Black Immigrant Daily News

Taking the stand on Thursday during the Commission of Inquiry into the 2020 elections was GECOM’s Information Technology (IT) Manager, Aneal Giddings, who in charge of the Tabulation Centre, where the CEO’s copies of SOPs were being digitalised after being verified with certified copies from the various ROs across the country.

Giddings recalled that on March 5, 2020 at about 10:45h, he and his staff in the Tabulation Centre, which is separate from the area where the District Four votes were being reconciled, were informed that there was a bomb threat to the building and that they should evacuate.

The manager said they immediately complied with the exception of his deputy, who remained to back-up the data they had compiled thus far on a flash drive after which he also left.

While they were outside the building at a muster point, Giddings said he received a call from the then Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), Roxanne Myers, asking if he processed a back-up and to handover the flash drive.

The manager noted that while the DCEO’s request was abnormal, he complied and handover the flash drive, which has been missing since.

He went onto recall that while they were still outside, he made a decision to return to the building to power off the server and remove it from facility for its protection. This, he explained, is in keeping with protocols outlined in GECOM’s IT Division Disaster Recovery Plan, which allows for the removal of servers from premises in certain situations.

He told the commission that a bomb threat was an appropriate situation to apply that protocol.

However, Gidding related that while in the process of removing the device, the DCEO entered the tabulation centre and after he informed her of what he was doing, Myers ordered him to leave the server in its place and evacuate the building.

“I removed it nonetheless… She was there and I think she witnessed me walking out with it… She was adamant. I think she repeated her instructions “Leave it! Leave it!” but I did not respond after that,” the witness recalled.

That server contained data on tabulation process that was ongoing. Giddings said Myers did not indicate why she wanted him to leave the server and that he had no time to enquire given the emergency of the situation.

The IT Manager said he then secured the server in his vehicle in the parking lot at Ashmin’s before returning to muster point opposite the building.

Shortly after, he received a call from the DCEO, who instructed him to return the server and power it back on.

“I enquired whether the building was clear of the threat. She repeated her instruction…No response [from her on whether the building was safe]. The instruction was repeated and then the call ended… I did not comply,” Gidding testified.

He went onto say that after sometime, he observed persons re-entering the building and went to enquire if it was clear of threat but was confronted by DCEO, who again hurled instructions at him to return the server.

At that point, Giddings said he saw the GECOM Chair, Ret’d Justice Claudette Singh, and sought her guidance. He said the Chair indicated that he should return to the building with the server and his staff, which he did.

The server was powered back up and while they were preparing to resume the tabulation process, the DCEO entered the room and announced that the process be halted since there was a breach of procedures.

“She informed the staff that there was a breach of protocol against the instructions of the Secretariat and that the server was removed from the facility, and the process will therefore be halted,” Giddings said.

He added that Myers then instructed the staff to go home, which they complied with except for himself and his deputy.

“After I observed the state of the centre – we would have had Statements of Poll… in various areas of the centre – and I don’t think that I could have simply walked out knowing that those documents were signed for my staff under my command and were not signed out to where it was intended to go. So, I felt the need to stick around and organize and categorize and secure those documents inclusive of the equipment and the data, the server so that I could leave the place in a state where I had no more involvement, and I was safe in my mind that these things were secured because these were Statements of Poll and data from statements of poll…[they were of] national and critical importance,” informed the Commission.

With regards to the server, Giddings explained that he placed masking tape around it and placed markings on it in such a way that it would be detected if someone were to tamper with the device.

But while in the process of doing his, another call was received from the DCEO who asked him if he was doing something unlawful with the SOPs.

“I said no, I was simply assembling them to be sent to her office… She responded very aggressively and said to leave the centre…that the Chief Accountant will come lock up the facility,” he indicated.

At that point, the IT Manager said he was almost complete with organising and securing the documents in the room so they finish off and left.

Giddings said when he returned to Ashmin’s Building the following morning, it was locked up and cordoned off with party representatives and observers standing outside. He then left to go to his office at GECOM’s head office in Kingston.

According to the IT Manager, he did not return to Ashmin’s until March 23, 2020 and upon entering the tabulation centre, “I had observed that several items were missing… I retrieved the remainder of the items that were there and when I returned to the headquarters, I wrote to the CEO informing him of my observations.”

Giddings said there were no responses from the CEO on this matter despite it being a serious occurrence. He added too that there were about 17 cameras in the centre but they were not installed by GECOM and therefore, he could not say the location of the footage.

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Unbeknownst to many, Nigerian actor, producer, executive producer and entrepreneur Nwakaego Boyo, familiarly called Ego, spent a good chunk of her childhood living in Barbados because her mum is Bajan. So, technically and genetically, she is Nigerian-Barbadian.

Ego played Anne Haatrope in the popular early 90s soap – Checkmate, and today, she is a mother and the founder and Managing Director of Temple Productions, Temple films and Temple Studio.

the dream for Temple started on Temple Road

Loop caught up with Ego on this Good News Day, November 10. When we reached out to the producer, she was so warm and open to the interview, she said ‘yes’ without hesitation.

Loop: How did you get started with acting?

Ego: I have always had an interest in acting, but I got started professionally after my degree in Theatre Arts.

I had the opportunity to sit down with a writer and producer — the late Amaka Igwe and after a reading, she offered me a role as the lead character in the series, Checkmate. Checkmate was a television series that was on air nationally in Nigeria from 1991 to 1995.

Loop: What led to the creation of Temple Productions and where did the name come from?

Ego: I created Temple Productions because I wanted to have the opportunity to make films that focused on subjects and themes that I liked, content that was of interest to me.

The name, Temple Productions, came from the street that I lived on for most of my childhood and early 20’s. (Temple Road in Lagos). The story of the company started there. It was where my childhood friend and I, came up with many stories for films and series that we wanted to make. Now that I think back on this, I smile because we were so young, optimistic and full of verve.

To put it simply, the dream for Temple started on Temple Road and it became the natural name for my company.

I lived in Barbados from 1968 to 1971. I was 10 days old when I left Nigeria with my mother and my sister because of the Biafran war

Loop: What has been the biggest challenge and success of your production company since you started it back in 1996?

Ego: The biggest challenge has been raising financing for our projects.

There isn’t a very formal structure for raising funds, so like many creatives, one resorts to funding from friends, family, one’s own resources, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), and if you have the opportunity, corporate organizations.

My greatest professional successes are yet to come. I’ve had varying degrees of success though — the films that we’ve worked on, the stories that I’ve been passionate about and have been able to bring to the screen, the great film professionals and people I have worked with, the awards that our films have won, I am grateful for all of that but I am definitely looking forward to more.

Loop: How do you juggle working and motherhood?

Ego: The age old question! Juggling work and motherhood at the time when my children were younger was a bit of a challenge, but I had great support and I’m thankful for that.

My husband was and is incredibly supportive, and that partnership raising our children helped a great deal to make it easier. I also had my two mums and sisters who I depended on and who were and still are very supportive.

Obviously there were times when I had some mom-guilt about not being there enough for a play, or homework or not being with my children at particular times, but I always tried to make up for those times.

When I could and when they were younger, I took my children with me to work. Luckily I had a job that made it possible for me to do that.

Loop: What do you remember of your childhood years in Barbados? And what is the one thing you remember about Barbados?

Ego: Not very much to be honest. I lived in Barbados from 1968 to 1971. I was 10 days old when I left Nigeria with my mother and my sister because of the Biafran war (Nigerian Civil War). We left on one of the Red Cross planes and flew to my mother’s home in Barbados.

We lived there for three years and a bit, until the war ended, and then we returned to Nigeria. I don’t remember very much, I was quite young. I lived with my mum, my sister and my grandparents, and we had a whole group of uncles and aunts on my mother’s side and I remember being happy running around and singing songs with my Grandma. By all accounts, it was a wonderful idyllic childhood.

Founder of Temple Productions, film maker Ego Boyo

Loop: If you had to compare Barbados and Nigeria, what’s a food or dish that you find similar or think we share?

Ego: Okra! Barbados has cou cou and okra, in Nigeria we use it to make a soup. (See video at the top of this article*)

Loop: Do you see yourself making a home in Barbados one day, perhaps when you retire?

Ego: I definitely see myself living in Barbados at some point.

I would love to buy a home and live on the beach. A few more films to make and see how we can make that happen. I love the vibe on the island – I love how gentle and easy it is to just be. I have quite a lot of family still living in Barbados. It is always lovely to see them and catch up. I was there in August 2021, and had hoped to go back this year but it did not pan out.

Ego Boyo at the beach in Barbados

I have always loved the work of Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Meryl Streep, Idris Elba, Delroy Lindo, Hugh Grant, Regina King, Philicia Rashad, Issa Rae

Loop: Let’s talk about the concept behind your creations, the movies Ghost and the House of Truth, especially with the subject of girl trafficking being a global issue. What led you to depict this topic in film?

Ego: The film “The Ghost and The House of Truth” came from a script brought to my attention by the director of the film, Akin Omotoso – who came across it in South Africa and suggested it to me.

The script was part of a project in South Africa. After a few years we acquired the script, and after a number of changes, setting it in Nigeria, we decided to go ahead and make the film.

For me the idea of reconciliation between victims and perpetrators piqued my interest. I wanted to learn more about how that sort of situation could work and also in instances where people give into despair, how they got to that point and what the turnaround can be. I honestly just wanted to explore that critically and to give audiences the opportunity to see that on screen.

Loop: Is working with Bollywood or Hollywood stars a dream of yours? Is there any particular actor or actress you would love to work with?

Ego: Working with actors from any other parts of the world is definitely a dream of mine. I embrace the idea of working with people who have a completely different experience from mine. I have always loved the work of Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Meryl Streep, Idris Elba, Delroy Lindo, Hugh Grant, Regina King, Philicia Rashad, Issa Rae, off the top of my head, these are the people I would love to work with.

We are also looking into possibly working in Barbados

Loop: The concept of the Silent Experiment Film was novel. Did you expect the success that your film A Hotel Called Memory garnered?

Ego: It was actually a very short script, it was something like 12 pages. The concept behind the film was the opportunity to have actors deliver convincingly to an audience without uttering a word. When you look at the history of film, a lot of films started out as silent films before the talkies.

We wanted to see just how we could push the boundaries using silence and sound effects to convey the message of the story. We wanted to see if an audience would experience the film or embrace the film almost in the same way as they would a film with dialogue.

I could not have foreseen the success that it had, even within a niche audience. I was pleasantly surprised at the reception to the film and even the critics who watched it and were very positive and forward thinking in their reviews.

I hope that an even larger number of people will come to understand and appreciate experimental filmmaking.

It is still my hope that people can see beyond the films that they regularly enjoy and open themselves to experiences with different genres and different experimental films.

Loop: What’s next for you and Temple Productions?

Ego: We are currently working on a slate of feature films, and our plan is to make two films in 2023.

We are also looking into possibly working in Barbados, to see what partnership opportunities and collaborations are open to us there. I am very happy to say that exciting times are ahead and I am looking forward to everything working out.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

DEZE WEEK ZIJN in De Nationale Assemblee verschillende wetten besproken die te maken hebben met de goksector. Aanpassing van sommige

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

Urgent – Marine Weather MessageHigh Surf Advisory Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Services1:45 am Friday 11 November 2022

…High Surf Advisory goes into effect Friday afternoon for Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands…

Locations to be affected: Reefs and exposed northern and eastern coastlines with relatively shallow, gently to moderately sloping, nearshore areas.

Timing: Friday afternoon until Sunday.

Synopsis: Moderate long-period swells are expected to reach the area and affect mainly the northern and eastern coastlines. The threat level to the life, livelihood, property and infrastructure of those using the affected coastlines is forecast to rise to moderate with the potential for significant impacts.

These swells could cause life-threatening surfs and rip currents on affected coastlines. A high surf advisory means that dangerous surfs of 2 to 3 metres or 6 to 10 feet will affect some coastlines in the advisory area, producing hazardous conditions.

Seas (significant wave heights): 1.5 to 2.5 metres (5 to 8 feet), occasionally or locally reaching near 3.0 metres (10 feet). Swell period: 9 to 15 seconds.

Swells: Nort-northeast at 1.5 to 2 metres (5 to 7 feet) and occasionally higher.

Surfs (breaking swells): Over 2 metres (over 6 feet). These conditions are conducive for dangerous rip currents.

Please note that surfs could be as much as twice the height of swells, depending on the bathymetry of the nearshore areas.

Coastal flooding: High tides combined with onshore wind and swell actions could result in localized coastal flooding and beach erosion.

Potential Impacts: Loss of life–strong currents that can carry even the strongest swimmers out to sea; injuries to beachgoers; beach erosion; sea water splashing onto low-lying coastal roads; beach closures; localized disruptions to marine recreation and businesses; financial losses; damage to coral reefs; saltwater intrusion and disruptions to potable water from desalination.

High surfs can knock spectators off exposed rocks and jetties.

Precautionary: Beachgoers, especially to the mainly affected coastlines, should be extremely cautious; bathe only where lifeguards are present or on the sheltered, less affected beaches, mainly to the south and west.

Extreme caution is also required by those using the affected non-beach or rocky coastlines.

Rip currents are powerful channels of water flowing quickly away from shore, which occur most often at low spots or breaks in the sandbar and near structures such as groins, jetties and piers. If caught in a rip current, relax and float. Don`t swim against the current. If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline.

If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help. Please continue to monitor these hazardous, life-threatening marine conditions.

Stay tuned to updates coming out of the Meteorological Office via antiguamet.com, twitter.com/abmetservice and facebook.com/abmetservice. Also, stay tuned to other media platforms forupdates.

Forecaster: Dale Destin

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