Guyana Times - Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Some residents to receive electricity for 1st time by year-end

...“It came as a surprise” – ecstatic Kwakwani resident

P15 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4777

THE BEACON OF TRUTH TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

PRICE

76th UN General Assembly

“Guyana will stay wedded to Sustainable Development Goals” – Pres Ali on "Agenda 2030" …commits to aggressive advocacy despite slothful, lagging int’l implementation Page 3

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

Overpayment, breaches P16 to country’s financial laws flagged in AG's 2020 report Visitors to US must be fully vaccinated P14

1 dead, 1 P11 critical after lorry turns turtle

President Dr Irfaan Ali joined other leaders in New York at the Memorial and Tribute Ceremony to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Twenty-five Guyanese died in the attacks. The ceremony was held at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Greenwich Street, New York (Office of the President photo)

ERC must be more proactive in tackling racism − Speaker of the National Assembly Page 2

Dartmouth fatal Police shooting

“Loss of life never helps,” Benn tells grieving family …commits to impartial probe

Church has a role to play in fostering unity, tolerance – Head of State

Ruby businessman’s murder

Daughter denies hatching plot to kill father P10

3 injured after truck topples at Kwakwani P10

See story on page 16

8 more COVID-19 Page 7

…as Brooklyn pastors pledge support for ‘‘One Guyana’’

deaths, 130 new cases

Page 9

Man charged for killing P8 Kaneville miner

2 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

ERC must be more proactive in tackling racism – Speaker of the National Assembly

…as 2018 to 2020 reports handed over

T

he Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) was on Monday urged to be more proactive in its operations and fulfilling its mandate, as reports from the years 2018 to 2020 were handed over to the National Assembly.

On hand to receive the 2018 to 2020 reports from the ERC was Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir. In his address, Nadir expressed disappointment

at the slow pace with which the reports were produced.

“I want to say to all the

Commissions. Had I been a sitting, elected Member of Parliament and I don’t see a

report for the year, I am objecting to the budget for the next year. Because we can’t have three reports in your case coming at one time.”

“For us to be effective, its reports, evaluations, reconsideration, new recommendations, new decisions, funding and the work continues. But if we have to have a cycle of a number of years before we go through these changes, then we’re going to be in a time lag,”

ERC Chairman John Smith as he hands over the reports to Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir

Nadir said.

While he acknowledged that the ERC will not solve all problems definitively, Nadir was of the view that the Commission could be more proactive. This is particularly so when it comes to fulfilling its sensitisation mandate.

“I know your term has expired, but one of the things that have always been lacking in the ERC is a proactive approach when dealing with the issue of ethnic relations.

Reports after reports you look at, it’s a mechanical exercise. We do events, do we do events to do events or do we do events because we have to achieve an objective?”

“So, the programming aspect of these Commissions, I don’t see the proactiveness of them. And if we’re to move forward as a country that is serious about the issues that confront us, whether gender or age, we have to ensure there are professional programmes in place to achieve objectives,” Nadir said.

Meanwhile, ERC Chairman John Smith noted that the reports will encapsulate the work that has been done by the Commission. According to Smith, the final report of recommendations and concerns will be particularly useful as a guide to the next Commission that takes over from them.

“It gives me great pleasure, because we know that

we prepare them and we wanted an official record.

And dealing with the press, some had a lot to say about the years in between. So I’m happy they can view the handing over and our work is now done,” Smith said.

The National Assembly is currently in recess until October 10, after which sittings will resume. It is understood that the ERC reports will be laid in Parliament at the next sitting after the resumption.

Under Article 212D of the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the ERC has 24 functions – one of which is a mandate to investigate complaints from citizens across the country where acts of alleged ethnic discrimination have been committed. Also, the Commission is mandated to enforce the Racial Hostility Act and the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act. The ERC has, however, come in for its share of criticism, with many unsatisfied by its input during the volatile post-elections period following the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

Likewise, the body again was highly criticised in the aftermath of the brutal killing of Joel and Isaiah Henry, followed by the murders of Haresh Singh and Prettipaul Hargobin in West Coast Berbice last year. (G3)

NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Tuesday, Sept 21 – 04:00h – 05:30h and Wednesday, Sept 22 – 04:00h – 05:30h.

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FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY There will be sunshine during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Southerly to North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 16:53h reaching a maximum height of 2.63 metres.

Low Tide: 10:30h and 22:46h reaching minimum heights of 0.54 metre and 0.49 metre.

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76th UN General Assembly

“Guyana will stay wedded to Sustainable Development Goals” – Pres Ali on “Agenda 2030”

…commits to aggressive advocacy despite slothful, lagging int’l implementation

N

oting that the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was lagging even before the COVID-19 pandemic, President Dr Irfaan Ali has issued a call for the international community to renew its focus on achieving these goals and Agenda 2030 targets.

The President was at the time addressing the Sustainable Development Moment during the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. According to him, his own Government remains committed to the UNGA SDGs. “Guyana remains committed to presenting its second Voluntary National Review in the Decade of Action to realise the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030,” the President said in his address.

“Guyana will stay wedded to SDGs and will strive through its small but aggressive advocacy to ensure that this the third decade of the 21st century is characterised by transformation in which Agenda 2030 remains the primary guiding framework.”

But Ali noted that other countries in the international community, particularly the ones who should be at the forefront of the push to attain the SDGs, have not been as committed to this endeavour.

“Unfortunately, even prior to the pandemic, progress on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda was slothful and lagging. The pandemic has only compounded this reality. It has reversed many development gains and has threatened the attainment of the SDGs,” he said.

“The uneven global response to the pandemic has not helped. In order to attenuate this uneven response, avert the adverse consequences of a two-tier recovery and prepare for future exogenous shocks, greater attention must be paid to strengthening resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable countries, like Small Island Developing States and low-lying coastal states.”

According to the President, it will take a number of measures from the international community to ensure these vulnerable countries can stay on target, including debt rescheduling, increased access to soft resources and increased financing for cli-

President Irfaan Ali

mate adaptation.

Guyana’s SDGs initiatives

President Ali meanwhile spoke on the efforts Guyana has made towards the SDGs and its commitment to take an even-handed and inclusive approach to policymaking, in light of Guyana’s pluralistic society.

Guyana’s efforts, as cited by the President, include spearheading the Caribbean Community (Caricom) AgriFood Systems agenda, which prioritises food se-

curity and nutrition while guiding growth through a Low Carbon Development Strategy.

This falls in line with facilitating sustainable economic development while mitigating the effects of climate change, which are SDGs. Additionally, the President spoke of the efforts his Government has made to mitigate learning loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of schools.

“This support includes

the provision of 20,000 online scholarships to universities around the world for vocational, undergraduate and post-graduate studies, intensifying digital learning and preparing to make university education free by 2025,” he said.

Since taking office last year, President Ali has been advocating for access to more funding for developing countries. To this end, Guyana hosted the flagship G77 and China event themed: “Maintaining a Low Carbon Development Path towards the 2030 Agenda in the Era of COVID-19.”

The 17 SDGs include eradicating poverty and hunger, providing quality education for citizens, clean water and sanitation and economic growth. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which include the SDGs, was adopted by UN Member States inclusive of Guyana in 2015.

The 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76) opened on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. On that day, Abdulla Shahid of the Maldives was sworn in as the General Assembly President and he opened the 76th session.

(G3)

4

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

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

GPF must be highlyefficient, trusted

O

ver the years, great efforts have been made to reprofessionalise and re-capitalise each arm of the Joint Services. Gradually, the ranks, with rare exceptions, began taking pride in their uniform and profession, with dire consequences for the criminal population.

Governments changed and there was a paradigm shift in the actions/inactions of the various ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), again with rare exceptions, in direct correlation with the multiplicity of infractions of the law by lawmakers then in Government who were trampling on the Constitution in myriads of ways.

The People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s accession to the nation’s administrative offices in August of 2020, the new Government, through strategic placement of senior ranks, once again embarked on a dynamic crusade to create a people-friendly, proactive Police Force.

However, every organisation is a microcosm of the wider society, and the GPF is no different. Inasmuch as the society at large has criminals rampaging in every community, so too there are rogue cops defaming the entire Force and creating distrust between law-abiding citizens and the GPF. The rogues take bribes. In the past, some ranks have been accused, rightly or wrongly, of lending their weapons to bandits and of setting free persons who were captured with great effort and at great risk to their fellow officers.

They have even been accused of perpetrating criminal activities themselves, and it is only just that, when caught, they should be dealt with in more punitive ways than those meted to civilians, because they are supposed to be guardians of the laws of the land and protectors of the society, so their felonious actions are tantamount to crimes against the State, and consequently are treasonous.

Some of these ranks disgrace their uniforms and the organisation to which they belong. They bring disrepute to the entire Force with their criminal actions, and should be dealt with condignly by their own counterparts in the service, as in a case where one Policeman nabbed three bribe-takers.

The minibus conductors know all the traffic Policemen who take bribes, and their stories of persecution by those delegated to protect travellers from lawless road-users who commit traffic violations that endanger lives are many. Amnesty should be offered to those who were coerced into paying bribes by the disreputable brigade of lawmen in exchange for their providing crucial and credible evidence in court.

The law banning music from minibuses is constantly being flouted, even within hearing of Police ranks, most of whom ignore the cacophony, because they themselves feel that music, even the cacophonous and vulgar variety, is no crime but is instead very enjoyable and should be tolerated, with anyone objecting being deemed a troublemaker. In this regard, they abdicate their responsibility to be guardians and enforcers of the law, regardless of personal opinions and preferences.

The travelling public is still being held to ransom, because if they complain about loud and crude music, speeding or overcrowding, they are most often abused, and sometimes even ejected from the bus.

Sometimes, instead of respecting and heeding a request to turn down or off raucous and vulgar music, the volume is turned up to excruciatingly higher decibels. The public sometimes have no recourse but to endure the assault on their hearing organ, just to reach their destination.

The rogues in the GPF have to be weeded out by loyal and honest members of the Force themselves in sting operations, cognisant of the fact that defamation ensuing from the criminal actions of even one rogue cop impacts the reputation of the entire Force, not merely the renegades. The distrust of the public for the Police intensifies rather than wanes, and there are numerous instances when members of the public, fearing a negative response, prefer to suffer in silence rather than report crimes committed against them.

The trickle-down effects of crimes committed by rogue cops affect every Police rank, even those who have performed heroically in the line of duty, risking and sometimes losing their lives, who have given service to their country and their countrymen beyond the call of duty; so it is incumbent on those honest, dedicated and professional Police ranks to identify, isolate, and eliminate the criminals within their midst, so that the GPF once again becomes a highly-efficient, trusted law enforcement body that fulfils its mandate by protecting and serving the nation.

President Dr Irfaan Ali places a rose during the Memorial and Tribute Ceremony to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Twenty-five Guyanese died in the attacks. The ceremony was held at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum in Greenwich Street, New York (Office of the President photo)

Why not mandate COVID-19 vaccine for students?

By Hugh Graham

F

or the umpteenth time, COVID-19 and its effects are on the news.

Much of what is said can be summarised as “a lot is happening to us”. It appears that this “happening to us” has been a constant while we have only sat in anticipation of salvation.

We all hoped the pandemic and its challenges would have been behind us by now, yet here we are; on the receiving end of these “happenings”. While we prohibit this passive playstyle, I’d like to remind you that our children are not exempted from these challenges. Their education, in particular, has been greatly impacted.

Irrefutably, education is the key to success and a door out of poverty. It is also a fact that our children are the future of the nation. What sort of future do we expect our nation to have if we send the children there without the key?

As a patriot and a father, I struggle to source anything of greater significance.

For this reason, I am in support of mandating the vaccine for school children.

Of course, I am not the only one to have recognised the complications the pandemic brought with it and the impact on the quality of education our children are receiving. However, our elected leaders’ response is to apply first world solutions in a third world country.

On paper, online classrooms and e-learning are fantastic, and not only ensures that our children are educated while adhering to the social distancing protocols, but also pushes the nation forward in terms of technology and connectivity.

Unfortunately, the intent is not the result as our accessibility and connectivity are of a Third World standard. The hiccup is even more pronounced among the schools in rural areas as digital connectivity is simply not feasible. It is borderline insulting to propose education strategies with no consideration for rural schools in areas like Juan de Bolas, Lluidas Vale, Tydixon, and Top Hill. The children are crying out for help, and I know our tech companies mean well but we are not at a stage where a curriculum can be taught through a data plan on a smartphone. We have only managed sub-optimal to no education for the most part.

Until the vast majority of students have equal access to the proposed methods, transposing in-person classroom interactions with online or Web-based classrooms will not suffice. The students need to be in school and a working vac-

cine enables them to do so.

Why allow our baseless reservations to deprive us of a better future for us and our successors? Yes, I dare say baseless, as the chief opposition to my argument is mistrust. We are against mandating vaccines as we don’t trust science. The same science that brought us the vaccines for yellow fever, smallpox, the Spanish flu… These vaccines were mandated in a time when there was no Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve them.

Furthermore, chances are you and your kids had already received a mandatory vaccination upon registration for school. The point I am making is, we don’t know the contents of those vaccines any more than we know the contents of the COVID-19 vaccines. We trusted science then so what reason do we have to not trust science now?

Additionally, mandatory vaccination is constitutionally appropriate so long as it is in favour of public health imperatives. This means your rights would not be violated provided COVID-19 vaccination was mandated. So, if your reservation is a matter of being forced into action then that is unfortunate but the Government can enact mandates in the interest of your well-being.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Students benefit from in-person learning, and safely returning to in-person instruction in fall 2021 is a priority. Vaccination is the leading public health prevention strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic.

Promoting vaccination can help schools safely return to in-person learning as well as extracurricular activities and sports.”

The CDC also confirms that children below 12 are not eligible for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination and I dare not challenge the experts. So no, I am not saying vaccinate those who haven’t been cleared. I will continue to trust the science and suggest that we mandate vaccinations for the eligible. The CDC is currently working on COVID-19 vaccines for children below 12. As such, it is imperative that we who are eligible protect them as the vulnerable cohort.

These days, our leaders appear very preoccupied with the National Identification System (NIDS) and all efforts seem streamlined in realising it.

Yet there has been little to nothing from them on education. It has to be somebody’s job to tell us of the plans for the students who have been out of school for almost two years and how we intend to get them to their projected juncture. Is

it that the NIDS is more important than the education of the future of Jamaica?

What will be the result if we are to persist with these makeshift solutions?

Our students have been out of school for over 18 months now and I would hate to think the damage irreparable.

Therefore, we must consider the ramifications so that we can make the necessary preparations for their future. Someone needs to ask “What will happen to our students 5-10 years in the future?” and someone needs to have an answer to that question. As one of the preliminary measures, I propose a survey be done that is geared towards accumulating responses to that very question. In addition, with 12 years old being such a volatile age, how do the cards look in two years when the child is 14? Will they have already sat the all-important Primary Exit Profile?

What will be their course for either outcome?

There is also an association between mental health and school closures that we must consider. On September 3, 2021, the J ournal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study on the Association Between School Closures and Child Mental Health During COVID-19. In the study, “association between school closures and worse child mental health outcomes was observed, with older children and children from families with lower income experiencing more mental health problems associated with school closures”. This only makes sense and will only worsen the more students fall behind their more fortunate peers. The disproportionate application of web-based learning only multiplies the fear of falling behind. This in itself can birth a host of mental health issues. Let this not be your child or anyone else’s as the future is not a competition. If we are to move the nation forward, it has to be a collaborative effort.

I am not interested in my children being ahead of yours due to accessibility or vice versa. I am interested in equal access and equal opportunity for the better.

Hope is awesome, hope is free, but as I always say, “Hope is not a course of action.” We need to make something happen or things will continue to happen to us. We need to put our children first and that means making their education a top priority. Mandate the vaccine because the future of our nation depends on it.

(Jamaica Observer) (Hugh Graham is Member of Parliament for St Catherine North Western, and CEO of Paramount Trading Ltd)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

5

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

Our mothers and daughters need to be safe

Dear Editor, I am consumed with a plethora of negative emotions after hearing about the brutal murder of a young Corentyne mother at the hands of her former male partner. I’m gripped by anger, sadness, frustration, and anxiety all in one. But most of all, I feel a sense of helplessness.

For decades, women of Guyana have suffered unspeakable brutality at the hands of their husband/ boyfriend who once promised to love them. It all starts off as a fairy tale dream with visions for a better life. And it all ends one day because a selfish, irresponsible, and inherently ungodly man cannot accept responsibility for his shortcomings, walk away from an unwanted situation, or take “no” for an answer.

In the timelapse between the start and the end of these abusive unions are obscene episodes of domestic violence and verbal abuse meted out to the young woman with no one to turn to and nowhere to run. In most cases, it ends only when her life ends.

What systems are in

place to protect unsuspecting women who would inevitably fall into this trap ultimately created by a dysfunctional society? Most of these young women are forced to stay in abusive relationships that eventually cost them their life because they have no one and nowhere else to turn.

Unfortunately, we live in a society which despises women who leave failed marriages. Most of the time, they are ashamed to even tell their parents what is being meted out to them in their new home. We have conditioned our minds to the “blame the victim” mentality to the point where we make people feel that something is wrong with them if they are being mistreated. Nothing could be further from the truth! This backward way of thinking only empowers abusers.

We must teach our daughters where to draw the line.

We must make them understand what’s tolerable and what’s not in a relationship. And we must empower them physically, morally, and financially to leave abusive unions before it’s too late – as in the tragic case of Roma Raju.

But it gets worse. Often, even when the young woman, having been abused and sensing danger, walks away from abusive relationships, the ex-partner threatens to kill her and even makes good on his threat. One classic example of this is the young mother who was murdered in Rose Hall, Corentyne, while going to work. She leaves a child who will now grow up without the care of either mother or father.

What systems are in place to deter these tragedies from reoccurring?

Sadly, very little, if any.

We’ve tried through the media to educate our young men and women on these subjects to no avail. These beasts in the form of human beings feel empowered to commit these heinous acts because there is no fear of reprisal strong enough to deter them. Most of them don’t even care for their own life and so commit suicide after mercilessly taking another life. The others are sent to prison where they are fed fat on taxpayers’ money for the next forty odd years.

The Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc has al-

ready taken great strides in the direction of educating, empowering, and nurturing back to life young women who were victims of domestic abuse. We have already put systems in place for them to learn a life skills education, earn for themselves, and become independent. But we want to do more. We need a stronger deterrent to this plague of Guyanese society.

We need to send a stronger message to potential abusers that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated. And it is for this reason that I, Mr Suresh Sugrim, of the Humanitarian Mission Guyana Inc is calling on HE Dr Irfaan Ali and the Attorney General of Guyana, Hon Anil Nandlall, to apply the maximum penalty of the law to this monster who has so painfully robbed a young woman of her precious life. It is my firm opinion that such a move will send a strong message to all potential abusers and murderers out there, that this will not be tolerated in Guyana.

Sincerely, Suresh Sugrim President HMG Inc

Govt shows care by extending “Because We Care” cash grant Dear Editor, I am very relieved that private schools have been added to the “Because We Care” cash grant roll out, meaning that in terms of bringing a measure of relief to students right across the country’s schools, no one can feel disenfranchised.

I mean, whether in a private or Government school,

these students all belong to the nation, and in all likelihood, will be serving the nation in a few years to come.

As it stands, under the “Because We Care” programme, cash grants totalling $19,000 are given to the parents of each child attending school, to provide support to parents in procuring school sup-

plies. Indeed, as seen in the press, “The programme enjoys widespread popularity, but was discontinued by the APNU/AFC while they were in office. It has since been reinstated by the PPP/C upon their return to office, and the amount of the grant (has been) increased to a total of $19,000 per student.”

I hope with this kind of input, a concerted effort will be made by all involved, parents and teachers, to keep our students afloat, both educationally and medically, as the COVID 19 pandemic is being fought.

Yours truly, Attiya Baksh

Another “low” from APNU/AFC

Dear Editor, What a shame it is that A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) are resorting to vile personal attacks against Education Minister Priya Manickchand. In so doing, the revelation is quite clear, that is, the protest against vaccination is not about well-being of any sort, but is wholly anti-Government.

The press and social media highlighted that antagonism reached new heights (maybe lows) during recent protests sponsored by the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU), descending to a song titled “Priya is a Wild Hog.” This was picked up and transmitted by APNU/ AFC Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan, on his social media page almost instantly.

As expected, support

for Ms Manickchand was fraught from many quarters, and I am happy to add my name in tandem to those of Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Minster of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Gail Teixeira. The PM noted his disappointment, stating that “…some sections of society may find it entertaining to target the Minister of Education with such distasteful messages, and that most disturbing is that a sitting member of the National Assembly, Mr Sherod Duncan, has shared this revolting song on his social media platform.”

Madam Gail Teixeira, in like manner slammed those who condone the depraved attacks on the Minister and the creation of the song, which uses lyrics that featured in chants by teachers who took part

in a recent GTU-sponsored protest outside the Ministry of Education. According to her, “The latest video/song, posted on Sherod Duncan’s Facebook “Priya is a Wild Hog,” is another act that illustrates the depths of depravity that permeate the PNC/APNU/AFC and Guyana Teachers Union circles.” I mean who says that teachers are noble? Not those on the GTU band wag-

on for sure.

When disagreement is used as an excuse to perpetrate “incidents of bullyism, sexism and misogyny on social media and in street protests” that goes back to the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections, they must be condemned and exposed for what they are.

Yours truly, Baldeo Mathura

Happy with directions on local content Dear Editor, The Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) welcomes the statement made by Exxon Country Manager Alistair Routledge that by next year most of the services used from Trinidad and Tobago will be sourced locally hence reinforcing the continuous representations

by GOGEC for Guyanese to be employed and be engaged at all levels in the oil and gas industry.

We are happy that the Government is listening and supporting our calls for local content as we anxiously await the final draft of the bill.

The bill must also take into account our capabilities to deliver and what effect it would have on other industries who would have trained staff at considerable expense only to lose them to operators who can pay more and also if they are compelled by legislation.

GOGEC is happy with its relationship with the Government and the encouragement given when it launched its training centre recently with Ministers Vickram Bharrat and Deodat Indar as they reiterated the importance of

having trained Guyanese support our local content drive.

We are also happy that ExxonMobil’s previous comments indicating their commitment to local content is being realised.

Sincerely, Manniram Prashad President of GOGEC

7 Church has a role to play in fostering unity, tolerance – Head of State NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…as Brooklyn pastors pledge support for “One Guyana”

P

resident Dr Irfaan Ali, accompanied by a number of Government officials, has been meeting with religious leaders including those of the Guyanese diaspora in New York. During those meetings, the church was called upon to join the Government in its efforts to promote national unity at home in Guyana.

The Head of State and team met with a group of pastors from the Brooklyn community at the Permanent Mission of Guyana in New York. The President’s team included Vice President

Representative to the United Nations Carolyn RodriguesBirkett and Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud.

During the meeting, he informed Guyanese pastors from Brooklyn about his Government’s plans to unite all of Guyana under an umbrella of development and harmony. The President told the overseas-based Guyanese about the importance of their role in fostering unity and tolerance as he elaborated on his campaign for the advancement of the One Guyana agenda.

“Our development programme is never tailored for President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo share a photo with the Brooklyn pastors

ligious leaders unite and bring people together.”

Inclusivity

The President and team during his meeting with members of the OIC

Bharrat Jagdeo; Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd; Ambassador and Permanent

any one ethnic group,” the President said, while calling on the church to help in

sustaining a dialogue based on the foundation of truth and building on institutional arrangements where “re-

He also spoke about his Government’s commitment to inclusivity with all stakeholders. The President added that his Government is open to critique and that there will be a conference organised with the objective of hearing reports and fielding questions on its agenda.

The meeting also led to discussions on a number of matters specific to social cohesion in Guyana.

According to the Office of the President, the congregation of pastors welcomed the opportunity to speak directly with the Head of State and expressed their willingness to play their part in the

promotion of national unity.

It was explained that they also used the opportunity to pledge their support to the Government and stated their interest in fairness, equal rights and the distribution of wealth to Guyanese. Meanwhile, Vice President Jagdeo in supporting the President’s drive, noted the importance of promoting unity and securing democracy.

Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

President Ali also held meetings with leaders from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), engaging in bilateral talks with the Secretary General of the OIC, Dr Yousef bin Ahmad Al-Othaimeen and his del-

egation at the Permanent Mission of Guyana in New York Dr Ahmad Al-Othaimeen was joined by OIC’s Ambassador Yousef Al Dobeay; Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs, Ambassador Tarig Bakhit; Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Ambassador Agshin Mehdiyev and the Permanent Observer of the OIC to the United Nations, Bahareldeen Gamareldeen.

President Ali was joined

by Vice President Jagdeo; Foreign Minister Todd; Ambassador RodriguesBirkett, and Foreign Secretary Persaud during this round of meetings with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. (G3)

8 NEWS Man charged for killing Kaneville miner TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

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charge for the capital offence of murder was read to Leroy Griffith on Monday when he was arraigned before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at the Diamond/Golden Grove Magistrates’ Courts. It is alleged that on September 9 at Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD), he murdered 36-year-old Nelson Thomas.

Griffith was not required to plead to the indictable charge. He was remanded to prison until October 26.

Thomas called “Nelo” was found dead at around 21:30h on September 9 near his Lot 1010 Kaneville, EBD residence. His body bore stab wounds. At the time of his demise, he had just returned home from the interior where he worked as a gold miner, to register

the birth of his newborn baby.

Following his return, Police said that the man left his home at around 19:00h to visit an uncle in the same community. Later, he went to a barbershop where he would usually socialise with friends. He was returning home when he was ambushed and stabbed by a man during an attempted robbery.

After the incident, a resident reportedly heard someone calling for him and upon checking, he saw Thomas lying motionlessly on the eastern side of his yard under a shed, with his body covered in blood. The injured man was transported to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival. (G1)

T Dead: Nelson Thomas

Corentyne man freed on gun, ammo charges

C

harges for illegal firearm and ammunition possession were dismissed against a 53-year-old Corentyne, Berbice man after a no-case submission was upheld by Magistrate Renita Singh, who is presiding at the Whim Magistrate’s Court. The submission was put forward by defence lawyer Bernard Da Silva.

The first charge against Michael Bascom alleged that on December 17, 2018, at Haswell Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice, he had a Ruger New Port Long Rifle firearm and one 30-30 Winchester Hunting firearm in his possession when he was not the holder of a firearm licence in force at the time.

It was further alleged that on the same day at the same location, he had twenty-six 30-30 ammunition and fifty-seven 22 long rifle ammunition in his possession without being the holder of a firearm licence in force at the time.

The case for the prosecution was that Bascom made an oral statement.

The prosecution alleged that he uttered the following words, “My cousin Naro bring them guns and left them” after the allegations were put to him.

But Bascom, at his trial, had denied making any such statement to the Police.

Defence counsel DaSilva submitted that the al-

to rely on the presumption of innocence, guaranteed under Article 144 of the Constitution of Guyana. He reminded that from the inception, Bascom pleaded not guilty and that the burden of proof rests solely on the prosecution.

The evidence adduced by the prosecution, taken at its highest, is manifestly unreliable, Da Silva said, while adding that a prima facie case was not made out against his client “despite a commendable effort by the prosecution, using the lim-

Freed: Michael Bascom

leged oral statement appeared to be the “body” and “soul” of the prosecution.

Notwithstanding this, Da Silva said that no evidence was presented to prove the elements of the offences.

According to him, the record of the statement purportedly made in the Whim Police Station diary was not tendered into evidence.

“There were no video or voice recordings. There were no contemporary notes; not even a simple personal diary entry was presented to this honourable court in support of the contention that the defendant [Bascom] made such an oral statement,” counsel argued.

Da Silva submitted that his client had nothing to prove and is entitled

ited information provided to him by the investigators.”

Consequently, the defence lawyer further submitted that the charges laid against Bascom should be dismissed at the close of the prosecution’s case.

Magistrate Singh upheld the submission of no case to answer and dismissed the charges for illegal firearm and ammunition possession against Bascom.

Bascom had been released on $300,000 bail pending the hearing and determination of his trial. (G1)

Pensioner on fraud charge released on bail

Loren Graham

A news@guyanatimesgy.com

Save…

pensioner appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Monday on a fraud-related charge. Loren Graham, 66, was brought before Senior Magistrate Leron Daly who granted her $300,000 bail.

It is alleged that between September 1 and 17, at Georgetown, she conspired with other persons and falsely pretended to a real estate agent, Leon Joseph,

who was in the position to sell a parcel of land located at Lot 924 Eccles, East Bank Demerara, knowing same to be false.

Despite objections raised by Police Prosecutor Annalisa Brummel to the elderly woman being released on bail, Magistrate Daly granted the woman her pre-trial liberty. The case comes up again on October 18. (G1)

…the children he commemorations are coming so fast and furious, sometimes your Eyewitness just can’t keep up. Seems there’s so much to be done in this world, there aren’t enough days on the calendar to hold them. This week, we’re told, is “Child Protection Week” while we’re in the middle of “Amerindian Heritage Month” and “Education Month”. Sept 10, of course, was “World Suicide Prevention Day”. And another woman was killed by her husband who decided to burn her to death. Not to mention the Police breaking down the door of a sleeping man and shooting him to death.

Your Eyewitness is reminded of an old, old song – from 50 years ago – by the great crooner Marvin Gaye: “I just wanna ask a question/ Who really cares?/ To save a world in despair/ Who really cares?” And that tells it all, doesn’t it? It’s not just about protecting children, it’s about a world that’s so screwed up we have to remind folks that children ought to be protected. And not abused in every which way…and then some. Marvin predicted, “There’ll come a time/ When the world won’t be singin’/ Flowers won’t grow/ Bells won’t be ringin’ (but) Who really cares/ Who’s willing to try/ To save the world/ That’s destined to die.”

Because you see, Dear Readers, the world in which we seek to protect children didn’t just burst upon us…it’s we who created it and our children are simply reaping the sad harvest. “When I look at the world/ Oh, it fills me with sorrow/ Little children today/ Really gonna suffer tomorrow/ (Oh) what a shame/ Such a bad way to live/ Uh, who is to blame?/ We can’t stop livin’/ Live for life/ But let live everybody/ Live life for the children/ Let’s, let’s save the children/ Save the babies/ But who really cares?”

Where, for instance is the “Rights of the Child Commission”?? Weren’t they formed over a decade ago with so many other Commissions to deal with our pressing problems? Indigenous Rights, Human Rights, Ethnic Rights. Aren’t they receiving their annual funding? How come we don’t hear anything about what they’ve done to save the children?? And that’s the problem right there, ain’t it? We can form and fund all the institutions in the world, but institutions will never solve anything if the value they’re meant to promote doesn’t mean squat to the folks in this country.

We have to change our attitudes and that won’t come from outside…it has to come from within each and every one of us. So yes, we must save our children from abuse or, as we know, they’ll become abusive parents.

And that’s the crux of the matter, ain’t it?

…ourselves Yes…your Eyewitness is sure by now you, Dear Reader, realise he’s in a deep funk. And it was brought on, if the truth be told, by yesterday’s news that 12 persons had succumbed on Sunday from COVID. Bringing the total for just 19 days in September to a round 100!! And believe it or not - -and a whole lotta people don’t want to believe this – the numbers place us way above some other countries panned for handling the pandemic badly.

The USA, for instance, has suffered the most deaths – 670,000. But they have 333 million people, so on a per capita basis, that works out to almost half of ours!!

And inside our country, we see the same avoidance of reality. Folks in Reg 9 are complaining that their border crossing to Brazil has been closed and they want it opened. Do they realise that their rate of infection is DOUBLE that of Region 4??

And that it might be due to their Brazilian connection?

…the good news for last Well, lest you go away thinking your Eyewitness is a party pooper, let him inform you we’ve just welcomed our first Yacht Manufacturing company!! That’s right…

YACHT manufacturing!!

Just in case we get bored with our Lamborghinis.

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

NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

8 more COVID-19 deaths, 130 new cases GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 UPDATE

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eptember is still leading as the deadliest month since the pandemic started, with a whopping 108 fatalities thus far.

On Monday, eight more deaths were reported, taking the total death toll to 733.

The patients were admitted with COVID-19 like symptoms but died while receiving care at medical institutions. Samples were taken at the time of admission which subsequently returned positive tests.

On September 20, a 70-year-old male and a 74-year-old female, both from Region Four, succumbed to the virus.

For September 19, a 50-year-old female from Region Five, 69-year-old female from Region Four, 50-year-old female from Region Two, 58-year-old male from Region Three and a 62-year-old male from Region Four also died.

A 56-year-old male from

Region Three previously succumbed on September 18.

Six of these persons were vaccinated, one was partially vaccinated and the status of the eighth is unknown.

There was an increase of 130 more cases being detected within the course of one day – raising the total confirmed positives to 29,683.

There are 30 patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 160 in institutional isolation, 3505 in home isolation and one in institutional quarantine. Since the pandemic, 300,822 individuals were tested – of which 14,178 males and 15,505 females were positive.

Regional breakdown of new cases

The regional breakdown of new cases showed one person testing positive in Region One (BarimaWaini); 20 in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), 16 in Region Three (Essequibo

Islands-West Demerara), 72 in Region Four (DemeraraMahaica); four in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), four in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), 11 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and two in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

No increases were reported for Regions Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

Some 346,529 adults or 67.7 per cent have taken COVID-19 first dose vaccines, with 179,115 or 34.9 per cent second dose uptake.

For adolescents, 20,136 or 28.3 per cent have been immunised.

Amid concerns over the emergency use listing that is outstanding for Sputnik V vaccines, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Monday reassured that the jabs are safe and effective.

“The vaccine, Sputnik V, is safe because we have seen the results published in the

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

130

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION

160

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION

3505

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

30

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

1

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

15,505

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

14,178

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

29,683

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

25,255

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

346,529

FULLY IMMUNISED

179,115

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

733

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1434

REGION 2

1043

REGION 3

3761

REGION 4

14,142

REGION 5

1033

REGION 6

2216

REGION 7

1544

REGION 8

486

REGION 9

2304

REGION 10

1721

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

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.

Lancet [Journal], which is one of the most prestigious journals in medicine.

In the publication, it talks

about the efficacy of the vaccine and we have had subsequent publications after that. Vaccines that receive

emergency use listing by the WHO have to go through several processes.”

TURN TO PAGE 14

10 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ruby businessman’s murder

Daughter denies hatching plot to kill father D

uring her unsworn testimony, which lasted for almost three hours, Bibi Nazeela Habiboodean denied hatching a plot to kill her 76-yearold father. Linden Lewis, called “Bullet” and Bibi are presently on trial before Justice Sandil Kissoon and a jury for the February 2008 murder of her father, Habiboodean.

When the trial continued on Monday at the Demerara High Court, Bibi continued leading her defence during which her lawyer, Roger Yearwood, asked her a series of questions.

“Did you at any time tell this accused [Lewis] that you would give him $6 million, house, land, and car fuh done your father?”

Yearwood asked his client.

She replied, “No counsel, I never said that.”

Asked by Yearwood if she knew her co-accused before the court matter, the

Murder accused: Bibi Nazeela Habiboodean

woman said that she first saw him at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown.

The lawyer further asked his client if Police Inspector Devon Lowe had given her Lewis’ statement to read.

She responded, “He never

gave me no statement counsel.”

Yearwood then asked her, “When your father received his injuries on February 14, 2008, did [Lewis] come to you and ask you for his $6 million, house, land, and car that you promise him?” Bibi retorted “No”.

“No counsel,” she said in response to Yearwood’s question, “Did you ever tell him that you were going to go by the bank and then you give him $5000?”

Questioned by Yearwood, “Were you in any way involved in the death of your father?” Bibi answered, “Sir, I never do that sir.” He further inquired from her if the Police held a confrontation between her and her co-accused. “No, counsel,” the woman said.

At a previous hearing, Inspector Lowe testified about an interview he and other detectives had with Lewis at the CID

House of Linden mechanic burglarised

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urglars reportedly broke into the home of a 47-year-old mechanic on Sunday evening and escaped with one Samsung Galaxy tablet and US$200 in cash.

Police stated the victim secured his One Mile, Wismar, Linden home at about 21:40h and went to Amelia’s Ward, Mackenzie,

to hang out with a few friends.

Upon his return at about 22:35h, he discovered that his bedrooms were ransacked. As such, he made checks and discovered the money and cell phone missing.

Further checks found that an eastern bedroom window was broken and

partially open. Outside was a blue drink case braced against the wall under the window. There was also a piece of brick wrapped in a long black and white track pants on the ground.

The mechanic immediately informed his family after which a Police report was filed. An investigation is underway.

Murder accused: Linden Lewis, called “Bullet”

Headquarters. Lowe had said Lewis related that Bibi promised him $6 million along with a piece of land, house, and a car to kill her father.

Bibi wanted her father dead because, unlike her other siblings, she did not get any of his assets, the Police witness said as he recalled what Lewis disclosed during the interview.

Inspector’s testimony

“He alone [Habiboodean] went sitting down in a chair, and he ask me what I doing in the house and I tell he he daughter send me to kill him. Then I start fuh cuff he up on he neck, chest and belly, and he stop move,” Inspector Lowe said, as he recounted what Lewis had told investigators.

Inspector Lowe said

Lewis told him that after he had killed the man, he asked Bibi about his $6 million payment and the other items she promised him, but she told him that she had to go to the bank. According to the Police Inspector, Lewis related that the woman only paid him $5000.

The murder accused told Police ranks that shortly after, a man by the name of “John” gave him another $5000 and told him to go away in the “bush”, and that everything would be okay upon his return.

The Police witness said Lewis told him, “So I guh way to Puruni Backdam.

Two years after I come back, I hear the matter finish, and I ask John what happened to my car, my money and house and land, and he tell me the money done on lawyer and tuck shop, and I ain’t got nothing to get. That was it, and I never ask back for anything, and I never see back the woman.”

“Dem take advantage of me, cause I deh young and didn’t thinking straight. I even hear my uncle Michael get $7 million from [Bibi] for this same wuk. I did lash [her] father in he head with a wood, and I throw away the wood at the back of the yard,” Lewis said in the statement.

Media reports state that the Ruby, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) businessman was murdered between February 14 and 15, 2008.

Dead: Habiboodean

According to reports, the elderly man died after he was badly beaten at his home.

The businessman’s widow and one of his employees were initially charged with his murder.

However, owing to insufficient evidence, the case against them was thrown out at the end of a Preliminary Inquiry. The murder of the pensioner went cold for several years until 2016 when Police received new leads which led to the arrest of his daughter and the alleged hitman.

Bibi and Lewis have pleaded not guilty to the joint murder charge. Attorneyat-Law Latchmie Rahamat is appearing for the latter, while the case for the prosecution is being led by Senior State Counsel Lisa Cave.

This trial continues today. (G1)

3 injured after truck topples at Kwakwani

The two trucks after toppling on Sunday

T

hree persons sustained injuries about their bodies after a truck transporting lumber turned turtle in the vicinity of Goat Farm, along the Kwakwani to Linden trail in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Police reports indicate that motor lorry GSS 8971 was heading to Linden when the truck suffered a blowout on Sunday, thus

resulting in the driver losing control. The truck subsequently toppled.

Those injured are the driver, 35-year-old Leon Adams; a porter, whose name is still unknown; and a “sawman” identified as Jermaine Loyden of Ituni.

The porter reportedly sustained a broken arm and dislocated shoulder.

The injured men were taken to the Linden Hospital

Complex where they were treated.

The porter remains a patient at the institution.

Meanwhile, also on Sunday, another truck transporting lumber toppled along the Kwakwani to Linden trail, in the vicinity of Bamboo area.

In that accident, all the occupants of the motor lorry escaped unharmed.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

1 dead, 1 critical after Motorcycle with fake registration number seized lorry turns turtle A

O

Dead: Mark Wells

ne man is now dead while another is in a critical condition following an accident along the Yarikita Access road, North West District (NWD), Region One (Barima-Waini), on Sunday.

The dead man has been identified as Mark Wells, 26, of Kumaka Water Front, Mabaruma, NWD. Critically injured is Edwin King, 35, of Kumaka Stretch, Mabaruma, while 17-yearold Leroy Chu, also of Kumaka, also sustained injuries about his body.

Preliminary investigations by the Police revealed that on the day in question at about 17:50h, motor lorry GWW 609, driven by a 27-year-old man of Kumaka

The lorry in which the men were travelling at the time of the accident

Stretch, Mabaruma, NWD, was proceeding along the Yarikita Access Road at a fast rate of speed when he lost control of the vehicle while descending a hill.

The vehicle, the driver claimed, had a defective steering arm and it gave out on Sunday. As a result, the vehicle slammed into a mud wall, thus causing it to spin several times before toppling.

Wells, Chu and King, who were reportedly in the tray of the vehicle, were reportedly flung into the air and onto the roadway where they sustained bodily injuries.

Wells received lacerations to the right ankle, and abrasions to his left shoul-

der and about his body while King received abrasions about his body and Chu is suffering from lacerations to the left side of his head, left ankle and abrasions to the back left side of his shoulder.

Three three men were taken to the Mabaruma Regional Hospital where Wells was pronounced dead on arrival.

His body is at the Mabaruma Regional Hospital Mortuary awaiting post-mortem. King and Chu were treated and admitted patients suffering from fractured right ribs and open fracture to the right ankle.

King’s condition is listed as critical while Chu is in a stable condition.

Truck runs over man at Rockstone

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hirty-five-year-old Orlando Fredericks is now dead after he was run over by a truck at 16 Miles Rockstone Trail, Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). The accident reportedly occurred at about 01:30h on Monday.

Police stated that Fredericks was reportedly lying on the roadway when he was run over by an unknown motor vehicle which drove off the scene without stopping to render assistance.

The man was picked up by public-spirited citizens

in an unconscious condition and taken to the Linden Hospital Complex where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

His body is presently at the Pensioners Mortuary awaiting post-mortem as investigations continue.

31-year-old man who was arrested for riding a motorcycle without a helmet is now in deep water after it was discovered that the motorcycle has a fake registration number.

The man, of Lodge Hosing Scheme, Georgetown, was arrested on Friday while attempting to cross the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB).

Based on information received on the day in question, the accused was riding motorcycle CH 3717 without a helmet and as such, he was arrested and taken to the La Grange Police Station. There, he was issued a ticket for the said offence and the motorcycle was examined in his presence by a licensing and certifying officer.

At that time, it was observed that the chassis number on the motorcycle did not correspond with that on the registration.

This was brought to the rider’s attention and the motorcycle was lodged for further investigation.

However, on Monday, a supervisor from the Guyana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) enforcement section along with two other personnel examined the said motorcycle and it was found that it was not registered with the authority.

As such, it was confiscated and taken to the GRA warehouse as investigations continue.

The unregistered motorcycle

12 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Low COVID testing across New policies will address regions needs to improve governance, performance of education sector – Hutson – Health Minister

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ven with the spike in COVID-19 positives across the country, some administrative regions have not been conducting testing at the extent at which they should.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony pointed out during Monday’s COVID-19 update that apart from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica), the other regions can do better in relation to testing for the coronavirus.

While cases are still recorded every day in these areas, he said it might not be a true reflection of the actual numbers.

“In every region, we have a number of cases but that varies because some regions are not testing as much as they should. Region One, Region Six, Region Five, Region Seven, Region Eight, Region Nine and Region 10 can do much more testing. But they’re not testing as much and therefore, we might see the numbers in those regions are artificially low. So, it’s an underestimate of what is currently happening in those regions…Region Two is not testing as much as they should,” said Dr Anthony.

Hotspots in the country with corresponding positives are Port Kaituma (21) and Mabaruma (12) in Region One; Charity (18) and Onderneeming (15) in Region Two; Tuschen (65), La Parfaite Harmonie (45), Pouderoyen (36), Santa Mission (35) and Cornelia Ida (33) in Region Three; Diamond (110), Grove (91), Eccles (35), Soesdyke (41), Timehri (39), Herstelling (38), Mon Repos (45),

Haslington (36), Better Hope (33), Enterprise (30), Lusignan (25), Paradise (25), Good Hope (24), Plaisance (24), Enmore (21), Annadale (21) and Non Pariel (21) in Region Four.

For Georgetown, there are spikes in Kitty (84), Sophia (75), South Ruimveldt (48), Lodge (43), Campbellville (41), West Ruimveldt (41) and Cummings Lodge (39).

The others are Onverwagt (25) in Region Five; New Amsterdam (20), Region Six; Bartica (94), Isseneru (24); Tusseneng (38) in Region Seven; Aishalton (28), Region Nine; and Wismar (18), Amelia’s Ward (17) and Mackenzie (14) in Region 10.

Since the pandemic started, over 300,000 persons have been tested across the various administrative regions, with almost 30,000 swabs returning positive. Laboratories authorised to conduct PCR testing include the National Public Health Reference Laboratory, Eureka Medical Laboratories Incorporated, Coastal Diagnostic Laboratory, Sheriff Medical Laboratory and New Vision Labs.

For antigen test-

ing, Eureka Medical Laboratories Incorporated, Coastal Diagnostic Laboratory, Sheriff Medical Laboratory, New Vision Labs, Anamayah Memoral Hospital, Biotec Medical Laboratory, Dr Leslie Persaud Clinic, Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital, Woodlands Hospital, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, Quest Medical Centre, Midway Specialty Care Centre and Caresworth Medical Centre are the approved entities.

“The public sites are supposed to be working. We have in Region Four, one at Herstelling, Paradise, Georgetown apart from the hospital sites. In every one of the Government hospitals at the regional level, you can get testing done there,” the Minister added.

Persons are usually asked to get tested if they have been in contact with a positive person or are experiencing symptoms associated with the virus. If positively detected, they can be isolated immediately to prevent the virus from spreading to other people. Newer variants, such as the Delta strain, are shown to have higher transmissibility and affects infection rates. (G12)

Chancellor of UG, Professor Edward Greene

I

n the wake of the pandemic and the need for a robust education system to ensure continued learning, the Education Ministry has created blueprint policies for better governance, performance and efficiency.

On Monday, the University of Guyana’s Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Learning hosted its second biennial teaching conference, putting emergency remote teaching and learning under the microscope.

Chief Education Officer, Marcel Hutson in his address mentioned that in order for Guyana’s education system to be resilient against any disruption, it must be guided by national policies. With this in mind, a strategic plan was developed to identify and tackle inequalities, and efficiency.

“Discussing these issues is not enough. The change we desire must be guided by clear policy documents that must be used as reference point. In our context, we have developed a national strategic plan that addresses issues related to

Logger arraigned for murder of Wiruni resident

M

arlon LaRose, 26, a logger of Maria Henrietta, Upper Berbice River, was on Monday arraigned for the murder of 24-year-old Kevin Hercules, who was found with his throat slit at Wiruni Village, Berbice River.

LaRose appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and was not required to plead to the indictment which stated that between September 12 and 13, he murdered Hercules.

As such, he was remanded to prison until October 15, 2021. It was reported that Hercules had last been seen alive on September 12, imbibing with friends. He

Murdered: Kevin Hercules

reportedly asked for a drop to his home, which is located some distance away from

Murder suspect: Marlon LaRose

the shop where he was hanging out.

Reports are that Hercules

was seen entering a boat along with other persons, but according to his family, he never arrived home.

This resulted in the family filing a missing person’s report with the Police.

However, his lifeless body was seen floating in the Berbice River, and Police have since confirmed that his face was mutilated and there was a slit to his throat.

According to his aunt, Bernadette, her nephew had been living with her, and had left to work with a company situated at Wiruni.

The aunt said that he had been employed with the company for the past two years, and had returned last month to celebrate his birthday.

improved governance and accountability, improved performance at all levels, improving the efficiency of the education sector, reducing inequities, and contributing to lifelong learning.”

“This plan articulates a shared vision, mission and values, thus enabling all stakeholders to work towards a shared vision. It effectively organises the Ministry of Education and staffers to work towards the achievement of a common agenda. The plan encourages commitment by showing staff members that their work is essential and are part of a larger strategy to help our schools in particular to succeed,” said Hutson.

The Chief Education Officer also pointed to the recently launched risk management policy, aimed at continued learning in the event of any outbreaks or natural disasters.

“The purpose of the policy was to improve risk management measures within the education sector and provide national guidance.

We now have a blueprint for mitigating against issues like flooding, drought, and disease outbreaks to facilitate the continuity of education in a case of such disasters, determined to be in tune with modernity,” he noted.

The Chief Education Officer explained that this is all geared at creating a holistic plan for the sector, having identified loopholes that existed after the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

He verbalised, “Amid any emergency, we must be determined now more than ever to respond with resilience, rectitude and resourcefulness to ensure all our students are adequately served, particularly in remote areas that are often left undone. There is the need to adopt a holistic approach to education delivery but working with all of our stakeholders, including our teachers, parents and the wider community…A motivated, highly-trained work-

Chief Education Officer Marcel Hutson

force forms the backbone of any would be developed country. The need for invention, new idea generation, flexibility and inventiveness essentially comes via human input.”

Chancellor of UG, Professor Edward Greene lauded science, technology, innovation and the human resources who develop these mechanisms as an important facet in addressing present-day challenges.

“The recent announcement that UG’s language unit has trained 25 Guyanese to translate emergency and COVID related messages into Indigenous languages is an example of the key role a university can play when it comes to fostering an innovative mindset to service the needs of the community, whether in science or in arts. Without the vast range of science-based behavioural, creative arts and multi-disciplinary research, it is hard to imagine Guyana and the Caricom region being centres of science, technology and innovation,” he underscored.

Vice Chancellor, Professor Paloma MohamedMartin also expressed that COVID-19 has redefined the way education is delivered at the University, with their 2000 courses and 141 programmes now offered online; and a comprehensive infrastructure developed to support its implementation.

(G12)

Fire razes Buxton home

A

fire which reportedly started from a lit candle completely destroyed a home in Company Path, Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD), on Sunday evening. The one flat wooden building was occupied by 17-year-old Tomar Jarvis.

Based on reports received, the teenager reportedly lit a candle in the Lot 61 Company Path home and

went to a nearby shop to purchase dinner. The building did not have electricity.

However, he returned at about 21:00h and observed the building engulfed in flames. He immediately raised an alarm. The fire service was contacted but by the time the tenders arrived, the house was already gutted. No one was injured in the fire.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

14 NEWS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Visitors to US must be fully vaccinated T

he United States will reopen in November to air travelers from 33 countries including China, India, Brazil and most of Europe who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the White House said on Monday, easing tough pandemic-related restrictions that started early last year.

The decision, announced

by White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, marked an abrupt shift for President Joe Biden’s administration, which said last week it was not the right time to lift any restrictions amid rising COVID-19 cases.

The United States had lagged many other countries in lifting such restrictions, and allies welcomed the move. The U.S. restrictions have barred travelers from most of the world including tens of thousands of foreign nationals with relatives or business links in the United States.

The United States will admit fully vaccinated air travelers from the 26 so-

called Schengen countries in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece, as well as Britain, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil. The unprecedented U.S. restrictionshave barred non-U.S. citizens who were in those countries within the past 14 days.

Restrictions on nonU.S. citizens were first imposed on air travelers from China in January 2020

by then-President Donald Trump and then extended to dozens of other countries, without any clear metrics for how and when to lift them.

Zients did not give a precise start date for the new rules beyond saying “early November,” and many details of the new policy are still being decided.

Separately on Monday, the United States extended its pandemic-related restrictions at land borders with Canada and Mexico that bar

8 more COVID-19 deaths...

FROM PAGE 9

He said manufacturers would have to submit information pertaining to the vaccine, followed by an inspection of the manufactur-

ing site. This was conducted but the World Health Organisation team was asked to revisit the sites after some questions were in-

cluded in an official report.

“My understanding is that information was submitted to the EUL and that is being done on a roving basis. As they get the information, they submit it. There was an inspection that was done on six sites in Russia.

In one of the reports that I have read, I saw during the inspection, the team raised questions as to one of the sites and it was explained at the time. That found its way into an official report and based on it, the authorities had to respond in an official manner. They did that and they have subsequently invited the WHO to come back and do a subsequent visit,” Dr Anthony explained.

He was optimistic that once these processes are completed, the vaccine would be granted emergency use listing. Over 30 plants apart from the Russian manufacturers have been producing the vaccine since it was created.

“In the meantime, you should know that Sputnik V is being used in more than 74 countries around the world. Countries have moved ahead and given the vaccine emergency use authorisation within their countries so that the vaccine can be given to the population,” he reassured. (G12)

nonessential travel such as tourism through Oct. 21. It gave no indication if it would apply the new vaccine rules to those land border crossings.

The United States has allowed foreign air travelers from more than 150 countries throughout the pandemic, a policy that critics said made little sense because some countries with high COVID-19 rates were not on the restricted list, while some on the list had the pandemic more under control. The decision, announced by White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients, marked an abrupt shift for President Joe Biden’s administration,

which last week said it was not the right time to lift any restrictions amid rising COVID-19 cases.

The United States had lagged many other countries in lifting such restrictions, and allies including Britain and Germany welcomed the move. The U.S. restrictions have barred travelers from most of the world including tens of thousands of foreign nationals with relatives or business links in the United States.

Restrictions on nonU.S. citizens were first imposed on air travelers from China in January 2020 by then-President Donald Trump and then extended to dozens of other countries, without any clear metrics for how and when to lift them. The United States will admit fully vaccinated air travelers from the 26 socalled Schengen countries in Europe including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Greece, as well as Britain, Ireland, China, India, South Africa, Iran and Brazil. The existing policy has barred nonU.S. citizens who were in those countries within 14 days.

Zients did not give a precise start date beyond saying “early November.”

Separately today, the United States extended its pandemic-related restrictions at land borders with Canada and Mexico that bar nonessential travel such as tourism through Oct. 21, while giving no indication if it would apply the vaccine rules to those borders.

The United States has allowed foreign air travelers from more than 150 countries throughout the pandemic. Its action today means that new COVID-19 vaccine requirements will now apply to nearly all foreign nationals flying to the United States – including those not subject to the prior restrictions.

Critics had said that the U.S. travel restrictions no longer made sense because some countries with high COVID-19 rates were not on the restricted list while some countries on the list have the pandemic more under control.

Americans traveling from abroad who are not vaccinated will face tougher rules than vaccinated citizens, including needing to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test within a day of travel and proof of purchasing a viral test to be taken after arrival. (Reuters)

Gang member charged for shooting at cops in Linden

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wenty-four-year-old Renard Caesar was on Monday remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan for discharging a loaded firearm with intent to maim, disfigure or cause actual bodily harm.

Police stated that the accused discharged several rounds at Orlando Joseph, Kurt Fiedkou and Darius Frank. The incident took place at South Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

However, during his appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, he was not required to plead to the indictment which was laid contrary to Section 55 (a) of the Criminal Law Offences Act Chapter 8:01.

Caesar will make his next court appearance on October 11, 2021.

It was reported that in the wee hours of Friday last, Police were on mobile patrol in the vicinity of Five Corner, Mackenzie, Linden, when loud rapid explosions which sounded like gun-

Charged: Renard Caesar

shots were heard.

As a result, the ranks went to Speightland, Kara Kara, Mackenzie, Linden, where they observed a black motor car travelling towards the Police vehicle at a fast rate.

The ranks managed to intercept the car, during which an identifiable male exited the vehicle from the

front passenger side, discharged a round in the direction of the ranks, and drove off.

In response, the ranks pursued the motor car, which subsequently crashed into the fence of the Mackenzie Sports Club.

The male then exited the car, climbed the fence, and began running, while an identifiable female was seen crawling out of the car.

Upon seeing this, the ranks went behind the duo, thus resulting in the arrest of the male, who was found hiding in a clump of bushes.

The Police have said that another identifiable male, who was also an occupant of the said motor car, made good his escape.

Further, the Police related that the ranks went to the scene where the loud rapid explosions were heard and conducted a search during which four 9mm spent shells were found in a yard at Speightland, Kara Kara.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Berbice pensioner Wife died from blunt trauma from found dead in home fall, husband drowned – autopsy Timehri septic tank tragedy

– family suspects murder

Dead: George Welch

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Berbice pensioner was on Sunday evening found dead lying in a pool of blood in his home, leaving relatives to believe that he was murdered during a home invasion. Dead is 76-yearold George Welch of No 50 Village, Corentyne Berbice, Region Six. Based on reports received, the pensioner, who is also called “Dutch George”, was found on the ground in front of his door lying mo-

tionlessly. His face was downwards and there was blood. At the time, he was clad in a red jersey and blue underwear.

However, Police stated that the deceased lived alone and suffered from diabetes and other illnesses. On the day in question, at about 09:00h, the Police stated that the now dead man was seen alive on his stairway by his neighbour. He had appeared to be of good health.

At about 17:30h, the said

neighbour reportedly called out to him but there was no answer. As such, upon checking, he found George lying motionlessly and immediately raised an alarm.

The Police have since ruled out foul play but the relatives are holding out that the man might have been attacked and struck to the head with a six-feet concrete spindle which was found close to the body.

His son, Marcell Welch, related that after he received the telephone call, he went to the house where he saw his father lying behind a door. He recalled seeing his father alive on Tuesday last.

“He bleed a lot and it appears as though he got hurt since Friday night or Saturday morning,” the younger Welch said. He explained that his father did not have any known enemies.

The family is calling for a thorough probe into the death of George. He leaves to mourn his four children and other relatives. An autopsy is expected to be performed on the body later this week.

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n autopsy performed on the body of 42-yearold Camille Dwarka proved that she died from blunt trauma to the head while the cause of death of her husband, 51-year-old Ramlall Madhoo, was given as drowning.

The post-mortem was performed by Government Pathologist, Dr Nehal Singh on Monday at the Memorial Gardens Mortuary. The bodies were handed over to the family for funeral.

A Police source related that the investigators are working with the theory that the woman might have hit her head as she fell into the tank. “It is not a case of her being murdered… it is just that she might have hit her head as she fell into the tank,” the source stated.

The couple’s lifeless bodies were pulled from a septic tank in Hype Park Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD), on Thursday evening. It was reported that the husband jumped into the tank to rescue his wife, who had fallen in.

It was reported that Dwarka has gone to collect her “tenny”, but due to the darkness, she allegedly walked on the septic tank,

Ramlall Madhoo and his wife Camille Dwarka in happier times

causing the cover to split in two. As a result, she reportedly fell into the tank and her head was submerged, but not before screaming for help.

Upon hearing the screams, her husband went to her rescue, and instead of waiting on assistance, he also jumped into the tank with the intention of get-

Some residents to receive electricity for 1st time by year-end ...“It came as a surprise” – ecstatic Kwakwani resident

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cores of residents located in the outlying areas of Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), are set to now have access to a stable supply of electricity be-

The project will see some 15 households in the area benefitting from the get-go.

Andrew Williams, a resident who has been residing in the vicinity for some three years, related that he was

Electricians elevating distribution lines to power a section of Potville General Manager David Adams

fore the year ends.

This disclosure was made by Kwakwani Utilities Incorporated General Manager, David Adams, who was at the time spearheading the kickstart of the project in the latter part of Potville that was once jet black.

According to Adams, the area has been developed for some 10 years now and was lacking a basic essential service.

unsuccessful in his endeavours to acquire electricity to his home over the years and was in shock when he was greeted with the long-awaited news in the short stint of the newly appointed General Manager.

“It came as a surprise to me because the process was so quick; I waited for three years for this day,” the ecstatic Williams affirmed Williams said he felt as though he was being

victimised because of his far-reaching location and expressed heartfelt gratitude to the management and staff of the utility company.

“I was in a constant battle due to the distance which I live and I must say a high thank you to the manager and staff of KUI,” he affirmed.

Adams told Guyana Times that the implementation of this project is amongst others that stems from the Government’s

mandate to improve the lives of every Guyanese.

“KUI management is executing the mandate of the Government to improve the lives of the residents of Kwakwani in providing sustainable electricity, water distribution and expansion of the Kwakwani Television Station, which now has the capabilities to transmit its signal to far-reaching villages in the Upper Berbice River,” Adams said.

Adams added that other areas to receive electric-

ity for the first time before 2021 concludes are Airstrip and Jonestown, which has been rapidly expanding over the years.

In addition to the 900-kilowatt genset commissioned by Prime Minister, Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips last November to put an end to four agonising years of blackout seizures, KUI’s rehabilitation of the power plant electrical distribution grid enables residents to access a free flow of undisrupted power supply.

ting her out. It is believed that due to her weight, he was unable to do so, and he drowned.

The Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Fire Service were contacted. The firefighters took about an hour to pull out the male and at least five hours to get Dwarka out.

The firemen were forced to cut a section of the septic tank in order to get the woman’s body out.

The woman’s niece, Anita Joseph, told Guyana Times that the couple had begun to live with her only about two months ago. She explained that Dwarka had initially lived with her mother a short distance away, but due to a misunderstanding, she was asked to leave the house.

As such, she had taken them in, and they had been stayed at her home until their demise.

The niece recalled on the night in question that her aunt was seemingly going to take a shower, and had decided to collect her “tenny”.

She added that it was dark and the light at the back of the house couldn’t provide brightness to where the toilet is located.

“Due to the darkness, like she end up and walking on the tank and the cover break and she fall in…

Up to now we can’t say how she reach in, because of her size,” Joseph noted.

The niece added that she was sitting under the house when she heard the woman scream, and upon checking, she saw her in the tank.

“I start holler, and she husband come out fuh see she, and he jumped in to save her, to raise up she face, because she de already fall on she face, and he end up left… He start froth up, and by the time they tek he out, he already dead,” she had explained.

The couple had been married for more than 23 years, and their union had produced one daughter.

16 NEWS Overpayment, breaches to country’s financial laws flagged in AG's 2020 report TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

…hands over 2020 report to National Assembly

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uditor General Deodat Sharma said that the Audit Office of Guyana is well on its way to building capacity to monitor the local oil and gas sector, even as he handed over the 2020 Audit Report to the National Assembly.

The 2020 Audit Report was handed over on Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) to Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir in the presence of members of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

With Parliament reconvening on October 10, it is expected that the Audit Report will become a public document once it is laid at the next sitting. In previous Auditor General reports, issues such as overpayment to contractors and breaches to the country’s financial laws were flagged.

These matters usually come up for scrutiny during the PAC meetings.

Additionally, there are prior year matters whereby the AG’s recommendations are at various stages of implementation. Questioned what to expect from the report, Sharma was tightlipped.

“It’s the 2020 AG report. So, in 2020, January to September, there was

the 1/12th budget. There was another budget from October to December. So, you wouldn’t really find much projects or expenditures, except for those couple months… but we still had to audit those expenditures, regardless,” he told the media.

In his remarks, Sharma meanwhile spoke of the efforts they have been making to build capacity for the oil and gas sector. In this regard, the Audit Office is receiving critical assistance from Canada through the Canadian Auditing and Accountability Foundation (CAAF).

“Being cognisant of the discovery of oil in Guyana, the Audit Office has been anticipating and planning for our role in the oil and gas sector,” the Auditor General said in his address to the attendees.

“Apart from staff being previously trained in the extractive industries, there is currently a staff within the office who is pursuing a Master’s degree in Oil and Gas at the University of Bedfordshire, London, while members in the Performance Audit Section with the help of CAAF are being trained on how to audit the oil and gas sector.”

Sharma elaborated on

The 2020 Auditor General Report was handed over on Monday. From left: Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir, Auditor General Deodat Sharma and PAC Chairman Jermaine Figueira

the partnership the Audit Office has formed with CAAF. He noted that coming out of this partnership, the Audit Office of Guyana will soon be submitting four performance audits.

“Additionally, 18 persons from the Performance Unit were trained in team-

ing up for successful audits.

Plans are also in place for the Audit Office to benefit from two additional staff being trained in Performance Audit under CAAF Fellow’s Programme for nine months.”

“This fellowship programme is usually complet-

ed in Canada with attachments in the Audit Office of British Columbia, however, due to the current travel restrictions, this programme will commence with a virtual component,” the Auditor General said.

As far back as 2017, the Inter-American

Development Bank (IDB) had flagged the independence and capacity of the Auditor General’s Office as one of the priority areas that have to be addressed in order to ensure there is transparency and accountability with regards to the oversight of the nation’s revenue ahead of oil and gas production.

Then Resident Representative of the IDB, Sophie Makonnen had been adamant that “institutional capacity in the public sector is one of the priorities that will ensure growth in social and economic development of Guyana; this is really important in the current situation in which Guyana finds itself and I refer to oil revenues which you are expecting in the next few years”.

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

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

As of last month, US$436 million, deriving from seven oil lifts since Guyana started producing oil, had been deposited in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) following the receipt of payment for the seventh lift.

Dartmouth fatal Police shooting

“Loss of life never helps” – Benn tells grieving family …commits to impartial probe

Dead: Orin Boston

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and the dead businessman’s father

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ays after businessman Orin Boston was fatally shot by members of the SWAT Unit during an anti-crime operation at his home, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn visited the grieving family at their Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) home on Monday.

He was accompanied by several senior regional of-

ficials. Whilst there, he expressed disappointment at the tragic incident and assured the family that the Government is committed to having an impartial investigation done.

“Loss of life never helps,” Minister Benn told the relatives. However, the now dead man’s father during his emotional interaction with the Minister, expressed his profound grief

at the passing of his son and promised that he would hold the peace until justice is served.

The family members asked for a speedy investigation, so that they can ascertain the motive behind the incident and also to have closure. In addition, the family urged for the Guyana Police Force to provide more training sessions for ranks, so as to avoid any such reoccurrence.

Following the visit, Benn held a meeting with senior officials from the region where he urged the Police Commander of the Division, Superintendent Denise Griffith along with

Minister Benn at the home of Orin Boston on Monday

the Regional Chairman and Vice Chairman to provide support and counselling for the family and relatives of Boston.

“Police killing should never occur. Only in extreme circumstances where a Police life is in danger or in a bid to save civilian lives. Our method should only occur as a process of lawful approaches,” he told those at the meeting.

It was reported that as word of Boston’s death spread in the community, angry friends, relatives and villagers took to the streets.

They hauled fallen trees, old

tyres and cars to the middle of the main access road and began their fiery protest.

This lasted for several days.

They demanded justice and answers from the Police as to what intelligence they possessed that caused them to enter the dead man’s home.

Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie and Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has visited the family and promised to leave no stone unturned as they ordered an independent probe by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR).

The Top Cop also stated

that the SWAT officer who fired the fatal shot has since been placed under close arrest as the investigation continues.

At a press conference hours after the shooting, Police Commissioner Nigel Hoppie indicated that Boston was killed as a result of intelligence gathered for an anti-crime operation.

He could not say what the Police were searching for when they entered the home of the bar owner.

Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum told reporters that Boston had never been prosecuted by the Police.

NEWS

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine works in kids ages 5 to 11

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fizer said Monday its COVID-19 vaccine works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will seek U.S. authorisation for this age group soon -- a key step toward beginning vaccinations for youngsters.

The vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech already is available for anyone 12 and older. But with kids now back in school and the extra-contagious delta variant causing a huge jump in pediatric infections, many parents are anxiously awaiting vaccinations for their younger children.

For elementary schoolaged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose -- a third of the amount that’s in each shot given now. Yet after their second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults, Dr Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press.

The kid dosage also proved safe, with similar or fewer temporary side effects -- such as sore arms, fever or achiness -- that teens experience, he said.

“I think we really hit the sweet spot,” said Gruber, who’s also a paediatrician.

Gruber said the companies aim to apply to the Food and Drug Administration by the end of the month for emergency use in this age group, followed shortly afterward with applications to European and British regulators.

Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr Peter Marks told the AP that once Pfizer turns over its study results, his agency would evaluate the data “hopefully in a matter of weeks” to decide if the shots are safe and effective enough for younger kids.

Many Western countries so far have vaccinated no younger than age 12, awaiting evidence of what’s the right dose and that it works safely in smaller tots. But Cuba last week began immunising children as young as 2 with its homegrown vaccines and Chinese regulators

have cleared two of its brands down to age 3.

While kids are at lower risk of severe illness or death than older people, more than 5 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began and at least 460 have died, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Cases in children have risen dramatically as the delta variant swept through the country.

“I feel a great sense of urgency” in making the vaccine available to children under 12, Gruber said. “There’s pent-up demand for parents to be able to have their children returned to a normal life.”

Pfizer said it studied the lower dose in 2,268 kindergartners and elementary school-aged kids. The FDA required what is called an im-

mune “bridging” study: evidence that the younger children developed antibody levels already proven to be protective in teens and adults.

That’s what Pfizer reported Monday in a press release, not a scientific publication.

The study still is ongoing, and there haven’t yet been enough COVID-19 cases to compare rates between the vaccinated and those given a placebo — something that might offer additional evidence.

The study isn’t large enough to detect any extremely rare side effects, such as the heart inflammation that sometimes occurs after the second dose, mostly in young men. The FDA’s Marks said the pediatric studies should be large enough to rule out any higher risk to young children. Pfizer’s Gruber said once the vaccine is authorized for younger children, they’ll be carefully monitored for rare risks just like everyone else.

A second U.S. vaccine maker, Moderna, also is studying its shots in elementary school-aged children. Pfizer and Moderna are studying even younger tots as well, down to 6-month-olds.

Results are expected later in the year. (Jamaica Observer)

Trinidad records hottest day for 2021 to date

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rinidad officially recorded its hottest temperature for 2021 to date on Monday, with a maximum high of 34.5°C at the Piarco International Airport.

The Trinidad and Tobago Meteorological Service (TTMS) is forecasting hot temperatures to continue this week, with maximum high temperatures of 34.0°C on Tuesday and Thursday, with heat peaking on Wednesday with a maximum high of 35.0°C. For Tobago, maximum high temperatures of 32.0°C are forecast through the week.

For a hot spell to be declared in Trinidad and Tobago by the TTMS, a period of hot temperatures, characterized by maximum temperatures of at least 34.0°C (above 33.9°C) in Trinidad and 32.0°C in Tobago, must last five or more consecutive days. A short-duration hot spell is three or more consecutive hot days.

It is important to note that for a hot spell, both a normal spell and a short-duration hot spell, the temperature criteria must be

met for both Trinidad and Tobago.

September and October are usually the hottest period of the local heat season when maximum temperatures soar above 34.0°C, according to the Met Office.

The current outlook calls for few hot days, where maximum temperatures exceed 34.0°C, and at least one short-duration hot spell is likely during September to October 2021. The Met Office also notes the risk for hot days, and hot spells are highest for late September and early October.

Generally, cities, urban and developed areas have the highest chance for warmer than average temperatures and experience the most intense heat on hot days and heat events.

Higher than usual and extreme temperatures can lead to relatively excessive heat for Trinidad and Tobago during the peak of the local heat season, which can amplify existing health conditions in vulnerable persons and worsen chronic health conditions in others.

(T&T Guardian)

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guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

Regional

T&T President concerned Grenada announces new measures over Top Cop imbroglio regarding burial of people dying from COVID as Griffith goes to court G

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rinidad and Tobago President Paula-Mae Weekes is said to be concerned over the latest developments surrounding the appointment of a Police Commissioner.

However, she says there is nothing she can do about it.

In response to questions from Newsday on the current imbroglio between the Police Service Commission (PSC) and acting Commissioner Gary Griffith, the President’s communications adviser said, “Of course, the President is concerned.”

However, it was pointed out that while the President appoints Commissioners, after consultation and parliamentary oversight, and can revoke their appointments for specific reasons laid down in law, and after consultation, the PSC does not report to nor is it answerable to the President on matters within

its remit.

Questions were also sent to the PSC to ascertain Griffith’s position and whether Deputy Commissioner McDonald Jacob would continue in his acting position, but there was no response except acknowledgment of Newsday’s e-mail.

Calls to Jacob’s phone went to voicemail.

Just after 16:00h on Monday, Griffith carried out his stated intention to take the PSC to court over the latter’s instruction to him not to report for duty on Tuesday pending an investigation into allegations related to the issuing of firearm users’ licences (FULs).

The order by the PSC took immediate effect and is in place until further notice.

Griffith maintains this move was “illegal, irrational and in breach of the rules of natural justice, null, void and

President Paula-Mae Weekes

of no legal effect”.

Griffith’s High Court action includes an injunction application to stay the Commission’s order until a Judge determines his challenge.

The matter was assigned to Justice Ricky Rahim. Up to late Monday, no hearing had been set. (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Salvadoran President declares himself “dictator” in apparent joke

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l Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has on Twitter proclaimed himself “dictator” of the Central American country, in an apparent joke that has done little to dispel concerns about his increasing concentration of power.

The 40-year-old Bukele, a seasoned and often provocative user of social media, late on Sunday changed his Twitter profile to read “Dictator of El Salvador”, in what appears to be a bid to mock critics who accuse him of having autocratic tendencies.

The office of Bukele, a vigorous proponent of Bitcoin who opinion polls show is one of the most popular leaders in the Americas, did not reply to a request for comment.

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director of human rights group Amnesty International and a critic of Bukele, said his use of “mocking language” showed the President’s contempt for those who “question or criticise him constructively”, and urged him to build bridges rather than courting controversy on Twitter.

Bukele’s Administration

came under fire from the United States this month after Salvadoran Supreme Court Judges recently appointed by his party ruled that the President could seek a second consecutive term, which Washington saw as unconstitutional.

Last year, Bukele, who has nearly three million followers on Twitter, caused a furore by sending troops into the National Assembly to help push through law and order legislation in the impoverished country of around 6.5 million people. (Excerpt from Reuters)

PAHO Director calls for strengthened regional health systems

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t Monday’s opening of the 59th Directing Council of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), Director Carissa F Etienne asserted that the “tragic march of the COVID-19 pandemic” has exposed the urgent need for investments to strengthen health systems and technology production across the Americas.

The region’s inability to procure key COVID-19 supplies and equipment, including vaccines, “heightened our vulnerabilities and severely compromised our pandemic response,” Dr Etienne said.

“However, this alarming circumstance has galvanized us into recognising the obligatory need for regional self-sufficiency in health technologies.”

She added that PAHO recently launched a platform to boost regional vaccine production and that the

Dr Etienne also called attention to the “enormity” of the pandemic’s human toll, noting that as of last Friday, there were 87.6 million COVID-19 cases and 2.16 million deaths

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, and other partners have ex-

pressed interest in collaboration.

The Directing Council, held virtually from September 20-24 this year, brings together Ministers and other health authorities from countries throughout the Americas to discuss and deliberate on important policy recommendations for the region.

During the session, Dr Etienne’s presented PAHO’s Annual Report, which covers the period between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, and focuses on PAHO’s technical cooperation to assist countries in responding to the pandemic while maintaining and strengthening health gains.

Dr Carissa Etienne also called attention to the “enormity” of the pandemic’s human toll, noting that as of last Friday, there were 87.6 million COVID-19 cases and 2.16 million deaths. (Excerpt from PAHO)

renada Monday announced new measures regarding the burial of people who have succumbed to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic as the island deals with an “unprecedented” number of daily deaths from the pandemic since August.

In a joint statement read during a news conference, the authorities acknowledged that in 2020 anticipating a potential health crisis from the pandemic, religious leaders and funeral directors met and came up with a number of guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus “which are still in effect and enshrined in Government’s protocols”.

“Since August 2021 the rate of infection has in-

creased exponentially and community spread is so pervasive that no community in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique has been left unscathed. The daily deaths from this pandemic is unprecedented in our country,” said the joint statement that was signed by representatives of the Grenada Government, funeral directors and religious leaders.

Up until mid-August the island had recorded only one death from the pandemic and the statement noted as a result of the increased deaths, “our funeral homes are inundated with bodies needing to be prepared for burial”.

The statement said that “because of the increasing

number of deaths daily” and the need to “compassionately and respectfully discharge our responsibility to those who have died and their families”, the representatives of the Government, the three funeral homes, the religious community, including the Grenada Islamic Foundation, met last week and adopted new measures for burials.

“Persons dying from the COVID infection will not be embalmed (and) up to two persons will be allowed to view the body at the funeral home for identification purposes only. After the body is identified, the coffin or casket will be permanently sealed”. (Excerpt from Jamaica Obsserver)

Duke wants independent observers for THA elections

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olitical leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP), Watson Duke, has called on the Prime Minister to invite independent observers to oversee the upcoming Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections.

In a video posted to social media, Duke said he wanted Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to write to Caricom, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and several other bodies to request international observers.

In January, after the THA election, the PDP won six of the 12 seats and the People’s National Movement won the other six, leaving the Assembly in a deadlock. The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) subsequently created three new electoral districts

in Tobago, bringing the total to 15 seats.

The THA elections are expected to be held sometime within the next three months.

“These elections are very divisive, they are very tight – as we know we currently have a six-six for the 12 seats,” Duke said yesterday.

He said with the addition of three new electoral districts, there will be some confusion among voters.

“These seats could go any way and persons will be voting for the first time under the different electoral districts, the names have somewhat been changed and it will cause a certain level of confusion in the minds of the people and an opportunity for someone to steal the elections,” Duke said.

He said he hopes the PNM would not “partake” in

Flashback: PDP leader Watson Duke speaks with Guardian Media at Crown Point, Tobago

stealing the election.

“We hope that they (PNM) are not aided and abetted by unscrupulous persons who monitor these boxes that are used for holding of votes and we also hope that the Prime Minister would adhere to our request.” (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

“Obscene”: Rights groups slam US expulsions of Haitian migrants

R

ights groups in the United States have blasted the Biden Administration for its planned expulsion of some 12,000 mostly Haitian migrants and asylum seekers who have been camped under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, after wading across the Rio Grande River from Mexico.

US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Monday that 6500 migrants and asylum seekers have been taken into custody in advance of processing and removal from the US. On Sunday, the first flights carrying migrants landed in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince.

“It’s completely uncon-

scionable,” Steven Forester, immigration policy coordinator at the US-based Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, told Al Jazeera. “There’s no way Haiti can handle the people that are in Haiti now given the conditions there. It can’t provide for these people.”

Images during the weekend showed hundreds of Haitian migrants trudging in waist-deep water across the Rio Grande while carrying their belongings over their heads to reach the US, heaping pressure on the Biden Administration to rethink its immigration policies.

DHS said the vast majority of the migrants will be expelled under Title 42, a Trump-era health order that

cites the coronavirus pandemic as a reason to quickly expel people seeking asylum at the US border.

“If you come to the United States illegally, you will be returned,” Mayorkas said during a news conference in Del Rio on Monday, adding that the US would conduct up to three deportation flights a day. “Your journey will not succeed and you will be endangering your life and your family’s lives.”

Rights groups for months have blasted Title 42 as inhumane, not based on science, and a violation of the US’s own immigration laws – and they have been calling on US President Joe Biden to reverse the policy since he took office in January.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

guyanatimesgy.com

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil falls 2% on risk aversion, dollar strength

O

il prices fell 2 per cent on Monday as investors grew more risk averse, which hurt stock markets and boosted the US dollar, making oil more expensive for holders of other currencies Brent crude fell US$1.42, or 1.9 per cent, to settle at US$73.92 a barrel after sinking to a session low of US$73.52.

US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) declined US$1.68, or 2.3 per cent, to end at US$70.29 after falling to as low as US$69.86.

The dollar, seen as a safe haven, rose as worries about Chinese property developer Evergrande's solvency spooked equity markets and investors braced for the Federal Reserve to take another step toward tapering this week.

"As the US dollar is usually a safe haven, its exchange rate against other currencies strengthens, a development that supplements the risk aversion environment and affects commodity prices, especially oil," Rystad Energy’s oil markets analyst Nishant Bhushan said.

"Oil gets more expensive for non-dollar markets and prices get a hit as a result, a bearish move backed by the stock market itself in an environment of risk aversion."

Still, oil drew some support from signs that some US Gulf output will stay offline for months due to storm damage.

Brent has gained 43 per cent this year, supported by supply cuts by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, and some recovery in demand after last year's pandemic-induced collapse.

Losses on Monday were limited due to supply shutdowns in the US Gulf of Mexico due to two recent hurricanes. As of Friday producing companies had just 23 per cent of crude production offline, or 422,078 barrels per day.

Crude pared its decline on Monday after Royal Dutch Shell said it expects an installation in the Gulf of Mexico to be offline for repairs until the end of 2021 due to damage from Hurricane Ida. The facility serves as the transfer station for all the output from the company's assets in the Mars corridor of the Mississippi Canyon area to onshore crude terminals.

Rystad Energy analyst Artem Abramov estimated the lost production will remove 200,000 to 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Gulf of Mexico oil supply for several months. The Gulf contributes about 16 per cent of US oil production, or 1.8 million bpd. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Dozens of endangered penguins killed by bees in South Africa

A

swarm of bees has killed 63 endangered African penguins on a beach outside Cape Town.

The birds were found dead on Friday on the beach at Boulders, a popular tourist destination south of Cape Town.

They were part of a colony of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) living in a nature reserve, which are considered endangered, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

The area is a national park and the Cape honey bees are part of the ecosystem.

“After tests, we found bee stings around the penguins’ eyes,” David Roberts, a clinical veterinarian and part of the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, said on Sunday.

“This is a very rare occurrence. We do not expect it to happen often, it’s a fluke.

There were also dead bees on the scene.”

The South African National Parks said the birds were taken to the foundation for post-mortem – which showed all the penguins had multiple bee stings – and samples sent for disease and toxicology testing.

“There were no external physical injuries found on any of the birds,” a parks statement said.

Some of the animals were found with 20 or more bee stings, spokeswoman for the South African Nature Conservation Authority SANParks Lauren HowardClayton, told the dpa news agency on Monday.

Subsequent tests for toxins or pathogens were inconclusive.

Authorities are now searching for the hive to find out what may have triggered the bee attack, HowardClayton said. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Trudeau's hopes for a decisive win hang by a thread as Canadians vote

C

anadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may cling to power in Monday's election, but he is likely to lose his bid for a parliamentary majority after a tough campaign that dashed his ruling Liberals' hopes for a convincing win.

Trudeau heads a minority Government that relies on the support of other parties to pass legislation. With opinion polls last month showing him far ahead of his rivals, the Liberal leader triggered the vote two years earlier than necessary, saying voters needed to weigh in on his left-of-centre Liberal Government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But as the public's unhappiness about the early call grew, the 49-year-old Prime Minister saw his lead evapo-

Canada's Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau casts his ballot with his son Hadrien next to his daughter Ella-Grace and his son Xavier on election day, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 20, 2021

rate. Liberal strategists now concede it will be hard for the party to win a majority of the 338 seats in the House of Commons.

In recent days, Trudeau, whose Government racked up record debt fighting COVID-19, focused on the need for Canadians

to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. He backs vaccine mandates, while Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, 48, opposes the mandates and prefers a combination of voluntary vaccinations and rapid testing to stop the spread of the virus.

"We need clear, strong leadership that is going to continue to unequivocally push vaccines, and that's what we will do. Mr. O'Toole, he can't, and he won't," Trudeau told supporters in Niagara Falls, Ontario, on Sunday during a frantic last day that saw him travel 2800 miles (4500 km) across Canada.

If Trudeau does fall short of a majority, it would represent a defeat that is certain to raise questions about his political future. (Excerpt from Reuters)

China: Children given daily time limit on Douyin – its version of TikTok

D

ouyin, China’s version of TikTok, will limit use of the platform for children to 40 minutes a day.

The rules will apply to users under 14, who have been

authenticated using their real names, and who will be able to access it between 06:00 and 22:00.

Parent company Bytedance announced the app’s Youth

Russia shooting: Gunman kills 6 at Perm University

The gunman walked on to Perm University's campus on Monday morning and started shooting

A

gunman has killed six people and injured 28 others at a university in the Russian city of Perm.

The assailant, identified as a student at the university, walked on to campus on Monday morning and started shooting.

Students and teachers barricaded themselves inside the university building, while others were seen screaming and jumping from windows.

Authorities said the attacker was shot in an exchange of gunfire with a Police Officer and then detained.

Officer Konstanin Kalinin, who was one of the first to arrive at the scene, disarmed the assailant, who had a gun and a knife, before administering first aid.

In a statement, President Vladimir Putin called the shooting "a great loss not only for the families who lost their children but for the whole country."

The incident occurred at 11:00 (06:00 GMT) at Perm

State University, some 1300 kilometres (800 miles) east of the capital, Moscow, in the Urals. Officials initially reported eight had died, but subsequently revised the death toll down.

One professor at the university described students leaping out of buildings: "They jumped out in some horror, screaming," he told the BBC. Other students locked themselves into classrooms in a bid to escape the gunman.

The gunman reportedly acted alone and said he had no political or religious motives.

In a social media post he also said he was consumed by hatred and intended to do harm to others.

"I've thought about this for a long time, it's been years and I realised the time had come to do what I dreamt of," he said on a social media account attributed to him that was later taken down, Reuters news agency reports.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Mode in a blog post, saying it is the first short-video company in the industry to have these limits.

It comes as China cracks down on teenagers' use of technology.

According to Douyin's user agreement there is no minimum age on the platform, but under 18s must obtain the consent of a legal guardian. On sister app TikTok the minimum age is 13.

New educational content - including science experiments, museum exhibitions and historical explainers has been launched by Douyin

as part of Youth Mode.

“Yes, we are more strict with teenagers. We will work harder to provide quality content so that young people can learn and see the world,” the post said.

Last month, under-18s in China were banned from playing video games during the week, and their play was restricted to just one hour on Fridays, weekends and holidays.

And in February, Chinese children were banned from taking their mobile phones into school. (Excerpt from BBC News)

“Hotel Rwanda” hero given 25year sentence in “terrorism” case

P

aul Rusesabagina – a one-time hotel manager portrayed as a hero in a Hollywood film about the nation’s 1994 genocide – was found guilty of being part of a group responsible for “terrorist” attacks and sentenced to 25 years in prison by a Rwandan court.

Rusesabagina boycotted Monday’s verdict after declaring he did not expect justice in a trial he called a “sham”.

The case has had a high profile since Rusesabagina, 67, was arrested in August 2020 after what he described as a kidnapping from Dubai

by Rwandan authorities.

He was accused of supporting an armed wing of his opposition political platform, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change. The group had claimed some responsibility for attacks in 2018 and 2019 in the south of the country in which nine Rwandans died.

“He founded a terrorist organisation that attacked Rwanda, he financially con-

tributed to terrorist activities,” Justice Beatrice Mukamurenzi said of Rusesabagina.

Rwandan prosecutors had sought a life sentence the former hotelier, credited with saving over 1200 lives during the 1994 genocide.

But Mukamurenzi said the term “should be reduced to 25 years” as it was his first conviction.

Since being portrayed by actor Don Cheadle as the hero of the 2004 film Hotel Rwanda, Rusesabagina – based in the United States – emerged as a prominent critic of President Paul Kagame.

Author Michela Wrong, who recently published a book on Rwanda, told Al Jazeera the verdict was clearly a message to the opposition.

“This seems like a show trial, which is really aimed at silencing dissent, making sure that anyone standing up, criticising and challenging Kagame is simply will not be allowed to do that,” she said.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Emotions will be difficult to control. A positive attitude will make a difference in the outcome of a personal situation. Be mindful of others before you share your thoughts.

You’ll have a change of heart. Look at what you are up against and weigh the pros and cons before agreeing to something questionable. Leave nothing unfinished. Use your energy strategically.

Prepare to question everything and everyone before you agree to something that will disrupt your life. Put your energy into fact-finding, organizing and expanding your chances to advance.

Mood swings will cause problems at home and work.

Getting along will be half the battle if you plan to get things done. Alone time will give you a chance to work through sensitive issues.

Stay in touch with people who challenge and motivate you. Getting together with an old friend or relative will spark your imagination and help you confirm what you can do to make your life better.

Put more thought into what you want to accomplish and press forward without giving in to interruptions. A unique approach to handling meaningful relationships will give you the edge you need.

Pour your energy into things that make you happy.

Expand your interests, and you’ll meet people who stimulate your mind and push you to be your best. Share your feelings and thoughts.

Dig in and don’t stop until you are satisfied with what you accomplish. Give whatever you do your special touch, and you’ll gain recognition. An enthusiastic attitude will help.

Focus on home, famiSAGITTARIUS ly and finishing what you (Nov. 23start. A change of pace will Dec. 21) spark your imagination and encourage you to consider a new and exciting way to use your skills and experience.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

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

Avoid getting in the middle of someone’s dilemma.

Distance yourself from family feuds. Make personal changes that will encourage fitness and health. Don’t restrict your plans to please someone.

A chance to team up with someone will grab your interest. Crunch the numbers to figure out the best way to utilize your cash and come out ahead. Don’t take a risk with your health.

Listen to what others have to say before you (Feb. 20- make a decision that will alMarch 20) ter your financial situation.

Pay more attention to the consequences you’ll face if you make a move that others do not favor.

PISCES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

E

ngland have withdrawn their men's and women's teams from next month's tour of Pakistan, the country's cricket board said on Monday, three days after New Zealand abandoned their tour of the country amid security concerns.

The England teams were each scheduled to play two Twenty20 international matches on October 13 and October 14 in Rawalpindi, with the women's side due to stay on for a three-match One-Day International series from October 17-21.

"The ECB ([England and Wales Cricket] Board) convened this weekend to discuss these extra England Women's and Men's games in Pakistan and we can confirm that the Board has reluctantly decided to withdraw both teams from the October trip," the ECB said in a statement.

"The mental and physical well-being of our players and support staff remains our highest priority and this is even more critical given the times we are currently living in.

"We know there are increasing concerns about travelling to the region and believe that going ahead will add further pressure to a playing group who have already coped with a long period of operating in restricted COVID environments."

The ECB added that the men's team

touring under such conditions would not be ideal preparation for the Twenty20 World Cup that begins next month.

"We understand that this decision will be a significant disappointment to the PCB [Pakistan Cricket Board], who have worked tirelessly to host the return of international cricket in their country," it added.

"We are sincerely sorry for the impact this will have on cricket in Pakistan and emphasise an ongoing commitment to our main

touring plans there for 2022."

PCB disappointed

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said he was disappointed with the ECB's decision, but added that the Pakistan team would "survive".

"Disappointed with England, pulling out of their commitment and failing a member of their cricket fraternity when it needed it

21

most," Raja wrote on Twitter.

"A wake-up call for Pakistan team to become the best team in the world for teams to line up to play them without making excuses."

New Zealand abruptly abandoned their tour of Pakistan on Friday citing a security alert, in a massive blow to the South Asian country's hopes of staging regular international cricket.

The tour was due to get underway with the first of three one-dayers in Rawalpindi on Friday, but the New Zealand team did not travel to the stadium.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern backed New Zealand Cricket's decision to end the tour.

International teams have largely refused to tour Pakistan since an attack by Islamist militants on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six Policemen and two civilians.

There are fears that New Zealand's decision to go home will keep them away and Australia, who are scheduled to visit in February-March next year, also appear wary. A Cricket Australia spokesperson said the organisation was monitoring the situation and would "talk with the relevant authorities once more information becomes known". (Reuters)

Chase “critical” to WI success Under-19 cricketers Nandu and Thorne return home after invaluable exposure

B

arbados-born former England batsman Roland Butcher says he sees an important role for Barbadian slow bowling all-rounder Roston Chase in the West Indies batting for the Twenty20 World Cup in October and November in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.

Butcher said Chase, the Most Valuable Player in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which ended last Wednesday, was the kind of cricketer who could play the anchor role in the batting, like former West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels, whose steady, soulful style in the finals helped the team win the T20 World Cup in 2012 and

2016.

“I think they got a lucky break with the advancement of Roston Chase in the CPL, because he can play the Marlon Samuels role of the glue that holds the batting together and he still has the ability to accelerate the scoring rate,” Butcher told Sun Sport.

“He has a very important role to play, but will he be able to perform that role because we are talking about different levels of the game, going from CPL to the World Cup stage. They are two different and distinct levels. He now has to go there and get that done.” (Nation News)

G

uyanese Under-19 players Matthew Nandu and Isai Thorne returned home on Sunday, after participating in the just-concluded West Indies tour of England. The two players proudly touched down on home soil after impressive performances in England.

Although West Indies won only two of six matches in the Youth One-Day International (ODI) series, both players made noteworthy contributions to the West Indies efforts. Nandu finished on a high by registering consecutive half-centuries in two of the five matches he played. In his penultimate match, Nandu stroked 51, then in the final match followed up with a superb knock of 80 and bowling returns of 2 for 35, as West

Indies won their second match of the series to restore some regional pride.

Young fast-bowling sensation Thorne was also impressive: At the tender age of 16, he demonstrated the ability, skill, and mental tenacity to become an outstanding West Indies fast bowler. He enjoyed the full confidence of his captain and coach and was twice given the opportunity to bowl the total allotment of overs for a bowler. In two of the four matches he played, Thorne grabbed three wickets to finish the series with eight wickets and leave a buzz of high expectations.

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) expects that the unwavering commitment of Nandu and Thorne coupled with their ability and skill will make them forces to be reckoned with in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 World Cup 2022 and beyond.

The GCB will continue to provide the necessary support to these two and other players to ensure their competitive readiness for the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2022.

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russell rout Royal Challengers Bangalore for 92 to set up big win Andre Russell chipped in with 3-9

Varun Chakravarthy bagged 3-13

gled for fluency with lack of timing and placement.

Once Padikkal edged Lockie Ferguson behind and Bharat pulled to deep square leg, all hopes rested on the duo of de Villiers and Maxwell to salvage the innings.

But Andre Russell extinguished those hopes by slipping in a leg-stump yorker to bowl de Villiers for a golden duck, after he had mostly been sending down short balls. The runs dried up further and Maxwell's frustration was evident as he crawled to 10 off 16 without a single boundary.

Varun's near hat-trick finishes off Royal Challengers

Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer scored 48 and 41* respectively

B

oth teams had played seven games before the Indian Premier League (IPL) was put on hold in May, with contrasting fortunes: Royal Challengers Bangalore had five wins and Kolkata Knight Riders had five losses. On Monday night in Abu Dhabi, though, it looked like the two teams had swapped their fates, with Knight Riders' bowlers putting in a clinical performance to bowl Royal Challengers out for just 92, their third-lowest while batting first in the IPL. The big three of Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell, and AB de Villiers fell for 5, 10, and 0 respectively.

Once Royal Challengers were reduced to 63 for 5, mystery spinners Varun

Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine kept the middle and lower order guessing with their guile and turn.

Knight Riders will be hoping their dominant nine-wicket win will turn their tournament around, pushing them up to fifth on the points table from second-tolast. Their top order chased the paltry target down rather easily, with Shubman Gill and debutant Venkatesh Iyer putting on an opening stand of 82 in just 9.1 overs.

How Royal Challengers came a cropper

If the Royal Challengers

batters looked scratchy and rusty, the Knight Riders bowlers were right on the money.

They bowled in the corridor, surprised the batters with pace and bounce on a spongy pitch, beat them with mystery spin, and barely offered any room for the big shots.

Kohli struck the first four of the match with a spectacular punch through the covers, but he was dismissed next ball by an inducker from Prasidh Krishna which beat his flick. Kohli used the review, but the umpire had got it right and his team's only batting review was gone in the second over. Devdutt Padikkal struck three fours, but KS Bharat, debuting for Royal Challengers, strug-

Sachin Baby took six balls to get off the mark, and Prasidh and Ferguson kept getting good bounce coupled with their precision before Varun returned for the 12th over. He took the pace off and flicked his fingers over three successive deliveries that turned in to beat Maxwell, debutant Wanindu Hasaranga, and Kyle Jamieson for a near hat-trick. Maxwell missed his hoick and was bowled, Hasaranga was trapped lbw for a duck, and Jamieson was trapped in front as well, but given not out. Varun pleaded with Eoin Morgan to take the review, but the Captain knew there was an edge.

There was not much to save Royal Challengers from 63 for 6 as Varun also got Baby in his next over and ran Jamieson out at the non-striker's end by deflecting the ball to the stumps.

He finished with stunning figures of 3 for 13, including 15 dot balls.

Russell took the last wicket and finished with 3 for 9 from three overs. All

SCOREBOARD ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE INNINGS (20 OVERS MAXIMUM) Virat Kohli (c) lbw b Prasidh Krishna 5 Devdutt Padikkal c †Karthik b Ferguson 22 Srikar Bharat † c Shubman Gill b Russell 16 Glenn Maxwell b Varun 10 AB de Villiers b Russell 0 Sachin Baby c Rana b Varun 7 Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva lbw b Varun 0 Kyle Jamieson run out (Varun) 4 Harshal Patel b Ferguson 12 Mohammed Siraj c Varun b Russell 8 Yuzvendra Chahal not out 2 Extras (lb 2, nb 3, w 1) 6 TOTAL (19 Ov, RR: 4.84) 92 Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Virat Kohli, 1.4 ov), 2-41 (Devdutt Padikkal, 5.6 ov), 3-51 (Srikar Bharat, 8.1 ov), 4-52 (AB de Villiers, 8.4 ov), 5-63 (Glenn Maxwell, 11.4 ov), 6-63 (Wanindu Hasaranga de Silva, 11.5 ov), 7-66 (Sachin Baby, 13.4 ov), 8-76 (Kyle Jamieson, 15.3 ov), 9-83 (Harshal Patel, 16.3 ov), 10-92

five Knight Riders bowlers sent down at least 10 dot balls each to strangle the opposition.

Gill, Iyer make short work of the chase

Iyer, the 26-year-old lefthand batter who plays for Madhya Pradesh, showed immediately why he was given his maiden IPL cap on Monday. Using his over-sixfeet-tall frame, he drove and punched Mohammed Siraj on the off side for successive fours in the first over, but his best shot came at the end of the fifth over when Gill had already taken Jamieson for two fours. Iyer charged down against the tall bowler to loft a glorious six over long-on to

Sunshine lift ORSCA Grand Champion trophy

S

unshine carted off the 2021 Ontario RoundArm Softball Cricket Association (ORSCA) 20-over Grand Champion trophy after beating Cambridge Jaguars by four wickets on Saturday at Marvin Heights Public School Ground, Mississauga.

Jaguars only made an insufficient 135-8 off the 20 overs, having taken first knock at the invitation of Sunshine.

Sunshine, led by an enterprising 61 from Jeetendra Beharry, safely reached 141-6 with 31 balls remaining.

The left-handed Beharry came in at number three after opener Anil Etwaroo departed for 1, while soon after Ramiz Mohammed fell for 6 as Sunshine were wobbling at 12-2.

However, Beharry found a willing partner in former Guyana and West Indies youth player Hemnarine Chattergoon and the two stitched together a significant 108-run third-wicket stand that virtually sealed the deal for Sunshine in brilliant sunshine.

The Berbician Beharry struck three sixes and five fours while the right-handed Chattergoon scored a responsible 49 laced with three sixes and two fours. Teddy Nandkissoor claimed two wickets for 27 runs from four overs, delivering for the Jaguars.

Earlier, Cambridge Jaguars also started off poorly, losing two quick wickets.

Essequibian Sunil Sankar (06) and Mahendra Jaipersaud (01) were the early victims. Experienced campaigners Richie Shivrathan and Nandkissoor then batted smartly with good communi-

cation between the wickets, picking singles. Shivrathan departed for 19 while Nandkissoor followed soon after for 31 which included two sixes and a four to end their 54-run third-wicket partnership. Vijay Jhappan came in and also batted beautifully by scoring a cameo 54 towards

the end. The right-handed Jhappan hit five sixes and two fours. Rajendra Dhoray captured three wickets for 14 runs from four overs to be the leading bowler. Chattergoon also proved his all-round capability by snaring two wickets for 32 runs from his maximum four overs.

At the presentation ceremony, Beharry was named the Most Valuable Player for Sunshine while Jhappan copped that prize for the runners-up side. Both players were given a bottle of champagne and a trophy each.

Medals were distributed to Sunshine and Cambridge Jaguars while they received a trophy each.

ORSCA President Mitchel Bacchus, in his remarks, thanked all the teams for their participation and congratulated Sunshine for emerging victorious.

Notably, this is the first time Sunshine participated in the ORSCA tournament since its formation in 2011.

Sunshine also won the 10/10 competition that finished a few weeks ago.

(Mohammed Siraj, 18.6 ov) BOWLING O -M-R-W Varun Chakravarthy 4 0 13 3 Prasidh Krishna 4-0-24-1 Lockie Ferguson 4-0-24-2 Sunil Narine 4-0-20-0 Andre Russell 3-0-9-3 KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS INNINGS (TARGET: 93 RUNS FROM 20 OVERS) Shubman Gill c Mohammed Siraj b Chahal 48 Venkatesh Iyer n ot out 41 Andre Russell not out 0 Extras (nb 1, w 4) 5 TOTAL (10 Ov, RR: 9.40) 94/1 Did not bat: Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathi, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik †, Lockie Ferguson, Sunil Narine, Varun Chakravarthy, Prasidh Krishna Fall of wickets: 1-82 (Shubman Gill, 9.1 ov) BOWLING O -M-R-W Mohammed Siraj 2-0-12-0 Kyle Jamieson 2 -0-26-0 Wanindu H. de Silva 2- 0-20-0 Yuzvendra Chahal 2- 0-23-1 Harshal Patel 2 -0-13-0

make it 16 off the over.

Gill was equally fluent with his pulls and drives at the other end, nearly scoring his first half-century of IPL 2021. He also skipped down against Jamieson early on, and welcomed Yuzvendra Chahal in the last over of the powerplay with two slog sweeps against the turn for two more fours. Once they had 56 on the board in the powerplay, Knight Riders only needed another 24 balls to finish things off. Gill holed out to long-off in the 10th – and final – over before Iyer unleashed three fours in four balls off Chahal – a reverse sweep, a loft down the ground, and a pull to midwicket – to seal victory.

(ESPN cricinfo)

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

I

n 2020, President Dr Irfaan Ali had announced the construction of three multipurpose sport facilities in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Now, it appears Region Four will also benefit from a similar project, with additions to an already existing venue.

The National Stadium, Providence will soon benefit from some major upgrades, transforming the predominantly cricket venue into a multi-purpose sport facility.

This is according to Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr, who made the revelation last week.

The area that encompasses the Stadium will soon cater for four sport disciplines outside of cricket and based on the Minister’s word, renovations should be completed by year end.

“Right now, the National Stadium is being converted to a multipurpose Sport facility. There’s a football field being built right now, or reconstructed I should say, as you enter the National Stadium. There will be a volleyball court as well, a basketball court there, along with a tennis court,” Ramson Jr said on Friday last.

“All of that will be complete before the end of the

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year,” he asserted.

Looking at football specifically, Ramson Jr disclosed that work on the area dedicated to the sport has already commenced and with the addition of lights, the venue will be able to serve athletes day and night.

“The football facility will also have lights, so that it will be available. We’ve already made the National Stadium open to the public until about 6:30 or 7 in the evening; the football space will become available until about 8 or 9 in the night. And it will have lights so that you can have training day and night, every single day,” the Minister vowed.

On a different note, Ramson Jr also touched on the topic of a cricket academy, which is also in the pipeline as part of the Stadium upgrade. While works are currently in the planning phase, the Sport Minister shared that next year’s sport budget is expected to cover the costs.

Ramson Jr shared, “…The designs are already in place; I’ve already started to discuss with CWI [Cricket West Indies] reps, the GCB [Guyana Cricket Board] reps, the ICC [International Cricket Council] rep that was here during the assessment for our World Cup

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bid that we submitted for the early part of next year – January.”

“The cricket academy will be built.”

Aside from the National Stadium, the Government of Guyana is currently upgrading 25 grounds across the country for community use.

Margaret Prince Memorial Persaud winner of BK Chess Tournament…

International Golf Tournament Callender, Lam, …“One player will be eligible for consideration for free entry into the Guyana Open,” says LGC

By Timothy Jaikarran

O

n Saturday, September 18, 2021, the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) hosted a Medal Play Tournament that was held with the kind sponsorship of BK International. The tournament saw a total of 32 players participating; in the end, it was Videsh Persaud who walked away with the majority of the spoils.

The winners’ row was as follows: * First: Videsh Persaud, Gross 89, H/C 27, Net 62 * Second: Mike Mangal, Gross 78, H/C 6, Net 72 * Third: Maxim Mangra, Gross 88, H/C 16, Net 72 * Front Nine: Videsh Persaud, Gross 45, H/C 27, Net 32 * Back Nine: Videsh Persaud, Gross 44, H/C 27, Net 30 * Nearest To The Pin: Mike Mangal Also present at the event

Videsh Persaud collects his prize from BK Group of Companies Director Briony Tiwarie-Gabriel

appreciate this. It is not the first time we have been a part of this and we are more than happy once again to sponsor this event. We do understand the challenges the COVID has brought in the past year and as such, we are more than happy to have supported such an event. I’d like to congratulate all those who participated and I hope you guys had an amazing day.”

Also sharing her sentiments was LGC Public Relations Officer (PRO)

Third-place winner Maxim Mangra

was Director of BK Group of Companies Briony TiwarieGabriel, who said, “We would like to thank the Club for being a part of this; We truly

Anasha Ally, who stated that the Club was grateful to be back. She also complimented the grounds staff and management for the work they have done as golf was at a stand-

via a competition format.

Points will be awarded to players based on their net scores in each tournament; also, points will be awarded to the top five players for the day based on their net scores. The player who accumulates the most points at the end of the exercise will be declared the winner and can participate in the Guyana Open without having to pay the tournament fee.

Mike Mangal

still for some months due to the unprecedented rainfall and flooding. Ally went on to reiterate that she was grateful to BK International for its sponsorship of the tournament as the Club needs as much funding as possible given that it has endured one of the most difficult years, with COVID-19 and flooding putting a halt to some of its plans.

Nevertheless, Ally related that because of the management and executives pushing, the Club was back on track.

The LGC has noted that players who participate in tournaments from September 18 to October 25 will be eligible for consideration for free entry as a player into the Guyana Open Tournament

Thus far, in the lead is Videsh Persaud with 10 points; Mike Mangal – 8 points; Maxim Mangra – 6 points; Brian Glasford – 5 points and Pope London – 4 points.

LGC PRO Anasha Ally

Johnson among top Guyanese performers

I

t was a fruitful outing for the Guyanese ladies, as the chess players performed admirably at the recently-concluded online tournament – the Margaret Prince Memorial Rapid Online Female Tournament.

The tournament was hosted by the Women’s SubCommittee of the Barbados Chess Federation, and an invitation for Guyana’s female players to participate was extended to the local Federation.

The seven-round tournament was played over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday, featuring 58 female chess players from in and around the Caribbean – 13 of whom were from Guyana.

The Guyanese women did not disappoint, as Jessica Callender ended with an impressive 4.5 points, while Pooja Lam, Sherlyta Campayne and Nellisha Johnson all ended on four points each.

Younger players Maliha Rajkumar and Naomi Barkoye gained three points each.

Callender, the reigning University of Guyana Female Champion w h o

placed 15th in the Caribbean tournament, won her games against regional counterparts Victoria Powell, Rashida Corbin and Kayla Martin and fellow Guyanese Nellisha Johnson who lost on time.

The 13-year-old Lam, an up-and-coming player who is a student of the Saraswati Vidya Niketan School, finished notably in 17th place with wins against Meghalaya HaughtonPathaw, Alesha Lovell, Celine Mohamed and fellow Guyanese Queen’s College student, Naomi Barkoye.

Sherlyta Campayne and Nellisha Johnson, who both participated recently in the Fide (International Chess Federation) Online Olympiad, continue to showcase their talent and promise as some of the top female players in Guyana.

Junior players such as Maliha Rajkumar, Adia Alphonso, Anaya Lall and Aniyah Couchman, as well as Barkoye and Lam, are all currently being trained under the Chess-In-Schools programme, sanctioned by the FIDE Development Fund, by International Master Atanu Lahiri. Other players who took part in the tournament were Shazeeda Rahim, Naila Rahaman, Shelby Williams, and Areanna Singh.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

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

National Stadium Persaud winner

to become of BK International multipurpose Golf Tournament player will be eligible for consideration sport facility …“One for free entry into the Guyana Open,” says LGC Page 23

Margaret Prince Memorial Chess Tournament...

Page 23

Sunshine lift ORSCA

Callender, Lam, Grand Champion trophy Johnson among top Guyanese performers Page 22

See story on page 23

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