Guyana_Chronicle-Epaper_04_22_2021

THURSDAY 22nd April, 2021

No. 106338 PAGE

3

―as IDB approves infrastructural projects worth $890M for community

PAGE

8

PAGE

2

PAGE

11

Exxon heading back to normal production level

Trevor Benn slapped with another misconduct charge More than 100,000 persons vaccinated

A young devotee lights a lamp at the Campbellville Mandir, Georgetown, as Hindus observed Ram Navami and the end of Chaitra Navratri on Wednesday (Adrian (Adrian Narine photo) photo)

2

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Trevor Benn slapped with another misconduct charge

By Richard Bhainie

COMMISSIONER of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), Trevor Benn, who served under the former A Partnership For National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration, was, on Wednesday, slapped with another charge for misconduct in public office.

The charge pertains to the sale of two parcels of land-- 4,725 and 4,805-all being a portion of Plantation Ruimveldt, to Wilfred Brandford, a former member of the Board of Directors of the GL&SC, who was serving in the position at the time of the

Former Commissioner of the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GL&SC), Trevor Benn

transaction.

The charge states that the parcels of land were sold to Brandford for $13.5 million, when the land was initially valued at a sum of over $60 million.

Benn appeared before Senior Magistrate, Sherdel Isaac-Marcus, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. He was not required to plead to the charge and was granted bail in the sum of $100,000.

The charge against him read that, Benn, between December 1, 2018 and August 31, 2020 at the GL&SC, being the Commissioner of the GL&SC, allegedly wilfully misconducted himself by executing the sale of the two parcels of land, and causing Brandford to pay the sum of $13.5 million for the said lands.

He allegedly did so while knowing, at the time, that he did not have the authority to sell the lands and knowing that the lands had been earlier valued at $60.8 million dollars. Consequently, the alleged wilful misconduct amounted to a breach of the public’s trust, without any excuse or reasonable justification.

Benn is represented by attorney-at-law, Mark Waldron, and is expected to make his next court appearance, pertaining to this matter, on May 28, 2021.

It was previously reported that Brandford was issued a Certificate of Title No. 2020/11 for the said parcels of land, dated April 15, 2020, pursuant to an Agreement of Sale and Purchase, dated March 23, 2020, which was executed with the Government of Guyana, represented by the GL&SC through then Commissioner, Benn.

The parcels comprise 0.710 and 0.887 acres, respectively. Benn had obtained two valuations

for the said parcels of land; the first valuation was of $60.8 million, while the second was for $13.5 million, however, he chose the latter as the mutually agreed purchase price.

Earlier this year, in February, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, S.C., on behalf of the GL&SC and the Government of Guyana, wrote to Brandford asking him to relinquish undervalued lands he obtained weeks after the March 2, 2020 elections.

The Attorney-General has since initiated legal proceedings to recover the prime piece of property. In his application to the court, which lists Benn as a defendant, Nandlall contends negligence, misfeasance, fraud and conspiracy to injure the state by unlawful means through the execution of the transaction.

On March 12, Benn was released on $200,000 bail when he appeared before Magistrate Leron Daly at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court pertaining to a misconduct in public office charge, which was instituted in connection with the alleged illegal leasing of State lands.

That charge alleges that between January 1, 2018, and March 31, 2020, while being a public officer, the Commissioner of GL&SC, he wilfully misconducted himself by causing the sum of $27 million to be paid by JANICO Industrial Engineering Limited for the lease of six acres of land at Plantation Ogle, East Coast Demerara.

It was also alleged that he did so knowing at the time that the commission did not have the authority to lease the land and thereby granted a provisional lease on March 27, 2020, to the said engineering company without any de-

scription. This alleged wilful misconduct amounts to a breach of the public’s trust, without any excuse or reasonable justification.

It was reported that the $27 million was paid pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered into by Benn on behalf of GL&SC and JANICO Industrial Engineering Limited on May 8, 2017, for the leasing of State lands that are seemingly non-existent.

As part of the agreement, JANICO Industrial Engineering Limited was obligated to pay $27 million to GL&SC in two installments: one upon the signing of the MoU, and the balance on or before November 4, 2017 or the date of issuance of the lease, whichever was the earlier.

JANICO Industrial Engineering Limited was granted a provisional lease, dated March 27, 2020, which stated that permission was granted to JANICO Industrial Engineering Limited for “industrial and commercial purpose.” The provisional lease further states that “final boundaries will be established upon the completion of a cadastral survey by the commission.”

The law firm representing JANICO Industrial Engineering Limited had written to the current Commissioner of the GL&SC (ag) Enrique Monize, in December last year, indicating that both installments were paid in full, however, despite several months elapsing, a full State Land Lease was not issued.

Monize, on January 28, 2021, wrote to the Attorney-General seeking guidance on the matter. In that letter, he explained that there are no such lands under the control of GL&SC.

3

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

New look for Parfaite Harmonie —as IDB approves infrastructural projects worth $890M for community

ENHANCED roads, pavements, street lights and drainage networks are in line for La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank of Demerara (WBD), as the Inter-American Development (IDB) has given its no-objection for the Government of Guyana to proceed with projects valuing $890 million.

This was disclosed by Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, during one of several housing outreaches on Wednesday, at villages along the West Coast and West Bank of Demerara corridors.

According to Minister Croal, aside from the common infrastructural works, a multipurpose facility will also be constructed at La Parfaite Harmonie. All projects related to the community will be completed under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme.

In a breakdown of what is expected, the minister said that 8.8 kilometers of road will be upgraded with asphalt, and pavements will be constructed along the road for pedestrians.

Additionally, 25 families of La Parfaite Harmonie will benefit from core-home support and 118 will receive home improvement subsidies.

Meanwhile, Minister Croal told residents of La Parfaite Harmonie that the ministry is aware of the difficulties facing persons, with regards to the deplorable condition of internal roads in other surrounding communities, and representation was made.

Just last week, Minister Croal announced that Lusten- Rust will benefit from a new water well, costing $115 million.

This, the minister said, will bring great ease to a number of communities, as the ministry seeks to also advance development in one of the “success stories” of a previous People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, the La Parfaite Harmonie housing scheme.

Minister Croal reminded residents of the five years of neglect and lack of basic in-

frastructure, under the former A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition administration.

PROGRAMME EXTENDED La Parfaite Harmonie aside, progress is also expected in other communities, as the minister announced that the IDB has approved the extension of the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme to Victo-

ria, East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

Prior to this extension only low-income families who fell within the boundary - La Bonne Intention (LBI), Grove, Lust-en-Rust, Onderneeming, Recht-door-zee and La Parfaite Harmonie Phase Two, were able to benefit.

Works under the IDB project could commence as early as July, and the Ministry of Housing and Water, through the executing agen-

cy, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), will spare no time in tendering for these projects, Minister Croal said.

Additionally, in other communities where the IDB’s project will not cover, he assured residents that works will be undertaken through collaborative efforts with the local authorities and the Ministries of Local Government and Regional Development, and Public Works.

In responding directly to

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal and staff of the ministry during a meeting with residents at the Bell West Primary School

announcements of the ministry’s plans for Region Three, Regional Chairman, Inshan Ayube, said that in the past few months, the region has seen significant development in its water supply, and almost 1,000 residents have taken a step closer to becoming first-time homeowners.

“In keeping with the policies of the government and in keeping with the promises made in our manifesto, we are pleased that we can work towards improving your way of life and delivering on our promises,” he said.

The Regional Chairman further commended Minister Croal, who, he said, has been reaching out to the people of the region and bringing solutions to residents.

In highlighting other development works in the region, Ayube said several internal roads have been rehabilitated, drains have been cleared and canals excavated, to bring ease of access to farming communities.

ALL COMMUNITIES “Development in the region is moving across all communities, including Essequibo River and the Demerara River and this is reflective

Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal and Head of Community Development at the Housing Ministry, Gladwin Charles, display a map of Anna Catherina and pinpoints areas where squatting issues will be addressed

of a commitment from your government…there is an improvement in all sectors, health, agriculture, housing, water, and infrastructure,” the Regional Chairman noted.

Meanwhile, Minister Croal said the outreach done on Wednesday reflects how the government operates, as it meets the people and formulate tangible solutions through a consultative process.

“We operate as one government, whatever we are doing is done in conjunction with the regional plans, and this is to ensure maximum output in the programme and policies which we implement to improve your day-to-day lives,” the minister said.

He added that the development seen across the region is a collective effort among the Ministries of Public Work, Local Government and Regional Development, Housing and Water, and the local Neighborhood Democratic Councils.

Alluding to the allocation of 1,000 house lots, which was done in December 2020, the minister noted that the construction sector in the region will see a massive boom, as the ministry, through the CH&PA, will commence infrastructural development in several new housing areas soon.

He, however, called on persons to be patient with all government agencies, as he explained that while the government is rolling out its programmes, no community will be neglected.

“Our developmental plans will be done incrementally but equally across this region and every other region,” the minister said.

Meanwhile, Minister Croal also called for persons to operate within the legal framework for obtaining residential house lots, as he noted that there is no need for squatting.

“There is absolutely no need for squatting, the government’s housing drive will make provision for every eligible housing applicant, and systems are in place for persons to utilise the right channel,” Minister Croal reasoned.

4

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

George Floyd: Chauvin conviction a giant step forward, says Biden

(BBC): US President Joe Biden has said the conviction of a former police officer in the killing of George Floyd “can be a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America”.

But he warned: “We can’t stop here”.

White officer Derek Chauvin was filmed kneeling on African-American Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes, sparking mass protests against racism.

He was found guilty on Tuesday of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Sentencing is likely to happen in two months, and Chauvin could spend decades in jail. He is expected to appeal against the verdict.

In a phone call with Mr Floyd’s family after the verdict was announced, the president was heard saying: “At least now there is some

justice.”

In televised remarks shortly afterwards, Mr Biden said that such a verdict was “much too rare”.

“We can’t leave this moment or look away thinking our work is done. We have to look at it as we did for those nine minutes and 29 seconds,” he said.

Vice-President Kamala Harris urged lawmakers to pass the George Floyd bill aimed at reforming policing in the US. “This bill is part of George Floyd’s legacy. This work is long overdue,” she said.

WHAT OTHER REACTION HAS THERE BEEN? People gathered outside the courtroom and on the intersection in Minneapolis where Mr Floyd was killed to celebrate the verdict.

Cheers broke out, drivers honked their car horns and people blocked traffic chanting: “George Floyd” and “All three counts”, referring to the three charges of which Chauvin was convicted.

“It’s a good day in Minneapolis,” said 21-year-old Kenneth Nwachi.

One local resident told the Associated Press news agency she felt grateful and relieved, while another said: “There’s some form of justice that’s coming.”

Crowds also gathered in other cities to celebrate the verdict.

But they also said that more needed to be done.

Police officers have rarely been convicted - if they are charged at all - for deaths that occur in custody, and the verdict in the trial has been widely seen as an indication of how the US legal system will treat such cases in future.

At a family news conference, Mr Floyd’s brother Philonise said: “Today, we are able to breathe again.”

The Floyd family’s lawyer, Ben Crump, said the conviction marked a “turning point in history” for the US. According to the Washington Post newspaper, 274 people have been fatally shot

by US police in 2021.

Shortly before the verdict on Tuesday, a police officer in the state of Ohio shot dead a 16-year-old black girl while responding to an emergency call over an attempted stabbing.

around the room. His bail was revoked and he was led away with his hands cuffed behind his back.

The verdict followed a highly charged, three-week trial in which 45 witnesses

Convicted officer, Derek Chauvin

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE COURTROOM? It took the 12-member jury less than a day to reach their verdict.

Chauvin, whose face was obscured with a coronavirus mask, showed little reaction as the verdict was read, remaining quiet and looking

took the stand and several hours of video footage were shown.

Several witnesses broke down in tears as they watched graphic footage of Mr Floyd’s death and described feeling “helpless” as events unfolded.

Expert witnesses on behalf of the state testified that Mr Floyd died from a lack of oxygen due to the manner of restraint employed by Chauvin and his colleagues.

Chauvin himself chose not to testify, invoking his right to not incriminate himself with his responses.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The sentencing is expected to take place in two months, with the most serious charge carrying a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

Chauvin’s defence team has not yet commented on the verdict, but is expected to appeal.

According to reports, one

of the most likely avenues of appeal is the huge publicity given to the case, with the defence team arguing that this might have influenced the jury.

Also, Presiding Judge Peter Cahill said on Monday that public comments by Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters could be grounds for an appeal.

Over the weekend, Ms Waters had urged protesters to “stay on the street” and “get more confrontational” if Chauvin was acquitted.

US defence lawyer Mark Geragos called the conviction a “preordained conclusion”, telling Fox News that “given the tsunami of coverage and public consternation, the best he ever could have hoped for was a hung jury”.

Three other officers present when Mr Floyd was killed will go on trial later this year.

WHAT HAPPENED TO GEORGE FLOYD? The 46-year-old bought a pack of cigarettes at a convenience store in May 2020.

A shop assistant believed he had used a counterfeit note and called the police after Mr Floyd refused to give the cigarettes back.

When police arrived, they ordered Mr Floyd out of his parked car and handcuffed him. A struggle ensued when officers tried to put a screaming Mr Floyd in their squad car. They wrestled him to the ground and pinned him under their weight.

Chauvin pressed his knee into the back of Mr Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.

As he was being restrained, Mr Floyd said more than 20 times that he could not breathe, pleading for his mother and begging “please, please, please”.

When the ambulance arrived, Mr Floyd was motionless. He was pronounced dead about an hour later.

5

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

―as COVID-19 spreads (Trinidad Express): The following measures have been announced as from midnight tonight, to combat the growing spread of the COVID-19 virus in Trinidad and Tobago.

The measures were announced by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, at Wednesday’s virtual press conference.

The measures will end on Sunday, May 16.

• There will be no public gathering for entertainment and concerts.

• The public service will revert to 50 per cent attendance at workplaces, on a

rotational basis. It will take tens of thousands of people off the transportation grid and at work places which is one of the areas where the spread is happening, said Deyalsingh. There is no order regarding the private sector.

• At places of worship, where there is also proof of spread, numbers will be reduced from 50 per cent to 25 per cent. Services and prayers will be limited to 90 minutes. A special appeal was made to keep masks on at all times.

• Weddings and funerals will now be limited to ten

persons.

According to Deyalsingh, the decision to enforce these measures was taken after a meeting among Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley, National Security Minister, Fitzgerald Hinds, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister, Stuart Young, Chief Medical Officer, Roshan Parasram, and himself. Held at 09:00 hours on Wednesday, those at the meeting considered information concerning the rising number of COVID-19 cases, hospital occupancy and increased gatherings.

He referenced Dr Avery Hinds who earlier stated that contact tracing revealed that cases were being linked to places of worship, bars and workplaces.

“All our measures are based on the data we have contracted. You would have heard Dr Hinds speak about places of religion, bars and bar hopping. We look at our hospital occupancy rates, which are now 27 per cent.

“At one point in time about one month ago it was two per cent. We look at our doubling rates and most importantly we try to gauge public compliance which is the most effective measure to keep cases down. So, the

evidence which cannot be ignored has been presented.

This morning the team led by the Honourable Prime Minister looked at the evidence which has just been presented to you.”

The rollback in measures, he said, was part of the government’s duty to protect the vulnerable.

“We as a government have a solemn duty to protect the population, to continue to protect the most vulnerable especially the elderly who bear the brunt who face the most critical challenge in keeping them alive. We want to protect our children and we want to protect the long-term

economic strength of our Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

Minister Hinds said he had called a meeting with Police Commissioner, Gary Griffith, Wednesday afternoon, to ask that the police enforce the regulations, since it was necessary.

He said over the next three weeks, he will be asking that special teams of officers be put together in every division in Trinidad and Tobago to enforce the regulations and report daily.

He said people would be made to “feel it in their pockets” if the regulations were not followed.

Barbados among nations on US ‘no-go’ list ( B a r b a d o s To d a y ) : The US has once again warned its citizens against travel to Barbados during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the US State Department widened its “Do Not Travel” guidance to about 80 per cent of the world’s nations.

In its most recent travel advisory issued Tuesday, the US State Department listed Barbados under ‘Level 4: COVID-19 Very High’ and recommended no travel.

Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines are also named in Level 4.

The State Department had already listed 34 out of about 200 countries as “Level 4: Do Not Travel,” including places like Haiti, Russia and Brazil, where a rampant variant has infected or killed thousands.

The US State Department said its decision to move Barbados to Level 4 among 130 countries was in line with travel health notices from the US Centers for Disease Control and Protection

(CDC).

The advisory from the Bridgetown-based US Embassy for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean read: “Given current global conditions and following the travel advisory update, approximately 80 per cent of countries worldwide will have a travel advisory Level of 4: Do Not Travel, including Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

“The recent travel advisory update resulted in a significant increase in the number of countries at travel advisory Level 4. We continue to strongly recommend U.S citizens reconsider all travel abroad and postpone their trips if possible.”

The embassy insisted countries were not being penalised for their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic but the move is certain to be a crushing blow to the government’s hopes of restarting the tourism industry with new anti-virus protocols.

The US statement said: “We recognise the

incredible efforts of the national public health systems. This update does not imply a reassessment of the current health situation in a given country. It reflects an adjustment in the State Department’s travel advisory system to give more weight to the CDC’s existing assessments. “ Tr a v e l a d v i s o r y levels take into account several factors that present risks to US citizens, including public health indicators, access to medical care, entry and exit requirements, and the ability of the US government to assist in an emergency. We also consider the mitigation strategies countries have put in place, including COVID-19 related restrictions on entry by the US and other foreign nationals.

“The COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented risks for travellers. The CDC has been consistent with that message since the start of the pandemic, and the Department’s updated travel advisories reflect that warning. We will

routinely review conditions across the world and will update travel advisories when appropriate.

“We will continue to work with our Caribbean partners to defeat this virus through prevention and vaccination and advance our strong economic relationship.”

The development

comes as the US marked a milestone in its coronavirus vaccination programme of getting at least half of all Americans at least one dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna jabs. This as the US also marks a grim point in the pandemic with the deaths of 568,483 Americans.

Like most of the

world’s nations, Barbados has struggled to gain access to shipments of the vaccine, lagging behind the US and the UK in the procurement of jabs despite runaway death and infection rates and pockets of strong resistance to even basic hygiene practices like wearing masks.

6

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

FOODS AT NEXT LEVEL STREET food vendors are no strange sight in Guyana but the idea of introducing mobile kiosks of international standards here is novel and enterprising even though such facilities are well known around the world but more prominently in Asia.

Here in Guyana, persons who work in the City and towns are very familiar with roadside men and women who sell foods on the streets for a living. Some operate only in the morning, others in the morning going late in the afternoon and some into the night and then there are those who come out only at nights.

Some of these vendors have graduated from small stalls to established business places, some of which are thriving establishments today. In the current COVID-19 environment where indoor dining is restricted, one would reasonably assume that known street food vendors enjoy good days, both on weekdays and on weekends.

This is particularly good if they adhere to all the established sanitary and good hygiene standards as spelt out in their operation

licence as well as adhere to and ensure adherence to the national COVID-19 guidelines, especially in relation to the wearing of masks and maintaining social distancing.

While street food vendors in a small way form part of the local cuisine culture — be it in Georgetown, Anna Regina or New Amsterdam — street food vending is largely informal in nature but nevertheless on the whole represents an honest means of livelihood for many.

With Guyana firmly positioned to become what some have described as the ‘Dubai of the Caribbean’, an upgrade to or introduction of standardised mobile food kiosk will be perfectly in keeping with the modernisation trend.

And here Guyana has a golden opportunity to carve out an identity among locals and the thousands of tourists who will be visiting Guyana year round, through cuisines prepared to international standards and made readily available at mobile street shops.

Like her people who are from diverse origins, the delicacies that will be served up will be wide and varied, presenting a smor-

gasbord of options for locals and foreigners alike to choose from.

What could be more beautiful and convenient than to be greeted by the sight and smell of Indian delicacies, sumptuous African dishes or the mouth-watering foods of our Amerindian brothers and sisters when going to work in the morning or taking a stroll in the evening.

It would be great if kiosks with fresh fruits and vegetables are added to the mix since Guyana have them in abundance — from avocados, pineapples, watermelons, mangoes, guava and pomegranates — to just name a few which many foreigners crave and spend high sums to get.

These kiosks, once tied into the local tourism package and maximally promoted, have the potential to set Guyana apart from Caribbean and South American nations when the conversation or discussion among tourists zones in on foods.

Perhaps in the same manner when one looks at the kiosks and street foods vendors in India who enjoy very wide popularity on Youtube and other social media platforms.

The move to standardised mobile kiosks in Guyana by Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud could not be timelier as Guyana focuses on safety, including indoor dining at restaurants and to welcome an influx of tourism when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

It is also heartening to know that these food establishments would not be any ordinary operations but facilities with high standards of hygiene, uniformed in identity and manned by culinary experts.

In the eyes of foreigners, Guyana is known for the Kaieteur Falls, the largest single drop waterfall in the world; an abundance of water and arable land; and as a vast sanctuary for flora and fauna.

Nothing is stopping her from also becoming a major destination for diverse and delicious foods that are readily available in the streets. With rigorous standards in place, both in terms of hygiene in food preparation, taste and presentation and smart marketing, who knows, Guyana could become one of the cuisine capitals in the region.

Guyanese-Americans must do their part to combat hate in USA Dear Editor,

THE world, Guyanese and Caribbean people included, was appalled by the way African American George Floyd died last May during a routine arrest for an allegation that he used a counterfeit $20 bill to purchase goods from a store. After restraining him, a police officer placed his knee on Floyd’s neck denying him access to air, suffocating and killing him.

As a Guyanese and an East Indian, I was horrified and shocked at the police action.

Moreover, I was saddened at the killing. The incident was gut-wrenching, resulting in widespread condemnation of his action and of police dealing with non-White people. There was righteous condemnation of the police action and indignant rage. There was also violence, looting and robberies.

Minorities suffered the most.

Around the world, compassion and empathy were displayed for Floyd as video recording on a cell phone showed repeatedly on TV of Chauvin’s uncaring action resting his knee on Floyd’s neck until he passed out.

The officer, Derek Chauvin, who displayed a lack of respect for the life of that African American man, was charged, prosecuted, and convicted. He was held accountable for his actions by a jury of his peers. This is unprecedented in most parts of America as police officers are hardly brought to justice for their actions injuring or killing people.

The conviction has resonated well among Guyanese and Caribbean people, among all communities, across America. The trial was fair and due process was served. It has revived calls for a reckoning on racial inequality in America and the justice system. Not only Blacks, Asians, Hispanics, and other minorities have also suffered at the hands of racist cops.

Around the world, compassion and empathy were displayed for Floyd as video recording on a cell phone showed repeatedly on TV of Chauvin’s uncaring action resting his knee on Floyd’s neck until he passed out.

The conviction of Chauvin sends a strong message across America that police would be held accountable for their action, and that

they can and will be prosecuted. The verdict also highlights the need for reforms in the way police carry out their work.

While drawing attention to long ignored police abuse of minorities, the entire episode helps people to re-examine how they see people of other ethnicities. All hate crimes and violence are wrong. In America, racists are found in all communities. People of all races have attacked Indians and other Asians in America. Indo-Guyanese, considered as Asians, have also been targets of attacks. Indians and other Asians face racism that goes unseen, despite their being considered as a model minority community on account of their success and achievements in America – especially in dominating medical, science, engineering, and technical fields.

Indo-Guyanese and other Asians live in proximity to Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, and other people. Since coming to America over the last fifty years, they have helped to grow run down neighborhoods, like the South Bronx, Jamaica, Richmond Hill, etc., into vibrant multi-ethnic communities. They should not be targeted or picked upon by people of

other ethnicities.

Justice was served in the Floyd’s case.

Police, like all citizens, must respect the rule of law. But policy must also change. The Floyd case should also galvanize people into action to demand justice for crimes in their country or communities irrespective of where they live. There is need for example for justice for Haresh Singh; no arrest was made for his murder by police some thirteen months ago.

The Floyd incident highlights the need for Guyanese Americans, Indians, Africans, and others, to work together with other groups to confront racism. The conviction can be the initiative for a change in ethnic relations, in how members of one group view others. Also, although there is a conviction, racism will not easily end in America. A lot needs to be done to combat racism and everyone must do their part to combat hate and ethnically inspired robberies against Asians.

Yours truly, Dr. Vishnu Bisram

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

OPED

By António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations

IN this pivotal year for humanity, now is the time for bold climate action.

The science is irrefutable and globally agreed: to stop the climate crisis from becoming a permanent catastrophe, we must limit global heating to 1.5 degrees celsius.

To do this, we must get to net zero emissions of greenhouse gases by mid-century. Countries making up about two-thirds of the global economy have committed to do so. This is encouraging, but we urgently need every country, city, business and financial institution to join this coalition and adopt concrete plans for transitioning to net zero.

Even more urgent is for governments to match this long-term ambition with concrete actions now, as trillions of dollars are

‘CLIMATE ACTION FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET: THE TIME IS NOW’ mobilised to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

Revitalising economies is our chance to re-engineer our future.

The world has a strong framework for action: the Paris Agreement, in which all countries committed to set their own national climate action plans and strengthen them every five years. Over five years later, and with damning proof that if we don’t act we will destroy our planet, it is time for decisive and effective action as the United Nations convenes all countries in Glasgow in November for COP26.

The new national plans must cut global greenhouse gas pollution by at least 45 per cent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. Many have been presented already, and set out clearer policies to adapt to the impacts of climate change and boost access to renewable energy.

But so far, those plans achieve less than a one per

cent cut in emissions. This is a true red alert for people and planet.

In the months ahead, beginning with the upcoming Leaders’ Summit hosted by the United States, governments must dramatically step up their ambitions – particularly the biggest-emitting countries that have caused the vast bulk of the crisis.

Phasing out coal from the electricity sector is the single most important step to get in line with the 1.5-degree goal. Immediate action to remove the dirtiest, most polluting fossil fuel from power sectors offers our world a fighting chance.

Global coal use in electricity generation must fall by 80 per cent below 2010 levels by 2030. This means that developed economies must commit to phase out coal by 2030; other countries must do this by 2040.

There is simply no reason for any new coal plants to

be built anywhere. One third of the global coal fleet is already more costly to operate than building new renewables and storage.

COP26 must signal an end to coal.

As the world moves toward clean air and renewable energy, it is essential that we ensure a just transition. Workers in impacted industries and the informal sector must be supported as they move jobs or reskill.

We must also unleash the vast power of women and girls to drive transformation, including as equal participants in governance and decision-making.

The countries that contributed least to climate change are suffering many of the worst impacts.

Many small island nations will simply cease to exist if we don’t step up the response. The developed countries must deliver on their commitments to provide and mobilise $100 billion annually by:

* doubling current levels of climate finance; * devoting half of all climate finance to adaptation; * stopping the international funding of coal; and * shifting subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

The G7 Summit in June offers the opportunity for the world’s wealthiest countries to step up and provide the necessary financial commitments that will ensure the success of COP26.

While governments must lead, decision-makers everywhere have a vital role to play.

I ask all multilateral and national development banks, by COP26, to have clear policies in place to fund the COVID recovery and the transition to resilient economies in developing countries, taking into account crippling debt levels and huge pressures

7

on national budgets.

Many local governments and private businesses have committed to net zero emissions by 2050, and have engaged in significant reviews of their business models. I urge all to set ambitious targets and policies.

I encourage young people everywhere to continue to raise their voices for action to address climate change, protect biodiversity, stop humanity’s war on nature and accelerate efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Time is running out, and there is much hard work ahead, but this is no time to raise the white flag. The United Nations will keep flying our blue flag of solidarity and hope. This Earth Day and over the crucial months ahead, I urge all nations and all people to rise together to this moment.

GuySuCo is committed to finding solution to current GAWU negotiations Dear Editor,

THE Management of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) wishes to clarify several inaccurate public statements that were recently disseminated by President of the Guyana Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU).

GuySuCo does not intend to negotiate in the press with the union but we wish to bring to the table at all times, factual clarifications to some of these public statements being made by the union’s president.

1. After August 2020, the executive organisational staffing at Head Office was increased by a net of two (2) persons; not thirty (30) that is being alleged by the Union Boss.

2. Currently there is an employment freeze of senior staff at Head Office until the

human resource and skills audit process is completed.

That report is expected to be submitted by the end of June 2021.

3. The GuySuCo compensation package is governed by the Hays Job Evaluation Methodology and the corporation has been unable to meet the recommended rates for the senior staff since 2013 (seven years), which means that the corporation’s rates are below the average senior management salary rates in the public service and private sector.

4. The current management acknowledges that it inherited in August 2020, a debt owed to the GAWU Credit Union and the union for dues totalling G$113 million. Since then to now, the corporation, with the limited cash flows, has paid approximately G$140 million to the GAWU. The corporation

formally committed to the GAWU to pay a further G$2 million per week to clear the inherited debt.

5. In 2020, the corporation made a loss of approximately G$3.8 billion. This information is available to the GAWU. 6. In 2020, GuySuCo spent 102 per cent of its earned revenue to pay wages and salaries. This meant that without financial support from the shareholders, the corporation could not have met its wages bill. This information is also available to the GAWU. 7. The 2017 Independent Audited Financial Statement of GuySuCo, made it absolutely clear that by way of the Vesting Order of December 30, 2017, called the GuySuCo (Transfer of Property) Order 45 of 2017, “all moveable and immovable property of Wales, Skeldon, East Demerara and

Rose Hall” were transferred to NICIL. But the uniqueness of this dysfunctional transaction, as stated in that public document, acknowledged that “the liabilities of the vested estates remained with the corporation”. Further, there is nothing “fairly straight forward” about a business that has the external auditors declaring that “the validity of the going concern basis on which the consolidated finance statements are prepared is dependent on the continued support from the Government of Guyana”.

8. The corporation remains firm in its commitment to collaborate with the unions to bring a final resolution to the workers’ compensation issues. To that end, the corporation invited the union to a meeting on May 4, 2021.

GuySuCo’ s management remains firm in its commitment to working with all

stakeholders, especially the three (3) trade unions in the industry, to build a resilient business with an empowered workforce in an environment that is healthy and safe for all.

The corporation is desirous of arriving at an

amicable solution acceptable to all stakeholders.

Nonetheless, GuySuCo encourages factual discourse to advance the cause of the 7,400 workers and Guyana.

Yours sincerely, Communications Team

8

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Exxon heading back to normal production level ―as company removes discharge silencer for further assessment

PRODUCTION levels at ExxonMobil’s Liza Destiny Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel are gradually returning to normal, as efforts are underway to further assess a faulty discharge silencer, which was removed recently.

Production at the Liza Destiny, offshore Guyana, was reduced significantly, from 120,000 barrels of oil per day to 30,000, barrels because the company encountered problems related to the discharge silencer, which is a component of the recently re-installed flash-gas compressor.

The compressor was damaged in January, and resulted in the company having to temporarily increase gas-flaring to above pilot levels in order to maintain safe operations. The faulty contraption was subsequently removed and sent to Germany for immediate repairs.

The repaired and upgraded components of the flash-gas compression system have been safely re-installed, but a comprehensive three-phase testing programme was undertaken to ensure full safety.

It was during the final stage of the three-phase testing programme that the company encountered a problem with the discharge silencer. A discharge silencer is used to attenuate noise produced by the expansion of air, steam or gas at elevated pressure to atmospheric pressure.

In a recent update, ExxonMobil said the silencer has been removed and is being further assessed, so as to determine the necessary scope of repairs and or/modifications.

“We estimate that repairs or replacement will take approximately three months.

Additionally, plans initiated in 2020 are progressing to install a redesigned third-stage flash-gas compression system at the end of this year,” ExxonMobil’s Public and Government Affairs Adviser, Janelle Persaud said in an official update on Wednesday.

Even amidst the ongoing efforts to repair the faulty equipment, the company has started to ramp up production, which has since moved from 30,000 barrels of oil per day to between 100,000 and 110,000 barrels per day, at a flare level of no more than 15

Million standard cubic feet of gas per day (Mscfd).

Those operating parameters, according to the company, were defined after careful consideration of safety, en-

of the team offshore that continues to work safely and manage operations efficiently during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Persaud said, adding that the company will contin-

and lifting schedule.

Lifts are done every eight to nine days, and, with production levels low, there were concerns that the operator would not meet

The Liza Destiny FPSO

vironmental, technical and economic factors, as well as discussions with the relevant government agencies on the best path forward, while repairs and upgrades are ongoing.

“ExxonMobil Guyana is extremely disappointed by these ongoing technical challenges, but we are proud

ue to work with the relevant parties to rectify the situation as soon as possible.

Despite the challenges facing the company, Guyana’s sixth oil lift was unaffected, as it was safely and successfully completed recently, at planned quantity, and in keeping with the Crude Lifting Agreement

the quota of just about one million barrels within the expected time.

Although the country was able to get its sixth lift in time, the Ministry of Natural Resources registered the government’s disappointment in the operator’s inability to resolve the existing situation.

“The GoG is, as would be expected, highly disappointed with the operator’s inability to resolve this situation to date, and will continue to monitor the levels of daily crude oil output and flaring to best allow for an economically-feasible level of production during this period.

“The GoG is currently examining the implications of the loss of output, and consequently, loss of income and revenue, including measures that it may have to institute to protect national interest,” the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a recent press statement.

ExxonMobil Guyana has since said that it is extremely disappointed by the design issues and continued underperformance of the compressor, and will be working with the equipment manufacturer, MAN Energy Solutions, and the vessel’s operator, SBM, to rectify the situation. This performance is below ExxonMobil’s global expectations for reliability, the company said.

‘Ninja Man’ shot by cop during attempted escape A 24-year-old resident of Ann’s Grove/Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara is nursing a gunshot injury to the right thigh after he was shot by a cop during an attempt to escape on Wednesday afternoon.

Police said Conway Higgins, also known as ‘Ninja Man’, was wanted for ‘break and enter’ committed on a 50-year-old resident of Two Friends Village, Ann’s Grove, and wounding and damage to property committed on a 37-year-old resident, also

of Ann’s Grove.

A mobile unit, under the command of a sergeant and with seven other ranks, were conducting a cordon and search exercise in the Ann’s Grove district at around 15:55hrs when they received information that Higgins was in the area, police said.

According to the police report, upon seeing the ranks approaching, Higgins began to run in an easternly direction. The ranks gave chase on foot as he jumped several fences. One of the

ranks caught up with him in a playfield at Clonbrook.

Higgins allegedly pulled out a knife and advanced towards the rank, who warned him several times as he continued to advance. The rank then discharged a round in his direction, hitting him in his right thigh.

The suspect is under police guard at the Dr CC Nicholas Hospital where he was taken following the shooting. The knife is lodged at the Cove and John Police Station.

9

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Climate change: Biden summit to push for ‘immediate’ action (BBC): IT’S expected that the US will unveil an updated carbon pledge that will see their emissions nearly halved by 2030.

Ahead of the meeting, officials urged greater ambition on countries perceived as laggards on climate.

Referring to Australia, an official said “there would have to be a shift” in their approach.

President Biden has made climate change a key focus in the early days of his administration.

As well as re-joining the Paris climate agreement on his first day in office, he announced early on that he would gather around 40 world leaders for a global summit on Earth Day - 22 April.

Among those attending will be China’s President Xi Jinping.

Despite serious tensions between the two countries on a host of issues, both sides seem keen to keep climate change separate from these disputes. Last weekend, the two countries issued a joint statement saying they would tackle climate “with the seriousness and urgency it demands”.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, a senior Biden administration official spoke warmly about the potential for co-operation.

“It’s quite clear that there is a distinctly shared level of ambition. Both countries see this as a crisis. Both countries see the need for action in the

2020s. Both countries see the need to work towards holding the increase in global temperatures to 1.5C,” he said.

“We certainly hope that President Xi will come to the meeting, and further elaborate on some of the additional efforts that China would choose to make. But I think we’ve got a very strong basis in the

lia’s sceptical approach to the issue had found favour in the Trump White House. That’s no longer the case.

“At the moment, I think that our colleagues in Australia recognise that there’s going to have to be a shift,” one official said.

“It’s insufficient to follow the existing trajectory, and

talking strongly about ambition, the proof of change for many observers will be in their new carbon-cutting pledge for 2030 they are expected to announce at the summit.

This will require some clever footwork from the US. They will have to go for a figure that is scientifically

said Samantha Gross from the Brookings Institution.

“But I believe that Congress, particularly the Republicans, haven’t really kept up with increasing concern among the American public about climate.”

For some in the international community, even the mooted 50% cut in emissions

joint statement that the two countries made about the directions they seem to be moving.”

But for other countries who have been slow to embrace action on climate change, the Biden team were less effusive.

Both Brazil and Austra-

hope that they will be on a course to deep decarbonisation, and getting to net zero emissions by mid-century.”

Speaking about Brazil, the same official said: “The expectation for all countries is that the ambition has to be increased immediately.”

But while the US is

credible but also politically achievable.

While the Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives, the Senate is essentially deadlocked, making the passage of new climate legislation rather tricky.

“It seems to me that President Biden is in a bit of a bind, and he has to deal with the Congress that he has,”

won’t be going far enough.

“The US should cut at least 55% from 2005 levels by 2030 to inspire others to raise their ambitions,” said Quamrul Chowdhury, from Bangladesh and a climate negotiator for the Least Developed countries group.

“Mitigation is the best adaptation and major economies must cutback emissions quickly and steeply.”

THE Guyana Police Force’s Director of Music and Culture, Senior Superintendent Charmaine Stuart, died suddenly on Wednesday night.

“Ms. Stuart passed away earlier this evening (Wednesday) at the GPHC where she was rushed after complaining for chest pain, according to her son Kevin Jones,” a release from the police’s Corporate Communications Unit said. It added that more details will be provided in a subsequent release.

In 2017, the year after taking the helm of the police band, Stuart was named the best overall cop at the force’s annual awards ceremony. At that time she had already served 28 years in the force and was wearing several hats aside from the Director of Culture and Music. She was also the Chairman of the Joint Services Committee,

Vice President of the Guyana Association of Women Police and the Coordinator of the police’s Literacy and Debating Society.

As news of her death

circulated, many took to social media to express shock at her untimely death and to extend sympathy to her family, colleagues and friends.

Police music director dies suddenly

Director of Music and Culture, Senior Superintendent Charmaine Stuart

The US pledge will undoubtedly be the headline, whatever its size - but there are also expected to be new steps announced by a number of countries.

“The three that I think are most likely beside the US to step up at this summit are Canada, Japan and South Korea,” said Helen Mountford from the World Resources Institute (WRI).

“China... would be fantastic, but I think [we[ quite likely might wait longer, I wouldn’t expect it at this time.”

She added: “India is a real question mark, but whether they’re going to announce either a net zero target or enhanced plan, I would say there’s less of a chance of that.”

For those who were involved in the negotiations that led to the Paris agreement in 2015, the key thing this week is not to derail the discussions at the first hurdle.

This is the first big climate meeting of a critical year that will culminate in a gathering of around 200 world leaders in Glasgow in November at COP26.

“I think that for the US leaders’ summit to be a success, we need to have the 40 leaders present and expressing their willingness to reach strong agreement by Glasgow,” said Remy Rioux, who was a negotiator for France during the Paris talks.

“And also for the US to demonstrate that they are back and that they are back as convincingly and strongly as possible.”

10

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Defeating prejudices against learners with autism still a challenge GIVEN that testing and other diagnostic procedures are not fully available or vigorously applied, it is believed that there are many undiagnosed children in the school system who are suffering from the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Notwithstanding the disorder being a common disability, there still remains a lack of awareness and a lot of prejudicial feelings towards such persons. This has trickled down to the school system.

There are about 42 children in the public education system who have been diagnosed with autism.

These children and those with other special needs or disabilities, are being monitored by the Ministry of Education’s Special Education Needs (SEN) Unit, which has officers in five regions, and monitors 13 special needs institutions across the country.

“Recognition that students learn differently provides challenges to the teacher. The system response will be slow as teachers are also persons with many of the past prejudices and they must learn to abandon those prejudices in presence [of] the findings and changes occurring in education globally,” the National Special Education Needs Officer, Savvie Hopkinson-Hamilton, told the Guyana Chronicle in a recent interview.

The SEN Unit is a subsection of the National Centre for Educational Resource

Development (NCERD). The unit continues to strive towards getting teachers more in line with the changing needs of the education system.

“The SEN Unit has, over the recent years, provided continuous training to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to support the needs of students with special education needs and disabilities including those with ASD. However, many teachers have not as yet been exposed to specific training to work with students on the spectrum,” Hopkinson related.

ASD is a developmental disorder characterised by difficulties with social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behaviour. This presents challenges for the education system.

“Every child with autism presents unique needs and behaviours, and require supportive staff to assist in overcoming many of the challenges faced in the classroom. What we are talking about here is a major paradigm shift in education,” Hopkinson explained to this publication.

Hopkinson said that, notwithstanding the need for teachers to become more equipped to deal with the students, the ministry is cognisant of the challenges that face special needs teachers who deal with autistic learners, and those who deal with other types of special

students.

“Autism is only one of the learning developmental challenges that teachers face in every classroom. We cannot over-emphasise the value of teachers nor minimize the enormous tasks that confront them. The home and the community are definitely in partnership with the school to prepare the children of the nation for today’s competitive environment,” she said.

fora, sensitisation outreaches, awareness walks, a virtual concert, several radio and television broadcasts, panel discussion and an inter-secondary school debating competition.

CHALLENGES Hopkinson noted that, aside from tearing down prejudices, assessing children who may have the disorder also presents its own chal-

nosis. The Ministry of Education’s Special Education Needs Unit is not presently equipped to perform full testing or working with the entire public school system but provides interventions where blatant and obvious cases exist,” Hopkinson explained to the Guyana Chronicle.

Even outside of Guyana, diagnosing ASD can be difficult because there is no medical test, such as a

National SEN Officer, Savvie Hopkinson-Hamilton

The unit is currently celebrating Autism Awareness Month with a number of activities throughout April.

The activities, which began on April 1 and will run until April 30, involve a number of virtual awareness

lenges.

“We cannot provide data for students on the spectrum in all administrative regions, schools or levels. This would require comprehensive evaluations and monitoring to avoid labelling or misdiag-

blood test, to diagnose the disorder. Doctors look at the child’s developmental history and behavior to make a diagnosis. However, ASD can sometimes be detected at 18 months or younger.

Through the MoE, learners are placed in special educational institutions, such as David Rose Special School where there is an Autism department dedicated to those on the spectrum.

“The SEN Unit continuously provides teaching/learning resources that are concomitant with their learning styles. Students of special schools were provided with assistive devices such as tablets with software that matched their educational needs. Currently, students are engaged in homeschooling since March 2020,” Hopkinson said.

The ChildLinK organisation is also engaged in a project through which it works with 26-30 learners on the spectrum within mainstream schools. There is also the Step by Step School, a charitable non-governmental organisation, entirely dedicated to providing an institution tailored to children with autism.

While the present situation in the public education system leaves much room for improvement, Hopkinson is hopeful that the system will one day become fully equipped to provide a wide comprehensive evaluation through the Special Education Needs Unit and diagnosis services through the Regional Special Education Needs and Disability Diagnosis and Treatment Centre.

“In this way developmental difficulties will be identified earlier and interventions will take place sooner. This would lead to all students with Autism having an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which would be tailored to their specific needs and learning styles. Teachers and parents would work according to the plans to support the needs of the child,” she said.

Duo fined $30,000 after pleading guilty to breaking into house

TWO men who were caught red-handed by police in a woman’s house, on Wednesday, appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to break and enter with intent to commit a felony.

Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan ordered Shaquille Mentore and Lloyd McDonald Gobin to pay a fine of $30,000 each or spend three months in prison.

The charge against them was that they, on April 17, 2021, at Craig Street, Campbellville, Georgetown, broke and entered the dwelling house of Ariana Gordon with intent to commit a felony therein.

According to the prosecution, around 03:50 hours on the date mentioned in the charge, Gordon was awakened by loud noises coming from her living room. She became suspicious and made contact with the police. The ranks, who responded, found Mentore and Gobin in the house.

When questioned they stated “We come fuh catch we hand but we get catch”. They were arrested and later charged.

The court was informed that Mentore is a repeat offender and currently has a matter of similar nature before the court.

11

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

54,348 certificates issued, as curtain closes on Coursera

ON March 31, 2021, the curtain closed on an incredibly beneficial arrangement which saw thousands of Guyanese benefitting from free online courses available on Coursera. According to statistics provided by the Ministry of Education, some 55, 348 persons residing in Guyana had registered for a variety of the certificate programmes offered by scores of Ivy League and other reputable universities and colleges in the United States and the United Kingdom. Within the last seven months, these institutions have collectively issued 54,348 certificates to Guyanese learners.

Following the protracted 2020 General and Regional Elections, the newly elected People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government partnered with the Commonwealth of Learning to pave the way for Guyanese to have access to the courses offered on the Coursera platform.

The initiative, spearheaded by Education Min-

ister, Priya Manickchand, has since come in for numerous praises from persons all across the country, especially since it addresses

ers, having completed 1001 courses. Tiwari was closely tailed by Rohani Beeram, who achieved 493 certificates. Meanwhile, Dawn

Education Minister, Priya Manickchand

the unfortunate impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on Guyanese learners. It is safe to say that not only were the opportunities welcomed, but they were fully capitalised on. So much so that at least 21 persons have managed to complete in excess of 100 courses, all free of cost.

Statistics provided by the Ministry of Education show Maynawattie Tiwari leading the board of top achiev-

Lewis boasts of having 404 certificates.

The landmark ‘Coursera’ initiative, officially known as the Workforce Recovery Initiative, was also heavily lauded internationally, with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coursera, Jeff Maggioncalda,singling out Guyana as an exceptional participant of the courses offered. This paved the way for an extension of the scholarships

from December 31, 2020 to March 31, 2021.

In addition to successfully executing the project, Minister Manickchand and her team at the Education Ministry were quick to garner commitments from its public and private sector partners to ensure that the certificates acquired, though free, are properly valued and recognised by potential employers.

The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Public Service and the Private Sector Commission have even signed a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect.

“These certificates will be recognised for what they are worth, not for more than their worth but what they are … an enhancement, indication of someone who is personally motivated to study, as an indication of someone skilled for as many hours in a particular area; that is how it will be recognised in both public and private sector,” Minister Manickchand had said during the signing of the agreement.

VERY USEFUL She noted then that the ‘Coursera initiative’ sought to bring relief and address the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on critical sectors such as education and labour.

Manickchand had also expressed hope that the signing of the agreement would help to secure and even create job opportunities for the graduates, thereby helping to curb unemployment.

“This presents an opportunity for the people who are doing this upscaling, registered and graduate from these programmes not only to self-develop, but possibly re-entering or entering the workforce,” the minister noted.

Nonetheless, as the initiative continued to gain momentum and international recognition and commendation, the efforts of Minister Manickchand did not go unnoticed. As a matter of fact, the Member of Parliament was bestowed the title of a Commonwealth Wise Woman, ultimately becoming a member of the Commonwealth Wise Women

(CWW) Mentoring project, which seeks to promote positive change by empowering girls and women to become leaders.

Also a part of the empowerment efforts are Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth of Learning, Professor Asha Kanwar; Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the West Indies Open Campus, Dr. Luz Longsworth; United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Dr. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland QC, and Guyanese Dr. Paulette Henry.

Minister Manickchand had expressed plans to launch a Guyana Chapter of the Commonwealth Wise Women Mentoring Project, seeking to empower girls and women, assisting them to recognise their value and achieve their full potential. She had indicated plans to involve mentors from all sectors to help with the successful mentoring of candidates from all walks of life.

More than 100,000 persons vaccinated GUYANA has reached a milestone in its COVID–19 vaccination efforts. This is according to Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, who related that as of Tuesday, in excess of 100,000 persons all across Guyana have received the first jab of the vaccine.

“We have had people coming out, our teams going into villages, so I think

the health workers who have been on this vaccination campaign have done a remarkable job for us to achieve this milestone,” Dr. Anthony said during his Wednesday coronavirus update with the Department of Public Information.

As Guyana continues to push for herd immunity, the country is recording approximately 6,000 vaccinations

daily. To further raise this figure, Minister Anthony said that efforts are being made to cater to those who are immobile and unable to visit vaccination sites.

“We know there’re a number of persons who are at home; they are bedridden and if the persons who are caring for them can contact the regional health officers in the various regions, then

Persons 18 years and older are encouraged to get vaccinated

we will certainly be able to work out a way of taking the vaccines to them,” Dr. Anthony said.

He added, “We have been able to do those that have been identified to us, but I’m sure there are many more, other persons, and from the side of the ministry, we are always willing

to help.”

Minister Anthony also emphasised that the vaccines are not restricted to Guyanese; but persons of all nationalities who are living and/or working within Guyana’s borders.

“Our policy now with vaccination right now, is to ensure that whoever is in

Guyana and once you are an adult that you get the vaccine. So, that is what we are working on,” Dr. Anthony posited.

He noted too, that herd immunity cannot be achieved by excluding people. “Migrants who are here

TURN TO PAGE 12

12

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Block ‘D’ Great Diamond squatters to get land titles ―after more than three decades of squatting

THE Government of Guyana will soon be granting squatters of Block ‘D’, Great Diamond, East Bank of Demerara (EBD), their land titles.

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues, said that within three months, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will issue those titles. She made this disclosure during an interview at her ministry, on Wednesday.

“Those people, the 65 households, they’ve been there for close to three decades, and the ministry is going to ensure that in approximately three months’ time, that we can ensure that those persons can acquire their titles finally,” she said.

Minister Rodrigues said the ministry wrote to Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), Radha Krishna Sharma, who then

Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues

secured the approval of the board to transfer the lands to the government.

“Last month, March 25, 2021, Cabinet gave its no-objection and approved the transfer of the said lands from NICIL to the government… So, now it’s just for us to go through and prepare the documents for the legal mechanism to take its course now to effect the transfer from NICIL to GoG through the Central Housing and Planning Authority,” the minister said.

Already, three squatters have been relocated to Prospect, EBD. They were

occupying a portion of the land owned by the Demerara Distillers Limited.

“We are in the process of ensuring that those three persons acquire titles for the Prospect area,” the Minister said.

The issue of squatting at Block ‘D’ Great Diamond has been ongoing for three decades. The government had tried to regularise the area in 2005, but found that the lands were owned by the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), which later transferred the lands to the NICIL. (DPI)

More than ...

FROM PAGE 11

Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony

would certainly get vaccines, other nationals who are here working in different establishments, once they’re here for a protracted period, we would also be able to give them vaccines,” Dr. Anthony clarified.

He pointed to the fact that presently, the majority of the adult population is capable of visiting the vaccination sites for their first doses of the vaccines.

“They’re young, they’re mobile; they’re going to go to different parts and so forth and that is why we want to make sure that everyone is immunised,” Dr. Anthony noted.

He further emphasised that Guyana still has a long way to go to ensure every adult is immunised, using Wednesday’s update to deliver a usual dose of encouragement for persons 18 years and older to visit the various vaccination sites for their first jabs of the vaccine.

He stressed that while the vaccines do not prevent infections, it has been proven to drastically reduce the severity of virus, once con-

tracted. “…which is more important, so that you would not end up in the hospital; you would not end up in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), and you will not die from COVID,” Dr. Anthony underscored.

Responding to questions relating to the procurement of vaccines from India, the Health Minister pointed to the fact that the Asian nation is currently battling a notable spike in COVID-19 cases and related deaths.

“It is challenging for India to export vaccines to other countries, at this point in time,” Dr. Anthony said. He assured however, that Guyana has secured enough vaccines for its programmes.

Additionally, the minister said that “We continue to maintain relationships with other countries to make sure that if there’s a need for more, that we can tap into those resources.”

To date, it has obtained 265,000 vaccines, which have been made available countrywide in the national vaccination campaign.

13

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Officers charged for deleting ‘info’ from GPF’s computer TWO officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were, on Wednesday, charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) for illegal data interference, after allegedly deleting electronic data from a computer, the property of the GPF. Special Corporal Carmichael and Constable Smith were hauled before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court where the charge of illegal data interference, contrary to Section 5(2)(a) of the Cybercrime Act 2018, was read to them.

The particulars of the charge alleged that Car-

michael and Smith, who worked in the administrative office of the Felix Aus-

tin Police College Mess, intentionally, and without lawful excuse or justifica-

Constable Smith

Man found guilty of robbing couple CHRISTOPHER Quick, of Westminster, West Bank Demerara, was, on Wednesday, found guilty of two counts of robbery and was sentenced to 24 months in prison for each charge.

In handing down the sentences, Magistrate Delon Bess said they will run consecutively.

The case against Quick was that he, on March 6, 2021, at Stabroek, Georgetown, while being in the company of others, robbed Sarena John of one

purse valued $2000, $14,700 cash, and one Samsung J7 cellular phone valued at $53,000.

He was also charged with robbing Alex Shivnandan of $30,000 cash and one Samsung A10S cellular phone valued at $45,000.

Prosecutor Harris told the court that around 17:00 hrs, the couple was walking along Croal Street when Quick and his accomplices confronted them. Quick demanded that John hand over her bag. When she did not do so, Quick and

his accomplices held onto them and forcibly relieved them of the items mentioned in the charges. They dealt Shivnandan several cuffs about his body and choked John. Quick and his accomplices then escaped. The matter was later reported.

Acting on information received, Quick was contacted by the police, told of the allegation and arrested.

Shivnandan’s cellular phone was, allegedly, found in his pants crotch.

‘Plait Hair’ on the run after allegedly stabbing peacemaker POLICE are currently looking for a man identified as ‘Plait Hair’ following a stabbing incident at Sand Hill Landing, Mazaruni.

According to reports reaching the Guyana Chronicle, Ryan Jones, of Riverstown, in Region Two, was stabbed after

intervening in a heated argument between the suspect and his reputed wife.

On April, 18, the suspect and his reputed wife ended up at the shop where Jones is employed.

The couple became involved in an argument.

Jones intervened and warned the suspect about

his behaviour.

The suspect, who was armed with a cutlass and a knife, dealt Jones several stabs to his body before making good his escape.

Jones was taken by persons in the area to the Bartica Public Hospital where he remains a patient.

tion, deleted electronic data from the Guyana Police Force’s computer that was

in the administrative office.

Acting on information received to the effect that

Special Corporal Carmichael

falsified accounts were stored in the computer at the administrative office of the Felix Austin Police College Mess, SOCU conducted an investigation.

However, before officers of the unit could have accessed the computer, all the “feeding account files” were deleted. Carmichael and Smith were the only ranks that operated the computer.

They were represented by attorneys-at-law Ms. E. Stephen and Mr. B. Da Silva, respectively. They both pleaded not guilty and were granted bail in the sum of $150,000. The matter was adjourned to May 6, 2021.

14

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Snr Superintendent, others in ‘meals scandal’ charged by SOCU

By Richard Bhainie

THREE senior police officers were, on Wednesday, charged by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for allegedly falsifying accounts amounting to $3.6 million for meals that were never served.

The officers are former Police Finance Officer, Senior Superintendent (ag) Marcelene Washington and her deputy, Deputy Superintendent Frank Jackman-Wilburg and former Deputy Commander of Division 4B, Superintendent Lorraine Saul. They were all charged jointly with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony.

Additionally, Saul was charged separately with two counts of falsification of an account by an officer. This is the third time in the space of two weeks that charges related to fraud were instituted against her by SOCU. The matters were called before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. Washington and Saul did not appear to answer to the charges, as they are currently not within the jurisdiction. The matters were adjourned to May 14, 2021, in anticipation of their return.

Jackman-Wilburg appeared in person before the Chief Magistrate, who read the indictable charges of conspiracy to commit a felony, contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act. The officer was not required to plead and was granted bail in the sum of $150,000 on each charge.

The particulars of the charge allege that Washington, Jackman-Wilburg and Saul with intent to defraud, conspired with each other and other persons while being officers employed by the GPF,

to falsify a feeding account in the sum of $1,440,000 for meals purportedly provided by the Felix Austin Police College (FAPC) Mess to ranks, who performed fixedpoint duty at the Suicide Helpline between the period October 16, 2020 and October 31, 2020.

Further, it is alleged that Washington, Jackman-Wilburg and Saul with intent to defraud, conspired with each other and other persons while being officers of the GPF, to falsify a feeding account in

Investigations by SOCU revealed that Saul, who was, at the time, the officer in charge at the FAPC Mess, caused two feeding accounts to be prepared on November 2, 2020, for the feedings at the Suicide Helpline and at the Mounted Branch, respectively, for the period between October 16, 2020 to October 31, 2020.

The accounts were processed at the Police Finance Office and a payment voucher was approved for the sum of $1,440,000 and $2,246,400

no such duty existed and no such meals were distributed to ranks as stated on the accounts.

Saul, who is the former officer in charge of the Brickdam Police Station’s Other Ranks Mess, was charged recently with Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kurt Smith, who was the officer in charge of the Finance Department of the Guyana Police Force.

The duo was charged jointly on April 15 with two counts of conspiracy to com-

Offences Act. Smith had appeared before Chief Magistrate, Ann McLennan, at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, where he was not required to plead to the charges as they were indictable, and was placed on $100,000 bail, while the court was informed that Saul is currently not in the country.

In those matters, upon SOCU’s investigation, it was found that Saul prepared an account and petty contract dated December 18, 2020, for

Superintendent of Police, Loraine Saul

Senior Superintendent, Marcelene Washington

Deputy Superintendent, Frank Jackman-Wilburg

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kurt Smith, at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court (Delano Williams photo)

the sum of $2,246,400 for meals purportedly provided by the FAPC Mess to ranks, who performed fixed-point duty at the Mounted Branch between the period October 16, 2020 and October 31, 2020.

for the said accounts respectively; a total of $3,686,400.

SOCU investigations further revealed that Washington and Jackman-Wilburg allegedly colluded with Saul to defraud, as they authorised the payments, when in fact

mit a felony, contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, while Saul was also charged separately with two counts of falsification of accounts, contrary to Section 208 (b) of the Criminal Law

meals purportedly supplied to ranks who performed fixedpoint duties at the Georgetown Holding Centre, Sophia, between December 1 and December 15, 2020, in the sum of $348,000.

Further, Saul prepared two similar accounts, dated December 18, 2020, for meals purportedly supplied to ranks who performed fixedpoint duties at the Georgetown Public Hospital Police Outpost and Georgetown Magistrates’ Court lockups between December 1 and 15, 2020, to the sum of $189,000 and $598,4000, respectively.

The investigations discovered that on each occasion she inflated the number of ranks and meals, and that Smith, as Finance Officer (ag), allegedly, knowingly colluded with Saul to defraud and authorise the payments when the amount of feeding never took place.

Saul and Smith were also charged jointly, on April 12, with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony, contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law Offences Act, and Saul was also charged separately with two counts of falsification of accounts, contrary to Section 208 (b) of the Criminal Law Offences Act. In those matters, upon investigation, SOCU found that Saul prepared an account and petty contract, dated December 18, 2020 for meals purportedly supplied to ranks who performed duties at the ‘A’ Division Riot Unit between December 1 and 15, 2020, to the amount of $1,350,000, when no such training was done for this period.

Further, it was found that Saul also prepared another account and petty contract dated the same dates for meals purportedly supplied to ranks, who performed fixed-point duties at the Georgetown Prison between December 1 and December 15, 2020, to the amount of $648,000; however, she inflated the number of ranks and number of meals on this account by $465,000.

Suddie Hospital gets new dental chair RESIDENTS of Region Two can once again access free dental services at the Suddie Public Hospital following the procurement of a new dental chair, according to Regional Health Officer (RHO), Dr. Ranjeev Singh.

Dr. Singh made this disclosure at a Regional Democratic Council (RDC) statutory meeting held last Wednesday.

The old chair was left in abeyance owing to a damaged part. According to Dr. Singh, the region, under its health budget, purchased the replacement dental chair which is being used to provide essential dental services such as fillings and cleaning.

Dental services are also being offered at the Anna

Regina Health Centre and the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity.

Dr. Singh noted that under the previous government, many persons had to seek dental services privately and he is happy that these services are now within the reach of residents, free of cost.

Residents residing in farflung parts of the region are able to access these services during medical outreaches.

Meanwhile, the region’s senior dental surgeon, Dr. Sabriena Harrychan, subsequently told the Guyana Chronicle that the dental department is providing daily tooth cleaning and polishing, fillings for front and back teeth, root canals, normal

extractions, and the surgical removal of an impacted wisdom tooth.

Dr. Harrychan said dental x-rays will be offered when the digital dental machine is fully installed.

She said as of the March 31, 2386 patients were seen.

That number includes 1932 adults and 454 children.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva said she is happy that residents are able to access free dental services throughout the region. She also commended the efforts of all the dental surgeons who are dedicating their time and energy towards ensuring that quality services are being provided.

The dental chair that was recently purchased

Regional Health Officer Dr. Ranjeev Singh providing an update on dental services at the Suddie Hospital

15

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Future of regional energy security examined … as CARICOM Foreign Ministers engage U.S. Secretary of State

By Vishani Ragobeer

AT a recent engagement with Foreign Ministers of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, stressed the ability of Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, to drive regional energy security.

The Foreign Ministers and the Secretary of State met during a virtual meeting on Wednesday, and briefly discussed a number of mutual areas of interest including democracy, human rights, disaster preparedness, security, health and environmental protection.

All speakers also used the opportunity to express support for the St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as the country continues to face the effects of ongoing volcanic eruptions.

After the engagement, Minister Todd told the Guyana Chronicle that his presentation focussed on regional energy security, emphasising that there should be continued cooperation and investments in oil and gas, alternative energy and financing from the international financial institutions (IFIs).

“I also alluded to the fact that the southern corner of CARICOM is involved in oil production and the three countries that are Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad can help in driving the regional energy security agenda,” Minister Todd said.

There are several initiatives and policy agendas within the energy security institutional framework and, as such, Minister Todd noted that engagement with the U.S., both on a government-to-government level and at the private sector level, can help the region to secure its energy ambition.

Minister Todd related that the Secretary of State underscored the need for greater climate action, cognisant of the reality of climate change and the region’s vulnerability in this regard. To this end, Minister Todd assured this newspaper that the energy drive can be advanced within the context of the region’s commitment to the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and in line with international climate commitments.

TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY At this meeting too, the integrity of countries’ borders was briefly raised.

Chairman of the CARICOM Council for Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR) and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Immigration of Belize, Eamon Courtenay, reminded the gathering that two of CARICOM’s member states are engaged in cases before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

“Valuable resources are being diverted on resolving centuries old disputes.

These cases are necessary in order to preserve our territorial integrity and to exercise sovereignty over our land and seas and resources.

“The ability of our members to sustainably harness natural resources within internationally recognised boundaries is critical as we seek economic development and diversification as well as energy security,” Courtenay said.

The border controversies between Guyana and Venezuela, and Belize and Guatemala, are before the ICJ. And, Courtenay told the Secretary of State that CARICOM welcomes the continued commitment of the U.S. Government to these processes.

While noting that the border controversies were not discussed in depth, Minister Todd, however, reminded this newspaper that CARICOM supports Guyana and Guyana’s engagement with the ICJ, since the country is acting in a manner that is in line with international law.

Additionally, he said that the U.S., on several occasions, made their commitment to the peaceful resolution of the process between Guyana and Venezuela.

According to a release from CARICOM, Secretary of State Blinken stressed his determination to strengthen co-operation and co-ordination and stated that he would engage with his colleague U.S. Cabinet Secretaries on the issues of mutual interest raised by the CARICOM Ministers.

Foreign Ministers of CARICOM during the virtual engagement with United States Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken (top row, second from left) (CARICOM photo)

16

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

‘Task Force’ suspends operations of several bars, resorts

By Vishani Ragobeer

THE National COVID-19 Task Force (NCTF) has suspended the operations of a number of bars and resorts across Guyana, which were found in breach of the gazetted COVID-19 guidelines that were instituted to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

According to a document seen by this publication, the establishments that were suspended are the Outback Adventure Resort, in Region Six, which was suspended from January 13, 2021 to April 14, 2021; the Splashmin’s Resort, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, which was suspended from February 24, 2021 to March 24, 2021; and the Aziza Akosua Farm and Nature Resort, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, which was suspended from February 24, 2021 to March 24, 2021.

Additionally, the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) at Thomas Lands, Georgetown) has been suspended from March 30, 2021 to April 30, 2021 and the GMR&SC at Timehri, East Bank of Demerara,

was suspended from February 28, 2021 until further notice.

The Homme Hospitality Hotel, Restaurant and Bar, in Region Six, has been suspended from April 7, 2021 to May 7, 2021; the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. has been suspended from March 23, 2021; and, the Everest Cricket Club has also been suspended from March 8, 2021. No date for the reopening of the cricket league and the cricket club was given.

The Guyana Chronicle understands that approval for activities at these places will be done on a case-bycase basis.

Meanwhile, Club Altitude has been suspended from April 9, 2021 to May 5, 2021; the Kairos Bar was also suspended from April 9, 2021 to May 9, 2021; the Boathouse Sports Bar has been suspended from April 13, 2021 to May 13, 2021; the Magic City has been suspended from April 13, 2021 to May 13, 2021; and the Rio Nightclub has been suspended from April 13, 2021 to May 13, 2021 All suspended bars and

Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) at Thomas Lands, Georgetown (Photo taken from Trip Advisor)

resorts must be inspected by the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) before reopening, in-keeping with the gazetted COVID-19 guidelines. The GTA is tasked with ensuring that these establishments are able to facilitate adequate social distancing, constant sani-

tisation and other COVID-19 measures. Only then will the GTA grant approval for their reopening.

Recently, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali chastised those persons who continue to breach these measures and those who have made light of the enforcement efforts.

The President related that members of the Task Force are patrolling every night

until about 04:40 hours the next morning, trying to ensure that persons adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines.

The national curfew is from 22:30 hours to 04:00 hours, but businesses such as bars, restaurants and supermarkets are to be closed by 21:30 hours.

He implored Guyanese to recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic is no joke. In fact,

he emphasised the severity of the pandemic, stating that many people can lose their lives if the novel coronavirus is allowed to spread.

“It is time for us to understand that sometimes we need to take responsibility, and this is a case and a scenario in which we have to exercise that responsibility,” the President underscored.

17

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

COVID-19 claims another life ―160 new cases recorded in 24 hours

EVEN as the fight against COVID-19 continues, Guyana has recorded its 41st COVID-19-related death for the month of April, taking the country’s death toll to 274, according to statistics on the health ministry’s COVID-19 dashboard for April 21, 2020.

The latest fatality is a 52-year-old female from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), who died while receiving treatment at a medical facility on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) continues to record a surge in COVID-19 cases, accounting for a total of 94 positive cases out of the 160 recorded in the past 24 hours. The new cases recorded on Wednesday took Guyana’s total confirmed cases to

12,132.

The 160 new cases were recorded from a total of 3,002 tests. The country now has a total of 1,421 active cases, but the recovery of 145 persons within the past 24 hours took the total number of persons, who have recovered since March 2020, to 10,442.

Nine of the ten administrative regions recorded new cases. And, of those cases, in addition to those recorded in Region Four, Region One recorded one new case; Region Two recorded eight new cases; Region Three, 20 new cases; Region Six, 17; Region Seven, two; Region Eight, five; Region nine, four and Region 10, nine new cases.

According to the dashboard, 12 of the 1,421 active cases are being kept at the COVID-19 Intensive

Care Unit (ICU); 74 are in institutional isolation, 1,330 are in home isolation and five are in institutional quarantine. Many of the persons infected with the virus are said to be asymptomatic, that is, exhibiting no symptoms.

The updated COVID–19 Emergency Measures are in force from April 1, 2021, until April 30, 2021. They may be extended or amended by notice of the Minister of Health, after an assessment of the prevailing

public health conditions of the pandemic.

As per the current measures, however, all persons are required to wear face masks when leaving their homes.

Physical distancing and adequate sanitization

are also important. The current curfew time is 22:30hrs to 04:00hrs.

Persons with symptoms of COVID-19 are asked to call the COVID-19 hotline numbers: 231-1166; 226-7480; or 180/181 for assistance.

18

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

UN appeals for funding to help St Vincent ―amid volcanic eruptions, COVID-19

AS the Caribbean island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines contends with its continuing volcanic eruptions, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations (UN) has launched a US$29.2M global funding appeal on Monday, to aid citizens of the island.

“The funding will provide immediate life-saving humanitarian assistance, including clean water, and support a sustainable recovery for everyone impacted,” the UN said on Monday.

this event will forever be etched in my mind. The devastating impact of this event on thousands of people is undeniable,” UN Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Carribean, Didier Trebucq, said.

As such, a call for international solidarity has been made to aid the most vulnerable people in St. Vincent as well as in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada and Saint Lucia, which have been hit with severe ashfall.

“The UN will be a steadfast partner, working with

An aerial view in the red zone impacted by the La Soufrière volcano eruption in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (UN Barbados OECS/ Bajanpro)

It was also noted that the UN and partners will also assess the economic, social and environmental toll on all the countries touched by the fallout, including ash removal and improving environmental health provisions.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which is located in the southern Caribbean, consists of more than 30 islands and cays, nine of which are inhabited. At 4,000 feet or 1,220 metres tall, La Soufrière dominates the largest island of St. Vincent. Silent since 1979, the volcano began spewing smoke and rumbling in December, before a full-blown eruption on April 9.? “ Wi t h o v e r 1 2 , 7 0 0 evacuees now registered in public shelters and in private homes, close to 20,000 people are expected to be displaced,” the UN said, adding: “Entire villages have been covered in ash, buildings damaged, schools and businesses closed, crops and livestock destroyed, and residents left with limited access to clean drinking water. “ And further eruptions are expected in the coming weeks. According to Geologist and Professor, Richard Robertson, who is stationed at the Belmont Observatory, the eruptions could last for weeks, if not months.

“The level of destruction that has befallen this beautiful country and the widespread disruption caused by

the Government and people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to ensure strong and resilient recovery,” the resident coordinator said also.

Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, joined Trebucq to launch the funding appeal, alongside multiple representatives from UN agencies and international organisations, including the World Food Programme (WFP), and UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

It is understood that these financial resources will also be used for crucial recovery efforts to immediately assist citizens to regain their footing. It is important to note that several Caribbean countries, including Guyana, have provided aid to the affected Caribbean country.

The UN also underscored that this crisis comes amid the island’s recovery from its largest COVID-19 surge amid the pandemic, the region’s worst dengue outbreak in recent history, and a new deadly hurricane season. ?

Meanwhile, it was noted that the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, announced the allocation of US$1 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to urgently assist affected people, especially those who have had to be evacuated.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

19

20

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

21

22

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

23

24

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Ramdhani siblings to compete at Pan Am Badminton Championships in Guatemala

GUYANA’S top Badminton players, Narayan and Priyanna Ramdhani, currently on scholarship at the King’s University and Olds College in Alberta, Canada, will be attending the Pan Badminton Championships in Guatemala April 27 - May 2.

According to a release from the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA), Narayan will be playing to

get the necessary qualification points needed to help in his qualification to the Tokyo Olympics Games.

The Canadian collegiate stand-out player, the release said, received a bye to the Singles Elimination Roundof-32.

Priyanna will be playing to get her qualification points to attend the Cali South American Youth Games and at the Pan Am Championships. Like her bother, she will play in the Singles Elimination Round-of-32.

They both will also teamup in the Mixed Doubles in the draw-of-32.

“After a year without any competition due to the pandemic, the siblings will be competing once again and will try to do as best as they can to get these qualification

points,” the GBA said.

It added that “because of the pandemic they were exposed to limited training, as some venues were restricted and had to be worked around when they could to get on court. This sometimes means they had to travel for two hours, train for two hours and travel back for two hours twice a week”,.

The GBA is happy that the pair can return to competition and thanked the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, president of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K. Juman-Yassin, Demerara Bank’s Dr Yesu Persaud, Mohamed’s Enterprise and Ayanna Watson for making it possible for them to attend this Championships.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER THURSDAY, April 22, 2021

COMPLIMENTS OF XTRA ENERGY DRINK – STABROEK BAZAAR (Tel: 683-9500) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD – 83 Garnett street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S:

(1) (2)

MI & CSK Ambati Rayudu (CSK)

(1) (2)

Who were the 2020 IPL champions?

Who was declared Man of the Final?

TODAY’S QUIZ:

ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE

English Racing Tips 08:10 hrs Empress Sheba 08:40 hrs Pure Charmer 09:10 hrs Dapper Man 09:40 hrs Ghost Rider 10:15 hrs Blu Boy 10:50 hrs Puckle 11:25 hrs Sword Beach 12:00 hrs National Treasure Chelmsford City 12:15 hrs Show Yourself 12:45 hrs Silver Memo 13:15 hrs Shimmering Dawn 14:15 hrs Chocolate Box 14:45 hrs River Dawn 15:15 hrs Glenn Coco Perth 08:20 hrs Auditoria 08:50 hrs Fletch 09:20 hrs Issac Wonder 09:55 hrs Pistol Whipped 10:30 hrs Elf De Re 11:05 hrs Bennt’s Secret 11:40 hrs Cancan 12:10 hrs Mr Melda

Irish Racing Tips Kilbeggan 09:45 hrs Coastal World 10:20 hrs Not Available 10:55 hrs Nodoubtaboutthat 11:30 hrs Robinnia 12:05 hrs Part Time Farmer 12:35 hrs Pictures Of Home 13:05 hrs Never Feel Blue 13:35 hrs Midnight It Is American Racing Tips Belmont Race 1 Miss Ghislaine Race 2 Game Boy Benny Race 3 Emit Race 4 Indoctrinate Race 5 Moon Pistol Race 6 Royal Habibi Race 7 Time To Two Step Race 8 Chuck Willis Race 9 T Waltz South Africa Racing Tips Vaal 08:15 hrs Ideal Angel 08:35 hrs Atomic Blonde 09:35 hrs Castellano 10:10 hrs Dawn Of A New Era 10:45 hrs Mirren

25

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

Bangladesh start Test series with a bang (ESPNCRICINFO) - Bangladesh’s right mix of aggression and caution allowed them to run away with the advantage on the first day of their first Test against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.

Najmul Hossain Shanto’s maiden Test hundred headlined Bangladesh’s batting effort, while Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque added meat to the day’s total with two very different half-centuries.

Shanto, under fire after low scores against West Indies earlier this year, initially supported a rampant Iqbal during their 144-run second-wicket stand, and then, after his senior partner’s exit for a 101-ball 90, strengthened Bangladesh’s position with an unbroken 150-run third-wicket stand with his captain.

Shanto struck 14 fours and a six as he moved to 126 off 288 balls by the end of the day, while Haque was not out on 64 off 150 balls, having struck six boundaries. Shanto did take 38 balls to move from 90 to 100, but it was in

the third session, at a point in the game when Bangladesh could afford to focus on not losing wickets.

Sri Lanka were more disciplined in the third session than in the first two, when they looked too eager

around at times.

Wanindu Hasaranga, too, couldn’t provide an attacking edge. Vishwa Fernando didn’t really bowl much better than the others, but took both the wickets to fall on the day.

What really put Ban-

and second sessions.

Saif Hassan’s second duck in his third Test - lbw in the second over - became nothing more than a blip as Iqbal flayed the bowling. He had struck six fours before Shanto opened his account,

Najmul Hossain Shanto ended the first day with 126 against his name (SLC)

for wickets. Suranga Lakmal shifted sides far too many times, while Lahiru Kumara bowled fast but looked like he was trying too hard, spraying the ball

gladesh in front was Iqbal’s powerful start. It allowed them room to bat at a pace of their choice at every juncture on the day, and they added 106 and 94 in the first

and had moved to 43 with nine fours in the first hour.

Dimuth Karunaratne had to shuffle his bowlers, using up his six options in

the first session. Kumara showed off his pace but was quite wayward, while Lakmal couldn’t really decide his angle against the two left-handers. Iqbal and Shanto went on to add 144 runs, the first century stand for Bangladesh for the second wicket since November 2018.

Iqbal drove with panache, particularly straight down the ground against the three fast bowlers - and also struck five fours through the covers and played one superb square-cut off Fernando in the second session. His dismissal on 90 was against the run of play.

At a stage when Karunaratne looked out of ideas, Iqbal guided a late-cut off Fernando to slip, where Lahiru Thirimanne took a diving catch to his right.

This was the second time Iqbal had been dismissed in the 90s in his Test career, and his wait for a tenth Test century continued.

But Shanto and Haque didn’t skip a beat in their third-wicket association.

They were circumspect to start with in the second session, and Shanto, who was dropped on 28 by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, reached his second Test fifty with a nicely guided four past the point fielder.

He did attack briefly during the afternoon session, hitting Dhananjaya de Silva for a six and a four in the space of three deliveries at one point, but it was mostly off purely short balls that he tried to hit boundaries.

They added 102 runs in 37 overs in an extended third session, mostly milking the bowling with singles to the deep-set fields. When Shanto did break the boundary drought with a superb cover drive in the 74th over, it took him to his century.

He later struck two consecutive fours off Lakmal, stamping his authority with a straight drive and a cover drive. And Bangladesh dominated from start to finish, a rare experience for them in an overseas Test.

Zimbabwe fall short as Pakistan take series lead

(ESPNCRICINFO) Zimbabwe fell 12 runs short of beating Pakistan in a T20I for the first time after being well-set in chase of 150. A 56-run third-wicket stand between Tinashe Kamunhukamwe and Craig Ervine put Zimbabwe on 77 for 2 in the 11th over but Babar Azam’s masterstroke to use Mohammad Hafeez’s off-spin, after he had bowled only one over in 14 T20Is since November 2018, sparked a collapse.

Zimbabwe then lost 4 for 18 in 18 balls and too much was left for the lower-order to do.. Luke Jongwe’s 30 off 23 balls almost pulled off a coup but Haris Rauf defended 20 off the last over to ensure Pakistan took the series lead.

Pakistan’s total was almost single-handedly built by Mohammad Rizwan, who racked up

his fifth score of 50 runs or more in his last eight T20I innings, and made 82 of their 149. No-one else contributed more than 15 runs.

Pakistan particularly struggled against Zimbabwe’s spinners - Wellington Masakadza and Wesley Madhevere, who conceded 32 runs in five overs between them - and will continue to look for solutions to make their middle-order tick.

Zimbabwe’s misses and one hot take High catches evaded Zimbabwe who put down two chances inside the powerplay that could have changed the complexion of the Pakistan innings. After dismissing Azam early, Zimbabwe had the chance to get rid of Rizwan on 13 when he top-edged a pull off Richard Ngarava in the fifth

over. Kamunhukamwe had to dive forward to take the chance but only almost fell on his face for his efforts.

Zaman’s drop only cost seven runs but Rizwan went on to an undefeated 82.

More opportunities

of the 13th over, Richmond Mutumbami put down a regulation catch off Danish Aziz’s edge.

In all of that, Zimbabwe

Mohammad Rizwan racked up his fifth score of 50 runs or more in his last eight T20I innings (AFP/Getty Images)

In the next over, Fakhar Zaman drove aerially to mid-on where Sean Williams was stationed. He had to backpedal to get to the ball and did but it burst through his hands.

came. But they still went down. An over after that, Hafeez offered Masakadza a return catch but the left-arm spinner struggled to pick the ball up at head height. At the start

managed to pull off a blinder. Ngarava timed his leap at short third man perfectly when Hafeez tried to hit a short and wide ball over the in-field and didn’t get enough on it. Ngarava took

the catch to his right and held on even as his elbows hit the ground when he landed.

Rizwan’s last over burst After restricting Pakistan to 96 for 4 in 15 overs, Zimbabwe would have been eyeing keeping them to around 130 and very nearly got there. They did not concede any boundaries in overs 16, 17, 18 or 19 but Rizwan put that right with a final over burst.

He waited for an Ngarava slower ball and bisected the gap between mid-off and cover-point, then went aerial over cover before Ryan Burl cut it off to ensure there was only two runs, but then cleared cow corner despite a good effort to take the catch and found fours through the covers and fine leg to take 20 off the final over.

26

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

KKR lose despite Russell, Cummins late surge (ESPNCRICINFO) - They had a much-maligned opener come back to form, spectacularly. They had their other opener power to 95 not out.

They had a total of 220 for 3, and then they had the opposition 31 for 5 inside the powerplay.

Then the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ran into not just Andre Russell at his ball-smashing best, but Pat Cummins morphing into Dre 2.0, as the Kolkata Knight Riders kept hammering away at the target despite the seeming hopelessness of their cause.

The CSK had to contend with a match they thought they had sewn up bursting open once again. But, in the end, they got past the finish line, winning by 18 runs in the final over.

Russell hit a 21-ball fifty, coming in at five down in 5.2 overs. Cummins walked in when Russell was out, saw Dinesh Karthik fall too, and then reeled off a 23-ball fifty.

But in the end, CSK had put up too many runs and taken too many wickets up front, as a valiant chase ended with the Knight Riders 202 all out in 19.1 overs. Cummins was unconquered on 66 and the last two wickets were runouts with Cummins trying to retain strike.

The Wankhede Stadium’s status as a batting haven was restored in some style, as a

succession of batsmen teed off against the bowling, in a match where 26 sixes were hit.

Deepak Chahar’s powerplay heroics, which left the Knight Riders in tatters, almost became a footnote, as did his excellent figures of 4 for 29 - until he effected those two run-outs at the end.

The Super Kings were driven to their total by fifties from Ruturaj Gaikwad (64 off 42) and Faf du Plessis (95* off 60) and, at the innings break, they must have thought they had enough even if the dew arrived. By the last over of the Knight Riders’ powerplay, they would have thought it was just a matter of time, and the nerdier ones among them would have been calculating the expected net run-rate boost.

Few could have foreseen the sort of blistering comeback that the Knight Riders mounted, but, eventually, the Super Kings had collectively done just enough.

Gaikwad repays he faith He had come into the game with scores of 5, 5 and 10, with calls outside the team growing ever more insistent that the Super Kings ought to bench him. But the team kept the faith in Gaikwad, and he repaid them spectacularly. He

began in the second over, taking Pat Cummins for four and six to get Super Kings flying early. They continued to soar, with both du Plessis and Gaikwad depositing the ball where they pleased for much of their partnership.

Gaikwad was particularly severe on the pace bowlers, taking all of Cummins, Russell, Prasidh Krishna and the returning Kamlesh Nagarkoti for plenty. At

along at pace, but it was Gaikwad who reached his half-century first, off 33 balls. He was out in the 13th over, after a 115-run stand, and his innings had enough flowing drives and pulls to signal a thumping return to form.

Meanwhile, du Plessis carried on, his own half-century raised off 35 balls, and continuing to go at the same pace till the end of the innings.

That winning/losing moment: Prasidh Krishna is run-out and the Super Kings are home (BCCI/IPL)

the other end, du Plessis balanced that nicely by punishing Varun Chakravarthy.

Sunil Narine, back for this game after recovering from a niggle, emerged relatively unscathed, taking 1 for 34 in four overs.

Both openers were rattling

The Super Kings gambled by sending MS Dhoni ahead of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, and though the captain found the edge of the bat as often as the middle, he did get some good hits in and the Super Kings ended up with a massive total.

Chahar’s powerplay He has made it a habit to have the new ball doing things, and Chahar tore through the Knight Riders’ top order in the powerplay.

Their scores looked like a pincode, with five successive single-digit efforts. Chahar struck in each of his first three overs, and his last wicket was that of Narine.

The move to send Narine in at No.5, ahead of Karthik and Russell did not come off.

Chahar stuck to his method and reaped the rewards: bowl tight without offering too much room, get the ball to swerve, and cash in on the batsman’s mistakes.

Russell’s thunder, Cummins’ blitz Russell’s hit three of his first four balls for four, four and six off Lungi Ngidi, and seemed in a thunderous mood right from the start. He had walked into a hopeless situation, but also one tailor-made for him in a way, where all he needed to do was focus on bat hitting ball hard.

He did that in vintage Russell style, clattering bowlers disdainfully. Karthik, who was going at near ten runs an over, seemed sluggish in comparison to Russell. The equation had appeared beyond anyone,

but the way Russell took off, and with Karthik also finding his timing, it was a lot closer than it looked.

Russell’s fall was as anti-climactic as his innings was thrilling. Having got to fifty off with his sixth six each one hit hard enough to launch the ball into orbit - he faced up to Sam Curran in the 12th over and left a length ball on leg stump that he thought was going down.

He had moved too far across though and misjudged it, as the delivery took out leg stump, leaving him in disbelief, even as the Super Kings rejoiced.

However,, there was still one final blow to land from the Knight Riders, and it came via Cummins. Hitting sixes as effortlessly as Russell, Cummins kept the impossible chase alive. Curran, who had struck the most decisive blow of the match, watched an over disappear for 30 runs as Cummins swung hard. He kept running out of partners though, until it came to 20 needed off the final over with Cummins on strike.

Three good blows would have done it, but for that, Cummins needed to keep strike, and when Prasidh Krishna stumbled in crossing for a first run and was a bit slow to turn around for the second, it was all over for the Knight Riders.

SRH win first IPL 2021 game (ESPNCRICINFO) Chasing for the fourth time in as many games, the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) finally opened their account in IPL 2021 as they beat the Punjab Kings by nine wickets in Chennai.

Set a target of 121, David Warner and Jonny Bairstow gave Sunrisers a start of 73 in 10.1 overs. Sunrisers had been in winning positions in their last two games as well before botching up.

But this time, the calm presence of Kane Williamson ensured Kings never got a sniff of victory as Bairstow, who remained unbeaten on 63 off 56, and he took their side home with eight balls to spare.

Earlier, Kings opted to bat but were bundled out in 19.4 overs. Khaleel Ahmed was the most successful bowler for Sunrisers, picking up 3 for 23, but it was

the spin duo of Rashid Khan and Abhishek Sharma that hurt Kings more, registering combined figures of 3 for 41 from eight overs.

With three losses on the trot, Kings have replaced Sunrisers at the bottom of the points table.

Rashid’s sorcery leaves Kings in trouble The day didn’t start well for Rashid. In the first over of the match, he dropped Mayank Agarwal at deep midwicket off Sharma. But soon he more than made up for that. After Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed KL Rahul cheaply and Sunrisers restricted Kings to 32 for 1 in the powerplay, Rashid was all over the opposition.

First, his low catch at short midwicket sent Agarwal on his way for a 25-ball 22. And when he came on to bowl, even Chris Gayle, the only batter in the Kings line-up to have a positive

record against Rashid, had no clue which way the ball would turn. Gayle thrust his bat and pad forward to a legbreak, only to be trapped lbw.

In-between those two wickets, Warner felled Nicholas Pooran with a direct hit, handing the batter his third duck in four innings. Pooran didn’t even face a ball this time. After pushing the ball towards extra cover, Gayle called for a quick single but Pooran was late to react and was found well short.

Coming in at 47 for 4, Moises Henriques tried to sweep Rashid twice in the first two balls he faced. Both times Rashid pinged him on the thigh. Soon after, Rashid beat him with a googly but Bairstow, as clueless as the batter, missed the stumping.

Sharma too shows his tricks Sharma was unlucky not to have Agarwal’s wicket

when the batter was on 0, but against one of the prolific opening pairs in the IPL, he conceded just three in the first over. He got the reward for his disciplined bowling when he dismissed Deepak Hooda with a back-spinner in the 12th over.

Having started well, Hooda tried to flick one away but failed to connect and was lbw for 13.

In his next over, Sharma deceived Henriques in the flight, beat him with the turn, and on this occasion Bairstow made no mistake with the stumping. It was only because of a couple of lusty blows from Shahrukh Khan that Kings crossed 100.

Warner, Bairstow lead the chase It wasn’t a daunting target but Warner and Bairstow knew a good start was crucial, especially with the

Abhishek Sharma dented the Punjab Kings middle order (BCCI/IPL)

pitch slowing down considerably and offering help to spinners.

Kings brought on leftarm spinner Fabian Allen in the second over but Bairstow didn’t let him settle down, bludgeoning him for a four and a six.

In the next over, Bairstow and Warner hit a four each of Mohammed Shami.

Despite Warner trudging along at run a ball, Sunris-

ers had 50 on the board by the end of the powerplay.

Warner holed out for 37, trying to dispatch a short ball from Allen, but Bairstow and Williamson ensured Sunrisers knocked off the remaining 48 runs without losing another wicket. On the way, Bairstow brought up his second fifty in four innings, off 48 balls and his slowest in T20s till now.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 22, 2021

AP Invitational awaiting COVID-19 Task Force approval … June 19 event seen as ‘gateway’ to Tokyo

By Rawle Toney

DESPITE awaiting confirmation from Guyana’s National COVID-19 Task Force, Aliann Pompey is anticipating a successful hosting of her fifth AP Invitational.

Scheduled for June 19 at the National Track and Field Centre, the AP Invitational could be one of the most important track and field events in South America and the Caribbean, since it can potentially be the last resort for athletes hoping to qualify for this year’s Tokyo Olympic Games.

With Pompey pointing to all systems in place for yet another successful hosting of her AP Invitational, she still has one more hurdle to surmount, telling Chronicle Sport yesterday, that “the issue is that we’re still waiting to hear from the COVID-19 secretariat. There are a number of issues that were raised and we want to make sure that this edition of the API is following all protocols, first and foremost, for the safety

of not just the athletes but the Guyanese public”.

According to the Olympian and Commonwealth Games 400m gold and silver medallist, with this year’s event being on the World Athletics Continental

Pompey said.

The St John’s University track coach noted that “there was just a temporary pause on it, but we’re pleased to say that there are enough athletes and there’s enough interest to go

Arinze Chance Tour, it will be unlike any of forward with the meet, pending the previous editions because the decision of the COVID-19 of the ranking points at stake. secretariat.”

“We have a number of This year’s AP Invitationinterested athletes and agents al will be seen as the ‘gateway who would have reached out to Tokyo’, since it can be the to us, so I believe that we will last resort for local, regional fully be able to fill the fields,” and international athletes

who are seeking qualification to the July 23 – August 3 Olympic Games in Japan.

The AP Invitational, which ran off its inaugural event in 2016, saw 11 athletes, all from overseas, move on to compete at the Olympic Games in Rio. In February of 2020, AP Invitational was announced

by World Athletics as part of its structured World Athletics Continental Tour.

World Athletics had stated that the impetus for creating the Continental Tour was to provide more competition and earning opportunities for more athletes.

The AP Invitational will be one of two events that will be held in South America on the World Athletics Continental tour; the other – the Brazil Grand Prix.

At the 2018 AP Invitational, Kirani James, the 2012 Olympic Champion and 2016 Olympic silver medallist, clocked 44.99 seconds to not only win the ‘AP’ Invitational 400 metres, but also set a new ‘Track Record’.

Guyanese boxers Olympic dreams ‘on the ropes’ … IOC Boxing Task Force to decide way forward on May 7 following cancellation of qualifiers

By Rawle Toney

“WE have instructed our boxers to remain focussed, to continue training because nothing is off the table,” said Steve Ninvalle, president of Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), answering questions from Chronicle Sport, with regard to the new order of qualification for boxers hoping to realise their Olympic dream in Tokyo, Japan this summer.

Keevin Allicock, Desmond Amsterdam, Colin Lewis, Dennis Thomas and Canada-based Taveena Kum, the lone female in the team, were hoping to pick-up five of the 49 spots for the Tokyo Olympic Games at the now-cancelled May 10-16 American Boxing Confederation (AMBC), Qualifiers in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Boxing Task Force in a statement, said the tight travel restrictions and lockdowns implemented across South America have significantly disrupted international travel and posed logistical challenges to teams travelling to and from Buenos Aires, jeopardising their ability to participate in the event.

Given the nature of the event, as an Olympic qualifier, which will award a large number of direct quota places (49) for the Olympic Games, ensuring fair access and a safe environ-

ment for all athletes and officials was listed as important.

According to the Boxing Task Force, due to the complexity and nature of the sport of boxing and the large number of international participants, it was deemed not possible either to change the location, or to reschedule the event to a later date.

Qualifier will remain exclusive to the athletes registered for the event.

All 49 quota places of the Americas Olympic Boxing Qualifiers will be allocated via the Boxing Task Force Ranking.

Allicock, ranked 19th in the world by amateur boxing’s global governing body, AIBA,

FLASHBACK! Guyana’s Keevin Allicock lands a flush right uppercut against the game Trinidadian, Anthony Joseph, at the Caribbean Boxing Championship (Stabroek News/Emmerson Campbell photo)

Considering that only the boxers registered to compete in the Americas qualifier would have had a chance to gain one of the Olympic quota places originally at stake in the event, the allocation of the 49 athlete-quota places (33 for men, 16 for women) of the Americas Olympic

is the highest-ranked Guyanese boxer on the list to participate at the Qualifiers.

“If you ask me, if I’m optimistic that someone, or some boxer from Guyana can make the Olympics, I would say yes, because of the fact that nothing is off the table as yet,”

Ninvalle stressed.

Ninvalle told Chronicle Sport, that “the IOC would have said, in the meeting with us, that you can sometimes have a boxer that is not even ranked making the qualifying standard, so it is not left up to us; I mean, we have done what we had to do.

We have been training for the Olympic Qualifier which was cancelled.

“It’s now all over to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the organisers of the qualifier, because they would’ have taken that from the (International Boxing Association) AIBA.” He said the Guyanese boxers “will remain doing what they’re doing and when the IOC would have given out the list of qualifiers for this region, we’re still hoping that Guyana is part of that.”

The reallocation of the 13 quota places originally due to be obtained at the World Olympic Qualifier and redirected to the Americas will be conducted only after allocation of the 49 athlete-quota places of the Americas Olympic Qualifier, and will follow the Eligibility Criteria found in the current Tokyo 2020 Qualification System for boxing.

The updated version of the Qualification system for the Tokyo Games will be published once approved by the IOC Executive Board, expected by May 7.

Nine teams withdraw from ESL (BBC) - Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli says the European Super League (ESL) project cannot proceed as AC Milan, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid joined the six Premier League clubs in withdrawing.

Agnelli was one of the chief architects of the breakaway plans, which involved 12 clubs from England, Spain and Italy.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are yet to comment.

“To be frank and honest no, evidently that is not the case,” said Agnelli, on whether the ESL could still happen.

“I remain convinced of the beauty of that project, of the value that it would have developed to the pyramid, of the creation of the best competition in the world, but evidently no, I don’t think that project is now still up and running.”

Agnelli has been replaced as chairman of the European Club Association by Paris St-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Qatari who resisted repeated attempts to persuade the French club to become founder members of the breakaway league.

Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan announced their withdrawal yesterday morning, followed by statements from AC Milan and Juventus.

Agnelli was described as a “snake and a liar”

by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin on Monday after the announcement of the breakaway plans on Sunday evening.

The Juventus chairman resigned his position as chairman of the European Clubs’ Association on Sunday and refused to take calls from Ceferin.

In a statement, Juventus said there were “limited chances that the project could be completed in the form originally conceived” but that the club “remains convinced of the soundness of the project’s sport, commercial and legal premises”.

The six Premier League clubs involved all withdrew within hours

of each other on Tuesday following a furious backlash against the plans.

Manchester City were the first club to pull out after Chelsea had signalled their intent to do so by preparing documentation to withdraw.

The other four English sides - Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham then followed suit late on Tuesday evening.

In announcing their withdrawal yesterday, Atletico Madrid said “harmony is essential” between the club and the fans, and added that the first-team squad and coach Diego Simeone had backed their decision because “sporting merits must prevail over any other criteria”.

In their statement, Serie A side Inter Milan said they were “committed to giving fans the best football experience” adding, “our engagement with all stakeholders to improve the football industry will never change”.

AC Milan said, “The voices and the concerns of fans around the world have clearly been expressed” about the plans and the club “must be sensitive to the voice of those who love this wonderful sport”.

The 12-team Super League was announced on Sunday to widespread condemnation.

“Despite the announced departure of the English clubs, forced to take such decisions due to the pressure put on them, we are convinced our proposal is fully aligned with European law and regulations,” the ESL said earlier yesterday, adding it was “convinced that the current status quo of European football needs to change”.

“Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is insisting on the idea of keeping the group together to push for change,” says Spanish football expert Guillem Balague.

“Barcelona say they agreed to the ESL, but only if the season ticket holders’ assembly approved it, which could be their way out.”

SEE PAGE 27

AP Invitational awaiting COVID-19 Task Force approval … June 19 event seen as ‘gateway’ to Tokyo

API organiser Aliann Pompey

FLASHBACK! Guyana’s Keevin Allicock lands a flush right uppercut against the game Trinidadian, Anthony Joseph, at the Caribbean Boxing Championship (Stabroek News/Emmerson Campbell photo)

SEE PAGE 24

Ramdhani siblings to compete at Pan Am Badminton Championships in Guatemala Badminton siblings, Narayan and Priyanna Ramdhani

SEE PAGE 35

Guyanese boxers Olympic dreams

SEE PAGE 27

‘on the ropes’

… IOC Boxing Task Force to decide way forward on May 7 following cancellation of qualifiers

KKR lose despite Russell, Cummins late surge

Printed and Published by Guyana National Newspapers Limi ted, Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Telephone 2 2 6- 3243-9 (General); Editorial: 2 2 7- 5204, 2 2 7- 5216. Fax:2 2 7- 5208

|

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 2021