Guyana Times - Sunday January 24, 2021

P15

Dr Ritesh Tularam’s drive to improve TVET education took him from Unity village to Delhi Nationwide coverage coverage from from the the best best news news team team in in Guyana Guyana Nationwide Issue No. 4538 guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON BEACON OF OF TRUTH TRUTH THE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021

Four-lane Eccles-toMandela road to be built by November President …as Govt also plans road upgrade project in Diamond See story on page 3

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Central Govt P28 donates street lights to community bypassed by NA municipality

P12 79 new COVID-19 cases detected across 9 regions …314 cases recorded in 1 week

“Stranded” Linden family secures flight back home from Cuba P29

President Dr Irfaan Ali, along with Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal and a technical team, visited the new road link connecting communities on the East Bank of Demerara to examine the alignment and interconnection (Office of the President photos)

Gift scandal

Burma Road P26 in urgent need of repair – farmers

Page 22

Integrity Commission to investigate David Patterson

Guyana leading Joinder parties want independent representation cervical cancer on Parliamentary committees cases in the Page 10

…says left at mercy of Opposition

Americas

Page 25

Low income & young professionals housing earmarked for Ogle-Diamond bypass road Page 24

8 arrested in Police swoop down on “drug blocks” P11 Age should not stop you from P13 learning new skills – 51-year-old new cosmetologist

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Sunday, January 24 – 01:30h – 03:00h and 12:30h – 14:00h and Monday, January 25 – 02:00h – 03:30h and 13:00h – 14:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Sunday, January 24 – 12:55h – 14:25h and Monday, January 25 – 13:50h – 15:20h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine will prevail during the day. There will be clear skies during the night. Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

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

High Tide: 13:22h reaching a maximum height of 2.25 metres.

Low Tide: 06:52h and 19:29h reaching minimum heights of 1.08 metre and 0.94 metre.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2021

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Four-lane Eccles-to-Mandela road to be built by November - President …as Govt also plans road upgrade project in Diamond

By Jarryl Bryan

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mong the flurry of infrastructural development underway, President Dr Irfaan Ali has revealed that the Government is looking at building a four-lane road between Eccles on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) and Mandela Avenue that will significantly ease the traffic congestion.

This was revealed by the President during a site visit with technical and other officials on Saturday. According to President Ali, the first phase of the overall Ogle-Diamond bypass project is from Sixth Avenue Diamond to Eccles, which should be ready for vehicular traffic by April 2021.

The second phase, which is from Eccles to Mandela Avenue road link, will tie in with the overall four-lane project currently being built. The President was hopeful of its completion by November of this year.

“Basically, what we’re doing today is checking various alignments and interconnections with the development along the East Bank. As you’re aware, we have a massive four-lane road project and that’s funded by the Indian Government, from Ogle to Eccles and then taking it on to Diamond. We’re already seeking financing for that,” Ali explained.

“But in addition, because of the immediate need to ease the congestion, we’re now building an interconnection here between Diamond. By the end of April, we’ll have ready for vehicular traffic from Diamond to Eccles. And then we’re looking at another four-lane connection from Eccles to Mandela.

And hopefully, by October/ November we can have that ready.”

The President, whose PhD is in urban and regional planning, said that this is all a part of the Government’s drive to transform Guyana’s infrastructure and link communities. But additionally, they are taking into account security for these newly expanded road networks.

“This is part of the infrastructure transformation and an integration of communities. Because now Diamond, Prospect, Eccles, Herstelling, Cove and Garden, Mocha, all these communities will be integrated.”

“And that is part of urban planning too. And we’re also working with the Police to ensure that we have security measures, lighting, Police presence and everything. Not only to have infrastructure, but to make sure it is safe,” President Ali said.

President Irfaan Ali making a point to technical staff at the road construction site

Upgrade to Diamond roads Ali also spoke of an upcoming project to resurface and upgrade the roads in Diamond, East Bank of Demerara (EBD), to concrete roads. He noted that this project is likely to commence in the next two months.

“We also are embarking on a project to upgrade the roads in Diamond, to hard concrete surface. So that project should commence sometime within the next two months. So, it’s a lot of work, a lot of infrastructure and investment from the Government.”

“And all of this is to bring ease to the commuters, faster commute time. Less wear and tear on vehicles. The amount of manpower we lose in traffic is not sustainable for our development or the commuters themselves,” the President said.

The bypass project will see a total of 26 kilometres of road constructed, linking two of the country’s main thoroughfares.

This new road link will also be connected to key communities in Georgetown and along the East Bank of Demerara. These include Diamond, Mocha and Eccles – all on the East Bank – and Aubrey Barker Road in Georgetown. These connections will prove crucial in diverting traffic.

At present, works are ongoing on the new alternative road connecting Diamond and Eccles on the EBD corridor in

order to ease the traffic congestion. The new alternative road will run from Sixth Avenue, Diamond, to the Windsor Estate Road that leads on to the Eccles Landfill Site Road.

This will form a connection through the new Herstelling Housing Scheme and other schemes that are being developed along the EBD corridor.

These projects are part of the India-funded Bypass Road Project which would link the East Bank Demerara corridor to the East Coast of Demerara,

creating a new highway in the backlands. The Indian Government had provided a US$50 million Line of Credit (LOC) for the road link that was initially slated for Ogle, ECD, to Diamond. Under the previous Government, the project was at a standstill for several years.

The Ali-led PPP/C Administration has since redesigned the project into three phases to fit the LOC. It will now run from Ogle to Haags Bosch at Eccles in the first phase, then from Eccles to Diamond, and finally from Diamond to Timehri to connect to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill recently told reporters that the documents with the redesigned project have been sent to the Indian Government and they are awaiting approval.

Meanwhile, Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa has noted that clearance should be given for the project within the next few weeks.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 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

Who guards the guardians?

I

t all started when an audit team discovered that the manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), which operates the Asphalt Plant at Garden of Eden, purchased for himself, on the occasion of International Men’s Day, a gold bracelet costing $900,000. The team pointed out that, in 2016, the Board had explicitly mandated that gifts and “incentives” etc. had to be approved by them. Great outrage and indignation were expressed by our beleaguered populace, and the manager later returned the bracelet and resigned.

Therefore, a newspaper report last week, which showed a “Requisition to Purchase” a gold wrist band for $424,000 and a tie pin for $76,000 on behalf of Minister of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) David Patterson, was received with extreme bemusement. Patterson vehemently denied receiving the jewellery, and claimed that he does not even wear such accoutrements. However, a gallery of pictures of him sporting a gold band, and, more pertinently, a slew of receipts, provided incontrovertible evidence that several agencies falling under the MoPI - Maritime Administration, Transport and Harbours Department, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, and the Cheddi Jagan International Airport – had authorised millions of dollars of expensive gifts for him and his Junior Minister, Annette Ferguson.

In one instance, there is a letter from Ferguson’s Personal Assistant to the Director of Civil Aviation, in August 2016, to “facilitate the payment of $176,000” to purchase jewellery for Ferguson, which would be presented to her by Patterson for her birthday. Present MoPI, Juan Edghill, produced another list of items paid for by the DHB to the tune of $6.4 million, including beds and other bedroom furniture, plus a Dell Latitude E7450 Laptop for $382,822 and one Apple iPad at $233,750 for Patterson, and a Samsung Edge 7 phone costing $203,000 for Ferguson.

In addition, MARAD made two payments to Steve’s Jewellery for “gift items” on May 2, 2020, one for $387,486 and another for $704,000. What was particularly egregious about these purchases, as expressed by Min Edghill, was that, “…May 2020 was after the no-confidence motion, it was after the March 2nd, 2020 elections. In the middle of a heightened period of court cases and determination of what was taking place, heading for a recount, the then Minister, who was squatting in office, (allegedly) received gifts from the Maritime Department.”

Faced with these revelations, Patterson changed tact and reversed his denials on the jewellery, but insisted he hadn’t received any bedroom furniture or electronic items. He also said he thought the procurement was legit, and that the practice was acceptable. But there is the matter of the law of the land, as pointed out by Min Edghill: “The Integrity Commission Act is clear that you must declare any gift of US$50 or more in your annual declaration for the year that you received it; and if you don’t, you have made a false declaration, which is a criminal act, and you can be prosecuted in the Court. As a citizen, I am calling on the members of the Integrity Commission to investigate if these gifts that were given by agencies in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to David Patterson and Annette Ferguson were declared. If they weren’t declared, let the law be followed. I expect to see charges and prosecution.”

But David Patterson is not just an ex-Minister who played fast and loose with the law while he was in office. He is presently the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, which is the hallowed parliamentary institution that the Opposition party controls to scrutinise the spending of the incumbent Government. In this role, the Opposition APNU/AFC should surely concede that, after Patterson’s concession that he had lied about receiving jewellery, his credibility has been fatally damaged. We echo the call of Minister Edghill: “Do the decent thing and resign as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.”

In 1974, US President Richard Nixon resigned from his office, not because he participated in the coverup of the Watergate break-in, but because he lied to the American people about it.

Can Patterson do any less?

Figurative lanterns for Lunar New Year hang over a road to mark the upcoming Year of the Ox in Singapore (AFP photo)

The statements of poll are authentic proof Dear Editor, In the March 2020 elections, the abusive, repulsive and disappointing behaviour of the administrative staff of the GECOM Secretariat exceeded expectations.

Among these was the deliberate refusal of the Chief Elections Officer (CEO) to produce original GECOM Statements of Poll to which he had access, that would have clarified beyond any doubt, a position which the Statements of Recount revealed and save our citizens unreserved stress and taxpayers millions of dollars.

The outright defiance of CEO Keith Lowenfield and persons under his command was used to denigrate and make a mockery of acceptable precedence, as well as a basic understanding of our elections laws. The authority of the Commission itself was allowed to be usurped and undermined to the extent that a point was reached where the CEO operated as a god unto himself. It was no doubt unsurprising that when required, the Commission could not instruct Mr Lowenfield to provide even a sample of the Statements of Poll for random validation purposes.

The elections petition laid before the High Court is about a flimsy attempt of the Opposition to capitalise on the deliberate attempt to derail the election process which

was jointly created by the PNC/APNU/AFC and their forces in GECOM. This time around, however, GECOM and the PNCled cabal must produce their Statements of Poll.

Chief Justice Roxane George has significantly ruled that the Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield and by extension GECOM has to lodge all Statements of Poll (SoPs) and Statements of Recount (SoRs) with the Registrar of the Supreme Court for safekeeping.

From the general public’s feedback, this has not gone down well with the thieves on the Opposition.

Some have argued that this ruling was not necessary but the fact is that with the overwhelming irrational behaviour of this cabal, nothing can be left to chance. Of note, PPP/C attorney Mendes reminded the courts that the Representation of the People Act allows the CEO of GECOM to destroy all elections documents after twelve months have elapsed.

As a consequence, Lowenfield will have to produce the SoPs that he hid and was hoping to eradicate. There is a sense that he would be found wanting for failure to produce, confirming that the likes of this kind of creature must never lay feet in the annals of GECOM again.

Further, it will be interesting to see what they will produce for safekeeping since it is clear that

the spreadsheet manipulating of the SoPs was put into operation in 2015.

It is recalled that in 2015, a similar execution of the false spreadsheet fiasco occurred at the tallying of the SoPs. PPP/C counting agents including myself were present at the GECOM building when the Returning Officer, Melanie Marshall, switched from using the actual SoPs and started to call the “numbers” from a “wicked and falsely” prepared spreadsheet. Our agents, Attorney Charles Ramson, Omar Shariff and I protested vehemently against the false figures and declarations read from the spreadsheet resulting in the process being adjourned.

It was unfortunately never recommenced.

In 2020, however, it must be noted that “rigged elections” was again high on the PNC agenda. This time, a united Opposition along with the diplomats and the foreign and local observers were very vigilant and they stood united and strong against the “rigging” of the elections.

Thank God that the leadership of the PPP and their willingness to accept the path of peaceful struggle for free and fair elections or our country would have deteriorated into an uncorrectable land of civil unrest and warfare.

The long bitter and frustrating five months punctuated with a thir-

ty-three days long National Recount, all give rise to a “free and fair” result that would have long been avoided if the CEO had brought forward the legal SoPs. He should be surcharged and placed to rot in jail by the Courts when the investigations are all over with.

The Statements of Poll are indeed the most valid proof of the results and the courts have implied that they will consider these as key evidence to the petition. It is known that they are properly prepared by trained personnel and authenticated with the signatures of the respective Presiding Officers and the party Polling Agents. The process is one that engenders overwhelming and indisputable monitoring and therefore cannot be merely cast aside.

It is of note that early in the first week of March the PNC/APNU/AFC declared that the elections were free and fair without any flaws. However, after those riggers were stopped in their tracks, the Guyanese people had to endure “court cases after court cases”. Time will tell and our people are healing in the present environment, but the culprits and dangerous riggers must be brought to justice. The Statements of Poll are authentic proof of the true elections results!

Sincerely, Neil Kumar

guyanatimesgy.com

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021

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

ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION (PART 2)

L

ast week, we took a brief look at Environmental Authorisations (EA) granted by the EPA in Guyana. It was noted that EAs are necessary for the protection of human health and the environment, as they identify potential pollution sources and mitigation measures before development activities occur.

Additionally, having an EA is beneficial to the developer, as it is a legal requirement, and saves time and money in the long term, as conflicts with other stakeholders are addressed before significant financial investments are made.

After an application has been received, it is ‘screened’ to determine whether or not an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required.

EIA not required

Once it is determined that an EIA is not required, the EPA would publish a notice to the public, in at least one daily newspaper, informing of the EPA’s position, and thereby allowing public input into the decision-making process.

An appeal against the Agency’s decision may be made to the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) within 30 days of the publication of the notice. Once there is no objection, an Environmental Permit is issued, with conditions for environmental management, against which developers are to report when submitting an annual return to the EPA. Additionally, for some projects, an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) may be required in order to detail measures to mitigate known/potential environmental impacts.

EIA required

If an EIA is required, the developer would be requested to select qualified persons to undertake the study. Once the team of consultants has been approved, and a draft Terms of Reference (TOR) prepared, the Agency would publish, in at least one daily newspaper, a notice of the project, inviting public submissions on issues or areas of concern that should be addressed in the EIA. The TOR for the EIA scope of work would determine the nature and extent to which the consultants would examine issues of importance which emerge during the scoping exercises. The consultants would conduct scoping of the project during the active public consultations facilitated by the EPA. The scoping exercises would identify what possible impacts there may be from the project and from alternatives considered. It is during the scoping process that important environmental components likely to be affected (air quality, water quality, biodiversity etc.) are identified, along with potential issues of conflict between stakeholders.

The EIA has three (3) components: an Environmental Baseline Study, an Environmental Assessment, and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Once the EIA study has been completed and the report prepared, the developer would submit, at a minimum, eight (8) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy of the EIA, which must include the EIS. The EPA would publish a notice, in at least one daily newspaper, notifying the public of the submission of the EIA. The public would have sixty (60) days from the publication date of that notice to make submission to the EPA and/or EAB. The EPA, along with the sector agency, would review the EIA. Whilst reviewing the EIA, the sectoral agencies would also ensure that the EIA is consistent with any plan, guideline, regulation or code of practice developed by them. Copies of the EIA and the findings of the review by the EPA and sectoral agency would be passed to the EAB for review and recommendation.

The Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) would advise the EPA whether the EIA is acceptable, and the conditions to be attached to the Environmental Permit should it be granted. Should there be need for additional information before a decision is made, the developer would be requested to submit such information.

A new draft of the EIA, or an addendum if the comments are not significant, should then be prepared by the consultant, and must address the comments of the EPA, the sectoral agency, the public, and the EAB. It is essential that the consultants clearly indicate how each comment has to be addressed.

The EPA would take into account the EAB’s recommendations, the sectoral agency’s recommendations, the public’s comments and the EPA’s own review and decide whether or not the project should be approved. For the approval project, the EPA would issue an Environmental Permit with the terms and conditions necessary to effectively manage the environment, and in accordance with the prescribed fee. Should an Environmental Permit not be granted, the developer may, within fourteen (14) days, file an appeal with the Environmental Appeals Tribunal (EAT).

Ensure that you submit your application for Environmental Authorisation; and remember, the environment is everybody’s business!

You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications Department, 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.

Public pleased with Govt’s performance Dear Editor, The public is very pleased so far, after just over five months in office, with the Government’s delivery on varied promises made in its manifesto – the contract it made with the people to win their vote. This is one of several findings of an opinion poll I conducted among the population over the last ten days.

The public is very impressed with the performance of several Ministers who have received soaring ratings for “delivery”.

These Ministers, as well as the Prime Minister and President, have also come in for special praises for their interaction with the public and on implementation of plans for development. They are down to earth, humble, and in touch with ordinary people.

Among those who have been called out for their performance are Deodat Indar (Infrastructure), Anil Nandlall (Attorney General), Collin Croal (Housing), Zulfikar Mustapha (Agriculture), Bishop Edghill (Infrastructure), Vikram Bharrat (Energy), Sonia Parag (Public Administration), Kwame McCoy (State Media & Information),

Nigel Dharamlall (Local Government), Vindhya Persaud (Social Services), Frank Anthony (Health), among others. Respondents say Government Ministers are very people friendly as compared with some Minister of the preceding coalition regime.

Respondents in the poll note that Ministers Deodat Indar and Zulfikar Mustapha respond very promptly to complaints of flooding and bad roads.

They do their work effectively and efficiently. Deodat Indar’s experience in the Private Sector is a tremendous asset to public infrastructure resulting in his Ministry getting work done quickly. Kwame McCoy is described as a very hard worker and who knows the media matters very well.

Croal is empathetic towards the poor to quickly get them house lots. Bharat is rapidly learning energy issues.

Dharamlall is down to earth addressing local development. Nandlall towers over the other Ministers in terms of likeability and popularity. Respondents describe him as a giant in the legal field. Nandlall who came into Government with experience as AG is extremely intelligent, confident of him-

self, articulate, witty, and experienced.

Asked who was a more effective Attorney General, Nandlall betters Basil Williams 71 per cent to 12 per cent with 17 per cent not offering a response.

Asked to rate the performance of various Ministers as positive or negative or no rating, Nandlall scores 83%8%-9%, Indar scores 72%18%-10%, Zulfikar scores 73%-19%-8%, Kwame scores 63%-28%-9%, Croal scores 70%-19%-11%, and Edghill scores 65%-27%-8%.

Respondents were asked which Government performed better handling various issues. Voters say the

PPP Administration has done significantly more than the APNU/AFC coalition to create jobs (69 per cent to 18 per cent), rescue agriculture (72 per cent to 14 per cent), help farmers (79 per cent to 11 per cent), turn around the economy (61 per cent to 31 per cent), attract investments (70 per cent to 19 per cent), and crackdown on corruption (56 per cent to 38 per cent) (Numbers don’t add up to 100 per cent because some respondents did not offer a response to the question).

Yours truly, Dr Vishnu Bisram (Pollster)

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Foundation

How to get started with getting started By: Jeffrey S Nevid PhD, ABPP

T

he word procrastination derives from the Latin root procrastinatus, which combines the prefix “pro” (meaning forward) and the Latin word “crastinus,” meaning “of tomorrow.” Literally, to procrastinate is to delay or push forward a task until tomorrow. The problem is that tomorrow, as the familiar song from the musical Annie reminds us, is always a day away. Tomorrow can never be the present day, and as we know, change can only occur in the present, not in a thousand tomorrows.

Are you a procrastinator, pushing things off to a thousand tomorrows? If you are, wouldn’t you rather be a precrastinator? Precrastination is a playful word that literally means “before tomorrow” – in other words, doing things today rather than tomorrow.

You’re probably familiar with the familiar Ben Franklin adage that we shouldn’t put off until tomorrow what we can do today. This maxim still rings true. But why is it so difficult to put Ben’s advice into practice?

we make a growth choice, we put reward over risk, choosing to do something, despite the risk, that might make our life more meaningful or rewarding. As Maslow wrote, “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” So which will be the determinant of the choices you make in life, fear or growth?

We risk failure or rejection in so many ways, whether starting a business, putting our name on a report, or trying to close a sale. But if we give in to procrastination to avoid potential failure we risk looking back at lost opportunities with remorse and regret, voicing silently to

Isn’t it just laziness?

The short answer is no, as laziness is not a thing but a description of a pattern of behaviour, merely a label we attach to certain behaviours. If we say that Mary doesn’t get her work in on time because she is lazy, we are merely saying that we have noticed a pattern in her behaviour of failing to get her work in on time, and we then use the label to explain her lateness. Why doesn’t she get her work done on time? Because she is lazy. How do we know she’s lazy?

Because she doesn’t get her work done on time. This is a circular argument, leading us round and round, but explaining nothing. We need to understand why Mary doesn’t complete her work when it is due and not confuse a label we apply to her behaviour with an explanation. Better yet, we need to help Mary get unstuck so that she can break this self-defeating pattern of behaviour.

Procrastination does not reduce to any one cause. We need to take various factors into account to get a better fix on it:

Fear of failure

Performing a task poses a risk of failure. We might screw up, drop the ball, land a dud, or in some other way incur failure, disapproval, or disappointment. We learn from an early age that our work is scrutinised, evaluated, and graded. Even if no one is there to give us a grade, the critical voice in our heads stands ready to shout out just how unworthy we are. When writing these blog posts, I face my own self-doubts—that no one will read them, or that even if they do, they will not like them.

The humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow distinguished between two types of choices we make, fear choices and growth choices. A fear choice is born of insecurity, a choice made for the sake of security or safety, driven by a need to avoid failure or disappointment. But at what cost? We may turn down a promising job opportunity, thinking it isn’t a good fit, when in fact our choice is based on avoiding potential failure. On the other hand, when

ourselves the saddest words of all, “if only.” In the previous blog post, I noted how many prominent authors, including Margaret Mitchell, Dr Seuss, and John Grisham, to name only a few, dealt with rejection after rejection before achieving ultimate success. Fortunately for readers worldwide, these and other prominent authors were not deterred by rejection, and neither should you be.

Procrastination may seem like a non-choice, merely a delaying tactic, a tendency to kick the can down the road. But in reality, it is a choice, one of inaction over action in dealing with challenges we face in life, putting them off for yet another day, which soon becomes yet another week, and perhaps yet another year.

Procrastination is reinforced by a powerful reward—relief from anxiety. By not doing something, we avoid having to deal with the consequences of rejection, disapproval, or criticism, at least in the short run. Like the person with an elevator phobia who opts to take the stairs instead, the procrastinator breathes a sigh of relief by not facing up to the threat of rejection or disappointment. But procrastination ultimately proves self-defeating, as it keeps us from reaching our goals.

“But I’m just disorganised”

Getting things done requires organisation. We need to organise our time and the materials we need to finish a report, complete a master’s thesis, prepare a work proposal, and accomplish countless other tasks. You might think “I’m just not organised” and leave it at that, using this self-label as a justification for inaction (rationalisation, really). But it can just as easily be a prompt to action, if followed up with a prescription for change, as when you say to yourself, “Yes, I know I struggle with organisation. So what do I need to do to get

organised?” A cluttered desk can serve as a cue to action, to sorting things out, putting things in their respective folders and creating a filing system that allows you to find materials needed to organise your work efforts. For any given task, create a list of the materials and supplies you need to complete it. Organise them on your desktop and then get to work.

“What can I do? I’m just a perfectionist”

Many people who struggle with procrastination are perfectionists. Nothing is ever good enough to pass their own personal inspection. And so, they procrastinate, letting work pile up and foregoing completing tasks unless their work measures up to some Olympian ideal. Perfectionists apply an irrational standard to their own behaviour, irrational of course because perfectionism is an idealised and not a realistic goal. A useful maxim to keep in mind if perfectionism is your personal bugaboo is that the perfect is the enemy of the good. So long as we swear allegiance to the gods of perfection we inveigh against a more reasonable expectation—the “good enough” standard. By adopting a “good enough” mindset, we understand that while our work could always be improved, we can let it go when it meets the standard of being good enough. Perfect?

Nah. Good enough. Yup, I’ll go with that.

During this time of the pandemic, we need to lighten up on ourselves and scale back our expectations, saying to ourselves, “I may not be at my best, but what I am able to accomplish will be good enough.” During stressful times, we need to focus on coping, not climbing mountains, and not judge ourselves harshly for failing to meet unrealistic expectations. We need to realise that it’s okay to be a “good enough” parent, partner, or employee. As the celebrated author John Steinbeck was reported to have said, “And now that you don’t have to be perfect, you can be good.” Or as the popular philosopher and Yankees great Yogi Berra put it, “If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.”

So, let me offer some tips for changing procrastination into precrastination:

10 tips to get started with getting started

Once you accept yourself as an imperfect human being trying to do your best, and whose efforts sometimes fall short of expectations, you remove a major impediment to getting yourself back on track. So here are 10 tips designed to turn the prefix “pro” in procrastination to “pre”: 1. Focus on what you can do today, not on what you didn’t do yesterday. Don’t become mired in the past. What’s done is, well, done. Make today count.

2. The trick to getting started is... getting started. Establish a regular work routine rather than just waiting around for inspiration to strike. Before getting started, arrange your workspace so it is free of distractions. Leave your phone in another room. Plan to start with small steps, anything to get the ball moving. Need to draft a report?

Start by organising your files in desktop folders on your computer.

Once you get started, you may find that things begin to fall into place. Once a process starts in motion, it tends to stay in motion.

This harkens back to Sir Isaac Newton’s First Law of Motion: that a body at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by some outside force, while a moving object tends to stay in motion (unless it is acted upon by an outside force). If you are that body at rest, start by putting the Newtonian ball in motion by just getting moving.

3. Break down larger tasks into more manageable subtasks.

Create a list of subgoals. Accomplish the subgoals and the final goal becomes achievable. Focus on the present subgoal. Don’t worry about subgoals further down the list.

4. Start with small, easily accomplished subgoals, and build up from there.

5. Credit yourself for whatever you accomplish today, however small it may be. Don’t focus on things you still need to do. Credit yourself for what you did do. Don’t begrudge yourself for what you didn’t do. Just carry over any unfinished tasks to the next day.

6. Break down tasks into 15-30-minute morsels. Don’t bite off more than you can swallow at any one time.

7. Give yourself a 10-15-minute break every hour. Reward yourself for accomplishing a designated task by then (and only then) engaging in a more desirable activity. Think video games, Facebooking, reading, texting, watching TV, etc. You choose the reward, but the trick is to connect it to the completion of the designated task. Say you are preparing for an exam. Plan a study schedule in 30- or 45-minute intervals and make a desirable activity contingent on completing the desired activity (studying).

8. Don’t get down on yourself if your mind drifts. Minds are built that way. Just bring your attention back to the task at hand.

9. At the end of the day, jot down 2-3 things you accomplished that day and 2-3 other things you plan to do tomorrow. Then expand the list to more things. Create a schedule in advance so you will hit the ground running each day.

10. Apply the “good enough” standard to yourself. You don’t have to be perfect. You just need to be good enough. Setting unrealistically high standards prevents you from trying because of the fear of not meeting the unreasonable expectations you place on yourself. (Excerpt from psychologytoday.com)

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Claiming…

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…Kamala our Eyewitness is tickled pink (figuratively, of course, since his melanin content precludes that happenstance!) at the lengths to which people in so many countries are going to claim Kamala Harris now that she’s the American VP. Right off the bat, there’s Jamaica and India, from where her father and mother respectively hail. Now, with those direct blood links, that shouldn’t be much of a stretch, right? Wrong.

Thing is, Kamala’s parents went through a bitter divorce when she was seven, and from her comments since, she clearly doesn’t feel much connection with her father. Speaking for herself and her sister Maya, she said their mother, "was the one most responsible for shaping us into the women we would become." In another post in May, she wrote: "I'm the daughter of a mother who broke down all kinds of barriers. Shyamala Harris was no more than five feet tall, but if you ever met her, you would think she was seven feet tall. She had such spirit and tenacity, and I'm thankful every day to have been raised by her.

"My mother taught us the importance of a good education. She taught us the good old-fashioned value of hard work. She taught us don't let anyone tell you who you are. You tell them who you are. She taught us not only to dream, but to do. She taught us to believe in our power to right what is wrong.” The one time she spoke about her father, she jokingly alluded to Jamaica’s reputation for smoking ganja – which really teed him off. She obviously was unaware of her father’s middle/upper class Jamaican aversion to such a hoi polloi stereotype!

India, of course, is revelling in Kamala Devi (which means “Lotus Goddess in Sanskrit), but the local politics of the North-South competition reared its head, as the southern Tamils claimed first dibs on her heritage. She’s not just “Indian”, they insisted, but “SOUTH Indian”! She’s visited South India frequently to meet her grandfather, who’d worked in the elite Indian Administrative Service.

Then there’s Canada, where Kamala’s mom went to do research at McGill University in Montreal, where the latter sister still lives. Kamala Harris spent five years there, and graduated from high school. Will the Quebec separatists claim her? But she’s now married to a Jewish lawyer. Will Israel rope her in? Finally, of course, there’s Black America, who’ve hailed her as a “Black Woman” – which is the identity that her Indian immigrant mom made a conscious decision to raise her as. She chose to attend Howard University across the country because it is a Black University. But, in your Eyewitness’s opinion, Kamala Harris represents the truth about the human condition. We all have multiple identities, and shouldn’t be pigeonholed.

And Kamala will act in AMERICA’s interest! …underdevelopment Once again, we hear about funds being pumped into Linden for increasing employment but nothing to show for it. This time, it was under the SLED programme of the Christopher Jones Barbershop fame! $74 million had been GRANTED to individuals and co-ops. Some of the claimed expenditure checked out recently were a blockmaking facility ($5M); a pig-rearing facility ($6M); Chicken-rearing ($2.2). Not one of them was operational!

That’s exactly what’s been happening for two decades.

In the face of the collapse of the bauxite industry, the Linden Economic Advancement Programme (LEAP) was a GoG and EU programme crafted with the objective of fostering entrepreneurship and enterprise for economic development of Linden, and was launched in 2002. $2.2 billion for the execution of the project was injected over a seven-year period. At its expiration, it was extended as Linden Enterprise Network (LEN), which was resuscitated

by APNU/AFC in 2015 with an injection of $155 million.

Where did it all go? …more profits Banks announced that its profits skyrocketed over the last year, during which we were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. What gives?

Do Guyanese think alcohol kills the virus, by drinking alcohol like Trump proposed with disinfectant?

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

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

10 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Joinder parties want independent representation on Parliamentary committees …say left at mercy of Opposition

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olitical parties, which formed the joinder list after the 2020 General and Regional Elections, are now lobbying for representation on sectoral committees of the National Assembly, by reducing the power which the current Opposition holds.

The three political parties: Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), A New and United Guyana (ANUG) and The New Movement (TNM) are currently represented in Parliament by Deputy Speaker, Lenox Shuman.

But as it relates to nominations for select and sectoral committees, there was none.

Now, they are calling for inclusion in these decision-making avenues, in order to ensure transparency and efficiency of a “progres-

sive society”. The joinder parties pointed out that the current standing orders governing the selection of these parliamentary committees perpetuate the inclusion of only two parties by forcing all other parties to fall under the discretion of the Opposition Leader.

In a statement on Saturday, the parties called for all voters to be represented adequately by abolishing the control which the largest Opposition party has to determine where small parties should sit on the various committees. Going forward, the joinder seat will propose these amendments.

Presently, the APNU/AFC is the larger party on the Opposition bench.

“This gives the largest Opposition party control

over whether the third parties will be given a seat on the parliamentary committees, and institutionalises an undemocratic system which leaves a signi?cant portion of the electorate unrepresented in the decision-making processes.

All voters who have representation in the National Assembly should fairly be represented at the table, and this should be re?ected in the standing orders,” the missive announced.

It went on to say that while the two major parties represent 90 per cent of the electorate, representation from the smaller parties would see greater diversity in views, and undoubtedly, a “voice of reason wherever gridlock might arise”.

“The recent history of

LJP Leader, Lennox Shuman

TNM Leader, Dr Asha Kissoon

ANUG Leader, Ralph Ramkarran

Guyana demonstrates that an interlocutor is or ought to be considered to be a vital component in Guyana’s politics. No one can fail to see that the political gridlock which has prevailed for decades in Guyana will not be resolved unless there is a group that is prepared to hold both institutionalised parties accountable and ensure transparency. In the

circumstances, we call on the main political parties in the National Assembly to put aside their harmful and polarising politics by permitting the only interlocutor in Parliament a voice in these parliamentary committees in Guyana’s interest,” the parties contended.

The three joinder parties collectively won a single seat in the 65-seat National Assembly following the March elections. The number of votes indicated that of the trio, LJP secured the most votes with 2657, while ANUG and TMN secured 2313 and 244 respectively.

The duration of the terms, according to the joinder agreement, stipulates that LJP would occupy the seat for two years, six months and 20 days, while ANUG would serve for two years five months, and TNM for 80 days. The three parties had previously committed to acting as a broker between the Government and the main Opposition.

Shuman had told this publication that he would use his voting rights at the legislative branch in the interest of all Guyanese, but he has particularly committed to advocating for Indigenous peoples’ rights, since according to him, the country’s first peoples are largely unrepresented in the National Assembly.

Constitutional reform was also among the list of top agendas.

Upon assuming office last year, President Dr Irfaan Ali assured that his Government remains committed to ushering inclusionary democracy and constitutional reform.

“My Government remains committed to upholding and protecting democracy. We intend to fashion a more inclusive system of governance and, especially, to fortify our democratic institutions so that never again will our people’s freedom be subject to the threat of being hijacked,” Ali had said. (G12)

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Federalism does answer Guyana’s political dilemma

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n his letter seeking to rebut assertions made in my last column, “Addressing Objections to a Federalised Guyana”, Mr. Vincent Alexander claimed that “Federalism is justifiable only where diversity is cultural and territorial”. Noting I claimed that “minorities across the globe from Assam to Zimbabwe have been clamouring for federalist principles to be instituted to protect their interest against actual or potential majorities”, Vincent flatly asserts, “This is exactly where Ravi’s argument for federalism flounders. Federalism is not about protecting minorities.”

But this is just not so. Federalism, as a form of governance, was introduced with the formation of the American Republic, and given its theoretical justifications in the “Federalist Papers” written by Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay. Madison’s Federalist Paper 10 deals with groups defining their interests differently (he calls them “factions”) and addresses the challenge of “majority factions vs minority factions” within States. Hasn’t this been our challenge in Guyana?

Madison concluded, “The influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame within Ravi Dev their particular States, but will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other States.” And this fissioning and containment of factions/ethnic groups is exactly what a Federalised Guyana would encourage.

For instance, Indian Guyanese, compromising a large majority in, say, Berbice, might not only NOT have common interests with Indian Guyanese in Demerara or Essequibo, but may find common cause with, say, African Guyanese in Demerara on the issue of, say, Bauxite.

Then there is Vincent’s categorical insistence, as captured in his caption: “Our diversity is cultural, but not territorial”, that Federalism is justifiable only in instances where the diversity is cultural and territorial; or where homogeneous groups are associated with a specific land mass.

And, once again, Vincent is off-base. The primary requirement of modern federalism is that a national minority must form a majority, and be granted political power in at least one of the States. In invoking only Indian and African Guyanese, he elides what he had implied about Amerindians earlier in his missive: they are “homogeneous groups… associated with a specific land mass.” Being such a small minority, even though they are the Indigenous Peoples of Guyana, Federalism is the only mechanism that would allow them to exercise Executive power above the village level.

But, in looking at the coastland, Vincent is assuming that ethnically homogenous homelands for the other groups in Guyana is a sine qua non of a federalist approach. In the present world, where identity-driven aspirations are stronger than ever, this idea is completely false, impractical, and more importantly, immoral.

Plurality is, and will continue to be, the reality of both the Nation State and its sub-divisions. The question is: How do we get them to live with each other harmoniously?

In Guyana, we saw the African Ethnic Security Dilemma of exclusion from Executive office explode in rigged elections and violent attacks against the state. And this is where integrative federalism - with is multi-tiered and intricate, non-pyramidal matrix of governmental structures in separate states - comes in.

Such a matrix adequately deals with the two major conflicting demands: of problem-solving by consensus-building, and minority protection.

Because of our fortuitous majorities by different ethnic groups in various areas of Guyana, no one group would be completely locked out of Executive office. As we have highlighted over the last decade, our new demographics have created a nation of minorities, wherein either of the two major ethnic groups can form a government at the centre.

In closing, Vincent invokes the bogeyman of “secession/ partition”. But, apart from explicitly denying that option constitutionally, the very fact of our heterogenous State populations should discourage it. His citation, however, is indicative of the fear in many Guyanese leaders, that Federalism is simply a stalking horse for partition. One of the features of the federalist integrative approach, however, is that it actually disincentivises secession, since politics is not an “all or nothing” proposition.

Finally, a Federal structure would facilitate the formation of a second chamber in the legislature. Because each state would have ethnically different majorities, the representation drawn from state-constituencies would most likely reflect the ethnic diversity of our country. This fortuitous circumstance gives us the opportunity of securing ethnic representation at the centre. This second chamber should have the power to scrutinise legislation in general, but should have specifically enumerated powers in reference to ethnic issues.

2 arrested after robbing sales distributor on Essequibo Coast T wo persons are now in Police custody after they were found in possession of large sum of cash suspected to be stolen.

Police on Saturday said that 43-year-old Christopher Harricharan, a sales distributor attached to Suri Trading was beaten and robbed of $150,000 and one gold ring value $130,000 by two males.

The incident occurred at about 18:45h at Plantation Opposite, Essequibo Coast,

on Thursday last.

Following the robbery, a party of Police went to a house in the Charity

Housing Scheme, where two male suspects were seen and arrested with over $356,000 along with arti-

cles of clothing.

Both men were arrested and are assisting with the investigation.

8 arrested after Police swoop down on “drug blocks”

R

anks of the Guyana Police Force in Georgetown conducted a Cordon and Search exercise early Saturday morning in several areas of the Region 4 Division.

The exercise was car-

ried out between 04:30h and 10:30h.

According to the Police, several houses, suspected drug blocks and persons were searched during which a number of items were seized. These in-

clude 179 grams of suspected cannabis; one HP laptop computer and four cell phones.

Eight persons were arrested during the exercise and are in custody assisting with the investigation.

12 NEWS 79 new COVID-19 cases detected across 9 regions SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…314 cases recorded in 1 week

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whopping 314 COVID-19 cases were recorded over the course of this week – 79 of which were detected on Saturday.

The statistics provided by the Health Ministry showed that new cases emerged from 482 swab samples. To date, there are 7222 confirmed cases in the country.

Apart from the 170 deaths, there are seven patients in the designated Intensive Care Unit with 33 persons in institutional isolation, 651 in home isolation and 21 in institutional quarantine.

From the 3703 males and 3519 females that contracted the virus thus far, 6361 have completely recov-

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

ered. Consequently, there are 691 active cases remain-

ing. Guyana has managed to test 46,347 people since the virus was detected locally.

A breakdown showed that new cases were recorded in nine administrative regions; with six in Region One (Barima-Waini), three in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), nine in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), 40 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), five in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), four in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), three in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), two in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and seven in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The cases in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper

Essequibo) remain at 409.

Guyanese have been asked continuously to follow the outlined national measures, which were implemented by Government to curtail widespread infection. It is especially important until a vaccine is introduced locally.

On Friday, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony cautioned that the novel coronavirus does not affect everyone equally. While some may experience little to no symptoms, others contract the worse form of the virus that lingers months after recovery.

He explained that the symptoms would remain for months for some persons because the virus would have disrupted body organs. Data shows that the infection can affect the brain, digestive system, respiratory system,

kidneys and skin.

The World Health Organisation has also pointed out, “For some people, some symptoms may linger or recur for weeks or months following initial recovery. This can also happen in people with mild disease.

People are not infectious to others during this time.

Some patients develop medical complications that may have lasting health effects.”

Additionally, older persons have been succumbing to the virus since comorbidities increase the risk of developing a worse form of the virus. Persons in this bracket have been asked to continue taking their respective medications or treatment to control their condition.

Next, the preventative measures and guidelines to protect against the virus must be adhered to.

Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, tiredness, diarrhoea, pains, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. The more serious symptoms are difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain and loss of speech or movement. If persons are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with a positive person, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 6246674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.

The latest announcement on vaccines was announced a few days ago, in which the global procurement mechanism, COVAX, specified that two billion doses will finally be procured for distribution. Once acquired, they are working to have it distributed by the second quarter of 2021.

Guyana will receive 20 per cent of the total vaccines needed through this mechanism, which will be used to immunise frontline health workers followed by the elderly and persons with comorbidities. Government is also seeking other channels to procure additional vaccines, as preparations continue to equip vaccine storage facilities. A COVID-19 vaccination programme is also being developed. (G12)

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

By Lakhram Bhagirat

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ge is quite often used as a deterring factor when it comes to pushing boundaries. One usually hears things like “there will be more time, you’re young” or “aren’t you a little too old to be doing that” and never “age doesn’t matter, you go ahead.”

Well, Coretta Taylor is not one to subscribe to society’s ideals of what women her age should be doing.

At 51-years-old, Taylor is the newest cosmetologist on the block and thinks she is a force to be reckoned with.

The mother of four is all about pushing boundaries and breaking societal stereotypes.

She recently completed a 6-month course in cosmetology at the Humanitarian Mission – Guyana Inc in Berbice and is all set to open a nail salon. While she learned every facet of beauty treatment, her only inter-

est was getting qualified as a nail technician and now that she is qualified, there is absolutely nothing stopping her.

“I just wanted to do the nails but I had to go through the course before I get to the nails. I choose the nails because I like seeing people with long nails. It looks beautiful. I like nails and my nails always looking good,” she said.

Taylor is driven to accomplish every goal that she set because of the fact that her earlier days were far from easy. She was denied opportunities because of the fact that her family’s financial position did not allow her to gain access to opportunities.

She spent her formative years with her grandmother in Berbice but after a few years, she had to move back with her mother because her grandmother was migrating. Her mother was a vendor in the New Amsterdam

Market and struggling to make ends meet.

Because of their financial position, education played a minor role in their lives. After she completed primary school, Taylor left the school system and entered the world of work. She first started helping out her mother at the market but would later branch off to work in many other places.

At the age of 18, Taylor got pregnant with her first child and by the age of 24, she was the mother of 4.

“From primary school I started having kids at an early age and I start working different jobs until I get a little more big. When I had all the kids I opened my own stall in the market selling things like underwear, kitchen towels and fine fine things like that. I always liked business and I did business. I even work in the interior for a couple years,” she said.

After spending a few

years working in Guyana’s interior regions, Taylor acquired a US visa and visited the United States of America a few times. There, she was exposed to a number of connections for business. Now she owns and operates a boutique where she offers brand name items.

Reverting to her course in cosmetology, Taylor said that her daughter-in-law suggested it to her after she saw the Humanitarian Mission offering the courses.

“She find it on Facebook and she told me about it and I said you know what I will give it a try. So I called the Humanitarian Mission and they tell me let me go so I go and they tell me all about it and I decided to take the step forward. It was good but it was challenging. We had a good teacher. She had a lot of patience with us and a lot of stuff we didn’t had to buy because they provided us with it,” Taylor said.

Through her training, Taylor was exposed to doing makeup, facials, manicures, pedicures, hair styling.

“One thing is that I did not allow my age to get in the way.

I want people to know that age is nothing but a number and for me, it is nothing. I want to follow my dreams and right now my dream is to open my own nail salon.

This COVID is bothering me though because I am waiting for it to get safer so I can open up. I don’t want to have people in and out and it is not safe,” she said.

Coretta Taylor displaying her nails

14 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Women should not give up on themselves, even after they’ve married & become mothers – Natasha Khan

By Lakhram Bhagirat

W

omen are the backbone of any society. They are the silent caregivers and at the fore of almost every movement. They inspire and give selflessly but they also sacrifice the most so that those around them can thrive.

However, Natasha Khan said that this has to change.

She noted that it is time that women stop giving up on themselves when they become girlfriends, wives, mothers and whatever other labels one may attach.

“I don’t think women should give up on themselves and their dreams.

They should not give up on what they can pursue in this life. Women should not think that because they are in a relationship or that they are married or become a mother that they are not bound to owning a talent. Do not think less of yourself because at the end of the day, having a talent and being good at something is one thing no one can take away from you,” the 31-year-old said.

Khan is a mother of one and has not given up on her-

self rather she continues to chase after her dreams while raising a family. The key for her is finding the right balance between chasing after her dreams and being active in the lives of her family.

Currently, she is reading for her degree in Genealogy – Family History Research with the Brigham Young University-Idaho, taking sewing classes at the Humanitarian Mission – Guyana Inc in Berbice, and is also a full-time photographer among other titles.

Additionally, she serves as team leader for local charity Rafieya International Vision & Hope (RIVAH) in the East Berbice-Corentyne Region.

However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, Khan has stopped doing photography owing to the fact that she has a young child and chose not to take the risk of possibly exposing her to the virus.

For the New Amsterdam, Berbice resident, self-development has always been at the forefront for her because since she was little girl, her parents inculcated the belief that she should never give up on pursuing what makes her

the happiest.

“I grew up fairly well. My family were not the richest people but they made sure we grew up really happy and made sure I have an education and that I had food and clothing. They made sure that we did everything as a family and I was allowed to follow my dreams,” she said.

She never relented in becoming everything that she wanted to. So after she finished Canje Secondary School, Khan enrolled at the New Amsterdam Technical School where she began doing a number of post-secondary courses.

“After TI, I started my degree at BYU. I was never out of schooling. I always find myself going to some school to do some schooling. Right now, I am in my second year of getting my degree at BYU and the good thing is that everything there is done online.”

Khan is an extremely talented photographer and one of the very few female photographers in the Berbice county. Photography is something she has always been interested in and it started when she got her first smart-

phone.

Though the camera on the smartphone was poor, she would spend hours composing and taking images.

Noticing her natural talent to take perfectly composed photos, even with low-quality equipment, Khan’s husband went and bought her a professional Sony camera.

“I started taking training on my own and then I got into contact with a professional photographer, Keon Hector and he encouraged me.

He told Natasha Khan me that and her family I had a natural talent for photography and that was when I started building myself more and more.

I got acquainted with the different features of my camera, then little by little – I posted some pictures that me and him did together – and after then people started contacting me to do their pictures for their birthday and wedding and so on and that was when I got into it basically,” she related.

That was three years ago and as one would expect, she continues to build on the foundational knowledge she acquired.

Being one of the few females in the photography industry in Berbice and by extension, Guyana, led to Khan having some interesting experience with clients, however, her fellow photographers would treat her as

their equal.

“When it comes to professional photographers, they have been so helpful in my journey because I can ask them anything. I can ask them for advice. They would compliment my work.

It is very nice to see men out there encouraging women.

At first, I was little bit nervous to take up a position that is heavily male-dominated but when I started it, it surprised me that they were so encouraging and helpful when I was out there,” she said.

Now that she is not doing photography, Khan is making use of the downtime to learn a new skill. Something

that she grew up around and always wanted to learn – sewing.

“I always loved sewing.

My mom had a sewing machine when I was a little girl and she would always sew skirts for us to go to church and so on. I always loved sewing but there isn’t much – at least in new Amsterdam here where I live – there isn’t any kind of sewing place. In my head I always wanted to do sewing with the machine because I know sewing like by the hand,” she said.

She saw the Humanitarian Mission – Guyana Inc advertising sewing classes in Port Mourant. Though she was interested, she was also sceptical of going the distance and having to take care of her baby. Her husband offered to drive her to every class and told her not to worry about the baby, so she enrolled.

“I am there learning a new thing from day one. Our teacher is a wonderful woman. She is kind and patient.

She does not rush to go home after class finish and if you want help after class she would stay back there and help you out. I did not know how to thread a sewing machine and work it. I did not know about the tension because it is very important to sewing. I learned all of that.

I leant to cut the cloth and make dresses and so. We have to move on to the advanced classes now but one thing is certain and that is every day you go to the class, you would learn something new,” she said.

She is very excited about the prospects of honing her skills in more fields since she believes that the sky is the limit.

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Dr Ritesh Tularam’s drive to improve TVET education took him from Unity village to Delhi

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

echnical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) education has undergone transformational changes over the years. It has now been repositioned to satisfy the economic and social changes that are happening.

TVET has been recognised as the backbone of any sustained movement of an economy and having TVET education means that one is prepared with the requisite skills, competencies and attitude to satisfy the demands of the workforce. TVET education provides the scaffold for the development of any nation.

A TVET education allows one to meet the demands of the labour market and more countries are grasping this concept, hence the heavy worldwide investment in TVET education.

The drive to improve TVET education in Guyana has seen Dr Ritesh Tularam journey from the deep country village of Unity in Mahaica on the East Coast of Demerara to one of the busiest cities in the world – Delhi in India.

To be able to understand the influence behind his drive to develop the education sector, particularly the technical aspect of it, one needs to go back to Unity village and become aware of Dr Tularam’s earlier days.

The Sunday Times recently sat down with Dr Tularam – who heads the Ministry of Education’s TVET Unit – to get a sense of his developmental vision for the TVET sector, now that he is finished with his PhD studies at the University of Delhi.

The 39-year-old was born at Skeldon in the county of Berbice but moved to Mahaica – the home village of his father – when he was just about two years old. His parents were heavily involved in farming and being from a “country” village meant that he also worked on the farm.

His typical childhood days encompassed waking up at the crack of dawn and going into the farms where he would assist for about two hours before hurrying home to get ready for school. School played an important part in his life as his parents wanted to ensure that he received a quality education.

“Schooling was very essential and important. My mom and dad, they played a very essential role in our childhood days (to prepare us for school), my mom used to ensure that we get up, we have our stuff together, we go to school punctual. (They would make sure) we have all our things there even though we were not living at that level but we were provided with whatever was necessary,” he said.

Like almost every “country” child back in the 80s, Tularam remembered using plastic bags as a book bag and going to school either barefoot or with slippers. However, it never bothered him because he relished the experience and memories made with his

friends.

When he sat the Common Entrance Examinations, he was placed at Bygeval Secondary School, where his parents continued the same drive for him to value the importance of education.

However, that did not mean that his days on the farm were limited.

By the time he was 14 years old, Tularam was leaving their home at 23:00h with his father to venture to the Bourda Market to sell produce and would return in the mornings just in time to get ready for school.

He would return home in the afternoons, have something to eat and go back to the farm.

All of the involvement in farming only taught him, unknowingly, to have a deep appreciation for TVET because of the hands-on nature of it.

At secondary school, he was in the industrial arts class. After he finished secondary school, Tularam immediately moved into the TVET sphere when he began teaching at a practical instruction centre in Mahaica for about two years.

“Recognising the changes and demands that were happening at that time, I was encouraged and motivated by some of my colleagues and former teachers and then I moved to Cyril Potter College of Education where I did the 3 years prevocational programme. I did my training there and came out in 2003 and I went back to Bygeval as a trained teacher teaching the industrial technology subjects,” he said.

He was later appointed as Head of Department and then began reading for his Bachelor’s Degree in Education at the University of Guyana. He graduated from UG in 2009 and continued teaching at the Bygeval Secondary for two more years.

Tularam, in 2011, was identified by the Ministry of Education to train to become a cadet officer – with the potential to act as Education Officers within the Ministry – but a subsequent call quashed the opportunity. He remembered always aiming for a job with the Ministry and the call that took him out of cadet programme remains, to this date, one of the biggest disappointments in his life.

Nevertheless, a few days after that, he received another call from the office of then Education Minister Shaik Baksh who told him that he was identified to take up a post as an inspector with the Council for TVET Education.

The new role would see him monitoring and evaluating technical education for the post-secondary institutes – Leonora Technical Institute, Georgetown Technical Institute, New Amsterdam Technical Institute, Mahaicony Technical Institute,

Dr Ritesh Tularam

Essequibo Technical Institute.

“I was appointed inspector in 2011 and I worked there for 2 years. The experience was very good because I was now engaging at a junior management level and dealing with principals across the length and breadth of Guyana, monitoring the post-secondary institutions in ensuring that the lecturers are trained to deliver the occupational information,” he said.

In 2013, he became aware of scholarship offers through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and was encouraged by a friend, Pandit Shankar, to apply to do his masters. He applied and was later identified as a successful applicant.

“My wife was very supportive. I had to explain why it was the best choice for us and it was really hard leaving her and my daughter, who was just 6 years old, behind at that time,” he said.

He left Guyana in 2013 for what would have been a 2-year Master’s programme at the University of Delhi but when Tularam got there, the University decided to make the programme a one-year course. He was also presented with the opportunity to do a double master.

The TVET educator completed his master’s degree with a double major – one in Planning and Financing of Education and the other in Management and Supervision – and returned home in November of 2014.

“In March 2015 I was appointed this position as the Head Coordinator for the SCCP programme with the responsibility of monitoring, evaluating, assessing the SCCP programme. The SCCP programme is the secondary competency certificate programme. I also monitor the CSEC programme, CVQ programme (Caribbean Vocational Qualification programme) across all the schools in Guyana.”

Continuing the trend of upward mobility, in 2017 at the age of 35, Tularam applied for another scholarship, this time to do his PhD in

Education through the ICCR again.

However, this time the scholarship was through the then Department of Public Service and he was lucky enough to be just pushing the maximum age requirement for a

public service scholarship.

Though he applied at the age of 35, he got the scholarship offer when he was 36 years old. Tularam left Guyana in 2017 for another stint at the University of Delhi – this time for three years and returned home in October of 2020 and is now back in his substantive post as Head of the TVET Unit, this time bearing the title of Dr. When asked how he intends to use his newly gained experience and qualification to further develop the TVET education system in Guyana, this is what Dr Tularam had to say: “Coming back here with a PhD in Education and having done my thesis in continuous professional development for TVET pedagogues in Guyana, significant information emerged from that thesis that will make transformational impact on our education system.

My specialisation area is TVET policy, planning, man-

agement and supervision.

My whole objective with the Ministry of Education is coming back to work in a collegial, collective, dialogistic mode in ensuring that the TVET Unit and the other units and sectors in the Ministry, for us to have these consortiums or partnership in designing, in crafting and in developing appropriate policy documents. That can streamline the whole movement of TVET education in Guyana.

Over the years, I have recognised that TVET have moved from where it was to a different trajectory. The Government invested significant sums to move TVET to where it should be and I want to interject to make TVET more ready. If we don’t have policy that is guided by what the needs are in terms of the ground reality then we cannot move from one point to another point and in my opinion, a policy is very essential at this time.”

Dr Tularam is now ready to impart his knowledge and develop the TVET sector in Guyana. He promised to use the experiences gained by studying in India to bring best practices and fashion them to suit the needs of the Guyanese sector.

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

– A talented craftsman and designer

By Utamu Belle

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or as long as he can remember, Leslie Walks, a Lindener, has been intrigued and inspired by the art of leather craft.

It’s a hobby which led the Half Mile, Linden native to creating his own line of quality, standard leather crafted items, inclusive of footwear, bags, belts, vehicle upholstery, wallets and caps - under his designer brand name, LAW Pro. But for this passionate craftsman who operates from his home, knowledge, understanding and spiritual motivation are key ingredients to staying on course. Walks said he has been involved in the craft since he was “pretty young”, as he noted that it has since been a long journey.

“I’m always a ‘crafty’ person...I have encountered leather craft by default. Because I wanted a craftsman to make a sandal for me and what he made had a problem. He just didn’t know how to solve the problem. So, I showed him how to solve it and he was amazed and offered me a job. Because of that, I learned some rudiments of leather craft; but I was always art-oriented and into craft,” Walks told the Sunday Times.

The man with the gifted hands

related that he even made shoes for his children, long before getting this much invested in craftsmanship.

“I designed clothes and everything for my family long before I understood the rudiments of it, and life has taken me on a journey that it will take volumes to express; but I’m here and I’ve got these talents... and I’ve decided to utilise them, in the hopes that I will get some rewards from it,” he shared.

Walks noted that he has also designed his own clothing in times past, which he usually took to a tailor to put together. The attention he got from doing this was also what inspired and motivated him.

“After the tailor fit it up for me, those clothes would become a hit in the community and everyone wanted to wear one like me,” he noted humorously.

He sometimes sews clothing for himself and family, which would be admired by many, but noted that this was not where his true passion was. Instead, it was the art of craftsmanship. “...It’s more like a hobby... I just love the tranquillity of portraying what is within me. For now, it’s leather craft.”

He draws inspiration from within when it comes to creating his designs.

“From the very thought that comes to mind - the imagination. I start there. I do replicate styles at the request of customers, but most of my work comes from that initial thought - expression that is within me,” Walks explained.

He noted too that he has learned through practical on-the-job skills training, an area which he noted he has done “remarkably well”.

“Since I came on the scene, there were remarkable items produced by me and that I give the Almighty thanks for because he has made me the person that I am,” Walks said.

He explained that he presently makes items based on orders.

“I just make to order because I cannot afford any other thing. I

try to take an order, do a beautiful piece, get paid and appropriate the funds to my life; including restocking with some material,” he said.

As with being an entrepreneur, the craftsman explained that there are numerous challenges. For one, he said it’s difficult to explain to people who are not accustomed to certain trends to pay a cost which they might consider expensive for an item which may look similar to a high-end brand.

“And because of the nature of this country where access to certain materials and paraphernalia is very very difficult, because we don’t produce these things - that accentuates our dilemma,” Walks stressed.

The craftsman would purchase his raw materials in the capital city Georgetown, but cited difficulty in accessing particular materials and other paraphernalia such as accessories and items that accentuate the leather.

“Like buckles, studs - these things are not as available as they may seem. For instance, it’s hard to find a matching set of accessories to complete a bag. So, we’re at that sort of disadvantage...these little things that really take away from the apparent quality of any item.

This is one of the challenges,” he explained.

Walks said this is coupled with

the fact that producers of these materials work under constraints, hence, noted the prices are at a certain level which some may consider high. Owing to these and other constraints, Walks said it’s difficult to continue making items on a large scale.

“I would like to produce items at a cost that everyone can afford... but I’m a poor man and I just love to be of service and express myself in some art form...If I had access to the types of (quality) materials I’d be making jackets, hats, purses, wallets, everything. But I’m at the crossroads right now... I’m thinking about just doing special type of work that can reach the market and bring some commerce for me because trying to do everything stretches me thin,” he noted.

The craftsman further explained that he is in the process of considering what items he will specialise in. Apart from that, on a normal day, you can catch the talented craftsman indulged in his creations or giving advice to those who seek it.

“We are producing not only leather items but the awareness of what harmony can bring to the soul and lives of the people...I’m just carrying on my hobby, and who knows where it will go,” the enthusiastic craftsman noted.

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19

FEATURE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

N

ow that we have spent some valuable time on describing those canine and feline diseases against which vaccines are available for vets to prevent those specific ailments on companion animals, we can now turn to the protocols associated with the inoculation of our pets.

Quickly, before I embark on documenting the actual vaccination schedule, allow me to make some important comments pertaining to the acquisition, the administering, and the efficiency of the vaccines: 1. The law does not permit Veterinary Technicians/Animal Health Assistants to perform vaccinations and/or, for that matter, to administer any injection – unless the treatment is being carried out under veterinary supervision. Of course the immediate question arises: What is the definition of the word “supervision”. The law may not be precise on this issue. Also, with widely accessible video conferencing technology, the vet may be able to oversee (supervise) the injection preparation and delivery. Would this be permissible? The current Veterinary Board of Guyana will have to tackle this problem.

2. Where are these “Vet Techs” getting vaccines from? Who is selling them the vaccines? Have the vaccines

VACCINATION SCHEDULES FOR DOGS AND CATS

been stored correctly?

3. Should there be a reaction to the injection, can the vet tech introduce medication to counteract the allergic reaction or, worse, if the patient goes into an anaphylactic shock immediately after the delivery of the vaccination.

4. Very often, pet caregivers mix up the words “injection” and “vaccination”. Whereas a vaccination is very specific relative to a specific disease, and is given to the animal by injection, an injection is most often not a vaccination. Your veterinarian can administer several injections (to an ailing animal) none of which is a vaccination.

N. B. One may find in textbooks and in search engines that vaccinations can be administered by the inhalation route. No vet, that I know, uses this methodology, not lastly because it is relatively difficult to administer.

5. Many Vet Techs are actually issuing “Vaccination Certificates” - quite illegally of course. I have in my possession literally dozens of such illegal documents - some Vet Techs are actually touting themselves as “Veterinary Consultants” on the “certificates”.

My compilation of these are available to the Veterinary Board of

Guyana.

6. Whenever a Vaccination Certificate (VC) is issued, the caregiver must ensure that all the labels associated with that particular set of ailments (which have been vaccinated against) are stuck on to the VC, so that the owner/caregiver knows exactly what the animal has been vaccinated against.

I have noticed, for example, that the legend on the VC may have one ticked off square for Leptospira.

However, that is not accurate. There are scores (hundreds?) of serovars associated with Leptospirosis, and they do not cross-immunize. For example, if the dog is vaccinated against Leptospira Pomona, the dog will not be protected against L.Canicola.

Luckily, the vaccine manufacturers have prepared a vaccine which offers the defence against the four types of these Leptospira germs which are most prevalent in this part of the world.

The point I am making in all this is: THE VACCINATION CERTIFICATE MUST EXACTLY IDENTIFY WHAT DISEASE THE DOG OR CAT HAS BEEN PROTECTED AGAINST. 7. Please note that the currently most common vaccines available (not including Rabies) offer prevention against Canine Coronavirus,

Canine Distemper, Canine Parvovirus, Canine Adenovirus, Canine Parainfluenza and four types of the most prevalent Leptospira germs (viz: Grippotyphosa, Canicola, Icterohaemorrhragiae and Pomona), which can be lethal to dogs.

Please note that the one manufacturer which offers Canine Corona Virus as part of the Polyvalent Vaccine only includes two types of Lepto, namely L.Canicola and L.Icterchaemorragiae.

Similarly, the cat vaccines available protect cats against Feline Panleukopenia, Feline Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calici Virus and Chlamydia Psittaci.

8. If the mother dog or cat dies during delivery, or soon thereafter, the pups/kittens would not have been able to receive that most important “first milk” (colostrum). This means that those neonates (newborns) are especially fragile will need extra special undertakings; and that includes different vaccination schedules than the ones proposed below. Under such circumstances, the caregiver and the Vet will work out together that specific relevant schedule.

9. Do not vaccinate mother dogs/cats during pregnancy. Females, which have not been vaccinated within a year after the Primary Course

(see below) has been completed, must be vaccinated before being mated.

10. If there are ‘waves’ of those diseases mentioned above and expanded upon over the last few weeks in the “Pet Care” columns, or if there are known endemic areas where the diseases are prevalent, your vet may alter the vaccination schedules proposed below.

11. If, for whatever special reason, your vet allows the caregiver to carry home vaccines, they must be stored at 2°C - 7°(35°F - 45°F). Never freeze the vaccines. Do not mix with other vaccines.

12. Vaccines are biological products and can produce (hyper) sensitivity reactions. Inform your vet immediately if the freshly vaccinated animal reacts abnormally (swollen face, intense scratching of face and body, sneezing and coughing, etc.).

13. An ailing animal should never be vaccinated. Pups and kittens must preferably be dewormed prior to the introduction of the vaccine.

14. Sometimes lumps develop at the vaccination site (especially in cats); on occasion the vaccination could be followed by an opacity (cloudiness) of the lens. If such an episode emerges, contact your vet immediately. Do not panic. Such eventualities can be treated with relative ease.

20 FEATURE

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HEALTH TIPS

HEEL SPURS (CALCANEAL SPURS)

Dr Tariq Jagnarine Family Med, Endocrinology / Diabetes

A

heel spur is a foot condition that is caused by a bony-like growth, called a calcium deposit that extends between the heel bone and arch. Heel spurs often start in the front of and underneath the heel. They eventually affect other parts of the foot and can get up to half an inch in length. Detecting heel spurs can be challenging. Heel spurs do not always cause pain, and not all heel pain is related to spurs.

CAUSES OF HEEL SPURS

Heel spurs are directly caused by long-term mus-

cle and ligament strain.

Eventually, this excessive strain stresses the heel bone (calcaneus) causing spurs.

Repetitive stress from walking, running, or jumping on hard surfaces is a common cause of heel spurs. They may also develop from wearing shoes that do not offer support. Heel spurs may also be caused by: • Arthritis • Bruising of the heel • Excess body weight Poorly fitted shoes • • Walking gait issues Wearing flip-flops too • often • Worn-out shoes Many people who have heel spurs also have plantar fasciitis. This painful condition deals with the tough, fibrous tissue that runs between the heel and toes. Having plantar fasciitis increases the risk for eventually developing heel spurs.

HEEL SPUR SYMPTOMS

Symptoms of heel spurs may include: • Pain • Inflammation of the

heel • Swelling around the heel • The affected area may also feel warm to the touch.

These symptoms may spread to the arch of the foot.

• Eventually, a small bony protrusion may be visible.

• Some heel spurs may cause no symptoms at all.

• It can cause changes in soft tissues or bones surrounding the heel.

DIAGNOSIS It is difficult to diagnose a heel spur without medical assistance. This is because the symptoms are similar to other forms of heel pain and foot problems. Most spurs are detected through an X-ray. Bony protrusions are not usually visible to the naked eye. That is why diagnostic imaging tools are essential when experiencing any unknown causes of foot pain and inflammation.

A physical examination of the foot with any signs of redness or inflammation, noticeable tenderness on the foot.

HEEL SPUR TREATMENT

Heel spur treatment primarily consists of rest and lifestyle changes.

Cold compresses • Using ice packs or cold compresses for up to 15 minutes at a time may help relieve heel spur pain by temporarily numbing the area. This method also helps reduce swelling.

Cold compresses are preferable over heat packs for heel spurs because heat works better for joint and muscle aches.

• Injections of anti-inflammatory medications For severe pain, doctors may recommend corticosteroid shots. These anti-inflammatory injections help to ease both pain and inflammation throughout the heel and arch of the foot.

• O v e r - t h e - c o u n t e r pain medications Acute, or short-term, pain may be reduced with the help of over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications. These may include Panadol, aspirin, diclofenac or ibuprofen.

• Physical therapy exercises and stretching exercises

Heel spur exercises consist of stretching the heel and plantar fascia muscles. These can be performed at any time of the day, but stretches can be especially helpful at night before bedtime.

• Rest Rest is one of the most recommended treatment measures for both plantar fasciitis and heel spurs. Not only does rest help alleviate acute pain, but getting off our feet can also prevent the condition from worsening. It is especially important to rest the feet after long periods of standing and other activities.

• Orthotic shoe inserts Orthotic shoe inserts, such as heel pads, can help give the arch and heel support needed to reduce pain. Heel pads can also prevent further wear and tear. They should be used in addition to proper footwear for all-around foot protection.

• Surgery for heel spurs Doctors may recommend surgery when heel spur pain becomes severe and ongoing. This type of surgery involves removing the heel spur.

Sometimes it also involves releasing the plantar fascia. Heel spur surgery not only reduces pain, but it is also aimed at boosting mobility in the overall foot. Most people who have this type of surgery also have plantar fasciitis. Due to other forms of treatments and therapies available, surgery is not common for heel spurs alone.

• Exercises for heel spurs Stretching exercises are good methods of overall body conditioning because they help you work out sore muscles and tight ligaments while also preventing injuries. The same concept applies to heel spur pain management and recovery. Certain types of stretches can help improve pain and inflammation in the heel and calf areas. These include: Calf stretches against • the wall • Calf stretches on steps • Golf/tennis ball foot rolls • Seated foot flexes Towel grabs with toes • CONTINUED ON PAGE 27

FEATURE

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVID-19 and children ...let’s not be complacent

Dr. Narendra C. Singh BSc, MB.BS, FRCPC, FAAP, FCCM, MSM, MBA, Hon LLD. Humber River Hospital Associate Clinical Professor McMaster University Canada

T

he global experience with children in the current COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated a much milder illness, in this otherwise vulnerable population. The reason for this fortunate difference is open to scientific speculation.

Chemicals (cytokines) are released by the body when exposed to an infection or injury. Adults have a much stronger immune system, often resulting in an exaggerated response (cytokine surge) to infections which can damage various organ systems including the lungs, the heart and the kidneys. It is believed that because of their immature immune system children cannot mount this “cytokine surge” resulting in milder disease.

Despite this predominantly mild disease in children, we cannot be complacent since, they can be the potential carriers to the most vulnerable in our population. We also know that children with certain risk factors can be susceptible to moderate and severe symptoms with increased hospitalization and death.

M u l t i s y s t e m Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a new disease entity with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations predominantly seen in children.

The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) announced this week that there was a significant increase in cases in children in the past two weeks in the United States.

Whether this is as a result of school openings is unclear, but it means that there are more kids that can potentially transmit the virus to the more vulnerable in the population.

A number of studies have demonstrated that children with COVID-19 have more viral load in their nasopharynx. However, there is no conclusive evidence that they are more of less contagious.

Special precaution should be taken to avoid exposure to the elderly, such as grandparents.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar in children and adults, but the frequency of the symptoms vary.

Fever and cough are the predominant presenting symptoms, but vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, muscle pain, loss of smell and headaches

can all be seen in isolation or concurrently. “COVID toes” characterized by purple blisters on the distil parts of the toes have also been described.

In a systematic review by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of 7480 children less than 18 years of age with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection, information about symptoms and severity was available for 1475.

Among these, 15 percent of cases were asymptomatic, 42 percent were mild, 39 percent were moderate (example, clinical or radiographic evidence of pneumonia without hypoxemia), 2 percent were severe (example, dyspnea, central cyanosis, hypoxemia), and 0.7 percent were critical (example, acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, shock).

There were six deaths in the entire study population (0.08 percent). Risk factors for severe disease include but are not limited to obesity, diabetes and asthma.

Since the disease is very mild in most cases, there is no specific treatment except supportive care. Appropriate isolation, contact tracing, handwashing and mask wearing are the cornerstone to preventing the spread.

Patients that meet hospitalization criteria will often require oxygen, high flow or rarely mechanical ventilation.

Dexamethasone is often used in moderate to severe cases and the antiviral drug remdesivir is available for emergency authorization.

Neither of these drugs have been well studied in the pediatric population. The author has used both of these drugs in two severe cases and both had a full recovery.

MIS-C is a rear, but increasingly recognized disease related to COVID- 19. It is similar to another illness termed Kawasaki’s Disease (KD), which presents with some characteristic features, including persistent fever, conjunctivitis, lesions in the mouth, swollen glands, skin rash and dilatation of the blood vessels of the heart.

There are, however, some significant differences to MIS-C. The symptoms generally begin three-four weeks after exposure or infection with COVID-19 (see Figure 1). The most common comorbidities are obesity and asthma and are seen in a disproportionate percentage of Black and Hispanic children.

This lag of three-four weeks suggests that the illness is likely a post infectious complication, since it coincides with the timing of the body acquiring immunity. Many patients have a negative PCR test but have circulating antibodies to COVID-19, confirming that this is not an acute infection.

The mechanism by which this disease causes multisystem damage is under investigation (see Figure 2). This illness results in significant inflammation in many organs in the body resulting in the release of certain proteins into the blood called inflammatory markers.

crucial to recognize that the condition exists and be vigilant. The treatment consists of supportive care including close monitoring in an Intensive Care setting (providing oxygen to support the lungs and inotropes to support the function of the heart).

Since this condition is thought to be an immune mediated reaction to COVID-19, therapy is directed towards supressing the exaggerated immune response using intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). This has been found to be very successful and full recovery of the heart function is seen in most cases.

Dexamethasone is often utilised as part Figure 2: Possible mechanisms of inflammatory processes for MIS-C of the treatment protocol, especially in children with significant lung involvement.

Clotting of the coronary arteries and other vessels has been described with KD and MIS-C and therefore low dose aspirin is used prophylactically.

Cases of MIS-C have been reported in lowand middle-income countries (LMIC). Because of the lack of recourses, including IVIG, steroids are a cheaper and more readily availThere are a number of for severe shock and respira- able option. Their potential such markers, but the most tory failure. to induce broad immunosupcommon ones measured are For the successful treat- pression might be hazardous C-reactive protein (CRP), ment of these patients it is in countries in which tubererythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and procalcitonin.

These tend to be extremely high, especially in the first subtype and are measured serially to gauge recovery.

There appears to be three subtypes: 1. MIS-C without overlap with KD, or acute COVID-19 (35%) -- patents in this group have significant heart dysfunction and often present in shock.

2. MIS-C overlapping with acute COVID-19 (30%) -- these patients have a pneumonia similar to that seen in adults. Most of these children have a positive PCR for COVID-19 and the mortality is much higher than the other two groups.

3. MIS-C overlapping with KD (35 %) -- many of these patients have a number of symptoms consistent with KD, without the heart and lung involvement.

Figure 1: Time course of MIS-C in PCR-positive COVID-19 cases

The author has provided care for seven such in the pediatric ICU in the US. All of them had varying involvement of the heart and most of them fell into subtype 1. None of them were PCR positive for COVID-19, but five had circulating antibodies suggesting recent infection.

All seven had an elevation in troponin levels (proteins released into the blood when the heart is damaged) and varying degree of heart failure as seen on echocardiogram.

Five of them required medications (inotropes) to improve the function of the heart. All required oxygen and one required mechanical ventilation

culosis and HIV infection are highly prevalent and where diagnostic facilities (to exclude other types of infection) are scarce.

Therefore, steroid use needs to be restricted to shortterm courses in children who have been hospitalised with MIS-C and who are severely ill.

We are very fortunate that the most vulnerable in our population, our children, have been relatively spared from COVID-19. Let us not forget that they can be potential carriers and, therefore, wearing masks, hand washing and social distancing are crucial to preventing the spread the virus.

Parents and clinicians alike need to be aware that there is group of high-risk children that are more susceptible to severe disease.

In addition, MIS-C is a new entity and with the opening of schools and the potential increase in cases we need to be vigilant for an increase in such cases in the next few months.

Only incudes PCR-positive cases in London, UK. Data taken from Public Health England.

Figure courtesy of Alasdair Bamford and MyrsiniKaforou. MIS-C = multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. SARSCoV-2 = severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

Article submitted as part of the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 public information and education programme

22 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gift scandal

Integrity Commission to investigate David Patterson R evelations that former Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson received millions in gifts and furnishings from the State’s coffers are likely to be investigated by the

Integrity Commission which will probe whether the former Minister declared any of these items.

In an exclusive interview with this publication, Integrity Commission

Chairman Kumar Doraisami confirmed that the Commission is keeping a close eye on the situation and has initiated the process to investigate Patterson and has sent a complaint form to

Former Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson

Patterson’s successor, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill.

“We have taken some steps; we have sent a complaint form to the Minister [Edghill]. Because we cannot

do anything until a complaint comes in. So as soon as that form is sent in, we will start proceedings to check whether or not the allegations are true,” he said, admitting that the law does not allow for them to act entirely on their own.

“Receiving of gifts more than $10,000 is a violation of the Integrity Commission laws [without a declaration].

So, we have to look at it. Its an offence. Based on what I read, he seems to be accustomed to gifts being given out. And it’s not being given out personally by employees. It’s taking funds out of Government organisations and spending it lavishly on Ministers and other persons,” he also said.

Back in 2017, the former David Granger-led

Integrity Commission Chairman Kumar Doorasami

Government had put into place a gazetted Ministerial Code of Conduct. Composed of 11 articles, Article Three had prohibited public officials from accepting “any gift, benefit or advantage from anyone, [except] personal gifts from a relative or friend.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 23

NEWS

Integrity Commission to investigate...

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

T

his provision, Article Three had stated, does not apply to gifts received on behalf of the State.

According to Doraisami, if the allegations against Patterson are established to be true then he would be in violation of this Code of Conduct.

“Two things will happen. Let us assume that it’s a fact and it’s established, that will be in contravention of the [Ministerial] Code of Conduct. Secondly, we will check it against his declarations in respect to assets. And if he didn’t put that in, he’ll also be violating that Act. I’m looking at it. It breaks new grounds, because based on what I read it seemed to be a standard procedure that at birthday times these monies would be spent lavishly,” the Chairman said.

Paper trail

During a press conference on Wednesday, Minister

Edghill had shown the media an extensive paper trail of Ministry vouchers and receipts from jewellery stores, showing that over $2.6 million worth of gifts and furnishings were purchased for Patterson during his time in office. And one thing these gifts have in common is that they were purchased for Patterson’s birthdays.

For instance, $704,292 worth of gifts were purchased for Patterson by the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) in May of 2020 - in the middle of the contentious period that followed the March 2 General and Regional Elections. In another case, Edghill showed documents and receipts indicating that on May 4, 2020, a further $387,000 was spent.

In May 2018, a further $600,000 was spent by the Maritime Administration for gifts for Patterson on his birthday. This includes a sum of $300,000 which was

spent by MARAD for the purchase of gift items for the former Minister on May 3, 2018.

The next day, $384,700 was also spent on gifts for the Minister.

At some point in time, it seemed as though the agency had given up on purchasing jewellery gifts for the former Minister and purchased a $516,000 gift certificate from King’s Jewellery World.

Edghill’s documents included a receipt from King’s to that effect.

The gifts revealed at Edghill’s press conference do not include the money spent buying gold jewellery for the former Minister from the DHBC asphalt plant fund – purchases he acknowledged receiving in a statement last week.

In a statement released by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Opposition - a statement devoid of any criticism of the

gifting spree on taxpayers’ money - Patterson admitted to accepting some of the gifts but insisted that the practice is nothing new.

Patterson also contended that he thought all the gifts he received were purchased by the various agencies after they got the necessary clearance to do so. The

APNU/AFC statement posited that Patterson “assumed that gifts presented to him during his incumbency were fully compliant with the procurement guidelines of the giving agency.”

It was revealed recently that the asphalt plant audit ordered by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)

FROM PAGE 22

Government uncovered records showing that $424,700 of taxpayers’ money was spent to purchase a hand band for Patterson. Additionally, a sum of $76,300 was spent to purchase a tie pin for the former Minister. Based on the records, the gifts were purchased for Patterson’s birthday celebration in 2017. (G3)

24 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Low income & young professionals housing earmarked for Ogle-Diamond bypass road

I

n keeping with the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government’s ambitious target of 50,000 house lots, the Ogle to Diamond road link and the communities that are likely to spring up around the road are being looked at as viable options for the professionals and low-income wage earners.

This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali during a site inspection he conducted on Saturday along with technical officials and Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal. He also noted the importance

of the road currently being constructed, with the first phase from Sixth Avenue Diamond, to Eccles, East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

“In terms of housing, we have also examined some of the sites that we are developing for young professional housing, the low-income housing and so on. As you know, we have a very ambitious target for housing and these infrastructures are critical,” the Head of State explained.

Enhance housing area

This publication meanwhile spoke with Minister

Croal, who noted the importance of the road not only for new house lot allottees but for those living in the preexisting housing areas still in development. He noted that at present, there are several housing areas in Providence, Perseverance, Little Diamond and Great Diamond, that will directly benefit from the road.

“There’s a small piece at Eccles where we already have allocations. We have some developers who have areas there. But the road passes right through our housing programme on the East Bank from Great

President Irfaan Ali and Housing Minister Collin Croal (far right) during Saturday’s site visits

Diamond.”

“So obviously it will enhance our housing area, because it means easier access and it will raise the values for the properties back there. So it will be another access from Diamond all the way to Eccles, without having to go on the main East Bank highway,” Minister Croal said.

The bypass project will see a total of 26 kilometres of road constructed, linking two of the country’s main thoroughfares. This new road link will also be connected to key communities in Georgetown and along the East Bank of Demerara.

These include Diamond,

Mocha and Eccles – all on the East Bank – and Aubrey Barker Road in Georgetown.

These connections will prove crucial in diverting traffic.

At present, works are ongoing on the new alternative road connecting Diamond and Eccles on the EBD corridor in order to ease the traffic congestion. The new alternative road will run from Sixth Avenue, Diamond, to the Windsor Estate Road that leads on to the Eccles Landfill Site Road. This will form a connection through the new Herstelling Housing Scheme and other schemes that are being developed along the EBD corridor.

Simultaneous work Meanwhile, works are simultaneously ongoing at the head of Diamond for a second entrance into the housing scheme from the East Bank Public Road. That new road is located between the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) factory and the GuyOil Gas Station and will run to First Avenue.

The $57.1 million project also entails a tarmac for a market and parking lots at Diamond. The contract was awarded to Bardon Construction Service, and construction will be done in two phases. Phase I will consist of crusher run and Phase II will consist of the application of asphaltic concrete and a possible extension of the tarmac access road to First Avenue.

When it comes to housing, the Housing and Water Ministry has managed to allocate over 5000 house lots since the PPP Government took office in August of last year – which is more than half of the amount that was issued during the APNU/ AFC Administration’s five years stint. Additionally, the 50,000 house lots target in their first term will amount to 10,000 per year. (G3)

25 Guyana leading cervical cancer cases in the Americas NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

G

uyana is leading the list of countries in the Region of the Americas for reported cases of cervical cancer.

This is according to statistics provided by the Health Ministry, showing that there was an age-standardised incidence rate of 32.7 per 100,000 women in 2018. The statistics for 2019 and 2020 are not available as yet.

However, between 2013 and 2017, cervical cancer was listed as the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in Guyana. There were 523 new cases, representing 16 per cent of all reported cases. Within this time, 185 deaths were reported from cervical cancer.

National VIA Coordinator at the Ministry, Dr Martin Campbell highlighted that deaths from cervical cancer were higher among women of African and East Indian ancestry. But Amerindian women have a very high incidence of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer.

The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) was responsible for 99 per cent of the cases detected. Campbell reminded that the HPV infection by itself is not sufficient for developing cervical cancer since it usually requires the presence of other risk elements such as family history, sexual and reproductive history, smoking, immunosuppression, overweight and unhealthy eating diets.

Once diagnosed, it is important to seek appropriate treatment at an early stage in the form of radical surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, as well as psychological and social support.

The month of January is dedicated to cervical cancer awareness. Recently, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony expressed that authorities are working to improve the landscape of eliminating cervical cancer. The most important aspect to note is that this type of cancer is preventable.

“The reason why we

have dedicated January as cervical cancer awareness month is to really bring focus on cervical cancer. This is the second most prevalent cancer among women in Guyana, the first being breast cancer. But this is a cancer that is preventable.

I don’t think a lot of people realise that. If we do the right things, we can prevent and eliminate cervical cancer from Guyana. That is why we want to heighten the awareness,” he had explained.

In Guyana, there is a three-tier framework in preventing cervical cancer; namely primary, secondary and tertiary. The pri-

mary stage is a simple human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine which prevents the development of the disease.

Presently, the vaccination rate for the first dose stands just over 30 per cent and the second round at about 13 per cent. He said the immunisation programme had commenced under the last PPP Administration but was not sustained. As such, a plan is underway to improve these statistics in 2021.

The second level prevention surrounds a visual examination of older women as they visit the health unit, since persons who have contracted Sexually

Transmitted Infections are at a higher risk of developing cervical cancer. While this initiative is in place, not many women utilise the services.

“Unfortunately, not many women use the opportunity to go and check themselves to ensure that they don’t have cancer. This is another area that we want to ensure that women come forward for this type of screening.

We’re able to offer VIA (direct visual inspection) and we’re also able to offer pap smears and if we detected any abnormalities, then we can provide the right treatment at that point in time,” the Minister shared.

The last stage is surgery if these signs are missed and it is required to treat the patient – a procedure which hospitals are equipped to perform, however, Dr Anthony said the Ministry is looking at early detections. (G12)

26 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Burma Road in urgent need of repair – farmers T

he Burma Access Road at Mahaicony, Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), requires an urgent facelift since farmers are facing severe difficulties in manoeuvring their machines to reach farmlands.

In light of serious concerns, they contacted Guyana Times on Friday, noting that there are huge holes throughout the stretch of roadway. Some contractors would have started works, but dug up holes and left the roadway in a worse state. Now, trucks and tractors cannot easily reach rice lands.

“We now in a position that the road is so bad.

When the rain fall, the big holes full up with water and the tractor get stuck up on the road. Then you got to get another one to pull you out.

This situation is really, really bad for us cause is every day we got to use the road.

What will happen if we don’t check on the crops,” one farmer contended.

Last year, farmers were also up in arms about the state of affairs, noting that while part of the road is partially covered with asphalt, other sections are made up of silt – which disintegrates after a shower of rain.

“The water just wash away the top layer on the road and it’s one big mess.

The road soft and when the tractor drive over, that’s what causing the big [holes].

People have crops there and it’s a real frustrating situation we facing as farmers. Since 2018, we ask for them to fix it and nothing till now,” one resident was quoted as saying.

Current state of the Burma Access Road after minor repairs were undertaken

Another issue is the absence of streetlights, he noted, which brings an additional danger of causing accidents. For this, the

farmer called on authorities to invest resources to fix the dilapidated infrastructure, to bring an end to their years-long suffering.

The Burma Road provides access to 450 acres of cultivated land, while the Mahaicony Branch Road allows access to 25,000 acres of land. Both roads are in a deplorable state, with countless pleas by farmers for it to be rehabilitated.

In 2019, farmers had complained that they were disenfranchised from accessing viable markets due to the situation at that time.

Regional Vice Chairman Rian Pieters was questioned about the lack of initiative by the regional administration to assist rice farmers in the region but he had said the issue is not one the re-

gion can solve nor take the blame for.

According to Pieters at that time, it is not the regional administration that must be blamed but rather the Finance Ministry under the former coalition Administration.

For the 2020 Emergency Budget, $600 million was approved in supplemental funding for road upgrades and construction, with Public Works Minister Juan Edghill revealing that the deplorable state of roads in Guyana is one of the major problems the Government inherited from the last Administration. (G12)

Laptop valued at $75,000, the property of an 18-yearold Khan’s Hill resident, Jessica Jack.

According to the Police report, Jack had taken her laptop around 12:00h to a friend’s house to charge.

While walking back to her home, she met her reputed husband and handed him her black haversack which contained her laptop. Police stated that the man placed the haversack on his back and the

couple continued walking home. However, during their journey, her husband was attacked by two males with whom he had an ongoing feud.

The men allegedly attacked and struck the victim’s husband repeatedly with a metal pipe.

Following the attack, the couple checked the laptop and discovered that the screen had been damaged.

The two suspects have since been arrested. (G15)

Old feud leads to confrontation in NWD

P

olice in the North West District, Region One (BarimaWaini), are investigating malicious damage to property allegations following a confrontation between men with an old feud.

Reports are that the incident occurred last week Sunday at about 18:00h at Khan’s Hill, Mabaruma, NWD. It is alleged that two male suspects maliciously damaged a black Lenovo

NEWS

27

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Govt to engage Panama on outstanding $1.9B rice debt

T

he Guyana Government will soon facilitate talks with Panamanian authorities through the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation (IICA), in order to recover the $1.9 billion that has been owed to local rice millers since 2019.

Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha told Guyana Times on Saturday that the Spanish-speaking country had previously committed to paying the money. There were also commitments to continue trade with Guyana.

However, efforts to engage Panama to release the money proved futile and

Guyana approached IICA. The entity will now broker a meeting between the two Governments to find a way to settle the outstanding debts.

“They would have committed that they will pay the money. Also, they had asked to continue with the contract. Since then, to now, I was trying to make contact with the Minister of Agriculture for a meeting so that we can resolve the issue as early as possible. I was unable to so I asked IICA to see if their representative in Panama can help us to set up that meeting and IICA has agreed and they will be set-

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha

ting up that meeting shortly. I spoke to the IICA representative in Guyana and he told me that that meeting should be shortly and

HEALTH TIPS: HEEL SPURS...

PREVENTING HEEL SPURS

• Preventing heel spurs requires an increased attention to the overall foot health. Be mindful of the everyday stresses placed on the feet. Be sure to give them a rest at the end of the day. As a rule of thumb, never push through any heel pain that develops.

Continuing to walk, exercise, or wear shoes that cause heel pain can lead to long-term issues such as heel spurs. If experiencing heel pain after any activity, ice the area and give the foot a rest until it gets better.

• Choose the right footwear and replace running shoes as often as possible. Worn shoes, or shoes that are worn very unevenly (the height is different between the heel and the forefoot) make a heel spur more likely.

• Make sure that the surface used to run is not too hard.

• Keep an eye on weight management; being overweight often puts too much pressure on the heels.

• Run barefoot: slowly start to try out barefoot running. It will help to avoid landing with too much

FROM PAGE 20

weight on our bones and joints, landing instead on the muscles and fascia. This option is especially suited to warmer months, if unable to run on different surfaces.

Some of the best options include grass, moss and sand.

• Mobilize and activate the foot muscles regularly.

The long-term outlook is generally good. The inflammation usually responds to conservative, nonsurgical treatments, like anti-inflammatory drugs and orthotics. Infrequently, surgical intervention is necessary.

they’re now planning with the Ministry in Panama,” he informed.

The owed money is from a contract under the previous coalition Administration.

The rice was shipped by the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) on behalf of local millers who were required to pay an export commission.

When asked about the reason for such lengthy delay, he responded, “That contract was signed by the previous Government. I think they did not do anything. When we came into Government, then we sought to address the issues and that money was since 2019 and we got into Government last year.

Close to a year, then the matter was raised by us and then we started to pursue the matter…Hopefully, the Minister and myself can meet and resolve this matter as early as possible.”

The Panama rice market was secured under then Agriculture Minister Leslie Ramsammy back in 2014. But under APNU/ AFC, there have been controversies that featured the Panama market. One such

controversy was in 2018 when a shipment of rice from Guyana was rejected on arrival in Panama since it did not meet the stipulated specification outlined by that country. Reports had indicated that the rice was of substandard quality, prompting the rejection.

The ensuing debacle had led to calls for a comprehensive investigation and the resignation of the GRDB Board and then Agriculture Minister Noel Holder.

made. In spite of pleadings for help, the APNU/AFC Government had insisted that it was not responsible for farmers being owed by millers for rice that was shipped to Panama and had taken a backseat approach to the issue.

Meanwhile, Mustapha had highlighted that there were no clear-cut policies by the previous APNU/AFC Administration regarding agricultural development.

He posited that the officers

In a previous engagement with Minister Mustapha, he said the PPP/C Government took office and it found that no action had been taken by the previous coalition Administration to intervene on behalf of the farmers and millers to ensure that the outstanding payment was

who are employed in the agriculture sector should not be blamed for the decay, but the politicians who were tasked with setting policies.

“Let me be very frank, the agriculture sector in our country was like a rudderless ship in water without a captain,” he was quoted as saying.

28 NEWS

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Central Govt donates street lights to community bypassed by NA municipality

R

esidents of Overwinning, Greater New Amsterdam, recently received 28 street lights from Local Government and Regional

Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall.

This was after being told that the municipality had bypassed the community in its street light distribution cam-

paign.

Back in 2019, when the municipality did its lighting programme, residents of Overwinning had spoken out against the discrimina-

Regional Chairman David Armogan, Regional Vice Chairman Zamal Hussain and Regional Executive Officer Narindra Persaud handing over the street lights

tion they faced by the New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council after their community was overlooked. At the time, none of the streets in Overwinning received lights while the neighbouring communities were fully illuminated.

The municipality spent $8 million to install the 956 street lights.

At the last Local

Government Elections, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) was able to win that constituency for the first time due to the way the people at Overwinning voted.

However, when the PPP took office in August 2020, a complaint was made to Dharamlall, who promised to assist.

As such, 28 street lights were handed over by Regional

Chairman, David Armogan, Regional Vice Chairman, Zamal Hussain and Regional Executive Officer, Narindra Persaud.

According to the Regional Chairman, the regional administration is aware of the reasons why that area was overlooked under the municipality’s street light installation programme.

Meanwhile, the lights will be installed in three cross streets and one main street and the residents will decide where the others should be installed.

“We don’t want to dictate that for you but the Minister has fulfilled the promise that he has made to the people. If you look around, many of our Ministers in the Government including the President have been going around to all of the areas in our country to see how we can be able to better the lives of our people because this is what we presented in our manifesto,” Armogan reminded. (G4)

NEWS

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Stranded” Linden family secures flight back home from Cuba Global energy transition and potential impact on the oil and gas industry – the reason Exxon needs to ramp up production capacity

T

he global movement to transition to alternative sources of energy is a natural phenomenon owing to the global impact of climate change. Guyana is a signatory to both the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, of which part of that goal is to transition to 100% renewable energy, and to the Paris Agreement.

Notwithstanding, the practicality is such that it will take some years, perhaps another 30-50 years, to achieve these goals - especially in the case of Guyana, and not just from the global perspective.

To substantiate this view, let’s put this into context; that is, let’s examine an overview of the global energy transition and its potential impact on the future of the global oil and gas industry. The Global Transportation Sector is one of the main drivers of demand for crude over the next 30-50 years, and at least 40% of the world’s energy needs would have to be supplied by oil and gas by 2050. Let’s break this down.

Global Commercial Aircraft

• Global commercial aircraft fleet as at 2020 stood at 29,000 • Estimated to grow by 4% annually to reach 39,000 by 2028 • Annual production is 1000 It takes 5-6 years on average to build an aircraft; in some • cases, 10 years • If we have to replace all the aircraft in the world, it would take 29,000/1000 = 29 years to build and replace, plus 10 years to develop electric planes. Total number of years to replace all the aircraft globally to electric would be approximately 39.

T

he Jacobis family of Linden, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice), secured flights back home to Guyana after being stranded in Cuba where they sought healthcare treatment for their two-year-old son who underwent heart surgery. The family was left stranded for weeks, after Caribbean Airlines temporarily suspended flights from the island due to COVID-19.

The toddler’s father, Orville Jacobis, returned to Guyana on Wednesday, while his wife, her mother and son returned on Friday. They have since hailed the “excellent” healthcare the toddler received while in Cuba and expressed gratitude to all the persons who had assisted them throughout the journey. The child’s mother, Latoya Jacobis, related that with the help of a travel agent, they were able to book

Global stock of ships

• As at 2019, total world fleet of ships stood at 95, 402 • It takes about 18 months to build a ship • Ship orders per year is about 1,000 Therefore, it would take 95 years to replace the world’s • stock of ships to greener ships Global Energy Transformation 2050 (29 years from now) • Oil and gas are still forecast to meet more than 50% of the world’s energy needs by the end of 2040 • Renewable energy needs to be scaled up at least six times faster for the world to achieve the goals set out in the Paris Agreement, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA, 2018).

Contextual Summary

• The Global transportation sector is one of the main drivers of global demand for crude oil products, and would remain that way for a relatively long period of time; • Because if the world therefore stops extracting crude oil and should indeed leave all the fossil in the ground tomorrow, it would take 39 years to replace the global stock of commercial aircraft to electric aircraft; 57 years to replace all the cars in the world; 70,833 years to replace all commercial vehicles both light and heavy, which include trucks, or increase global output by 142,000 % to bring down the number of years to 50; and 95 years to replace all the ships in the world.

• By 2050, renewable energy can make up 60% of the world’s final energy consumption, provided that renewable energy investments are scaled up by at least six times (IRENA, 2018).

• Therefore, if the world economy fails to scale up renewables and other alternative sources of energy by six times, it will take more than 100 years for the world economy to transition to at least 60-70% alternative sources of energy, and over the next 100 years to fully transition to 100% clean/alternative sources of energy.

• This means that for the next 30-100 years, at least 40% of the world’s energy needs might need to be supplied by oil and gas.

Against this background, it can be safely concluded that the global oil and gas sector has another 20 years as a safe window, where the industry is likely to remain commercially viable. After 20-30 years, the industry can become unsustainable – unless oil companies manage to develop such innovative technologies that can lower the cost to produce one-barrel of oil to US$15 - US$20 from a current average of US$35. This is not impracticable within 20 years’ time; and, if achieved, can extend the industry’s life to another 20-30 years before the world economy is fully transitioned into 100% renewables/alternative sources of energy.

About the Author: JC. Bhagwandin is an economic and financial analyst, lecturer and business & financial consultant. 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.

new tickets after learning that there were a few available seats on two different flights.

“It was really challenging but I’m so grateful that we’re home. It’s like 40 days that we spent in Cuba and we’re grateful for that. Thank God for the persons who were supportive. The Ambassador, he made contact with us while

we were there also...he was really helpful...We met a Guyanese doctor over there.

He was really helpful to us,” Jacobis related.

The family further noted that the healthcare professionals were very helpful, adding that the surgeon even stayed with their son in the critical hours following the surgery. Weeks post-op,

(G13)

said that minutes before going on air for the first time, he was told by the station boss to change his last name to something "less ethnic", and chose King after glancing at a newspaper advert for King's Wholesale Liquor.

During the 1950s and 1960s, he rose through the ranks of local broadcasting and by 1978 gained nation-

wide prominence as host of an all-night call-in radio programme called The Larry King Show, before moving to CNN. According to CNN, King carried out more than 50,000 interviews during his 50-year career. They included exclusive sit-down interviews with every US president since Gerald Ford. His other

high-profile guests are too numerous to mention but have included Dr Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, LeBron James, Paris Hilton and Margaret Thatcher. He won countless awards, including the Peabody Award for Excellence in broadcasting for both his radio and television shows. (BBC)

US TV legend Larry King dies

Global number of cars

• As at 2020, this figure is some 1.2 billion cars globally, of which 7.2 million are electric cars (6% of global cars are electric) • Global average rate of production for electric cars is 2.1 million; which means it would take 57 years to replace all the cars in the world to electric cars Global number of trucks/commercial vehicles • As at 2020, the global number of trucks/commercial vehicles stood at an estimated 425 million, of which 27.2 million, or 6.4%, are electric commercial vehicles • Annual average production rate of electric commercial vehicles is 6000, at which rate it would take 70,833 years to replace all the commercial vehicles in the world to electric. This means that to replace all the commercial vehicles, including trucks, in the world to greener vehicles in 50 years’ time, manufacturers would have to produce 8.5 million such vehicles annually, which is 142,000% greater than current global annual output for such vehicles. This is obviously impractical.

Orville Jacobis, his wife Latoya Jacobis, and their two-year-old son who underwent heart surgery

Jacobis said she has already seen improvements in her son since the surgery.

“He’s doing excellent.

He’s fighting to move around and things that he never used to do before. After the surgery, he got the full energy and doing everything now,” the mother said.

The family has since urged persons to make use of medical services offered by Cuba.

“The medical service is really good. Cuba has amazing medical service. If anyone needs advice, they are free to contact us. We can tell them how we go about accessing Government fund and other stuff,” Jacobis said.

The family also expressed gratitude to the Health Ministry and persons who made financial donations which assisted in offsetting expenses for the surgery.

US TV legend Larry King

W

ith his trademark braces, rolled up sleeves and easy style of questioning, Larry King - who has died aged 87 - is one of the legends of US broadcasting.

During his six-decade career, which included 25 years hosting his own nightly programme on CNN, King interviewed many of the most famous political leaders, celebrities and sports people of the day.

At its peak, his Larry King Live Show on CNN was bringing in 1.5 million viewers a night. When the final episode aired in 2010, it was the longest-running show hosted by the same person.

In a recorded message on his final show, then-US President Barack Obama said King had "opened our eyes to the world beyond our living rooms". CNN said he had been described as the "Muhammad Ali of the broadcast interview".

Larry King was born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933.

He grew up in a religious and observant Jewish household, although in later life he became an agnostic. After the death of his father Edward at just 44, King worked to support his mother for several years after graduating high school.

However, having realised he wanted to work in broadcasting, King moved to Florida in his early 20s to work on a radio station. It is

30

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

SUNDAY, JANUARY 24, 2021

Why is Anthony Adams not in the Jaguars side for 2021?

– South Essequibo Cricket Committee demands to know

T

he South Essequibo Cricket Committee (SECC) has said it has noted the non-selection of Anthony Adams and other players from the county of Essequibo by the selectors and coaches of the Cricket Guyana Inc (CGI), Guyana Jaguars Franchise team, to participate in this year’s Regional 50-Over tournament.

The SECC has said it hereby demands an explanation for the non-selection of Adams by the Guyana Jaguars selectors, and is registering its displeasure and disappointment at this development, especially since it is happening at a time when Veerasammy Permaul, the leading leftarm spinner, is not available to participate in the tournament because he is on Cricket West Indies duty.

The SECC has said it

believes this is the time Adams should have been given his opportunity at the Regional level, after his consistency over the last three years at the CGI franchise competition and academy.

The SECC therefore condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the treatment meted out to Adams over the years in relation to selection to the Jaguars team.

The SECC’s contention is that players such as Adams, Kemol Savory, and Ricardo Adams, all of whom are from the county of Essequibo and have done well over the years at the CGI franchise competitions, should be treated with respect, and be given fair opportunity to represent their country at the senior level.

“Undoubtedly, Anthony Adams fulfilled the selec-

Public Relations Officer of the South Essequibo Cricket Committee, Otis Roberts

tion criteria with his performances, which are a testimony for the Essequibo Franchise team to be crowned champions in the CGI 50 overs format competitions in 2018, and finished runners-up in 2019 under Adams’s captaincy.

“In the 2018 CGI

NACAC postpones 2021 CARIFTA Games until July – citing COVID-19 concerns

T

he 2021 Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games will not be staged on the traditional Easter weekend.

Instead, the regional junior track and field championships will take place between July 2 and 4 in Bermuda.

The North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) made the decision at a Council meeting on Thursday night.

NACAC President Mike Sands explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst for shifting the CARIFTA dates.

“Time is running out and the situation is not improving globally. The NACAC family, the CARIFTA family, is affected. We took a decision at Council level to do a survey with membership to determine the best course of action. There were several options for a date change, and we ultimately decided on July 2nd to 4th,” Sands said in a statement released today.

“I’m optimistic, but it’s cautious optimism.

Obviously, what eventually happens will be dictated by the turn of events. But I’m confident the Games will go on. I’m happy we’ve arrived at a point where we have definitive dates. This is the pre-eminent junior championship meet in the region and arguably the world. I’m looking forward to continuing the legacy.”

In a letter to Bermuda National Athletics Association (BNAA) President Donna Raynor yesterday, NACAC General Secretary Keith Joseph officially informed the host country of the decision to shift the CARIFTA dates.

50-overs competition, Adams batted at number seven and scored a total of 187 runs, with two half centuries, and still managed to capture the award of most wickets, a total of 12 wickets and best of 4-26.

“In the 2019 CGI 50 overs competition, he finished with a total of 189 runs, again with two half-centuries, a best of 65, and captured 13 wickets with a best of 6-26.

“It must be noted that the Chairman of Selectors, who is also a former Assistant Coach of Guyana Jaguars, stated in the press, ‘The criterion is based on performances, you have fitness test involved and you

have to consider potential players you can develop.

Performances are big, but, as I said, fitness is just as big as performances.’

“However, SECC was reliably informed that there are players selected who have not passed the required fitness test, as the records are there to show.

The SECC would therefore like to know on what grounds and which criteria were used to select those players.

“The Cinderella County is known to produce great cricketers, and therefore believe this was the right time where players like Adams, Savory, and Ricardo should have been part and parcel of the Guyana Jaguars team. The continuous non-selection of Adams and other Essequibo players cannot be accepted.

“The SECC is humbly calling on the selectors; coaches, especially Rayon Griffith, who hails from South Essequibo Coast, and by extension the CGI, for an explanation. The committee hereby requests the CGI to conduct a full review of its operations in the selection of players, so that it can represent a more unified team, one which the entire country can be proud of”, the SACC has said.

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The Guyana 2019 Contingent to CARIFTA

“The NACAC Council, at its meeting of Thursday 21 January 2021, unanimously approved the convening of the 49th edition of the annual CARIFTA Games in Bermuda during the period 2–4 July 2021, with arrival being on 30 June and departure on 5 July. The NACAC Council also approved the retention of the existing CARIFTA Games programme of events as well as team quotas,” the letter said.

COVID-19 had forced the cancellation of the 2020 CARIFTA Games in Bermuda. The BNAA, however, remained committed to the Games, and was preparing to host the 2021 edition between April 3 and 5.

COVID, though, remains a challenge, forcing the postponement of the three-day meet.

“We are mindful of the challenges with which your country, organisation and all of our Caribbean member federations and their athletes are confronted,” Joseph said in his letter to Raynor, “but are confident of our collective resolve to overcome them, as we have so often done in the

past with other obstacles.”

Raynor has said she is pleased with the decision to postpone CARIFTA 2021.

“We created a position paper in which we stated that our preference was moving the Games to a later date.

That first weekend in July is a good weekend for us. It fits in well with our calendar and our school system. School is out in July. It’s the perfect weekend, and the weather will be great in July, not as cold as in April,” she said.

“COVID is going to dictate what happens, but from a preparation standpoint, we will be prepared. As long as COVID allows us, we will be ready to host the Games”, she said.

Joseph has expressed his gratitude to Raynor, the BNAA, and the Bermuda Government.

“NACAC stands ready to work with the BNAA to ensure that Bermuda and all of the CARIFTA Family enjoy the benefit of another very successful edition of one of the world of athletics’ most exciting spectacles, the annual CARIFTA Games.”

(Sportsmax)

WI Women are finding a new groove in Antigua

“S

o far so good.”

That’s the consensus shared by the Captain and ViceCaptain of the West Indies Women’s team, Stafanie Taylor and Anisa Mohammed respectively, when asked how the first

week of training camp has been.

The camp is the first since Courtney Walsh was

appointed new Head Coach in September of 2020. For Taylor, it is a refreshing start for the year under the watchful eyes of batting coach Robert Samuels, a former Jamaica captain and West Indies batman.

Joining Stafanie in singing praise is Mohammed, the experienced vice-captain, who said: “I think with camp we are doing a lot more of the basics and getting the basics right; and if you don’t know the basics, then you can’t execute properly…. I think that’s what was needed. In the last few years, we have not done that, and I am enjoying my sessions.”

The coaching staff at the West Indies Women’s camp is being led by Courtney Walsh, and assisting him are former West Indies players Corey Collymore, Robert Samuels and Ryan Austin, along with former regional players Steve Liburd and Samantha Lynch. (Windies Cricket)

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Relay, Medicine Specialist and Baird…

Hutson talks Olympics 2021 plans

By Jemima Holmes

W

ith organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) debunking claims that the 2021 version of the Tokyo Olympics would be cancelled, National Associations have been pushed into business mode, getting their athletes ready for the largest stage in sport.

“We must try to function within the framework of COVID-19 being around,” President Aubrey Hutson of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) told this publication when asked about the possibility of international competition in 2021.

In an exclusive interview with <<Guyana Times Sport>> this past week, Hutson shared the AAG’s initial preparatory plans for the event and, essentially, their hopes to capitalise on the situation.

When it comes to qualification for local athletes, Hutson shared there would be ample opportunities to make the mark. He said, “Outside of the South American Championships,

your National Seniors Championships will be the largest points earner for you, in terms of getting to Tokyo.” This is in addition to the Aliann Pompey Invitational, slated for Guyana in June.

While the AAG is not yet sure of how many prospects Guyana will have for the Games, Hutson is hopeful of upping the country’s representation this time around.

“So, when we look at numbers, last Olympics we had four, and I always believe in growth. So, I’m hoping that at least we can get 6-8 athletes to the Olympics, which would include the ones residing in the US, on scholarship, or otherwise engaged in the USA”, he declared when referring to the number of participants in the Athletics’ contingent.

He has assured that finances would not be a hassle, regardless of how many athletes qualify for the event. He declared, “Understand that, once our athletes qualify, The Guyana Olympic Association will take up the responsibility of getting the there. However,

GDF member Leslain Baird received a promotion for his javelin heroics in the last South American Championships

the GOA also is assisting in athletes’ preparation.”

When it comes to getting the athletes ready, Hutson noted that the AAG and the GOA are committed to providing the necessary services in order to keep the locals at international standard. One such measure is the employment of a Sports Medicine Specialist.

“They would have just retained the services of a Sports Medicine Specialist

in Trinidad and Tobago to assist in those areas that we think are necessary for athletes’ recovery, especially during training, and dealing with injury, and that kind of stuff. It’s not something we’ve had on the table, but it’s something that is very, very important for our sport,” the AAG boss disclosed.

He further said, “Athletes’ recovery is one of the really and truly poor areas that would reflect

most times when we go out there to big international competitions.”

In addition, there are some athletes looking to get some specialised training. Hutson divulged to Guyana Times Sport, “With that, we would have had two or three other athletes applying to us for special training, Leslain Baird being one of them who would like to go to Cuba to have the level of training in preparing for the Olympics.

“That is yet to be approved, but I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be, because he is one of our greatest prospects for Tokyo,” Huston commented on the topic of Baird’s talent.

Aside from regular events that Guyanese usually try their hand at, the AAG President shared that there are hopes of putting together a relay team. The only hurdle lies in giving the members of the team enough exposure ahead of the Games.

“We’re still looking at putting together a great 4x1 team. We think we have great athletes who can make the qualifying standards, but in order for you to qualify as a relay team, you must be involved in international competition. So, we just can’t put a Guyana team running against the rest of the guys there,” he said.

Hutson added, “That would mean the need for funding to get them to the South American Senior Championships and also the other Grand Prix meets we have around South America and the Caribbean.”

"I am fit, and hungry to play for Guyana" - Fudadin

By Brandon Corlette

T

he 35-year-old Assad Fudadin is a happy man after making a return to the Guyana Jaguars 15-man squad that would contest the upcoming Regional Super50 Cup in Antigua. After the final practice match at La Bonne Intention (LBI), where Fudadin looked fluent in his shot-filled 39, the Berbician said he is fit, and hungry to play an intense brand of cricket.

"Obviously I am fit! I am still hungry, and I still want to play cricket with that intensity. In terms of preparation, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be more of a mental battle; but I am prepared," Fudadin explained.

Asked about his goals for the upcoming tournament, Fudadin said he is not setting an overall goal, but is taking each match on its individual merit, and is focused on winning games for Guyana and performing at his optimum best.

"Guyana is my country of birth. I started all my cricket here, so it's a good

Fudadin batting for Guyana Jaguars

feeling to be back and playing cricket here, and to represent my country again.

It's a great honour, and I am feeling really happy," he said.

Fudadin had good returns I n for Jamaica in the 2019 the 2019 Regional Super50 tourney Regional Super50 Cup, Fudadin did what no Guyanese batsman had ever done before; that is, scoring a century for

his former team, Jamaica Scorpions. He scored 345 runs at an average above 43 in the eight innings, including two half-centuries and one century.

"Performances always give you confidence. That is the past, but I would be aiming to continue and even better that form I had for Jamaica in this upcoming Super50," he disclosed.

Fudadin added that he was not surprised when he was listed in the 15-man squad. "I was not surprised,

because I scored runs, and even my past 50-over tournaments, when I played for Guyana, I scored runs. I was not that surprised, but I am happy they accepted me. I must say I really appreciate it, and I will try and make this opportunity count."

Shedding light on the 15-man squad, Fudadin noted that it is a mixture of youth and experience.

Guyana last won a Regional Super50 Cup back in 2005, and Fudadin was involved in that squad. He says it

would be nice for him to once more be involved in a Super50 Cup championship win.

"Winning the Super50 will mean a lot to me by coming back into the Guyana set-up, so it would be something special," Fudadin added.

The experienced Fudadin, who played three Test matches for the West Indies, has 65 List A matches under his belt, with 1615 runs at an average that is a shade below 30. He has six List A centuries and 24 half-centuries. The lefthander has worked on his game, and with his new and improved aggressive approach, he may be that lucky charm that Guyana needs to win that elusive Super50 Cup. Jaguars 2021 squad reads: Leon Johnson (Captain), Shimron Hetmyer (Vice Captain), Assad Fudadin (who returns to Guyana colours), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Trevon Griffith, Christopher Barnwell, Keon Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Ramaal Lewis, Nial Smith, Gudakesh Motie, Anthony Bramble, Akshaya Persaud and Tevin Imlach.

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

SUNDAY, JANAURY 24, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com Page 30

NACAC postpones 2021 CARIFTA Games until July – citing COVID-19 concerns

Page 31

Why is Anthony Adams not in the Jaguars side for 2021?

– South Essequibo Cricket Committee demands to know Page 31

Anna Regina Ground to get ‘stadium-like’ upgrade

A

“I am fit, and hungry to play for Guyana” – Fudadin

high-level team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by the His Excellency Forbes July and the Chinese Ambassador, His Excellency Cui Jian Chun, and with engineers and other officials, visited the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground on the Essequibo Coast in Region 2 (Pomeroon/ Supenaam) with intention to inspect the venue for a major upgrade.

The team was met by Regional Vice-Chairman Omesh Odit, His Worship Rajendra Prabhulall (Mayor of Anna Regina), Deputy Mayor Lorna Fitzallen, Town Clerk Diane Chritchlow, Superintendent of Works Brian Hercules, and Councillors, who gave the visitors an extensive tour of the Anna Regina Community Centre Ground, a venue that has been identified to be transformed into a ‘stadium like’ multi-purpose ground with indoor and outdoor sport facilities to accommodate every sport discipline.

The Chinese Ambassador indicated that he wished to have the ground completed by 2022, in order to have it commissioned with the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Guyana/ China relationship. Currently, work is ongoing in relation to the design of the facility, after

The visiting Team is flanked by the Anna Regina Mayor, Region Two Vice Chairman, Town Clerk, Superintendent of Works, and Councillors

which construction would commence.

The Mayor and team of the Anna Regina Town expressed their gratitude and elation at the prospect of the ground being upgraded to facilitate youths getting involved in meaningful activities like sport.

The Mayor assured the visiting team that he and Council members would employ every effort into getting the talented young people of the township and the Region fully involved in sports activities in order to keep them from getting involved in illegal activities, and in getting them fully involved in clean sport activities which would help to bring out their hidden talent.

This same visiting team also reportedly visited the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground

in Linden (Region 10) with intention to carry out a similar project there.

Back in September 2020, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had announced that a string of multi-purpose facilities would be constructed around the country. His statement read: “To continue to support the growth and development of our young people – our sportsmen and women, in finding new talent and supporting every region of our country. We’re going to build three multipurpose sports complexes in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice). These are some of the investment measures and policies that we’ll pursue in this emergency budget and in January.”

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