Guyana Times - Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Infection control priority for Health Ministry P11 – Dr Anthony

…as training continues across sector Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4520

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

ExxonMobil commences drilling 1st well in Canje Block …Bulletwood-1 is 500M-barrel oil prospect See story on page 3

Mother of 4 killed by Police vehicle in EBD accident

Dismissed Wales Estate workers to be paid severance, full benefits Page 7

…as NICIL, GAWU reach settlement

See story on page 2

PM leads flood assessment team to Region 2

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

CAL suspends commercial flights from P10 Cuba …Guyanese left stranded

28 COVID-19 P9 cases recorded from 329 tests Fake oil & gas training course

DPP recommends charges for P2 Berbice woman

See story on page 14

Security guard broadsided with cutlass, P16 robbed Teen to face P8 Judge, jury for killing ex-convict

Prime Minister Mark Phillips led a flood assessment team to Charity, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) to evaluate the current flooding situation in the region. The team included Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha along with senior officials of the Agriculture Ministry (Office of the Prime Minister photo)

Pensioner Overpayments for ECD expansion still robbed in front to be recovered …contractors stop repayments, Ministry letters go unheeded of Police Station Page 11

Page 12

Businessman remanded on drug trafficking P10 charge

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mother of 4 killed by Police vehicle in EBD accident

Dead: Dulmattie Boodlall

By LaWanda McAllister

O

n the very day a 59-year-old woman was anticipating to meet her newborn grandchild, she was struck down and killed by a Guyana Police Force (GPF) minibus along the East Bank Demerara Public Road on Tuesday.

Dead is Dulmattie Boodlall, a saleswoman of Lot 950 Block Y Section C, Golden Grove, East Bank

Demerara (EBD).

On Tuesday, Boodlall was killed at about 07:26h along the Peters Hall Public Road by minibus PWW 7172, driven by a Police Constable.

Police in their report stated that minibus PWW 7172 was proceeding north along the roadway when the driver alleged that the woman attempted to cross the road. The driver claimed that on seeing the woman, he swerved to avoid a collision, but ended up hitting the woman.

As a result of the impact, she fell onto the roadway and received injuries about her body. She subsequently died while receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

When Guyana Times visited the dead woman’s home, her son, Sookram Deochand, explained when he learnt of his mother’s demise.

“I was at work when I got a call that my mother get hit down, so I rushed to the scene, when I got to the

“Do you know how it feels? When I hold my mother hand and foot it was cold, cold, she was already gone. It is very hard to lose your mother” – son of dead woman scene, they told me that she gone to the hospital. When I going to the hospital, I hear my mother died at the scene,” the tearful man said.

Deochand further stated that the news came as a shock to him and his family since he saw his mother on Tuesday morning before she left for work.

“When I go this morning [Tuesday] to the station, and I was finding out what happened, they asked me if I is the Police. I told [them] I am the lady son and I want to know what happened,” he explained.

The man rubbished the Police’s Public Relations Department statement which stated that the vehicle was driving at a slow rate of speed.

“It is in the middle of the road mommy get knock down. She was crossing and was in the middle, we went and ask some people and someone show us some things and we see that she already cross when a pitbull bus come and knock she down,” he said.

Boodlall’s son told this publication that his family intends to have justice served.

“Imagine they [the Police] already put that the bus was going at a slow rate of speed.

How can a bus that is going at a slow rate of speed knock down a woman and kill her?

If you see my mother’s hand, it was separated and broken up, her eye had a big hole, her head had a big hole, her whole left side face gone in.

Mommy was in parts when I saw her,” he explained.

Deochand further added “do you know how it feels?

When I hold my mother hand and foot it was cold, cold, she was already gone.

It is very hard to lose your mother. My wife is in the hospital and get baby today [Tuesday] and I can’t even tell her nothing. Now my mother gone and pass away today [Tuesday], this can be fair?”.

Tearful to the point that his words were broken, Deochand said he now lives with regrets for not letting his mother sleep at his house on Monday night. The man said he did not know that he deprived himself the last opportunity to be with his

Sookram Deochand

mother. Police have since said that they are investigating the accident.

Fake oil & gas training course

DPP recommends charges for Berbice woman

The seamen taking part in the fake training programme

T

he Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has recommended charges for the Berbice woman who allegedly duped several seamen into buying a fake training programme with the promise that it would help them get jobs in the oil and gas sector.

Dozens of seamen were allegedly duped into taking courses offered through the agency the woman operates in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), with them paying millions of dollars to benefit from two certificate training courses.

However, more than eleven months after participating in the seven-day course, the seamen are still awaiting on their certificates, which prompted their

suspicion that something was amiss and led to them going to the Police.

According to the seamen, they responded to an advertisement for training and recruiting by an agency for an oil company in Guyana.

They said that the school had advertised two courses for applicants. Those courses were the Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) and Lifting and Banksman course. To complete the courses, applicants were required to pay a total fee of $260,000. The charge recommended by the DPP is obtaining money by false pretence.

Acting on the advice of the DPP, in excess of a dozen charges have been made out by Police for the woman.

NEWS

3

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, January 6 – 10:30h – 12:00h and Thursday, January 7 – 00:30h – 02:00h and 11:00h – 12:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, January 6 – 10:00h – 11:30h and Thursday, January 7 – 11:15h – 12:45h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers will prevail during the day.

There will be light cloud during the night.

Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 28 degrees Celsius.

Winds: South-Easterly to East South-Easterly to Easterly to East North-Easterly to North-Easterly to North North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 10:08h and 22:40h reaching maximum heights of 2.39 metres and 2.36 metres.

Low Tide: 16:09h reaching a minimum height of 0.84 metre.

ExxonMobil commences drilling 1st well in Canje Block …Bulletwood-1 is 500M-barrel oil prospect

E

sso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), a subsidiary of United States oil giant ExxonMobil, has started drilling another exploration well, this time in the Canje Block offshore Guyana in what will be the first foray into that block in search of oil.

The announcement was made by investment company Westmount Energy on Tuesday and follows on the heels of recent notices from the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) to vessels.

According to the company, Exxon has commenced drilling the Bulletwood-1 well with the Stena Carrondrillship. According to Westmount, Bulletwood-1 is a 500 million barrels of oil

The Canje Block with the Bulletwood-1 well

The Stena Carron drillship

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prospect, similar to the profitable Liza Field wells.

Westmount, itself holding shares in the Canje Block by owning an indirect interest of 7.2 per cent through Exxon’s partner JHI Associates, also included comments attributed to its Chairman, Gerard Walsh. According to Walsh, the campaign will evaluate deeper reservoir targets, with the possibility of boost-

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DISCLAIMER: WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS IN PUBLICATION. PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE FOR CONFIRMATION - TEL: 225-8902

COMMODITIES Indicators Crude Oil Rough Rice London Sugar

US$ $53.60/barrel $227.21/ton $430.30/ton

Live Spot Gold

Change % +4.68 +0.06 +2.23

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1946.60

$1947.60

Low/High Change

$1937.00 -3.90

$1955.20 -0.20%

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

ing Westmount’s share value.

“Bulletwood-1 is the first well in a multi-well, fully funded drilling campaign being operated by ExxonMobil on the Canje Block over the

next six months or so. This campaign will evaluate high impact Upper Cretaceous prospects in the proven Liza play fairway with, in some cases, additional deeper reservoir targets,” Walsh said.

“It also provides Westmount shareholders exposure to a portfolio of drilling outcomes over a compressed timeframe. Success from some of the wells in this portfolio could result in transformational value changes for Westmount."

The Bulletwood-1 well will be the first exploration well in the Canje Block by ExxonMobil as operator.

Exxon has a 35 per cent interest, while French company Total has another 35 per cent, JHI 17.5 per cent and Mid-Atlantic Oil and Gas 12.5 per cent.

There has been talk of spudding Bulletwood

since last year. Besides Bulletwood-1, it is known that there are two other initial prospects in the Canje Block - Jabillo and Sapote.

Based on information put out by Westmount previously, the Canje Block could hold as much as 10 billion barrels of oil in total.

Stabroek Block

However, it is the Stabroek Block that has gained the most attention for its oil-producing qualities.

In 2019, Exxon made five discoveries in the Stabroek Block. Discoveries were made in the Tilapia-1 well, Haimara-1, Yellowtail-1, Tripletail-1 and Mako-1 wells. These discoveries had pushed the total estimated recoverable barrels of oil equivalent to over six billion.

TURN TO PAGE 7

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guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 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

No substandard work

W

ith Guyana now on the verge of major development deriving from our oil wealth and massive infrastructural plans, it was welcoming news when Public Works Minister Juan Edghill made it pellucid to contactors that there would be zero tolerance for substandard work.

Over the years, there has been much disappointment with the unbelievable quality of work that is being carried out by some contractors engaged in public infrastructure projects. Most of these projects cost the treasury millions of dollars, and, all around the country, one can point to numerous examples of substandard work for which contractors were paid huge sums.

Therefore, it was welcoming that the Public Works Minister, some months ago, publicly warned contractors that they would not benefit from a second contract under the Government if their works are found to be substandard.

In many cases of substandard public infrastructure works, very little action is taken against these errant contractors for not meeting their contractual obligations, resulting in them walking scot free. In fact, some persons would even be shocked to learn that these same persons who have done poor work or left work incomplete were awarded additional contracts.

As this publication had said in a previous editorial, year after year, in his report, the Auditor General would highlight a number of examples of substandard or incomplete work in construction projects across the country – whether they be schools, hospitals, roads, bridges etc.

The AG had previously pointed to some instances wherein projects were incomplete or left abandoned, even though contractors were already paid huge sums to do a proper job.

Many have asked what actions are being taken against these contractors to recoup these sums of money, or what sort of systems have been put in place to ensure these contracting firms are debarred from bidding for future projects. At several previous sittings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and regional officials, it was pointed out that, in the past, sums of money were overpaid to contractors in mobilisation fees, which is a fraction of the contractual cost that is paid to the contractor to get his/her equipment to the site where the project is to be implemented. In some cases, sums of money over the standard or required amount are paid to the contractor, and the works are still not completed.

This certainly is unacceptable. And while tax payers have used different forums to complain previously, the relevant agencies have a duty to ensure that public money is well spent and accounted for.

It is clear that, in the past, there were poor monitoring and reporting mechanisms in place to ensure contracting firms carry out works as per contractual agreement. Also, previously, there seemed to be no strict policy to penalise and/or debar contractors for failing to meet their contractual obligations.

After much public criticism, the then Public Infrastructure Ministry had said it is in the process of establishing a database which would keep a track record of the number of projects awarded to local contractors, and their performance in respect to each. It would also be helpful if procuring entities keep a proper record of the performance of companies in regard to projects awarded. This could be used as an effective measure to better inform the process for selecting competent contractors to handle Government projects.

With the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) in place, one had hoped that the relevant mechanisms would have been put in place with the aim of ensuring these lapses are corrected. The PPC would need to re-examine and implement effective measures for blacklisting, so that contractors who are consistently delinquent could face the requisite level of debarment. That said, citizens also have a role to play in ensuring that they get value for money. They should also be encouraged to provide the relevant feedback to the respective authorities in relation to how certain projects are progressing in their communities.

This publication supports Minister Edghill’s decision that a contractor found to have a record of producing poor and incomplete work would not be awarded additional contracts.

Expect more nasty outbursts like that of Lincoln Lewis’s Dear Editor, I refer to that awful, nasty, repugnant, reprehensible, abhorrent, outrageous letter from Lincoln Lewis, which appeared in the Kaieteur News of December 30th, 2020.

I cannot speak for, and will not try to speak for, Mr. Lewis, but it appears to me that the events from our NCM of December 21st, 2018 through to our Election Day of March 2nd, 2020 and onto the Declaration Day of August 2nd, 2020 have moved many of us, pro PPP/C like me, pro PNCR/APNU-AFC, pro “Shared Government” to points of explosive outburst.

Many of us have been on edge.

They say that our social media has been awash with nasty things, and our Ethnic Relations Commission, after warnings, has moved to prosecute a few who crossed its red lines.

Mr Lewis says he is a proud African. I, too, am a proud Afro-Guyanese, and proudly PPP/C. Like many Afro-Guyanese teenagers of the 1950s, I was going along with the common view among us Afro-Guyanese that we were the ones prepared and knowing how to step into the shoes of the departing English Governor and his team at the time of our Independence.

Cheddi and his supporters, largely Indo-Guyanese, were still immigrants, becoming but not yet Guyanese, but who, by their larger numbers and population distribution, were “wrongly” winning our then Constituency-based elections.

We Afro-Guyanese were prepared to accept them as brothers and sisters, but they were younger brothers and sisters, they were not yet ready, this was not their time, they must wait; their time would come. Cheddi and his PPP must await their turn. In addition to that, we were the honest Christian people, and would be the ones who would rule fairly and even-handedly for the benefit of all – us and them.

I would admit that, most likely because of my particular life story, that view did not sit very strongly with me;

and, looking back, I can see that I began to consciously depart from it in early 1962 as an 18-year-plus teenager living at the back of Hadfield St. Lodge (the area of Sheriff Street and Mandela Avenue then being bush) preparing for my A levels, hearing about the fires, the burning and the looting in the city, some Afro-Guyanese beating IndoGuyanese they came upon, and seeing some of my fellow Afro-Guyanese people of Lodge hurrying by on their bicycles with a fridge or stove on the handle.

I felt strongly: this is not us Afro-Guyanese; this should not be us Afro-Guyanese. I silently disagreed with our rejection of Cheddi and the PPP’s budget that sought to start a fund for our own development from small taxes on better-off persons. I could not go along with the argument that Cheddi and his PPP wanted us to make savings and investments which should be for our children and grandchildren, and worse so, the proffering that this budget was not the cause of the war, but the occasion for the war; the occasion to derail the prospect of Cheddi and the PPP receiving the keys of our Independence, which for many of us Afro-Guyanese would have been a great travesty.

I was spared living through our gravest period of 1964, studying abroad at a University over 1963–1967.

As an Afro-Guyanese, I understand but regret how vulnerable we were to the so persuasive arguments to do a little wrong to compensate for, and forestall, greater wrongs being done to us; but for me, as an Afro-Guyanese, the resort to rigging from the 1968 election was our Afro-Guyanese greatest undoing. I know that many Afro-Guyanese earnestly sought to make good of that prevailing view I put earlier, of us being good for our newly Independent Guyana, and by the elections of 1973, many of us Afro-Guyanese had begun not going out to vote, and were embarrassed with the rigging of elections.

The leadership of the PNC

inevitably took themselves, us Afro-Guyanese, and all Guyanese and our Guyana into a world of make-believe.

As I heard Walter Rodney admonishing in Linden in the late 1970s, too many of us Afro-Guyanese found ourselves feeling obliged to say we never had it so good when we may have had nothing but water to put into our pots.

Many of us Afro-Guyanese found ourselves in a dilemma of which the only way out for many was to be out of Guyana.

For me, as an AfroGuyanese, this has been a poignant period for us, and my hope is that when the history is written, there would be some research and writing on the life of someone who was of great assistance to my family and me, a benefactor to me and a number of others, whom I think typifies the poignancy of that period – Mr Frank Denbow, husband of the recently departed Dr. Enid Denbow – an Afro-Guyanese, a T&HD Trade Unionist of the 1948 Col. Tare Strike, colleague of Joseph Pollydore and Boysie Ramkarran, Lionel Luckhoo, Balwant Singh, Edward Beharry, Ashton Chase, Eusi Kwayana, Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham. Frank, in the early 1980s, was openly lamenting that Guyana had been taken to the dogs, and that he had helped take Guyana there, he himself preparing at his dining table 5000 votes for our 1973 elections - and who, by all appearances, was silenced on the eve of Republic Day, 1983.

Our road from the 1950s has been a difficult, bitter, tormented one for us AfroGuyanese. I know that the majority of us meant well, but we did much wrong and suffered much; paid quite a price, as is often the case when one succumbs to doing a little wrong to avoid a bigger wrong.

When one reflects on the actions of the RO of Region Four, Mr Clairmont Mingo; the Chief Elections Officer, Deputy Chief Elections Officer, and a number of others in GECOM, one can only think that they were acting as

prisoners of that country-view of many Afro-Guyanese of the 1950s. My hope is that their actions, as the undeniable visible tip of sentiments that have beguiled and misled many of us Afro-Guyanese since the 1950s, may well lead to the catharsis that rids us all of all of it.

For the good of our country, the good of us all – PPP/C, PNCR/APNU+AFC, the good of our nation, those errant GECOM officers must be brought to account for their so public doings. It is good that fellow Afro-Caribbean persons, the late Owen Arthur, Bruce Golding, and the persistent Chairpersons of CARICOM - Mia Motley followed by Ralph Gonsalves denounced those actions and took the strong positions they took. We Afro-Guyanese could and should learn from them, and I am so entreating Mr Lincoln Lewis. They were not against us. They were, and are, for us; for all Guyanese, and for Guyana.

Reflecting once more on the actions of RO Mingo, CEO Lowenfield, Deputy CEO Myers and others, they seemed seized with a perverse conviction that it was their honour and duty to do as they did to save the day.

Elections 2020 demonstrated that many Afro-Guyanese taking leadership of us AfroGuyanese were still holding to the page of our 1950s and 60s. For me, the criminal case is minimum, minimalist. It is much less a question of what was done, (are their lawyers going to argue that what so many saw done was not done), but more a question of why they did what they did – what country-view was motivating them and the other silent, hidden and not-so-silent-and-hidden protagonists. My hope is that this criminal case would lead somehow to a process of Truth and Reconciliation, and all of us: old and young and not-so-young Guyanese, including Mr Lewis, turning to a new page.

Sincerely, Samuel A.A Hinds Former President and Former Prime Minister

Struggling to gain relevance, respect in a modern Guyanese society Dear Editor, The life and times of the APNU/AFC coalition is enacted as a plagiarised script taken from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell.

Like the Orwellian story, which started out with the jargon “all animals are created equal,” they, too, started out with the grand theme offering all Guyanese a “good and happy life.” That life, whatever that was, lat-

er evaporated into a big hoax; quite an embarrassing feature. So, from the very inception, we knew they were not the party that they portrayed themselves to be.

The coalition made a mess of themselves, squandering every available opportunity they had at governing this country, marking up one failure after another. It was a horror story we would never want to relive here again.

Having failed miserably as a Government, they have now embarked on a campaign to regain some credibility and respect in a rapidly changing Guyanese landscape, but they are going about that task in the worst possible way. I am talking about trying it the Old PNC way in exploring every bullying tactic in the book; in the words of the creole proverb, being “wrong

and strong.” But what the PNC fail to realise is that respect and relevance are qualities that are earned, they are not characteristics that can be foisted on the people.

Trying the strongarm route will not bring them any success; in essence, every time they try that method, they would only come away looking more backward than ever.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

5

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

We must support mental health

Dear Editor, The world we currently live in has become a very strange, unsettling place.

Social distancing, home isolation, job loss and insecurity, and the cancellation of sports and other large gatherings has completely changed the way we live our lives. It’s impacting even the most optimistic among us, as we try to stay positive and remain hopeful that we would soon be able to come together again.

Now, imagine how living with this unsettling situation feels when we travel around and see so many mental health cases on our streets.

Resolving this situation has never been more important than it is right now. To some extent, we are all experiencing what life is like for someone struggling with anxiety, as we push ourselves to keep going regardless of the dis-

ruption we’ve experienced, tied to new working environments and added pressures at home. In addition to dealing with uncertainty, many are also grieving the loss of a loved one, a job, or the normal routine of life as we knew it.

There are many insights to be gained from this challenging time. First, the community has come together without regard to the demographics which often separate us. Secondly, the true heroes among us are those who willingly sacrifice for the benefit and care of others. It is their ability to face the unimaginable that gives us hope for the recovery of loved ones and the future of our professions.

It was recently observed that, during this pandemic, professionals working in the field of behavioural health are dealing with two

pandemics at the same time – COVID-19 and mental health. While different, each crisis cruelly attacked the most vulnerable among us, and offered difficult lessons.

We are also reminded that we cannot take for granted the need for preparedness, nor can we politicise the payment of its costs. Early in my career, the majority of health services were paid for by employers and Government, without consumers having any significant understanding of the true costs associated with quality of care. While that has now changed somewhat, we cannot allow this shift to arbitrarily limit care to anyone, or advance disparities in the availability of treatment.

But despite the darkness we’ve experienced during this pandemic, I do believe there has been cast a light that would begin to change

perceptions of mental illness.

Mental health must become a more open topic of conversation in the workplace, as employers try to manage their employees’ fears and anxieties as well as their own.

Additionally, COVID-19 has shown us how closely mental health is tied to physical health.

The truth is: we cannot talk about a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) without talking about the mental health repercussions, and we cannot talk about patients who are dying of COVID-19 without talking about grief. We also cannot talk about unemployment or social isolation without talking about anxiety and depression. In this respect, we must applaud initiatives taken by President Ali and the PPP/C Government to distribute the COVID-19 $25,000 cash relief per house-

A glimpse at the troubled landscape of 2020

Dear Editor, Every Guyanese would look back at 2020 with a high degree of reluctance and cynicism, with disdain and anger; but would also view 2020 as a year that wound down with hope and great expectation for a bright future for all. Political intrigues certainly took centre stage, and dictated life for what it was during the period.

2020 was a most eventful year, January to the end of July will go down as the most painful path in Guyana’s history. For generations to come, President Granger and his APNU/ AFC rogue, ransom-seeking team that occupied the seat of Government would be scornfully held responsible.

This writing only captures a snippet of the troubled landscape of 2020. The general reflection only focuses on the five months, March 2nd to August 2nd, that climaxed the heartless extremes of the Granger administration; when Guyana was made to stand still, and life came to a grinding halt as everyone waited with bated breath for GECOM Chair, Madame Claudette Singh, to declare the winner of the March 2nd, 2020 General and Regional Elections.

But the messy truth attributed to the APNU/ AFC is the fact that trouble stalked this beautiful land quite some time before. Records and events will prove that life became a total nightmare the day APNU/AFC took office in 2015. As the bunch of unscrupulous, vengeful politicians grabbed authority by the thinnest of margins, Granger and his power-obsessed operatives imposed

their destructive will on the people with a vendetta of revenge for keeping the PNC out of office for 23 years. So, that’s the tale of their tyrannical reign, and the ensuing hardships that destined the Guyanese nation.

Their racially-charged agenda was set in motion, one ethnic grouping was targeted and thousands were sent on the breadline. the Wales Sugar Estate was closed to send a clear message to one section of the Guyanese population.

The old PNC was back in power with a vengeance, Granger’s expressed view of Burnham’s dream was at work. The visionless cabal embarked on a spending spree in favour of their backers and themselves.

The once robust economy buckled under mismanagement, and worsened with each passing day.

Hope became rife for a change of Government after the successful passing of the celebrated No Confidence Motion against the Granger Administration on the 21st December, 2018.

It downgraded the unreformed PNC-led APNU/ AFC to a caretaker status, but that was not to be. The Constitution was placed under their feet as they squatted in Government as if nothing had happened.

With options running out and international pressure mounting, Granger was forced to call elections. The historic March 2nd, 2020 Elections showed the PPP/C winning by thousands of votes. With the abuse of the Court system, several approaches were made as a delaying tactic. The Granger Administration stayed put.

If their preceding atrocities were not enough, they

went on a rampage, dishing out contracts worth billions of dollars and giving away large acreage of lucrative lands to their friends and cronies.

With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc across the world, not sparing the hapless Guyanese nation, the GECOM recount was set in motion.

The PPP/C margin of victory gained additional votes.

Court battles again were the recourse of the illegal Granger merry men.

The international partners stood up for Guyana’s constitutional form of Government. The ABCE countries were outstanding in this regard, providing a positive platform for change and for elected rule.

Finally, and profoundly so, the Guyanese people remain the true winners. On the 2nd August, 2020, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali was sworn in as the 9th Executive President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. The outpouring of relief was unstoppable. Having witnessed the ‘Sanctimonious Gangster’ and his wicked cabal used every conceivable devious tactic to delay the final declaration of a winner for the 2nd March, 2020 General and Regional Elections, very few expected it to end that most memorable Sunday, 2nd August, 2020.

As the news broke of Madam GECOM Chair’s declaration, all Guyana at home and in the diaspora were glued to their TVs and every social media platform to witness the big moment.

Emotions flowed, many with tears of joy in their eyes could not believe their ears as Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali recited the Oath of Office.

The end of a disastrous era had come.

Indeed, the PPP/C hit the ground running; the Irfaan Ali Government spared no time in convening the Parliament and passing a budget. Despite the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy is gaining momentum. Life has returned to normalcy and hope has been restored.

Meanwhile, the power-obsessed Harmon and company have taken ownership of the rogue elements at the GECOM, the elections riggers, and have embarked on a campaign of spreading race hate. Their thirst and greed for power propelled them into misguided abuse of their all-weather supporters, setting them up for the fall. They are viewed as collateral damage to a means of achieving an elusive dream.

The racist DNA of the PNC is in full flow as they rush to represent the Haitians’ issue.

But alas, Harmon can go shout hoarse from a mountain top, no sane person will listen to a deposed relic. Everyone, including the PNC and the conspiratorial APNU/AFC, knows the petition is doomed, but it is meant to fool their supporters and keep them riled up for creating mayhem at some point.

With that aside, there is no more time to reminisce. Forward we go at full throttle towards an exciting 2021. It is time to move on in haste with judicious commitment. 2020 has seen His Excellency President Mohamed Irfaan Ali embark on a Government for all the people of Guyana.

Respectfully, Parasram Persaud

hold across this country, and to offer the one-off cash grant of $25,000 to workers in the entire Public Sector, including those who are currently employed by GuySuCo; in total, some 60,000 employees would benefit.

The pandemic has resulted in economic turmoil for a number of persons, as social distancing and stay-at-home protocols led to many citizens being unable to work. This is a key indicator that this pandemic (COVID-19) shows we must support mental health.

Making a cultural shift in the way we view and interact with people will not be easy, but it is time for mental health to stop being stigmatised and start being valued.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted just how important mental health services are, and how much they are needed. Now is the time to embrace this moment

and use it to spur the changes that are long overdue in mental health. We must make mental health care affordable and accessible, especially as the demand for these services continues to rise.

What we need to do as a society is start teaching about mental health in our schools, enforcing the idea that it is okay to get help.

Teach those from a young age cognitive therapy skill.

Bringing up tomorrow’s kids with a better understanding of mental health issues could save someone from going down a spiralling path.

Imagine if the chain of events leading to someone’s mental breakdown could all be changed, starting with this younger generation, and let’s start doing better now.

Sincerely, David Adams

Struggling to gain relevance...

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

It is like a death row prisoner who keeps repeating a mantra that they did not do it. In the same way, the coalition keeps up a slogan of doing well while in Government when they did not, but they keep persisting with the hope that someone, somewhere will come to believe it. This is their way of freeing themselves from the shackles of guilt that keep bogging them down every step of the way.

We can also see that strategy on vivid display in and out of Parliament, as they keep repeating silly questions over and over again in an appeal to their supporters that they are keeping the PPP/C in control or under pressure. By doing this, they assume the posture of a “strong opposition.” Whether that strategy would bring them any success is yet to be seen. My summation is it will not.

Cases in point are Minister Ferguson’s vain

repetition of the word overdraft (as if she is not knowledgeable of its meaning) and Patterson’s verbiage that really amounts to empty rhetoric. In all of this, they are trying to appear useful and relevant to the Guyanese people.

The coalition, as it stands, is morphed into one single entity called the PNC. For them to gain any respect or relevance, they must first clean up their act and begin to operate as a normal opposition. They must give due recognition and support to the Government where and when it is necessary, and constructively oppose when it becomes necessary as well. From this moment onwards, it is an inclusive arrangement of Government all meant to bring peace, prosperity and progress to our nation.

Respectfully submitted, Neil Adams

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

Page

Foundation ◄

A

Box-and-Whisker Plots

box-and-whisker plot allows you to look at data to tell where most of the numbers lie. Thus, this type of plot shows the medians in the data.

Example: Your aunt had purchased some Brazil-made shoes from Home and Beyond for you and your 10 cousins for the New Year. You have noticed there are numbers on the soles of the shoes. You have arranged these numbers in order: 22, 24, 28, 32, 34, 36, 36, 38, 38, 39, 40

The lower extreme is the lowest number in your data.

The upper extremeis the highest number in your data.

The median of all the numbers in the data is the middle number, 36.

The lower quartile is the median of the numbers below the median: 28.

The upper quartile is the median of the numbers above the median: 38.

T

his creative, simple, upcycled suspension bridge will help you child learn about engineering – and give your tiny figurines an easy way to move from one neighbuorhood to the next!

Materials 8 toilet paper rolls 2 paper towel rolls 4-5 CDs (that you don’t mind getting scratched) String or yarn Scissors or a box cutter Directions Cut horizontal slits about an inch from the top of the eight toilet paper rolls. Be sure to only cut halfway around – this is where the CDs will slide in and make the pathway of the bridge.

Æsop’s Fables

FOR CHILDREN

You have four sections on your line of data: each relates to its quartile mark, and each quartile mark relates to the median. Each quartile contains ¼ of the data.

What is the range of the lowest quartile?

Step 1: Find the lower extreme and the lower quartile: 22 and 28 Step 2: Subtract the lower extreme from the lower quartile: 28 – 22 = 7 Exercises: Solve 1) Draw a box-and-whisker plot for the data set {3, 7, 8, 5, 12, 14, 21, 13, 18}.

2) Draw a box-and-whisker plot for the data set {3, 7, 8, 5, 12, 14, 21, 15, 18, 14}.

Tuesday’s answers 1) The data points: 16, 13, 19, 24, 28, 33, 37, 37, 38, 41, 44, 45, 45. The range = 45 – 13 = 32 2) Make a stem-and-leaf plot from the following data: 32, 33, 34, 45, 51, 77, 78, 99 Stems

Leaves

3 4 5 7 9

234 5 1 78 9

Cut similar slits into the two paper towel rolls. Note: These slices will be toward the bottom of the paper towel rolls. When you stand the paper towel rolls and the toilet paper rolls side-by-side, the slits should be at the same height.

Insert the CDs into the slits, making sure each is snug and secure before overlapping them to form the main structure of the bridge.

Make a vertical slice — no more than 1/4-inch long — into the top of each paper towel roll on the side facing the ends of the bridge. In addition, make tiny vertical slices on the tops of the toilet paper rolls at either end of the bridge, on the part of the circle where the bridge begins. This is where the yarn will connect to give your upcycled design that classic suspension bridge look! (pbs.org)

A

traveller had hired an ass to carry him to a distant part of the country. The owner of the ass went with the traveller, walking beside him to drive the ass and point out the way.

The road led across a treeless plain where the sun beat down fiercely. So intense did the heat become, that the traveller at last decided to stop for a rest, and as there was no other shade to be found, the traveller sat down in the shadow of the ass.

Now the heat had affected the driver as much as it had the traveller, and even more, for he had been walking.

Wishing also to rest in the shade cast by the ass, he began to quarrel with the traveller, saying he had hired the ass and not the shadow it cast.

The two soon came to blows, and while they were fighting, the ass took to its heels.

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Dismissed Wales Estate workers to be paid severance, full benefits

…as NICIL, GAWU reach settlement

W

Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle

ithin 24 hours of concerns being raised about the dismissal of a number of staff from the Wales Sugar Estate, the Labour Ministry has sprung into action and has been able to negotiate an agreement with the aggrieved workers and a Union.

The Ministry met with the workers, who were made redundant by the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) due to the ongoing transition at the Wales Estate and the Guyana Agriculture and General Workers’ Union (GAWU).

When contacted, Chief Labour Officer Charles Ogle explained that the terms of the agreement include having the workers paid their severance for their years of service, based on the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act of 1997.

“We intervened.

We were able to agree to three things. The workers will be paid severance according to the law. They are also to be provided with pay in lieu of leave. And then they agreed

to pay for the four days [of lost wages] … the parties agreed,” Ogle explained.

GAWU had sent out a statement on Monday, in which it drew attention to the dismissal of what it said were over 60 workers, mostly security guards and labourers, who it said were in the process of being unionised.

But in a statement of its own on Monday, NICIL had explained that they have been in the process of reorganising operations at the estate and creating a flagship project called the Wales Development Authority (WDA). As a consequence, the workers became redundant.

Nevertheless, NICIL had clarified that not only were there only 49 fortnightly paid workers as at year-end, but that they have been in the process of seeking alternative employment for these workers. This includes employment with an independent security company guarding the immovable assets at the Wales Estate during the transition process.

“NICIL maintained 49

fortnightly paid workers, as at December 31, 2020.

These workers were deployed in various fields including Administration, Compound Maintenance, Field Workshop, Agriculture with Security workers making up the majority of workers, namely thirty-two (32) workers on record.”

“The security workers were allowed to secure employment through the recently engaged private security company and the other workers would be contracted as necessary on an adhoc basis to provide maintenance services on the Estate.”

GAWU had claimed that when the Trade Union Recognition & Certification Board (TURCB) sought to conduct a survey to have the workers unionised, NICIL did not cooperate. But NICIL explained that they were in the process of transitioning.

“At the time of NICIL’s receipt of a letter from Trade Union Recognition & Certification Board (TURCB), plans were already in train to effect the transfer of the Wales Estate to facilitate the creation of the Wales Development Authority. NICIL’s actions to separate from fortnightly paid workers were in full support of its intent to ready the Estate for the ultimate transition.”

Top officials from NICIL, including Chairman Paul Cheong and Chief Executive Officer R K Sharma, met with GAWU on Monday in order to discuss the issues.

Moreover, Cheong explained

The Wales Sugar Estate

to this publication when contacted that further meetings will be held between NICIL, GAWU and the Ministry of Labour.

Back in 2016, the former APNU/AFC Government closed the Wales Estate, and the following year shut down the Enmore, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates, putting over 7000 sugar work-

ers on the breadline.

The downsizing of the sugar industry saw only the Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion Estates being in operation. The assets of the closed estates were put under the control of the Special Purpose Unit of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) for divestment.

Under the PPP Government, the corporation is eyeing the reopening of Enmore and Rose Hall Estates by 2022. It is expected that the Rose Hall factory will be the first to become operational, while the Skeldon factory will be returned to operation by 2023.

The Wales factory will be divested. (G3)

ExxonMobil commences...

The company also discovered oil in the Uaru-1 well back in January 2020. Uaru was ExxonMobil’s 16th oil discovery in the Stabroek Block. The Uaru-1 well was drilled in a new reservoir, encountering approximately 94 feet (29 metres) of high-quality oil-bearing sandstone reservoir and was drilled in 6342 feet (1933 metres) of water.

In July of 2020, ExxonMobil’s partner in the Stabroek Block, Hess Corporation, had revealed that two high-quality reservoirs offshore Guyana were found in 2020 around the time the company was appraising the Yellowtail-2 well. So far, the Liza-1 well

has accounted for all of Guyana’s oil production.

Guyana, with oil giant ExxonMobil as operator, began producing oil on December 20, 2019, in the Stabroek Block, lifting its first million barrels of profit oil from the Liza-1 well in February 2020. Oil tanker Cap Phillippe transported this lift from the Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, allowing Guyana to receive its first payment the next month.

That money, $11.4 billion, constituted Guyana’s first oil revenue-based earnings from production in the Liza Field. It was deposited in the Federal Reserve Bank

FROM PAGE 3

of New York in March of this year.

An additional sum of $7.3 billion was subsequently deposited, as well as royalty payments. However, this money has remained untouched, as the protracted political crisis that followed the March 2nd General and Regional Elections sabotaged any attempt to set up a system for withdrawing funds.

The Natural Resource Fund Act stipulates that various committees must be established to provide oversight for the fund. It is expected that this legislation will be reviewed by the current Government this year.

(G3)

8 NEWS Teen to face Judge, jury for killing ex-convict WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

A

19-year-old of Main Street, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), was committed to stand

trial at the next session of Berbice Assizes for the offence of manslaughter committed on Delroy James called “Slant Eye”

or “Mafia”.

Anthony Carter was committed to stand trial on Monday when he appeared before Magistrate

The end…

A Dead: Delroy James

Peter Hugh at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.

Magistrate Hugh found that a prima facie case was made out against Carter following the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry into the killing of 33-year-old James of Lot 12 Patrick Dam, Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam.

It is alleged that on September 9, 2019, at Main Street, New Amsterdam, Carter caused the death of James.

James, an ex-convict, was being sought by the Police in relation to a series of crimes at the time of his death.

Reports are that Nizam Balgobin, 53, a mechanic of Lot 184 Victoria Street, Cumberland, East Canje Berbice, and Carter were attacked by James as they left a bar in New Amsterdam. The men tried to resist and a fight ensued, resulting in James being stabbed.

Balgobin and Carter went to the Central Police Station to report the attack. It was while there that the Police learnt that James succumbed to stab wounds he received. They were subsequently released on station bail.

Carter was later charged with manslaughter.

James was released from prison in 2010 after serving an eight-month sentence for armed robbery.

In June 2011, he was remanded to prison for the New Year’s Day murder of wash bay attendant Seao Craig, who was killed during a robbery at Mars Gas Station and Variety Store, Snackette/Beer Garden at Stanleytown, New Amsterdam.

In March 2012, Magistrate Adela Nagamootoo, sitting at New Amsterdam Court, discharged the accused after upholding a no-case submission by Defence Counsel Charrandas Persaud.

…of oil is nigh nnouncing the PPP’s policy on the rate of production of oil that’s most feasible for our country’s development, VP Jagdeo phrased the “depletion policy” as simply as anyone - including even the most obtuse newspaper publisher - could wish for: get it out from under the ocean bed as fast as we can, and pocket our 14.5% profit! The newspaper fella said he “understood but doesn’t agree”. Fair enough, but one wonders what was the basis of his disagreement. So, let’s see if we can clear up things for him a tad.

Now the only rational reason we’d want to keep our oil in the ground and pump it out slowly is if we can sell it at a higher price in the future, or if we want to stretch out our income stream. (Your Eyewitness doesn’t think Melinda Janki’s proposal for us to leave it in the ground forever is rational!) About the income stream point…it’s taken for granted, if prices aren’t going to rise, it’s best to take the money now and put it in the bank. Or invest it in, say, shopping malls like the newspaper fella - since its value would depreciate in the future because of inflation. So that one’s out.

Now about the price in the future. To decide on this, you gotta look at where the market for the product is heading based on supply and demand issues. Like in the newspaper business… considering whether folks would still be buying the same number of hard copy newspapers ten years from now will determine whether to invest in new presses. So, what are the prospects for oil and other fossil fuels…which have pretty much been making the world of transportation, and manufacturing, and everything that uses electricity literally go around for centuries.

Well, we know that, five years ago, in Paris, the world made a commitment to cut back on oil and other fossil fuels…and several countries, such as Norway and Denmark, have actually stopped production. The production of electricity from “renewables” - such as solar, wind and water power - has grown exponentially. With transportation, the two largest countries have committed to getting out of “oil fired” engines in two decades, and transition into electric cars. In response, last year, both Royal Dutch Shell and BP said they’ve reached their production high. Their values have fallen, as have ExxonMobil’s - which was ejected from the Dow Jones Industrial Average, having been a member since 1928.

Yes, 2020 might just be the year that consecrated the beginning of the end of the oil era. Jagdeo is prescient.

We hope the newspaper fella will sell as many newspapers as he can right now!

…of speculation on numbers We all know the fable of how Columbus stumbled over the Caribbean (Bahamas, to be exact) while looking for India. He described how friendly and hospitable were the folks he met. A pity, cause if they’d been more aggressive, they could’ve wiped out the invaders on the Pinta, Nina and the Santa Maria - who were to eventually lead to their extermination. In the years since, there’s been much speculation as to how many perished through the European “guns, germs and steel”. Most estimates have ranged from 1 to 2 million.

But from some findings just released, scientists used the DNA from a number of ancient skeletons to now estimate that there might have been far less Indigenous peoples in the Caribbean than those older estimates. It is now suggested they might’ve been just one tenth of those numbers. That, of course, doesn’t mitigate the genocide committed by the Europeans.

But it does remind us that many of the “truths” about our history might have to be revised. …on origins The DNA study above also shed more light on the origins of those early inhabitants. Seems there are two strains - one from present day Mexico, and the other from our Region 1 and the Orinoco Basin.

The Caribbean Man (and woman) was always plural!!

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

NEWS

9

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

28 COVID-19 cases recorded from 329 tests F

(Cuyuni-Mazaruni); one in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); one in Region Nine (Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo) and three in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

The cases in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) remained constant at 306.

On Monday, it was reported that several dorm students tested positive for COVID-19 upon returning to school. In giving an update on the situation, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony said on Tuesday the testing is continuing in dorms across the country.

“It’s a work in progress. We have been working in every region where there is a dorm school. We have been collaborating with the Ministry of Education. As the students come back from their vacation and into the dorms, we have been working to test them…It is not something that is new now to the staff because we would have done that when we first reopened school in 2020,” the Minister shared.

This publication understands that the positive students are asymptomatic and are currently isolated from the general population.

They will remain in isolation for 10 days.

In recent time, the Ministry has been able to introduce rapid

rom a total of 329 swab samples, 28 new COVID-19 cases were detected on Tuesday. The new statistics were provided in the Health Ministry’s dashboard.

The deaths remained at 166.

The latest fatalities were reported on Monday, following the deaths of a 70-yearold from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and an 85-year-old from Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

In the facilities, five patients are in the Intensive Care Unit, 18 in institutional isolation and 46 in institutional quarantine. There are also 270 persons in home isolation. To date, Guyana has tested 39,324 individuals. Of this amount 6407 tested positive and 5948 have made full recoveries.

New cases

Meanwhile, an analysis of new cases showed that five were confirmed in Region One (Barima-Waini); two in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); two in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara); 11 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); one in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice); one in Region Seven

Joint Services, health workers to receive $25,000 cash grant

M

embers of the Disciplined Forces along with healthcare workers are among the more than 60,000 public servants set to receive the $25,000 one-off cash grant announced by President Dr Irfaan Ali. A circular from Finance Secretary Sukrishnalall Pasha to heads of budget agencies stated that “all traditional public servants, defined to mean those employed in Ministries, Departments not under Ministerial control, Regional Administrators, and Public Service-related agencies i.e.

Commissions Secretariats and those who are engaged on the contract positions reflected in the inventory of authorized positions of the traditional Public Service and persons on contract outside on the inventorised positions. This includes teachers and healthcare workers, all members of the Disciplined Services, Government, Police and Guyana Defence Force Pensioners.”

However, according to the Department of Public Information, the circular added that the cash grant does not apply to agencies that granted salary increases or bonus payments during 2020.

The Government had last year advised heads of agencies against increasing salaries or granting bonuses. However, some agencies went ahead and did so.

Those individuals who bene-

fited from those increases or bonuses will not get the cash grant.

The President, on Old Year’s Day, announced that more than $2 billion would be paid to over 60,000 workers within the Central Government, statutory bodies, subvention agencies, public corporations, teachers, medical workers, mem-

bers of the joint services, Government pensioners and staff of the University of Guyana to assist them with the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Ali said the initiative also extends to current workers of the Guyana Sugar Corporation.

antigen tests. Dr Anthony is of the belief that this has changed the landscape of testing in Guyana, especially in the hinterland communities. Meanwhile, the GeneXpert machines have also been deployed in the hinterland communities to provide additional support and testing in these areas.

“We have introduced the antigen testing. These are done at the point where you see the person. It takes between 20-30 minutes to do. That has changed the dynamic of how we do testing and we have deployed this into the faroff regions so that they can use it on site.”

The Ministry has reminded the public of the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home; maintaining the six feet physical distance from others and good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

If anyone is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 231-1166, 2267480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit www.health.gov.gy.

Global statistic from the World Health Organisation showed that there are over 84.4 million cases of COVID-19 with 1.82 million deaths. (G12)

10 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CAL suspends commercial flights from Cuba …Guyanese left stranded

from the public. His parents have expressed frustration about not being able to return home.

Speaking with this publication on Monday, the toddler’s father, Orville Jacobis, said he was expected to travel back home on Saturday last while his wife and son were expected to travel the following Saturday. He noted, however, that when he went to the José Martí International Airport last Saturday, he was informed of the closure.

“Cuba close off the airport and we’re stranded here.

Finances dwindling. Where we’re staying at the hospi-

C

aribbean Airlines Limited has taken a decision to halt all commercial services to Cuba with immediate effect, due to the prevailing COVID-19 situation in the country.

A statement from the airline advised that this move follows correspondence from the Instituto de Aeronáutica Civil de Cuba (IACC) advising of the country’s latest protocols and restrictions, specifically as it pertains to inbound commercial flights in combatting COVID-19.

There are 12,964 coronavirus cases in Cuba with 147 fatalities.

“Persons with bookings to Cuba are asked to contact the airline’s Reservations, Sales and Service Centre.

Caribbean Airlines regrets any inconvenience caused and thanks its valued customers for their understanding,” CAL said.

CAL had announced the commencement of operations between the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and José Marti International in Havana, Cuba, from November 21, with flights on a weekly basis.

tal, every day we have to pay a money…When I turn up at the airport, to my surprise everything cancelled…

When I find out, only to hear that due to COVID issues they decide to close off the airport,” Jacobis shared.

The family was informed that the next available flight might be possible in March.

This, he said, is very frustrating since the family cannot afford to stay in the foreign country, due to lack of finances.

This publication understands that they would have reached out to Guyana’s Consulate in Cuba but

were unable to speak with anyone. Apart from that, Jacobis noted that he spoke with a junior representative from the Health Ministry, who promised to raise the issue at a higher level. “…but we haven’t gotten on to any senior personnel…If we get money to last we three more days, that is all the money...because we didn’t cater for so long,” he stressed. “…The problem is not with the healthcare system.

The healthcare system is a hundred per cent on par, but it’s just that we’re stranded here,” he continued. (G12)

Businessman busted with ganja in home remanded

Stranded: The Jacobis family

Stranded

In light of these developments, persons have been left stranded in Cuba until flights resume. This is the current situation for the parents of Linden toddler, Tafari Jacobis, who recently underwent emergency heart surgery in Cuba.

They are currently stranded following the sudden closure of one of the country’s airports. The twoyear-old, who was accompanied by his parents, Latoya and Orville Jacobis, recently underwent a successful surgery after the family sought monetary assistance

F

orty-seven-yearold Rayan Joseph of Crane, West Coast Demerara, was on Tuesday charged for the possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking when he appeared at the Vreed-enHoop Magistrate’s Court.

The man, who is also known as Decky, was remanded to prison until January 25, 2021, by Magistrate Crystal Lambert after he pleaded guilty to the charge which stated that on Sunday, December 3, 2021, he had 4236 grams of cannabis in his possession.

It was reported that on the day in question, Police swooped down on the man’s house after receiving information and conducted a search.

During the search of the lower flat of the building, the businessman opened a blue plastic barrel where a black garbage bag was discovered. Upon checking, the ranks found three bulky transparent parcels contain-

The marijuana Police found at the businessman’s home

ing the ganja.

He was told of the offence during which he allegedly told Police “is me weed, don’t involve me family”.

Further, a search was carried out at the back of his yard during which a cannabis sativa plant measuring about two and a half feet in height was found under a golden apple tree. Again, he admitted to the offence and

repeated the phrase “is me plant don’t involve me family”.

Both the businessman and his wife were arrested and escorted to the La Parfaite Harmonie Police Station where the ganja was weighed and amounted to 4.236 grams. The woman was subsequently released but charges were instituted against the businessman.

NEWS

11

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

robbed in Infection control priority for Pensioner front of Police Station Health Ministry – Dr Anthony …as training continues across sector

L

imiting the spread of COVID-19 is a key factor of exiting the pandemic successfully – a feat which has been taken on by the Health Ministry through infection control at health institutions.

This was the position shared by Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony during Monday’s coronavirus update. He explained that good practices can limit the spread of the virus and as a result, health authorities have been working closely with all medical units and personnel.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

tee, we then [have] training for all the doctors involved in COVID management,” he indicated.

Another branch of the training relates to the treatment of patients, part of which pertains to the proper operation of medical equipment. After ventilators were dispatched to every administrative region, personnel were trained to use them.

“Treatment is evolving as we learn more about how the new medications would work with particular disease and at what stage it’s more appropriate. New things are becoming available. As we get this information, we update our guidelines and we work to update our medical staff…It is important that we train the doctors and nurses to use the machines and to be able to manage these patients based on the protocols that we have,” the Minister acknowledged.

(G12)

A

67-year-old woman was on Tuesday morning robbed in the vicinity of the Vreed-enHoop Police Station, West Coast Demerara, shortly after she exited a supermarket.

Reports are Lilawattie Singh stepped out of the business premises at about 09:45h, when she was ambushed by a man on a black and white motorcycle a few yards away. He was wearing a surgical mask and cap, brandishing a small knife.

She explained to Guyana Times that he demanded that she hand over money. As she was reaching into her handbag, the man snatched the purse and rode away in the opposite direction. Singh, in a visibly traumatised state, lamented that even though the Police Station is located a stone’s throw away, no ranks were on-site to render assistance.

The men carted off with $7600 and a few other items in the purse. (G12)

2 arrested for assaulting peacemaker “One of the things that we have been doing is to do infection control because COVID-19 obviously is an infectious disease and therefore, if we can have good infection control practices in our institutions, then we can limit the spread,” the Minister highlighted.

The Ministry would have conducted training in 2020 to familiarise professionals in the sector with the importance of these practices.

This, Dr Anthony expressed, will be an ongoing initia-

tive in better equipping the health system to deal with the new virus.

“We had done some training last year. We did another round where we sent out staff to train people in every region, to be able to teach infection control to the rest of the personnel in the region and; to observe and make sure that these practices are put in place. This is going to be an ongoing effect because some people tend to be complacent and so forth. So, we have to keep reinforcing that.”

Training is also offered in various areas, depending on the guidelines and operating procedures which the health system is expected to follow.

As it is updated, doctors and nurses receive training.

“We have also been looking at how we can upgrade staff to get a better understanding of issues relating to COVID-19…Those, from time to time, we would run virtual sessions. When we design new guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19, as we update those guidelines by our expert commit-

T

wo men, a 21-yearold and a 29-yearold, were taken into custody on Sunday after they reportedly assaulted a construction worker at Matthew’s Ridge, North West District (NWD),

Region One (Barima-Waini).

The assault was committed on 43-year-old Vindon Nurse of North East La Penitence, Georgetown.

Based on information received, Nurse was on his bed at the Matthew’s Ridge Primary

School, which is currently under construction, when he observed the two males involved in a violent altercation.

In an attempt to bring peace between the two men, he went over to speak with them but instead he was attacked and assaulted by the two Spanish-speaking men to a point of unconsciousness.

He was subsequently taken to the Pakera District Hospital, where he was seen and admitted a patient.

The suspects were arrested and are in custody assisting with the investigation

12 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Overpayments for ECD expansion still to be recovered …contractors stop repayments, Ministry letters go unheeded

A

t least two contractors, who were overpaid millions of dollars for works on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) four-lane expansion before it was taken over by China Railway First Group (CRFG), are yet to repay the monies, despite letters from the former Public Infrastructure Ministry begging them to do so.

According to Auditor General Deodat Sharma’s 2019 report, the two contractors who, were overpaid a combined sum of $253 million, have only made partial payments that have failed to do more than scratch the surface of this substantial debt.

The Auditor General noted that in the case of one contractor, who upgraded the road from La Bonne Intention to Beterverwagting, $100 million is still outstanding. The contractor repaid a mere $20.6 million and reminder letters have gone unheeded.

“The Head of Budget Agency stated that the contractor was written to make restitution of outstanding debt on 11 September 2019 and 29 January 2020.

However, no response has been received to date,” the report states.

“The ministry continues to implore the contractor to pay the outstanding sum of G$100M owed for overpayments made on this contract. The last payment received was in December 2017,” the Auditor General said of this contractor.

Meanwhile, the other contractor, who was tasked with upgrading the road

The completed ECD highway

from Beterverwagting to Triumph, was overpaid a total sum of $132.6 million.

He too repaid $20.6 million, leaving $112 million outstanding.

“The Head of Budget Agency stated that reminder letters were sent to the contractor in February 2019. However, there has not been any additional recoveries. The Head of Budget Agency stated that the contractor was written to make restitution of outstanding debt on 11 September 2019 and 29 January 2020. However, no response has been received to date,” the AG said in his report.

Similar to the previous company, the AG noted that the last payment received was in December 2017. The Auditor General urged the Ministry to continue to follow up both sets of money owed by these two contractors.

When the East Coast Demerara road project started in 2011, it spanned

Better Hope to Belfield, with the civil works split into seven lots. More than

$2 billion was expended on the project.

But for various reasons, the project came to a standstill for years as contractors defaulted on their agreements. The project has since been completed by CRFG, with the help of a US$45.5 million concessional loan from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of China.

The unretrieved overpayments from the ECD expansion are just some of the cases of overpayments on which the Audit Office has been providing advice over the years. For his 2019 report, however, the AG found that the trend of overpayments continued unabated.

This time, the Government was flagged for overpaying some $166 million of taxpayer dollars in

contracts. According to the Audit Report, a number of Ministries, departments and regions were guilty of this practice.

For instance, various Ministries and departments overpaid contractors as much as $92.3 million.

The Public Infrastructure Ministry, according to the report, accounted for $63.7 million. Meanwhile, $73.7 million was overpaid by regional administrations.

Regions Two, Eight, Nine and 10 were responsible for 70 per cent of this sum.

There is some good news, however. Auditor General Sharma noted in his 2019 report that as of September 2019, $20 million was recovered. This, therefore, leaves $146 million outstanding.

(G3)

Robust education campaign in Region 5 results in low COVID-19 cases

R

egion Five (MahaicaBerbice) embarked on a robust education campaign ever since the first COVID-19 case was recorded in Guyana in March 2020. This has resulted in low positive cases.

This is according to Regional Chairman, Vickchand Ramphal, who, according to the Department of Public Information on Tuesday, said that the region quickly established a task force comprising the relevant stakeholders to ensure that the public knew how to protect themselves.

“We have had a number of meetings with the

Regional Chairman Vickchand Ramphal

Police, Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce, Guyana Sugar Corporation, Mahaica Mahaicony AbaryAgricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA) among others, to carry out

a number of programmes to sensitise the public,” Ramphal said.

Since the reopening of the country, the task force makes daily checks at restaurants and bars

to ensure they are observing the gazetted measures outlined by the Health Ministry, the Chairman added, noting that this initiative is enforced by the region’s Police, who are responsible for maintaining the curfew and other guidelines. He lauded the Police officers’ commitment to the Administration’s goal of preventing transmission of the disease. To date, Region Five has recorded the lowest number of COVID-19 positive cases, with 102 as of Tuesday. Ramphal also said the region has conducted several outreaches at identified hotspots such as the Rose Hall and Bath markets, and Bush Lot and Mahaicony communities.

“We have also had several mask distribution drives across this region, amounting to thousands of masks being distributed to the elderly, youth and vulnerable groups … we even provide PPE to the citizens,” Ramphal is quoted as saying.

Recently, a spike in COVID-19 cases was reported in Moraikobai. To combat this, the region implemented its educational programme and this, coupled with the Health Ministry’s quick response team, saw a reduction in cases, the Chairman added.

“We also had the Police presence in the community. As for now, the situation remains stable and so I want to encourage everyone to take the necessary precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Ramphal said. Mass testing was also conducted at the Bath Market Square, the Rose Hall Market and other areas in December 2020.

NEWS

13

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Miner nabbed with ganja at Itaballi Police checkpoint A

29-year-old miner is now in Police custody after he was caught by the cops with a quantity of marijuana while he was travelling in a motor

vehicle at Puruni, Itaballi Checkpoint, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Reports are that Police stopped the vehicle and conducted a search on sever-

al passengers at the Puruni Itaballi Checkpoint at about 08:24h on Tuesday.

During the search, two transparent plastic bags containing a number of

leaves and seeds of cannabis were found hidden in the miner’s pants crotch.

As a result, he was arrested and taken to the Bartica Police Station, where the

Ganja among contraband found at Lusignan Prison The ganja that was found in the miner’s possession

The cigarettes and money that were unearthed by prison officials

T

wo prisoners from the Lusignan Prison were found with a quantity of ganja and several contraband items on Monday following a raid.

According to Police, at

about 15:30h, prison officials conducted a search on the two inmates during which 490 grams of cannabis was discovered in their possession.

Officers also unearthed

The ganja and the ganja leaves that were found in the prisoner’s possession

one cellphone, one earpiece, 29 packets of cigarettes, a quantity of Ziploc bags, 12 smoking papers, a quantity of tobacco leaves, and $30,000.

Following the discovery, the suspected cannabis was

CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF?

weighed in their presence and amounted to the 490 grams.

An investigation has been launched into the discovery, and the items and the inmates were taken to the Vigilance Police Station.

cannabis was weighed in his presence and amounted to 60.1 grams. He is currently in custody assisting with investigations.

Just three days ago a Crane, West Coast Demerara (WCD) businessman and his wife were arrested after more than 4 kilograms of ganja was found on their premises.

Police acting on information received went to the home of the businessman and executed a search on the lower flat of the building. During the search, the businessman opened a blue plastic barrel where a black garbage bag was found.

Upon checking, the ranks found three bulky transpar-

ent parcels containing the ganja. He was told of the offence during which he allegedly told the Police: “Is me weed, don’t involve me family.”

A further search was carried out at the back of his yard where a cannabis sativa plant measuring two and a half feet in height was found under a golden apple tree. Again, he admitted to the offence.

He was told of the offence and he and his wife were arrested and escorted to the La Parfaite Harmonie Police Station. The ganja was weighed in their presence and amounted to 4236 grams. The businessman has since been charged.

SYMPTOMS

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms or combinations of symptoms may have COVID-19:

Cough

Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Or at least two of these symptoms:

Fever People who think they may be affected by coronavirus need to call the Public Health Ministry hotline 227-4986/624-3067 for further advice. They should not go to their GP, A&E, pharmacy or hospital.

If you have come into contact with somebody who may be infected, you may be told to self-isolate. People needing to do so should take "common-sense" steps to avoid close contact with other people.

(Adapted from BBC News)

Headache

Chills

Sore throat

Repeated shaking with chills

Muscle pain

Children have similar symptoms to adults and generally have New loss of taste mild illness. or smell

14 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

PM leads flood assessment team to Region 2 …CDC to distribute relief packages today

F

ollowing instances of heavy and continuous rainfall over the past few days in several parts of Charity, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), a number of farming and residential areas are currently affected by flooding.

Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha visited several of those communities to get a firsthand look at the extent of the flooding.

During the assessment outreach, the two Government officials also met with a number of residents and reassured them of Government’s commitment to developing long-term solutions to the country’s drainage issues, the Department of Public Information reported.

Tage Corlet, a resident whose yard is currently

Sections of the area at Charity, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), that has been under floodwaters

flooded, said that she was pleased to see the officials in the area. She also took the opportunity to share her concerns about the condition of the drainage structure which is close to her residence.

“This water gotta go down. I think this koker is too deep. If it was shallow, from the time this water come here all woulda go down. When the koker them too deep it can’t pull. Them does take people from far to come and do these projects.

We need people who know the area to at least work with these people,” Corlet said.

Mustapha said that the NDIA will be working along with the local bodies to put temporary measures in place to drain the affected areas.

“We’ll be moving one of our mobile pumps from Windsor Castle to Charity

North to assist with the flooding in the area. I’ve also asked the NDIA to come up with a long-term plan so that we can avoid these types of occurrences. Officers from NAREI, GLDA and the GRDB will also be conducting assessments of the losses that farmers would’ve suffered. Based on those assessments, we’ll then extend assistance to the farmers who would’ve suffered losses in the form of planting material, seeds, fertilisers, etc,” Minister Mustapha said.

The subject Minister further disclosed that teams from the region and the Ministry have been instructed to monitor the affected areas in the Pomeroon.

“There is another issue in the Pomeroon and I’ve asked the NDC to monitor that area and give us feedback on a regular basis. A number of areas there are under water

and so we need our regional officials to work with us.

We’ll also be sending teams there to do an assessment of the losses,” Mustapha said.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips while offering comments said that based on the assessment of the flooded area, there is a lot of work to be done.

“There is a lot that needs to be done. Not only in terms of clearing the outfalls and the kokers and pumping the water off, but there is also a lot of garbage that has built up over the years blocking the outfalls in those areas.

So we expect the NDC to work with the RDC, of course with support from central Government because that is a massive project in the long term. Short term measures; we’ll have the Civil Defence Commission come here tomorrow [today] to carry out an assessment and also of-

news@guyanatimesgy.com

fer some relief supplies to the persons affected,” Prime Minister Phillips said.

The Prime Minister also urged persons to desist from littering as it was observed that many of the drainage structures were filled with garbage.

Visits were also made to the primary commercial zone in Charity, where several businesses were also visibly affected by floodwaters. Regional officials who were a part of the delegation noted that during the latter parts of last year, efforts were made to have the

drainage network in Charity desilted.

It was also observed that a number of stalls were constructed over the drains which posed some amount of difficulty in executing clearing. Minister Mustapha has called on the Town Council to work with persons who occupy these structures to devise a system to ensure much-needed drainage works can be executed.

The Ministers were accompanied by several senior officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and other regional officials.

Police following new lead in clothes vendor’s murder

D

ays after clothes vendor Paul Anthony Smith was shot dead during a row, reportedly over a female, Regional Commander Simon Mc Bean on Tuesday said they are on the hunt for the alleged shooter.

Guyana Times was reliably informed that new information has surfaced that the alleged shooter in the vendor’s murder is the father of the suspect who was initially detained by the Police. Police have since said that several checks were made for the suspect at his residence but he was not located.

On New Year’s Day, 32-year-old Smith of Lot 31 Bent Street Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown, who plied his trade at the East Coast Bus Park, Georgetown, was shot dead around 18:30h at Commerce Street, Georgetown.

According to Police reports, Smith was observed holding a cutlass and heading to his car when he was shot by another male, who is also a clothes vendor at Longden and Commerce Streets.

As a result, he fell on the front passenger seat of his

Dead: Paul Anthony Smith, aka “Blacka”

car. He was subsequently picked up by public-spirited citizens and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where he was seen and examined by a doctor on duty who pronounced him dead.

Police said the man bore one gunshot wound to the upper back.

Acting upon information received, the Police arrested the 29-year-old suspect, a resident of East La Penitence, Georgetown.

Investigations are ongoing.

NEWS

15

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations

Guyana’s membership in Egmont Group Granger, a failed dictator, will help to clamp down on financial crimes now being delusional G

2

021 will be a blessed year for Guyana, a year that will break all records for economic growth. In 2021, Guyanese will together embrace our destiny as the country embarks on the largest economic (GDP) growth rate in the world. But it is not just the economic growth that will make 2021 a remarkable year, it is also the year in which the landscape of the country will forever be changed, with transformational projects in sheer numbers never before seen in any single year.

2020 was a terrible year. Guyana combated one of the worst pandemics we ever faced in our history - COVID-19. With more than 6,300 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 164 deaths, COVID-19 has been a scourge.

We still have to contend with this scourge in 2021; however, we are confident we will take this brute, with vaccines almost within our grasp. But we also faced, in 2020, the scourge of dictators trying to thief an election. For five months, dictators tried to subvert our democracy Dr Leslie Ramsammy by trying to rig the election results. The head of the dictator brigade trying to thief the elections was David Granger.

He surfaced at the end of the year, shamefully justifying the theft attempt as "fortifying" democracy. This is akin to a burglar telling a magistrate the homeowners should be grateful to him, demanding he deserves a medal because his attempt to burglarise their home now makes that home safer.

The five-month siege that tried to rig the election results and thief a government was brazen, obscenely played out in full view of the whole world. However, the five-month siege was just the culmination of an effort to rig the election; the effort started from the very beginning of the tenure of David Granger as President of Guyana in May 2015. In May 2015, when Granger established a Minister of Citizenship, I wrote a column exposing APNU/AFC's overt plan to play games with voter registration.

Today we have an investigation of a system for issuing birth certificates in numbers that flummoxed people's minds. The naming of a Minister of Citizenship in 2015 was an overt plan to recreate the role of the national registration system that existed pre-1992, when elections were rigged through several mechanisms, including bogus voters' lists.

Granger advanced the plans to rig the 2020 elections when he breached the Constitution to appoint his hand-picked candidate for Chairman of GECOM. The well-established, tried and proven process for selecting the Chairperson of GECOM, which existed since 1992, was abandoned by Granger, and after unconscionably rejecting the names of eighteen prominent Guyanese, Granger proceeded to name Justice James Patterson as GECOM's new Chair, in June 2018. But even in appointing his handpicked henchman, he delayed the process for more than a year. James Patterson was appointed in absolute violation of the Constitution to be the new Justice Bollers, who was the PNC's front-man in rigging elections in 1968, 1973, 1978, 1980 and 1985.

Thankfully, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) was not intimidated by Granger's APNU+AFC, and, in 2019, the CCJ ruled that Granger violated the Constitution when he arbitrarily appointed Patterson as GECOM Chair. It was the first signal that the plan to rig the 2020 elections was not going to be easy.

When the No-Confidence Motion was passed on December 21, 2018, and mandated elections by March 2019, APNU/AFC did everything to prevent the elections. Patterson became too ill to be on the job, and, without a Chair, GECOM was not prepared for elections. Interestingly, Keith Lowenfield and his staff declared, on December 22, 2018, one day after the NCM was passed, that GECOM was ready for the March 2019 elections. But later GECOM insisted it could not be ready for the elections, using the illness of James Patterson as one reason why GECOM was behind arrangements for an early election.

When it became clear that GECOM’s readiness status was not going to be enough to prevent an election, Granger's APNU/ AFC decided to engage the courts to decide whether 33 is more than 32. The Guyanese Appeal Court shamelessly agreed with Granger and APNU+AFC that 33 is not more than 32. Again, the CCJ saved the day and inserted a roadblock on Granger PNC's plan to rig the elections.

After the March 2, 2020 elections, when it became clear that Dr Irfaan Ali and the PPP had won the elections, the election thieving ensued. The GECOM staff, led by Keith Lowenfield, Roxanne Meyers and Mingo, are now faced with charges of fraud. Their attempts to change the votes in full view of the world were fully exposed, being live-streamed to the world.

When rigged numbers were exposed, they proceeded to make up excuses such as dead people and phantoms voted. During the national recount, they could not produce any evidence.

When they identified a name on the list as a dead voter, the person showed up to debunk their egregious allegations.

Nothing in these many attempts to thief and rig the elections, which started as early as May 2015 and lasted through August 2, 2020 served to "fortify" Guyana's democracy. David Granger is totally delusional if he believes any of us accepts his stupidity.

uyana is closer to having its application for membership to the renowned Egmont Group approved, as it has already satisfied several requirements.

Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Matthew Langevine, in a Department of Public Information statement, said Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, has already reviewed certain elements of the FIU legislation, which is a major requirement for the country’s application to move forward.

The Egmont Group is a united body of 166 FIUs. It was created to provide Units around the world with a forum to exchange information confidentially, to combat money laundering, the financing of terrorism, and other predicate offences.

While Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs)

Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, Matthew Langevine

have been signed with regional FIUs that allow Guyana to share information, becoming a member of the Egmont Group would allow the country to exchange information with larger countries in Europe and Latin America.

“Once we become a mem-

ber of the Egmont Group, it is a very important requirement, and we continue to make it a priority in the FIU, and I know the Government is committed to supporting our efforts in that regard,” Langevine told DPI in a recent interview.

Guyana’s two sponsors,

Trinidad and Tobago and the British Virgin Islands, have also reviewed Guyana’s FIU legislation, competency, organisational function, and staffing.

“They have done preliminary review. We had a visit in the past from a representative from the Egmont Group as well as one of the sponsors. In fact, we received an update from the recently-held FIU heads forum, where a report was provided by the group’s regional representative.

“Being a member of the Egmont Group is a very important part of ensuring that the FIU is able to function in an effective manner.

As a member of the Egmont Group, we are more effectively and efficiently able to share and exchange information like FIUs across the world.”

Application to the Egmont Group was first made in 2014.

Floodwaters continue to worry BBP farmers

F

loodwaters continue to worry farmers of Back Bush Polder (BBP) on the Corentyne Coast in Region Six (East Berbice /Corentyne), with those engaged in cash crop and livestock being the hardest hit.

According to BBP farmers, several factors have contributed to the flooding. This was told to Regional ViceChairman Zamal Hussain, who visited the affected area on Tuesday.

Heavy rainfall is just one of the factors that contribute to the floodwaters, the farmers have said. The other is the release of water from Cocorite Savannah into the cultivation area.

When the four Polders of BBP were established: Lesbeholden, Mibicuri, Johanna and Yakusari, there were 25,000 acres of farming land which the drainage and irrigation system catered for, but currently, 60,000 acres are under cultivation in the four polders.

Former Chairman of the Black Bush Polder Water Users Association, Surijpaul Hemraj, had previously said the polders would adequately drain about one and a quarter inches of water within a 24-hour period.

Hemraj, who has been farming in the BBP for 59 years, said the current drainage and irrigation system needs to be improved.

“So, if you check at it from 25,000 acres to now about 60,000 acres, they have to improve the drainage capacity,” he explained.

When the polders were established, the Cocorite Savannah was created as a reservoir, so that during the dry spell, the water could

The Black Bush Polder NDC compound was under water on Tuesday

be released into the cultivation areas. However, the Savannah is now being utilised for both cattle and rice. As such, the water accumulated in the Savannah during the rainy period is being released into the cultivation area immediately, so as to prevent flooding of the Savannah.

Only recently, Region 6 Chairman David Armogan told this publication that the issue is affecting both residents and farmers of the two polders of Johanna and Yakusari, and the situation is considered serious.

He noted that the current situation is as a result of incessant rainfall from the end of November until current, and he explained that even though sluices are operable, pumps have been put in place to assist with drainage.

“But the problem is the amount of water coming into the system from above, and then we have water coming

in from the Savannah, and then we have water coming in from the roadside as well, because of the Number 47 and 51 areas. there is also a high level of water which is being drained into the Black Bush Polder,” Armogan explained.

The Chairman said the regional administration

would be removing the pipes which drain the Cocorite Savannah into the Black Bush Polder in an effort to reduce the amount of water coming into the Polder.

However, that commitment was made one week ago, but little work has been done to drain the water from Cocorite Savannah.

16 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Security guard broadsided T&T woman begged with cutlass, robbed relative's killers to

A

female security guard, who was on her way to work, was broadsided by two cutlass-wielding bandits and relieved of her cellular phone and $700.

Police said they are in-

vestigating the robbery committed on the 35-yearold woman of Plum Park Sophia, Greater Georgetown.

Reports are the incident occurred at about 20:30h on Monday.

Enquiries disclosed that the woman was approached by two unidentifiable males, one of whom was armed with a cutlass. The armed man then dealt her a lash to her back while the other relieved

her of an LG cellphone valued $30,000 and her money.

She received injuries about her body as the men made good their escape.

Police have since launched an investigation.

of infections in the world, after the US. "We are prepared to roll out Covid-19 vaccines within 10 days of granting emergency use authorization date, based on dry run feedback," Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said at the presser.

Two vaccines received restricted emergency use approval on January 3.

On Sunday, the Drug Controller General of India had announced approvals to Oxford-AstraZeneca's Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin against coronavirus infection - for restricted emergency use.

NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr V K Paul said an optimistic scenario is

emerging with the pandemic situation in India consistently improving in terms of active cases and new deaths declining.

"Let's hope this trend will continue. In terms of the new UK mutant issue, this variant has entered this country and 71 people have been isolated. This shows our capacity to mount that kind of a scientific investigation.

"Also, we have not seen emergence of any untoward cluster in the country as of now which is reassuring," he said. On the two vaccines that have been granted approval for restricted emergency use by the DCGI, Paul reiterated that all scientific and statutory requirements have been met and regulatory norms followed while

granting permission and authorisation.

"No vaccine today in any country has got regular authorisation. The world is exercising this option using scientific criteria and thinking to take decision in larger interest of public health and humanity," he said.

The first phase of inoculation will have onboard as many as one crore healthcare workers, two crore frontline and essential workers and 27 crore elderly, most above the age of 50 years with co-morbidities.

On Saturday, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had announced that one crore healthcare workers, along with two crore frontlines will get the vaccine for free. (indiatvnews.com)

COVID-19 vaccine roll-out likely by next week in India

P

utting an end to speculation, India on Tuesday announced it would be ready to administer coronavirus vaccine by January 13 in India. At a press briefing, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the vaccine will be rolled out within ten days of receiving the emergency use authorization.

Putting an end to speculation, India on Tuesday announced it would be ready to administer coronavirus vaccine by January 13. At a press briefing, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the vaccine will be rolled out within ten days of receiving the emergency use authorization. The announcement comes as a major relief for India which has the second-highest number

Vietnam jails Journalists for 'propaganda' critical of state

Freelance Journalists of the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam Pham Chi Dung (right); Le Huu Minh Tuan (centre) and Nguyen Tuong Thuy (left) stand between Police during their trial at a court in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, January 5, 2021 (VNA/ Handout via Reuters)

A

court in Vietnam on Tuesday sentenced three freelance journalists known for their criticism of government to between 11 and 15 years in prison, after finding them guilty of spreading anti-state propaganda.

Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan were convicted of “making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the state” at a one-day trial in Ho Chi Minh City, the Ministry of Public Security said.

Dung established the Independent Journalists Association of Vietnam in 2014, which police said had sought regime change.

Despite sweeping economic reform and increasing openness to social change, Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party retains tight media censorship and tolerates little criticism.

The party, under the leadership of 76-year-old

Nguyen Phu Trong, has intensified a crackdown on dissent ahead of its five-yearly congress due to be held later this month.

Dung was jailed for 15 years and Thuy and Tuan 11 years each. Washingtonbased Radio Free Asia said Thuy had contributed commentary to RFA’s Vietnamese Service, and condemned the convictions.

“The harsh sentencing of Thuy and two other independent journalists is a blatant assault on basic freedoms and flies in the face of the freedom of expression enshrined in Vietnam’s constitution,” RFA President Stephen Yates said in a statement.

RFA said two other RFA Vietnamese contributors were already serving jail terms in Vietnam: Truong Duy Nhat, a blogger who was sentenced last March to 10 years, and Nguyen Van Hoa, a videographer who was sentenced in November 2017 to seven

years.

The US State Department, which has developed close ties with Hanoi while remaining concerned about its human rights record, said it was disappointed by the latest sentences, calling them “harsh” and “the latest in a worrisome trend.”

“We urge the Vietnamese government to ensure its actions are consistent with the human rights provisions of its constitution and its international obligations and commitments,” a spokesperson said.

Amnesty International said the sentences under-

scored Hanoi’s contempt for free media, particularly ahead of the congress.

“Even by its own deeply repressive standards, the severity of the sentences show the depths being reached by Vietnam’s censors,” said its deputy regional director, Emerlynne Gil. Human Rights Watch, called the charges “bogus.”

“If the ruling party is so assured in its leadership, it should demonstrate its confidence by respecting civil and political rights,” its deputy Asia director Phil Robertson said.

(Reuters)

spare newborn's life

W

hat should have been a morning of celebration and new beginnings on Friday turned to terror when a woman and her baby daughter witnessed the murder of a relative at a house in Morvant.

Police said Darrel Villafana, 42, was at home at Geranium Drive at around 4 am on January 1 when two men armed with cutlasses stormed the house and chopped him to death.

A relative who was at the house at the time begged Villafana's killers to spare her life and the life of her month-old daughter.

Speaking with Newsday at the Forensic Science Centre, St James, on Monday, the relative recalled the horror of seeing Villafana being chopped to death, saying both she and her daughter were still traumatised.

"My daughter, as young as she is, I think is still affected by the attack. She doesn't sleep for very long and she wakes up crying ever since the incident. So I don't know if it's because she still remembers the screaming from that morning or what.

"It's really hard that I had to see that. She is a newborn, I have to try and stay strong for her, because she is still breastfeeding, so she will be taking all of my energy.

"Every time I close my eyes to try and sleep, I keep seeing it happening all over again."

The relative said she held onto her daughter during the attack and one of the men approached them, prompting her to beg for her daughter's life.

The woman also said she was numbed after seeing

the attack on her relative and was not fazed by having to identify Villafana's body at the centre.

"They (relatives) were telling me how gruesome it would be to have to identify his body. But after what I saw, with all that blood, I don't think anything can shock me again after that."

Relatives said they suspect Villafana's murder was linked to a dispute he had with another man over a woman with whom he recently began a relationship.

They said Villafana was threatened by the woman's ex-lover, but they only learned of the threats after his murder.

Newsday also spoke to Villafana's ex-wife Shenelle Turpin, who said she was devastated by his death.

Police said one man has been arrested.

Asked if these arrests brought them any closure, Turpin said while she was happy the police were working on the case, the wounds were still too fresh to say for certain.

"In a way yes and in a way no. because he is still dead and nothing in the world will bring him back.

"Darrel's little son is seven years old and he cries every minute saying, 'I have no Daddy again.'"

Turpin said Villafana would have celebrated his birthday on Tuesday and lamented the bloody start to the new year.

Relatives described him as a loving man who worked different jobs to support his family and lived for his children.

Villafana's murder was the first recorded for 2021.

The murder toll for the year as of Monday afternoon stood at three. (T&T Newsday)

Naked fugitive rescued from mangroves by fishermen

T

wo fishermen have rescued a naked fugitive who they found clinging to trees over a crocodile-infested swamp in northern Australia.

Kev Joiner and Cam Faust stumbled across the man in East Point near the city of Darwin on Sunday.

The friends were laying crab traps when they heard the man crying for help, clinging to the branches of mangroves.

They said the man begged them for water and said he had been out there for four days, living off snails.

Australian TV network 9News said the 40-year-old man had allegedly breached bail for armed robbery.

"We didn't believe him at first," Faust told the BBC. "Then we realised he was in a bad way and done himself

a mischief and were like oh, we better help him."

Faust said the man told them he went out on New Year's Eve to a concert, adding "we thought he had a big night".

The fishermen allowed the man to hop on board their boat, with Faust offering him his shorts to cover his modesty.

"He had scratches all over him, he was completely covered in mosquito bites, mud all over his face and his chest," Joiner told 9News. "He was suffering pretty bad."

The friends said the man was lucky they found him, as the mangroves in East Point can be dangerous.

Crocodiles are known to inhabit the swamps around Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory.

While ferrying him

Two fishermen have rescued a naked fugitive whom they found clinging to trees over a crocodile-infested swamp in northern Australia

to shore, the fishermen shared a beer with the man and called an ambulance, which met them at a boat ramp. Police confirmed to Australian media that the man was a fugitive who had escaped custody days earli-

er.

He was arrested and is being treated for exposure at Royal Darwin Hospital.

"He's in hospital with handcuffs on with two cops babysitting him," Faust told 9News. (BBC News)

NEWS

17

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gordon “Butch” Stewart, legendary Sandals Resorts founder, passes – “There will never be another quite like him”

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ounder and Chairman of the ATL Group of Companies, Gordon “Butch” Stewart passed away in the United States Monday night. He was 79.

Stewart, who was also Chairman of the Jamaica Observer, will be most remembered for his multiple award-winning Sandals and Beaches Resorts, which helped to establish the Caribbean, especially Jamaica, as a world-class tourist destination.

Monday night, his son Adam, who is Deputy Chairman of the ATL Group, said his father's passing was “almost unbelievable”, since he was as involved and forward-thinking as ever.

“He chose to keep a very recent health diagnosis private and we respected that wish,” the younger Stewart said.

“He was a marketing genius and talented showman, but those who knew him best recognised that he was a dreamer who could dream bigger and better than anyone. It was often said, 'The

honour, and, importantly, his infectious joie de vivre.

The “Butch” Stewart story began, not in the glitter and glamour of latter days, but in relative modesty in a time when his parents had to fend for themselves. He was a man of the people; eloquent in the vernacular, not averse to dropping or taking a six-love in dominoes, the people's game; and men will remember and celebrate him as a local boy who made good.

For sure, his distant ancestry stretches back to colonial England, but he Sandals Chairman Gordon knew what it was to be tak“Butch” Stewart en out of boarding school in by the people and possibility Kingston because his parof the Caribbean, for whom ents could no longer afford the fees and to be sent to he was a fierce champion.

“There will never be an- the rough and tumble of a other quite like him and we school where dropouts ruled tough. will miss him forever.”

His father, Gordon Stewart's accomplishments in tourism and busi- Leslie Cox came to Jamaica ness in general won him as a baby of six months, and many awards and honours, when the marriage of his most notably the Order of parents went on the rocks, Jamaica. He was also in- was adopted by a wealthy vested as Commander of the St Ann couple, Ethel and Cyril Stewart, distant relOrder of Distinction.

In 2001, he received the atives who changed his name to Gordon Leslie Stewart — later to be the legendary chief engineer at the then Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), the State-owned radio and television complex.

Intriguingly, Ethel Stewart who doted on the infant Butch, died, leaving her £1,000,000 fortune to charity.

Butch's dad therefore had to fend for himself, trying his hand unsuccessfully at business before finally taking a job to feed The first Sandals Resort – Sandals Montego Bay, which Stewart built into his family. the world's most awarded vacation brand with over two dozen distinct Well before he was resorts and villas throughout the Caribbean 10 years old, Butch learnt how to do what best thing for people around honorary Doctor of Laws Jamaicans like to refer to him to do is be dream catch- degree from the University as 'hustle', using creative ers.' That's why he always of the West Indies and ways to make money. He credited his success to the then from the University had an early obsession with incredible team around of Technology, Jamaica in the sea and buying a boat, him, why he listened in- 2009. caught fish to sell to hotels tently when it came to creIn 1992, Stewart was and transported celebrities, ating innovative things that presented with the Dr including the actress Joan would excite and delight our Martin Luther King Jr Collins. He saved like mad guests, and why it is so im- Humanitarian Award to buy his boat. Later he portant that I remind you from the Jamaica/America bought old cars, fixed them, today, of all days, that we Society, and Ernst & Young and sold them at a profit. will all continue to be his saw it fit to name him But it would be years hence dream catchers.”

Master Entrepreneur of the that people would come to “Together, we have all decade of the 90s. realise that all that was been part of something bigBorn on July 6, 1941, the mere practice for the empire ger than ourselves, led by a first child of Jean Patricia on the horizon. man who believed in us and nee Rerrie and Gordon As a salesman with an who gave us opportunities Leslie Stewart, at Nuttall irresistible pitch, he built to learn, grow, and the tools Memorial Hospital near Appliance Traders Limited to make dreams real. For Cross Roads in Kingston, on some of the top brand him, and because of him, we Gordon Arthur Cyril names in the world; dreamed will continue to dream big Stewart, simply “Butch” to that he could conquer the and deliver on his certainty his legion of admirers, was world of tourism, and built that true luxury is always truly Jamaica's first inter- Sandals that today rates best enjoyed by the sea. national superstar of busi- among the most luxurious “My Dad lived a big life ness. hotel chains in the world; – husband, father, grandThe virtual hero-worship launched a newspaper that father, great grandfather, which surrounded him was changed Jamaican journalentrepreneur, statesman, firmly anchored in genu- ism; and bought an airline dreamer. A singular per- ine admiration for his enor- that carried the hope and sonality and an unstoppable mous skill as a marketer pride of a nation – the little force who revelled in defying and entrepreneur extraor- piece of Jamaica that flies – the odds, exceeding expecta- dinaire, his depth of gener- but which defied his considtions, and whose passion for osity bequeathed to him by erable genius in the face of his family was matched only his father, his own sense of political shenanigans.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley (left) chatting with Sandals Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart during a site visit at Heywood’s, St Peter, December 2018 (file photo)

When Stewart stepped in, he insisted on a passenger-friendly approach: on-time service, reduced waiting lines, increased training for all personnel, and signature free champagne on flights to accompany an emphasis on better food. He also opened new routes in the Caribbean, brought on new Airbus jets and established a Montego Bay hub for flights coming from and returning to the United States. Just as with ATL and Sandals Resorts, Stewart's formula proved successful and in late 2004, Stewart gave the airline back to the government with an increase in revenue of over US$250 million.

It was not the first time Stewart would come to the aid of his country. In 1992, he galvanised the admiration of Jamaicans with the "Butch Stewart Initiative," pumping US$1 million a week into the official foreign exchange market at below prevailing rates to help halt the slide of the Jamaican dollar.

Dr Henry Lowe, at the time president and CEO of Blue Cross, wrote to Stewart saying: "I write to offer sincere congratulations to you for the tremendous initiative which has done so much, not only for the strengthening of our currency, but more so, for the new feeling of hope and positive outlook which is now being experienced by all of us as Jamaicans."

Less wellknown may be the extent of Stewart's considerable philanthropy, where for more than 40 years he has helped improve and shape the lives of Caribbean people.

His work, formalized with the creation in 2009 of The Sandals Foundation, offers support ranging from the building of schools and paying of teachers to bringing healthcare to the doorsteps of those who cannot afford it. This in addition to his tireless support of a wide range of environmental initiatives. Beyond the work of the Foundation, Stewart has given millions to charitable causes such as celebrating the bravery of veter-

Tributes have been pouring in, including from Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, since news broke of the passing of the legendary hotelier.

In remembering him as a “Caribbean man, she said: “Today, on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados, I wish to express sincere condolences to the family, friends and loved

try never translated into insularity, for he was always the consummate Caribbean man. The success of his Sandals brand, a name that he has indelibly imprinted on the Caribbean landscape, will no doubt serve as a monument to his Caribbeanness for generations to come.

His association with Barbados and Barbadians has been long, even if at times contentious, but this country has benefited from his investment. There can be no denying that Barbados’ tourism product is the better today because of the presence of Sandals Barbados and Sandals Royal Barbados.

The region has definitely lost a great son who put Sandals, as a Caribbean brand, on the global landscape.

To his wife Cheryl, his children, the Sandals family here in Barbados and across the Region, and the people of Jamaica, my thoughts and prayers are with you at time.

May his soul rest in peace.

Gordon "Butch" Stewart is survived by his wife, Cheryl, children Brian, Bobby, Adam, Jaime,

ones of Gordon “Butch” Stewart, on his passing.

Butch was the quintessential Jamaican, from his accent to his antics, and in everything he did he represented his country well — always wearing the Jamaica motto with pride: “Out of many, one people”.

It was impossible to share a space with him and not be drawn to his infectious laughter and warm personality, no doubt products of his Jamaica heritage.

But for him, love of coun-

Sabrina, Gordon, and Kelly; grandchildren Aston, Sloane, Camden, PenelopeSky, Isla, Finley, Max, Ben, Zak, Sophie, Annie and Emma; and great grandchildren Jackson, Riley, Emmy and Willow.

A private funeral service will be held. Those wishing to share memories, condolences or personal stories may do so at AllThatsGood@ sandals.com. (Excerpts from Jamaica Observer, Sandals Resorts International and Nation News)

ans and first responders and helping those in the wake of devastating hurricanes.

In 2012, Stewart founded the Sandals Corporate University, aimed at providing professional development for employees through reputable education and training programs. With access to more than 230 courses and external partnerships with 13 top-ranking local and international universities, every staff member can apply, broaden their knowledge, and advance their career.

It delighted Stewart whenever he was dining anywhere in the world and an excited staff member would share with him, "Thank you. I got my start at Sandals."

Mottley pays tribute to “Caribbean man” Stewart

18

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

Regional

Venezuela’s socialist party takes Chilean lawmakers propose making control of once-defiant congress coronavirus vaccine mandatory

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resident Nicolás Maduro extended his grip on power on Tuesday as the governing socialist party prepared to assume the leadership of Venezuela’s congress, the last institution in the country it did not already control.

Maduro’s allies swept legislative elections last month boycotted by the Opposition and denounced as a sham by the United States, the European Union and several other foreign Governments.

A year ago, 37-yearold legislator Juan Guaidó, who leads the US-backed Opposition, in a blue suit and tie, tried to scale a spiked iron fence to get past a group of Riot Police blocking him from attending the parliament’s inaugural session, which according to the Constitution must be held every year on January 5.

A far cry from that electric display of defiance, Guaidó this year was expected to meet via Zoom with a cohort of Opposition Leaders for their own virtual parliamentary session.

Last month, anti-Maduro legislators, several dozen of them from exile, also gath-

C

President Nicolás Maduro was set to extend his grip on power on Tuesday as the governing socialist party prepared to assume the leadership of Venezuela’s congress, the last institution in the country it did not already control [Fausto Torrealba/Reuters]

ered online to extend their mandate stemming from a landslide victory in 2015 for another 12 months, operating through an adjunct committee normally reserved for legislative recesses.

Supreme Court Justices loyal to Maduro immediately struck down the law as invalid.

“The national parliament will not be detained until there are free elections in Venezuela,” Guaidó said on Twitter recently.

While Guaidó has not wavered, the Opposition’s po-

litical fortunes have tanked as Venezuelans’ own hopes for change have collapsed.

Recent opinion polls show support for Guaidó has fallen by more than half since he first rose to challenge Maduro two years ago.

Meanwhile, Maduro has managed to retain a solid grip on power and the military, the traditional arbiter of political disputes. He also retains the support of the armed forces and foreign allies like Cuba, Russia, and Iran. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Mexican fisherman “dies after attack on Sea Shepherd conservationists”

A

Mexican fisherman has died after his boat collided with a larger vessel used by US conservationist group Sea Shepherd, reports say.

Sea Shepherd said the clash happened after fishing boats attacked one of its vessels in the Gulf of California, where it is working to protect the endan-

gered vaquita porpoise.

It said its vessel was trying to leave when one of the boats smashed into it.

The man's family allege that his boat was intentionally rammed.

Health official Alonso Perez told AFP news agency on Monday that one fisherman died after sustaining serious injuries, while a sec-

ond remained in stable condition.

Sea Shepherd said its Farley Mowat vessel was removing an illegal net from a protected area on December 31 when a group of people on small fishing boats launched a "violent attack", including throwing Molotov cocktails. (Excerpt from BBC News)

hilean lawmakers on Tuesday presented a bill before Congress that would make vaccination against the coronavirus mandatory as the country’s centre-right Government pushes to inosculate the majority of its population by mid-year.

The bill would modify the country’s health code, which already requires vaccination against smallpox, whooping cough and other diseases, according to the Opposition Christian Democracy party lawmakers who submitted the legislation.

Chile was the first country in South America to begin a COVID-19 vaccination programme.

The Andean nation is also among the best positioned in the Region for vaccine supply, having struck deals with AstraZeneca Plc, Pfizer Inc and partner BioNTech SE, and China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd. “As we move forward in

this process, we are unfortunately going to meet resistance from compatriots,” said bill sponsor Gabriel Silber. He said the bill would help ensure the effectiveness of the country’s ambitious vaccination programme.

An IPSOS survey in early December found that seven out of 10 Chileans said they would be willing to get vaccinated.

Silber said the legislation would help assure Chile could effectively vaccinate 80 per cent of its population,

which health experts in the country say would be necessary to achieve herd immunity and stem virus transmission.

Health Minister Enrique Paris said earlier this week that officials would study the proposal.

Chile began vaccinating frontline healthcare workers shortly before Christmas, and said other State officials involved in the fight against the virus, as well as the elderly and chronically ill are next in line. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Crowds in Rio mourn man slain by Police

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rowds gathered on Tuesday in a Rio de Janeiro cemetery to bury Marcelo Guimarães, the latest victim to be killed

by Police in Brazil, home to some of the world’s deadliest security forces.

Guimarães was killed on Monday at the entrance to the City of God favela, after dropping off his son for his first day of school.

His family said Rio’s military police, known for their deadly raids on poor, Black neighbourhoods, shot him from inside an armoured vehicle as he drove past on a motorcycle.

Police violence is a long-running problem in

Brazil, and particularly in Rio, home to some 17 million people. State security officers killed 1160 people between January and November 2020, about the same number as in the whole of the United States.

Critics accuse far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who has for years lived in Rio, of exacerbating the issue by urging Police to show no mercy to criminals he has labelled “cockroaches”.

Speaking to reporters after the burial, Guimarães’ daughter, Vitoria, accused the officers of murdering her father.

“They are the bandits,

the corrupt ones,” she said.

“The Government kills poor people, Black people, favela-dwellers and workers. My father was honest.

They aren’t.”

In a statement, Rio state’s military Police said Guimarães was caught in crossfire during a shootout.

“At the time of the action, a motorcyclist passing by was hit. Unfortunately, the victim did not survive the injuries,” it said.

The Police added that security had deteriorated in the area recently, and its officers had been shot at. The death is under investigation, Police said.

(Reuters)

T&T teacher beaten to death with hammer at home Deadly flash floods tear

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48-year-old teacher and mother was discovered Monday morning, bludgeoned to death at her Preysal, Couva, Trinidad home.

Police believe a male relative beat Suzette Sylvester, a secondary school teacher, with a hammer until she was dead.

A Police report states that Sylvester’s body was discovered by her son around 06:00h.

He then raised an alarm to his grandmother and uncle who live next door at Mowlah Trace Extension.

Sylvester’s mother told Police that she saw the suspect leaving the compound.

Police said the suspect walked into the Chaguanas Police Station and alerted them to the situation.

Officers subsequently went to the scene where they met grieving relatives who ushered them into Sylvester’s bedroom to where her body was, slumped on the ground near the bed.

through Bolivia’s Sucre city

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School teacher Suzette Sylvester, who was allegedly beaten to death by a close male relative, with some of her former students at the El Dorado West Secondary

Preliminary investigations revealed that Sylvester and the male relative had an argument between 22:30h and midnight on Sunday.

Police said they were told that Sylvester later went to bed about 02:10h Monday.

Sylvester was a secondary school literature teacher at Preysal Secondary School.

Speaking with the Guardian Media at his home, Sylvester’s brother said he was in shock over his sister’s death.

He added that if his sis-

ter was in an abusive relationship he never knew.

“I saw them both over the weekend and they seemed very happy. She was talking and laughing so if there was something going on I never knew and I never even suspected anything.”

He added that his sister was never the type to be involved in arguments. “She never liked quarrelling. If there was any quarrel she was the type to end it. She was always jolly and pleasant.” (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

lash floods have killed at least four people in the Bolivian city of Sucre, Police say.

Following a heavy hailstorm which lasted about half an hour, some of the city’s steep streets became fast-flowing rivers.

Water rushed down the streets dragging along cars, buses, and market stalls.

The worst affected area was around the city’s largest farmers market, where drains were blocked by rubbish, making the flooding worse.

Residents said city officials should have done more to maintain the city’s storm drains during the rainy season.

Locals were caught by surprise by the hailstorm which hit the city at 18:45h local time.

President Luis Arce gave his condolences to the rela-

People caught in the flash floods grabbed hold of lampposts to avoid being swept away

tives of those killed.

Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo said three children and three adults were still missing and seven had been injured.

At least 10 vehicles were swept away in the flash floods. Many merchants lost all their goods and several were treated in hospital for

hypothermia.

Flash flooding and landslides are not unusual in Bolivia’s rainy season, which runs from November to March.

In neighbouring Peru, a man was rescued just a few days ago from a car which had become submerged by flash flooding. (BBC News)

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

19

Around the World

OILNEWS OIL NEWS Oil prices jump 5% on OPEC+ output talks, Iran tension

O

il prices climbed nearly 5 per cent on Tuesday after news that Saudi Arabia will make voluntary cuts to its oil output, while international political tension simmered over Iran’s seizure of a South Korean vessel.

Brent crude futures rose US$2.51, or 4.9 per cent, to settle at US$53.60 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude ended US$2.31, or 4.9 per cent, higher at US$49.93 a barrel.

Saudi Arabia will make additional, voluntary oil output cuts of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in February and March.

The cuts are part of a deal to persuade most producers from the group consisting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies to hold output steady amid concerns that new coronavirus lockdowns will hit demand.

“Saudi Arabia put the cherry on the cake and if there is one way to describe what its voluntary cut means for the market, ‘happy hour’ is a pretty fitting term,” said Bjornar Tonhaugen, Rystad Energy’s head of oil markets.

OPEC+ resumed talks on Tuesday after reaching a deadlock over February oil output levels this week.

An internal OPEC+ document dated Jan 4 seen by Reuters highlighted bearish risks and stressed that “the reimplementation of COVID-19 containment measures across continents, including full lockdowns, are dampening the oil demand rebound in 2021”.

Meanwhile, tensions around OPEC member Iran’s seizure of a South Korean vessel continued. Iran denied on Tuesday it was using a South Korean ship and its crew as hostages, a day after it seized the tanker in the Gulf while pressing a demand for Seoul to release US$7 billion in funds frozen under US sanctions.

Still, coronavirus lockdowns, which have weighed on fuel demand since early last year, loom. Britain began its third COVID-19 lockdown on Tuesday.

Investors awaited industry data on US crude stockpiles due later on Tuesday. US crude oil stockpiles were seen lower last week for the fourth week in a row, while inventories of refined products likely rose, a Reuters poll showed. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Iran issues Interpol notice for 48 US officials including Trump

U

S President Donald Trump has had a “red notice” request for his arrest issued through Interpol by Iran.

Iranian judiciary spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili announced during a press conference on Tuesday that Iran has requested the international police organisation to arrest Trump and 47 other American officials identified as playing a role in the assassination of top general Qassem Soleimani last year.

Soleimani, Iran’s top general who led the foreign operations arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was assassinated on January 3, 2020, in a US drone strike in Baghdad ordered by Trump.

The assassination was deemed to be against international law by Agnes Callamard, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

It was the second Iranian

request for an international arrest warrant for Trump and dozens of US officials in the Pentagon and US Central Command, among other organisations.

In June, Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr issued an arrest warrant for Trump and dozens of US officials saying they face “murder and terrorism charges”.

But France-based Interpol rejected Iran’s request, saying its Constitution forbids it from undertaking “any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character”.

Renewed talks of prosecuting Trump and other US officials come as part of Iranian promises to avenge Soleimani one year after his murder in an American drone strike in Iraq.

They also come shortly before Trump has to leave office on January 20, something Iran hopes could boost his chances of facing consequences. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

India to cull tens of thousands of birds over avian flu outbreak T ens of thousands of poultry will be slaughtered in India after an outbreak of deadly avian influenza was found to have killed scores of birds across the country, officials said on Tuesday.

At least six Indian states have stepped up efforts to contain two strains of bird flu – H5N1 and H5N8 – in recent days after the deaths of thousands of migratory birds, ducks, crows and chickens.

H5N8, an avian influenza subtype among poultry and wild birds, has spread across several countries since early last year.

Officials in northern Himachal Pradesh state said carcasses were found over the past week at a Himalayan lake that wit-

nesses large flocks of migratory birds during the winter season.

“The death toll in the last week or so at the Pong lake crossed 2400 migratory birds. Over 600 birds died on Monday,” state wildlife chief Archana Sharma told AFP.

Samples sent to the Indian National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases tested positive for H5N1, officials added.

Most of the dead were Central Asian high-altitude bar-headed geese – one of the world’s highest-flying birds –

that migrate to South Asia in their thousands during the winter season.

Local authorities have banned the sale and export of poultry in the region and have stepped up testing to control the spread.

The mass deaths came amid a cull of nearly 35,000 poultry in the southern Kerala state, where an H5N8 virus outbreak killed up to 12,000 ducks.

Authorities said the slaughter was ordered within a one-kilometre (0.6-mile) radius of the infection epicentre.

More than 20 farms said their flocks were wiped out by an “unknown disease” and samples have been sent to labs for testing. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

people in jobs and firms afloat until measures are relaxed gradually, at the earliest from mid-February but likely later.

Britain has been among the countries worst-hit by COVID-19, with the second-highest death toll in Europe and an economy that suffered the sharpest contraction of any in the Group of Seven during the first wave of infections last spring.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the latest data showed 2 per cent of the population were currently infected - more than a million people in England.

More than 1.3 million people in Britain have already received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, but this is not enough to have an impact on transmission yet.

Johnson announced the new lockdown late on Monday, saying the high-

ly contagious new coronavirus variant first identified in Britain was spreading so fast the National Health Service risked being overwhelmed within 21 days.

In England alone, some 27,000 people are in hospital with COVID, 40 per cent more than during the first peak in April, with infection numbers expected to rise further after increased socialising during the Christmas period. (Excerpt from Reuters)

seats. Loeffler is taking on Reverend Raphael Warnock and Perdue is battling former journalist Jon Ossoff.

None of the candidates reached the 50 per cent needed to win outright in the elections in November, forcing Tuesday's runoffs under Georgia's election rules.

Voting began at 07:00 (12:00 GMT).

The vote will decide the balance of power in the Senate.

The Republicans currently hold 52 of the 100 seats.

If both Democrats win on Tuesday, the Senate will be evenly split, allowing incoming Democratic VicePresident Kamala Harris the tie-breaking vote.

Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue are the candidates for the Republican Party

H5N8, an avian influenza subtype among poultry and wild birds, has spread across several countries since early last year [Reuters]

Bleak start to new year for Britain as it enters 3rd lockdown

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ritain began its third COVID-19 lockdown on Tuesday with the Government calling for one last major national effort to defeat the spread of a virus that has infected an estimated one in 50 citizens before mass vaccinations turn the tide.

Finance Minister Rishi Sunak announced a new package of business grants worth 4.6 billion pounds (US$6.2 billion) to help keep

Georgia Senate election: Control of Congress up for grabs

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he US state of Georgia is going to the polls for a second-round vote that will decide whether President-elect Joe Biden's Democrats control the Senate.

Biden's party needs to win both seats in the state's runoffs to gain full control of Congress - and with it the power to push forward his agenda.

The Republican Party of outgoing President Donald Trump needs only to win one in order to retain the Senate.

Biden said Georgians could shape the US for years to come.

Republicans Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue currently hold Georgia's two Senate

This would be crucial for pushing through Biden's agenda, including on key issues such as healthcare and environmental regulations - policy areas with strong Republican opposition.

The Senate also has the power to approve or reject Biden's nominees for Cabinet

and judicial posts.

If Ossoff and Warnock both win, it would bring the White House, Senate and the House of Representatives under Democratic control for the first time since President Barack Obama's election in 2008. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Buckingham Palace thief jailed for stealing medals and photos

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Buckingham Palace catering assistant who stole medals and photographs from the Queen's residence has been jailed.

Adamo Canto, 37, stole items including signed photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and a photo album of US President Donald Trump's UK visit.

Police said some of the goods, worth between £10,000 and £100,000, had

been listed for sale on eBay. Canto, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was jailed for eight months after he admitted stealing the items.

Southwark Crown Court heard Police recovered a "significant quantity" of stolen items when they searched his quarters at the palace's Royal Mews, where he had worked as a catering assistant since 2015.

A total of 37 items were

offered for sale "well under" their true value, with Canto making £7741.

One item was a photo album of US President Donald Trump's visit to the UK, worth £1500.

Canto also took official signed photographs of the Duke of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Some 77 items were taken from the palace shop, while others were stolen from staff

lockers, the Queen's Gallery shop and the Duke of York's storeroom.

Canto also admitted stealing a Companion of Bath medal belonging to the Master of the Household, which was sold online for £350, and a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order medal from the locker of former British Army officer Maj Gen Richard Sykes. (Excerpt from BBC News)

20

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

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ARCHIE

ARIES

(March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

CALVIN AND HOBBES

Connect with people who can help you achieve your objective. Refuse to let an emotional situation get blown out of proportion.

Anger solves nothing; be prepared to compromise.

Expect to face opposition if you voice your opinion.

Have your facts straight, and remember to use diplomacy if you want to get things done. Acting in haste will lead to uncertainty.

Physical activity will be challenging if you compete with someone who doesn’t play fair. Consider what you are up against and whether it’s in your best interest.

Emotions will run high regarding family matters.

Put your ego aside and look at the facts. You’ll come up with a solution that will appease everyone involved.

Physical fitness will ease stress.

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Keep your life simple.

The less you interact with others, the easier it will be to get things done. Focus on home improvements.

Romance is on the rise. Look into starting a side business.

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Refuse to let anyone talk you into something risky or that might put you in debt.

Spend more time taking care of your financial, physical and emotional well-being.

Don’t fold under pressure.

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

Charm will help deflect a demanding someone. Offer solutions in place of bailing someone out physically or financially. Pay more attention to what you want.

SCORPIO

A change of heart will cause short-term uncertainty. Take a step back, and you will discover what you can do to turn around a bothersome situation. Honesty and facts matter.

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

SUDOKU

Check in with someone SAGITTARIUS you have collaborated with (Nov. 23successfully, and you will be Dec. 21) offered options that pique your interest. Before you jump in, consider the possible consequences.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

LAST PUBLISHED WORD -- IMPOSTER

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Take a moment to evaluate situations before letting your emotions take charge.

Use discretion when discussing matters with a friend, relative or peer. Pay close attention to detail.

Take pride in what you do. You’ll gain support if you think for yourself instead of following someone’s lead.

Do your best to make a difference. Let your intuition guide you.

Stick to the people you know and trust. Stay alert and concentrate on your responsibilities. Shared expenses will lead to uncertainty. Don’t pay for someone’s mistake.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

21

GSCL Inc aiming to host PMT20 Cup in early March

John urges sponsors to continue supporting event B y T imothy J aikarran

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aving successfully hosted the Prime Ministers T20 Cup in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Georgetown Softball

Cricket League Inc (GSCL) are aiming to replicate this most memorable success in 2021, when the 5th edition of the tournament is held.

GSCL President, Ian John, speaking with this

publication, responded to a question regarding plans for this new year by saying, “The Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc are hoping to have a tournament sometime early in march, (and) plans

Antetokounmpo shines as Bucks beat Pistons

President of the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc, Ian John

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Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry continued his fine recent form against Sacramento Kings

wo-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 43 points to help the Milwaukee Bucks to a 125-115 win over the Detroit Pistons.

The 26-year-old scored 30 of the Bucks’ 67 first-half points before a superb late block and put-back basket to end the Pistons’ comeback hopes.

“The block and putback was big,” said Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer.

The Bucks now have four wins, while the Philadelphia 76ers lead the Eastern Conference on six wins and one loss.

All five Philadelphia starters reached double figures on Monday as they beat the Charlotte Hornets 118101.

In the Western Conference Stephen Curry followed up a career-best 62-point effort with 30 more in just 31 minutes to propel the Golden State Warriors to a 137-106 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The Dallas Mavericks won a Texas tussle with the Houston Rockets with help from Luka Doncic’s first triple-double of the

season. Doncic hit 33 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists as Dallas held off a late Rockets’ push for a 113-100 victory.

It was the 21-year-old’s 26th career triple-double, and after a perceived slow start to the season for Doncic, coach Rick Carlisle said: “You can see that he’s getting better and better as each day goes by.”

Jayson Tatum scored 40 points as the Boston Celtics overcame a 13-point first-quarter deficit to win 126-114 at the Toronto Raptors.

Payton Pritchard contributed 23 points and eight assists for the Celtics, who moved their record to five wins from eight.

In the

tightest game from Monday night’s fixtures, Malcolm Brogdon lofted home a 12foot floater with 3.6 seconds of overtime remaining as the Indiana Pacers secured a 118-116 win over New Orleans Pelicans.

Victor Oladipo scored 25 points on the night as the Pacers moved third in the Eastern Conference with five wins and two defeats this season.

The New York Knicks erased a 15-point third-quarter deficit to win 113-108 at the Atlanta Hawks. Julius Randle top-scored for the Knicks on 28, but a late three-pointer by Austin Rivers was key as they moved to four wins from seven games.

“We didn’t play great, but we found a way to win,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

E l s e w h e r e , the Miami Heat overcame the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-90, and Aaron Gordon put away six three-pointers for the Orlando Magic as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-83. (BBC Sport)

are now in the making for that. However, as time progresses, more details will be released as we near the event.

“Nevertheless, I would just want to say thanks to everyone, the sponsors etc, for making the 4th edition, which was held in 2020, a major success. Especially owing to the fact that we are in an economic crisis, where things are not as they used to be in our country. In all countries affected by COVID-19, the economic situation is dire,

hence we were extremely grateful to all the sponsors who came on board, having the faith in us.”

John also expressed that the GSCL are extremely grateful to the media for the excellent coverage of the event, and are looking forward for the same coverage if the tournament is granted permission for its early March opening.

Further, John noted that with the advent of the vaccine coming into play, there is expect-

ed to be some ease in the COVID-19 spread. If that does occur, the economic situation would return to normal and that would result in more sponsors coming on board to sponsor the PMT20 Cup. John declared, “We are optimistic that we would be able to run off another successful tournament this year, and I just want to urge all the sponsors to continue to support this movement as we take it to another level.”

Australian Grand Prix under discussion

– due to COVID-19 restrictions

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he season-opening event of Formula 1, the Australian Grand Prix, could be postponed because of COVID-19 restrictions in Australia.

It is due to take place in Melbourne from 19-21 March, but the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, the Australian Government and Formula 1 bosses are in talks over the Albert Park race.

“The Government will continue to prioritise public health considerations while protecting our major events’ calendar,” a Victoria spokesman said.

“Discussions between the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, the Government and F1 management about the F1 calendar for 2021 are ongoing.”

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has said it would provide “further

Valtteri Bottas won the 2019 Australian Grand Prix

details upon finalisation of arrangements with all parties in the coming weeks”.

An F1 spokesman said on Monday that the sport looked forward to racing again in March, but did not specify where, with the Bahrain Grand Prix meeting scheduled for 26-28 March.

Australia continues to maintain strict quarantine rules on international arrivals.

Last year’s Australian Grand Prix was called off mere hours before first practice was due to start, when a McLaren team member tested positive for coronavirus.

The season eventually started in Austria in July, with the calendar heavily rescheduled and reduced from an original record 22 races to 17 in Europe and the Middle East. (BBC Sport)

22

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

Berbice Cricket Board enjoyed productive 2020 despite COVID-19 pandemic

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Albion Cricket Club, winner of the Ramnaresh Sarwan Under-17 title

he Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), under the presidency of Hilbert Foster, continues to be the most dynamic proponent of the game in Guyana. The board has described the year 2020 as highly successful, despite actually being able to play the game for only the first three months of the year.

After taking a break in April, the BCB was able to achieve great success off the cricket field via its charity works, coaching programmes, awards ceremony, pro-education campaign, and investments in clubs and youth players.

Foster, who was elected President in February 2018, has said that unlike the other cricket boards in Guyana, the BCB has much to celebrate, as it continued to work hard despite the pandemic.

Thirteen cricket tournaments were either started or completed between January and March, while several others are awaiting restart of the cricket season in order to be completed.

Rose Hall Town Namilco Thunderbolt Flour defeated arch-rivals Albion to win the Busta Champions of Champions 40-over tournament, the Ivan Madray 20/20 Cup in January, and got past Tucber Park to win the Stag Beer 50-over tournament.

Albion won the Raffik Construction 100 balls second division tournament and the Ramnaresh Sarwan Under-17 titles, while Rose Hall Town Bakewell won the Lower Corentyne Let’s Bet 20/20 tournament. Rose Hall Town Metro Female lifted the 2020 Nand Persaud female title, while #73 won the BCB/UCCA/ Trophy Stall Under-19 title.

The BCB/UCCA Interprimary school tournament was won by #71 Primary School. The Premium Asphalt/ TR Construction 20/20 tournament for teams in the Lower Corentyne area, which began in January 2020, is at the finals’ stage, while the Lewison’s General Store and Mike’s Pharmacy Under-15 tournaments are also at the semi-finals’ stage. The BCB/ UCCA Price is Right tournament is also at the final stage, with Dukestown and #72 Cut and Load scheduled to battle for championship honours.

Tournaments that are

on hold due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are: The Banks DIH Ltd two-day (semifinal stage), Let’s Bet Sport Countywide (finals), Friends of New Amsterdam 20/20 (semi-finals), and NBS 40-over (quarterfinals).

The BCB also invested heavily in coaching and the hosting of several trial matches to select intercounty teams. Overseas-based Guyanese Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh and Brian Ramphal sponsored a combined nine trial matches for the selection of the Berbice Under 15, Under 17 and Under 19 teams, while several coaching clinics were held

Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, the Basil Butcher Trust Fund, and the RHTY&SC. Clubs also benefited from donations of scorebooks, Laws of Cricket books, face masks, educational materials and stumps.

The BCB and the RHTY&SC also invested in the publication of educational posters, youth information booklets, COVID-19 posters, and a ‘Say No to Crime’ information sticker.

Sixty-nine youth cricketers received school bags, while six outstanding cricketers who did well at the CSEC each received a financial stipend of $10,000.

Former West Indies player

for scoring rd is honoured

he

Romario Shep

Parade on Mash Day to promote the Message, Say Yes to Education, Sports and No to Drugs, Crime.

The board also worked with the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS in a Covid-19 response programme which saw the distribution of over 6000 food hampers, 2000 lbs of chicken products, face masks, cleaning detergents and sanitizers.

On the cricket field, Berbice Cricket had a lot to celebrate as Shemaine Campbelle became the fourth West Indian to play one hundred 20/20 matches, Gudakesh Motie reached his one hundred first class wickets in his 28th game, Shabika

Members of some clubs pose for a picture after receiving their donation of cricket balls

for fast bowlers, batsmen, spinners and wicket-keepers.

The BCB panel of coaches also visited more than 20 clubs to conduct coaching sessions. These include the #73, Port Mourant, RHTY&SC, RH Canje, Achievers, Mt. Sinai and Edinburgh. The BCB, with support from the RHTY&SC, also invested heavily in the development of players, with more than 200 youths benefiting from donations of gear, uniforms, bicycles and educational materials under a wide range of programmes, including the Basil Butcher Trust Fund, Dr. Tulsi Dyal/ Puran Singh Fund, RHTY&SC Patrons Fund, BCB Patrons Fund and Brian Ramphal Trust Fund.

More than 60 clubs benefited from the donations of cricket balls, with sponsorship coming from former Minister of Health

Ramnaresh Sarwan also donated a $100,000 coaching kit to the BCB to aid in the development of youth players.

Jerry Karim of Blairmont received the Brian Ramphal Father of the Year award while Veronica Cecil was recipient of the Brian Ramphal Mother of the Year award. The vibrant Upper Corentyne Cricket Association received 28 sets of coloured uniforms for its members from the popular businessman entity Price is Right Supermarket.

Former BCB President Anil Beharry also raised funds to obtain cricket pitch covers worth $320,000, which are currently being stored at the Albion Ground.

An additional 9 new cricket clubs were formed in 2020, while the BCB also coorganised a children’s Mash

Gajnabi scored the first female double-century at the intercounty female level, and Veersammy Permaul earned a welcome recall to the West Indies team. Kevin Sinclair and Nial Smith made their first-class debut for Guyana, while Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond and Kevlon Anderson represented the West Indies at World Cup tournaments in Australia and South Africa.

Other Berbicians to either represent the Guyana team, the Amazon Warriors or the West Indies in 2020 were Devindra Bishoo, Anthony Bramble, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith, Shimron Hetmyer, Shabika Gajnabi, Motie, Permaul and Romario Shepherd. Shepherd became the latest Berbician to score a first-class century when he

y

t-Class centur

his maiden Firs

b l a ste d 133 for West Indies ‘A’ vs New Zealand ‘A’. Other highlights for 2020 included the induction of Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, as the board’s first Honorary Patron, the launching of Mortimer George’s book, “Know Your Heroes”, hosting of the Brian Ramphal Special Awards Ceremony, and meetings with several key Government Ministers, including Attorney General Anil Nandlal, Minister of Sports Charles Ramson Jnr, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton.

The proactive BCB also created history when it awarded its first ever educational scholarship to the University of Guyana with sponsorship from the Ministry of Agriculture. The year ended with a donation of $1.5M worth of cricket gear and uniforms from former West Indies Opener Clayton Lambert.

The BCB also played a major role in the funeral arrangement for the legendary Basil Butcher by hosting a Night of Reflection at the Port Mourant Ground and co-organising his funeral service.

2020 also saw Berbice Cricket mourning the death of umpire Ganga Persaud Shivdyal and players Jerome Andrews and Sherwin Murray.

Foster hailed the cooperation of his executives, the Berbice Umpires Association, the Regional Democratic Council and sponsors of Berbice Cricket.

Special mention has been made of Brian Ramphal, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, Dr. Puran Singh, Nand Persaud Co. Ltd, Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Romario Shepherd, Shimron Hetmyer, Price is Right Supermarket, Ansa McAL, Trophy Stall, Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4R Bearings, Mike’s Pharmacy, Lewison General Store, Office of the Prime Minister, Busta, Raffik Construction, Chandradat Chintamani, Clayton Lambert, and Sarishwar Persaud among others. The board would also like to acknowledge the contribution of the media, especially Kaieteur News, Stabroek News, Guyana Chronicle, Guyana Times, DTV-8, LRTVS CH10, NCN, NTN and News Room.

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23

GFF releases proposed 2021 competition schedule – awaiting COVID-19 Task Force approval

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ased on the successes of the recently concluded year-end ‘Bounceback Football Classic’, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has moved to propose a comprehensive competitions calendar for 2021, subject to conditions and approvals from the National COVID-19 Task Force.

Under the proposals, competitive matches could kick off as early as mid-January with an official GFF futsal tournament, while full leagues and tournaments for men, women, boys and girls are provisionally slated to commence in March.

All competitions are contingent on a safe and secure playing environment, and can proceed only with the approval of the authorities.

Many countries around the world have resumed sporting activities despite the ongoing

A snippet of the action from the ‘Bounceback’ trial tournament

pandemic, via spectator-free or partially-attended events, with rigid health and safety measures such as social distancing, masks, squad bubbles, and testing in place.

Careful planning for this year’s proposed competitions has formed a crucial part of the 100-day “Bounceback”

initiative under the UEFA Assist programme, in which football administration experts from European associations have supported the GFF team in its preparations for the responsible resumption of football.

“Following the huge success of the year-end tournament, where we were able to show

GFF’s proposed schedule for 2021

that football can be staged safely once the correct measures are in place, we are now hoping to move to the next phase of ‘Bounceback’ as we progress towards the careful return of competitive football in Guyana,” said GFF President Wayne Forde.

CWI extends condolences on passing of Sandals’ founder and Chairman Gordon "Butch" Stewart – still optimistic Sandals Resorts will return as Windies primary sponsor

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ricket West Indies (CWI) is paying tribute to Gordon “Butch” Stewart, who sadly passed away on Monday.

Mr Stewart, the outstanding Jamaican businessman and entrepreneur, was the founder and Chairman of Sandals International Resorts - the long-standing and valued partners of West Indies cricket.

Stewart was a stalwart of the Caribbean society, an iconic figure across the region, and a true supporter of the game of cricket at all levels.

Speaking on behalf of CWI, President Ricky Skerritt said: “CWI mourns the passing of The Honourable Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, OJ, and sends our sincere condolences to his family. He was a life-long West Indies cricket fan, fierce champion of the Caribbean, and a major commercial partner. He was also a true West Indian legend in his own right. He established unique and very successful Caribbean

brands, and created many opportunities for young men and women across this region to grow.”

Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies are engaged in what they describe as ‘positive discussions’ with Sandals Resorts for the latter to resume as their primary sponsor.

Sandals signed on as the C W I ’ s primary sponsor i n 2 0 1 8 , in a

partnership that covered all West Indies teams from U15s through to the senior men’s and women’s outfits.

The Sandals’ logo featured on all West Indies playing and training kits as part of the deal, which expired at the end of last year.

Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave has confirmed to Sportsmax.TV that p o s i t i ve

discussions are ongoing. He indicated that there would likely be a temporary halt in those discussions following the news on Monday night of the passing of Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, the founder of the Sandals Resorts.

He, however, indicated that the discussions would resume at an “appropriate time”.

(Sportsmax)

Gayle targets 3rd World Cup title with Windies

W

est Indies star batsman Chris Gayle has made it clear that he is looking forward to the T20 World Cup, with high hopes of helping the regional team win a third title.

Gayle’s last appearance for the Windies, a One Day International match at the Queen’s Park Oval last year, was a dramatic affair as he walked off the field to applause from both sets of players and fans. The special occasion was thought to be his retirement from international cricket.

Following that match, Gayle turned down the selection to an ODI series against India, after insisting that he needed some time off to figure out his future.

Since then, however, Gayle has had a complete reversal of

thought when it comes to the idea of retirement.

The big left-hander recently showed that he remains capable of producing plenty of fireworks, after an outstanding season in the Indian Premier League (IPL). After being left on the bench at the start of the tournament, the insertion of Gayle into the line-up fuelled an impressive run for Kings XI Punjab, who narrowly missed out on

making t h e playoffs. During the tournament, Gayle became the first player to reach 1000 T20 sixes.

Having found himself in that type of form,

retirement is understandably now the furthest thing from this batsman’s mind, and he is ready to take that kind of form into international cricket. “ I ’ m enjoying my cricket, to be honest with you. I just recently p l aye d the IPL in

Dubai and did well, now I have the T10. Honestly, I’ve been feeling good, I’ve been putting in some work,” Gayle said.

The player admits that he already has one eye on the ICC T20 Championships, which will be held in November of this year.

“I’m just getting myself in condition. I still have a lot of cricket to play. I’m looking forward to the World Cup and, hopefully, giving the West Indies another T20 title,” he said.

Gayle

h a s not played in a T20 international since March of last year, but intends to be part of the squad in lead up matches to the tournament.

(Sportsmax)

“However, with the COVID-19 pandemic still causing great suffering and disruption around the world, it is vital to emphasise that these competitions will only take place once the conditions allow and as the authorities feel it is safe. When we do move forward, we will ensure that all the necessary measures are in place to protect the wellbeing of our community.”

The GFF’s own COVID-19 Task Force will continue to oversee and implement the Federation’s “Bounceback” strategy, with regional associations and private entities required to submit proposals for tournaments for review, to ensure appropriate health and safety protocols are in place.

The year-end tournament, which featured three matches played without fans and with strict health measures in place, was staged as a dry run for the

return of football in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, and the Kashif & Shanghai Organisation.

If all goes to plan under the GFF schedule, this year will feature seven months of sustained competitive football for senior men and women, with a similar tournament duration for each layer of youth football, in line with FIFA guidelines for funding and optimal development.

“In order to give our homegrown talent the best chance to reach its full potential, especially after the disruption of 2020, we will make every attempt possible with the support of the authorities to complete as much of this ambitious programme as we can,” said Forde.

“If any competitions cannot be completed as scheduled for any reason, we will find new dates when conditions allow.”

CONCACAF announces cancellation of U-17, U-20 championships

Guyana’s Omari Glasgow challenging an opponent at last year’s competition

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ONCACAF has announced the cancellation of both its Under-17 and Under-20 youth championships in light of FIFA’s recent announcement to shutter the FIFA U-17 and U-20 Men’s World Cups, scheduled to take place in Peru and Indonesia later this year.

The U-20 tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Honduras between 20 June and 5 July 2020.

However, following onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tournament was initially pushed forward to later this year. The U-17 competition suffered a similar fate.

With the spread of the virus continuing to affect safety concerns and travelling ability, FIFA

announced the decision to cancel both tournaments last week. With the CONCACAF tournaments serving as qualifiers for the World Cups, the Confederation decided to follow suit. As part of the decision, FIFA announced the next editions will be held in 2023 at the venues that were to host the 2021 editions of the tournaments.

Jamaica (1999, 2011), Trinidad and Tobago (2001, 2007) and Haiti (2007, 2019), and Cuba (1989, 1991) are the Caribbean teams to have qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup editions. At the Under-20 level, Trinidad and Tobago (1991, 2009) Jamaica (2001), and Cuba (2013) have qualified to be in the finals.

(Sportsmax)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021

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

CWI extends condolences on passing of Sandals’ Founder and Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart

GFF releases proposed 2021 Competition schedule

– still optimistic Sandals Resorts will return as Windies’ primary sponsor Pg 23 – awaiting COVID-19 Task Force approval

Page 23

Berbice Cricket Board enjoyed productive 2020 despite COVID-19 pandemic

– 2021 promises to be most successful in BCB history

Page 22

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