Guyana Times Wednesday February 5, 2020

EU deploys long-term observers P11 across Guyana Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

THE BEACON OF TRUTH

Issue No. 4187

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

Global Witness watchdog urges Govt to do more to fight corruption

See stories on pages 7 and 13

…report tells “corrupt” story of 2016 oil deal – Jagdeo …as Govt labels report as “baseless”

Sugar workers protest Granger’s office for wage hike

PRICE

$80 VAT INCLUDED

WHAT'S INSIDE: $450 million lawsuit

Families of deadly 2012 Linden protest P9 already collected compensation – lawyer …accused of doubledipping

Page 5

Plumber critical after being lashed to head P14 during row over chair

Teen charged for No 63 Beach double P10 murder

Shop owner MARAD to restrict shot dead entrance of ship crews from China during argument Coronavirus outbreak

Page 14

Page 5

General and Regional Elections

Ballot papers to arrive in Guyana on Thursday …2352 polling stations approved See story on page 3

Ecuadorian gets 2 P10 months for illegally entering Guyana

2

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

3

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENINGS

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

Wednesday, February 5 – 02:30h – 4:00h and 13:30h – 15:00h and Thursday, February 6 – 03:00h – 04:30h and 14:30h – 16:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Wednesday, February 5 – 12:55h – 14:25h and Thursday, February 6 – 13:50h -15:20h.

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

WEATHER TODAY Sunshine is expected throughout the day.

There will be clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 20 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 01:10h and 13:31h reaching maximum heights of 2.19 metres and 2.32 metres.

Low Tide: 07:01h and 19:40h reaching minimum heights of 1.03 metres and 0.84 metre.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

LOTTERY NUMBERS D

01 04 06

20 22 27

FREE TICKET

16 Bonus Ball

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2020 DAILY MILLIONS

02 08 13 24 26 LUCKY 3

5

3

4

8

Afternoon Draw

5

6

Evening Draw

DRAW DE LINE

01

02

04

05

PAY DAY

07

09

16 SUPER PAY DAY

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2020

04 10 13 15 16

01 06 07 20 21

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

General and Regional Elections

Ballot papers to arrive in Guyana on Thursday …2352 polling stations approved

P

reparations by the Guyana Elections C o m m i s s i o n (GECOM) for General and Regional elections on March 2, 2020, are, in fact, ahead of schedule; with one key component of the electoral process, the ballot papers, expected to arrive this week.

This was revealed by GECOM Chief Elections Officer Keith Lowenfield at the conclusion of Tuesday’s statutory meeting. He explained that the ballot papers that were printed in Canada in preparation for polling day will arrive in Guyana on Thursday.

He also revealed that there are 2352 polling stations, inclusive of private residences that are mostly located in Region Four along the East Coast of Demerara (ECD). According to Lowenfield, there are a total of 131 private residences “The Commission will be looking at these with a view of providing a feedback so that I can confirm and ensure these places are gazetted within the statutory period as prescribed,” Lowenfield advised.

When it comes to the establishment of offices for the Returning Officers (ROs) and Deputy Returning Officers (DROs), Lowenfield explained that the Secretariat is in the process of appointing the required staff.

He also told the media that the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has been engaged in establishing ballot stations.

Another stakeholder in the process, persons with disabilities, are currently being engaged to finalise arrangements for them to vote. Lowenfield explained that he has been in contact with Ganesh Singh, a member of the Guyana Council of Persons with Disabilities.

“I’ve engaged Ganesh, the Chairperson, and we have discussed at length the issues of concern to him. And I have responded to him on the request for curbside voting and the inability to do so,

since we are not aware as to the specific locations of those persons,” Lowenfield said.

“Both for curbside, and he has also asked for other items which he has advised will be funded. I say again, we don’t have a register to know which stations these things will be used. But I maintain contact with him on all the issues relative to citizens with disabilities.”

It was announced last month that GECOM Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Charles Corbin would be sent to Canada to observe the printing of ballot paper. This was being done by printing firm Canadian Bank Note Company Limited, which first supplied GECOM with elections materials at the 2018 Local Government Elections (LGE).

Canadian Bank Note has a long history with Guyana.

It owns the Guyana Lottery Company Limited (GLCL).

According to the GLCL website, Canadian Bank Note is a company which supplies printed products and related issuing and control systems in four business areas: lottery systems, identification systems, payment systems, and shareholder services.

GECOM CEO Keith Lowenfield

In addition to owning GLCL and getting the contract to print Guyana’s electoral materials, Canadian Bank Note also prints Guyana’s currency notes and recently got a US$12.4 million ($2.5 billion) contract to procure a new border management system to cater for e-passports. This was announced in September last year.

The two Commissioners will be in Canada until the production of the ballots is completed. A total of 11 parties have been approved by GECOM to contest the up-

coming polls, making this one of the longest election slates in recent memory.

Apart from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC), the other parties contesting are A New and United Guyana (ANUG); The New Movement (TNM); The Citizenship Initiative (TCI); Change Guyana; Fed-Up; Organisation of the Victory of the People (OVP), the United Republican Party (URP) and the People’s Republican Party (PRP).

4

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

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

Elections 2020 and jobs T

he General and Regional Elections are weeks away and as expected, the political parties are using every possible opportunity to convince the electorate to give them a chance to manage the affairs of the nation. One of the main issues that voters would be making their decision on is the policies and plans of the various parties in terms of job creation and training opportunities since these are key concerns of everyone, especially young people.

In fact, if one were to conduct a survey among youths in Guyana to find out what are among their main concerns, it is almost certain that among those on top of the list would be acquiring a stable, well-paid job. This is perhaps the same for many other countries, as more and more persons are demanding better job opportunities that would enable them to take care of themselves and their families and to feel a sense of financial security.

Currently, the campaigns are in full swing and it is encouraging to see that most of the political parties have placed job creation as a priority in their manifestos. Some have outlined a clear path as to how they intend to achieve their objectives while others have not been very clear as to how they will achieve theirs.

On his part, Presidential Candidate of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP)/ Civic, Dr Irfaan Ali, has provided a detailed plan which will see more than 50,000 jobs being created if his party is returned to office. The Party has boasted that it holds as its highest priority, the creation of a Guyana where every person of working age is able to obtain gainful and fulfilling employment and/or become self-employed.

In previous engagements with the media, Ali had explained that his focus will be on Information and Communication Technologies – with the establishment of call centres and provision of critical services in sectors such as education, health, financial and security. He had also noted that eco-tourism, agriculture, mining, environmental services, forestry, and housing are key sectors that can churn out many employment opportunities if the right investments are made.

He had explained that the PPP’s job creation plan also places a major focus on the oil and gas sector, especially in the areas of training, shore base facilities, gas and energy development, enlightened local content and machine and engineering.

Similarly, the APNU/AFC has also made many promises in relation to jobs. In its Manifesto, the APNU/AFC has acknowledged that “the best way to provide for all our people is by growing the economy and providing well-paid and meaningful jobs”. The coalition has said that much focus would be placed on creating more employment and vocational training opportunities for young people.

However, based on its track record, the coalition might very well find itself in a difficult position to convince the electorate that it will indeed fulfil these promises. Many political analysts have criticised the coalition for its failure to deliver on its promises made in 2015 in relation to jobs. They have expressed the view that this is one of the areas in which the APNU/AFC has performed extremely poorly. In fact, some analysts have estimated that over 30,000 jobs were lost since the coalition took office in May 2015, with the closure of the sugar estates accounting for the majority.

Citizens, especially those graduating from tertiary institutions, have always maintained that much more needs to be done by both the Government and private sector to create more jobs and training opportunities for citizens. They want to see more concrete, realistic plans in place that would encourage more investors to come here and do business, they wish to see more support for small and medium-scale businesses that would allow them to grow and become more competitive and, in general, they want to see opportunities for wealth generation.

Young people’s desire is not to ‘cut and run’ to ‘greener pastures’. Once the opportunities are presented to progress, most Guyanese would wish to stay and serve their own country. Whichever party forms the next government, they must be taken to task to deliver on their promises, including those made on jobs.

Honouring Kobe in Guyana: This poster was placed outside the Guyana Bank For Trade and Industry, Kingston, Georgetown as Guyana pays homage to basketball legend, Kobe Bryant. Bryant and his teen daughter along with seven other persons died on January 26, 2020 in a helicopter crash (Shaconeil Burnette photo)

The Global Witness report invokes betrayal and hurt Dear Editor, It is with deep sadness and hurt that I pen this letter highlighting the gross corruption, mismanagement, weak leadership and small-mindedness of this disgraceful APNU Government. They sold our future for limo rides, fancy hotels and restaurants. The Global Witness Report highlighted how we lost US$55 billion due to weak negotiations led by APNU. It is only a PNC Government that has the audacity and nerve to sell out its people on such a grand scale.

They never cared for the average Guyanese when they gave away our gold to Omai for 5 per cent, gave ATT a monopoly of 80 per cent that overcharged us and now the oil agreement that gave away US$55 billion.

When Brazil got over US$700 million signing bonus for less oil and Suriname got US$100

million for even less oil, we got a pocket change of US$18 million for discovering the worlds largest reserve in 2019. And to add insult to injury, APNU denied receiving the bonus until Exxon said they gave them it.

Every Guyanese should be angry and alarmed by this never before seen scale of corruption in Guyana’s history. To put it into perspective, US$55 billion can pay all public servant wages for 540 years with bonus or finance Guyana’s national budget for 40 years at the current rate without lifting a finger.

This is all thanks to APNU and their disgraceful leadership. They have placed a burden on Guyana so heavy that it will take generations to lift it off and if they are to return to power on March 2, that burden will just get heavier.

Its either APNU understood what they were doing

and made decisions for their self-interest and not the interest of the people or they simply got outsmarted. We were in a position of parity before negotiating the agreement and they threw it out the window either deliberately or because they were too weak to represent us. Either way, they have failed us in the worst way imaginable.

Over the past five years, APNU raised the cost of living by, among other things, increasing VAT on essential items that raised the prices for food, racked up billions in loans, put the Bank of Guyana into overdraft, strained the auto industry by enforcing a ridiculous eight years maximum on imports and banning used tires. They collected over $200 billion in taxes a year while giving away $12 trillion in the oil deal. How more diabolical can you be as

a Government towards your people?

Now, they stand in front of us saying they will share out cash from oil, what cash? where is it? It’s all empty promises, the only people getting cash in Guyana are the APNU big boys and girls and their allies, not me and you.

The APNU Presidential Candidate must tell the people what he was doing while all this nonsense was going on. What kind of leader pretends to be a righteous saint and can’t protect Guyana’s basic interest?

On March 2, we must not forget that we are voting to protect our Constitution by removing an illegal Government that violated our laws and to not lose another US$55 billion.

Sincerely, Malcolm Watkins

There are no whispers at PPP’s “bottom house” meetings Dear Editor, On February 2, I was perusing Facebook and came across a live video featuring Tabitha Sarabo-Halley and her husband, Clayon Halley, as they discussed topical issues on the programme titled “Late Night Gaff”.

Twenty-seven minutes into the show I was aghast as Clayon Halley launched into a spiel of inflammatory speech, accusing the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) of racially profiling Afro-Guyanese at bottom house meetings.

Editor, this is furthest from the truth. Over the weekend, for example, I spent an entire day attending 15 ‘bottom house’ meetings and no such uttering was made by any of the speakers or attendees as Clayon Halley and Tabitha Sarabo-Halley are claiming.

It is well documented

that senior leaders of the coalition are the ones involved in these whisper campaigns.

James Bond was overheard in Campbellville and Leopold Street, Georgetown, telling the youths not to vote for the PPP/C and spewing derogatory and racist remarks. Further, Volda Lawrence, Basil Williams, Winston Jordan, et al have all been taped telling their supporters to gather in front of polling stations for work on the infamous ‘night-shift’.

The patently false narrative of what occupies the time of those in attendance at PPP/C meetings has been allowed to flourish as a whisper campaign for far too long. Now that the Halleys have made public pronouncements, it is time they (Halleys) provide the evidence to back these claims or be charged as provided for under the Representation of

the People Act 2001.

The people in our country are all suffering from the five years of David Granger’s incompetent and corrupt Administration of our affairs. People of all ethnicities are united in a strong desire to exercise their franchise and return to a system of parliamentary democracy. People are concerned about the actions of GECOM and genuinely worried about attempts to rig the election.

For the first time in many years, hunger is a problem for people in Guyana.

The ‘bottom house’ meetings are filled with questions about the PPP/C vision for the future of industries crippled by Granger and his cabal; bauxite, rice, sugar, oil, mining forestry, construction, manufacturing, and agriculture. People want to know when they will be able to afford to send their chil-

dren to school again; when they can afford necessities and when jobs would be available for the thousand that were fired by APNU/ AFC or now entering the job market. These are the concerns, there are no whispers; there are thousands of voices, stridently insistent on securing their rights as citizens and a better future for all Guyanese.

Editor, I have written to the ERC calling their attention to what I consider egregious breaches of the Representation of the People Act of 2001. I also urged that all right-thinking Guyanese reject the machinations of the APNU/AFC leaders to polarise our people just before the March 2 National and Regional Elections.

Respectfully, Robin Singh

NEWS

5

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Coronavirus outbreak

MARAD to restrict entrance of ship crews from China T he Maritime Administration D e p a r t m e n t (MARAD) will be denying entry to crews from ships with recent travel history in Hubei or those that hold a People’s Republic of China passport, as cases of the recently-discovered Coronavirus continues to cross international borders.

According to MARAD, all international vessels coming into the Georgetown and Berbice ports will be required to provide documentation of the crew list and nationality, and their last port of call.

Additionally, the crew members from these vessels who are unwell, experiencing respiratory symptoms or those associated with the fever should inform the master of the ship in order to seek immediate medical attention.

The Maritime Department has clearly

outlined that vessels refusing to comply with these instructions may be denied entry into Guyana’s waters. Meanwhile, assurances were made that the situation will be monitored to implement additional measures if necessary.

“Crew with recent travel history in Hubei or with People’s Republic of China passports will not be allowed entry into Guyana…

Ship crew who feel unwell, experience respiratory symptoms or feel feverish should inform the master of the ship immediately. The Master of the ship should then contact his ship’s agent and make the necessary arrangements to seek medical attention,” MARAD stated.

Caricom preparedness

Meanwhile, during a recent engagement, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley spoke on the Caribbean Community’s

preparations to tackle the virus, should it reach this part of the world. Health Ministers from Caricom member states would have been briefed by the Pan American Health Organisation and the Caribbean Public Health Agency as the region builds its defence.

“History has shown that panic does not assist in the resolution of these matters and therefore, the region will take an evidence-based approach that will be measured to the appropri-

ate risk that we face. It is against that background that I expect that that group will have to meet urgently in the near future again,” Mottley informed.

As of Tuesday, 427 deaths were recorded worldwide. At that time, the latest death was recorded in Hong Kong, making it the second one outside of China’s mainland.

Statistics have shown that there are some 20,708 confirmed cases in 28 countries with the fatality rate still being assessed.

While definite conclusions are yet to be determined, symptoms detected in the outbreak include fever and difficulty breathing. With the use of chest radiographs, medical practitioners were able to find lung infiltrates.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has since issued travel advice, indicating that travellers are encouraged to seek medical attention prior to their trips.

“As of 27 January 2020, human-to-human transmission has been confirmed largely in Wuhan city, but also some other places in China and internationally.

Not enough is known about the epidemiology of 2019nCoV to draw definitive conclusions about the full clinical features of [the] disease, the intensity of the human-to-human transmission, and the original source of the outbreak,” the WHO stated.

The WHO has recommended that exit screenings be conducted at international airports and ports in the affected areas, so as to make early detection while also minimising interference with international traffic.

Further, travellers who had contact with confirmed cases or direct exposure to potential source of infection should be placed under medical observation. Highrisk contacts should avoid travel for the duration of the incubation period of up to two weeks.

There were suggestions to implement health information campaigns at points of entry to raise awareness of reducing the general risk of acute respiratory infections and the measures required, should a traveller develop signs and symptoms suggestive of infection with the 2019-nCoV and how they can obtain assistance.

Sugar workers protest Granger’s office for wage hike

A

s a result of several picketing exercises in the past which yielded little to no results, sugar workers have returned again on Tuesday outside of the President’s office calling for a wage increase.

The workers, from Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion Sugar Estates, converged to express their dismay over the fact that they are yet to benefit from an increase since 2015 – when the coalition administration took office.

At the protest line, General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Seepaul Narine, stated that he is disappointed with the way the incumbent coalition government is dealing with the issue.

On their campaign trail in 2015, the APNU/AFC had promised sugar workers a 20 per cent annual increase and better benefits once elected into office.

In addition, it had promised that under its tenure, sugar will see even more glorious years ahead.

But sugar workers are now fighting tooth and nail to get a small increase in their salaries.

“You would have known since he took as President up to today, sugar workers have not received a cent increase. Despite they have campaign that they will give 20 per cent increase per year”.

Recently, an estimated 3500 sugar workers from Albion, Blairmont, and Uitvlugt estates signed a petition calling on the President to intervene in a pay hike discussion for sug-

General Secretary of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union Seepaul Narine

ar workers.

However, the worker’s bargaining agent is contending that there are several credible and rational bases for the Granger Government to assist the workers, but the APNU/ AFC has turned their backs and closed their eyes and ears to the cries and calls of the nation’s sugar workers.

“We have tried to address the issues, we have talked to GuySuCo, we have appeal to the President, there has been a petition which was signed by thousands of sugar workers and we sent it to the President, the President then said he sent it to GuySuCo for advice. We are informed that GuySuCo did respond. We write him again and he said he sent it to Minister Holder and we will hear from Minister Holder and it has been a long time now and we have not [heard] a single word from Minister Holder nor has the President said anything to us on this matter.”

President Granger

during at a recent meeting related that he understands the suffering and plight of sugar workers and wants the industry to be profitable.

Nevertheless, despite all the sugar-coated talks and speeches now to garner votes at the upcoming elections slated for March 2, the sugar workers are of the belief that this is a clear indication of the glaring lack of concern the President has for the sugar workers and the industry at large.

“We are moved by his sentiments that he understands the sufferings and the plight and the hurt of sugar workers, maybe he is campaigning against what he himself had done as President to close the industry and put

Sugar workers during the peaceful protest

people out of work, so if he cares so much, why is he failing to address the issue?”

TURN TO PAGE 7

6

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

Page

W

hen you get your picture taken, everyone says, “Say cheese! Smile!” So, you do — you open your mouth and show your teeth. When you see the picture, you see a happy person looking back at you. The healthier those teeth are, the happier you look. Why is that?

It’s because your teeth are important in many ways. If you take care of them, they’ll help take care of you. Strong, healthy teeth help you chew the right foods to help you grow. They help you speak clearly. And yes, they help you look your best.

Foundation Before toothpaste was invented

We’re lucky that we know so much now about taking care of our teeth.

Long ago, as people got older, their teeth would rot away and be very painful. To get rid of a toothache, they had their teeth pulled out. Finally, people learned that cleaning their teeth was important, but they didn’t have toothpaste right away.

While you’re swishing that minty-fresh paste around your m o u t h ,

Why healthy teeth are important

How does taking care of your teeth help with all those things? Taking care of your teeth helps prevent plaque (say: PLAK), which is a clear film of bacteria (say: bak-TEERee-uh) that sticks to your teeth.

After you eat, bacteria go crazy over the sugar on your teeth, like ants at a picnic. The bacteria break it down into acids that eat away tooth enamel, causing holes called cavities.

Plaque also causes gingivitis (say: jin-juh-VY-tis), which is gum disease that can make your gums red, swollen, and sore. Your gums are those soft pink tissues in your mouth that hold your teeth in place.

If you don’t take care of your teeth, cavities and unhealthy gums will make your mouth very, very sore. Eating meals will be difficult. And you won’t feel like smiling so much.

think a b o u t what people used long ago to clean teeth: ground-up chalk or charcoal lemon juice ashes (you know, the stuff that’s left over after a fire) tobacco and honey mixed together Yuck!

It was only about 100 years ago that someone finally created a minty cream to clean teeth. Not long after that, the toothpaste tube was invented, so people could squeeze the paste right onto the toothbrush! Tooth brushing became popular during World War II. The U.S. Army gave brushes and toothpaste to all soldiers, and they learned to brush twice a day. Back then, toothpaste tubes were made of metal; today they’re made of soft plastic and are much easier to squeeze!

Today there are plenty of toothpaste choices: lots of co-

lours and flavours to choose from, and some are made just for kids.

When you’re choosing a toothpaste, make sure it contains fluoride. Fluoride makes your teeth strong and protects them from cavities.

When you brush, you don’t need a lot of toothpaste: just squeeze out a bit the size of a pea. It’s not a good idea to swallow the toothpaste, either, so be sure to spit after brushing.

How you can keep your teeth healthy

Kids can take charge of their teeth by taking these steps: Brush at least twice a day — after breakfast and before bedtime. If you can, brush after lunch or after sweet snacks. Brushing properly breaks down plaque.

Brush all of your teeth, not just the front ones.

Spend some time on the teeth along the sides and in the back. Have your dentist show you the best way to brush to get your teeth clean without damaging your gums.

Take your time while brushing. Spend at least two or three minutes each time you brush. If you have trouble keeping track of the time, use a timer or play a recording of a song you like to help pass the time.

Be sure your toothbrush has soft bristles (the package will tell you if they’re soft). Ask your parent to help you get a new toothbrush every 3 months.

Some toothbrushes come with bristles that change colour when it’s time to change them.

Ask your dentist if an antibacterial mouth rinse is right for you.

Learn how to floss your teeth, which is a very important way to keep them healthy. It feels weird the first few times you do it, but pretty soon you’ll be a pro. Slip the dental floss between each tooth and along the gumline gently once a day. The floss gets rid of food that’s hidden where your toothbrush can’t get it, no matter how well you brush.

You can also brush your tongue to help keep your breath fresh!

It’s also important to visit the dentist twice a year. Besides checking for signs of cavities or gum disease, the dentist will help keep your teeth extra clean and can help you learn the best way to brush and floss.

It’s not just brushing

and flossing that keep your teeth healthy – you also need to be careful about what you eat and drink.

Remember, the plaque on your teeth is just waiting for that sugar to arrive. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink water instead of soda. And don’t forget to smile! (kidshealth.org)

C

avity. That’s the word no one wants to hear at the dentist’s office. A cavity (say: KA-vuh-tee) develops when a tooth decays (say: dih-KAZE), or breaks down. A cavity is a hole that can grow bigger and deeper over time. Cavities are also called dental caries (say: KARE-eez), and if you have a cavity, it’s important to get it repaired.

But why would your tooth develop a hole? Blame plaque. That’s a sticky, slimy substance made up mostly of the germs that cause tooth decay. The bacteria in your mouth make acids and when plaque clings to your teeth, the acids can eat away at the outermost layer of the tooth, called the enamel (say: ih-NA-mul).

If you don’t go to the dentist, the acids can continue to make their way through the enamel, and the inside parts of your tooth can begin to decay. If you’ve ever had a toothache or heard an adult complain about one, it may have been because there was a cavity that reached all the way inside a tooth, where the nerve endings are. Ouch!

Your dentist will carefully examine your teeth and may take X-rays. If your dentist discovers a cavity, he or she can repair it for you by first removing the rotted part of your tooth with a special drill. The dentist then fills the hole in your tooth with a special material. The result is called a filling.

Does it hurt? Sometimes it does, but your dentist can give you an anaesthetic (say: an-es-THET-ick).

That’s a kind of medicine that will numb the area around the problem tooth while you’re getting your new filling.

Cavity prevention tips Though cavities can be repaired, try to avoid them by taking care of your teeth. Here’s how: Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste after every meal or at least twice a day. Bedtime is an important time to brush.

Brush up and down in a circular motion.

Gently brush your gums as well to keep them healthy.

Floss your teeth once a day to remove plaque and food that’s stuck between your teeth.

Limit sweets and sugary drinks, like soda or juice.

See your dentist twice a year for regular check-ups.

We hope you’ll hear those two wonderful words: “No cavities!” (kidshealth.org)

NEWS

7

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Global Witness report tells “corrupt” story of 2016 oil deal – Jagdeo …Govt labels report as “baseless”

N

atural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman continues to come under fire after a damning report by international corruption watchdog, Global Witness found that the 2016 oil deal he negotiated with US oil giant ExxonMobil could cause Guyana to lose billions.

During a rally on Monday evening at Enterprise on the East Coast of Demerara, Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo commented on the report, alleging that corruption may have been afoot.

“It tells you the sordid story, the corrupt story, the incompetent story of how this country negotiated the contract. It speaks about Trotman being feted in Houston [Texas]…

It speaks about them [the Government] refusing to accept the expert views about how much oil we had and where to order the declaration of Liza Two so that they could have been in a stronger negotiating position.

It speaks about how they

rushed through the contract. It speaks about every other thing - the $18 million signing bonus. That is why we are where we are today,” the former Head of State ex-

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo

pressed.

Global Witness went on to report that Guyana’s team negotiated badly on the country’s behalf and ignored expert advice. As such, Jagdeo contended that with the current contract, Guyanese will see little benefits.

“They found oil under the PPP and then this Government came into office and struck us with that con-

tract where very little comes to our people now. $55 billion US dollars we’re going to lose,” Jagdeo told the community meeting and was greeted with loud applause.

Commenting on ade-

quate wages for Guyanese who work in the oil industry, he added, “No foreign company under the PPP will come and take advantage over us. This oil belongs to all of our people…. All of it can’t go to the foreign companies.”

The report titled “Signed away” was written by Global Witness, an international organisation with a long track record of exposing corruption and human rights abuses.

Among its recommendations was for Guyana’s Government to investigate the role played by the Natural Resources Minister in brokering the deal. It detailed the fact that Trotman arrived at the oil company’s headquarters in Texas in April 2016, whereupon he was put up first class in a nearby hotel and dined at an exclusive restaurant – all on ExxonMobil’s tab.

The company, according to Global Witness, had given Guyana 10 weeks to sign a new draft licence. When it comes to Trotman himself, the report noted that he did not spend much time negotiating at all.

The entire process, from when negotiations began in early April, concluded with a signed deal on June 27.

According to Global Witness, they were able to confirm that at least three Guyanese officials; Trotman, GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison and another GGMC staffer, Christopher Lynch, were part of the negotiations, although it admitted more could have been involved.

“For its part, Exxon had a large team involved in the

negotiations, which included Oswald and then-Country Manager Jeff Simons,” the report states. “Despite Exxon’s demands earlier in the month, Trotman – responsible for signing Guyana’s oil licences – did not appear to spend his time in Texas negotiating.”

“According to a memo summarising his trip, the Minister instead toured Exxon’s new glass and steel offices. He and his colleagues were most impressed by the company’s facilities for keeping Guyana’s oil find samples: What was most striking was the very strong smell of oil that filled the room,” the report states.

This is despite coming up against a rigorous ExxonMobil team of negotiators. Global Witness noted that while Guyanese officials did seek an improved royalty, the oil giant was not very receptive to any substantial changes to the fiscal terms it got in the 1999 licence.

In addition, the report states Trotman was sup-

company would announce its results on a specific day: June 28 2016,” the report stated.

“But the Minister did not wait for these results, which would have allowed Guyana to assess Stabroek’s true value and which turned out to be one of the world’s largest recent finds. Instead, on June 27 (2016) Trotman signed Exxon’s licence.”

Baseless

Natural Resources Raphael Trotman

Minister

posed to have had new information on the Stabroek Block that ought to have strengthened his hand during negotiations by capitalising on the fact that Guyana had something to offer on the table. But he did not make use of this opportunity.

“Trotman failed to capitalise on Guyana’s strong bargaining position. During negotiations, he knew that the company was analysing a new possible oil find.

Trotman even thought the

Meanwhile, in a statement issued late Tuesday evening, Government claimed that the report was “baseless” and rejected the report.

The Government claimed that the report is “agenda-driven and extraordinarily speculative”, adding that it appears as though it is seeking to influence the electoral outcome.

“Global Witness presented absolutely no evidence of corruption or malpractice on the part of the Government or its officials,” the Government of Guyana said.

Sugar workers...

The workers at the picketing exercise outlined the fact that they are in dire need of an increase since cost-of-living rose astronomically. The Bureau of Statistics had revealed that the cost of food rose by nearly 18 per cent between December 2015 and October 2019.

“Since 2014, the last when sugar workers would have received a [salary increase] and since then to now, we did not receive a single cent and it is very

hard for sugar workers at the present moment because cost-of-living has gone up skyrocketing and, therefore, it is very difficult for people cope,” Singh added.

Another worker, Lochan Khandai, who is employed at the Uitvlugt estate, echoed the same sentiments that the cost-of-living has risen.

“You [work] for $2040 a day since 2014 we get that increase on to today, we in get nothing; how these peo-

FROM PAGE 5

ple going cope? Every day you go in the shop a $20 let we go simple, with transportation we used to pay $60 dollars for a short drop now it is $100,” Khandai stated.

There has been a stagnancy in wages in the sugar belt for over four years. The last increase in pay was in 2014. The sugar workers and the GAWU noted that they are disappointed but would continue the struggle to ensure fairness, equity and justice are served.

8

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Action…

F

…and reaction rom the dim – veeeery dim! – recesses of his mind, your Eyewitness was shocked he remembered Newton’s third law of motion back from high school days when he saw the dénouement to Lincoln Lewis’ goading of RUSAL!! Action and reaction are equal and opposite!! Sadly, this standoff was all about Lewis and his oversized ego rather than the almost 400 bauxite workers who are now on the breadlines!

But then, Newton also predicted Lewis’ bull-in-achina-shop approach, didn’t he? Newton’s first law of motion states that an object in motion (here, Lewis) would continue in that motion unless some external force acts upon it!! Lewis had always resorted to bullyism in his dealings with others – whether in a debate or in union negotiations. He refused to accept the importance of context in his actions— what may have been suitable back in the 1970s when the socialist wave had swept up Burnham might now be completely irrelevant today!!

Well, he might’ve been elated that his bullying of the PNC Government officials to “stand up” to RUSAL in this election period, when every vote is critical to the PNC with its back on the ropes, had succeeded. Even though RUSAL had explained that production costs in Guyana – with the highest overburden to remove in the world and no deep water port for large ships to ship the bauxite out – was way out of line, the Government accepted Lewis having the bauxite workers ILLEGALLY block the Berbice River! Holding RUSAL’s ore to ransom!!

But not so incidentally also blocking ALL traffic – including of forestry products and throwing them out of work also. But who cared? Not Lewis or the Govt!! The latter also worked with GRA as a tag-team to squeeze RUSAL on its fuel tax exemption. Lewis explicitly ignored the economic constraints to his demands on wages and benefits and invoked POLITICAL rhetoric. He insisted on equating RUSAL operations to Russia invading and annexing Crimea!!

Well, RUSAL called his bluff!! After being harangued

by Amna Ally in a meeting convened to have the impasse resolved but which instead saw Ally making the feeble excuse that the illegal blockage of the River was the responsibility of MARAD! – RUSAL announced they’ll be ceasing all operations immediately and letting ALL workers go!! Action got its equal and opposite reaction!!

Point of the matter is that Lewis refuses to understand the new globalised world we live and work in. Our bauxite is a primary product that’s available elsewhere so no aluminium manufacturer will put up with erratic supply!! This was the same nonsense that caused our nationalised bauxite industry to collapse under the PNC in the 1980s!

Maybe bauxite workers will apply that “outside” force to change Lewis’ modus operandi?? …in Caricom Your Eyewitness is more than a tad puzzled by Granger’s penchant to pin top national awards on Barbadian Prime Ministers! Two in as many years: first Freundel Stuart and now Mia Mottley. OK…we’re both members of Caricom but what about the other thirteen PMs?? Plus, your Eyewitness still has his hackles up after the way Barbados treated Guyanese passing through their airport – with their “special” Guyanese bench!!

What made Granger’s choice of honouring Mottley right now is that only a couple of weeks ago, she chose to publicly embarrass the US by insisting that the latter was trying to “divide” Caricom!! The US is our closest ally – especially with Venezuela rattling sabres on our western border and refusing to accept the jurisdiction of the World Court to settle the controversy they precipitated over our borders. Not to mention their disastrous policies that are flooding us with refugees!!

Your Eyewitness notes that Granger wasn’t invited to meet Secretary of State Pompeo in Jamaica.

Seems the Yanks already know about Granger’s predilections!?! …on Trotman Your Eyewitness isn’t one to say “I told you so!” But he did point out from the moment that Trotman signed that oil contract back in 2016 that that fella doublecrossed his country!!

Wasn’t the maxim always “Caveat Emptor”??

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

NEWS

9

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

$450 million lawsuit

Families of deadly 2012 Linden protest already collected compensation – lawyer …accused of double-dipping

A

fter accepting millions in compensation under the previous Government as recommended by a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the deadly Linden protest in 2012, the families of the dead men are now suing the State in hopes of getting more money.

The relatives of Ron Somerset, Shemroy Bouyea and Allan Lewis, through their attorney, Darren Wade - a candidate on the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) candidates’ list for the upcoming elections – have filed a $450 million lawsuit against the State, with Attorney General Basil Williams listed as the respondent.

However, on Tuesday, a prominent attorney told this publication that there are a number of legal inefficiencies with the case, adding that the matter can be viewed as double-dipping. The lawyer noted that the statute of limitations act prevents the families to now, after seven years, move to the court for further compensation.

“Compensation was awarded and compensation was paid under the previous Government,” the attorney said, adding that a ruling of a Commission of Inquiry has the same force and effect as an award in a court of competent jurisdiction. This, the lawyer added, is clearly outlined in the Commissions of Inquiry

Act. This, he said, therefore means that the matter is res judicata (having been conclusively determined) by a competent tribunal of law.

He noted that the move to file the proceedings can be viewed with suspicion, as the lawyer for the applicants is a known APNU candidate. This is not the first time a member of the APNU has raised the issue of further compensation. In December 2018, the Finance Minister had said that he would be advocating for a review of the compensation package.

“This is an attempt to raid the treasury before the next elections. Dr Roger Luncheon as the then Head of the Presidential Secretariat had paid the money and now this is an attempt to plunder the treasury,” the attorney told this publication.

Meanwhile, when contacted on the double-dipping allegation, attorney for the applicants, Darren Wade said that the CoI is independent of court proceedings.

“CoI can only recommend…has no enforceable power… recommendations from CoI are not binding…”

While admitting that the families indeed collected compensation, Wade said that the money was “insufficient”.

Attorney General Basil Williams, when contacted said that he has to consult with the Solicitor General

blocked and persons living in Regions Eight (PotaroSiparuni) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) were left stranded for almost a month.

CoI

A Linden school allegedly set on fire by protesters in 2012

on the matter.

Compensation

The CoI had recommended that $3 million be paid to Allan Lewis’ family; $3 million to Shemroy Bouyea’s family and $2 million to Ron Somerset’s family.

Some 13 other persons who received injuries during the protest were awarded between $50,000 and $1.5 million.

Justice Cecil Kennard was the chairman of the CoI. In the lawsuit which will come up for hearing before Justice Brassington Reynolds on February 25, the families of the dead men are making an application for a declaration that the deceased right to life and fundamental right to liberty were breached,

encroached and infringed together with a declaration that the police were reckless and used unnecessary force to kill the men.

The men were among a large group of protesters, who were protesting against the increase in electricity rates in Linden.

Seven years after the trio’s deaths, the three families are each claiming in excess of $100 million for the breach and contraven-

tion of the deceased fundamental right to life, and another $50 million for the inhumane and degrading treatment the men suffered. In addition, the cost for exemplary damages and aggravated damages are being claimed.

During the protest in 2012, which turned violent, several buildings and bridges were set on fire allegedly by residents of the mining town. Roads were

After the deaths, a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) found that while there is no direct evidence against individual ranks, the Guyana Police Force is culpable for the three deaths.

The Commission had recommended financial compensation to the families of the three slain men, and similar compensation to the wounded, and for those whose properties were destroyed or damaged in the aftermath of the shooting.

Meanwhile, the CoI strongly castigated the individuals who organised the march that led to protesters blocking the Mackenzie-Wismar Bridge and failing to ensure that the protesters did not obstruct the flow of traffic.

One such person included A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament Desmond Trotman, who supported the blocking of the MackenzieWismar Bridge in his testimony during the CoI.

10 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Teen charged for No 63 Beach double murder

A

Juvenile who allegedly assisted a farmer to torture and kill the owner of Sun Splash Beach Resort and his handyman was on Tuesday slapped with a murder charge and appeared at the Juveniles Courts at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The 16-year-old was not required to plead to the indictable charge which alleged that between December 19, 2019, and December 27, 2019, at Sun Splash Hotel, Upper Corentyne, he murdered Vivekanand Brijbassi, called “Veka”, and his workman, Harry Prashad.

It was reported that badly decomposed bodies of 59-yearold Prashad, also of Number 65 Village, and 68-year-old Brijbassi were discovered in the balcony of Sun Splash Beach Resort located on the Number 63 Beach.

Brijbassi was found lying on his back with two toes sev-

ered while Prashad was found with both hands tied to a post on the balcony; one foot was also tied to the post and was severed at the ankle.

On Monday the Number 65 Village, Corentyne, Berbice farmer, Alvin Druean, who allegedly confessed to the crime, was arraigned at the

Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

In his alleged confession, Druean reportedly told the cops that he and his accomplice attacked and beat Brijbassi in the lower flat of the resort. He detailed that the injured man was taken to the balcony where Prasad was sitting.

Once there, both men were tortured and left to die.

The autopsy reports revealed that the bodies were in an advanced state of decomposition, and the men died from shock and haemorrhage caused by multiple injuries.

Druean was remanded to prison and the case

Accused: Alvin Druean was scheduled to continue at the Number 51 Magistrate’s Court on February 12, 2020.

Ecuadorian gets 2 months for illegally entering Guyana

C

hief Magistrate Ann McLennan on Tuesday sentenced an Ecuadorian to two months’ imprisonment for illegally entering Guyana.

Julio Ceasar Raco Macias pleaded guilty to the charge which alleged that on December 15, 2019, at Lethem, Upper TakutuUpper Essequibo (Region 9) he entered Guyana by crossing the land frontier and did not present himself to an immigration officer.

Police Prosecutor stated that on the day in question,

ranks were conducting a stopand-search operation at the Mabaruma Police Station, Region One (Barima-Waini) when the defendant was asked to produce his passport and travel documents.

Macias then told ranks that he lost his passport and he was arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) where he was processed for court.

After serving his time, Raco will be escorted to the nearest port of exit and sent back to Ecuador.

Labourer gets six months for stealing handbag

A

19-year-old labourer who was caught on surveillance camera snatching a woman’s purse was on Tuesday sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for the crime.

Quesi Jordon of Lot 123 Hill Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate Annette Singh at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts and admitted to the charge which alleged that on December 6, 2019, at Ruimvedlt, Georgetown, he stole one Guess purse during the course of a robbery.

According to reports, on the day in question, at about 17:05h, the defendant snatched a Guess handbag containing personal items and fled the scene.

The theft occurred on Ruimveldt Public Road whilst the victim was proceeding south in slow-moving traffic.

The traumatised female victim promptly reported the matter and an investigation was conducted during which closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage was retrieved some distance from

Quesi Jordon

where the crime occurred and it showed a male riding through a street with a bag identical to that stolen from the victim.

A further investigation was carried out and Jordan was arrested, however, no items were recovered.

Additionally, the Guyana Police Force is encouraging members of the public who have surveillance cameras at their homes and businesses that may have captured a crime to keep the footage and hand it over so it can be used as evidence.

NEWS

11

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

EU deploys long-term observers across Guyana

A

s General and Regional Elections loom closer, the European Union (EU) has announced that it will be fielding teams of observers to cover every single region in Guyana. These observers will be complemented by a team of analysts.

It was explained that there will be long-term observers deployed for six weeks countrywide. These observers will be replaced just before elections with short-term observers, who will be active during and after voting.

During an interaction with the media at the European Union’s (EU) High Street, Kingston office on Tuesday, EU Deputy Chief Observer Alexander Matus, gave some details as to how many EU observers will be in the field.

“We have a core team of nine experts. We have 14 long-term observers. And we’ll have 20 short-term observers. And we might also be joined by some diplomats, who are accredited to the diplomatic missions in Guyana,” Matus said.

“Today (Tuesday), we are deploying 14 long-term observers across the country. They will be working in teams of two, which means the mission will have seven Long-Term Observer teams.

All 14 observers are very experienced.”

He explained that these Long-Term Observers (LTOs) were drawn from 14 different EU member states, most of them new members.

According to Matus, these observers will be the “eyes and ears” of the European Union and will report their observations back to them.

Matus further explained that as part of their duties they will be visiting polling stations and meeting with stakeholders in teams of two. He also noted that they will be paying close attention to issues raised about

EU Deputy Chief Alexander Matus

Observer

the Official Voters’ List (OLE).

“In the last three days, they’ve received extensive training on the electoral, political, media, security and logistics aspect of their work… they’ll be observing all the electoral preparations and also the campaign in all ten regions. That includes the information displayed to the voters like the voters’ list.”

“We will be observing base don methodologies and one of the principles of methodology is the long term and nationwide coverage. So as much as possible we [usually] try to observe all across the country, wherever the country. So, Guyana has 10 regions, so we’ll deploy observers to all 10.”

It is understood that the European Union’s Chief Observer, Urmas Paet, will arrive in Guyana on Tuesday as well. Paet, a member of the European Union’s Parliament, is expected to host a press conference at the Marriott Hotel on Thursday.

Besides the EU, the Carter Center has also launched its observer mission in Guyana. According to the Carter Center in a statement last month, the observer mission has already been deployed around the country.

These observers, it was

explained, will later be joined by short-term observers and high-level officials from the Center.

The mission will observe and examine key aspects of the electoral process, including the pre-electoral environment, status of the Guyana Elections Commission’s preparations for elections, and campaigning.

“Teams of long-term observers are currently deploying across the country and will later be joined by short-term observers and high-level leadership to observe voting, counting, and tabulation procedures,” the

Center further explained.

Their roles will include observing voting, counting and tabulation procedures

by GECOM staff. The Carter Center also noted that they are prepared for any eventuality post-elections, including mediating any potential legal challenges against the results.

Other overseas-based observers expected to participate in overseeing the election include teams from the Organisation of American States (OAS), as well as the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

GECOM is also getting assistance from a number of

technical advisors who were provided by other countries and international organisations. Canada, for instance, is providing GECOM with Jean-Pierre Kingsley, a Canadian elections expert.

The Commonwealth is also providing the services of its senior technical advisor, Dr Afari Gyan, who arrived in Guyana last month.

It is also understood that Dr Syed Nasim Zaidi, an elections advisor from India, is also expected to join the team. In fact, this publication has been reliably informed that Zaidi has since arrived and met with the Commission.

Indian election advisor Dr Syed Nasim Zaidi has arrived in Guyana

12

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

NEWS

13

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Global Witness watchdog urges Govt to do more to fight corruption

A

key report written by award-winning anti-corruption advocate Global Witness has urged the Guyana Government to prioritise increasing its capacity to fight off corruption, particularly with the massive inflows expected from oil.

The report, titled “Signed away” and released only days ago by the United States-based Global Witness states that Guyana needs to develop the capacity to fight corruption considering the perception of corruption not only internationally but in its own shores.

“Guyana ranked 93 out of 180 in Transparency International’s 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index and many of the citizens interviewed by Global Witness speculated that oil revenues may be stolen by officials,” Global Witness revealed.

The report acknowledged that the Guyanese

Government has taken some steps to promote transparency in the oil sector. One such step it identified was the Government’s decision to join the international body, Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

“EITI sets and monitors standards requiring natural resource companies and countries to make public companies’ payments, their true owners, and – eventually – their contracts.

Through transparency, resources and money flows can be understood and managed well, with the ultimate aim of benefitting people in resource-rich countries.”

“Global Witness believes this is a critical first step, but that EITI standards are only as good as their implementation. If Guyana is to receive the money it should get from the Stabroek license, the Government must also resource its governance institutions like EITI.”

Global Witness cited a September 2019 International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, in which the financial institution said that Guyana still has work to do “addressing institutional capacity weaknesses” in its anticorruption agencies.

“The Guyanese Government should adequately resource and ensure the independence of its anti-corruption agencies. This

should include the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative and the State Assets Recovery Agency,” Global Witness also said.

It was only in December that a report from the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) had pinned Guyana at the top of the list in the Caribbean, where a large percentage of citizens are required to pay a bribe to access Government services.

Skeletal remains found at Kwakwani suspected to be missing man

S

keletal remains found at Kwakwani, Upper Berbice River, over the weekend is suspected to be that of 65-year-old Aroaima, Hururu Mission resident Linton Ashley, who went missing on December 12, 2019.

Police have confirmed that the remains were recovered about 50 feet away from Ashley’s logging camp at the UB concession situated at 101-kilometre UNAMCO Trail in the Upper Berbice Region on Saturday.

Ashley, who worked as a

Part of the skeletal remains found

lone saw man/logger in the area which is considered desolate was reported missing by his female employer.

However, a saw was re-

portedly discovered next to the remains along with a fallen greenheart log.

Investigators suspect that he might have been killed

by the fallen tree. An employee who recently set up camp in the vicinity made the gruesome discovery.

According to Police, next to the remains were clothing suspected to be that of the 65-year-old, which included a green and grey hat, a pair of black long boots, black pants and a blue shirt.

The remains were transported to the Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) on Sunday, thence to a funeral home in Georgetown on Monday where it is said to be awaiting DNA testing.

In the study, titled “Wait No More: Citizens, Red Tape and Digital Government” a closer look was placed on the way business is done, the ease of doing it and access to services in the public sector among other factors, through surveys.

It revealed that in this part of the world, the lack of “standardised processes” makes it easier for dishonesty and insisted that corruption is everywhere. Looking at the data from the 2019 Transparency International survey, statistics from five countries showed that there was an 18 per cent average for persons who made payoffs for Government services.

“Manual Government transactions, face-to-face interactions, and the lack of standardised processes mean that transactions are vulnerable to dishonest behaviour. In fact, corruption is everywhere: 29 per cent of Latin Americans report

having paid a bribe in the context of a public service in 2016. According to data from a 2019 Transparency International survey, the proportion of people in the five Caribbean countries surveyed that reported paying a bribe to access a public service was 18 per cent,” the document stated.

However, in Guyana, the figure is a glaring 27 per cent and regarded as the highest in the region. The lowest occurrence of such activity was recorded in Barbados with just 9 per cent.

Guyana’s Government has already been much criticised for its handling of money from the oil funds.

After receiving a US$18 million signing bonus from ExxonMobil in 2016, Government officials kept quiet despite being asked repeatedly if they had received a signing bonus. They only admitted receiving it after evidence was leaked to the press in 2017.

14 NEWS Trial into Rubis accountant’s murder aborted again WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020| GUYANATIMESGY.COM

T

he trial into the shooting to death of Rubis accountant, Jason Cort was once again aborted after

the conclusion of an inquiry which was set up following reports of the jury’s forewoman acting friendly with a fam-

ily member of a murder accused.

The decision was handed down by trial judge, Justice

Brassington Reynolds on Tuesday after deliberation with both defence attorneys and state prosecutors in his chambers. Shortly before the commencement of the new trial, Justice Brassington moved to abort the first after conversations relating to the trial were overheard by a witness and this development may lead to the trial having a prejudicial outcome.

The three murder accused, Stancy Rodney, 30; Linton Eastman, 27; and Clifton Gibson, 34, will remain on remand until another trial date is set.

According to reports, Cort was fatally shot to the chest on June 17, 2015, shortly af-

ter he entered his premises with his fiancé, Shauna Garraway, when they were returning home from dinner.

He was rushed to Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival.

Several persons had related that upon hearing the loud explosion and looking outside, they observed persons scaling the fence of Cort’s home and making good their escape up the road.

Plumber critical after being lashed to head during row over chair

A

plumber is in a critical state at the Bartica Hospital after he was lashed to his head during a misunderstanding with another man at Bartica Arcade, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), on Monday evening Injured is 21-year-old Akeel Douglas, a plumber attached to the Mazaruni Prison and of Second Avenue, Bartica.

According to information received, Douglas had finished working and went to a stall in the Bartica Arcade and was sitting when the suspect approached him and an ar-

gument started over the chair he was sitting on.

Douglas reportedly got up but soon after felt a lash to his head from behind. He attempted to run away from the suspect but instead, he fell to the ground. There, the suspect continued hitting the victim to the head with an object.

After committing the act, the suspect made good his escape while the injured man went home but was later escorted to the Bartica Public Hospital where he was admitted.

The suspect remains on the run.

Shop owner shot dead during argument

Dead: Raymond Leitch

A

miner is now dead after he was shot during an argument with another shop owner at Quartzstone Backdam, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), on Monday. Dead is 28-yearold Raymond Leitch of Lot 2022 Amelia’s Ward, Linden.

Based on information received, on the day in question, the now dead man along with the suspect and two other men were gambling. During the game of cards, an argument erupted between Leitch and the suspect which quickly escalated into a scuffle.

Persons at the scene re-

portedly intervened and both the suspect and the victim went back to their respective shops. However, a verbal confrontation continued between the two men. It was during the verbal spat that the suspect whipped out a gun and shot the deceased to his chest.

Leitch succumbed to his injuries while being flown to Georgetown. Upon landing, he was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The suspect was arrested and his firearm confiscated. He is assisting the police in their investigations.

NEWS

15

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Ramsammy’s Ruminations David Granger’s biggest shame: the school children cash grant takeaway

E

very single day there are more galling examples of APNU/ AFC’s hypocrisy. Whether it is insulting sugar workers or other workers, pensioners or children, people forced into squatting, even the dead, every single day, the David Grangerled APNU/AFC expose their total lack of empathy for the most vulnerable in the society.

Other than themselves, APNU/AFC has shown no care for any citizen. A prime example of David Granger and APNU/AFC’s hypocrisy is the dishonesty in the cash grant for school children.

The programme started by the PPP Government in 2014 was intended to be increased annually so that by 2020 it would have been $50,000 per child. However, Dr Leslie Ramsammy the Granger-led APNU/AFC Government discontinued the programme in 2015.

At the APNU/AFC’s Anna Regina rally last week, David Granger regaled a boated-in, bussed-in crowd with the fake promise – if people vote APNU/AFC back in office, he will use OIL MONEY to bring back the cash grant for schoolchildren.

Granger did not mention schoolchildren already were receiving such cash grants in 2014, without any oil money, because of the PPP, and that it was him as President who took away the cash grant, using the money to give himself and his bloated cabinet a 100% pay increase. Mr Granger was being dishonest and indecent, promising schoolchildren a cash grant when it was his Government that took it away from them in the first place. It was utter hypocrisy; his promise being a poster child for fakery.

In five years, more than $10B was taken away from ordinary working-class families, assuming that the amount had remained $10,000 per child throughout the five years.

Fact is that the $10B over the last five years represent the bare minimum Mr Granger’s Government took away from children. Had the programme continued, in fact, it would have distributed up to $38B between 2015 and 2020. That was the amount a PPP Government would have placed directly into the pockets of families with school-aged children over five years. And that was without any oil money. That was the amount a heartless Granger-led APNU/AFC took away from working-class people’s children, children from all ethnic groups, even children of people who voted for Granger.

With elections scheduled in twenty-seven days, Mr Granger succumbed to pressure because cash grant for school children is one of the more popular policy positions in the new PPP manifesto. The PPP has declared emphatically it would resume the cash grant programme and lift the sum to $50,000 per child, not with oil money. Without acknowledging it was a terrible mistake to stop the programme, Mr Granger promised a cash grant programme, as if it was never in place, as if this is an entirely new initiative from APNU/AFC. He never offered an apology for ripping-off ordinary Guyanese families between $10B and $38B in the last five years. The decent thing was for Mr Granger to apologise first and then guarantee people the cash grant for schoolchildren will resume with immediate effect.

But if anyone noticed the blatant hypocrisy and indecency, Granger did not make a commitment, he made only a conditional promise – the cash grant would be with OIL money, when OIL money becomes available. But the cash grant in 2014 was made without the benefit of OIL money. Why could Mr Granger not guarantee families with school children the resumption of the cash programme the PPP started that would have meant $50,000 per child by 2020? If it were done in 2014 without OIL money and when the country’s total tax revenues was just about 50% what it is today, why should the programme now depend only on OIL revenues?

Mr Granger had explained back in 2015 that the cash grant for schoolchildren was dumped because the country was left bankrupt by the PPP. But he did not then explain how it was possible to increase the salaries of cabinet members by 100%. He did not explain how it was possible to increase the food and drinks bill for Government by $1.5B annually or how it was possible to expand and renew the fleet of vehicles, with not just any vehicles, but with luxury vehicles.

Mr Granger claimed the cash grant was replaced by buses, boats and bicycles. But the thirty buses barely function, with down-time for repairs more than 90% and the cost of maintenance more than the procurement of new buses. The fourteen boats are mostly missing and, everywhere I go in the country, I am yet to find any child that received one of the 1400 bicycles they claimed they purchased. But the fact is that the $10-38B they ripped from the families around the country could have bought enough buses, boats and bicycles for all the families in Guyana. And also every child would have had a laptop, something else Granger’s group took away from children of working-class families. Mr Granger’s 2020 election promise of cash grants to schoolchildren is sheer hypocrisy, totally fake and empty. He should be ashamed. It is a disgrace.

“We need better laws to protect our animals” – ARAPS

A

nimal cruelty in Guyana is most common and, many a time, overlooked, but it is the belief of a local animal welfare organisation that this abuse can end if better laws are created and enforced to protect animals across the country.

The Animal Rescue, Adoption, and Protection Society (ARAPS) emerged out of a pursuit to eradicate animal cruelty, abandonment, and uncontrolled breeding of the animal population.

This non-governmental organisation, founded by a group of animal activists, shares a common goal which is to love, care, rescue and fight for the rights of all animals by sensitising the general populace on the importance of respecting animals.

On Tuesday a call for the creation and enforcement of laws to protect these innocent animals was voiced by a volunteer and Board member of ARAPS, Keshrie Singh during an interview with Guyana Times. She noted that the implementation

One of the dogs rescued by the organisation

of such laws will bring them much closer to ending the abuse of animals.

“We need to have better laws in place to protect our animals, we need to make sure that when we call on the law enforcement officers, they are there because animals suffer a lot of abuse so we’re trying to eliminate that especially for horses and even dogs, any animal. We need to have a better system in place to protect the voiceless,” she stated.

According to Singh, owning a pet goes way beyond

just caring for it, as she shared the many advantages one can get from having a canine friend around.

“Animals make you relaxed. We as humans [need] to lead and we need to live by an example sometimes the animal teaches us more so on how to live. They help each other, they look out for each other and we learn so much from them as well. So, I think having an animal in your life can also teach you to be a better and kind human.”

ARAPS has recorded countless rescues, adoptions,

rehabilitation and rehoming of many animals and, therefore, seeks to extend its services to all parts of Guyana.

As such, its volunteer took the opportunity to give an insight into the organisation’s future plans.

“Our focus is mainly in Georgetown as of now but we’re looking to widen that because a lot of cases are happening in Berbice as well, where a lot of animals need help and we want to go to on the West Coast as well and then we reach out to further places like Essequibo, Bartica. We want to widen that.”

With over 42 dogs and 15 cats in their shelter presently, the founders of ARAPS have taken it upon themselves to offer help whether medically or emotionally to other domesticated animals including horses.

While the NGO urges persons to adopt its foster animals, it also calls on citizens to replace the cruelty against animals with affection.

16 NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GTT lends support to cancer patients

I

n observance of World Cancer Day 2020, the Guyana Telephone and

Telegraph Company (GTT) on Tuesday assisted patients with computerised

tomography (CT) scanning, external radiation therapy and other services related to

their treatment.

World Cancer Day is observed annually on February 4, in raising awareness of cancer while urging detection and prevention. It is spearheaded by the Union for International Cancer Control to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration.

Recognising that treatment is expensive, Pinktober Coordinator Diana Gittens explained that this is their way of giving back. While seven individuals were present, the telephone giant said it will expand this initiative to benefit more people.

Through the Pinktober Initiative last October, funds were raised to support such ventures. This time around, these persons would have received some $3 million in treatment grants.

“On this day, we’d like to show our solidarity…so

we have decided to provide some support for patients…

As a company, we know how challenging it is to access cancer treatment. The cheapest CT scan starts at $30,000, to access radiation therapy, the total cost can be $800,000, and many of our people cannot afford it,” Gittens related.

She urged survivors to share their stories with the public as a way of paying it forward, since many are motivated to continue treatment. Amid the gathering was four-time cancer survivor, Anna De Morias who battled with breast cancer twice since 2008.

“As cancer patients, we need the support,” De Morias shared.

According to the National Cancer Institute, the most common cancers are breast cancer, lung and bronchus cancer, prostate cancer, co-

lon and rectum cancer, melanoma of the skin, bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and the list extends to other types.

Data gathered from research from 2011 to 2015 showed that the number of new cases is 439.2 per 100,000 men and women per year.

The disease is also among the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2012, there were 14.1 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer-related deaths worldwide.

“Fifty-seven per cent of new cancer cases in 2012 occurred in less developed regions of the world that include Central America and parts of Africa and Asia; 65 per cent of cancer deaths also occurred in these regions. The number of new cancer cases per year is expected to rise to 23.6 million by 2030.”

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

OILNEWS Norway to set new limit for Arctic oil drilling

N

orway may restrict oil firms’ access to offshore resources in the Arctic by moving the socalled ice edge, a line that sets a legal limit on the extent to which companies can go north in search of oil. The ice edge is a legally drawn boundary that is meant to approximate the constantly changing southern fringe of the permanent ice sheet.

Anything north of that legal line is off-limits to oil drilling under Norwegian law.

However, instead of redrawing the line further north to reflect the retreating ice sheet, the ruling coalition may move it further south as it responds to political pressure to extend environmental protection of the Arctic.

The ice cover in the Barents Sea has halved over the past 40 years. In practice, it would be ice-free yearround by 2050 given the current trend, Tor Eldevik, a professor at the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research at the University of Bergen told Reuters.

The centre-right minority Government has been reviewing the ice edge boundary and is due to present its new demarcation line to Parliament in April.

It has already received recommendation from an advisory group of Norwegian research institutions and state agencies, which have presented two options.

One would be to draw the line where the sea ice appeared at least 30 per cent of the time in April, the peak month for the Arctic ice sheet in the Barents Sea, between 1988 and 2017.

The other option is to draw the line at where sea ice probability is only 0.5 per cent, in order to protect the Arctic environment.

This would place the line further south and would be problematic for oil and gas companies, Norway’s biggest industry.

It would affect at least eight oil exploration licenses operated by Equinor, Aker BP and Spirit Energy, majority owned by Britain’s Centrica, the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association (NOG), a lobby group, said.

It would also come close to the Wisting discovery estimated to hold 440 million barrels of oil.

Equinor plans to develop the discovery together with OMV, Idemitsu Petroleum and Petoro, a Norwegian state-owned firm. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Russia, Belarus leaders meet on Friday as oil row rolls on

T

he Presidents of Russia and Belarus, Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko, will meet on Friday, the Kremlin said, as the oil row between the two rolls into a second month, forcing Minsk to look for crude from as far afield as the United States.

Belarus, an ex-Soviet state sandwiched between Russia and NATO states, is a major export route for Moscow’s oil and gas to Europe. Putin wants to keep Minsk in his orbit, and Lukashenko was for years getting cheap resources and loans in exchange.

For Russia, supporting Minsk costs a couple of billion dollars per year, so it has started to gradually change the practice, in particular, the way it taxes its oil industry. The changes, in turn, are hurting the Belarus budget.

With Belarus presidential elections approaching this year, Lukashenko refused to sign a new oil deal with Russia. From Jan 1, Moscow has almost completely halted oil supplies to Belarus. Oil exports to Europe have so far been stable.

Russia partially resumed its flows to Belarus on Jan 4 thanks to supplies from Mikhail Gutseriyev’s Safmar Group. There have been no requests from other Russian oil firms to supply oil to Belarus via pipelines this month.

Industry sources told Reuters that Russneft and Neftisa of the Safmar Group would be the sole Russian supplier of oil to the country this month.

Safmar has quota for further pipeline supplies in the first quarter of 250,000 tonnes, which could be topped up by another 100,000 tonnes, traders said. Those volumes could be supplied this month, sources said.

Russneft and Neftisa were also supplying oil to Belarus by rail, sending 100,000 tonnes in January.

The plan for February was the same, the sources said.

This is still not enough to feed two main Belarus refineries, which normally process a total of around 1.5 million tonnes of oil monthly. In 2019, Russia supplied 18 million tonnes of oil to Belarus. (Excerpt from Reuters)

17

News

LGBTQ+ community makes demands as elections loom

I

n an effort to ensure their rights are adequately represented, the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) on Tuesday launched its manifesto which it will present to political parties contesting the upcoming elections.

SASOD’s manifesto includes 15 demands across five topic areas, and according to Managing Director Joel Simpson, those requests are just the bare minimum.

He noted that the organisation will be distributing copies of the document to all political parties contesting the elections. They will also be invited to a town hall meeting to discuss the manifesto.

“We are hoping with just a month to elections that we will see some of these demands already reflecting plans, proposal that are com-

SASOD legal officer, Devon Black

ing out of the parties because we been talking to them for the better part of 2019 in one-on-one engagement,” he added.

The manifesto focuses on constitutional and law reform, sexual and gender-based violence, education, public health, and social protection.

Among the demands are for the next Government to include sexual orientation and gender identity as grounds for discrimination in the nondiscrimination provision of the Guyana Constitution.

They are also calling for Sections 351 to 353 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act which criminalises same-sex intimacy between consenting, adult men in private to be repealed.

Guyana is a party to international treaties that require the protection of basic human rights for everyone, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people.

According to Devon Black, a legal officer attached to SASOD, Guyana must honour these obligations.

“SASOD is calling on the next Government to bring

SASOD Managing Joel Simpson

Director

Guyana’s laws into compliance with its international obligations”. Black added.

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination is a human rights organisation and movement working for equality and justice for all Guyanese.

Antigua bars cruise ship from docking over coronavirus scare

A

ntigua and Barbuda has become the latest Caribbean Community (Caricom) country to prevent a cruise ship from docking, amid coronavirus fears.

The ship, Aidaperla, with more than 3000 passengers aboard, was not allowed to dock on Tuesday.

A statement from the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment said officials had reviewed the Maritime Health Declaration submitted on February 3, “and discovered that it was insufficient to make a proper assessment of the health sit-

uation on the vessel”.

“As a result, additional crucial information was requested but not provided in a timely manner.

Consequently, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment was not able to support a decision to allow the ship to berth and recommended the cancellation of its call at the St John’s Harbour,” the statement said.

Health authorities in St Lucia and Dominica, in also denying the ship entry, said that some passengers were experiencing respiratory tract infections, even while

AIDAPERLA denying reports that there may have been cases of the deadly coronavirus (2019nCoV) that has killed more than 400 people in China and which the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency.

Meanwhile, St Vincent

and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, speaking on a radio programme, defended the decision to allow the vessel, built in 2017 and sailing under the flag of Italy, entry into the Kingstown Harbour.

(Excerpt from CMC)

9 killed, including 3 children, at video game arcade in Mexico

F

our gunmen shot dead nine people at a video game arcade in western Mexico, and among the dead were three children aged 12, 13 and 14.

Prosecutors in the state of Michoacan said late on Monday the attack left two other people wounded.

The attackers were apparently searching for specific targets but then opened fire indiscriminately on customers. Two of the victims were aged 17 and 18.

The attack occurred Monday in the city of Uruapan, where violence has reached shocking proportions.

Over the weekend, investigators also found the decomposed bodies of 11 people in clandestine graves in Uruapan.

Prosecutors said they were investigating a missing person case when they received a tip about the clandestine burial pits.

And on Friday in Uruapan, gunmen attacked a municipal police pa-

trol, killing one officer and wounding two others.

That attack may have been retaliation for the Friday arrest of a Viagras gang leader who has been implicated in 19 murders.

Turf wars between the Jalisco and Viagras drug cartels, as well as predecessors, have bloodied the city for several years.

In August, Jalisco cartel gunmen left nine bodies hanging from an overpass, with seven more corpses hacked up and dumped by the road nearby. Just down the road were three more

A woman holding pictures of missing persons, during a protest against violence in Mexico City, Mexico [Photo by Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters]

bodies, for a total of 19.

They hung a banner from the overpass threatening the Viagras.

Uruapan is where many believe Mexico’s 20062012 drug war began in

September 2006, when armed, masked men burst into a bar there and tossed five severed heads onto the dance floor, along with written threats to rivals. (Al Jazeera)

Flight to Jamaica diverted after man claimed to have coronavirus

A

Canadian man was arrested yesterday after he reportedly told a plane full of passengers bound for Jamaica that he had contracted the coronavirus.

According to Canadian media outlets Toronto City News and CBC News, pas-

sengers were already halfway through the WestJet flight, which was scheduled to land in Montego Bay, when the man stood up and claimed that he had recently been in China and had contracted the deadly virus.

The pilots then made the decision to return to Toronto.

Officials said that the 29-year-old’s claims were “unfounded” and he was arrested for mischief.

Canadian Police said they believe the incident was a prank and WestJet apologised to the 243 passengers who were affected.

(Jamaica Observer)

18

guyanatimesgy.com

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

ARCHIE

ARIES (March 21April 19)

TAURUS (April 20May 20)

DILBERT

GEMINI (May 21June 20)

CANCER (June 21July 22)

PEANUTS

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

VIRGO

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(Aug. 23Sept. 22)

LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

SUDOKU

(Oct. 24Nov. 22)

Put your energy to good use. Don’t neglect what should be a top priority. Do your best to avoid demanding people and to offset criticism. Be proud of your accomplishments, and don’t give up.

You’ll have plenty of choices and opportunities. Consider what will bring you joy and satisfaction, and will spark your imagination. Expand your interests and friendships. Romance will enhance your life.

Emotional tension will surface if you don’t keep busy. Tighten your schedule and fit in as much as possible. The less time you have to talk, the easier it will be to avoid discord.

Look for a way to use your creative skills to get ahead. Let the people you love know how much you care. A kind word or gesture will improve relationships.

Engage in mental or physical travel. Exploring what’s available to you will encourage you to work harder and longer to reach your goal.

Partnerships look promising.

Try not to jump to conclusions about matters concerning your mate or other family members. Caution will be necessary to avoid minor mishaps, accidents or arguments.

Unity, peace and love should be your goals.

Strive to acquire knowledge through traveling, taking courses or spending time with someone who motivates you. You’ll be admired for your quick wit, lending a shine to your reputation.

Your intuition won’t let you down. Spend time developing something creative that excites you. Present your ideas and how you want to proceed. Romance is in the stars.

Actions speak loudSAGITTARIUS er than words. Don’t leave (Nov. 23yourself open for criticism.

Dec. 21) Focus on fulfilling your promises and taking better care of your health and emotional well-being.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19)

Do what’s right for everyone involved. Take any opportunity that comes your way to step into a leadership role. A relationship will enhance your life.

AQUARIUS

Get fit, be active and embrace life. Engage in whatever stimulates your mind, body and soul. Stop dreaming and live in the moment.

You can make a difference.

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Jan. 20Feb. 19)

PISCES (Feb. 20March 20)

Emotional pleas will fall on deaf ears. Open up to suggestions and control your anger. Emotional distress will lead to poor choices. Focus on volunteering, keeping busy and being kind.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

19

Narine cops Champion Cyclist Award at Flying Ace Cycling ceremony

– Trophy Stall rewards Coach Roberts

A

fter a brilliant show in 2019 riding for the Flying Ace Cycling Club (FACC), champion cyclist Balram Narine copped the Champion Cyclist Award at the 21st annual FACC award ceremony which was held on Saturday last at the New Amsterdam Town Hall.

In addition to Narine’s award, Trophy Stall recognised Coach Randolph Roberts for his outstanding services in the cycling arena.

Guyana’s 2019 juvenile champion, Mario Washington, won the juvenile award, while Jeremiah Joseph was the runner-up cyclist in that class. In the junior category, Ralph Seenarine topped the charts. Aaron Rajnarine was the outstanding 12-14 cyclist, while Shazim Yacoob was the second runner-up. Raj Mootoo

was the third runner-up and Sachin Karan was the fourth runner-up in the 12-14 category.

Esan Blair was the youngest cyclist; he copped the award for the 4-6 BMX rider. The veteran cyclist, Ridgy, was also awarded for his performances in 2019.

Meanwhile, Coach Roberts, who has been in cycling for over 32 years, thanked Trophy Stall for recognising his work.

Speaking at the ceremony, New Amsterdam Deputy Mayor Wayne McIntosh encouraged the cyclists to remain disciplined and keep making their parents proud.

He also stated that the New Amsterdam Municipality will remain on board in cycling.

“To the awardees, you are moving ahead in the right direction, physical education and sports have a direct cor-

Edward “Screw” Richmond Foundation rewards 3 Queen’s College students

The three Queen’s College students that were rewarded by the Edward “Screw” Richmond Foundation

T

he Edward “Screw” Richmond Foundation, which is based in New York but has chapters in Guyana and Canada, last Saturday showed their appreciation for students from Linden who have excelled at last year’s National Grade Six Assessment examination during a ceremony which was held at the Kingdom Style Restaurant in Amelia’s Ward.

The three chosen to receive the cash donation were all twelve-year-olds attending Queen’s College in Georgetown.

They are Taniya Spencer of Danjou Alley, Wismar; Ravi Rayman of 838 Redwood Crescent, Mackenzie, and Jasmine Simpson, who lives at 126 One Mile Wismar.

The Coordinator for the local chapter of the Edward “Screw” Richmond

Foundation in Linden, Kevin DeJonge, gave the children and their parents/guardians a background to the man who was Linden’s first national player and about his football prowess on the field, and his achievements off the field.

He told them that even if they were not excelling in the field of sport, they can be involved in becoming an administrator or even a physiotherapist. He told them that they should be proud recipients for being awarded the tokens for their excellent performances at the National Grade Six Assessment last year.

DeJonge said, “The overseas chapter congratulates you and urges that this is an opportunity of a lifetime. All of you [are] attending Queen’s College and you are representing a rich community in sports”.

relation to academic success and personal interest and growth. Once you keep working, nothing is impossible; once you can conceive it, you will achieve it,” McIntosh echoed.

Besides Sentinel Security, the FACC has received assistance from Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) President Hilbert Foster, Trophy Stall, Ralph Felix, Eureka Labs, Senior Counsel Mursaline Bacchus, Pearl Arokium of the Arokium Funeral Parlour, and Romona Persaud, among others. (Brandon Corlette) FACC awardees and New Amsterdam Mayor Wayne McIntosh

20

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

“A man with a vision” …Garrett praises Henry Chase for his success

By Jemima Holmes

“C

hase man to us is like Martin Luther King, ‘the man with a vision’. He saw things that probably no one else saw, and his vision and success can be shown by the number of sportsmen and women he graduated upon completion of CSEC or CAPE exams, the number of athletes studying abroad directly from his institution and so much more. It’s people like this we need around sporting bodies to make a difference.”

Those were the sentiments expressed by up-and-coming

footballer Jeremy Garrett as he reflected on the overwhelmingly positive influence that Henry Chase has had on his life.

Fondly known as “Sir Chase”, the renowned educator and Principal of the Chase’s Academic Foundation handed Jeremy Garrett a golden opportunity back in 2014 to attend his school. Previously a student at the North Ruimveldt Multilateral Secondary, where he gained a place after sitting the National Grade Six Assessment, Garrett felt as though “Multi” was all about academics and craved a balance where he could simultaneously focus on the

sport he loved most—football.

At Chase, the aspiring footballer was able to juggle academics and the sport, in which he excelled time and time again. While having the ‘balance’ meant a lot to the now 20-yearold defensive star, Garrett noted that Henry Chase was also very serious about his students’ academic performances.

Reflecting on his first encounter with the educator, Garret shared that this sparked a fire inside him that would continuously urge him to work hard.

“Upon my first meeting with Mr Chase alongside my mother, I could tell this man was

Henry Chase receives the championship trophy on behalf of his school after winning the Milo U18 Tournament

about practicality and business.

Meaning, he was very clear on why I am here, what needs to be done, what he will do and in the end, he said, ‘if you do these few things I tell you, without a doubt, you’ll get a scholarship and you might be playing abroad in 2/3 years’.”

“With that, he fuelled the passion in me to work hard, he was very vocal and expressive with his large distinguished voice, and at the end of the conversation, he shook my hand and said ‘let’s make this happen Mr Garrett’,” the footballer told this publication.

It was only until Garrett was ingrained in the Parade Street, Kingston Institution that he realised the lengths that Henry Chase would go in order to ensure that his students would surpass expectations.

“Mr Chase was more than an influence to me and to all the other players that went to Chase’s Academy. I am not afraid to say it, this is a man that provides books, lunch, school uniforms, passage and so much more for players, just so we can be comfortable in order for us to do well. He did everything in his power, it’s hard to explain how influential this man was since, sometimes, it felt like he was a father figure to all of us,” Garrett explained.

This publication was informed about Chase’s knack for teaching life lessons in the process of delivering ‘bookwork’. In addition, he was a constant source of reassurance and positivity, which turned out to be an important aspect of Garrett’s ascension on the football field.

“There isn’t really anything significant he did for me that he never did for all the other players but there were times when I wanted to quit and just leave school, it was pressure. There were times when I was injured, injury brings stress and I wanted to quit everything but this man, once again, bent backwards to talk to me, showed me again why I am here, he knows it’s hard but he said nothing in life is ever easy.”

“And trust me, when Mr Chase tells you nothing in life is easy, you better believe it; he is speaking from great experiences,” the 20-year-old went on to explain.

Hailing from the Fruta Conquerors FC, where he began playing in 2009 in their Youth Academy, Jeremy Garrett is all too familiar with the notion of “ghetto youths” using the sport as a means of staying off the

streets and out of trouble. As a result of this, one thing that Garrett admired most about his teacher was his practice of giving underprivileged youths second chance.

“So what this brilliant man did was reach out to all these youths, you know, to show them that the world has not yet given up on them but he is there to give them another chance at success at his private institution, free of cost.”

“It’s now that I’m getting older, I ask myself what if we had people in the Government with this sort of vision, we can only dream on that I guess,” Garrett went on to state.

One thing that is no secret to many in the sports arena, is the constant criticism that Chase has faced over the years, predominantly in his sports programmes. To this end, Garrett boldly denounced his former teacher’s critics, noting that he believes that it only pushed Sir Chase to continue helping his students.

“Many outsiders tried to bring this man and his programme down, saying he is all about football, he just wants to win etc but those same people were part of the congregation that congratulated me and all of the other talented sportsmen from Chase who got scholarships and went on to study abroad. I think it motivated him to keep on doing what he believes is right and what he knows will benefit us in the life ahead,” he opined.

Not without mentioning other pillars of his career, such as his mother, GFF President Wayne Forde, Coach Vurlon Mills, and his colleagues at the Fruta Conquerors Football Club, Garret gushed with gratitude for one of his main supporters, Sir Chase.

“Words cannot express enough how grateful I and all the others are of how generous you are to all of us. We need more like Mr Chase around Guyana, you’ll see how sports would evolve dramatically once there are resources and time.

Thank you sir!”

Under Chase’s watch, the school’s football team won three consecutive Milo U-18 Tournaments and two Digicel School’s Football Tournaments.

Following his success at the CSEC and CAPE examinations, Garrett gained a scholarship at the Louisiana State University at Eunice in 2018. He is expected to complete his diploma in Rehabilitation Science this semester.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

CLASSIFIED ADS ACCOMMODATION Aracari Resort. Accommodation Rates from USD $25. Amenities: Accommodation, Mini Casino, Pool, Bar, Restaurant, Free Parking, Free WiFi. Tel: 264-2946. 160 Plantation Versailles, West Bank Demerara.

ASTROLOGY & SPIRITUALITY Work done by : Djuka. For all Purposes: Healing, Upliftment for Business, Court Matters, Visa, Evil Sickness, Togetherness for lovers, Pregnancy, Jobs, Money Readings, Husband/Wife Seperation. 6334487

for rent Disco/Night Club W.B.D Turnkey Operation for rent. Contact: Gafoor : 628-8619

FOR SALE Lot 14 – 10,204 SQ FT. Price = $17M. PH: 264-2948/615-2270 One (1) Greenheart Wooden Building to remove. $220,000- Price Negotiable Contact 501-3706 Transported Land- 11.6 Acres, Lot 15 Public Road, #2 Village, West Coast Berbice. 5 mins away from Berbice River Bridge. Contact # 648-7109 Toyota Corolla, left hand drive Good condition- $360,000 neg Call or Whatsapp 680-3863 New Model Toyota Picnic. Very good condition, Leather Interior. Price Negotiable. 627-6828

VACANCIES Office Assistant - Maths and English required, knowledge of Excel and Quickbooks would be an asset.

Apply to Mima Décor, Lot 8 Sheriff St, GTown or mimadecor12@gmail. com (227-0186) Pump attendant-680-3863, Store helper-624-003, Driver for water canter-680-3863, Porter for water canter-680-3863, House keeper-624-0033 Call or Whatsapp

VEHICLES FOR SALE Honda HRV 2000 Model. Excellent Working Condition, Factory Tinted Windows, Dolby Surround Sound, A.C, Vehicle Press Start, etc. This vehicle is Stick Shift and is sometimes rarely driven. Price: $2,200,000 (neg.) Tel: 683-3863.

NOT RECEIVING YOUR DAILY & SUNDAY COPIES OF THE

21

GABA President’s mantle passed to Jermaine Slater G

uyana Defence Force (GDF) 2nd Lieutenant and former national player, Jermaine Slater, will lead the charge for basketball in Georgetown for the next two years after his slate was elected unopposed at Sunday’s Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) Annual General Meeting and elections at Palm Court.

Jermaine Slater will have Jermaine Benjamin as his Vice President, Travis Burnett as Treasurer, and Sports Journalist Rawle Toney as his Public Relations Officer (PRO).

The other executives are Khalil Cave (Secretary) and Lloyd Bart (Assistant Secretary-Treasurer).

Plaisance Guardians, Kobras, Pacesetter, Ravens, Sonics, Vikings, University of Guyana (UG) Trojans and Eagles were the clubs present at Sunday’s elections.

Representatives of Bounty Colts and Nets were not present at the time of the vote.

Slater told the gathering of club officials and basketball enthusiasts after being elected that the young executives, made up of active club members, have the drive, passion and are all lovers of the game.

According to Slater, basketball plays an important part in his life and his goal is to see the sport develop, especially in communities outside of the capital that fall within his jurisdiction of management.

The GDF 2nd Lieutenant pointed out that growing the sport at the community level is critical, noting that the successful forming of the Kobras club last year is a testament that love for the game is still very much alive.

Slater thanked former President Adrian Hooper for the outstanding work done during his tenure and asked that he continues to work closely with the current executives, sharing his institutional knowledge of the sport since he served two terms.

GUYANA TIMES

in your area?

Contact our

Circulation Department on

Phone: 223-7230 EXT: 55

223-7230-1 (Ext 55)

GDF 2nd Lieutenant Jermaine Slater (third from left) and his GABA executive body following the Association’s elections

Hooper, whose term came to an end last year, opined that the formation of new clubs and having multiple leagues played throughout the year as his administration’s achievements for their time in office.

The old executives also handed over close to $100,000 to the new body in their accounts.

President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) Michael Singh congratulated the new body on their election and encouraged them to work hard to achieve their objective as the largest member of the federation.

22

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

CWI PCL 4-Day Championships…

Nothing spectacular yet from Guyana Jaguars batsmen – Coach Crandon

By Brandon Corlette

G

uyana Jaguars are table-leaders heading into the fourth-round clash against J a m a i c a Scorpions in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Professional Cricket League (PCL) 4-Day Championships. As the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) continues to play mind games in announcing the team to the public until the very last moment, a fit and ready Raymon Reifer is set to return.

At the Jaguars training session, Guyana Times Sport caught up exclusively with Head Coach Esuan Crandon, who spoke on the three rounds played thus far and previewed the match-up against Scorpions which is slated from tomorrow, Thursday, February, 6, to Sunday, February 9.

“It was a decent start for

us, not something we are accustomed to (losing one match early), but it is what it is. Seven rounds to go and we need to take them o n e round at a time”, Crandon e x plained.

Calling for centuries

He further highlighted that the Jaguars had played some decent team cricket in the earlier rounds with some individual performances being in the spotlight.

From the team’s batting perspective, Crandon had this to say: “nothing spectacular yet, we have been asking the batters to chunk out some hundreds Raymon Reifer is set to return (Brandon Corlette photos)

for us and we haven’t seen any yet, guys have promised hundreds this game and we are looking forward to that”.

In the first three rounds, Jaguars batsmen have posted 10 half-centuries with batsmen failing to convert those in any century.

The ever-solid Tagenarine Chanderpaul has the most runs thus far: 247 at 61.75, with three half-centuries of his own. Christopher Barnwell, who is in red-hot form, has 219 runs— only the second Jaguars batsman with over 200 runs thus far in the season. The pugnacious Barnwell is averaging 43.80 and has already registered two half-centuries.

Chandrapaul Hemraj (196), Vishal Singh (151), Anthony Bramble (119) and Leon Johnson (111) are the other batsmen that surpassed 100 runs in the tournament this far. These are the early days, but Jaguars batsmen will feel the need to score centuries in this fourth-round clash against Scorpions. The closest score to a hundred this season for Jaguars has been 91 which was scored by Bramble, who has shown signs of being arguably the best wicket-keeper batsman in the region.

Flashback! Brandon King will not return to Providence this 4-Day season owing to West Indies duties

Crandon happy with bowling

From a bowling perspective, Jaguars are right up there with the best this season. Nial Smith and “Mr Regional”, Veerasammy Permaul, are tied with 16 wickets each in three matches. Smith is the only bowler with five-wicket hauls thus far in the season. The right-arm speedster has two 5-fers with a best of 6-55 in what has been a dream start. Keon Joseph, the experienced campaigner, has

11 wickets in his three outings.

“The bowlers have done really well thus far, they were able to pick up 20 wickets for us to win a game; Smith was very impressive, Joseph, we know what he’s capable of and he has shown his experience in picking up wickets, and Permaul among the leading wicket-takers. I am happy where we’re at presently,” Crandon told this daily publication.

Sharing his sentiments on Reifer, Crandon stated that the Bajan, who is set to return after nursing an injury, has produced the goods for Jaguars since the inception. “He has done a tremendous job for us, he has been a real professional, his work would have been a standout with both bat and balls.

Reifer has been gelling well with the guys, he is like a Guyanese,” Crandon concluded.

28th R&R cycling meet set for this weekend

T

Flashback! The outstanding cyclists of the previous R&R cycling

he 28th edition of the R&R Internationalsponsored 11-race and 40-mile road races are set for this weekend.

This event is organised

by National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohamed and this intriguing event is expected to feature the best riders in the country turning out to the inner circuit of the National Park for the 11-race programme on Saturday, February 8 from 09:00h.

On the following day, Sunday, February 9, the riders will then head to West Bank Demerara, where they will pedal off from Schoonord

at 08:00h and head to Bushy Park before returning to the starting point in pursuit of the checkered flag to complete the 40-mile journey.

Romello Crawford is the reigning champion after finishing the 35-lap Schoolboys and Invitational featured race in one hour, 43 minutes and 14 seconds. Also set to defend their title in the event are Sherwin Sampson (Juveniles), Jaikaran Sukhai (Veterans U-50), Kennard Lovell (Veterans U-50) and Jaheim Henry (BMX 12-14 years).

Paul Denobrega had won last year’s open category in one hour, 37 minutes and

15 seconds, while Sampson won the Juveniles division, Hector Edwards Jr won the mountain bike category and Alex Mendes won the veterans group in the 40-miler.

Jacob Rambarran of R&R is expected to be onhand to help with the distribution of prizes and to witness the action.

R&R International Managing Director Rambarran was a past cyclist and this is his 28th year which his firm has been a supporter of cycling in Guyana, and this collaboration is just another demonstration of that commitment.

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

23

Youth development a priority in 2020 for GFF …Forde hoping to roll out U13 and school tournaments

GFF President Wayne Forde

By Jemima Holmes

F

or the year 2020, one priority on the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) agenda is youth development— with the intention to introduce a new tournament for younger players.

With three youth teams gearing up for CONCACAF Championships, and a number of plans to enhance the youth structure by adding club and school tournaments, the GFF is focused on using their younger talents as prospects for future international engagements, such as the FIFA World Cup, which they hope to qualify for by 2026.

“I think it’s clear to everyone now that the trust of my administration has always been youth development. We’ve introduced three news tournaments from the spread of Guyana football competition from a national standpoint.”

Those were the sentiments expressed by GFF President Wayne Forde when questioned about the

importance of youth development to the Football Federation.

Speaking exclusively with Guyana Times Sport, the GFF Boss explained, with great detail, how his administration is using youth development in the sport as a tool to better Guyanese football at the senior and international level. Thus far, the GFF has rolled out three age-group tournaments, namely the Frank Watson Alumni U15, NAMILCO U17 and KFC U20, which feeds the ATC structure. He even disclosed the Federation’s intentions to add another tournament to the roster.

“Those are four crucial competitions and those competitions complement the Academy Training Centre (ATC). The model has been launched, we’re still tweaking it because implementing a project is much more difficult than conceptualising a project. So the U15, U17, U20 at this moment is feeding the Academy Training Centre (ATC) programme; we’re hopeful that before we get out of the second quarter of 2020, we have a solid and stable U13 competition launched,” the GFF President noted.

Alluding to the excellence that Fruta Conquerors have exuded over the past few months, winning senior competitions such as the Limacol and Turbo tournaments, Forde explained that the youth team’s dominance is a testament to the extensive work that is being done at their level. In the same breath, the GFF boss went on to disclose why it is important to implement programmes at the youth level.

“So it’s not to my surprise and to most folks who have been paying keen attention to what we’ve been trying to do, that the success of the Fruta Conquerors U20 team against some of the Association teams would have been what it was. We, as a nation, we have to introduce football development programmes that don’t only give us incremental success but we can consistently produce players who go on to not only represent Guyana at the highest level but also, in time to come, can access international opportunities. Youth development is fundamental to our football development programme,” Forde shared.

While member associations are tasked with running off tournaments within their jurisdiction, Forde revealed that these major competitions which directly contribute to youth development are solely undertaken by the Federation.

Moving away from the club and association structure, the GFF is looking to tackle development in the school realm.

“Of course, we take on all the load of youth development tournaments, U15, U17, U20, and very soon U13. We’re also working on a comprehensive schools football programme that goes from primary all the way up to secondary, boys and girls. I’m very confident that we will get that done in 2020. They’re partnerships being worked out for that,” Forde revealed.

Currently, the GFF has three youth teams in training, who are preparing to compete at the CONCACAF level. When probed about

GFF President Wayne Forde greets members of the Fruta Conquerors U20 team moments before the Turbo football finals (Jemima Holmes Photo)

the financial burden of having the boys and girls U20 and girls U17 teams in continuous training, Forde noted that while it is strenuous, it is important to give the youngsters international exposure, especially when they

are performing remarkably.

“We want to give our youth teams, in particular, as much exposure as possible but it comes at a huge cost. Our youth teams have been performing better and better. So while the initial

challenge is getting them to one stage of the tournament, when they qualify, you again have to engage in further preparation and further travel, so it’s always a challenge.”

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020

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

guyanatimesgy.com

CWI PCL 4-Day Championships…

Head Coach Esuan Crandon and the Assistant Coach & Manager at the net session

Nothing spectacular yet from Guyana Jaguars batsmen – Coach Crandon

“A man with a Narine cops Champion vision” Coach Randolph Roberts and champion cyclist Balram Narine receiving their award

Page 19

Cyclist Award at Flying Ace Cycling ceremony – Trophy Stall rewards Coach Roberts

Page 22

Tagenarine Chanderpaul is the leading run-scorer

Page 20

…Garrett praises Henry Chase for his success

Jeremy Garrett in action for the Fruta Conquerors FC last year (Jemima Holmes Photo)

For request and renewal of Guyana Times newspaper subscription, call 231-0544 | ext 26 or 55 GUYANA TIMES - www.guyanatimesgy.com, email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, NEWS HOTLINE: 231-8063 EDITORIAL: 223-7230, 223-7231, 231-0544, 225-7761 SPORT: sport@guyanatimesgy.com SALES AND MARKETING: 231-8064 - marketing@guyanatimesgy.com - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GUYANA TIMES INC.