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Haynes slams ministry’s short notice of closing schools

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Trinidad and Tobago Newsday

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UNC MP Anita Haynes. File photo/Office of the Parliament

Tabaquite MP and shadow education minister Anita Haynes is displeased with the Education Ministry’s “slow response” in deciding to close schools owing to bad weather.

Trinidad and Tobago is under a yellow-level adverse weather alert which is set to end on Friday at 12pm. Since Wednesday thaere has also been an orange-level riverine alert warning of a severe risk to public safety, livelihood and property

Numerous areas across both islands experienced flooding on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Wednesday, Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly told Newsday some schools were being closed on a request basis.

Then the Office of the Prime Minister posted a release saying other than schools in affected areas being allowed to close on a request basis, the Prime Minister had not ordered schools closed.

Just after 7am on Thursday, Gadsby-Dolly said all schools were to be closed, via a post on social media platforms.

Haynes said the “last-minute” closure left many students already stranded at school.

“This is why we say the government is out of touch.

“Not only were a number of schools affected by yesterday’s widespread flooding, the Prime Minister himself told citizens who were concerned for the safety of their families and their households that no permission was granted for the closure of government offices and schools.

“This morning, we have an announcement an hour before classes are scheduled to begin that schools are to remain closed today. By this time, several (sic) students were already at school, pushing parents and children into a frenzy.”

She said this showed the government responds slowly to crises, adding that it was not the first time schools had been ordered closed on short notice, and pointed out that many parents who do not have assistance with childcare or cannot take sudden leave from work would have been unable to do so. She also said children’s and adults’ travelling schedules were not taken into consideration.

“An announcement at 7am just goes to show that there is a disconnect between the office holders making decisions and the people who are affected.

“Where is the all-of-government approach we keep hearing about? Following the flooding yesterday, was there no disaster-management communication between state agencies regarding shelter provision and the protection of citizens who may be at risk?”

She said it was unacceptable that the ministry continued to issue short-notice, impromptu announcements, wasting the time during which people could make preparations or adjustments.

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Govt to construct massive judicial complex in Demerara – AG

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall

By: Feona Morrison

The transformation of Guyana’s legal landscape is moving apace and will soon see the construction of a central courthouse in Demerara with a full-service consolidated facility for criminal, probate, Family Court, Land Court and Court of Appeal matters, complete with registries and support staff.

This is according to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, who, while speaking to reporters on Wednesday at the Demerara High Court, boasted that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has one of the most aggressive legislative agendas in recent times.

Speaking about the timeframe for the construction of the modern and massive judicial complex, he said, “…we want to move ahead as quickly as possible, because the system requires great speed in the disposal of cases for there to be justice efficiently and in accordance with the law”.

He said that the Government was proposing after consulting with the Judiciary and Bar to amend the law to increase the complement of Judges at the Court of Appeal in Kingston, Georgetown.

“Currently the complement is not less than two and not more than five. That, obviously, is inadequate, having regard to the caseload that is leaving the High Court… The Government is proposing to increase that complement from not less than five to not more than nine. The Government is proposing and we hope that the consultation will find the agreement.”

The Court of Appeal has one courtroom and is presided over by acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud.

From time to time, the Chief Justice, who is an ex-officio Justice of Appeal, along with High Court Judges, are called, if necessary, for a full bench sitting.

“We believe also that the Court of Appeal should become itinerant,” the Attorney General added.

Once the appellate court becomes itinerant, while there is a complement of Judges sitting in Georgetown, there will also be a complement sitting continuously in Berbice and Essequibo if the need arises.

“After 50 years of independence, we cannot continue doing things the way we have been doing them conventionally. The litigation load has increased one thousand times from independence to now and therefore as an institution, the Judiciary will also have to be innovative,” said Nandlall.

Construction works are ongoing at the Court of Appeal to accommodate another courtroom.According to the Senior Counsel, the judicial officers will be provided with the necessary resources and “backup staff” for them to proficiently discharge their duties.

“It’s an all-encompassing exercise,” he pointed out, adding, “So, we intend to do that, because our Government considers the administration of justice central to our country and an important factor in the democratic, economic and social equation of our country…”

Since taking office, the Dr Irfaan Ali-led Administration has been bombarded with calls to swiftly establish the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to appoint more High Court Judges and to increase the number of Judges at the Court of Appeal to deal with the backlog of cases.

There has been no JSC since 2017. The last JSC was appointed by former President Donald Ramotar on September 11, 2014. The tenure of each appointed member is for three years, therefore, the tenure of the last Commission expired on September 12, 2017.

Among other things, the function of the JSC is to advise the President on the appointment of Judges, with the exception of the Chancellor of the Judiciary and the Chief Justice.

There is also a shortage of Judges at the High Court. Guyana Times understands that while the required number of High Court Judges is 20, there are only 12, and one of them is due to retire shortly.

The findings of a recent United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report highlighted that the backlog in cases that has been plaguing the criminal justice system for years was the result of, among other things, a shortage of Judges. “If the present cadre of Judges is not increased, then the issue of backlogs will not be addressed. It is recommended that further options for increasing the human resource capacity including for judicial legal research assistants, Judges, Prosecutors, and trained mediators be explored,” the report had noted.

Last week, Nandlall announced all preparatory works have been done for the establishment of the JSC and that once Parliament resumed this month, the process would move swiftly.

Another issue the judicial system has had to deal with over the years is the non-appointment of a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice.

The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC) has filed legal proceedings in this regard and has called it a gross dereliction and abdication of duty by President Ali.

But the Head of State has indicated that he would deal with the substantive appointments “when the time is right”, and after the various service commissions are set up.

The Opposition wants the High Court to compel the President, through the Attorney General, to initiate the process contemplated by the Constitution to fill the vacancies.Justice Cummings-Edwards has been acting as Chancellor since 2016 while Roxane George, SC, has been acting as Chief Justice since 2017.

Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Vinceroy Jordan, who filed the action, submitted that Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton has expressed to President Ali that he was committed to agreeing to the immediate confirmation of Justice Cummings-Edwards and Justice George, in their respective positions.

The procedure for the appointment of the Chancellor and Chief Justice is outlined in Article 127 (1) of the Constitution which states: “The Chancellor and the Chief Justice shall be appointed by the President after obtaining the agreement of the Leader of the Opposition.”It has been over 21 and 17 years, respectively, since Guyana has had a confirmed Chief Justice and Chancellor. The last confirmed Chief Justice was Desiree Bernard who served from 1996 to 2001; she also served as Chancellor from 2001 to 2005.

The country’s inability to appoint a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice for an extended period has been a cause for concern for several bodies like the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ); the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO) and the Bar Association of Guyana.

The Attorney General has conceded that the current formula that requires consensus between the President and the Opposition Leader has not worked in the more than two decades it was put in place and that a constitutional amendment is needed to remove the gridlock.

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Govt pursuing consensual agreement with landowners in path of gas-to-shore project

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
AG Anil Nandlall, SC, and Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat along with other officials over the weekend engaged WBD residents who will be affected by the gas-to-shore project

The Guyana Government continues to engage landowners in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), who will be required to give up their lands in order to facilitate the pipelines of the gas-to-shore project, and according to Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, all efforts will be undertaken to ensure that consensual agreements are made with the residents.

This commitment followed another meeting last weekend with a group of landowners, this time from along the West Bank of Demerara (WBD), to begin negotiations. The meeting was held at the Belle West Multi-Purpose Centre, WBD.

During his weekly programme, Issues In The News, AG Nandlall on Tuesday evening posited that these negotiations would end in the consensual acquisition of the lands.

“As a Government, we pledge to ensure that we work with every single landowner to arrive at a consensual position: respecting their proprietary interest, respecting the value for their land, ensuring that they are adequately and properly compensated, and, most importantly, ensure that we arrive at consensual positions, amicable resolutions as the State doesn’t wish to exercise its powers under the Doctrine of Eminent Domain and seize anybody’s land using any form of force or appropriating mechanisms.

“We prefer to separate every single citizen, work out an arrangement that they find acceptable – if they want money, they will get money; if they want alternative lands, they will get alternative lands, so, we want to arrive at consensual positions,” he stressed.

It was for this reason, the Attorney General explained, that the law was changed to make the State responsible and not investors for recovering private lands from citizens for developmental projects in the oil and gas sector.

“We felt that no investor would take the care that the Government would and no investor would exercise the patience that the Government would in ensuring that these people’s rights are respected and to ensure that we arrive at amicable resolutions in relation to these transactions. The Government took on that power legally and is discharging that power, and I dare say, is discharging it well, and to the satisfaction, most importantly, of the persons whose proprietary interests are affected,” Nandlall noted.

The path that has to be cleared for the pipelines is in the vicinity of Nouvelle Flanders, West Coast Demerara, to Wales, WBD.

Already, Government has met with the West Coast landowners and a team of lawyers was put together to negotiate with each property owner or their legal representative to reach an agreement.

The gas-to-shore project, which is pegged at more than US$1 billion, will feature approximately 220 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore from the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to onshore.

Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline will continue for approximately 25 kilometres to the Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) plant to be constructed at Wales. The pipeline would be 12 inches in diameter and is expected to transport some 50 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of dry gas to the NGL Plant, but has the capacity to push as much 120 mmscfd.

The main feature of the gas-to-shore initiative is a power plant that will generate 250 to 300 megawatts of power using natural gas from offshore, which will significantly reduce the cost of electricity in Guyana.

The aim is to deliver rich gas by the end of 2024 for the power plant while the NGL facility is slated to be online by 2025.

The gas-to-shore project, which has a 25-year lifespan, is expected to employ up to 800 workers during the peak construction stage, as well as some 40 full-time workers during the operations stage, and another 50 workers during the decommissioning stage.According to AG Nandlall, this billion-dollar project is transformational not only for Guyana but the Caribbean and Latin American region as well.

“This is, by no means or measure, a small project. This is one of the largest undertakings to be executed in the Caribbean region, one of the largest investments in decades to be executed in the Caribbean region. And therefore, that is why we have to ensure that nothing stands in the way of this project. The investors are investing billions of dollars here and the Government has to work with the investor to ensure that the project becomes a reality, and who will benefit the most from the project – the ordinary Guyanese. It is intended to reduce the cost of energy, the cost of cooking gas, the cost of natural gas to a fraction of what it currently is,” Nandlall said.

Currently, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil are in talks on the establishment of an energy corridor and unlocking the potential for a series of manufacturing and industrial developments. Other Caribbean nations, such as Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, are also looking to tap into this initiative.

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Newer strains of COVID-19 can still pose a challenge – Dr Anthony

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
People in Georgetown

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over and Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony is not ruling out the possibility that newer strains of the virus may still pose a challenge to the health system.

The Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus has had several subvariants that affected the globe.

Subvariants like the BA 1, BA 2, BA 3, BA 4, BA 5, BA2.75 and others that are continuously evolving, making the future of the pandemic uncertain.

“If these strains become dominant and they have a totally different clinical picture, then we might have trouble all over again and that is why we have to be prepared, because we don’t know what these future variants are going to be like and whether they will cause more hospitalisation, some of the researchers are predicting that as winter is coming, in some of the temperate countries, you will start seeing a new surge of cases and if that is the case then we have to be prepared.

“During this pandemic one of the interesting things that we were doing, when we saw something in the US in two to three weeks’ time, we will see it here in Guyana because of the connections and so forth so if we start seeing a surge in the US, I think we ought to be prepared,” Dr Anthony said.

The Health Minister noted that even the current low numbers do not accurately reflect the rate of infection, since most people are mistaking it for the flu and not visiting health facilities.

“While we are not seeing a lot of cases here, we must not be lull into a false sense that there aren’t cases. The big challenge that we have, I think there is a lot of covid fatigue, if there is such a term, meaning that people just fed up, nobody wants to wear a mask, nobody wants to come and get vaccinated so we have this challenge, but we are going to see people getting sick anyhow,” Dr. Anthony said.

Health workers from across the country are currently engaged in a two-day workshop on Intensive Care Units Management as part of a COVID-19 response programme.

The programme is a collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Clinton Health Access Initiative.

Dr Anthony noted that preparedness is important, since at the start of the pandemic, the health system was not prepared to deal with this and a lot of adjustments had to be made.

This is just one aspect of the collaboration; antigen tests were also donated to Guyana, and training in COVID-19 protocols for diagnosis and treatment among others.

“I think that the preparedness that we are working on now will help us to be better prepared for any future pandemic and that’s why these trainings are very important,” the Health Minister said.

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Paruima to get resident doctor as $14M doctors’ quarters completed

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: INews Guyana
The $14M doctors’ quarters at Paruima

Residents in Paruima Village, Region Seven, will no longer have to travel long hours to Kamarang Village or Georgetown to seek medical services, following the construction of a doctors’ quarters.

Member of Parliament, Lee Williams spoke with the Department of Public Information (DPI) on Wednesday, where he revealed that final touches are being done to the building.

“The government allocated $14 million for a doctor’s quarter in Paruima…the project commenced in May and now it is completed at this point in time,” he said.

From budget 2022, $121 million was earmarked for the provision of health facilities and living quarters for doctors to be stationed in the hinterland communities, and Paruima was identified.

MP Williams who is also from the village, explained that there was never a doctor stationed there.

Williams noted, “It will mean a lot to the village especially to the residents of Paruima because the travelling distance from Paruima to the nearest health centre, Kamarang, it takes about 8 hours by boat and yeah, we do have airstrip but its not guaranteed that the aircraft would come at any time. So, the doctor’s quarter will really cut down on the cost not only travelling and also travelling to Kamarang hospital.”

Paruima is a small village situated in Region Seven, Upper Mazaruni with a population of 800.

The construction of doctors’ quarters and health facilities is also ongoing in Issano and Kaikan, communities also located in Upper Mazaruni. These interventions all tie in to the government’s overall effort to enhance primary health services across Guyana.

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ECCB Governor Says The Region Needs More Entrepreneurs – St. Lucia Times News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: St. Lucia Times News

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Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) Governor Timothy Antoine has declared that the region needs more entrepreneurs and has urged more youth involvement in job creation.

In an address amid the observance of Financial Information Month (FIM) in October, Antoine explained that the benefits of entrepreneurship go well beyond businesses and their owners.

 He observed that entrepreneurship is often the foundation for inter-generational wealth and a driver of innovation and job creation.

“Our region needs more entrepreneurs. We want to see more of our youth pursue and fulfill their dreams to own businesses and create their own jobs,” the ECCB Governor stated.

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But he noted that one of the biggest impediments to their aspirations is a lack of access to credit and finance.

In this regard, he pointed to the launch in October 2020 of the Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee.

And Antoine disclosed that under this programme, qualifying loans of up to $750,000 issued by participating financial institutions receive a 75 percent guarantee, making credit more accessible to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

I encourage you to ask your financial institutions about this programme,” the ECCB Governor said.

The ECCB and its partners launched Financial Information Month 2022 throughout the eight ECCB member countries on October 1.

The overarching theme for the month is Financial Empowerment Through Education.

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Thailand Children’s Daycare Mass Shooting Death Toll Rises To 34 – St. Lucia Times News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: St. Lucia Times News

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A former police officer has stormed a child daycare centre in Thailand, killing at least 34 people, most of them children, before killing himself and his family.

The attacker, armed with a shotgun, a pistol and a knife, opened fire on children and adults at the centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province at about 12:30 pm (0530 GMT) on Thursday before fleeing the scene in a pick-up truck.

The dead include at least 22 children, said police colonel Jakkapat Vijitraithaya, from the province where the attack happened.

The gunman forced his way into a locked room where children were sleeping at the time, according to a witness.

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After the attack, the gunman went home and killed himself and his wife and child, Jakkapat said.

The gunman has been named as former police officer Panya Khamrab, 34, and Jakkapat said he was dismissed from the force last year for drug use.

Al Jazeera’s Tony Cheng, reporting from Bangkok, said emergency services were alerted at about 12:30pm (05:30am GMT) local time with reports of a disturbance at a daycare centre in the country’s northeast.

“We understand now there are more than 31 fatalities including a large number of children. A suspect was chased from the scene in a white pick-up truck,” Cheng said, adding that Thai media identified the suspect as a former Thai policeman who had been relieved of his duties.

SOURCE: Al Jazeera

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Results of last weekend’s Caesar’s Real Estate/HAIROUN Beer Greggs Twenty/20 Softball Cricket Tournament

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: NBC SVG

 When the Caesar’s Real Estate/HAIROUN Beer Greggs Twenty/20 Softball Cricket Tournament continued at the Greggs Playing Field last weekend, Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines All Stars defeated Hard Hitters by 54 runs in a match reduced to 17 overs because of a late start.

The scores: Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines All Stars 176-5  off 17 overs (Elton Williams 63 not out, Antonio Barker 41, Jemoth Brackin 3-15), Hard Hitters 122 off 16 overs (Gideon Deweth 39, Lenroy Dalzell 3-20).

Owia Shottas beat Rasfarco by 52 runs in match also reduced to 17 overs because of a late start.

The scores: Owia Shottas 168-8 off 17 overs (Zimroy Baptiste 36 not out, Geovanni Collins 4-25, Jamie Edwards 3-51), Rasfarco 116 off 16 overs (Zienniah Smart 42, Kurton Lavia 3-8).

Kombat Warriors won from Predators by 5 wickets in another match that was reduced to 17 overs because of a late start.

The scores: Predators 94 off 16.5 overs (Darren John 37, Dwayne Williams 4-9, Kerwin Browne 4-10), Kombat Warriors 98-5 off 11 overs (Lesroy Richards 32, Junior King 3-27).

Sion Hill Tallawahs beat Dr. Thomas Injectors by 105 runs. The match was reduced to 17 overs because of a late start.

The scores: Sion Hill Tallawahs 171-9 off 17 overs (Erwin Williams 93, Chestor Keil 4-34, Winston Holder 3-23 runs), Dr. Thomas Injectors 66 off 10 overs (Denson Hoyte 5-15).

And the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force won from Caesar’s Real Estate Nar Fren Dem on a faster scoring rate after rain forced the abandonment of the match with Caesar’s Real Estate Na Fren Dem on 82-2 off 9.2 overs in reply to the Royal St Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force’s 163 off 19.5 overs.

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Shamarh Brooks replaces Shimron Hetmyer in the T20 World Cup West Indies Squad

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: NBC SVG

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has informed the International Cricket Council (ICC) that Shamarh Brooks has replaced Shimron Hetmyer in the West Indies Squad for the upcoming ICC Twenty/20 Cricket World Cup in Australia.

The decision by the CWI Selection Panel was made after Hetmyer missed his re-scheduled flight to Australia, which had been changed from last Saturday at his request, due to family reasons.

The availability of a flight was a real challenge, but a seat was found for him to leave Guyana yesterday which meant that he would have missed the 1st Twenty/20 International against Australia tomorrow.

Yesterday morning, Hetmyer informed CWI’s Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams that he would not be able to get to the airport in time for his flight to New York yesterday afternoon.

Adams said: “Whilst we changed Hetmyer’s flight from last Saturday to yesterday because of family reasons, it was made clear to him that if there were any further delays and issues with his travel to Australia there would be no choice but to replace him in the squad, as we are not prepared to compromise the team’s ability to prepare for this extremely important global event.”

Adams noted that CWI’s Selection Committee unanimously decided to replace Hetmyer with Brooks in the ICC Twenty/20 Cricket World Cup squad.

The full squad is: Nicholas Pooran (Captain), Rovman Powell (Vice-captain), Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrel, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Obed Mc Coy, Raymon Reifer and Odean Smith.

The West Indies are in Group B with Scotland, Zimbabwe and Ireland for Round 1 of the Cricket World Cup.

The West Indies and Australia will meet in two warm-up matches tomorrow and Friday, before they play against Scotland in their first Group B match in Round 1.

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DLP asks Why? IDB got their answers, ‘we want answers too’ Loop Barbados

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The content originally appeared on: Barbados News

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) wants to know what is the next step in light of the grave breach of privacy of students and their families by the alleged “Computer Science pre-test” conducted by code.org and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Deeming the pre-test “a survey, not a test” to gather data on Barbados’ population with first-form students between the ages of 10 and 12 years old as unethical, DLP Education Chair Melissa Savoury-Gittens wants government officials to step forward and speak up on how this could have happened under the watchful eye of the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Referring to the prime minister’s speech on the world stage recently about morals and ethics, she asserted, “Yet this slide through your front door!”

supposed this was a food programme and it contained poison, how could ‘Sorry’ be enough?

Acknowledging that in the apology issued by the IDB for “inadvertently” leaving in the questions earmarked by the MOE for removal, Savoury-Gittems explained that she understands teachers and other adults were given the “pre-test” as much as three weeks ago and they flagged the questions as intrusive and out of line, yet some were told “these are the answers they want”. Also, she said that she was reliably informed that the students were informed they had to answer all of the questions – “you must finish it”.

Having re-read the IDB brief statement, which was issued last night (October 5), Savoury-Gittens is not pleased with the fact that the statement does not indicate that in light of the issues raised by rightfully so irate and annoyed parents and guardians the data will be destroyed, but instead, the IDB basically communicated that the questions which were to be removed have been removed now and this implies the next cohort of students to take the “pre-test” will not be subjected to those questions. Noting, this not only raises the question of ethics, but this could taint the data as one set of students wrote a different pre-test to others to come, she urged that this cannot be the only solution on offer to appease and placate parents.

Amongst her other pertinent questions that she wishes to hear or see answered speedily, Savoury-Gittens asked where were the permission slips for guardians before the survey was given? Why was the Ministry not privy to seeing the final copy with the questions removed as requested before it was administered? Why call it a test and not a survey? Will students be disadvantaged according to the responses? Will the data collected be used still? Is the data being sold internationally? Will nothing happen to the IDB? Is this story going to blow over in a few days and nothing is done? Is this data collection part of the exchange between government and the IDB for the $40 million loan for education?

Savoury-Gittens said that for the six hours daily that students are in the care of the MOE at school, parents want to know their children’s best interests are at heart. They wish to know that no harm will befall their child. They wish to know their children will not be traumatised. She said, “supposed this was a food programme and it contained poison, how could ‘Sorry’ be enough?” She said these questions about sexuality, gender identity, depression, self-harm and even suicide could have poisoned children’s minds and attitudes and have lasting repercussions depending on their personalities.

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