Vic Persaud has died, served in the protocol service for more than half a century

One of the longest serving Directors of Protocol, Eshwar Vevakanand Persaud has died. Vic Persaud as he was known, served as a foreign officer in the then USSR and New York before returning to Guyana to serve under the Forbes Burnham Administration and since then he has severed every other President- Desmond Hoyte, Dr Cheddi Jagan, Samuel Hinds, Janet Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar, David Granger and most recently the sitting president, Irfaan Ali.

In statement on his death, President Ali described Persaud as a model public servant. Embodying the finest attributes of professional public service. His wit, charm, grace, sophistication, courtesy, excellence and efficiency were the hallmarks of his exemplary service. According to President Ali, Guyana has lost an outstand public servant.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon in expressing condolences to Persaud’s family on his death described him as one of Guyana’s most revered and outstand public servants.

Harmon said Persaud was an exceptional public servant who served his country for over half a century. He said he was not only a colleague but a friend and mentor to many.

According to Harmon, he had the pleasure and honour of working closely with Persuad during his tenure at the Ministry of the Presidency. And found him to possess the highest integrity and an unflinching attention to detail. He was a reservoir of knowledge and history within the public service and the protocol department

Persaud is survived by his wife Carol and their children.

COHSOD addresses concerns raised on CXC

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council of Human and Social Development (COHSOD) met in a Special session on Tuesday 12 May to examine concerns related to the administration of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) exams for 2021.

The concerns arose out of recommendations made to CXC at a meeting of COHSOD in March. According to a statement from the CARICOM Secretariat in Georgetown, COHSOD noted that the authority to determine changes to the administration of the examination rests with CXC and proposed that CXC should undertake a review of the recommendations made by COHSOD, and stakeholders, at its Twenty-Eighth Special Meeting.

COHSOD emphasised that this proposal was with a view towards efficiency, equity and fairness in the administration of the examinations while maintaining the integrity of the process.

CXC’s response will be sent to Participating Governments in the next week before being taken to its governing council for approval.

GPSU salutes nurses, says services nurses provide in saving lives, keeping the hospitals and healthcare centres open, comfort to patients and reassurances to their families, are all priceless

Guyana joins the rest of the world in observance of International Nurses day under the theme “Nurses:  – A Voice to Lead – A Vision for Future Healthcare”. To this end the President of the Guyana Public Service Union, Patrick Yarde in saluting the nurses pointed to their sterling contribution especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
  According to Yarde, this is being done even though the nurses are being treated in a most insensitive and uncaring manner. Nurses are not in receipt of a risk allowance which is fully merited; they have not received a salary increase for two years to be able to discharge their duties and protect their households from infection. It is necessary for them to incur additional expenses apart from the price increases that are being experienced for consumption goods.

 He then asked “Why is it that Nurses receive so little when so much is expected of them”?

This is the predicament Nurses are currently faced with and their employer, the Government, is fully aware of this crisis situation but chooses to do nothing to improve their lives and livelihood. Instead, there is willful suffocation and persistent neglect for these most hardworking, lifesaving essential human resource personnel in our country.

It is therefore imperative that nursing personnel within the health care system in Guyana be given priority attention and the Guyana Public Service Union calls on the Government of Guyana to make adequate provisions for improved delivery of healthcare and the corresponding compensatory benefits. It is time!

GBGWU accuses Cyril’s Taxi Service of not respecting workers rights

Union leaders of the Guyana Bauxite and General Workers Union (GBGWU) today staged a picketing exercise in front of Cyril’s Taxi Service calling on the company to come to the bargaining table to work towards the finalization of a collective labour agreement.

General Secretary of the union Lincoln Lewis said workers’ rights must be respected and the rule of law must be upheld.

Lewis said the Trade Union Recognition Board gave recognition to Cyril Taxi Service but the service is not respecting workers rights. The company is subcontracted by oil companies locally to transport workers around the country. Lewis said his union represents just over 110 workers.

According to Lewis, the objective of the company is to make money on the backs of its workers. Lewis said this is the beginning of a series of actions his union plans to take against the company.

 

 

CARICOM appoints first female Secretary General

CARICOM today appointed Dr. Carla Barnett as the 8th Secretary-General, in doing so she becomes the first female to hold the prestigious post. The announcement was by the chairman of CARICOM Dr. Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

According to the statement from the Caricom Secretariat, Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) met virtually in a Special Session on Tuesday, 11 May and unanimously agreed to appoint Dr. Carla Natalie Barnett.

Dr. Barnett, a national of Belize, is the first woman and the first Belizean to be selected for the post. She will replace Ambassador Irwin LaRocque who is completing his second term. Dr. Barnett will assume office on 15 August 2021.

Heads of Government in congratulating Dr. Barnett on her selection, said they recognised the historic moment for the Community.

A former Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM, Dr. Barnett was formerly Vice President of the Belize Senate and has served in various ministerial capacities in her country’s government. She has also served as Financial Secretary of Belize and Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Belize, as well as Vice-President (Operations) of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).

Dr. Barnett attained her Ph.D. in Social Sciences from the University of the West Indies, (UWI) Mona Campus in Jamaica. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario in Canada, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the UWI.

207 pounds of marijuana discovered in Corriverton, wanted bulletin issued for man

The Customs anti-narcotics unit (CANU) today issued a wanted bullet for one Omesh Lakeram, 47 year old in connection with the discovery of 207 pounds of marijuana.

The drug enforcement agency said after several days of surveillance, today at approximately 4:00hrs ranks noticed between three to four individuals with flash lights coming through a track a short distance from where they were positioned. The ranks also observed two lights on a vessel coming just off the shoreline.

However, upon identifying themselves the individuals scattered in different directions, leaving their packages. The drug enforcement agency said ranks started on their trail but aborted the chase out of security concern.

When ranks returned to the location, they found four bags with several parcels inside of them. The bags contained eighty parcels of marijuana that had a weight of 207 pounds. The investigation is continuing.

Robbery suspects remanded to prison

Two men are now behind bars after their pretrial liberties were refused when they appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court on Monday,  to face robbery under arms charges.

The two, Gerald Kissoon and Shakeem Joseph were accused of robbing Wayne Evans of Triumph on the East Coast of Demerara on May 6. The two pleaded not guilty to the charges before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool.

The charges according to the police prosecutor were laid against the two under Section 222 (c) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Ch. 8:01. 

They will make their second court appearances on May 24, when the matter is called again.