The Guyana Defence Force is to begin boat patrols and resume mounted patrols at Annai in the North Rupununi with a view to boosting and sustaining the security profile of the area.This was the result of a meeting between residents and the GDF Chief of Staff (COS), Commodore Gary Best and his visiting party to discuss the security needs of the region.The trip was also geared to allow the people of the area to reacquaint themselves with the army and vice versa.Commodore Best said that the people of Annai and the surrounding villages were no different from himself and the members of his party.“We are all Guyanese, subject to the same laws and with the same responsibility to develop and protect the 215,000 square kilometers of Guyana’s territory: one country,” he said.He explained that although he advises the President on the security needs of the nation, the authority of the Guyana Defence Force is enshrined in Guyana’s Constitution.In proposing the resuscitation of the mounted branch of the Force, the COS noted that Annai, like any other part of Guyana,Cheap Jerseys For Sale, required security inputs from the Guyana Defence Force.He suggested that the members of the community and its environs could staff such a unit. They could enlist and become serving members of the GDF.“Our young people in this region will have a great opportunity to be employed either as regular soldiers or as reservists, and would benefit from the required training as they worked alongside other serving members of the Force,” the Chief of Staff noted. The GDF currently has a recruitment drive on, he added.At the request of the residents, Commodore Best said that a GDF recruitment team will visit the community shortly.Mr. Evan Sipu expressed concern about potential emerging threats in light of the increased traffic into and through the area due to the opening up of the Takatu Bridge at Lethem.The road from Lethem to Georgetown passes through the North Rupununi and borders Annai. He also said that coastland-related crime seems to be reaching even communities such as his.In addition, cattle rustling and the presence of predatory wildlife, which encroach on communal living areas wreaking havoc with livestock and farms,NFL Jerseys China, were two other issues raised. The mounted patrols are meant to alleviate these problems.An observation post is to be set up at Bush-Mouth as it was observed by Executive Director of the North Rupununi Development District Commission Mr. Virgil Harding that at the moment, it was possible for people traversing the region to utilise the nearby rivers to evade security scrutiny.“The government as well as the military has an interest and are committed to the security of the region,” Best told the residents.According to him, while the GDF would be responsible for procuring and maintaining the resources needed for both patrols, it will be necessary for the communities to get involved.“The patrols will not take care of police issues,Cheap Hockey Jerseys, but would hand over to the police those persons caught in illegal activities,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping,” he said.The Chief of Staff emphasised that the patrols will work strictly in the interest of protecting the communities. “I will not, at a personal level, condone the ill treatment of my fellow Guyanese,” said Commodore Best.“Where searches were required, these would be conducted in the presence of the police. We do not conduct searches without the police present. My soldiers, our soldiers,Wholesale Jerseys Online, will act in the most professional manner.”In response to a request to have a GDF training base established in the area,Cheap Jerseys From China, the Commander explained that such a decision could only be made at the level of the Defence Board.He pointed out that there were already three such bases which are well established and legally approved by the Defence Board and the government.“For any new location to be considered, it would have to be templated and verified suitable for the proposed purpose.The movement of troops in and out of the location, as well as the reality of live-firing exercises as well as the costs, among other things, would have to be considered,” he explained.The Chief of Staff and his team wrapped up their tour of Annai with a visit to the Bina Hill Research Institute and Radio PAIWOMAK (97.1 FM) where he recorded a message of greeting to the people of Annai and the surrounding communities. That message was to be broadcast that very evening.The radio station is community-oriented and broadcasts for about four hours in the evenings. The programming includes music and news and features which relate to the life and

Antigua and Barbuda’s Immigration Department has defended a previous policy of seizing passports of non-national children visiting the country, following an outcry from the Guyana government.But the Ministry of National Security has announced an end to the practice, saying that it has replaced it with another type of security measure – bond and sureties.A statement on the matter was issued on the heels of complaints from Guyana’s Foreign Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who said the government had received reports of the passports of Guyanese children being seized when they were travelling with their parents. She said she had written to the Antigua and Barbuda government seeking clarification on that policy.The National Security Ministry explained in its statement that it had to take steps to stop the growing trend where,cheap jerseys, during the summer months, a significant number of minors from certain Caribbean countries would travel to Antigua on the pretext of a vacation but would ultimately remain in the country and seek to gain entry into the school system.“Given the capacity challenges in the school system and in an effort to avoid further overcrowding of schools,Discount NFL Jerseys, the Immigration Department had implemented a policy of holding the passports of visiting minors as a guarantee of their departure within the specified time of their visit,Jerseys From China,” it said.However,Wholesale Jerseys, it said that policy was recently reviewed by the ministry and the Office of the Attorney General and the practice has since been discontinued. The statement did not say when that occurred.“Instead, the Department will seek to fully enforce the provisions of section 21 (2) (a) – (h) of the Act…Some applicants for entry into the country may now be required to provide a bond and such sureties from the resident host as may be deemed appropriate,” the statement added.The Ministry of National Security complained that the continuous flow of immigrants into Antigua has had an overwhelming impact on the country’s social infrastructure, especially as it relates to healthcare and education.It pointed to data from the Ministry of Education which revealed that approximately 13 per cent of all government primary school students are non-nationals. Further,China Jerseys Wholesale, almost 30 per cent of students attending government secondary schools are non-nationals. Statistics also showed that 37 per cent attended private secondary schools in Antigua.Additionally, statistics from the Immigration Department of Antigua and Barbuda reveal that within the last nine months,Discount NFL Jerseys, over 14,000 applications were made and approvals granted for extensions of time to remain in the country. Nationals of the Republic of Guyana were the largest group of applicants seeking an extension of time to remain in the country, the ministry added. (Source: Caribbean 360.com)