Guyana Times International 29-NOV-19

INTERNATIONAL

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THE BEACON OF TRUTH

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You can also read Guyana Times daily edition online at www.guyanatimesgy.com ISSUE NO. 476

Road to First Oil...

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 1, 2019

Irfaan Ali gives Coalition Govt F grade See story on page 3

Christmas is in the air

Work begins on decorating the giant Christmas tree at Rahaman's Park, Houston, Georgetown - one of the highlights of the festive season in Guyana

NY Governor announces plan to Guyanese giving thanks ease traffic congestion during in America busy Thanksgiving holiday See feature inside

See story on page 5

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WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NEWS 3

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Road to First Oil: Irfaan Ali gives Coalition Govt F grade P e o p l e ’ s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali has given the Government a fail grade for its inability to prepare the country to properly manage the sector, and its preparations for first oil.

Dr Ali made the comment during an interview on the oil and gas sector on Monday evening. According to Dr Ali, confusion abounds as Government has been unable to put in place the necessary safeguards, or articulate a clear vision for the industry.

“Not only are we way behind where we should be for first oil, but there is absolutely no clarity in the vision, no legislative framework, there is no institutional mechanism, there is no structure in which we will

manage this sector.

There is confusion,” the Presidential Candidate said.

“We have changed the management of oil and gas from different ministries. It’s as if we’re (Guyana) playing hopscotch, just hopping about the place.

And we’re not deliberative and we’re not structural in the way we’re approaching management,” he also said, adding that Government has also failed to properly educate the populace on the new sector and what opportunities it brings.

So far, Esso Exploration & Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) – Exxon’s local subsidiary – has made 14 oil finds in the Stabroek Block over 100 miles offshore Guyana, including four this year.

PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Dr Irfaan Ali

Last year, the company made five discoveries.

These discoveries have pushed the total estimat-

ed recoverable barrels of oil equivalent to over

six billion. In addition, Exxon is moving ahead with its Liza phase two project, which will contain approximately 30 wells.

The Liza Destiny, Guyana’s first Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, arrived in local waters at the end of August. The vessel will play a key role in oil production scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year.

Meanwhile, Tullow has made at least two oil finds: in its Jethro and Joe wells. On September 16, 2019, the same day that ExxonMobil announced its 14th oil find, Tullow also revealed that it had made its second oil find in just a matter of weeks: the discovery of 14 metres of oil reservoir at the Joe well.

Turn to page 9

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WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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EDITORIAL

The endgame

I

for sugar

n December 2015, this newspaper revealed the PNC Government’s plans to shutter Wales Estate, which was reluctantly conceded on January 17, 2016. Minister of Agriculture Holder claimed, “GuySuCo will be exploring the feasibility of alternative ventures utilising the Wales lands. The important criteria for such projects would be wealth creation and employment generation. It is hoped that the first of such projects could commence by October 1, 2016”.

He admitted the closure was unrelated to the CoI. A month later, he was more specific: he told the National Assembly that “the sugar factory would be converted into a business establishment which will see the rearing of poultry and other livestock”.

Operations were allowed to run down to the end of 2016, and finally, in May 2017, Holder laid a “State Paper on the future of the sugar Industry” in the National Assembly, where he announced the additional closure of Enmore-LBI, Rose Hall and Skeldon Estates.

The paper repeatedly promised: “Employees are to be leased land by GuySuCo to engage in crops (crop types to be decided by GuySuCo and the Ministry of Agriculture)”.

However, after the Official Gazette of December 30, 2017, announced NICIL’s formation of a Special Purpose Unit (SPU) that would take control of the closed estates’ assets, nothing was mentioned again about the promise of lands to the workers. The SPU claimed that “over 70 proposals, from local and international companies, have already been submitted but announced the firm of PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) would be retained to “valuate” the closed estates. The Minister of State announced a State Land Sale Committee has been established to ensure “transparency in the disposal of the assets”.

A year later, as the valuation exercise dragged on, and more to the point, the lands, equipment and factories degenerated, all the touted prospective “bidders” including DDL, had departed. The people of Guyana, who the state boasted “owned” the estates, were in the dark about their fate until a public spat broke out between GuySuCo and the Min of Agri on one side and the SPU on the other.

The former claimed the SPU was engaged in mission creep and was now trying to manage GuySuCo and not just divesting the closed estates. As an instance, they pointed to SPU’s CEO Colvin HeathLondon appointing a Board of Directors in March 2018 with himself as the Chair. This had to be rescinded by Cabinet.

In the meantime, the SPU had secured a G$30B GuySuCo 5-year bond facility at 4.75% interest, where the ‘fixer’ received G$116M in fees. The money was supposed to buy two co-generation plants, upgrade the three factories to produce plantation white sugar, contribute two years of general ongoing operations costs and expand storage and packing facilities. But a year and a half later, none of this had materialised, while G$1.5B had been paid in interest for money not used, excepting for G$2 billion extended to GuySuCo for operational expenses. GuySuCo pointed out that since the divestment money was supposed to be passed on to the corporation but it had seemingly been abandoned, they had “placed at risk the retooling and restructuring of GuySuCo in their strategic plan”. Even the billions earned from the sale of “scrap metal” – to which the factories had been reduced – were not given to GuySuCo. What is the position on the sugar industry at this point, then? No worker has benefitted from the lands that were promised to them; GuySuCo has not benefitted from the sale of assets and billions of dollars continue to be paid on the G$30B bond with the principal due in three years. In the meantime, bereft of any investment, the operational estates continue to founder: the promised 147,000 tonnes annually will not be reached this year.

Who is responsible? It was thought the decision was solely Granger’s but in August, Khemraj Ramjattan boasted “it was primarily the AFC who (sic) was a big part of that decision”. What is the endgame?

It has to be the complete closure of GuySuCo.

My Guyana - Kurupukari Crossing, Essequibo River (Photo by Girendra Persaud)

The PNC and Walter Rodney’s death Dear Editor, On the evening of the 13th day of June 1980, the world stood still as the news of the death of Dr Walter Rodney, blown to pieces by a bomb in South Georgetown, sank in.

Dr Rodney’s death and the circumstances under which he was killed invoked universal condemnation.

Expectedly, because of Rodney’s political activism, the accusatory finger pointed to the Government of the day. Prime Minister Burnham’s calm reactionary statement that “sad as I am at his inglorious end, I know that somewhere therein there is bound to be a lesson for the misguided others”, exacerbated both suspicion and anger. On the day of his funeral, and weeks after, thousands marched on the East Coast and in and around Georgetown.

These marches were led by the likes of Eusi Kwayana, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, Dr Clive Thomas and others. The chant which bellowed from these marches was “Who killed Rodney?… Burnham killed Rodney!”

The call, both nationally and internationally, for an independent Commission of Inquiry was echoed since then.

It was answered thirty-four years later, when President Donald Ramotar commissioned an inquiry under the Commission of Inquiry Act, on the sixth day of February 2014.

I was the Attorney General at the time and was privileged, along with the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon, to be tasked

with the establishment of this Commission and with its management to the end. Some weeks prior, during a trip to the United States of America, President Ramotar met with the widow, children and relatives of Dr Rodney.

I learnt that Dr Patricia Rodney requested the President to commission this inquiry to bring closure to this chapter in the life of the Rodney family. The President acceded to this request. When the preparatory work began for this Commission, I was privileged to have been present when many conversations took place between President Ramotar, Dr Pat Rodney and her daughter, Asha. I was also privileged to communicate directly with both of these persons. So what I write hereunder is firsthand.

In our engagements, the Rodney family made a few requests. Firstly, they requested that the Terms of Reference (ToRs) be broad enough to capture the political climate at the time and the role that different State agencies played in the politics of the day.

I got the clear impression that they did not want the ToRs to restrict the Commission from getting at the truth. The family was obviously wary of contrived and farcical previous endeavours, for example, the inquest in 1988. They wanted assurance that the ToRs would confer upon the Inquiry the widest latitude. Secondly, they requested that there be no involvement of any political party, including the WPA. I learnt that in 2005, a sim-

ilar request by the family was made of President Bharrat Jagdeo, who agreed to establish a CoI into Rodney’s death. However, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, who was appointed by the family to liaise with the then Government, reported to the Government that the Rodney family was no longer interested.

In discussions with the Rodney family, I realised this to be an untruth.

Thirdly, the family requested Commissioners of international standing and reputation to be appointed, preferably non-Guyanese. And fourthly, they requested that the criminal charges instituted against Donald Rodney be dismissed or withdrawn.

Every effort was made to ensure that these requests were met, as far as was practicable. The ToRs were drafted and sent to the Rodney family for their input and approval. I wish to assure Mr Eusi Kwayana that the ToRs were devoid of any form of political contamination as he suggested in a letter to the press recently. No political party was consulted with respect to the establishment of the CoI, including the PPP, the party in Government.

In selecting the Commissioners, the intention was to select persons from societies in which Dr Rodney lived and worked most of his life: Guyana, Jamaica and Africa.

Persons from Africa were consulted but time and commitment prevented them from taking up an appointment. turn to page 6

NEWS 5

WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

NY Governor announces plan to ease traffic congestion during busy Thanksgiving holiday N ew York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on New York State highways will be suspended beginning Wednesday, November 27 at 6 a.m. through Monday, December 2 at 6 a.m. to accommodate travelers during the busy Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, according to a release from the Governor’s office.

The construction suspension supports Governor Cuomo's Drivers First Initiative, which prioritizes the convenience of motorists to minimize traffic congestion and travel delays due to road and bridge work.

New Yorkers are also reminded that state and local law enforcement will be participating in an impaired driving enforcement campaign from Wednesday, November 27 through Sunday, December 1. The enforcement and education campaign is designed to prevent unsafe driving behaviors on state and local roads. Motorists can expect to see law enforcement stopping and ar-

resting impaired drivers to keep New York's roads safe this holiday week.

"The Thanksgiving holiday is one of the busiest travel times of the year and we want to do all we can to ease congestion and help New Yorkers get where they need to go safely and quickly," Governor Cuomo said. "I urge all motorists to drive safely, stay alert and don't drive distracted - and if you need to answer a phone call or text, use one of the many rest areas or text stops. I wish all New Yorkers a safe and happy Thanksgiving."

Governor Cuomo is also urging motorists to follow the state's Move Over Law, which requires motorists to slow down and move over if safe to do so, for law enforcement vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks and construction or maintenance vehicles that are stopped along roads across the state. The law was enacted in 2011 to protect New Yorkers working along the roadway and has since been expanded to include a wider range of emergency and hazard vehicles.

New York State

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, "Governor Cuomo understands the need to keep traffic moving during the Thanksgiving holiday, and thanks to his efforts motorists will be able to get to and from their destinations quicker and easier this weekend. We wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving and urge motorists to drive cautiously, refrain from

impaired driving and enjoy the holiday weekend safely."

New York State Thruway Authority Executive Director Matthew J. Driscoll said, "Suspending roadwork this busy holiday weekend allows motorists to spend less time on the road, and more time with friends and family. While traveling, remember to stay alert for emergency responders and other workers who may be

helping motorists on the roadway or clearing snow and ice during inclement weather. Staying alert, slowing down and moving over can save lives."

The Thruway Authority encourages motorists to download its mobile app which is available to download for free on iPhone and Android devices. The app provides motorists direct access to real-time traffic and navigation assistance while on the go.

Motorists can also sign up for TRANSalert e-mails, which provide the latest traffic conditions along the Thruway here.

Travelers can check NYSDOT's 511NY before traveling, by calling 5-11, visiting the 511 website here, or downloading the free 511NY mobile app on iTunes or Google Play.

The free service allows users to check road conditions, view traffic cameras and link to air and transit information. The app features Drive mode, which provides audible alerts along a chosen route while a user is driving, warning them about incidents and construction.

The Department of Motor Vehicles is urging drivers to use the Have a Plan app to help find a safe way home from a celebration where they may be drinking. The free app from the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee and the NYS STOP-DWI Foundation allows users to designate a driver, call a cab or ride share, and to review the consequences of impaired driving.

Users can even use the app to report a drunk or drugged driver. The app is available for Apple, Android, and Windows smart phones.

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WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Success of Guyana’s oil sector dependent on who forms the next government in 2020 Dear Editor, There is a cacophony of drums in the land; drums of the masquerade bands as they herald the arrival of the festive season; drums of political parties, urging supporters into action, register, vote, support! And then there are the oil drums, not playing sweet calypsos as yet, empty, sitting, waiting to be filled and then sold, yet this silent oil drum is louder than all combined, its melody different to every ear, some hear sounds of hope and prosperity, others are dancing entranced by greed and avarice.

As we, Guyanese, stood outside of the Guyana International

Petroleum Business Summit and Exhibition (GIPEX-2019), ironically titled “A Gateway to a Golden Future” and watched the parade of foreign businessmen saunter in, Guyanese pondered on the question of how will this oil really and truly benefit me and my family?

Some have found jobs in the industry, some have sold bhagee to the oil company and yet the majority remains reserved about their prospects for improvement.

An awful lot hinges on the cognitive ability of those we elect in 2020.

After signing the Stabroek Petroleum contract extension, Raphael Trotman said two things that show the

thinking of the Granger Administration, (A) “we should – given our relative size, a nation with under one million people, our relative underdevelopment and our relative inexperience – try to stabilise our relationship rather than go out and quote 15 and 20 companies to come into our waters and develop the resource” and (B) “We were already receiving 50 per cent of the profits as an equal partner, having not sunk a single cent into the development of the block”. Both of these statements show a level of naivety that has cost Guyanese dearly.

In the first statement lies a colossal error; Guyana should

have insisted on relinquishment provisions in the Stabroek contract and then invited all International Oil Companies (IOC) to an auction. Brazil called its auction that raised 25 billion a failure; Granger hailed 18 million a success. Guyana’s oil is of better quality and easier (cheaper) to access than Brazil’s.

A ‘Golden Gateway’ opportunity lost.

The second statement states factually that Guyana will receive 50 per cent of profits. What Trotman failed to grasp is that ‘cost oil’ contains hundreds of millions of dollars in earnings for ExxonMobil employees. The Operator benefits tremendously during the exploration phase also, thousands of ExxonMobil employees earn hefty salaries

during the exploration, development, design, and extraction of oil.

Guyana pays these bills by way of pre-contract costs and the cost oil. The shareholders of ExxonMobil (CNOOC, HESS) and Guyana split the profits equally, but not the benefits.

A strong Local Content Policy allows Guyana to get a share of those ‘costs’ and increase our benefits. It should have been priority one for any Government, not a throwaway task designated to a newly-formed Department and then only three years after the discovery of commercial quantities of oil. Guyana will have to play catch-up for many a year to come, any delay could be disastrous.

The amateur hour must come to an end. Send home the clowns.

Despondency caused

by the performance of Granger’s maladministration of the nation, its economy and possible future earnings, have caused many to consider ‘direct cash transfer’ an attractive proposition. Faced with incompetence in every aspect of governance, citizens have thought it would be better to get something now than watch it be squandered by Granger and his cabal.

Guyana has a massive hydro-electric dam to be built; it has massive investments to make in education, agriculture, mining, construction, infrastructure and all other areas to improve our lives. These developments are not possible without a plan and a capable team dedicated to delivering positive results.

The Guyanese peo-

I recall making contact with a former Chief Justice of Kenya but he requested six to nine months to complete current commitments. We could not wait. Instead, Sir Richard Cheltenham, KA, QC, PhD, a distinguished lawyer from Barbados was chosen to Chair the Commission.

Barbados was chosen because this was the country to which the Rodney family fled and lived for several years after Walter’s death. From Jamaica, Jaquelin Samuels-Brown, QC, a respectable jurist, was chosen. At the time, she was the Chairperson of the Council of Legal Education of the West Indies. She also added gender balance to the Commission.

The President decided that the Commission must have a Guyanese.

However, care was exercised not to choose someone who may be perceived to be affected by the current political environment. So an eminent Guyanese lawyer who has been residing and practicing in Trinidad and Tobago for over thirty-five years was chosen. Seenauth Jairam, SC, was a former Judge of the High Court of Trinidad, as well as the then President of the Law Society. His appointment added ethnic balance to the Commission, as Rodney was a forceful advocate of racial unity in Guyana.

As regards the request to Donald Rodney,

my inquiries revealed that he was tried, convicted and sentenced in his absence and that an appeal filed on his behalf was dismissed. It was, therefore, impossible (and still is) for the charge against him be dismissed or withdrawn.

In the circumstances, I advised President Ramotar to pardon him and this was done. In terms of compensation, a decision was made for the Commission to make its findings first and if it was found that the State was responsible for Dr Rodney’s death then compensation would be discussed with the Government and the family.

By the time the Commission completed its work, the Government changed. By that time the evidence adduced was leaning overwhelmingly in the direction that the PNC Government of the time was responsible for Rodney’s death.

The new Government, APNU/AFC, as expected, immediately instructed the Commission to wind down its work. It was a tragic mistake. Shortly after, the Commission was forced to bring its work to an abrupt end.

During the course of the CoI, Dr Rupert Roopnaraine proffered a litany of excuses for not testifying. It is an omission for which history would harshly judge him. At the time, when the Commission was forced to halt its work,

a number of important witnesses were scheduled to testify, including Cecil “Skip” Roberts, the powerful Crime Chief of that era; Vernon Gentle, the lead police investigator into Rodney’s death; Norman Mc Clean, Head of the Army at the time, was to be cross-examined.

Additionally, “Salmon Letters” were to be issued to a number of persons including Robert Corbin and Hamilton Greene, whose names appeared on several important documents tendered in evidence and whose names were mentioned by a number of witnesses.

In the end, upon the evidence available, the Commission found that “the State organised the assassination [of Walter Rodney] with the knowledge of Prime Minister Burnham”. By the premature end of this Commission, the PNC would have assassinated Rodney a second time.

It is true that a reporter was specially hired to cover this event and to write a book on it. It is true that the Government’s newspaper carried the widest coverage of this Commission.

It is true that the Commission hearing was streamed live to the world. The State of Guyana owes Rodney no less; nay, much more.

AFC betrayed Guyanese and weakened the notion The PNC and... of “third force” politics Dear Editor, The party whose leader said they would be “dead meat” if they combined with the PNC, grovelled and licked boots to be first mate on a sinking PNC ship, now an illegal Government.

Knowing that Moses got larwah as PM, why did it matter so much to Khemraj that he was the PM candidate and will get larwah too? Was it just the large pension later? And now that the AFC man cannot become President if for some reason Granger’s sickness forces him to quit early, as they are probably expecting, what is the point for Khemraj? He is getting bigger larwah. But the PNC knowing the AFC has lost their political influence and capital seems scared to take any chances going at it alone, so they will carry the goadie, hoping it brings good luck.

From a party with seven seats in its heyday, the AFC was decimated by the PPP at the 2016 and 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE). In 2018 when Granger forced them to campaign on their own to test their electoral strength and value to the coalition, they won zero, zilch NDCs, when the PPP beat the coalition by 45,000 votes, after beating them by 25,000 votes in 2016.

These numbers show

they got “bad beat” by the PPP under the leadership of President Jagdeo, who is probably the most astute, shrewd politician in Guyana today. Mr Jagdeo is the most experienced leader, having served almost 3 terms as President, and presiding over some of Guyana’s best years in development.

No wonder the PNC is scared of him so much and tries to demonise him at every turn.

However, notwithstanding his faults, the PPP supporters simply love Mr Jagdeo and see him as the man who can hold the undemocratic PNC at bay, standing up to the bullies. Dr Irfaan Ali is lucky that he has three living PPP democratically-elected Presidents to coach and mentor him.

The PNC does not have that.

When the AFC joined with the PNC, Granger neutered the AFC, so if the AFC went on their own, they were already “dead meat” and can never make a comeback.

They already betrayed the nation and weakened the notion of “third force” politics.

Their defeat at the LGEs showed that. They have been already defiled and contaminated by their PNC association. Like so many victims of domestic violence, the AFC now has to stay in the coalition

for their survival, in an abusive relationship.

Without the PNC, they are dead, dead.

What we are curious to know is when they get beat by the PPP, and they lose the election in 2020, will the AFC get the same number of seats they were promised? If they lose, it means both the PNC and AFC will have to fight for political space. They will then become competitors.

Why will Granger or Volda want to give them seats if they lost (as the AFC would have brought nothing to the table)? Will the PNC old guards let Granger do that? The PNC old guards such as Norton, Lowe and Volda wanted them off the ticket for 2020, knowing that the 2018 Local Government Election shows the AFC lost their political value and deserved less.

People went back to the PPP after they were deceived that the coalition would be “the change” but did worse.

The other thing is that they said the AFC will get the Public Security Ministry. Wouldn’t that be a very, very sad thing as they have it now and it’s a big mess with criminals having a field day?

We must work hard for the defeat of the PNC coalition.

Sincerely, Jerry Singh

turn to page 7

from page 4

Sincerely, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, MP Attorney-at-Law

news 7

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Manufacturing body urges Govt to protect Guyanese interest …urges evaluation of oil & gas concessions granted to foreign companies

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he Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) has called out the Government for its inaction and failure to adequately police the oil and gas sector, even as locals continue to be disadvantaged in favour of foreign companies.

According to the GMSA, local content legislation that is enforceable and clearly defined is necessary. GMSA noted that such legislation must allow for the creation of local jobs, knowledge transfers, skills training, capacity building and internationally-accredited certification.

“The GMSA strongly recommends that the objective of Local Content Policy should revolve around definitive shortterm benefits of natural resource extraction into long-term local economic development outcomes,” it said on Tuesday.

This, according to the GMSA, should be done through “capacity building, institutional strengthening via strategic policy intervention to promote domestic economic linkages, creation of employment and the participation of local Small and Mediumscaled Enterprises (SMEs) in the value chain through the supply of goods and services to the sector”.

It added that in order to ensure that the Local Content Policy actually works, it was recommended that the Government look at Local Content Policies and legislation in oth-

GMSA President Clinton Williams

er jurisdictions such as Ghana.

Following a deluge of complaints and reports that foreign companies are using concessions from the Government agencies to displace local competition, GMSA urged the Government to examine the situation and if necessary, make the same concessions available to locals.

“We are strongly of the view that a critical evaluation should be undertaken of all foreign-based companies that have been provided with concessions by the Government. We urge the Government of

Success of Guyana’s oil... from page 6

ple have to listen to the drums, block out the noise and discordant notes of racism and opportunism; of greed and avarice; of hope and promise. We have to discern who among the political parties have a plan and the ability to deliver on the promise of oil. I have and I can hear David Rudder’s beautiful song playing in the inner ear.

Can you hear a distant drum Bouncing on the laughter of a melody (yea, yea)

And does the rhythm tell you, come, come, come Does your spirit do a dance to this symphony Does it tell you that your heart is afire Does it tell you that your pain is a liar Does it wash away all your unlovely And are you ready for a brand new discovery Elections are on the second of March 2020.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

Guyana to do so in order to ascertain whether there exists any Guyanese company that has been and/or will be disadvantaged as it relates to unfair competition, particularly within our Manufacturing and Services Sectors and beyond”.

Local manufacturers, the GSMA said, continue to face the hardship of being unable to enjoy the same benefits as foreigners entering into

the country primarily to maximise the benefits associated with the new oil and gas industry. For this reason, the GMSA would like the emphasis to be placed on the need to derive more benefits from Guyana’s natural resources.

The association explained that robust mechanisms must be in place to monitor local content development, though it acknowledged the role being played

by the Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD). GMSA noted, however, that there has been no serious monitoring of the sector to date.

“To date, we have observed that there are no dedicated monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and/or institutions empowered with regulatory authority and autonomy to ensure the implementation of Local Content Policy in Guyana. As such, the

GMSA believes that an independent commission should be an obvious body to remedy this anomaly”.

In this context, GMSA supports the formation of a local content commission to ensure that the intended goals are achieved and for necessary policy adjustments to be made if and when these become necessary.

Originally scheduled for 2020, the projected start of first oil production for Exxon and its partners has been moved up to next month.

A Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel has already arrived in Guyana’s waters, with Dutch firm SBM Offshore constructing a second one for offshore Guyana.

The only piece of oil-related legislature that has been made official is the Natural Resources Fund Act. Everything else has been in development.

Safeguards like a Local Content Policy is still not in place to give guidance on local content for Guyanese.

When the second draft of the Local Content Policy was released, the policy itself admitted that it does not deal with mid and downstream oil and gas initiatives but rather, the direct, upstream parts of the sector.

8 news

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

More than 1700 Guyanese working for Exxon …in jobs ranging from engineers to labourers

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n Guyana, for decades, and having found over a dozen oil wells since 2015, there is some expectation that ExxonMobil can provide direct employment for locals. The company contended that it has been able to employ thousands of locals during its time in Guyana.

According to Exxon’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs, Diedre Moe, Exxon currently has over 3400 persons working on its local operations. This includes the Stabroek Block, where the company has a Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel and other infrastructure set up.

“We have over 3400 people working on the projects in Guyana. More than 1700 or 50 per cent are actually Guyanese.

Anything from doing catering type of work to roustabouts on board, safety and health officers and we also have significant work at shore base, activities like loading pipes. And then, of course, we have persons working for us directly, everything like accoun-

The Liza Destiny FPSO

tants to communication professionals to engineers.”

“We had three specifically that were hired a couple years ago. And they spent 18 months in the US at our expense.

And they got a chance to be trained in how different types of oil and gas operations work. And they have since come back. They are actually

going to be responsible for different issues regarding the Liza Phase One project. The jobs we have for Guyanese run the gamut of opportunities.”

According to Moe, Exxon has worked with over 600 local vendors and suppliers on a sub-contractual basis, since they first began their operations in 1999.

She noted that Exxon has expended over G$36 billion on supplies from local vendors.

Local content and what it will do for Guyana has been a burning question since the announcement of oil in the Stabroek Block. After Exxon first tempered expectations by saying that few job opportunities will be created by oil, it has since said that it will help with local content delivery.

One measure it has taken is to set up a Centre for Local Business Development (CLBD).

A prevailing complaint has been that Guyanese are losing out to foreigners when it comes to local content, especially as the Local Content Policy is still to be in effect.

A third draft of the lo-

cal content plan was released weeks ago and

Exxon’s Senior Director of Public and Government Affairs, Diedre Moe

Road to First Oil...

After the find, Tullow’s Exploration Director, Angus McCoss had noted that the discovery increased the potential of the Orinduik Block. He had also alluded to the Block having multibillion-barrel potential. Since then, however, additional testing had found that Tullow’s crude finds were of a heavy, impure quality that would not be financially viable.

The Orinduik oil block is just a few kilometres from Exxon’s discoveries in the Liza and Payara fields. It is under the administration of Eco Guyana and Tullow, who signed a 10-year Petroleum Prospecting Licence and Production Sharing Agreement with Guyana in 2016.

French firm Total E&P

was subjected to discussions among stakeholders. The lack of penalties was a prevalent concern by those who reviewed the document. In fact, the policy itself said that there were limits to its scope.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), having identified a number of weaknesses within the policy including the most obvious one of the lack of penalties for delinquent operators, had sent out an analysis on the document.

They had said that with no penalties to hold operators accountable to their commitments and international principles of providing employment and business opportunities for Guyanese, “handshakes” and good faith are not enough.

Activities Petrolieres entered the fray in 2017, partnering with Eco and getting a 25 per cent share in the block.

Originally scheduled for 2020, the projected start of oil production for Exxon and its partners has been moved up to next month, with Dutch firm SBM Offshore constructing a second FPSO for offshore Guyana.

The only piece of oil-related legislation that has been made official is the Natural Resources Fund Act. Everything else has been in development, with Department of Energy Director, Dr Mark Bynoe explaining recently that they were reviewing the legislative framework for the sector.

Safeguards like the National Oil Spill Plan

from page 3

are a work in progress, with the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) leading the way and engaging relevant stakeholders over a number of months. The third draft of the plan was recently released for perusal.

There is also no policy in place to ensure local content for Guyanese.

When the second draft of the local content policy was released, the policy itself admitted that it does not deal with mid and downstream oil and gas initiatives, but rather the direct upstream parts of the sector.

The third local content draft, which is still not approved, has been criticised as favouring foreign firms at the expense of locals.

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‘With the resources from oil, free university education possible in Guyana’ – new Chancellor of UG

By Jarryl Bryan

W

ith the recently increased discussions on the University of Guyana (UG) becoming a tuition-free zone, newly appointed Chancellor, Professor Edward Greene believes that making education at the University free is certainly achievable.

During a recent interview with this publication, Professor Greene was asked about his thoughts on the concept of free education at UG. Greene noted that not only is it doable, the right to free education is also enshrined in the Constitution.

“I think [free education] is doable. With the resources from oil, we can find a way to make that a priority. As a matter of fact, it’s enshrined in the Constitution.

And I think when we look at what happens in Singapore and the rest of South-East Asia, where they really developed education from childhood to university and made that free,” he explained.

Greene noted the developmental potential that those countries have been able to realise and the importance of investments in human capital. According to the academic, investing in human capital can bring enormous returns to the country as a whole.

“The investment in

human capital bears returns that are enormous.

And I would certainly urge and collaborate with the Government to really come through with their promise of free education,” he said.

Article 27 of the Constitution of Guyana states that every citizen has the right to free education from nursery to University. At UG, however, there have in fact been incremental in-

creases in tuition and various services since 2017.

With elections on the horizon, various political parties have pitched the idea of implementing free education at UG, which currently has over 5000 students enrolled.

There is an international precedent for free tertiary education, with countries like Germany, Brazil and Norway offering world-class public university education free of cost.

Plans for UG

The former Deputy Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and decorated diplomat officially took over as Chancellor at the University’s 53rd Convocation ceremony on November 16. His appointment ends almost a year’s search for someone to succeed former Chancellor Emeritus Nigel Harris.

Greene enters office at a time when UG is under the direction of an Interim Management Committee that was set up after the controversial departure of former Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith. During his interview, Greene acknowledged that at present, the University faces many challenges.

“But there are lots of opportunities, especially given we are on the cusp of a buoyant economy. So I think one of

The Chancellor also noted the importance of the University engaging the community, rather than leaving the institution with the perception of being an ‘ivory tower’.

According to Greene, UG must be able to provide perspectives, including research, on issues that affect the wider commu-

the short term things the University can do is to ensure it develops the kind of programmes that can equip its graduates to get engaged in the sustainable development future of Guyana.”

“And that really means that not only an investment in their education in oil and gas, but in those sectors that create the basis for that development trajectory that we could benefit

nity.

“Chief among these issues is how do we tackle climate change.

Together because it’s a human endeavour, how do we develop towards a green economy? How do we really level the playing field so that more people can have opportunities to get a higher education, and technical training? That’s how I see us moving in the immediate future. I call it

UG Chancellor, Professor Edward Greene

from in this new phase.”

Greene also explained that from his observations, there are areas for improvement in infrastructure on campus. As an example, he noted that given the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), there should be improvements to the laboratories.

Low-hanging fruit

the low-hanging fruit.”

“We discussed this (Tuesday) in a meeting with the transitional management committee, which now runs the University since we don’t have a sitting Vice Chancellor. I was very impressed with the plans to make the University a research-oriented institution. Yes, we have to teach. But we can only teach current things on the basis of active research.”

Greene expressed the belief that when the University conducts research, it should be relevant to developments not only in Guyana but also global developments.

Greene also lauded the fact that UG had created a research programme in biodiversity and listed some of the other areas he wanted to see UG do more research in.

“So research in agriculture, climate change, engineering and hydrau-

lics, soil, agro-industries, these are things which we believe we must engage our students. We have to source the funding,” Greene noted.

“We have to [advocate with the] Government to see the University as a vital source for the development thrust. We have to help the graduates feel comfortable with [Guyana’s potential], that they will not migrate in [the numbers] that they have been.”

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Jamaican man in Bronx found innocent of mom’s 1989 murder

Reprinted Jamaica Star

from

H

uwe Burton was only 16 when he was arrested and charged with the 1989 murder of his Jamaican mother Keziah Burton.

Huwe got home from school on January 3, and found her lying in a pool of blood.

She had stab wounds to the neck and a telephone cord wrapped around her wrist. He called the police to report what happened.

Two days later, police interrogated him for three hours. He said he was forced to confess to the murder.

A jury convicted Burton on September 25, 1991, of second-degree murder, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was sentenced to 15 years to life.

In 2009, he got parole and The Innocence Project, a group committed to exonerating wrongly convicted persons, referred his case to Steve Drizin, an attorney and expert on false confes-

Huwe Burton and mother, Keziah Burton

sions at Northwestern University’s Center on Wrongful Convictions.

The Innocence Project and other legal entities spent two years studying Burton’s confession.

Finally, after highlighting discrepancies in his trial, he was exonerated in January.

Burton, now 47, told THE STAR that it was

the first time since he was 16 that he was able to live free.

“I was out here 10 years, even after being incarcerated, still fighting trying to prove my innocence; so it’s a very different feeling at this point,” he said.

Burton said that being imprisoned, he could not grieve for his mother

properly. Even worse, his father died in 2005, four years before his parole.

“To watch my father, Rathael Joseph Burton, wither throughout the years, made things hard for me, even though he tried to mount a great defence to prove my innocence,” he said. “But there were a lot of things that he taught me over

the years that helped me to deal with being incarcerated. He was there in terms of my well-being. I felt so alone when he died because I knew that I would never see that kind of support from someone like that again so there was that part of me that felt alone when he passed.”

Burton, who was

born in the US, remembered that he was last in Jamaica when he was five. His parents were from Mandeville, and they moved to England before settling in the US, where he was born.

Since getting full freedom, he has been on a quest to retrace and gain some family time that was taken from him for more than 20 years.

“With regards to everything that I have lost, when we talk about repayment (compensation), I am not sure I can put a dollar amount on that.

This is about the loss of my freedom, so it is all bittersweet for me. Only holding people true to their actions is the only way to get compensated,” he said.

His attorney, Jonathon Moore, said that they are currently seeking to sue the detectives for wrongful conviction.

According to Bluhm Legal Clinic, investigations have revealed that a convicted criminal is now a suspect in Keziah Burton’s murder.

60,000 unmatched fingerprints returned from overseas …GECOM seeking clarity

T

he Guyana E l e c t i o n s Commission (GECOM) will be doing an internal investigation after data returned from cross-matching overseas was unable to match some 60,000 names recorded during the halted House-to-House Registration.

This was revealed at the conclusion of a statutory meeting on Tuesday.

Opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioner

(NRR).

“Based on the cross-matching information that we have received, the number of forms that did not attract a hit from the cross-matching number is about 60,000. On the face of it, one would want to assume that those are new persons,” he said.

“However, the Chief Elections Officer has indicated to us that the Secretariat went through a process where

GECOM Chair Retired Justice Claudette Singh has called for a vote on the matter, Gunraj noted that in the first place, there is no clarity about the data itself, so there could be no vote on how to use the data.

However, he explained that GECOM has since contacted the service provider for clarity on the information.

Asked if this could delay the already-delayed process for General and

The Opposition nominated Commissioners Bibi Shaddick, Robeson Benn and Sase Gunraj

Sase Gunraj said that these 60,000 persons are not necessarily new registrants since initial investigations found that a significant portion is already on the National Register of Registrants

they looked at that cross-matching report and they have found more than 17,000 who were presumed to be new, to be already on the database”.

Asked whether

Regional Elections, he was unable to say.

“We have taken a decision to contact the service provider of the fingerprint cross-matching.

But that is where we are.

We don’t know if it was a

Government nominated Commissioners Desmond Trotman, Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin

mistake of the company.

We don’t know what the position is, so we’re waiting on clarity on the way forward”.

It has been weeks that GECOM has been unable to decide on how it will use the House-toHouse Registration data “At this point, there has been no indication to us about the possibility of a delay. But a resolution of this in a timely manner will help in the smoothness of the process,” Gunraj further explained to the media.

Meanwhile, Government-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander noted that GECOM’s investigation is likely to take a week.

It has been weeks that GECOM has been unable to reach a consensus on what it will even-

tually do with this data.

Last week’s statutory meeting had ended with Gunraj also revealing that they were unable to reach a consensus on the usage of the House-toHouse data – a process which was halted since August 31.

The inconclusive nature of the meeting was even though the Chairperson had promised that a decision would be made. Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, himself, had also met with the Chairperson on Tuesday last, where issues regarding this data were discussed.

When H2H started this year, it was without the input of the Opposition. In fact, the only party that scrutinised the enumerators during the exercise was

the ruling party, as the PPP was not invited to participate.

In fact, the parliamentary opposition has long contended that merging the data would corrupt the entire database, citing the manner in which the data was collected.

On the other hand, the Government-nominated Commissioners have advocated for the inclusion of the data.

A decision was taken recently by GECOM to post the House-to-House data at its registration office for persons to inspect and then use as a reference to make changes to the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE). At the time, the Opposition was opposed to this decision since the H2H data was likely to be inaccurate.

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Guyana’s sugar production continues to plummet

M

ore than 660 hours of downtime at all of the three remaining factories in the sugar belt has resulted in the second crop production plummeting, a situation which the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) said is a “major bugbear”.

GAWU on Sunday said that the Albion Estate factory in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) is experiencing its worse performance in the longest time. In fact, the Union noted that the problems at that location are so acute that the Corporation has lost some three weeks of operations during this crop as a result of the breakdowns, which amounts to some 420 hours of downtime.

Meanwhile, the situation is not much better at the other factory locations with breakdown hours during this crop reaching 122 and 119 at Blairmont, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), and Uitvlugt, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), respectively.

According to GAWU, the performance of the factories, as it has lamented before, brings into question the efficacy of the industry’s factory operations department.

“That department’s skills, we gathered, has been augmented in recent times as several new recruits were engaged. We hasten to wonder what have been their collective contributions in assuaging the situation and trying to bring some semblance to the difficulties that are

being faced at this time.

The situation for the Union and the workers are very much concerning and disconcerting at the same time,” the missive stated.

The Union went on to point out that this situation has been especially hard for sugar workers.

It noted that the poor reliability of the factories has seen workers on many days not being offered work.

On the other hand, GAWU said that this situation has caused it to re-look at previous estimates regarding this year’s sugar production. Last month, based on the sugar industry’s performance, the Union had estimated that production until week-ending December 20 would see GuySuCo producing 67,653 tonnes sugar out of a 75,843-tonne target.

At that time, GAWU said it expected that Albion, Blairmont and Uitvlugt would have pro-

duced 34,187 tonnes, 20,450 tonnes and 13,016 tonnes of sugar respectively. However, the Union noted that recent performances have caused it to review its estimates.

In fact, the Union noted that as of November 20, sugar production experienced a total deficit of 27,486 tonnes. This was after Albion produced 22,864 against a target of 39,543 tonnes; Blairmont producing 13,776 against a 23,284 target, and Uitvlugt producing 11,627 against a target of 13,016.

GAWU pointed out that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has disclosed that Uitvlugt Estate has sufficient canes to produce an additional 500 tonnes of sugar and its target has been revised.

Bearing in mind the most recent performance, the Union has now estimated that the industry’s second crop

production by December 20, will reach 60,236 tonnes sugar with a total deficit of 16,107 tonnes.

This will see an estimated sugar production at Albion of 28,643 tonnes against a target of 39,543 tonnes and at Blairmont, 18,077 against a 23,284-tonne target. Uitvlugt is expected to meet its target of 13,516 tonnes.

Meanwhile, the sugar industry’s poor performance also means that the canes available to harvest during the

second crop cannot be harvested, and as a result will now have to be reaped until next year.

“The cutting of canes beyond their maturity is almost a taboo in the industry as those canes tend to experience declining returns. Moreover, such canes are also difficult for workers to harvest as they require additional efforts by them,” the Union underscored.

Only last month, GAWU along with another Union, the National Association

of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) — met with GuySuCo officials after the alarmingly low rates of sugar production came to their attention.

At that time, the Union said it received information that days of work were lost to various maladies that brought the factory’s operations to a halt.

Recognising that the sugar company’s capital programme has been hamstrung by lack of finances, the workers’ Union had pointed out that GuySuCo would have received a G$30 billion bond and, therefore, funds should have been or should be utilised from this source to safeguard sugar production in Guyana and the jobs of the remaining thousands of sugar workers.

This situation comes on the heels of sugar workers being snubbed by the Government, which recently announced salary increases for the public sector.

In fact, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder told this newspaper that GuySuCo does not have funds to facilitate a pay hike for its workers.

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Revised list of electors to be ready by early January, says GECOM PRO

By Jarryl Bryan

W

ith the completion of Claims and Objections, it is possible that the Revised List of Electors (RLE) that will largely determine who can vote in the upcoming General and Regional Elections could be ready by next month or early in January.

This is according to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward, who was asked if an RLE could be completed before January considering GECOM’s processes.

“It’s possible. I would say by late December, very early January (2020), it should be completed,” Ward said, going on to explain that the data from the Claims and Objections has to go through much the same process as was followed for encoding.

“It goes through the same procedure in terms of the encoding verification. And of course, that information, you would have to then have it cross-matched. So, the process is no different than what obtained in any other registration exercise. It has to be completed, encoded, go through the process, fingerprint cross-match.”

Ward noted that from this process, GECOM would be able to generate an RLE and then an Official List of Electors, with elections due in March 2020. She also noted that the second

GECOM PRO Yolanda Warde

batch of data from the House-To-House registration exercise that was sent overseas has been received.

What GECOM will eventually do with this data is still unclear, as a statutory meeting last week had ended with Opposition-nominated Commissioner Sase Gunraj revealing that they could not reach consensus on the usage of the House-to-House data – a process which was halted since August 31.

“It was a marathon meeting. We had a lot to discuss. We’re actually talking about the interrogation of the Houseto-House data at this point. Our discussions currently, as long winded as they were, are still

incomplete. There is nothing definitive that we give at this point,” Gunraj had said.

When asked at the conclusion of the meeting about the same Houseto-House data garnered, Government-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander also noted, “That matter is still to be finalised.”

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo met with the GECOM Chairperson on Tuesday last and issues regarding this data were discussed.

Apart from this, the Commissioner told media operatives that many of the matters discussed ended in an inconclusive outcome.

When H2H started this year, it was with-

out the input of the Opposition. In fact, the only party that scrutinised the enumerators during the exercise was the ruling party, as the

PPP was not invited to participate.

This, together with the nature in which the exercise started under the backdated order of

the former Chairman, Retired Justice James Patterson and the fact that many people boycotted the exercise, has not helped arguments for the data to be merged with the National Register of Registrants (NRR).

In fact, the parliamentary Opposition has long contended that merging the data would corrupt the entire database, citing the manner in which the data was collected.

On the other hand, the Government-nominated Commissioners on GECOM have advocated for the inclusion of the data.

A decision was taken recently by GECOM to post the H2H data at its registration offices for persons to inspect and then use as a reference to make changes to the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE). At the time, the Opposition was opposed to this decision since the H2H data was likely to be inaccurate.

Harris Paints employee

remanded on G$7.7M robbery on store A Harris Paints employee accused of robbing his colleagues of G$7.7 million belonging to the company was on Monday remanded to prison.

Tarquinn Atkins, of B Field Sophia, Greater Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts slapped with a robbery under arms charge.

The 22-year-old man denied that on November 16, 2019, at Lot 3-5 Water Street, Georgetown, while being in the company of others and armed with guns, he robbed Ginell Williams of G$7.7 million, property of Harris Paints Limited.

According to the prosecutor’s case, the money, which was the previous day’s earnings, was secured in a safe; however, after reporting for duty on November 16, Williams was ambushed

by Atkins and others, who were armed with guns.

The court heard that the defendant placed a gun to the woman’s head and demanded cash. The woman complied and handed over

Tarquinn Atkins

the cash. The bandits then made good their escape. According to the Prosecutor, following a Police investigation, the former employee was ar-

rested and admitted to committing the robbery.

Atkins was remanded to prison and the case scheduled to continue on December 9, 2019.

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Only 40 of 250 companies at GIPEX were local

T

he Guyana International P e t r o l e u m Business Summit and Exhibition (GIPEX) 2019 has come and gone, with hundreds participating and partnerships being formed. According to the organisers, however, approximately 40 of the 250 companies that participated are Guyanese, something that they are looking to improve next year.

This figure was provided by Chief Executive Officer of Sagacity Incorporated, Chris Chapwanya, who noted that there were some companies that, having participated in 2018’s GIPEX event, returned to provide a progress report.

The event was organised by Valiant Business Media. It’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Shariq Abdul Hai, defended the low participation of Guyanese businesses, which works out to 16 per cent. According to Hai, efforts were made and a reasonable price inclusive of a subsidised rate was offered to get locals to participate.

“This year, we divided companies into various segments depending on how big or small they were. Startups was one category and I think the prices we made for them, I’ve been organising these events for years, and I think it was extremely generous,” he said.

“A lot of them could come in and pay the minimal fee, which would probably not even be enough for us to pay the cost for the booth. But we did make arrangements and it was made public as well. But I think personally, we will find ways.

This is Guyana’s event and we can work with GCCI and partners to discuss ways on how we

Scenes from GIPEX 2019

can get them engaged,” Hai added.

Hai also noted that for the companies who did participate, everyone was treated on a first come first serve basis when it comes to booth placements. He noted that in the case of Exxon, it got the largest booth due to the investment it put into the event.

“There will never be an idea to discriminate against one company or the other. Even international companies, some of them were in the last pavilion. A lot of things depend on when they come.

If someone came to us in the last couple days, we would have to do our best to put them in the spaces available.”

“People who think, why has ExxonMobil got the biggest booth?

Because they put in the substantial investment.

If someone else does it then they are most welcome. It’s not that we signed something with Exxon, so no one else can do it. So we will still try to take that feedback.”

M e a n w h i l e , Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Chairman Nicholas Boyer noted that even while the event was being organised there were issues with the initial price. This proposed price, he said, was reduced.

“Initially, there were

[issues] with the initial prices, but then we met with the Department of Energy and the organisers and we brought the pricing down to a more affordable level for local companies. But given that a lot of the local companies are startup, if we can bring the pricing down further it would be beneficial because we

would have more participation from them.”

It is known that the fee paid by delegates registering for GIPEX 2019 was based on the number of those attending.

One foreign delegate paid US$1995 or $416,000 to attend, while a group of four foreign delegates would have paid US$1795 per person. Local dele-

gates paid US$795 plus Value Added Tax (VAT) per person.

There has been some criticism of the fees that had to be paid for persons to participate, with Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo criticising the event for this and also the perception that it was tailored mainly for foreign companies. For its

part, GIPEX organisers have said that the event was funded completely by private money and not by the Government.

GIPEX is aimed at facilitating networking and providing investment opportunities for companies across all sectors associated with the petroleum industry in Guyana. In 2018, the summit had attracted global participation from more than 600 delegates and 200 international and national oil and gas companies.

This time around, the international and national oil and gas companies involved and setting up their own booths included Exxon, Tullow, Hess and Century Tamara Energy Services, a partly Guyanese-owned company.

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Kosmos owner, senior cop killed in accident

T

he owner of the popular nightspot, Kosmos Bar and Grill, along with his Senior Police Officer friend, are now dead following a horrific accident at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.

Dead are Superintendent of Police, Brian Eastman, of Norton Street, Georgetown, and Dillon DeRamos, of Providence on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD). The two men have been friends since 1995 when they started President’s College.

According to reports, DeRamos, the driver of PTT 6775, reportedly lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the concrete fence of Yokohoma Trading, Liliendaal on the Rupert Craig Highway. As a result of the impact, the vehicle was totally destroyed.

The area where the accident occurred has a dip in the road and numerous fatal accidents have happened there over the years.

Details surrounding

The badly-damaged vehicle in which the two men, who were friends since childhood, were travelling when they died

Dead: Owner of Kosmos, Dillon DeRamos

the fence.

Police, in a statement, said that Eastman’s grandmother, Iris, died on Tuesday morning and he was busy making arrangements for her funeral when he was picked up by DeRamos to “ease his head”.

Reports are that the 36-year-old cop spoke to his relatives just after 18:00h indicating that he was leaving Kosmos at the MovieTowne Plaza to head home. However, minutes later, his fiancé called his phone only to be told that he was in an

Guyana Police Force’s Special Branch. They kept pouring in as news of his demise spread.

Police Commissioner Leslie James also visited Eastman’s family at the hospital. Following a visit to the morgue, Commissioner James spoke to the media where he expressed his condolences to the bereaved.

“Indeed, it is a sad day for the Force and perhaps for the country.

A young senior officer’s life was this afternoon snuffed out following an

Senior members of the Guyana Police Force in conversation with Police Commissioner Leslie James at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation

the accident remained sketchy up until press time as the Police are still investigating the incident. However, information reaching this publication suggests that the vehicle was heading west along the Rupert Craig Highway when the driver lost control and slammed into

accident.

She rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was identified.

The top brass of the Guyana Police Force was out in their numbers at the Georgetown Public Hospital consoling the family of the 36-year-old Deputy Director of the

accident. A very promising officer. One of our most promising senior officers in the person of Brian Eastman.

Someone who worked directly with me,” the Top Cop noted.

James said that Eastman was his deputy when he headed the Intelligence

Dead: Superintendent of Police, Brian Eastman

Arm of the Guyana Police Force some years ago. According to the Commissioner, he learnt of his officer’s death

sometime early in the evening and came to the hospital.

He promised that the accident would be thor-

oughly investigated.

Eastman is the second Police Officer who has lost their life in this week due to road accidents. The Police on Tuesday night said that Eastman is a graduate of the University of Guyana. He received his Master’s of Public Administration in 2018, a Bachelor’s of Social Science in 2015, a diploma in public management in 2013 and was awarded the Prime Minister Medal for the academic year 2014/2015. He also holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the Australian Institute of Business.

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Peoples Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Presidential Candidate Dr Irfaan Ali interacting with residents during a recent visit to Leguan

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

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Lawlessness continues on Guyana’s roadways

…minibus driver, conductor caught on video endangering passengers’ lives

P

olice are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying a minibus driver and conductor who were caught on video endangering the lives of their passengers.

On Tuesday, a video posted on social media that went viral showed a minibus conductor opening the door of a moving vehicle and dancing while placing his body outside, gripping only the outer part of the doorway. In the process of this unflattering behaviour, passengers were seen cheering him on.

Meanwhile, the driver of the bus was later seen opening the door of his driver’s seat, dancing and putting both his legs outside of the moving vehicle in the process of holding on to the staring wheel.

Speaking with this newspaper, Traffic Chief Linden Isles stated that the names of the driver, bus conductor, and a number of the bus are yet to be identified. However, he is calling on the public

Conductor of the moving bus with his body outside the vehicle

to help with the identification of these men so that they can face strict penalties.

“From the video, you

see two persons but I don’t have that information to say which is the bus, I don’t have such information. I

think if persons know which route the bus normally operates, they can identify the identification mark of the bus. They can inform us so that we can take some action. But presently, we don’t have the route of the bus or the driver of the bus,” he said.

President of the United Minibus Union (UMU), Eon Andrews said that based on the Terms of Reference and Code of Conduct that is enforced by the Police, the men were committing an offence.

“What is very concerning is that the commuters were cheering them on, obviously too, the music that was being played there was lewd music, and I would like to believe that those persons were mostly the younger generation,” he explained.

Just recently, the Traffic Department of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) reported that from January 1 to April 2019, there was a 20.8 per cent increase

The driver’s legs outside of the bus while he was driving

in fatal accidents and an almost 20 per cent increase in road deaths related to accidents.

Traffic Chief, Superintendent Linden

Isles pointed out last week that the majority of the fatal accidents occurred as a result of driving under the influence of alcohol.

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‘Submarine’ found in Europe with over 6000lbs of cocaine suspected to be made in Guyana …local law enforcement officials engaged

G

uyanese law enforcement authorities have been contacted by the Spanish Police about a submarine that was discovered carrying thousands of tonnes of cocaine located off the coast of Aldan, in Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain.

It is believed that this vessel was made in Guyana but that the massive quantity of cocaine was shipped out of Colombia, with Europe as its destination.

According to a senior law enforcement source, the Spanish authorities are still conducting investigations into the matter as they are working on re-floating the submarine to help determine how much cocaine is stored inside of it.

“They are not sure of the exact amount or weight of the cocaine there so they are estimating the weight based on averaging the weight of that submarine and the capacity it has. However, they have confirmed that it is cocaine inside of the vessel. They said when they are done with their preliminary report they will forward to us and

A map displaying the location of the submerged submarine, which reportedly contains over 6000 pounds of cocaine, believed to have come from Colombia

let us know and then we have to do our part such as investigate etc,” the source said.

The source added that even if the submarine’s origin traces back to Guyana, it would have had to be a vessel that was made decades ago.

However, he emphasised that the cocaine, according to various reports, originated from Colombia and not Guyana.

According to a

Spanish news agency, El Pais, their law enforcement officials have seized more than 6000 pounds of cocaine from what is believed to be the first-ever “narco-submarine” caught trying to enter European waters.

The 65-foot vessel, which in itself is estimated to cost €2.5 million to build, was tracked down on Sunday off the coast of Pontevedra, according to El Pais.

Investigators are now

hoping to crane-lift the sub onto the dock at the Port of Aldán so that they can get inside more easily, an official from the Government’s office in the Province said Tuesday.

The Spanish authorities said that this was the first time a submarine had been found to be used in drug trafficking in that country – and that they had been monitoring the vessel’s movements in recent days in coordination

with international Police.

The submarine is believed to have departed from Colombia, according to El Pais. Following its capture, two Ecuadoreans on board were taken into custody but a third person that escaped remains on the lam, the newspaper added.

The submarine sank as Police tried to intercept it Sunday, yet it wasn’t clear if the crew sank it on purpose.

Sources that spoke to

El Pais said the vessel was carrying around 6600 pounds of cocaine and the criminal organisations affiliated with it must be “big, since just the submarine itself must have cost around €2.5 million (US$2.75 million)”.

The sources also said that they believed the submarine was built in Guyana and has been in operation “for years”.

Galician inlets have long been used by smugglers bringing cocaine by sea from South America into Europe.

An official, who spoke with other Spanish media, on condition of anonymity in keeping with Government rules, said a Police diver had managed to enter the submarine and extracted one package of cocaine.

The official said the submarine was some six metres underwater and that bad weather was complicating how Police might be able to bring it to the surface.

He said Spanish Police, in coordination with other countries’ forces, had been monitoring the submarine’s journey for some days.

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WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Young teacher is valedictorian of UG Berbice Campus T

wenty-fouryear-old Juanita Beejaimal, a Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) and Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) teacher at the New Amsterdam Secondary School was named the 2019 Valedictorian when the University of Guyana, Berbice Campus, hosted its 18th Convocation ceremony on Saturday.

According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) report, Beejaimal made history as the first student from the Faculty of Natural Sciences to be named the Best Graduating Student and Valedictorian. She graduated with the highest grade point average and attained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology.

During her address to the graduating class, she noted that despite the challenges faced, determination and resilience were key components in achieving their success.

Beejaimal urged her colleagues to remain open to learning.

“Despite us having our degrees, let us re-

Twenty-four-year-old Juanita Beejaimal, a teacher at the New Amsterdam Secondary School was named the 2019 Valedictorian when the University of Guyana, Berbice Campus, hosted its 18th Convocation ceremony on Saturday. In photo an elated Beejaimal posed with family members after the graduation ceremony

main open to learning.

The truth is having a degree does not mean we have our lives figured out nor that we are infallible. We will make mistakes… but in all of this

let us always look for the lesson to be learnt. Now that we will be embarking on the next chapter let us define success on our own terms, let us rise with even more grit than

ever after every fall, and let us actualise the ambition cradled in us.”

Beejaimal recognised the efforts made by her parents, colleagues, lecturers and everyone who encouraged and contributed to her success. The Edinburgh, East Bank of Berbice resident, concluded by encouraging her colleagues to hold

them on the front burner and taking action to ensure their fulfilment.

To champion the causes of civil society, the grassroots organisations of Guyana for empowering of the marginalised and the disadvantaged.

To trigger policy innovations emphasising the how, which I assure you is more important than

cies and prime people to think about accountability to the future thereby leaving this world a better place. Go forth and conquer the world.”

Additionally, he commended the campus for engaging in several impressive initiatives which helps to strengthen communities through public/private partnership and the need for continued human capital investment through education. The Chancellor of the University also referred to His Excellency, President David Granger’s policy on education, one which he supports.

“The UG and GoG must utilise gains of oil and gas to support programmes such as those offered on this campus that are complementary to oil and gas and provide the basis of sustainable or responsible development and the green economy. Most heartening is the recent announcement by President Granger that education is his signature policy proposal.

This includes the return to free University education. I wholeheartedly support this proposal for free education as an essential investment in human capital development. It accords with a vision that education is the root and fruit of social mobility and eco-

A section of the graduates

their heads high and be proud of their milestone achieved.

M e a n w h i l e , Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor John Edward Greene, while delivering the feature address, called on the 216 graduates “to be the voices of transformation” and to promote unity, not divisiveness.

“Be the voices of transformation; use your voices to shape public opinion by talking about issues of inclusion and equality of keeping

the why”.

Professor Greene advised the graduates to use technology and information to help shape policies for a brighter future.

“Let our multi-cultural heritage influence messages of cohesion rather than divisiveness and help people recognise the double sword of the digital revolution for which social media has been a boon but also a major source of disinformation. And then graduates, engage in legacy thinking to frame poli-

nomic liberalisations.”

Among the graduates was differently-abled student Colleen Hamilton, 36, who graduated with an Associate of Science Degree in Social Work from the Faculty of Social Sciences, while the youngest female graduate, 17-year-old Sujada Azeez gained an Associate of Science Degree in computer science, and the youngest male was eighteenyear-old Assad Jaferally who earned an Associate of Science Degree in Biology.

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WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

“Not me” – Norton says not responsible for removal of Rodney’s name from National Archives building

F

ollowing news that the Walter Rodney Archives was renamed the National Archives, Social Cohesion Minister Dr George Norton, under whose purview the archives falls, has distanced himself from removal of the renowned scholar’s name.

Norton was asked by this publication about the development, which has left the party Rodney headed, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), seeking answers; and he has claimed that he was out of the jurisdiction at the time, and had nothing to do with the decision. According to the minister, he will seek answers, but for now he could not provide further clarity.

“I was out of the jurisdiction… as soon as I get the opportunity I will (seek answers on the removal of the name),” Dr Norton promised.

Previously, the Archives had a large wooden sign at the front, saying ‘Walter Rodney Archives’. At some point, however, the sign was replaced with one lit by LED lights and emblazoned with the words ‘National Archives of Guyana’.

In an interview with this publication, WPA

The sign in front of the National Archives that has been changed

2008 under the previous administration, they did not gazette the change.

It’s required by law that you gazette whenever you make changes of that nature,” he had said.

“What we’re gathering is that it was not gazetted, and so the change was never formally made.

falls under that portfolio. Hinds noted that Dr Walter Rodney had been a well-respected historian and academic, and therefore there should have been a consensus before such steps were taken. He called the act an insensitive one to Rodney’s legacy.

The WPA is one of five parties which came together in 2011 and

formed A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

The party’s parliamentary seat is held by Public Service Minister Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, who replaced party stalwart Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine.

Its partnership with the People’s National Congress (PNC), the largest party in the entire coalition, has been a rough road. At one point,

the party’s overseas chapter had threatened to have the party withdraw from the coalition if certain concerns were not addressed.

A Commission of Inquiry (CoI) ordered by the previous Government into Rodney’s death had cast blame on PNC founder and former President, Forbes Burnham, for the

assassination of the political activist.

Rodney had been a prominent Guyanese historian, political activist and academic.

He was assassinated in 1980 after a bomb that was planted in a walkie-talkie detonated in a car. At the time, Rodney had been an outspoken critic of then President Burnham.

Late WPA leader and academic, Dr Walter Rodney

executive member Dr David Hinds had said the party would certainly be seeking answers in regard to the development.

While he did not point fingers, he noted that whoever had ordered the removal of the sign had engaged in an act of “political pettiness.”

“We don’t know how long this change was made. Our understanding is that when the change was made in

The question is: why did they not gazette it when they found that out? We don’t know who authorised the taking down of the sign. We don’t know if it was done at the level of management of the archives or the Ministry.”

He noted that, to the best of his knowledge, the Social Cohesion Ministry is responsible for management of the archives, since culture

Guyana's First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger, on Tuesday, received a courtesy call from High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Dr. K.J Srinivasa at her State House office. Dr. Srinivasa said that he prioritized meeting with the First Lady since he holds her in high esteem for her work with the youth and vulnerable. During the visit he handed over a small token of appreciation to her. Also present was Counsellor, High Commission of India, Mr. Vijayakumar K. In this MotP photo First Lady, Mrs. Sandra Granger receives a bouquet of flowers from High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Dr. K.J Srinivasa.

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Guyanese giving thanks in America

By Vishnu Bisram

G

uyanese and persons from other nationalities now living in the United States of America – their adopted homeland, are celebrating the traditional Thanksgiving weekend with family and close friends. Indeed Guyanese have good reasons to give thanks to America which has been welcoming them for over fifty years. Since their arrival in the US, many Guyanese have been successful at almost every aspect of life – acquiring their own homes, vehicles, attaining higher education etc. They are also known to be very generous as many of them use this occasion to share their earnings with the poorer sections of the American society. This is their way of giving thanks for their presence and success achieved in the US. Thanksgiving Day is a historical celebration in the U.S going back to the early 1600s since the early settlement of North America by Europeans.

It is a national holiday. The festival grew out of the harvest celebrations of England and is celebrated in the Fall, the end of harvest in the Southern U.S. The early English immigrants introduced it in the US giving thanks for the harvest and the blessings of the past year.

Guyanese view

Thanksgiving as an occasion for family reunions and big dinners.

Relatives normally take turn hosting dinner over a four-day period (from Thursday to Sunday). The Thanksgiving dinner normally includes the traditional baked or roasted turkey, pumpkin pie, sweet yams, corn, cranberry jelly, and salad (including sugar beets) with wine and other hard liquor. Caribbean people normally supplement their meals with their own traditional ethnic dishes in-

cluding dhal puri, pachounie, phulourie, bara, fried rice, chowmein, and fried channa as snacks and their favorite drinks — mauby and sorrel for the children and lots of good Caribbean rum for the adults.

For desert, there is black cake, pumpkin pie and sweet potato pie. And it is not unusual for them to substitute the turkey with curried duck, chicken, mutton, and goat, etc.

All religious denominations observe Thanksgiving, including Muslims and Hindus. And

giving is part of their culture.

They donate food to shelters and or host dinners for the unfortunate. Christian churches also host dinners for the poor and homeless.

Although a small community, Guyanese nationals give a lot during thanksgiving.

Many use the Thanksgiving occasion to give generously to the charities of their choice, including the Red Cross and the American Cancer Institute in addition to their local mandir, masjid and church. Others

send money to friends and relatives back home. To give thanks, some bake turkeys and cakes which are donated to homeless shelters. Their assistance helps to ease social problems such as hunger, poverty and homelessness in the City.

Thanksgiving Day is usually celebrated with the largest parade in the nation on Fifth Avenue. The parade normally features all kinds of magnificent floats and balloons of cartoon characters and a host of Hollywood celebrities and sports stars. It normally attracts a large number of Guyanese. But most people tend to be glued to the television sets which carry live broadcasts of the parade.

By observing the festival, Guyanese are participating in a mainstream American celebration in the same manner that they celebrate their own traditional festivals such as Phagwah, Deepavalli, Eid, Qurbani, Christmas, etc. It must be known to the American society that Guyanese are generous in sharing their wealth and giving back to the society to which they owe their success. They are very thankful, not only because they live in America, but for the many blessings they have received during their lifetime. HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL.

Less than 1 month before Christmas

City Constabulary faces heat over lack of security plan

W

ith less than a month to Christmas Day, and with the capital already overcrowded with business activities, the City Hall Constabulary Department is yet to formulate a security plan to provide maximum protection for vendors and shoppers within the boundaries of Georgetown.

The lack of a plan was again brought up during Monday’s statutory meeting. The topic of interest became active when Councillor Bishram Kuppen questioned the security arrangements for Russell Square, an area which has long been plagued with vagrants, improper vending conditions, and thieves.

“You have about 29 of those security guards posted at headquarters, but only about 13 at the Stabroek Outpost. Which brings me to the question as to what security arrangements have we made so far for Russell Square?” Kuppen asked.

However, when called upon to answer the question put forward, Acting Chief Constable Peter

Officials at a meeting on Monday

Livingstone merely conveyed that additional ranks will be posted.

“Russell Square now falls under the Stabroek Outpost.

Additional ranks will be posted in that location to provide security,” The acting chief constable said.

Unsatisfied with the response, Councillor

Heston Bostwick addressed the council and reiterated that an overdue security plan is yet to be presented. This disclosure comes even after a no-confidence motion was passed against former Chief Constable Andrew Foo, since this was among the reasons why such a motion was

moved.

According to Bostwick, the said plan should be submitted to the council before 2019 ends. He cited the amount of money spent on that department.

“At one statutory meeting, a request was made for a security plan, what is the se-

curity plan for the City Constabulary. I sincere hope that that plan can present itself before the end of this year…We recognise that we spend a lot of money on the City Constabulary, whether it’s acknowledged or not, the records are there to show; and to have them operating in such an un-

professional manner is not acceptable,” he contended.

“I hope that this council can agree and set a date whereby the City Constabulary head must be able to provide this council not only with a duty roaster, but with a plan dealing with security, especially with this Christmas season (approaching); a plan dealing with security within the boundaries of Georgetown. I would like to know they if have a plan for the seasonal vending and beyond,” Bostwick detailed.

Mayor Ubraj Narine recounted a recent visit to the Stabroek Market, during which he observed the lack in presence and observation of City Constables.

“I visited Stabroek area Saturday morning very early, and while visiting the area, I couldn’t find a rank on the ground.

Secondly, I went into the market. Constable is right there, next door where the washroom is gambling is taking place.

It’s a sad situation that these things happen in the sight of an outpost,” the mayor decried.

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WEEK ENDING December 1, 2019| guyanatimeSinternational.com

Welsh company eyes Guyana’s market to supply marine oil …proposes production of domestic electricity

E

volve Trading and Investment, a welsh company, has set their sight on investment opportunities here in Guyana, with the aim of providing Low Sulphur Marine Oil to the marine industry.

This resource, the company said in a release, will be supplied in keeping with the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) as they seek to forge international relationships in the trade industry. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, they are “identifying a niche market by using their unique cutting-edge technology to create strategic global hubs”.

The company is one which provides training, jobs, electricity and water, along with the development of newer technologies to cure a number of challenges in various regions.

Senior Vice President of the company, George Karstein Irvine met with officials from both the Guyana and UK Governments to outline plans and provided rea-

sons to enter the market, creating a strategic hub for the production and distribution of Low Sulphur Marine Fuel Oil (LMSFO). When completed, it would be the first of its kind in South America.

Meanwhile, 50 megawatts of domestic electricity can also be generated.

“To this end, Evolve Trading and Investment has signalled an exclusive agreement with a 100 per cent owned local company, A&S Enterprise…

The technology being proposed can also be used to create 50Mw of domestic electricity as well as copious amounts of fresh water which could be made available to the local national grid,” the company signalled.

A joint meeting will be facilitated in January 2020 between the partnering companies in this venture.

As Guyana prepares to step into the shoes of an oil-producing nation, the industries have since attracted a host of foreign investors.

Oil and gas companies throughout the world have discovered over sev-

Senior Vice President of Evolve Trading and Investment, George Karstein Irvine

en billion barrels of oil equivalent for the year 2019, but of this amount, Guyana has the second most discoveries so far in the year.

This is according to Norwegian research company Rystad Energy, which compiled a report on all the discoveries of oil around the world and came up with a list of the top 10 countries. Russia is in the lead, with over 1.5 billion barrels of oil found in its Dinkov and Nyarmeyskoye oil fields.

So far, Esso

Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL, Exxon’s local subsidiary) has made 14 oil finds in the Stabroek block over 100 miles offshore Guyana, including four for this year.

Last year, the company made five discoveries.

These discoveries have pushed the total estimated recoverable barrels of oil equivalent to over six billion. In addition, Exxon is moving ahead with its Liza Phase Two project, which will con-

tain approximately 30 wells.

The Liza Destiny, Guyana’s first Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel, arrived in Guyana’s waters at the end of August.

The vessel will play a key role in oil production, scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year.

Meanwhile, Tullow has made at least two oil finds in its Jethro and Joe wells. On September 16, the same day that ExxonMobil announced its 14th oil find, Tullow

also revealed that it had made its second oil find in just a matter of weeks – the discovery of 14 metres of oil reservoirs at the Joe well.

However, the oil found by Tullow was found to be heavy crude which has a high sulphur content. Crude with high sulphur content is a variety of oil that is less economically viable than the light, sweet crudes found in the United States and Saudi Arabia, or even the oil found by ExxonMobil right offshore Guyana in the neighbouring Stabroek Block.

Both the Jethro and Joe wells were drilled in the Orinduik Block, which is located just a few kilometres from ExxonMobil’s discoveries.

Despite the close proximity of the blocks, however, Exxon has not had the same issues with oil impurities.

In light of the latest analysis, Tullow said that it would weigh “the commercial viability of these discoveries considering the quality of the oil, alongside the high-quality reservoir sands and strong overpressure.”

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WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Guyanese need to ‘generalise’ skill set – Energy Director W

ith Guyana’s budding petroleum industry, scores of persons are rushing to get themselves qualified within the oil and gas field; however, Director of the Department of Energy, Dr Mark Bynoe, is cautioning against being specialised in a single discipline.

During an interview on the sidelines of the recently-concluded 2nd annual Guyana International Petroleum Summit and Exhibition (GIPEX), Dr Bynoe was speaking about capacity-building to fill the gaps within the oil and gas industry.

But he pointed out that persons need to be conscious of the fact that the majority of the opportunities available are just “short-term shocks”, especially since the sector is new to Guyana.

According to the Energy Director, once the petroleum sector matures, then high demand for such skills sets will diminish. At that point, he explained, those skills can be then used in other economic sectors if they are generalised and not just specialised to the petroleum field. “…In the early days, the oil and gas sector would employ more persons but as it begins to level off, those numbers will drop off. It’s like the construction industry…

That’s why we speak to having a flattening of the skills sets, rather than being specialised because when the oil industry begins to mature, you want those skills set to be transferrable so that they’re able to move into other areas to help with the development of the country,” Dr Bynoe asserted.

The Head of the Energy Department went on to say that this is particularly important because the recent focus has been heavy on the oil and gas sector and not much attention has been placed on further improving the existing sectors within Guyana’s economy.

“There is still a dirt of certain skills set we need to enhance inclusive of the engineering field, mathematics, science. STEM is a big thing for us and if we begin to speak about utilisation of these resources, we have to have the capacity. Otherwise, what will happen, Guyana will encounter significant leakages from the economy.

So even though monies will be coming in [from the oil sector], those mon-

Director of Energy Department, Dr Mark Bynoe

ies will be going back out if we don’t have capacity here,” he stressed.

On this note, Dr Bynoe outlined that a number of steps have been taken to building capacity within Guyana. In fact, he noted that the Government has been working with some of the oil companies currently operating in Guyana such as CGX and ExxonMobil as well as Tullow Oil to build capacity at not only at the level of the University of Guyana but in the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET).

Added to this, he disclosed that efforts are afoot to drill down such training as early as in the primary school stage in an effort to widen the conversations on the “new Guyana”.

However, as the Government continues to work with stakeholders to build capacity locally, there is a trend whereby these trained persons are being absorbed by private companies within the oil and gas sector.

To tackle this, the Energy Director opined that Government may need to relook at bonding students.

“These are modalities one can put in place to for the next three to six years, depending on how long you spend abroad – that’s the number of years you’d be expected to give back to the country”.

He added that it does not “mean you still wouldn’t have some level of attrition or movement of labour within different sectors occurring. But of course, you can plan,

knowing that within the next three to five years, you will have these skills set available to you”.

Meanwhile, at one of the panel discussions during the

GIPEX forum, Head of UG’s Department of Economics in the Faculty of Sciences, Sydney Armstrong, underscored the need to recognise the importance of the tertia-

ry education institution in the budding industry.

He noted that UG has a major role to play in capacity-building and while it is important that the institution takes up this mantle, it is hindered by various challenges.

As such, he too underlined the need for UG to partner with stakeholders in the industry on this front. One such initiative that the institution is looking at is reaching out to the rural regions of Guyana. He said UG is looking at establishing outreach centres in hinterland communities where there would be short courses and training programmes, or even workshops and seminars for residents there.

However, he pointed out that all of this requires financing.

Only on Thursday, UG signed a G$459 million agreement with American multinational corporation – Halliburton on the sidelines of GIPEX. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) provides opportunities for developments in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, specifically in relation to laboratory equipment, staff development and software development.

Father of newborn baby dies after crashing into bridge A four-month-old baby is now fatherless as his mother grieves the loss of her husband following an accident along the East Coast Demerara (ECD) roadway.

Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited employee, 31-year-old David Matthew Headly was killed around 05:00h on Sunday when the car he was driving slammed into a bridge rail at Felicity, ECD. Headly, who hailed from Lot 370 Powise Close, South Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown, was reportedly one of the key officers in the technological overhaul of the bank.

Reports are that the now dead man’s motor vehicle (PRR 2531) was allegedly speeding West along the Southern carriageway of the ECD road when it collided with the iron rail of the bridge on the Southern side of the road at Felicity.

According to the po-

David Headly in happier times with his wife, Jenisha Budhram and their four-month-old baby

lice, Headly sustained injuries about his body and was removed from his vehicle in an unconscious state. He was rushed to the Georgetown Public

Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Attempts on Sunday to contact his spouse, Jenisha Budhram, who is also an employee at

Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited, proved futile.

However, on social media, by way of her Facebook page, the young distraught widow lamented over the loss of her loved one.

“My life was so perfect that it felt almost too good to be real. Well, it was too good to be real.

Look how I thought my son would have the best father in the world to see him grow up and teach him how to be just like him,” she posted on her Facebook page some hours after receiving the news about her spouse’s death.

Just recently, Headly and his wife held a dedication service for their four-month-old son at the church they attended.

Meanwhile, the police have launched an investigation into Headly’s accident. His post-mortem examination (PME) is expected to be conducted soon.

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FEATURE 29

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F

oster care can be defined as the act of rearing a child who is not your biological or adopted child. It involves providing for the daily needs and care of the child, creating a family environment that offers supervision, guidance, nurturing and discipline, in the same way as you would for your biological child.

Most Guyanese will know of or have been in a home, where taking care of a relative’s or neighbour’s child has taken place. This practice of choosing a substitute family to perform the functions of biological parents has been pursued in Guyana in an informal way for very many years.

In its formal implementation, the practice is known generally as FOSTER CARE. The Childcare and Protection Agency utilises FOSTER CARE as one of its programmes for achieving the objective of providing a better quality of life for children who have been abandoned, orphaned, neglected or suffer other forms of abuse and are in need of a substitute family.

Frequently asked questions:

Q: What kind of child would need a Foster home?

A: One who is in need of care and/ protection so determined by the Childcare and Protection Agency.

Q: How long does a foster child stay with a foster parent?

A: Placement can be either short-term or longterm depending on the needs of the child and circumstances.

Q: Could we ever hope to adopt a foster child?

A: Yes, in certain circumstances. You should discuss this matter with a Child Protection Officer.

Q: What kind of persons would be suitable for Foster Parenting?

A: Persons who can commit themselves wholeheartedly.

• Are honest, accepting and flexible.

• Persons with or without parenting experience.

• Separated.

• Widowed.

• Persons in good health.

Q: Are foster children generally troubled children?

A: Yes, they are generally insecure about who they are, where they belong and why their parent/s cannot take care of them.

Q: Can a single woman foster a Child?

A: Yes Q: Can a single man foster a child?

A: It is highly unusual for this to happen, but in

exceptional circumstances, the Agency might consider this alternative.

Q: What are Foster Parents required to do?

A: They are required to: Provide adequate accommodation • • Share their time and affection with the child.

Provide nutritious and adequate • food and clothing.

• Attend to the child’s health.

Attend to the child’s academic, moral • and religious training.

• Respect the child’s feeling about his/ her biological family.

• Follow the guidelines of the Childcare and Protection Agency for foster families.

Q: Could I/we ever hope to foster a child?

A: Yes, provided you are willing to fill in an application form and agree to: • A police check.

A full medical report from a Medical Doctor • recommended by the Childcare and Protection Agency and • Give the names and addresses of two (2) referees.

Home Study and Interview • Q: Is it right to specify what kind of child I want?

A: Personal preferences are respected, but cannot always be honoured. The aim of the programme is to fit the child in a home where his/ her needs can be met.

Q: Will the Child Protection Officer meddle in our lives if the child does not settle in readily?

A: The Child Protection Officer will try to find out what is troubling the child. Although the questions may seem personal, the intention is to help you find the most useful way of dealing with the problem which is bothering both you and the child.

Q: What else does the Child Protection Officer do?

A: The Child Protection Officer visits the foster home, counsels the child, looks at the child’s room, and offers guidance to foster parents in the rearing of the child.

Q: Will the child’s biological parents have to visit him/ her while the child is in my care?

A: Yes, but not necessarily at your home. Child Protection Officer will advise you on this. Please note, however, that foster children nearly always keep their ties with their biological parents, no matter how inadequate the parents are.

Q: Are Foster Parents given Training?

A: Y e s , t h e Childcare and Protection Agency will organise training based on needs.

Q: How much money do Foster Parents receive?

A: A Monthly allowance is provided.

Q: How do I go about fostering a child?

A: By applying directly to the Childcare and Protection Agency or through the Child Protection Officer in your Region.

Ready to Apply?

* Talk to a Child Protection Officer at the Agency or in your Region and * Fill in the Foster Care Application form Your application will be assessed and you will be invited for an interview.

For further information please contact: Childcare and Protection Agency Ministry of Social Protection 7 Broad & Charles Streets, Charlestown Georgetown Tel: 227-4082 225-1257 Every child has the right to a family.

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Taken…

A

…for a ride s Ramjattan fights desperately to remain in the running to be Granger’s sidekick in the next elections, he’s going all out to remain in the public eye. So there he was in the Chronic – along with Basil Williams, Dawn Hastings, Chief of Staff of the GDF, and some officials of a company named “Skyfront” – staring at a drone sitting on the ground.

Yes, a drone. Seems the Government will be buying 5 of the spidery-looking devices at G$33 million a pop. Yes, you got that right…G$33 million Guyana or $165,000 US greenbacks for a single drone!!

Your Eyewitness, jaded as he is, wondered immediately if the drones would be used to bring back ballot boxes to Camp Ayanganna – to save the army from doing the same!! In their last outing to perform that task, two civilians – evidently under the crazy notion that ballots shouldn’t be hijacked – were shot and killed by the GDF. David Granger, in his role as the military historian, pronounced that the military operation was “exemplary”!! But maybe today it mightn’t be seen as so “exemplary”; hence the drones??

But the article referred to Ramjattan’s 2016 expatiation on the threat Guyana was facing from the movement of guns (small arms) and drugs across the Brazilian border — the latter for trans-shipment to the US and other locales up north.

Ramjattan boasted that during the CaribbeanUnited States (U.S.) Security Cooperation dialogue, held at the State Department in Washington DC, he’d impressed upon the Americans the direness of said threat.

He insisted he’d been assured by the Americans that they were very sympathetic and they’d be helping with the planes and drones requested by Ramjattan for surveillance.

Your Eyewitness can remember snickering at the time (in this space) about the logistics of actually deploying these drones – never mind the cost. Your Eyewitness assumed Ramjattan was talking about those drones the US deploys from deep under the mountains of Nebraska to take out targets in, say, Afghanistan.

Ramjattan did say the drones would fly “hundreds” of miles out and then back! Never in his wildest dream did he think Ramjattan meant drones that are used

by American farmers to check on their crops, or oil pipeline companies to check on their…well…pipelines!!

The longest-range drones from Skyfront fly at most 60 miles in total…over five hours max!! Exactly where will Ramjattan situate the soldiers controlling the drones in the bush to get the best use of the range??

But more to the point: how come Ramjattan’s paying US$165,000 for a drone that costs one third of that to customers in the States??

Is he feathering his nest before he’s dumped?? …for chumps Donald Rodney – the brother of Walter Rodney, who was with him in the car when Gregory Smith’s planted bomb exploded – will be conducting a vigil in front of the Appellate Court.

The High Court had dismissed his appeal of a 1982 conviction for “possessing explosives” – when neither he nor his attorney were present. Yet the Appellate Court, to which he’d resorted, keeps pushing him around, rather than setting a date to clear his name.

Imagine Smith – on instructions from Burnham’s agent – planting explosives in the walkie-talkie he’d given Rodney, and now charging the brother for “possession”!!

But, of course, we know why the Appellate Court – contrary to what it indicated on May 23 – is avoiding setting a date.

In May, the elections date hadn’t been set!! If a date is now set, the whole sordid story of Burnham’s violent reprisal against his political rival will burst out like an open, gangrenous sore!! And an Appellate Court that had ruled in favour of the PNC’s contention that 33 wasn’t the majority of 65 can’t have that.

Can it?!! …as outcasts Just when you think the Government couldn’t treat sugar workers any worse comes word from Minister of Agri, Holder, that in addition to no wage raise, they won’t be getting any bonus.

Not even if they make their targets??

31

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WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

“Fostering children is a very challenging task, because there is a reminder that there is the possibility that the day might come where you have to let the legal rights of the child go on to somebody else, especially if the biological parents come back into the picture. It is not a definite thing.

However, it is an investment and once you love children that erases that doubt, it erases that uncertainty; it makes it all the more worthwhile.”

By Lakhram Bhagirat

T

he thing that children crave the most is the need to be loved, the need to feel wanted, the need to be reassured that they matter. They need to feel as though there is someone always in their corner and quite often that need is fulfilled by their parents.

However, not all children are lucky to have their parents by their side. This is for a number of reasons and that absence quite often invokes a sense of loneliness and abandonment. Those children quite often end up resenting their very situation, but some are lucky enough to have that void filled by wonderful people around them.

While those who fill the void cannot take the place of a parent, they provide that sense of security and a feeling of being loved. That person can be a relative or a complete stranger, but what matters is that they care wholeheartedly for that child.

For almost eight years, Endar Jeet Singh has been providing that care to two girls. He is considered their saviour by some, but for him, it is just him trying to give the girls a life that they deserve.

When he was just 18 years old, Singh noticed that a family in his community of Ogle, on the East Coast of Demerara, was in a state of dire need. Both parents of the girls were alcoholics and they were not affording the children the kind of care they deserved. This deeply troubled the young man and he knew that he could not idly sit by and allow these children to be robbed of the opportunities they so deserved.

“I was working with the then Ministry of Labour and I noticed the two young children around the age of four, and a few months old. The mother and father were both alcoholics and being

the kind of person I am, which is I cannot see certain things happening, I spoke with the elders in my family and I was advised that if I wanted to do something, then I should seek some help from the people who can help. So I then went to the Ministry and spoke to someone who advised that I should take custody of the children,” he remembers.

Growing up with both parents in his life, Singh believes that every child deserves that kind of opportunity that was afforded to him. He knew that taking these children into his custody would mean that he would now have to be in a position to provide them with the same life he received and he was ready.

The now 26-year-old is a trained teacher and committed to giving the best life to the girls in his care.

Backtracking to the process, Singh was constantly asked why a young person was attempting to take on such a huge responsibility.

“I was still 18, so I needed my mom there. We took custody of the children and then the Ministry (of Human Services and Social Security) intervened and they attempted to place the children with biological family members, but that did not work out. They asked if we were willing to keep them and we agreed.

The girls are now nine and 13 and I have had

them for almost eight years now.

At first, I did not have any major challenges, but there was a question of why a single young m a l e wants two children and take on that responsibility at such a young a g e , but it just remained a quest i o n t h a t I had to answer.”

Singh is the youngest of five males for his parents and he recounts that he always wanted sisters.

So when that opportunity came up, he attempted to fill that void.

Asked how his life has been altered since he took on the responsibility of raising the girls, Singh said that they have helped him to mature even faster.

This he is grateful for after looking back at some of the decisions he made before they came into his life.

“Fostering children is a very challenging task, because there is a reminder that there is the possibility that the day might come where you have to let the legal rights of the child go on to somebody else, especially if the biological parents come back into the picture. It is not a definite thing. However, it is an investment and once you love children that erases that doubt, it erases that uncertainty; it makes it all the more worthwhile.

“My encouragement to persons considering fostering: it is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. When you are able to do certain things for a child and be there for a child and help them to grow, it is one of the most rewarding experiences,” he notes.

His reward comes when the girls are happy, when they accomplish things they wanted to.

“The bigger of the two girls I have had her since she was about five years old and she knew what was happening and what happened. At first, she was a bit standoffish and reluctant and for a very long time, I thought t h a t s h e w i l l g r o w up being like that.

But over the last year, I noticed a lot of positive changes in her. She has now become a very responsible, very intelligent, and a very smart child in many ways and that by itself is what makes it rewarding,” he relates.

Singh says while the mother of the children has died, the father lives. However, the father has since relinquished his claims to them, because he has realised that they are being afforded the best of opportunities.

The girls are the centre of Singh’s universe and have changed his life as much as he has changed theirs. He relates that he would do it all over again, because, for him, the ability to make a difference is all that matters.

34 FEATURE

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

“I don’t regret giving up so much to be a foster mother” – Shenny Bastoo

By Lakhram Bhagirat

W

hen one takes the decision to become a foster parent, they are committing to going all in. They are making an investment in the lives of the children who may come under their care. They are promising to love those children as they would their own and they are committing to providing the best possible quality of life.

Children in the system are more often broken and they need fixing. They need to be told that they are worthy of being cared for and worthy of all the love they will receive. Many of the children in the system are victims of their circumstances. They are abused, molested, abandoned, or orphaned.

With these heavy burdens, children in the system are crushed and quite often lash out at the people who care for them. One cannot blame the children for lashing out though, rather one can only work harder to ensure the internal battles are won.

Choosing to become

a foster parent means choosing to be ever so patient. It means that you are making not only a physical investment but also an emotional one.

You are, through your actions, saying that ‘I am here to love and care for you’.

Shenny Bastoo made that decision over a decade ago when she gave up her job at the Bosai Bauxite Plant in Linden to become a foster parent. To date, she has fostered six children and has now adopted one.

She is always contacting the Child Care and Protection Agency’s regional offices asking for more children to foster.

For her, the ability to impart her values and ideals while healing a child’s broken spirit is the very task God ordained her to do.

The 36-year-old has no biological children, but she has been a mother to many over the years. She knows that it takes a village to raise a child as she has experienced it during her own childhood.

Bastoo grew up in the West Berbice village of Golden Fleece with love

and family at the centre of her world. After growing up, she moved to the mining town of Linden, where she has spent 10 years. During that time, she entered into the foster care system as a foster parent.

She was entrusted

with the well-being of six children. Five of those children have gone on to become adults while she has adopted the sixth who is now a primary school student.

“In my whole lifetime, I always loved children even though I don’t

have any. I don’t have any and I am always nice to them. At first, I went to the (Child Care and Protection) Agency to adopt and I am in the process of adopting my first child, but before that, I had to be a foster parent. I started fostering since 2007 and I have loved every bit of it,” she notes.

For Bastoo, being a foster parent has come at a cost, but that means nothing in light of helping a suffering child who is in need.

“Being a foster parent is fun. I was able to know more and how to deal with kids and show them love and how to make them happy despite their circumstances. Because of me not having children, I stand as a mother for these children so whenever I have my own, I would have the experience on how to deal with my biological child. I would not love my biological child any different than how I am loving my foster children. They are all alike and I took them with a kind heart and open arms and I promised to love them ‘till the

end and I am doing just that.”

The child who Bastoo is currently fostering has been with her since she was five months old.

Bastoo and her husband are the only parents she has known. Thus far, the fact that she is being fostered until her adoption papers come through has been kept from her.

“Even if you are a single parent, you must try to take care of your children in spite of the situation. Do not give up on your children, because there are some foster parents fostering who would not treat the children the way they are supposed to and I have seen that for myself.

So, I will advise them to stick with their children.

It is not an easy task, but faith brought me through. I had to make sacrifices to be a good foster mother. I gave up my job and I don’t regret anything,” she said.

Bastoo is on the quest to ensure that all of Guyana’s children get the requisite care and love they deserve. She is making that happen by fostering one child at a time.

Alternative road “best solution” to address traffic woes – EBD Commander

T

he only sure way to minimise the traffic woes which persons traversing the East Bank Demerara (EBD) roadway experience daily, especially at villages near the Demerara Harbour Bridge, is to construct an alternative road.

This is according to Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) EBD Sub-Divisional Commander Kurleigh Simon, who, just a few days ago told, a public gathering and the media that the introduction of an alternative road is the “best solution.”

He was at the time responding to complaints made by residents on the EBD about the traffic buildup and vehicular congestion that occur during peak hours.

According to Commander Simon, another problem preventing the free flow of traffic is when there is only one road that allows both entry and exit to a housing scheme. He referred to the Golden Grove/ Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD, which has thousands of residents.

Meanwhile, General Manager of the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB), Rawlston Adams, has said a new traffic management system would take effect from Monday. This is expected to

Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) EBD Sub-Division Commander Kurleigh Simon

curb the traffic congestion and long lines of vehicles that occur daily when persons are traversing the East Bank Demerara (EBD, West Coast Demerara (WCD), and West

Bank Demerara (WBD) roadways.

“We at the Demerara Harbour Bridge have been working with the Police to make sure that we have an

adequate and improved traffic management system. I think the Police will mention, or would have mentioned, some of the initiatives that we would be taking to ensure that

we have free flow of traffic.”

Adams further stated that the new system that has been put in place would be monitored, and there is a possibility that it can be reversed, or adjustments made.

Earlier this month, the gantry of a truck broke, causing the logs being transported to fall on the Demerara Harbour Bridge. At that time, staff who work at the bridge claimed that the driver was allowed to pass because the cargo he was transporting did not exceed the maximum weight requirement. However, when Police arrived on the scene, it was discovered that the truck was way too small to be transporting logs. This led to hours of traffic buildup, with thousands of commuters being affected.

In September, on the first day of the new academic year, chaos was created when a barge and tug slammed into the southern side of the Demerara Harbour Bridge just after midnight, shifting the spans which connect the structure and causing a shutdown to vehicular traffic.

The Bridge is the main thoroughfare for commuters to drive across to the capital city. An estimated 11,000 persons use the structure during peak hours.

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

W

orld Children’s D a y was first established in 1954 as Universal Children's Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children's welfare.

November 20th is an important date as it is the date in 1959 when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Since 1990, World Children's Day also marks the anniversary of the date that the UN General Assembly adopted both the Declaration and the Convention on children's rights.

Mothers and fathers, teachers, nurses and doctors, government leaders and civil society activists, religious and community elders, corporate moguls and media professionals, as well as young people and children themselves, can play an important part in making World Children's Day relevant for their societies, communities and nations.

World Children's Day offers each of us an inspirational entry-point to advocate, promote and celebrate children's rights, translating into dialogues and actions that will build a better world for children.

World Children’s Day this year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which recognises the human rights and special vulnerabilities of all children (persons under the age of 18 years), and establishes standards for protecting their well-being at all stages of their development. The Convention has been ratified by 195

States, making it the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history.

Over the past 30 years, the Convention has inspired improvements and protections that have transformed the lives of children; however, there is still much to do.

In his Message the UN Secretary-General,

FEATURE 35

A n t ó n i o Guterres urges all countries to honour the promise of the CRC. “Let’s build on advances and recommit to putting children first,” and ensuring for every

ject of their own rights.

child, every right.

“For the first time, the Convention on the Rights of the Child spelled out a binding global commitment to the inherent rights of every single girl and boy. All countries recognized the unique vulnerability of children, and pledged to provide them with food, healthcare, education and protection.

“Since then, progress has been made. Child deaths have fallen by over half and global stunting has declined. But millions of children still suffer from war, poverty, discrimination and disease. Around the world, children are showing us their strength and leadership advocating for a more sustainable world

for all,” Secretary-General Guterres said.

Children and young people have the same general human rights as adults and also specific rights that recognize their special needs. Children are neither the property of their parents nor are they helpless objects of charity. They are human beings and are the sub-

The Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out the rights that must be realized for children to develop to their full potential.

The Convention offers a vision of the child as an individual and as a member of a family and community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development. By recognizing children's rights in this way, the Convention firmly sets the focus on the whole child.

The Convention recognizes the fundamental human dignity of all children and the urgency of ensuring their well-being and development. It makes clear the idea that a basic quality of life should be the right of all children, rather than a privilege enjoyed by a few.

The importance of children’s rights There are many reasons for singling out children's rights in a separate human rights Convention: • Children are individuals Children are neither the possessions of parents nor of the state, nor are they mere people-in-the-making; they have equal status as members of the human family.

• Children start life as totally dependent beings Children must rely on adults for the nurture and guidance they need to grow towards independence.

Such nurture is ideally found from adults in children's families, but when primary adult caregivers cannot meet children's needs, it is up to the State as the primary duty bearer to find an alternative in the best interests of the child.

• The actions, or inactions, of government impact children more strongly than any other group in society Practically every area of government policy – from education to public health – affects children to some degree. Short-sighted policymaking that fails to take children into account has a negative impact on the future of all members of society.

• Children's views should be heard and considered in the political process Children generally do not vote and do not traditionally take part in political processes. Without special attention to the opinions of children – as expressed at home and in schools, in local communities and even in governments – children's views go unheard on the many important issues that affect them now or will affect them in the future.

• Many changes in society are having a disproportionate, and often negative, impact on children Transformation of the family structure, globalization, climate change, digitalization, mass migration, shifting employment patterns and a shrinking social welfare net in many countries all have strong impacts on children. The impact of these changes can be particularly devastating in situations of armed conflict and other emergencies.

• The healthy development of children is crucial to the future well-being of any society Because they are still developing, children are especially vulnerable – more so than adults – to poor living conditions such as poverty, inadequate health care, nutrition, safe water, housing and environmental pollution. The effects of disease, malnutrition and poverty threaten the future of children and therefore the future of the societies in which they live.

• The costs to society of failing its children are huge Social research findings show that children's earliest experiences significantly influence their future development. The course of their development determines their contribution, or cost, to society over the course of their lives. (UNICEF)

36 FEATURE

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Rupununi region in Guyana rides ecotourism wave T

ourism in Guyana’s southern Rupununi region has long been a small business aimed at foreign visitors. But growing demand for experiences that mix wildlife watching with cultural activities is creating opportunities of benefit to local communities.

Now a purring economic engine, the industry not only creates jobs in rural villages where employment opportunities are scarce, but it also provides incentives to protect birds and other animals that visitors will pay to see, such as giant otters, giant anteaters and jaguars.

“With the spread of community-based tourism and the increased interest internationally in experiential travel, it is as if the Rupununi has found its moment,” says Melanie McTurk, president of, an umbrella group of the region’s tourism enterprises.

After two or three decades of being told that no one would want what the Rupununi has to offer, she adds, “All of a sudden, it is exactly what everyone wants.”

In its work with communities involved in tourism, Visit Rupununi receives support from the Guyana branch of the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme, which is working to improve the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife in forest, savannah and wetland environments in 13 countries.

The Rupununi region offers a wide variety of ecosystems in a small area. The South — with its rolling grasslands, forested hills and woodland patches known as “bush islands” — is home to Amerindian communities as well as to descendants of ranchers who settled in the area several generations ago.

The North, which also features villages and ranches, is a sprawling wetland that floods annually, making travel difficult, but resulting in a remarkable diversity of aquatic life.

Distances and bad roads make travel expensive, and most tourists are foreigners interested in bird watching and wildlife. That is likely to change, however, as there are plans to improve the road network and pave the main highway from Georgetown, the capital on the Caribbean coast, to Lethem, on the Brazilian border in the Rupununi.

Greater access will bring both opportunities for local communities to become more involved in tourism and the risk of negative environmental impacts, McTurk says.

Nature, culture and sport Tourism in the Rupununi beJacqueline Allicock of Surama, Guyana, speaks gan when landholding famiat the workshop on sustainable hunting, held in lies launched “Ranches of the Aishalton, Guyana, on 8-10 September 2019 Rupununi,” which combined home stays with nature tourism. Their customers were mainly diplomats from Georgetown and, later, scientists who were doing research in the region.

The discovery of a previously unreported population of red siskins (Spinus cucullata), an endangered species, added to the region’s popularity with birdwatchers.

Over time, several Indigenous communities entered the market, often with the help of non-profit conservation groups.

Surama, in the North Rupununi sub-district, began courting tourists in the 1990s, but it took about a decade to start seeing the fruits of their labor, says Jacqueline Allicock, 49, who is the first woman to chair the North Rupununi District Development Board, an organization of community leaders, and who also represents her village on the board.

A cowboy drives a herd of catt

le in Annai, Guyana. CIFOR/Barba

rectl y ,

ra Fraser

tion at a target during an archery competi A woman takes aim at a moving Fraser ra arba R/B CIFO . ana Wowetta, Guy heritage festival in the village of

Morrison Andrea, 28, of the village of Quatata examines a sheet of wax while building a beehive during a beekeeping workshop in Guyana’s Rupununi region. CIFOR/Barbara Fraser

ununi River in A fisherman sets a net on the Rup ra Fraser arba R/B CIFO . ana Guy n souther

The village lacked a marketing plan, Allicock says. Residents also had mixed opinions about the idea, but the village leader at the time “had a vision of what tourism was about,” and gradually more people supported it, she says.

They were aided along the way by a business owner who helped them design packages for casual nature tourists, hard-core birdwatchers and visitors more interested in cultural activities.

Villagers now see the benefits of the enterprise, which employs some villagers di-

while others supply the kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables, says Allicock, who is senior manager of the business. Some of the revenues are invested in the school, and some in community projects like road repair.

The village of Rewa took a different tack, catering to sport fishermen seeking the arapaima, a giant, air-breathing fish found in the Amazon. The tourist cabins and openair dining room are a short distance from the main part of the village, and jobs rotate among residents.

Karanambu Ranch, established in 1927, began its tourism efforts as part of “Ranches of the Rupununi,” but the owners also established a conservation trust, focusing especially on giant otters, which were hunted for their pelts in the 1960s and 1970s.

“The ranch, tourism and conservation are intermixed,” says McTurk, who manages the ranch with her husband.

They work with communities in the area, purchasing food and other items from them, including honey. In mid-September, the ranch hosted a beekeeping workshop, inviting about a dozen people from surrounding villages to learn to build and maintain their own beehives.

By managing bees in hives, villagers can increase their income from honey production while reducing the risk of wildfires, McTurk says.

Changes are on the horizon in Guyana, as offshore oil production set to begin in early 2020 is expected to triple the country’s gross domestic product. Some of those revenues are likely to be used to upgrade infrastructure.

Local leaders caution that road construction or improvement in the Rupununi must be planned carefully so as not to damage ecosystems and wildlife habitat or disrupt annual flooding and fish spawning.

The Sustainable Wildlife Programme is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

(Excerpt from Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) – Forest News)

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WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

23-yr-old mason jailed for robbing minibus passengers

Blunders...

Y

…in local content our Eyewitness has seen the future…and it ain’t nice. For us Guyanese, that is. Last week, he forgot that the GIPEX oil and gas event organised by Raphael Trotman’s daughter was going on, so he ambled over to the Marriott to grab a quick bite for lunch. And as he entered – or TRIED to enter – the restaurant, for the first time in his life, he felt he was a stranger in a strange land. The place was overrun with foreigners…all speaking in tongues, but with an air and a swagger that insisted they owned the place!!

Eventually, my friends – an eclectic bunch of Guyanese – and I were shoehorned into one of the longer tables at which a French-sounding couple were finishing up their lunch. In our hearing, the fella said to the lady as he looked over to us like specimens in a zoo, “Vell, zey do get together sometimes, I see!” It’s clear that they had been briefed about our divisions and would obviously be exploiting the same for their own gain. Your Eyewitness would be informed late in the press, that of the 250 companies that showed up to find out what exactly could be raped in the country, only 50 were local Guyanese companies!!

And even that number sounded inflated from what was on display. It’s like the announcement by one oil company of Guyanese being “half” of their employees: would’ve been better to say which “half” they were!! Sure the hewers of wood and the hauliers of water should be counted, but that’s not all that we should be, would you say?? So exactly what is going on here, with OUR oil, where we’ve supposedly HIRED the oil companies to simply provide the expertise to extract the oil since everything they provide – from a bolt to the million-barrel FPSO’s – we’re paying for??

What is going on is the PNC Government hasn’t only given away the store when they had Raphael Trotman negotiate that oil contract but by still not having a Local Content Policy legislated, we’re losing the “husk” and the corn!! Everyone knew that we had no experience in oil…but we also know that other countries that suddenly discovered the black gold, legislated that all foreign companies that wanted to get a piece of the action had to work with locals… even as “fronts”. This Government is fully aware of the argument about “affirmative action” to ensure Guyanese aren’t expected to run this oil race when they don’t even have “spike” shoes!!

To do so would not only doom us to remain mired in poverty till the end of never but convince us that it is our fault that this is so!! We’re an inferior breed. …foreign The PNC likes to extoll the “brilliance” of Forbes Burnham in the foreign policy area during his dictatorship between 1968 and 1985. But if you dissect his initiatives in that arena, it was always about Burnham rather than Guyana. Was this “brilliance” or megalomania?? Take his initiative on West Indian unity. He was willing to support the British proposal of a WI Federation – even though he knew structurally and institutionally we were being given a basket to fetch water. All he was interested in was to become the “first Prime Minister” of that body!!

Ditto for his efforts on Carifta and Caricom.

These were simply vehicles to give him a bigger platform to strut on the world stage as he craved.

If he was serious about being an alternative to the “communist” Cheddi Jagan, why did he tack leftwards with his cooperative socialist experiment?? Did that bring any benefit to Guyana – as opposed to, say, Eric Williams’ centrist position even though the latter had employed a Marxist analysis in his “Capitalism” and Slavery”??

And Granger’s going down the same road! …on the voters’ list GECOM’s saying the voters’ list will be ready by the end of the year. How can they even suggest this when they haven’t made a decision on the H2H data??

A

mason who admitted to robbing several passengers on a Route 47 (Back Road, East and West Ruimveldt route) minibus was on Tuesday jailed for six months when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Alfred Taylor admitted to Magistrate Leron Daly that on June 27, 2019 at Stabroek Market, he robbed Keith James of a Samsung cellular phone, a silver band, and cash which were valued a total of G$116,000. He also admitted that on the same date and location, he robbed Akash Persaud of a Samsung cellular phone valued G$37,000.

The prosecution contended that the 23-year-old of Lot 7 Stanleytown, West Bank Demerara (WBD), boarded the minibus in which the Virtual Complainants (VC) were passengers. However, several minutes later, he began lashing the VCs and demanded that they handed over their belongings. He then rushed out of the minibus and made his escape. The VCs then raised an alarm and public-spirited persons gave chase. Taylor was caught and handed over to the Police. The stolen items were found in his possession.

Alfred Taylor

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WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

It ain’t over…

T

…till the election’s over he Americans have some sayings about endings: “It ain’t over till it’s over” and “it’s not over till the fat lady sings”!! The “fat lady”, of course, is the very buxom Brunhilde who sings in the finale in Wagner’s opera about the end of the Norse Gods!!

There’s also the much more ancient “nothin’ is carved in stone” – unless you’re handed a couple of stone tablets from behind a burning bush!! Your Eyewitness prefers the much more homely “don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched”. He knows his chickens and eggs!! Those who imbibe might prefer “there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip”!

That’s a whole lot of advice on predicting what’s ahead, isn’t it?

Which seems to be ignored after the “negotiations” between the PNC and AFC on their “new coalition” arrangement. (You still think there’s an APNU?? Then your Eyewitness has a bridge to Hogg Island he wants to sell to you!!) Didn’t you just love all the drama?

Demands, threats to “walk away”, (AFC) adamantine refusal to be “bullied”, insistence on “adhering to the Constitution” (PNC), conciliatory noises from the sidelines (Trotman) and then, (finally!) an agreement.

The whole routine is worthy of being staged at the Theatre Guild!

But is there an agreement? The AFC – actually, umm, Ramjattan – thinks so, even though there’s been no “official announcement”. He insisted he hadn’t been “bullied” or done any bullying. Really, so why’d he concede a reduction in EVERY area from the original Cummingsburg Accord? Did he wilt because of the dulcet tones of Volda Lawrence? Did she suddenly become more expansive and allow that some of her friends to whom she might give “wuk” could be AFC people?? Did she have a Damascene moment with Granger’s voice booming from the heavens??

Your Eyewitness hardly thinks so. And Ramjattan should’ve become much more circumspect in his reporting of the new “agreement”, the moment Granger invoked “adhering to the Constitution”!!

Has he forgotten that Granger’s appointed himself the sole arbiter of constitutional interpretation in Guyana? At best, he allows that the Courts MAY have their “perception” on the Constitution!! So let’s examine the “agreement”, shall we, and see if it’ll pass Granger’s constitutional muster?

Notice that Ramjattan was mute on the prize he’s fought a bloody battle with Nagamootoo to secure: become the PM candidate for the PNC coalition.

Granger had already reneged after 2015 on the role of the PM by his idiosyncratic interpretation of the Constitution. Does Ramjattan still think even if he promises to step aside from the Presidency, Granger and the PNC will believe him??

The Constitution says it’s the President who chooses his PM and he cannot be fettered!!

Does Ramjattan still believe in fairy tales? He should go see Frozen!! …till GECOM delivers One frequent letter-writer, Dr Annie Baliram, claimed in a missive, “GECOM can’t be trusted.

GECOM is a troubled agency. GECOM is heavily influenced by the ruling APNU/PNC political party.

GECOM will never be able to deliver fair elections without the oversight of electoral observers”. Now your Eyewitness concedes these are merely opinions of the good doctor. But she went on to make some a specific accusation about the agency: “The UNDP offers to oversee the elections but GECOM is deliberately denying this. This is unfair and cruel”. She explained how this offer could prevent rigging. So when your Eyewitness saw a letter in response from the PRO of GECOM, Yolanda Warde, captioned “GECOM: We will deliver credible elections”, he fully expected Baliram’s assertion to be explicitly rubbished! Sadly Warde’s bald assertion was all there was to it!! Nothing about the UNDP’s offer.

She just confirmed the rig is in.

And it ain’t just the oil rig!! …till you choose who cast stones One Toerhane Doerga, of the rice scam fame, had bitterly criticised Jagdeo of “picking” the PPP’s Presidential Candidate.

Then he goes and launches a new party, TNM, and picks the entire executive and slate!!

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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40 NEWS

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Young cop dies after motorcycle collides with car A

young Policeman was on Monday morning killed after the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car in the vicinity of Brickdam, Georgetown.

Dead is 24-year-old Carl Roach of Lot 1 Water Street, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

Reports are that the accident occurred at about 00:30h at the intersection of Brickdam and Chalmer’s Place, Georgetown. According to reports, Roach was proceeding west along the southern side of the roadway on his motorcycle, CH 9436, while the driver of the car, a female of Norton and Haley Streets, Wortmanville, was driv-

In the vicinity where the accident occurred on Monday morning

ing motorcar PMM 2528 east along the northern carriageway.

This newspaper was

told that, upon reaching the intersection, the car turned south into the path of the motor-

cycle, resulting in a collision. As a result of the impact, the father of one was flung some distance

away, hitting a utility pole on the southern side of the road and sustaining serious injuries about his head and body.

Roach was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor, and his body was later transported to the Lyken’s

don’t know,” the grieving mother recalled.

This Policeman had served the Guyana Police Force for some six years, and leaves to mourn his family and a son.

“He was an easygoing and quiet guy. My son was a loving person, anyone will tell you that,” Duke expressed.

The GPF have since launched an investigation into the accident, and a post mortem examination will be conducted. The 34-year-old driver is meantime in Police custody, assisting with the investigation. A breathalyzer test showed that she was below the prescribed alcohol limit.

This accident occurred in less than two weeks after the one which claimed the life of motorcyclist Gurdatt Hemraj, also called “Mahindra” and “Mohen”, a securi-

Dead: Policeman Carl Roach

Funeral Home.

His mother Colette Duke told Guyana Times International that her son was returning from the seawall when the incident occurred. She said she received a call at about 01:00h, informing that he was involved in an accident, and when she arrived there his body was still at the scene, but he did not survive.

“I get a call at around one o’ clock saying that Carl get into an accident on Brickdam. When I rushed over there, he was already covered up; he already died. They said some car hit him from the back. That’s all I know about it. I think he was on the seawall coming down, but I

ty guard of Lot 20 Goed Bananen Land, East Canje Berbice. He was killed on November 14 after colliding with a car.

In a similar scenario, the motorcycle was proceeding north along the Canefield Public Road in East Canje while the motorcar bearing registration number PLL 8511 was heading in the opposite direction. The car reportedly attempted to turn into a street when the collision occurred.

Hemraj received injuries, and was picked up in an unconscious state and taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, where he regained consciousness but subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Teen finds decomposed

remains of friend at Hague home

BODY FOUND A

teenager received the shock of his life when he decided to visit his friend’s Hague, West Coast Demerara (WCD) residence early Tuesday morning after not hearing from him for a while, only to discover his decomposed remains inside the bottom flat of the two-storeyed house.

Dead is 54-year-old Eric Ghansham, called “Cook Soup”, who is said to have been the only occupant of the home.

This newspaper was told that the dead man repaired bicycles.

When contacted, Police Commander of Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), Assistant Police Commissioner, Simon McBean, said that the 19-year-old made the gruesome discovery at about 07:30h on Tuesday after he began to worry about not hearing from his friend for a lengthy period.

Commander McBean explained that the youth told investigators that he had not received any form of com-

munication from the now-dead man for over a week and as such, the teen decided to visit.

“He said he went over there to check in on him this morning (Tuesday) to make sure everything was alright. But when he got to the man’s home and went inside of the yard, it was at the lower flat of the 2 storeyed-home that he found Ghansham’s remains. There were no visible marks of violence when the Police arrived but bear in mind that the man’s body was already in a decomposed state,” the Commander said. He added that Police ranks did not notice anything amiss at the deceased’s residence as there were no signs to suggest that the man was engaged in a struggle.

“But we have to await the PostMortem Examination before we pronounce on the matter. As it is, investigations into this matter are in full swing”.

NEWS 41

42 NEWS

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

C'bean countries urged to do more to deal with violence against women

C

aribbean countries are being urged to do more to deal with the issue of violence against women as the region joins the global community in observing International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on Monday.

In a statement, the UN Women Multi-Country Office (MCO) Caribbean Representative, Alison McLean said research conducted in the Caribbean in the past two years reinforced that violence against women and girls (VAWG) including rape is so entrenched and normalised that both men and women have a high tolerance for its manifestations.

She said notwithstanding women's well-

known and often touted gains in public life and the introduction of laws, policies and initiatives to promote women's equality, prevailing socio-cultural attitudes that perpetuate unequal and hierarchical power relations reinforcing notions of female subordination and male domination, mitigate against these gains and in turn fuel VAWG. The UN SecretaryGeneral's UNITE by 2030 to End Violence against Women Campaign is focusing on rape as a specific form of harm committed against women and girls, in times of peace or war.

The UN System's 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women and Girls activities is

taking place under the global theme “Orange the World: Generation Equality Stands against Rape”.

McLean said that the UN Women-supported research, which is available for four Caribbean countries to date, shows non-partner sexual violence (NPSV) which includes rape, attempted rape, unwanted sexual touching and sexual harassment, is reported at significantly higher rates than intimate partner sexual violence and a significant risk factor is being young.

In Guyana, most women reporting sexual IPV reported being forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to and nearly as many women report-

ed having sexual intercourse with their partner because they were afraid to refuse.

On the other hand, one in every five women in Guyana reported nonpartner sexual abuse in their lifetime; with a significant number experiencing this abuse before the age of 18.

One-fifth of Jamaican women reported being sexually abused before reaching 18 years of age. Further one in seven women reported that their first sexual experience was before the age of 15 years. Under Jamaican law, the age of consent is 16 years old; any sexual intercourse under that age is statutory rape.

The Suriname GBV prevalence survey revealed that the prevalence of NPSV among all women is almost double that of sexual IPV/intimate partner violence.

In Trinidad and Tobago, the prevalence of NPSV is almost four times higher than that of sexual IPV. McLean said that without reliable and relevant data, it is not possible to adequately treat, reduce and prevent vio-

lence against women and girls.

“UN Women has invested significantly in supporting member states in strengthening capacities to fill the data gaps on violence against women and girls.

Working with regional partners, the Caribbean Development Bank and CARICOM, we developed the CARICOM Prevalence Survey Model.

“The CARICOM Model is based on the long-tested global World Health Organization (WHO) model which is considered internationally to be the best practice for national, population-based studies on prevalence data on GBV.” She said this CARICOM model also “allows us to capture information on the consequences of GBV for women, their children and families, women's helpseeking behaviours and risk and protective factors for violence. It allows in a real way for the voices of women and girls to be heard”.

She said national-level efforts should seek to de-stigmatize the experi-

ence of intimate partner violence and to shift gender norms and roles in order to create a society in which violence against women is openly rejected and firmly addressed.

“Information on where women seek help and where they do not, should inform how services to support victims should be designed and located. Data on women and girls' vulnerabilities, partner characteristics and other socio-demographic factors should guide how to prevent and respond to this violence,” she said.

The MCO Caribbean Representative said UN Women, along with other UN agencies will be using the data gathered from these surveys to support national efforts to prevent intimate partner violence through school-based and community-based initiatives; including working with men and boys through Batterer Intervention and Prevention programmes and private sector initiatives that prevent work-related spill overs of family violence to create safe spaces at work. (CMC)

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

FEATURE 43

Thanksgiving and its origin

T

he Pilgrims, looking for religious and civil liberty, left Plymouth, England on September 6, 1620.

They braved the stormy seas for over two months before land was in sight where they arrived in Massachusetts in late November (1620).

On December 11, after disembarking at Plymouth Rock, they signed the Mayflower Compact, known as America’s first document of civil/self government. Trying to build shelters in their new homeland, they were still unprepared for the harsh New England winter, and due to starvation and sickness, nearly half of them died before the coming spring.

However, persevering in prayer and after receiving help from the native Indians, they eventually reaped a bountiful harvest the following summer.

Being grateful for what they had accomplished, the Pilgrims then declared a threeday feast which started on December 13, 1621. The occasion was used to thank God and for celebrating with their Indian friends. This occasion marked America’s first Thanksgiving Festival.

Then in 1789 a proclamation issued by President George Washington had America celebrate its first Day of Thanksgiving.

The Protestant Episcopal Church of which he

(President George Washington) was a member, announced that the first Thursday in November would become its regular day for giving thanks. This, however, was on a State level. It was not until 1963 President Abraham Lincoln set aside the last Thursday in November as a National Day of Thanksgiving, and in 1941 Congress permanently established the day (fourth Thursday) as a national holiday.

In present day America, Thanksgiving is celebrated by many persons of different nationalities, cultures, religious, social and ethnic backgrounds who have no specific ancestral ties to the Pilgrims.

Yet, from what we know of the history of Thanksgiving and the reason for which the celebrations started, we can all relate and appreciate its significance.

Thanksgiving for most Americans is a time to come together with friends and family and give thanks for all that we have accomplished. While persons may chose to celebrate the holiday in different ways, whatever way it is observed, the most important aspect of thanksgiving will always be preserved, that is being thankful to God for everything that we have, including good health, abundant food, shelter, good family and friends and life itself.

44 news

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Legislation to legalize marijuana introduced in T&T Parliament

T

he Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Faris Al-Rawi has introduced into Parliament, two pieces of legislation that would allow marijuana to be used for medicinal, religious and recreational purposes in the twin-island republic.

The two pieces of law approved by the Cabinet – the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2019 to decriminalise the possession of marijuana; and the Cannabis Control Bill which includes establishing a Cannabis Licensing Authority – will be debated at a later date. The Bills only require a simple majority, which the government has, to pass.

“Together, these Bills will amend the Dangerous Drugs Act and birth a new regulatory regime which will move our laws from a colonial archaic past to the future,” Al-Rawi said in a statement to Parliament.

Under the Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) Bill, individuals would be allowed to have up to 30 grammes of marijuana in their possession. Anyone found in possession of more than that amount – up to 60 grammes – would be issued with a fixed penalty by police, and once the fine is paid on time, that individual would not have a criminal record. The brunt of the law would be applied only where there is a refusal to pay the fixed

penalty and only after the possibility of community service as an alternative remedy is explored.

The Bill also strictly criminalizes acts involving children. For example, a person who possesses cannabis, even within the allowable limits, will be prosecuted for having the substance on a school on bus or at school premises. He will be liable on summary conviction to a fine of TT$250,000 (US$36,948.05) and to imprisonment of five years.

Smoking in public spaces would also be illegal.

The legislation also allows for an individual to lawfully grow no more

than four cannabis male plants without a licence.

Anyone with a conviction or charge related to less than 60 grammes of marijuana will be allowed to apply to the court to have the charge dismissed and removed from their criminal record.

The Attorney General contended that the burden to the taxpayer of hundreds of millions of dollars expended in remand incarceration is as atrocious as the effect to the lives of the accused and their families.

“Convictions for possession of marijuana have derailed many lives as they stand as a bar to education, travel and employment,” he said.

He noted that in the

period 2007 to 2018, 84, 668 cases went before the Magistracy under the Dangerous Drugs Act for possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana for the purposes of trafficking, cultivation of marijuana and the gathering of marijuana. 71,964 of these cases were for possession of marijuana alone. In the law term 2017/2018, the Judiciary reported that 9,553 marijuana related cases came before the Magistrate’s court with 8,316 being for possession of marijuana alone.

Al-Rawi also disclosed that the Trinidad and Tobago Cannabis Authority will be established, under the Cannabis Control Authority Bill, to administer a licensing/registration regime to legitimize, establish accountability and transparency for the use of cannabis by per-

sons and bodies engaged in religious, sacramental, medicinal and commercial activities.

The Attorney General said the Authority will have the power to issues eight types of licences including a cultivator licence, a research and development, laboratory, processor as well as retail distributor, import and export licences.

“Only certain persons will be eligible for licenses and registration and there is a guaranteed minimum local content of 30 per cent of ownership for companies and cooperatives so as to avoid the abuses that occurred with multinational domination in other territories,” he explained.

There will be strict control for medicinal use and for religious purposes which are separately addressed in the Bill.

(Caribbean360.com)

US Visa revocation has not affected performance, says Jamaican minster

Jamaican Government Minister Daryl Vaz

G

o v e r n m e n t Minister Daryl Vaz says the revocation of his United States visa has not affected his ability to perform his duties so far.

At the same time, Vaz says he is yet to receive an update from US authorities following his appeal against the revocation.

“Whenever I have an update I will advise the public,” he told The Gleaner today.

On November 1, Vaz confirmed the visa revocation saying the US Embassy in Kingston had written to him, advising that subsequent to the issuance of the permit, it received information that he “may be ineligible”.

At the time, Vaz said if the visa was not restored on appeal, he would resign from the Government.

This morning, he reserved comments about any possible resignation.

“Any comments or decisions would be premature at this time,” Vaz said.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness also addressed the issue of the visa revocation when he appeared on Nationwide radio this morning.

“Obviously not being able to travel to your major trading partner, one of your largest foreign corporation partners, would have an impact but it would not be to the point when he could not continue to function,” Holness said.

However, he did not definitely say whether Vaz would remain a minister.

“I think that he himself has his own concerns,” said Holness, adding that Vaz wants the people of Jamaica to have faith in him and so he will continue to do everything he can to have the visa returned.

Meanwhile, opposition Member of Parliament Phillip Paulwell also had his US visa revoked and he said he would appeal the decision. (Jamaica Gleaner)

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

45

46 NEWS

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

1 in 5 Guyanese women experience sexual abuse – UN Women report

A

s Guyana continues to grapple with high rates of domestic violence in various forms, a United Nations (UN) women-supported research found one in every five women in the country, or 20 per cent, have been sexually abused in their lifetime.

The Guyana Women’s Health and Life Experiences Survey Report 2018 highlighted that of the 20 per cent of Guyanese women who have experienced non-partner sexual abuse in their lifetime, 13 per cent of them reported experiencing this abuse before the age of 18.

It was noted that the most significant risk factor for non-partner sexual violence (NPSV), including rape, attempted rape, unwanted sexual touching and sexual harassment, is being young. The 15 to 24 age group reported statistically higher rates of NPSV of every type with the 55-64 age group reported the least. This, according to the study, suggests an increasing entitlement of men to violate women’s bodily autonomy.

This report was handed over to the Guyana Government last week ahead of Monday’s observance of International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The UN Secretary General’s UNiTE by 2030 to End Violence against Women Campaign is focusing on rape as a specific form of harm committed against women and girls, in times of peace or war.

As such, the UN System’s 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women and

Social Protection Minister Amna Ally receiving the report from MCO Caribbean Representative Alison McLean

Girls activities began Monday under the 2019 global theme: “Orange the world: generation equality stands against rape!”. The campaign will conclude on December 10, when International Human Rights Day will be observed.

The research, which was conducted in the Caribbean in the past two years, reinforced that violence against women and girls (VAWG) including rape, is so entrenched and normalised that both men and women have a high tolerance for its manifestations.

“These persistent, endemic sociocultural norms and enduring inequalities have given rise to an aberrantly high prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Guyana.

Guyanese women experience IPV at significantly higher rates than the global average of 1 in 3 women.”

In fact, it noted that 55 per cent of survey respondents who had ever had a male partner have experienced some form of IPV during their lifetime with 38 per cent of them having experienced physical and/or sexual violence and more than one in 10 having experienced physical and/or sexual violence from a male partner in the past 12 months.

It was noted that of the women reporting sexual IPV, eight per cent of them were forced to have sexual intercourse when they did not want to and seven per cent of them had sexual intercourse with their partner because they were afraid to refuse.

The Guyana Police Force two weeks ago disclosed that between January and October 2019, there have been 229 reports of rape made, compared to 315 cases recorded during the same period last year.

However, the report highlighted that half of all women who experienced IPV in Guyana never reported it or sought help, especially those suffering from IPV. It was outlined that victims, community members and stakeholders attributed women’s reluctance to seek help from institutional actors to issues such as a lack of knowledge of available help, perceptions of being blamed or stigmatised by their situation becoming known throughout the community and inadequate sup-

port structures to ensure victim safety after reporting violence to the police.

Focus group participants identified other deterrents to seeking help, such as inconsistent or harmful institutional responses and a lack of coordination between sectors.

As in the case of IPV, only 12 per cent of women reported NPSV to the police and nine per cent to a health care provider. Among those who did, their experiences were inconsistent with less than half saying that a case was opened in response to their police report; nearly one in five left without a report being taken. One-third of women who sought help through a health care provider received HIV and pregnancy prevention information with fewer than one in ten received counselling.

One measures taken by the Guyana Government to encourage persons to report sexual abuses is the establishment of Sexual Offences Courts in Georgetown, Berbice and Essequibo. The aim of the specialised Court is to ensure that the environment is conducive to victims and support services are offered.

While recommendations were made in efforts to eliminate VAWG at all levels, the UN Women Representative for the Multi-Country Office (MCO) – Caribbean, Alison McLean, pointed out that without reliable and relevant data, it is not possible to adequately treat, reduce and prevent violence against women and girls.

“UN Women has invested significantly in supporting member states in strengthening capacities to fill the data gaps on violence against women and girls. Working

with regional partners, the Caribbean Development Bank and Caricom, we developed the Caricom Prevalence Survey Model. The Caricom Model is based on the longtested global World Health Organisation (WHO) model which is considered internationally to be the best practice for national, population-based studies on prevalence data on GBV. This Caricom model also allows us to capture information on the consequences of GBV for women, their children and families, women’s help-seeking behaviours and risk and protective factors for violence. It allows in a real way for the voices of women and girls to be heard,” she noted in a statement on Sunday.

According to McLean, national-level efforts should seek to destigmatise the experience of intimate partner violence and to shift gender norms and roles in order to create a society in which violence against women is openly rejected and firmly addressed.

She noted that information on where women seek help and where they do not should inform how services to support victims should be designed and located. Data on women and girls’ vulnerabilities, partner characteristics and other socio-demographic factors should guide how to prevent and respond to this violence, she added.

“UN Women, along with other UN agencies will be using the data gathered from these surveys to support national efforts to prevent intimate partner violence through school-based and communitybased initiatives; including working with men and boys through Batterer Intervention and Prevention programmes; and Private Sector initiatives that prevent work-related spillovers of family violence to create safe spaces at work,” the MCO Caribbean Representative stressed.

Meanwhile, as Guyana joins the rest of the world in the campaign to end violence against women and girls, the Social Protection Ministry via the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit has partnered with the Local Authorities, non-Government partners and civil society of the Upper Demerara-Berbice Region in launching the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” campaign today at the Egbert Benjamin Exhibition and Conference Centre.

Additionally, a series of sensitisation and awareness sessions within schools, workplaces, community and religious organisations are scheduled during the period, and a “Men against Violence” forum is scheduled for November 29, at the Linden Mayor and Town Councillors’ office.

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WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

The cart…

T

…bearing gifts? he old saw about what’s news advises that it ain’t “dog bites man” – that’s expected. But if “man bites dog”, then you’ve got yourself a headline!! Well, “trade union flays company” isn’t news…that happens every day of the week. Just listen (if you can bear it!) to the tirades of Lincoln Lewis against RUSAL and Troy!! But when “Trade Union shills for company”, you know something ain’t right, and it needs to be exposed.

And that’s exactly what GAWU – the union that’s been sponging off sugar workers’ sweat for the last fifty-odd (very odd!) years — did when they issued a long-winded release about GuySuCo issuing bids to build a plant to produce “55,000 tons white sugar annually”!! What the hell’s going on?? Here’s a union with the largest membership in the country. It accepted GuySuCo/Government’s closure of 4 sugar estates and throwing 5000 members (not to mention another 2000 from cane farmers) into the streets without shutting down Georgetown with protests – and now bigs up GuySuCo??

You say GAWU protested in front of the closed estates, dear reader?? Seeing that in print, your Eyewitness hopes you see the ridiculousness of those “protests”! First of all, with the estates closed, who was taking them on?? Certainly not GuySuCo’s managers, who are in Ogle; or the Government, which is in G/town!! If a tree falls in the middle of the forest and no one heard it, did it fall?? Did GAWU see the actions of bauxite workers when they were asked to pay a fraction of their electricity rates?? Did GAWU even consider protesting for the fired sugar workers’ electricity tariffs to be waived until they find new employment?? Hell! They didn’t even utter a word when water infrastructure built with SILWF funds to give them free water was handed over to GWI — which then started charging them for water!!

What’s the point of GAWU taking time to mention that the GuySuCo Chairman “felt that workers need better remuneration”, when workers’ wages have been frozen since 2015, when the PNC took office??

The man was just shedding crocodile tears!! Didn’t Finance Minister Jordan say it was the GuySuCo board – headed by the Chairman – that makes decisions on wages?? Back in the day, not long after the first sugar workers’ union – the MPCA – was founded, it was soon discovered that some top union officials were being paid off by the Sugar Producers Association, and workers were again being screwed royally. That’s why GAWU was founded. Has history now come a full circle??

Once again, sugar workers are being shafted because their leaders are either cowardly or have been seduced by filthy lucre.

GAWU must answer for its stance.

…before donkey What makes GAWU’s shilling for GuySuCo more reprehensible is that touting of the white sugar factory being up within two years just doesn’t make sense. First, let’s understand that Plantation White Sugar – which is what’s being contemplated – is not made by REFINING, which removes all impurities. But COTED has recommended to Caricom that the 40% CET be slapped on all sugar – refined and otherwise.

Will Caricom be able to stand behind this decision against the big refiners from up north?? Will food companies that want to export outside the region be able to convince those markets that the impurities in Plantation White – esp sodium dioxide and those trace metals – don’t really matter??

Then there are the obstacles which GAWU itself identified. Where’s the sugar cane gonna come from if the workers don’t get a living wage?? Or where’s the funding going to come from for the new white sugar factory, since the banks have stopped disbursements on the G$30billion bond?? Why? Well the funds can’t be used for operational expenses – such as workers’ wages!!

So GAWU are back to square one, aren’t they? …on roundabouts This PNC government has a fetish about roundabouts. They seem to feel that this traffic arrangement – which has been around since the beginning of the 20th century – is “revolutionary”!!

Neanderthals!!

PNC, democracy and sugar workers

T

he PNC bent backwards to accommodate the AFC in their coalition “accord” renegotiation. Why else would they give the latter 30% of the seats they would receive at the next elections in light of their abysmal performance at the 2018 LGE? Especially when, in polarised societies, voters are more willing to “experiment” with their votes than in national elections, when control of the state is at stake. And the simple answer is they want the ABC countries, which have an even larger stake in Guyana today, to repeat their 2015 blessings on a “multiracial government”.

The PNC gave away the store in 2015 because they needed the Indian-Guyanese component of the AFC’s base to give them “multiracial” credentials – and ditto this time around. Even though the actual “giveaway” was more notional than not, given the PNC diluting the real powers of the Ministries conferred to the AFC – especially the Prime Ministership and the Public Security Ministry.

It was a pappy show but they were able to get away with the “multiracial” tag and they are hoping for a repeat performance.

But the US was not totally convinced about the multiracial bona fides of the coalition. In a report for the USAID, “Democracy, Human Rights and Governance Assessment of Guyana” issued in March 2016, the authors concluded: “It was considered still too early to assess whether the Executive is actually “walking the walk”. Events occurring during the writing of this report suggest that the Executive has been sufficiently reminded of its political vulnerability.

For example, the decision to table in the National Assembly the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Guyana Sugar Corporation, along with the postponement of Police promotions, may indicate a preferential option for more democratic governance”.

The authors were correct to be cautious on the PNC’s claim to “democratic governance”. A year later, Granger used the report of a one-man CoI he appointed to investigate a two-year “assassination plot” against himself to completely revamp the top brass of the

GPF after he had strongarmed the Police Service Commission (PSC) to resign and then reappointed a more compliant one.

The Opposition Leader was forced to observe that Guyana was being remade into a “Banana Republic”.

But the PNC’s subsequent actions on the GuySuCo CoI was more revealing. The entire CoI Report, laid in Parliament on Dec 30, 2015, was thrown into the garbage, including its central recommendation that the Corporation be supported for three additional years, rehabilitated and privatised.

Instead, the coalition unilaterally decided to shut down four of the seven sugar estates and fire almost 7000 workers, mostly PPP supporters, employed by GuySuCo and private farmers. Neither the sugar union GAWU

nor the Opposition was informed, much less consulted, on the heartless move. It was Guyana Times that revealed the closure of Wales in early 2016.

In May 2017, the Min of Agriculture finally laid a “State Paper on the future of the sugar Industry” in the National Assembly, which confirmed the closure of Wales and the incipient closure of Enmore-LBI (ECD), Rose Hall (Canje, Berbice) and Skeldon (Corentyne, Berbice).

But what brought the issue of non-democratic governance of the PNC more to the fore was the differential treatment meted out to the fired sugar workers versus that to its supporters.

The PNC’s State Paper made repeated commitments to alleviate the dire plight of the former group: “GuySuCo

also proposes to surrender land for lease to employees for them to engage in agricultural production. The resources that exist under the “Green Economy” and “Regional Food SelfSufficiency” drive would support their efforts… (crop types to be decided by GuySuCo and the Ministry of Agriculture)”.

Yet, to date, not a single acre has been leased to a fired sugar worker who is all on the breadlines. At Wales, without any notice or tender, 700 acres were instead leased to a Ghanaian company specifically formed for the purpose – to cultivate coconuts.

Contrast this treatment to the Government’s launching a CDB-funded G$2.6 billion scheme in Dec 2016, as Wales was being shuttered, to resuscitate agriculture behind the four Africandominated villages of Ithaca, Buxton, BV and Mocha. Identified crops would be processed, packaged and marketed to Caricom and other global markets.

At the end of slavery, the sugar producers spitefully conspired to deny the ex-slaves the opportunity to become independent. This PNC Government intended to do the same with the present Indiandominated sugar workers.

While claiming “multiracial” credentials.

48 Bollywood

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

I

t is an actor’s skills and not his looks that define him, believes veteran actor Pankaj Kapur, who says he recognised his son, actor Shahid Kapoor’s potential when people in the film industry only saw him as a chocolate hero.

Shahid, who made his Bollywood debut with 2003’s Ishq Vishk, established himself as a leading man with romantic comedies and dramas like Fida, Chup Chup Ke, Vivah, Jab We Met, among more.

“Not just because he is my son, but as a colleague, as an actor, I could see the potential in him even 10 years back at the time when he was only being considered a good-looking chocolate hero,” Kapur, 65, told PTI in an interview.

While Shahid received mixed reviews for his latest Kabir Singh, father Pankaj Kapur was all praise for his performance and said people have now started recognising his ability to act.

“I said it 10 years back that he is a dramatic actor and as time will pass, people will see his ability as an actor. And now suddenly people have started recognising — ‘oh he can do this, he can do that’.

“When an actor gets an opportunity to do things only then can he prove his mettle,” the Maqbool actor said.

According to Pankaj Kapur, it is the ability of a person as an actor that “sustains him rather than anything else”.

“We have had examples in our industry of people working for 30-40 years because of their ability to act. Your looks leave you after a point. You don’t look the same way you did when you were in your 20s or 30s,” he said.

“After that, you have only your ability to show,” he added.

The father-son duo have worked together in Shaandaar and Mausam, which Kapur also directed. (Indian Express)

A

ctor Kriti Sanon said her forthcoming film Mimi won’t be a documentary-style take on surrogacy and deals with the subject in an entertaining, fun manner.

Kriti has reunited with her Luka Chuppi director Laxman Utekar and co-star Pankaj Tripathi for Mimi.

“It’s not preachy or serious. It’s not like you are going to watch a film on surrogacy and it’s going to be a documentary film. It’s a very entertaining film, filled with humour, and a lot of ups and downs.

There’s a beautiful graph of the woman I am playing, Mimi, where she wants to be an actress.

“She is a dancer and she is ambitious and wants to be an actress and how she ends up becoming a surrogate mother and what all happens, how her life changes and with that she changes. It’s a beautiful script,” Kriti said in a group interview.

The actor said she was bowled

over by the script of the film, penned by Rohan Shankar, who had also written “Luka Chuppi”.

“It’s a very special role for me because surrogacy is a topic that hasn’t been explored so much here.

The way Laxman sir makes the film and the way Rohan has written it, they have a knack of taking a subject and making it entertaining.”

Kriti said the success of Luka Chuppi gave her the confidence to take risks and it made her sign the film.

“I felt I was ready and so was my audience. I have finished 40 per cent of the shoot. Laxman sir and I have a great tuning. I tell him that we even have telepathy because we end up saying the same thing many times or if there’s a scene, I have an idea, he also has the same idea.”

She will also be seen with Akshay Kumar in Farhad Samji’s next, Bachchan Pandey.

The actor, who recently start-

ed with Akshay in Housefull 4, said she’s excited to work with him again.

“I have read of the script, it’s very entertaining, and the way Farhad has written the script and my role, I am thrilled to play that. It’s something very different and has got a lot to explore as an actor and of course the team is the same that I worked with on Housefull 4 so, my comfort level is something else. “‘Housefull’ didn’t have as many scenes with Akshay sir but whatever we had, we realised our give and take is very good. It’s fun to do scenes with him because they always turn out better than what you see on paper because he always has that craving for finding something more. I absolutely love that.”

Kriti will begin Bachchan Pandey after she wraps up Mimi.

The actor will be next seen in Panipat. The period drama, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, is scheduled to release on December 6. (Indian Express)

on to become a franchise. Even today when I step out, I am referred to as Commando by people. That is special to me,” Vidyut, 38, told PTI in an interview.

He has since straddled Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films, including Baadshaho and Junglee.

“For an outsider, the most im-

portant thing is that the audience should love you. I have worked very hard and I am glad the audience has got me back to the theatres. I feel blessed there are people who watch my films, love and respect me, feel inspired by me.”

In the first Commando film, Vidyut’s title character, Karan Singh Dogra fought for love, while in the second one, his fight was against corruption and black money.

The latest installment is about saving the country.

“There is intel that an attack is being planned that will cause huge devastation and the task at hand is to stop and neutralise the threat,” the actor said.

Post Commando 3, Vidyut will be seen in Khuda Hafiz, which is based on true events. (Indian Express)

A

ctor Vidyut Jammwal says he is happy people recognise him as Commando and believes acceptance from the audience is the best thing an outsider like him can ask for.

Vidyut established himself as the next generation action hero with 2013 action drama Commando, which grew to become a franchise. The second installment came in 2017 and now he is gearing up for the third chapter, to be released on November 29.

The actor, who made his debut with 2011 Telugu film Shakti, entered Bollywood the same year — as an antagonist in Force, featuring John Abraham in the lead.

“Commando was my first film as a hero and I have been fortunate my character received so much love from the audience. It’s rare for an actor’s first film to go

V

eteran actor Rishi Kapoor says he has reached a stage where the length of his character in a film doesn’t matter to him but he would no longer choose insignificant roles, such as the father of the leads.

The actor, whose recent filmography boasts of movies such as Mulk and Kapoor & Sons, said he now looks for parts that have an impact on the storyline.

“I really love my work and I am passionate about it. The length of a role is not important but I don’t want to play an insignificant role, like the father of the hero or heroine in a film. I did those earlier. But there’s a learning process,” Kapoor told PTI. “Now I want to do roles which contribute to the story. There will be a saleable hero in the film and after that if there’s

any character which is important to the film and story, only then I’d do it,” he added.

Kapoor recalled how there was a time when actors like Mithun Chakraborty and Govinda would work four-six shifts.

“Their films would also be such, like a conveyer belt. Print-deliverprint-deliver.

Films aren’t made like this.

It’s a creative, sensitive job. Filmmaking is something for people to enjoy.

“I never took my work for granted or got a trick for a conveyer belt-type of filmmaking, churning out movies back-to-back like biscuits being produced,” he added.

He will next be seen in Jeethu Joseph’s The Body. The Hindi remake of the Spanish film of the same name, “The Body” is scheduled to be released on December 13.

(Indian Express)

Raveena Tandon to make digital debut as writer

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ctor Raveena Tandon is making foray into the digital space as a writer.

Raveena will also produce projects, four in total, for her home banner, AA Films.

The National Award-winning actor said she is looking forward to working in the web.

“We are in the process of going on floors, and all of them are for the web platform. I find this medium fantastic as it is so experimental and we can do so much.

“It gives you the liberty to tell a story without being restricted to just two hours, so it’s a very exciting space to be in,” Raveena said in a statement.

Her last cinematic outing was 2017’s Shab.

(Indian Express)

HOLLYWOOD 49

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Godzilla vs Kong to release in November 2020

T

he big MonsterVerse movie Godzilla vs Kong has been delayed to November 2020, according to Variety. The film was earlier scheduled to be released on March 13, 2020. Now, it will hit theaters on November 20, 2020.

Penned by Terry Rossio and directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs Kong brings together two of the most popular monsters in cinema: Godzilla and King Kong.

MonsterVerse is a cinematic universe that began with 2014’s Godzilla. it was created by Legendary

Entertainment, and Warner Bros.

Godzilla was followed by Kong: Skull Island. This year saw the release of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which was a critical and box office failure.

This may have prompted the decision to delay Godzilla vs Kong’s release.

Godzilla vs Kong will star Alexander Skarsgård, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Shun Oguri, Eiza González, Jessica Henwick, Julian Dennison, Kyle Chandler and Demián Bichir.

The official synopsis of the film reads, “In a time when monsters walk the Earth, humanity’s fight for its future sets Godzilla and Kong on a collision course that will see the two most powerful forces of nature on the planet collide in a spectacular battle for the ages.

As Monarch embarks on a perilous mission into uncharted terrain and unearths clues to the Titans’ origins, a human conspiracy threatens to wipe the creatures, both good and bad, from the face of the earth forever.” (Indian Express)

charges of molesting a 13-year-old boy. In 1994, he settled a sexual abuse civil lawsuit concerning another 13-year-old boy.

His reputation came under scrutiny again this year because of the Emmy-winning documentary Leaving Neverland in which two men gave emotional accounts of what they said was sexual abuse by the singer in the 1990s when they were boys.

Jackson’s family attacked the documentary and his estate denounced it as a “rehash of dated and discredited allegations.”

Despite the publicity, the Jackson estate is backing a new Broadway musical about the singer, due to open in July

2020. A Michael Jackson show One from Cirque du Soleil continues to play in Las Vegas, and stage musical “Thriller Live” has been playing in London since 2009.

Bohemian Rhapsody, a musical biopic about Queen frontman Freddie Mercury who died of AIDS in 1991, won four Oscars this year, including for lead actor Rami Malek. It has taken more than $900 million at the global box office.

Deadline said the script for the Jackson movie will be written by John Logan, whose credits include The Aviator.

No casting, expected release date or movie studio was announced.

(Indian Express)

M

ichael Jackson’s story is headed for Hollywood from the producer who helped make hit film Bohemian Rhapsody, industry media reported on Friday.

Deadline, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter said producer Graham King had secured the rights, including music, from Jackson’s estate to make a feature film about the life of the Thriller singer, whose legacy has been tarnished by allegations of child sex abuse.

The movie is expected to span Jackson’s journey from child star to global icon that ended when he died in 2009 at age 50 of an overdose from a powerful sleeping aid just weeks before a planned comeback concert.

Deadline, citing unnamed sources, said the film “isn’t intended to be a sanitized rendering” of Jackson’s life.

King’s production company and the Jackson estate did not immediately return calls for comment.

Jackson was tried and acquitted in 2005 on

B

ill Cosby says he’s prepared to serve his 10-year maximum sentence for sexual assault rather than show remorse for a crime the comedian says he didn’t commit.

Cosby is serving three to 10 years in a state prison near Philadelphia after a jury last year convicted him of sexually assaulting a Temple University employee in 2004. The 82-year-old says the Pennsylvania parole board is “not going to hear me say that I have remorse.” He thinks it’s therefore unlikely he’ll be released early.

He made the comments in a phone interview on Sunday with BlackPressUSA as he appeals his felony conviction and sex offender status.

Legal experts say sex

offenders typically must show remorse to be considered for parole.

Cosby is best known

B

ritish actor Henry Cavill has said that he is not out as Superman yet in DC films. The actor played the role last time in 2017’s Justice League.

The superhero team-up movie was not received well and also bombed at the box office. After that Warner Bros restructured the leadership at DC Films and prioritised independent superhero films rather than a cinematic universe.

Cavill told Mens’ Health, “It’s still mine. I’m not going to sit quietly in the dark as all the stuff is going on. I’ve not given up the role. There’s a lot I have to give for Superman yet. A lot of storytelling to do. A lot of real, true depths to the honest of the character I wasn’t to get into.”

for his 1980s-era sitcom, The Cosby Show. (Indian Express)

He added, “I want to reflect the comic books. That’s important to me.

There’s a lot of justice to be done for Superman. The status is: You’ll see.”

There has been no confirmation or denial from Warner Bros regarding the fate of Cavill’s Superman. The actor appeared in the role for the first time in 2013’s Man of Steel and reprised the role in Batman v Superman in 2016.

After Ben Affleck quit the role of Batman in the wake of Justice League’s disaster, it was expected that Cavill would follow suit. But despite taking up another time-intensive role like Geralt of Rivia in Netflix’s The Witcher series, the actor has clearly not admitted defeat and still hopes he will don Superman’s cape again. (Indian Express)

V

eteran actor Danny DeVito believes Colin Farrell will do a great job as The Penguin in Matt Reeves’ The Batman.

DeVito, who played the DC villain to Michael Keaton’s Caped Crusader in Tim Burton’s 1992 film Batman Returns, said it would be “interesting” to see Farrell’s take on the character.

“Colin’s a great actor… He’s a good friend of mine. I’ve known him for many years and I think he’s going to do a great job as The Penguin. It’s going to be really interesting to see his take on it,” DeVito told ScreenRant.

The Batman will see Robert Pattinson in the title role, with Andy Serkis as Batman’s loyal butler Alfred Pennyworth, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman and Paul Dano as The Riddler.

It is being billed as a grounded take on the Dark Knight and will feature many of Batman’s villains.

The Batman will hit the theatres on June 25, 2021. (Indian Express)

50 SPORT

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Marcus Keiler defies odds to cop 1st win in 2 years Diamond Mineral Water 46 miler…

Story and photos by Brandon Corlette

T

eam Coco’s Marcus Keiler yesterday showed tenacity and class in the 20th annual Diamond Mineral Water 46-Mile Cycle Race — from the Demerara Harbour Bridge at Schoonord, WBD to Parika, East Bank Essequibo and

back — when he stopped the clock at one hour, 45 minutes and 50 seconds to emerge victorious over a quality field of Guyana’s top wheelsmen.

He was closely tagged by ‘warrior’ cyclists Curtis “Chappy” Dey of Berbice, The field takes shape for an exciting finish

who rode in second position, and Walter GrantStuart, who came in third.

The man who had set an early tone in the race, Deeraj Gharbaran, finished the tense race in fourth, while top duo Jamual John and Michael Anthony rode in fifth and sixth respectively.

had their own battle ongoing in the midst of the race.

As expected, the bunch closed in on the trio of Niles, Gharbaran and Keiler. Niles and Gharbaran dropped back, but Dey, GrantStuart and Keiler powered on for an exciting finish to the race.

Gharbaran then found himself in the midst of the top four as they steamed to the finish line at the Demerara

ed this race in 2018 in a time of one hour 41 minutes, and 25 seconds; while Odealie Hodge had been the best junior rider and Ozia McAulay had been the best mountain biker.

Keiler delighted

Being the only one from the breakaway trio to have continued powering on when caught up by the pack, Keiler was rewarded with the ever-so-sweet taste of vic-

Looking back! Deeraj Ghabarran, Niles and Keiler heading to the turning point

Cyclists at the presentation ceremony accompanied by officials and Diamond Mineral Water sponsor

As it happened

Under scintillating sunshine, 29 of Guyana’s top wheelsmen pedalled off for the final race of 2019; and Junior Niles, who looked in good shape to defend his title, “unleased the beast” by leading the race heading to the turning point. He was tailed by an aggressive Gharbaran, and the duo led the charge just before Leonora.

Team Coco’s Keiler joined the duo to lead the breakaway group, which saw this trio being the first to turn back at Parika, East Bank Essequibo. Assailed by a fierce sea breeze that opposed all the cyclists, this trio led the race and enjoyed a 200-metre gap from the strong pack trailing, among which were Jamual John and Michael Anthony, who

Harbour Bridge for an exciting end to the race.

It was here that Keiler defied all the odds as he awed the crowd at the finish line with his stamina, copping his first win in two years.

During this extraordinary contest, Berbicians Green and Gharbaran copped two sprint prizes, while Anthony, Kemuel Moses, Niles and Keiler each took one.

In the veterans’ category, Ian Jackson defeated Kwame Ridley and Alex Mendes, who finished the race in that order. Jackson was also awarded the special prize for being the oldest cyclist in the race.

In the mountain bike category, Jamaul Copell rode in first, while Patrick Alphonso came in second.

Niles had complet-

tory. He told media operatives afterwards that it had been a tough race for him.

“It was difficult for me, because every time I tried to break away, the guys closed in; but the final break was successful, coming down to the finish. It is a very important win for me, because I was trying for (this win for) two years now. The closest I came was second, and the other occasion when I last came close to a win came when I was defeated by four guys on the line”, Keiler disclosed.

The Team Coco rider added that he would be aiming to take this win as a motivator and aspire to have a productive 2020 when the new cycling season commences.

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

SPORT 51

West Indies Under-19 squad…

Guyana’s Anderson, Nedd focused on representing the Caribbean with finesse

By Brandon Corlette

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uyana’s Ashmead Nedd and Kevlon Anderson are their country’s sole representation in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) 15-man squad for the International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 Cricket World Cup that is slated for South Africa in January 2020.

Captained by Kimani Melius, the exciting young squad will first face the England U-19s and Sri Lanka U-19s in the West Indies Rising Stars U-19 Tri-

Series to be held in Antigua in December 2019.

Both of these young talents are looking forward to the upcoming series followed by the global showpiece.

Nedd, who featured in the 2018 World Cup, disclosed: “I believe we have what it takes to do ‘well’ in the World Cup. I am looking forward to the World Cup and I am a bit excited. I’ve been there before and I can say it will be a bit challenging, but I will use my experience and come out on top.”

The mature Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) left-arm spinner, who has been one of Ashmead Nedd the finest young prospects in bowls during the Caribbean, is currently the Regional with the West Indies Emerging Super50 Cup Team playing in the Regional Super50 Cup. Meanwhile, the right-handed class batsman, Anderson, who also has the ability to bowl and keep wicket, told Guyana Times International Sport that he was delighted with his selection.

“Firstly, winning the World Cup that is the main objective and I am looking to score a lot of runs for the team in the tournament when the opportunity presents itself,” Anderson explained.

Anderson, who hails from Berbice and plies his trade for the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), stated that in the eight or nine games in the tournament, he has his eyes set on an aggregate of 360+ runs.

The highly gifted youngster has also featured in training camps with the team.

“The training camps were good learning curves for me, in working and improving in all areas of my game,” he said.

The squad will aim to recapture the trophy that West Indies U-19s won in 2016 and features three team members who played at the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2018: Captain Melius, Nedd and Nyeem Young. Other notable names include Leonardo Julien and Jayden Seales, who are part of the West Indies Emerging Players squad that is performing strongly in Zone B of the current Colonial Medical Insurance Super50 Cup. This squad of potential future West Indies stars will host the England and Sri Lanka U-19 teams in nine matches to be played in Antigua at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground and then the Coolidge Cricket Ground starting on December 6. These matches will be used to work on game strategies and finesse their plans before the top two teams face off in the final on December 21.

The West Indies U-19s then travel to South Africa after Christmas to finalise their preparations in advance of the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup, which will take place from January 17 to February 9. At the start of their quest to add to the momentous 2016 world title, they will face three-time winners Australia, 1998 winners England and tournament debutants Nigeria in Zone B.

Kevlon Anderson takes a stunner during a training camp in Antigua

52 SPORT

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

'Chris Gayle never get no respect' - An explosive MSL goodbye Reprinted from ESPNCricinfo

D

on't blame me, said Chris Gayle as he bid an explosive goodbye to the Jozi Stars and a disastrous MSL campaign.

The defending champions are yet to win a single game, which has led to some finger-pointing.

The 40-year old West Indies opener leaves South Africa with 101 runs from six innings; 54 of them came on Sunday. "As soon as I don't perform for two or three games, then Chris Gayle is the burden for the team," he said at the press conference after the Stars collapsed from a winning position against Tshwane Spartans.

"I am not talking for this team only. This is something I have analysed over the years playing franchise cricket. Chris Gayle is always a burden if I don't score runs, two, three, four times. It seems like that one particular individual is the burden for the team. And then you will hear bickering. I am not going to get respect.

People don't remember

Chris Gayle takes a selfie with fans after the game (Getty Images)

what you have done for them. I don't get respect.

"And I am not talking about this franchise.

I am talking generally. Even from players as well, I am talking.

Players, management, head of management, board members. Chris Gayle never get no respect. Once Chris Gayle fails, it's the end of his career, he is no good, he is the worst player and all these other things.

I've generally overcome

these things and I expect these things and I have lived with these things."

Both Gayle and the Stars have had a tough time in this year's MSL. The team has lost all six of their matches while Gayle scored only 47 runs in his first five innings before scoring 54 off 28 balls in his final appearance, which was also his 400th T20 match.

He played in the game against the Spartans despite having a high fe-

ver overnight because he wanted to sign-off on a high. The Stars were well set on 122 for 3 in the 14th over, chasing a target of 156, but then lost 7 for 13 in 29 balls to crumble to 135 all out.

"It was bad, bad to watch," Gayle said.

"Everyone will be hurt from such a thing. I am hurt from a personal point of view. I really wanted to win. I thought this was the one but it wasn't meant to be again."

While Gayle was critical of the team's performance, he could not pinpoint why the dressing room environment is not creating a winning culture. "This is not a champion team. This is not how defending champions should play to defend the title. Most of the times it's been a lot of uncertainty from guys and I

don't know if it's an off the field problem, I don't know what's happening.

I think individuals, the franchise itself, needs to look at themselves and dig deep with what is happening. Something is wrong. I don't know what it is but we need to find out what's wrong."

The Stars came into this season with several changes to their set up. They were forced to find a new coach after Enoch Nkwe was appointed interim national team director and promoted his assistant from 2018, Donovan Miller, to the role. Miller is the only foreign coach in this year's MSL. They also had a change of captaincy after last season's skipper Dane Vilas was picked up by the Durban Heat.

Temba Bavuma, who is being tipped to lead at

national level, is their new captain and although he is the tournament's second-highest run-scorer, he has not been able to spearhead any wins. As a result, the Stars have looked more dejected with each game which is a complete contrast to their feel-good vibe from last year which Gayle had been hoping to come back to.

"I had so much fun last year. I didn't plan to come to play this year but because of the spirit last year, the dressing room environment was so fantastic, I just wanted to come and play. It wasn't about money at all, there was no negotiation, I said 'just sign it up but I won't play the full tournament'. I will play six games because I want to share one more moment with this dressing room and that's what I did. Normally I would take a break right now but I really, really wanted to come here."

Asked if he would come back to the MSL, Gayle joked "never say never," and although he plans to take the rest of 2019 off, he indicated that his playing days are not done just yet. "It's important to take a break from the game as well.

For me, I have played so many games that I know what I need to do to prepare for a tournament. The mental part is not an issue for me, it's more the physical side of things. Once I get the physical side of things right, I can still carry on for however long I want to play this game."

sport 53

Ramdhani siblings excel at ACAC Tournament WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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rguably Guyana’s best male and female badminton players, Narayan Ramdhani & Priyanna Ramdhani, over the weekend, took part in the 2019-2020 ACAC (Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference) Tournament held in Olds Alberta Canada, and represented themselves and Guyana well with podium finishes.

The siblings played on opposing sides, as Narayan Ramdhani suited up for the Kings University Eagles and Priyanna Ramdhani represented Olds College Broncos. After the action on the courts, Narayan copped second place in the men’s singles and fifth in the mixed doubles, while Priyanna finished third in the ladies singles and seventh in the mixed doubles.

Both players were said to be very competitive, and, for the first time in their badminton careers, found themselves playing against each other instead of pairing up. This is because they attend different institutions of higher learning.

Narayan Ramdhani, playing for King’s Eagles, began his single’s contention in the quarterfinal, where he met with, and comfortably defeated, Nait’s John Li 21-13, 2117. The Guyanese then battled Tayler Walsh, also of Nait, in another easy game, wherein he prevailed 21-15, 21-17.

In the final, however, Concordia’s Nicholas Pittman got the better of Ramdhani in a three-set thriller that ended 19-21, 21-13, 16-21.

In his mixed doubles stint, Narayan paired up with Kings’ Abby Leddis to take on his sibling Priyanna Ramdhani and her partner Troy Morgan, who were playing for Olds.

Narayan and his partner prevailed in an exciting game 21-15, 2116.

The pair also took on and defeated Olds’ Rylan Head & Jenna Kardos 21-6, 21-9 in their other mixed doubles game.

On her journey to third place in the Ladies singles, Priyanna Ramdhani (playing for Olds Broncos) first overcame Nait’s Connie Juang 21-10, 21-18 in the quarter- final. However, in the semi, luck was not on Priyanna’s side, and she went down to

expected to withdraw after the 2019-20 season.

Briercrest College located in southern Saskatchewan is the only non-Alberta institution involved in the Conference.

Similarly, the list of sanctioned athletic activities has, during the same timeframe, expanded from the original single sport of men’s basketball to now include badminton, women’s basketball, cross country running, indoor track, futsal, curling, golf, men’s and women’s hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s volleyball.

N a t i o n a l Championships are contested in badminton, basketball, soccer, volleyball, golf, curling and crosscountry running.

A Conference Council consisting of representatives from each of the member institutions, meeting twice annually, governs the ACAC. An executive committee of seven elected officials has the authority to govern in the interim. The daily business of the Conference is mainly conducted from its offices in Edmonton, where a Coordinator of Finance & Administration and an Operations Manager are employed. The Chief Executive Officer is based out of Calgary, while the Conference Commissioner is also located in Edmonton.

Full-time staff positions are augmented by contracted individuals who support the ACAC as Conference Writer, ACAC Statistician, and Communications Coordinator.

The Ramdhani siblings: Base funding Priyanna and Narayan for the operations of the ACAC are derived Edmonton, from its The King’s memberUniversity College, ship Ambrose University, University of Calgary, St. Mary’s University, through Prairie College, and a general and individual activity assessments.

Briercrest College.

Mount Royal This base funding is augUniversity and the mented by an annual University of Calgary grant received from the are no longer ACAC Government of Alberta members, and Grant through the Alberta MacEwan University is Sports Connection.

Narayan Ramdhani and his partner (in blue) battle his sister Priyanna Ramdhani and her partner from the opposite side of the court for the first time.

Concordia’s Johnna Rymes 17-21, 7-21.

She, however, bounced back in the third place playoff and went on to defeat Kings’ Abby Leddis in a hard-fought battle 21-17, 21-18.

Aside from the contest against her brother, Priyanna and her partner Troy Morgan overthrew Kings’ Fits Galang & Erica Jorgensen 21-12, 21-13.

About the ACAC The ACAC has established itself as the premier college athletics conference in Canada, fostering a rich tradition of excellence. It all began in 1964, when the founding organization, predecessor to the ACAC — the Western Inter-College Conference (WICC) — came into existence with a mandate to regulate, coordinate, and promote activities in two major areas: athletics and fine arts.

There were five charter members of the WICC at the time of its inception: Camrose Lutheran College, Lethbridge Junior College, Mount Royal Junior College, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Men’s basketball was the only athletic activity granted the designation of “official activity”; whereas volleyball, hockey, cross country running, curling, bowling, badminton, and table tennis enjoyed “exhibition” status only. In the area of fine arts, competitions were staged in public speaking, debating, and the dramatic arts.

Despite its initial success, the cultural programme had failed to secure any significant level of sustained interest, and was terminated by constitutional amendment in 1969. The focus of the Conference thus became exclusively athletics, and as a consequence, the Western InterCollege Conference became known as the Alberta College Athletic Conference.

In July 1981, the Conference achieved incorporation as the Alberta Colleges A t h l e t i c Conference.

T h e growth and maturation of the ACAC since 1964 has been orderly and deliberate. The five charter members of the ACAC: NAIT, SAIT, Mount Royal Junior College, Lethbridge Junior College and Camrose Lutheran Junior College – have been joined over

the past 55 years at various times by Red Deer College, Medicine Hat College, Grande Prairie Regional College, Grant MacEwan University, Lakeland College, Keyano College, Portage College, Olds College, Concordia University of

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WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

Wagner rises to No.3 in Port Mourant Turf Neil ICC Test bowling rankings Club horse race meet N set for December 15

Action in a previous horse race meeting in Berbice (Brandon Corlette photo)

T

he Port Mourant Turf Club in East Berbice/Corentyne (Region 6) plans to stage a grand one-day horse race meeting at its premises on Sunday December 15.

Action is proposed to commence from 13:00h, and eight races are slated for the card. The ‘B & Lower’ race, main event on the card, will be run over a distance of 1600 metres for a winner’s prize of G$600,000.

The race for ‘two-yearold maiden Guyana-bred’ horses will be run over a distance of 1000 metres for a winner’s purse of

G$240,000; while the ‘H & Lower’ class race for 2019 non-winners will be run over a distance of 1000 metres for a winner’s prize of G$300,000.

The race for ‘G3 & Lower- classified’ animals will also be run over a distance of 1600 metres for a winner’s prize of G$300,000; while the race for ‘L Class’ animals will be run over a distance of 1500 metres for a winner’s prize of G$120,000.

The race for ‘L nonwinner class’ animals will be run over a distance of 1300 metres for a first prize of G$100,00;

while the race for animals classified ‘J & Lower’ and ‘2-year-old Guyana-bred’ will be run over a distance of 1300 metres for a winner’s prize of G$240,000.

The race for animals classified ‘K Class’ horses will be run over a distance of 1200 metres for a winner’s prize of G$140,000.

Persons desiring further information are invited to contact Kris Jagdeo on 624-6123; R Gajnabi on 643-9696; Turbo Jagdeo on 6187278; C Ramnauth on 697-1979, or Dennis Deoroop on 640-6396.

ew Zealand leftarm quick Neil Wagner has moved up to No.3 among bowlers in the ICC Test rankings. He gained five places after bagging eight wickets, including a five-for in the second innings, to lead New Zealand to victory in the first-ever Test in Mount Maunganui.

Wagner's team-mate BJ Watling, who became the first New Zealand wicketkeeper to make a Test double-hundred, shot up 12 spots to be placed 12th among Test batsmen.

Watling had soaked up 473 balls in Mount Maunganui only Sri Lanka's Brendon Kuruppu has faced more balls than the New Zealander among wicketkeeper-batsmen in a Test innings.

Watling's effort took his points tally to a careerbest 693. Australia's Marnus Labuschagne also reached career-best points of 684 and slotted in at 21 - nine places behind Watling.

Labuschagne's 185 in the Brisbane Test was central to Australia securing an innings victory over Pakistan. David Warner, who endured a horrid Ashes series

Neil Wagner roars in celebration after dismissing Joe Root (Getty Images)

in England, opened the home Test summer with 154 and consequently gained six places to move to 17th. Steven Smith continues to be the No.1ranked Test batsman with 931 points. India captain Virat Kohli is hot on his heels, with 928 points, having hit a century in the first-ever pink-ball Test in India.

England captain Joe Root, meanwhile, dropped out of the top ten for the first time

since August 2014. India opener Mayank Agarwal replaced Root in the top ten, also achieving career-best points of 700. Ishant Sharma, who took nine wickets in the pink-ball Test in Kolkata, moved from 20th to 17th while Bangladesh's Mushfiqur Rahim gained four places to reach 26th among batsmen after making a counterattacking 74 in Kolkata. (ESPNCricinfo)

WEEK ENDING december 1, 2019 | guyanatimeSinternational.com

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