairman of the Board, he was informed that he was being sent on administrative leave pending a performance review of his tenure as General Manager. He said a subsequent meeting was called with the Board to discuss a number of issues, adding that it was at that meeting he indicated his intention to submit his resignation. The resignation was tendered on April 19 and accepted.

“In the interest of full disclosure, I must mention that representatives of Aaron had reached out to me before April 14 and at that time I had advised them to try and resolve the matter with the officers who had engaged them to supply fuel to GuyOil.” He added that at no time did he negotiate any fuel purchases with Aaron Royalty and that his issues with the Board and Chairman never included the issue of this fuel purchase.

Actions will be taken

Already, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has

No licence to import: Aaron Royalty Inc, Jason Aaron

ordered that Auditor General Deodat Sharma be called in to investigate the transaction. Soon after the allegation first reared its head, the Finance Minister called a meeting with the GuyOil Board of Directors where he was briefed.

On Friday, Dr Singh had assured that based on the findings of the probe, actions will be taken against all parties involved in malpractices on behalf of GuyOil. He made this statement after he confirmed that the Office of the Auditor General has commenced its probe into the allegations of a fuel racket at the oil company.

“I don’t want to preempt the results of the audit, but

in the event that any inappropriate practices are identified, action will be taken,” he explained.

Singh explained that after the allegations were brought to his attention, he requested a meeting with the Board of Directors but the Board maintained that no contract was signed with Aaron Holdings and that the company was not involved in any unethical transactions.

Nevertheless, the Finance Minister said that in keeping with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration’s agenda of transparent transactions, he has ordered a probe into the matter.

“The Board repeatedly emphasised that there has been no contract with the company in question…

The Board made that very clear to me. Notwithstanding that assurance, I wanted the Auditor General to still do an audit,” Minister Singh explained, adding that the Government has zero tolerance for corrupt practices.

Jason Aaron is meanwhile no stranger to the media. In 2018, Aaron was charged with eight counts of fraud, charges which included forging an irrevocable Power of Attorney and obtaining money by false pretence.

8

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

More on education…

J

…with CXC results out ust yesterday, your Eyewitness waxed - if not lyrical, certainly prolixly - on the premises of our elementary education set-up, which is now supposedly “universal”.

While the prompt from the Ministry about deferring assessments had also included Grade 9 - the old Form 3 the high school nexus was passed over. So, with the results of CAPE and CSEC now out - after the delays occasioned by contested CXC grading - yours truly might as well extend his train of thought on education in the secondary schools and university.

If we cast our eyes back on the Common Entrance which we picked up from the British – we would notice that we’ve missed the entire point of their innovation, in 1948, from the original model in 1904. The exams now act as a sort of IQ test, signalling which students might be more suited for specific types of education in a new “Tripartite System”.

The high flyers would continue with academic pursuits in their elite grammar schools, and the others would be sent to less competitive “secondary modern schools”, or (for those considered below par) to trade-oriented technical schools. In Guyana, we retained the elite grammar schools – Queen’s and Bishops’ - for the top 1%, and left the others to flounder in the other secondary schools; and, much later, a couple of technical/agri-schools. The point to note is that we inherited the British snobbery about “academics”, and scoffed (if not scorned) technical and agricultural education.

It wasn’t even considered EDUCATION! Well, from the results just out, while Queen’s copped the top spots in both CAPE AND CSEC, other Government schools and one private school - SVN - dominated the top ten at CSEC. The latter’s performance was spectacular, grabbing 5 of the top spots, yet not having access to students with the top marks at NGSA like Queen’s and Bishops’ have. What this proves is that if the Government were to follow up on the promise made in 2013: to abolish the elitist approach and bring all secondary schools up to the standards of the elite schools, they can produce just as good results.

But quo basis? The results raise a more fundamental question: what exactly are we gearing our education system to produce? Some students used to sit for humongous numbers of subjects because they wanted to qualify for the handful of scholarships. But with the Government now offering 20,000 scholarships across the board - in all kinds of subjects - haven’t we levelled the field for higher education?

Maybe. But the old British condescension on technical and agricultural subjects stubbornly remains a barrier to our sustained progress.

We have to eradicate that to avoid the dreaded “Dutch Disease”! Let the techies rule!

…for progress Our attitude on what constitutes “good education” isn’t just about what’s imparted in schools. There’s also the undisciplined attitude we’ve developed in our everyday lives. In this we’re certainly “one people, one nation - and doomed to - one destiny”. Which is, to remain mediocre.

Your Eyewitness passed by City Hall today, and he couldn’t believe the state of decrepitude into which it has been allowed to fall.

And the operative word is “allowed”. After all, weren’t there officials - elected by the people of our fair city -to take care of its business. Isn’t taking care of the building you work in part of their duties? What sort of people would allow their workplace to literally become a pigsty? Well, the same sort of people who’d throw their garbage on the streets, and even in front of their neighbours’ yards. Or the same sort of people who refuse to wear masks in public, or avoid crowds while COVID spikes. Yet, as soon as they arrive in foreign, they straighten up.

A deep self-contempt streak is revealed!

…about corruption After 28 years of PNC corruption, the incoming PPP grappled with its structural bases for 23 years. But, in 5 years, the PNC returned corruption to its status quo ante.

The PPP must make the GUYOIL fiasco a cautionary tale.

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

NEWS

9

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gladwin Samuels no longer Director of Prisons

D

irector of Prisons Gladwin Samuels has been reassigned to the Home Affairs Ministry where he will be serving as the Assistant Coordinator on People Smuggling.

The Former Prison Director was sent on 132 days of accumulated leave back in December 2020 and was slated to return to work on April 25.

On Friday evening,

Samuels said in anticipation of resuming duty, he wrote to Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn on April 23, notifying him of the upcoming end of his leave.

He said that he was informed that he will be attached to the Home Affairs Ministry as the Assistant Coordinator on People Smuggling which will take effect from April 26.

That attachment will

Former Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels

be on a full-time basis until further notice, he was informed.

Additionally, he said that he was informed that he is required to report to the Minister of Home Affairs, who will apprise him of the details pertaining to his duties.

However, strangely, in issuing his statement on Friday evening Samuels also informed the media that further questions on his appointment should

be directed to his lawyer, Selwyn Pieters.

Samuels was appointed Director of Prisons in 2017 after Carl Graham proceeded on pre-retirement leave.

Samuels acted in the capacity and was officially confirmed for the position in January 2020.

Following Samuels’ departure on accumulated leave, Nicklon Elliot has been acting in the position of Director of Prisons. (G9)

10 NEWS Venezuelan soldier shot by countrymen in Guyana SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

A

Venezuelan soldier is now in a stable condition at the Mabaruma Hospital in Region One (Barima-Waini) after he was shot on Saturday afternoon by two of his countrymen during an altercation within Guyana’s borders.

In a statement issued on

Saturday night, the Guyana Police Force said the incident occurred at about 14:00h at Imbotero, North-West District, within the vicinity of the Guyana-Venezuela border.

The Police have said that preliminary information received states that the two suspects and the victim had

had a previous misunderstanding, which resulted in an altercation on Saturday.

During that altercation, the suspects, known as “Freddy” and “Kendell”, shot the victim twice about his body before fleeing the scene, being pursued by ranks from the Guyana Police Force, and es-

caping by crossing the border into Venezuela.

The victim was subsequently escorted by Police to the Mabaruma Hospital, where he is currently being treated. His condition is regarded as stable.

Investigations are currently ongoing. (G8)

NEWS

11

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Vaccination Week in the Americas

Children’s vaccination coverage remains high despite COVID-19 impact – Health Minister

E Indian-Guyanese

and Indian media

I

ndians in Guyana, as a subset of indentured Indians who had been shipped to a score of countries starting in 1834, first came to the attention of the Indian public during the tail end of indentureship, at the beginning of the 20th century.

Brought to the attention of the leaders of the Indian National Congress (INC) by Gandhi, starting in 1901, resolutions to end the exporting of Indian citizens as if they were no different from commodities like rice and wheat found their way into the burgeoning press.

Ironically, what raised the ire of the middle-class members in the INC - many Ravi Dev of whom were members of the Legislature of the Indian Government - was that in South Africa, according to Gandhi, even Indians who had arrived as merchants were derided as “coolies”, and treated accordingly.

The calls for abolition resounded first in South Africa, where indentureship was halted in 1911. The Indian Government also sent delegations to the other colonies to investigate the conditions of the Indian emigrants. By 1915, Indian indentureship was dominating the nationalist discourse in the Indian Legislature, public meetings, and their press.

In 1913, the story of Kunti and her narrow escape from being raped by an overseer on the plantations of Fiji seized the popular imagination after it was published in an Indian newspaper, Bhatat Mitra, as “The wails of a woman”. The Sanderson Commission Report of 1909, which included descriptions of indentureship in British Guiana, was published to “allay the rising opposition to oversee emigration which is beginning to manifest itself in India…”

By March 20, 1917, when indentureship was abolished, the issue had faded from the attention of the Indian Legislators. As such, the Mac Neal and Chimanan Lal Report of 1924, which examined living conditions in the Caribbean and Fiji, barely caused a ripple in the Indian press. In Guyana, however, it caused quite a stir, and precipitated several reforms.

One very important newspaper from the Indian Diaspora was interestingly a banned, underground one, “Hindustani Gadar” - Indian Revolution - which was produced in San Francisco and circulated into Guyana by mail.

The other media that caused more substantive changes in Guyana and the Diaspora was the Indian Cinema, which produced its first movie in Bombay in 1913, launching the “Bollywood” phenomenon. The first Indian movie shown in the Caribbean was “Bala Joban”, in 1937. While we need to do the research for Guyana, anecdotal evidence indicates it also started our Bollywood wave, since cinemas were built here since the 1920s. This media influenced local and diasporic culture, practices, sensibilities, and even religious practices.

With Bollywood movies being driven with playback songs, the latter moulded musical tastes in that community into the present. But we should know that Indian media was totally unidirectional, with not more than a handful of movies shot in the Caribbean (Right and the Wrong – 1969, and Anmol Bandhan – 1974) by Indian filmmakers.

In terms of press coverage, the Nehru Congress Government had declared that overseas Indians should focus on developing their new countries, and the overseas Indians faded totally from India’s public consciousness. The introduction of television in Guyana in the eighties opened up new vistas with Bollywood’s entry directly into homes, including by the new millennium Indian soap operas.

In the meantime, new emigration - from India to Britain after WWII, and to the US after their change in immigration laws in 1965 - increased exponentially. These highly educated and skilled emigrants, dubbed Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), set apart themselves from the 19th century indentured emigrants - called People of Indian Origin (PIOs). With their quickly accumulated wealth, they received heavy coverage in all Indian media, especially the Bollywood movies, which pandered to their lifestyles. This has reinforced the perception

by Indian-Guyanese and other Diasporians that they are not recognised by India on an equal level - just as back in the days of indentureship with the Indian National Congress.

However, with the explosion of social media in the last few years, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an explosion in communication between India and the Diaspora, especially over platforms like Zoom. This has coincided with a new interest in the 19th century diaspora by the BJP Government starting in 1998, and has fed into Indian Academia. One hopes it is as subjects, and not objects.

ven with disruptions to the health system amid the current pandemic, Guyana has been able to maintain a high level of vaccination coverage within the past year for children across the country.

While countries are seeing declining numbers in their immunisation efforts, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said on Saturday that this is not the case for Guyana. As a matter of fact, the country has managed between 90 to 100 per cent coverage in the 18 vaccines offered to children.

“We have developed, over the years, a very strong vaccination programme for our children and over the last year, despite COVID, we have been able to continue that immunisation programme.

We’re giving about 18 different vaccines to our children and when I look at the coverage in most countries, you would have seen the coverage of vaccines decline. In Guyana, fortunately, because

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

of the hard work of our staff, we have been able to maintain our vaccination coverage for children between the 90s and in one case, we were able to achieve 100 per cent coverage,” Dr Anthony indicated.

While giving props to the robust system in place to safeguard high numbers, the Minister lauded the work of medical practitioners within the public system that contributes greatly.

“I want to compliment the staff for doing that because without them going that extra mile. Without them going out and making sure that every child is getting their vaccine, this would not have been possible.”

Saturday marked the start of Vaccination Week in the Americas – a time when attention is placed on the strides made in countries to immunise their people.

Last year, the Pan American Health Organisation had said that COVID-19 was disrupting life-saving immunisation services around the world, putting millions of children at risk for diseases like diphtheria, measles and polio.

Many countries had temporarily suspended preventive mass vaccination campaigns against diseases like cholera, measles, meningitis, polio, tetanus, typhoid and yellow fever, due to the risk of transmission and the need to maintain physical distancing during the early stages of the

COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since March 2020, routine childhood immunisation services have been disrupted on a global scale that may be unprecedented since the inception of expanded programmes on immunisation (EPI) in the 1970s. More than half, 53 per cent of the 129 countries where data were available, reported moderate-to-severe disruptions or a total suspension of vaccination services during MarchApril 2020,” the Organisation had indicated.

Transportation delays of vaccines had also exacerbated the situation. UNICEF had reported a substantial delay in planned vaccine deliveries due to the lockdown measures and the ensuing decline in commercial flights and limited availability of charters.

Global vaccine alliance, Gavi then signed an agreement with UNICEF to provide advance funding to cover increased freight costs for delivery of vaccines. (G12)

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 led Essequibo Coast CSEC high-achiever to entrepreneurship

By Raywattie Deonarine

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has forced persons into creating opportunities and to come up with innovative and creative ways to utilise and share their talents and abilities gifted to them.

One such person is a 17-year-old entrepreneur of Queenstown on the Essequibo Coast, Tabitha Alves. Alves is a former student of the Abram Zuil Secondary School excelled at the CSEC examination last year with 20 subjects. She gained 16 grade ones and four grade twos.

As a result of the pandemic, Alves – like many persons – decided to enter the field of entrepreneurship by starting up her own business.

She now owns and operates “T.A Personalized and Virtual Designs”.

The young entrepreneur launched her own business in December 2020 after completing her secondary education. Though still young, she is actively working on growing her business so that it becomes a household name.

In a recent interview with Sunday Times, Alves revealed that the pandemic was a blessing in disguise for her because she had a chance to utilise her talent.

TURN TO PAGE 19

14 FEATURE

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Being a toshao means being everything for your village – Toshao Edward McGarrell

By Lakhram Bhagirat

“W

hen you are a Toshao you are everything to the people. You are the Police, you are the nurse, you are the leader, you are the boat captain, you are everything and when I say everything, I mean is everything. Plenty nights, people would come banging on your door to tell you something happened and you have to leave your bed and go to deal with it. That is what it is being a Toshao,” Toshao Edward McGarrell shared with the Sunday Times.

McGarrell is Toshao of Chenapou village located in the Potaro-Siparuni region. The Indigenous settlement is located some 29 miles up the Potaro River. The name Chenapou is a Patamona word and when translated means Frog Pond and the village would have gotten its name from the variety of frogs that inhibit the pond. One of the most popular species is what we refer to as the “moun-

Edward McGarrell (standing second on the right) with his football club during the early days

tain chicken” and in this village, it is called Chenau.

The village has in excess of 630 residents with most of them relying on the mining industry for an income. The main livelihood of the Chenapou residents is subsistence farming.

All fertile farming areas are located outside the village title with cassava, plantain, banana, pumpkin and squash being common crops.

In Chenapou, you are mostly disconnected from the outside world since there are no cellphone signals. However, it is one of the most breathtaking places to be with crisp fresh air and lots of adventure, culture and pride.

For the past six years, McGarrell has been leading the village and advocating for the betterment of its residents.

The 38-year-old father of four is at the end of his second term as Toshao and according to the Amerindian Act, he would have to bow out of the race now since he served two consecutive terms. However, his does not dissuade McGarrell from continuing to advocate for the residents of Chenapou.

“I was born and raised in Chenapou and this is my home.

I will always want to see my villagers happy. I enjoy the life in the hinterland or what they call the bush. There we feel free. You can go walk and get a nice fresh air and our way of life I really enjoy because you can go into the bush and find something to eat, natural things, things that grow by themselves,” he said.

McGarrell was pushed into the leadership realm after his fellow villagers realised that he has the capabilities to serve their interest. An active footballer, McGarrell was leading the Red Heat Sports Club when the villagers encouraged him to tip his hat into the race for Toshao.

In the first round, he was chosen to serve as Deputy Toshao and after that threeyear stint was over, he was elected to the substantive post of Toshao of Chenapou village.

McGarrell related that though he has had many opportunities, being a trained motor mechanic, to leave the village and work outside, he could never do so. Short stints in the mines are enough for him because he does not see himself anywhere else than Chenapou.

Elections for leadership of the Indigenous villages are due this year and McGarrell said they are actively looking for his “replacement”.

“Getting into this area of being a Toshao you have to show your leadership quality. You have to show the things that you are capable of doing as a leader.

If you want to contest being a Toshao, you don’t have to be campaigning and campaigning because that shows you have no confidence in your own self.

People look at you and the way you operate, the things you do and they would say ‘oh he or she look like a good person to put as a leader. That person is very vocal, that person is straightforward’ and those are some kinds of the things that people look at,” he said.

During his 6 years at the head of the Village Council, McGarrell has had several accomplishments when it comes

to advocating for his fellow villagers as well as disappointm e n t s a l o n g the way.

However, he explained that it all helped shape him.

“I had a lot of accomplishments and disappointments as well. I particularly got great respect for always advocating for the people and involving them in the process because this is a village I am representing and not myself. Challenges were a lot too because being a Toshao you are the doctor, Police, Toshao, nurse, boat captain, you are everything. You’re everything and it is a 24-hour work. Any time in the night people would come banging at your door to tell you that Toshao somebody got bitten by a snake, there is a fight and you have to go and attend to them.

“If it is anything you have to try and go and fix and I don’t know for what reason they always come to the Toshao and they know that there is a health personnel and there might be the Police. You are everything to them. It is a lot of sacrifices for a monthly stipend of $30,000. You have your family and sometimes your wife may want to divorce you because you are spending so much time looking at the affairs of the village that you are neglecting the affairs of your family.”

When asked about what advice he would have for someone, particularly the younger generation, thinking about entering the realm of village leadership, McGarrell said “My advice would be to them is to listen to the elders because they have experience. Listen to their advice and take it and you would analyse and see how we can go.

“Be someone that anyone must feel free or comfortable to approach. Try not to get power-drunk, be humble because a lot of things will come your way and you have to be level headed to deal with them. You will have people coming and want to accuse you and beat you and these kinds of things. Walk away from that and then talk with them. Be humble and try not to be too demanding.

“Respect everyone even from the babies to the grandmothers. Do not abuse your power because a lot of things will come to you. Try to get the consent of people to do things.

Take their advice because at the end of the day you as Toshao still have to wait for the approval of the village general meeting to come to a decision.

Being a Toshao is not about having the last say, it is about serving the public and making sure they have a voice.”

McGarrell, after he leaves the Toshao’s seat, intends to work with the new Toshao so that they can better enhance the lives of Chenapou residents.

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Dharm Shala – a story of serving humanity for a century

Albouystown Nursery School constructed by Pandit Ramsaroop Maharaj

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

he term Dharmshala is associated with a building dedicated to charity and serving humanity and for the past century, the Dharm Sala (Home of Benevolence for all Races) in Guyana has been doing exactly that in two of the three counties.

Pandit Ramsaroop Maharaj founded the charity in 1921 after travelling the length and breadth of Guyana. He was a gold dealer in his earlier years so that allowed him to travel the remotest parts of Guyana where he encountered the plight of his countrymen. He noted that there was a pressing need to improve the state of the people he saw on those trips.

Being a person that was deeply religious and lived by the virtue of serving humanity, the pandit decided that he needed to do something to help alleviate the suffering of his countrymen. He got some like-minded persons together and they agreed that they must play their part to help.

In commemoration of the Dharm Shala’s 100th anniversary, I sat down with Pandit Ramsaroop Maharaj’s granddaughter Pamela Ramsaroop who now takes care of the charity with her sister Kella Ramsaroop.

As we sat at a dining table in the Pandit’s King Edward Street, Albouystown home, Pamela told me that her deeply religious grandfather first decided that he needed to attend to the religious needs of the people and then the need for shelter, food and medicine.

She said that the Dharm Shala was birthed from the resilience of her grandfather and his deep love for service.

“Many persons who feel isolated and who feel that they are beyond help, they look to the church and my grandfather built the Albouystown Hindu Temple which is now one of the heritage sites in Georgetown since it is the oldest temple in the city. He then would build a school for the Albouystown area and then he decided that he needed to find accommodation for the people so the Dharm Shala homes of residence was built in Albouystown. Being the liberal-minded person that he was, my grandfather said that he would serve not just the Hindu community but everyone from every race as well.

“At first it was all just wooden structures where he set up a feeding space and they set up a little place where he had some cooks and above that,

they build a little stone flat and kept Anglican Service every Sunday. When they first started, they accommodated 200 persons because the need was very great,” she recounted.

Pandit Ramsaroop Maharaj was very keen on spreading his wings and most of the work he did was funded by himself. He also received some monies from the then colonial Government and decided to expand to Berbice. There he also built Dharm Shala residences.

However, before he could have extended to the Essequibo country, Pandit Ramsaroop Maharaj died of a heart attack on October 11, 1950. The pandit was a regular and authorised visitor to the Leper Asylum, the Mental Asylum, the Penal Settlement and settled disputes at Utivlugt, De Kinderen and Tuschen. The pandit was later awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal and later the MBE honour in 1935.

At the time of his death, the pandit was pleased that his work would be carried on by his son Harry Ramsaroop, who at that time, was heavily interested in the charity.

Harry took over when he was at the age of 35 and decided to quit his civil service job.

“Always at his side was his elder son (my father) and he shared the same views. He was very spiritual-minded, he was very humane, he had the same aspirations as his father to further the work because he saw the need for it. He was a Government servant at the time, he was married and had a family of his own but he always conversed with his father about what should be done and all of this helped to boost my grandfather’s confidence.

“He would take over the reins and the management of the institution. He had also seen that the buildings were in desperate need for repairs.

He was very realistic in his approach and he embarked on a rebuilding exercise,” Pamela told me.

She remembered that her father sought the services of one of the top architects in the Caribbean and best contractor in Georgetown and they designed the current building that houses the Dharm Shala.

He also went on to ensure that the mandir was in pristine condition, the school repaired and the Berbice Dharm Shala reconstructed.

“He did everything he could to further the reputation of the Dharm Shala and to get all the help he needed to manage it financially.”

A Chapel - the Chapel of St Francis of Assisi would also be built, next to Harry Ramsaroop’s home for Christian residents of the Dharm Shala at Georgetown.

Later Berbice Dharm Shala would be rebuilt.

The Georgetown and Berbice Dharm Shala total 11 Dharm Shala buildings and Harry would also find time to serve as Chairman of the Prison Aid Fund for discharged prisoners and later Chairman of the YMCA for Albouystown.

He would also hold other posi-

tions. The Dharm Shala would become an icon of private charities, a household name and be visited by royalty and visiting dignitaries.

Harry Ramsaroop would be honoured on 3 occasions MBE, MS, CCH for service to Guyana by the colonial as well as Governments of Guyana.

In 2009, Harry Ramsaroop became ill but by that time his eldest daughter, Kella, was interested in the day-to-day operations of the charity. She had retired from her post as a banker and was residing overseas

but saw that her father needed assistance in managing the charity so she returned home and began taking care of it.

In 2013, the same month that his father died, Harry Ramsaroop took his last breath in October.

Pamela, who was a lawyer residing in England, returned and joined hands with her sister Kella and took over the charity. Their other two sisters, Ula and Pauline engage in rendering voluntary service whenever time permits.

TURN TO PAGE 20

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

A

camera has the uncanny ability to freeze time so that we can revisit that period at some point in time. Photographers are important people in the sense that they play a part in capturing history.

At just 23, that is exactly what Kevin Laxus is on the path of but with a twist.

The young man has been taking photos and making videos for the past three years and is actively working on improving his skills. Mostly selftaught, Kevin uses his camera to lock special memories for his clients and for him, that brings the greatest joy.

Kevin grew up as the typical country boy in Parika on the East Bank of Essequibo. His parents and grandparents are farmers and it meant that he spent most of his free time helping them out. It was there that he became more appreciative of nature and wanted to preserve what he saw.

“I spend most of my childhood days in county side enjoying nature and beauty of that country life. My best mem-

ory was when I would travel in the morning to go to the farm. I would enjoy the beautiful view of the water lilies over the water from the boat that we travel to farm with,” he said.

He got into photography at the age of 20, and like most of the younger photographers, with a camera phone.

However, while photography is the foundation of his career, he is also heavily invested in mastering the art of cinematography.

“What inspired me was the way I see the world and I want to show the whole world what I see and I can only accomplish that through the eyes of a camera. My passion for videoing and photography started there.

I have no formal training. It is only YouTube tutorials and other videos,” he related.

For him, the journey has been one of trials and errors.

He is constantly learning as he progresses and has built a loyal clientele over the years. The

young man now shoots for clients both locally and overseas.

“I have been enjoying the growth of my work and business so far. For me, one of my major challenge is having the right equipment for the job but whatever I have I make it work so that my clients are given the best results. Over the years, I have had a lot of memories but

some of the standout ones include taking photos in Brazil at a high-water fountain and locally Bartica is one of my favourite places to shoot.”

Kevin is continuing on the path he is on and is hopeful of owning his own studio one day. For now, he is just enjoying taking photos and shooting videos for his clients.

18 FEATURE

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Final discussion on miscellaneous skin ailments F or the last several weeks we have been documenting the many ailments afflicting the skin of our dogs and cats. Today we’ll have a look at some other extraneous causes of pathological skin conditions. In other words, the real origin of the problem does not originally reside in the skin, rather there is a malaise in another physiological system, within the animal’s body, that results in skin ailments, or causes hair growth to be compromised.

Often, the animal might have a hormonal imbalance (see below) which exhibits itself as a skin infirmity. Also, unlike the skin afflictions caused by ectoparasites, there’s usually no itching/ scratching, nor is there any show of redness, swelling or pain, unless there is a secondary infection emerging to complicate

matters.

Hormone induced skin disorders, from my own experience, seem to take place as the dog becomes an adult (mostly at about 5 to 8 years of age). It should be mentioned that this condition, precipitated in inbred dogs, or in stray dogs when the siblings/ relatives mate with each other uncontrollably.

Let’s look at the specific hormones to which I am referring:

THYROID DEFICIENCY (hypothyroidism) – TD

As the name suggests this ailment is caused by an inadequate production of the hormone from the thyroid gland (situated in the neck).

This results in the loss of hair and reduced regrowth of hair (remember that dogs shed hair throughout their lives, but there is also constant regrowth – until the animal reaches middle/ old age). Further, the quality of the animal’s thinning coat hair diminishes visibly. Actually, the hair becomes coarse and brittle and is easily removed by the touch when petting.

Other attendant SYMPTOMS are: Listlessness (reduced  thyroid hormone production decreases the animal’s energy level).

The skin becomes  thickened, tough and dark in colour.  Obesity.

Decreased alertness.  Irregular heat (oestrus)  cycles.

N.B. In most cases, the onset of the symptoms would be gradual, almost imperceptible, over months. In fact, if the thyroid hormone output is mild, the symptoms might not be very pronounced. Your veterinarian may require a thyroid hormone blood test be carried out to determine whether the hormone levels are sub-normal.

TREATMENT

Once it has been established that the dog is suffering from a TD, the therapy is to give the animal a daily dose of thyroid hormone – for the rest of the dog’s life. That may be quite an imposition for the caregiver. The future of the patient will have to be discussed among the family members, after consultation with the veterinarian.

INCREASED PRODUCTION OF ESTROGEN

Estrogen is a hormone found in both males and females. Of course, in a female dog, estrogen is at a much higher level. An excess of estrogen can occur in either the male or female dog.

In female dogs, the excessive production of estrogen is due to cystic ovaries which manufacture too much of estrogen.

SYMPTOMS:

 Greasy hair  Increased wax production in the ear canals Baldness (alopecia)  emerges on the flanks (the fleshy part between the ribs and hips).  The skin in the area of the armpits and the groin becomes thickened  In the male, in addition

to the above [(i) – (ii)], this condition is often associated with a tumor (which may be malignant) in the testicles.

TREATMENT

Spay the female; neuter the male. Do not let anyone advise you differently.

N.B. Below are two “Before” and “After” pictures. Photo #1 shows the animal with great hormone associated hair loss.

Photo #2 taken 10 weeks after castration. Pictures do speak louder than words.

ESTROGEN DEFICIENCY

This reduced estrogen production may result in a mild condition of older female dogs, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHICH HAVE BEEN SPAYED WHEN THEY WERE PUPPIES! This is one of the reasons why we advocate that the spaying (and neutering) should not take place before the puppy has reached the age of puberty – about 6 months and older.

SYMPTOMS

 Gradual reduction of hair growth – especially on the surface of the underbelly, vulva, chest and neck.  The skin becomes soft, smooth and nearly hairless.

TREATMENT Hormonal therapy – small doses of estrogen injection over an extended period of time.

This works; but I still advocate spaying, so that caregiver does/ not encounter complications later.

N.B. C h a r a c t e r i s t i c a l l y, hormonal disorders cause symmetrical changes over the body, one side being the mirror image of the other. See Photo #3 below.

CORTISONE EXCESS (Adrenal Hyperfunction)

Again, a primary hormonal problem – an overproduction of cortisone by the adrenal glands (located adjacent to/ top of the kidneys. Of course, if your vet is administering cortisones (orally or by injection) for too long a period, there would be the same consequential effect as if the adrenal glands were producing too much cortisones.

SYMPTOMS: Loss of hair.   Abnormal weight gain.  Fluid retention – leading to visible swelling of the abdomen.

TREATMENT:

Your vet will reduce the dosage (or stop the medication treatment altogether) of the cortisone therapy, he/ she might have been using for another condition afflicting the pet. The vet will administer counteractive therapy, if it is a case of excessive cortisone production by the adrenal gland.

We have now comprehensively exhausted this topic of Skin Ailments.

Next week (May 2nd, 2021), we will take a break from the “science”, and invite a “PAWS FOR A CAUSE” member, Ms. Indira Chandarpal, to share with us her thoughts on the treatment of geriatric pets.

Stay safe.

Follow the COVID-19 prevention protocols.

19

FEATURE

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 led Essequibo Coast...

She stated that after attending a catering course, the trainer talked about entrepreneurship and that motivated her to open a business that’s not on the Essequibo Coast.

“Well, a lot of people are baking and decorating cakes, doing catering, and selling clothing that is most requested so I was thinking what about graphic designing and virtual designing because due to the pandemic it’s not allowed to go out and get invitations printed...

So, I was thinking about a digital invitation (e-vite) rather than a printed invitation because it is way cheaper because I can just design one and send it to the clients,” Alves explained.

“I wanted to find something that is unique and suited me, and I always have an interest in typing and creative designing. So I knew I wanted to do something in that field and even though it is challenging I knew I was up to the task,” the young woman added.

She recounted that while she was waiting on her CSEC examination results – which were delayed owing to the controversy with the grades

in 2020 – she was bored and needed to occupy that time by doing the things she loved. So the curious youngster began practising her graphic designing skills and researching what was needed to ensure she could start operating.

She further noted that her parents have been supportive throughout this journey.

“I never expected myself to become an entrepreneur at such a young age. I never envisioned myself as a business owner,” Alves said.

The fully self-taught entrepreneur is continually working on improving her skills so that she can better serve her clients. She also stated that she is also open to correction and new ideas because that’s how she can completely expand her brand.

“It’s truly amazing because I’ve never envisioned myself or thought that I would’ve been a graphic designer. And it’s uplifting when you can get positive feedback from your clients, it honestly pushes you to do better and to continue doing the amazing job that you’re doing,” Alves said When the young entrepreneur was asked what kind of advice would she give to young per-

FROM PAGE 13

sons who are trying to navigate life during the pandemic, she said “Never Give up.

Mistakes will be made; you might feel discouraged at times but don’t you ever think of throwing in the towel just because of one failure. Life is a learning process; hence it doesn’t come with a manual. Make God your builder and he’ll make you the head cornerstone.”

Speaking on her recent CSEC achievement, Alves said she is honestly in shock and so grateful to God. “The journey wasn’t easy cause my mom fell ill like 2 months before I had to write my exam so I was really frustrated but I’m overwhelmed with tears of gladness and I’m thrilled that I made it...It’s indeed a wonderful feeling. My parents are as proud as I am because even though they didn’t have to write the exam they were with me every step of this journey. They gave me all that they can give and rallied around me and made sure I had all that I needed. My family members were my biggest supporters” Alves said She is aspiring to become a pediatrician because of the love for children and helping people.

20 FEATURE

Dharm Shala – a story of serving...

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Now the Georgetown Dharm Shala Complex comprises 6 buildings. The interior and exterior of the buildings are constantly being updated, repaired and repainted. Ceilings, windows and floorings in some parts of the buildings have all been replaced.

The kitchen has been refurbished and repainted. More storage cupboards have been installed, gas and kerosene stoves have replaced the old mud firesides. A fridge and microwave oven are available (both items were donated by members of the public) The dining room is on the ground floor near to the kitchen allowing easy access to residents. Sanitary facilities located on the ground floor are constantly being updated and replaced thanks to individual donors and well-wishers of the Dharm Shala.

The Berbice Dharm Shala is located at Fort Canje Berbice (site of a Dutch fort) and is a subsidiary of the Georgetown Dharm Shala, erected in 1941 and later rebuilt in its entirety. It comprises 5 buildings. Homes of residence com-

Albouystown Hindu Temple

prise 2 buildings joined and accommodate males and females in separate sections, there are separate entrances – ground floor accommodate the immobile residents (males only). The first floor houses the female residents and the other section male residents.

Both Kella and Pamela have maintained a

hands-on approach when it comes to the management of the Dharm Shala.

“We cook every day and 3 meals per day.

We get a very minimum subvention from the Government of $1.5 million and at the moment we are getting it in parts which we find not very satisfactory and we hope that things will improve, that we will get a bigger subvention in time because we pay all our bills and have to give stipends out of our own money to staff.

“We feel that this is something that we need to be here for and that we need to have a handson approach and we must do everything possible to enhance the comfort of those in need. We hope to continue for as long as we can,” Pamela told me.

They are hoping to pass the charity on to another family member when the time is right.

Now, one century later, the Dharm Shala has grown into exactly what Pandit Ramsaroop Maharaj envisioned and his legacy is being carried on by his family.

Kella and Pamela Ramsaroop

FROM PAGE 15

FEATURE

HEALTH TIPS

21

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MALARIA

WORLD MALARIA DAY - “Zero Malaria - Draw the Line against Malaria” have now been certified malariafree. Because of this, many charities and organisations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), are optimistic that, with appropriate coordination and support from international governments, a world free from malaria is possible.

Dr Tariq Jagnarine Fam Med, Endocrinology / Diabetes

W

orld Malaria Day, observed annually on 25 April, is intended to bring global attention to the efforts being made to bring an end to malaria, and encourage action to reduce suffering and death from the disease. World Malaria Day is an occasion to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment to malaria prevention and control.

Fortunately, with the right medical equipment and precautionary measures, the disease is treatable and preventable. Due to the best practice steps that have been taken in recent years, countries previously affected by the disease

WHAT IS MALARIA? Malaria is a life-threatening infectious disease. It’s typically transmitted through the bite of an infected Anopheles mosquito.

Infected mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite, and once a person has been bitten, that parasite can enter the person’s blood stream and result in malaria illness.

Once the parasites are inside their victim’s body, they travel to the liver, where they mature. After several days, the mature parasites re-enter the bloodstream, and begin to infect red blood cells.

Within 48 to 72 hours, the parasites inside the red blood cells multiply, causing the infected cells to burst open.

The parasites continue to infect other red blood cells, resulting in symptoms that occur in cycles that last for two to three days at a time.

Malaria is typically found in tropical and subtropical climates, where the parasites can live.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Trusted Source states

that, in 2016, there were an estimated 216 million cases of malaria in 91 countries.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 1,700 cases of malaria annually. Most cases of malaria develop in people who travel to countries where malaria is more common, or live in an area endemic to malaria, like Guyana.

In Guyana, the number of cases reported in 2019 nationally was 39, which represents a slight increase (of 1%) compared with the same period in 2018.

In contrast, Regions 7 and 8 reported increases of 51% and 23% respectively.

CAUSES OF MALARIA Malaria can occur if a mosquito infected with the Plasmodium parasite bites someone. There are four kinds of malaria parasites that can infect humans: • Plasmodium vivax, • P. ovale, • P. malariae, • P. falciparum.

P. falciparum causes a more severe form of the disease, and those who contract this form of malaria have a higher risk of death. An infected mother can also pass the disease to her baby at birth. This is known as congenital malaria.

Malaria is transmitted by blood, so it can also be

transmitted through: • Organ transplant • Transfusion • Sharing needles syringes

or

SYMPTOMS OF MALARIA The symptoms of malaria typically develop within 10 days to 4 weeks following the infection. In some cases, symptoms may not develop for several months. Some malarial parasites can enter the body but will be dormant for long periods of time.

Common symptoms of malaria include: • Shaking chills that can range from moderate to severe • High fever • Profuse sweating • Headache • Nausea • Vomiting • Abdominal pain • Diarrhea • Anemia • Muscle pain • Convulsions • Coma • Bloody stools • Hysteria and Confusion

DIAGNOSIS A careful review of a person’s health history, including any recent travel to tropical climates, and physical examination can help healthcare professionals to determine the likelihood of someone having malaria.

Additional blood tests are then ordered to confirm the diagnosis of malaria.

These tests will show: • Confirmation of malaria; type of malaria • Some test can also determine if the infection is caused by a parasite that’s resistant to certain types of drugs • Presence of anaemia ad as a result of Malaria • Organ damage from the infection COMPLICATIONS Malaria can cause a number of life-threatening complications, such as: • Cerebral malaria, with brain injury and damage • Pulmonary edema - an accumulation of fluid in the lungs that causes breathing problems • Organ failure of the kidneys, liver, or spleen • Anaemia due to the destruction of red blood cells

• •

low blood sugar Dehydration and shock

TREATMENT Malaria can be a lifethreatening condition, especially if the infection is caused by the parasite P. falciparum.

Treatment for the disease is typically provided in a hospital.

Medications are prescribed based on the type of parasite causing the malaria and the severity of the symptoms.

In some instances, the medication prescribed may not clear the infection, because parasites can be resistant to drugs. If this occurs, more than one medication may need to be utilised, or medications can be changed altogether to treat the condition.

Additionally, certain types of malaria parasites, such as P. vivax and P. ovale, have liver stages where the parasite can live in the body for an extended period of time and reactivate at a later date, causing a relapse of the infection. In this case, additional medication is given to prevent a relapse in the future.

TURN TO PAGE 23

22 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Armed bandits storm EBD Chinese supermarket

A

rmed bandits staged a daring robbery early Saturday morning at a Chinese Supermarket at Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Reports are that at about 07:00h, the proprietor opened his store that is located at Diamond Access

Road, EBD, when the bandits struck.

It was reported that the owner of Tan Yuan Meng Supermarket had opened the shutters of the business place when he was approached by two men, one of whom was armed with a handgun.

At the time, the security guard that is attached to the business was not on duty.

The bandits then pointed the gun in his direction, forced him into the supermarket and closed the shutters. The Chinese national told Police that the men

began demanding that he hand over the cash.

Fearful for his life, the supermarket owner took the men to a room that is located inside of the supermarket and handed over $300,000.

The bandits then made good their escape in a waiting motor car. No arrest has been made and an investigation has been launched.

Just a few weeks ago, a 39-year-old Chinese national and businessman was robbed of $500,000 outside his business place.

Reports are that Awei Huo Die was about to enter his yard at the AWEI Supermarket at Vryheid

Lust Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD), at about 02:00h when he noticed two men passing on the road.

The two men then pounced on the man and relieved him of $500,000 and a cellphone valued at $80,000 before making good their escape. The Police were summoned after the incident and checks were made for the suspects in the area but no one was arrested.

In addition, a Chinese national was shot when gunmen stormed the Egou Supermarket located at Melanie Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD),

about two months ago.

Four bandits, three of whom were armed with guns, invaded the supermarket.

Police said the suspects managed to escape with $1.8 million, a Samsung S8 cellphone, a quantity of phone cards, and a Digital Video Recorder (DVR).

The proprietor, along with five employees who are Chinese nationals, were in the supermarket when one of the suspects entered and purchased an item. He then exited but returned with his accomplices.

One person was arrested but was later released from Police custody. (G9)

NEWS

23

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Diamond Diagnostic Centre commissioned as a Smart Facility

T

he Diamond Diagnostic Centre has been commissioned as a smart hospital, equipped with resources to mark its resiliency against climate threats and enable sustainable operation.

The “Smart Hospital” concept comes under an $835 million fund by the former United Kingdom Department for International Development and implemented by the Pan American Health Organisation’s Department of Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief with the Health Ministry.

Four other hospitals at Leonora, Mabaruma, Paramakatoi and Lethem are to be upgraded under this project. It addresses the negative footprints that contribute to climate change by simply modifying operations.

Works at the Diamond Diagnostic facility was completed to the tune of US$984,439 and can now cater for emergency ser-

the hospital. We have done so by putting in a state-ofthe-art solar system that would be able to power most of the equipment that we have in the hospital. By doing so as well, one of the by-products of this or the side-effects of this is that we wouldn’t have to pay so much electricity bill,” he expressed.

The decentralised location will ease the strain from the Georgetown Public

vices, obstetrics, gynaecology, surgeries, paediatrics, orthopaedics, pharmacy and laboratory services among others.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony indicated at Saturday’s handing over ceremony that the introduction of energy-efficient systems will lift the dependence on traditional power sources. A mechanism was installed to collect rainfall and repurpose the water for daily operations.

“We can generate much of our own power here at

Hospital to provide key services.

“We hope that by reopening, more people would utilise these services and we would not crowd up the services that we have at Georgetown Hospital. This hospital will be manned by 58 nurses and we have 20 doctors that will be working here,” he stated.

Another 89 medical facilities across the country underwent assessments and with any new infrastructural works, the focus will be placed on creating cli-

Sections of the new “Smart” Diamond Diagnostic Centre

HEALTH TIPS MALARIA

FROM PAGE 21

PROGNOSIS People with malaria who receive treatment typically have a good long-term outlook. If complications arise as a result of malaria, the outlook may not be as good. Cerebral malaria, which causes swelling of the blood vessels of the brain, can result in brain damage.

The long-term outlook for patients with drug-resistant parasites may also be poor. In these patients, malaria may reoccur. This may cause other complications.

PREVENTION There’s no vaccine available to prevent malaria.

However, prophylaxis

medication exists that can help to prevent the occurrence of malaria. These medications are the same as those used to treat the disease, and should be taken before, during, and after a trip to an endemic zone.

Sleeping under a mosquito net may help prevent someone from being bitten by an infected mosquito.

Covering the skin, or using bug sprays containing DEET may also help prevent infection.

While malaria is a highly infectious and deadly disease that can cause many serious complications, it is readily treatable and preventable.

The fight against elimination of malaria starts with you.

Draw the line!

mate-resilient structures.

Deputy British High Commissioner, Ray Davidson alluded to the extant coronavirus pandemic that has realised the need for contingency plans. The new facilities will require continued maintenance in order to efficiently function

in any setting.

“COVID-19 has further highlighted the importance of disaster preparedness and contingency measures that help facilities, for staff and patients. The improvements will require careful and timely maintenance in order that they will con-

tinue to operate and deliver their services most effectively.”

He added, “Sadly, we have all seen firsthand the impact that this dreadful virus has had on the world…

The smart hospital programme mantra is smart equals safe plus green plus

maintenance. We can now align effectively, practically our political work and development work and our humanitarian work.”

The building has been redesigned to use less electricity and water, along with other retrofitting to reduce disaster vulnerabilities. PAHO Representative, Dr Luis Codina highlighted that functionality was also targeted to support the structural makeup.

“While the retrofitting mainly focused on the structural aspect, we now focus on the functional aspects and the role of the staff is very important in this regard…Another aspect of the project is the capacity building initiative.

Training has been provided to various sectors including building professionals, public servants and private sector individuals.” (G12)

24 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 claims 48 lives to date in April …4 more deaths, whopping 152 new cases recorded

T

he Health Ministry on Saturday reported two more deaths from the coronavirus – bringing the death toll for the month of April to 48.

Since the pandemic started, Guyana has seen 281 persons succumbing to the virus.

The latest fatalities are two women and two men.

The women are a 60-yearold from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and a 65-year- old from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The men are a 72-yearold and a 42-year-old. Both men are from Region Four (Demerara- Mahaica).

They all died while receiving care at medical facilities.

From 1760 swabs that were taken for analysis on Saturday, 152 persons tested positive for COVID-19.

Now, the total confirmed cases are at 12,600 – 6364 males and 6236 females.

In the facilities, 16 patients are seeking treatment in the Intensive Care Unit, with 74 in institutional isolation and 11 in institutional quarantine. Another 1529 persons are in home isolation.

Guyana has tested 116,046 persons thus far and some 10,702 infected

persons have since recovered.

New cases were detected across eight administrative regions with three in Region One (BarimaWaini); six in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); 30 in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 83 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); three in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 12 in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); seven in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and eight in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The cases in Regions Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) remain at 254 and 511, respectively.

During an engagement on Saturday, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony reminded Guyanese to take their vaccines as it offers 100 per cent protection against coronavirus deaths.

Persons were also asked to encourage those within their neighbourhood and various social circles to get immunised.

“It would reduce your possibility of getting into the hospital. It would reduce your possibility of getting into the ICU and it would prevent you from dying, which is very important. All the vaccines that are right now in use 100 per cent prevents people from dying from COVID. Let us remember that so we can persuade people to take this vaccine,” the health official positioned.

He added, “The Government of Guyana has invested a lot of money to ensure that we procure vaccines for every sin-

gle adult in Guyana…We have tied up some arrangements to ensure that everyone in Guyana would be able to get that COVID-19 vaccine. That cannot be said for many countries. What we need to do is to ensure that people take the vaccine. It is of absolutely no use if we have these vaccines and we

keep them in a room.”

This week, the rising number of COVID-19 cases and death toll comes as local authorities continue to battle with a new wave of the novel coronavirus that is seeing a higher number of young people contracting the virus, and infected persons becoming sicker with some requiring hospitalisation.

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.

(G12)

Ogle man in hot water after cops find ganja in home

The ganja that was found in the home at Ogle

P

olice arrested an Ogle, East Coast Demerara man on Friday after a quantity of marijuana was unearthed in his home.

According to Police reports, a party of Police ranks conducted a search at Area E, Ogle, and a search was conducted on the home

of the 51-year-old suspect during which six transparent plastic bags containing a quantity of leaves, seeds and stems were found.

The cannabis was subsequently weighed and amounted to 20.8 grams.

The suspect was placed into custody pending charges. (G9)

NEWS

25

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Not afraid of leadership challenge – claims Granger on PNC congress

…blames COVID for delay

A

s much debate arises about the People’s National Congress (PNC) bi-annual congress, party leader and former President David Granger has said that the congress is only being delayed because the party is determining how to hold it without exposing its members to COVID-19 or breaching the stipulated guidelines.

Granger said this during a public interest show, in his first publicly broadcasted interview since losing the presidency in 2020.

According to him, he is not afraid of being challenged at a congress but rather, discussions are ongoing and a report was done on the safest way to hold it.

“It (congress) is required in the Constitution, but we explained that because of COVID you cannot bring a thousand people into a super spreader event in congress."

"We explained and we have done a study to see how we can have a form of congress given the present situation and that report has been presented to the Central Executive Committee. For sure we cannot have a face-to-face congress in the middle of a pandemic."

Granger noted that a committee headed by PNC Chairperson Volda Lawrence is reviewing the issue and depending on what it decides, the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the party will decide. Otherwise, the former President claimed to be unbothered by the criticism over the delay in holding the congress.

"Congress is not an issue which cannot be determined but as I said it is a matter of that is not before the Central Executive Committee as far as my leadership is concerned.

I'm constitutionally elected and I can only be removed in accordance with the Constitution.”

“So, I know there is noise out there but I'm not

PNC members protesting outside Congress Place earlier in the month

worried about that. I faced noise before, I faced rivals before and all the competitors but in the final analysis, the members of the PNC know me and they know that I have moved the performance of the PNC from what it was before in the 2000s,” Granger said.

Granger, who left office in August of last year after a five-month-long election process, also defended his supposed lack of visibility. According to Granger, he has actually been out and about and interacting with the party’s grassroots.

However, the party leader has been facing pressure from within the party over the loss of the 2020 General and Regional Elections after just one term in office. These divisions were exacerbated by the list of parliamentarians he picked to send to the 12th Parliament, after party stalwarts like Lawrence were excluded and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) was not consulted to name their candidate.

Only recently, Congress Place was picketed by members of Granger’s own party who demanded that he hold the congress so that the party could choose a leader. One placard, aimed at Granger and Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, had read “David and Joe, stop denying democracy in the PNC. Time for congress”.

PNC’s last biennial congress was in 2018, where Granger was returned unopposed as leader of the

Decomposed body of NWD woman found in home

T

he body of a woman of Four Miles Arakaka, North West District, Region One (BarimaWaini), was found in a decomposing state in her home on Thursday.

The woman was identified as Shelly Roberts who is said to be in her 50s and lived alone.

Based on reports received, residents in the neighbourhood said they noticed a stench coming from the woman’s house and decided to investigate. It was then they found the woman in a decomposing state in

her home.

Due to the state of her decomposition, Roberts had to be buried on the same day she was found.

More than two weeks ago, the body of a 54-yearold man was discovered in a partially decomposed state at his Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home.

The man was identified as Harry Samuel of Lot 446 Back Street, Grove. Police said the man was found in a semi-decomposed state on his bed in the front room of the two-storey wooden and concrete structure.

party. At that elections, then Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence was elected

Chairperson of the PNC. It is widely believed she could be a contender for leader

this year.

Lawrence had competed against former Chairman Basil Williams, and now Opposition Leader Harmon, securing the Chairmanship with 346 votes, while Harmon and Williams secured 287 and 183 votes respectively.

At that congress, Dr Richard Van West-Charles, Dr Karen Cummings, now Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones, Aubrey Norton, Winston Felix, Amna Ally, Mortimer Mingo, Clement Corlette, Cheryl Sampson, Thandi Mc Allister, Gary Best,

PNC Leader David Granger

Genevieve Allen, Jennifer Ferreira-Dougal, Edward Collins, and Basil Blackman were elected to the 15-member CEC.

26 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bartica woman, boatbuilder nabbed with stolen boat, engine

Support for community action and learning for successes

A

Bartica, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) woman and a boatbuilder from the same community are in Police custody after they were found in possession of a stolen boat and engine Police said Maurvin Garraway, an operator of Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), made a report at the Bartica Police Station on Friday that between April 18 and 19 his 200 horsepower Yamaha outboard engine and one 19-foot ballahoo boat were stolen from Chinese Landing, Barama River, North West District, which is the property of Orin Fernandes, who is the Toshao of the village. The items are valued at $4.5 million.

As a result, a party of Police went to Byderabo Village, Bartica, Essequibo River, where the 19-foot boat and engine were recovered in the possession of a boatbuilder.

Further investigations revealed that on April 21, a female resident of Byderabo, Bartica, and a man allegedly took the boat and engine to the boatbuilder’s workshop to change the colour.

A

The stolen boat and engine

The ranks further went to the female’s residence at Byedarabo, Bartica, where the 200hp Yamaha outboard engine was recovered partially disassembled.

She was arrested and questioned during which she alleged that on April

20, two of her friends – first names only provided – took the boat and engine to her and she assisted them with a sale.

Meanwhile, the boatbuilder and the female were arrested and are at the Bartica Police Station assisting with the investigation.

s evident from the articles published over the past few weeks, the Darwin Initiative, ‘Integrating traditional knowledge into national policy and practices’ project, has been engaging in a number of activities that are focused on traditional knowledge. The project has been raising awareness and building capacity at both the community and Government levels.

If you have been following this article’s series, you may have noticed that there are clear linkages of project findings to the actions being proposed in the draft Traditional Knowledge National Action Plan (TKNAP). As such, we now have a good baseline for Guyana to guide the implementation of a finalised and approved TKNAP. There are two final actions being proposed that have been echoed in most of the communities in which the project has engaged. The first is that of funding to support the preservation of traditional knowledge. Hinterland communities in Guyana have been able to access funding in relation to community development initiatives. For example, the Presidential Grant, an intervention by the Government that is managed through the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, aims to support economic and social development within Indigenous peoples’ communities. Communities may access between $500,000 and $2,000,000. Such funded projects have been focused on areas such as transportation, agriculture, and construction related to tourism.

There is a need to provide scope for communities to also develop proposals and provide access to grants that would support the interest of promoting continued use and safeguarding of traditional knowledge. Opportunities can be taken to incorporate a focus area specific to traditional knowledge into existing funding opportunities available to Village Councils.

Proposal writing and project management are also related areas in which communities may need capacity building.

Linked to funding opportunities, but urgent enough to be an action by itself, is the need for increased efforts to preserve Indigenous languages.

Indigenous peoples recognise that their language is strongly linked to their traditional culture and practices.

Each Indigenous nation needs support to document and promote the teaching of their language within their communities. The Makushi and Wapishana peoples have looked at ways in which they can teach their languages in schools. Efforts to develop dictionaries and other resources have also been considered over the years with varying progress.

Consolidated efforts to assess the status of each Indigenous language and evaluate past and current activities that support preservation efforts and opportunities to replicate and/or scale up success projects need to be a priority. Efforts in this regard need to be led by the Indigenous peoples themselves.

Indigenous peoples of Guyana significantly contribute to our unique blend of culture which makes our country a unique destination. The traditional knowledge, practices and innovations of Indigenous peoples are the backbone to their way of life, and has played a part in helping to ensure that Guyana’s hinterland regions continue to be areas of natural beauty that are rich in biodiversity. It should therefore move us to consider the actions being proposed in the TKNAP that would hopefully provide collective support and progress towards respecting and safeguarding the traditional knowledge of Guyana’s Indigenous peoples.

If you would like to learn more about some of the work that has been done in communities by the project, please visit the following website: https://cobracollective.org/ tag/darwin/. Finally, what do you think about a Traditional Knowledge National Action Plan for Guyana? Please share your thoughts via 592 650-6632 (WhatsApp or SMS only).

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O ECEA Programme, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: eit.epaguyana@gmail. com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

27

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

A contextual financial analysis of the gas-to-shore project (Part 6) - Guyana’s total public debt in the context of its future development trajectory and the potential impact on public debt

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ith respect to Guyana’s public debt, from examining the data below and looking at the trend over a ten-year period, Guyana has managed to maintain a debt-to-GDP ratio of less than 70% from 2013 onwards. With regard to the totalpublic-debt-to-total-Government-revenue ratio, this was at a high of 297% in 2009, but was reduced to less than 250% in 2014, and reached a low of 165% by the end of 2018.The average ratio for the period is 240%, which is well below the international threshold of 250%, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). By international standard as well, debt-to-GDP ratio of 60 – 70% is considered to be relatively sustainable. Further, a perusal of the 2020 third quarter Bank of Guyana Report shows that the total public debt service ratio relative to Government revenue is just about 30%, and this level has been maintained, evidently, over the last ten years or so.

Additionally, one would observe that, from looking at the growth rate of public debt over the last ten years, the average annual growth rate of public debt is about 2.7%, or less than 3%. The reason for this is simple.

Government revenue is currently over $200 billion, which means that 30% of this amount, which is about $60 billion, goes towards public debt service annually.

Taking this into perspective together with the budget deficit from the data in the table above, one would observe that the average budget deficit is less than $30 billion, which is typically financed by borrowing.

Now, what this means is that if the average annual debt service is $60 billion and the budget deficit is $30 billion, then the Government is simply borrowing back just half the sum of the funds repaid in debt service annually, which explains why the average annual growth rate in public debt is less than 3%. This is practically no different from how an individual credit card works.

To be continued…

About the Author: JC. Bhagwandin is the Chief Financial Advisor/Analyst of JB Consultancy & Associates, and lecturer at Texila American University.

The views expressed are exclusively his own and do not necessarily represent those of this newspaper and the institutions he represents. For comments, send to jbbankingadvice@gmail.com.

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28 NEWS

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Berbicians could save $$$ after completing skills training – Labour Minister

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cores of young persons on the Corentyne, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), on Saturday completed the final phase of the skills advancement training programme.

Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton, while addressing the graduates at the conclusion of the programme, explained that the skills they have acquired during the four months could help them to save dollars.

One hundred and eleven persons completed the courses which were offered by the Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc of Port Mourant.

“These programmes that we do and that the Mission do and the ones that we will help them to do continually are important to communities and societies so that they can help families to save money,” Hamilton said.

According to the Labour Minister, with the high costs attached to sewing, cake making and make-up for females, it is hoped that the graduands will put their skills to good use.

The courses were Information Technology (7), Electrical Installation (6), Cooking (15), Cake making (19), Sewing – basic (26) ad-

vanced (10), make-up (25) and nails (3).

They were done under the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme which falls under the Education Ministry but is rolled out by the Labour Ministry.

Meanwhile, Head of the Mission, Pandit Surish Sugrim called on all of them to put the skills they would have acquired to good use.

“I implore on each one of you to go out of here with confidence and live a good and generous life.”

The Mission has been offering continuous educational programmes it hopes will benefit Guyana’s future generation.

The Humanitarian Mission aims to educate, empower, and elevate individuals. Its goal is to break the cycle of poverty through education/empowerment and creating jobs.

Also speaking was Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, who is one of the parliamentary representatives for Region Six. Mustapha was at the time representing President Dr Irfaan Ali. He noted that the current Administration is placing a lot of emphasis on education.

ucation as being the key to reduce domestic violence in Guyana.

He congratulated the Humanitarian Mission for the various measures they have been implementing to tackle domestic violence, saying that Government cannot do it alone and needs civil society to play along as he called on other NonGovernmental Organisations (NGOs) to assist.

“A multi-faceted approach is needed to deal with gender-based violence. All organisations have to use all strategies because domestic violence

Some of the young persons who completed the final phase of their skills advancement training programme

“While our Government is working every single day and our President is once again putting Guyana in the spotlight in the Caribbean and the world, we as a people will have to ensure that not only our economy develop; not only our infrastructure develops but we must develop our human resource so that we can be prepared to make Guyana the economic powerhouse in this hemisphere, so we will need people with skills.”

Meanwhile, Mustapha also

used the occasion to launch “Women Let’s Rise” which is the women’s arm of the Mission.

Women Let’s Rise has as its main focus tackling domestic violence.

According to Mustapha, domestic violence affects all genders.

“It might be that women are being affected more and we in our country have to do more to curb this scourge that is affecting our country.”

Mustapha referred to ed-

has been affecting people for centuries. Domestic violence is a very old activity from the inception of society and we have seen that many times our women folks are being affected and today it is on the rise.

So, we have to work together as a united body to curb this.

We must not only look to the Government,” Mustapha said as he launched the new group.

Unfortunately, at Saturday’s graduation exercise, all COVID-19 guidelines implemented by the National Task Force and Health Ministry were not enforced. (G4)

Migration policy to be drafted for Venezuelan re-migrants

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud meeting with re-migrants on Saturday evening in the RDC boardroom, Anna Regina, Region Two

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oreign Secretary Robert Persaud has said the Government of Guyana, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IMO), would be drafting a migration policy for those Guyanese who have returned to Guyana from Venezuela.

Persaud was at the time speaking to re-migrants who returned from Venezuela during a meeting held on Saturday in the boardroom of the Regional Democratic Council.

Persaud said the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry is working to develop a holistic plan to deal with those Guyanese returning from Venezuela, and those Venezuelans who have fled their country due to the political and economic crisis.

According to Persaud, that migration policy would provide an environment in which the migrants can be reintegrated into society. He explained to his audience that the main objective of his visit was to get a better understanding of the situation and to interact with re-migrants. He said he would communicate with the relevant Ministries to ensure that there is a collaborative approach.

“Guyanese who would like to return to Guyana from Venezuela will be beneficiaries from incentives where they will be given duty free on vehicles, and also if they want to bring their household items along with them.

However, students studying in Venezuela and wish to re-migrate to Guyana will be facilitated in terms of benefiting from an incentive in continuing their learning progress,” the Foreign Secretary said.

Re-migrants were informed of opportunities that

would be available for them in the region, wherein the Foreign Affairs Minister and agencies would put together policies and processes to assist them to resettle on the Essequibo Coast in Guyana.

Persaud said the region is central and important in the overall plan for Guyana’s development.

“I have an issue with my birth certificate, where the Government have given me a different name…I got married and I came to Essequibo, (and it has) become a challenge for me, (wherein) my identification card (has) a different name from (that of my) birth certificate,” a Venezuela migrant told Persaud.

Pertaining to the issuance of birth certificates, Minister Persaud said he would arrange an outreach with the Home Affairs Minister to deal with, and rectify, the problem associated with different names on a birth certificate.

Persaud committed to raising the issue with the relevant ministry, and to coordinate the appropriate announcement to persons having the said issue.

Attending the meeting from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) was Programme Coordinator Monserrat Hernandez and Project Assistant Javier Singh, who acted as translator for the event. In attendance also was United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Alexandre Lopes, protection officer, and Maria Gabriela Delgado, field assistant.

Regional Executive Officer Devanand Ramdatt was also at the meeting.

A health meeting will be held with re-migrants on Monday at the Regional State House.

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021

CONCACAF revamps Club Shield, – Fruta missing

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he

Fruta Conquerors will miss this year’s revamped version of the CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield following cancellation, on the part of CONCACAF, of the original tournament.

The tournament’s postponement came in early April, when concerns were raised about Curacao’s COVID-19 situation and a number of Caribbean teams started pulling out of the tournament for various reasons.

With the COVID-19 pandemic severely affecting the sport if conducted, the Confederation of

North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) took the decision to have one club football competition, which meant they would allow the clubs from the recently cancelled CONCACAF Caribbean Club Shield to join the Flow CONCACAF Caribbean Club Championship (FCCCC).

The new draw for groups was hosted on Friday, April 23, and will see a new, one-off, two-round competition taking place in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from May 15-25.

However, with 15 clubs on the roster for next month’s competition, Guyana’s Elite League Champions were not

Cycling Federation shortlists 10 for Elite Championships in Cuba

Jamual John, Briton John and Michael Anthony

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he Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) has shortlisted a 10man cycling squad for the upcoming Elite Men's Caribbean Time Trials and Road Race set to be staged in Havana, Cuba between June 11 and 12.

Top cyclist Jamual John, one of Guyana’s most successful cyclists, who now plies his trade for Team Foundation in the United States of America, heads this strong list. His Team Foundation teammates Scott Savory and Raynauth Jeffrey are also among the 10.

We Stand United cycle club’s Briton John, who has been in red-hot form and is a leading local cyclist, is also in the squad.

He will link-up with club-mate Andrew Hicks, the fit Berbician, and also

Flashb ac “Obea k: Raynauth hman” Jeff celebr ating a ery win

with Deeraj Garbarran.

Moreover, Team Evolution’s Christopher Griffith, Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club’s Michael Anthony out of Linden, Roraima’s Alex Mendes, and the unattached Marcus Keiler are in the mix.

According to the GCF, the National Championships, the marquee event on the racing calendar, are set for May 22, 23 and 30, and are the final litmus test for the cyclists, after which the team would be cut down to five.

The GCF has also revealed that both Jeffrey and Savory have committed to being available in Guyana for the National Championships, the dates of which are subject to approval by the National COVID-19 Task Force.

The Time Trials that would see riders contesting in the four main categories (females, juveniles, juniors, and seniors) are slated to be contested on May 22 on the Linden-Soesdyke Highway and over a distance of 10 miles.

The Senior Road Race would be contested on May 23 from Georgetown to Linden and back, over a distance of 100 miles; while the females, juveniles, juniors and veterans’ road races would be contested on May 30 at Mahaica, but the distance is still to be confirmed, according to the GCF.

among the group.

The Tucville-based Fruta Conquerors Football club

weekly for the event. It is believed that the club initially had trouble securing travel

The Fruta Conquerors were in steady preparation for the tournament prior to its cancellation

were initially part of the Club Shield, and, prior to its cancellation, were training

to Curacao for the April 23 to May 7 dates. The reason for their non-participation is still

unclear.

For the 15 teams in the new, one-off competition, this will mark the road to 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.

The tournament will take place at the Felix Sanchez and Panamericano Stadiums, and, in Friday’s draw, the 15 clubs were divided into three groups of four teams and one group of three teams.

After round-robin play between May 15 and 20, the team placing first in each group would advance to the semifinals.

The semifinals will take place

29

on May 23, and the winners would advance to the competition’s final on May 25.

Group stage action will take place at the Felix Sanchez and Panamericano Stadiums.

Semifinals and Final will all be played at the Felix Sanchez.

Provided they fulfill the Concacaf Regional Club Licensing criteria required to participate in Confederationwide competitions, the champion would qualify for the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League; while the second, third and fourth place finishers will qualify for the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf League.

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SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021

GFF petitions FIFA over T&T player Andre Boucaud

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Guyana lost to Trinidad 3-0

he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has submitted an official protest to FIFA regarding the selection of Andre Boucaud

by Trinidad and Tobago in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March.

The GFF believes Boucaud was ineligible for selection as a registered intermediary, and, as such, that any points secured by Trinidad and Tobago during any related FIFA World Cup qualification match should be forfeited.

In its 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification match on March 25th, Guyana lost 3-0 to Trinidad and Tobago. Boucaud, who was registered as an intermediary with the English Football Association at the time, was selected in Trinidad and Tobago’s matchday squad.

Under FIFA’s rules, all conflicts of interest with intermediaries or agents must be avoided.

Intermediaries cannot have any contractual relationship with a national football association. Under English Football Association rules, players cannot be registered intermediaries.

Following an extensive investig a tion and caref u l consultation with its legal team, the GFF has sent its written evidence to FIFA, and is urging football’s global governing body to consider its case.

“We have taken this matter very seriously, and have presented our

findings to FIFA – that this individual was ineligible to play for Trinidad and Tobago as a registered intermediary with the English FA,” said GFF President Wayne Forde.

“It is vital for the integrity and fairness of the game that the rules are respected and upheld by everyone.

We look forward to FIFA’s response in due course.”

Boucaud was an unused substitute against Guyana, but played during Trinidad and Tobago’s one-all draw with Puerto Rico on March 28th.

GFF President Wayne Forde

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Andre Boucaud

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

SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

Chris Morris, Sanju Samson take Rajasthan Royals to convincing win A haunted team

David Miller played a cameo of 24*

A

g o o d T20 total is built on the foundation of batters being brave. The Kolkata Knight Riders forgot all about that on Saturday, and lost to the Rajasthan Royals by six wickets, tumbling to the bottom of the IPL points table.

When the Knight Riders lost their last game in heroic fashion, it had left Andre Russell “heartbroken”, but the worst of the impact may have been on Eoin Morgan, who, even as early as the presentation that night, was wondering what might have been.

So, maybe he and his team devised a plan: Let’s not try anything in the powerplay; let’s not give our opponents an easy wicket. If we can do that, then, with the hitters down the or-

der, we could really do some damage. #BestLaidPlans.

Wasting resources

Nitish Rana once scored an IPL fifty without the help of a single four. He didn’t need them. He just kept clearing the boundary.

Here, he looked shackled.

Here, he was caught behind for 22 off 25, with one measly four and one measly six to his credit.

The bitter end

Twenty-five for one in the powerplay. Sixty-one for four just past the halfway

Chris Morris bagged 4-23

mark. When a batting team falls so far behind the rate, it starts to hit out at everything.

The Royals understood that, and put all of their effort into taking the pace off, while also digging it into the pitch. Mustafizur Rahman (1 for 22), Chetan Sakariya (1 for 31) and Jaydev Unadkat (1 for 25) were especially useful in this regard, posing problems even for a hitter like Andre Russell, because they took away his base, and therefore his power.

Ironically, it was two

Rahul Tripathi top scored for KKR with 36

seam-up deliveries that took down the Knight Riders’ two finishers, Chris Morris dismissing Russell and Dinesh Karthik in the 18th over, and setting his team up with a below-par target of 134 to chase.

Samson steps up

Knowing it was only a matter of lasting the full 20 overs, the Royals captain, Samson, (42* off 41) took the responsibility

upon himself and made sure he was out there when the winning runs were scored.

The innings began with a flowing cover drive against Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery spin, and included a vicious six off Pat Cummins’s pace, but, for the most part, Samson was focused on just being at the crease, ticking the singles over so that he could, with as little risk as possible, push his often-fragile team across that finish line. (Adapted from ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Nitish Rana c †Samson b Sakariya 22 Shubman Gill run out (Buttler) 11 Rahul Tripathi c Parag b Mustafizur Rahman 36 Sunil Narine c Jaiswal b Unadkat 6 Eoin Morgan (c) run out (Morris) 0 Dinesh Karthik † c Sakariya b Morris 25 Andre Russell c Miller b Morris 9 Pat Cummins c Parag b Morris 10 Shivam Mavi b Morris 5 Prasidh Krishna not out 0 Extras (b 2, lb 1, nb 1, w 5) 9 TOTAL (20 Ov, RR: 6.65) 133/9 Did not bat: Varun Chakravarthy Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Shubman Gill, 5.4 ov), 2-45 (Nitish Rana, 8.1 ov), 3-54 (Sunil Narine, 9.5 ov), 4-61 (Eoin Morgan, 10.2 ov), 5-94 (Rahul Tripathi, 15.2 ov), 6-117 (Andre Russell, 17.4 ov), 7-118 (Dinesh Karthik, 17.6 ov), 8-133 (Pat Cummins, 19.2 ov), 9-133 (Shivam Mavi, 19.6 ov) BOWLING O-M-R-W 4-0-25-1 Jaydev Unadkat

Chetan Sakariya Mustafizur Rahman Chris Morris Rahul Tewatia Shivam Dube

4-0-31-1 4-0-22-1 4-0-23-4 3-0-24-0 1-0-5-0

RAJASTHAN ROYALS INNINGS (TARGET: 134 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Jos Buttler lbw b Varun 5 Yashasvi Jaiswal c sub (KL Nagarkoti) b Shivam Mavi 22 Sanju Samson (c)† not out 42 Shivam Dube c Prasidh Krishna b Varun 22 Rahul Tewatia c sub (KL Nagarkoti) b Prasidh Krishna 5 David Miller not out 24 Extras (lb 7, nb 1, w 6) 14 TOTAL (18.5 Ov, RR: 7.11) 134/4 Did not bat: Riyan Parag, Chris Morris, Jaydev Unadkat, Chetan Sakariya, Mustafizur Rahman Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Jos Buttler, 3.2 ov), 2-40 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 4.5 ov), 3-85 (Shivam Dube, 10.5 ov), 4-100 (Rahul Tewatia, 13.4 ov) O-M-R-W BOWLING Shivam Mavi 4-0-19-1 3.5-0-36-0 Pat Cummins 4-0-32-2 Varun Chakravarthy 4-0-20-0 Sunil Narine 3-0-20-1 Prasidh Krishna

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