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President Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday launched a Model Village initiative aimed at transforming communities countrywide into modern, economically vibrant and socially connected spaces where citizens can live, work, and thrive. The initiative was launched with consultation sessions across several communities in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), where the President and his team unveiled renderings of how each village will be transformed under this new venture. The first engagement was held at Leonora on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), where President Ali explained that the initiative will “eventually touch every single village in our country”. He added that it is more than the infrastructural improvements. According to President Ali, the Model Village initiative will be centred on four key pillars: connectivity, community, commerce and care.

Connectivity & community
On connectivity, he explained that “it means proper roads, bridges and culverts, reliable drainage, street lighting, pedestrian crossings, appropriate parking, designated areas for heavy-duty machinery.” “It means areas to utilise and essential services. But connectivity also means connecting the village to the wider economy. Our people should be able to move efficiently from their homes to schools, workplaces, markets and services,” President Ali added. Building a sense of community is equally important for this initiative to be successful, President Ali indicated, expressing that “you can build beautiful roads and excellent buildings and still have a poor community.” In this regard, he emphasised the importance of cultivating a culture where there is neighbourliness. “…where neighbours know each other, where people look after the elderly, where children are protected, where young people are engaged, where families in distress can receive assistance, where people volunteer, where community organisations flourish, where religious organisations contribute, where elders are respected, where people gather for recreation and celebration, and where people come together in times of difficulty,” President Ali noted. “We must restore the understanding that my neighbour’s well-being is also my concern. A village should never become a place where people live beside each other and lives, and live as strangers,” he added. To support this movement, President Ali said the Government will invest in physical spaces where neighbours can connect, such as community centres, playground, play fields, parks, recreational facilities, youth facilities and facilities for senior citizens.
“Because if we want people to interact, we must give them places in which to interact,” he posited.

Commerce & care
On commerce, the President noted that villages cannot thrive if people have to seek economic opportunities elsewhere. “We need to make our villages economically alive. This means creating space for agriculture, markets, shops, small businesses, workshops, artisans, services, light manufacturing, digital business, and other forms of entrepreneurship,” he outlined. In this regard, he emphasised the importance of zoning. “Residential areas should be protected. Economic activity should be zoned and planned. Commercial areas should be properly located. Agricultural land should be protected. Heavy equipment should have designated areas,” he noted.
“The objective is to create a village that is economically productive, while remaining a good place to live,” the President further emphasised.
On care, the Guyanese leader posited that it must encompass care for the community and its people. “Care about the person who we see becoming an alcoholic, but all of us sit back and watch them destroy themselves. Care about the persons we see sliding away, but we all look back, watch sit back in our homes, and watch them slide away without offering a hand of support, or a kind word, or a comforting word. Care about children who we see slipping away out of control, but we sit back and allow that to happen,” he explained. President Ali noted that care also extends to supporting persons with disabilities within communities.

Moreover, it also deals with caring for the physical surroundings. “Our villages should be clean, orderly, attractive, proper waste management, clean drains, maintain verges, landscaping, trees.
It must be beautiful with parks and green spaces. It must discourage indiscriminate dumping. The Government cannot do this alone. People must embrace this concept,” President Ali asserted.

Drainage, policing, noise nuisance
Additionally, the Model Village initiative will look at issues such as drainage and irrigation and the strategic placement of fire hydrants. It will also expand the Safe Country programme into villages, President Ali noted, explaining that “communities are becoming so dense and so populated and multifaceted that we have to now place a security system in the communities themselves.” “You’ll see instead of large police station buildings now, we’ll have the more containerised offices and outposts with more of the ATVs and bikes to get them to move faster. So, the interconnectivity of the security system and the police system is also going to be key and critical,” he added. The initiative will also address the issues of encumbrances on roadways and noise nuisance.

Development
President Ali emphasised that the village remains central to people and in order to ensure citizens’ quality of lives improve, the Government cannot ignore the development of the communities. “If we are serious about giving our people a quality life, we cannot ignore the development of the places where most of our people live. This is where people spend most of their time. This is where they raise their children. This is where families are formed. This is where people worship, work, socialise, grow old and ultimately build their lives. We want villages where faith is established through practice. We want the temples, the mosque, and the churches to be filled once more. Filled with children, young people, so that we can cultivate the type of values that will really take our country forward. Therefore, if development does not reach the level of the village, then development has not fully reached the people,” the Head of State reasoned. President Ali emphasised that it is important that villages do not just become places where citizens go to sleep. “We have to foster the wholesome development of our villages, and that is why we are here. The Model Village is not simply a village with newly paved roads. It is not simply villages with streetlights. It is not simply a village with a playground. Those things matter, but they’re only part of the picture. A Model Village should be a place where people can live well, work, learn, raise families, recreate, worship, build businesses, access essential services, have a great sense of security, a sense of belonging, have peace of mind, and feel that they belong,” he posited. The Model Village initiative is being spearheaded by the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry alongside the Ministry of Housing, the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Agriculture. Public consultations on the initiative will continue throughout the week across various communities. President Ali explained that the initiative is not designed to create identical communities, noting that each village’s history, traditions and economic strengths will be preserved. As such, he noted that the consultations will allow residents to identify priority areas, including roads, drainage, lighting, recreational facilities, commercial zones and other community needs. President Ali said residents’ participation will be central to shaping the future of their communities. “We’re here to listen to you. You know where the roads are needed. You know where the drainage problems are. You know where the children play. You know where the businesses are… Tell us what works. Tell us what does not work. Tell us what should be preserved.”

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We’ve just come off celebrating “Emancipation Day” – which goes all the way back to Aug 1st 1834 – when slavery was supposed to’ve been ended. But your Eyewitness starts counting from 1838 because of the “Apprenticeship period” that was immediately imposed – and didn’t end till then!! Imagine the gall of paying the slave owners fortunes for “losing” their slaves – and then forcing the supposedly freed slaves to continue working – but for a pittance to supposedly teach them the ways of “being free”!! Not even a firm handshake for working to receive lashes and hanging for hundreds of years!!
Anyhow, in the beginning of this new millennium, a movement for REPARATIONS was launched by some academics out of UWI. They were gonna convince the old slave-owning countries – in our case Britain and the Netherlands – to try correcting their historical crimes against African humanity!! One way suggested was funding programs to alleviate the structural impediments surviving since slavery – and holding back descendants from enjoying an equal place in their societies!!
Over the years, they’ve had some success in receiving a hearing and in some instances – like from the Gladstone family some years ago – even receiving acknowledgement, apologies and compensation!! But sadly, the slave owning nations’ governments – which built their successful economies on the backs of slavery and then indentureship that followed – have stoutly refused to own up and step up to the crease!! They haven’t even agreed to enter formal negotiations!
Britain’s official position, for example, remains essentially unchanged – arguing that contemporary taxpayers shouldn’t bear legal liability for historic wrongs. Never mind that the said contemporary taxpayers are enjoying the fruits of the old slave labour through the material and economical edifices constructed back then!! While there’s been greater willingness to acknowledge slavery’s horrors and support historical research – for example recently suggested by King Charles – London has stopped well short of accepting a legal obligation to compensate Caribbean nations!!
So your Eyewitness is suggesting that every Emancipation Day henceforth – in addition to parading up and down in “African” costumes and eating Conkee – we should be organizing demonstrations demanding reparations!! Maybe in the past no one would’ve taken notice, but now that we’re the fastest growing economy in the world – with economic opportunities coming out of our kazoos! – we’ve got the attention of the old colonials!! They want a piece of our action – so we can make it a quid pro quo that they cough up some reparations funding!!
Your Eyewitness can just picture next year’s Emancipation celebrations: decked out in our Dashikis and Kaftans with a conkee in one hand and raising the clenched other in the air – we’ll be screaming “Massa Day Done and we want we money!!”

…the production?
In most countries, earning a PhD means writing a dissertation. Hundreds of pages of theory, research, and citations that very few people gonna ever read and they end up gathering dust on shelves!! But in the last few years, China decided to try something different.
Under a law passed in 2024, select universities can now award engineering doctorates based on physical prototypes, new techniques, or major installations instead of traditional papers!! That’s right – rather than focusing only on theory by spinning ideas like cotton candy, the aspiring “Doctors” gotts get down; get their hands dirty and produce something useful!
The rule is straightforward: build something that works in real life and at scale – and you can graduate with that PhD!! They’re taking a Finnish educational innovation called Phenomenon Based Learning to the max!! And it’s already become reality – the first cohort has already gone into the world!!
Maybe with UG beating the bushes to find a new Vice Chancellor – maybe we should also introduce the practical PhDs!!

…the responsibility?
The opposition’s supposed to be “responsible” but from their behaviour on the Barima tragedy they’ve been anything but!! The latest is the government’s decision inviting bids to salvage the ship – which they say is dilatory!!
They want single source??

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…inaugural inductees to be celebrated at Barbados gala dinner in September

From Chris Gayle’s 47* dragging Jamaica Tallawahs to the very first CPL title in 2013, to Trinbago Knight Riders blazing to 267/2 – still the highest total in tournament history – CPL has spent 13 years producing moments that define Caribbean cricket. Now those moments, and the people behind them, get a permanent home.
The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has announced the launch of the CPL Hall of Fame, a new annual honour created to recognise the players and individuals who have defined the tournament’s success since its inception in 2013.
The Hall of Fame will induct two honourees each year, one player and one person who has made a monumental impact on the event off the field. The awards will celebrate performances, leadership, and contributions on and off the field that have helped establish CPL as one of the most popular T20 franchise competitions in world cricket.

Since Gayle powered the Tallawahs past Guyana Amazon Warriors in that first final at Queen’s Park Oval, CPL has delivered a run of records and moments that have shaped the modern T20 game: Dwayne Bravo has taken wickets and won titles throughout the tournament’s history; Tim Seifert and Andre Russell shared the tournament’s fastest century, both reaching three figures off just 53 balls; Shakib Al Hasan produced the best bowling figures the competition has ever seen, a remarkable 6/6; and Trinbago Knight Riders went unbeaten through the 2020 season on their way to becoming the first three-time – and then five-time – champions.
Since launching in 2013, the CPL has grown into a cornerstone of Caribbean sport, showcasing homegrown and international talent across the Region’s franchises while drawing fans from across the world. The introduction of the Hall of Fame gives the tournament a permanent way to recognise the players and people who have shaped that legacy.
“CPL has given us 13 years of moments people still talk about – Gayle in 2013, Pollard’s record-breaking 18th title, Dwayne Bravo’s wickets and wins, and nights nobody who was there will forget. The Hall of Fame is how we make sure those moments, and the people who created them, are never lost. As we head into our second decade, it’s time to give this tournament’s history a permanent home,” said CPL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pete Russell.
The inaugural Hall of Fame gala dinner will take place in Barbados on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, bringing together the Caribbean cricket family and legends of West Indies cricket to celebrate the tournament’s biggest successes. Proceeds from the evening will support The Sir Clive Lloyd Healthcare Foundation, which is working to raise awareness of prostate cancer – the leading cause of cancer death among men in the Caribbean – and to improve access to testing and early detection across the Region, including through its Great Catch initiative.
The CPL Hall of Fame will now run as an annual celebration, with future inductees announced ahead of each gala. The event will continue to grow as a highlight of the CPL calendar, honouring the tournament’s past while supporting causes that matter to the Caribbean community.
The first two inductees into the CPL Hall of Fame will be announced in the coming weeks. (CPLT20)

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The Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation Ministry on Monday announced the launch of “The Voice”, a new website designed to give citizens a direct channel to share ideas, raise concerns and offer recommendations aimed at improving public services. Subject Minister Zulfikar Ally noted that the launch of this new initiative is in keeping with a commitment by President Dr Irfaan Ali to ensure the government remains in touch with the people. “There are people who have so many good ideas within the various agencies and Ministries that we have and oftentimes we don’t get the opportunity or get the time to speak with them to hear either, what are the challenges, or what are the recommendations that they have to fix issues within the public service so that we can serve the people a lot better,” he noted during a video uploaded to his Facebook page. In fact, Ally said he will personally respond to submissions on the website. “They can put either their suggestions or an issue that they have as a public servant and then I will respond to them directly. Every day I will sit, I will call them, I will engage with them, I will find out more, if I need more details and I will either try to fix the problem, or I will explain to them why the problem cannot be fixed or what are some of the challenges that we have that whatever they would like to see or whatever they’re recommending cannot be done,” he explained. Ally said these engagements will be “very insightful”. The website has already been tested and according to the Public Service Minister, has yielded positive results for users. “We have Ms Clark who’s from Berbice. Ms Clark was not being paid for a couple of months so she reached out, she asked if something could be done about it. So, we reached out directly to the Ministry that’s responsible where she’s working, we spoke with the HR department, we ensured that in this case it was a matter of the paperwork. So, we got that done, Ms Clark was paid and her name is now on the payroll, she would not have that issue anymore,” the Minister explained. He stressed that the website is not just for complaints. “Ms Lall didn’t have much of a complaint but she had a lot of brilliant suggestions, brilliant suggestions on how we can improve the public service, what we can do in the space of education and I called her, we had a fantastic discussion and I listened to her ideas and some of them I will suggest to the President,” he noted. Meanwhile, the Minister explained that this initiative is in keeping with President Ali’s vision of ensuring his Ministers stay connected with the people. “President Ali wants his cabinet, all of us to be engaged, to be in touch with every citizen out there and I found that this is one innovative way in which they can reach to me,” he expressed. Persons wishing to submit suggestions or concerns can visit mpsmandate.gov.gy, where they can complete a short online form with their contact information and details of their issue or recommendation.
“It takes less than a minute to put in your information and your questions or your comments,” he noted as he encouraged persons to utilise the platform.

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Dear Editor,
I watched carefully how a partisan group of demonstrators, few in number, held a candlelight vigil, right outside the residence of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, in South Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown. The smattering of people was demanding that Juan Edghill resign, since the MV Barima tragedy occurred with his being the subject Minister who has the ultimate voice in this domain. I was incensed and with valid reasons.
First, grief and empathy for the bereaving community must take precedence. In fact, it should be natural too. In any crises where human lives are lost, a Head of State and his Ministers must (not should) prioritize ‘empathy for victims’ since human lives always take top priority over technical, logistical, or political investigations. A true leader (or leaders as a whole) is divinely mandated to cater for the emotional and immediate needs of citizens, and these leaders actually have limited, but enough legal authority required to lead a nation through a crisis, with the caveat of not tampering or compromising with that which may be legally and forensically vital to the imminent investigation.
For example, when the 1927 Mississippi River Flood (1927) struck, the US, President Incumbent at the time, Calvin Coolidge ‘bypassed initial reluctance for federal intervention, and instantly deployed Herbert Hoover to coordinate rescue, shelter, and medical care for hundreds of thousands of displaced and drowned-out citizens along the overflowing river.
Editor, in this situation where President Ali and Minister Edghill are responding legally, morally and ethically in a most appropriate manner, it is a clear manifestation where their hearts are. They are in fact recognizing and acknowledging human suffering, showing that their government values its citizens’ lives far above bureaucracy or infrastructure.’ Thus, there was the mobilisation to provide immediate and necessary comfort, and offer vital emotional support to the traumatized families and survivors.
During the crisis, and amidst valiant rescue operation, all that I was hearing from the opposition was whom to fire, who is responsible, and let me be the hero etc. Ridiculous and shameful indeed!
I recall in a climate and infrastructure crises, the severe northern flooding/water emergencies in Canada, leaders like Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney routinely resisted calls from opposition parties or Indigenous leadership to fire sitting natural resource or indigenous services ministers, opting instead for internal administrative reviews when the crisis came to an end.
Readers, just think of the chaos that will ensue should there be any disruption resulting from any immediate firing of any key person. And in fact, a Head of State may decide not to fire any minister after a water vessel traced, or any other one for several strategic, legal, and operational reasons.
For one, the government wants the preservation of Operational Continuity and the maintaining of the crisis response. I think it would be most irresponsible and far too hasty to fire a minister during this active emergency response.

This this will just hemorrhage the chain of command when what is needed is stable leadership Replacing a minister immediately in all likelihood may result in the loss of person best equipped with the background knowledge required to manage this ongoing crisis. I think we all agree that mass leadership changes can cause a ministry staff to stall decision-making out of fear for their own job security.
Editor, it stands to good reason that all Guyana must await the announced independent investigations. Good and mature leadership dictates that no minister should be fired, as this must be contingent upon judicial inquiries, and that alone must determine actual culpability. Too many times it was proved that ministers do set high-level policies, whereas actual tragedies are usually caused by localized operational errors, mechanical failures, or sudden weather. We must at this time avoid premature blaming, as this can prejudice legal proceedings or create a scapegoat before the true systemic failures are understood.
Secondly, the man behind it all, Azruddin Mohamed is not qualified for the calling of heads. His murky illegal past has been subject to heavy scrutiny regarding alleged links to violent incidents and severe international offenses. I am talking about financial crimes, public allegations, and ongoing police investigations connected to a high-profile murder.
Mohamed’s current legal position is most tenuous as this involves a massive 11-count U.S. federal criminal indictment in Florida. The charges focus on wire fraud, mail fraud, customs violations, and laundering money through his family’s gold exporting firm.
I close by reminding readers and especially the protestors that “Under Guyana’s legal framework, specifically the Public Order Act, holding public processions, marches, or utilizing certain noisy instruments at public meetings, generally requires advance notification or written permission from the police or designated authorities to maintain public safety and good order.” The political opposition, as far as I know, did not obtain a formal permit to host the street vigil directly in front of Public Works Minister Juan Edghill’s home, so the cops were quite in order to intervene.
Yours truly,
Hargesh B. Singh

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