Guyana Times - Wednesday, February 24, 2021

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Multi-Agency Committee resuscitated to address influx of Venezuelans Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4569

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Canadian company finds high-grade gold in Guyana’s Toroparu mine – launches phase 2 drilling project

Page 3

Govt taking ‘tangible’ steps to realise gas-to-shore project – NR Minister Page 7

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WHAT'S INSIDE:

P18 Guyana records 25 new COVID-19 cases from 835 tests

Delivery man robbed of motorcycle at P2 gunpoint 2 arrested P18 for allegedly beating, raping 98-Y-O woman

“Fake inspector” trespasses into unauthorised zone at P14 FoodMaxx Superstore

P14 Women robbed during home invasion Members of the National Dance Company performing a routine at Parliament Buildings to usher in Guyana's 51st Republic Anniversary on Monday evening

Technical team to make recommendations for upgrading Exxon’s compressor

– as oil giant commits to returning flaring to less than 1%

5 houses destroyed in La Grange fire, 1 in custody

Page 9

– businessman blames Fire Service for destruction – arson suspected

Tiger Bay youth Page shot dead at 10 Lodge J'ouvert party, 3 arrested

Page 7

Dead: Dale Christopher

Filaria pills, chicken pox P18 vaccines not linked to Policeman’s death – Health Minister

2 NEWS Delivery man robbed of Man arrested with gun, ammo motorcycle at gunpoint after threatening to kill wife A A WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

man attached to a popular delivery service was Monday evening relieved of his XR motorcycle bearing registration number CJ3 worth $450,000 by a lone gunman at Delhi Street, Prashad Nagar, Georgetown.

The robbery reportedly occurred at about 20:30h.

Based on information received, on the day in question, the victim was making some deliveries in the area. However, he stopped his motorcycle to make a call to one of his customers to request directions. It was during this stop that a lone gunman approached him

and asked “who you looking for?”.

As the victim was about to answer, the suspect whipped out a handgun from the waist of his pants, pointed same at him and ordered him to come off the motorcycle. He complied.

The suspect then rode off with the motorcycle in the direction of the Railway Embankment. As such, a Police report was made and an investigation was launched.

The Police reportedly made checks for the suspect but he was not located. Several persons in the area were questioned but no substantial information was received.

Investigations are ongoing.

man is now in hot water after he was arrested with an illegal firearm and ammunition which he reportedly used to threaten his reputed wife on Monday evening. Based on reports received, a team of Police officers were on a mobile patrol when they received information of a 911 report of a domestic disturbance in Georgetown.

As a result, the Police officers went to the location where a woman claimed that her reputed husband had threatened to shoot her.

The ranks reportedly contacted the suspect and a search was conducted on his person during which a 9mm pistol along with

The gun and ammunition found on the man

a magazine containing three live rounds of ammunition were found in the crotch of his pants.

The serial number for the firearm was reportedly filed off. He was told of the offence, cautioned

and arrested after he told ranks that he was not a licensed firearm holder.

He was charged and is expected to make his court appearance before the end of the week.

3 Canadian company finds high-grade gold in Guyana’s Toroparu mine NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, February 24 – 03:00h – 04:30h and 13:30h – 15:00h and Thursday, February 25 – 03:30h – 05:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, February 24 – 14:05h – 15:35h and Thursday, February 25 – 15:00h – 16:30h.

– launches phase 2 drilling project

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Expect light rain during the day. There will be partly cloudy skies at night. Temperatures should range between 21 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to North-Easterly between 2.23 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 14:50h reaching a maximum height of 2.39 metres.

Low Tide: 08:24h and 20:55h reaching minimum heights of 0.98 metre and 0.76 metre.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS I

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2021

DAILY MILLIONS

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PAY DAY

The Toroparu project

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old X Mining, a Canada-based company which operates the Toroparu mine in Guyana, has announced that it found high-grade gold during its recently concluded diamond drill programme, resulting in the company launching phase two of its drilling.

According to a statement on Tuesday, the company was able to use historical drill data to encounter “significant” gold concentrations within and below the Toroparu main resource pit. According to the company, these gold structures are likely to be accessed by shallow and underground mining.

“Upon review and recommendation by Nordmin/ HPX, the Company has initiated a Phase 2 diamond drill program. The two drill, 10,000 m program commenced in early February,” Gold X said in their statement.

“One core rig is specifically targeting continuity of structurally controlled gold mineralization within the modelled high-grade structures, while a second rig is targeting shallow mineralization and extensions of the high-grade structures defined in Toroparu NW Zone.”

Gold X Chief Executive Officer Paul Matysek noted that the results from the drill testing exceeded the company’s expectations and will form the basis for their phase 2 diamond drill programme. It is expected that results from phase two of the drilling programme be avail-

SUPER PAY DAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2021

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COMMODITIES Indicators

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Crude Oil

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Rough Rice

$236.84/ton

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able by the second quarter of 2021.

“We now have clear geological and structural evidence that the high-grade structures run along the total 2.5 km strike length of the Toroparu Main & NW Zones. It is our belief this drilling has identified significant additional gold mineralization potential outside of the historical open pit boundaries of our Project.

We are continuing to expand upon these results with the initiation of our 10,000-meter Phase 2 diamond drill program,” the company said.

Gold X’s investment in the Toroparu mine, Puruni River, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) is believed to amount to more than US$150 million. In 2020, the company was mentioned in a proposed merger with Canadian company Gran Columbia, which at the time was seeking to acquire Guyana Goldfields and its local Aurora Gold Mine in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

They were ultimately beaten to it as Silvercorp Metals Incorporated con-

cluded a deal with Guyana Goldfields to take over the company. Goldfields would then go on to make a deal with Chinese company Zijin Mining group after Silvercorp proved unable to match their offer.

In November of last year, Australia-based mining company Alicanto Minerals had announced that it had made its first-ever gold find in Guyana, only days after another mining company, Troy Resources, announced that it had found gold deposits underground.

According to Alicanto, it discovered a maiden resource of 500,000 ounces of gold at its Arakaka gold mine, which is located in

Region One. According to the company, this works out to 1.8 grammes per tonne (g/t) of milled ore.

According to the company, previous exploration work done by Newmont and Barrick Gold Corp provided them with the necessary data inclusive of geochemistry, geophysics, and camp infrastructure. According to Alicanto, this all provided them with an excellent platform for discovering gold.

Fellow Australian mining company Troy Resources had previously announced that it had found some 15 grammes per tonne of milled ore at its Karouni, Smarts Underground mine in Region Two. (Jarryl Bryan)

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 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

Blatant breach of curfew

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ver since the new year dawned, Guyana has, unfortunately, consistently recorded increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases. Much of these have been attributed to the high number of social activities that occurred over the Christmas holidays, but even as we have gone past that ‘holiday’ period, persons are still acting and behaving irresponsibly when it comes to observing the COVID-19 guidelines. The non-adherence to precautions as outlined by Health officials has reached an all-time high, and there is need for stricter enforcement. So much is the disregard that parties are being hosted in direct contravention of the national curfew.

One such disregard ended with one life being lost on Tuesday morning, when a young man was shot and killed at a party hosted in Georgetown. Notably, the Police, in their investigation, reported that some 500 persons were in attendance at the fete.

Now, this certainly shows that persons are still not taking the health guidelines issued by the authorities seriously. Not only are persons blatantly breaching the curfew, but, more importantly, a party with 500 persons was hosted in the heart of the city, and the Police were absent to disperse the crowd.

Every day, persons just go about their daily routine as if they are not bothered at all about COVID-19 and its deadly effect.

We have supported, and continue to support, the move by Government to make it mandatory for persons to wear masks while out in public, which was implemented since August 2020.

Authorities have made it clear that it is not the Government’s intention to have persons locked up or fined for not wearing a mask while out in public.

Of note, too, is that even in cases where persons choose to wear a mask, they do not do so properly. Face masks should cover the nose, mouth, and chin. When not in use, the mask should be safely stowed away or discarded, and not be placed on any other part of the face or neck.

Mandatory mask-wearing and other preventative measures: handwashing/sanitising and social distancing, are the key measures to halt the severe impact of COVID-19.

With COVID-19 in Guyana, the Government, along with the various health partners, has wasted no time in stepping up the national response to contain the spread of the virus. However, citizens also have a role to play, and they must take that role seriously, or else the country would not be able to win the battle to control the virus.

The fact is, once the health guidelines to contain the spread of the virus are not taken seriously by citizens, the infection rates will continue to climb, and the country would take even longer before it could be fully reopened. This, we know, would have severe economic and social impacts on the country.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), masks are recommended as a simple barrier to help prevent respiratory droplets from travelling in the air and on to other people when the person wearing the mask coughs, sneezes, talks, or raises their voice. The CDC explains that this is called source control.

“This recommendation is based on what we know about the role respiratory droplets play in the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, paired with emerging evidence from clinical and laboratory studies that shows masks reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth,” the CDC explains.

The CDC notes that COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact with one another (within about six feet), so the use of masks is particularly important in settings where people are close to each other, or where social distancing is difficult to maintain.

The CDC has recommended that all persons two years of age and older wear a mask in public settings, and when around people who don’t live in their household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

It must be noted, too, that COVID-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected. For this reason, it is important that everyone wears a mask in public settings and practise social distancing.

Everyone wants the virus to be contained, so that they can get on with their daily lives, but this would not be possible if citizens are complacent or continue to ignore the health guidelines.

Malcolm Hinds of Blitz Photography showcases the various ethnic groups in this photo to commemmorate Guyana’s 51st Republic Anniversary

ERC Chair responds to Commissioner’s letter Dear Editor, Kindly grant me the space to respond to the personal attack, innuendos and false allegations made by Commissioner of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) Hajji Dr. Roshan Khan, published on Sunday, February 14, 2021 in your widely read newspaper.

Editor, I am not wont to respond to every missive or contention, but the grave and libellous allegations of impropriety levelled against me as Chairman are meant to impugn my character and plunge the present Commission into disrepute.

Commissioner Roshan Khan is a beneficiary of some decisions taken and voted on at meetings of the Commission.

At its statutory meeting on November 26, 2020, Commissioners voted by majority decision on a number of measures, provided that funds were available.

As is customary, the yearend honorarium (ex-gratia payment in this case for COVID-19 relief) was approved by majority decision for staff members and Commissioners, including Khan.

Government announced a payout to the Public Service, which came weeks later, but the ERC had already made its decision on a payout in November for the aforementioned reason. The Government payout, therefore, was not applicable to the ERC in that instance.

Commissioner Khan also made a duplicitous attempt to drag the ERC (which

is a non-political body) into the March, 2020 elections saga, a responsibility which lies primarily with GECOM, and not with the ERC. The Commission was granted Observer Status by GECOM to observe polling, and Commissioners teamed up and fanned out in regions Three, Four, Five, Six and Ten. A statement issued by the ERC shortly after pronounced that the elections were free and fair, and no major hitches were observed on Polling Day. The Commission also issued a press statement welcoming the recount as agreed to by the then President and Opposition Leader. Since the ERC already had Observer Status, Commissioners independently decided to observe the recount, if they so desired.

It is critical to remind that in the midst of the protests, robberies and violence unleashed on ordinary citizens following the murders of the Henry cousins and Haresh Singh, the Commission, in a press release (September 7, 2020) condemned the killings and called on all concerned to allow members of the Joint Services to do their work.

In fact, it was impossible for Commissioners to immediately visit West Coast Berbice (WCB), due to the underlying physical threats to public safety.

The ERC, like all citizens, relied heavily on members of the Joint Services to restore law and order. Telephone calls to the top brass of the army and Police, to request

the provision of escort for ERC Commissioners to visit WCB after the unrest began, went unanswered.

Under the dangerous unfolding circumstances, and with the tremendous pressure being faced by the Joint Services, the ERC nevertheless urged the army and Police to intensify efforts to sanitise and clear the blocked roadways along the East Coast Demerara and West Coast Berbice corridors, to restore law and order (see ERC Press Release Sept. 10, 2020).

Later in September, 2020, I visited the grieving families and, along with Commissioners, prayed with them to obtain closure for the loss they had suffered.

A national dialogue, later termed “National Conversation on improving ethnic relations”, was finally held in December, 2020.

Commissioner Deodat Persaud recommended in 2020 that a virtual format be considered due to concerns regarding COVID-19. The proposed event was originally raised by Commissioner Neaz Subhan in 2018, the first year of the present Commission’s tenure, and I agreed to it in principle, as Chairman. However, other events, such as the tense political atmosphere after the no-confidence motion in December, 2018, resulted in a postponement.

It must be emphasised that in 2018, after a lengthy, consultative, and supposedly intense parliamentary sanctioned vetting process, a new Board

of Commissioners, with I as Chairman, was sworn in to serve on the ERC for three years. The Commission is a constitutional body, and, like similar constitutional agencies, reports to the Speaker of the National Assembly, not to representatives of the ruling or other political parties.

After a hiatus lasting seven years (2011, January, 2018), the new board of Commissioners assumed office in April, 2018 with a staff complement of 14 and a low budget approved prior.

The reactivated Commission sought and obtained approval from Government for a supplementary budget to cater for a number of new projects and hiring of additional staff (now over 30 persons), travels to various regions, and remuneration for Commissioners.

The present ERC has been engaged in numerous projects since 2018, and some major undertakings can be highlighted.

Commissioners met representatives of the ten constituencies; visited the ten Administrative Regions in the country, meeting stakeholders; developed a code of conduct that was signed by all political parties that contested the March 2 elections; launched its Ethnic Harmony Campaign; successfully staged the theatrical play ‘I Am Us’ in 2019, which was later converted to a movie and shown at Caribbean Cinemas, Giftland Mall in January, 2020 free of charge.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

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

The Guyana Police Force must be reformed Dear Editor, I received on Facebook a posting from a friend bemoaning the fact that some in the Guyana Police Force are corrupt; and in his judgement, if reformation does not take place within the Force, Guyana is doomed.

I readily agree with him on this one; because, for real progress to take place, Guyana must have an efficient and well-managed Force that would cater for the needs of everyone, and a society that we can all feel free to live in. Because, what would our society be if we are not safe, or are unable to trust the persons who swore to protect and serve us? It is like spinning a top in the mud.

To emphasise his point, my friend highlighted a recent robbery in the community where he lives, the details of which showed the involvement of members of the Police Force. He contended that the robbery was - as we would say in Guyanese parlance "too neat a crime" not to have had the "expert assistance" of the Police.

And this has been our lament ever since; that is, the evidence of the corrupt activities of members of our law enforcement organisation.

The lawlessness and corrupt activities of certain members of the Force are ever present, manifesting themselves in many ways, such as in the use of firearms at parties to scare off enemies. I am talking about the gangster-type cop who sports his service weapon at drunken parties where gunplay and other open brawls become the norm. Then there is the sickening truth of "guns being for hire", where service weapons end up in the hands of criminals, who use them to create havoc in society. All these and more are just a few examples of the degradation that has overtaken our Police Force.

Now, I hate to highlight faults involving members of the Force, and not make suggestions for improvement of the Force; or, in its truest sense, make room for a total overhaul of the Force, if need be. So, I make the following suggestions: 1. First on our reformation list are strict rules governing recruitment to the Force. There must be strict scrutiny of candidates for the job. I am speaking of strict guidelines akin to one going for a visa to travel to the USA. Sound background

checks must be made, and there should be careful scrutiny of character references of the new recruits.

2. The Force should be well trained, and fully equipped with the necessary materials to do an effective job - vehicles and other service hardware to do a proper job. Our Police should be on the scene of a crime almost immediately, and not take the usual hours or even days to visit the crime scene, by which time valuable evidence would have been tampered with, or the criminals would have made good their escape.

3. There should be room for continual upgrading of our Policemen. In-service training and other staff developmental programmes should be used to equip them with additional knowledge and strategies to enable them to be better able to deal with crime and criminals. There are also sensitive issues, such as domestic violence and other spousal-abuse matters which require Police intervention, for which they need proper training.

4. Our Police men and women must be properly paid.

I am not asking for super-sal-

aries, because that would bring in the factor of the one paying the piper calling the tune, and that is not what we would like to see take place in our Police Force. The members of our Force must not be paid super salaries, but they must be paid comfortable salaries commensurate with other members of the public service. This will reduce the level of corruption that presently exists.

5. Academic qualifications must crucially be shown at the time of recruitment.

In that way, we must ensure that we are fitted with individuals who are mentally sound to lead, in order that the Force does not go into the realm of mediocrity. Too often, we see the rejects of society and school dropouts who can only sport a birth certificate and nothing else being recruited to the Force. This impedes the development of a well-educated and welltrained Force. Our Police ranks must be able to write a proper report, one that can withstand scrutiny in a court of law.

6.

Police officers who bully persons in society by carelessly threatening them with their service weapons should immediately be weed-

Opposition Parliamentarians missed the mark Dear Editor, As a Guyanese, I am very disappointed, but not surprised, by the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change Coalition’s presentation in Parliament during the National Budget debate.

The debate contributions made by APNU/AFC Parliamentarians lacked any real and true focus, apart from cussing the Government out; and they didn’t even do a good job at that.

The debate continued with loud and racist remarks made by the Opposition during their presentations in the National Assembly. There was little or no reference to facts, and no due-diligence shown on projects they were talking about.

This was an excursion at finding facts and searching for projects to criticise, because the Opposition did no real indepth analysis of the framework or content of the budgetary allocations, or even the speech delivered by the Senior Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh.

It was the presentation by Member of Parliament Sherod Duncan that took home the prize for “Most Inspiring Piece of Fiction”. He should be ashamed of his delivery, be-

cause he did not say anything that was different or helpful to the Parliament of the mindset or Guyanese in relation to development.

He mentioned, during the debates, that persons are still waiting on the “pink slip-promises” of the PPP/C Administration, but there is deceit when it comes to what he is “trying” to say.

It is a known fact that thousands of Guyanese will get their $25,000 cash grant from Government as soon as the budget is passed.

More so, that is not a promise, because the money is there, and will be given to the people. This Government has given the cash grants to more than 200,000 families in the time-frame of six months. This is more than the Opposition did for the lives of the Guyanese people during the start of the pandemic, or at any time during their five-year term in office.

Secondly, Mr Duncan knows - like all of Guyana - that he can’t speak about promises not fulfilled by any Government, because of the APNU+AFC coalition’s record in office. Maybe Mr Duncan can tell us what happened to the more than 8,000 house lots which were promised by the

APNU+AFC during a year?

Or the Constitutional Reform Process which was promised by his colleagues when they were in office?

Maybe he could shine light on what happened with the debacle and theft of monies at the Chronicle? Or what happened with the Community Policing body, and why it died, or was neglected during his chairmanship of the body? What was the Government doing with the people’s business? Were they just running to the High Court and the CCJ trying to overturn a case which the world had no doubt would prevail?

I can ask more questions of Mr Duncan, but space and time would not allow me to do so. So, Mr Duncan’s statement about “pink-slip” just defeats the purpose for which he aims to use it. And also, his use of the term “green slip” in reference to the things that were influenced by former President David Granger’s accomplishments while in office, that are in the 2021 budget, should provide much needed satire and jokes for Guyanese who are in the know.

But let me say the budget did not strike me as being a rip-off of whatever APNU+AFC policies he struggled to mention. There is a

ERC Chair responds...

A series of Public Service Advertisements (PSAs) were also produced to promote tolerance and understanding.

The ERC also conducted workplace meetings at various private and public sector entities to promote harmony; and, for the first time since being established in 2002, the Commission last December commenced the prosecution of violators of the Representation of the People Act and Racial

Hostility Act. The Investigation Unit was also re-activated, and dozens of complaints have been addressed over the period.

It is critical to note that expenditures prior to 2018 are not applicable to the present board of Commissioners (see Kaieteur News article Feb. 22, 2021 captioned: “ERC BUDGET JUMPED 5 TMES MORE SINCE 2015 WITH LITTLE ACCOUNTABILITY”.

continuity of programmes that worked, and the new ones that this Government plans to implement for all to benefit.

If Mr Duncan was hoping that the plans would be to just start afresh and produce an entirely new budget, he is wrong, though I can’t say it’s the first thing that he was wrong about in the delivery of his speech.

Even after this tirade of attacks and ill-fitted policy positions by the Opposition, the budget is a balanced set of policies and plans to be rolled out by the People’s Progressive Party while in office.

Consequently, I hope that the Opposition would improve the quality of their presentation in the National Assembly.

There must be a strong focus on facts and the truth, not one’s own whimsical fantasies. There should be elevated thought about the things they are going to champion in the budget.

Similarly, there should be things said about how you can improve what is in the budget, or what could be put into the budget estimates to improve the lives of every group of Guyanese across the spectrum.

Yours truly, Michael Younge

FROM PAGE 4

Incidentally, the Ministry of Finance commenced, and has completed, financial audits of the Commission for 2015, 2016 and 2017. Audits for 2018, 2019 and 2020 will commence shortly.

Editor, it must be pointed out, too, for the benefit of your readers, that the removal of a discredited Commissioner(s) (not expected of such a person) is a presidential decision. I wish to urge all relevant stake-

holders of civil society to exercise intense precautionary measures and scrutiny when recommending representatives as Commissioners to sit on the Ethnic Relations Commission in future.

Thank you, and may God bless our beautiful country and its peoples.

Sincerely, Rev Dr John O Smith Chairman, ERC

ed out of the Force. And others who take their service weapons to drunken parties or use them for any purpose other than those for which they are intended should be given marching orders.

7. There should be an active and sustained Police presence in crime hotspots.

I am also advocating regular and sustained stop-andsearch action as well as surprise raids.

8. But far more important is that the Police Force should be free from political, racial, religious or other factors of interference. The Police Force should not become tainted, or be used as a tool of any political party to conduct nefarious activities.

That is the dangerous road we have travelled for many years now – having a Force that is influenced and/or dictated to by a political party.

This nonsense has to stop,

and the time is now!

The Police Force, though paid by the state, is not an organisation of, or one at the behest of, any political party; rather, the Police Force is an organisation set aside by law to do its duties unimpeded and uninterrupted by politics.

Our Police Force could be reformed, but only when standards and norms are put in place; there should be a definite ‘no’ to political influence in the Force.

Police must do Police work, and not be a puppet of any regime. Only then can we have a Force that is well equipped to carry out its constitutional mandate. A new and reformed Force in a new and enlightened Guyana is what we are all looking forward to.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Visa-exempt status Dear Editor, We should use our diplomatic channels to be included in the EU visa-exempt status.

St Lucia and St Kitts & Nevis are two of the Caribbean countries that enjoy a visa exemption from the European Union (EU) to travel within their Schengen countries. The citizens of these two Caribbean islands require only a valid passport with a minimum of three months validity prior to travelling.

Guyana is now becoming an emerging nation in the oil and gas sector, with a global recognition which we should use to facilitate the free movement of our people in order to further the goals of our nation.

A visa-exempt status with the EU would allow our entrepreneurs hassle-free access to the businesses in Europe that would want to invest in

Guyana and form partnerships.

It would also allow more goods and services to be exported from Guyana to the EU, and reciprocity for goods and services to be imported from EU to Guyana.

Visa exemption would encourage Guyanese to go on vacation in Europe, which has a lot of historical sites that are the bedrock of European civilisation. It can also be used to develop Guyana as a tourist destination for Europeans, which would also mean more airline connections.

Using our diplomatic channels to access this visa-exempt status with the EU would greatly enhance our development and prestige among nations.

Yours sincerely, Reggie Bhagwandin

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

Question 1:

Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN Monday’s answers

1a) Pat saves $1500 of her weekly wages 1b) Pat spends $3000 on food/clothing and $2000 on entertainment So she spends a total of $3000 + $2000 = $5000 on food/clothing and entertainment altogether 1c) Pat’s weekly wages = The amount allocated to savings + entertainment + rent + food/clothing = $1500 + $2000 + $1500 + $3000 = $8000 1d) Pat would earn in two weeks her weekly wages x 2 = $8000 x 2 = $16,000

A Materials:

Tall drinking glass or 16 oz plastic cup Short drinking glass or 9 oz plastic cup Tea light Matches or lighter

Instructions:

Place tea lights in the short drinking glass Using a long match or safety lighter, light the tea light while leaving it in the glass In the tall glass, pour 1/2 cup vinegar Slowly sprinkle 1/2 tsp of baking soda into the tall glass containing the vinegar. You can dump it all in at once, but be ready for a big eruption!

Let the reaction slow down until the foam has disappeared.

Slowly tilt the tall glass on its side over the tea light as if you were pouring the air over it.

If the flame doesn’t go out on your first try, pour another scoop of baking soda into the vinegar and repeat steps five and six.

How it works:

The baking soda-vinegar reaction results in a gas called Carbon Dioxide (CO2). CO2 is more dense than normal air, which means that it will sink! Because CO2 sinks, it stays in the cup instead of floating away like a normal mix of air would.

This means you have a cup full of CO2! The candle burns thanks to a combustion reaction that requires Oxygen (O2), something we find in abundance in the air around us. When you pour your cup of CO2 into the cup containing the candle, the CO2 sinks to the bottom of the cup and surrounds the candle. This displaces (or pushes up) all the normally mixed air, along with all that O2 the fire needs to burn. And voila! Your candle is extinguished invisibly! (sciencefun.org)

fly bit the bare head of a bald man who, endeavouring to destroy it, gave himself a heavy slap. Escaping, the fly said mockingly, “You who have wished to revenge, even with death, the prick of a tiny insect, see what you have done to yourself to add insult to injury?”

The bald man replied, “I can easily make peace with myself, because I know there was no intention to hurt. But you, an ill-favoured and contemptible insect who delights in sucking human blood, I wish that I could have killed you even if I had incurred a heavier penalty.”

[Revenge will hurt the avenger]

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Technical team to make recommendations for upgrading Exxon’s compressor – as oil giant commits to returning flaring to less than 1%

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il giant ExxonMobil is expecting the technical team at the MAN Energy Solutions workshop in Germany to make recommendations when it comes to the repairs and upgrades to its flash gas compressor, so that the company’s operations offshore Guyana can be returned to normalcy.

In an update provided on Tuesday, Exxon’s Governance and Public Affairs Advisor Janelle Persaud explained that the flash gas compressor is currently being reassembled at the German workshop.

“Over the weekend, the MAN team completed adjustments to achieve the required clearances on the discharge side of the compressor and has started verifications of internal machinery profiles. Technical experts are also finalising near-term recommendations for repair and potential upgrade to the discharge silencer,” she explained.

When it comes to the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and

The compressor that is currently in the workshop

Offloading (FPSO) vessel, Persaud explained that Exxon continues to manage production and flare levels, while attempting to maintain a careful balance between sustained production and environmental considerations.

“We continue to provide regular updates to Government and other key stakeholders while also tirelessly working to restore operations and reduce the flare to pilot levels of less than one per cent of the produced gas,” she said.

It was only a few days

ago that ExxonMobil had announced that an “axial vibration” was to blame for the failure of its compressor, which had to be shipped to Germany and which had led to the company’s controversial routine flaring offshore Guyana.

In the latter part of January, Esso Exploration & Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) had announced that it was experiencing technical problems with the seal on Liza Destiny’s flash gas compressor. The problem resulted in Exxon having to reduce its

production and also conduct routine flaring.

It was subsequently revealed that Exxon had been flaring 16 million cubic feet of gas per day, an increase from the volume of flaring the company conducted last year which reportedly ranged between 12 and 15 million cubic feet.

It is a situation that Exxon executives have said no one is happy with, even as they work along with the regulatory agencies.

Additionally, it was announced that Exxon is currently producing around

120,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd). Before the flaring, production was at 130,000 bpd.

While some have called for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to act, their hands are, in fact, tied. At a recent press conference, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had pointed out that Exxon is limited to flaring 14 billion cubic feet of gas.

This is per the approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which means that according to calculations, Exxon wouldn’t

reach that flaring ceiling at current levels until the end of April 2021. Nevertheless, he had described the company’s current routine flaring as unacceptable.

However, Jagdeo had noted that by June of 2022, when the Liza 1 permit expires and has to be renewed, Exxon will have to submit to the inclusion of fines in the Liza 1 permit that is similar to what is obtained in the Payara permit.

Additionally, President of the Guyana Oil and Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) Manniram Prashad has since described calls from former EPA Director, Dr Vincent Adams for Exxon’s operations to be terminated due to the flaring as “unnecessarily extreme”.

Back in December on the oil company’s first year anniversary since commencing production in 2019, Routledge had expressed disappointment at the equipment issues they experienced and had also assured that routine flaring would not be employed.

Govt taking “tangible” steps to realise gas-to-shore project – NR Minister Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat on Monday underscored Government’s efforts in bringing the gas-to-shore project to fruition, noting that it will be a fulfilled promise to the people of Guyana.

Speaking during the Guyana Energy Conference and Exhibition, he noted that the Government is mov-

ing forward through tangible efforts in order to secure cheaper power for the population.

“We have already started moving on it and we are not only speaking of the project.

We have already taken tangible steps to ensure that we move forward with that.

We’re hoping that within the next three years, Guyanese can enjoy cheaper power,”

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

the Minister highlighted.

According to Bharrat, the aim is to provide a suitable economic climate for small businesses to develop into larger enterprises.

“There are many small businesses that can benefit and grow to meet medium and large scale cause the opportunity will be there…

When these things happen, it benefits our coun-

try and benefit every single Guyanese.”

It was clarified that while these projects have raised discussions on local content, this translates far beyond the oil sector. Bharrat noted that local content should be intact across all industries in the country so that people can improve their lives.

TURN TO PAGE 8

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Murder case of security officer adjourned to Feb 26

T

wenty-five-year-old Shawn Small was on Monday arraigned for the November 11, 2020 murder of Bharrat Dass at New Market Street, Georgetown.

He appeared before Magistrate Sherdell Isaacs at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

He was represented by Attorney-at-Law Cecilia Corbin, who requested that clearer statements be filed.

The matter has since been adjourned to February 26,

Dead: Bharrat Dass

2021.

Back in November 2020,

Shawn Small of D’Andrade Street, Kitty, was charged with the murder of security guard, Bharrat Dass.

The charge had alleged that on November 11, at New Market Street, Georgetown, he murdered Dass in the course or furtherance of a robbery. Back then Small was not required to plead to the indictable charge.

According to the prosecutor, on the day in question, Small along with other persons were imbibing at the

Govt taking “tangible” steps...

“We know local content has been trending thing now. We’re happy that it is because our Government since taking office has put, prioritised local content because we believe that Guyanese should benefit from our natural resources…Local content is not only about the oil and gas sector. Local content is about every single sector, how Guyanese can benefit, how Guyanese can participate in these sectors, how we can enjoy a comfortable life,” he stated.

The gas-to-shore project is an ambitious initiative that will see gas from the Liza field offshore Guyana being pumped onshore to generate power.

The Government has set an ambi-

now dead man’s workplace after which they left.

However, Small reportedly returned and inflicted several blows to Dass’ head before escaping with his cellular phone and cash.

Dass’ body was later discovered at MediCare Pharmacy on New Market Street by one of his sons during an impromptu visit. He was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he succumbed while receiving medical attention.

FROM PAGE 7

tious timeline of 2023 to complete the transformative gas-to-shore project, the main objective of which is to transport sufficient gas from the Stabroek Block’s petroleum operations to supply some 200-250 megawatts of energy to the national grid, leading to a significant reduction in electricity costs.

Government has identified the former Wales Sugar Estate, West Bank Demerara (WBD), as the site for establishing the power generation plant, a location that Bhagwandin, a local analyst, said makes economic sense as it will open avenues for greater development.

The President Ali-led Administration believes that the gas-to-shore proj-

ect will transform Guyana’s economic landscape, bringing tremendous development for all. Additionally, the Government is also mulling building a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) plant at the site that will have the potential to cater to the energy needs of the people.

President Dr Irfaan Ali had previously said the landing of the gas-toshore pipeline in Region Three would lead to “big industrial development taking place there that is linked to not only power generation and a power plant.”

He also said the investment on the Demerara River’s shoreside would create massive opportunities and a trickle-down effect.

National cuss down…

Y

…instead of Mash back-balling our Eyewitness was quite worried when he heard that, rather than having the usual Mash tramping in the streets of Georgetown, because of COVID-19, there would be virtual performances broadcast to the nation, to remind us of our Republican status. These scripted performances, dictated to some captive Governmentconscripted flunkies, are invariably so mediocre that the only possible reaction is to cringe! How would they ever match the solid traditions that have come down to us ever since Mash was invented in Linden back in the day?

Okay, we might’ve huffed the Carnival idea from the Trinis, but our tawdry and cheap - emphasis on “cheap”!

- imitation of their floats and costumes gave a whole new (Guyanese) meaning to the words: “kitsch”, gaudy and lurid!! But heck! It was “OURS”, by golly; and who didn’t like it could lump it. For good measure, we later added Jamaican Dancehall “back-balling”, which is enjoyed (and practised) by high and low - even as the performers went down low!

Folks brought out their entire families - especially children so they could learn what it took to be true-true Guyanese!

Well, your Eyewitness shouldn’t have worried. The patriotism of the folks we elect to Parliament knows no bounds. Our Honourable MPs saw the clear and present danger presented to the traditions of our nation, and rose (sunk?) to the occasion to bring back that ole-time Mash feeling! They seized the opportunity presented by the debate on the Budget - which is supposed to lift us out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the business implosion - to rescue the critical task of keeping our Mash traditions alive, and to push it down into depths where no one has ever ventured before!

Their innovation was to introduce the old tradition of the venerable “cuss down” or “buse down” practice that was invented way back before Republicanism was even a gleam in anyone’s eyes.

No, your Eyewitness isn’t talking about the argot of fisherwomen haggling over the price of Banga Mary and Packoo. That’s too tame! Nah…he’s referring to the replication of the banging of pots and pans - while drawers are pulled down - accompanied by imprecations as harridans describe “who took whose man” that was standard way back in the day!!

Yup!! All of this was done right there in our Parliament!

Your Eyewitness knows he doesn’t have to repeat the particulars, save to mention that dildos were waved; sexual orientations and practices were cited; gender-bending accusations were hurled, and pants were even pulled down!

And for contrast - to heighten the Mash-saving performances - some points were thrown in about the economy!!

Let us all praise our Honourable House! …not “debate” on oil production It’s clear there are some people who believe they’re omniscient, and can predict with absolute certainly what’ll happen in our world in the future. In physics and mathematics, there’s something called the “principle of ergodicity”. Simply put, it says if you know for sure the properties of all the elements in a system plus the variables of its environment, you’ll be able to make such predictions.

The problem, however, is people aren’t atoms - and even these have an inherent “principle of uncertainty” - whose properties we know with certainty. People reflect on their condition, and act consciously to change it. People are “selfreflexive”, so the best one can do is to make predictions about what people will do, and accept we might possibly be wrong.

So, your Eyewitness is taken aback by the arrogance of some “oil experts”, who can categorically declare that VP Jagdeo is ABSOLUTELY wrong on his assessment that oil will peak in a decade, and we should take advantage in the near term before the market implodes.

Are they God? …on attaining Republican status The PNC announced it “was empowered by the Guyanese people to bring Guyana to Republican status in 1970.”

The “Guyanese people”, or those horses that voted in England in the 1968 elections?

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

9 5 houses destroyed in La Grange fire, 1 in custody NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

– businessman blames Fire Service for destruction – arson suspected

Station operated. He is placing all the blame for the fire that destroyed his building at their feet.

He related that when an alarm was raised, his tenant immediately rushed to the Fire Station to make a report.

When the firefighters arrived at the scene, Jewan’s building was not on fire. The fire at his neighbour’s house had just started. However, the events that unfolded afterwards led the businessman to blame the

Puroshotam “Rambo” Jewan

The Anantrams’ home which was destroyed

a seamstress and he is a tailor by profession.

She related that just about 01:30h, a neighbour raised an alarm of a fire at the lower flat of their two-storey building. Both her husband and she ventured to the lower flat where they were confronted by a strange mat on fire at one of the posts.

“So, me try fuh open the door to see if the fire coming from the sewing room (but there wasn’t any.) Me husband come and he put out the fire. Me say bai this nah come

back room and knock the wall for the neighbour that alerted me and me say ‘Pammy fire.’ I don’t know if she called the fire reel but she did go because the fire reel isn’t far from here,” Rajwatie recounted.

When the couple made it out of the house, the building was fast engulfing in flames.

They raised another alarm and by that time, neighbours had formed a bucket brigade while waiting for the fire tenders to arrive.

The woman told this pub-

Jewan’s destroyed home

Rajwatie Anantram

By Lakhram Bhagirat

O

ne person was arrested in connection with an early morning fire at La Grange, West Bank Demerara (WBD), which destroyed at least 5 houses and a business establishment in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The fire reportedly started at about 01:30h at the home of 57-year-old Rajwatie and 58-year-old Mahase Anantram at Lot 36 La Grange Public Road, WBD, and subsequently spread to the neighbouring business where it destroyed four other houses along with a bar owned and operated by Puroshotam Jewan called “Rambo”.

When Guyana Times visited the scene, Rajwatie was surrounded by relatives as she pondered her next move.

The woman said that she has been living at the location for over 21 years with her husband. Together they operated a sewing business since she is

The only part of Jewan’s business place that was saved

from the sewing room, somebody got to throw fire because over there is a business place and when me mek so, I picked up something thinking is a sponge but was a mat on fire by the post. We put it out and we went back to bed,” she related.

About 15 minutes after they retired to bed, the couple heard loud shattering sounds and upon checking, more fire was discovered. This time the smoke was intense and they knew it was serious.

“So when me come out the room, he (my husband) said get clothes but me couldn’t get clothes and me go to the

lication that one man was arrested since he was the only person on the road at the time of the incident. He also called on neighbours to not render any assistance.

Rajwatie said that they lost everything in their home along with their livelihoods since all their sewing machines and clients’ clothing were destroyed. For now, the couple is focusing on getting back on their feet while hoping to be able to rebuild soon.

Fire Service’s negligence

Jewan said he is furious at the way the firefighters from the La Grange Fire

firefighters.

“They didn’t try to save my building because we didn’t have no fire. I was inside soaking it with fire extinguisher and so. They didn’t get a start (on the pump)

and when they get a start there wasn’t no water…They caused my building to burn down.

“Then Leonora Fire Station come and back up and my son does work with Puran (Brothers) and he called Puran and Puran come but by the time all thing was done,” the upset businessman related.

He has been operating at that location all his life since the place once belonged to his mother.

Jewan said that he had four houses in the yard with a number of apartments and they were all destroyed. He could not gauge his losses since along with his business,

his home was also destroyed.

“This building was 148ft in length. I had 2 sets of houses. There was a canter there with my whole music set… about $25 million gone down. I stocked this place up for mash today. Everything burn-up inside there. There are 4 houses in the yard and I have some apartment at the back. I worked my whole life here,” the 63-year-old devastated man stated.

The man operated a bar at the location. He also wholesaled beverages and did rentals for events – chairs, tables, sound systems etc. His business place was insured but he recently cancelled the insurance.

10 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Tiger Bay youth shot dead at Lodge J’ouvert party, 3 arrested

T

hree persons were arrested after a 27-yearold man was shot and killed while attending a J’ouvert party at Hill Street Lodge, Georgetown, on Tuesday morning. The J’ouvert party was reportedly approved by the Guyana

Police Force (GPF).

The dead man has been identified as Dale Christopher also called “Sun Skull” of Lot 1A Rosemary Lane, Cummingburg, popularly known as Tiger Bay. Based on reports received, the now dead man

left home at about 01:15h in the company of a friend to attend the party. However, at about 06:00h, two to three loud explosions suspected to be gunshots were heard, causing the crowd of about 500 to disperse.

At the time of the shoot-

ing, the DJ and Selector were providing their services at the party but were later informed that someone was shot. As such, they reportedly stopped the party, packed up their equipment and left.

The Police stated that a taxi driver was pass-

Dead: Dale Christopher

ing along Mandela Avenue at the time when he was stopped by three males carrying the injured man, who was bleeding from a wound to the abdomen.

Christopher was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Upon examination, a single gunshot wound was seen at the centre of his abdomen.

His body was taken to the hospital mortuary awaiting a post-mortem examination. Crime scene experts have since visited the scene where several persons were questioned.

The Police have since confirmed that three persons were taken into custody for questioning in relation to the murder. Meanwhile, when Guyana Times visited the home of the dead man, his relatives refused to speak on the matter.

They only stated that the Police would have all the in-

formation that is required.

The Police are continuing their investigations.

Shooting earlier in the month

Earlier in the month, Osafo Pollard, a taxi driver of West La Penitence, Georgetown, was shot and killed while attending a birthday party in North East La Penitence.

It was reported that sometime during the celebration, persons heard a loud explosion similar to a gunshot, which resulted in them screaming and running from the scene.

Soon after, Pollard was seen lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to his head. He was subsequently picked up and taken to Georgetown Public Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical attention.

The Police recovered one .32 spent shell and one warhead from the crime scene.

2021 budget will revolutionise health services in hinterland – MP – says PPP Govt will increase number of doctors, introduce ATV ambulances

Government MP Dr Vishwa Mahadeo

D

uring Day One of the 2021 Budget Debates, members of the National Assembly were told of how the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government intends to revolutionise health services in the hinterland, with strategies ranging from increasing doctors to All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) ambulances.

On Monday, PPP Member of Parliament and Director General of the Ministry of Health, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo announced that this comes after directives from President Dr Irfaan Ali. According to him, the charge to lift healthcare standards in the hin-

terland is one that Regional Health Officers (RHO) have embraced.

“In my visits to the hinterland communities, I have come to the conclusion that services offered to our people there are minimal. I was shocked to learn that quite a lot of pregnant women conclude their pregnancy without ever getting a blood test, to determine even their blood count. This is a travesty,” he said.

“His Excellency, after interacting with communities across this country, has asked that all efforts be made to bring the healthcare services in the hinterland up to par.

The PPP Government in this term is determined to make major changes. The needs of the people in the hinterland must be met.”

According to Dr Mahadeo, the Government will be building facilities and providing novel services in the hinterland. For instance, he pointed out that for the first time, the Government has provided rehabilitation specialists at the Bartica and the Mabaruma Regional Hospitals, in Region Seven and Region One respectively. Meanwhile, a therapist has been identified to go to Region Eight.

TURN TO PAGE 15

NEWS

11

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Multi-Agency Committee resuscitated to address influx of Venezuelans

Stakeholders partake in the Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Cooperation, Hugh Todd

T

he influx of Venezuelan migrants into Guyana is now being addressed by a Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee – which was recently established through coordinated Government efforts with international partners.

Chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira; a meeting was recently convened to discuss varying aspects of the migrant situation.

Representatives from Government Ministries and United Nations agencies lauded the resuscitation of the Committee, noting that it brings a sense of strengthening capacity through coherent policies to prevent uncoordinated and duplicated activities. Discussions also focused on irregular border crossings and the registration of migrants. Equally important, attendees outlined initiatives and ongoing projects to assist migrants.

Among those attending the meeting were Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Elizabeth Harper; Director of the Bilateral Unit, Ambassador Michael Brotherson; and Director of the Legal Division, Kezia Campbell-Erskine.

They were joined by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) Regional Coordinator and Chief of Mission, Robert Natiello; UNHCR Senior Liaison Officer, Cecilie Saenz Guerrero; UNICEF Representative, Nicolas Pron; UNICEF Deputy Representative, Irfan Akhtar; UNFPA Liason Officer, Alder Bynoe; PAHO Consultant on Disaster Preparedness, Tamica Noel.

Government entities which participated included the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Ministry of Housing

and Water, the Guyana Police Force, Regional Health Services, the Civil Defence Commission, and the Child Care and Protection Agency.

Just last October, President Irfaan Ali had said that a special committee would be established to assist Guyanese remigrants from Venezuela. This was after a remigrant living in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) raised concerns during a meeting at the Suddie Early Development Childhood Centre.

The woman had explained that remigrants have encountered many challenges since they have little representation in the region. She said the lack of documentation has also hampered their children attending school, and it was costly to travel to Georgetown to have them rectified.

During his recent visit to Guyana, United States Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo pledged US$5 million in relief to help Venezuelans who had fled to Guyana.

Two years ago, the number of documented migrants in Guyana stood at over 5000 and this number has been growing ever since. After the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020, the UN had warned that because Guyana shares a 3000-kilometre largely unpatrolled and unprotected border with Venezuela, this would result in “risks of increased irregular border crossings and heightened pressure in areas of concentration and available services”.

The “Global Humanitarian Response Plan COVID-19 United Nations Coordinated Appeal April-December 2020”, released by the UN, found that refugees and migrants, in particular those in irregular situations, are at high risk of being left out of health responses and continue to be particularly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, including violence and discrimination, smuggling and trafficking, and negative coping mechanisms.

The UN, in its emergency approach, has since begun a review of the Regional Refugee and Migrant Response Plan (RMRP) by the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform (R4V), working closely with 17 individual Government-led responses, including Guyana’s.

According to the report, “it is crucial to ensure proper integration into the national health responses and to extend additional support to the particularly vulnerable group of refugees and migrants from Venezuela.”

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2

Scenes from 51st Republic Anniversary Flag

Members of the Guyana Defence Force preparing to hoist the G His Excellency President Dr Irfaan Ali and First Lady Arya Ali making their way into Parliament Buildings on Monday evening

Songstress Poonam Singh preforming her original piece "Guyana"

Guyanese artistes performing "Unity" at P

2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

g Raising Ceremony at Parliament Buildings

Golden Arrowhead to mark Guyana's 51st Republic Anniversary A group of young dancers doing their thing during the rich cultural presentation to mark Guyana's Republic anniversary

Another highlight at the Flag Raising Ceremony

Parilament Buildings on Monday evening

14 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“Fake inspector” trespasses into unauthorised zone at FoodMaxx Superstore T he management at Giftland Mall, Plantation Pattensen, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, has called in the relevant authorities after an individual had impersonated a Health and Safety Officer and trespassed into an unauthorised zone in the

FoodMaxx Supermarket.

The “fake inspector” when approached by the Supermarket’s Supervisor, Reya, and cautioned about his trespassing, was unable to produce any form of identification or Government badge to support his claim.

He further continued to in-

timidate the employees in the respective area, the establishment stated in a release to the media.

Based on the release, the supposed “inspector” then proceeded to walk around the mart making purchases after the suspicious encounter. He was subsequently,

approach by the company’s security team and was again unable to identify which organisation he represents, or provide his name and designation.

Following the suspicious event, the Giftland team reached out to the Chief Environmental Health

Women robbed during home invasion

F

orty-year-old Ahilia Robertson and 38-yearold Yogita Balgobin of Mon Repos Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara (ECD), were on Monday robbed by two armed men as they were about to retire to bed.

According to Police, the two women were allegedly robbed at around 23:15h after the gunmen invaded their property.

Guyana Times understands that Robertson had just locked her gate and as she walked towards her house, she observed two men, one armed with a gun and the other with a knife, walking towards her.

She told Police that the men held onto her and began demanding that she hand over the cash and jewellery.

Fearful for her life, Robertson led the men to where she was

keeping the valuables.

Robertson and Balgobin were relieved of two cell phones, one laptop, and one iPad. Following the robbery, one of the bandits allegedly hit Robertson to her neck before making good their escape in a waiting motor car.

Investigations are ongoing.

Only a few days ago, armed bandits stormed a Sophia, Greater Georgetown

house and robbed a 19-yearold male of over $400,000 cash and other items.

It was reported that the teenager was at home sitting in the kitchen area, participating in a virtual classroom session with the top half of a door left open, when two unidentifiable males – one armed with a handgun – entered the house and held him at gunpoint.

The suspects reportedly searched the entire house, relieved the victim of $430,000 worth of jewellery, cellphones and cash before making good their escape. No arrests were made in both incidents.

The “fake inspector”

Officer, Carl Dey, who was able to confirm that no Health Officer was scheduled to perform inspections at the FoodMaxx Superstore.

The Giftland team noted that in light of the events

that transpired in the past week and the recently concluded court case between the Giftland Group and City Hall, the occurrence seems highly suspicious.

15 Ramsammy’s Ruminations Mayor, Councillor blast Solid Waste APNU/AFC owe Guyana an Director for garbage pile-up apology – totally unprepared H for budget debate NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

A

PNU+AFC owe an apology to the Guyanese people, particularly to their supporters. They did nothing to develop this country between 2015 and 2020; they caused more than 37,000 people, including 7,000 sugar workers, to lose their jobs; the majority of the community recreational grounds were un-kept; the country's financial resources were squandered; the housing, health and education sectors were neglected; and corruption abounded.

Now in Opposition, they continue to neglect their duties to the people of this country; the scrutiny of the national budget is a major responsibility of the Opposition. APNU+AFC failed in Government, now they are rapidly earning the title as the worst Opposition in Guyana's history, and in Caricom. They must apologise to the Guyanese people, especially their supporters.

BUDGET 2021 debate Dr Leslie Ramsammy is in full swing. Among the most remarkable moments during the first day was an APNU/AFC MP calling sugar workers "bloodsuckers". The sugar workers are hard-working Guyanese workers. For many decades under the PNC, from the 1960s through to the 1990s, sugar workers kept the country from bankruptcy.

Public servants and other employees in state corporations were able to receive wages and salaries in part from the sugar levy and the profits from sugar. In the 1980s alone, more than $100B in today's money value was extracted from the sugar workers as loans - that were never paid back - to keep the country afloat.

In smaller ways, the rice farmers, through the rice levy, contributed. No doubt, sugar is having a difficult time right now; But, make no mistake, SUGAR is not having a handout from the present Government, nor did SUGAR receive a handout from APNU+AFC. The initial subsidies coming from Government after 2011 were from the monies Guyana earned from the EU as a result of the EU providing compensation after their arbitrary withdrawal from our SUGAR Agreement.

After 2015, not only was the subsidy partly from the EU money, it was also from a $30B loan APNU+AFC took in the name of those sugar workers, an amount of money that APNU+AFC still cannot account for. Without a doubt, sugar workers are not "bloodsuckers", but the sugar workers can point their fingers in a specific direction to the real "bloodsuckers". Can we guess in which direction those fingers are likely to point?

The sugar workers still want to know where the $30B went?

APNU+AFC has a legal, moral and political responsibility and obligation to stand in Parliament and give an account. It is reckless to call the sugar workers "bloodsuckers" when it was your Government that closed four sugar estates, that froze the wages of sugar workers for five years, that took away jobs from 7,000 people.

It is sheer audacity and shamelessness that you would want to show up in a budget debate and the only thing you have to contribute is to say that sugar workers are "bloodsuckers". Moses Nagamootoo is in hiding since August 2, 2020. He once deemed himself the "champion of sugar workers". This is his opportunity to gain some redemption. Moses must come out from hiding and condemn his sisters and brothers in the PNC for their continued assault on sugar workers.

But his comrade Khemraj Ramjattan is in Parliament still. He, too, claimed before 2015 that he was a "champion for sugar workers", but he, too, betrayed the sugar workers. Is he going to try gaining some redemption by standing up in Parliament and denouncing his fellow MPs for shamelessly denigrating sugar workers?

I cannot be in Parliament to speak on behalf of the heroes and heroines in the sugar industry, but I fully expect that the Minister of Agriculture would stand on the side of the sugar workers when he speaks during this debate.

The parliamentary Opposition had eleven days, since BUDGET 2021 was read by Minister Ashni Singh two Fridays ago, to prepare for the debate. In those eleven days, there was barely any official comment from the Leader of the PNC or APNU/AFC (David Granger seems to be hibernating somewhere), from the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, and from any senior member of the coalition.

On Facebook, a couple of persons among their ranks made some desperately puerile criticisms based on deliberate misrepresentation. Actually, it was not just misrepresentation, it was total fabrication and lies. The main criticism they had to offer was that BUDGET 2021 made no provision for salary increases for public servants. Winston Jordan, the former Minister of Finance, led that lie. The Leader of the Opposition could only say that BUDGET 2021 is like a jet that never took off. What that means is only left to our imagination.

But once the debate started on Monday, people, including their most ardent supporters, realised that the Opposition had no substance to debate BUDGET 2021. Their opening speaker was the worst-ever opening speaker on a BUDGET debate. The PPP never agreed on much with opening debate speakers like Winston Murray, Robert Corbin and Dunstan Barrow, but they respected them for their cogent presentations. BUDGET 2021 debate had an opening that now stands as the worst in the parliamentary history of Guyana.

It never got better, as Opposition speakers, one after the other, outperformed their colleagues as being more and more belligerent, empty and shameless.

is Worship the Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine on Monday disclosed that he had received numerous complaints about the state of several constituencies which fall under the ambit of Solid Waste Director, Walter Narine.

“The people who [are] working with you, I believe you don’t have any kind of manual system in place for them. I’m telling you plain, I already encourage Fifth Street and Fourth Street, Alberttown, to come and protest, and I will join them with a placard in front of City Hall,” Narine told the Solid Waste Director during a statutory meeting.

Mayor Narine further added that due to the shortcomings of the Director, the entire Council has been blamed by residents of these areas. In order to remedy this, he suggested that the Director’s workload be reassessed and that he be reassigned to focus mainly on the city’s markets.

The Solid Waste Director, in response to the Mayor’s

Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine

Solid Waste Director Walter Narine

claims, explained that “the first week we had some severe problems, I must apologise publicly on behalf of my staff who were soliciting money on Thursday from residents.”

The Director further explained that following investigations into the incident, the staff who was found guilty of doing such has been removed.

Director Narine, also pointed out that sanitation

has now become “parapet waste collection” due to poor disposal practices by the general public.

However, Councillor Heston Bostwick argued that collecting waste from parapets should not pose an issue.

“I have stood at this Council many times and asked the question repeatedly if collection of parapet place is included in the contracts that contractors signs.

[So] what is it you’re try-

2021 budget will revolutionise...

“We must make services available to our people living in the hinterland, by building facilities, providing staff, providing transportation for staff and patients and training more persons. All of this is being done in this year’s budget, Mr Speaker,” Dr Mahadeo said. “(The RHOs) are working to ensure that over the next few years, all pregnant mothers in the course of the pregnancy must be offered the opportunity to have their bloodwork done, be seen by a doctor at least once, have a dental check at least once, have at least one ultrasound and to know her status with a VCT counsellor among others.”

He further outlined that they are aiming to have 30 doctors appointed in Region One before the end of the year, which would be an increase from 11 doctors pre-August 2020. Included in this bunch, Dr Mahadeo said, would be at least 10 specialists.

“And to give them also ATVs and for the first time, introducing in the hinterland region, ATV ambulances for the difficult terrain. Five will be going to Region One. Three boats and engines, one ambulance.”

“Region Seven will be getting 33 doctors instead of 18.

Region Eight would be getting 14 instead of three. Region Nine would be getting 33 instead of 18,” Dr Mahadeo further informed the House.

The doctor also spent some time talking about the work the Government has done on the National Ophthalmology Hospital at Port Mourant, East BerbiceCorentyne, which completed 16 successful surgeries earlier this month in one day.

“In 2014, there was no

backlog of cataract cases in Guyana. We have already identified over 1200 cataract cases. This is an indictment of the APNU/AFC Government.

Two weeks ago, after ma-

FROM PAGE 10

jor works to the building and equipment, the National Ophthalmology Hospital started doing surgeries once again,” he said.

ing to tell this Council now?”

Bostwick added.

The Director further explained that “this has been happening for the longest while. Vendors are dumping.

You clear it today, they dump tomorrow. In Sussex Street, they burning copper every night.”

Additionally, he added that the issue does not lie in the cleaning process but there must be efforts to address the root of the problem; which he noted is poor garbage disposal.

Narine further urged that the City Constabulary assist his department and the Council at large to patrol and enforce proper disposal of garbage.

“Then we come to the store owners, 95 per cent of them do not have waste receptacles inside their business, so they dump it on the parapets.”

He also pointed out that despite the Council making receptacles available in business districts, business owners would pay vagrants to dispose of their garbage, which is mostly dumped on parapets and unoccupied lands.

The Council’s Director of Solid waste further called on owners of unoccupied lands to fence their properties to prevent vagrants from disposing of garbage in those spaces.

16 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Pedal cyclist struck down by Health Ministry’s bus identified

S

hortly after Police released a photo of an unidentified man who was involved in an accident with a minibus attached to the Ministry of Health on Friday last, he was identified.

The man was identi-

fied by his sister on Monday as 41-year-old Cuthbert Crandon, who had no fixed place of abode. Police also said the man remains in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

Crandon was struck

down by the minibus along Vlissengen Road, Georgetown, in the vicinity of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) office.

It was reported that the man was proceeding south along the eastern drive lane of Vlissengen Road, holding

Injured cyclist Cuthbert Crandon

a mattress on his head when he suddenly swerved right onto the western drive lane in an attempt to cross onto the western side of the road.

During the process, the cyclist allegedly ended up in the path of the minibus which was proceeding south along the eastern drive lane of Vlissengen Road at a fast rate of speed.

The driver of the minibus reportedly swerved right in an attempt to avoid a collision but instead collided with Crandon. The minibus

continued on its journey and collided with a CCTV camera pole on Vlissengen Road, where it came to a halt.

As a result of the collision, Crandon fell onto the roadway and received multiple injuries about his body.

He was picked up in an unconscious state by two Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and transported to the GPHC. He sustained five broken ribs and injuries to his lungs among other injuries, Police said.

NEWS

17

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

PSC, coalition MPs, ask High Court to declare FMAA unconstitutional

APNU/AFC MP Ganesh Mahipaul

T

he Police Service Commission (PSC) and A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Members of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul and Coretta McDonald are among several applicants that are requesting the High Court to declare the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act (FMAA) of 2021 unconstitutional.

On February 4, 2021, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government amended the FMAA to streamline the budget process to improve efficiency and the effectiveness with which Parliament can consider the budget of the various constitutional agencies.

The Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act 2021 amends the FMAA Chapter 73:02 to allow for the correction of several anomalies relating to the budget process for the constitutional agencies.

Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh had told the National Assembly that the amendments will fix the process implemented by

the previous regime in 2015 to have the constitutional agencies present their budgets separately from the national budget.

The constitutional agencies hereinafter referred to as the respondents are the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Teaching Service Commissions (TSC), the Public Service Appellate Tribunal (PSAT), the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).

They also include the Women and Gender Equality Commission, the Indigenous Peoples Commission, the Rights of the Child Commission (RCC), the Chambers of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Office of the Auditor General, the Supreme Court of Judicature, and Parliament Office.

In a Fixed Date Application (FDA), Mahipaul, McDonald, the PSC, and others contended that the amendments to the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act 2021 subject these constitutional agencies to control by the Executive which violates Articles, 122A, 122 A (2), 187 (4), 192 (4), 212 G (2), 215A, 222A, 223 (4), and 226 of the Constitution of Guyana.

The applicants submitted that these provisions provide that the functions exercised by the constitutional agencies shall not be subjected to the direction and control of the Executive or any other person or authority.

With regards to the Supreme Court of

Judicature, they submitted that Article 122 A (2) states that it shall be autonomous and shall be funded by a direct charge on the Consolidated Fund. The applicants said that this constitutional provision also states that such courts shall operate following the principles of sound financial and administrative management.

They contended that the FMMA (Amendment) Act of 2015 gave effect to provisions in the Constitution that provided for and as-

sured the financial authority of constitutional agencies.

According to the applicants, the procedures set out in the 2015 amendments to the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act Cap 73:02 allowed for the request for funding by the agencies to be considered directly and only by the National Assembly instead of through the subject Ministry.

The applicants added that those amendments outlined that in preparation of their budget submissions, the constitutional agencies would be guided by the budget circular issued by the Finance Ministry as set out in the FMAA. This was implemented, they say, because there was concern that the fiscal au-

tonomy of the constitutional agencies might be abused and that they could demand any amount from the Executive without providing supporting arguments for justification. “…the 2015 amendments outlined a procedure for the constitutional agencies requests for funding to be considered directly by and only by the National Assembly instead of the Executive micro-managing the activities of the constitutional agencies.”

They submitted that by

the 2021 amendments to the FMAA, the constitutional agencies are once again regulated to mere budget agencies subject to the whims and fancies of the Executive.

According to the applications, the amendments allow the concerned Minister/ Finance Minister and members of the National Assembly to limit the size of allocation as well as limit the items of the budgets of the respondents and consequently affect their work and/or programme. “…the process set out by the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act of 2021 has restricted the constitutional agencies ability to use funds allocated by the National Assembly in such manner as it seems fit and

has restricted the use of the funds to items in the budget similar to budgets of budgets agencies.”

Moreover, the applicants contend that the Appropriation Act of 2020 which was assented to by the President in September 2020, is in breach of the Constitution as it includes as matters of appropriation, the expenditures of constitutional agencies listed whose expenses are stated and provided in the Constitution to be direct charges on the Consolidated Fund.

Taking this into consideration, it is being argued that the amendments to the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act (FMAA) of 2021 are wholly unconstitutional, null, and void as they seek to impermissibly imprison the constitutional agencies to the Executive, demolish and offend the financial independence of constitutional agencies which are assured by the Constitution.

Among other things, the applicants are asking the High Court to declare the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act 2021 unconstitutional.

They also want the court to order that the amendments enacted in the Fiscal Management and Accountability (Amendment) Act of 2021 are in breach of the doctrine of the separation of powers, unconstitutional, illegal, null, and void as its renders the Parliament and the Judiciary dependent on the Executive for funding.

The applicants are further seeking an order that the power and control vested in the Finance Minister

APNU/AFC MP Coretta McDonald

to approve the budget submissions and/or proposals of the respondents is unconstitutional, null, void, and of no legal effect, inconsistent with and in conflict with Articles 122A, 212(G) and 222A of the Constitution as these agencies are to function independently, impartially and free of the exercise of any control by the Executive.

A conservatory order is also being sought to prohibit the Finance Minister, his servants, agents, subordinates, or whomsoever from disbursing any expenditure or any appropriated expenditure approved or purportedly approved by the National Assembly in respect of the constitutional agencies for the fiscal year 2021 until the hearing and determination of this FDA. The other applicants in this matter are First Vice President of the Guyana Public Service Union, Dawn Gardiner; Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Michael Sommersaul; Member of the Police Service Commission, Clinton Conway and Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission Allan Munroe.

18

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

News

Guyana records 25 new COVID-19 cases from 835 tests G

uyana has recorded 25 new COVID-19 cases from a total of 835 tests that were conducted, thus bringing the number of positives to 8452.

With 190 reported deaths, nine patients are seeking treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). There are 39 persons in institutional isolation, 406 in home isolation and 10 in institutional quarantine.

The country has seen a total of 7808 recoveries.

Meanwhile, Guyana has tested 61,562 persons thus far, with 4376 males and 4076 females turning up positive.

A breakdown of the new cases showed that eight were detected in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara); 14 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica);

one in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice); one in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and one in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Cases in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) remain at 1019, 234, 245, 415 and 646 respectively.

Guyanese have been asked continuously to follow the outlined national measures, which were implemented by Government to curtail widespread infection.

While some may experience little to no symptoms, others can contract the worse form of the virus that lingers months after recovery. Data shows that the infection can

affect the brain, digestive system, respiratory system, kidneys and skin.

Symptoms of the coronavirus include fever, cough, tiredness, diarrhoea, pains, sore throat and loss of taste or smell. The more serious symptoms are difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain and loss of speech or movement.

The World Health Organisation has pointed out, “For some people, some symptoms may linger or recur for weeks or months following initial recovery. This can also happen in people with mild disease. People are not infectious to others during this time. Some patients develop medical complications that may have lasting health effects.”

Additionally, older per-

2 arrested for allegedly beating, raping 98-Y-O woman

A

98-year-old woman of Rose Hall, East Berbice-Corentyne, was reportedly rushed to the hospital after she was discovered in her home beaten and allegedly raped on Tuesday morning.

The woman’s neighbour told Guyana Times that at 07:30h, she went to the woman’s home to wake her up.

However, she explained that as she arrived at the home, she observed that the door was open, and immediately thought that something was amiss. She also found a glass containing alcohol on the step.

As such, she called out to the woman, who responded that “them boys come in and beat me up and push their hand down her throat and

choke her”.

As the woman showed herself to the neighbour, it was then she realised that the nonagenarian’s face was swollen. She immediately took a photo and alerted the caretaker.

The neighbour stated that the elderly woman was very traumatised and in a daze. She also noticed what appeared to be blood on the victim’s clothing and bedspread.

She immediately contacted the Police via telephone after which she accompanied the victim to the Port Mourant Public Hospital (under Police escort), where a medical was done. The medical certificate confirmed suspicions.

“They interfere with

her… at first she could relate what happened because she get blackout…if you see she face and she mouth, all she neck they choke she. The doctor is the person that related to us that she was raped because there was evidence of penetration.”

Guyana Times was informed that the woman has been living alone for a number of years, and neighbours said they heard no unusual sounds coming from the woman’s house during the night.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday afternoon, Police confirmed that two of the suspects were arrested and are assisting with investigations. The hunt is currently underway for another suspect as the investigation continues.

Filaria pills, chicken pox vaccines not linked to Policeman’s death – Minister

A

recent post-mortem examination into the death of policeman Rockliff Cozier, who reportedly died after taking two chickenpox vaccines and filaria pills, has shown that these medications were not linked to his death.

This was shared by Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony during the latest coronavirus update as he noted that a detailed report will be completed once the probe is over.

However, it has been ruled out that the combination of these drugs contributed to his death.

“It’s really unfortunate.

There has been a post-mortem that was ordered for us to get a better understanding as to what went on…The preliminary information that I have is that the taking of the vaccines and the tablets are not the contributing factor to his death.

Therefore, once I get the complete report, I’ll be able to give more information. What I understand is that the two things are not linked,” the Minister

Dead: Rockliff Cozier

shared.

Cozier, who hailed from Supply on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) died on February 16, 2021, at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

It was reported that the now dead rank was infected with chickenpox and at about 08:30h on the day in question, two injections were administered for the condition.

Then at about 14:30h, he

consumed pills that were being distributed in the anti-filaria campaign.

However, at about 18:00h, the policeman collapsed while in a barrack room and was rushed to the GPHC in an unconscious state.

He was placed in intubation, during which he had a relapse, suffered two seizures and subsequently passed away.

Dr Anthony had previously noted that persons are not supposed to have any adverse effects from taking the filaria pills, and posited that the policeman’s death is “purely coincidental”.

A team from the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation/Pan-American Health Organisation (WHO/ PAHO) has been assembled to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the policeman.

“We have to allow this investigation to take its course and the experts review it,” Dr Anthony stated.

sons have been succumbing to the virus since comorbidities increase the risk of developing a worse form of the virus. Persons in this bracket have been asked to continue taking their respective med-

ications or treatment to control their condition. Next, the preventative measures and guidelines to protect against the virus must be adhered to.

As it is, persons entering Guyana are required to

have a negative PCR test taken within seven days prior to their arrival. Persons with tests done within one to three days upon their arrival will not be subjected to any further health checks, however, those with tests that were completed within four to seven days prior to their arrival will be subjected to a PCR test at the airport here before being allowed to exit the building.

Last week, it was reported that there were instances of people falsifying their COVID tests to enter Guyana. Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony had said there has not been any such specific cases for persons leaving the country.

Nevertheless, he cautioned that those found culpable of committing this act will be prosecuted by the Police. He further urged persons to check which labs have been certified in Guyana to conduct these COVID tests.

If persons are experiencing symptoms or have been in contact with a positive person, they are asked to contact the COVID-19 Hotline on 231-1166, 226-7480 or 6246674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.

12-year-old 5 months pregnant after being raped

A

12-year-old girl of North West District (NWD) is now pregnant after she was allegedly raped by a man whom she has been initiate with for several months.

Based on reports received, the incident took place in 2020. The Police have since confirmed that the girl is 5 months pregnant.

In addition, Police stated that on Monday at about 14:00h, ranks attached to the Matthew’s Ridge Police Station acting on information visited the victim where she related what had transpired.

She was subsequently taken to the hospital where a medical certificate was acquired in favour of the victim.

Statements have not yet been taken; however, investigations are in progress.

Only a few months ago, two persons were arrested

by Police in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), for the abduction and rape of a seven-year-old girl.

Reports are that the child’s mother realised that her daughter was missing when she awoke sometime after 04:00h to use the bathroom on the day in question.

The woman said that she went into her children’s bedroom to check on them and noticed that her daughter was not in bed. She said that she made checks in the house but upon seeing the house door open she raised an alarm.

Neighbours joined her in her search for the child and they found her in a bushy area a short distance from her home. The child was bloody, naked and in an unconscious state. She was picked up and rushed to the Bartica Hospital, where she received medical treatment.

Fisherman charged with ganja possession ordered to enrol at BIT

F

ollowing his arraignment before Magistrate Sherdell Isaacs, where he pleaded guilty to narcotics trafficking on February 1, 2021, Antone Hoppie reappeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Monday for his probation hearing.

The probation report presented to the court detailed that the young man grew up with his father after his parents had separated. However, he now resides with his mother and her husband.

The young man was recently employed in March 2020, as a fisherman and had been earning approximately $140,000 monthly.

The report noted that persons in his community would

have expressed shock at the young man’s involvement with the law, since they all knew him as a quiet person.

In addition, it was documented that the man’s current supervisor explained to the probation officer that he is a hard worker who is always focused.

Hoppie told his probation officer that since he works at sea, he buys marijuana to take on board the vessel for his personal use. He further explained that he does not sell the illicit substance.

Meanwhile, Magistrate Isaacs amended the man’s charge to “possession of narcotics” since she explained that the facts provided by the Police prosecutor are incoherent.

According to the prosecution, on the day in question, the man was standing at a stall in Stabroek Market along with a group of people. Acting on information received, the Police conducted a search on the young man during which a Ziploc bag containing 70 grams of ganja was found in a blue haversack belonging to him.

Based on recommendations provided by the probation officer, Hoppie has been ordered to join the Georgetown Public Hospital (GHPC) drug treatment programme and to engage in a Board of Industrial Training (BIT) programme for the next two months.

Hoppie is set to return to court on April 12, 2021.

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil holds near yearlong highs as COVID-19 lockdowns seen easing

O

il prices were steady on Tuesday, trading close to more than year-long highs on signs that global coronavirus restrictions were being eased although concerns about the pace of a US economic recovery and the return of Texas oil production kept gains in check.

Brent crude rose 9 cents to US$65.33 a barrel by 1:56 pm EST (1856 GMT), still close to its highest levels since January 2020. US crude fell 13 cents, or 0.2 per cent, to US$61.57 a barrel.

Both contracts rose more than US$1 earlier before retreating.

Shale oil producers and refiners in the southern United States are slowly resuming production after 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude output and nearly 20 per cent of U.S. refining capacity shut down because of last week’s winter storm.

Traffic at the Houston ship channel was slowly returning to normal. Production, however, was not expected to fully restart soon and some shale producers forecast lower oil output in the first quarter.

After the cold snap, US crude oil stockpiles were also seen falling for a fifth straight week, while refined products’ inventories also declined last week, an extended Reuters poll showed.

“The freeze off is still supporting prices to a degree but there’s a lid because of how quickly supply will come back,” said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC. There were also concerns over the US economic recovery, which the chair of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, said remained “uneven and far from complete.” He said it would be “some time” before the central bank considered changing policies it had adopted to help the country back to full employment.

Commerzbank analyst Eugen Weinberg said the recent oil price rise was buoyed by upbeat price forecasts from US brokers.

Goldman Sachs expects Brent prices to reach US$70 per barrel in the second quarter from the US$60 it predicted previously, and US$75 in the third quarter from US$65 forecast earlier.

Morgan Stanley, which expects Brent to reach US$70 in the third quarter, said new COVID-19 cases were falling while “mobility statistics are bottoming out and are starting to improve”.

Bank of America said Brent prices could temporarily spike to US$70 in the second quarter. (Excerpt from Reuters)

UK, US to achieve herd immunity in 2021, but not EU – report

T

he United States and the United Kingdom are on course to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19 by the end of 2021 given the speed of their mass vaccination programmes, but key European Union nations are not, according to a new report.

The German database firm Statista studied the number of COVID-19 vaccines that were given on a daily basis, using recent data from local health authorities of each country.

In a study published

The race to vaccinate populations in Europe and the West comes as rich nations are accused of hoarding doses at the expense of poorer ones [Henry Nicholls/Reuters]

World Bank threatens to cut Lebanon's vaccine aid over line-jumping

T

he World Bank threatened on Tuesday to suspend its multi-million-dollar financing for Lebanon’s COVID-19 vaccinations over politicians jumping the line.

Local media and officials said some lawmakers got shots in Parliament on Tuesday while other Lebanese in the priority groups were still waiting their turn, drawing a rebuke from the doctor leading the campaign and outrage on social media.

The World Bank’s reallocation of US$34 million enabled Lebanon to receive its first two batches of about 60,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses this month.

The bank has monitored the rollout to ensure the first shots go to healthcare workers and the elderly. It had warned against favouritism in the country, where decades of state waste and corruption have triggered a financial meltdown.

One lawmaker, who asked not to be named, said sever-

al older current and former lawmakers, as well as administrative staff, were vaccinated in the Parliament hall without media coverage.

“What’s the big deal?” he said. He said doses were sent last week to the Baabda palace for President Michel Aoun and others.

The president’s office confirmed that Aoun, 86, got a shot as did his wife and 10 people from his close team.

The statement said they were registered on the online vaccines platform without clarifying whether they were in the high-risk categories.

The doctor who heads Lebanon’s COVID-19 vaccination committee, Abdul Rahman Bizri, said it was unaware vaccines would be sent to parliament. “What happened today is unacceptable,” he told reporters.

Deputy Parliament speaker Elie Ferzli, who is 71, tweeted that he got a shot.

Around the nation, outrage spread. (Excerpt from Reuters)

More than 50 dead and dozens injured in prison riots in Ecuador

P

risons in Ecuador were on high alert after more than 50 people were killed and dozens of others injured in three prison riots, Police said on Tuesday.

According to authorities, riots erupted in prisons located in three cities Guayaquil, Cuenca and Latacunga. The violence was caused by disputes between rival gangs inside the prisons, officials said.

Local media reported that prisoners were killed using guns and knives.

Police General Commander Patricio Carrillo said on Twitter on Tuesday that additional security forces were des-

patched to the prisons to regain control. Carrillo said the riots involved high-security prisoners.

“All the prisons at the moment have restriction and controls in place,” Carrillo wrote.

The riots reportedly erupted on Monday night, after prisoners took prison guards hostage.

Local media reported that several ambulances were seen leaving the jails, and that as news of the riots was made public, dozens of prisoners’ relatives gathered outside the prisons to get more information on what was happening.

Images and videos cir-

Members of the Ecuadorian Marine Force guarding the Zone 8 Deprivation of Liberty Center in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on February 23, 2021

culating on social media showed inmates gathered on a prison rooftop with Police officers on motorcycles and in patrol cars surrounding the prison.

In a tweet, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno said gangs had carried out

“simultaneous acts of violence in several prisons in the country,” and that in coordination with the Minister of Government, Patricio Pazmino Castillo, Police were working to regain control of prisons.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

on Tuesday citing figures from February, it said while the US and the UK administered 1.6 million and 434,444 doses on average per day, Germany gave 110,714 doses, France 96,706, and Italy gave only 67,887 doses a day.

“Only the UK and US are administering sufficient daily COVID-19 vaccines to

achieve herd immunity by the end of 2021. In contrast, EU countries would have to nearly triple the current number of daily vaccine administrations to reach the target,” Statista said.

The US and the UK “are already on a promising path”, Statista said, despite having been badly hit by the pandemic – registering the world’s worst and fifthworst death tolls respectively.

The report predicted the US is on course to become the first G20 country to reach herd immunity, and that the UK will become the first large European nation to do so.

In the UK, more than a third of the adult population have so far received a first dose of a vaccine since early December – a widely praised feat the report cited as evidence of the country’s rapid inoculation progress.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Mohamed Bazoum declared Niger’s new President

Mohamed Bazoum, centre, will succeed Mahamadou Issoufou as President

N

iger’s electoral commission has declared the governing party candidate, Mohamed Bazoum, the winner of the country’s presidential election runoff.

Bazoum had secured 55.75 per cent of the votes cast on February 21, beating former President Mahamane Ousmane who garnered 44.25 per cent, Issaka Souna, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), announced on Tuesday.

Early on Tuesday, Ousmane’s campaign alleged widespread fraud, including the theft and stuffing of ballot boxes and threats against voters. It did not provide any evidence.

“We demand the immediate suspension of the publication of these results, which do not in any way take into account the expression of the Nigerien people for change,” the campaign team alleged in a statement as the election commission released the vote tally.

Outgoing President

Mahamadou Issoufou is voluntarily stepping down after two five-year terms, opening the way to Niger’s first handover of power between elected leaders since independence from France in 1960.

The impoverished country in recent years has been struggling with armed group attacks that have spilled over from Mali in the west and Nigeria in the southeast.

On the polling day, seven local CENI workers were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine in the western region of Tillaberi.

On Monday, a similar explosive device claimed the life of a polling station head in the southeastern region of Diffa. Nine other electoral workers were injured.

In the first round of voting, held on December 27, Bazoum, a former Interior Minister and Issoufou’s right-hand man, had picked up just more than 39 per cent of the vote. Ousmane came second, at just below 17 per cent. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

20

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

guyanatimesgy.com

ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

DILBERT

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

Take your time, be cautious and make necessary changes. Let experience, not your emotions, dictate how you progress. Look for original ways to solve old problems.

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

Say what's on your mind, and clear up any misunderstandings that may stand in your way. Knowledge is powerful and will lead to opportunity and new beginnings. Be honest and straightforward.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

Look for a unique way to use your knowledge and skills. Being open to diverse options regarding your profession or finances will lead to positive results. Be a leader, not a follower.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

You'll face decisions you aren't ready to make. Refuse to let anyone pressure you into something prematurely. Focus on meaningful relationships and keeping the peace.

PEANUTS

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

SUDOKU

Find your balance, embrace discipline and go after your dreams. Think innovatively; use your knowledge and skills to shake things up.

Personal gains look promising. Romance and self-improvement are favored.

Consider what makes you happy, then head in that direction. How you live, what you learn and the people you associate with will determine what you get out of life.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Address money matters before it's too late. Look at the changes going on around you and make adjustments that ensure security and stability. Be open about your feelings and plans.

SCORPIO

Evaluate what you are up against, be secretive regarding your intentions and use your intuition to make the most out of whatever comes your way. Proceed with caution.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SAGITTARIUS An unwanted change will turn out well. Time heals (Nov. 23all wounds, and a demonDec. 21) strative approach to life will pay off in the end. Love is on the rise. Be bold and courageous.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) MONDAY'S WORD - INDULGE

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

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Take advantage of an opportunity that allows you to put your long-term plans in motion. Don't worry about what others do or say; follow the path that leads to happiness and peace of mind.

Don't get angry; get moving. Be fair, direct and truthful, but refuse to let your emotions take charge and lead to something you regret. Patience will help resolve issues.

Zero in on what you want to accomplish, and direct your energy accordingly.

What you achieve today can change the way you work and live moving forward.

Don't let anger set in; action is required.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

21

Joshua Da Silva says his Game "has come a long way" – but he is ‘only now getting started’

H

e has played only three Test matches for the West Indies, but wicketkeeper/ batsman Joshua Da Silva believes he has made great strides in his development as a batsman since making his debut in New Zealand in December 2020.

The 22-year-old Trinidadian has so far scored 234 runs at an average of 39 in his fledgling career, and, in all three matches, has stepped in to play significant knocks for the West Indies; none, perhaps,

more important than the Test-best of 92 that he scored in the recent second Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka, which helped the West Indies to a hard-fought 17-run

win.

In wake of his recent performances, which resulted in wins for his team, Da Silva thinks the experiences have helped him grow as a player.

“My game has come a long way. There’s definitely still a lot to be done, but I am happy with the improvements made so far, and learning to adjust to different conditions,” he told Sportsmax.TV, highlighting that much of his recent learning came while playing against Bangladesh.

“I have definitely im-

proved my patience and discipline at the crease. This allowed me to bat a lot more balls in Bangladesh and not get caught up in how many runs I had scored,” he continued, conceding that, “I need to improve my fitness in order to make concentrating for longer periods easier.”

His performances to date have had cricket writers characterising him as the glue that is holding the West Indies middle-order together, but he says he doesn’t pay much atten-

tion to those characterisations.

Joshua “ I Da Silva d o n ’ t think much of it. I’m just doing my job,” he has said. “When given the opportunity, I try to make the best of it by batting to the situation and putting runs on the board.”

(Sportsmax)

World Cup-qualifying match between Guyana, T&T…

Former T&T national striker Kenwyne Jones sees no need for Coach Terry Fenwick to complain

D

Kenwyne Jones

espite the furore surrounding the inability of the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee to seal a World Cupqualifying match against Guyana at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Republic o f Trinidad & Tobago o n March 2 5 , Kenwyne Jones, a former T&T national striker and captain, has

said he sees no reason for T&T Coach Terry Fenwick to complain about this.

However, Evans Wise, the talented, left-footed winger who was on the T&T team that played at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, as well as former Technical Director Anton Corneal, believe it's a major issue for T&T not to capitalise on home advantage.

Both men feel that not enough was done by the negotiating parties - the FIFAappointed Normalisation Committee being led by businessman Robert Hadad; Minister of Sport and Community Development, Shamfa Cudjoe; and officials from the Sport Company of T&T; Minister of Health Terrance Deyalsingh and his Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram - for the match to be played in a football bubble, as is being done around the world.

T&T is contesting Group F of the qualifiers, in which are included Puerto Rico, Bahamas and St Kitts/Nevis.

Following the Guyana encounter in the Dominican Republic, the Guyana Amazon Warriors will play their next two matches away; to Puerto Rico on March 28 and then the Bahamas on April 5.

They will complete the group phase with a match against St Kitts/ Nevis on April 8 at home, needing to top the group to be able to advance.

Minister Cudjoe made the announcement on Saturday during the Ministry of Health’s coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic virtual press conference update.

She said: "The TTFA is saying that the players cannot quarantine, and that is troubling for us here in T&T. The players must quarantine,” she stressed, especially the players coming from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Belgium; coming from countries with the new (COVID-19) strain that we are really concerned about."

The Minister said: "The TTFA propos-

al was for the players to come in, travel from the airport to the Home of Football, play their game, stay for two days, and then go back out. That does not provide any time really for them to quarantine.

The proposal has also asked for them to room two people to a room."

In response, a press release issued on Saturday by the TTFA stated: "Over the last few months, we have been in discussions with the Ministry of Health (MoH), Sports Company of T&T, and other relevant Government agencies. Based on these discussions, numerous proposals and scenarios were put forward to host the match in T&T, but unfortunately, none (was) ultimately successful, which would satisfy our FIFA mandates for international competitions.

"The MoH’s protocol and guidelines mandate fourteen (14) days’ quarantine for anyone entering the country. This condition is not feasible, given the FIFA international match window, and the MoH has declined the TTFA’s request of an exemption to facilitate a hot-bubble, which would allow members of both teams, including staff, to arrive within a suitable time period conducive to international football."

According to Former Technical Director Anton Corneal: "I would have probably tried to continue speaking to our Government, and find ways to make it possible to play here. Of course we have to look at the safety first of our people, and especially what we have done over the past eight months (in) containing the virus. I know there is a lot more that needs to be taken into consideration, but losing the home advantage is a major issue when it comes to football, or any sport."

Meanwhile, Evans Wise has called on the parties involved to come together for yet another time to allow the T&T footballers the opportunity at achieving home advantage. He contends: "I defi-

nitely believe we're making a mistake.

Home advantage is a plus, especially for an inexperienced team and a team that hasn't played together for pretty much the whole year. I understand that guys have COVID-19 issues and quarantine protocols, but other countries did it. The US did it for us in the game we played recently, so I think it's unfortunate that we can't get that home advantage for players to boost their confidence, and also for the fans to get to see their team play."

He told Guardian Media Sports it would be important for coach Terry Fenwick to include some of the senior overseas players, such as Kevin Molino, Khaleem Hyland, Joevin Jones etc, who would all be able to rally the younger players and be a driving force moving forward.

Fenwick's 7-nil drubbing at the hands of the US may not only have broken down players’ confidence, but allowed the English-born coach to see what he had available to him.

On the other hand, following his public criticism of the national coach after the US defeat, former national striker Kenwyne Jones has said: "It's a neutral venue. The same woes T&T will be having Guyana will probably have the same woes, so it's just about us going out on the pitch and playing the match to get the required result."

He added: "I don't see where the argument is really. Knowing what the situation is at hand, Mr Fenwick can't really complain. He had a game based on the conditions, based on how things have been rolled out here; so it's about him (Fenwick) after the quarantine period, coming back from the States, he should be focused on getting the team together, whatever plan he has down, and trying to get everyone focused for that match in the Dominican Republic." (Adapted from the TT Guardian)

22 Transport record back-to-back wins in day/night fixtures

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

– Sankar highlights day with 4-12

T

he Transport Sports Club (TSC) was blessed to have fielded 3 teams in 4 practice matches on Saturday 20th February 2021: A 2nd Division team played at QC vs a QC 2nd Division team and won the match; an under-19 team mixed with under-15 and under-17 players contested a match against an MYO team at the MYO ground and lost by about 35 runs; and an under-17 team played a day match versus an under-17 South West Side team from Essequibo in a 35 overs match at DCC ground and won; and played against the same South West team from Essequibo in a 20-over match under lights at DCC and won again.

In the day match (35 overs), Transport youths won the toss and elected to bat.

They recorded 182 runs for

the loss of 8 wickets in 35 overs. Jerimiah Hohenkirk scored 23, Ryan Latif 22, Alvin Mohabir 22, Shaquan Walers 27, Kelvin Gordon 31 and Gabriel Rookhum 12 as the main scorers.

Bowling for the South West Essequibo Team, Myhiem Khan, on loan to the South West team, took 2 for 43, and Romeo Deonarain took 2 for 19. In their turn at the crease, the Essequibo team were bowled out for 125 runs scored in 24 overs, with Ronaldo Scouten scoring 12, Aaron Mohabir scoring 21 and Arian Persaud scoring 20.

Bowling for Transport, Reaz Latif, the second to last son of veteran softball player Richard Latif, took 2 for 5. His brother Riyad Latif took 2 for 19. Captain Alvin Mohabir took 2 for 11, and Dave Mohabir and Shaquan

Walters each took a wicket.

In the day/ night 20-over match, the teams donned coloured clothing. The Transport team wore blue and the South West Team wore black.

Strengthened with the inclusion of Stephon Sankar and John Persaud, Transport were inserted to bat in twilight conditions, while the South West Team was strengthened with the inclusion of Thaddius Lovell and Aryan Persaud.

Transport registered a score of 109 for 8 in their 20

Chris Gayle set for West Indies’ T20I return

C

hris Gayle is expected to return to the West Indies' T20I squad for the first time in two years when the side takes on the visiting Sri Lankans at the start of March.

West Indies will announce a squad later this week, but Gayle has interrupted a stint with the Quetta Gladiators in the PSL to return to the Caribbean, having been given indications that he would feature in the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.

As with the other members, Gayle would undergo a fitness assessment before the final squad is named. If he does play, it will be the first time he has represented West Indies in any format since August 2019, when he played an ODI against India.

It would also be exactly two years to the day since he last played a T20 International; the last time he played was against England i n March 2019.

Gayle is scheduled t o return to Pakistan for the remainder of the PSL after the last T20I on March 7. This is an arrangement that had been agreed upon after the draft, but before the season began. In fact, the PSL had announced just before the season that Faf du Plessis would be a partial replacement for Gayle just before the season began, though they did not specify why such cover was needed.

But this recall, under the captaincy of Kieron Pollard, marks a significant milestone in Gayle's career, as well as for West Indies, com-

ing as it does in a year in which they will be preparing to defend their T20 World title. That tournament is due to take place in India in October-November, West Indies having won the last edition of the tournament, also in India, in 2016.

At 41, Gayle's future - international and otherwise - has been the subject of on-off discussion since the 2019 World Cup. Prior to the event, he had said the World Cup would be his last ODI cricket, though he reversed the decision during the tournament itself. He then turned out for the ODIs against India after the tournament, and blasted a 41ball 72 before walking off - to handshakes from opponents and applause from fans - as if it were his last game for the West Indies.

He took a brief break from all cricket at the end of that year, but upon his return in January 2020 at the Bangladesh Premier League, he said he was still open for a return for West Indies - also joking that he might continue playing till he was 45.

If he does play at the T20 World Cup, he will be 42.

Though the announcement of du Plessis as cover hinted at a return, the actual reasons for Gayle flying back were revealed, inadvertently, in a PCB press release after his 68 (off 40 balls) against Lahore Qalandars failed to prevent a nine-wicket defeat. Gayle had batted at one down for Quetta, and scored 39 off 24 balls in the first game, another loss to Karachi Kings.

Chatting with Gayle on his experience of returning to Pakistan after 14 years, the release said, Gayle "will leave shortly to feature in the West Indies' T20I against Sri Lanka back home."

This was Gayle's first cricket in Pakistan since touring with West Indies in 2006-07, and he was, he said, feeling "blessed" to be playing at all during a pandemic.

"Playing during this particular time is a blessing.

Hopefully, things can get better in the future.

When you look at what's happening in the world, there are no fans in the stadiums, and people have to watch [cricket] on television.

It is something people and players look back and say we have to appreciate times when we actually had good things, and not take them for granted,” he said.

"Things are tough, with the world in pause. We must not take life for granted when things can open. We're going to try to live the best life, and live it to the fullest, spend more time with family and friends, and reach out to the people a lot more," he declared.

Gayle is hoping cricket would soon resume in full.

"I am sure players are still hungry for it. It is our livelihood, it is our job, our earning, and that is what we know," he said.

(ESPNcricinfo)

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The Transport Under-17 Team

overs on a difficult track, the outfield of which was a bit heavy. Shaquan Walters made a quick 24, with 3x4, and Ryan Latif composed 22, with 4x4. Those scores held the innings together, while extras contributed a healthy 29.

Bowling for South West Team Essequibo, Aryan Persaud took 3 for 11 from his 4 overs, and Romeo Deonarain and Mark Mohabir each took 2 wickets.

The South West Team were, however, bundled out for 72 runs scored in 15.2 overs.

Thaddius Lovell was run out for 13, which included 1x6, and Shawn Vieira chipped in with 11 runs. Extras boosted the score with 18.

Bowling for Transport,

Stephon Sankar took 4 for 12 from his 4 overs, and Dave Mohabir took 3 for 9 from 3.2 overs. He bowled the last 2 batsmen to leave himself poised for a Hat Trick the next time these two teams meet.

These two matches were played in good spirits, and both sides showed excellent fielding and bowling.

The Transport Sports Club hereby extends gratitude to curators Linden Lyte and Sammy for the preparation of the pitch, since cricket was not played there in nearly a year due to the pandemic. Gratitude is also being extended to Umpires Andre Hurry and Stephen Josiah for a job well done.

NBA Roundup

Los Angeles Lakers lose third after overtime defeat to game in a row –Washington Wizards

2237230-1

(Ext 55)

NOW!

T

he Los Angeles Lakers let a 17-point third-quarter lead slip as they fell to a 127124 overtime defeat to the Washington Wizards.

The reversal means that the NBA champions have lost three games in a row for the first time this season.

Both LeBron James and Kyle Kuzma missed late three-point attempts to send the game to a second extra period.

Bradley Beal scored 33 points as the Wizards claimed five wins in a row for the first time in three years.

Russell Westbrook, who had 32 points, plus 14 rebounds and nine assists, made a shot inside and was fouled with 11.6 seconds remaining in overtime, to put the Wizards up by three points.

Although he missed the free throw which gave the Lakers the chance to tie the score, they were un-

able to make the shot.

James finished with 31 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds, while Montrezl Harrell added 26 off the bench.

Elsewhere, Donovan Mitchell finished with 23 points and eight assists, and three of his Utah Jazz team-mates each scored at least 20 points off the bench as their side beat the Charlotte Hornets 132-110.

The Miami Heat defeated Oklahoma City Thunder 108-94, while Devin Booker hit 32 points as the Phoenix Suns were comfortable 132-100 winners over the Portland Trail Blazers.

After an eight-day rest because of two weather-based postponements, the Dallas Mavericks beat the Memphis Grizzlies 102-92, while the Chicago Bulls were too strong for an under-strength Houston Rockets, winning 120-100. (BBC Sport)

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

23

“Mad Dog’s” Supra to grace South Dakota this weekend T

he legacy of Deryck “Mad Dog” Jaisingh, who passed away tragically in 2020, will live on at this weekend Drag Races, as his championship car is set to blaze the track on Sunday, February 28.

Mad Dog’s Supra, in which he won the last Drag Championship back in 2019, has been acquired

by Secure Innovations & Concepts Inc, a local aviation security company which is also a long- serving patron of local motor racing and is platinum sponsor of the National Drag Championship round one.

The Supra with Jaisingh at the wheel had emerged as the Unlimited Class champion when the

Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) had held their 1320 heat rematch meet on October 20th, 2019, the last drag race meet held before onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a release from the GMR&SC, principal of SI&C Inc, Harold ‘Top Gun’ Hopkinson, a racing veteran and sports shooting champion, explained that he decided to purchase the vehicle so that the memory of Jaisingh could live on in the sport, and also because he saw immense potential in the car.

At the 1320 heat rematch, the S&D Performance (Shawn Persaud)-tuned car had clocked 8.7s to take the championship, and Hopkinson has noted

that with the new modification and works with the retained S&D Performance mechanics, he is excited to see the machine operate at its full potential.

During a telephone interview with Kaieteur Sport, ‘Top Gun’ Hopkinson confirmed that the vehicle would be piloted by his son Denzel, who has had successes in GMR&SC Group Two and GT Motorsports Karting events.

As Team SI&C Inc prepares for this weekend’s races, Denzel will be at the track getting more acquainted with the car as the days diminish before the title defence on February 28th at the South Dakota Drag Strip, Timehri.

Equally excit-

Inaugural 3-hole golf tournament of Assuria General Insurance to play from March 10-13

General Manager of Assuria Insurance, Yogindra Arjune

A

ssuria General Insurance, always the leader in innovation, has partnered with Nexgen Golf Academy to host the “Just for Beginners” Golf Championships and bring golf to Georgetown once again.

Many years ago, golf was played in Thomas Lands and the National Park, but its recent resurgence in popularity will see it being played in the heart of the city once again, as the unique threehole par 3 event will cater for players of every category, and be played under floodlit, cool night conditions at the Scouts Association of Guyana ground on Woolford Avenue.

Due to COVID guidelines, the “Just for Beginners” competition will run from March 10-13, lasting from 4pm to 8 pm each day. The tournament consists of three holes that are 145, 100 and 80 yards, and players will have to complete the hole by putting out.

All equipment and balls will be provided free of cost to the participants, and at Assuria General's request, there will be no tournament fee!

Prizes and trophies will be presented to best scores for Juniors Under 12, Under 21, Women's and Men’s categories, and for beginners and recently started players who do not have a handicap rating.

General Manager of Assuria General, Yogindra Arjune, spoke about the impact the game has had on him personally, and the effects he was seeing nationally.

“I was introduced to the sport by Aleem two years ago, and been hooked on it ever since. It's a game that makes you strive for betterment at every opportunity, similarly with our business, and we will continue to support the development, especially in the schools and new players," he said.

Arjune welcomed the return of competitive golf to the centre of Georgetown by saying that change was necessary for the sport. "For far too long, we have accepted that golf should only be played a certain way and by a select group of persons. That is about to change in a dramatic way with the plans by The Guyana Golf Association, Nexgen Global, and support from hundreds of new players and sponsors!"

The three-hole championships will continue to be a part of golf development around the country, according to President of the GGA, Aleem Hussain.

"As we expand our facilities to Berbice, Essequibo, West Coast and Linden, our plan is to create leagues: inter-region, inter-company and parent-child activities, that will see everyone involved in the only fully COVID-19 compliant sporting activity," he has said.

This tournament will be the first of many events that are aimed at allowing as many Guyanese as possible to experience the game at virtually no cost, with the ultimate goal of building a national team that would represent the country at the Olympics.

"The majority of our best athletes come from the persons who have the least opportunity, and this is why the extraordinary efforts are being made to allow everyone a chance to see if they have the potential," Hussain has said.

The aim of this event is to get everyone to participate in physical activities and try something different that all ages can enjoy together.

Players would have 3 chances to win the Copa Airlines’ Roundtrip ticket during the competition.

Participants are asked to register in advance by calling 645-0944, or by visiting the Academy no later than March 9, so that proper arrangements and groupings can be made.

The late Deryck ‘Mad Dog’ Jaisingh’s Supra

ing some may say, is that ‘Top Gun’ revealed that he may take to the track in the BM Soat Auto Sales 2020 Toyota Supra in a challenge against power houses Team Mohamed’s Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. While sharing last week that the event would be livestreamed on eNetworks’ E1, SKAR TV (Channel 102), Tarzee TV in Bartica and the GMR&SC Facebook page, the club, in keeping with the COVID-19 guidelines, would have a limited in-person audience. As

such, tickets will go on sale tomorrow, and the prices are set at just $2000 for adults, $500 for young children, and $8000 for VIP. Sponsors of this weekend’s drag meet include AR Jiwanram Printery, Associated Construction Services, BM SOAT Auto Sales, Cyril’s Transportation Services, Homeline Furnishing, Imran Auto Works, KFC, KGM Security, Land Star Drilling Company, MMD Hollow Blocks and Pavers, Mohamed’s

Enterprise, Motor Trend Service Centre, Modern Building Solutions, Panko Steel Fabrication, Power Tech Sound Company, Prem’s Electrical, Ready Mix Concrete, Rush Energy Drink, Samaroo Investments Inc, Secure Innovations & Concepts Inc, STAG Beer, Trans Pacific Motor Spares & Auto Sales, Truck Master, UNICOM – United Commodities, West Coast Customs Washbay, Windjammer, First Class Auto Sales & Spares, Castrol Oil, and NAFICO.

CWI Presidential Election…

Skerrit-Shallow ticket have backing of Trinidad, Leewards

T

he Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) have determined whom they are supporting for the current leadership of Cricket West Indies (CWI) in the lead up to the virtual Annual General Meeting set for March 28.

According to the Trinidad Guardian, Ricky Skerritt and Dr Kishore Shallow have been nominated by the Leeward Islands Cricket Board, and were seconded by the TTCB. The incumbents are being challenged by CWI Directors Anand Sanasie, Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, and Calvin

Hope, Vice President of the Barbados Cricket Association.

Sanasie formally announced his candidacy last week, citing the need for visionary leadership. However, the Azim Bassarath-led TTCB have decided to back the incumbents during a virtual meeting last Friday, citing “how the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic had affected cricket activities in the Caribbean and throughout the world since March 2020, and that it would be unfair to judge the performance of the CWI leadership in the context of an abbreviated term of of-

fice”, t h e G u a r d i a n has said.

The TTCB also took the position that several initiatives by the current president “gained valuable traction, but needed more time to produce the desired results.”

(Adapted from Sportsmax)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2021

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

Tiger Woods seriously injured in rollover car crash near Los Angeles

G

olf legend Tiger Woods was on Tuesday seriously injured in a one-car accident in Southern California, authorities have said.

Woods’s vehicle was going north on Hawthorne Boulevard at Blackhorse Road, on the border of Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes, at about 7:12 a.m. PST when it crashed and sustained “major damage”, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has said in a statement.

Woods was conscious when he was removed from the car, and was in stable condition, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Daryl Osby said on Tuesday at a press conference.

Deputies did not see any signs of impairment when they arrived at the scene, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but Villanueva has said that accidents are not uncommon in the area due to the downhill slopes and curves on the road.

“Thankfully, the interior was more or less intact, which gave him the cushion to survive,” Villanueva said. “Otherwise, it would have been a fatal crash.”

Woods was the driver and only occupant of the vehicle, the Sheriff said, and Woods was rushed to a hospital.

Authorities initially said that Woods had to be extricated from the car using the Jaws of Life, but Osby clarified on Tuesday that different tools were used to help remove him from the wreckage.

Woods had serious injuries to both legs when he was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Woods’s agent Mark Steinberg told NBC News on Tuesday afternoon that Woods was in surgery for multiple leg injuries.

Deputy Carlos Gonzalez, one of the first responders to the scene, told reporters that Woods was not able to stand on his own, but was lucid and able to have a conversation with him. The Deputy noted that Woods was wearing his seatbelt.

A vehicle rests on its side after a rollover accident involving golfer Tiger Woods along a road in the Rancho Palos Verdes section of Los Angeles on Feb. 23, 2021. Woods suffered leg injuries in the onecar accident, and was undergoing surgery, authorities and his manager have said (Ringo HW Chiu/AP)

“I will say that it’s very fortunate that Mr. Woods was able to come out of this alive, because this is an accidentprone stretch of road,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve seen a

number of accidents on this stretch of roadway.”

Images of the crash scene showed the sports utility vehicle on its side, with the front end almost totally

smashed apart.

Woods had also crashed his car just a few days after Thanksgiving 2009 in Florida.

That accident inadvertently revealed a bitter marital

dispute with then-wife Elin Nordegren, as a host of women came forward to admit to having extra-marital affairs with the famed golfer.

Woods hasn’t played in a tournament this year, and is recovering from back surgery done in December, his fifth such operation.

The 45-year-old golfer, who is based in Jupiter, Florida, was in Southern California this weekend for the Genesis Invitational, which benefits his foundation.

An HBO documentary last month chronicled Woods’s meteoric rise and public shaming in 2009 and 2010.

Woods is considered one of the greatest golfers in the sport’s history. His 82 tournament wins is tied for most in a career with Sam Snead, and his 15 majors is second only to Jack Nicklaus.

Woods’s last tournament title was at the 2019 Zozo Championship in Japan. His most recent major victory was at the 2019 Masters. (NBC News)

Pg 23

Pg 22

Inaugural 3-hole golf tournament of Assuria General Insurance to play from March 10-13 “Mad Dog’s” Supra to grace South Dakota this weekend

Transport record back-to-back wins in day/night fixtures

– Sankar highlights day with 4-12

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