Guyana Times - Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Over 16,000 students to sit NGSA tomorrow P11

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

Issue No. 5060

THE BEACON OF TRUTH TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

“Don’t let us allow anybody to divide us” – PM tells Buxtonians

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

Guyana among low-lying States vulnerable to climate change – incoming Caricom P16 Chairman

See story on page 3

Thousands of acres of ECD lands to open up for distribution P7 – Croal

…says Buxton will not be left out of development plans Quindon Bacchus’s killing

Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega slapped with murder charge See story on page 9

…2 other cops facing obstruction of justice charges

3 busted with $11M worth of ganja in boat Page 10

Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega

Lance Corporal Thurston Simon

Sergeant Dameion McLennon

Berbice woman arrested with 168 ecstasy pills in home Tenders go out for gas-toshore project manager

Jury empanelled P11 as bread vendor’s murder trial begins

New PSC P17 Chair aims to improve morale of Police Force

Page 8

Page 2

…Govt seeking consultants to manage NGL, power plant construction

Fair, equitable governance system aim of Govt – AG P15 tells Buxton

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Tenders go out for gas-to-shore project manager …Govt seeking consultants to manage NGL, power plant construction

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rue to their word, the Government has gone out to tender to seek consultancy firms to submit proposals for the management of the construction of the integrated Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) plant and the 300 MW power plant, all part of the gas-to-shore project.

According to the tender, the Natural Resources Ministry is seeking a consultant who will assist the Government, represented by the Gas-to-Energy Taskforce, in designing, reviewing and supervising the construction of the project.

The consultant will also be expected to assist in the “general project management of the development of the integrated plants and contract administration throughout the project implementation process and thereafter during the defects liability period,” the Ministry explained.

The project will have an estimated duration of 42 calendar months from the date of the contract signing, with at least a 12-month defects liability period. Bidders will be required to submit a combined technical and financial proposal, by August 30, 2022.

During a press conference last month, Vice

Preliminary artist’s impression of natural gas plant (Source: EEPGL)

President Bharrat Jagdeo had revealed that the tender for the project manager would go out in a matter of weeks. Jagdeo had freely admitted that they do not possess the capacity to manage the implementation of such a project.

“We are going out to tender, in a matter of weeks, for an international project management group that will manage the contract on our behalf. To see that the quality is maintained and it comes in on budget and on time.”

“Because we don’t have that capability. Even at GPL, we had to get a foreign company to advise us.

It’s a combined cycle, steam and power plant and stuff.

Which is more stable. So, we’ll go out (thereafter) for the project management team to oversee this project on our behalf,” he had said.

The gas-to-shore project, which nine companies have already been prequalified to construct, will see the establishment of a gas processing plant (GPP) and an NGL facility. This will be capable of

producing at least 4000 barrels per day, including the separating of liquefied petroleum gas.

The other component of the project is the construction of a combined cycle power plant that will generate up to 300 megawatts (MW) of power with a net 250 MW delivered into the Guyana Power and Light grid at a sub-station located on the East Bank of the Demerara River.

The scope of the US$900 million gas-to-shore project also consists of the construc-

tion of 225 kilometres of pipeline from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil.

It was originally expected that preparation of the NGL plant site would commence in August of this year. The entire construction process will take some three years hence rich gas is expected to be delivered onshore by the end of 2024, and the NGL plant to be operational by mid-2025.

Head of the Gas-toShore Taskforce, Winston Brassington had previously explained that ExxonMobil Guyana, which is funding the pipeline aspect of the project out of cost oil, had found that there will be substantial savings from combining these two facilities. Hence, it was agreed that the power plant and the NGL plant will be done as a combined Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) process.

The gas-to-shore project, which has a 25-year lifespan, is expected to employ up to 800 workers during the peak construction stage, as well as some 40 full-time workers during the operations stage, and another 50 workers during the decom-

missioning stage.

It features approximately 220 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore that will run from the Destiny and Unity Floating, Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to onshore.

Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline will continue approximately 25 kilometres to the NGL plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.

The pipeline would be 12 inches and is expected to transport some 50 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of dry gas to the NGL plant but has the capacity to push as much 120 mmscfd.

The pipeline’s route onshore will follow the same path with the fibre optic cables and will terminate at Hermitage, part of the Wales Development Zone (WDZ) which will house the gas-to-shore project.

The Guyana Government has invited interested parties to make investments in the Wales Development Zone, which will be heavily industrialised and for which approximately 150 acres of land has been allocated.

Those lands were previously used by the Wales Sugar Estate. (G3)

NEWS

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TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Tuesday, July 5 – 22:00h – 23:30h and Wednesday, July 6 – 23:30h – 00:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Tuesday, July 5 – 07:45h – 09:15h and Wednesday, July 6 – 08:40h – 10:10h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

“Don’t let us allow anybody to divide us” – PM tells Buxtonians …says Buxton will not be left out of development plans

P

rime Minister, Retired Brigadier Mark Phillips on Monday led a ministerial outreach to the community of Buxton, East Coast Demerara, taking a new course of development and opportunities to residents.

The outreach saw scores

There will be thundery showers during the day and night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Prime Minister Phillips and Government Ministers at the Buxton outreach on Monday

Winds: West South-Westerly to West NorthWesterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 08:33h and 21:05h reaching maximum heights of 2.41 metres and 2.34 metres.

Low Tide: 14:35h reaching a minimum height of 0.81 metre.

Hundreds of persons turned up to the outreach in Buxton

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COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$114.79/barrel

-0.02

Rough Rice

$296.01/ton $553.50/ton

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$1807.00

$1808.00

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$1804.00 -0.50

$1814.60 -0.03%

Housing Ministry staff on the ground to address land concerns (Housing Ministry photo)

of persons showing up, as Government Ministers tended to age-old issues, while announcing solutions and new interventions on the spot.

The Cabinet team included Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, Attorney General Anil Nandlall; Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony; Sports Minister Charles Ramson, Housing Minster Collin Croal, Tourism Minister Oneidge Walrond, Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall and Minister at the Office of the President Kwame Mc Coy. While a sprinkling of persons chose to protest on the streets, the Prime Minister lauded the gathering for choosing development of the community, and not falling prey to divisive persuasions.

He underscored that the Government has an inclusive people-centred plan and Guyana is now positioned at a greater advantage with the oil resources to fulfil the needs of Buxton and other communities.

“Now is the time for development in Guyana and Buxton will not be left out.

No village in Guyana will be left out of the development and that is One Guyana.

When we say one Guyana, we talk about development for all the people of Guyana, wherever you are.”

He added, “Don’t let us allow anybody to divide us.

This is a democracy…The PPP/C Government has always been a put forward a people-centred development plan for Guyana. From 2019, we started harvesting a resource known as oil as gas. That has given us revenue that we never had before. This Government has decided that with that revenue, we will transform Guyana together with the people. All our programmes are people-centred.”

Several issues were raised regarding unemployment, land allocations, grants for small businesses, access roads to farmlands and others. In other cases, persons decried that they were unable to acquire contracts for projects in the village.

A single mother of three from the community relayed that she applied for a house lot over a decade ago but is yet to receive word on its approval. Similar matters were heard from others.

Throughout the day, a team from the Housing Ministry provided persons with a medium to inquire on the status of their land applications, in which they will be contacted accordingly.

Another person added, “There is a lot of youths unemployed. Some of them have their degrees and they’re not getting jobs.

There’s a lot of contractors who are not getting jobs. We know that the devil finds work for idlers so I’m asking if you could find jobs for the contractors and people with qualifications.”

TURN TO PAGE 7

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TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

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

NGSA and studying

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n Wednesday, over 16,000 students will write the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), commonly referred to as Common Entrance. When those results are available, we know definitively that the little ones who have been successful in their endeavours will be attributing that success to their parents, their teachers, and more importantly, the focus that they exerted in applying themselves towards their studies.

There is no short cut or easy way around it, for there to be success in any field of study, one has to develop their mental faculty to the point where assimilating information, compartmentalising it and subsequently disseminating it becomes second nature. This is relatively easy for some persons to do, while for others it is more complex. Regardless of the individual variances, one of the best-known ways for anybody to improve their mental faculty is by extending their ability to concentrate.

Research has shown that one, if not the best, method to use for the improvement of a person’s concentration, whether that person is a child, teenager or adult, is the use of meditation, otherwise known in Western culture as “mindfulness practice”.

Simply put, it is an exercise where a person engages in resting the mind and attaining a state of awareness that is different from the normal waking state. This is achieved by stilling the mind and focusing – pointedly on a desired object until the mind becomes silent. When the mind is silent and no longer distracted, meditation develops.

Meditation, which is grounded in Hinduism and known more as a spiritual exercise, has over the years caught the attention of the Western scientific community, which has been able to quantify the benefits of this “mindfulness practice” by scanning the brains of persons who meditate against those who don’t, with devices such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), to determine the differences in their brain density and grey matter of the areas associated with memory retention and happiness, among others.

What those studies have found is that meditation, in addition to improving the alertness and concentration of individuals, also slows the aging of the brain as persons become older, helps with wandering of the mind by decreasing the activity on the Default Mode Network (DMN) of the brain ,as well as relieving persons of their anxiety and stress levels among many other listed benefits.

As it pertains to concentration, a Harvard study headed by Sara Lazar on “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction” (MBSR) outlined that meditation actually changed the structure of the brain, by increasing the “cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory, and in certain areas of the brain that play roles in emotion regulation and self-referential processing. There were also decreases in brain cell volume in the amygdala, which is responsible for fear, anxiety, and stress – and these changes matched the participants’ self-reports of their stress levels, indicating that meditation not only changes the brain, but it changes our subjective perception and feelings as well.”

Another study found that meditation might have more promise for children than adults as it pertains to memory retention and concentration. According to an article on Forbes, Healthcare, on meditation, “Some schools have started implementing meditation into their daily schedules, and with good effect: One district in San Francisco started a twice-daily meditation programme in some of its high-risk schools – and saw suspensions decrease, and Grade Point Averages (GPAs) and attendance increase. Studies have confirmed the cognitive and emotional benefits of meditation for schoolchildren.”

So, for those children who have given their best in the NGSA, but when the results are released, they do not see the results of all the effort that they put in, they should not lose hope now. The important thing is that beyond that point is secondary education, the end result of which will define what jobs the children could get and the level of tertiary education they could further pursue.

It is, therefore, worthy for parents to examine the abovementioned technique and possibly incorporate it in their schedule as well as their children’s, so that going forward they could be better equipped and focused in their studies and life in general.

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday joined his regional counterparts for the 1st plenary session of the 43rd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom at the Royal Torarica Hotel in Paramaribo, Suriname. Among the issues discussed were climate change, energy security, regional transport, and CSME (OP photo)

Women’s rights have suffered a grim setback. But history is still on our side

By Rebecca Solnit

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s it happened, I was in Edinburgh the day Roe v Wade was overturned, and the next day I caught a train back to London and did what I usually do when I get anywhere near King’s Cross station. I took the short walk to the old St Pancras churchyard to visit the tombstone of the great feminist ancestor Mary Wollstonecraft, author of that first great feminist manifesto “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman”. To be there that day was to remember that feminism did not start recently – Wollstonecraft died in 1797 – and it did not stop on June 24.

Women in the US gained this right less than half a century ago – a short time when the view is from Wollstonecraft’s memorial. I have regularly heard the opinions in recent decades that feminism failed or achieved nothing or is over, which seems ignorant of how utterly different the world (or most of it) is now for women than it was that half century ago and more. I say world, because it’s important to remember that feminism is a global movement and Roe v Wade and its reversal were only national decisions.

Ireland in 2018, Argentina in 2020, Mexico in 2021 and Colombia in 2022 have all legalised abortion. So many things have changed in the last half century for women in so many countries that it would be hard to itemise them all; suffice to say that the status of women has been radically altered for the better, overall, in this span of time. Feminism is a human rights movement that endeavours to change things that are not just centuries, but in many cases millennia old, and that it is far from done and faces setbacks and resistance is neither shocking nor reason to stop.

Wollstonecraft did not even dream of votes for women – most men in the Britain of her time didn’t have voting rights either – or of many other rights we now consider ordinary, but you don’t have to go back to the 18th century to encounter radical inequality on the basis of gender. It was everywhere in large and small ways into recent decades – and culturally still persists in the widespread attempts to control and con-

tain women and the prejudices women still encounter about their intellectual competence, sexuality, and equality.

Half a century ago it was legal in the US to fire women because they were pregnant – it happened to Elizabeth Warren, then a young schoolteacher. The right to access birth control – for married couples – was only guaranteed by the 1965 Griswold decision this rogue Supreme Court may also be gunning for. The right of equal access to birth control for the unmarried was only settled in the Supreme Court in 1972. The 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act rendered illegal the discrimination by which unmarried women had trouble getting credit and loans while married women routinely required their husbands to cosign for them.

Marriage in most parts of the world including North America and Europe was, until very recently, a relationship in which the husband gained control by law and custom over his wife’s body and nearly everything she did, said, and owned.

Marital rape was hardly a concept until feminism made it one in the 1970s, and the UK and US only made it illegal in the early 1990s. The 17th-century English jurist Matthew Hale argued “the husband of a woman cannot himself be guilty of an actual rape upon his wife, on account of the matrimonial consent which she has given, and which she cannot retract”. That is, a woman having once consented could never thereafter say no, because she had consented to be owned. Incidentally, the current Supreme Court decision revoking reproductive rights repeatedly cites Hale, who is also well-known for sentencing two elderly widows to death for witchcraft in 1662.

Wollstonecraft, who had participated in the French Revolution, wrote: “The divine right of husbands, like the divine right of kings, may, it is hoped, in this enlightened age, be contested without danger.” Contested, but hardly overcome for almost two more centuries. As coercive control and domestic violence, men still impose their expectation of dominance and punish independence, while rightwing Republicans seek to return

women to inferior status under the law and in the culture, citing that ancient text the Bible as their authority.

Their Supreme Court may go after marriage equality next.

I have long thought that the marriage equality that means equal access to same-sex couples would be impossible, had marriage as an institution not been made over, thanks to feminism, as a freely negotiated relationship between equals.

Equality between partners is threatening to the inequality inherent in traditional patriarchal marriage, which is why – along with homophobia, of course – they’re so hostile to it.

And, of course, it too is new; a very different Supreme Court recognised this right in June of 2015, only seven years ago (and Switzerland and Chile only did so in 2021).

The last decade has been a rollercoaster of gains and losses, and there is no neat way to add them up. The gains have been profound, but many of them have been subtle. Since about 2012, a new era of feminism opened up conversations – on social media, in traditional media, in politics and private – about violence against women and the many forms of inequality and oppression, legal and cultural, obvious and subtle.

Recognition of the impact of violence against women expanded profoundly and brought on real results. The Me-Too movement has been much derided as a celebrity circus, but it was only one manifestation of a feminist surge begun five years earlier, and it helped lead to changes in US state and federal laws governing sexual harassment and abuse, including a bill that passed the Senate this February and the President signed into law in early March.

This week’s sentencing of R Kelly to 30 years in prison and Ghislaine Maxwell to 20 are the consequence of a shift in who would be listened to and believed, which is to say who would be valued and whose rights would be defended. Of people being included in the conversations in the courts of law who had not before been heard there. Perpetrators who had gotten away with crimes for decades – Larry Nassar, Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein among them – lost their impu-

nity, and belated consequences came crashing down on them. But the fate of a handful of high-profile men is not what matters most, and punishment is not how we remake the world.

The conversations are about violence and inequality, about the intersectionalities of race and gender, about the rethinking of gender beyond the simplest binaries, about what freedom could look like, what desire could be, what equality would mean. Just to have those conversations is liberatory. To see younger women reach beyond what my generation perceived and claimed is exhilarating. These conversations change us in ways the law cannot, make us understand ourselves and each other in new ways, reconceive race, gender, sexuality, and possibility.

You can take away a right through legal means, but you cannot take away the belief in that right so easily. The Supreme Court’s Dred Scott and Plessy v Ferguson decisions in the 19th century did not convince Black people that they did not deserve to live as free and equal citizens; it merely prevented them from doing so in practical terms. Women in many US states have lost their access to abortion, but not their belief in their right to it. The uproar in response to the court’s decision is a reminder of how unpopular it is, and how hideously it will impact the ability of women to be free and equal under the law.

It is a huge loss. It does not exactly return us to the world before Roe v Wade, because in both imaginative and practical terms US society is profoundly different. Women have far more equality under the law, in access to education, employment, and institutions of power, and to political representation. We have far more belief in those rights and a stronger vision of what equality looks like. That the status of women is so radically changed from where it was in, say, 1962, let alone 1797, is evidence that feminism is working. And the Supreme Court’s hideous decision confirms that there is still a lot of work to do. (The Guardian) (Rebecca Solnit is a Guardian US columnist)

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TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

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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

‘Negotiations’ are not simply a matter of one side dictating terms Dear Editor, Lost amidst the noisy calls for the Government of Guyana to renegotiate the ‘oil contract’ is the meaning of the word ‘negotiate’ and the implications of getting a larger share of oil profits via negotiations now would have on future earnings. Let me elucidate to those who would have us make moves akin to a bull in a China shop.

A massive amount of money was outlaid at their own risk by Exxon, Hess, and CNOOC for the initial exploration activities that led to the discovery at Liza 1; had no oil been found, those billions would have been paid by the shareholders of those corporations, no cost would have accrued to the Government and people of Guyana.

Guyana’s current Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) allows for a 50/50 sharing of the profit after exploration costs and cost of production have been recovered. The PSA caps the recovery of costs at 75 per cent of production thereby allowing all partners to garner income equally while outlay (cost of drilling, administration, building, and

operation FPSO, etc) is being recovered. In the near future (especially if the current high price of oil is maintained) those exploration costs will be fully recovered and Guyana will be receiving and selling approximately 50 per cent of the oil produced whilst the consortium of ExxonMobil, Hess, and CNOOC getting around 16.66 per cent each.

The questions that arise from renegotiation are as follows: Is it in Guyana’s best interest to have the costs recovered as quickly as possible or are we better off with lowering the recovery cap.

Are those companies and their respective shareholders who risked their capital initially going to be willing/ happy to cede a larger share of the oil to Guyana and what would be the implications of forcing such a change on future foreign investments (of any kind) in Guyana.

In my opinion, the faster the costs are paid off the better for Guyana for the following reasons: We are currently building capacity in all sectors especially oil & gas; the economy is already showing signs of overheating and inflation/cost of liv-

Clarity needed on statement

Dear Editor, The Finance Minister of the pre-2015 Government (who is the current Finance Minister) needs to add his voice to the claim made by the leader of the minority arm of the coalition that the lopsided Exxon contract was signed out of sheer desperation as several sectors were not performing well and monies were needed.

The statement suggests the coffers were empty.

Sectors not performing well but that did not prevent the immediate increase in salaries to Ministers upon

the coalition taking office.

What has become of the monies owed for sale of rice to Panama?

The building that housed the GNCB Sports Club on Croal Street was demolished to put up a spanking, modern state of the art building, but is now unfinished and stands idle with tax payers’ monies in limbo, seems to be another white elephant left to rot. Is there a plan for this building?

Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

ing red flags are flying, a massive injection of capital has taken place and we are struggling to absorb same; we are at or have exceeded capacity for infrastructural works and further injection of capital will have a deleterious effect. At 12 per cent, our income from oil will exceed US$1 billion per annum and continue to grow, this amount compliments our traditional economy and aids measured progression.

There will be unspent money from the 2022 Budget to be returned to the Consolidated Fund because of exceeded capacity, so why the haste for more money now?

Editor, surely, we all know that ‘negotiations’ are not simply a matter of one side dictating terms to the other unless we go down the Burnham/PNC route of ‘nationalisation’ (we all know how that ends). What would the oil consortium get in return for giving Guyana more? And if the answer is less than they already have, then why would they (or anyone) come to the table. Greed is original sin and should ExxonMobil et al signal a willingness to ‘negotiate’ I would urge extreme caution to my fellow Guyanese and remind you all to be careful what you wish for as it may well come through.

Sincerely, Robin Singh

When an uninformed apologist vainly tries to make a point, it exposes depravity!

Dear Editor, Ever so often you read an article in the print media and you can’t help but wonder how supposedly sane and civilised people can write such garbage for the public to read? I refer to one such article written by an individual who pens under the name “Dougla.” His suggestions began as a justification for the crass racism meted out to the people of Mon Repos, then later drifting into other areas causing himself much embarrassment.

So, firstly I must tell “Dougla,” that no semantics, no sugar-coated language can veil the unbridled fact of what played out last Tuesday at Mon Repos. Making excuses for such atrocities, only exposes your depravity and further shows up how base your thoughts are. The racist hooliganism perpetrated by the group operating under the guise of agitating for the injustices meted out to Quindon Bacchus, is preposterous to say the least! The question remains, what do simple salespeople of Mon Repos have to do with Mr Bacchus’s death? And no one can come up with any sensible answers?

There is no question in my mind that these thugs were driven by the narrow political aspirations of known political operators.

So, for “Dougla” to come on here to make an apology for their actions is ludicrous at

best.

This individual makes another massive mistake when he blundered into the realm of attacking our electoral system. He asserts that the Proportional Representation system, or what he refers to as “the winner takes all system,” has failed us. Here again is a situation of a bad worker quarrels with his tools.

Let me educate “Dougla” that the problem is not with the electoral system but with the political actions of the PNC that makes it a bad system. The real problem with “Dougla” and the PNC is that they want a system that they can manipulate or rig (for want of a better word) so that they can be installed into power but that is not going to happen.

Whatever the system of voting PR or Constituency, the PNC would find fault with it.

The PR system, as it stands, is ideally suited for national Government, seeing it ensures that there is an Opposition. The Constituency System, which this writer is alluding to is even more brutal because it has the possibility. The Constituency System or first past the post system means that once that constituent representative has a single vote that means he has won that entire constituency irrespective of the thousands of other votes cast; this is the crass reality of that voting system. I shudder to think of the mayhem

that would envelope Guyana if we should have a system where The PNC is wiped out as an Opposition, heaven help us! So, “Dougla” needs not fool himself that a Constituency System would help their cause.

And we need not look very far but just take a look across here in the Caribbean where there were instances that the Opposition was wiped out; Barbados and Grenada readily come into focus. When there is no Opposition in Parliament this is a death blow for democracy, it means that dissenting views cannot be heard. And in the circumstances where there is a crazed, dictatorial, leader, the democratic standards are eroded even further. So, in light of the foregoing the PR system is the best option for a multi-ethnic society such as ours.

P r o p o r t i o n a l Representation or Constituency, none of these can never work once you have an incorrigible, dissatisfied and power-hungry PNC moiling about. It also shows up its ugly head in the racist outbursts that is so much a stomping ground for that party. Last Tuesday’s violent political rampage by thugs is a prime example of the desperation of these people. But the ‘One Guyana’ theme lives on and nothing can derail it.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

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TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Thousands of acres of ECD lands to open up for distribution – Croal T

housands of acres of lands will be opened on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) and distributed to quell the backlog of outstanding applicants in the system.

The Housing Ministry is currently finalising lands for distribution on the East Coast of Demerara in conjunction with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission and GuySuCo. Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal on Monday shared that this process should commence as early as next month, since Government is committed to upkeeping its promise of 50,000 house lots within the first term in office.

“We have thousands of acres that will be available for future allocations on the East Coast. That will include starting as early as next month. There will be opportunities. Just have patience and all who are there and active will be dealt with,” he stated during a community outreach.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal speaking with a Buxton resident about land concerns

On the East Coast, over 2600 applicants have already been processed in areas such as Bladen Hall, Strathspey, Vigilance and La Reconnaissance.

“In under 18 months, we have allocated over 2600

persons on the East Coast.

It is not the case that we have not been allocating but we have to do that in a macro-context of achieving 50,000 as a Government in this five years,” he outlined.

When Government as-

“Don’t let us allow anybody...

FROM PAGE 3

Job opportunities

Speaking on issues regarding employment of youths, Housing Minister Collin Croal stressed that many job opportunities are created in the housing sector and through other State initiatives, which will ultimately trickle down to Buxtonians.

“You have billions of dollars in infrastructure work that is taking place, many of whom the labour force comes from right here in Buxton…As part of the employment opportunities that will be abound for the East Coast, you also have the hub of industrial-com-

mercial activities that will take place right within the Enmore-Foulis land area, that will see thousands of job opportunities,” Croal expressed.

A farm-to-market road was also touted for farmers to access their lands.

Minister Edghill has committed to having one of the existing roads rehabilitated to enable access.

He told the gathering, “What the Irfaan Ali Administration is seeking to do is creating opportunities. We have to come in and help vulnerable groups.

That is what we have been doing but when you provide

an opportunity when you could expand a farm, block making, or you could open a bakery, we have to be able to give you access.”

Other issues at the NDC level were also ironed out by the Local Government Minister. Any works to be done in the community were instructed to be awarded to registered companies in Buxton. Resources will be injected to clean up the area with enhancement workers from the community.

Meanwhile, persons interesting in starting a small business were engaged by Minister Walrond. (G12)

sumed office in 2020, there were over 70,000 pending applicants in the system.

Presently, even with widespread allocations across the country, this number has grown to 83,000.

The year 2021 saw thousands of working class Guyanese owning their home while the Ministry was able to exceed its target of distributing 10,000 house lots by the end of the year.

One of the most successful programmes was, in fact, the housing drive which saw over 10,000 house lots being allocated in keeping with a promise made

by President Dr Irfaan Ali to distribute 50,000 house lots within five years. This was done through the distribution of house lots and the construction of homes for lower- to middle-income

families, as well as young professionals.

Last year, the Ministry expended over $7.3 billion for infrastructural works in new housing schemes in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six. Another $2.7 billion was allocated to the Ministry in December last year for infrastructural works in new areas, and $2 billion for works in existing schemes.

The Ministry had also regularised over 750 informal settlers residing in Regions Four and Five, while 59 persons squatting on Government reserves were relocated. The Guyana Strategy for Informal Settlements Upgrading and Prevention (GSISUP) was also launched to address and eliminate squatting countrywide.

8 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Berbice woman arrested with 168 ecstasy pills in home

A

joint operation between the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU)

at Line Path Section E Skeldon, Corentyne, Berbice, on July 1 led to the discovery of at least 168 ecstasy pills at a residence.

CANU in a release stated that on July 1, 2022, CANU and GRA enforcement officers, conducted a joint operation at the residence during

In for the money…

W

The ecstasy pills found during the operation

which the pinkish pills were found.

As such, 38-year-old Keisha Angel, who resides at the address, was arrested. The 168 pills, when weighed, amounted to 94 grams with a street value of $260,000. She is expected to be charged shortly.

Back in January, the drug enforcement body had destroyed 3.1 kilograms of ecstasy pills that were confiscated in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) in 2021. The presence of ecstasy pills continues to be a challenge for CANU since

Arrested: Keisha Angel

these illicit pills are now ending up in schools.

In 2019, Police uncovered an organised ring, the players of which were engaged in trafficking of the date rape drug ecstasy by utilising school-age girls in the trade.

This had come to light after a Stewartville Secondary School girl had gone missing. But to date, small portions of drugs, including cocaine, are being intercepted in schools.

In June, it was reported that a 12-year-old female student of a school in Bartica, Region Seven, (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) was found with a quantity of cannabis concealed in her socks while attending classes.

The Head Teacher had reportedly received complaints that students were in possession of ganja in class, and this prompted her to carry out random checks, during which she unearthed two transparent Ziplock bags containing the cannabis hidden in the student’s socks.

TURN TO PAGE 10

…says Ramjattan

ell, FINALLY, we’ve got an explanation for why Trotman signed what has to be the worst contract in the world since the Lenape Indians sold Manhattan in 1626 to the Dutch for sixty Guilders – which is worth $1000 today!! But at least the Lenapes didn’t know how developed Manhattan would become more than 200 years later. What excuse did Trotman have to take that US$18 million bonus and 2% bonus?? Ramjattan said that it was because “the Government needed money”!! Can you believe that??

Your Eyewitness knows we’re poor…in fact we’re dirt “pore”…But Jeez!! A measly US$18 million when Trotman already knew that oil had been struck?? Man, doesn’t the PNC have ANY pride!! That’s not even pocket change in the world of oil – it’s chump change!! And to rub salt into that wound, Brazil had just gotten a bonus of US$600 million for their deep-sea strike!! And if our country needed money so badly, exactly what were they planning to spend that $18 mil on?? More SUVs for Granger’s presidential fleet of SUVs?? Remember that last one he took home when he left office that cost US$174,000?? And we know they certainly bought more than 10!! That would’ve taken care of the US$18Mil. But if we accept that’s why the PNC/APNU/AFC scamps hid the cash money…maybe THEY were sheepish about taking chicken feed!?! But what about the money from the actual oil. They knew that was a pittance comparatively that would’ve taken years to roll in! We got our first deposit in the NY Fed of $55M in March 2020. It wouldn’t have mattered if they’d done some hard negotiation that dragged on a bit. Did they think that drilling for oil under miles of ocean is like digging a pit latrine at 47 Village?

Or more likely, time didn’t matter since they knew as far back as 2016 when Trotman signed along the dotted line, they were going to get back into office by any means necessary?? After all, your Eyewitness is sure not only GETTING into power was discussed at “Nassau” – but STAYING in power!! So how come Ramjattan didn’t reveal who exactly told Trotman to put his John Hancock to whatever was handed to him in Texas?? Even if it was the Larwah??

No…this “we needed money” spiel doesn’t cut any ice with your Eyewitness – and he’s sure it’s the position of ALL Guyanese. By signing a CONTRACT, Ramjattan as a lawyer – as is Trotman – knows that they tied succeeding governments in a straightjacket unless there was fraud or something.

So, is somebody gonna man up to fess up as to the hanky-panky that went down in Texas?? …in for the consequences Well, as was promised to Pres Ali, the Police Complaints Authority (PCA) submitted its investigation into the police shooting of Quindon Bacchus on July 8 to the DPP’s office – as is statutorily required. The DPP then immediately advised the Police to charge Lance Corporal Kristoff DeNobrega for murder. Two other Policemen with him are to be charged with obstruction of justice.

Now your Eyewitness would be the last person to defend the GPF, but folks should appreciate that in our justice system, the Police don’t investigate “their own” for crimes committed. As such, while one may have been impatient with the length of the investigation, it was unreasonable for protesters at Buxton to continue with their protest on Monday. As it was, their cries for “justice for Quindon” seemed opportunistic – as news of the charges were announced.

Then the goalpost was moved again. There were cries of “charge Sunil Persaud” as one protester claimed “our investigation” had revealed that a Policeman by that name was the actual shooter.

Have they given their evidence to the Police? …and listening The Prime Minister, who identified as an African Guyanese, took a team of 7 Ministers into Buxton even as the protesters were marching on the road.

One to fix Guyana, the other to break it!!

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

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

NEWS

9

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Quindon Bacchus’s killing

Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega slapped with murder charge …2 other cops facing obstruction of justice charges

Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega

Lance Corporal Thurston Simon

olice Lance Corporal Kristoff De Nobrega, who allegedly shot and killed 23-year-old Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) resident Quindon Bacchus, will be charged for the capital offence of murder, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC, said on Monday.

On Sunday, Chairman of the Police Complaints Authority (PCA), Justice (ret’d) William Ramlall recommended to the DPP that three Police ranks be charged after completing investigations into the fatal shooting which occurred on June 10 at Haslington, ECD. He, however, noted that it was for the DPP to decide what charges to institute against them.

The DPP has also advised that two other cops be charged. They are Lance Corporal Thurston Simon and Sergeant Dameion McLennon.

Meanwhile, both Lance Corporal Simon and Sergeant McLennon will each face a charge for attempt to obstruct the course of justice, contrary to Section 330 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act. Lance Corporal Simon is facing an additional charge for conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, contrary to Section 4(z) of the Police (Discipline) Act. Lance Corporal De Nobrega remains under open arrest at the Tactical Services Unit (TSU) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown.

The policemen will be arraigned before a Magistrate this week.

Bacchus, a father of one, was allegedly shot six times about his body following an encounter with Police ranks.

It was reported that on June 10, ranks were conducting an intelligence-led operation in the Haslington New

Scheme, ECD, after receiving some information earlier in the day.

While there, the ranks contacted a 22-year-old construction worker, who provided them with certain information. As a result, the ranks went to Bacchus’s home, where he was seen with a firearm in his possession. He had reportedly intended to sell the gun to Lance Corporal De Nobrega.

The plainclothes rank, who was armed, made arrangements to purchase the firearm from Bacchus, who left and returned with the firearm.

In the process of handing over the firearm to the rank, an alarm was raised, resulting in Bacchus running in a southern direction and discharging a round in the rank’s direction. Police Headquarters said that the rank drew his service pistol and returned fire.

Police said Bacchus then ran further south and jumped into a yard, and the rank gave chase. While the rank was near Bacchus, the man allegedly discharged several other rounds towards the rank, and the rank took cover and returned fire, hitting the now deceased man about his body.

Bacchus reportedly fell to the ground, along with the firearm, which was later identified as a .380 pistol with a magazine that still had one round. He was picked up in a conscious state and escorted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he died while receiving treatment.

P

Violent protest

The recommendation for charges comes days after a violent protest erupted at several ECD villages. The protest led to several vendors at the Mon Repos Market being robbed while their stalls were van-

Sergeant Dameion McLennon

dalised and goods looted.

Some of the protesters who were armed with cutlasses,

knives, iron bars, and other handy weapons, destroyed vendors’ goods, burnt stalls and vehicles, shattered windscreens of vehicles, and even terrorised vendors.

The vendors were compensated by the Government.

Threats were also made against President Dr Irfaan Ali’s life which led to the arrest of a 35-year-old man of Golden Grove, ECD, Marvin Richmond, known as “Wakie”, a psychiatric patient.

Following the protest, 16 men were arrested and charged with the offence of riotous behaviour.

During a visit to the Golden Grove community where he took part in a me-

Dead: Quindon Bacchus

morial service for Bacchus, Prime Minister Mark Phillips had called for the

Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack, SC

healing to start and had further assured the family that justice would be served. (G1)

10 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

3 busted with $11M worth of ganja in boat A

gents of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Sunday arrested three persons following the discovery of a quantity of ganja at Number 66 Village Corentyne, Berbice.

Based on reports received, CANU officers conducted a maritime operation in Canje Creek, where they discovered a speed boat docked at a pump station with several bulky garbage bags.

A subsequent search of the boat revealed several parcels containing a quantity of cannabis thus leading to the arrest of three persons.

The individuals, along with the narcotics and speed boat were escorted to CANU headquarters where the ganja was weighed and amounted to 41.8kg with a street value of approximately $11 million.

The boat in which the cannabis was found

The operation was part of CANU’s efforts to reduce narcotics trafficking in the Berbice district. There have been several successful drug interceptions in the past weeks which, without a doubt, proves that the drug enforcement unit is working around the clock to put a dent in the drug trade.

In fact, earlier in the year, CANU Head James

Singh had stated that the seizures and the ability of CANU to execute its functions are a result of the support by the Government of Guyana.

He noted that while the unit was successful in putting a “dent” in the drug trade in 2021, there is still a lot of work that has to be done.

“With the figures in Region Four, primarily Georgetown and Region Six, we intend to boost our presence in those areas… As a matter of fact, CANU ranks are deployed across the country to make the communities and ultimately the country safer for citizens…”

Singh noted.

He noted that the mandate of the unit is to ensure illicit drugs are gotten rid of within the communities, so that the communities can be safe for citizens to traverse freely.

“Secondly, we do not want Guyana to be labelled as a narco-state…we want the drug traffickers to know that Guyana is not a country to do such business.”

Singh, however, believes that getting the drugs off the streets is not enough.

The ganja found in the boat

As such, he noted that the unit has been working with several Ministries, including Education, Health and Social Protection.

“The unit has been holding campaigns in schools to sensitise the youths of the dangers of using drugs…

In addition, we have been

working with Health Ministry to deal with drug abusers and those who suffer mental health as a result of drug abuse.”

However, he noted that the unit has a multi-agency approach, which assists greatly in the execution of its mandate.

Berbice woman arrested...

Upon being questioned, the student revealed that she got the drug from a female classmate, who claimed to have stolen it from her father.

When contacted, the father in question admitted the narcotics belonged to him, since he would indulge in smoking “weed”.

The students were questioned and were scheduled to meet with the Child Care

and Protection Agency. The father was questioned by the Police.

Only recently Head of the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU), James Singh, stated that CANU would be working closely with other sectoral agencies and the Education Ministry to tackle the issue of illegal drugs making their way into schools.

Singh noted that his

FROM PAGE 8

unit has welcomed the collaboration with the joint services to ensure that the schools are rid of drugs, especially ecstasy pills. In the past, those pills have been found in secondary schools.

Singh had stated that several new types of drugs are surfacing in society, and CANU would make every effort to get rid of them before the situation escalates.

NEWS

11

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 16,000 students Jury empanelled as bread to sit NGSA tomorrow vendor’s murder trial begins

Murder accused: Neville Forde

A National Grade Six Assessment 2022 timetable

M

ore than 16,000 students across Guyana are to sit the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) on July 6 and 7, according to Chief Education Officer, Dr Marcel Hutson.

Speaking with Guyana Times on Monday, CEO Dr Hutson said that 16,250 Grade Six students are expected to sit the upcoming NGSA. However, Dr Hutson noted that this number could be more. He said that there have been students in the past who would show up on the day of the examinations, this could contribute to the rise in the number of stu-

dents who are expected to sit the upcoming NGSA. The Chief Education Officer further revealed that there will be smooth sailing ahead for the sitting of the National Grade Six Assessment as there are no pending issues that would interfere with students writing their exams. “[The] papers are secured at Police stations…so no one has access to that except for the main persons… We have our furniture and so on being set,” he said.

Dr Hutson added, “We haven’t gotten any feedback so far from any pending issue that might interfere with the exams… There is nothing at

this time that I think would affect the process.”

The exams, which would normally be written in the month of April will commence on Wednesday, July 6, and conclude on Thursday, July 7.

Last year, the examination was postponed for nearly five months due to the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 NGSA was written in August.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand had explained that the 2022 examination will be prepared similarly to the 2021 examination, covering topics up to the Grade Five level based on the consolidated curriculum. (G2)

jury was recently empanelled in the murder trial of Neville Forde. The man is indicted for the 2017 murder of Sophia, Greater Georgetown bread vendor, Andre Alexander.

During his arraignment before Demerara High Court Judge Jo Ann Barlow, Forde pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that he murdered Alexander on May 5, 2017, during a robbery.

Alexander, formerly of C Field Sophia, was shot dead by two motorcycle bandits.

The robbers fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

The father of two was reportedly shot once to the chest and succumbed

while receiving medical attention at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Reports received revealed that the now dead man and his wife were in their shop when the two men approached on a motorcycle and requested three loaves of bread.

The pillion rider took out a $5000 bill to pay and while Alexander was in the process of making change, he whipped out a gun and demanded cash.

Upon seeing this, the man’s wife ran towards their home, which is a stone’s throw away, and raised an alarm. However, her husband refused to cooperate and the suspect grabbed the money he had in his hand and discharged several rounds in the process.

One of the bullets reportedly struck the bread vendor to the chest. Upon realising

Dead: Andre Alexander

that the man was shot, the two young men escaped on the motorcycle.

Forde’s legal team is being led by Attorney-at-Law Ronald Daniels while Senior State Counsel Lisa Cave is appearing on behalf of the prosecution. (G1)

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14 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 5,, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

42 COVID-19 cases recorded S

ome 42 new coronavirus infections surfaced as of Monday from 232 test samples that were processed.

This data was released by the Health Ministry in its latest dashboard, reflecting a rise in confirmed cases to 67,657 to date. This number reflects a breakdown of 31,056 males and 36,601 females.

With the death toll remaining at 1256, there are two patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 35 in institutional isolation, and 833 in home isolation. There are two persons under institutional quarantine.

Active cases have crossed

850 while recoveries stand at 65,530. To date, a total of 662,065 tests have been conducted across the 10 administrative regions.

A breakdown of new cases showed five in eight in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), two in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), 23 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), two in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), one in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and six in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Region One (BarimaWaini), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) and

Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) saw no increase in infections.

The most recent vaccination numbers show that so far, 443,802 or 86.5 per cent of adults have taken a first dose, while 343,575 or 66.9 per cent of persons 18 years and over are fully vaccinated.

For adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17, 35,045 or 48.1 per cent have received a first dose. Second doses stand at 25,634 or 35.1 per cent. Vaccines are also available for children between five to 11 years.

Meanwhile, in excess of 68,800 persons have returned for their first booster dose.

Booster doses have been made available for the adolescent age group, as well as second booster doses for the adult population. Persons are encouraged to take these shots before their immunity weans.

Persons with comorbidities have been continuously asked to continue taking their respective medications or treatment to control their condition. The preventative measures and guidelines to protect against the virus must be adhered to since this category of person is at a greater risk if they contract COVID-19.

In the Region of the

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD JULY 4, 2022 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

42

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

35

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

833

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

3

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

2

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

36,601

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

31,056

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

67,657

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

65,530

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED FULLY IMMUNISED

REGION 1

2584

REGION 2

2945

REGION 3

8432

REGION 4

33,643

REGION 5

2468

REGION 6

6540

REGION 7

2499

REGION 8

886

REGION 9

4079

REGION 10

3581

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

443,802 343,575

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020

1256

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

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

Americas, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is pegged at over 162 million with a death toll of 2.7 million. Globally, the confirmed positives stand at over 545

million with more than 6.3 million reported deaths.

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

formation, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.

(G12)

NEWS

15

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Fair, equitable governance system aim of Govt – AG tells Buxton

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC

T

he Government is rethinking its approach to governance to overcome challenges.

This was essentially what Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, told residents on Monday during a high-level-ministerial outreach to the East Coast Demerara (ECD) communities of Buxton and Friendship.

“Let me assure you that every single day our Government is working to establish a system of governance that is fair, equitable, and embracing,” he assured those gathered.

In order for this to be achieved, he pointed out that every law passed by the Government must pass the “litmus test” of constitutionality.

He, therefore, reminded that the Constitution – the supreme law – guarantees equal treatment to all irrespective of ethnicity, religion, class, creed, geographic location, or any form of differentiation and protects every Guyanese from discrimination of every kind.

The AG called out the Opposition for demanding that the Government put clauses in the Local Content Act (LCA) that would discriminate against classes of Guyanese.

He made it clear that the People’s Progressive Party Government, as a matter of policy, will not do so because such a law would be unconstitutional.

The Senior Counsel explained that the LCA and Natural Resource Fund Act, two important pieces of legislation, were put in place to ensure that Guyanese get the equity and equality they deserve from the petroleum sector to ensure that it is not overrun by for-

eigners.

“We have heard a lot about the new revenue stream and the abundance of revenue that will flow.

Because we want an equitable distribution, of benefits from this sector and because we want to protect Guyanese, in this sector, because it is a new sector… if we don’t put this protec-

tion in place, we can have the sector overrun by foreigners at the expense of Guyanese.”

Moreover, the Attorney General rejected “fully” the notion that the Government is partisan.

He said that this belief is not founded in fact and in reality.

“There is some belief

because you have not voted for the Government, the Government is not for you.

I want to, on behalf of the Government, reject that notion fully and comprehensively. We are here for Buxtonians as we are for every Guyanese living in every community across the length and breadth of our country,” Nandlall said. (G1)

16 NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Guyana among low-lying States vulnerable to climate change – incoming Caricom Chairman

…says global climate change vulnerability index must be created

G

uyana and Suriname are among the low-lying states which are especially vulnerable to climate change, but despite this there is a lack of climate change vulnerability indexes that reflect this. It is a situation that incoming Caribbean Community (Caricom) Chairman and Suriname President Chandrikapersad Santokhi wants to see changed.

In his address at the opening ceremony of the 43rd Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) in Paramaribo, Suriname, Santokhi, who takes over the Chairmanship from Belizean Prime Minister John Briceno, made an impassioned plea for such an index.

“Our countries are small island developing and low-lying coastal states, are experiencing the fury of changing climate threatening us now. The hurricane season just started, with the unpredictability of the weathers for many islands. Excessive rainfall in the coastal areas of Suriname and Guyana, cause massive flooding, displacement of thousands of people and destruction of property and livelihood.”

“Indeed, these events serve to underscore the vulnerability of the region. We must advocate for a climate vulnerability index at the global level. Equally important is access to affordable cli-

Incoming Caricom Chairman Chandrikapersad Santokhi

mate finances and support for our mitigation and adaptation efforts.”

Despite the serious challenge climate change presents globally, there is a paucity of climate change indexes that reflect the reality of climate change dangers faced by low lying states, in particular those in the Caribbean region.

Santokhi recalled the recent Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California, where regional leaders met with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. During that summit, bilateral discussions were held.

“In that context, we welcome the partnership to address the climate crisis, which will address energy, security, climate crisis and finance in our region. And there are arrangements for

follow up meetings within the framework of this joint cooperation.”

Between May and June of last year, heavy rains resulted in widespread flooding across Guyana, affecting thousands of households. The devastation included submerged buildings and vehicles with adverse effects on crops, livestock and health. It had been noted that the rainfall experienced in May alone was recorded as the second highest level of rainfall across the country in the last 40 years.

All ten administrative regions across the country had experienced flooding, with Regions 10, Seven, Six, Five, and Two being considered the most impacted areas. The level of flooding prompted the Government to rollout immediate responses such as evacuation of those most at risk and flood assistance.

Flooding was so bad last year that on June 9, 2021, President Ali had declared flooding in the country a level two disaster. There was a repeat of this persistent rainfall this year, which caused flooding in several parts of the country.

Hope

However, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government has credited the presence of the Hope Canal, which was commissioned in 2014, with the avoidance of significant flooding on the East Coast of Demerara.

The Hope Canal located at Hope/Dochfour, East Coast Demerara [Devina Samaroo photo]

Guyana had, in 2009, signed with Norway a historic forest protection accord aimed at Guyana receiving payments for sustaining its rainforests to absorb global carbon emissions. A total of US$250 million was to be paid to Guyana over a fiveyear period.

Under the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF), the investment fund set up to receive and coordinate these payments, projects identified included grants to small businesses, a centre for biodiversity studies, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for vulnerable communities and Amerindian Land Titling.

With US$54 million remaining in this fund, the PPP Government has said that it intends to tap into this money this year to fund climate change mitigation efforts.

This includes investing the money towards institutional strengthening and building out major new outfall channels in Regions such as Five and Six, similar to the Hope Canal. In fact, the ground works for the construction of replicas of the Hope Canal in at least three other regions across Guyana, to aid with drainage and irrigation and water management in those areas, has already started.

The Hope Canal, or Northern Relief Channel, which is located at Hope/ Dochfour, East Coast Demerara, is a multi-component channel that allows excess water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) to be drained into the Atlantic Ocean via an eight-door sluice, so as to avoid overflowing and possible flooding.

President Ali has said the Hope Canal was instrumen-

tal in preventing massive flooding along the East Coast of Demerara during the unprecedented May-June floods, and has announced that similar infrastructure would be constructed in other regions to curb devastating floods.

These include Regions Three, Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

The $3.6 billion Hope Canal channel, which was conceptualised under the Bharrat Jagdeo-led Government, was constructed following the 2005 floods, when excessive rainfall compounded by a breach in the embankment had resulted in Regions Four (DemeraraMahaica) and Five (MahaicaBerbice) experiencing massive flooding, causing significant damage to agricultural and residential areas. After several delays, the project became operational in 2016. (G3)

17 New PSC Chair aims to improve morale of Police Force T NEWS

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

he recently reconstituted Police Service Commission (PSC) has been conducting outreaches at the various Police Divisions across the country in an effort to improve the morale of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).

During a recent interview with reporter Leroy Smith, PSC Chairman Patrick Findlay said that he has high expectations of the Force’s senior officers. “They know the order. I expect them to rise to the occasion and be men and women of integrity,” Findlay shared.

According to the pastor, he intends to be more relational with the officers to “get a feel” of what is happening.

As such, he said the PSC has been conducting out-

reaches to the various Police Divisions.

Already, outreaches have been done in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

At one such outreach recently held at Regional Headquarters No 3, a report from the Police noted that Findlay not only encouraged Police ranks to work hard, but to also find ways to uplift themselves, to maintain self-control and to be professional while executing their duties.

He also used the opportunity to enlighten Sergeants and Inspectors of the responsibilities that come with

The new PSC Chairman Patrick Findlay (seated second from left) with junior and senior members of the Guyana Police Force at a recent outreach in Region Three

2023 pension books to be distributed from August

P

ensioners will be able to uplift their 2023 pension books beginning mid-August to December this year, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud said during a recent engagement with residents of the East Coast of Demerara.

She said the early distribution is part of efforts to ensure easy access of pension for senior citizens.

“Before the end of this year, we will continue what I started last year, which is, making sure you get your

pension books for next year, well in time for next year, well in advance of next year, so you don’t have to run around. That service will be available to you from about mid-August all the way to the end of the year, so you can go anytime and pick it up,” Minister Persaud is quoted by DPI as saying.

She explained that officials of the Ministry will visit communities to make distributions.

Apart from the post offices, pensioners can also now access their pensions at Western Union and Money

Gram locations nearest to them. They also have the option of having their money deposited into their bank accounts.

“Pension is paid every day at Money Gram, Western Union, so you don’t have to go the first day of the month to get your pension, you can go any day and you get your pension, and you don’t have to line up for it,” Persaud is quoted as saying.

Previously, pensioners had to visit post offices throughout the country on certain days which caused crowd build-ups.

“I don’t want you to line up or punish in the lines so, whether you choose to go to the post office or you choose to go to any one of those locations, the pension is there for you, so that’s one, two if you want to have your pensions deposited in your bank account, we can do that for you too,” Persaud said.

In January of this year, the Government of Guyana earmarked $2.6 billion, to increase old age pension from $25,000 to $28,000, to the benefit of approximately 65,000 pensioners countrywide.

their respective offices. He also spoke to them about promotion, disciplinary action against ranks and the need for camaraderie and family time.

In brief remarks, he explained to the ranks that getting to the next level is not just a task but a responsibility that follows that has to be executed with dedication.

Findlay also reminded them that disciplinary issues are one of the main factors that cause blockages with promotion.

The PSC is a constitutional body established under Article 137 (1) of the Constitution, and given the authority under Article 212 (1) subject to the provisions

of Article 211 (1) to make appointments to any office in the Police Force of or above the rank of Inspector, and exercise disciplinary control over and to remove persons holding or acting in such offices.

However, the new PSC Chairperson wants Police officers to know that his job is not just about exercising disciplinary action and making promotions.

“I want to extend the ambit of my job to more of a relational, I want to know them…to help them...my task is to build relationships with the hierarchy [of the Force].”

He said that since the PSC was appointed on May 31 by President Dr Irfaan Ali, its members have not been able to do much, except to review disciplinary files handed over by the previous Commission.

The new Commission has not been able to pronounce on these files as yet and is hoping to get started at its next statutory meeting.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has asked the High Court to quash the appointment of the PSC on the ground that President Ali did not engage him in meaningful consultation.

Norton, among other things, argued that the spirit and letter of the Constitution in respect to meaningful consultation were “violently violated” by the Head of State.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

Regional

Mitchell: Caricom leaders Bonnie leaves deadly must do more than talk trail in Central America

Newly-elected Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell

T

he newly-elected Grenadian Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell on Sunday warned the Caribbean Community (Caricom) against being viewed as a “talk” shop and urged Caribbean leaders to do more to foster greater regional unity and socio-economic development.

Mitchell, who came to office after leading his National Democratic Congress (NDC) to victory in the June 23 general election, told the opening ceremony of the 43rd Caricom Summit that for too long “this Caribbean Community

that we all love has been seen and viewed as a place where we talk, and talk, and talk and then we talk some more, and to what end, Mr Chairman?

“No Sir, this is a time colleagues, my friends and to all the young people across the Caribbean Community – this is indeed our moment, this is your moment, where it is a Time for Action and a Time of Choosing.

“Let us, therefore, look towards the future of our region with a renewed hope and commitment as we in the coming days review our performance and chart a

new way towards a transformative agenda, and make a collective and conscious decision at this season, at this Time of Choosing – to move all our people, all our citizens, our friends, our loved ones, our sons and daughters, to move all Caricom – forward,” he told the opening ceremony.

Mitchell told the ceremony that his vision for Caricom as it has been for Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique is one “where we must be transformed into an eco-friendly, fair, equitable, dynamic, prosperous and stable democracy, capable of sustaining a high quality of life for all our people.

“Grenada is willing, ready and eager to do our part in transforming our beloved Caribbean Community. This Region belongs to all of us. It is and as I can simply put it – home,” he said, noting that the past regional leaders had in 1973 envisioned a region with the ability to transform the lives of its people by working together. (Excerpt from CMC)

13 killed over the weekend in Jamaica, 9 on Saturday

J

uly 2 was an extremely bloody Saturday as nine persons were killed across the island in separate incidents, the Police have reported.

The Police’s Corporate Communications Unit confirmed that nine persons were killed on Saturday and two more were killed on Sunday. Two persons were also killed on Friday night.

According to the Jamaica Constabulary Force statistics, 13 persons were killed in a 60-hour period over the weekend.

One of the persons killed

was 15-year-old Vesteroy Sinclair, a student who was shot dead in his community of Turner Top in Manchester on Saturday night, during the commission of a robbery of his mother’s shop sometime after 21:00h.

Another murder was that of Lauren “DJ Lasco” Fortella, who was ambushed at his home in Freeman’s Hall, Trelawny.

Fortella’s female companion was also shot and injured during the attack.

Reports are that about 22:30 h Saturday, Fortella and a female companion were am-

bushed and shot by an unknown assailant as they arrived home. They were both taken to hospital, where Fortella was pronounced dead and the female was admitted for treatment.

On Sunday, there was a dramatic fall-off in the number of persons killed.

The Police confirmed that two persons were killed, one of whom was 21-yearold Orthaniel Thomas, who tried to stop two men from robbing a woman, and was gunned down by the armed assailants. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

icaraguan Police took control of five municipalities run by a party opposed to President Daniel Ortega in recent days, dismissing elected leaders and installing ruling party sympathisers in their place, opposition organizations said on Monday.

The move comes four months before local elections in 153 municipalities across the country.

On Monday morning, Police raided four city halls run by Opposition party Citizens for Freedom, or Ciudadanos por la Libertad (CxL). Another in Pantasma – an Opposition stronghold

also in the hands of CxL – was raided over the weekend.

“All legitimately elected municipal governments under the banner of Citizens for Freedom have been taken over by the regime,” said Kitty Monterrey, President of CxL, on Twitter.

“I strongly condemn the arbitrary seizure by the regime of the municipalities... elected by popular vote, and demand the safety and security of their officials and mayors,” she added.

Nicaragua’s Government and Police Force did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

CxL was outlawed in

2021 prior to the presidential elections where President Ortega was re-elected for another five-year term in a vote decried by the international community as a sham, but the municipalities already run by the party continued in their hands until now.

Through election season last year, Opposition candidates were arrested and some have since been tried for treason.

The upcoming municipal elections in November have been condemned by the leaders of CxL, who are in exile, as a “farce” owing to the lack of Opposition parties. (Excerpt from Reuters)

A

t least five people have been killed as Tropical Storm Bonnie swept through Central America.

Four died in Nicaragua and one in El Salvador, officials said.

Bonnie, which has since strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane, is expected to move parallel to the coast of southern Mexico in the coming days, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

Meteorologists have warned of life-threatening surf and rip currents.

Bonnie made landfall late on Friday on the Caribbean coast in southern Nicaragua and swept north-west across the country to El Salvador’s Pacific coast.

All four of those who died in Nicaragua were swept away by rivers which had been turned into raging torrents by the heavy rains.

One of victims, 43-year-

People get trapped during a flash flood caused by heavy rains due to the tropical storm Bonnie, in San Salvador, El Salvador, July 2, 2022

old Juan Carlos Alemán Mendoza, had been rescuing passengers from a local bus which had been washed away by flooding, local media reported.

Tens of thousands of people across Nicaragua were left without power and more than 10,000 homes had no water.

In El Salvador, one young woman was confirmed dead while rescue workers are searching for at least one missing man.

Parts of the country remain under alert for further possible flooding. Schools stayed closed across El Salvador on Monday.

In the capital, San Salvador, roads collapsed and cars were swept away.

Bonnie is the third hurricane of the 2022 Eastern North Pacific season, after Hurricane Agatha developed in May and Blas in June, according to the US National Hurricane Center.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Argentina’s new economy chief sworn in, tries to calm nervous markets

market peso plunged around eight per cent as people flocked to popular parallel foreign exchange markets to buy dollars after the abrupt exit on Saturday of moderate and long-standing Economy Minister Martin Guzman.

Batakis, a career civil servant widely viewed as close to the hard left-wing of the

ruling Peronist coalition that wants to increase spending, immediately pledged fiscal restraint.

“I believe in fiscal balance and I think we have to move in that direction,” she said in her first comments.

On Monday the black-market peso slid to 260 per dollar, over double the official exchange rate of 126 pesos per dollar which is shielded by capital controls.

Argentina’s S&P Merval stock index fell one per cent and bonds lost 0.8 per cent in thin trading due to the July Fourth holiday in the United States.

Guzman’s exit highlighted splits in the Government, dealt a blow to President Alberto Fernandez ahead of 2023 elections and stoked investor fears that the Government would spend more heavily to ease high poverty levels. (Excerpt from Reuters)

the Decriminalization of Abortion, a feminist NonGovernmental Organisation that defended the woman, said in a report on Monday that she had suffered a miscarriage in the bathroom of her home while five months pregnant.

Morena Herrera, head of the NGO, told Reuters that the woman, identified only as Lesli, had tried to cut the umbilical cord herself after the miscarriage, but it was dark and her home had no electricity.

El Salvador has some

of the world’s harshest anti-abortion laws, which ban all kinds of terminations even if the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother’s life or results from rape or incest.

The Salvadoran Government did not respond to a request for comment.

“It is not the first time that the prosecution has constructed a story that totally criminalises women,” Herrera said.

Lesli was sentenced to 50 years in prison for aggravated homicide on Wednesday.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

New Argentine Economy Minister Silvina Batakis arrives to talk to the media after being sworn in at the Casa Rosada Presidential Palace, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, July 4, 2022 (Reuters/Agustin Marcarian)

A

rgentina’s new Economy Minister Silvina Batakis was sworn in on Monday and quickly moved to calm markets that slid after the shock resignation of her predecessor on fears his exit would spark a shift towards more populist policies and State spending.

The closely-watched black

Nicaraguan Police seize control of 5 municipalities ahead of elections, Opposition says El Salvador woman’s 50-year jail sentence outrages abortion rights group N

A

woman in El Salvador has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for aggravated homicide in a controversial case in which authorities argued she had killed her baby after giving birth, while her defenders said she had suffered a miscarriage.

Salvadoran authorities said the woman carried her baby to near-full term and gave birth in June 2020.

After having the baby, she stabbed it in the neck six times, they said.

The Citizen Group for

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil rises as tight supply trumps recession fears

O

il rose on Monday as supply concerns driven by lower OPEC output, unrest in Libya and sanctions against Russia outweighed fears of a demand-sapping global recession.

Euro zone inflation hit yet another record high in June, strengthening the case for rapid European Central Bank rate increases, while US consumer sentiment hit a record low.

Brent crude rose US$2.26, or 2 per cent, to US$113.89 a barrel by 12:47 pm ET (1648 GMT) after falling more than US$1 in early trade. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose US$2.20, or 2 per cent, to US$110.63, in thin volume during the US Independence Day holiday.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) missed a target to boost output in June, a Reuters survey found.

In OPEC member Libya, authorities declared force majeure at Es Sidr and Ras Lanuf ports as well as the El Feel oilfield on Thursday, saying oil output was down by 865,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Meanwhile, Ecuador’s production has been hit by more than two weeks of unrest that has caused the country to lose nearly 2 million barrels of output, said state-run oil company Petroecuador.

Adding to potential supply woes, a strike this week in Norway could cut supply from Western Europe’s largest oil producer and reduce overall petroleum output by about 8 per cent.

“This backdrop of mounting supply outages is colliding with a possible shortage in spare production capacity among Middle Eastern oil producers,” said Stephen Brennock of oil broker PVM, referring to the limited ability of producers to pump more oil.

“And without new oil production hitting markets soon, prices will be forced higher.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday called on the OPEC+ producer group to produce more oil to tackle a cost-of-living crisis.

Brent crude has come close this year to topping the 2008 record high of US$147 a barrel after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine added to supply concerns.

Soaring energy prices on the back of bans on Russian oil and reduced gas supply have driven inflation to multi-decade highs in some countries and stoked recession fears. (Excerpt from Reuters)

China rejects NASA accusation it will take over the moon

C

hina on Monday rejected as an irresponsible smear a warning from the chief of NASA that China might “take over” the moon as part of a military programme, saying it has always called for the building of a community of nations in outer space.

China has stepped up the pace of its space programme in the past decade, with exploration of the moon a focus. China made its first lunar uncrewed landing in 2013 and expects to launch rockets powerful enough to send astronauts to the moon towards the end of this decade.

“We must be very concerned that China is landing on the moon and saying: ‘It’s ours now and you stay out’,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told German newspaper Bild in an interview published on Saturday.

The US space agency chief said China’s space programme was a military one and that China had stolen

ideas and technology from others.

“This is not the first time that the head of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has ignored the facts and spoken irresponsibly about China,” said Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry.

“The US side has constantly constructed a smear campaign against China’s normal and reasonable outer space endeavours, and China firmly opposes such irresponsible remarks.”

China has always promoted the building of a shared future for humanity in outer space and opposed its weaponisation and any arms race in space, he said.

NASA, under its Artemis programme, plans to send a crewed mission to orbit the moon in 2024 and make a crewed landing near the lunar south pole by 2025.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Ukrainian forces take up new positions as Putin hails Luhansk victory

U

krainian forces were taking up new defensive lines in the eastern part of the country on Monday, preparing for the next phase in the war as President Vladimir Putin proclaimed Russia’s victory in the months-long battle of Luhansk.

Russia captured the city of Lysychansk on Sunday, bringing an end to one of the biggest battles in Europe in generations. For two months, Moscow brought the full might of its ground forces to bear on a small pocket of the front line. It completed Russia’s conquest of Luhansk province, one of two regions it has demanded Ukraine cede to separatists in the Donbas region.

During a brief televised meeting with his Defence Minister, Putin congratulated Russian forces on “victories in the Luhansk direction”. Participants in that combat should “absolutely rest and recover their military preparedness,” while other units continue fighting in other areas, he said.

The battle is the closest Moscow has come to achieving one of its stated objectives since its forces were defeated trying to capture Kyiv in March. It marks Russia’s biggest victory since it captured the southern port of Mariupol in late May. Both sides suffered thousands of

First responders work on the scene where a school was destroyed by early morning shelling as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues in Kharkiv, Ukraine, July 4, 2022

dead and wounded, while claiming they inflicted far greater losses on the other side, along a loop of the Siverskyi Donets river that winds through Luhansk and Donetsk.

Relentless Russian bombardment razed to a wasteland Lysychansk, neighbouring Sievierodonetsk and surrounding towns, many of which had heavy industrial plants that defenders

used as fortified bunkers. Russia had repeatedly tried and failed to surround the Ukrainians, eventually opting to blast them out with artillery.

Military experts said the battle could be a turning point in the war, making a big impact on both sides’ ability to fight on, even though the strategic value of the ruined cities themselves is limited.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Drug smuggling: Illinois shooting: 6 dead in 4 July parade Underwater drones shooting near Chicago seized by Spanish Police

Spanish Police released this video of drones A large number of Police have been deployed to find the suspect who is described as “armed and dangerous”

P

olice are still searching for a gunman who shot dead six people at a Fourth of July Independence Day parade near the US city of Chicago, officials say.

The event in the city of Highland Park was suddenly halted shortly after 10:00 local (15:00 GMT), when several shots were heard.

Residents have been urged to stay at home and contact their loved ones to make sure they are safe.

City authorities said 24 people had also been hospitalised.

“We are aggressively looking for the individual responsible for this shooting,” Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli told reporters.

Police have described the suspect as a white man, aged 18-20, who is “armed and dangerous” and appeared to have targeted the parade’s attendees at random.

Law enforcement offi-

cers have secured a perimeter around Highland Park’s downtown area and recovered “evidence of a firearm,” a statement from city officials said.

Nearby suburbs have also gone on lockdown, with beaches evacuated and local parades and fireworks shows cancelled.

The suspect is believed to have fired at members of the public from the rooftop of a nearby shop using what Police described as a high-powered rifle.

“On a day that we came together to celebrate community and freedom, we’re instead mourning the tragic loss of life,” said city Mayor Nancy Rotering.

Gun violence in Chicago tends to rise over holiday weekends as the hot weather sends people outdoors. In 2021, more than 100 people were shot and 17 killed over the Fourth of July weekend in the city of Chicago.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

S

panish Police have seized three underwater drones built to smuggle drugs across the sea from Morocco.

The unmanned submersibles are apparently capable of carrying up to 200kg (441lbs) of cargo.

As part of the 14-month investigation, eight people have been arrested in Cadiz, Malaga, and Barcelona.

Police say it means they have broken up a gang suspected of building the vehicles and supplying them to drug smugglers across Europe.

Spanish Police say it is the first time they have discovered an underwater vehicle capable of being operated unmanned.

“These devices could allow drug traffickers to transport large quantities of narcotics remotely across the Strait of Gibraltar,” Police said in a statement.

The Strait of Gibraltar is the narrow strip of sea that separates Morocco from Spain.

One of the submarines was completely built and

two more were still under construction. It is believed the pair being built were intended to be delivered to a French gang for smuggling cocaine.

Officials also seized 14kg (31lbs) of hashish, 8kg (18lbs) of marijuana, more than €157,300 (£135,527) in cash, and six large aerial drones.

Armed with GPS navigation systems, the vehicles could potentially be operated by drug traffickers from anywhere in the world using an internet-device as simple as a tablet.

Officials claimed the gang specialised in building a wide range of air, land, and sea vehicles intended specifically to transport drugs, and accused them of supplying the devices to criminal organisations in Denmark, Italy, France and Spain.

According to EFE news agency, investigators discovered 13 different types of vehicles - including trailers with concealed “double bottoms” capable of holding up to 800kg of cargo. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

(March 21-April 19)

DILBERT

(April 20-May 20)

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Hidden matters will be confusing.

When in doubt, ask questions, find out where you stand and find a way to move forward. Don’t waste valuable time on nonsense and other people’s poor judgment.

Make changes if you aren’t happy with the way things are going. Keep your emotions hidden, and face challenges with an open mind. Take the high road and act quickly to avoid a complicated situation.

Satisfy your thirst for knowledge.

Researching and talking to experts will convince you to rethink your strategy. Take on less and focus more on doing the best job possible; progress will be yours.

Emotions will surface, putting you in an awkward situation. Don’t jump to conclusions or act in haste. Take the time to find out the truth, and be realistic about handling unstable conditions.

Look at every aspect of a situation before making a move. Pay more attention to what you want and need in your life. Personal growth will offer perspective regarding what’s right and best for you.

You’ll have splendid ideas, but don’t forget to share your plans with the people your decisions will affect.

Being open about the decisions you make will decrease complaints. Don’t take a risk Look for an opportunity to learn something new. Educational pursuits can help you choose an interesting direction that will improve your life.

Financial gain and self-improvement look promising.

Participate in something that intrigues you, but consider your motives and goals before you take on responsibilities. Refuse to let other people’s troubles drag you down.

SUDOKU (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Be upfront when dealing with matters at home and work. Give a precise and in-depth analysis of situations and what you plan on doing next.

Concentrate on giving yourself time and space.

Put your thoughts, ideas and energy into improving your living arrangements and daily routine. Simplify your life by setting an easygoing pace that allows you more freedom.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay attention to the dynamics of meaningful relationships. Sharing your intentions and long-term plans will help you gain perspective regarding how to stabilize your life.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Focus on earning and handling money. Look for purpose in what you do and rewards for what you achieve.

Getting paid for doing something you enjoy will make your life easier.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

21

President Ali meets with national chess team ahead of Olympiad in Chennai – Pledges to support expansion of chess across Guyana

T

he Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) made a courtesy call on President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Culture, Youth, and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr at State House on Friday.

The delegation was led by GCF President Frankie Farley and members of the Olympiad team scheduled to represent Guyana at the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, India later this month.

The team comprises five males and five females.

Taffin Khan, Loris Nathoo, Anthony Drayton, Roberto Neto, and Ethan Lee will participate in the Open Tournament while Sasha Shariff, Pooja Lam, Jessica Callender, Anaya Lall and Nellisha Johnson will participate in the Women’s Category. Also in attendance were Company Secretary Marcia Lee, Executive Director Irshad Mohamed, Team Captain and Executive Director Davion Mars, Executive Director and FIDE Ethics and Disciplinary

Commission Councillor Yolander Sammy and Deaf Association of Guyana President Sabine Macintosh.

The Head of State was pleased to see the young men and women in attendance and it was noted that this would be the youngest team to ever represent Guyana at the Olympiad and the only Guyanese team to ever include a deaf player, 12-year-old Anaya Lall. Snapshot of President Dr Irfaan Ali’s meeting with Guyana’s Chess Olympiad team and GCF Executives Anaya will now be representing the sport for persons with special needs across sought-after pastime, accessible in every region Guyana for the second time, having competed last year in the online World Guyana as well as equipment to further expand across Guyana. the Federation’s reach across the country.

The 44th edition of the FIDE Olympiad will Chess Championship for People with Disabilities.

President Ali added that he was happy with the begin on Thursday, July 28 and end on Wednesday, Dr Ali pledged Government’s assistance and work the Federation has done in making the sport August 10, 2022. support for the team to compete in India and promised continued support in further advancing inclusive, but charged it to have chess become a

Root, Bairstow, Lees power England’s dream E ngland’s dream run in fourth-innings chases this summer continued as they got to 259 for 3 in pursuit of 378, a record chase for them if it comes off. Alex Lees and Zak Crawley put together their quickest hundred-run opening stand in Test cricket before Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow repaired a collapse of three wickets for two runs. However, to have that half chance at the target England needed the bowlers to do their job, which they did by taking India’s seven standing wickets for an addition of 120 runs to the overnight lead of 257 runs.

When England bowled in the first half of the way, they extracted uneven bounce from the pitch, and Jack Leach found enough assistance to have an analysis of 12-1-28-1, the wicket being the dangerous Rishabh Pant, who became the first India wicket-keeper to score a hundred and a fifty in an overseas Test. The ball didn’t do much for India at the start; when they got the ball changed in the 21st over, it brought them three wickets.

Root and Bairstow had to be watchful against the reversing ball for a bit, but they still managed to add 150 unbeaten runs at 4.56 an over.

England began the day with James Anderson and Root, perhaps because the latter had got Pant in the first innings, but it looked like the start of a flat spell for England. The first seven overs brought India 27 runs without playing a shot in anger, but Stuart Broad brought England the luck they badly needed. Cheteshwar Pujara, on 50 overnight, cut a short and wide ball straight to backward point to be dismissed for 66.

This opening paved the way for a hostile spell from Matthew Potts, who peppered Shreyas Iyer with the short ball before having him caught at square midwicket. Immediately, Ben Stokes brought on Jack Leach, who has been cannon fodder for Pant in Test cricket. Pant swept him for four first ball. When Leach began his next over, he had conceded 151 runs to Pant in 97 balls in Test cricket. Off the second ball of the over, Pant tried a revere-sweep to counter his wide defensive lines, but ended up tickling it to slip to be out for 57.

India led by 330 at this moment with four wickets in hand. All through the series, India’s lower order has been the thorn in England’s side, but on this one final occasion they let England shut the game down.

Ravindra Jadeja kept farming the strike without taking any risks on the first three balls of the over, which India possibly did to give the pitch the best chance to wear down. This also gave England the chance to have attacking fields for the other batters whenever they got strike. Potts had Shardul Thakur caught at long leg with a top edge on the hook, and Stokes continued the short-ball barrage. It was a brave call, because the short ball had worked to their detriment at Lord’s and in the second innings here. And, for once, it worked as Stokes ended the innings with a reversing length ball to get Jadeja to play on before taking Jasprit

Jasprit Bumrah struck either side of tea, getting Ollie Pope after Zak Crawley

Bumrah out with another bouncer.

England have scored 279 for 5, 299 for 5 and 296 for 3 to win their last three Tests batting last, but this was 378, on an uneven pitch, against a team that had its full first-choice attack. England also had openers who, at least on the outside, looked not certain of their position. What a day they chose to come good.

The positive intent was on show right away.

Lees charged at Mohammed Shami the second ball he bowled and got four through midwicket.

When India tried Jadeja early, he drilled the first ball of his first over for four through mid-off, reverse-swept for four the last ball of that over, and slog-swept for four the first ball of the next over.

Crawley showed much better judgement outside off, making the bowlers bowl at the stumps, and showed how good he is off the pads or down the ground when they did.

They were not batting like batters with Test averages of 25 and 27 nor would it have looked like they were chasing 378 if you had just walked in without knowing the score. The field spread, and the funky shots stopped. Lees kept rotating the strike, and Crawley began improving his strike-rate as he started to get drive balls. India’s Coach Rahul Dravid was seen chatting to the match referee David Boon, possibly seeking clarification on why the ball was not getting changed for them. As he chatted, he must have seen Crawley drive Thakur through extra cover for four to take England to 80 in just the 17th over.

India finally got the ball changed in the 21st over by which time Lees had brought up his fifty, the first at more than a run a ball for a regular England opener since 2011, and the two had added 106. With the replaced ball, Bumrah brought himself back and produced immediate results. Crawley left outside off as he had been doing, but this ball moved back in late to knock the off bail over.

Ollie Pope fell to the first ball after tea, poking at a shortish one outside off, which held its line.

The first ball of the next over brought the wicket of Lees, who was caught ball-watching when an inside edge from him had gone behind square.

Losing three wickets in the space of three runs,

Alex Lees got to his half-century off just 44 balls

against a ball that was now talking, England needed to stem the tide.

Root and Bairstow did that and more, but batted positively while doing so. The first bit was difficult for Bairstow with the ball now reversing.

He kept fumbling for the ball, aware of his traditional weakness against the one that comes in, but it was when the bowlers switched the shine that he got in trouble. He was 14 when he drove hard at what turned out to be an outswinger, but Hanuma Vihari, for some reason fielding at second slip in place of Shubman Gill or Iyer, dropped him.

He was 39 when Pant dived full length to his left, but could not collect a tickle down the leg side. Apart from those two chances, Root and Bairstow batted without much bother. Root tried a couple of reverse-sweeps off Jadeja, who bowled over the wicket for the majority of the day, but remained fairly classic in his brisk run-scoring for

Jonny Bairstow was largely untroubled as he played a solid supporting act to Joe Root

the rest of the innings. Bairstow, who had scored many of his boundaries by going over the infield in the first innings, appreciated the in-and-out fields and the only shot he played in the air was the pull off Mohammed Siraj for a flat six.

The innings so far could be divided in three neat phases: the first 20.5 overs for 106 runs and no wicket, the next 15.1 overs when the ball moved and brought India three wickets for 35 runs, and 118 runs in the next 21 overs when the ball went soft. In all, India conceded 134 runs in boundaries, the second-most they have given away in the first 57 overs of a fourth innings.

The day began with high probability of souring a memorable summer of chases for England, but it ended as a reminder that this could be India’s third straight away defeat despite setting decent targets. (ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD INDIA 2ND INNINGS BATTING R B Shubman Gill c Crawley b Anderson 4 3 Cheteshwar Pujara c Lees b Broad 66 168 Hanuma Vihari c Bairstow b Broad 11 44 Virat Kohli c Root b Stokes 20 40 Rishabh Pant † c Root b Leach 57 86 Shreyas Iyer c Anderson b Potts 19 26 Ravindra Jadeja b Stokes 23 58 Shardul Thakur c Crawley b Potts 4 26 Mohammed Shami c Lees b Stokes 13 14 Jasprit Bumrah (c) c Crawley b Stokes 7 20 Mohammed Siraj not out 2 9 Extras (b 6, lb 7, nb 3, w 3) 19 TOTAL 81.5 Ov (RR: 2.99) 245 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Shubman Gill, 0.3 ov), 2-43 (Hanuma Vihari, 16.3 ov), 3-75 (Virat Kohli, 29.5 ov), 4-153 (Cheteshwar Pujara, 52.3 ov), 5-190 (Shreyas Iyer, 59.2 ov), 6-198 (Rishabh Pant, 62.2 ov), 7-207 (Shardul Thakur, 69.1 ov), 8-230 (Mohammed Shami, 73.4 ov), 9-236 (Ravindra Jadeja, 79.2 ov), 10-245 (Jasprit Bumrah, 81.5 ov) BOWLING O M R W James Anderson 19 5 46 1

Stuart Broad Matthew Potts Jack Leach Ben Stokes Joe Root

16 17 12 11.5 6

1 3 1 0 1

58 50 28 33 17

2 2 1 4 0

ENGLAND 2ND INNINGS (Target: 378 runs) BATTING R B Alex Lees run out (Mohammed Shami/Jadeja) 56 65 Zak Crawley b Bumrah 46 76 Ollie Pope c †Pant b Bumrah 0 3 Joe Root not out 76 112 Jonny Bairstow not out 72 87 Extras (lb 7, nb 1, w 1) 9 TOTAL 57 Ov (RR: 4.54) 259/3 Yet to bat: Ben Stokes (c), Sam Billings †, Matthew Potts, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach, James Anderson Fall of wickets: 1-107 (Zak Crawley, 21.4 ov), 2-107 (Ollie Pope, 23.1 ov), 3-109 (Alex Lees, 24.1ov) BOWLING O M R W Jasprit Bumrah 13 0 53 2 Mohammed Shami 12 2 49 0 Ravindra Jadeja 15 2 53 0 Mohammed Siraj 10 0 64 0 Shardul Thakur 7 0 33 0

22

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Bess confident in collective packages of athletes set to represent Guyana at CAC CLASSIFIED ADS

– urges Government and corporate sponsors to come on board

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he Guyana Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation (GBBFF) will be gearing up as time draws closer for the 13 selected athletes to compete in the highly-anticipated Central America and Caribbean Championships (CAC) 2022 in Barbados.

The competition will be held from July 27 to August 1, 2022, and GBBFF President Keavon Bess is confident that the athletes will do well.

In an interview with <<<Guyana Times Sport>>> when asked his view on the package that each athlete will present on stage, Bess said, “in terms of the packages the athletes will be bringing, I believe that each athlete has their own particular strong p o i n t and collectively, I believe the package of athletes will do well. We have four female athletes on that list, we have Rosanna Fung, who has already medalled at the CAC, we have Kerwin Clarke on the male side and Emmerson Campbell, both of whom have medalled at the CAC competition. So, I believe that all of the athletes will take their best package to the CAC.” Bess noted that the shortlist of athletes came from the senior’s competition that was held in June 2021 and made mention that the athletes have continuously worked on their bodies and continued to finetune them. He further said that the athletes were in tip top shape and he expected them to do

well; he also expected them as a collective to give an excellent representation of Guyana.

The GBBFF boss explained that he and his Executive have been advising the athletes on how to programme their bodies and minds for the upcoming competition. He divulged GBBFF President Keavon Bess that they have been able to meet with them on a few occasions to ensure that everyone was on the same page as they prepare to take the stage – when the time comes, representing the country as a single unit.

In closing, Bess said, “As in every competition every year, whether local or overseas, we depend heavily on sponsorship.

We do our part in fundraising, often times that’s insufficient so we do rely heavily on our sponsors, corporate Guyana and the Government. So far, sponsorship for the CAC has been very slow, but we have still managed to secure some airfares for some of the athletes. We are hoping that by mid-July we can secure all the airfares and just work towards accommodations and meals. We are hoping on the Government, that they would come on board and other sponsors would come on board and support us.”

The athletes selected are Rosanna Fung, Emmerson Campbell, Darious Ramsammy, Roger Callender, Kerwin Clarke, Nicholas Albert, Rawle Greene, Julio Sinclair, Colin Chesney, Jonathan Jeffrey, Christina King, Asanti Conway, and Angelica Ramos.

Darious Ramsammy & Rosanna Fung

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Milo U18 Schools Football Tournament…

Defending champions CWSS restrict Carmel for 1st win …West, North Ruimveldt, Cummings Lodge in winners row

2

019 Champions of the Petra-organised Milo Under 18 Schools’ football tournament, Christianburg Wismar Secondary School (CWSS), out of Linden, played to a 3-0 victory over Carmel Secondary, in their first game of the 2022 tournament, on Sunday.

Kelvin Hintzen opened the scoring in the fifth minute after which Jamil James added another in the 19th for a 2-0 scoreline at the half.

Kristian Louis added the third in the 70th minute for Christianburg’s win.

Speaking with Guyana Times Sport after the game, Hintzen assessed his team’s performance while Coach Delon London shared their simple game plan.

“Well, the game was alright. We come, did the work that we set to put out and we had a good game. Three goals, that was good,” the CWSS player shared.

Stand-in Coach London said, “Basically, it’s just come out, knock the ball around and when we get the opportunity take the shot ,and that’s about it. Keep knocking the ball and take the shot when they open.”

“As the defending champions we intend on maintaining our winning ways,” he affirmed.

Meanwhile, the second game of Sunday saw West Ruimveldt humbling Marian Academy 3-1.

After a few tries, West sank their first goal in the 24th minute, compliments of Danovan Welcome. However, Marian’s Nicholas Jones made it a 1-all game with a

goal in the 14th minute.

It was only until the second half that West was able to pull away from Marian, by way of a Nicholas James brace in the 55th and 58th minutes.

Cummings Lodge Secondary enjoyed a 4-2 win over Uitvlugt Secondary in the following game on Sunday afternoon. Contrary to the game’s eventual result, Uitvlugt were on top of things, with a 2-0 lead by the 22nd minute. One goal each from Uitvlugt’s Niaz Orella (13th) and Nyron Adams (22nd) put them ahead, before the first reply was made

by Cummings Lodge’s Daniel Murray in the 24th minute.

Six minutes later, Murray levelled the scores, making for an entertaining second segment.

There, Cummings Lodge’s Keyshaun Millington (41st) and Elijah Mendonca (49th) got their team to four goals, while Uitvlugt could not muster a response, for the 4-2 result.

North Ruimveldt Secondary thumped Canje Secondary in the final game 4-0, thanks to an Akeem Perriera one-man show.

Perriera was the only man with a remedy for the muddied conditions, finding the back of the net four times in the 10th, 26th, 31st and 41st minutes for North’s win.

Four more games were played on Monday afternoon, as the tournament is expected to continue this weekend at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground, Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown.

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TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

CPL Men’s and Women’s 2022 fixtures confirmed T

he fixtures for the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the inaugural Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) have been confirmed. The tournament will visit St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago and culminate in the finals in Guyana.

The opening day of the tournament will see the Trinbago Knight Riders Women take on the Barbados Royals Women before the current Men’s champions, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, begin their title defence against the Jamaica Tallawahs.

The women’s CPL will feature four matches in the inaugural 2022 season in addition to the seven women’s games at the SKYEXCH 6IXTY, which takes place immediately before Hero CPL. This is 11 matches in total, representing a big step forward in the scheduling of women’s franchise cricket in the Region, with plans to grow this in subsequent years.

CPL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pete Russell said: “It is very exciting to be able to confirm the fixtures for this season with this announcement, being all the more special with the WCPL taking place for the first time in 2022. We can’t wait to be back travelling around the Caribbean and we are looking forward to welcoming our wonderful fans back into the stadiums across the Region.”

Hero CPL 2022 Fixtures St Kitts & Nevis

Wednesday, August 31, 3pm, Trinbago Knight Riders Women v Barbados Royals Women Wednesday, August 31, 7pm, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men v Jamaica Tallawahs Men Thursday, September 1, 10am, Saint Lucia Kings Men v Trinbago Knight Riders Men Thursday, September 1, 3pm, Guyana Amazon Warriors Women v Trinbago Knight Riders Women Thursday, September 1, 7pm, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men v Barbados Royals Men Saturday, September 3, 10am, Jamaica Tallawahs Men v Guyana Amazon Warriors Men Saturday, September 3, 3pm, Barbados Royals Women v Guyana Amazon Warriors Women Saturday, September 3, 7pm, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men v Trinbago Knight Riders Men Sunday, September 4, 10am, Barbados Royals Men v Saint Lucia Kings Men Sunday, September 4, 2:30pm, WOMEN’S

FINAL Sunday, September 4, 7pm, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men v Guyana Amazon Warriors Men

Saint Lucia

Wednesday, September 7, 10am, Barbados Royals Men v Trinbago Knight Riders Men Wednesday, September 7, 7pm, St Lucia Kings Men v Jamaica Tallawahs Men Thursday, September 8, 10am, Guyana Amazon Warriors Men v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men Thursday, September 8, 7pm, Saint Lucia Kings Men v Barbados Royals Men Saturday, September 10, 10am, Jamaica Tallawahs Men v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men Saturday, September 10, 7pm, Saint Lucia Kings Men v Guyana Amazon Warriors Men Sunday, September 11, 10am, Jamaica Tallawahs Men v Barbados Royals Men Sunday, September 11, 7pm, Saint Lucia Kings Men v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men

Trinidad

Tuesday, September 13, 7pm, Trinbago Knight Riders Men v Barbados Royals Men Wednesday, September 14, 10am, Jamaica Tallawahs Men v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men Wednesday, September 14, 7pm, Trinbago Knight Riders Men v Guyana Amazon Warriors Men Thursday, September 15, 10am, Barbados Royals Men v Jamaica Tallawahs Men Saturday, September 17, 10am, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men v Saint Lucia Kings Men Saturday, September 17, 7pm, Trinbago Knight Riders Men v Jamaica Tallawahs Men Sunday, September 18, 10am, Barbados Royals Men v Guyana Amazon Warriors Men

Sunday, September 18, 7pm, Trinbago Knight Riders Men v Saint Lucia Kings Men

Guyana

Wednesday, September 21, 10am, Barbados Royals Men v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men Wednesday, September 21, 7pm, Guyana Amazon Warriors Men v Jamaica Tallawahs Men Thursday, September 22, 10am, Trinbago Knight Riders Men v St Kitts & Nevis Patriots Men Thursday, September 22, 7pm, Guyana Amazon Warriors Men v Saint Lucia Kings Men Saturday, September 24, 7pm, Guyana Amazon Warriors Men v Trinbago Knight Riders Men Sunday, September 25, 10am, Jamaica Tallawahs Men v Saint Lucia Kings Men

Ramson commits to basketball hoops, other equipment for Buxton

S

port Minister Charles of heavy-duty equipment, that Ramson Jr was a part would help to keep other parts of a ministerial team of the community ground in conducting an outreach in the pristine condition. community of Buxton, East “My second commitment Coast Demerara (ECD) on that I’m going to make now, Monday when he passionatewithin 30 minutes, we’re also ly committed to assisting the going to deliver a driving traccommunity with its sporting tor lawn mower and brush needs. cutter,” Ramson Jr declared, Basketball has grown popbeing met with cheers from ular in the village, with one atthe crowd. tendee sharing that it has beMuch like the event in come a Sunday morning event Ithaca, West Coast Berbice, there, but the hoops are not up Ramson put forward the to standard. utilisation of the Volunteer As such, the community got Apprenticeship Community the on-the-spot commitment Support programme in order from Ramson Jr, that he would to have the hoops installed. deliver new, state-of the-art Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr. addresses villagers The programme seeks to get in Buxton hoops within the day. community members involved “Today, I’m going to make in the rehabilitation and another commitment because you’re saying that you maintenance of their public spaces. have a hundred players who play here and you don’t Ramson explained, “In order to put up these hoops, have any hoops,” Ramson Jr began. they have to be cast into the ground, etc. So, within two “Just last Sunday, we were in Ithaca and we installed, weeks, our team at the Ministry and your team of basfor the first time, Slam-branded basketball hoops in any ketball players, we’re going to work on a community procommunity across this country. Today, and just to show gramme, where we’re going to install these hoops togethyou that we mean business, today I’m going to give you er.” that commitment that within 30 minutes, those hoops “Building together is an example, and a priority, of are going to be here,” the Sport Minister promised. the commitment that President [Irfaan] Ali has made to Ramson Jr went further, pledging the handing over this country,” he concluded.

Sunday, September 25, 7pm, Guyana Amazon Warriors Men v Barbados Royals Men Tuesday, September 27, 10am, Qualifier 1 – 1st place finisher v 2nd place finisher Tuesday, September 27, 7pm, Eliminator – 3rd place finisher v 4th place finisher Wednesday, September 28, 7pm, Qualifier 2 – Winner of Eliminator v Loser of Qualifier 1 Friday, September 30, 7pm, Final – Winner of Qualifier 1 v Winner of Qualifier 2 Additionally, Guyana’s leg of the Hero CPL 2022 will be punctuated by a number of Cricket Carnival activities, which are set to begin on September 18. Cricket Carnival will feature concerts, food festivals, a pageant, and a Road March, among other activities.

GFF Women's Development League...

GDF stroll to 2nd win, taming Pakaru Jaguars in their opening match

T

he St Cuthbert’s M i s s i o n (Lokono: Pakuri) village, nestled on the Mahaica River in the Demerara-Mahaica region was the centre of attraction once again following their hosting of the kick-off of last year’s historical female end-of-theyear football champi- GDF goalscorers from right: Andrea Lashley, onship.

Abiose Heywood, and Kellyann Niles This time, the village welcomed the experienced Guyana Defence Force (GDF) female team for their debut match in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Women’s Development League on Saturday.

While the experienced Army side romped to a 4-0 win, the home team, Pakaru Jaguars fought well and made their supporters proud despite losing. The Jaguars battled well, and it was the experienced trio of Abiose Heywood, who netted a double, Kellyann Niles (single strike); and the veteran Andrea Lashley who made the difference.

The GDF scored two goals on either side of play and they have advanced to six points from two matches and are second in the points table behind Fruta Conquerors (+29) on a similar number of points, but better goal difference to the Army’s 8.

Two more matches were slated for the GFF National Training Centre yesterday when Potaro Strikers took on Police and New Amsterdam United versus Santos.

TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022

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

CPL Men’s and Women’s 2022 fixtures confirmed Pg 23

“The Biggest Party in Sport” will commence in St Kitts and Nevis this year, home of the defending champions the Patriots. Thereafter, the tournament will make its way to St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, before settling in Guyana for the final league games, eliminators and the coveted final

Keeping fit! President of Guyana, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali (centre), on Monday morning, joined several other Caribbean Community (Caricom) leaders for a 1-km walk in Paramaribo, Suriname. The 1-km walk and an ensuing Heads of Government meeting formed part of the activities being carried out in Guyana’s neighbouring country to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the formation of the Caribbean Community (Photo: President Irfaan Ali Facebook Page)

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