Guyana Times - Wednesday, October 13, 2021

CSEC, CAPE results to be announced on Thursday; NGSA on Friday

P2 Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 4799

THE BEACON OF TRUTH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

PRICE

APNU/AFC made unrealistic renewable energy pledge – VP Jagdeo

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE:

CANU intercepts nail technician with cocaine in curry, pepper pot at CJIA P22

See story on page 3

...says Govt now fixing Guyana’s credibility on int’l stage

Urgent actions needed to contain effects of COVID-19 pandemic – Finance Minister Page 22

48% COVID deaths are from Reg 4 with 42% population

Page 7

Pastor, relative robbed in home invasion P10 Co-accused confesses to killing Diamond businesswoman P11 in 2013

Page 9

“We’re getting ready” — NR Minister on Guyana’s capacity to regulate underground mining

…6 more unvaccinated persons die, 33 in ICU

City Hall warned of ‘suspicious’ undervaluing, disposal of public assets …Georgetown not personal property of M&CC — Local Government Minister

Page 19

Woman dies after allegedly consuming P5 wine with energy drink Sweetie vendor found guilty of raping intoxicated P8 woman Rapist begs CCJ to reduce 23-year jail sentence P22

2 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CSEC, CAPE results to be announced on Thursday; NGSA on Friday

T

he Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) will be announcing the highly-anticipated results of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE) at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Thursday.

This was communicated

by the Education Ministry, which added that results from the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) will follow on Friday, with the announcement at the National Centre for Education Resource Development (NCERD) at Kingston, Georgetown.

Apart from the release, it was previously revealed that CXC results would be available to candidates on the on-

line portal from October 15, 2021.

The NGSA was written on August 4 and 5. It was prepared based on topics up to the Grade Five level in the consolidated curriculum, which was prepared by the Ministry in collaboration with Canadian experts.

“The Council’s involvement in some of these areas was done for the first time this year and will continue in the years to come to offer age-appropriate examinations that are fairly and transparently marked and that bear the CXC mark of integrity for which the examining body is renowned across the world,” the statement said on Tuesday.

CXC had – for the first time since it began setting, marking and managing the NGSA in 2016 – completed a process of verification to ensure that the scores that were earned by the

candidates were recorded and reflected accurately and fairly in the candidates’ placement.

Chief Examiners and Assistant Chief Examiners employed by CXC checked an appropriate sample of the NGSA examination scripts. These scripts, which were housed in containers specially sealed by CXC in a manner that would allow detection of any tampering, were opened in the presence of the CXC Supervisor.

The standardised scores were also quality checked

by CXC to ensure that they match what has been given

by CXC to the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) and that the consequential standardised scores reflect the way the candidates worked.

For the 2021 assessment, there were 33 new examination centres spread across

the 11 education districts.

Some 14,300 Grade Six students wrote the assessment – an increase over last year, when only 14,032 candidates wrote the exam.

According to the Ministry, the 2022 examination will be based on the same consolidated curriculum and is scheduled to be written on Wednesday,

July 6 and Thursday, July 7, 2022.

Similar to what obtained for the 2021 NGSA, CXC will prepare the 2022 examination, supervise its administration, mark the scripts, conduct quality checks, and will also conduct consequential reviews if any are requested. (G12)

NEWS

3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS OPENINGS BRIDGE

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

Wednesday, October 13 – 10:30h-12:00h and Thursday, October 14 – 00:30h-02:00h and 11:30h-13:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, October 13 – 09:50h-11:20h and Thursday, October 14 –11:35h-13:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunny conditions are expected in the early morning hours followed by cloudy skies into the evening hours. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

APNU/AFC made unrealistic renewable energy pledge – VP Jagdeo …says Govt now fixing Guyana’s credibility on int’l stage

D

uring a visit to Paris in 2016 by then President David Granger, he promised the international community that Guyana would achieve 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025, but then Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had derided this commitment as an unrealistic pipe dream.

Sure enough, in 2018, the then Head of the Office of Climate Change (OCC), Janelle Christian had admit-

they had pledged by 2025,” the Vice President noted.

“For a very long time, we debated whether we should submit new NDCs. Because globally, it would be seen as lowering ambition while everyone else is talking about increasing ambition (to lowering carbon emissions).

Eventually we said, we can’t continue to mislead the world. That has to change.”

As a consequence, Jagdeo noted that the

Winds: Northerly to West North-Westerly between 1.78 metres and 3.58 metres.

High Tide: 09:57h and 22:19h reaching maximum heights of 2.11 metres and 2.16 metres.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

Low Tide: 15:46h reaching a minimum height of 1.19 metres.

The COP26 summit will be held next month

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2021

LOTTERY NUMBERS I

13 16 18

19 20 28

FREE TICKET

23 Bonus Ball

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2021

DAILY MILLIONS

03 18 19 23 24 LUCKY 3

5

3

2

5

Afternoon Draw

1

7

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01 05 11 12 15 19 20 SUPER

PAY DAY

PAY DAY

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2021

01 06 07 10 13 13

08 10 11 17 20

2

4 Afternoon Draw

2X Afternoon Draw

2

9 Evening Draw

2X Evening Draw

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

COMMODITIES Indicators

US$

Change %

Crude Oil

$83.42/barrel

-0.28

Rough Rice

$246. 33/ton

-0.15

London Sugar

$521.90/ton

+0.42

Live Spot Gold

USD Per Ounce

Bid/Ask

$1760.80

$1761.80

Low/High Change

$1753.70 + 0.80

$1770.80 + 0.05%

ted that Granger’s target was not achievable and would have to be reviewed.

On Monday, Vice President Jagdeo led a national stakeholder consultation at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) aimed at updating Guyana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) ahead of the convening of the United Nations COP26 summit.

The stakeholder consultation did not go smoothly, however, as A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) Amanza Walton-Desir, who, along with fellow MP Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, was there by Government invitation, gave a speech denouncing the stakeholder consultation.

According to the MP, the consultation was not broad enough and did not include women and youth, as well as the Indigenous community. And while she claimed that the updated NDCs would condemn Guyana to a carbonised future, WaltonDesir was not able to identify any specific issues with the NDCs. In his address to the attendees, Jagdeo took WaltonDesir and, by extension, the APNU/AFC Opposition to task noting that the Government had no choice but to revise the NDCs downwards since the former Government made a lofty commitment and then for five years did little by way of renewable projects to make it a reality.

“How do you raise ambition from 100 per cent pledge?

In fact, this proposal that we have here would be lowering ambition. And that is what we wanted to avoid. We did not want to say to the rest of the world that it’s impossible, the last Government made a mess of everything and it’s impossible to achieve what

People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government came to the consultations with the view of lowering the 100 per cent commitment. Additionally, he explained that unlike the former Government who he said only sought soundbites with little to back them up, the PPP/C Government has a detailed road map for achieving the NDCs. “The gas-to-energy project will, hopefully, by 2024, 2025, cut our emissions by 50

per cent. And then with solar, we hope to do between 30 to 50 megawatts of solar. And with the hydro, we’ve just opened the tender for hydro, we’re hoping that by 2027, we will probably achieve a 70 per cent cut in emissions,” he said.

Jagdeo noted that with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) currently supplying approximately 140 megawatts of power, 500 megawatts of new power from renewable sources will severely cut emissions. And according to him, nothing has changed when it comes to the adaptation measures that were agreed on in previous consultations under the former Government.

“That’s realistic. We have projects to achieve that. We don’t just talk. And that is the major change. Nothing has changed on the adap-

tation side. We have to prevent our sea from coming in and flooding us. We have to manage water, so we don’t get flooded out… we have to tackle drought in maybe the hinterland areas,” Jagdeo said.

The COP26 summit, which will be held in Glasgow, Scotland next month, will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Jagdeo has been a leading figure in Guyana’s efforts to prepare for the summit, with the former President leading an expert team to Suriname last month to coordinate a common strategy with the Surinamese Government to deal with issues of climate change and the environment.

4

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 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

I

Making the prison system aligned to rehabilitation

n today’s society, even teenagers are committing some of the most heinous crimes imaginable, inclusive of physical attacks, oftentimes leading to murder.

There is absolutely no excuse for the commission of criminal activities, but there is great scope for redemption and rehabilitation of prisoners.

Most young people who have been inculcated with a moral compass and consequently adhere to discipline will adjust accordingly, but there are some youths who have no guiding force or role model pointing them in the right direction. This group finds it preferable to pick up a weapon and try to extract quick riches from the unwary, even if they have to kill to obtain the spoils of their forays into criminality.

They subsequently most often become hardened criminals who have no compunction for their actions, and often display no compassion for their victims, indiscriminately depriving them of their property, money, and lives without thinking of the devastation they wreak on the families, especially vulnerable dependents such as elderly parents and children.

Having perfected the art of escape after the execution of their crimes, oftentimes, when they are caught after a long career of theft and murder, they are treated as ‘firsttime offenders’, figuratively rapped on the knuckles by bleeding hearts of some judicial officials and with minimum punishment.

Incarceration, especially with hard labour, is meant to act as a deterrent to engagement in criminal activities in civil societies, and this should ideally work concurrently with rehabilitation to reintegrate prisoners into families, communities, and the society at large. It is the general consensus that prisoners should be treated humanely. They were caught committing their crimes, while many criminals have been getting away without discovery.

During his tenure, retired Director of Prisons Dale Erskine created synergies to make the prison system more aligned to rehabilitation rather than punishment. He incorporated new programmes in the prison system to create a dynamic whereby prison was no longer somewhere merely to lock away people found guilty of aberrant behaviour, but where the inmates could be guided, directed, and encouraged to change their thinking and attitude into more positive, achievements-oriented directions. That change was a work in progress throughout Erskine’s tenure as initially Officerin-Charge of the Georgetown Prison, and then Director of Prisons.

The changes wrought by the forward, humanistic thinking of Erskine were multi-faceted and transformational. One of the programmes he set in motion was the identification and employment of a skilled bank of prisoners who were at least risk of escaping or engaging in additional criminal activities.

The prisoners were thus enabled to earn an income, part of which provided for their own needs and the needs of relatives, including young children left defenceless as their mothers struggle to take care of their prerequisites for survival. Some saved for their own upkeep upon their release, because the world knows that for a person with a prison record, finding employment is a difficult feat.

However, there are those who are considered beyond human redemption, because they have become so hardened in their hearts that opportunities for atonement go abegging. In those cases, protective services have to be vigilant that these persons are completely assured of their restored sense of right and wrong, and their intention to continue to adhere to the laws of the land.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips; Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira and Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal paid a courtesy call on New York State Senator for the 19th District, Roxanne J Persaud on Tuesday. The Democrat State Senator has served in her position since 2015. She won re-election in 2016, 2018 and 2020. She was born in St Cuthbert’s Mission (Office of the Prime Minister photo)

The fireball still glows brightly

Dear Editor, Guyana has many persons who have outstanding histories in their own spheres of operation. Unfortunately, we do not seem to be producing enough historians who can bring their stories to life.

That would be a great contribution, because the lives of those outstanding persons could inspire many others to achieve great heights.

These persons include several women. One of whom comes to mind immediately is Ms. Patricia Benn. She played a leading role in what was clearly the most difficult period in this country’s history. She was a youth leader, a women’s leader, and a champion in the independence struggle. But more of her later.

Today I want to focus on another giant of a woman, whose contributions to where we are at present are also tremendous. She is Mrs. Philomena Sahoye-Shury.

Today (October 13) we will be celebrating her 90th birthday. Reaching this milestone is by itself a great achievement. However, there were 90 glorious years filled with struggles, joys, disappointments, danger and daring exploits.

At the time of Philo’s birth, Guyana was a colony, British Guiana. The vast majority of people were poor and oppressed. The people had very few civil and political rights. Voting, for instance, was the preserve of the rich and well-born.

The people were just beginning to stir, and were gradually becoming aware

of their circumstances. This was seen in the beginning of the formation of trade unions in our country. Philo herself was born into a class just above that of the workers.

She was a Vieira. That wellknown family in our country had enjoyed more social and financial security than most.

She was fifteen years old when Cheddi and Janet Jagan, Ashton Chase and Joslyn Hubbard began the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) and took the first steps in the fight for freedom.

Philo was one of the young people who became highly motivated by the vision that the PAC comrades had expressed and embraced, and the ideals they were fighting for. Her sense of justice and strong feelings for the working people, the oppressed and downtrodden masses, propelled her into the ranks of the PPP. She rose to prominence in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when the PPP was encouraging and organising the sugar workers to form a union. The union which had made a powerful impact on the workers, the Guiana industrial Workers Union (GIWU), became defunct after the split of the PPP in 1955.

When the new union was formed, Philomena became the General Secretary, while Harry Lall occupied the position as President of the union. It was first called the Guiana Sugar Workers Union, that name came as a suggestion of Philomena’s.

It was later changed to the Guyana Agricultural

Workers Union (GAWU).

It was here that she was tested. She was foraged in the fire of struggle, and became a woman of steel. In this position, Philo led many demonstrations, and was known as an uncompromising champion of the workers in general and sugar workers in particular.

During the bitter struggle for recognition in the early 1960s, and in 1964 in particular, Philo stood out as a great fighter. She made rousing speeches at mammoth rallies in challenging the sugar gods. She was so forceful that she was called the “Fireball”. That was an endearing name for the workers, but one that evoked caution and respect from the sugar bosses.

Philomena was charged on numerous occasions, and was dragged before the courts, charged with sedition.

This was during the strike that evolved for recognition.

Indeed, it was while she was on her way to the Rose Hall Court in June of 1964, to answer one of those charges, that she was once again arrested and detained. She was the only woman that the colonial Police arrested in that period. She was at the centre of that tremendous and heroic struggle. She bore prison with great fortitude, and refused to bend to the oppressors’ will, as many had done before.

Philo was more than just a trade unionist. She was a political leader, and served in the leadership of the PPP for many years. She was one of the leaders of the Freedom

March, along with L.S.H Singh, Michael Forde, and others.

Philo also served as a member of the National Assembly for many years.

She was forced into exile after she married Dr. Shury.

The story I heard about that was that Dr. Shury was afraid of what the PNC would do to him for marrying that PPP rebel. The African Guyanese members and supporters of the PPP were attacked brutally with double vengeance by PNC terrorists.

However, on returning to Guyana, the Fireball resumed from where she had left off.

In the years since 1992, Philo worked as Deputy Mayor of Georgetown. She should have been Mayor, but, as is characteristic of the PNC, they reneged on agreement they had on the issue of rotating the Mayorship. That took place between 1994 and 1997.

Philo went back to the National Assembly, where she continued to champion workers’ causes. She also worked throughout the country, organising and mobilising communities to improve their circumstances.

Philo has always been loved and respected at all levels of the PPP and the country. She served the people of Guyana with great distinction, and is truly a living legend of this land.

Happy birthday, Philo!

Sincerely, Donald Ramotar Former President

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

5

News

Woman dies after allegedly consuming wine with energy drink

A

cleaner has died at the Leonora Cottage Hospital after consuming a mixture of wine and energy erink on Monday.

Dead is 50-year-

old Allison Noble of Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

The Police have said that on Sunday, at about 20:30h, Police ranks attached to the Tucshen

Outpost received a report that a woman was seen lying in the Tuschen Housing Scheme. On arrival, they found the woman lying in an unconscious state at the Tuschen car park.

Based on investigations, it was revealed that Noble was consuming a locally made wine and the energy drink, which resulted in her feeling unwell.

She reportedly col-

lapsed at the said car park, and was picked up and taken to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where she was treated and admitted a patient. She, however, suc-

cumbed on Monday.

A post mortem is expected to be carried out to determine the cause of her death. No marks of violence were found on her body.

Mistaken belief of not having to Operationalising face a trial is finally put to rest the Affiance Community Library

Dear Editor, In my last letter, I highlighted the fact that there is a nexus between the burning of the Brickdam Police Station and the political undercurrents attached to it.

My reason follows the logical sequence of events; that is, the inordinate enquiry

by Opposition elements as to what type of documents were destroyed in the fire.

They kept plugging away at the point whether it was the SOPs for Region 4 that were destroyed in that fire, the expressed intention being mission accomplished, if it were those SOPs.

They would have gloated in the fact that the destruction meant there would be no evidence to present in a court of law, hence no case of wrongdoing against the infamous seven persons charged. It would have been a time of rejoicing for them.

Well, I am happy to an-

Encourage young people to open up about their concerns Dear Editor, As a person who has been actively involved in education - especially of the young people of Guyana - in my long career as a teacher and a qualified counsellor: in schools, in seminars all over our country, and in my weekly columns as Uncle Roy, I now see the need for parents of young children, especially teenagers, to make a concerted effort to encourage their children to speak to them regularly about their personal problems.

We all know of the frequent incidents when our

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

young people have committed suicide, or at least tried to end their lives. This is because by themselves they see no way out of their problems, except to end it all. This would certainly not be the case if they are assured of help by their parents, or others whom they can trust.

I believe that many parents feel they are not able to solve their children’s problems, and so hesitate to get involved; but they must appreciate that, as human beings, we are each endowed with an innate power to move towards the answers

to the challenges that we encounter as we move through life. Most times, all it needs is for us to be able to confide in others and bring our troubles into the open.

I am now urging all parents and guardians of children to develop a routine, say weekly, in which they make a determined effort to gain the confidence of their children, and encourage them to open up about their concerns, and at least try to ease any problematic situation.

Yours sincerely, Roy Paul

nounce that their happiness is short-lived, because the SOPs are safe and secure, and will be in evidence when the time of trial comes.

Like the IT technician who conveniently felt unwell, and Mr Mingo who had that brief but suspicious “heart attack,” soon, and very soon, there will be instant bouts of diarrhoea when this trial begins. The point I am making is that the mistaken belief of not having to face a trial is finally put to rest, this matter will be tried and dire consequences would follow.

The infamous seven and their associates must come to the realisation that rigging would not be tolerated anymore in this country.

Guyana will remain a democratic state run by democratically-elected officials in a free and fair system, as well as a system free from fear. No longer would rigging be an item on our political landscape.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

Dear Editor, On behalf of the residents of the villages of Affiance, Taymouth Manor and Capoey on the Essequibo Coast, I wish to sincerely thank Mohammed Arafat Qualander, the owner of “Queensway Security” of Regent and Oronoque Streets, Georgetown, and Seearam Dabicharran (originally from Perseverance, Essequibo Coast) the owner of “Dabi’s Variety” of Lot 40 Robb Street, Georgetown, for their generous donation of over 200 school text books to the Affiance Community Library.

The library is one of the projects of the Affiance Community Cohesion Group, which consists of community volunteers working on social projects defined by the community. The concept of the library is to facilitate a storytelling programme, early borrowers, and text books borrowers for students pursuing online studies.

When the Government reopened schools, it was pri-

or to the completion of the physical space to house the library. That triggered the volunteers to assess needs for textbooks that are required (which were not provided by the Ministry of Education) by students of the three communities, whose parents are experiencing a challenge to purchase the books. Having determined the needs, efforts were made to acquire the books.

The text books will belong to the library, and will be borrowed by the parents for the duration that they are required by the students.

Thereafter, they will be returned and be made available to other batches of students.

Hope you will publish my letter in your newspaper as encouragement to other persons and donors to assist in community development projects.

Yours sincerely, Lalita Saytoo Community Youth Programme

6

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

Page

Foundation

Materials

• Copper tape (1 spool) • 2032 coin cell batteries (2) • LEDs (assorted 20-pack) • Additional materials you will need from home: • Construction paper • Scotch® tape • Scissors • Paper clip or binder clip • Optional: Markers, coloured pencils, or crayons

By Mother Goose A pocket full of rye, Four and twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie.

Procedure

Cut two long strips of copper tape. Remove the paper backing from the tape, and place them near the edge of a piece of paper, parallel to each other. The strips should be about half an inch apart, and one strip should not go all the way to the edge of the paper.

Look closely at one of your LEDs. The LED has two legs, called leads (pronounced "leeds"). One of them is slightly longer than the other.

Carefully bend the leads of the LED, and use Scotch tape to attach each lead to a strip of the copper tape. The LED should be pointing upward. Important: Make sure to place your LED's leads as they are labelled in the figure. The longer lead should be on the outer strip of copper tape (the one closer to the edge of the paper), and the shorter lead should be on the inner strip.

Place the coin cell battery on top of the inner piece of copper tape (the one farther from the edge). The writing on the coin cell (the side with the "+" symbol) should be facing up Fold over the corner of the piece of paper so the second strip of copper tape contacts the top of the battery.

When the pie was opened The birds began to sing— Wasn't that a dainty dish To set before the king?

This should cause your LED to light up.

If your LED does not light up, you probably have either the battery or the LED leads backwards. Try flipping one of them around, then try again.

If your LED still does not light up, try pressing down harder on the battery, and press down on the LED leads. The battery and LED leads must be in good contact with the copper tape to complete a circuit and cause the LED to light up.

User a paper clip or a binder clip to hold the battery in place so the LED will stay lit. Congratulations! You just made your first paper circuit.

Now you can expand your paper circuit into an art project. The following steps will show you how to make modifications so you can come up with your own creative project. This is an open-ended project, so you can decide what you want to do.

To add more LEDs, simply tape them down the same way you taped down your first LED. Make sure the LEDs' long

leads are all touching the same piece of copper tape, and the short leads are all touching the other piece of copper tape.

If an LED does not light up, try flipping around its leads. If it still does not light up, make sure it is taped down securely so the leads are in firm contact with the copper tape.

You can mix and match red, green, and yellow LEDs, and they will all light up.

However, the blue LEDs will not light up if they are matched with red, green, or yellow LEDs. You can only use blue LEDs with other blue LEDs (this has to do with something called voltage; blue LEDs require more voltage than the other colours).

The copper tape, Scotch tape, and metal LED leads might interfere with your artwork a bit. To make your artwork look less cluttered, you can poke holes in the paper so the LEDs stick through to the other side, and all the other parts are hidden on the back of the paper. Follow the sub-steps below to do this.

Use the LED leads (or another sharp point, like a pencil or pen) to poke two small holes in the paper.

Poke the LED leads through from the opposite side of the paper.

Bend the LED leads down and tape them to the copper tape. Important: Remember that the LED's long lead should touch the outer piece of copper tape (the one closer to the edge of the paper), and the short lead should touch the inner piece of tape.

Now, when you look at the paper from the other side, only the LED is poking through, with none of the other parts visible.

Use a paper clip to hold your battery in place, just like you did before.

If your LED does not light up, try flipping the battery around.

Now, what if you want to spread your LEDs out, all around a piece of paper?

You can do this by using longer pieces of copper tape. You can kink or bend the tape to create curved shapes. Just make sure the two pieces of tape do not touch each other

The king was in the counting-house Counting out his money, The queen was in the parlor Eating bread and honey, The maid was in the garden Hanging out the clothes.

Along came a blackbird And snipped off her nose.

Source: Knock at a Star (1999)

(this will create a short circuit and prevent the LEDs from lighting up).

Lay out copper tape so you can place LEDs where you want them. Attach the LEDs using the steps above.

Remember that the longer lead of each LED should touch the outer piece of tape, and the shorter leads should touch the inner piece of tape.

Can you combine everything you learned in the previous steps to make a paper circuit art project of your own? For example, here is a picture with the LEDs in the centres of flowers.

For a more-advanced project, try making a three-dimensional folded structure.

This will require more plan-

ning for how you lay out your copper tape. For example, the birthday cake below has LED candles.

Clean-up

If you will be away from your paper circuit for a long time, disconnect the battery.

This will prevent the battery from draining.

What happened?

You should have been able to get multiple LEDs to light up by connecting them to a battery using copper tape. This is because you built an electrical circuit. The battery provides electricity to the LEDs, causing them to light up. (Ben Finio, PhD, Science Buddies)

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

“We’re getting ready” – NR Minister on Guyana’s capacity to regulate underground mining

Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat

W

hile admitting that the country is not where it needs to be in order to properly regulate underground mining, Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat has said that steps are being taken to ensure the necessary capacity is built.

He gave the assurance during the opening of a course on drilling and blasting procedures at the Regency Hotel on Tuesday.

The course has been organised by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), in collaboration with ORICA Mining Services and the Natural Resources Ministry.

“For the first time, Guyana will be venturing into underground mining. It had to happen at some point in time. Are we ready? Well, we’re getting ready. I don’t think we’re ready as yet, but we’re getting ready,” the Minister said.

“And today again is a step in that direction, to ensure that our regulatory

agency, GGMC, is readying themselves to approve, to monitor underground mining, to ensure that there’s proper safety practices, to ensure that blasting is done in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner,” Minister Bharrat added.

The Minister also spoke of the need for persons in the industry to be willing to adapt to changes, while also noting the importance of the course itself in order to maintain the highest of standards in the industry.

“Mining, I must say, is here to stay, but there will be changes, and changes that we will have to adapt to as we move forward. Because we have already moved forward since the effects of climate change only recently in Guyana and around the world, and as we move forward more and more, climate change will be in focus more and more,” he said.

“The natural resources sector will be in focus, and we’ll be asked to change old methods into new ones.

We’ll be asked to do things differently, we’ll be asked to be more responsible, and that we will,” Bharrat added.

Meanwhile, GGMC Commissioner (ag) Newell Dennison urged his staff to pay keen attention to the course. According to him, an industry as technically based as theirs requires constant updates and refreshers.

“This is a refresher course, and it brings to the surface that, in anything we do, especially in the technical arena, there must be things current, as times and circumstances change.

There must also be imbedded the rules of thumb that are time- tested, particularly where we are looking to enhance safety, promote efficiency, and inculcate a mindset for the best in class,” he said.

So far, exploratory underground mining has started at Aurora Gold Mines in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Underground mining is also planned by Australia- based mining company Troy Resources, which had said earlier in the year that it was planning to start in the last quarter of 2021 in Region Seven.

In a market update in May 2021, however, Troy subsequently revealed it had hit a snag in its preparations for what was supposed to be its first underground mine in Guyana, the Smarts Underground Prospect.

The company had said that previous timelines for starting production at the underground site would be delayed, while listing a

A section of the attendees at the course

number of underlying factors. These factors include additional drilling being requested by the geotechnical consultants, the resource calculation, as well as lack of

contractors and service providers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was noted that, despite these setbacks, all the signs point to the Smarts

Underground Mine being a very valuable asset.

According to Troy, approximately 290,000 ounces of gold have been mapped at the site. (G3)

8 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Sweetie vendor found guilty of raping intoxicated woman

F

rancis Gonsalves, a sweetie vendor who has been found guilty of rape by a 12-member jury on Tuesday, will today return to the Demerara High Court for sentencing by Justice Preya Sewnarine-Beharry.

Previously convicted for break and enter and larceny, unlawful and malicious wounding, damage to property, breach of protection order, and disorderly behaviour, Gonsalves has now been convicted of raping a female at Charity, Essequibo Coast.

Gonsalves was represented by Attorney-at-law Ravindra Mohabir, whom

Convicted rapist Francis Gonsalves

the convict claimed was not in contact with him during the trial. He is decrying an unfair trial.

The attorney, however, reportedly told the court that he had been in contact with the accused on several occasions.

The matter was prosecuted by Tiffini Lyken, who told the court that the defendant showed no remorse for the said crime.

Back in 2018, Gonsalves had attempted to jump through the window of the Suddie Magistrate’s Court after being told by Magistrate Sunil Scarce that he would

be sent to prison.

It was reported that Gonsalves attacked and forcefully raped the 35-yearold victim, of Charity Squatting Area, in some bushes. The victim reported that she had been in the company of a friend at a drinking spot in Charity, and after leaving for home at about 3:00h, the accused attacked her and committed the act.

She was reportedly under the influence of alcohol.

After a report was made to the Police, Gonsalves was arrested and charged with the offence.

ss

The New World...

W

…order? hile we remain embroiled in our petty, low-grade, internecine warfare that has kept us barefooted and pregnant (with fears!) for the last 50 years, there’s a world out there that’s changing so fast we might as well be going backwards for all we know! Hundreds of years ago (1492 to be exact), when ole Columbus set out in those three caravels - remember from Lil ABC? the Pinta, the Nina and the Santa Maria? - he set in motion a process that made the West conquer the world in whichever way possible. Politically, socially, culturally economically, epistemologically, philosophically…you get the idea!!

And we know, to our cost, how we were then controlled like puppets on a string to work literally as slaves and Indentured servants to enrich the West. And then after “independence”, through institutions like the IMF, World Bank, WTO and all the alphabet-soup global organisations that worked as their proxies. Do you think it was a coincidence that the 190+ countries in the UN are trumped by the five permanent members of the Security Council, where the West is the majority? Our condition was dubbed way back by Nkrumah of Ghana as “new colonialism”!

And while there was some back-and-forth over the centuries between various western empires, most recently, the top gun was Britain, and then the US after WWII. But all of that looks like it’s crumbling. There are some new emerging economies on the block that have risen to challenge the old order. A couple of decades ago, they were dubbed “BRICS” - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. They met a couple of times to coordinate their challenge to the West…but an attractive acronym wasn’t enough to hold them together.

There were, after all, the ambitions!! Russia was nursing its wounds after losing the Cold War and having its satellites break away from the USSR. Brazil and South Africa were there more for symbolism than anything, and China and India - well, that’s the story, ain’t it? The two most populous countries in the world were also very ancient, and they never forgot that at one time they were literally on top of the world. And that the “west” was just a direction from where they were located!! Remember Columbus was sailing west to reach China and India?? It wasn’t for sightseeing, but their riches!!

Well, the US is still Top Gun, but China and India have moved out of the pack and are jostling to not only surpass the US economically - that’s a given by 2050. But to do so in all the other ways the west consolidated their spot at the top for so long.

And us? …Leader?

In one of the most shocking developments in recent history, the software top honcho for the Pentagon resigned because he was frustrated that the US seems to have conceded supremacy to China in the brave new world that’s evolving. This new world will be so not just because of new leaders - but because it’ll be built on completely new foundations than the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century built on the steam engine.

This one will be built on “software”…the instructions that underpin Artificial Intelligence that will make half of the present world redundant. And the Pentagon fella who resigned says that, in this area, the US is like “kindergarten” compared to the Chinese being in college!! The US has lost the game…story done!!

So, what are we - a small, pint-size country that’s just noticed because of our oil find - make of this? We can’t ignore it? Should we sidle up to China and get into bed?

Well, that’s not too smart an idea.

The Chinese Dragon belches fire!! …and India??

So where does all of this leave India? Well, as a neighbour, they’re sure to rub up against each other.

But while India have held their own in software, they better make up in infrastructure pronto!

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

NEWS

9

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

48% COVID deaths are from Reg 4 with 42% population …6 more unvaccinated persons die, 33 in ICU

GUYANA COVID-19 DASHBOARD OCTOBER 12, 2021 UPDATE

NUMBER OF NEW CASES

S

tatistics on Tuesday revealed that more than 48 per cent of COVID-19 fatalities in Guyana were residents of Region Four (DemeraraMahaica).

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony shared during the daily briefing that of the 848 persons to die from the disease, some 414 hailed from Region Four. This accounts for 48.8 per cent of deaths.

The remaining deaths were dispersed among the other regions, with Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) taking the second spot with 124 fatalities.

There were 43 deaths in Region One (Barima-Waini); 34 in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam); 43 in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); 65 in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne); 39 in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), five in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni); 23 in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 58 in Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice).

Meanwhile, a gender breakdown indicated that 464 of reported deaths were males – 54.7 per cent.

Females accounted for 384 persons or 45.3 per cent.

New deaths, infections

Six new fatalities were announced on Tuesday – five of which were unvaccinated cases and one partially vaccinated.

On October 7, a 60-yearold male from Region Four died. This was followed by a

75

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL ISOLATION 64-year-old male on October 8 and a 64-year-old female on October 9 – both of whom hailed from Region Four.

Then on October 10, a 34-year-old male from Region Four also died, followed by a 73-year-old female on October 11. The last death was recorded since September 29 – an 88-yearold male from Region Three.

Meanwhile, the country also recorded 75 new cases of the novel coronavirus, taking the total positives recorded to date to 33,823.

There are 33 persons in the COVID Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 139 in institutional isolation, 3480 in home isolation, and four in institutional quarantine.

Recoveries from the virus number 29,323.

Regionally, there was one new case in Region One, one in Region Two, 10 in Region Three, 38 in Region Four, five in Region Five, one in Region Six, two in Region Eight, three in Region Nine, and 14 in Region 10.

Region Seven did not report any new cases.

Hospitalised cases stand at 124. At the Infectious Diseases Hospital, 88 persons are receiving treatment.

One person is hospitalised at the Kumaka District Hospital, four at Suddie Hospital, seven at West Demerara Regional Hospital, three at the Mahaicony Hospital, two at the New Amsterdam Hospital, one at Skeldon Hospital, four at Bartica Hospital, one at Mahdia Hospital, and six at the Wismar Hospital.

Vaccination

Some 368,850 or 71.9 per cent of adults have received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Second doses stand at 225,050 or 43.9 per cent.

For the 12-18 age group, 25,919 first doses have been delivered and 15,429 second doses.

The Minister indicated that to date, Guyana has received 305,420 vaccines under the COVAX mechanism, allowing for the vaccination of 152,710 persons.

Initially, COVAX was seeking to distribute vaccines to cover 10 per cent of the population in Advance Market Commitment (AMC) countries. This has since increased.

“WHO [World Health Organisation] wanted to make sure that by December of this year, every country would have achieved at least 40 per cent of their population. I guess with that in mind, COVAX is working to make sure that they get vaccines to countries so that they can immunise 40 per cent of their population,” he underscored.

Speaking about achieving herd immunity locally, the Minister said variants and new infections every day would influence the target.

“We’re trying to get as many people as possible.

To get to herd immunity, it would mean that we have to

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN HOME ISOLATION NUMBER OF PERSONS IN COVID-19 ICU

139 3480 33

NUMBER OF PERSONS IN INSTITUTIONAL QUARANTINE

4

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (FEMALES)

17,816

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES BY GENDER (MALES)

16,007

TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES IN GUYANA SINCE 2020

33,823

NUMBER OF RECOVERED CASES

29,323

TOTAL 1st DOSE VACCINATED

368,850

FULLY IMMUNISED

225,050

TOTAL NUMBER OF DEATHS

848

DISTRIBUTION OF TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES SINCE MARCH 2020 REGION 1

1548

REGION 2

1306

REGION 3

4584

REGION 4

16,192

REGION 5

1185

REGION 6

2383

REGION 7

1697

REGION 8

538

REGION 9

2423

REGION 10

1967

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

Keep a physical distance of at least 6 feet.

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

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

be somewhere between 80 to 90 per cent of our total population. Herd immunity now would vary. The percentage of the population that you have to immunise would vary because of the evolution of the virus. We now have the Delta strain that is the dominant [strain] around the globe. Because that is more transmissible, you have to

get higher percentage of your population immunised,” Dr Anthony explained.

The 80 per cent mark would mean complete vaccination of 410,386 persons.

First-dose uptake has been progressing, but the Ministry must bolster its efforts to drive second-dose uptake.

“When we’re talking about herd immunity, it

would mean that if it is a twodose vaccine series, that the person would have to receive both doses. As it is right now, we’re only at 43.9 per cent of the persons who have been fully vaccinated. So, for the 18 and older age group from the latest stats, that would mean that we have 512, 983 persons in that age category.” (G12)

10 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Gunman nabbed minutes Gunmen storm Cevon’s after robbing woman at LBI Mandela office, escape with vault containing cash M inutes after robbing a 37-year-old businesswoman and a 20-year-old female on Monday along the La Bonne Intention Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD), the 31-year-old perpetrator was arrested.

The women were robbed of an iPhone, 75 grams of raw gold, two handbags, and $55,000 in cash.

It was reported that the victims stopped at a boutique at LBI Public Road after making a drop-off at the

S

even gunmen, during the wee hours of Tuesday, stormed Cevon’s Waste Management Company located at Mandela Avenue, Georgetown, tying up the guards before escaping with a vault containing an undisclosed amount of cash.

Around 02:00h, one of the two guards on duty was at his post in a guard hut in front of the building when he was approached by two gunmen, who said ‘don’t move or we goon kill you!’.

The perpetrators then held the guard at gunpoint and took him to the back of the building where the other security guard was also being held at gunpoint.

At this point, two other

Cevon’s Waste Management

bandits approached and together, they smashed the glass door on the building to gain entry.

The security guards were then taken inside where they were bound with duct tape.

The other bandits then joined the gang and they re-

lieved the security guards of their personal belongings, including their phones.

After collecting the vault, the gunmen exited the building and made good their escape.

Investigations are ongoing.

Ogle Airport.

It was there that the suspect confronted the two woman and held them at gunpoint as he demanded that they hand over their valuables. So, the victims, in fear for their lives, handed over the items.

The suspect then escaped.

The matter was subsequently reported to the Police and using a tracking device on one of the phones, the Police were able to intercept the getaway car at Industry, ECD. The driver of the said mo-

tor car disembarked with a handgun in his hand and began to run. He eventually disposed of the firearm, but it was retrieved and turned out to be a silver Taurus .32 pistol along with a magazine with one .32 round of ammunition and six 9mm rounds.

A further search of the motor car was conducted, and the stolen articles were found. The suspect was cautioned, arrested and taken to the Sparendaam Police Station, where he remains in custody.

Cop’s home burglarised

…cash, other items stolen

T

he home of a 25-yearold Policeman was on Sunday burglarised, and among the several items stolen are numerous Police regulation buttons and a name tag.

The Police have said that the incident occurred at some time between 3:30h and 20:30h on Sunday at Recht-Door-Zee, West Bank Demerara (WBD).

The burglars carted off one 2000-watt Pyramid amplifier, one Sony DVD player, two Timberland boots, a quantity of clothing and foodstuff, and $50,000 in cash.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that the victim had secured his premises by means provided on Sunday at about 3:30h, and had gone to work. However,

upon his return at about 20:30h, he observed that his home had been ransacked, and upon checking, he discovered that the abovementioned items were missing.

Further checks revealed that four louvre panes had been removed from a window.

A report was made to the Police, and an investigation has been launched.

Pastor, relative robbed in home invasion

A

female pastor and one of her female relatives were, in the wee hours of Tuesday, robbed at gunpoint after two men invaded their Lama Drive, Meadowbrook Gardens home in Georgetown.

The 36-year-old relative was relieved of one mobile phone, one laptop computer and two iPads, while the female pastor was relieved of one mobile phone, one laptop, two televisions sets and $60,000 in cash.

Based on reports received, the victims had re-

tired to bed without securing a wooden door to the upper flat of the house. At about 3:40h on Tuesday, the relative was awakened by the sound of movements in the sitting area of the house, and she got up to investigate.

She was confronted by the two suspects, one of whom pointed a gun at her and told her not to make any sound.

He then demanded that she hand over money and gold, but she reportedly told him that she did not have any.

After the suspects had relieved her of the items that

were in her bedroom, they made their way into the pastor’s bedroom, where they woke her up and demanded cash and jewellery. Out of fear for her life, the pastor handed over $60,000 to the men.

Not satisfied, the suspects picked up the other items which were in the sitting room of the house, and made good their escape through the open door.

The Police were immediately contacted, and the matter was reported. No arrest has been made, but investigations continue.

Police issue wanted bulletin for murder suspect

Wanted: Sean Caesar, also called "Ratty"

T

he Guyana Police Force has issued a wanted bulletin for 25-yearold Seon Caesar, also called "Ratty". He is wanted for questioning in connection with murder committed on Nelson Thomas, also called ‘Rambo’, which occurred on September 9, 2021 in Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The last known address of Seon Caesar has been given as Kanville, EBD.

It was reported that the lifeless body of 36-year-old Nelson Thomas, a miner of 4th Field Kaneville, EBD, was discovered under a shed after he left home to visit a relative in the same area.

The Police have said that Thomas had returned from Cuyuni, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) with his wife, a few days prior to his demise, to register the birth of his newborn baby - his first child. At about 19:00h on September 9, he informed his mother that he was going to visit his uncle in 2nd Field, Kaneville.

However, a resident recalled that on the said night, at about 21:30h, he was awakened by someone calling for him, and, upon checking, he saw Thomas lying motionless in a pool of blood under a shed attached to his home.

The resident immediately contacted the Police, and the injured man was picked up and taken to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Dead: Nelson Thomas

The Police have said that from all indications, it appears as though Thomas was returning home when he was stabbed to death during a robbery.

Anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of Caesar is asked to contact the Police on telephone numbers 620-1943, 225-2700, 2270968, 911, or at the nearest Police station. All information will be treated with the strictest confidence.

NEWS

11

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Co-accused confesses to killing Diamond businesswoman in 2013

Murdered: Sirmattie Ramnaress

C

olin Grant, who with ex-Police Sergeant Colin Bailey has been jointly charged for the murder of Diamond, East Bank

Demerara businesswoman Sirmattie Ramnaress, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter when the case was called at the Demerara High Court.

The woman’s reputed husband, ex-Police Sergeant Colin Bailey, is, however, maintaining his not guilty plea.

The charge against these two accused persons detail that, between August 30 and 31, 2013, at Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, Bailey and Grant murdered Ramnaress.

They were charged in 2016, and, after a preliminary inquiry, were committed to stand trial at the High Court before a 12-member jury.

office, located close to her garage.

Her throat had been slit, her head bashed in, and her hip was disjointed.

Sections of her multi-million-dollar property were also destroyed by fire.

The entire bottom flat of the house was completely drenched with kerosene, and her house was ransacked, which suggests that the woman had been robbed before she was killed.

Murder accused Colin Grant

Murder accused Colin Bailey

Following Grant’s plea to the lesser count of manslaughter on Tuesday, he will return on November 2 for sentencing by Justice JoAnn Barlow.

The lifeless body of 48-year-old Ramnaress, also called “Sabo”, of Lot 2430 21st Avenue, Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD, was found lying face down in her

investigators had held out that the robbery might have been an inside job, since there were no signs of forced entry into the premises.

In addition, the woman’s property is protected by several feet of grilled fence and an alarm system which, according to neighbours, did not go off during the night of the gruesome murder.

A post-mortem performed on the body of the businesswoman showed

“No excuses!” PAC reads the riot act to officials over unreconciled fuel uplifted from Guyoil

O

fficials of the former Ministry of Public Telecommunications had the Riot Act read to them when they appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Monday to answer for millions of dollars’ worth of fuel that could not be reconciled in 2016.

On Monday, Permanent Secretary of the then Ministry of Public Telecommunications, Derrick Cummings, was brought before the PAC. Among the things he had to account for was the failure to reconcile $7 million worth of fuel back in 2016.

The Auditor General had found in his 2016 report that the fuel register at the Ministry was not maintained, invoices were not submitted, and no reconciliation was done with the Guyana Oil Company (Guyoil). Asked to explain, Cummings distanced himself from the controversy.

“In 2015, when the previous administration came into being, there was the e-government unit which functioned, and the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce was divided into the Ministry of Business and the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism operated at

PAC member, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill

Colgrain House, and they focused on tourism.

“In January of 2016, the Ministry of Public Telecommunications was created, and the e-government unit came under that agency. So, this matter refers to the e-government unit, which subsequently became the National Data Management Authority.”

But PAC Member Public Works Minister Juan Edghill was not having it, and he went on to read the Riot Act to the former PS. “Whether this fell under the Ministry of Tourism or it fell under the Ministry of Telecommunications,

the acquisition of fuel is a normal activity of every Government agency and department. Nothing changes, whether you’re under this Ministry or that Ministry.

Monies are appropriated for the purchase of fuel. A supplier is chosen.

Vehicles go and collect fuel.

There must be a reconciliation of how much fuel is collected and how much payment is made, so we can know if there was overpayment. So the excuse of it was there and here, this is a run of the mill activity.”

However, the PS denied that he was making excuses. According to him, he was just providing background. It turned out

that as at 2017, the matter had been reconciled.

Additionally, a fuel register is now being kept.

Under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, it was not unheard of for unauthorised persons to collect fuel on the state’s tab and there be little to no paper trail.

The Audit Report of 2019 had flagged an unauthorised vehicle that uplifted almost 900,000 litres of fuel from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), which amounted to over $180.5 million. Checks revealed that the vehicle belonged to neither the GDF nor the Guyoil.

The house in which the businesswoman’s body was found

The perpetrators had also set alight a bond aback the house, and it was completely destroyed.

After the robbery, the killers escaped in one of the woman’s motor cars, but it was subsequently found abandoned on the Liliendaal Public Road, Greater Georgetown.

Further, information received revealed that the recordings from the surveillance cameras, both internally and externally, were missing. This indicated that the perpetrators were well briefed as to the locations of the recording areas.

Following the discovery,

that she died as a result of shock and hemorrhage, due to multiple stab wounds.

Meanwhile, the woman’s reputed husband was arrested, and, during interrogation, held out that he was innocent.

Last week, the two accused denied the charge when it was read to them, but one week later, Grant has entered a guilty plea to the lesser count of manslaughter.

He was represented by attorney Dexter Todd, while the State is represented by prosecutors Latifah Elliot, Sarah Martin and Nafeeza Baig.

12

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

13

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

14

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021|| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

15

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

16

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

17

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

18 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Over 2500 complaints being attended to by EPA – Head of Complaints Unit …Agency aims to work with operators, not shut down businesses

I

n excess of 2500 environmental-related complaints ranging from odour nuisances to noise pollution are currently being managed at the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Complaints Unit in Guyana.

This is according to head of the Complaints Unit, Senior Environmental Officer Surjpaul Singh, during the October edition of “The Environment Matters” on Monday.

Surjpaul was at the time speaking on the agency’s plans to tackle the growing number of environmental complaints across Guyana.

He highlighted that the nature of the complaints received by the agency range from noise, air, solid waste, soil, and water, noting that the majority of the complaints surround the issue of odour nuisances from poultry and livestock businesses, along with dust and fumes from furniture and spray-painting workshops. “…some major types of complaints that we receive at the agency are basically odour nuisances from poultry-rearing operations or livestock operations. We also receive a lot regarding dust and fumes from furniture workshops, spray-painting workshops, autobody mechanic shops, and noise also from bars and religious places also”, he explained.

He noted that even though complaints come from all walks of the country, Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) are considered to be hotspots.

He further explained that due to the number of com-

Head of the Complaints Unit, Senior Environmental Officer Surjpaul Singh, during the programme

plaints and the fact that they derive from scattered areas across the country, a strategic plan is being created in order to tackle these complaints.

“We sort of gather complaints within a certain scope or within a certain area, and then we go out and investigate, because we try to maximise time and resources at the agency as well. So, we try to group our complaints; so if we have complaints from East Coast of Demerara, we look from Georgetown to [probably] Mahaica, Mahaicony – we look at all those complaints within that range, and we go out, do our investigation. Then we come back, do our reporting, then recommendations are made”, Singh further explained.

These recommendations are said to be sent to the polluter, as well as the complainant is notified of the polluter being in recipient of said notification.

Singh stated that, most times, mitigation measures with a timeline attached to them are usually given to polluters in attempts to reduce the amount of nuisance to the environment.

At the end of the timeline stipulated, it was noted, the EPA follows up to inquire as to whether those measures were being adhered to, or put

into practice. While it was noted that the agency’s first approach is to work along with businesses to make sure they are in compliance with the mitigation measures put in place, Singh stated that when these measures are continually ignored, actions would be taken by the agency to remedy such.

“We could have legal actions brought against you – our Acts speaks about a prohibition notice, whereby if you are not in compliance with our regulations or measures that are prescribed to you, the agency can issue a prohibition notice to you or a cessation order, meaning they can cease your operation”, he revealed.

The prohibition notice is said to be one that gives the polluter time to implement the measures put in place by the EPA, and if those measures are not implemented within the timeframe set out, the agency would be able to take the said polluter to court and prosecute that operator. In this case, the polluter may be fined or face imprisonment.

In regards to the cessation notice, the EPA has the power to give an order to have the polluter cease all operation until the act of polluting has been remedied.

NEWS

19

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations City Hall warned of ‘suspicious’ It is sheer madness – APNU/AFC wants 100% reduction of fossil fuel energy by 2025

T

hey have gone absolutely stark, loony crazy, they being the ideas-bereft PNC. APNU/AFC is only a name these days.

They now do not mind anyone seeing through the veil – they were always the PNC. In 2015, the David Granger-led APNU/AFC (PNC, really) went to the Conference of Parties (CoP) for the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and promised that Guyana would achieve a 100% reduction in the use of fossil fuel to generate energy by 2025. Yes, they did. They placed in black and white, in a written document presented to the UN, that Guyana would generate every kilowatt of energy by 2025 from sources outside of fossil fuel. Guyana was the only country to make that promise Dr Leslie Ramsammy for 2025. They made that promise when they also rejected the Amaila Falls hydroelectric plant that was already in place when the PPP demitted office, a plan that was already carefully articulated since the Bharrat Jagdeo-led PPP Government of 2006-2011. Without Amaila, Guyana can barely reduce the use of fossil fuel.

Between 2015 and 2020, the PNC did not reduce the use of fossil fuel by even 1%, but they still insist that it is possible to reduce it by 100% in just three years from now. All Guyana knows this is impossible; you have to be certifiably crazy to think so. It is absolutely looney to think that Guyana can reduce fossil fuel energy by 100% by 2025. The PNC sent a cadre of stark crazy people to a consultation on the CoP 26 positions to argue that Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo alone has already decided that Guyana no longer is committed to 100% reduction in fossil fuel energy by 2025. The VP, in fact, raised the issue of how unrealistic and how impractical the goal of 100% reduction by 2025 was. It was crazy in 2015; it is even crazier now.

Guyana remains committed to 100% reduction in the use of fossil fuel energy. Bharrat Jagdeo and the Irfaan Ali-led PPP Government have reiterated this position. The difference is that they are realistic, thinking people. They know that 100% reduction by 2025 is mad. Because he played a leading role in crafting the Amaila plans before 2011, and remains committed to the PPP Government’s plan to have the Amaila operational in a few years, the VP has said that a 50% reduction is far more pragmatic a position to take. The consultations were intended to discuss, among other positions, how Guyana can adopt a more practical position than the impossible 100% by 2025. He gave an opinion. The consultations will allow Government to adopt its position somewhere below the impossible 100% reduction.

Outside of planning the Amaila Falls hydro project to reduce the use of fossil fuel in Guyana, the 2001-2011 Jagdeo-led PPP Government and the 2011-2015 Ramotar-led PPP Government had also begun an ambitious solar panel programme for communities scattered around the hinterland of Guyana, bringing fossil fuelfree energy to households and businesses dotting every part of Guyana’s hinterland and hard-to-reach communities. That, too, was abandoned by the PNC. The much-touted solar farm project in Mabaruma, Region 1, which APNU/AFC used the Norway Carbon Credit Funds for, is a pasture today. Now the PPP will have to rescue that project. Without hydro, wind and solar energy, far from reducing fossil fuel energy, Guyana will have to expand use of fossil fuel.

The PPP Government has a clear vision on what the energy horizon for Guyana looks like – a combination of hydro, wind, solar and gas.

So devoid of any good ideas, of any reasonable objection to the Irfaan Ali-led PPP Government, the PNC, on a daily basis, turn to their favourite bogeyman. When they feel they need to say something to show they are still around and relevant, with nothing of substance to offer, they berate Bharrat Jagdeo. Their latest tirade is trying to persuade Guyanese that Guyana’s COP 26 position in the climate change agreement is not really Guyana’s, but Bharrat Jagdeo’s personal position. The position that Guyana is putting forward at COP 26, of course, emanates out of years of wide discourse in this country. Guyana has had such positions clearly articulated in the LCDS that the PNC unwisely abandoned in 2015 for something they called the Green Energy. What was that? It was the crazy notion that Guyana would abandon fossil fuel, all of it, by 2025. Let us not forget the other major component of the Green Energy – wearing green clothes wherever they go, painting all Government buildings green, and insisting their supporters paint even their homes green to show their fealty to the maximum leader.

As the PPP revise the old LCDS, the PPP has aggressively adopted its old position – Guyana’s energy in the future must come from non-fossil fuel sources. When the Jagdeo-led and then the Ramotarled PPP Governments started on the pathway to hydroelectricity, wind and solar energy, and now the Irfaan Ali-led PPP Government has added a new pathway – the gas-to-shore project, the PPP has shown that it is not a blow-blow blow party, but one that has a clear vision and a practical plan. The fact is that it is absolutely stark, loony, certifiably crazy to think it is possible to reduce fossil fuel by 100% by 2025.

undervaluing, disposal of public assets …Georgetown not personal property of M&CC — Local Government Minister

T

he Local Government and Regional Development Ministry on Tuesday sent a strong warning to the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown, adverting to the consequences attached to undervaluing and disposing of the city’s assets in a ‘shady’ manner.

According to the Ministry, shared reports suggest that several properties owned by the Mayor and City Council have been undervalued and are currently being negotiated for disposal through very questionable processes.

“The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development notes with concern the vigorous pursuit by the Mayor and some Councillors of the City of Georgetown to dispose of public assets of the city through highly-suspicious and shady transactions.”

In light of such information, the Council was advised that Georgetown is not the ‘personal property’ of the M&CC, and the disposal of such assets or real estate will not be condoned.

“Parties to these corrupt transactions will be held accountable and will face the full extent of the law,” the Ministry posited.

Mayor Ubraj Narine

After taking office last year, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP/C) Government had launched an audit into City Hall, targeting both the financial and operational makeup of the municipality.

Last month, it was pointed out by Auditor General Deodat Sharma that City Hall’s last audit dates back several years ago. For that audit, he noted, all they did was submit financial statements for 2019 and 2020, and even those were not properly prepared. When it comes to the years of unreconciled City Hall accounts, Sharma noted, the best op-

tion may be to start over.

“What I’ve advised several entities, including them, let’s close the books, open new books, take an asset that was there and start fresh. Get new bank accounts and everything. Because it doesn’t make sense to go back to 2005, 2006. Let’s sit down, list all the assets and cash positions, and start a new balance sheet,” the Auditor General has been quoted as saying.

In February, the council was placed in a conundrum as it relates to leased properties in the city and the possession of relevant documents for those lands.

Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine had explained that the Communities Ministry had sent 54 leases for the Council to examine.

However, they were battling with cases where multiple leases exist for the same plot of land.

According to Narine, properties which were leased for less than the actual worth had cost the Council millions of dollars.

Throughout recent years, there have been many issues at the Council surrounding leased properties.

One month prior, the quorum was at odds over the

Local Government Minister Nigel Dharamlall

Water Street, Georgetown training complex, which remained unused since 2014.

While some Councillors were of the belief that the building should be leased to garner much-needed revenue, others disapproved the price offered. City Hall had received a proposal of $1.5M per month for the said spot.

In 2018, during the Commission of Inquiry, it was heard that former Town Clerk Royston King had leased lands to Quick Shipping Incorporated. This plot of land was not owned by the Council, but rather the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL). (G12)

20 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Oil & gas sector

GOGEC lauds GYSBI for 100% local content initiative …endorses Govt’s stance on sugar workers recruited

A

s the Guyana Shore Base Inc (GYSBI) concluded its career fair over the weekend in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-

West Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica, the Guyana Oil & Gas Energy Chamber (GOGEC) has lauded the oil & gas compa-

ny for its 100% Guyanese initiative.

In a statement on Tuesday, the GOGEC highlighted that “GYSBI’s career

fair is demonstrable of strong commitment to local content – thus ensuring Guyanese enjoy the maximum benefits from this nascent oil and gas sector as Guyana embarks upon an era of transformational growth.”

The Oil & Gas Energy Chamber further applauded the Government of Guyana for steering the company in the direction of employing persons from the sugar industry.

“GOGEC endorses the direction in which the Government pointed GYSBI to recruit persons from, particularly the sugar communities in which thousands of jobs were lost. And notably among the unemployed sugar workers were talented engineers, welders, and other technical field of professionals”, the statement said.

The energy chamber further encouraged other companies operating in the oil and gas value chain to follow the example set by GYSBI in promoting stronger local content.

During a visit to the Guyana Shore Base Inc’s (GYSBI’s) career fair held at the Uitvlugt Community

Centre Ground, WCD on Sunday, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh urged Guyanese persons to capitalise on job opportunities being offered in the oil & gas sector.

The Minister commended the company for arranging the event as well as a larger series of career fairs, while noting that the event provides ample illustration of the job opportunities that have arisen and will continue to arise due to Guyana now being an oil and gas producer.

Minister Singh further emphasised that Government would like every Guyanese to be an active participant in the exciting transformation underway in Guyana by taking up the thousands of job opportunities that will inevitably arise.

At the event, Minister Singh highlighted the extensive training opportunities being created by Government to ensure that Guyanese workers are equipped with skills relevant to the oil and gas sector and other new and emergent economic activities. These include Government’s invest-

ment in universal primary and secondary education as well as technical and vocational education, along with the GOAL scholarship programme.

The GYSBI commenced the career fair at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on October 7; continued same at Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara (WCD) on October 6, and will conclude same at Enmore-Haslington, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on October 16.

The positions to be filled include warehouse supervisors, crane operators, operations assistants, equipment mechanics/ technicians, and fuel storage and dispensing operators.

Interested applicants are asked to walk with their resumes, any academic certificates, a copy of a valid form of ID, and one passport photograph.

In keeping with the COVID-19 protocols, only persons with a vaccination card or a negative PCR test from within the last seven days would be able to gain entry, a first step in increasing their chances of being employed.

NEWS

21

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Mohamed’s Enterprises to construct Animal Welfare Centre

Businessman Nazar "Shell" Mohamed handing over the cheque to a member of Paws For A Cause-Guyana

I

n yet another gesture of generosity, Mohamed’s Enterprises will be funding construction of the Animal Welfare Centre under the watch of Paws For A Cause, Guyana. The Centre would be constructed to the tune of $15 million.

A generous donation was made to the organisation by prominent businessman Nazar “Shell” Mohamed on September 28. In an invited comment, the businessman stated that the organisation had approached him, and after hearing what its members had to say, a decision was taken to sponsor the construction of the centre.

“We have a lot of foreigners in the country now, and when they go around the place seeing all the strays, it does not look nice…some of these same foreigners teamed up with the Paws For A Cause- Guyana and they approached us, and without hesitation we have

decided that we will construct the centre,” the businessman added.

Guyana Times understands that the non-governmental organisation (NGO) has acquired a plot of land on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) to construct the facility.

The facility will be stateof-the-art, with classrooms to facilitate children being taught how to care for animals. In addition, it will have a veterinary clinic to properly treat and vaccinate stray animals from diseases.

“I was extremely happy to be part of this initiative, one that will see people coming in to adopt stray animals… We at Mohamed’s Enterprises will continue to donate and sponsor events and activities that will benefit Guyana as a whole,” Mohamed noted.

In addition, the younger businessman, Azruddin Mohamed, stated, “As a na-

tion, we will be judged by the way we treat animals; and, importantly, adds to show who we are as Guyanese.”

He is calling on other businesses to follow suit and support this cause.

Meanwhile, in a post on social media, the Paws For A Cause NGO has expressed gratitude to Mohamed’s Enterprises, stating that animal welfare work can sometimes be heartbreaking.

“The members of Paws For A Cause – Guyana, and other groups and individuals involved in animal welfare, have felt the pain of not being able to save every animal desperately in need.

We help those that we can, while working to bring about societal change to make sure that others are not subjected to abuse in the first place.”

Further, the post stated that it has been the dream of Paws For A Cause to establish an Animal Welfare Centre where the primary focus would be to foster a generation of children who are more compassionate and caring to animals.

“Our vision for the centre is one that would be a multipurpose facility - where families, schools and other groups can come to volunteer, play with, care for, and adopt animals. We intend to also focus on promoting improved health and mood boosting benefits through animal interaction,” Paws For A Cause has said.

This dream, the NGO stated, is now on a path to realisation, thanks to Mohamed's Enterprises.

“We cannot wait to invite all animal lovers to visit and participate in our programs when the facility is complet-

An artistic impression of the Animal Welfare Centre

ed in 2022. There are many other aspects to our work which (are) only possible through volunteers and do-

nations.”

Meanwhile, the NGO has reiterated calls for the public to rescue animals in

need, provide a safe home for them to recuperate, and get them adopted.

22 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Urgent action needed to contain effects of COVID-19 pandemic – Finance Minister

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh during the discussions on Tuesday

F

inance Minister Dr Ashni Singh on Tuesday said that Latin American and Caribbean countries need to act with urgency in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery process.

The Minister was a panelist on a virtual high-level meeting titled “The Road to Recovery in Latin America and the Caribbean” when he made the call.

The event was convened as part of the 2021 Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB).

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is the region hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and

as such, the meeting featured an exchange between high-level policy makers, including Ministers of Finance, Planning, Labour, Health and Education, to discuss progress towards closely interrelated objectives by policymakers that focus on supporting the region’s pandemic recovery.

These objectives include: strengthening LAC’s public health response to creating the necessary space for economic reactivation, minimising the long-term scarring by the crisis on human capital development, and supporting job creation, particularly for those impacted by the crisis.

During his presentation, Dr Singh indicated that even as Latin American countries battle the various chal-

lenges, first and foremost, it is important to ensure that their people are protected.

“First, we must do all we can to keep our people alive, safe, and well. This necessitates ensuring adequate capacity in the health care system; access by the entire population to food, potable water, and sanitation, especially given the ongoing threat to livelihood faced by the most vulnerable; and access to vaccines, given the scientific evidence on vaccine efficacy. In Guyana, for example, we have pursued an aggressive vaccination campaign, achieving to date first dose coverage of 71 percent and second dose coverage of 42 per cent of the adult population, and among the adolescent population, 35 percent first dose coverage and 20 percent second dose coverage,” Dr Singh emphasised.

He stated that affected countries need to act with urgency, especially in terms of their approach to minimising the damage to their economies and getting their countries back on track on the path of recovery.

“Second, we must contain damage to the economy. This will likely involve a phased reopening of the economy without compromising the safety of our people. It might also involve some measure of support to help ensure that the Private Sector can navigate the crisis and survive

Rapist begs CCJ to reduce 23-year jail sentence

C

onvicted rapist Calvin Ramcharran was back in court on Tuesday, begging the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to reconsider his sentence.

In 2015, he was convicted on two counts of rape, and was sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment. In court on Tuesday, defense attorney Nigel Hughes asked the Judges who presided over this matter, Hon. Justice Jamadar, Hon. Madam Justice Rajnauth-Lee, Hon. Justice Anderson and Hon. Justice Barrow, to shorten the conviction sentence.

Apropos to this, the defense posited that the sentence is excessive and is not in keeping with modern sentencing principles. Hence, the reason for his client moving to the CCJ with the hope that the jail time would be reduced.

During the hearing, Hughes noted that the range of sentences that a person convicted of murder in Guyana is subject to is completely dependent on the judge.

As such, he was asked the range of similar offences in Guyana, but was unable to provide sufficient data.

He was then invited to submit research on sentencing patterns in similar cases, and was granted 14 days to expand his proviso.

Deputy Director of

Convicted rapist Calvin Ramcharran

Public Prosecutions, Diana Kaulesar-O’Brien, who was also present at the airing, represented the DPP, and she laid the foundation on the basis of how Ramcharran was sentenced.

A new date is yet to be set for continuation of the appeal.

In January of this year, Ramcharran lost his appeal when the Court of Appeal affirmed his conviction.

On November 16, 2015, he was sentenced by Justice Jo-Ann Barlow after a jury found him guilty of the crime.

Subsequently, the rapist moved to the Court of Appeal, contending that his sentence was excessive.

At the commencement of

his trial in the High Court in Demerara, Ramcharran had denied the charge which stated that on July 23, 2012, he engaged in sexual penetration with a young woman without her consent at Soesdyke on the East Bank Demerara.

He was later convicted and sentenced to jail on another charge, which state that during the rape, he assaulted the woman, causing her grievous bodily harm.

Based on the evidence before the court, on the day of the incident, the woman had gone to a party with some friends, and was making her way to the washroom when Ramcharran followed her and asked her if she was “doing business,” but she said, “No.” He then proceeded to grab her hands, and a fight ensued between them, during which Ramcharran hit her several times with a bottle to her head, and then dragged her to the back of the building.

While there, he choked and punched the victim before sexually assaulting her.

After committing the act, he offered the woman $65,000 and left.

The victim alerted her friends, who immediately took her to seek medical attention. The matter was reported, and Ramcharran was arrested and charged.

financially. In Guyana, we rolled out a universal cash transfer programme, delivering COVID-19 cash grants to every household across the country. This injected essential liquidity into the household sector and, by extension, helped to kickstart a resumption of economic activity.”

With Guyana’s 2021 MidYear Report indicating a 14.5 percent economic growth with a 4.8 percent growth in the non-oil economy, the Minister concluded that LAC countries can address the challenges to their economies by addressing the critical impediments to their growth.

“Third, we must lay the foundation for full recovery and sustained economic growth in the medium and longer term by addressing and alleviating the most critical prevailing impediments to growth. In many countries, these will include catalytic infrastructure, human capital development, technological advances, and the business environment.

In Guyana, we are focusing heavily on addressing all aspects of this agenda with a view to ensuring a well-diversified and resilient economy going forward,” Singh added.

In Guyana, in addition

to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country experienced devastating flooding in several Regions in May-June last.

This further impacted the performance of some of the sectors in the non-oil economy.

Government has been working assiduously on the path to recovery, providing support to the household and productive sectors. Looking ahead, it is anticipated that the revised full-year forecast for real GDP growth in Guyana in 2021 would be 19.5 percent overall and 3.7 percent for the non-oil economy.

CANU intercepts nail technician with cocaine in curry, pepper pot at CJIA

A

33-year-old nail technician was on Tuesday morning intercepted at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri with 6.232 kilograms (13.71 pounds) of cocaine.

The woman was an outgoing passenger on Copa Airlines destined for Panama with an onward connection to the John F Kennedy International Airport, New York.

The Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) stated that a search was conducted on one of the passenger’s check-in luggage during which the cocaine was found in two bowls – one with curry and the other with pepper pot.

Following the discovery, the woman was arrested and escorted to the CANU headquarters where the cocaine was weighed and amounted to 6.232 kilograms. She remains in custody assisting with investigations.

On Friday last, CANU intercepted a vehicle with a quantity of cocaine and cannabis at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The cocaine concealed in the pepper pot and curry

It was reported that ranks, acting on information received from a citizen, intercepted the vehicle containing 522 grams (1.15 pounds) of cocaine and 5.866 kilograms (12.91 pounds) of ganja. The

illegal substances were found hidden among cargo that was being transported at the time.

Following the operation, two persons were arrested pending charges.

Fire destroys Camp and Charlotte Streets building

A

house at Camp and Charlotte Streets, Georgetown was completely destroyed by a fire on Tuesday evening.

The origin of the fire is unknown.

The fire reportedly started around 21:00h and based on reports, the quick response from the Guyana Fire Service resulted in the blaze being brought under control.

Minutes after the fire started, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn arrived at the scene, and related that he was impressed with the manner in which the firefighters dealt with the situation.

It is unclear how many persons were living in the house, which was located aback the Footsteps Mall.

Based on what was seen, one fireman sustained minor injuries after

he reportedly slipped while climbing onto the roof of a wooden shack to assist in putting out the blaze. This comes less than two weeks after a fire destroyed the

Brickdam Police Station.

One man, Clarence Greene who had confessed to setting the fire was charged and remanded to prison.

23

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

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

Windies will give 100%, says Captain Keiron Pollard F

resh out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and now in the West Indies team bubble, Captain Kieron Pollard fielded a number of tough questions from media operatives on Tuesday morning during a press engagement.

In discussing the challenges that West Indies face leading up to the T20 World Cup, non-inclusion of certain players, and the IPL’s influence, the West Indies men’s captain was ultimately sure about one thing: the team will it 100% in their quest for a third T20 World Cup title.

One of those questions was a request for his message to the West Indian fans, in which the captain promised that the squad would give their best in the global tournament.

“My message to the Caribbean supporters I think is simple. ‘Come and support the West Indies team’. A lot of guys are looking forward to this World Cup, they haven’t played a T20 World Cup since 2016. We‘re the defending champions, and I think we have a very, very good team, in terms of experience. We have a couple young guys and guys who are looking forward to make their name in T20 cricket,” Skipper Pollard has said.

He continued by vowing, “So, rally behind us, that’s the most that we can ask as cricketers, ‘cause we know that we’re going to give 100%. Just like everybody else, we have sacrificed a lot and given a lot to be in this position, and when we go out there, we’re going to play for that personal pride,” he said.

According to Pollard, the ‘Men in Maroon’ have had a lot of game time prior to the tournament, and for this, he does not see any challenges heading into the event.

Pollard shared, “To be honest, for me personally, I wouldn’t say it was challenging. We got the opportunity to play some sort of cricket as a team and get to understand ourselves as individuals and as a team a lot more. So, maybe the results in the series look great, but we got a lot of information from that block of matches, the home series there, and guys going in the CPL playing for their various franchises now getting the opportunity to play IPL. “So, I don’t think it was challenging, it’s just a matter of getting back together and pulling out the notebooks as to what we need to do as a team, rather than individuals who’re playing for franchises recently.”

One such preparatory outing was the IPL, where a number of West Indian players featured.

Based on the pitches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which will be used for the World Cup, Pollard shared his keys on retaining the title.

“I think we need to be good in all three facets of the game. I think the pitches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah all give something different, and it’s not going to be the same game plan throughout the three surfaces. So, we need to be smart, we need to play smart cricket, sometimes play the conditions and have the right person at the right time, in order to get that job done,” the West Indies captain divulged.

“It’s a bit tricky, but the good thing is majority of our squad would’ve gotten the opportunity

to be in the UAE. Some would’ve gotten some game time, some would not have, but we’ll just try to work it out and see how best we could formulate the best game plan.”

Similarly to Head Coach Phil Simmons, Pollard received many queries about Andre Russell’s questionable fitness, to which the West Indian skipper answered that it’s still too early to make a pronouncement.

Russell picked up a hamstring injury on September 26th while saving a boundary, and his injury has since been updated to a grade 2 injury.

“Before I make any assumptions on what he can or he can’t do, I think we need to make an assessment. First, as a team, we haven’t had the opportunity to see him, we’ve gotten reports as to what he has done, and I wouldn’t want to get into trying to say what he can or he can’t do at this point in time,” Pollard explained.

He added, “He’s a critical person for our team, and we would love him to be a 100%, but we have to deal with what’s in front of us, and let’s see what happens over the next couple days. But we’re looking forward to having a fit Andre Russell, if possible.”

While the captain spoke at length about various topics, one he refused to comment on is the non-inclusion of an in-form Sunil Narine. In the 12 matches Narine has played for the Kolkata Knight Riders this year, he has picked up 14 wickets at an average of 22.0, economy 6.41 and best figures of 4-21.

However, Pollard has said he is tight-lipped on Narine’s position, so the narrative can’t be twisted.

“If I add my two cents or my word in how his non-inclusion came about, then it could be spun, just like how he’s bowling well on these Sharjah wickets in all different directions, so, for me personally, let’s deal with these 15 guys that we have here, which is more important, and see if we can rally around these guys, and see if we can defend a title,” the

West Indian white ball leader reasoned.

West Indies will officially begin their title defense on October 23 against England, whom they defeated in the 2016 final to win their second title. the T20 World Cup will commence on October 17 in Oman, where a preliminary qualifying round will be staged.

“The 15-man squad is still not going to change”, says Pollard, as he berates local journalist

D

uring the aforementioned media conference on Tuesday, Kieron Pollard had contrasting approaches to answering questions about the non-selection of various players.

In the case of Sunil Narine, when Jamaican Journalist Lennox Aldred clarified his question by saying, “I’m just saying it would be nice if you had an inform Sunil Narine in this World Cup squad.” Pollard wished to give no comment on the issue in order to avoid a narrative being formed.

However, the same was not the case for Guyana Times Journalist Brandon Corlette, who wished to have another perception on Daren Bravo’s inclusion in the World Cup reserves.

“What is the rationale behind Daren Bravo’s selection since his form has been patchy and his performance as well,” Corlette inquired of the West Indies Captain.

After being served with the statistics on Bravo’s recent performance, as requested by

Pollard, his first instinct was to jump to his countryman’s defense but settled on scolding the Guyanese Journalist for his inquiries.

“If I could remember clearly, I don’t think that is actually accurate. I believe in the Sri Lanka series, he scored a hundred in that last game and then we played a couple ODI’s only after that and then he went into CPL after that,” the West Indian Skipper responded initially.

He went on to berate Corlette saying, “Mr. Brandon Corlette, with all due respect, how come all these questions you have is always about the selection of the team at every given time?”

Pollard went on to base his reaction on the belief that Roger Harper and Phil Simmons have already answered similar questions, stating, “Be that as it may, I believe the Chairman of Selectors (Roger Harper) would have given clarity on each and every individual, how they made the 15-man squad. I think for me to go on that, nothing is going

to change, and by me trying to give you clarity on that, the 15man squad is still not going to change.”

Nonetheless, the West Indies captain went a step further to scrutinize Corlette’s line of questions.

“I’m personally speaking to you at this point in time; every time you have to ask a question it’s all about an individual or individuals as to why they have been selected.”

“I believe sometimes as a Caribbean person/journalist, at times you need to sometimes try to support us as cricketers and give us that positivity rather than each and every time question selection of an individual on a team, be it Darren Bravo, Jason Mohammed or why Hetmyer is not playing. That has been the train of your questions ever since. I do not have clarity on that, you can ask somebody else that question,” Pollard said, concluding his response on the matter.

LGC Secretary grateful for GTT’s support as title sponsor for Guyana Open

By Timothy Jaikarran

T

he GTT Guyana Open is scheduled for October 3031, 2021 at the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC). As the time gradually draws near, many of Guyana’s top golfers will be pushing in the extra work to ensure they bring their “A” game on the given days.

The players will also be anxious, as the LGC has declared that players who participated in tournaments from September 18 to October 25 would be eligible for consideration for free entry into the Guyana Open tournament via a competition format.

The points for free entry will be for the 10 best net scores for

LGC Secretary Chet Bowling

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

In an exclusive interview with this publication, LGC Secretary Chet Bowling gave an update on the current process leading up to the big day.

“The Lusignan Golf Club is very grateful and happy that a company of GT&T’s status has decided to be the title sponsor of the Guyana Open golf tourney. Having a company like that on board demonstrates the value that the LGC brings to the market in terms of companies doing their corporate social responsibilities. The agreement with GT&T goes beyond the Guyana Open, as they are going to do a charity tournament later in the year, and other aspects we are discussing as it is a long-

term agreement,” Bowling said.

He went on to credit the grounds staff, noting that the fairways and greens were in fantastic condition as they have done an excellent job of sprucing up the place.

He relayed that registration of overseas players continues, owing to the fact that there has been a huge increase in membership, and members want to join and get on the bandwagon as the Guyana Open approaches.

The course is currently in pristine condition. If the sunny weather is maintained until the tournament commences, it may be able to add an extra 5060 yards of driving on the given

A bit of the action leading up to the GTT Guyana Open

day.

Chipping on a dry surface will be instrumental, hence the greens have to be watched. If the weather does change, and there is a bit of rain before the tournament, the game’s play

would expectedly be different.

So, many players will come out in their numbers as they prepare for whatever challenges lie ahead, as they vie for the title of GTT Guyana Open 2021 Champion.

GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.