Kaieteur News

Sex-for-passes scandal rocks police college again

— female recruit alleges widespread abuse

A m i d m o u n t i n g complaints of sexual harassment of female recruitsattheGuyanaPolice Force Academy, one of the trainees have come forward detailing damning allegations against her instructors and other officials, pointing to what she describes as a culture of exploitation, abuse of authority and institutional silence.

TheGuyanaPoliceForce hasnotrespondedtoqueries for a comment on the incident and Home Affairs Minister, Oneidge Walrond alsocouldnotbereachedby Kaieteur News on Monday It is not the first time these allegations have surfaced againstofficers manningthe police academy Some of them were investigated last year and were transferred from the college. In this latest complaint, one of the female recruits said sexual h a r a s s m e n t a n d inappropriate conduct at the Training School, located at Eve Leary is out of control. “I wish to bring to your attention a recent incident whichoccurredonThursday 15th January, 2026 at the Training School between 23:00hoursandFriday16th January, 2026 to 03:00 hours.”

The young woman said between the periods mentionedasergeantwasthe duty officer and a lance

corporalwasthesubordinate officer and he was assisted byawomancorporalandan apprentice The recruit detailed that during the period, several identifiable police and unidentifiable males were seen in the compound. “My squaddies (fellowrecruits)andI found itstrangebecausenovisitors are allowed after 6:00 pm.

So,afewofusinthefemale dormreachoutittoourmale classmatesviaphoneandask whatwasgoingon.”

The female recruit said during whatsapp text messages and phone calls they were told that some instructors and other males are taking several female trainees to the instructors’ rooms, gym, instructors office and in their cars. “So, we decided to check the female barracks and we noticed that several females were missing. A few girls andIwentdownstairswhere we reach a few of our male squaddies and we went to check what was going on.

We found that several male staff and female trainees were drinking alcohol and some even having sex in the enquiries office and oral sex in the instructors’ office.”

The female recruit related. The female also provided a video recording of what transpired in the instructor’s office. “We the trainee girls andboysarebeingexploited. Traineeshavetodoallkinds

ofthingstogetbyinhere,to getpasses,nottoworknights andtopasstheexaminations, the males have to pay and purchase expensive alcohol and the females have to do oral, anal and vaginal sex. Thisisreal,canyouimagine thatmysquaddiehadtolieto one of the male instructors and told him that she is a virgin and her parents take herformedicalcheck-upjust to push him off,” the recruit related.

She noted that in return, to convince her, the instructor offered her to assist her to make her the valedictorian for her batch just to have sex with her

“Ever since the last investigation was done and nothing happened to the staff, they are boasting that they have connections and they are abusing their powers. It’s hard to be here

and witness what is happening,” the female recruitnoted. Shealsolisted the suspects and also stated that persons are “covering forthemsincethelasttime.”

“I humbly ask, what has to happenhereforthissituation to stop,” the female recruit enquired before calling on

President Irfaan Ali, Walrond and Minister of HumanService,Dr Vindyha Persaudtointerveneandtake actions.

Back in November last year Minister Walrond had reaffirmed the Guyana Police Force’s (GPF) zerotolerance policy for sexual misconduct. Her statement had come on the heels of allegations involving senior male officers and their female subordinates Addressing the issue the ministersaidfromtheoutset ofhertenure,shehasmadeit clear that a much higher standardofethicalconductis required of senior ranks. “I have had this conversation

Guyana may never receive full 50% profit from Exxon deal - Jordan

...cites ramped up production, lower oil prices

As G u y a n a

increases oil productionatthe projects currently in operation, it may be shortchanging itself from ever enjoying the promised 50% profits from the StabroekBlock.

Under the 2016

Former

The recent move by United States President, DonaldTrump to abduct the Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro and take control of the country’s oil resources is likely to cause prices to decline further to US$50perbarrel.

a l r e a d y w i t h t h e Commissioner wherever these allegations may arise, especially when it relates to subordinate female officers, it will be dealt with very, very seriously,” Minister Walrondstressed.

Referencing the Sexual Offences Act, the minister emphasised that consent cannotexistwherethereisa power imbalance. “If the personwhohas…analleged relationship, the consent elementdoesnotexistifyou are in a position of power That power dynamic removes the element of consent where sex is concerned,” she explained. Sheaddedthatthisprinciple mirrors provisions concerning minors, “because of her young and tender age, the element of consentdoesnotarise.”

Onthesubjectofofficers whoarebeinginvestigatedat the Police Training College, the Minister confirmed that those implicated have been removed from their duties pending disciplinary proceedings. “The matter is before the Office of Professional Responsibility, and they were removed immediately after the report came to our attention,” she said. The home affairs minister acknowledged that while such instances are not the norm, they must nevertheless be addressed decisively. “We have many young and senior female officers who serve with integrity Theseinstancesare notthenorm,andwhenthey do arise, we will deal with themverystrongly Itshould not prevent our female officers from coming forward.” Minister Walrond urged women in the force to speak up, reminding them that the administration stands ready to support and protecttheirrights.

Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), Guyana receives 12.5% of profits.

ExxonMobil is allowed to take75%oftheoilproduced every month to cover its expenses and also enjoys a 12 5% profit share In additiontoits12.5%profits, Guyana also receives 2% of grossproductionasroyalty

Notably, after the contractor recovers all of its expenses to develop the resources, Guyana would be eligible for 50% of all production, minus operating expensesfromtheprojects.

With more and more developments being approved however in the absence of ring-fencing, the country has been receiving meager profits, delayed to facilitatecostrecovery

In an environment of high oil prices, calls persistedforthegovernment to ring-fence as this would have allowed the country to benefit from at least US$8B alone from Liza One and Liza Two to date. Ringfencing would pave the way for the country to receive 50% profits after paying off thedevelopmentcosts.

Sharing his view on the subject, the former Finance Minister, Winston Jordan saidhalfandhalfprofitsplit for Guyana may just be an illusion.

He raised concerns not only about the rapid depletion of the country’s reserves, but the fiscal implications this could have on the nation’s development agenda.

Jordan during a live broadcast said, “Now we have come to the stage where there is growing concern as to the depletion of our reserves and it looks rather concerning that this depletion of the reserves will be taking place in the context of declining oil prices ”

To this end, the former minister explained, “If Trump has his way of a $50 top price for oil, and at a time when production in Guyana will be ramped up toonemillionplus,itmeans that we will be in a very desperate situation and all the talk that brother Jagdeo has been telling us that we front loading and we back loading and all kinds of things will go to nought Why? Because we will be producing more oil at a reduced price which means that we will never achieve or achieving that situation where we will be getting a higher profit share will be illusionary”

“It will be fading from us, because it will require moreandmoreoilatalesser andlesserpriceforExxonto recover its investment and what is worse, while more andmoreoilisbeingdugout the ground, requiring those lifespan of those wells to be considerably shortened, we will be getting less and less money being placed into the Natural Resource Fund with deleterious effects on quantitative growth- that’s thebuildingofalltheseroads and buildings and D&I (draining and irrigation),” Jordanadded.

Currently, Guyana is producing an average 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) from four deepwater projects. All of the projects have been optimized to increaseproductivecapacity L a s t w e e k t h i s newspaper reported that blistering extraction rates in the Stabroek Block led by ExxonMobil have slashed theprojectedlifespanofLiza One and the Liza Two developments. Whatshouldhavebeena 20-year project life for each development has been reduced in half as the oil remaining will only last for anotherthreeyears’time.

Budget set for Monday

Government will unveil its 2026 budget on Monday, the Ministry of Finance has announced.

The budget will be presented to the National

Assembly by Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

Government has been consulting with selective organisations ahead of the budget On Saturday Dr Singhmetandengagedwith leading representatives of the private sector at the Ministry of Finance The engagement allowed representativesoftheprivate sector to raise and discuss

issues of interest as government intensifies preparations for Budget 2026.

Seniorrepresentativesof the Private Sector Commission, Georgetown ChambersofCommerceand

Industry, Women Chambers of Commerce and Industry

Guyana, Tourism and Hospitality Association of G u y a n a , G u y a n a Manufacturing and Services Association Ltd , Guyana Association of Bankers, and Guyana Gold and Diamond MinersAssociationattended themeeting.Alsojoiningthe engag

e Commissioner General of the G

ana R

v

nue Authority, Mr Godfrey Statia, and a team of senior officialsfromtheMinistryof Finance.

The Ministry of Finance in a statement said that Dr Singh reassured the representatives of private sectorthatthegovernmentis committedtomaintainingan environment t

conducive to increased private investment, job

Manickchand threatens “seriousaction”

…as

mayor, APNU

councillors skip key sanitation meeting

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand

Minister of Local Government and Regional DevelopmentPriyaManickchandhaswarnedthat“serious action”willnowbetakentofixGeorgetown’srefusecrisis, after Mayor Alfred Mentore and APNU councillors boycottedacrucialmeetingonthecity’ssanitationplan.

The minister had given the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) until 11:00 hrs on Monday to present a comprehensive plan to reverse the capital’s deteriorating state,followingacontentiousmeetingonSundaywhereshe described conditions in Georgetown as “wholly unacceptable” and service delivery as unreliable and ineffective.

“Seriousactionwillhavetobetakenforthebenefitof thecitizensandresidentsofGeorgetown.Becauseweno longer have to examine what the issues and problems are. This is where we are now,” Minister Manickchand affirmed.

Theministersaidthemayorinitiallyagreedtoattenda closed-door engagement on Monday morning, but withdrewaftersherequestedthatallcouncillorsbeinvited so that “each councillor, and therefore the people who liveintheirrespectiveconstituency,”couldcontributeto thediscussion.

ShereportedthatnoAPNUcouncillorattendedandthat Continued on page 9

generation. “We want more people working, earning, accumulating savings, and w

nd prospering,” Dr Singh was quoted as saying while assuring attendees that the government is committed to doingallthatisnecessaryto ensure that Guyana remains an attractive destination for diversified private investment.

he p

representatives expressed

government’s continued engagement and recognized the government’s efforts to d r i v e e c o n o m i c transformation and foster a more competitive business environment, the ministry said in its statement The private sector bodies also reiterated its commitment to w o r k i n g w i t h t h e government to continue developing the country’s economicpotential.

Meanwhile, last week Kaieteur News reported that the government is yet to

engage the opposition partiesonthisyear’sbudget. Leader of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Aubrey Norton on Friday told reporters that while his party has not been engaged on the budget, he is certain thattheskewedallocationof resources will continue. He e x p l a i n e d , “ T h e fundamental problem we faceistheskewedallocation of resources, into programs and projects that allow family, friends and favorites togetrich.”Nortonbelieves

that a change in this pattern would be difficult, adding that this year’s budget is not likely to be produced on equity According to him, this means, that those with less in the population would get less while those getting more are likely to benefit frommore.

“They are going to continuedownthesameroad that they have been going. And so, I can say to you, I didn’texpectthemtoconsult us, because if they consult us, we will put to them the things we have in our manifesto,whichisbasedon putting the people first,” the former Opposition Leader said Norton argued that while the government has a tendency of refusing to consult, it has been implementing a number of policies proposed by the party in its manifesto “A number of things they are doing now came from our manifesto and so, they have this tendency to reject what you see, or not comment on it, but then go and bring it under a different name or approach.Iexpectthemtodo thatagain,”henoted.

KaieteurNews

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Suicide prevention

Sunday's tragic death of a young woman at the

Georgetown Public Hospital is not just another headline to be consumed and forgotten. It is another painful reminder that suicide remains one of Guyana'smostpersistentandpoorlyaddressedpublichealth crises.

Behindtheshockandsadnesssurroundingthisincident liesadeepernationalfailure,thefailuretobuildsystemsthat protect vulnerable citizens before they reach the point of despair Foryears,KaieteurNewshaswarnedthatGuyana's suicideproblemisnotanisolatedphenomenondrivensolely by personal hardship. It is the product of social neglect, institutional weaknesses, economic pressures, substance abuse, and a culture that still treats mental health as an afterthoughtratherthanapriority

Yet despite repeated tragedies and repeated calls for reform, little meaningful progress has been made. The circumstancessurroundingSunday'sincidentareespecially troubling.

A young, pregnant woman under medical supervision was able to take her life within the walls of the country's main public hospital. This raises uncomfortable but necessaryquestionsaboutpatientmonitoring,mentalhealth screening, ward security, and emergency response protocols. Hospitals are meant to be places of healing and protection. When vulnerable patients are not adequately safeguarded,thesystemitselfbecomescomplicitintragedy. Regionaldatafurtherunderlinethescaleoftheproblem.

According to the Pan American Health Organisation, suicide rates remain alarmingly high, with older adults disproportionately affected and women experiencing a sharperincreaseinattemptsinrecentyears.Factorssuchas unemployment, educational inequality, substance abuse, and community violence continue to create fertile ground foremotionaldistress.Thesearenotabstractstatistics.They reflectrealpeople,realfamilies,andrealcommunitiesthat arequietlyunraveling.

What is particularly alarming is the growing role of social media in these tragedies. Live broadcasts and final online messages have become disturbingly common in suicide cases. While platforms can be tools for connection andawareness,theycanalsoamplifydistressandnormalise harmful behavior when warning signs go unnoticed or ignored.

Thisrealitydemandsgreaterdigitalresponsibility,from tech companies, authorities, educators, and users themselves. Guyana cannot continue to treat suicide as an unavoidable personal choice divorced from public responsibility Mental health services remain underfunded, understaffed, and largely inaccessible to rural and lowincome communities. Counselling services are limited. School-basedmentalhealthprogramsarescarce.Workplace wellnessinitiativesarealmostnonexistent.

Alcohol and drug abuse continue to be addressed more withpunishmentthanwithtreatmentandrehabilitation.The absence of a comprehensive, well-funded national suicide preventionstrategyisglaring.Suchaplanmustgobeyond slogansandworkshops.

It must include proper mental health screening in hospitals, mandatory suicide prevention training for healthcare workers, crisis intervention teams, expanded counsellingservices,communityoutreachprogrammes,and sustainedpubliceducationcampaigns.Itmustalsoaddress root causes such as poverty, unemployment, domestic violence,andsubstanceabuse.Atthepoliticallevel,mental health remains a low priority While billions are spent on infrastructure and physical development, human development is often left behind. Roads and bridges are important, but so too are the emotional and psychological

African commemorations have been ignored or marginalised

DearEditor,

Congratulations to the Ministry of Culture for its exciting launch of Mashramani 2026 and its impressive calendar of 20 scheduledactivities. t h 2026 is the 400

Anniversary of Africans in Guyana For such an important anniversary, there is a strange and egregious silence I would have th thought that any 400 Anniversary and especially onethatcelebratesthosewho cleared 15,000 square miles with their bare hands and wholost473,000livesinthe process, would be a significanteventinGuyana's culturalandpoliticalhistory

History has informed us that Africans were here on thislandfor212yearsbefore Indians from India, 208 years before the Portuguese fromMadeira,and227years before the Chinese came from China during the indentureship period, which lasted from 1834 to 1917. Historyhasalsoinformedus that Africans have been in Guyanafor100yearsbefore the Macushis, Wapishanas andArekunas and 200 years beforetheWaiWais.

Over the last years, it seems as if African commemorations have been ignored or marginalized Even the 1763 Cuffy Rebellion is subdued during February when Mashramani is celebrated over this historic event. Last year, therewasa40pageinsertin the Guyana Chronicle for Indian Arrival Day There was no insert for EmancipationDay

Culture has been

correctly defined as more thantheselectivecelebration of particular events. When we speak of the culture of a place, we are talking about far more than its artistic expressions or its 'cultural products'–literature,music, dance,art,sculpture,theatre, film and sport. All of these, of course, are important expressions of the culture of anysocialgroupandarepart of its shared joy in the business of being alive. But culture is more than all of that. Culture is about shared patternsofidentity,symbolic meaning, aspiration, and about the relationships between individuals and groups within that society Culture is also about the relationships between ideas andperspectives,aboutselfrespect and a sense of security, about how individuals are socialised and values are formed and transmitted. It is also deeply intertwined with structures ofpowerandwealth.

Overthelast6years,the government have been rebrandingGuyanaawayfrom its Independence motto of “One People, One Nation, OneDestiny”tothatof“One Guyana”. We have seen this brand on national events, holidays, church events, cricket and even on a “stink and dutty” event targeting theAfricancommunity

The question now becomeswhatculturearewe tryingtocultivateinGuyana especially since there are estimates that there are over 100,000 Venezuelans in Guyana? And especially sincethecultureofacountry isasumofallofthecultures

well-being of citizens.Asociety cannot truly progress while its people continue to suffer in silence. Families and communitiesalsohavearoletoplay

The stigma surrounding mental illness and emotional vulnerability continues to discourage many from seeking help. Too often, cries for help are dismissed as attentionseekingorweakness.Thismindsetmustchange.Compassion, earlyintervention,andopenconversationscansavelives.

Everysuicideleavesbehinddevastatedparents,children, siblings, and friends who must live with unanswered questionsandlifelonggrief.

These losses ripple through communities and deepen socialwoundsthatneverfullyheal.Sunday'stragedymustnot becomejustanotherstatistic.Itmustserveasaturningpointa momentthatforcespolicymakers,healthcareadministrators, educators, and community leaders to confront the uncomfortable truth: Guyana is losing too many people to preventabledespair

Ifthiscountryisseriousaboutprotectinglife,thenmental health must finally move from the margins to the centre of national development. Anything less is a betrayal of those whohavealreadybeenlostandofthosewhoarestillsilently struggling.

of its Peoples. Why are our political leaders silent and th oblivious to this 400 Anniversary There should be a Parliamentary acknowledgement of the anniversary as would be the case in Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad or any selfrespecting sovereign state.

Later this year, the United States will have massive governmentandcivilsociety th events to mark the 250 anniversary of their Independence in 1776. The Guyana Reparations Committee applied two weeks ago for the use of Castellani House for an Exhibition in February to th acknowledge this 400 anniversary

Historyhassharedmany lessons of what happens

when culture becomes driven by politics or ethnic ideology Thisslipperyslope should be rejected by all patriotic Guyanese for as MarcusGarveyonesaid:“A People without the knowledge of their past history,origin,andculture islikeatreewithoutroots". This powerful statement e m

's heritage—history,roots,and culture is essential for identity, strength, and direction of any sovereign state, much like a tree needs rootstogrowandsurvive.

Sincerely

EricPhillips

C h a i r , G u y a n a

ReparationsCommittee

Vice Chair, Caricom ReparationsCommission

The Constitution is not our problem, our unwillingness to honour it is

DearEditor, TheGuyanaConstitution is not our problem. Our problem is the absence of political will, compounded by visionless leadership and a dangerous willingness to compromise the rule of law for convenience, power, and expediency This failure continues to shut large sections of society out of meaningful participation in thenation'sdevelopment—a right enshrined in the Constitution, not subject to the so-called 'kindness' or discretionofothers.

Article13,the"principal objective of the political system," mandates an "inclusionarydemocracy."It was assented to more than a quarter century ago by President Bharrat Jagdeo, following a valiant struggle led by former President and then Leader of the OppositionDesmondHoyte. That struggle was fought to secure shared governance and a seat at the table for all Guyanese Article 13 is indigenous to our nation, borne from our history, sacrifices,andaspirations.

Yet over twenty-five y e a r s l a t e r , n o comprehensive legislation exists to give it life. Power has not been meaningfully devolved to regional and local government organs, and inclusion remains rhetoric, not reality No legislator can point to meaningful work done to

implementArticle13.Where the regime fails, the opposition must provide leadership, for clearly it is notintheregime'sinterestto furtherthewell-beingofall. The Constitution is a living instrument, grounded in United Nations (UN) declarations, International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, and other internationally accepted norms. It guarantees basic r i g h t s , e q u a l i t y, participation, and dignity Guyana's social, economic, and political failures are not caused by the Constitution; theyarecausedbytherefusal toimplementit.

A constitution's declarations require enabling laws and faithful executiontotakeeffect.The failureliesintheLegislature, the Executive, in civil society, and, regrettably, even among some trade union leaders We speak about injustice and inequality but too often ignore the supreme law that already provides the framework to address them. The double standard must stop. You cannot violate the law to uphold the law, nor trample just laws and claim to be defenders of justice. Just laws are sacrosanct. Selectiveobediencedestroys the foundation we claim to defend.

Instead of implementing the Constitution, many (Continuedonpage6)

Sugar can never be sweet, if it burns a hole in your pocket

DearEditor,

President Irfaan Ali and the Chief Executive Officer Paul Cheong of GuySuCo have made some interesting statements on the future performance of GuySuCo.

( S t a b r o e k N e w s : https://tinyurl com/yrhsj3pe ; S t a b r o e k N e w s : https://tinyurl com/5n8pe5u p). Whilethereismuchthat can be examined in these statements, the focus of this letter is to present a brief summaryofafewGuySuCo economic indicators for the period2020to2024.

Sugar production data obtained from the Bank of Guyana Annual Reports show that 88 9 thousand tonnes of sugar were produced in 2020 Thereafter, production contracted to 47.1 thousand tonnesby2024,representing a decline of 47 percent over the five-year period (Figure1)

In 2025, production was initially programmed at 80 thousandtonnes,afterwhich the target was revised downwards to 60 thousand tonnes, but only 59 2 thousand tonnes were produced, symbolizing the continuoussugarproduction difficulties.

Furthermore,withsugar production declining, it is not surprising that losses wouldbesignificant.Infact, GuySuCo total revenue for the period 2020 to 2024 amountedtoG$47.2Billion, which was correlated with total expenses of G$93.6

Billion; and this generated total losses for the period of G$46.4Billion(Table1). With such significant losses, the Government of Guyana unreservedly approved and disbursed funds to GuySuCo to cover the incurred losses. It can thereforebeinferredthatthe p u r p o s e o f t h o s e disbursements were to keep

AS LIABILITY: Is Canada's High Commissioner in Guyana Hurting Investors?

DearEditor,

Diplomacy is not a soapbox It is not a megaphone for personal political posturing, nor is it an open invitation to step into the most sensitive internal affairs of another

country to publicly editorialiseasthoughfroma classroom Yet, that is precisely what Canada's High Commissioner to Guyana, Sébastien Sigouin, hasbeendoing.

In the process, he is not onlyoversteppingthesacred norms of diplomatic conduct; he could be actively sabotaging the very Canadian economic interests he is mandated to serve As a Guyanese c

in Vancouver, the epicenter of the global mining capital that fuels our resource

sector, I see a dangerous disconnect. Guyana is no

"diplomatic posting"; it is one of the most dynamic economies on earth. Our s

y,

certainty,andtheconfidence that foreign representatives are not creating diplomatic friction where none need exist. The stakes are real.

Canadian companies like G Mining Ventures, G2 Goldfields, Mako Mining, and Guyana Frontier have collectively positioned themselves atop billions of dollarsinresourcevalue.On the energy side, CGX EnergyandFronteraEnergy Corp have spent decades navigating our offshore potential. These projects rely on a governance (Continuedonpage6)

GuySuCo open, given its role in the community as a major supplier of employment opportunities, and a provider of drainage and health services in the community For example in 2020, GuySuCo medical department provided primary medical services to e m p l o y e e s , t h e i r dependents, pensioners, and members of the community (GuySuCo Annual Report 2020). Consequently, if the financial viability of GuySuCo is important, then the drainage and health care costs should be covered by the National Budget and not GuySuCo.

Otherwise, Government disbursements to GuySuCo, using taxpayers funds, will havetocontinueindefinitely, asthepoliticalramifications will endure, and outweigh important economic outcomes.

Meanwhile, three well defined economic indicators that establishes whether or notGuySuCoisafinancially viableentityareidentifiedas follows: sugar-cane output per acre; the number of tonnes of sugar-cane (TC) thatisrequiredtogeneratea tonne of sugar (TS), typically referred to as TC/TS;andthemagnitudeof the positive difference between the average price (AP)receivedforapoundof sugar verses the average cost (AC) of producing a poundofsugar

Published below are the derived estimates of the

average cost and average price per pound of sugar extracted from GuySuCo Annual Reports For example, during the period 2020 to 2024, the average cost of a pound of sugar movedupwardsfrom$81.99 perpoundin2020to$232.67 per pound in 2024, an increase of 283.78% in five years(Figure2). What could therefore be gleaned from this information is that the efficiencyindicator(TC/TS) hasbeenrelativelyhigh.For example, theTC/TS at Rose Hall was in the 20s; and at Albion it was 14 (SN: https://tinyurl com/45uk3b4 h). This level of TC/TS implies that to produce one tonne of sugar, GuySuCo at RoseHallhastoprocess no lessthan20tonnesofsugarcane; and at Albion, GuySuCo has to process 14 tonnes of sugar-cane to produce one tonne of sugar In contrast, to produce one tonneofsugarinBrazilonly 8or9tonnesofsugar-caneis required

(Continuedonpage6)

Port Mourant Oil & Gas Institute will be a game changer

DearEditor,

The government announced last month that the construction of its Guyana Technical Training CollegeInc.(GTTCI)isnow completed.

I c o m m e n d t h e g o v e r n m e n t a n d ExxonMobil for launching this first ever oil and gas traininginstitute(college)in Guyana, perhaps in the Caribbeanthatisexpectedto be a game changer for careers in the field. With a lack of industries and shutting down of sugar estatesinBerbicetoprovide employment, the institute will offer training to youngsters (not only in Berbice but throughout Guyana) in the nascent oil andgasindustrysotheymay qualify for jobs in that new industry As announced four years ago by President Ali and Exxon's CEO Alistair Routledge, GTTCI will provide requisite training to enhance Guyana's technical workforce to support the rapidly expanding oil and gas sector with local talent. ExxonM is funding the project.

This institute, an idea of VPJagdeoandPresidentAli, was birthed right after a

similar proposal prepared a n d s u b

t o gove

t by Dr Baytoram Ramharack and myself,withsuggestionsand advice from Ravi Dev and Dr Nanda Gopaul in early 2021 for expanding the current (GuySuCo) Port Mourant Training Center to include training in oil and gas and the modern constructionsector

That proposal was reviewed by Ravi Dev and others linked to GuySuCo before submission to government.ItwasanideaI birthed after extensive discussions with Ravi Dev who also discussed it with businessmen with close links to the government. At the time, with the closure of sugar factories, Ravi, Ramharack, and I thought it necessary to provide youths with training in oil and gas andrelatedindustriessothey couldgainemployment.The idea was to offer skill-based training programs in sectors

such as Logistics, Construction, Oil, Engineering, Agriculture Sciences, Computer and related technical industries

through short-term

certification courses Students would receive an

apprenticeship stipend similar to what GuySuCo hasbeenofferingtotrainees. They would be trained with industry relevant skills to e n a b l e i m m e d i a t e employment upon course completion after internships andpracticaltraining.

We are pleased that government has taken the initiative and has launched suchatrainingcollegeinoil andgas.

Within five years of its productionofoil,Exxonhas been able to construct this college on government's initiative. It is a prestigious idea well beyond our thoughtsatthetime.

Theinstituteislocatedin PortMourantjustbehindthe Anglican Church Primary School, behind the cemeteriesofthechurchand the slave and indentured laborers and their descendants The initial location, as reported in the media, was the area where the indentured and slaves were buried which was slated to be graded and tombsrelocated.

The historic cemeteries and the well-known Tilokie and Babwah vegetable gardensweretobegradedto makewayforthecollegebut

were left untouched thanks to an opposition campaign by local residents and write ups in the media. ExxonM was also opposed to disturbing graves even though the indentured cemetery has been largely unused with the last burial (of a son of an indentured) four decades ago. Deceased have been buried in Babu Jahan where Cheddi and Janet Jagan were cremated and their ashes entombed. Anglicans are still buried in the church's yard. ExxonM managementdidnotwantto touch burial grounds and prevailed on government to shift construction a short distance away from the cemeteries.

The people of Port Mourant and surrounding areas (descendants of slaves and indentured and the church's management) are grateful that ExxonM has left the historic cemeteries untouched.

FormerPrincipalofUWI St.Augustine, Prof Clement Sankat,aBerbician,oversaw the construction of GTTCI which is commonly known as the Oil and Gas Institute. He is also the director SankatsaiditisaUS$100M project with three phases

The Constitution is not our problem, our unwillingness...

Frompage4 advocate changing it, using foreign constitutions as benchmarks while ignoringthatArticle13wascraftedfor Guyana Its dormancy is not a constitutional failure—it is a failure of politicalwill.

The trade union movement must again confront its responsibility It laid the groundwork for internal selfgovernment, insisting on accountability, equality, and justice withoutexception.

Trade unionists must set the example, holding all to the same standards, bar none, and refusing to excuseillegality,evenwhenpolitically convenient.

For decades, calls by the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) and others for an inclusive national approach to prepare Guyanese for productive engagement in the oil and non-oil sectors were ignored. Political immaturitycontinuestoholdthenation hostage.Today,Guyanafacesacrisisof governance. Leadersconfusedevelopmentwith domination, marginalise rather than include, discriminate rather than unite, andtreatstateresourcesashandoutsfor family,friends,andpoliticalcohorts.

NowhereintheConstitutionisthere language that excludes any ethnic group,deniesparticipation,orprevents citizens from involvement in decision-

making.Thedysfunction,mistrust,and division we see are not constitutional failures. They are failures of political will to treat all with fairness, dignity, andrespect.

Shared governance, national unity, andinclusivegovernmentalreadyexist intheConstitution.

Thetaskbeforeusisnotreinvention but implementation. We, the people, and especially the trade union movement,mustinsistonobedienceto just laws and hold political operatives accountable.

TheConstitutionisnotourproblem. Ourunwillingnesstohonouritis.

Sincerely

LincolnLewis

DIPLOMACY AS LIABILITY: Is Canada's High...

Frompage5

environment that is respected and free of foreign diplomatic turbulence

Instead, we have seen from Sigouin a patternofcommentarythatcrossesthe line into political intervention. To weigh in publicly on parliamentary leadership and encourage "electoral reform" via social media—at a time whenGuyanaisnavigatinghigh-stakes judicialprocesses,complexextradition discussions with the United States regarding the Mohameds, and a notoriously hostile media space—is a recklesserrorofjudgment.

These are sensitive, sovereign matterscurrentlybeforeourcourtsand institutions. For a foreign envoy to inserthimselfintothis"hot"narrativeis

not the quiet, principled diplomacy Canadian investors count on; it is a liability Canadian investors are entitled to assume their embassy will defendtheirinterests,notamplifylocal tensions. They expect that when they negotiate mining permits or local content terms, their government's representative is a trusted source of stability, not a partisan actor viewed withsuspicionbythehostcountry

The more a foreign envoy meddles in domestic political narratives, the closerheedgestowardabreakdownin the bilateral relationship. Guyanese leaders and citizens alike are bound to resist foreign interference. If High Commissionerscannotdemonstratethe restraint required to respect that the

business of Guyana's politics is for Guyanese to resolve, then the boardrooms here in Vancouver and in Toronto must conclude that Canada's interests are better served by a representative who prioritises commercial stability over personal branding Canada has a storied reputation for quiet, effective diplomacy That tradition is being damagedfromwithin.

Guyana's sovereignty deserves respect, and Canadian investors deserve an ambassador who protects theircapitalbyknowingwhentospeak - and, more importantly, when to remainsilent.

Sincerely, Dr.WalterH.Persaud

ExxonMobil funds the program including training for dozens of students who went to Canada for initial training. Sankat said that the first batch of students in oil and gas commenced learning months ago training at another location and will shift to the new institute soon. Students were trained in Canada and undergoing furthertrainingattheoiland gas institute. He said the training courses offered at GTTCI are similar as colleges in the developed world, including hands-on experience in mechanical and electrical technology He describes it as a “First World” education, and he hopes to have 150 students enrolled annually, undergoing 18 months of intensivetrainingatleadingedge facilities. Dr Sankat said training will be similar to the FPSOs. He also said there is a simulator that represents the ships and provides hands-on training of the equipment used in oil production.

The institute seeks certification that is internationally recognised and accredited. Prof Sankat (Continuedonpage9)

Sugar can never...

Frompage5 (https://tinyurl com/ycva2w xr).

This efficiency performance will signal that the average cost of a pound of sugar in Brazil will be significantly lower than the average cost inGuyana.GuySuCoshould therefore publish the TC/TS dataforalltheestatessothat abetterunderstandingofthe sugar-cane production is provided to the Guyanese people.

Another key indicator is theaveragepriceforapound of sugar. During the same period, the average price (AP) of a pound of sugar received by GuySuCo was $73.19,withalowof$50.00 in 2020 to a high of $88.22 per pound (Table 2). Since the average cost (AC) of a pound of sugar was $149.92 and the average price (AP) per pound of sugar was $73 19, this relationship generated significant losses of$76.72oneverypoundof sugar sold by GuySuCo, withaminimumlossin2020 being $31.94; and by 2024, theloss per pound increased to$144.45.

Years ago, sugar was the main source of foreign exchange earnings in Guyana.

Today,itisoilwhichwill not be examined in this letter; instead, the emphasis will be placed on other economicactivities.

During the period 2020 to 2024, the total export earnings from fish and shrimp was US$242.4 M; rum and other spirits earned US$233,4M;preparedfoods earned US$ 113.7 M; and other commodities (diamonds, beverages, pharmacuticals and wood p r o d u c t s ) e a r n e d US$141.9M.Incontrast,the foreign exchange earned from sugar exports during

thesameperiodamountedto onlyUS$100.5M,asumthat was less than the foreign exchange earnings of the previously mentioned commodities(Table3).

Undoubtedly, these lesser known economic activities,especiallythosein the other category, are outperfoming sugar export earnings; and this should send a clear signal to policymakers about where incentives should be provided; for sugar will not likley be competitive in internationalmarkets,where the sugar price on January 16, 2026 was 15 US cents (equivalent to G$31.20) per p o u n d (https://tradingeconomics c om/commodity/sugar). And as noted above, the average cost per pound in Guyana is much higher than the average price in the world market Consequently, Guyanese consumers of sugar would be better off consuming imported sugar, which is muchcheaper(SN: https://tinyurl com/29a29u2 f ; S N : https://tinyurl com/mrydv9t r) than what GuySuCo can provideonthelocalmarket.

In conclusion, the important question for GuySuCo is this: Can GuySuCo return to being a financially viable business within the next five years? Polcymakersneedtopresent agricultural, financial and economic information that cansupportaviableoutcome for GuySuCo Otherwise, please put a permanent line in the National Budget for transfers to GuySuCo. As a wiseoldmansaid,'sugarcan never be sweet, if it burns a holeinyourpocket'!

Sincerely, Dr.C.KenrickHunte Professor and Former Ambassador.

- GECOM commissioners warn

Three Commissioners of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) have issued a stinging assessment of the country’s electoralregistrationsystem, warning that the current Claims and Objections ( C & O ) p r o c e s s i s fundamentally incapable of sanitising Guyana’s voters’ list and that urgent political and legislative intervention isnowrequired.

In a joint position a r t i c u l a t e d b y Commissioners Vincent Alexander, Charles Corbin and Desmond Trotman, the trio described the belief that thevoters’listcanbecleaned through routine C&O exercisesaseither“alackof understandingofreality”ora deliberate refusal to acknowledge it. GECOM in a full-page newspaper advertisement on Sunday said it is currently conducting a Claims and Objectives Exercise, which commenced on January 5, 2026andwillendonJanuary 22,2026regardingentrieson the Preliminary List of Electors.Theobjectiveofthe exercise GECOM said is to produce an Official List of Electors (OLE) In this regard, relevant extracts from the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE) have been posted at prominent locations in all of the Registration Divisions/SubDivisions and at all of the GECOM permanent Registration Offices across Guyana, the advertisement stated.

H o w e v e r , t h e commissioners, the C&O mechanism is structurally biased toward inclusion and actively discourages removalofineligiblenames. “By design and practice, GECOM’s Claims and Objections process is biased

for inclusion and a deterrent for exclusion, ” the commissioners stated in a lettertothisnewspaper They revealedthatobjectionsfiled on the basis that a registrant no longer resides in a registration area or does not belongtothedefinedclassof eligiblevotershaveroutinely been rejected by GECOM officials. Officers, they said, have been instructed that recent court rulings and legislative changes render suchgroundsobsolete.

As a result, the only objections that are now consistentlyupheldarethose supported by a death certificate. “This effectively means that unless you can produce a death certificate, your objection is unlikely to succeed,”thecommissioners pointedout.

They warned that the limited timeframe and restrictive criteria used during the C&O process were never intended to facilitate large-scale cleansing of the voters’roll. Adding to the challenge, Alexander, Corbin and Trotman noted that ordinary citizens are more inclined to protect their own voting rights rather than pursue breaches committed by others “Citizens rely on institutions to enforce protections. Sanitising the list therefore requires a unique institutional mechanism,”theysaid.

PoliticalAction NowRequired

The commissioners stressed that responsibility for resolving the crisis has shifted beyond the walls of GECOM. “The remedy to the malady of the corrupted electoral roll now lies in the political and legislative domains and not within the GECOM boardroom,” they declared. They called for a

intervention, led and supported by the Attorney General, as the most viable solution under current political and legal conditions.

WarningsIgnored Since2005

The commissioners traced the problem back nearlytwodecades,pointing out that when continuous registration was introduced in 2005, GECOM had already warned of its negative impact on the integrity of the voters’ list. Those concerns led to a multi-party agreement in June 2007 — supported by the Government and international partners which resulted in the successful 2008 House-toHouseRegistrationexercise. However, the problem resurfaced after the 2011 elections GECOM then attemptedanothercorrective measure: introducing expiry datesforvoterIDcards.

Underthatplan,IDcards were to expire on a registrant’s birthday seven years after registration, forcing voters to reappear in persontoupdateinformation andphotographs—aprocess the commissioners said would also make it difficult for deceased persons to remain on the list. “The implementation of this decision was frustrated by administrative challenges, which we believe were facilitated by influences external to GECOM,” the commissionersrevealed.

2019House-to-House RegistrationAborted Following the 2015 elections, GECOM unanimously agreed to conduct another House-toHouse Registration, similar tothe2008exercise.

Continued on page 16

Migrants are being exploited

There is a story

c i r c u l a t i n g q u i e t l y o n construction sites along the coast that would shock anyone who still believes Guyana's oil boom is lifting

all boats Migrant

workers many from Venezuela and Cuba – are beingpaidaslittleas$5,000 a day for hard construction labour

Thisisnotrumour;itisa wage whispered about by

foremen and quietly accepted by men who know that if they complain, they willsimplynotbehired.And when you are an immigrant in Guyana, you cannot affordnottoworkeveryday

By contrast, very few Guyanese laborers now work for less than $7,500 a day, and if you are skilled you can earn between $12,000 and $15,000 a day

That is the going rate in a tightlabourmarket.

Yet hardly any skilled migrant worker is paid anywhere near those sums. They work alongside Guyanese doing the same jobs, often with the same experience, but are quietly slotted into a lower tier of pay.Two men, one scaffold,

one wage sheet—and the numbersdon'tmatch.

Thisisnotanaccidentof the market. It is a system. Migrant labour is cheaper because it is more vulnerable.

The men and women who arrive to work in construction, cleaning, security, restaurants, and domesticservicedonothave family networks, political connections, or unions behindthem.

They live with the constant fear of losing a job that is also their lifeline to survival. Employers know this So do labour contrac

ors And so, apparently,doesthestate.

Wages are only the b e g i n n i n g o f t h e exploitation Migrant workers need housing, and here another quiet racket thrives.

Unscrupulous landlords extract huge sums for s u b s t a n d a r d accommodation Some migrants are not charged by the flat but per head—five, six, sometimes eight people crammed into a space that wouldbarelypassinspection for a family of four Rent is deductedupfront,cashonly,

no receipts, no questions asked. The arrangement benefitseveryoneexceptthe workersthemselves.

Budget Day is January 26th. The speeches will be polished, the graphs reassuring, the oil revenues i m p r e s s i v e I t i s hoped though hope is becoming a thin reed—that this Budget will finally address the condition of private-sector workers, particularly immigrant workerswhoarebearingthe brunt of modern workingclassexploitation.

The government likes to call itself working class. It speaksoftenofsocialjustice and shared prosperity.Yet it has disgracefully failed to link the private-sector minimum wage with the public-sector minimum wage. The gap is not just

y indefensible.Publicservants enjoy wages well above the national minimum, while vulnerable private-sector workers many of them young, many of them migrants—are paid wages t

at barely

ver transportationandfood.The result is predictable: a twotier labour system in which

Port Mourant Oil & Gas Institute...

Frompage6 said that President Ali insists that certification have global recognition and accreditation.

one group is protected and anotherquietlysacrificed.

Spend an evening walking through the commercialdistrictsandyou willseethem.

Young people selling in stores,workinglonghoursin restaurants and bars, standing twelve-hour shifts as security guards, cleaning homes as maids, hauling materials as laborers. Many are underpaid. Many work well beyond forty hours a week Many never see overtime.

Years ago, the law was clear:overtimemustbepaid after forty hours per week. Yet today even some government drivers are paid an allowance in lieu of overtime a bureaucratic workaroundthatemptiesthe lawofitsmeaning.

Ifthatiswhathappensin the public sector, imagine the reality in the private sector Imagine what happens to migrant workers

whodonotknowthelaw,or who know it but dare not invokeit.

ForBudget2026,thereis a simple and necessary demand: set the minimum wageat$120,000perperson per month. Not as a gesture, notasaphasedpromise,but as a statement of national priorities.

Pair it with the return of rent control, targeted at preventing the blatant exploitation of immigrants and low-income workers seekingaffordablehousing.

These are not radical ideas They are basic protections.

If the government is truly working class, as it claims, it would implement them and resist the pressure of its friends in the private sector—those who want to pay their maids and domestic workers less than $120,000 a month, those who quietly refuse to pay overtime while proclaiming

patriotismandprogress. Guyanaischangingfast. Oil money is reshaping skylines and balance sheets. But beneath the cranes and concrete, there is another story unfolding one of cheap labour, silent exploitation, and official indifference.

Budget Day offers a chance to confront that reality Whether the governmentchoosestodoso will tell us far more about whosesideitisreallyonthan any speech delivered on January26th.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

Manickchandthreatens“seriousaction”

Frompage3 thosewhocametoCityHall“receivedacall and hurriedly left the compound.” The minister accused the mayor and APNU councillorsofblockingeffortstoresolvethe city’s waste-management crisis, charging that they “benefit in some way from a city thatisapproachingbeinginhabitable”and that residents, commuters and visitors are being“heldhostagetopoorpolitics.”

It will be a game-changer for careers of many What government needs to do now is to prepare the college to launch career degreesnotjustdiplomas.

Director Sankat thanks ExxonMobil for the leadership and dedication and the resources to make the GTTCI a historic training campus. He also said the institute will cater for hospitality and construction industries.

Yourstruly VishnuBisram

DEM BOYS SEH

BepreparedfuhnextMonday!

Dem boys seh all dem parliamentarians who planning to turn up in de National Assembly next Monday better start pack fromnow Notsuitandtiealone—walkwith yuhpillow,yuhsleepingbagandmaybeone lilthermosofcoffeestrongenoughtowake dedead.

Because if history tell we anything, is that Budget Day gon be one long, winding journey,withnoreststopandplentybumps. Dem boys already warning: expect anotherfive-hourmarathon.Yes,fivehours. Dekindaspeechthatputyuhtosleep,wake yuh up when somebody clap, and then gently rock yuh back to sleep again. Is not hypnosis, is de Budget. One minute yuh countingbillions,nextminuteyuhdreaming aboutcook-uprice.

Demanmightbeshort,buthisstoryvery long. And dem boys hear is nothing personal—it's just his style. From school days, he never did like précis. While other children summarising in five lines, he explaining in five pages. Teacher seh, “Get to de point,” and he reply, “Miss, de point coming, but leh me explain how we reach therefirst.”Andsoitremain.

SowhendeBudgetstart,don'tfrightenif deintroductionhaveanintroduction.Andde background have a background to de background. By de time de figures come, someparliamentariansgonbeonpagethree of de speech and chapter seven of dey dreams.

Dem boys advising simple survival tactics. Stretch yuh legs before yuh sit. Switch off yuh phone, but keep it close in case yuh need to pretend yuh taking notes whileactuallycheckinghowlongfivehours really is. If yuh hearing “as I said before” more than three times, is a sign to fluff yuh pillow

Butlehwebefair Demanliketoexplain things fully so everybody can understand whether yuh understand alreadyornot.Isdesamestorythreeways, in case yuh miss it de first time, de second time,orwhenyuhwakeupdethirdtime.

So next Monday, dem boys seh, walk prepared. Because when de Budget done, yuh might not remember everything that was said—but yuh body gon remember sittingdownforallofit. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

Minister Manickchand stated that the withdrawals have undermined attempts to build a collaborative working relationship between the government and the M&CC

The minister also rejected claims that the government is responsible for c

undermining the council, insisting that her ministryhasissuednosuchcontracts.

She noted that while city officials privately cited resource constraints in discussions with her, Mayor Mentore later publicly dismissed those claims, even as the sameshortageswereadvancedinpublicasa key reason for the decline in services Stressing that “service to citizens must trump” political manoeuvring, the minister pledged that the government will now move to ensure cleaner streets and more reliable garbage collection across Georgetown “Your government understands that this cannotgoon,”shesaid.

“Your government is going to take actionthatwillseeresults,andthatwillbe responsive to your needs… this habitual, historical reliance on improved relations that seem impossible cannot hold us back anymore,tothedetrimentofthecitizensof Georgetown.”(DPI)

H@RD TRUTHS

Judiciary:Whither separation, appearance of it

Pres Ali knows how to have a good time. He is having the time of his life.

There he was in a video clip that came to me, disc jockeying, singing, and all starry-eyed dancing. The president is free to do so, though he would be wise to rememberthehighofficehe holds,thedignityattachedto it.

What made that video

t r o u b l i n g i s m y understanding that it was a celebration for a judicial officer

And there was Pres. Ali with greased shoe soles sliding across the floor, and carrying on in his best disc jockeymode. Ishallnotsay unbecoming of a president; onlythatitwasuntoward.

For starters, any local judicial officer is free to invite whomever they wish to their functions. Second, the president-the incumbent oranyother-issimilarlyfree

to attend such a gathering.

From my perspective, when such an invitation is extended and accepted, some circumspection is called for, before either

action is initiated

Circumspection by the judiciary,circumspectionby theexecutive.

The discipline and care to pause, think through, and then sensibly and commendably reverse course.

The separation between the judiciary and the executive is not an imaginary line, like the equator or Prime Meridian. Itisreal,itshouldbevisible, in that tangible efforts are made to keep any such mixing and socializing, more of an exception than theordinary

Itistheappearanceofthe development that sticks That is, the president mere attending, then letting his hair hang down in the

judicial officer’s festivities. Toofamiliar

Too cozy I repeat to avoid coming across as monastic, dogmatic: the president makes his own decisions, with whom he fraternizes. Even more so, all judicial officers in the sanctuaryoftheirlairs.

Considering the sensitivities of this country, thedeep,rawpolarizationof Guyana, it would have been better that that occasion did not have the president there. Or the thought that his presence was necessary, goodfortheoptics.

It was bad optics, anywaythatitisscrutinized. The separation of the judiciary and executive is not a relic that is now best discarded, with a casual waveofthehand. When the guardrails that serveaschecksandbalances are dismantled one by one, then not much is left to inspire confidence in

citizens Meaning, they standonfirmgroundrelative to democracy’s ideals, and that they can depend on fairness relative to the delicate issues that plague Guyaneseexistence.

Because if for a private function held by a judicial officer that is broadcast to the world, as if to exhibit proudly a close relationship with the president (and vice versa), then the same nonchalant approach could be seen as reasonable and p r o p e r i n o t h e r circumstances.

For example, in the current manner of thinking, what is strengthening culture, there is nothing to prevent a judicial officer of any seniority from turning up at a political campaign rally

Or,fromattendingoneof those rollicking balls that have come to be associated with the fun-loving, screeching, gyrating,

pirouetting(scrapthelatter), and dancing away the night. When the rails are removed, onesectionatatime,it’sjust amatteroftimebeforethere is one unholy mix, and all and sundry, giving the shortest thrift even to go throughthemotions.

Why pretend when the power to do as one pleases is in hand? Why think twice, worry about standards and appearance, when few, if any, are going to stand up and say that thereissomethingwrongin all of this, and it should not be?

When no one steps forward and insists that falling standards, and improper intermingling, cannot be allowed to continue to the detriment of this country, then there are no brakes on what essentiallyamountstoafreefor-all.

Silence is accepted as license to kick more

guardrails, more checks and balances, and more standardsintothecitydump. I am confident that the president knows better. There is even more comfort insayingthatthejudiciaryin its entirety possesses the sagacitytoknowthatcertain barriers, as ancient as they may be, should remain in place, because of their inestimablevalue.

Last, from the Guyana Code of Ethics for Judicial Officers (2021), let note be taken of this statement: “Propriety and the appearance of propriety are essentialtotheperformance of all of the activities of a judicial officer.” There! I have said enough. Over to the president. Over to the judiciary (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

Canadian gold firm shifts strategy in Guyana

Canadian gold explorer

Greenheart Gold Inc. has entered into an option agreement with “arms’ length third parties” to acquirea100%interestintheGold Hill project in Guyana, while terminating its option agreements for the Tamakay and Abuya projects after concluding that the deposits do not meet the size and scale required for economic development.

GreenheartGoldwasformedin July 2024 as a spin-off from a business combination between fellow Canadian companies Reunion Gold and G Mining Ventures (GMIN). GMIN is the 100% owner of the 5.4 million ounces Oko West Gold project.

Greenheart is focused on earlystage exploration within the geologically rich but historically underexplored Guiana Shield, which spans parts of Guyana and Suriname.

TheGoldHillprojectislocated approximately13.5kilometreseast of Canadian firm Aris Mining Toroparu project, which hosts an estimated 5.3 million ounces of gold in measured and indicated resources.

Greenheart said the Gold Hill property covers roughly 40 square kilometres in the Mazaruni mining districtinnorth-westernGuyana.

Itwasnotedthattheprojectarea is deformed around a dolerite intrusion and appears to have been subjected to multiple deformation events and exhibits similar open folding to that observed at the nearbyToroparudeposit.

“The presence of multiple gold bearing vein systems on the property suggests a strong likelihood of hydrothermal alteration related to mineralizing fluids. The presence of artisanal saproliteandalluvialminingatthe project area provides further

evidenceofthegoldmineralization inthearea,”thecompanynoted.

Moreover, the company disclosedthatithasdecidedtowalk awayfromitsTamakayandAbuya projects following extensive exploration work that failed to demonstrate the potential for deposits of sufficient economic scale At Tamakay, Greenheart completed detailed mapping, 276 grab samples, 7,794 soil samples and more than 7,600 metres of trenching, supported by groundbased magnetic and induced polarisation surveys.Asubsequent 1,473-metre diamond drilling programmeconfirmedthepresence and continuity of some high-grade quartz veins associated with historicartisanalmining.

“TheCompanybelievesthatthe densityofveiningandtheextentof goldmineralizationareinsufficient to suggest potential for an economic deposit of the size and

developmentinsucharemotearea and has therefore elected to terminate its option with the various property owners,” Greenheartsaid.

Based on these results, Greenheart concluded that the density of veining and extent of mineralisation were insufficient to justify development in the remote area and terminated its option agreements with the property owners. At Abuya, approximately 12 months of exploration included detailedmapping,nearly2,800soil samples, 295 grab samples and more than 3,200 metres of trenchingandchannelsampling. Itsaid,“Aftercompletingthese programs,theCompanydidnotfeel thatthetargetswarrantedfollow-up drilling and has therefore also decided to drop its option on the project.”Thedecisionmarksashift from earlier optimism around

TamakayandAbuya.

In April 2025, Greenheart had highlighted promising early-stage results at both projects and committedmillionsofUSdollarsin payments to local titleholders to secure the Tamakay option. In March 2025, Kaieteur News reported that Greenheart Gold committed to over US$3.8 million in payments to local titleholders to fullyacquiretheTamakayproject. Greenheart said the acquisition ofGoldHill,alongsidethedecision to exitTamakay andAbuya, aligns with its strategy of rapidly assessing exploration projects and either advancing prospective targets to drilling within 10 to 12 months or moving on from properties that do not meet expectations It added, “The Company feels that this strategy willcontinuetoprovidethehighest possible chance of exploration success.”

TheMinistryofPublicWorkshasmovedswiftlytodeclare the$74millionKobreimoBridgeinMabaruma,RegionOne “fully operational,” just days after Opposition Member of ParliamentSherodDuncanpubliclyraisedconcernsaboutthe slow pace of works and the safety risks faced by residents usingatemporarywoodencrossing.

Theministryinastatementacknowledgedthattheproject timeline faced specific logistical extensions, however, they notedthatphysicalworksadvancedsteadilythroughout2015.

TheministryexplainedthatrehabilitationoftheKobreimo Bridgewasidentifiedasacriticalinfrastructurenecessitydue totheprecariousstructuralconditionofthepreviousstructure.

Consequently, the project was executed via a Restricted Tenderprocess,selectedtoexpeditetheinterventionandavert potential catastrophic failure of the compromised timber structure.

Accordingtotheministry,followingtheadvertisementon April 9, 2025, the contract for the bridge was awarded on June 12, 2025 to Aruca Investment in the sum of GYD $74,766,500 The contractor then commenced working on June28,2025.

“The scope of works included the construction of a temporary bypass, demolition and reconstruction of the existing 40-foot bridge, extension of the structure, and the installation of additional deep foundation piles to strengthen theabutments.Theseinterventionsenabledtheconversionof the former one-lane timber bridge into a reinforced two-lane structure designed to safely accommodate both light and heavyvehiculartraffic,”theministryprovided.

On the issue of missed timelines, the ministry said: “However, it is imperative to view these not as periods of inaction but as necessary intervals required for technical complianceandregionaleconomicintegration.”“Contraryto reports suggesting project stagnation, physical works advanced steadily throughout the 2025 fiscal year We are pleasedtoconfirmthatasofJanuary15,2026,theKobreimo Bridge has been fully operational for both light and heavy vehicular traffic, effectively restoring unrestricted access alongtheMainRoad,”theministrypointedout.

Additionally,thePublicWorksMinistryinformedthat,the project remains within its Defects Liability Period, which extends through February 28, 2026. This publication understands that during this phase, the contractor remains legally bound to rectify any emerging technical defects, ensuring the final deliverable meets the highest standards of engineeringfidelity

Inrelationtothebridge,onJanuary10,2026Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Sherod Duncan via his Facebook page had highlighted the slow pace of works to complete the new bridge, and raised concerns about the safety of persons using the temporary wooden auxiliary crossing

He stated that in May 2025, he visited the bridge after residents raised concerns about its deteriorating condition. “Today(January10,2026),thebridgeisnowfullyclosedfor repairs, with vehicles and pedestrians diverted onto a temporary wooden auxiliary crossing. While repairs are finallyunderwayandoveranundulylongperiod,thecurrent arrangement highlights how long the community was left to manageriskbeforeactionwastaken,”heraised.

According to the MP, the situation there underscores a broader issue in Region One, stating that “essential infrastructure is too often addressed only after prolonged neglect,ratherthanthroughtimelymaintenancethatprotects publicsafety.”

Public Works rushes to declare Kobreimo Bridge open

Trump links Greenland threat to Nobel Peace Prize snub ...EU

PARIS/OSLO, Jan 19

(Reuters) - U.S. President DonaldTrumphaslinkedhis drive to take control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize, saying he no longer thought “purelyofPeace”astherow over the island threatened to reignite a trade war with Europe.

Trump declined to tell NBC News in an interview whether he would use force to seize Greenland. He did reiterate his threat to hit Europeannationswithtariffs ifadealisnotreached.

Trumphasintensifiedhis push to wrest sovereignty over Greenland from fellow NATO member Denmark, prompting the European Union to weigh hitting back withitsownmeasures.

The dispute threatens to upend the NATO alliance that has underpinned

Westernsecurityfordecades andwhichwasalreadyunder strain over the war in UkraineandTrump’srefusal to protect allies unless they increasedefencespending.

Trump’s threat has rattled European industry

and sent shockwaves through financial markets.

Investors fear a return to the volatility of 2025’s trade war, which only eased when thesidesreachedtariffdeals inthemiddleoftheyear Ina text message on Sunday to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere, Trump said: “Considering your Country decided not to give metheNobelPeacePrizefor having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the

CCTVfootagetobe analysedinexecution ofBareRootman

PolicehavesaidthatCCTVfootagewillbeanalysedtoget further information in relation to the murder of Bare Root carpenter 37-year-old carpenter Homton Chichester, also called“Orlando”.

“TheareawascanvassedforCCTVcamerasandfootage was retrieved which will be analysed. Several persons were contacted and questioned,” police said in a statement on Monday Chichester of Bare Root, Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara was on Sunday found with multiple gunshotwoundsalongtheaccessroadtohiscommunityabout 19:30hrs.

Policesaidthataninvestigationhasbeenlaunchedintothe matter.“Preliminaryinvestigationsrevealedthatthebodyof thedeceasedwasfoundlyingmotionlessalongtheBareRoot AccessRoadwithsuspectedgunshotwoundstothechestand shoulderareas.EmergencyMedicalTechniciansrespondedto thesceneandthedeceasedwaspronounceddeadbyadoctor on duty from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation,” policesaidinastatement.

There was also a motorcycle at the scene, which was secured by police as a part of the investigation. Chichester’s body was escorted to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home whereitisawaitingapost-mortemexamination. Investigationscontinue.

UnitedStatesofAmerica.”

Norway’s government released the messages on Monday

Stoere had sent an initial message with Finnish President Alexander Stubb callingforade-escalationof tensions,elicitingaresponse fromTrumplessthanhalfan hourlater

NOBELCOMMITTEE

GAVE2025PEACE PRIZETOMACHADO, NOTTRUMP

The Norwegian Nobel Committee annoyed Trump byawardingthe2025Nobel PeacePrizenottohimbutto Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.

In his message, Trump also repeated his accusation thatDenmarkcannotprotect Greenland from Russia or China. “...And why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway?” he wrote, adding: “The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”

Trump vowed on

prepares to retaliate

People attend a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand that the Arctic island be ceded to the U.S., calling for it to be allowed to determine its own future, in front of the U.S. consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, January 17, 2026. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Saturday to implement a wave of increasing tariffs from February 1 on EU membersDenmark,Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland, along with Britain and

Norway, until the U.S. is allowed to buy Greenland, hometoonly57,000people.

“We are living in 2026, you can trade with people, but you don’t trade people,” Denmark’sForeignMinister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said during a visit to London on Monday

In a post on Facebook, Greenland Prime Minister Jens-FrederikNielsensaid Continuedonpage16

Singer Shawn English allegedly beaten and

R

robbed,

recording artiste, Shawn English was reportedly accosted and robbed Saturday evening while patronising a popular nightclubinRegionSix.

The incident occurred at the Old Broom Lounge (OBL) in Port Mourant, Corentyne, where English, 42,saidthathewasassaulted by several males while attempting to enter the building.

Speaking to this publication, the vocalist, who is now based in New Amsterdam, said that he wanted to have a meetup with a good friend of his. This rendezvous was slated for 11:00 at Leisure Inn in central New Amsterdam While there, English would complete some matters and would proceed from that clubtoOBL.

“I called my friend, he said ‘come to OBLbro, I’m the DJ’, and he said he’s going to treat me like VIP, butheneversharedwhatthe dress code was,” English shared. He said that as he arrived at the club, he was immediately assessed and prevented from entering.

barred from entering OBL

Shawn English showing one of his several stitches

This, according to him, was based on his choice of attire which supposedly failed to meet the club’s standards. His DJ friend had to tend to othermatters,hestated.

“I showed up at OBL withslippersandsocksandI was told I cannot enter the club with my slippers. It’s a n i c e M e r r e l l slipper $12,000 Can’t enter with it, because they look at slippers as (just) slippers.”

To avoid further escalation,the‘Letyourlove shine’ singer said he then

reached for his headphone, which he hooked up and beganlisteningtomusicand initiating his own ‘vibe’ through rapping, which he said attracted individuals nearby,oneofwhomhesaid approached him and had an American accent The individual reportedly demaned that he cease vocalising, demands supported also by a local whojoinedin.

“He’sapproachingmein aggressionandI’mtryingto deescalate by backing away....andnextmembersof

English

the crew started to gather around me. I didn’t realise thatitwasarobberythatwas gonna be in progress until somebody slapped me behindmyhead,andthefirst thing I felt was my chain start move, ” English recalled.

An altercation would ensue,inwhichthemusician noted that he fought for his life while the men dealt him blowsabouthisbody

“Next thing I realised, I’m on the ground begging formylife,andsomeman

Continued on page 16

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Trump links Greenland threat to Nobel Peace...

From page 14 the territory should be allowed to decide its own fate.

“Wewillnotletourselves be pressured.

We stand firm on dialogue, on respect and on international law,” he said. Denmark’s military told Reuters that Danish soldiers wouldlandinKangerlussuaq, western Greenland, on Monday, as part of theArctic Endurancemilitaryexercise.

TALKSWITHTRUMP INDAVOS?

Norway’s Stoere said he wouldchangehisscheduleto attend the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday and Thursday, overlapping with Trump’s planned appearanceattheannualgathering of the global political and business elite.

The country will not change its stance on Greenland, the country’s foreignministerEspenBarthEide said. German Chancellor

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Friedrich Merz said he too would try to meet Trump on Wednesday, adding that a tradedisputewasnotwanted. “Butifweareconfrontedwith tariffsthatweconsiderunreasonable, then we are capable of responding,” Merz said. U.S.TreasurySecretaryScott Bessent said it would be “very unwise” for European governments to retaliate.

“I think it’s a complete canardthatthepresidentwill be doing this because of the Nobel prize. The president is lookingatGreenlandasastrategic asset for the United States,” he told reporters in Davos.

‘Claims

From page 8

EULEADERSTOMEET

ONTHURSDAY

EU leaders will discuss optionsatanemergencysummit in Brussels on Thursday One option is a package of tariffson93billioneuros($108 billion) of U.S. imports that couldautomaticallykickinon February 6 after a six-month suspension.

Another option is the “Anti-Coercion Instrument” (ACI), which has never yet been used and which could limitaccesstopublictenders, investmentsorbankingactivityorrestricttradeinservices, in which the U.S. has a surplus with the bloc, including

indigitalservices. The EU said it was continuing to engage “at all levels”withtheU.S.butsaidthe use of itsACI was not off the table. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for calm discussionbetweentheallies, adding he did not believe TrumpwasconsideringmilitaryactiontoseizeGreenland.

Russia declined to commentonwhethertheU.S.designs on Greenland were good or bad but said it was hard to disagree with experts that Trump would “go down in... world history” if he did takecontroloftheisland.($1 =0.8604euros)

and objections process not fit to...

However, budget approval was delayed until 2018, and the 2019 rollout was ultimately derailed by political turmoilandcourtchallenges. Those disruptions, the commissioners said, once again preventedmeaningfulreform ofthevoters’roll.

Alexander, Corbin and Trotman concluded that history has repeatedly demonstrated that technical fixes alonewillnotsolvetheproblem.Theyreiteratedthatonly decisive legislative action — supported at the highest politicallevel—canrestorecredibility to Guyana’s electoral database.

“Aspecialinterventionfacilitated through legislative provisions is necessary, and its success can best be assured ifpilotedandsupportedbythe Attorney General,” the commissioners insisted.

Meanwhile, the commissioners comments come days after GECOM published an advertisementseekingtemporary staff for the upcoming local government elections. According to the advertisement placed on the commission’s website, suitably qualified individuals are beingsoughttofilltheroleof temporary trainer in preparation for the upcoming local government polls.

The advertisement noted under the direct supervision of the chief election officer, (CEO) successful candidates willberesponsiblefordesigning and developing training materialsspecificallytailored for the conduct of LGE, organisingandimplementing effective training strategies for election staff, evaluating the performance of participants at the conclusion of

each training session etc.

Local Government Electionisdeemedahighpriority for citizens, as it stipulates governance and policies at thelocaldemocraticor”grass root”level.

The elections will pave the way for the appointment ofcouncilorsforthe65NeighborhoodDemocraticCouncils and six municipalities countrywide.

Constitutionally,LGEare due every three years. Guyana’s local government election history is marked by significant delays, with the last elections held in 1994, leading to prolonged periods where councils were not renewed,despiteconstitutional requirementsandcallsforreform.

Local government elections were last held in June 2023.

Singer Shawn English allegedly beaten ...

From page 14 who ain’t got no age than me-aRastaguy-Ipullhimby his hair, I pulled him down and I started to assault him, because I don’t want nobody to kill me while I’m on my knees. So I was fighting for mylife....Igothitallovermy body. I was stomped, all my shoulders and back aches, I have abrasions on my shoulders and back....I have three stitches in my head....I have four stitches at the bottom of myfoot.

He told this publication that the chain of itself is not genuine gold, but it retained a gold ring that carried a $60,000 value. No cash was taken. An iPhone 11, estimated nearly $75,000, was also snatched from his person. No one attempted to come to his aid, he added.

He believes that he was being scanned from the beginning by the individuals scouting for unsuspecting persons to pounce on. Notwithstanding the ordeal, Englishtoldthispublicationthat heisgratefultohaveescaped without injuries that could threatenhislifeorimpedehis movements as he seeks to

pursue his businesses. A report was made at the Whim PoliceStation,hesaid.

OBLResponds

The management of the popularnightstoponSunday in a release, while acknowledging the occurrence of a scufflewithinitsparameters, brushed aside claims that no security officials sought to resolve the incident.

The entity noted that English was seen standing at the side street of the building foralongperiod,whilewearing earphones and loudly singing provocative lyrics. It added that its patrons and evensecuritysoughttoavoid a conflict, but that he continued to provoke patrons and security officials by his actions.

“A verbal exchange later led to a brief scuffle involving three individuals. Security responded immediately, intervened,separatedallparties involved, and restored order Theindividualwasnot robbed,nophoneorpersonal itemsweretaken,andhewas assisted by security, who ensured his belongings were intact and helped place him safely into a vehicle,” OBL released.

Thebusinessplacestated that it upkeeps a strict security protocol, and that the safety of patrons and staff at all times is paramount. Should the need arise, it stated that CCTV footage is availableandwillbeprovided to the relevant authorities.

GPHC launches probe into woman jumping to death

...to review existing protocols on mental health monitoring

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) on Sunday evening announced that it has launched an investigation to determinethecircumstances surrounding the death of Marisa Eastman who jumpedfromawindowinthe femaleward.

In the statement the hospital said that it has initiated “a full internal investigation” and as part of the process, “the hospital will also review existing protocols related to patient observation and mental healthmonitoring,including suicide watch policies, to identify any areas for strengthening patient safety.”

The GPHC expressed its regret at having to confirm the death of the patient who was admitted to the institution and was being looked after in the medical ward. TheGPHCexplained that Eastman visited the Emergency Department on the 17th of January with complaintsofheadachesand abnormalbehaviourandwas subsequently admitted for further evaluation and management She was

reviewed by the Internal Medicine team and referred for psychiatric assessment due to observed behavioural concerns Psychiatric services were attended, and the patient was assessed and managed accordingly, GPHCexplained.Atthetime of assessment, no suicidal ideation or psychotic symptoms were identified, GPHCsaid.

“At approximately 6:55 p.m. on Sunday, January 18th, an alarm was raised, givingtheindicationthatthe patienthadjumpedthrougha window on the Female MedicalWard.

Hospital personnel responded immediately, but the patient was pronounced dead at the scene ”

“Hospital officials have met withthepatient'sfamilyand will continue to provide updates as further info

m

s available. Psychosocial and psychiatric support services havealsobeenofferedtothe family and staff affected by this tragic incident,” it added.

Furthermore,thehospital has expressed its deepest condolences to the family

Four Miles residents demand probe into missing $34M collected by

Village Council

The residents of Four Miles, Port Kaituma are demanding a full investigation into some $34M in gold royalties being unaccountedforbytheVillageCouncil.

In a letter to the Minister ofAmerindian Affairs,SarahBrowne,residentspleadedfor an impartial investigation and audit under Section (27) and Section (33) of the AmerindianActof2006,onthegroundsthat theToshaoandCouncillorsoftheFourMiles VillageCouncil,havefailedtocarryouttheir duties and have contravened several provisionsoftheAct.

TheyarguedthattheCouncilhasfailedto carry out several of its duties, including the convening of Village General Meetings, Auditsandseveralothers.

Dead: Marisa Eastman

and loved ones of the deceasedduringthisdifficult time.Also, in a statement to themediaonMondaypolice saidthataninvestigationhas been launched into the incident Police said enquiries disclosed that whileanursingassistantwas administering medication to another patient in the ward, the victim was observed lying on her bed covered withasheet.“Momentslater, analarmwasraisedafterthe victim was seen outside a window where she reportedly fell to the ground below,” police added. She was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty and the body wasescortedtothehospital's mortuarywhereitisawaiting a post-mortem examination, asinvestigationscontinue.

Govt.usingAItointerpret medicalimages

MinisterofHealth,Dr.FrankAnthonyon Saturdaysaidpartofrevolutionisingthelocal healthcare system is the use of artificial intelligence(AI)tointerpretX-rayimages.

Speaking at the launch of the Electronic Health Record System, he said that the AI system is currently being piloted at the new EnmoreRegionalHospitalontheEastCoast of Demerara.The minister stated that the governmenthasbeenreplacingtheanalogXray units at a number of hospitals with new state-of-the-artdigitalmachines.

Withthenewmachines,henotedthatthey are taking a step further by having artificial intelligencereadtheimages.

“Andifyouthinkthat'stoosci-fi,oryou know, sound like fiction, we have such a systemrightnowthatweareoperatingatthe Enmore Regional hospital, where, once a digitalX-rayisdone,itgoesintothesystem andguesswhat,ittakes17secondsforittobe read,andtheaccuracyofwhatisthereisclose to 99 per cent and that is something that we want to scale up,” Minister Anthony explained. While the initiative is at the pilot stage, he added that will be used for X-rays andCTscans,MRIsandotherimagings.

“So,thisisthedirectioninwhichweare going,thisisonethatisabsolutelynecessary

if we are going to deliver world class health caretoourpeople,”hesaid.

He noted that while the government is working on introducing new technology to the health system, he asked that people embracethesenewandinnovativechanges.

“So, we want to ensure that you help us through and you have to embrace the technology Wearegoingtotrytofacilitateas muchaswecan,tosmoothoutanyproblems thatyoumighthave,butwewantyoutohave the patience to keep trying and making sure that you adapt to the technology Because if you as the patients don't adapt to the technology, if you don't use it, then we are defeating all of what we have been trying to do,”hementioned.

Theministernotedalsothatinrolloutof the new technologies, as for the staff, “they have been working very hard to ensure that theyunderstandhowtoworkwiththesystem, andthey'regettingbetteratiteveryday.”

In the letter to Minister Browne, it was explained that during the last general meeting, hosted on June 8, 2025 villagers requested the Treasurer, Roxanne Rajab, to giveanaccountoftheroyaltiesandincomeof the village. “She stated that the Village Council received 98 ounces of gold. When askedforanaccountofhowthe98ouncesof gold royalties were used, the Treasurer said that 64 ounces were sold at $540,000 per ounce, amounting to $34,560,000 in total. When asked to provide a breakdown of how the Village Council utilized these monies—specifically what projects were executed and how much each project cost-the Treasurer refused to give an account as requested.Shethenclosedherbooksandleft themeeting,”theresidentsdetailed.

Subsequently, another general meeting washeldonOctober9,2025whereresidents again sought information on the monies received by the Council. Notably, the Treasurer did not attend that meeting since shereportedill.

To this end, the residents allege that the VillageCouncilreadthefinancialstatements but still failed to account for the royalties it received for the gold mining operations takingplace.

Residents informed the minister, “The

Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Sarah Browne

Village council claimed that they had receivedsome65Ozofgoldoverthelastfour months but when the rangers were asked to clarifywiththeirrecordshowmuchgoldwas received, the rangers said they just record how much gold is washed down but the Village council receives the royalties the rangersthenwentontoconform82ozofgold andeightpennyweightwasreceivedoverthe lastfourmonths.”

Theyaddedthatwhenclaritywassought on that revelation, they were informed that the Treasurer would have to explain. To this end,thecitizenscomplainedthatnearlyfour months have passed since the Council’s last meeting with no accountability for the royaltiesorotherfinancesreceived.

Inadditiontotheirfinancialconcerns,the citizensinformedtheMinisterofAmerindian Affairs that only 21 dredges were approved by them to operate on the village lands, however, villagers observe that over 50 dredgesareoperatingwithoutapprovalbeing sought from the villagers at the Village General Meeting “Villagers have also observedthatmembersoftheVillageCouncil have purchased dredges, vehicles, and other assets that they could not afford prior to having access to the Village finances,” they pointedout.

No confirmation of death of wanted man in viral shooting video

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Mondaysaidthatitisyettoconfirmwhether wanted murder suspect Jamal Bourne, also knownas“Skinny,”hasdiedfollowingaviral videoofhimshootinghimselfinthehead.

An investigation has been launched into the matter as there have been reports of a video making its rounds on social media showing Bourne who was wanted in connectionwiththemurderofAkeemHamer at Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, on September 12, 2024, appearing to inflict a gunshotwoundonhimselfonSunday

“During the broadcast, Bourne was also observedinthecompanyofotherindividuals while allegedly displaying a cadre of suspectedfirearms.Thevideohassincebeen removed from the page on which it was originallyposted,”policesaid.

Itwentontosaythat,“Atthistime,there isnoofficialconfirmationofhisdeathandno reports have been received in any of the 12 policing regions of Guyana regarding the incident.” Nevertheless, the force is treating the matter seriously and is making all of the

necessary enquiries to both verify the location of the video as well as the circumstancesthatsurroundtheincident.

The Guyana Police Force is treating the matter seriously and is making all necessary enquiries to verify the location of the video and the circumstances surrounding the incident.

FGM to boycott budget presentation

...citesabsenceofOppositionLeader

The Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) has announced that it will boycott the presentation of the 2026 National Budget, scheduled for January 26, citing the government's failure to facilitate the election of a Leader of the Opposition.

In a statement on Monday, FGM being led by Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir said Ashni Singh has announced January 26th as the day that the National Budget will be read in the National

Assembly "Forward Guyana Movement will not be sitting in any Parliament to listen to the Minister of Finance go on for hours, while the government refuses to do what is right andcallthemeetingtoallow fortheelectionoftheLeader of the Opposition. We will notsitthereandpretendthat itisbusinessasusual."

Thepartysaidevenifthe government goes ahead and reads the Budget, they have no moral or constitutional justification to treat it as normal business when Parliament is structurally incomplete by the PPP

Government's own deliberate inaction "The

PPP is manufacturing normalcy whilst refusing to complete the constitutional architecture, and then using their majority numbers to bulldozelegitimacy."

Further, FGM said the Office of the Leader of the Opposition is funded by the State "It receives a subventionfromParliament. So,whohasbeenengagedto determine that figure? What figuredidtheybudgetforthe operationoftheOfficeofthe Leader of the Opposition when they have deliberately refused to allow one to be elected?"

FGM said this has nothingtodowithanybody's private money, means, or personality "This is about

whether Guyana will have a functioning democracy, or whether Irfaan Ali and his government will simply do whatever they want because they have the numbers.This is not only disrespect to the Constitution, it is disrespect tothepeopleofGuyana.This government has shown such disregard for us as Guyanese, and we must not acceptthatasnormal."

"So let me be clear: Forward Guyana Movement willnotbesittingtolistento Ashni go on for hours while the government refuses to

facilitate the el ction of the Leader of the Opposition. We will not lend legitimacy tononsense.

Before the Minister of Finance rises to present a single budget figure, the Speaker must call the meeting for the nongovernmental Members of Parliament to elect the LeaderoftheOpposition."

The party urged the government to stop playing gameswiththeConstitution. "Stop disrespecting the people of Guyana. And we, as Guyanese, must stop taking this level of disrespect. Government is theservantofthepeople."

Govt.expanding NationalSchoolFeeding programme–Min.Parag

The government is seeking to expand and strengthen the 'National School Feeding' programme during its new term, with a focus on reaching more students and improving the nutritional quality of the meals.

Trump asks Putin to join Gaza ‘board of peace’ even as Ukraine war rages

( A L - J A Z E E R A )

Russian President Vladimir Putinhasbeeninvitedtojoin United States President Donald Trump's “board of peace”,purportedlyaimedat resolving global conflicts as well as overseeing g o v e r n a n c e a n d reconstructioninGaza.

The invitation, which emerged on Monday, was extended as Russia's nearly four-year war on Ukraine continues and a peace deal there remains elusive. Trumphadbeenpushingfor an end to the war, one he claimed he would stop within 24 hours of taking office a year ago. A war of attrition has been raging on the ground, and peace negotiations are ongoing, but momentum has slowed again.

The White House has reachedouttofiguresaround theworldtositonthe“board ofpeace”,chairedbyTrump himself.

boosting ties with its foes, suchasIran.

Moscow has also sought closer relationships with the Gulf Arab states amid growingWesternisolation.

Putin has previously praised Trump's efforts to resolveconflicts.

“He'sreallydoingalotto resolve these complex crises,whichhavelastedfor years, even decades,” Putin saidinOctober.

Referringtothesituation in the Middle East, Putin said: “If we succeed in achieving everything Donald has strived for,… it willbeahistoricevent.”

The assault on Ukraine and the war in Gaza have strained Moscow's traditionally good relations with Israel, home to a large Russian-borncommunity

The Kremlin has repeatedly criticised Israel's war on Gaza and called for restraint.

meeting with Palestinian

Authority President MahmoudAbbasinMay “Russia,asafriendofthe Palestinian people, is trying to provide regular assistance,” the Russian presidentadded.

The “board of peace”, which is expected to implementTrump's20-point plan to end Israel's war on Gaza, is a three-tier governing structure consistingofrepresentatives from around the world including the US, Europe andArabcountries.

“That's a manifesto promise…Whether that means introducing the programmes to different schools or looking at the quality. Definitely, we are looking at the nutritional intake and quality of the meals, and that's a focus also for the next five years, ” Minister of Education Sonia Parag said duringlastFriday's 'Starting Point'podcast. The programme gives mealstostudentstopromote betterhealth,increaseschool attendance, and improve learning. It offers hot meals such as breakfast and lunch, along with juice and biscuit snacks. It will also focus on students from various regionsandgrades.

caterers.

The education minister noted that expanding the

government. Minister Parag added that the initiative is part of the government's un

T h e b r e a k f a s t component alone is currently offered in about 240 schools, benefitting morethan5,100students.In addition, the programme offers steady employment and financial empowerment to approximately 340

o education policy, geared at ensuring children are fed whileattendingschool.“Itis not every family that may have had the opportunity to have three meals a day. So, the government wants to ensure the

, especially with children who are living in remote communities,” she stated. (DPI)

“President Putin also receivedaninvitationtojoin this board of peace,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Monday

Russia was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer with Washington, he said, without adding whether Putin is inclined to join.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally, has also been reportedlyinvitedtojointhe groupbyTrump.

Moscow for years tried to balance relations with all major players in the Middle East,includingIsraelandthe Palestinians.

But since the start of Israel's more than two-year genocidal war on Gaza and Russia'sinvasionofUkraine in February 2022, Putin has moved away from Israel,

“The Gaza Strip is experiencingahumanitarian catastrophe in the full sense of the word,” Putin was quotedassayingbythenews agency RIA Novosti at a

However, it has been criticised by experts for placing Trump, pro-Israel officialslikeUSSecretaryof State Marco Rubio and polarising figures in the region, such as former British Prime MinisterTony Blair, at the top while Palestinians are relegated to the third tier with municipal duties, potentially marginalising Palestinian politicalagencyinfavourof a commercialised, “neocolonial” governance model.

Managerrobbedofover $600konSmythStreet

A34-year-oldfemalemanagerwasonSundayrobbedof $642,000onSmythStreet,Georgetown. An investigation has been launched into the matter whichpolicesaidoccurredaround21:58hrsandinvolveda restaurantestablishmentlocatedattheaddress. Preliminaryinvestigationsrevealedthatthemanagerof West Ruimveldt, had collected the daily sales from the restaurantandplacedthecashintoabag.Assheenteredher motorcar,whichwasparkedinfrontoftheestablishment, shewasapproachedbyanunidentifiedmalewhoopenedthe driver'ssidedoor,pointedahandgunatherandrelievedher of a quantity of cash amounting to $642,000 Guyana currencybeforefleeingthesceneonfoot,policesaid. TheCCTVcamerasintheareawereidentifiedandvideo footage will be reviewed. Several persons were contacted and questioned. The suspect is presently being sought as investigationscontinue,theforceadded.

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

Censusclaimsdemand independentscrutiny

The preliminary results of Guyana’s 2022 census raise more questions than confidence. While government officials celebrate a 17.6 percent population increase and a startling 15.5 percent growth in the locally born population, these figures clash with long-standing migration realities.

For decades, Guyana experienced net population stagnation driven by steady emigration, particularly to the United States and Canada. There is little evidence that this trend reversed dramatically before 2022. At the same time, the census admits to undercounting foreign-born residents, especially Venezuelan migrants, whose real numbers far exceed official figures.

This suggests that local growth may be artificially inflated due to flawed enumeration methods. Population data shapes national planning, resource allocation, and development policy. It cannot rest on questionable assumptions. An independent, international audit of the census methodology is not optional, it is necessary to protect public trust and policy credibility.

Raza, Usman steer Pakistan to victory over Scotland

...Rowles, Bulbulia starred with hundreds in South Africa's big win over Tanzania

ESPNcricinfo – Scores: Pakistan Under-19s 190 for 4 (Usman 75, Hussain 47) beat Scotland Under-19s 187(Raza4-37,Qamar3-46) bysixwickets

Pakistan quick Ali Raza rattledScotlandwithhispace early on, before left-arm wristspinner Momin Qamar helpedtakedownthemiddle order Scotlandshowedsome mettle, particularly during a 68-run seventh-wicket partnership that raised their totaltoacreditable187. Butitwascleartheywere outgunned. Many Scotland batters were uncomfortable against Ali's pace, and struggled to read Pakistan's wristspinners Raza deservedlyemergedwiththe game's best figures, taking 4 for37-twoofthosewickets havingcomeinamemorable first over Qamar took 3 for 46. Scotland's highest scorer

Ali Raza blew Scotland away. (ICC/Getty Images)

was captain Thomas Knight, whogroundouta72-ball37, before Qamar slipped a beautifully-flighted delivery

Tuesday January 20, 2026

ARIES

Todayyouandyourfamilyor agroupoffriendsmightspend mostofthedayoutandabout, Aries. You might spend the day outdoors, or possibly attend a concert or festival of somekind.

TAURUS

Aclass, lecture, or workshop could prove fascinating and stimulating for you today, Taurus. Plans for travel to a distantstateorforeigncountry, perhaps in the company of friends or family members, couldbeconfirmed

GEMINI

If you've been thinking of buying a home or otherwise purchasing real estate, Gemini,thisisthedaytostart the ball rolling or finalize the deal, depending on your situation.

CANCER

A festive social event could either start or consolidate a loverelationship,whichcould last for a long time. New and interestingpeoplecouldcome intoyourlife.

LEO

Today you should be experiencing a strong feeling of satisfaction and contentment with your life, Leo. Business and financial matters continue to go well, andyourhomelife.

VIRGO

Business transactions taking place in your near neighborhood should prove sensibleandsatisfyingtoday,Virgo

You should be feeling pretty financially secure right now, as career and money matters continuetogowellforyou.

If you're into gardening or in any way working with the land, you're likely to spend a lot of time doing it today, Libra A friend or family membercouldhelp.

SCORPIO

A warm and loving communication could come today from a longtime friend orromanticpartner Thiscould be the high point of your day, Scorpio, especially since a letter or delivery you've been waiting on for a while still mightnotcome.

SAGITTARIUS

If you've been thinking about startingagarden,thisisagreat day to do it, since anything relating to the land you begin today is likely to thrive Doubts about your financial security might be on your mind,Sagittarius.

CAPRICORN

Familyandfriendsmaygather for an intimate get-together at your home or perhaps at the home of a neighbor At some point,expectanexcitingphone call.

AQUARIUS

A close friend or lover could share a secret with you today, Aquarius. An older person could be in the news, perhaps an author or politician you particularlyadmire.

PISCES

Someone you've known for a longtimebuthaven'tseenfora while could suddenly come back into the picture, Pisces. Heorshecouldattendasocial eventofsomekindoractually dropintovisityourfamily

pasthisdefences. Despite some gutsy batting from Finlay Jones andManuSaraswatdownthe order, Scotland always seemed headed to a sub-par score,evengiventheseamerfriendly conditions in Harare. When they lost two wickets in the first overRaza bowling Theo Robinson and Max Chaplin with outstanding deliveriesthey were in danger of being skittled quickly But they battledthroughuntilthe49th overPakistan's chase was mostly straightforward Scotland's seamers got some movementwiththenewball, and Ollie Jones was able to extract two wickets by the 12th over But No. 3 batter Usman Khan struck 75, and Ahmed Hussain - who had earliertakenasublimecatchjoined him for a 111-run stand that made the game safe.Theygothomewithsix wickets to spare, in the 44th

over.

Rowles,Bulbuliastarin SA'sbigwinoverTanzania

Scores: South Africa Under-19s397for5 (Rowles 125, Bulbulia 108, Van Schalkwyk 47, James 46) beat Tanzania Under-19s 68 (Majola2-6, Rowles2-14) by 329runs.

South Africa monstered the Tanzania side over in Windhoek, Muhammed Bulbulia and Jason Rowles hittinghundredstogetSouth Africa to 397 for 5, before their bowlers blasted Tanzaniaoutfor68.

Tanzania had begun encouragingly, although South Africa were always scoring quickly They had taken two South Africa wickets inside the first 14 overs, and had South Africa at 93 for 2 at one stage. But then Bulbulia and Rowles came together, to take the game rapidly away from the opposition, with a 201-run

partnershipthatcameoff176 balls.

Rowles was the more aggressive of the pair in the end, clobbering five sixes and ten fours in his 125 not out off 101 deliveries Bulbulia hit one six and ten fours in his run-a-ball 108. Paul James also produced a rollicking finishing knock, crashing five sixes and two foursinhis46off18.

Tanzaniacouldnotgetoff theblocksinthechase.South Africa took their first wicket in the second over, and just did not stop striking, the wickets spread between all fivebowlersused.

Rowles added to his outstanding performance by claiming two wickets for 14 with his left-arm spin Bayanda Majola also took twowickets,forsixruns.

Scores: Sri Lanka 267 for 5 ( D i n s a r a 9 5 , Heenatigala 51*, Riley 2-51) beat Ireland 161 (Armstrong 39,Sigera4-19)by106runs.

Also in Windhoek, Sri Lanka strode to 267 for 5, with Vimath Dinsara hitting 95,andChamikaHeenatigala hitting 51.Thatpair put on a 100-run partnership for the fifth wicket, but there had alsobeenasolidcontribution from Kavija Gamage, who made49.

Ireland seamer Oliver Riley who took 2 for 51, dismissing top-scorer Dinsara and also Viran Chamuditha, who had made 192inthelastmatch.

ButIrelandweretimidin response Behind the requiredratefromearlyinthe piece, they also lost frequent wickets They were struggling at 66 for 2 in the 19th over, but were soon 96 for 6 in the 27th over, the match essentially having slipped away They were eventuallydismissedfor161 in the 41st over The rightarm seamers did the damage for Sri Lanka, Rasith Nimsarataking3for29,and DulnithSigeraclaiming4for 19 This victory puts Sri LankaatthetopofGroupA, withaNetRunRateof3.090 -thebestinthetournamentso far

TheRoseHallTownYouthand Sports Club on Saturday last reached a semifinals spot in Berbice cricket for the 200th time when they defeated a spirited Skeldon Community Centre Cricket Club by eight wickets at the Skeldon Ground. Playing in glorious sunshine, the home team won the toss and elected to take first strike on a wicket with some preparationmoisture.

OpenersA.ChattergoonandF Kalakadeen added twelve for the first wicket before the latter was caught by Raffel McKenzie off medium pacer Munesh Rampersaud for two in the fourth over The home team batsmen showed great application and they batted out 48.5 of the allotted 50 overs to reach 162 all out. The visiting bowlers struggled in the windy conditions and gifted Skeldonahealthy53extraswhich included 46 wides. Adil Ali top scored with an aggressive 30 which included three boundaries. He received support from A Chattergoon15,A.Ally14andA. Nabi 16. The Rose Hall Town Bakewell team bowling were led byoffspinnersAkashSooklalland Balraj Narine who ended with bowling figures of 3 for 28 and 3 for 33 each Pacers Raffel McKenzie and Munesh

Rampersaud ended with one wicketeach.Nationalunder13left armspinnerJaydenGanpatbowled ten tight overs for seven runs, claimingthewicketofS.Hercules.

Needing to score 163 from 50 overs, Rose Hall Town Bakewell weregivenanopeningstandof24 by national junior cricketer Ramzan Koobir and the inform Jonathan Hicks before the former was bowled by L. Sukwa for ten. Sukwa then bowled Munesh

Rampersaud for 8 in the eighth overtogiveSkeldonsomehopeas thevisitorsfellto43for2.

The winning Rose Hall Town Bakewell team.

lead

A confident captain, Tameshwar Deochandm, walked to the crease and changed the

course of the game by taking twenty-four runs off the pacyAdil Ali. The ninth over cost twentyfour runs which included two mightysixesandthreesweetlyoff drivenfours.DeochandandHicks then rotated the strike beautifully toadd122runsin22overstotake theirteamoverthelineandaplace in the semifinals. Deochand was unbeaten on 59, while the fastimprovingHickswasnotoutonan evenfifty Deochandstrucktwosixesand fiveboundaries,whileHicks,who

scored a century last week in the BCBUnder16tournament,hitfour boundaries Sukra, who was impressivewithhismediumpacers endedwithtwowicketsfor23runs fromsixovers.

RoseHallTownBakewellnow joins Port Mourant as semifinalists Next Saturday, TuckerParkclashwithCottonTree at Cotton Tree, while Rose Hall Canje play Achievers in the remaining quarter finals to determine the last two semifinal spots.

Blaze T20 Championships Round 4…

Spinners dissect champs, as Trinidad

The Trinidad and Tobago spinners tormented defending champions Guyana, who were steamrolled by 8 wickets in a lowscoring battle yesterday when Women's Blaze T20 cricket continued.

The Trinidad all-spin barrage locked down the champs for 57 all outinthe17thover,ledby15-yearold leg-spinner Shriya Jairam who claimed4-11.

Guyana,whoatonepointwere in shambles on 42-8, suffered additionally at the hands of the more experienced spinners in Samara Ramnauth (3-10) and Anisa Mohammed (2-8), who kept wickets tumbling; as other options like Brianna Harricharan (1-11) made the most of a wounded Guyana.

Opener Realeanna Grimmond hit2foursandasixintheteam'stop score of 14, with the Williams' sisters Latoya (10) and Laurene (10*) the next best run-getters for thechamps.

The Twin Island Republic ladies then breezed to 58-2 in the 14th over, guided by knocks from the seasoned duo of Brittany Cooper who ended on 29* (3x4 1x6)andDjenabaJosephwhoalso

finishedunbeatenon27(2x4). A wicket apiece for spinner Plaffianna Millington (1-6) and medium-pacer Sheneta Grimmond (1-2), was the best Guyana could produceastheywilllooktoregroup ahead of their next match

tomorrow

LeewardIslandsbeat Barbadosby31runs Led by their all-star bowling line-up, Leewards defended their score of 118-9 after batting first in theopeninggame.

In-form all-rounders Qiana Joseph (27), Jahzara Claxton (22) andTonyaMartin(23)ledtheway, despite Bajans Najanni Cumberbatch (5-15) and Shanika Bruce (2-14) bowling extremely well,butwereintheendkeptto879.

Asabi Callender (17), skipper Allyiah Alleyne (15) and Eboni Brathwaite (14) could not stop the rampantapproachfromLeewards. However, returns from Shawnisha Hector (2-13), skipper Amanda Edwards (2-17), Joseph (2-10), Rozel Liburd (1-17) and Claxton(1-19);sealedanemphatic win for their team thanks to a collectivebowlingeffort.

Wednesday's round will open with Jamaica battling the Windwards in the morning game, followedbyGuyanaandBarbados in the afternoon; with Leewards and Windwards wrapping up proceedings under light. (Clifton Ross)

2026 West Indies vs. Afghanistan T20I Series Match 1…

Ibrahim (87*)/Rasooli (84), spinners clobber Windies by 38-runs - Afghan take 1-0 series lead

By Clifton Ross

Afghanistan drew first blood, as they opened the series with a comprehensive 38-run win over the West Indies,thankstofiftiesfrom IbrahimZadranandDarwish Rasooli backed by some brilliancefromtheirspinners yesterday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

WiththeT20IWorldCup aroundthecorner,teamsand players world-wide have beengettinginthelastbitsof preparation albeit international cricket or the numerous franchise tournaments currently ongoing; and Afghanistan made a loud statement as they humbled the former 2time champs to take a 1-0 serieslead.

TheAfghansflexedtheir muscles while possibly signalling dangerous intentions ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, by posting a daunting 181-3 batting first from their full allotmentofovers.

O p e n e r Z a d r a n continuedhislikenessforthe Windies, hammering 87 off 56notout,with8foursand3 sixes.

He was supported by an equally fine knock of 84 off 59deliveries(8x42x6)from the young Rasooli, following the loss of opener RahmanullahGurbaz(0)and number 3 batsman SediqullahAtal(1).

WestIndieshadahorrific bowling innings, with four of their five operators, yieldingatleast30runsfrom theirspells.

thebestbowlerandMatthew Forde (2-51); one of two bowlers to concede 50 runs or more; managed to make inroads.

TheCaribbeanboysthen seemingly crumbled under the pressure of chasing almost200forvictory,being bottled for 143-9 by the end oftheirovers.

Debutant, Guyanese power-hitter Quentin

Only seamers Jayden Seals (1-30) who ended as

Sampson had an incredible start to his international

and a whirlwind 15-ball 28 from Guyanese left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie (2x42x6);theotherWindies biggunsmisfiredduringthis firstouting.

A f g h a n i s t a n

complemented their

exceptional batting with some classy spin bowling, led by their skipper in legbreak specialist Rashid Khan;whosnared2-19from his4overs.

career while putting himself in contention for a possible World Cup selection; as he ended as the Windies topscorerwitha24-ball36.

The right-hander smashed2foursand2sixes, buthisteammatesapartfrom JohnsonCharles(27),Forde (25)withtwofoursandasix

Histwopartners,theleftarm pair of Mujeeb Ur Rahman (2-29) and Noor Ahmad(2-34)werebrilliant, alongside medium-pacer Ziaur Rahman (3-36) who wasthepickofthebunch.

Unlike theAfghans who had a monster 162-run 3rd wicket partnership courtesy of their two half-centurions, West Indies struggled to get

going during the chase and foundthemselves57-5when the drinks break arrived at thehalfwaymark.

West Indies had a few good-looking partnerships whichneverflourished,with Forde and Sampson's 45 being the highest followed by Motie and Forde adding 37.

Openers Evin Lewis (4) andBrandonKing(4),along with middle-order batters Amir Jangoo (3) and Shimron Hetmyer (3); will be keen on playing a much better game come Wednesday when match 2 bowlsoff.

Scores: Afghanistan 181 for 3 (Zadran 87*, Rasooli84,Seales1-30)beat West Indies 143 for 9 (Sampson 30, Ziaur 3-36, Rashid2-19)by38runs.

NSCcontinuesengagementwith...

Frompage27 competing on the NCAA circuit, having secured scholarships at some of the United States' leading universities with elite athleticsprogrammes.

Additionally,talkstouchedontheAAG's pushfordirectqualificationstandardsforthe 2028OlympicGames,andhowtheNSCcan continue to play a meaningful role in advancingthecountry'seliteathletes.

Support for Guyana's participation in internationalandcontinentalchampionships alsoformedpartofthebroaderconversation, as the association looks to maintain consistent exposure for its athletes at the highest levels In response, the NSC reiterated its commitment to supporting the AAG's programmes, pointing to the strong working relationship between the Commission and Sports Associations, as well as its alignment with the Ministry of Culture,YouthandSportundertheguidance ofMinisterCharlesRamsonJr.,andMinister

withintheMinistry,StevenJacobs. NinvallecommendedtheAAG'sdiverse and effective youth development structure, noting that Guyana continues to produce someoftheCaribbean'stopyouthandjunior athletes, many of whom have also made significantinroadswithinSouthAmerica.

Meanwhile, during discussions with the Guyana Darts Association, Ninvalle reaffirmed the NSC's position that all associationswillreceivesupport,regardless ofsizeorperceivednationalimpact.

Heexpressedsatisfactionwiththestrides madebytheDartsAssociationinpositioning Guyana on the regional and international darts circuit, and noted his anticipation for initiatives aimed at increasing wider local participationinthesport.

The meetings, Ninvalle said, underscored the NSC's continued commitment to collaboration, planning and long-term development across Guyana's sportinglandscape.

One Guyana Racing Stable to showcase Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup contender on Pegasus Day at Gulfstream Park (USA)

Miami, Florida, - One Guyana Racing Stable will place international eyes firmly on the Caribbean this SaturdayastheirSandyLane Barbados Gold Cup entry, Sir London, makes his highly anticipated debut for the stable on Pegasus World CupDayatGulfstreamPark intheUnitedStates.

The USA-bred runner, Sir London, was acquired last year at the prestigious Fasig-Tipton Sales, on the very same day Master 'Z' RacingStablesecuredfuture Guyana Cup champion Dataman, a purchase that continues to underline the stable's sharp eye for elite talent.Theacquisitionforms partofthestable'sambitious international campaign, as they aim to secure a record second consecutive victory in the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, attempting to go 2-for-2 in the region's most prestigiousrace.

Following the purchase, SirLondonwasimmediately sent to Gulfstream Park, where he was placed under the care of champion trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., one of North America's most accomplished conditioners. Joseph, who has dominated majorinternationaleventsin recent seasons, has been meticulously preparing the horse with the Barbados Gold Cup firmly as the primarytarget.

Before heading to Barbados, however, Sir London will take an important preparatory step this Saturday, lining up in Race 3 Allowance Optional

C l a i m i n g , P u r s e USD$87,000, 1 Mile on the turf, on Pegasus Day, one of themostcompetitivecardsin worldracing.Theracemarks Sir London's first start for One Guyana Racing Stable andhisdebutunderJoseph's programme.

Adding further intrigue to the event, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr will saddle two other runners in the Pegasus World Cup, including last year's Pegasus World Cup winner White Abarrio and Grade-1 performer Skippylongstocking, emphasizing the elite company surrounding Sir London on one of racing's grandeststages.

Sir London enters Saturday's race with an

impressive résumé He currently holds a standing track record at Laurel Park, where he captured an Allowance Optional Claiming event over one mile on turf in a blistering 1:33.32, a performance that stamped him as a serious internationalcontender

Speaking ahead of the race,trainerSaffieJosephJr notedthatwhilethePegasus Daycontestpresentsatough assignment following a lengthy layoff, the outing is primarily designed as a building block toward the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup.

“Afterthebreak,thisisa strong test,” Joseph said. “But it's about getting him sharp for the bigger picture. He's been doing everything rightinthemornings.”

That confidence is supported by Sir London's r e c e n t t r a i n i n g performances. On January 17, 2025, at the Palm Meadows Training Center, thecoltbreezedfivefurlongs in1:00.90,thefastesttimeof seven horses working at the distance that morning, signaling readiness despite thelayoff.

Once Saturday's race is complete, Sir London is expected to continue his preparations before being shipped to Barbados after clearing quarantine, where One Guyana Racing Stable will once again aim to etch their name into Caribbean racinghistory

As anticipation builds, all eyes will be on Pegasus Daytoseewhatthistalented runner reveals both as a

NSCcontinuesengagementwith AthleticsandDartsAssociations aheadofbusy2026calendar

The National Sports Commission (NSC) continued its on-going engagement with Guyana's sporting bodies this week, meeting with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG)andtheGuyanaDarts Association as part of its structured discussions with Sports Associations and Federations.

The meetings were held attheNSC'sheadquarterson Monday January 19, and were led by Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, alongside Assistant Directors Franklin Wilson and Melissa DowRichardson.

performer on one of the world'sbiggeststagesandas a major threat for the Sandy LaneBarbadosGoldCup.

What unfolds this Saturday may well be the opening chapter of another historic international campaign for One Guyana RacingStable.

Discussions with the AAG focused heavily on what is shaping up to be a demanding and ambitious 2026 calendar for track and field, spanning local competitions, regional assignments and major internationalengagements.

T h e A A G w a s represented by President Amanda Hermonstine and

General Secretary James Cole, who outlined the association's strategic prioritiesfortheyearahead.

The AAG expressed gratitude to the NSC for its consistent and unwavering supportovertheyears,while presentingitsfutureplansfor the sport, with particular emphasis on youth developmentprogrammes.

The association highlighted the importance of sustained investment in

grassroots and junior athletics,whichcontinuesto yield strong results for Guyana on the regional stage. Akey area of discussion was Guyana's participation once again at the CARIFTA Games, with both parties examining avenues for enhancedsupport.

This comes at a time when several of Guyana's top junior athletes are now (Continuedonpage26)