Issuu

THURSDAY 10th June, 2021

No. 106387

Guyanese woman receives scholarship to US Air Force Academy

― as gov’t recommits to sustainably developing petroleum sector

High turnout recorded for mock NGSA SEE PAGE

SEE PAGE

Countrywide flooding now deemed a Level 2 4 Disaster SEE PAGE

Infrastructural damage due to flooding 5 amounts to billions of dollars SEE PAGE

On Wednesday, over 85 per cent of the Grade Six pupils, who are preparing for this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), turned out to participate in the Ministry of Education’s mock assessment

Short and long-term 2 support for flood-affected communities SEE PAGE

‘Smokey’ gets life 9 sentence for murder

SEE PAGE

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Short and long-term support for flood-affected communities ― President Ali assures nation

PRESIDENT, Dr Irfaan Ali, has committed to providing both short and long-term support to meet the needs and concerns of every community that has been affected by the floods. The President gave this commitment during a visit to 10 communities in East Berbice, Corentyne, on Wednesday. “I am here to assure you that every community will be served, we will be in every single community,” he told residents at Fyrish, East Berbice, Corentyne, pointing out that a request is being drafted to get additional funding. The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has categorised the countrywide flooding as a level two disaster. “We are working on a supplementary provision to go to Parliament to get additional resources to support our efforts,” he said, adding that, “We are going to be with you, we would help in the rebuilding process, we will support in the rebuilding process.” In light of the flooding, the President, along with Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar

Mustapha; Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Nigel Dharamlall, and regional officials visited communities across the region to better understand the issues affecting residents. The President reiterated that the immediate concern of his government is to ensure those affected have access

to food, shelter and healthcare. He also noted that as a short-term solution to bring immediate relief, more food and sanitation hampers will be distributed to residents today. “We started a programme by the CDC to ensure we get food to affected area, shelter; medical supply. As soon as the water recedes, we are going to

have a full assessment by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) and Regional Democratic Council, and that team will be here to do a full assessment on the damage to every single farmer, family. Once you are affected, they assess what took place then that medium and long term help will come. I am here to assure you that every community will be served, we will be in every single community.”

Among the concerns raised by residents include the need for better drainage, roads and streets; poor management at the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs); loss of crops and livestock; and damage to property, as a result of the flooding. An excavator will be sent to Fyrish to clear the internal drains in that community to enable faster drainage of accumulated water there. Minister Dharmalall was

A section of the gathering at the meeting at the Fyrish Housing Scheme

tasked to return to the communities which raised concerns about the NDCs. He will also follow up on the drug shortage after residents complained to the President that there is a shortage of medication at several hospitals. Meanwhile, the biggest challenge affecting cattle farmers is the unavailability of dry lands to move their animals. Some 20,000 heads of cattle are in the Cookrite savannah. The authorities have been assisting to bring out calves and other sick animals stranded there. Guyana Livestock Development Authority, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dwight Waldron, said areas in Letter Kenny and aback Skeldon Estate are being looked at as possible relocation zones to move some 30,000 animals between Number 52/74 and the Black Bush area. Feed is being produced at the Skeldon Estate Compound and given to farmers across Regions Five and Six Minister Mustapha also committed to continued interventions to ensure excess water on the land is drained off in a timely manner as well as to provide support to farmers.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

― as gov’t recommits to sustainably developing petroleum sector OIL GIANT, ExxonMobil, on Wednesday, announced the discovery of its 20th oil find offshore Guyana. The latest detection was made at the Longtail-3 site in the Stabroek Block. A statement from ExxonMobil said that drilling at Longtail-3 encountered 230 feet (70 meters) of net pay, including newly identified, high quality hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs below the original Longtail-1 discovery intervals. It specified that the well is located approximately two miles (3.5 kilometers) south of the Longtail-1 well. It was drilled in more than 6,100 feet (1860 meters) of water by the Stena DrillMAX. “Longtail-3, combined with our recent discovery at Uaru-2, has the potential to increase our resource estimate within the Stabroek block, demonstrating further growth of this world-class resource and our high-potential development opportunities offshore Guyana,” said Mike Cousins, Senior Vice-President of Exploration and New Ventures at ExxonMobil. He added: “We will continue to leverage our core competitive advantages in our ongoing exploration campaign, delivering substantial value to the Guyanese people, our partners and shareholders.”

According to ExxonMobil, the Longtail-1 discovery in the Stabroek Block was drilled in 2018, encountering approximately 256 feet (78 meters) of high-quality, oil-bearing sandstone reservoir.

ONE person is in custody following the discovery of $18M worth in marijuana in a wooden vessel and a coconut grove at Unity Foreshore area, East Coast Demerara, by ranks of the Custom Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU). According to reports from CANU, ranks carried out a counter narcotics operation along Unity foreshore between Tuesday, June 8 and Wednesday, June 9

and found a 17-ft wooden boat with a large fertiliser bag inside. The content of the bag, when examined, was found to be marijuana. A further search of a coconut grove nearby led to the discovery of an additional 17 bags of marijuana. The bags together weighed 300 pounds. The drugs were seized along with the boat and engine as police continue their investigations.

ernment anticipates that this new development will further increase the potentials for more floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSO). Additionally, the minister said that this will increase the estimated

ernment’s efforts to ensuring the sustainable exploration and development of Guyana’s Oil and Gas Resources. COMPLIANCE AND TRANSPARENCY “This will be done in keeping with the highest level of compliance and transparency to ensure that the benefits from this sector enhance the lives of all Guyanese,” Bharrat added.

block, DrillMAX will move to Whiptail-1, while the Noble Sam Croft supports development drilling for Liza Phase 2. “In other drilling activity in the Stabroek Block, the Mako2 evaluation well confirmed the quality, thickness and areal extent of the reservoir. When integrated with the previously announced discovery at Uaru2, the data supports a potential fifth FPSO vessel in the area

FLASHBACK to January 2020: Shiv Outar, the Guyanese offshore technician who tested Guyana’s first crude, poses with the sample during an exhibition at the National Museum (DPI photo)

Minister of Natural Resources with responsibility for the Petroleum Sector, Vickram Bharrat, welcomed the discovery on behalf of the Government of Guyana. He said that “The Longtail-3 discovery will add to the previously announced gross discovered recoverable resource estimate for the block, which is currently estimated to be over nine billion oil-equivalent barrels.” Bharrat noted that the gov-

recoverable resource given by the operator, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL). To this end, Bharrat noted that the ministry, along with the regulatory agencies within the petroleum sector, will continue to work with other operators to expedite their drill programme, while seeking to expand the sector. The Natural Resources Minister recommitted the gov-

Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat

Nonetheless, ExxonMobil said that it deployed two additional drill ships in the first quarter of 2021, the Stena DrillMAX and the Noble Sam Croft, to enable further exploration and evaluation, while continuing development drilling activities offshore Guyana. As the entity advances its 15well campaign in the Stabroek

east of the Liza complex. The Koebi-1 exploration well in the Stabroek block has shown evidence of non-commercial hydrocarbons. Further, ExxonMobil in its statement related that by the first quarter of this year, in excess of 2,600 Guyanese and 600 local suppliers were supporting the company’s ac-

tivities in country. “Guyanese staff have completed more than 40,000 hours of training in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States,” Exxon noted. The Stabroek Block is 6.6 million acres (26,800 square kilometers). ExxonMobil affiliate Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited is the operator and holds 45 per cent interest in the Stabroek Block. Hess Guyana Exploration Ltd. holds 30 per cent interest and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CNOOC Limited, holds 25 per cent interest. Guyana welcomed its historic draw of first oil in December 2019, and sold its first one million barrels of crude on February 19, 2020, raking in nearly US$55 million. In its second million-barrel sale, the country received US$35 million, and an additional US$46 million as proceeds from the sale of its third million-barrel of crude. These deposits, along with royalties received from the sector, have been sitting untouched in a Natural Resources Fund at the US Federal Reserve Bank. The emergence of an Oil and Gas sector has propelled the country into becoming one of the richest nations in the hemisphere.

$18M in marijuana found in wooden vessel, coconut grove

The suspected drug vessel

The seized marijuana

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Countrywide flooding now deemed a Level 2 Disaster ― President Ali THE Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has advised that the countrywide flooding has reached the stage of being categorised as a Level 2 Disaster. This announcement was made on Wednesday by President, Dr Irfaan Ali, as he addressed residents of Chesney New Housing Scheme, Region Six. “The CDC advised this morning that the disaster is a Level 2 Disaster so that we can now move the situation to the international community to get international support,” Dr. Ali said as he continued his second day of visiting flood-affected communities in Regions Five and Six. According to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency’s (CDEMA) Regional Response Mechanism, a Level 2 Event is one in which the national capacity to respond is not overwhelmed, but some external assistance is required. The affected State may or may not declare a disaster. In this scenario, the CDEMA Coordinating Unit may provide technical assistance, specialised equipment, support personnel and information sharing.

In comparison, a Level 3 Event overwhelms the capacity of an affected State to respond. The President did now divulge whether the international community would be approached to provide assistance. However, it was only on Monday night that VicePresident, Bharat Jagdeo, announced the government’s intention to move to the National Assembly today, to seek the approval of a $10 billion supplementary budget to address issues stemming from the ongoing floods. The CDC had previously reported that in excess of 25,000 households have been affected by the floods thus far. In some parts of the country, such as Region 10, water levels have surpassed 12 feet. In Region Nine, the shortages of food and drinking water have become problematic, resulting in the government intensifying its relief efforts. During his Wednesday visits, President Ali assured the residents that government is working assiduously to address their concerns. “I am here to let you know that the situation is far from over, but we are going to be here throughout,” the Head of

State told the residents.

REBUILDING PROCESS He assured them too that the assistance being provided by government will not only be in the form of emergency

rebuilding process, and we are going to support the rebuilding process,” President Ali posited. Prior to his stop in Chesney, President Ali engaged the residents of Fyrish

“I am going to every single community across our country to let people understand and to know we are concerned about the situation and we want to help, and we will be helping…. So I’m

President, Dr Irfaan Ali, engages residents of Chesney New Housing Scheme in Region Six (Office of the President photo)

hampers and supplies, but will extend throughout the recovery process. “I want to assure you that we are going to be with you; we are going to help in the

village, Corentyne where he reassured residents there that every single community in every region affected by floodwaters, including their community, will be aided.

here this morning to assure you as President that every single community will be served,” Dr. Ali noted. He explained that the immediate needs in many of the

flood-affected communities are to ensure that residents have access to an adequate supply of food, clean water, and shelter, as well as health care. He added that the worst affected are farmers and those whose livelihood depend on the rearing of livestock. President Ali noted that the CDC has already initiated a programme to ensure that food is delivered to affected areas and that medical supplies and shelters are provided. “We will be working hard to get as much water off of the land as possible; as soon as the water recedes, we are going to have a full assessment,” the President said. He assured the residents that based on their needs, supplies will be deployed from as early as Thursday afternoon. Accompanying President Ali in Berbice today are Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall; Director-General of the CDC, Lieutenant Colonel, Kester Craig; Head of the NDIA, Lionel Wordsworth and Regional Chairman, David Armogan, among other representatives.

Virtual Pride Week in full swing THE Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) has officially launched its Virtual Pride 2021 festivities with a bang. The launch on June 7 was streamed live on Facebook

and Instagram. Head of SASOD, Joel Simpson, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, highlighted that the organisation has come a long way in its 18 years of existence.

Head of SASOD, Joel Simpson

He noted that the organisation was eager to celebrate all of its achievements; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional colourful road festival will be held virtually. “Because of the pandemic we are confined to virtual pride again this year, we started on Monday June 7 which marks SASOD 18th anniversary so this year we did virtual pride to coincide with our anniversary,” he said. He noted that the event, which is already in full swing, will see a week of exciting and new activities. “Usually, we would have the pride festival just after the day or so after Independence and conclude by the end of the May. This year,

unlike last year, for the virtual pride where we had events scattered over a three-week period between June and July, we have a virtual pride week which started on Monday and it concludes of Sunday.” Earlier in the week, a virtual launch was held, followed by a Pride Yoga and Queer Movie Night. On Thursday a Global ‘Guyanese Gyaff’ will be held, followed by a Pride Games Night on Friday night and Caribbean Infernal Pride Party on Saturday. Finally, on Sunday, a Pride Inter-Faith Forum will be held to conclude the week’s event. “What we learn from last year is that some events are more popular that others and we got really good feedback on particular events so we just decided to focus on those particular events and just have in the similar way we would have the pride festival, being a week or 10 days, we decided to do virtual pride in a similar way.” Simpson also disclosed that despite not being able to have the usual colourful festivities, the virtual activities have managed to engage and reach many more persons, especially those in the diaspora.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Infrastructural damage due to flooding amounts to billions of dollars

-- preliminary assessment reveals; Minister Edgehill underscores need for climate-resilient structures By Rehana Ahamad THE Ministry of Public Works has completed a preliminary assessment of the infrastructural damage caused by the ongoing countrywide floods. According to subject minister, Juan Edghill, the recorded damage has amounted to billions of dollars. The minister declined to specify the impact in financial terms, but noted that the ministry will be focusing on executing emergency repairs to the most critical structures. The cost of these works is expected to be offset as part of a $10 billion supplementary budget which is being requested in the National Assembly today, Thursday. Minister Edghill said that it is unlikely that the public works allocation from the supplementary budget will be able to cover all of the works that need to be done and as a result, the ministry will have to prioritise its work. He told the Guyana Chronicle during a brief interview, that the ongoing floods have underscored the need to pursue infrastructural

Public Works Minister, Juan Edghill, assisting with the distribution of hampers to the flood-affected residents of Kwakwani earlier in the month

transformation in a manner that is climate-resilient, especially as it relates to flooding. “Those considerations existed before these floods, but this experience now has made those necessities more pronounced, because you are now able to see how fragile these structures are, and how easily they can be destroyed.” Edghill posited.

In providing more specifics, the minister indicated the need for Guyana to replace all of its wooden bridges and culvert with sturdy concrete structures. “We have to make up our minds. It is going to cost a lot, but we got to start building them in concrete,” Edghill said. He noted that the public infrastructure of almost

all of the flooded regions have been heavily affected, and will benefit from urgent remedies. As it relates to ongoing infrastructural projects, Minister Edghill has indicated that all of these have been affected due to the floods. He maintained however, that contractors have not stopped working, but have managed

to put systems in place to ensure that they move ahead with other aspects of their work, which are not heavily dependent on good weather conditions. “Nothing is stalled; affected, but not stalled. They’re trying to do other things… because of the rain and flooding, we can’t get to do paving; we can’t put

down the asphalt or do concrete where there is water; that is the difficulty we’re faced with,” Minister Edghill said in a previous interview with the Guyana Chronicle. The minister, who has visited several of the flooded communities, expressed hope that the devastating floods, which is in its third week, would end soon, so that those affected can begin to heal and rebuild. “Hopefully we can go into recovery very soon,” Edghill anticipated. He reminded that ever since the floods began, the government has been able to activate and deploy its emergency response teams to address the immediate needs of those affected. These efforts continue to be led by President Irfaan Ali, who has been visiting various communities to engage residents on their needs and concerns, so that sufficient relief can be mobilised. “I admire the proactive, visionary and resolute leadership of President Irfaan Ali… I think he has his hands on it,” Minister Edghill added.

High turnout recorded for Mock NGSA OVER 85 per cent of the Grade Six pupils who are preparing for this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), on Wednesday, turned out to participate in the Ministry of Education’s mock exams. The exams, which conclude today, is part of the ministry’s efforts to get 12,672 pupils ready to sit the national assessment on August 4 and 5. The ministry is hoping to have another set of mock exams sometime in July. Schools were closed in March 2020, after Guyana recorded its first COVID-19 case. The situation for the pupils have been exacerbated by the recent flooding which has severely affected many parts of the country. Due to the extenuating circumstances, pupils were given the option of writing the exams at school, online

or at home. Several pupils had their exams shifted to Friday, while others will be writing theirs on Monday. Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, during visits to Graham’s Hall Primary School, North Georgetown Primary School and Stella Maris Primary School, said she was pleased with what she saw. “What we’re doing is trying to observe and make sure that the process is going smoothly. This is the first time that primary school pupils are coming back to school after 13 months of being out of school. I am extremely pleased by what I see. Our rules and planning made the process very, very smooth. The pupils are properly distanced, they’re all wearing masks and sanitisers and appropriate pencils, rulers, erasers and so on. Parents are very supportive. I’m

really overall very pleased,” the minister noted during her walkabout on Wednesday morning. According to preliminary statistics provided by the Ministry of Education (MoE) at a virtual press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Regions 7, 8 and 10 had the lowest turnout rate of the 11 school districts. These regions are also the ones worst affected by the current flooding situation. Additionally, the current lockdown of several Region Nine villages due to COVID-19 concerns, have also affected pupils’ ability to participate in the mock exams. Notwithstanding the many challenging circumstances, Minister Manickchand, during the press conference, noted that she is very proud that the MoE spared no expense in doing

its best to provide for the pupils. “We can safely say this is the year we have done more than for any cohort of [NGSA] students. All pupils, public and private, were given care packages. We created the NGSA booster programmes for all of our students, and we had the ‘Quiz Me’ platform. We consolidated the curriculum to remove from the curriculum the things we didn’t think were absolutely necessary so a whole host of things were done,” she added. Though the turnout number was high, the minister noted that anything less than 100 per cent is unsatisfactory and, in this regard, the ministry plans to embark on a campaign to begin locating pupils and assessing the reasons behind their absence.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Restructuring at GWI in context THERE have been some interesting revelations from the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) following a recent decision to send off a number of staff. Letting staff go is generally not an easy decision to make, more so, in this very challenging COVID-19 times. Given that, there must be compelling reasons for the GWI to take the path it has announced. Judging from what is in the public domain, clearly, this decision could not have been made overnight and was driven by prior interventions. From what has been reported, the staffing at the entity is bloated, believably, deliberately by the previous administration. The issue of bloating the Public Service in general, by the previous government, came to light after the change of administration last August. Many reports of this were in and continue to make the news. Even more shocking is the suspicion that the bloating of staff may have occurred after the no-confidence motion (NCM) of Decem-

ber, 2018. While analyses may be ongoing on the timing of its occurrence, what seems irrefutable is the purposeful act by the previous government to bloat staffing in the Public Service. The impact is telling. One, persons, more than likely without any related skill set were just added to various agencies. Secondly, that would have obviously created serious financial burdens on those agencies some of which are challenged to provide effective and efficient services. Thirdly, the provision of these said services may have been stymied or almost halted given that crucial financial resources were diverted to support party affiliates. When the impact is examined, there appears a direct nexus between the bloating of the staffing and increased challenges to provide adequate services. While providing jobs is vital to sustain livelihoods and the economy, it has to be done in a structured and visionary manner to avoid strain and even the collapse of related infrastructure. With that in mind, it becomes

clearer why the GWI is now faced with the challenge in question. Also, given that particular scenario, the GWI is not the only entity facing that challenge. The reality of that holistic impact therefore becomes frightening. It is in that context the escapades into the realms of extravagance by the previous government cannot be dismissed. As a matter of fact, it was just one instance of such; the almost immediate and massive increase in salaries for themselves while claiming a lack of financial resources to implement same for the Public Service and steep increases in budgets for dietary needs for the various agencies, are just a few other examples. But that was just within recent years. Historically, the major party in the previous coalition administration and which was, in reality, the government, has been hallmarked by extravagance. The crippling effect of that penchant for excessiveness then, was the eventual bankruptcy of the country. During that period, essential services, including healthcare and the

provision of basic foods, became severely depleted and non-existent, respectively. Its most recent act of extravagance saw some thirty million dollars reported as being spent by the GWI on a party for staff and describing same as an “investment” in the employees. One can understand training and other long-term welfare-related issues as being investments, instead, the wilful bloating of the Public Service, as alluded, has not only led to a deprivation of vital financial resources to help in the improvement of related services, but has placed the present government in an awkward position. With the need to frontally address the issue and to implement corrective mechanisms, inevitably, staffers have to be let go. Naturally, fingers will point at the current government and the opposition will not miss a beat even though they are the source of the present dilemma. Expectation for their extravagance in criticism is rife. History shows they will not disappoint.

City Hall does not need a big staff but a small team of competent people Dear Editor,

THERE has been quite a buzz recently about a public utility company that has decided to rationalise and down size its human resource in order to save cost and improve its efficiency; however, one has to wonder whether the Georgetown Municipality would not wish to borrow/ take a page out of their book and also downsize to improve its economic performance and operating efficiency. I don’t think there is a citizen of Georgetown who does not have a dissatisfaction with regard to some aspect or the other regarding the services to which they are entitled but which they hardly get from the Council. It may be the lack of maintenance of the roads and bridges, or the dreadful state of the cemeteries where their loved ones have been interred or the lack of meat inspection

or hygienic slaughter of their animals at the abattoir, or the high rate of criminality in the City which the City Police don’t have a handle on, or it may be the putrid condition of the municipal markets or the closure of the daycare centres or it may be the poor street lighting in several areas of the City or the clogged drains, the profusion of mosquitoes at night or the wanton occupation of the pavements by itinerant vendors. There could be no justification for the overmanning and redundancy at City Hall, especially now that many of its services are either farmed out to contractors or being carried out by some arm of central government. Why have sections been upgraded to large departments with a lot of cushy positions added to it? An example would be the Personnel Section that has been transformed into a Human Resources Department with a string of managers and senior officers added

to it? Why is there a fully staffed Audit Section when the Council’s financial records have not been audited and qualified in decades? Why are resources being allocated to protocol services when the Council hardly facilitates public diplomacy nor encourages collaboration between international private and public entities? Why is there a Public Relations Division when the City does not have a radio station, a newsletter or even a proper social media presence? In today’s world of cutting-edge information and communication technology, most cities are having services delivered and transactions undertaken online rather than having citizens inline -- why not the Georgetown Municipality? Why the need for so many engineers when the City no longer maintains the road network, builds bridges nor even keep the clocks on the markets running. In the days when Georgetown was the ‘Garden City’,

when the City was effectively drained using only sluices and not with the help of High Capacity Flood Control Pumps, when the parapets were manicured with grass scythes and not the fancy brush cutters and trimmers currently used etc, etc. there was a small competent engineering staff Why the need for so many managers, deputies and assistants? When Georgetown was a model City, a City that was noted for best practices, a clean, healthy, orderly and well managed City, the municipality had less than half of all those fancy, high paying plum jobs. Is it not time for that monstrous monthly payroll cost of well over a hundred million dollars be cut in half and use the savings to provide a much higher level of service to the citizenry? Yours sincerely, Magagula Jackson

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

AS of Tuesday, June 8, some 214,251 persons have received their first dose of one of the three (Sputnik V, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm) COVID-19 vaccines; equivalent to about 44 per cent of Guyana’s adult population. According to Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, who made the revelation during his COVID-19 update with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Wednesday, some 79,802 persons have also received their second dose of the vaccine; equating to about 16.4 per cent of the adult population.

per cent of adults receive first dose of COVID-19 vaccine

― 16.4 per cent fully immunised

He appealed to persons who have received their first dose of the vaccine, and are now eligible for their second dose, to return for their second shot, as receiving only one dose of the vaccine would not fully immunise them against the virus. “There are lots of folks out there who would have gotten their first dose, as the numbers have shown…. And quite a number of those are now eligible for their second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. So, please come to the facilities where we’re vaccinating, so that you can get your second shot,” the minister said.

Giving a regional breakdown of vaccination rates, Dr Anthony noted that Region 10 has still been lagging behind severely in terms of vaccination rates, as only 13 per cent of the adult population has received their first dose of the vaccine. This is beyond a leap away from Region Six, which has recorded 51.9 per cent of the population, receiving at least their first dose of the vaccine. “Slow progress, but still lagging behind all the rest, because most of the other regions are either in their fifties, or in their forties. So we would like to see improve-

ment in [Region] 10, and hopefully, we can urge people to come out and get vaccinated,” he expressed. Coming in second behind Region Six with the vaccination campaign is Region One, which has vaccinated 51 per cent of its adult population; followed by Region Five, with 47.8 per cent; then Region Four, with 45.2 per cent; Region Three, with 43.8 per cent; Region Seven with 43.6 per cent; Region Nine, with 41.9 per cent; Region Two, with 41.4 per cent, and lastly, Region Eight, with 28.3 per cent of their adult population vaccinated.

Attention should be paid to crafting a comprehensive plan to address flooding Dear Editor, TWO weeks of flooding has been unbearable. It is a natural disaster. The government has done well in its response. The President and ministers have been on the ground tangibly offering a helping hand. And we applaud their efforts. The flooding will soon abate, and another one will come, even at an accelerated rate due to climate change. Unfortunately, this natural disaster of unusually high rainfall is coinciding with a high tide, worsening the consequences. Based on some understanding of the flooding in Guyana, this commentary humbly offers some thoughts on the situation, causes and mitigation. And we humbly appeal for some planning to mitigate flooding and its effects. As a water resources engineer and UG lecturer, Ram Dharamdial, was asked to explain flooding in Guyana in 1982 in a Chronicle article. Mr. Ram Dharamdial said, “when it does not rain, it’s a drought, and when it rains, it’s a flood.” That was forty years ago and little has changed from then in handling water management and planning for flooding. In a short and concise way, the problem of flooding is presented after interactions with civil engineers specialised in flood control so that readers without the relevant engineering training and experience understand what is happening. The coast landscape is such that 90 per cent of the population is on a flood prone zone having been reclaimed by the Dutch and other colonisers for mainly sugar cultivation. Like all floodplain lands, the drainage for these lands is not natural. Hence, a gravity drainage system was constructed that works with the tidal influence, capable of discharging two to three inches of rainfall over a 24-hour period. This functions acceptably good for low intensity high frequency storms (typically, a heavy downpour lasting three to four hours). However, the long

duration events (over a few days), typically experienced in December-January and MayJune periods when there is as much as 12 inches of rainfall, the natural runoff accumulates on the vulnerable parts of the coastlands. Therefore, even at the highest drainage efficiency and capacity, flooding will occur. A good example of an area that illustrates this is Black Bush Polder which was built from reclaimed swamp, and the gravity drainage capacity can handle just about two inches. Thus, there must be planning for flooding and mitigation measures. Now with that background on the reason for this flooding and those of the past, it can be opined that the management of the situation ought to be addressed urgently to mitigate the impacts.

management plan is typically created. The President should work with the Diaspora to create a pool of Guyanese engineers who have served North American governments well in managing flooding adequately and competently. He should assemble some of these guys and work on a flood management plan and master drainage plans for each drainage catchment area, and an acceptable hydrological/flooding modelling. If we start now, there is a likelihood that a plan can be partly constructed for the DecemberJanuary floods.

health, agriculture, etc., the national budget ought to identify flood prevention projects. No spending should be done without a water management plan. It is known that the present drainage capacity is inadequate. In the short term, the capacities of all the canals, sluices, kokers, outfalls, etc. should be improved to at least the design capacity. Where there is incapacity, the discharge of the rainfall should be supplemented with pumps, temporary ponding, control structures, etc. Targeted investments are required.

WATER MANAGEMENT POLICY With policy, the objective here is to establish protection and safety rules. This cannot be a “one-brush” approach as the causes and prevention are not the same in all areas. PolFLOOD MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE icies on the development of all floodplain For a country that is described as a land of lands – coastlands and in-lands, and riverine many waters, and the inhabited areas prone to areas should be enforced. For example, for flooding, there must be a strong institutional a major housing development, a clear rule structure to co-ordinate the management, should be established as to the level of the functioning and maintenance of the gravity first floor for each dwelling. Further, main drainage system. The Drainage and Irrigation streets should be constructed above the Authority, GuySuCo, Ministries of Infrastruc- known maximum flood level so that there ture and Agriculture, and the 10 Administra- is no need for boats to get residents to safetive Regions (operating independently) have ty. With regards to the riparian areas, farmto integrate and coordinate their functions ers/ miners etc. should be informed that they under a single comprehensive management are trespassing on the floodplain of a river, structure to create policies, processes and es- and how to protect themselves. This is done tablish responsibilities, not during the flood in North America. This is not advocating but before the floods, i.e. during the six river training works to save a few inhabitants months when those long duration storms who are ‘hard ears”. do not occur. For a functional institutional framework, the legal authority should be FINANCIAL SUPPORT endowed on it. Probably a Water Resources There is a cost to the economy for this Act should be a guiding document. current flood perhaps in billions of dollars. There is a disruption of lives, damage FLOOD MANAGEMENT ENGINEERS to properties, livelihood, loss of crops, etc. Flood management is mostly an applica- estimated in the billions of dollars. The tion of hydrology to estimate the flood vol- President recognises this and is promising umes, and hydraulics to convey the flows to some investment. The investment ought a safe and adequate outlet. With the volumes to be focused on short term and long term and conveyance capacities known, a flood measures. Like the provision for education,

A TYPICAL VILLAGE EXPERIENCE Flooding is prevalent in Meten Meer Zorg, one of the places the President visited. There is flooding in the village during all rainy seasons in the past, and it is still happening today. The eradication of flooding there is a relatively inexpensive solution, but surprisingly flooding is allowed to prevail for decades. There are similar areas all through the coastlands, and hopefully some in authority will implement some basic measures to save the residents. Space does not allow for elaboration. As stated above, once rainfall exceeds the maximum drainage capacity of a dysfunctional gravity drainage system, flooding will occur. It may not be possible to eliminate flooding completely, as it takes time for even the most efficient system to drain off excessive flood water. However, getting water off the lands in the shortest possible time requires a flood management plan, and not applying “band aids” when the flood strikes. The thoughts expressed are not meant to disparage anyone, engineers or administrators or politicians but to find solutions. Respectfully submitted, Vishnu Bisram and Ram Dharamdial

Fire guts Bagotville supermarket

A 180-year-old building at Lot 150 Bagotville Public Road, West Bank Demerara, which housed the Good Life Chinese Supermarket and a bakery, was completely destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning. According to reports reaching the Guyana Chronicle, the fire was spotted at approximately 05:30hrs at the back of the building where the Chinese couple who owned the supermarket lived. The couple was renting the building from 67-yearold Herman Faria, who is still coming to grips with his losses. “I’m not a young man anymore and this was my sole source of income,” Faria lamented. He spoke with this publication as he surveyed what remained of the building which has been in his family for 180 years. “This building has been in my family for 180 years,

passed down six generations. I inherited it from my grandfather. I used to live here but

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

The supermarket following the fire

then I built it over and rent it as a supermarket. I did over the front building three years

now, but the baker shop was 180 years,” he said. Passerby, Joan Adams, noted that around 05:30hrs while attending a church service a short distance away from the destroyed building, she observed smoke. However, she did not initially realize that the building was on fire. “We were at the church, we go every Wednesday morning, and I see the smoke but I thought was tyre burning because I know persons around there have a tyre shop. But around 6 o’clock, I see the smoke start getting darker and I call to the pastor and I said ‘there’s a fire at

Bagotville head there, come let we go and see’,” she explained. When she got there, fire tenders were already on the scene. However, the building was already engulfed and the fire was spreading. “You were just hearing pow, pow, pow. I don’t know if was the gas bottle or alcohol bottles, but as these bottles going off, the fire got crazy. I was worried about if the electrical wire might burst and go on the road, so I kept back,” Adams said. Several fire tenders from the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) were quickly dis-

patched to the location; however, they were only able to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. GFS Station Officer (Operations), Clive McDonald, told the Guyana Chronicle, at the scene, that a call was received at 05:59hrs. He said a fire tender was immediately dispatched from the La Grange Fire Station, which is located a short distance away. Additionally, fire tenders were also dispatched from the East Ruimveldt, Leonora and Central Fire Stations. “On arrival, the building was engulfed in flames. Immediately, the crew went into operation to contain and stop the fire spread. It was a bit challenging to get into the building because the security measures such as the grill work impeded us much. But, we got in and stopped the spread, and were able to surround the fire and contain and control it to this structure,” McDonald said. He noted that the fire service has already taken preliminary reports from the couple who lived at the building to assist them in investigations into the probable cause of the fire. “They gave us some reports as it relates to what they saw and so forth, so that is what we are working on to surmise the cause of the fire. We have some theories and some tips, so we are still investigating,” he added.

Herman Faria stands next to what is left of his building

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

One more COVID-19 death, 134 new cases recorded THE Ministry of Health, on Wednesday, reported that as of Tuesday, June 8, one more person who tested positive for COVID-19, has succumbed to the deadly virus. The total number of deaths, which is now 417, is reflected in the ministry’s daily COVID-9 dashboard for June 9. The latest fatality is one 79-year-old male from Region Four who died while receiving care at a Ministry of Health facility. His death pushes the COVID-19 toll for June 2021 to 19. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health has recorded 134 new cases of COVID-19, with 1,756 tests conducted for Tuesday June 8. Of these, Region One recorded two cases; Region

Two, three cases; Region Three, nine cases; Region Four, 49 cases; Region Five , nine cases; Region Six , 37 cases; Region Seven, one case; Region Nine, 16 cases, and Region 10, eight cases. The newly infected persons were 58 males and 76 females. C u r r e n t l y, t h e r e a r e 20 persons within the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 99 in institutional isolation, 1,566 isolated at home, and four in institutional quarantine. Guyana has confirmed a total of 17,939 cases of COVID-19 since the arrival of the deadly virus in the country. Of that number, 1,689 are currently active; and of the 15,837 recoveries, 209 were

recorded within the past 24 hours. All Guyanese are urged to observe the protocols of the COVID-19 emergency measures, which emphasise the need for correct and consistent use of a face mask when leaving home, the importance of maintaining the six feet physical distance from others, and the need for good hand hygiene to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. If anyone you know is displaying any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, or needs any additional information, kindly contact the COVID-19 Hotline 2311166, 226-7480 or 624-6674 immediately or visit the Ministry of Health at www. health.gov.gy.

‘Smokey’ gets life sentence for murder Wanted man in CJIA cocaine bust arrested

ALMOST five years after the execution-style killing of Orin David, murder convict Jermaine Jefford called “Smokey”, was, on Wednesday, sentenced to life imprisonment, with the possibility of parole after serving 30 years. Jefford, 28, formerly of Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara, was convicted by a 12-member

jury in May. On Wednesday, he made an appearance before trial judge, Justice Sandil Kissoon, at the Georgetown High Court for a sentencing hearing. Attorney-at-law Stanley Moore, S.C. represented Jefford, while the state was represented by prosecutor Lisa Cave. Jefford was on trial with former co-accused Howard

Jermaine Jefford called “Smokey”

Orin David

Rambarose called “Spleen” for the August 1, 2016, murder of David, who was killed outside of his Laing Avenue, West Ruimveldt home. On May 21, 2021, Rambarose was acquitted after Justice Kissoon upheld a no-case submission made by his attorney, George Thomas. The 33-year-old taxi driver was pronounced dead at the Georgetown Public Hospital, shortly after five men came out of a car and shot him multiple times. According to reports, minutes before his death, David was involved in an argument with Jefford over money. Jefford went away, but later returned with four other men in two vehicles and executed David with a 12-gauge shot gun.

Arrested: Warren Stuffle

A SOUTH Ruimveldt, Georgetown resident, who was wanted by the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) in relation to the recent discovery of a quantity of cocaine in a gold miner’s hand luggage at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri, was on Wednesday arrested. C A N U s a i d Wa r r e n

Stuffle, also known as Warren Barker, is wanted for questioning in relation to the discovery of 1.52kg of cocaine, which was found in Adyemi Hinds’ possession on June 1, 2021. Reports indicate that he was arrested on Tuesday in an interior location, placed in custody and handed over to CANU on Wednesday morning at Ogle Airport.

Mentally-ill man bludgeons mother to death

A MAN who, allegedly, killed his mother in Kara Kara, Linden, Region 10, was arrested on Tuesday after police discovered the woman’s body with the head and face smashed, inside her bedroom. The mentally-ill man was identified as Hosia Ajadai; his mother was Wanda Patricia, 56, called Sheila Wilson. An eyewitness reported to the police that he was called to make checks on Wilson and her son who reside at the same property. As a result, he proceeded and, on arrival, he met with the son and he observed the entire dining area ransacked and furniture and other appliances were scattered. He then suspected that something was wrong and he proceeded to the McKenzie Police Station where he reported his observation and the ranks left with him.

On arrival at the scene, the ranks did a walkthrough of the scene and observed the entire house ransacked. The victim’s body was discovered in a bedroom on a bed with a door atop her. The body was examined for marks of violence and the head and face appeared to be smashed in. The body was escorted to the Linden Hospital Complex where it was certified dead by the doctor on duty and subsequently escorted to a funeral home for storage awaiting autopsy. Ajadai was taken to the Linden Hospital Complex to be examined by the doctor who acknowledged that the victim was, and suspect is, a patient at the said institution. No marks of violence were seen on the most exposed parts of Ajadai’s body. He is currently in custody pending investigations.

Dead: Wanda Patricia Wilson

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Attorney found dead in home

THE body of attorney-at-law, Hubert Nathaniel, 77, was found in his Durbana Square, Lamaha Gardens, Georgetown, house on Tuesday. Police said that the attorney was last seen taking out his garbage on June 4, 2021 and on June 8, 2021, neighbours raised an alarm due to a foul smell emanating from the victim’s residence. The police were summoned and they entered the attorney’s home and discovered him lying motionless on the kitchen floor. The body was checked for marks of violence but none was seen. The body is lying at the Lyken Funeral Parlour awaiting autopsy as investigations continue.

Prison escapee, Andrew Chaung, surrenders LUSIGNAN prison escapee, Andrew Chaung, has surrendered to police on Wednesday following his escape from the East Coast Demerara facility the day before. Chaung was handed over to police by his sister and fiancée at the Criminal Investi-

gation Department, Eve Leary, Georgetown. Director of Prisons (ag) Nicklon Elliot, said Chaung and Shazam Kalil had escaped on June 8, 2021 while they were housed at the quarantine section of the Lusignan Prison. He will be charged criminally for escaping from lawful

custody. Meanwhile, Shazam Kalil, 24, also known as “Boi”, who, in 2016, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his girlfriend, is still on the run. Kalil’s last known address is Lot 53 Shieldstown, West Bank Berbice.

He was found guilty of murdering Shazina Mohamed, 19, of Edinburgh Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice. The woman was brutally stabbed about her body around 19:00 hrs on Saturday, January 17, 2015, outside the Yang Yi Chinese Restaurant in Rosignol, West Bank Berbice.

Andrew Chaung

Wanted: Shazam Kalil

Scenes from Grade Six mock assessment on Wednesday

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

A pupil sanitises his hands before entering school

A pupil washing his hands at a provided sink before entering school

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand (right), speaks with a parent as pupils turn out for their mock NGSA

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand, speaks with pupils ahead of their doing the mock NGSA

Pupils doing their mock NGSA paper on Wednesday

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

IPED salutes Dr. Yesu Persaud’s contribution to business development

THE Institute of Private Enterprise Development (IPED) has unveiled a life-sized bust of Dr. Yesu Persaud, who is the founding Chairman of IPED, and served the institution from October 1985 to January 2018. Dr. Persaud is a chartered accountant and a master entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to recreating and nurturing the small and micro business sector in Guyana, a release from IPED said. His vision led to the creation of IPED and his leadership has ensured improved livelihoods and sustainable micro and small enterprises for over 4,000 entrepreneurs across Guyana. The unveiling of the bust, sculpted by Guyanese artist, Ivor Thom, was held at IPED’s headquarters, South Road, Georgetown, and was attended by several high-ranking officials including the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh; Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr. K. J. Srinivasa; Members of the Private Sector including

immediate past Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IPED and now Managing Director of DDL, Ramesh Persaud; members of the IPED Board of Directors; and other special invitees. Jagedesh Harriprashad, CEO of IPED (ag), in his welcoming remarks, said “Dr. Yesu Persaud served us for 33 of the 35 years of IPED’S existence as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Today, IPED has 96 team members and 14 offices around Guyana where we serve our country, improving livelihoods and building sustainable micro and small enterprises.” He added: “The unveiling of this life-sized bust is in honour of Dr. Persaud’s vision, his love for country and community, his service to micro and small entrepreneurs, and his leadership here at IPED.” IMPROVING LIVELIHOODS Immediate past CEO of IPED, Ramesh Persaud, in his remarks at the ceremony, said

“Dr. Persaud’s great desire of helping people to help themselves is why the Institute of Private Enterprise Development Limited exists today. IPED was created to ensure that micro and small business entrepreneurs improve their livelihoods by building sustainable enterprises.” He further expressed that “IPED is one small part of the greater accomplishments of Dr. Persaud’s lIfetime but I will claim unreservedly, it is one of the most meaningful contributions of his, as IPED is sustainable and will grow to benefit many more generations to come.” Chairman of the Board of Directors of IPED, Komal Samaroo, in sending best wishes to Dr Persaud, and read by Ramesh Persaud, said “Dr Persaud led the growth of IPED to what it is today. His tireless and persistent efforts to get subscribers initially and to attract international institutions such as Pan-American Development Foundation, Canadian Foundation for International Training, CIDA and USAID,

to buy into the concept and vision, and provide support must always be remembered, as this laid the foundation on which to build the Institute [IPED].” The featured presentation was done by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, who said “In the very early days when the language of micro-enterprising was very new and people didn’t even know what it meant, Dr. Yesu Persaud spotted the potential for small loans to be provided to new and emerging and aspiring entrepreneurs and saw the tremendous impact that can have in promoting a culture of entrepreneurship and helping small businesses to grow and

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, at the unveiling of the Dr Yesu Persaud bust

Bust of Dr. Yesu Persaud being unveiled by immediate past CEO of IPED, Ramesh Persaud (left) and Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh (right) as others look on

to emerge.” SHINING EXAMPLE Minister Singh remarked that “Dr. Persaud is a shining example of what pushing the frontier and testing the boundaries can achieve. He is a shining example of what can be done if we are prepared to innovate and to make things happen. That approach to life and that philosophy, I am particularly pleased to say, is not only demonstrated in Dr. Persaud’s attitude to business and commercial activities but also to public life and issues of national importance.” Dr. Yesu Persaud, in his remarks to the gathering, said “Let me say thank you very much to the Board of Directors for setting up this event today, I am very honoured. Over the years, I have done many things in my life and, since my return to Guyana, one of my major accomplishments was rallying for the business community and challenging governments for the rights of business people, and that is something that should never be forgotten.” He added: “I have had the honour of working with some of the greatest minds in Guyana to help build our business sector, ensuring that businesses were able to realise their potential and become what they are today. The work was never easy, but it was needed, so

that all Guyanese, no matter their geographical location, could live better lives and be able to provide for their families. We must continue on our upward trajectory especially

as Guyana is on the brink of economic prosperity.” The bust remains on display in the lobby of IPED’s headquarters on South Road, Georgetown.

Miner killed in drunken brawl

A 20-year-old miner, identified as Shemar Drakes of Third Avenue, Bartica, Region Seven, was, on Monday afternoon, stabbed to death during a drunken brawl with a colleague. He was stabbed, allegedly, by a Brazilian around 01:30hrs at Suewanda Backdam, Upper Puruni River. Police are seeking the whereabouts of the perpetrator. According to police, investigations revealed that on the aforementioned time, Drakes and the suspect were on Suewanda Landing consuming alcoholic beverages and apparently became intoxicated. This resulted in an argument between the two and during the quarrel, the suspect, who was armed with a sharp instrument, dealt Drakes a single stab to his lower abdomen, causing his intestines to protrude. Drakes then ran to a cook shop where he related to the owner what happened. Shortly after he collapsed and became motionless about 100 feet south of the shop, on the main access road. His body was examined and a single wound was seen to his lower abdomen. The body was escorted to the Bartica Public Hospital. Police said efforts so far to locate the suspect have been futile.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Guyanese woman receives scholarship to US Air Force Academy

US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, congratulated Emmanuela Desir, of Georgetown, as the first female from Guyana to attend

the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. According to the local embassy, Desir attended a pre-departure ceremony at the U.S.

Embassy, which included representatives from the Military Liaison Office. She received a full four-year scholarship at the academy,

sponsored by the U.S. Government. Only 15 international students per year are admitted to the academy from around the world. “This scholarship builds on the US commitment to women,

peace and security, as we recognise the unique and necessary skills that women bring to the security forces. The United States knows that when we invest in a woman, she changes not only her own life, but also that of her family and commu-

nity,” the local embassy noted. A m b a s s a d o r Ly n c h praised Desir’s strong desire to serve her country in the area of science and noted her plans to return to Guyana to work in the field of green energy.

Ambassador Lynch congratulates Emmanuela Desir

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

GECOM officials to face fresh fraud charges on June 29

COME June 29, Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield; Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers and Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo are expected to appear in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer to additional charges. The trio allegedly conspired with each other to defraud electors during the March 2020 General and

Regional Elections. They will be appearing before Magistrate Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus on two counts of conspiracy which alleged that between March 2 and August 2, 2020, at Georgetown, they conspired with each other, together with Volda Lawrence, Carol Smith-Joseph, Sherfern February, Enrique Livan, Denise Bobb- Cummings, Michelle Miller and others to defraud the electors of

Guyana by declaring a false account of votes for the elections. On Wednesday, the case was called before Magistrate Isaacs-Marcus, but none of the officials were present in court. This resulted in the magistrate adjourning the case until June 29. They and their alleged co-conspirators are currently before the court on several charges involving electoral fraud and misconduct in

public office which were reportedly committed during the elections. They are all accused of inflating the results of Region Four – Guyana’s largest voting district – to give the APNU+AFC Coalition a majority win at the polls when in fact, the PPP/C had won by 15,000 votes. This dispute resulted in several legal challenges which ended up before the Caribbean Court of Justice

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers

Returning Officer for Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Clairmont Mingo (left) and Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield

(CCJ) – Guyana’s highest appeal court – and a fivemonth delay in the declaration of the results. A lengthy recount of the votes eventually declared victory to the PPP/C and Dr. Irfaan Ali was sworn in as the President of Guyana. Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, S.C granted a fiat to attorneys-at-law, Glenn Hanoman, Mark Conway, Ganesh Hira, Arudranauth Gossai and George Thomas, to prosecute the matters on behalf of the State. Just over a week ago, the PPP/C-nominated GECOM

Commissioners tabled motions seeking the immediate dismissal of Lowenfield, Myers and Mingo on the grounds that they have breached their functions, duties, responsibilities and obligations. Recently, Chief Justice (ag), Roxane Georg, S.C. ordered the release of the certified copies of the elections’ Statements of Poll (SoPs) and Statements of Recount (SoRs) to the Commissioner of Police (ag), Nigel Hoppie, and the DPP for use in the prosecution of the cases against the GECOM officials.

‘Foots’ charged for murder of Trans Guyana employee EAST La Penitence resident, Allistair Naughton, who allegedly shot and killed a Trans Guyana employee moments after robbing him, was, on Wednesday, remanded to prison by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan when he made an appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. Naughton, called “Foots” and “Markey”, was not required to plead to the indictable charge. It is alleged that on May 28, 2021, at Camp Street, Georgetown, while being in company of another, he murdered Ronald Omar Smith in the course or furtherance of a robbery. According to reports, Smith and his fiancée were standing on the western side of Camp Street when two men on a motorcycle confronted them. The pillion rider, said to be Naughton, approached Smith and relieved him of the cash he had in his possession. Before making good their escape, they shot Smith. An investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Naughton. He was later charged. The matter was adjourned until July 6, 2021.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Food for the Poor hands over new homes to 10 Essequibo families By Indrawattie Natram

TEN Region Two families, on Tuesday, collected the keys to brand new homes from Food for the Poor (FFTP) and are anticipating a more comfortable life. Six of houses were constructed in Queenstown and the remaining four in the Onderneeming Sandpit area by Faldhari Singh and Son Construction Service. The project was fully funded by FFTP.

The two-bedroom, 20 feet by 16 feet wooden structures are outfitted with indoor sanitary facilities and rain harvesting components. Each home is semi-furnished with two beds, a table top gas stove, and a small dining table with four chairs. Six of the families who will not have any access to electricity from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) received solar panel kits which will power light bulbs. FFTP’s Chief Executive

Officer (CEO), Kent Vincent and Senior Project Manager, Andrea Benjamin, along with Regional Chairperson, Vilma De Silva and representative of the Queenstown Development Association, Fitzroy Frederick, joined the families at a simple ceremony at the Queenstown Community Development Centre. Vincent, in brief remarks, said the non-profit organisation, in observance of its 30th anniversary, will be handing over 30 houses. He said the

Chief Executive Officer of the Food for the Poor, Kent Vincent is joined by Regional Chairperson, Vilma De Silva, as he hands over a house to a family at Queenstown

David Stanford collects the ownership document for his new home from FFTP’s CEO, Kent Vincent. Also pictured are his wife, Judy and their children

priority of FFTP is to provide security for families, especially those with children, to ensure that they grow in a comfortable environment. According to the CEO, FFTP aims to improve the lives of children by ensuring that they are provided with proper housing. He said FFTP looks forward to partnering with the Region Two administration to improve the lives of more families. So far, the organisation has constructed 700 houses for persons living in Region Two. FFTP aims to construct 240 homes this year for vulnerable families. Later, Benjamin underscored the importance and impact of access to adequate housing. She emphasised that better housing conditions contribute to family stabil-

ity, enhanced health status and improved confidence, economic security and community development. Meanwhile, Regional Chairperson, Vilma De Silva, expressed appreciation for the housing support that is being provided by Food for the Poor. She noted that the Government of Guyana is supportive of humanitarian efforts and housing projects. According to De Silva, she is particularly passionate about serving the less fortunate as she herself came from humble beginnings. She urged the families to focus on the continued transformation of their lives and to “mix with the right set of people”. She also used the opportunity to pledge the region’s support towards working with FFTP

to enhance the livelihood of the less fortunate in Region Two. One of the beneficiaries, Kenisha Walcott, expressed her gratitude to FFTP for providing her with a better life. She stated that since the age of 14, she has been living with relatives, moving from one family to another. She said as an adult with a daughter, she wanted a home of her own so that her child will not have to experience the things she did. Walcott said the construction of the house was an answer to her prayers. Also expressing gratitude was Frederick, who said he was happy for the 10 families who have benefitted. He later thanked FFTP for the fruitful venture.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

New global pledge to accelerate progress towards ending AIDS ― eliminate inequalities faced by communities affected by HIV

UNITED Nations Member States have adopted a set of new and ambitious targets in a political declaration at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS, in New York. According to a UNAIDS release, the political declaration calls on countries to provide 95 per cent of all people at risk of acquiring HIV within all epidemiologically relevant groups, age groups and geographic settings with access to people-centred and effective HIV combination prevention options. It also calls on countries to ensure that

95 per cent of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 95 per cent of diagnosed people are on HIV treatment and 95 per cent of people on HIV treatment are virally suppressed by 2025. “To end AIDS, we need to end the intersecting injustices that drive new HIV infections and prevent people from accessing services,” said Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. The political declaration notes with concern that key populations—gay men and other men who have sex with men,

sex workers, people who use drugs, transgender people and people in prisons and closed settings—are more likely to be exposed to HIV and face violence, stigma, discrimination and laws that restrict their access to services, the release stated. It added that Member States agreed to a target of ensuring that less than 10 per cent of countries have restrictive legal and policy frameworks that lead to the denial or limitation of access to services by 2025. They also committed to ensure that less than 10 per cent of people living with, at risk of or

affected by HIV face stigma and discrimination by 2025, including by leveraging the concept of undetectable = untransmittable. (This means that people living with HIV who have achieved viral suppression do not transmit HIV). Member States also committed to eliminate all forms of sexual and gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, by adopting and enforcing laws that address the multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and violence faced by women living with, at risk of and affected by

HIV. They pledged to reduce to no more than 10 per cent the proportion of women, girls and people affected by HIV who experience gender-based inequalities and sexual and gender-based violence by 2025. In addition, commitments were made to ensure that all women can exercise their right to sexuality, including their sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. Countries were also urged to use national epidemiological data to identify other priority populations who are at higher risk of exposure to HIV, which may include people with disabilities, ethnic and racial minorities, indigenous peoples, local communities, people living in poverty, migrants and refugees. Countries also committed to ensure that 95 per cent of people living with, at risk of and affected by HIV are protected against pandemics, including COVID-19. WAKE-UP CALL “The stark inequalities exposed by the colliding pandemics of HIV and COVID-19 are a wake-up call for the world to prioritise and invest fully in realising the human right to health for all without discrimination,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima. The release also noted that Member States committed to increase and fully fund the AIDS response. They agreed to invest US$29 billion annually by 2025 in low- and middle-income countries. This includes investing at least US$3.1 billion towards societal enablers, including the protection of human rights, reduction of stigma and discrimination and law reform. They also committed to include peer-led HIV service delivery, including through social contracting and other public funding mechanisms. Calling for expanding access to the latest technologies for tuberculosis (TB) prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and vaccination, Member States agreed to ensure that 90 per cent of people living with HIV receive preventive

treatment for TB and reduce AIDS-related TB deaths by 80 per cent by 2025. Countries also committed to ensure the global accessibility, availability and affordability of safe, effective and quality-assured medicines, including generics, vaccines, diagnostics and other health technologies to prevent, diagnose and treat HIV infection, its coinfections and other co-morbidities through the use of existing flexibilities under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and ensure that intellectual property rights provisions in trade agreements do not undermine the existing flexibilities as outlined in the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health. Member States also committed to support and leverage the 25 years of experience and expertise of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/ AIDS (UNAIDS) and committed to fully fund the programme so that it can continue to lead global efforts against AIDS and support efforts for pandemic preparedness and global health. In accordance with the Global AIDS Strategy 2021– 2026: End Inequalities, End AIDS, adopted by consensus on 25 March 2021 by the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board, as well as the report of the United Nations Secretary-General, Addressing Inequalities and Getting Back on Track to End AIDS by 2030, issued on 31 March 2021, UNAIDS would have welcomed even stronger commitments on comprehensive sexuality education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and sexual orientation and gender identity, unqualified acceptance of evidence-based HIV prevention options, such as harm reduction, a call for the decriminalisation of the transmission of HIV, sex work, drug use and laws that criminalise same-sex sexual relationships and further flexibilisation of intellectual property rules for access to life-saving medicines, vaccines and technologies.

Man accused of rape granted $150,000 bail

TROY Jones of James Street, Albouystown, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, on Wednesday, charged with rape and was placed on $150,000 bail by Chief Magistrate Anna McLennan. Jones, known as “Curry”, denied that he,on October 24, 2020, at an East Bank Demerara location, engaged in sexual penetration with a woman without her consent. According to the prosecution, Jones and the woman have known each other for over 11 years. The two spent several hours together at an agreed location before returning to their respective homes. The woman subsequently accused Jones of raping her. The matter was reported and an investigation was launched. Jones was subsequently charged for the offence. He will make his second court appearance on June 21, 2021.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Djokovic into French open semi-final

(BBC) - Novak Djokovic teed up a French Open semi-final with Rafael Nadal by beating Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in a match which was stopped to ensure fans could leave before an 22:00hrs curfew in Paris. Serbia’s Djokovic won the opening two sets, leaving him on course to complete victory in front of the 5 000 fans allowed to watch the night session. Berrettini won a third-set tie-break, forcing an exodus greeted by loud boos. When the players returned, Djokovic wrapped up a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(5-7), 7-5 win. The final stages of the match were played in eerie silence, like the previous night matches in the tournament, after initially taking place in front of an exuberant crowd. That stillness was punctured, however, by Djokovic’s manic celebrations when he took his third match point. With his eyes wide and fists punching his chest, the world number one roared his delight at coming through. Victory ensures Djokov-

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Djokovic reached his 11th French Open semi-final when he wrapped up victory in an empty Court Philippe Chatrier.

ic will renew his enduring rivalry with Nadal, who is aiming for a record-extending 14th title at Roland Garros. The pair will meet for the 58th time in their illustrious careers, with the winner going on to face Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or German sixth seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final. Nadal, 35, is still deemed the favourite to land a 14th title, which would be a 21st Grand Slam triumph and move him clear of Roger Federer for the first time in terms of most men’s majors.

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Djokovic, 34, is two behind Nadal and Federer after winning his 18th Grand Slam at the Australian Open in February.

Why did the fans have to leave? Just as there had been during Nadal’s afternoon match yesterday, there was a buoyant mood on Chatrier when Djokovic met Berrettini in the first Roland Garros night session to have fans. The previous matches held under the floodlights had all been played behind closed doors because of a 21:00hrs curfew imposed by France’s coronavirus restrictions. The rules had been loosened yesterday, allowing more fans - up to 5 000 to watch on Chatrier than previously throughout the tournament. But, shortly after Ber-

rettini provided competition to Djokovic again and the fourth set was delicately poised, the spectators were turfed out in order to meet the newly extended 23:00hrs curfew. Questions were raised about why the French Tennis Federation decided to start the match not before 20:00hrs local time (19:00hrs BST), when there was a gap of almost two hours after the end of Nadal’s win over Diego Schwartzman. “I would love to know why they started the match so late,” former British number one Annabel Croft said on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. “It hasn’t suited anyone. This is now eerie - the complete opposite to the atmosphere the two were playing in. Berrettini, in particular, was feeding off the energy of the crowd.”

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Thursday June 10, 2021)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown Tel: 225-6158 Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Gerry Alexander-29 dismissals (25 catches; 4 stumpings- 8 Tests) (2) Kamran Akmal-25 dismissals (23 catches; 2 stumpings- 5 Tests)

TODAY’S QUIZ:

(1) Which WI player has contested most Test matches against NZ to date? (2) Which NZ cricketer has played most Test matches against the WI to date?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

Harper defends Seales selection Holder wants more to be (CMC) - Chief selector Roger Harper has stoutly defended the shock selection of uncapped teenaged fast bowler Jayden Seales, arguing the Trinidadian’s glaring lack of experience was superseded by his “enthusiasm” and wicket-taking ability. The 19-year-old Seales was named on Tuesday in a 13-man squad to face South Africa in the opening Test starting today at the Darren Sammy National Stadium in St Lucia. Seales, however, has never played a regional first-class match but Harper contended his performances in two recent West Indies inter-squad warm-up games had tilted the scales in his favour. “I saw a young bowler perform in those games when Test players and the best of our regional firstclass players were playing, and he performed exceedingly well, better than a number of players who have been playing first-class cricket over a number of years,” Harper told a media conference following the announcement of the squad. “The match was not named a first-class match but those matches were played by the best of our first-class players and he performed exceedingly well. “So I would like to think if he can perform well in those games against those players he has the potential

to transfer that onto the Test scene.” Seales took four wickets in the first inter-squad match back in March, none of his victims boasting any extensive Test experience. A n d i n l a s t w e e k ’s second inter-squad game, the right-armer claimed a five-wicket match haul, including an impressive four-wicket second-innings effort when he knocked over the experienced duo of Darren Bravo and Shai Hope. Harper said Seales had exhibited exciting qualities in those two matches, which had convinced the selection panel of his readiness for the highest level. “He’s impressed the panel with his pace, with his enthusiasm; the fact that he is willing to run in, he gets movement and he’s proven to be a wicket-taker,” Harper said of the player with a single wicket from his only first-class game against New Zealand A last December, when he was among the travelling reserves for West Indies’ two-Test tour of New Zealand. “A number of persons have asked the question about the fact he’s played only one first-class game. “You have to take the current situation into consideration, the fact that we haven’t had regional cricket, but we’ve had matches where all persons involved were first-class players and a huge number of them, more than 60 per cent have

played Test cricket.” Seales came to prominence at last year’s ICC Under-19 World Cup when he finished with 10 wickets as Young West Indies bowed out at the quarter-final stage. He was then fast-tracked into the senior team setup and following the New Zealand tour, remained with the West Indies squad for the two-Test series against Sri Lanka in March as a “developmental player”. Seales gets the nod ahead of 24-year-old speedster Keon Harding who was a reserve on last year’s Test tour of England and who made his one-day debut in Bangladesh earlier this year, but surprisingly failed to make the recent 17-man provisional squad for the upcoming series. And even though the Barbadian stood out in the last first-class season with 29 wickets and has taken 54 from 17 first-class matches overall, Harper stressed Seales was “best placed” to represent West Indies at the moment. “Keon Harding no doubt has tremendous potential and I think going forward, he continues to improve and develop his skill,” Harper explained. “Of course he will play a tremendous part but at this point we think that Jayden Seales is best placed among the fast bowlers to serve the purpose that we’re looking for at this point.”

Ravens ‘pioneer’, ‘Man-of-theArts’ Clairmonte Taitt dead at 88

CLAIRMONTE Taitt, who along with Ken Corsbie helped form Ravens Basketball Club in 1953, passed away in Barbados on Tuesday. He was 88. Taitt is a renowned theatre practitioner who was born in Guyana to a Barbadian father and Guyanese mother. He was widely recognised for his work in theatre arts and had received awards, including the Earl Warner Trust’s Lifetime Achievement Awards. Though his work in the arts is commonly acclaimed, Taitt’s imprint on the sport of basketball is one that is oftentimes forgotten. Clairmonte, along with his brother Laurence. Corsbie, and Stanley Greaves, pioneered the forming of GuyClairmonte Taitt ana’s oldest and most successful basketball club, Ravens. Taitt was also the head coach of the first basketball team to represent Guyana overseas (Suriname) 1957. He was described as “a continental son”, whose work with the Philharmonic Orchestra in Guyana saw him pick up awards as a tenor and choirmaster. Taitt was a BBC-trained broadcaster with Radio Demerara and a Radio St Lucia programme director, while he worked with the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as an announcer/producer.

done for anti-racism

(ESPNCRICINFO) - Almost a year to the day that West Indies became one of the first two international cricket sides to take a knee in support of Black Lives Matter, their former captain Jason Holder has urged athletes to do more for anti-racism. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo ahead of West Indies’ series against South Africa, Holder said he wants the taking a knee to be given meaning again through greater awareness and action. “I had a few discussions

of anti-racism, as they prefer. “It’s been quite a journey for our side with regard to this topic,” Dean Elgar, South Africa’s new Test captain said. “We had a meeting with West Indies cricket yesterday - myself, Kraigg Braithwaite and the two team managers. Ultimately what happened is that we approached them to give them our version of going forward with regard to their campaign and us supporting the campaign. “We have given the players their right to perform whichever act or gesture they

ing a gesture but ultimately, we have come to West Indies to respect their campaign,” Elgar said. “We have also come to West Indies on the back of a lot of long chats in our squad and its taken us a year to reach this point, where we feel every player has a right, a sense of belonging in this team and we have have come to the Caribbean not to disrespect the West Indies badge. We have made a massive step with regard to this and tomorrow (today) players will be able to share their gestures.”

West Indies are likely to take a knee at the start of each of the two Tests against South Africa. (Getty Images)

about it and I feel as though some people feel it’s now a watered-down action taken before the games. I would like to see some new initiative to spark the movement again,” Holder said. “I don’t want people to just think we’re taking the knee because Black Lives Matter, that’s the tradition and that’s the norm. It has to have some substance; it has to have some meaning behind it.” Although West Indies are likely to take a knee at the start of each of the two Tests against South Africa, as they have done in all of the series they have played since the England tour last year, Holder indicated they may add to the activism by other means. “Maybe, that’s something we can do as a group. Maybe, a video collage and a video message, just to reiterate what the movement stands for and what it’s all about,” he said. South Africa allow individual players to make own gestures. South Africa will join the campaign as a collective but have allowed individual players to make their own gestures

want. If players are comfortable with taking a knee, they may. If a player wants to do the previous gesture that we had, of raising your right fist, they are entitled to do that. If they aren’t comfortable just yet, they’ve got to stand to attention so we can respect the campaign.” This is a marked departure from South Africa’s approach in the past, when they collectively decided not to take a knee. Instead, they wore black armbands on their return to play last November against England and had banners against racism and gender-based violence and then raised their fists in a black-power salute before the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka. The interim board expressed its disappointment at South Africa’s approach, especially given the country’s Apartheid history. Now, South Africa have changed their stance with respecting their hosts foremost on their minds. “We have come a long way. There are players who aren’t comfortable with serv-

The subject has become topical in the cricketing world again after recent events in England, where Ollie Robinson has been suspended for historic tweets and other players are under investigation, and Holder recognised that racism remains a problem that needs to be addressed through more than just gestures. “Racism is a big thing in the world and in society at this point in time,” Holder said. “I would like to see some more emphasis, some more thought process going into actually re-sparking or re-engaging the movement so it can actually hold some substance. Now, we are getting to a point where people are just saying we are taking the knee, but what do we actually take the knee for? Does it have that substance that it had before? “To me, racism is something we need to speak out against. More awareness has to be going on around it. And the more we can do that, which could be in a different way rather than taking the knee, the better off we will be around this whole movement.”

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, June 10, 2021

West Indies vs South Africa 1st Test Elgar says Windies players deserve respect, not taking opponents lightly By Clifton Ross AHEAD of the first bio-secure Test Match against the West Indies, South Africa skipper Dean Elgar says it’s important to show their opponents the necessary respect and not take them lightly over the course of their upcoming battle which bowls off today at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, St Lucia. Captain Kraigg Braithwaite said recently during his virtual conference that the Windies were eager to go and put on a show and maintain their current momentum, Elgar, during the prematch virtual Zoom conference yesterday, explained that despite the Windies having a slightly watered-down bowling attack, minus Shannon Gabriel; the team command their respect and as such the Proteas will need to focus primarily on scoring runs. Elgar also believes that

while scoring runs and taking wickets are a part of winning, it’s ideal to follow the necessary procedures to ensure that they endure a successful outing over the next few days. A look at the tale of the tapes reveals that the number 6-ranked West Indies could easily get the better of their number 7-rated opponents, especially after this being the lowest ICC ranking in Test cricket ever for a former number one team. Much rests on the shoulders of the Windies in-form players, most notably those who have been outstanding in the previous series. Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite chalked up 200 plus runs in the last series after returning to some form but the new star Kyle Mayers, who created history with his 201, along with a returning Shai Hope and others could favour the home team. Veteran speedster Kemar Roach, will have lots of responsibility during the

GCB congratulates new MSC president McNichol

President of the Malteenoes Sports Club Ms Deborah McNichol

series, given his young teammates like fast bowler Alzarri Joseph or even off-spinner Rakeem Cornwall and others who will surely need his support come bowling time. Elgar, who averages almost 40 with the bat, will rely on his young guns like Aiden Markram who led the Sri Lanka series with 227 runs. Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma and the pugnacious Rassie van der Dussen will all play big batting roles given their experience and reputation. One big player for the visitors will be spinner Keshav Maharaj, who could easily follow up his last haul of 10fer with more magical figures should he settle. Pacer Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi will add extra support to pack leader Kagiso Rabada who, too, is one of the South African X-factors. Meanwhile, South Africa’s record is quite similar to that of the hosts, with both teams winning 2 of their last 5 Test battles. THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has extended congratulations to Ms Deborah McNichol on her recent, unopposed election to the presidency of the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC). Ms McNichol brings to the position a wealth of experience, having served for many years

Both camps completed some fine-tuning ahead of today’s 1st Test in St Lucia.

on the executive committee of the Malteenoes Sports Club as well as the Georgetown Cricket Association. The GCB notes that Ms Mc Nichol is the first female president of a major cricket club in Guyana and possibly in the Caribbean. The GCB feels that her ascendancy to the position of

president is testimony to her hard work and commitment and trusts that this achievement will set the stage for more females to come forward and contribute to the progress and development of Guyana cricket both as players and cricket administrators. In a release, the board commended the members of

Malteenoes Sports Club for having placed their confidence in McNichol and by so doing broke the gender barrier. The release further wished McNichol a successful tenure as president of the MSC and stands willing to assist her as she undertakes the stewardship of one of Guyana’s leading sports club.

West Indies vs South Africa 1st Test Elgar says Windies players deserve respect, not taking opponents lightly

See Page 27

Harper defends Seales selection

Teenager Jayden Seales (right) gets advice from West Indies bowling coach, Roddy Estwick. (Photo courtesy CWI Media)

See Page 26

Ravens ‘pioneer’, ‘Man-ofthe-Arts’ Clairmonte Taitt dead at 88

Clairmonte Taitt (4th from left) with the first basketball team to represent Guyana in 1957 in Suriname

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

See Page 26

| THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2021