Guyana Times - Tuesday, May 11, 2021

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GBTI hands over $3.4M St Vincent relief funds to Govt Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4644

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

Guyana an ideal, strategicallyplaced investment destination –Ali tells 150 US companies …says Govt stands ready to facilitate investment, food production Page 3

Harmon getting more than Jagdeo as Opposition Leader – Speaker …disingenuous about “reduced” budget allocation Page 15

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WHAT'S INSIDE: Shady NICIL land deals

Former NICIL P8 Head back in Guyana, refuses to plead to fraud charges Drunken brawl between Essequibo Coast brothers ends in murder

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Prisoners set P10 Brickdam lock-ups on fire

…Harmon wants $8M for janitorial services, $10M for staff

COVAX delivers another 38,400 AstraZeneca vaccines to Guyana Page 7

Youth stabs P11 stepfather who was abusing mother 3 homeless after fire destroys P17 Reliance house

Cop in hit-and-run accident P12 surrenders Oil & gas waste treatment plant

…40,000 more to arrive within weeks

204 of Guyana’s 327 COVID-19 deaths are males

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…2 new deaths, 80 cases in 24h

Clearing of mangroves at Versailles an economic necessity – Edghill Page 15

…says steel piles, flood mitigation measures will be implemented

EAB conducts P9 hearing on Coverden residents' objections to EPA’s approval 1 stabbed to chest, another to arm during brawl P11

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Tuesday, May 11 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Wednesday, May 12 – 04:00h – 05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, May 11 – 16:35h – 18:05h and Wednesday, May 12 – 17:00h – 18:30h.

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be light rain showers and sunny intervals during the day. Expect partly cloudy conditions at night. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 16:29h reaching a maximum height of 2.59 metres.

Low Tide: 10:04h and 22:14h reaching minimum heights of 0.53 metre and 0.65 metre.

SATURDAY, MAY 8, 2021

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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Guyana an ideal, strategically-placed investment destination – Ali tells 150 US companies …says Govt stands ready to facilitate investment, food production

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uyana’s advantages as a strategically placed investment destination, especially where food production is concerned, were on Monday highlighted by President Dr Irfaan Ali during a business webinar series organised by the United States (US) Department of Commerce and the US Embassy in Guyana.

According to the President, the Government has many plans to facilitate the growth and development of the agriculture sector. He noted that Guyana has the potential to produce a large portion of the food requirement for the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

Other advantages include Guyana’s proximity to one of the most dynamic and robust agricultural sectors by diversification in the world – Brazil. With regards to the growth of the sector, President Ali outlined several key features including an ideal tropical climate, the large expanse of freshwater and importantly, vast tracts of productive land.

“I welcome you to a country that is open to doing business, that is ready to facilitate growth and development, and that is ready to help private investment to ensure that you have a decent return—a country and a market that believe inherently in the participation of the Private Sector.”

“You have a Government that is ready to put in the necessary infrastructure investment to facilitate the private investment in the sector, to realise the potential we’ll talk about,” President Ali also said.

President Ali explained that agriculture contributes 21.7 per cent of Guyana’s non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP); in terms of agriculture trade, the country’s export earnings are about US$370 million which primarily comes from rice, fish, sugar, and some amount of non-traditional produce; while the sector contributes to about 12.1 per cent of employment.

The President noted that although the employment in the sector is highest in the rural areas, a lot of investments have been made in research, technology development and skills development which have produced “a very competent skill base” in terms of human assets available.

“This is some of what Guyana offers; 215,000 square kilometres of coastline, an ideal location to access global markets, attractive fiscal incentives for investment, a Private Sectorfriendly Government and of course, a country with diverse people.”

President Ali outlined some investment opportuni-

President Dr Irfaan Ali

ties in the sector which include, rice, sugar, corn, soya, coconut, spices, fruits and vegetables, agro-processing, agrochemical, the livestock sector (poultry, beef, dairy, sheep, and goat) and fisheries-agriculture and shrimp.

Caricom

In pointing to Guyana’s productive capacity within Caricom, the Head of State said that the potential is about US$25 million in poultry alone, 90 per cent of which is imported. He reiterated the need for mega investments in the agriculture sector which will bolster Guyana’s already

existing ability to satisfy the regional market.

“Guyana has the potential of satisfying all of Caricom’s food requirement for poultry products, eggs, beef, aquaculture; we have the land, we have the freshwater but what we don’t have is the investment. What we don’t have are the large-scale mega-farms that would allow us to produce, that would allow us to facilitate the type of growth that will help us to enter this natural market in Caricom.”

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guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

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

Proliferated aggression towards Police

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ver the past months, there have been several reports in the press and viral social media videos/posts about confrontations between citizens and ranks of the Guyana Police Force.

However, of recent, the situation has escalated to an unprecedented level of disrespect and disregard for law enforcement officers.

Only on Sunday evening, 10 residents of Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) were involved in an altercation with a Police Constable after he shut down their music following a noise nuisance report. What was even more disturbing is the fact that those who were clearly breaching the national curfew even threatened to beat the rank under the pretext that he, the cop, was a thief in disguise. This type of lawless behaviour is unacceptable and should not be tolerated. Another obnoxious attack on Police ranks was made recently by a minibus driver of Sophia, Greater Georgetown, who was pulled over by Police Constable Edwin Connelly. The driver became annoyed with the rank, and launched an attack on him with a cutlass. Reports in the press have stated that the cop, who was on motorcycle patrol on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, asked the driver to produce his licence, but the driver drove off and was pursued by the cop, who again intercepted him on Sheriff Street. It was at this point that the driver exited the bus, proceeded to the left passenger side of the vehicle, retrieved a cutlass, and chased after the Constable, who ran away.

That driver, Collis Whyte, has since been sentenced to one year’s imprisonment by Magistrate Leron Daly for his actions. He now has one year in prison to think about his actions.

This incident comes on the heels of 32-year-old businessman Terrence Lynch being charged with four offences on Monday, including assaulting a Traffic Police Officer and resisting arrest in relation to an incident which occurred on April 13. Hopefully, Whyte’s jail time would send a strong message to other minibus drivers, and to all persons in general, who act and behave in such a manner towards the Police.

On the matter of lawlessness towards the Police, we support Attorney General Senior Counsel Anil Nandlall, who acknowledged that while there is a lot of work to be done to repair its image as well as improve the professionalism and discipline of its ranks, the Guyana Police Force is the premier law enforcement agency in Guyana, and such actions against it cannot be condoned.

The Attorney General has since said in reference to the cutlass-toting driver’s attack on the Police: “They may be bad, but it is what we have, and we cannot encourage citizens taking up arms against the law enforcement agencies. This type of conduct must be deprecated, condemned in the strongest possible fashion. When this happens, you’re striking at the very heart of Guyana as a civilised society. When the population is resisting and assaulting the law enforcement agencies, that is a serious thing.”

This newspaper has repeatedly taken a position regarding the minibus code of conduct and the expectations for a much-desired improvement in the service provided. From all appearances, this well-intended initiative has made little or no positive impact on the overall operations of minibus service providers.

Just a few weeks ago to restore order at the minibus park around Stabroek Market area, ranks were seen examining minibuses and taxis that are in violation and breach of their road service licences. This action is welcome and commendable. It has been long overdue, prompting the obvious question: Why was it not done earlier, and sustained?

It is imperative that the Police sustain their crackdown to curb the blatant breach of traffic laws, road service licence, overloading, loud music, and disorderly behaviour by public transportation operators.

Such interventions by Police must not, and should not, be sporadic and just to appease for a particular moment.

While the Police can cite challenges in their human resources for lack of presence to curb traffic law violators, there can be no excuse for turning a blind eye when a violation occurs in their presence, which often times occurs. Of particular note, traffic officers would practically ignore motorcyclists who are without the proper gear.

The Police must be commended for the campaign they have started, but continuous enforcement of traffic laws is what is needed on our roadways, and more so at minibus parks.

A man transports a car on a horse cart to a repair shop in Amritsar, India (AFP photo)

It’s good Biden wants to suspend vaccine patents, but the whole rotten system needs overhaul

By David Adler Mamka Anyona

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n October 2 – seven months and over 2,000,000 COVID-19 deaths ago – the Governments of India and South Africa petitioned the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to issue a temporary waiver on the Trips agreement and ensure the “unhindered global sharing of technology and knowhow … for the handling of COVID-19”. Back then, no vaccine had been approved for the prevention of the spread of the virus. But the 100 countries that joined the October petition over the following months knew then what has become apparent to everyone now: the system of pharmaceutical patents is a killing machine.

There is now broad and growing support for the Trips waiver – among doctors, Nobel laureates, Senators and a large majority of the US public.

On Wednesday, the Biden Administration finally announced its intention to support some version of the proposal, changing course amid a global surge of COVID-19 cases.

“The extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures,” said US trade representative Katherine Tai, committing to “text-based negotiations at the World Trade Organisation”.

But a temporary waiver is only a temporary solution to a permanent crisis in the global health system. When AIDS exploded across the world in the 1990s, calls for affordable generic antiretroviral drugs to stem the pandemic in Africa were met by

threats and lawsuits from pharmaceutical corporations. And the COVID-19 pandemic is certainly not the end of this crisis: from Sars and Ebola to mutant strains of COVID-19, epidemiologists warn that we have entered a new age of pandemics.

To learn the lessons of a year lost to COVID-19 – and to prepare for a long century of recurring health emergencies – the temporary Trips suspension must give way to a total transformation of the pharmaceutical patent system. Pausing the gears of the killing machine is not enough. Our obligation is to dismantle it.

That obligation belongs to the US more than any other country. The US Government has played both architect and enforcer of the intellectual property regime, threatening sanctions against countries like Brazil, Thailand, and South Africa for daring to promote the generic production of life-saving medicines.

Yet an overwhelming majority of US voters support a more radical transformation of the pharmaceutical patent system. A new poll from Data for Progress and the Progressive International finds that 59 per cent of US voters support waiving all patent protections to produce generic versions of life-saving medicines for critical diseases, from COVID-19 and HIV/AIDS to heart disease and diabetes.

These preferences are not expressions of charity.

The citizens of the United States are some of the chief victims of the patent system: according to a recent poll, one in four Americans

cannot fill their prescriptions due to astronomical drug prices. The COVID-19 vaccine may have been provided to US citizens free of charge this time, but there is no reason to expect that the Government will continue to foot the bill when drug-resistant strains creep back into the country and send millions of uninsured families to the hospital for treatment.

Pharmaceutical corporations will lobby our representatives to say that they are best placed to manage these pandemics – that what is good for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) is good for America. “More than any other time in history, society is seeing and benefiting from the innovation supported by intellectual property,” they wrote in a letter to Joe Biden urging him to reject the Trips waiver at the WTO. But US voters – whose tax dollars funded the medical breakthrough behind Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, just as UK voters funded AstraZeneca’s – are calling BS. Asked whether the US Government should compel Moderna to share its vaccine technology with manufacturers around the world, 59 per cent of US voters approved to just 27 per cent who opposed, according to the new poll by Data for Progress and the Progressive International.

The new findings reflect a growing frustration with the primacy of profit in the public health system – not only the profits of the pharmaceutical corporations in the course of this pandemic (Pfizer made US$3.5 billion on its vaccine in the first quarter of 2021 alone), but also the refusal to invest in

life-saving medicines that do not yield these massive returns.

“When prices are so low they preclude profits, companies leave the market,” the WHO reported in 2017.

The pharmaceutical industry may claim that rolling back patent protections will hinder future drug production. But it is Governments that have had to intervene to catalyse vaccine production – and the public that has shouldered the risks.

There can be no illusions about the prospects for such a radical reorientation of US foreign policy. While Biden’s domestic agenda has sought to break with past dogmas of fiscal discipline and public disinvestment, his foreign policy has largely preserved the frameworks that he inherited from Donald Trump and Barack Obama before him. This is not a coincidence: the architecture of global governance was designed to be insulated from democratic pressures. Jan Tumlir, architect of the UN General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, described the project most clearly: “International rules protect the world market against Governments.”

But power concedes nothing without a demand, and in moments like these – when the paradigm is shifting, and the US President appears willing to push against the old third rails of American politics – the identification of the right demand is as important as its articulation. Suspension of COVID-19 patents may be an essential first step.

But as US voters appear to understand, the path out of this pandemic is long. We will need great leaps to get there. (The Guardian)

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 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

GOAL Scholarship Programme can help with poverty reduction Dear Editor, Minister Dr Ashni Singh noted that “Investment in education is the surest path to personal upliftment”. He made this emphatic pronouncement a few days ago when he “… urged residents of Albion and nearby communities to take full advantage of the 20,000 Online Scholarship Programme being offered by the Government.” I fully endorse this statement and I hope that the precious opportunities that are being offered will be fully grasped and appreciated by those eligible to do so. I have my good reasons for saying so.

A quick footnote on eligibility is worthy of mention here. The programmes are

free and we all know that “university education,” at its cheapest is still expensive. So, no one is precluded in terms of affordability, and more so, there is no contract to sign for service after completion. Also, for the many who do not quite meet the ‘entrance qualifications,’ there are the pre-university courses that can be used to fill the gap and “come up” as we would say in education.

The big word here overall is that the Government is extremely caring about the less fortunate and those stuck in an educational hole.

My support for the programme adds to what the Minister detailed about “personal upliftment/fulfilment”.

It goes to the area of pov-

erty alleviation. The programme strikes at the heart of poverty reduction since no Government can “feed the hungry” interminably.

Studies abound where the link of “education (or lack thereof) and poverty” is inextricably formed. I recall an academic paper, “The role of education in poverty alleviation and economic development: A theoretical perspective and counselling implications.” By Omoniyi, MBI (PhD), from the Department of Guidance & Counselling Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko, making this telling point.

The gist of the paper is that poverty is a major threat to the very existence of humanity in mod-

ern times especially in the developing world. To combat this, the author argues that “Education in every sense is one of the fundamental factors of achieving sustainable economic development, through investment in human capital.” Overall, says the article, is that “Education fosters self-understanding, improves quality of lives and raises people’s productivity and creativity, thus promoting entrepreneurship and technological advances.” In addition, it goes on, is that “Education plays very crucial roles in securing economic and social progress thus improving income distribution which may consequently sal-

vage the people from poverty.”

So, when the Minister and others here are pushing this programme, they are really combating poverty now, where it now exists, and in the future, where and when it is likely to surface.

I further explain that this offer to Guyanese is indeed vital. Why? Poverty and education are inextricably linked, because people living in poverty may stop going to school so they can work, which leaves them without literacy and numeracy skills they need to further their careers.

Research has shown repeatedly that with an ad-

ditional year of schooling, income can increase by at least 10%. In fact, the paper mentioned that with just two more years of secondary schooling, millions of people worldwide can get out of poverty.

So as Guyana forges ahead in the 21st century, we need to remind ourselves that education plays a significant role in attaining a quality life individually, and so collectively the nation is the beneficiary. Kudos to the Dr Irfaan Ali-led PPP/C Government for this GOAL initiative.

Yours truly, Alvin Hamilton

GWI should make public hiccups with previous Rhetoric from APNU/AFC coalition continues contractor on Lamaha Street project to be “opposition for opposition’s sake” Dear Editor, The rhetoric from the APNU/AFC coalition continues to be “opposition for opposition’s sake”. Watching a live broadcast on Facebook on Monday, May 10, by the APNU/AFC coalition made this fact even clearer.

Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon, and AFC Leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, were sailing, literally and figuratively, during a site visit to Versailles, West Bank Demerara, via the Demerara River.

Of the things that Mr Harmon said, two points crossed my mind: • One, there is no valid criticisms of the rapid development taking place in the nine months since the PPP/C took Government that they can make, so the new tactic seems to be to try to diminish the development; and • Two, the disingenuous claims that Guyanese saw most visibly in the five months after March 2, 2020, continue by the APNU/AFC coalition.

The second point is the most worrying because the

APNU/AFC coalition leaders know that the Guyanese people deserve better.

Thankfully, our people are more discerning.

We know better when Mr Harmon says that “…they (Guyanese) don’t need billboard with Irfaan Ali face or Priya Manickchand face with 2000 or 20,000 scholarships marked delivered which that is not so.”

The fact is that GOAL has reached almost every region of our country and made education accessible in a way never before done.

We know better when Mr Harmon talks about the PPP/C “…giving away these waterfront properties because it is their friends.”

We remember the 60 acres of waterfront property given to Great Wall Inc (whose proprietor was aligned to the coalition) – 20 acres at Schoonord Foreshore, Region 3; 20 acres at Good Fortuin, Region 3; and another 50 acres at Best Foreshore, Region 3.

We remember the former Head of the Project Management Office at the Ministry of the Presidency

getting 12 acres in Linden, Region 10, and another 80 acres in Bohemia, Region 6 – both of which were places that were being scouted as sites for deepwater harbour projects.

We also remember the Extraordinary Gazette dated March 21, 2020, which detailed the transfer of 45 plots of land, the majority of which were on the right bank of the Demerara and all of it done after the March 2, 2020 Elections.

Editor, the APNU/AFC coalition seems to need reminding that Guyanese are not “mentally lazy” and will continue to call them out on their campaign of deceit.

Sincerely, Erin Northe

Dear Editor, It was reported in the media on May 6, that the Chief Executive and other officers of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) visited a construction site on Lamaha Street where an aged pipeline is being replaced.

A contract was awarded in January to complete works on this unfinished aged pipeline replacement project with a deadline of March 31 for completion.

However, under the pretext of inclement weather, GWI extended the project’s completion deadline to late May. Inclement weather is interpreted to mean heavy rainfall with some distress and contractors bidding on Government contracts are expected to be aware of the country’s rainfall periods and their intensities which could

adversely affect construction progress. Therefore, their bidding strategy should reflect this understanding as it affects the time for completing a contract and the bidding amount.

Heavy rainfall, unlike a hurricane, tornado or a breach in the EDWC Dam which had flooded vast areas on the ECD in 2004 is not considered a “force majeure” which allows time extension for a project under construction without any penalty for failure to perform. It is therefore puzzling and should be of public concern as to the cause why this contractor was given a time extension without any imposed penalty by GWI when many other contractors executing Government projects elsewhere in the country were never given time

extensions to complete projects because of inclement weather. Some contractors have been known to bid low on contracts and when they failed to perform because of poor management and other factors, they quickly claim inclement weather as the cause for their failure to perform and use their influence to manipulate the system for time extension concession in their contract execution.

It will be useful if the hiccups which GWI claimed the previous contractor encountered on the pipeline replacement project and which resulted in the termination of his contract with legal proceedings for failure to meet his contractual obligations, be made public.

Yours truly, Charles Sohan

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

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Foundation ◄ ◄

Question 1

Ode to a Nightingale

By John Keats

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness,— That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth, Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth!

O for a beaker full of the warm South, Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene, With beaded bubbles winking at the brim, And purple-stained mouth; That I might drink, and leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim:

Monday’s answers

Writing Prompt: Describe the most bizarre-looking arthropod you have ever seen. Paint a picture with words. What colour was it? How many legs did it have? Was it smooth-looking?

Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget What thou among the leaves hast never known, The weariness, the fever, and the fret Here, where men sit and hear each other groan; Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs, Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies; Where but to think is to be full of sorrow And leaden-eyed despairs, Where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow.

Away! away! for I will fly to thee, Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards, But on the viewless wings of Poesy, Though the dull brain perplexes and retards: Already with thee! tender is the night, And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne, Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays; But here there is no light, Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways.

TO BE CONTINUED

WORD SEARCH

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

COVAX delivers another 38,400 AstraZeneca vaccines to Guyana …40,000 more to arrive within weeks

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he COVAX mechanism on Monday delivered 38,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Guyana – the second consignment that has been sent within two months.

In total, Guyana has received 62,400 doses through COVAX. The agency has promised to send 100,800 shots at zero cost that will cover 20 per

cent of the adult population. It is expected that more vaccines will be delivered in the future until this target is achieved.

The batch of shots landed at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), where Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Hugh Todd was present to accept the shipment. He was accompanied

by Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) Country Representative, Dr Luis Codina; Deputy British High Commissioner Ray Davidson and Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy, Mark Cullinane among other officials.

Todd noted, “We want to say a heartfelt thank you to our international friends and

Guyana an ideal, strategically-placed...

FROM PAGE 3

“What we need, as I said, are the investors who are ready to make the investments into large-scale mega facilities that will support the growth and development of these different sub-sectors.

In terms of land availability, in every one of these areas, we have lands that are available.

We have freshwater…and we have the critical infrastructure link that will allow you to move your produce from the field to the market or to the export facility as it is now.”

Government, he added, will be heavily focused on developing the aquaculture sector in the short term to service potential markets including Caricom, the US, Mexico, and the European Union (EU).

“The USA, for example, imported over 550,000 metric tons of frozen shrimp and prawns valued at US$4.8 billion. So here is an opportunity for us to work together with the local Private Sector and the US investors to meet the demand in the United States.

And what do we have for the aquaculture industry? We have the brackish water, we have fresh water and salted water, all of which are distinct and comparative advantages in the aquaculture industry.”

Advantage The President outlined that Guyana’s comparative advantage in the sector is 2.15 per cent times higher than any other South American county’s comparative advantage, including that of powerhouse producers Brazil.

“Again, like the other sectors, Government provides a comprehensive list of tax breaks, fiscal incentives, drainage and irrigation support, infrastructure support; these are things that Government assists with.”

President Ali also spoke about investment opportunities in the traditional sectors including rice, sugar and coconut while pointing to tremendous opportunities in corn and soya production.

“I want to say to you that Guyana has also taken back the lead role in agriculture for the region, that is the Caricom region, and for the purposes of moving forward, we welcome you and your investment to a safe investment destination.”

Following his presentation, the President personally answered questions from potential investors on several key areas of his presentation, including access to freshwater

resources, electricity cost reduction, the use of agro-technology and access to electricity for the agriculture sector.

“Historically this has been one of the most inhibiting factors for us to develop our country - the cost of electricity. Right now, all of our electricity is supplied through heavy fuel oil (HFO). That will change tremendously over the medium to long term.”

“We are now developing an energy mix that will include natural gas, solar, wind, and the plan is to have an energy strategy that would create a new energy corridor between Guyana, Brazil and Suriname. So, you will see the cost of energy reducing because of the investment we will be making,” the President explained.

Over 150 US companies interested in doing business in Guyana took part in the webinar. President Ali was joined by Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud and representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture at State House, while Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Zulfikar Mustapha and United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch joined the session virtually. (G3)

The second shipment of AstraZeneca vaccines arrive from COVAX

partners who would have made the COVAX mechanism very effective in being able to treat with this global pandemic. We have seen the effects of this pandemic and we’ re certain that we live in a global village.”

The Foreign Affairs Minister added that when there was such an extensive threat to global health, it required a ‘global governance approach’ and these actions were testament of such cooperation.

“This is what you get when countries come together, recognising that we need to put our time and energies together to ensure that we can fix a problem that has global repercussions. We need to have a healthy global environment for us to enjoy good health and long health,” he noted.

The PAHO Country Representative indicated that another 40,000 doses would be sent within the next weeks.

With several vaccines authorised for emergency use and some in the trial phase, he

said heightened production is anticipated by mid-2021.

“We are expecting another one with 40,000 doses. We expect it at the end of this month to the beginning of the next month. COVAX is a platform of solidarity, focused on the less rich countries having access to many kinds of vaccines, not just one type,” Dr Codina outlined.

COVAX is a partnership between the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI); Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance; the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Guyana is included in 10 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that are receiving vaccines at no cost through the Advance Market Commitment (AMC) and was the first country in the Caribbean to receive the vaccines.

The first coronavirus case in Guyana was reported in

March 2020. Since then, the country has confirmed over 10,000 cases and 327 deaths as a result of infection. COVAX seeks to provide vaccines for at least 20 per cent of the population of each participating country during 2021.

The mechanism aims to secure 1.3 billion doses for 92 low and middle-income countries by the end of the year.

Vaccine flights have been taking off almost every day and to date, the European Union has given over €2.2 billion in contribution – making it the biggest donor to date.

Thus far, Guyana’s vaccination programme has been led by 80,000 AstraZeneca vaccines from India, 20,000 Sinopharm doses from China and 3000 AstraZeneca vaccines through the Barbadian Government.

The country has also purchased US$4 million of the Russian-manufactured Sputnik V vaccines – of which 138,000 doses have already arrived. Another 60,000 are expected this week.

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Shady NICIL land deals

Former NICIL Head back in Guyana, refuses to plead to fraud charges

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ormer Head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Colvin HeathLondon has finally landed in Guyana to face the fraud charges brought against him by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU). The fraud accused appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Monday charged in connection with leasing State lands at Peters Hall, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Heath-London’s lawyers, Nigel Hughes and Narissa Leander have refused an application by the prosecution to have the charges against their client tried summarily which would see the trials being conducted by the Chief Magistrate. The charges against him remain indictable, and as such he has not been required to enter a plea.

In this case, the Magistrate would first have to conduct a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) to determine whether there is sufficient evidence for Heath-London to be tried by a jury before a Judge at the High Court.

The Chief Magistrate has instructed counsel to layover submissions in support of their request on May 27.

Also similarly charged

Former NICIL Head Colvin Heath-London

are former Executive Member of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Attorney-at-Law James Bond, Director of A-Z Pharmaceuticals Medical Supplies and Equipment Inc, Eddie Doolal, and Principal of the Arken Group Inc, Jermaine Richmond.

They, too, appeared in Court on Monday. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges, paving the way for matters to be disposed of before the Magistrates’ Courts.

It is alleged that between August 1, 2017, and November 30, 2020, at Georgetown, Heath-London and Bond conspired together and with others to defraud

NICIL, its sole shareholders, and the Government, of property interest in land; namely, the grant of a lease of land known as Plot A17, A18, A19 Plantation Peters Hall, EBD, owned by NICIL, without the necessary Board and Cabinet approval to do same, and for purposes other than that of NICIL. It has also been alleged that Heath-London, Bond, and Doolal, between August 1, 2017, and November 30, 2020, at Georgetown, conspired together and with others to defraud NICIL, its sole shareholders, and the Government, of property interest in land; namely, the grant of a lease of land known as Plot A7, A8, A20 Plantation Peters Hall, EBD, owned by NICIL, without the necessary Board and Cabinet approval to do same, and for purposes other than that of NICIL. The final charge stated that Bond, HeathLondon, and Richmond, between August 1, 2017, and November 30, 2020, at Georgetown, conspired together and with others to defraud NICIL, its sole shareholders, and the Government of property interest in land; namely, the grant of a lease of land known as plot A1, A2, A3, A4 Plantation Peters Hall, EBD, owned by NICIL,

Playing games...

W Attorney-at-Law James Bond

without the necessary Board and Cabinet approval to do same, and for purposes other than that of NICIL. In the meantime, Bond was placed on $150,000 bail, while Richmond and Doolal were each ordered to post $100,000 bail. HeathLondon has also been released on monetary bail.

Bond is the lawyer who had represented three companies that are at the centre of the Peters Hall land investigation – Life 1 Pharms Incorporated, A-Z Pharmaceutical Medical Supplies and Equipment Inc, and Arken Group – in the drafting of leases by NICIL for the lands.

Shortly after the PPP/C assumed Government in August 2020, a thorough probe was conducted by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) in the matter, and it was revealed that several irregularities had occurred. During the investigations, Bond and his co-accused were questioned.

The principals of the company reportedly told the Police that Bond arranged the sale of the lands, after which he found a buyer and was paid.

It is being alleged that Bond received some $60 million from each of them.

The leases were controversial since they were in contravention of the stipulations regarding the disposal of State lands, which stipulate that when State lands are leased, the lease must state that the lessee must not part with possession of the land without the consent of the State.

However, in this case, both Life 1 Pharms Incorporated and A-Z Pharmaceutical Medical Supplies and Equipment Inc – which each leased 15 acres of land from NICIL at an annual rate of US$11,700 – flipped those lands to a Chinese national for just $100.

In the case of Arken Group, the proprietor of that company leased 20.8 acres of land for an annual fee of US$16,224 and had his address listed as the same as Bond’s. It was revealed that Bond then received US$1 million for the property after it was flipped to a local oil and gas company. (G1)

...with commemorations hile Guyana was undergoing a Hamlet-like existential crisis on May 5 over Indian Arrival Day – “to call it that or not call it that”! –- a rather significant commemoration over in France slipped under the radar of some of our woke activists.

In the estimation of your Eyewitness, however, the unnoticed commemoration over in France, was even more insulting to People of African Descent – descendants of enslaved Africans. It was the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte who’d seized power in France in 1799, and crowned himself emperor in 1802.

So, what does this have to do with African-Guyanese?

Plenty. You see, after 1779 when the French overthrew their monarchy and instituted a Republic, the African slaves of Haiti were inspired under the leadership of Toussaint L’Overture to rebel against slavery in 1791. The French Republic had abolished slavery in their colonies in 1794.

However, when Napoleon seized power, he re-established slavery and sent an army of 60,000 under the command of his brother-in-law Le Clerc, to crush the Haitian Rebellion.

Even though the French Army was eventually defeated by 1804, Le Clerc had shipped off Toussaint to France in chains, where he died. Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana were reinducted into the enslaved fold.

Napoleon was finally defeated at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, but his reinstituted system of slavery wasn’t abolished until 1848. The point, then, is he’s responsible for relaunching this crime against humanity, against more than 600,000 enslaved Africans in the French colonies.

Over in France, President Macron said it was a time for “enlightened commemoration” though not celebration.

He described Napoleon’s decision to restore slavery as a “betrayal”, but praised the man, he said, who helped shape modern-day France. This is very disingenuous and shows us how politicians would do anything to get back into power. Macron entered politics as a golden-haired centrist wunderkind, but with his popularity in the pits, he’s desperately shifting to the right that sees Napoleon as a demigod – and his stance on slavery as condign.

Compare that with the frantic efforts of the PNC support brigade to defend Walton-Desir’s racist slur against IndianGuyanese as “mentally lazy” – unlike African Guyanese who make rational choices on political decisions!

Yet these folks have accepted for years it’s racist to impute social characteristics to people based on physical attributes.

Ah, politics induces strange contortions! ...with COVID-19 crisis There’s a big debate going on in the letters pages about the COVID-19 crisis in India. What’s not highlighted is their rise in infections and deaths is fuelled by new, deadlier and more easily-transmissible mutant variants. This is a one-two combination that can sucker punch even the most developed countries with their futuristic medical care – like it did the USA – much less a country that only reduced poverty by a quarter in the last decade.

But your Eyewitness’s concern in this – and any other matter – as always, is our dear old mudland and our challenges. So the question is – have our authorities figured out a way to get our COVID samples tested to discover what variants we have and if so, what are they?? We know for sure that the vaccines we’ve sourced won’t be effective against all variants. For instance, that’s the reason South Africa returned their million doses of AstraZeneca.

So it’s like we’re fighting a monster in the dark! ...in cricket Your Eyewitness concedes his comments might be (unconsciously) influenced by parochialism. But when it comes to cricket he’s adamant we must always field the BEST WI team.

So really? The WI brain trust couldn’t find a place for Hetmyer?

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

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Oil & gas waste treatment plant

EAB conducts hearing on Coverden residents’ objections to EPA’s approval

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esidents of Coverden on the East Bank of Demerara and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are at odds over the establishment of a waste treatment facility for the transfer, storage, treatment, and disposal of oil and gas waste in the community.

done with the project’s developer, relevant stakeholders, and residents.

On Monday, the EAB held a virtual public hearing into the appeals.

Those present at the hearing included EPA officials, residents of the Coverden community, the

According to them, no such information has been published on the EPA’s website, social media pages, or in the daily newspapers. “If you are going to do such a major project this should have been posted on the EPA’s website,” one resident remarked.

In this regard, the resident called for there to be more transparency.

Moreover, they are demanding that the EPA produce more scientific data in relation to the environmental, social, cultural, adverse, and economic impacts of the project.

Among other things, they want to know about the project’s construction period impact. Moreover, the con-

A screenshot of the Zoom meeting with residents of Coverden, East Bank Demerara and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday

Global Oil Environmental Services (GOES), which is a joint venture between JaParts Guyana and Global Oil and Managements Group, recently applied to the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB), for approval for the construction and operation of the facility at Block X TE Huste, Block I, T Huste, Coverden.

The EPA has already determined that the project will not significantly impact human health and the environment and therefore does not require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

However, several residents of the community have submitted appeals against the development of the oil and gas waste treatment facility in the area.

A petition inked by Penelope Howell, which was accompanied by the names of over 130 residents from the community called on the EPA to put a halt to the construction and operation of the facility unless and until further consultations are

project’s developer, and other key stakeholders.

Following the hearing, the EAB will deliberate on the findings and prepare a report with its decision confirming or setting aside the EPA’s decision.

The residents have objected to having such a project in their community which they described as densely populated and located near the Demerara River.

Most of them said that from a simple Google search, they have come to the inescapable conclusion that GOES has a questionable track record.

“When I researched the company, I did not see anything positive that I can take away,” a resident said.

For such a major project, which has the potential of being hazardous, the residents are angry at the fact that the EPA failed to provide them, or the public with any background information about the company, and the environmental and health impacts of the project.

cerned residents would like to know about the disaster, demographics change, and epidemic impact assessments on the project.

In determining that the project is exempt from an EIA, the EAB, during a PowerPoint presentation, noted that it considered the fact that the project is not located in a historical or culturally important site.

According to the EAB, the project location is privately owned and leased to the project proponent, and the closest resident is located approximately 280 metres northeast of the project.

Additionally, the EAB said that transboundary effects from the project are low and will be mitigated via the transport of waste in ISO secured Fac Tanks.

Social benefits to community

Notwithstanding the aforementioned, the EAB said that the project has attracted public interest and concern.

Meanwhile, in address-

ing some of the residents’ concerns, the project’s developer outlined that the project will have many social benefits to the community.

“Our role is to invest in any community in which we operate in. If there is one thing that we do no matter where we are, is to invest in the community. This project is only one project of many that we plan on doing here in Coverden…” the developer said.

He noted that the project will create employment opportunities for residents in the area.

At Monday’s hearing, several questions posed by

residents to er and EPA unanswered. er and EPA

the developofficials went The developofficials, how-

criticised for its poor-quality call. Throughout the twohour Zoom meeting, residents complained of the

ever, assured the residents that they have taken note of their questions and will provide answers at a later time.

The EPA was heavily

microphone at the EPA’s end being muffled. They also complained about the agency’s officials not appearing on camera. (G1)

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Drunken brawl between Essequibo Prisoners set Brickdam Coast brothers ends in murder lock-ups on fire

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The house where the stabbing occurred at Fairfield, Essequibo Coast

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n Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) labourer was stabbed to death as he attempted to make peace between one of his brothers and sister-in-law who were involved in a heated argument.

Dead is 22-year-old Ganga Persaud also known as “Toney” of Fairfield, Essequibo Coast. His brother, Rameshwar Gouvai, has since been arrested and is in Police custody pending his court appearance.

Reports are that the suspect and his wife along with Persaud and their mother

lived in the same house.

According to information, Persaud, the suspect and another brother who was visiting from Wakenaam were drinking at about 15:00h when their visiting brother and his wife were involved in an argument. This led to a drunken brawl.

Police have since confirmed that the suspect armed himself with a rum bottle and lashed Persaud to the head while the other relative attempted to make peace.

Both Persaud and the suspect exited the house via the front and back door, respectively.

This newspaper was told that shortly after, the suspect started shouting, “He dead! He dead.”

It was then that relatives rushed towards Persaud as he laid motionlessly in a pool of blood. When his brother examined him, he was bleeding from a wound to his left side below his arm. A neighbour along with other relatives then rushed Persaud to the Suddie Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect was subsequently handed over to Police by his mother, who took him to the station on Monday morning.

n protest of not getting to use the lavatory or take a bath, 11 prisoners who were arrested over the weekend for various offences reportedly set the Brickdam lock-ups on fire on Sunday evening.

The fire was reportedly set between 21:00h and 21:27h by using jerseys and food boxes. However, the fire was immediately extinguished by ranks of the Brickdam Police Station.

Police in a release stated that no one was injured nor were any damages incurred as a result of the fire.

In addition, the Police reiterated that none of the 11 prisoners had exceeded their 72-hour detention period.

In July last year, the Lusignan penitentiary, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was set on fire by protesting inmates after a team was dispatched to probe the discovery of narcotics.

It was reported that at least 15 prisoners received minor injuries. The inmates might have suffered from severe smoke inhalation with a few taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital

Brickdam Police Station

to receive further medical attention.

Based on reports, the fire, which started in one section of the facility, quickly spread to other areas, thus causing chaos among inmates.

As a result of the riot coupled with the fire, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) and Joint Services were immediately summoned to maintain order. The inmates were quickly relocated to a secure area in the compound under heavy guard.

Several areas in the facility were completely de-

stroyed as a result of the fire.

As a result of a fire on July 10, 2017, at the Georgetown Prison, one prison officer was killed and several high-profile criminals had escaped including Bartica and Lusignan massacre convict Mark “Royden” Durant aka “Royden Williams” and Uree Varswyck aka “Malcolm Gordon”.

Hundreds of prisoners were evacuated from the facility and taken to the Lusignan, Timehri, New Amsterdam and Mazaruni Prisons.

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Essequibo Coast woman robbed Drunken man allegedly at gunpoint while visiting mother drowns while fishing

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hortly after robbing a woman who was visiting her mother at Tuschen Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) on Mother’s Day, three of the four armed perpetrators were arrested after swift action of Police in that division.

The robbery reportedly took place about 22:40h.

Based on Police reports, Samantha Ramitt, a housewife of Pomona Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) was at her parents’ residence at Tuschen when she heard her father speaking with someone.

As such, she went to check on him and it was

then, she observed a man searching her father’s pocket while three others who were later identified as their neighbours were keeping guard.

In an attempt to scare them off, Ramitt reportedly

shouted at the men but one of the suspects walked up to her and demanded that she hand over the gold chain she was wearing. During the ordeal, the woman was assaulted.

Ramitt reportedly re-

fused to hand over the piece of jewellery and dealt the bandit one punch to his mouth. In retaliation, the bandit whipped out a black handgun from his waistband and pointed it in her direction while he relieved her of the chain valued about $150,000 and made good his escape, along with his accomplices, in a waiting motor car.

The woman raised an alarm and the Police were immediately contacted. The swift response by the Police led to the arrest of three suspects with the fourth still on the run.

The men are expected to be charged shortly.

1 stabbed to chest, another to arm during brawl

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wo men were treated at the New Amsterdam Hospital after they reportedly injured each other during an altercation on Sunday evening at Heathburn Village, East Bank Berbice (EBB).

One of the injured men is Martin Chesney, 46, a cane harvester of Heathburn Village, EBB, while the identity of the other was not released by the Police who nevertheless stated that he

was listed as the “suspect” who is under guard at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

Based on reports received, the suspect and Chesney were involved in a heated argument on Sunday and as such, the Police were alerted. Soon after, Chesney was found lying on the ground with a wound to his lower left arm but the alleged suspect was nowhere in sight.

However, Chesney was

then taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where he was treated and admitted a patient. Police stated that based on information received, checks were made for the alleged suspect and he was located at the said medical facility nursing a wound to his left side chest.

Upon questioning, he reportedly told the Police that he and his wife had an argument when Chesney in-

intervened and a scuffle ensued between him and his stepfather, during which he armed himself with a knife and stabbed the older man.

After committing the act, he reportedly fled the scene.

The injured man was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted. His condition is regarded as stable. The Police have since launched a manhunt for the suspect.

Meanwhile, in another incident, 24-year-old Cassell Nurse of Freeman Street, East La Penitence, Georgetown, was reportedly hit in the head with an unknown object while attending a barbeque at West Ruimveldt, Georgetown on

Sunday evening.

Police stated that about 21:15h, Nurse was attending the barbeque when two men who are unknown to him pelted a glass bottle at him. In addition, he was dealt one blow to the forehead with an unknown object.

As a result of the attack, Nurse sustained injuries to his forehead and left elbow.

After receiving the injuries, the victim reportedly ran to his motor car and drove to a private medical institution where he was examined, treated, and sent away.

A Police report was made and the suspects are being sought as investigations ongoing.

tervened and attacked him with an unknown weapon.

He related that during the attack, he sustained the injury. He too remains a patient at the medical facility.

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area were conducted, thus leading to the discovery of his motionless body floating face down.

Without hesitation, he was picked up and taken to the Leguan Cottage Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The body was then escorted to Leguan Cottage Mortuary where it awaits a post-mortem.

It was only on Friday last, the lifeless body of 20-year-old Linden labourer Akeem Davidson who went missing for a few days was recovered in a creek at Mabura, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Davidson went missing about a week ago after plunging into the creek and never resurfaced.

His body was found among some rocks a short distance from where the young labourer went missing. His body was transported to the Linden Mortuary awaiting a post-mortem.

ing home reportedly heard screams and someone begging “don’t beat me no more”.

Upon investigating, James was seen lying on the access road while the suspect was seen standing over him with a metal pipe. He was reportedly lashing the victim about the body.

The suspect reportedly accused the now injured man of stealing a quantity of zinc sheets and wood from his yard. However, the resident instructed the suspect to desist from beating the

man but instead, he became annoyed and made advances towards him.

An alarm was raised and persons rushed out and rescued the two men.

James was taken to the Mibicuri Public Hospital where he was treated and transferred to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.

He was admitted a patient in a stable condition.

The Police have since arrested that suspect, who remains in custody. He is expected to be charged before the end of the week.

Suspected thief beaten with metal pipe

A Youth stabs stepfather who was abusing mother

he Police are on the hunt for a 23-yearold man who reportedly stabbed his stepfather who was allegedly verbally abusing his mother in the wee hours of Monday. The injured man has been identified as 33-year-old Danei Chacon, a Venezuelan national of Bent Street, Georgetown.

According to information received, the now injured man and his reputed wife had a misunderstanding, which ultimately led to an argument.

The woman’s son who resides at the same address then arrived at home and overheard the man and his mother arguing. As such, he

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he lifeless body of an alleged drunken man was on Sunday evening found floating at the Success Beach, Leguan, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), after he went fishing.

The dead man has been identified as 55-year-old Sihanouk Rampersaud of Better Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Based on reports received, the now dead man was visiting relatives at Success, Leguan, and on the day in question, he was seen imbibing with relatives. However, at about 16:00h, he left the home to go fishing and swimming at Success Beach.

Nevertheless, at about 18:15h, the relatives realised that he did not return and as such, they went in search of him. While looking for the man, relatives reportedly found a pair of blue pants belonging to him on the seawall.

Further checks in the

South Mibicuri, Black Bush Polder, Berbice labourer who is accused of stealing is now hospitalised after he was allegedly beaten with a metal pipe by his accuser.

The injured man was identified as 60-year-old Floyd James, a labourer of South Mibicuri while the suspect is a 24-year-old man who is now in Police custody.

Preliminary Police investigations revealed that at about 01:30h on Monday, a resident who was head-

12 NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

204 of Guyana’s 327 COVID-19 deaths are males …2 new deaths, 80 cases in 24h

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ut of the 327 reported deaths in Guyana from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a whopping 204 were males.

This means men are leading the death rate locally, standing at 62 per cent of lives lost to the virus. Statistics further show that females account for 123 deaths.

On Monday, the Health Ministry announced two more deaths, raising the death toll to 327. The latest fatalities are two males: a 77-year-old and 59-yearold from Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica). They both died on Sunday while receiving care at a medical facility.

Previously on Saturday, another two males – an 82-year-old from Region

Four and a 60-year-old from Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) – also died while seeking treatment.

For the year thus far, there have been 163 reported deaths from the pandemic. To put this data into context, 164 deaths were recorded from March to December 2020. This comparison shows a spiralling increase in mere months.

When the pandemic was in its initial stage, authorities had expressed concerns that many men were disregarding guidelines in regard to health practices that would protect them from the coronavirus. This was linked to increased deaths in males from the virus. In fact, eight of the first 10 persons that died from

the coronavirus were men.

New cases

On Monday, 80 new cases were confirmed from 236 samples, raising the total confirmed positives to 14,442. Active cases are now at 1883.

In the facilities, 16 patients are in the Intensive Care Unit, 101 in institutional isolation and 16 in institutional quarantine.

Some 1766 persons are also in home isolation. Out of the 6785 males and 6733 females that tested positive, 12,154 have recovered completely. To date, Guyana has tested 130,388 individuals.

A breakdown of new cases showed that 13 were detected in Region One (Barima-Waini), four in Region Three (Essequibo

Islands-West Demerara), 15 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), two in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), 27 in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), one in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and 18 in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The total confirmed cases in Regions Two ( Pomer o on- Supenaa m), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) stand at 408, 1116 and 611 respectively after no increases were recorded.

As the Health Ministry works to combat vaccine hesitancy in some communities, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony had cautioned that increased cases with a low vaccine uptake can prove fatal. Region 10 has still recorded the lowest

uptake.

“One, we have cases increasing in areas of Region 10 and at the same time, we have reluctance or hesitancy in terms of taking vaccines. Those two can be a deadly combination. Again.

We need to be mindful and I think the people there should come forward and start getting immunised or else we’ll start seeing many more cases,” the Minister said in a recent brief.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19 or needs any additional

information, contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www. health.gov.gy.

All Guyanese are reminded to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures (No 17), which are in effect until May 31, 2021. This order emphasises the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving your home; the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others; and the need for good hand hygiene.

Cop in hit-and-run accident surrenders

The body of Ramnarine at the scene on Saturday evening

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n light of a hit-and-run accident on Saturday evening along the Better Hope Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD), which led to the death of a fisherman, a Police Constable attached to the Brickdam Police Station surrendered to authorities.

Police stated that following the accident, Ashton Barker of Norton Street Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, reported that the vehicle that was involved in the accident belonged to him.

Soon after, the Police Constable, Joel Simon,

presented himself at the Sparendaam Police Station in the company of his attorney claiming that he was the driver of motor vehicle GPP 8699 at the time of the fatal accident. As such, he was placed under close arrest as Police continue their investigations.

Navindra Ramnarine of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD), was killed while crossing the Better Hope, ECD Public Road on Saturday evening. The accident occurred at about 20:00h.

It was reported that Ramnarine was struck

by what appeared to be a Tundra pick-up vehicle while it was overtaking another vehicle.

As a result of the collision, the now dead man was dragged approximately 100 feet from the initial point of impact. He was then run over by the vehicle which later sped off the scene. At the time of the man’s demise, he was reportedly visiting relatives in Better Hope.

He reportedly died on the spot. Ramnarine leaves to mourn his daughter who lives in Suriname and stepchildren.

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GBTI hands over $3.4M St Office of the First Vincent relief funds to Govt Lady distributes Mother’s Day hampers ful here at West Demerara Regional Hospital that considerations are given to our mothers. We know even right now during the pandemic; things are difficult and these hampers go a far way in assisting our mothers in attending to their baby and the family as a whole.”

Over at the Georgetown Public Hospital, Nurse Althea Bristol expressed similar sentiments, noting that this will assist new mothers.

“It’s because it’s Mother’s Day and even though they’re not firsttime mothers, it’s just the special feeling of being appreciated for giving birth.

It’s to give back, and saying thank you to our society.”

Healthcare workers and new mothers during the exercise

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he Office of the First Lady on Sunday donated 50 hampers to mothers, in celebration of Mother’s Day this year.

The hampers, sponsored by Muneshwers Limited, were distributed at the West Demerara Regional Hospital and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Government Medical Officer at the West Demerara Hospital, Dr Shemaine Anderson said several prenatal mothers benefitted from the initiative.

“We’re very much grate-

(Left to right): Deputy Director General CDC, Major Loring Benons; Prime Minister Phillips, CEO (ag) James Foster and GBTI Marketing Manager Pamela Binda-Pryce

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he Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) on Monday handed over to the Guyana Government, a cheque for $3.4 million – the money raised through donations to assist the volcano-ravaged St Vincent and the Grenadines.

When totalled, the accumulated funds would have reached just over $3.4 million. Acting Chief Executive Officer, James Foster handed over the funds to Prime Minister Mark Phillips as he noted that it was their social corporate responsibility to help their fellow Caribbean country.

One month ago, the La Soufrière volcano erupted after decades of dormancy and left blankets of ash and debris. It prompted the evacuation of thousands of people, who would remain in shelters for several weeks as the seismic activi-

ties continued.

The University of the West Indies Seismic Research Centre had reported evidence of pyroclastic flows, as an avalanche of heated gas and debris travelled at more than 120 miles per hour along the mountainside. Episodes of high-amplitude tremor continued to coincide with periods of enhanced venting or explosive activity.

The volcanic ash moved with the winds and affected neighbouring islands including Barbados, St Lucia, and Grenada.

Immediately after, the Guyana Government sent a shipment of relief items, containing 350 tonnes of varied aid including water, water storage containers, sugar, rice, peas, chowmein, sanitisers, detergents, disinfectant, personal care items and supplies for infants. A 20-foot container

of water formed part of the second shipment.

Three weeks ago, Government sent the <<<MV Lady Fazeela>>> with 275 tonnes of food supplies and other needed articles.

The vessel first delivered bottled water and 450-gallon tanks to Barbados – which had also faced the brunt of these volcanic activities.

Items sent to St Vincent were in keeping with the list of necessities provided by the Government. In the local relief efforts, the Private Sector and civil society had mustered up to the challenge of contributing to a large percentage of the aid.

President Irfaan Ali has assured of continuous support to the island until normalcy is restored and these funds will be used to further assist the people of St Vincent.

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Caricom leaders to decide on new Secretary General C

aribbean Community (Caricom) leaders will meet on Tuesday to “advance the process for the selection” of a new Secretary General to replace the Dominican-born diplomat, Irwin LaRocque, who has been in the post since August 2011.

A statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Trinidad said that the virtual 21st Special Meeting of the regional leaders will be chaired by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, the chairman of the 15-member group.

The statement said the

Dr Manorma Soeknandan (left) and Dr Carla Barnett (right) are front runners for the position of Caricom Secretary General

purpose of the meeting “is to advance the process for selection of a new SecretaryGeneral,” but gave no further details. Last week, the Caricom Council of Ministers met to discuss the replacement for LaRocque and Trinidad and Tobago’s Foreign Minister, Dr Amery Browne is expected to present the report of the Council.

However, informed

sources told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the leaders will have to choose between Belizean Dr Carla Barnett, the first-ever woman to have served as Deputy Secretary General from 1997 to 2002 and the current Deputy Secretary General, Dr Manorma Soeknandan Barnett was educated at the University of the West Indies (UWI) where she read for a PhD in Social Sciences. She also holds a Master of Economics degree from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the UWI. She has extensive experience at the executive level of the public service in Belize and in the Caricom region.

Her work experience includes service as Financial Secretary and Deputy Governor/Acting Governor at the Central Bank of Belize. She has also served as a Vice President at the Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank.

Her tenure as Caricom Deputy Secretary General coincided with the re-organisation of the Guyanabased Caricom Secretariat, the Community’s administrative body. For her

Irwin LaRocque, the seventh Caricom SG, is due to leave office in August

part, Soeknandan holds a law degree from Anton de Kom University as well as a Master’s and PhD in International Studies and Diplomacy from Washington International University.

She is also a qualified teacher and has degrees in History from the Advanced Teachers Institute (IOL) in Suriname.

Before joining the Caricom Secretariat, where she holds the post of Deputy Secretary General from February 2014, she served as the first female Resident Ambassador of the Republic of Suriname to Guyana from 2001 to January 2013.

In January 2002, she was accredited as Ambassador

to Caricom, Cuba and Jamaica. She has extensive diplomatic experience in the international and regional arena and has worked for 27 years as a lawyer, legislative drafter, and judicial advisor in national and international affairs with the Suriname Government.

She also served as a member of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) high-level advisory panel on the Human Development Report for the Caribbean and Latin America.

LaRocque, the seventh Caricom Secretary General is due to leave office in August. (CMC)

Ex-con remanded on armed robbery charge

K

urt Steele, a pork-knocker of Charlestown, Georgetown, was on Monday remanded to prison on armed robbery and larceny charges. He appeared before Principal Magistrate Sherdel IsaacsMarcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges.

The first charge alleged that on June 21, 2020, at Hunter Street, Georgetown, he robbed Peter Tablot of $85,000. It was further alleged that on April 25, at Eping Avenue Bel Air Park, Georgetown, while in the company of another and armed with a gun, he robbed

Chelsa Barton of a motorcycle valued $190,000.

The Police Prosecutor told the court that in both instances, Steele ambushed his victims and relieved them of the items mentioned in the charges. The prosecutor objected to the defendant being released on bail citing the serious nature of the offences and the fact that a gun was used.

When given a chance to address the court, Barton said that her motorcycle was recovered and that she would no longer like to pursue the matter. Given her statement, the charge against Steele was dismissed. The defendant was, however, remanded to pris-

Remanded: Kurt Steele

on on the other charge.

The 23-year-old will make his next court appearance on May 24.

In 2018, Steele was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and fined $30,000 on a ganja trafficking charge.

The charge stated that on May 4, 2018, at Broad Street, Charlestown, he had 453 grammes of cannabis in his possession for the purpose of trafficking. He pleaded guilty to the charge.

On the day in question, Police ranks were on patrol when they saw Steele riding a bicycle while holding a black plastic bag. He was stopped by the patrol and a search was carried out on him. A quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems, suspected to be cannabis was found in the black plastic bag. (G1)

15 Clearing of mangroves at Versailles an economic necessity – Edghill NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…says steel piles, flood mitigation measures will be implemented

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill showing where sea defence structures will be built

I

n the wake of criticisms against the clearing of mangroves at the Versailles-Malgre Tout, Region Three (Essequibo Island-West Demerara) shoreline, the Public Works Ministry has come out to assure that mitigation measures will be put in place to prevent flooding and any negative effects from the shore-based development.

During a press conference on Monday, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill urged the pub-

lic to consider the overriding need to bring development and jobs to Region Three. According to him, the clearing of the mangroves is necessary for TriStar Incorporated, the company at the heart of the furore, to set up its shore-based facility.

“We were campaigning for the 2020 General and Regional Elections, (saying) elect us and we will create 50,000 jobs. This is only one of the projects of the several that will come on board that

will provide job creation.

This project, at both the construction and operational stage, will have a minimum of about 150 jobs.”

Edghill explained that TriStar made an application that was reviewed by the Sea and River Defence Board, which is composed of technical and engineering experts. He pointed out that this Board granted its no objection to the project, having considered all the potential fallouts.

He further pointed out that the US$100 million facility would be complemented by steel piles that would be built to mitigate floods.

And according to Edghill, the clearing of the mangroves for this economic development would have no effect on Guyana’s international climate-related commitments or its reputation as a carbon sink.

“Hard structures will be built to mitigate flooding and protect that property and all the properties nearby from any flooding. So the issue is not flooding because the adequacy of hard structures is in place… development comes with changes,” the Minister further explained, adding that if Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon has legitimate concerns about the project then

The mangroves cleared from the riverbank

he should come to the table and engage in frank discussions with the Government, not be a “prophet of doom.”

Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar also spoke to the importance of the project to the Region Three economy. Indar pointed out that instead of Exxon and other oil companies outsourcing shore base jobs to Trinidad and Tobago, Guyanese could benefit and do the jobs locally.

Hypocrisy of APNU/AFC

But Indar also called out the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) for its hypocrisy, noting that the party displayed no interest in the welfare of sugar workers when it closed down estates and threw them on the

breadlines.

“I would have liked for Mr Ramjattan. I would have liked for the Opposition Leader and the rest of the gang, that when they closed the sugar estates at Wales, if they could have found the time to go and see the workers that were out of jobs down there, if they had gone there with the level of interest they went there today with, I guess they would have still been in office.”

“But they didn’t go. They have 1500-1700 families still out of work. So here is a project that came to this Ministry for a no objection.

Now when the Sea Defence Board gives its no objection, they consider a number of things (including) continuous flood management for sea defence… they don’t tell the contractor do what you

please! Our guys are on the ground, looking.”

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon, who paid a visit to the location in a speedboat alongside Alliance For Change (AFC) leader Khemraj Ramjattan, later issued a statement in which he was critical of the clearing of the mangroves.

Concerns were raised after the developer, TriStar Incorporated, cleared a large swathe of mangroves in order to establish a multi-million-dollar shore-based facility. Reports indicate that the developer cleared more mangroves than it was permitted to do, and stakeholders have since expressed concerns about the negative impacts this move could have as it relates to flooding. (G3)

Harmon getting more than Jagdeo as Opposition Leader – Speaker …disingenuous about “reduced” budget allocation …Harmon wants $8M for janitorial services, $10M for staff

Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir

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peaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir has debunked recent claims made by Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon that the budget for his office has been cut. According to Nadir, it is in fact quite the opposite as Harmon will be getting more than even his predecessor got.

In an exclusive interview with this publication, Nadir explained that the Office of Leader of the Opposition derives its sums from the parliamentary budget. He noted that Harmon had wanted $92.2 million, including $8 million for janitorial services and $10 million for his staff.

According to Nadir, the requests were untenable and the Opposition Leader got the more appropriate sum of $37 million, an increase from last year’s sum.

He noted that had the Opposition Leader’s request been granted, it would have made his office the only one with a 260 per cent increase.

“I want to make a distinction between slashing a budget and not getting what you expected. A budget is slashed if last year you got $10 million and this year, you’re getting $5 million. So, I would say unequivocally that the budget of the Opposition Leader has not been slashed. This is politics playing out.”

“The parliamentary office sends a lump sum budget to the National Assembly for approval. And that budget is approved as a lump sum and it is then allocated to the various departments including the Leader of the Opposition. There is no single vote for the leader of the Opposition’s office,” Nadir said.

But moreover, Nadir pointed out that Harmon is getting more than even then Opposition Leader and now Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo got. He noted that on average, Jagdeo received $2.4 million per month for the functioning of his office for the first eight months of last year, while Harmon received $4 million per month for the remainder.

“In 2018, the Leader of the Opposition got $34.9 million. In

was,” Nadir said.

The Speaker further pointed out that as it was, the Parliament Office was working within budgetary constraints having had its budget “On the capital side, the Leader of the Opposition requested $48 million. For Prado, for Hilux, for computers. And computers allocated in 2020. Ten air conditioning

Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon

2019, it received $37.3 million.

In 2020, you had two periods, January to August which covers eight months. $19.2 million and then you have from September to December, $16.1 million. So, in all, the Opposition Leader’s office received $35.3 million.”

“It is certainly dishonest observations. The National Assembly does not deal with the Opposition Leader’s office by itself… the Leader of the Opposition requested $92 million for the running of his office, including $22 million for local travel, $8 million for janitorial supplies for one office and over $10 million for his staff. So, you could see how inflated the request

units and so forth. But the overall capital budget for Parliament for 2021 was $65 million.”

“So, if we have to give $48 million to the Leader of the Opposition, what would be left for the rest of Parliament? So, every department budget had to be cut within reasonable requests… everyone has to be able to get a fair amount of the allocation,” Nadir said. (G3)

16 NEWS

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

UG’s IDCE introduces 6 new programmes T

he University of Guyana’s Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) has introduced six new programmes for the new academic year 2021/22.

These include BSc Computing, Information Technology and Business; Diploma in Crime and Criminology; Pre-University English Reading Skills; PreUniversity English Writing Skills; Small Business Management; and Business Plan Preparation and Writing.

This suite adds to the ten new programmes being offered by the University this academic year, which responds to the growing need for quality, affordable and relevant programmes in Guyana and the Caribbean, the University said in a statement on Monday.

The IDCE is the extra-mural arm of the University of Guyana.

The BSc in Computing, Information Technology and Business will produce graduates with broad-based computing, information technology and business-related IT skills. The Diploma in Crime and Criminology is designed for persons in the fields of law enforcement, para-legal, deeds registry, journalism and social services to enable them to function in their respective positions. It is designed to equip participants with professional competencies in the context of the local, regional, and global changes in demand for these professionals.

The Pre-University English Reading Skills is a self-study, online course intended for students who require English Language

ry and practice and will undoubtedly ensure that participants leave with abilities which are of tremendous value to all.”

Since its establishment on January 2, 1976, the Institute has delivered a menu of continuing education and personal and professional development pro-

grammes across the country.

The IDCE has branches in Georgetown, Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Linden and Bartica.

The Institute caters for a wide cross-section of persons ranging from age 16 and above. The unemployed, including out of school youths, are also given a chance to

upgrade academically or technically with the aim of creating jobs for themselves, making themselves jobready, or being able to pursue higher education.

For a full listing of entry requirements, programmes and courses being offered

by IDCE please visit https:// idce.uog.edu.gy/.

$14.5 million Kamwatta Primary School commissioned qualifications that meet the standard for entry-level into higher education studies, and who wish to increase their confidence in the use of English for academic purposes. A major goal of this course is to help students develop the skills necessary to read fluently, comprehend and critically evaluate information presented in both audio and written texts. The course is presented in both print and digital workbook formats.

Similarly, the PreUniversity English Writing Skills is a self-study, online course intended for students who require English Language qualifications that meet the standard for entry-level into higher education studies, and who wish to increase their confidence in the use of English for academic purposes.

The Small Business Management course is designed for entrepreneurs and persons desirous of acquiring the skills to manage a small business. A theoretical and practical approach is used to impart

the knowledge necessary for participants to effectively manage a small business.

Additionally, the Business Plan Preparation and Writing course is designed for small business owners, persons planning to start a new venture, and administrators and managers who require the skill to write Business Plans.

IDCE Director, Dr Jacqueline Murray said: “At the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education we do not just train persons as an end. We ensure that any training which is provided meets the personal and professional development needs of individuals and groups and imbues them the skills and competencies to execute their respective mandates.”

She added: “Engaging our stakeholders purposefully ensures that the programmes and courses which we develop and deliver are underpinned by their expressed and implied needs.

As a matter of fact, the new programmes and courses are a fusion of needs, theo-

L

Kamwatta Primary School

ocal Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall on Friday commissioned the $14.5 million Kamwatta Primary School, providing a conducive learning environment for students in the Moruca sub-district, Region One (Barima-Waini).

The renovations, which were done by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), also included the construction of a fence.

Dharamlall said the investment demonstrates the Government’s interest in enhancing the education sector, as outlined in its 2020 manifesto.

“There was once a time when Kamwatta did not have a school as many of the

older folks know that. They did not have the opportunity as the current generation have now so we are excited as a Government, to work with you to ensure that education becomes a part of your daily lives. Education is an asset from the knowledge we gather from school and life experience, this is what gives us ambition and drive us to transform our village and the country, as a whole,” he is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying.

He added that Government would continue to implement various initiatives to further enhance the education sector to accommodate the coming transformation.

It is with this hope, he urged young persons to take advantage of all opportunities made available by the Government.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley shared the Minister’s sentiments, adding that the region will see much more developments in education.

“This simple yet significant ceremony is a testimony of what the Government has in store for the country’s education sector,” he said.

The school currently accommodates 323 students.

Dharamlall said the Government has also procured a generator at a cost of $13.5 million, to supply electricity to a two-kilometre radius of the community.

Linden labourer died by drowning – PME

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post-mortem examination conducted on the body of Linden labourer Akeem Davidson has confirmed that he died by drowning.

The examination was done by Government Pathologist, Dr Nehaul Singh, at the Memorial Gardens Mortuary, Georgetown, on Monday.

His body has since been handed over to his family for burial.

The body of the 20-yearold of Retrieve, Mackenzie, Linden, was recovered from a creek at Mabura, in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) last Friday, after he went missing during a swim with a friend on Tuesday last. According to Police, at about 14:15h on

Dead: Akeem Davidson

Tuesday, Davidson and his friend Sheldon Vanaco went to bathe at the creek located about 300 metres away from their camp. The said camp is also located about

five kilometres away from the Mabura Police Outpost.

Reports are that while they were swimming, Davidson went down into the creek and did not resurface.

His friend told investigators that he shouted at him, telling him to “stop playing”, but 15 minutes elapsed and he got no response.

He then went back to camp and alerted their employer about what had transpired. They both went in search of Davidson but he was not found.

Police were later dispatched to the area in search of Davidson but the search came up empty-handed, until the discovery of his body on Friday.

NEWS

17

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 homeless after fire destroys Reliance house

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hree persons are now homeless after an early morning fire on Sunday destroyed the upper flat of their two-storey house located at Reliance Settlement, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The damaged East Canje, Berbice, Region Six home

The house went up in flames just after midnight on Sunday. At the time of the fire, the house was occupied by Omesh Persaud, his wife and their 10-month-old child.

Police said Persaud was at home with his wife and

child when he realised the house was on fire.

Persaud told this publication that he had also contacted the New Amsterdam Fire Service but by the time the firefighters arrived, the fire was already extinguished. This was af-

ter neighbours formed a bucket brigade to douse the flames.

Persaud related that he came out of the bedroom to get baby food and noticed flames on the cradle.

While an investigation is underway to deter-

mine the cause of the fire, Persaud believes it is electrical in origin.

“The firemen say it look like the TV cause it.”

He said the television was plugged in but turned off since they were in bed at the time.

“The fuse box and wiring is old – is a old system fuse box.”

Persaud, who is a sales assistant, will take his family to live with his grandmother since they cannot use the building as a home in its current state. (G4)

Cop fires warning shot as persons attempt to attack him for shutting down music

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Police Constable attached to the Reliance Police Station was on Sunday evening forced to fire a shot in the air as a group of persons attempted to attack him for shutting down their music.

Reports are that the incident occurred at about 23:30h at Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice, in Region Six

(East Berbice-Corentyne).

Police said an anonymous caller reported that motor car PMM 6773 was playing loud music to the disturbance of residents in the area.

A Police Constable responded to the report and upon arrival, he instructed the vehicle’s owner to turn off the music. The Police Constable also told the own-

er of the offence and instructed him to drive the motor car to the Reliance Police Station.

However, the vehicle’s owner turned off the music and walked into his yard where some 10 persons were gathered, consuming alcohol.

Police in a statement said that the group of persons then approached the Police

Officer, contending that the cop cannot tell the vehicle owner to drive to the station.

At this point, Police said contact was made with the anti-crime patrol and while awaiting their arrival, persons in the yard started to advance towards the officer in a “fighting posture”.

Police said the persons then began to accuse the cop

of being a thief in disguise and reportedly threatened to beat him.

Police further revealed that several attempts were made to attack the Police Constable, who continuously warned the individuals to desist.

“As they paid no heed to the warnings, the Constable then discharged a round in

the air from the Force issued .38 revolver, which kept the crowd at bay,” Police stated.

When the patrol squad arrived, the group re-entered the yard, locking the gate and shouting that no one can lock them up.

The Police retreated but the investigation into the matter is ongoing.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

Regional

Brazil’s Amazonas state braces Focus on regional integration in classrooms for another COVID surge T

Hospitals in Manaus, the capital of Brazil’s Amazonas state, ran out of oxygen and other critical supplies in January amid a surge in COVID-19 infections [File: Bruno Kelly/Reuters]

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hen Rosa Dos Anjos was admitted to a COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the Amazonian capital of Manaus for 15 days in January, she thought her fortunes could not possibly get any worse.

The 50 year old had already lost her father to the virus during a deadly first

wave of the pandemic last year – and Dos Anjos was fighting for her life as oxygen supplies ran out and the healthcare system collapsed all around her.

While she narrowly survived, her family’s struggle is far from over, as her 41-year-old brother also contracted the disease and saw his oxygen saturation levels plunge to 80 per cent in

April, the deadliest month in Brazil since the pandemic began.

“Before I was concerned for myself.

Now it’s my brother,” Dos Anjos told Al Jazeera.

The Dos Anjos family has lived through two brutal waves of the coronavirus pandemic, which have claimed more than 400,000 lives across the country – the second highest death rate in the world after the United States.

While public health data shows 11 of Brazil’s 27 states registered stable infection and death figures last week, in Amazonas state COVID-19 cases have begun to accelerate. Data from health research institute Fiocruz’s InfoGripe and the Amazonas health secretary showed infection rates increased by 42.3 per cent in the last week of April after cases climbed for two consecutive weeks.

Health experts now warn that complacency and a slow vaccine roll-out may spell disaster – and that another surge could be imminent. That would be especially devastating in Amazonas state, which is at the height of its respiratory disease season and where the highly contagious P.1 coronavirus variant was first detected before it became the country’s dominant strain. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

he teaching of regional integration and the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Single Market and Economy (CSME) started in classrooms on Monday as part of an initiative by the Caricom Secretariat.

The initiative started with a lesson taught virtually by Eletha StewartJohnson – a teacher in Social Studies and History at Queen’s College – to students at the Ladyville Technical High School in Belize.

The lesson began at 10:30h Belize time and focused on an introduction to Caricom.

The students in Belize participated with their lecturer, Abdiel Medina who is a teacher in Social Studies.

Students from both classes in Guyana and Belize also engaged each other throughout the lesson which was taught online.

Medina will then teach Stewart-Johnson’s class on May 17 via the online platform and complete the

topic of an introduction to Caricom.

According to the Secretariat, a total of four teachers, two from Guyana and two from Belize are paired to teach each other’s classes during the month of May .

The other pair of teachers are Stefphoney Grinage of Sacred Heart College in Belize and Albert Inshanally of Queen’s College in Guyana who will teach lessons from another Caricom topic later this month.

The Ministries responsible for Education and Trade and the participating schools in Belize and Guyana have been supportive of the novel project.

“This online pilot is a precursor to a proposed activity for teacher exchanges, where they would travel and be attached to classrooms across Caricom to observe and share experiences in the host Member State,” said the Secretariat in a statement. (Excerpt from CMC)

US lawyer who sued Chevron over Sandals to employ 500 Vincentians Ecuador pollution faces charges in fast-tracked recruitment drive

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disbarred American lawyer who spent more than two decades battling Chevron Corp over pollution in the Ecuadorian rainforest attempted on Monday to fend off criminal contempt charges stemming from a lawsuit against him by the energy company.

Steven Donziger is on trial in federal court in New York City in the United States for failing to turn over his computer, phones and other electronic devices and refusing court orders to surrender his passport in the civil case brought by Chevron.

In an opening statement, prosecuting lawyer Rita Glavin said that Donziger had consciously chosen to disobey court orders to turn over his devices and documents.

“Choices have consequences,” she said.

Martin Garbus, arguing for Donziger, painted a different picture, saying the court had not initially been clear about what it wanted the lawyer to hand over.

The case is the latest twist in a long-running battle stemming from Donziger’s representation of villagers in Ecuador’s Lago Agrio region who sought to

hold Chevron liable for water and soil contamination in the jungle between 1964 and 1992.

Chevron has said Texaco, which was acquired by Chevron, cleaned up the pollution, and that state-owned Petroecuador was mainly responsible for the contamination.

In 2011, Donziger won a US$9.5 billion judgement against Chevron in an Ecuadorian court. Later that year, the US company sued Donziger in Manhattan federal court, claiming he and his associates pressured the presiding judge in Ecuador.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

S

andals Resorts International (SRI) says it will employ 500 Vincentians when the company begins its recruitment drive in the next few weeks for a planned Beaches Resort on that island, which has been hard hit by explosive eruptions at La Soufrière volcano.

“In light of the displacement many are experiencing due to the volcanic eruption, we are fast-tracking our plans for employment and training opportunities,” a company news release quoted Executive Chairman Adam Stewart as saying.

“We are committed to sup-

Venezuela needs US$58B to restore pre-Chávez crude output levels

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enezuelan State oil company PDVSA would need US$58 billion in investment to revive its crude production to the levels of 1998 before late President Hugo Chávez came to power, equivalent to 3.4 million barrels per day (bpd), a document seen by the Reuters news agency shows.

In the February 2021 document entitled, “Investment Opportunities”, Petroleos de Venezuela’s planning and engineering division said it was seeking capital investment from Venezuelan and foreign partners, mostly to recover and upgrade oil production infrastructure “under new business models”.

The main new partnership model PDVSA detailed in the document was the use

PDVSA also estimated that US$7.65 billion is needed for reviving pipelines, projects for gas injection to oilfields, terminals and refineries that are idled or underperforming owing to lack of maintenance

of production services agreements (ASPs).

Under these deals, contractors would finance 100 per cent of operations in the oilfields and in return would receive a portion of the project’s free cash flow as pay-

ment. The Venezuelan State would remain the full owner of the fields and the associated infrastructure.

The crisis-stricken South American nation produced just 578,000 bpd of crude in March, according to figures

the country provided to the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), well below the 2021 goal set in the document of 1.28 million bpd.

The proposal comes as President Nicolás Maduro is seeking to mend ties with the Private Sector to attract investment to rebuild the OPEC nation’s collapsing economy, in a reversal of tightening state control under Chávez’s socialist model.

The Venezuelan oil industry’s top three goals, according to the document, are to “stabilise and recover crude and gas output” ,“restore reliability, safety and quality of operations,” and “fully supply the domestic market with fuels”. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

porting the people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, especially during these challenging times, and we remain even more committed to delivering on this exciting Beaches project,” stated Stewart, who is also Executive Chairman of Jamaica Observer.

Last year, Sandals announced plans to bring its Beaches brand to St Vincent, a move which promises expansive economic growth for the Eastern Caribbean island. According to Stewart, the recruitment drive ahead of the resort’s opening represents only the first move towards fulfilling this promise.

“Increased employment, which will continue throughout construction and beyond, is only one aspect of the mas-

sive economic footprint the Beaches brand will bring to St Vincent and the Grenadines,” Stewart said. “The economic benefits will be significant — from increased airlift benefiting all surrounding islands, to direct and indirect linkages to critical sectors such as transportation, tours and excursions, agriculture and manufacturing.”

Sandals said the upcoming recruitment drive is a manifestation of its continued commitment to providing Caribbean nationals with training and employment opportunities across the region under its Team Member Exchange Programme.

(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

Trinidad: Police search for Venezuelan teens missing from Woodbrook

T

he Police are calling on the public to help them find two Venezuelan girls who were reported missing on Monday morning.

A post on the Police Facebook page said the girls, Rosa Del Carmen Torres

Rodriguez and Briexs Emilla Mota Garcia, both 17, were last seen at the Mary Care Centre, Woodbrook.

The centre’s management reported them missing to Woodbrook Police around 08:00h. (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS US pump prices head for highest since 2014 as hacked fuel pipeline shut

U

S gasoline prices at the pump jumped 6 cents in the latest week, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), and could soon be headed for the highest level since 2014 due to a cyberattack that shut down the country's biggest fuel pipeline system.

Average US pump prices increased 6 cents per gallon in the latest week to US$2.967 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, the AAA said. An increase of 3 more cents would make the national average the most expensive since November 2014.

That prospect had US motorists and small businesses worried about the hit to their wallets. A ransomware attack forced Colonial Pipeline to shut down its system on Friday in an outage expected to last a full week or more.

On Monday, Colonial said it expects to "substantially" restore operational service by the end of this week. Still, some drivers on the East Coast were filling tanks as a precaution as gasoline demand picks up ahead of summer vacation season, and as more people are vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Colonial network ships more than 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from the Gulf Coast to populous southeastern and northeastern states, making up nearly a half of US East Coast fuel supply.

The Southeast should feel the squeeze first. Areas including Mississippi, Tennessee and the East Coast from Georgia into Delaware are likely to feel pain at the pump with prices rising 3 to 7 cents this week, said AAA spokeswoman Jeanette McGee. Parts of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee rely on the line for fuel, and some suffered acute localised shortages and spikes in prices at the pump during previous shutdowns.

Experts urged drivers to avoid panic buying.

"Motorists are well advised not to strain the system by filling up ... they may make the problem much more severe," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at fuel tracking firm GasBuddy.

On Sunday, the US Department of Transportation issued waivers in 17 states that would allow truckers hauling fuel to work longer hours. (Excerpt from Reuters)

US reverses Trump policy, restores LGBTQ healthcare protections

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he United States will protect gay and transgender people against sex discrimination in healthcare, the Biden Administration announced on Monday, reversing a Trump-era policy that sought to narrow the scope of legal rights in sensitive situations involving medical care.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the action restores protections under a provision of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, against sexual discrimination in healthcare.

“It simply says what everyone already should know: You should not discriminate against people,” Becerra told CNN. “That includes those based on sexual orientation or gender identity and when

LGBTQ activists and supporters rally outside the US Supreme Court as it hears arguments on whether a federal anti-discrimination law that bans workplace discrimination on the basis of sex covers gay and transgender employees in Washington, US [Jonathan Ernst/ Reuters]

it comes to healthcare – we want to make sure that’s the case.”

The new policy represents a reversal of a reversal. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Trump in June 2020 is-

sued a rule that lifted some anti-discrimination protections under Obamacare, a law signed by former President Barack Obama in 2010.

In 2016, the Obama Administration intro-

duced rules that made clear that LGBTQ people would be protected under the federal healthcare discrimination provision. The Trumpera rule reversed those provisions of the law that extended civil rights protections in healthcare to cover areas including gender identity and abortion.

“So now it’s clear, there’s no ambiguity: You cannot discriminate against people based on sexual orientation or gender identity,” Becerra added.

The Supreme Court last year delivered a watershed victory for LGBTQ rights and a defeat for Trump’s Administration, ruling that a longstanding federal law barring workplace discrimination protects gay and transgender employees. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

AstraZeneca reaches vaccine shipping milestone as EU sues again

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straZeneca Plc has delivered 50 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine to European Union countries, according to EU supply data, a milestone the company had originally been expected to hit in January.

The volumes delivered make up just one-sixth of total commitments so far, and the European Commission is set to launch a second

legal case today against AstraZeneca over delayed deliveries, a spokesman for the EU executive said on Monday.

Repeated cuts to supplies, which contributed to delays in the EU’s vaccination drive, pushed the EU Commission to sue the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker in late April in a bid to get more doses by mid-year.

AstraZeneca had shipped nearly 50 million doses as of May 7, an EU official told Reuters on Monday, citing the latest EU internal fig-

ures on vaccine supplies.

In mid-March, the company had pledged to deliver 50.2 million doses to the EU by the end of April, an AstraZeneca document seen

by Reuters showed.

But AstraZeneca had shipped only 47.6 million doses by April 30, a spokesman for the company said, adding that other doses were sent over the first weekend of May and in the following days, "following requests to not ship to a few countries that had public holidays during this pe-

riod".

Immediately after the EU sued the company, AstraZeneca issued a statement on April 26 saying it would deliver "almost 50 million doses to European countries by the end of April".

Citing production problems and export restrictions, AstraZeneca in March said it would deliver to the EU only 100 million doses by the end of June. It delivered 30 million in total by the end of March. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Pakistani general reiterates support for Afghan peace Jerusalem violence: Deadly air process as violence surges strikes hit Gaza after rocket attacks

T

he Pakistani army chief offered Islamabad's support for the Afghanistan peace process in a meeting with President Ashraf Ghania in Kabul on Monday amid growing violence as the United States withdraws its troops.

Britain's chief of defence staff also attended the meeting.

Pakistan is a key player in moves to resolve the conflict between the Westernbacked Government and the Taliban insurgents.

In the past, Islamabad has been accused of harbouring the Taliban but in recent years Washington and other Western powers have acknowledged its efforts to push the militant group to take part in peace talks.

Pakistani Army Chief of Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa reiterated to Ghania that "a peaceful Afghanistan means a peaceful region in general and a peaceful Pakistan in partic-

I

Pakistan's Army Chief of Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa arrives to attend the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 23, 2017

ular," a Pakistani military statement said.

General Bajwa was accompanied by British Chief of Defence Staff General Nicholas Patrick Carter.

Britain still has troops in Afghanistan in a war that started with the overthrow of a Taliban Government following the 2001 attacks

by Islamist militants in the United States.

In recent weeks, Pakistan has been negotiating with the insurgents to try to get

them to commit to a ceasefire, Taliban and diplomatic sources have told Reuters.

Pakistan is also trying to persuade them to agree to an extension of the USTaliban agreement which stipulated US and other foreign forces should withdraw

by May and to continue to take part in planned peace talks in Turkey.

But violence has risen starkly in recent weeks as the US forces pull out.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

srael has launched air strikes against militant targets in the Gaza Strip, after rockets were fired from the territory towards Jerusalem.

The Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said 20 people, including children, had died in the strikes.

In Jerusalem, the rocket fire caused Israel's Parliament to be evacuated as sirens sounded.

Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians spiralled in recent days.

Gaza's Hamas rulers had threatened to strike after hundreds of Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli Police in Jerusalem on Monday.

Israel said it had killed at least three Hamas militants.

Hamas sources told the BBC a commander of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Abdullah Fayyad, had been killed.

The Israeli military has conducted air strikes in the Gaza Strip

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas had "crossed a red line" and that Israel would respond "with great force".

The past few days have seen the worst violence in Jerusalem for years, with more than 300 Palestinians wounded in confrontations with Israeli police outside the al-Aqsa mosque on Monday.

A planned march by Israeli nationalists which was due to pass through Muslim areas of East Jerusalem's Old City was called off over fears

it could stoke unrest.

The latest violence follows days of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police in the nearby Sheikh Jarrah district of East Jerusalem, with the possible eviction of Palestinian families from their homes there

by Jewish settlers a focal point for Palestinian anger.

Israel's Supreme Court had been due to hold a hearing in the long-running case on Monday, but the session was postponed because of the trouble. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

Pay closer attention to what's going on around you.

Consider the best way to use your skills. Collaborate with people who share your vision. Make personal improvements and lifestyle changes.

TAURUS

A change of plans will turn out to be in your favor.

(April 20May 20) Take the plunge and work to make your life better. Figure out how to improve your qualifications to raise your earning potential.

DILBERT

GEMINI

Distance yourself from obsessive or indulgent individ(May 21June 20) uals. Focus on what you want to achieve, and don't stop until you are happy with the results. Honor your promises.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

You'll receive help if you ask for it. Share your ideas with someone who can help you implement them. An investment or joint venture looks promising, as long as you don't go over budget.

Emotions will escalate LEO quickly. Avoid making rash de(July 23cisions without thinking matAug. 22) ters through. Take a step back and rethink what's transpired before you do something you'll regret.

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

You'll pick up valuable information that will change the way you do things. Let your intuition be your guide when dealing with someone or something that concerns you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Focus on learning. Live within your means while working to stabilize your personal or professional life. Selfimprovement and diversifying what you have to offer will pay off.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Uncertainty will mess with your mind. Keep the big picture in mind. You have more going for you than you realize. Put together a plan, use your charm and make things happen.

Put more time and effort SAGITTARIUS into your relationships, and (Nov. 23share your intentions openDec. 21) ly and honestly. Confront anyone who is causing confusion or sending mixed messages.

Nothing is out of reach.

CAPRICORN Channel your energy into (Dec. 22making lifestyle adjustments.

Jan. 19)

You can clear up an emotional situation if you address issues head-on.

YESTERDAY'S WORD - CROUPIER

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

Don't make assumptions if you don't want to be disappointed. A change someone makes will leave you wondering what to do next.

Don't dwell on what you can't change.

Listen and observe.

Concentrate on fulfilling your (Feb. 20responsibilities and mainMarch 20) taining financial and emotional stability. Take better care of your health and well-being.

Avoid risky situations.

PISCES

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

21

LeBron-less Lakers issue reminder as Davis' 42-point double-double sinks Suns A

nthony Davis went off for a dominant double-double as embattled NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers upstaged the high-flying Phoenix Suns 123-110.

Eyeing back-to-back titles this season, the Lakers have instead been left battling to reach the playoffs owing to injuries, which have derailed their campaign – superstar LeBron James (ankle) is sidelined while Davis already missed a large portion of the campaign.

But the Lakers issued a reminder of their quality as Davis posted 42 points and 12 rebounds to stun Western Conference rivals the Suns in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Davis also had five assists, three steals, and three blocks to help the Lakers – currently seventh and in the play-in position – move back within a game of the sixth seed in the west, which guarantees a postseason berth.

It marked the seventh time in Davis' career that he had 40 points, three blocks and three steals in a game.

According to Stats Perform, in the last 35 years, the only player to have more such games is Hall of Famer Michael Jordan (14).

Cameron Payne (24 points); Devin Booker (21 points) and Chris Paul (13 points and 10 assists) led the beaten Suns.

Rozier’s 43 not enough as Hornets go down, Knicks snap Staples skid

A career-high 43 points from Terry Rozier was not enough as the Charlotte Hornets went down 112-110 to the New Orleans Pelicans. Eric Bledsoe's 24 points and 11 assists fuelled the shorthanded Pelicans, who kept their play-in hopes alive in the absence of Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. In a battle between the Ball brothers, Hornets rookie sensation LaMelo had 22 points and five assists, while New Orleans' Lonzo finished with 12 points and six assists.

The New York Knicks

ended a run of eight consecutive losses at Staples Center, where they upstaged the Los Angeles Clippers 106100. Derrick Rose scored 25 points off the bench for the Knicks.

Jimmy Butler's 26 points and 11 assists inspired the Miami Heat's 130-124 victory at the Boston Celtics. Fellow starters Duncan Robinson (22 points); Bam Adebayo (20 points); Trevor Ariza (19 points) and Kendrick Nunn (12 points) also contributed. Evan Fournier (30 points) and Jayson Tatum

Briana Williams happy with her day's work at USATF Golden Games

B

riana Williams is very satisfied with her outing at the USATF Golden Games in California on Sunday.

The 19-year-old rising star ran a season-best 11.09 in the preliminaries of the 100 metres and then came back to ruin 11.15 to finish third in the final that was won by the outstanding American Sha Carri Richardson, who clocked 10.77, her third time under 10.8 in as many races this season.

With tired legs, Williams then ran the 200m finishing eighth in 22.96 in the race won by American Gabby Thomas in 22.12, the second-fastest time in the world this year. Allyson Felix ran 22.26 for second place in her season-opener.

Afterwards, Williams let her fans know how she felt about the day’s work.

“What a great day.

Feeling like myself again,”

(29 points) starred for the Celtics.

Doncic ejected in Mavs win

Luka Doncic's outing did not go according to plan.

While the Dallas Mavericks went on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-97, Doncic (15 points) was ejected early in the third period. The Mavericks star received a fla-

around an early-year injury.”

Williams has had a limited number of outings this season. She opened up outdoors with an 11.28 100m at the USATF Grand Prix in Eugene, Oregon on April 24. On that occasion, she just missed out on advancing to the final of the 100m that was won by Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare in a season-best 10.97. (Sportsmax)

all three of his three-pointers.

Green with authority!

Javonte Green went flying against the Detroit Pistons. In the second quarter of the Chicago Bulls' 10896 victory, Green knocked down a thunderous slam.

Sunday's results

Miami Heat 130-124 Boston Celtics New York Knicks 106100 Los Angeles Clippers New Orleans Pelicans 112-110 Charlotte Hornets Dallas Mavericks 124-97 Cleveland Cavaliers Minnesota Timberwolves 128-96 Orlando Magic Chicago Bulls 108-96 Detroit Pistons Sacramento Kings 126-98 Oklahoma City Thunder Los Angeles Lakers 123-110 Phoenix Suns (Sportsmax)

Champions League final: UEFA to decide whether to switch game to Wembley

U

she posted on Facebook.

“Coach challenged me to run three races in two hours and it went (mostly) well.

“100m heats – an easing-up 11.09 one of my fastest-ever times in just 100m race number two since 2019.

100m final – third place 11.15 into a headwind. 200m final – (22.96w and dead last no legs left ?) but the work was necessary after no indoor season and working

grant-two foul for striking Collin Sexton in the groin area. Mavericks team-mate Dorian Finney-Smith, meanwhile, was two-for-10 shooting – missing all six of his three-point attempts – for four points in 22 minutes.

The Orlando Magic were humbled 12896 by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Orlando struggled from threepoint range, making just nine of their 36 attempts (25 per cent).

Paul George put up 18 points for the Clippers, but he was far from efficient.

In 41 minutes of action, the Clippers star was eightfor-20 shooting, while he nailed just two of his nine efforts from beyond the arc.

Team-mate Marcus Morris Sr (seven points) was two-fornine shooting, having missed

EFA is set to decide by Wednesday whether to switch the Champions League final to Wembley from Istanbul because of travel restrictions.

European football's governing body was scheduled to meet with UK Government officials and the Football Association on Monday to discuss options for the final.

Chelsea face Manchester City in the final on May 29.

But fans have been told not to travel after Turkey was put on England's travel red list.

There is a fixture issue to resolve, as Wembley is scheduled to stage the Championship play-off final on May 29. However, it is understood the English Football League (EFL) would consider moving the match if asked by

UEFA, and its Board would make the final call.

UK citizens returning from red-list countries are required to quarantine at a Government-approved hotel for 10 days.

Such a quarantine would have an impact on players involved in Euro 2020, which starts on June 11.

Moving the final to Wembley would require the UK Government to be flexible in allowing people into England, given the various stakeholders who would expect to attend.

It is understood one of the issues under consideration is possible quarantine exemptions, but no decisions have yet been made.

On Friday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said COVID-19 red list countries

"should not be visited except in the most extreme circumstances".

He added that the Government was open to hosting the game in the UK. UEFA had hoped to give both clubs a minimum of 4000 tickets each for the game at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium.

Schapps said that the Football Association was in talks with UEFA about switching the game, but that it was "ultimately a decision for UEFA".

Chelsea Supporters Trust has said it will meet UEFA and will request that the final is moved to the UK, while Manchester City fan groups have said they will be renewing their calls to move the game from Istanbul. (BBC Sport)

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

The IPL 2021 team of the tournament (so far) Pollard named Captain

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here were a number of great performers in the 29 games that were played in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which was paused owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here is ESPNcricinfo's staffers' team of the tournament (thus far)

1. Shikhar Dhawan (380 runs, ave 54.28, three fifties) Dhawan returned home with the Orange Cap for the most runs. He began the season with a match-winning 54-ball 85 against the Chennai Super Kings. Then against Punjab Kings, he walloped 92 in 49 balls as he married precision with power in equal measure and followed it up with an unbeaten 69 to anchor a second win against the same side. In between, he notched up two more forties. Dhawan also hit the most fours (43) this season.

2. Prithvi Shaw (308 runs, strike rate 166.48, three fifties) After a forgettable IPL 2020, all eyes were on Shaw this season after superb white-ball performances in domestic cricket. He mauled a 38-ball 72 against the Super Kings. Then against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he played a patient 39-ball 53 on a two-paced surface.

And against Kolkata Knight Riders, his 41-ball 82 was set up by the first over against Shivam Mavi where he hit his Under-19 World Cup batch-mate for six fours in an over. Shaw pipped Faf du Plessis to the second opener's spot after a 7-5 vote by the jury.

3. Moeen Ali (206 runs, strike rate 157.25, 5 wickets) The Super Kings' 2021 auction recruit took the number three spot and helped his side change gears with his cameos. He also hit a fifty against the Mumbai Indians in a high-scoring contest. His aggressive shot selection helped the wellequipped Super Kings middle order to carry the momentum and helped them

post scores of 220, 218, 191, 188, and 188. With the ball, he was used almost always against left-handers alone, and his best performance was a 3 for 7 against the Rajasthan Royals.

against the Knight Riders helped set up an unlikely win. His 3 for 19 against the Sunrisers bowled them out for 137. And his 2 for 33 put the brakes on the rampaging Royals opening stand, as he dismissed Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal in quick succession. With other Indian wristspinners struggling in the tournament, Chahar's IPL performances have made him a frontrunner for a starting spot in India's T20I team.

4. Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper) (277 runs, strike rate 145.78, 1 hundred) Samson lit the tournament up early with a brilliant century, in a loss against the Punjab Kings. His 119 (12 fours and seven sixes) nearly took the Royals over the line as he failed to deposit a six off the final ball of the match in a chase of 222. Then came a string of low scores for the side's Captain, but his return to form with scores of 42*, 42, and 48 in his last three games was interrupted by the tournament's postponement. He is also the wicketkeeper of our side.

5. AB de Villiers (207 runs, strike rate 164.28, average 51.75, 2 fifties) Although de Villiers did not play any cricket since IPL 2020, there was no rustiness in his batting. His 27ball 48 against Mumbai ensured the Royal Challengers Bangalore started the tournament with a win. Then came his unbeaten 34-ball 76 in an afternoon game against the Knight Riders where he hit Andre Russell to all parts in the death overs and followed it up with the 42-ball 75 against the Capitals. He helped the Royal Challengers win the game by a run, as he went after Kagiso Rabada and Marcus Stoinis in particular. It was de Villiers' first time batting a whole season at number give, and he aced the challenge with flying colours.

6. Kieron Pollard (Captain) (168 runs, strike rate 171.42, average 56.00, 3 wickets) After hitting just 12 runs in his first two games, Pollard returned to form when he creamed three sixes in a 22-ball 35 against the Sunrisers and followed it up with a two-over spell at an

economy of only five. Pollard saved his best for the blockbuster against the Super Kings. He dismissed du Plessis and Suresh Raina, going for only 12 in two overs in a game where both teams scored over 200. With Mumbai's backs against the wall in the chase, he masterminded a counterattack by smashing 87 at a strike-rate of 255.88 to chase down 219 off the game's last ball. The jury also picked Pollard as the team's Captain, over the only other option Samson.

7. Ravindra Jadeja (131 runs, strike rate 161.72. six wickets, economy 6.70) In his six outings, Jadeja was out only once, and played the role of the finisher so well that he came out to bat ahead of MS Dhoni and Sam Curran on most occasions. Although his unbeaten knocks of 26 and 22 against the Capitals and Mumbai came in the Super Kings' only two losses, he produced one of the best allround performances in IPL history against the Royal Challengers. He first destroyed the 20th over from Harshal Patel to extract 37 runs from it to finish on a 28ball 64. He then followed it

up with a three-for that included the wickets of Glenn Maxwell and de Villiers. And to top it off, he also effected a direct-hit run-out in the same game.

8. Rashid Khan (10 wickets, average 17.20, economy 6.14) One of the few bright spots in a disappointing season for the Sunrisers, Rashid was the second-highest wicket-taker among spinners and had the best economy of all those who delivered 12 or more overs. The quality of his wickets is even more remarkable: Shubman Gill and Russell against the Knight Riders. Gayle against Punjab, de Villiers against the Royal Challengers, Dhawan against Capitals and Ruturaj Gaikwad, du Plessis and Moeen against the Super Kings. He also bowled a Super Over against the Capitals, and nearly defended a target of 8.

9. Rahul Chahar (11 wickets, average 18.36, strike rate 15.2) Chahar was the best spinner in the tournament.

Whenever Mumbai needed a breakthrough, they turned to Chahar, and he almost always delivered. His four-for

10. Avesh Khan (14 wickets, average 16.50, strike rate 12.8) Avesh Khan 2.0, a leaner, fitter version of his past self was so successful for the Capitals that he was preferred ahead of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav.

He bowled the difficult transitionary overs between the powerplays and also at the death. He took a wicket in all eight games with two threefors. His ability to get seam movement with the hard ball and execute yorkers with the older ball made him the player with the most impact points per match average in the whole season, according to ESPNcricinfo's Smart Stats. Khan's consistent performances also helped him get a call-up as a standby for India's red-ball tour of England next month.

11. Jasprit Bumrah (6 wickets, economy 7.11) The wickets may have dried up for Bumrah, but the impact has not. And that's because he is now usually reserved for the back end of the innings where the economy is more impact than wickets. Bumrah's performance this season gave batsmen a big dilemma. Because if they tried to attack him, they would get out. And if they did not, they would allow the required run-rate to balloon. Either way, Bumrah was king when he had the ball with his wide yorkers and back-of-length balls that awkwardly angle into the batter, or the yorker around leg stump. The way Trent Boult and Bumrah hunted as a pair was a sight to behold. (ESPNcricinfo)

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Piyush Chawla's father dies of post-COVID-19 complications P

Piyush Chawla

iyush Chawla's father, Pramod Kumar Chawla, died on Monday. He had recovered from a bout of COVID-19, but as Chawla, the former India legspinner, said in a post on Instagram, Pramod had been suffering from post-COVID-19 complications.

Families of more than one cricketer have been affected by COVID-19. While MS Dhoni's parents had

to be hospitalised during the course of the Indian Premier League (IPL), and Veda Krishnamurthy has lost both her mother and sister to the virus, Chetan Sakariya, one of the success stories of IPL 2021, lost his father on Sunday.

The 2021 IPL was called off on May 4 after a spate of positive COVID-19 cases in a number of franchises. Since then, the teams have disbanded, with most overseas cricketers having headed back home. Among the ones still in India are Mike Hussey, the Super Kings Batting Coach, and Tim Seifert, the Knight Riders wicketkeeper-batter, who are both being treated for COVID-19 in a hospital in Chennai.

Legspinner Chawla, 32, is a veteran of the game, having started his First Class and List A ca-

reer in 2005, and has played three Tests, 25 OneDay Internationals (ODIs) and seven T20Is over the years, and was part of the trophy-winning India squads at both the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. He was part of the Mumbai Indians squad at IPL 2021, which was postponed indefinitely last week because of the worsening COVID-19 situation, but didn't get into the first XI in any of their matches. The Mumbai Indians are Chawla's fourth IPL team – he earlier represented the Knight Riders, the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), and the Chennai Super Kings, and is the joint third highest wicket-taker in the competition overall: his 156 wickets are only behind Lasith Malinga (170) and Amit Mishra (166), and the same as Dwayne Bravo's haul. (ESPNcricinfo)

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TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2021 Novices Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition 2021 and Mr Linden Classic

23

Bess grateful for support of main sponsor Fitness Express

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he Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GBBFF) will be hosting the 2021 Novices Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition and Mr Linden Classic on May 29, 2021 at the Lichas Hall, Linden. The virtual event will be live-streamed on all popular social media networks.

GBBFF President Keavon Bess said he was grateful that Fitness Express has now come on board as a major sponsor.

In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, Bess noted that the Federation was always happy to have Fitness Express on board as it has been with

Athletes will be itching for action

Fulham relegated from Premier League after defeat by Burnley

the sport for quite a number of years.

"They have been with us since I became President in 2012. Even prior to that, they have been supporting body building and strength sports in Guyana, so we are happy to have a continuous relationship with them. We are also happy that they have come on board to be our main sponsor for Novice

2021, especially in light of the pandemic we are having. A lot of sponsors are not to mind full of sponsoring sport activities, but Mr Jamie McDonald, they would have continued to throw their support behind us and we are very grateful for that."

Bess went on to add that he expected a competitive contest. He related that the GBBFF has seen quite a number of athletes and their bodies and has an idea of what is to be expected on stage. Hence, the Federation is putting the final touches on the competition as it gears up to host a grand event with all COVID-19 measures in place.

On the night of the competition, there will be about 25 athletes competing in the three different segments of the first competition – Bodybuilding, Bikini and Men’s Physique.

Some of the athletes who have already signed up to compete are Mahendra Andy Ramjit, Quamie Ezra July, Shaquan

Emmanuel Caleb, Gail Karim, Alexander Correia, Yusuf Khan, Denroy Ross, Leson Quince Jones, Joel Ramnauth, Michael Cockfield, Mohamed Kaliel Razack, and Michael Sampson.

The GBBFF has collaborated with Fitness Express to present the hardworking athletes, the bodybuilding and fitness fraternity, and the entire Guyana with the May 29 event, its first bodybuilding and fitness competition for 2021. The competition is to celebrate life, health, and fitness while promoting healthy lifestyles and healthy living.

Athletes, backstage personnel, and the executive members of the GBBFF have undertaken to observe all COVID-19 protocols. While on stage athletes would be required to stand six feet apart and while backstage, they will be required to wear their masks and to maintain the mandatory physical distance. Judges will be seated six feet from each other and will also be required to wear masks.

“You need to find balance” – Ambrose

…players should not abandon West Indies cricket in quest for financial security

S Ashley Westwood scored his seventh Premier League goal since joining Burnley in 2017

F

ulham were relegated from the Premier League after a defeat by Burnley that saw the Clarets secure their topflight status for another season.

For the first time in the Premier League era, all the relegation places have been confirmed with three games to go, with the Cottagers joining Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion as the clubs to drop into the Championship.

The damage was done before the break as Burnley struck twice in the final 10 minutes of the first half at Craven Cottage.

First, the Clarets hit their hosts on the counter-attack as Matej Vydra showed neat footwork before picking out Ashley Westwood to roll the ball into an empty net.

Chris Wood then lashed in a second from the edge of the area to score his 50th goal for Burnley and consign Fulham to the drop.

It leaves Scott Parker’s side 10 points from safety with three games remaining and heading back to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Burnley, who will play Premier League football for the sixth successive season, climb to 14th in the table.

Cottagers head straight back down

Fulham still have three games to play as a Premier League team, but the Cottagers will already have to start thinking about how they plot a return to the top flight of English football.

In Parker, they have a manager who has already achieved the feat, guiding his side to promotion via the play-offs last season after they were relegated the previous year.

The problem for Parker and Fulham is that some of his top performers this season, those that would certainly stand out in the Championship, are only at the club on loan.

In fact, four loan players started against Burnley, with another two coming off the bench.

Ademola Lookman was one and the former Everton winger looked the most likely to make something happen for the hosts while another, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, made several fine saves before Burnley’s opener.

Parker has been praised for his side’s style of play and, of the three sides to go down, the Cottagers may feel the most unfortunate after a number of narrow de-

feats and impressive victories away at Liverpool, Everton, and Leicester City.

But they have lacked both consistency and especially a serious goal threat, scoring just 25 times in 35 games – with only Sheffield United hitting the target fewer times this season.

Parker sought to fix that on Monday by turning to Aleksandar Mitrovic – who scored 26 goals in Fulham’s promotion campaign – but the forward was unable to add to his three goals this season in what was only his fifth league start since the turn of the year.

The hosts did show fight in the second half and AndreFrank Zambo Anguissa was unfortunate to see his effort bounce on the goalline and away after rattling the crossbar.

But Parker’s side were unable to break down Burnley as they drew another blank, having scored just nine times at home in the league this season.

Having clawed their way back to a position where they were level with 17thplaced Brighton after that win at Anfield, Fulham’s relegation comes after taking just one point in the seven games since then. (BBC Sport)

ir Curtly Ambrose said while he fully endorsed regional players plying their trade across the world to secure their financial futures, he believed those players should equally make themselves available to play for the West Indies.

There have been several instances in the past few years where players have declined invitations to represent the West Indies, but then jetted off to destinations across the globe to play in T20 tournaments.

The issue was brought into sharp focus recently when several West Indies players declined to tour Bangladesh citing the pandemic and their related safety concerns. However, some of those players later went on to play for T20 franchises in countries that were also experiencing spikes in the number of COVID-19 infections.

During an interview on Talk Sports Live with Michael Bascombe on Saturday, the West Indies bowling icon said the players needed to do a better job of striking a balance between playing franchise cricket and representing the West Indies.

“The game has evolved.

There is a lot more cricket being played now and

many different T20 tournaments around the globe and there’s lots more money as well, so guys are going to go where the money is and I have no issues with that,” Ambrose said.

“A cricket career can be a very short one: once you have injury, it could be all over for you, so with guys going around plying their trade with different franchises making money to set themselves up financially, I have no issues with it.

“However, I think it needs to strike a balance somewhere, because most of these guys who are playing their trade around the world, it’s because they played for the West Indies team why people saw them and gave them contracts.

So, for me, you need to find a balance somewhere where you can give back to West Indies cricket. You need to give back to West Indies cricket at some point as opposed to abandoning West Indies cricket.”

This is not the first time

that Ambrose has expressed these sentiments.

In December 2020, he publicly criticised Andre Russell, who after declining an invitation to play for the West Indies against New Zealand later went to play in the Sri Lanka Premier League T20 tournament.

Chief selector Roger Harper told media that Russell declined the West Indies invitation citing the need to clear his mind after being in quarantine lockdown for both the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in Trinidad and Tobago where he played for the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise and then, the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Abu Dhabi where he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Ambrose poured cold water on the explanation.

“Because he wants to clear his head for a while to get his mind together, I have no problem with that, because cricket is a high-pressure game,” he said.

“So, if you want to clear your head for a while, take your mind off cricket I have no issues with that, but if you are going to reject playing for your nation, your country, and then two weeks later you’re playing for somebody else, that to me is a no-no.” (Sportsmax)

TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021

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

Hetmyer, Pooran, Tahir tipped for GAW retention T

he H e r o Caribbean League (CPL) is and over the next teams are expected list of retained playto the May 26 date, for the CPL players’ In anticipating the list of players who will represent local franchise Guyana W a r r i o r s , Times Sport was tain some of the feature in this According to G u y a n a ’ s Hetmyer has ed for anoththe local setM a r q u e e N i c h o l a s international Tahir will stay son with the

Premier on for 2021 few weeks, to release their ers, leading up tentatively set, draft.

Shimron Hetmyer

A m a z o n G u y a n a able to ascerfaces that will year’s line-up. a team source, S h i m r o n been enlister year with up, while 2019 P l a y e r Pooran and pick Imran for another seaWarriors.

In the 2020 CPL season, where the Warriors made it semi-fiHetmyer avercumulating 267 high score of 71.

Smashing century in Pooran av27.22

first

to the nal round, aged 33.37, acruns with a his first CPL the last season, eraged a n d Nicholas e n d Pooran ed the 11-match run with 245 runs.

Tahir has been asset to GAW’s ment over games t o

a valuable bowling departthe years, playing 32 for the team from 2018 2020, while averaging 15.31 with an economy of 5.80. To date, the South African has picked up 47 wickets with best figures of 4-22.

Additionally, according to the source, there are at least four other Guyanese being retained, alongside a handful from other Caribbean territories.

The Trinbago Knight Riders were the

team to sign and retain players for the 2021 season.

TKR have agreed to trade veteran all-rounder Dwayne Bravo for Denesh Ramdin with the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots while reImran taining 12 other players last week.

Tahir The remaining teams are expected to release their lists over the next few weeks, leading up to the players’ draft. However, the GAW list is expected to come sooner rather than later.

Giving a hint of what to expect from the draft and movement of players, Hero CPL Chief Operations Officer (COO) Pete Russell hinted that there would be quite a few surprises in store.

“I can assure everyone that there’s been quite a lot of movement in terms of some of the teams during the closed season, so there’ll be one or two surprises when we come to the draft,” Russell said at the venue announcement on April 27.

The IPL 2021 team of the tournament (so far) Bess grateful for support of main sponsor Fitness Express 2021 Novices Bodybuilding and Fitness Competition 2021 and Mr Linden Classic

Pg 22

Pg 23

Collecting the sponsorship cheque from Jamie McDonald of Fitness Express, GBBFF’s main sponsor for Novices 2021

Pollard named captain

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