Black Immigrant Daily News

Interpellé en mars dernier, Ferdinand Boisrond, ancien adjoint à la jeunesse de Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni est suspecté d’être impliqué dans un clan familial de trafic de cocaïne entre la Guyane et l’hexagone. Lors de sa demande de remise en liberté (rejetée), il a avoué avoir transporté in corpore, à plusieurs reprises, la substance illicite. Mais son implication pourrait être plus importante encore… 

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Basseterre: St. Kitts, Thursday, October 12, 2022:​ Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Hazel Laws was the specially invited guest presenter at a meeting of school principals and Education officials earlier today in an effort to raise awareness about the highly contagious hand, foot and mouth disease currently which is known to be easily spread among children.

The CMO was invited as a means of providing critical information that would help curb the spread of the virus which presented itself locally over the past few weeks, especially as schools are high risk areas as far as the spread of such diseases. 

Commenting on the fact that children are most susceptible to this virus Dr. Jeffers stated

“Good hygiene is the best protection against hand, foot and mouth disease. So each school will need to reevaluate your prevention and control measures and make a determination as to what you need to improve on such that your school will be doing its part towards reducing the spread of this highly infectious disease.”

The Chief Medical Officer explained that prevention and control measures implemented at the school level would be most effective in stopping the spread. 

Prevention methods highlighted by Dr Laws included frequent clearing of high touch areas, no sharing of toys, washing hands thoroughly and frequently throughout the day, avoiding sharing cups and eating utensils, teaching children about cough etiquette as well as disposal of tissues. 

Chief Education Officer Mr. Francil Morris said the awareness exercise was timely and critical as the Ministry continues to seek to keep school spaces healthy and safe. 

Also present at this meeting were new Permanent Secretary in this Ministry of Education Mrs. Lisa Romayne Pistana and Deputy Chief Education Officer, Mr. Roger Woodley.

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Education Minister Fayval Williams recently launched a financial education and empowerment seminar for local teachers.

The launch of the series follows her commitment at the recent annual conference of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) to provide opportunities for enhancing the overall financial well-being of educators.

This first workshop was organised through the Jamaica Teaching Council, an agency of the Ministry of Education and Youth’s (MOEY).

“Financial literacy unlocks the door to financial success. The main benefit of financial literacy is that it will empower individuals and families to make smart financial decisions. It will also provide the knowledge and skills needed to manage money effectively through budgeting, saving, investing and borrowing,” underscored Williams.

Investment strategist Keisha Bailey led a robust discussion with over 250 teachers who attended the first online seminar on Thursday, October 6.

Investment strategist Keisha Bailey

“Financial education is key to economic opportunity. We are better equipped to reach our financial goals and achieve financial stability,” stated Bailey, in her introductory remarks to the first batch of enthusiastic educators.

Bailey, the CEO of Profit Jumpstarter, has been working with teachers from St Andrew High School for the past five months.

“Financial literacy is important for current money habits and also future preparation. The lack of financial literacy skills can lead to poor spending choices, increased debt and a generational wealth gap. Teachers can help address the problem of financial capability by taking advantage of the technology available at their fingertips; it will ensure that the next generation of educators follows the best financial path from the early stages of their illustrious careers,” stated Williams.

For the next Financial Education and Empowerment seminar, Ricardo Allen, Founder and CEO of One-on-One Educational Services, an educational technology company.

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News

Justice Ricky Rahim. –

A high court judge has ordered the State and the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) to compensate a private project-management company for work done on 32 schools in Tobago under the Education Ministry’s primary schools computerisation project from 2006-2009.

The court decided on Wednesday that the Government will have to pay Global Competitive Strategies Ltd (GCSL) the value of the work it did, which will have to be assessed on aquantum meruit basis, while the THA was ordered to pay $1 million for breach of contract.

Each sum will incur 2.5 per cent interest from June 13, 2017-October 12, 2022. Costs orders were also made against the State and the THA.

Justice Ricky Rahim had to determine if the State was liable to pay sums claimed on an outstanding contract for work done by GCSL; whether there was an enforceable supplemental agreement between the company and the THA; and whether the Education Ministry or the assembly was liable for a breach of the contract.

The relationship between the company and the THA’s division of education, youth affairs and sports began when GCSL responded to a public tender in 2004. It received the contract, but said in 2010, it was amended to additional services on 20 construction projects.

In its claim, GCSL sought to recover $8.8 million in outstanding payments for project management services provided to the THA; $2.4 million for loss of income and profit because of a breach of the contract for the supply of floodlighting to 12 community playing fields as part of the supplemental contract; and $82,000 for assessments of 32 primary schools under the original contract.

The company also sought declarations on the status of its contract with the THA. In its defence, the State maintained that GCSL had not proved the assessments of the 32 schools were completed or that the supplemental agreement was a variation of the original, so the firm should not be entitled to recover the sums it was asking for. It also contended that any liability it faced would extend only to sums owed by the education ministry and not to any agreement with the THA.

In its defence, the THA said it never authorised any work beyond that contained within the contract, and there was no written contract to rely on or be guided by regarding future tasks.

Rahim held that in the absence of an executed supplemental agreement, the THA, at the time, did enter into an agreement with GCSL for the work set out in the supplemental agreement.

Although he said while it was not binding on the THA, it was clear that the division’s administrator at the time, Umslopogaas Job, made numerous representations that were “demonstrative of an intention to create legal relations.”

“…It is accepted that works were in fact performed by the claimant in furtherance of these representations and most importantly, that the claimant was in fact paid over $900,000 by the THA for works completed.

“So that while there was no written contract, all of the elements necessary to create a contract between the THA and the claimant were present.

“It follows that there being no written supplemental agreement, the usual common law of contract would apply.”

He said it was obvious there was an intention to create legal relations for GCSL to do the tasks agreed to, and it was only when Jennifer Lezama took over as the new administrator of the division that payment was stopped, because she felt the company ought not to be paid without a written contract.

Rahim said GCSL was not entitled to any sum beyond $1 million for the work it did, which was the the limit that the administrator could approve.

“The court, therefore, finds that despite the knowledge by the claimant that Job could have only approved up to a certain sum it nevertheless continued to do works beyond the approved limited.”

Global Competitive Strategies Ltd was represented by attorneys Hyacinth Griffith and Margaret Burgess. The Attorney General was represented by Karlene Seenath and Amrita Ramsook. Senior Counsel John Jeremie and Timothy Afonso appeared for the THA.

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Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, assured Afro-Guyanese that the government is committed to inclusivity and values the traditions and customs of all Guyanese.

The Senior Government official made this remark while paying tribute to African ancestors, as he joined the African Cultural and Development Association (ACDA) at the Seawall Bandstand for the 29th Annual Observance of African Holocaust Day, also known as the MAAFA.

Along with calls for inclusivity, and denouncements of all forms of hate and prejudice, the Prime Minister was adamant that every Guyanese must benefit from the impending wealth of the country.

“There is no place for racism, marginalisation, and oppression in Guyana. It is all about development, inclusivity and improving all the lives and livelihoods of all Guyanese, inclusive of African Guyanese.”

A RICH CULTURAL TAPESTRY

The Prime Minister pointed to the importance of promoting tradition and culture as he urged those present to not only remember their ancestors but to integrate African cultural identity by ensuring that Afro-Guyanese youths are educated and exposed to traditional customs.

“We must not be stuck in a mode of victimhood. We are descendants of survivors. We are the descendants of the people who were enslaved and who struggled and overcame slavery. It means that we as a people must now educate our children”.

He further added: “We have to ensure that the opportunities that are presented by the PPP/C Government, all the opportunities are grasped by the youths of Guyana. When we create employment, whether part-time or full-time employment, grasp those opportunities; when we provide affordable housing, grasp for those opportunities. We’ve expanded scholarships’ grasp for those opportunities.”

WITH THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE

The Senior Government Official also stated that the Government will continue to work hand-in-hand with all the people of Guyana to advance economic and social development.

“All the people of Guyana will benefit from all the revenues of Guyana, including African Guyanese. That is the message of the Government of Guyana. There will be no discrimination. This Government is promoting inclusive governance and development for all the people of Guyana. So join us to participate in improving the lives and livelihoods of all Guyanese as we pay homage…during the MAAFA.”

The theme of this year’s commemorative programme is “Bringing into focus the brutal and destructive rape of the continent of Africa’s People and Resources”.

African Holocaust Day, also known as MAAFA in Kiswahili, is observed annually on October 12 and commemorates the mass murder and enslavement of Africans.

Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport, Charles Ramson along with a number of representatives from African cultural and development organisations and other groups, were also in attendance.

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