Guyana chronicle e paper 09 26 2017

Recent strikes cost GuySuCo over $30M Page 17

No. 105047

TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

Price: $80 (VAT Inclusive)

US$3.5M in rice off to Cuba ■ Pages 3

Dynamic to close Guyana operations Page 17

CANU hunts woman who tried to smuggle cocaine in hammocks Page 17

Guyana tells UN SG about impact of border controversy Page 2

President David Granger greets United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres on arrival at the UN Headquarters for their meeting on Monday on the decades-old border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela

Deeper probe ordered into death of Berbice boy …autopsy inconclusive

Page 8

Gov’t willing to amend laws Page 10

– to ensure equity, PM promises stakeholders at oil & gas meet

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Guyana tells UN SG about impact of border controversy

PRESIDENT David Granger met with the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), Mr. António Guterres on Monday at a time when Venezuela has joined Guyana in its call for a peaceful settlement of the ongoing border controversy.

At the UN Headquarters in New York, Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge; Presidential Adviser on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal, Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Audrey Waddell, Sir Shridath Ramphal and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, Ambassador Michael Ten-Pow, accompanied President Granger to the high-level meeting. The UN Secretary-General’s Personal Representative, Dag Nylander, along with other U.N officials were also present.

Though details of the meeting have not been disclosed, the Guyana Chronicle was told that the President was briefed on the work being done by Nylander, who has been mandated to facilitate the Good Offices Process for 2017. The former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Mr. Guterres, in keeping with the tenets of

President David Granger and his delegation during the meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres. The President’s delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Carl Greenidge; Presidential Adviser on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal; Director-General in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Audrey Waddell; Sir Shridath Ramphal and Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, Mr. Michael Ten-Pow

the 1966 Geneva Agreement, agreed to refer the Guyana/ Venezuela border controversy to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) if significant progress is not made in arriving at a full agreement for the settlement of the controversy at the level of the Good Offices process. Venezuela is claiming that the 1899 Arbitral Tribunal Award, which had given more than 90 percent of an area to then British Guiana (now Guyana), is null

and void.

Approximately 118 years after that award was issued, the Government of Guyana holds strongly to the view that a juridical course of action is the only means through which this matter can be permanently resolved.

A few hours before the meeting with the UN Secretary-General, Minister Greenidge told journalists that the President will detail the implications of the

controversy and its negative impact on Guyana when the meeting is held.

“We will draw to his attention the concerns of Guyana that this matter be resolved in a definitive matter and to impress upon him that he has obligations as it regards time and the manner of resolution,” Greenidge said.

When Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,

Jorge Arreaza addressed the General Debate for the United Nations General Assembly, he, on behalf of President Nicolas Maduro, said the country is interested in an amicable settlement with Guyana.

“We are in the home of peace, a home of peaceful settlements to territorial of international law and its principles. We are embraced and protected by the Charter of the United

Nations, a noble, multilateral instrument to avoid all war and injustice,” the Venezuelan Foreign Minister said through an interpreter. Details of Monday’s meeting with the UN Secretary-General are expected to be made public during a press conference today at the UN, as the curtain comes down on the 72nd Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

US$3.5M in rice off to Cuba

By Navendra Seoraj

A SHIPMENT of rice, some US$3.5M worth of it, is on its way to Cuba as part of an agreement between Guyana’s Nand Persaud and Company Limited and the Cuban company, ALIMPORT. As the 7,500 metric tonnes of rice was being loaded at Muneshwer’s water Street wharf to be shipped on Monday, General Manager (Ag) of the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), Allison Peters, said it was a `historic moment for both countries, given that Guyana has not shipped rice to Cuba since 1999.

That shipment, which was handled by Mars Rice Milling Company, weighed 400 tonnes, which at the

time was valued around US$138,000.

Peters said that since then, although Guyana exports rice to many Caribbean countries, they have not been able to tap into the Cuban market until now.

According to a recent press statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, the rice deal was inked just less than two months ago between Nand Persaud and the Cuban company.

Guyana’s Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba, Halim Majeed, had described the visit as a means to further strengthen the country’s economic relations with Cuba.

According to Ambassador Majeed, under the terms of the contract, Nand Persaud Limited is expected to ship 15,000 tonnes of rice to Cuba between this month

and October. The local company is also expected to send another shipment in 2018.

A representative from ALIMPORT, Reynaldo Labora, told members of the local media that the agreement between the two companies has been in the making for a long time, so he is confident that it is the beginning of a long-lasting business relationship between the local rice company and Guyana.

Labora commended the GRDB for their work in ensuring that the quality of rice is up to standard.

“We always make tenders throughout the Caribbean, looking for the best quality and conditions; we found that Nand Persaud of Guyana had good quality rice,” he said, adding that he is optimistic about an increase in the amount of

Loading of the rice at Muneshwer’s on Monday to be shipped to Cuba

Stakeholders sharing a light moment on Monday at Muneshwer’s wharf. From left are: Nand Persaud’s Georgetown Operations Manager, Jai Keshwani; ALIMPORT’s Quality Assurance Manager, Maria Cristina Ramos Perdomo; GRDB General Manager (Ag), Allison Peters and ALIMPORT’s Reynaldo Labora

rice that might be shipped to Cuba in years to come.

The Cuban expressed his belief that Caribbean countries should support each other in any way possible.

Peters also added that the road does not stop there for the GRDB or private exporters, because they are always looking for contracts for the rice industry.

The Georgetown Operations Manager for Nand Persaud and Company Limited, Jai Keshwani, asked members of the media to help put Guyana’s rice on the regional and international markets.

After a downward spiral, rice seems to be climbing its way back up the ladder. The Ministry of Agriculture had reported that harvesting of the first crop of 2017 ended with a total of 89,290 hectares, 23 per cent over the first crop in 2016.

For the first crop of 2017, exports amounted to 239,442 metric tonnes, some 60,000 tonnes less than that for the same period last year.

From the exports, foreign exchange earnings from rice and paddy amounted to US$92,026.

The GRDB has projected a second-crop target of

85,021 hectares. The board is also assisting farmers and has commenced issuing fertiliser to farmers on credit, the provision of quality seed paddy is also being assured.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

US expands travel ban to include North Korea US President Donald Trump has expanded his controversial travel ban to include people from North Korea, Venezuela and Chad, citing security concerns.

The new, open-ended restrictions follow a review of information sharing by other countries, the White House said.

Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia remain under the travel ban. Sanctions previously placed on Sudan were lifted.

In a presidential proclamation, Mr Trump said the countries in the list had “inadequate” security protocols.

“I must act to protect the security and interests of the United States and its people,” he said in the document issued late on Sunday.

Mr Trump’s original ban was highly controversial, as it affected six majority-Muslim countries, and was widely labelled a “Muslim ban”.

It was subject to a range of legal challenges and several large-scale protests, and is due to be considered by the US Supreme Court in October, having been partly reinstated in July.

The American Civil Liberties Union rights group said the addition of the new countries did not “obfuscate the real fact that the administration’s order is still a Muslim ban”.

It is not yet clear how the president’s new proclamation, which changes several key elements, will affect that legal challenge.

The addition of North Korea and Venezuela now

means not all nations on the list are majority-Muslim. The restrictions on Venezuelans apply only to government officials and their family members.

The Venezuelan foreign ministry on Monday described the new restriction as “a form of psychological and political terrorism”.

The criteria for the new ban list are now based on vetting procedures and co-operation, and the restrictions have been “tailored” on a country-by-country basis. The White House said North Korea did not co-operate with the US government “in any respect”, and failed all requirements. And so all travel to the US by its citizens had been banned.

However, officials acknowledged to US media that numbers of visitors were

very low and the measure might have a limited impact.

Most of the restrictions come in the form of suspension of B-1 and B-2 business and tourist visas, and are not time-limited in the way that Mr Trump’s former executive order was.

In a fact sheet accompanying Mr Trump’s proclamation, the White House said that while Iraq also fell short of the required criteria, the country was not included in the new restrictions “because of the close co-operative relationship between the United States” and their part in fighting socalled Islamic State.

The restrictions come into effect on 18 October, but will not apply to those already in possession of a valid visa, the White House said. (BBC)

North Korea accuses US of declaring war NORTH Korea’s foreign minister has accused US President Donald Trump of declaring war on his country, and said Pyongyang had the right to shoot down US bombers.

Ri Yong-ho said this could apply even if the warplanes were not in North Korea’s airspace.

In response, the Pentagon has warned Pyongyang to stop provocations.

Meanwhile, the UN chief has warned that the fiery talk could lead to misunderstandings.

Mr Ri’s comments were in response to Mr Trump’s tweet that Mr Ri and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would not “be around much longer” if they continued their rhetoric.

“The whole world should clearly remember it was the US who first declared war on our country,” Mr Ri told reporters as he was leaving New York, where he had addressed the UN General

Assembly on Saturday.

“Since the United States declared war on our country, we will have every right to make counter-measures, including the right to shoot down United States strategic bombers, even when they are not inside the airspace border of our country.”

In his fiery speech on Saturday, Mr Ri had described Mr Trump as a “mentally deranged person full of megalomania” on a “suicide mission”, which drew a response from the US president on Twitter.

The two sides have been engaged in an increasingly angry war of words. Despite weeks of tension, experts have played down the risk of direct conflict between the two.

North Korea has continued to carry out nuclear and ballistic missile tests in recent weeks, in defiance of successive rounds of UN sanctions.

(BBC)

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Gatorade settles over ‘misleading’ Usain Bolt water game SPORTS drink Gatorade has agreed to pay $300,000 (£220,000) to the state of California over an app called Bolt! which featured a character based on Olympic medallist, Usain Bolt.

In the game, Bolt had to drink Gatorade to enhance his performance while water slowed him down.

Attorney-General Xavier Becerra said the game made “misleading statements” about water.

The app was released in 2012, and is no longer available for download.

It was only available on Apple’s operating system, and was downloaded 2.3 million times from 2012 to 2013.

It was briefly made available again in 2017.

Players were told to “keep your performance

high by avoiding water” in a tutorial that accompanied the game, the Attorney- General’s office said.

In a statement, Gatorade’s parent company, PepsiCo said the game was designed to “highlight the unique role and benefits of sports drinks in supporting athletic performance”.

“We recognise the role water plays in overall health and wellness,” it said, adding that it also markets bottled water brands.

YOUTH AUDIENCE Bolt! had an audience of mainly young people aged 13 to 24, the state added.

“Making misleadin g statements is a violation of California law. But making misleading statements aimed at our children is beyond unlawful; it’s morally wrong and a betrayal of trust.

Analyst Jack Kent, from IHS Markit, told the BBC the app store market had moved away from “branded entertainment” and games connected to a particular ad campaign.

“Mobile is a primary channel for reaching a youth audience, and the rise of branded apps highlighted that, but now there is more focus on reaching users through existing mobile social, entertainment and media platforms rather than just through dedicated apps,” he said.

(BBC)

“It’s what causes consumers to lose faith in the products they buy,” said Mr Becerra.

Almost half the settlement ($120,000) will be used to fund research and education into water con-

sumption and nutrition in young people.

PepsiCo said in a 2014 statement that it does not advertise in spaces where children aged under 12 make up more than 35% of the audience.

Venezuela slams US travel ban VENEZUELA has accused the US of “psychological terrorism” after it imposed travel restrictions on some Venezuelan government officials and their families.

The foreign ministry said travel bans like the one announced on Sunday were incompatible with international law.

The ban on eight countries includes Venezuela for the first time.

US President Donald Trump said the countries on the list had “inadequate” security protocols.

Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Vene-

zuela and Yemen are all now subject to US travel bans.

In regards to Venezuela, President Trump said its government had failed to share “public-safety and terrorism-related information adequately”.

“I must act to protect the security and interests of the United States and its people,” he said in a presidential proclamation issued on Sunday.

The statement by the Venezuelan foreign minister [in Spanish] called the decision “irrational”.

Venezuela and the US have had tense relations for

years.

They have further deteriorated in the past months as the US imposed sanctions on more than a dozen top Venezuelan officials, including President Nicolás Maduro over what it called Venezuela’s “democratic failures”.

Any assets they held in the US were frozen and US entities were banned from doing business with them.

US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin called President Maduro “a dictator who disregards the will of the Venezuelan people”, The US is not the only country to have imposed

sanctions on Venezuela.

Last week, Canada published a list of 40 Venezuelan officials whose assets it said it would freeze.

The Venezuelan government has also been criticised by many of its Latin American neighbours as well as the European Union for going ahead with a controversial constituent assembly. (BBC)

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Editorial

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Guyana at the UN PRESIDENT David Granger, accompanied by Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Greenidge and team wrapped up their visit to New York yesterday.

Their last act was a meeting with Mr António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as with officials of Venezuela.

Up to the time of writing of this editorial, the outcome of that meeting was not known. Also, during the President’s assignment in New York, he presented this country’s case on the decades-old border controversy with Venezuela to the 72nd Annual Session of the United Nations (UN).

On behalf of the people, President Granger made a spirited and passionate presentation to the UN General Assembly to have the vexing issue of the Venezuela border controversy resolved once and for all. Having before tried various diplomatic approaches, it continues to be seen that the Government of Venezuela holds a view inconsistent with the October 1899 Arbitral Award that made Essequibo ours. The conquistador era is behind us, the Award remains final and binding, and Guyana’s desire to have any doubt erased in the world’s highest court (International Court of Justice) is expected to finally put the unjust claim to rest. Undoubtedly, aspects of this country and people’s development have been stymied by the controversy.

As Guyana continues to distinguish herself in the international arena, it cannot be ignored on the home front that work has to be done. The issues stated require the involvement of all the people. This country belongs to all of us and all must feel wanted, be treated with respect, and allowed to invest in

its growth and development. Doing this not only helps the country, but also the UN’s ideals.

During his address to the General Assembly, President Granger made it clear that Guyana looks to the international community to ensure that Venezuela is not allowed to thwart the processes of judicial settlement, which is the clear and agreed path to peace and justice.

He reminded his audience that former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his successor, Mr António Guterres, in keeping with the tenets of the 1966 Geneva Agreement, had agreed that if by the end of December 2017 significant progress has not been made towards arriving at a full agreement for the settlement of the controversy, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will be the next means of peaceful settlement, unless Guyana and Venezuela jointly request otherwise.

Norwegian diplomat, Mr Dag Halvor Nylander, who was appointed Personal Representative of the current UN Secretary-General on the matter, has been visiting both countries as he compiles his report.

President Granger told the assembly that Guyana has been working assiduously with Mr Nylander.

Both our President and our Foreign Minister have long recognised that the Good Offices process allows Venezuela to prolong the border controversy, while engaging in frequent acts of aggression. The President in particular, in addressing the issue of the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Agreement, was quoted in the press as saying that he was “fed up with Venezuelan aggression and harassment.” This is an understandable statement in view of the fact that the aggression has

been going on from the time of our independence.

Even though it claims to be an adherent of the great Simon Bolivar and signed the Geneva Agreement, various Governments of Venezuela have engaged in naked aggression against Guyana in violation of international norms and peaceful practices. It has seized Guyana’s territory even while the Mixed Commission, established by the Geneva Agreement, met. Caracas has been the architect of several incidents on our border. And it has engaged in the exercise of economic aggression against a small state with the express purpose of frustrating and delaying its development.

Ultimately, the Guyana Government and the Guyanese people have no quarrel with the people of Venezuela. This is the 21st century. There is no place here for 19th century notions of grabbing the land and territorial waters of a small and neighbouring country.

Guyana and Caracas over the years have cooperated successfully in many important areas such as medicine and trade. If Caracas can find it possible to abandon outmoded notions of power, an era of cooperation can be opened up between our two countries.

In the absence of anything innovative the PPP offers lies Dear Editor HARRY Gill, the newest hand to clutch the political straw, announces that the PPP left a vibrant economy to the APNU+AFC Alliance, in his letter Sept, 11 Kaieteur News. I am not in any office of the Government, but I live in Guyana, longer than Harry Gill has.

The economy is reflected in the earnings, social environment and safety of the people.

Guyana from British Guiana to 2017 has not had a vibrant economy in the idealistic definition, but we can measure achievements through Governance that has taken us from the colonial stratification of political, economic and cultural dependence, to a re-

alisation of awakening to our own environment and to its opportunities. What was the PPP’s contribution in those formative pre-independence years? They took us down into the shadows of a racial civil war for power, that has divided this country to date, not for the holistic benefit of then British Guiana, nor in 1992 for today’s Guyana, they remained consistent and fossilised and took that mentality beyond 1992. By the first years we witnessed the police shooting at nurses, the beating up of customs employees, ethnic cleansing to the point that Luncheon declared that “there aren’t any Afro-Guyanese qualified to become ambassadors.”

On the Island of Antigua by 1998, of its small popula-

tion of some 65,000 persons, there were almost 20,000 mainly Afro-Guyanese. The PPP came into power in 1992; by the end of 1993, they had a 10 percent minister, another one that made a shipload of petroleum products disappear and by December 2008, the PPP’s Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford was telling public servants to “spend wisely, because government in no position to offer year-end payout,” and that was 16 years after coming into power. Roger Khan of the ‘Troubled-Jagdeo years’ often boasted of paying the police’s salary. The PPP did not create a vibrant economy, it criminalised the nation, encouraged lawlessness and we have recently witnessed in 2017, they criminalised the

police force with irregular and illegal customs of practice, creating alternative criminal authority gangs linked to PPP Big-Wigs, to which the police became subject.

From the pinnacle of its leadership, in what era of the management of this country could a comparison be made that equals what was done at NBS? The lives of managers Maurice Arjoon, Kent Vincent and Baldeo were turned upside down by a conspiracy of lies. Normalcy, their health and balance callously dashed aside to facilitate Jagdeo breaking the financial laws. Supporters of both APNU+AFC are angered today as to why both Jagdeo and Gopaul are not in prison.

In 2011, a political AFC ad reflected the accusation

that the PPP was making civil contractors of party supporters fishermen; that evidence has become manifest with the consistent, collapsed houses across the country, with casualties emerging out of some, and the 2005 floods caused by incompetence posing as efficiency. What vibrant economy destroys public procedures and well-being, that a Minister of Health could respond to the fact that more than two-thirds of nurses failed their tests, with the directive to let them into the system? “They will learn on the job” at the cost of human lives? We had no vibrant economy under the PPP; we had a nation that descended into all-out lawlessness, that depended on remittances from Suriname, Trinidad, North

America, Antigua, Venezuela, the UK, Canada etc. Except for Canada, all those countries have become ‘economically tight,’ some more that others... most of our opinions from the business sector on our economy lack a holistic view, and seem to evolve from a perspective from the depth of their own coffers.

New factors have to be taken into consideration, AThat over the past 10 years, possibly over 100 thousand Guyanese have applied and received U.S. visitor visas.

It’s significant, there is an idea in many Guyanese that one can with smart purchases overseas remake passages invested, with a profit, true, I did some of that in the late 1990s, but we were a few Turm to Page 7

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

OP-ED

On Racial Self-Identification I WAS in conversation with my partner over the weekend when the topic of our respective racial backgrounds came up. When we were finished tracing our ancestry, we joked over the fact that any child of ours would have all six strands of the archetypal Guyanese racial heritage.

The above anecdote was one I was prepared to share during my scheduled appearance on the Cuffy 250 organisation show, African Drums, last Sunday. Unfortunately, on Sunday morning I received a message from the producer that the show was off. Later in the day, I read an article by the venerable Dr. David Hinds in his column. Hinds’Sight. The following paragraph stood out: “I was part of a group that unsuccessfully tried this past week to put together a panel for an African-grounded TV show on the issues arising out of the Garret-Nicholas issue. The show collapsed because the young invitees either felt the issue was not important, or that they could not speak on an all-Black panel—they insisted on getting Indian-Guyanese on the panel. Here are young Black people who do not feel confident speaking publicly among themselves on an issue that threatens to lynch a young black woman—they are seemingly afraid of articulating an African-Guyanese perspective on the issue.”

I realised immediately that I was in part responsible.

When I was contacted by the producer last week, I immediately agreed to appear, and then indicated that my

preference was that there be a diverse panel to discuss this issue, an Indo-Guyanese in particular. Apparently, I was not the only guest who shared this view. In his column, Dr. Hinds goes on to offer the following diagnosis: “While it is laudable to reach for a multi-ethnic perspective, that perspective would be hollow if it is not informed by a sense of groundedness in identity. Our multiracial icon, Walter Rodney, was deeply grounded in a sense of his Blackness. You simply can’t feel for others in a deep, ethno-racial sense if you do not feel the same for yourself.”

It is not a diagnosis I disagree with in general, only when it applies to me. My perspective on personal racial identity has always been simple. Biologically speaking, the label of ‘African’ or ‘Afro-Guyanese’ would be a nullification of a complex ancestry that includes ancestors from India, Portugal, indigenous ancestors from the space called Guyana, in addition to Africa and likely (other) parts of Europe. As a writer, this is a truth that cannot be ignored or glossed over.

My mother’s family in particular, has a strong Portuguese background – her mother was born a Teixeira and married a man named Gomes, both of whose ancestry was infused with African from Angola or Mozambique and Madrassa Indian. During Carifesta, I met an indigenous woman from Dominica who commented that my own indigenous heritage was clear from my broad face, something for which I have my father’s family from both

sides to thank. The African ancestry in me is clearly there, in my hair (and perhaps other places), but it is part of a complex strand of genetic gifts that I value altogether, none in isolation.

But racial/ethnic identity is of course not restricted to genetic origin. Indeed, race is primarily a sociocultural and political construct – a Black man in sub-Saharan Africa is more likely to be defined by tribal identity than the colour of his skin. And here again is where any legitimate claim I might seek to make on African/Black identity would be found severely wanting. African identity in Guyana is possessed of a rich memetic legacy, shaped by shared experiences and the passing down of cultural traditions from generation to generation. It is wealth that I, in my upbringing, never inherited. I grew up in a working-class community called Tucville Terrace, where the most acute expression of African identity, cumfah, was treated with suspicion and derision by most of the residents. There is a sadness now when I think about the lost legacy of Ms. Sheilah and Ms. Glory, both of whom were repositories of a powerful African tradition that survived through the ages, but which died with them.

The irony is that if there is any documented trace of their legacy, it is in a single story I wrote, The Blacka, in which I made a passing reference to that tradition.

It is not that I don’t have a sense of what the impact of the Blackness in my multiracial identity entails. While I

am certain that political discrimination was the primary element of what I faced under the former administration, I have no doubt that there was a strong and vicious racist streak to it as well. Dr. Hinds rightfully raises the spectre of the racist hegemony that existed only a few years ago, one that neutered and stigmatised most genuine self-expression of Blackness or African identity. African self-identification in Guyana became associated with a carefully cultivated image of dysfunction and state-dependent mendicancy, in which each year you had a leering Minister of Culture handing out pittances for Emancipation month, while his governing party was carrying out a campaign of dehumanisation of Afro-Guyanese in the state media, this very paper in particular.

It wasn’t a coincidence, or careless language, when Dr. David Dabydeen – in the midst of the Caribbean Press fiasco – referred to local writers as ‘lazy and incompetent,’ myself in particular; these terms belonged to the same category of dog-whistle buzzwords being used in the state paper at the time to describe ‘PNC supporters,’ used interchangeably in editorials and letters with ‘Afro-Guyanese youth.’

This isn’t a context that I have been insensitive to or afraid of, but one that I had to find a simple way of responding to against my personal self-identification as a multiracial creature with a particularly diverse history – I grew my hair and continued to be very good at what I was

good at-- writing. Racism is a primarily visual prejudice and considering the racist hegemony was primarily anti-African, growing my hair (in conjunction with my complexion) was symbolic of my resistance to the perception of Africanness being peddled by the government at the time.

It was particularly satisfying therefore when in 2013, my now trademark Afro in early bloom, I collected the Guyana Prize from then President Donald Ramotar, even though there was an otherwise complete boycott of the Prize Ceremony from the entire rest of the cabinet, including then Minister of Culture, Dr. Frank Anthony and Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand. Achievement associated with African identity (even if only expressed in visual terms) was directly anathema to what the PPP wanted to project at the time.

Recently, I watched a viral video online in which a Canadian woman representing a right wing organisation hurled abuse at Sikh Canadian politician Jagmeet Singh, implying that he was Muslim and complicit in promoting Islamic terrorism – Sikhism is in fact based on Hinduism.

Singh did not correct her misperception and denied being Muslim. That was for Singh, a deliberate strategy, his appearance aiding in his solidarity with Muslims fighting prejudice, even though he could not identify as a Muslim.

On a personal level, I treasure my multiracial heritage and I refuse to value any aspect of it over the other. When it comes to the

In the absence of anything...

travelling then, in some cases you barely cleared, and we did not shop where the new breed are shopping. Let’s do the math. Say 10,000 people travelled to the U.S. at the minimal cost of ticket + travelling money, of $300,000.00 per person, that would be a sum of $300,000,000 G$ of the grassroot economy; look around at the clothes, fragrance & tin stuff stands with barrel stocks all across the country, and you would recognise a glut of such goods

and goodbye to much-needed remittances, while with decreased sales to boutiques and stores etc., those tickets in less than 1% involved further education courses in the U.S. We don’t even benefit from the airfares, because we have no national carrier, and every book-keeper will agree that the absence of such finances will reflect further than I’ve indicated.

B- In my article at GNNL, I have repeated the loss of jobs to modernisation, I repeat it

again, from the 1900s onward, blue collar Georgetown was supported by waterfront jobs from La Penitence to the GRB. In the late 1970s, there were no less than 1,000 souls employed per shift, in a two-shift, sometimes, as with GRB with an aroundthe-clock system.

The stevedore embodied a formidable earning category. Except for GRB that was destroyed by political arson, the other jobs were lost to modernisation in

merchant shipping; the stevedore is now history. These Jobs were never replaced.

Lack of imagination and any innovative thinking has become a trademark of MP Gill and his colleagues. I will conclude by reminding Gill of the PPP’s state-sponsored pirating of text books (still happening). On more than one occasion, parents I knew innocently asked whether books didn’t carry indexes any more, on enquiring why the index was left out from

one pirate printer, he looked at me as if I was crazy and asked “Deh got de book, wuh deh need dem back pages fuh?” So much for your vibrant PPP economy, based on what, giving away our resources for drawbacks, how do you give away 82% of your forest lands, and promise your fishing waters, is this your vibrant economy MP Gill?. Recently, a Caribbean group held a workshop here, directed at young start-up business-

politics of race however, I have no issue in using the most obvious physical manifestation of that heritage, the Blackness, in battling and breaking down stereotypes, either way, even though I personally don’t believe I can legitimately claim the label of African or Afro-Guyanese. When I received an Achievement Award last year for my “commitment towards Development of Guyana and the African-Guyanese Community” last year, in my brief acceptance remarks, I made a note of acknowledging my diverse racial heritage.

For me, there is no accolade that I can receive, nor any discrimination that I can face, that could shift how I self-identify – my multiracial heritage, for me, prevents both a neutralisation of all various strands into one euphemistic amalgamation of ‘Guyaneseness’ (even as I believe that co-existing diversity is the critical characteristic of Guyanese national identity), as well as conscious hyper-representation of any single thread due to socio-political circumstance.

I agree with Dr. Hinds completely, that racial self-identification and selflove has to be a critical prerequisite for what so many of us have agreed to be a necessary national conversation on race. It’s one that has to be approached with deep honesty, integrity and self-reflection and while, yes, everyone at the table should engage from a starting point of racial selflove, multiracial self-love is as valid as any perspective there is.

From Page 6

es. I was at the workshop, though I realised that their investors were not keen on venture capital for mature pioneering businesses. The fact is, look around, the future businesses of Guyana may very well be owned

by Caribbean and other overseas investors willing to work with our innovative/ creative people at some reciprocal level, keep it real.

Regards Barrington Braithwaite

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Deeper probe ordered ‘Birdie’ gets 20 years for into death of Berbice boy killing wife – takes sentence badly

…autopsy inconclusive GOVERNMENT Forensic Pathologist Dr. Vivikanand Brijmohan’s autopsy could not determine the real cause of death of Leonard Archibald, the teenage boy who was allegedly raped and then dumped into the Berbice River last week.

The decomposed remains of Archibald was found on Saturday off the river bank at Korthberaadt Village, East Bank Berbice. The pathologist said that due to the body’s advanced state of decomposition, the autopsy could not determine the cause of death.

Senior Magistrate Alex Moore was awaiting the appearance of the defendants along with the relevant case jackets, but was overheard being told by Detective Corporal Roland Beharry that Police Adviser, Retired Judge Claudette Singh had advised that further investigations be carried out.

Earlier, the parents of one of the suspects, Peter Christopher and Sunita Motilall, confirmed reports that their son who is detained at Sisters Police Station was almost violated by the man whom he had invited into his home and is now the main suspect into the murder of Archibald.

Abigail Archibald, the mother of the murdered teen told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday that Hilary Edwards, who is the main suspect, is a distant relative and she can-

not fathom what may have possessed him and his friend to commit the “barbaric” act on her son. “Hilary and we related, we are not close but we are relatives and he knows this, so what could make him want to kill my son. This is unforgivable, I can never forgive them for this,” the grieving mother said.

According to residents, Edwards in their view is considered to be a serial rapist of males, especially young boys and would strike at any given opportunity. “He always molesting me when I was small, one time he [Hillary] beat me up and I always living in fear since then; I does try to avoid he as much as possible and I does get nightmare. I hope after today he never gets to see the light of day again, he try to b***** me but I get away and I shame fuh tell people, but now I hope he get wah coming to he,” said Alfred [not real name], a young man in his early 20s told the Guyana Chronicle. Alfred related that he was 10 at the time when Edwards asked him to do him (Edwards) a favour.

“He did ask me fuh guh shop and buy a drink fuh he and when I come back he give me some and start fuh touch me, when I pull way, he hold me down and try fuh pull down me pants and I fight he off and run way. He

Leonard Archibald

did shouting if I tell anybody he gun beat me and when he see me a couple a days later he lash me wid a wood and I run way and since then he does always molest me and I try fuh avoid he, but I never tell anybody cause I did frighten,” the young man related. He said it is likely that Leonard was doing a favour for Edwards when Edwards and his friend pounced on him.

Many in the village could be overheard talking about the suspect, saying “is long now he like troubling young boys” but when asked why they never spoke out, said Edwards always found a way to settle the matter with the victims’ parents. “Most times when the story buss out he does seh is lies them children saying and give differ story from what the children said, saying is a misunderstanding and offer to compensate the family for injuries to their kids. It is a pity it had to come to this, because somebody had to die before he get arrested,” another resident of Sisters Village said.

M&CC again defers decision

– on parking meter re-negotiating team, even with TOR in hand

By Telesha Ramnarine ALTHOUGH a draft copy of the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the new team re-negotiating the parking meter contract with Smart City Solutions (SCS) has become available, a decision was taken to have the matter deferred again because no one has come forward to suggest any names of members of the public.

Mayor Patricia ChaseGreen called on councillors at Monday’s statutory meeting to propose the names of the two individuals to sit on the committee by October 9, failing which the Council will go ahead to decide if the committee will no longer feature members of the public.

Meanwhile, she reminded the meeting that councillors are free to nominate any member of the public.

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Councillor Bishram Kuppen noted yesterday that the section of the law which King quoted from as giving him and the Treasurer the authority to sit on the committee was wrong.

But the Mayor responded that although the section quoted was wrong, the two officers sitting on the committee were in keeping with their roles and functions at the municipality.

Kuppen had been the only one who objected to the town clerk serving on the new committee, citing the sensitive nature of the issue.

“The town clerk should not be part of the negotiating committee, even sitting as an advisor,” Kuppen said.

“The initial problems that came from the contract came from the actions he took, in that the contract was never

tendered; the transparency and impact studies were not done; and I think that he should have rightfully recused himself because he was not part of the previous negotiating committee,” he’d told the Guyana Chronicle.

He further opined that it is highly prejudicial that King will be part of a committee, where he would be able to influence its discussion or the direction that it takes.

At a special meeting recently, 13 of 25 City Councillors voted in favour of setting up a new committee to start a fresh process of negotiation with SCS, the foreign company that was granted a concession to install parking meters in Georgetown.

The contract that the M&CC entered into with SCS came under heavy Turn to page 10 ►

JUSTICE James BovellDrakes on Monday imposed a 20-year sentence on Ravindra Bandoo, alias “Birdie,” for the brutal murder last year of his wife.

Bandoo reportedly inflicted several fatal chops about the face and head of his wife, Indrawattee Somwar, called Sharda, at their home at Princetown, Corriverton in the county of Berbice on March 7, 2016.

He was at first indicted for murder, but “threw in the towel” by pleading guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter, which was accepted by State Prosecutrix Orintha Schimdt.

Following the probation report on the prisoner’s background, and a plea for mitigation by State-appointed attorney, Charrandas Persaud, the judge in handing down the sentence to the tearful prisoner as he stood in the dock, said: “You used a cutlass to inflict such deadly wounds about her face and head. Even if you were provoked, the now deceased woman was not your child; nor was she your dog, nor an animal, nor a piece of wood.

“I have taken into consideration the weapon; I have also taken into consideration that the act was committed in the presence of the now deceased’s children.

“I have deducted two years for the two prison years spent. You are sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.”

Prosecutrix Schimdt recalled the evidence of Lilawattie Ghanie, the deceased’s daughter, who, after returning home from school on March 8, 2016 at around 15:30hrs, was summoned by her stepfather.

“At the time,” the child told the court, “he was next door drinking vodka. He sked me the time; I had to go to check the time.

“My stepfather asked me to tell my mother that he wanted food to eat. I took the food to him; it was curry egg and rice. I put the food on the table. He took it and flung it on the ground.

“My mother then came downstairs and told my stepfather that he don’t purchase anything, and so he can’t break anything.

“I then went into the toilet.

I heard my brother scream. I exited the toilet and saw my mother bleeding and lying in front of our gate. She had a chop on her face and neck.”

PROBATION REPORT Earlier into the trial, Senior Probation Officer Ms Voonashewarie Gopal, had reported that at the time of the incident, the prisoner was living with his common-law wife and partner, the now deceased “Sharda” and two of her children, Sasenarine and Lilawatie Ganie, in a oneflat, two-bedroom, unpainted wooden structure at Lot 22 Princetown, Corentyne.

The house, she had said, was owned by the deceased’s father.

She said that Bandoo had established a common-law relationship with the then 35-year-old woman when he was just 16 years old, and that their relationship did not produce any offspring.

The deceased’s son, Sasenarine Somwar, had revealed that he had witnessed several incidents of physical abuse being meted out to his mother at the hands of the accused.

He recalled a particular incident when his mother was injured with a screwdriver while she was at the Number 79 Village municipal market.

He said the reason the matter was not reported to the district police station was because it was oftentimes hoped that Bandoo would change his behaviour.

Somwar said many of the acts of violence were triggered by large doses of alcoholic consumption. His sister, Lilawattie, said her mother was a victim of domestic violence.

On October 21, 2014, Bandoo was arrested and charged with the unlawful wounding of “Sharda,” but the case was dismissed on January 19, 2015 by Magistrate Rabindranauth Singh at the Springlands Court, because the virtual complainant did not wish to give evidence against her common-law husband.

In wrapping up her report, Gopal came to the conclusion that the couple had shared an abusive relationship, and that while the now deceased woman had made an attempt to get the matter addressed by the court, she may have been reluctant to provide evidence to the court because of fear, and had seemingly hoped that his behaviour would change in the future.

“The actions of the accused have left a family -immediate and extended -- as well as the society with an

Ravindra Bandoo, alias “Birdie”

indelible wound which has changed their lives,” she concluded.

In his plea for mitigation, the accused’s attorney asked for mercy for his client, noting that the system failed him, as he too had made reports of abuse, but no one had listened to him. had CAUTION STATEMENT In his caution statement, Bandoo had revealed to Detective Sergeant Lawrence Thomas that when he took in the woman and her two children, he had provided for all their needs.

“But everytime I tek a few drinks, she does tell me fuh pack meh things and move out; she always insulting meh,” Bandoo said in the statement.

Recalling the incident of March 7, 2016, Bandoo said he had worked for $60,000 that day and had given “Sharda” the entire sum. Thereafter, he went to purchase a bottle of rum and a bottle of Pepsi.

But, on returning home, she started to quarrel, so he left with the beverages and went to the home of the next-door neighbour.

“But while I drinking,” he said, “she come and started to preach again, so I go home and collect the music player box, along with my earphone so I won’t hear when she was preaching.

“I was drinking for a while before I went over and asked her for a thousand dollars from the money I had given her, if she could not fry some sausages for me. She told me she don’t have any money, so I asked her what she did with all the money I had given her.

“She said she gave her ‘sweet-man’ brother all the money. I walked downstairs and sat on a bench; she came downstairs. She asked me what I was doing there, and if I was not leaving.

Turn to page 9 ►

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Three arrested in East La Penitence murder/robbery – two victims in serious but stable condition

MURDERED: Fazal Shaheed

INJURED: Talin Shaheed

INJURED: Shalim Shaheed

THE police on Monday confirmed that three men have been arrested and are cooperating with officials as the investigation into the murder of 58-year-old Fazal Shaheed continues.

Shaheed was killed early Sunday morning, when two masked men stormed his mother’s home at 194 East LaPenitence, Georgetown as family members were making the final preparations for their father’s one-year memorial service.

He was at the time in the yard, around 00:40hrs, helping to wash up some kitchen

utensils when the men invaded the home where his two brothers, sisters and mother were at the time.

His brothers, Talin, 50, of Toronto, Canada and Shalim, 53, of the United States were both shot about their bodies and said to be in serious but stable conditions at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

A third brother, Raymond, who lives in Subryanville, told the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday that for most of the day on Saturday, after uplifting some barrels that

were shipped from overseas, family members were cooking sweet meats for the event and “making joke.”

He explained that a number of his siblings, including the injured two, had come in from the US and Canada to celebrate the “year work” for their father. He told the Guyana Chronicle that around 00:30hrs on Sunday, he left his siblings and other family members and went home, but soon after reaching home, his phone rang.

“Raymond come now!

They are killing us!” the visibly shaken man quoted his

Guyana, Canada look to deepen ties GUYANA and Canada on Monday recommitted to deepen their relations during a meeting between newly accredited Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee and Minister of State Joseph Harmon.

During the meeting held at the Ministry of the Presidency, Minister Harmon said Guyana places great value on the relationship it shares with Canada and expressed the hope that Ms. Chatterjee’s appointment can serve as a catalyst for stronger ties.

“The relationship between Guyana and Canada is one which we cherish dearly. We share a good relationship with the country and so I trust that you would have good experiences with Guyana…We are fully supportive and appreciative of Canada’s friendship,” the minister said.

High Commissioner Chatterjee echoed Minister Harmon’s sentiments, saying that she looks forward to her tenure in Guyana. Thus far, she said that the Guyanese hospitality is commendable.

The diplomat said that seeing the abundant resources which Guyana possesses, it is her hope that the country can utilise these in a sustainable

Minister of State Joseph Harmon and Canadian High Commissioner Lilian Chatterjee pose for a photo op at the Ministry of the Presidency on Monday.

(Ministry of the Presidency photo)

manner to create a prosperous nation.

“I have been overwhelmed by how warm, generous and hospitable the people are here in Guyana. We have a long history of working together and I hope to build on our friendship. I am looking forward to seeing how Guyanese can benefit from its vast, rich natural resources beyond oil and gas. Like Canada, we relied on our resources to build

our country and I can only see a positive future for Guyana,” said the Canadian envoy.

President David Granger accepted the Letters of Credence from High Commissioner Chatterjee on September 13, 2017, following the departure of former Canadian High Commissioner Pierre Giroux. Guyana and Canada established diplomatic ties on May 26, 1966.

(Ministry of the Presidency)

sister as shouting over the phone.

He said he “broke all the traffic rules” to get to his family’s home, but by the time he got there, everyone had already left for the police station and subsequently the GPHC. “When I got there,” Raymond said, “I forced my way into the room. And when I got in, I saw Fazal with something in his mouth; he was too gruesome to recognise.”

Fazal, he said, had taken four bullets, one of which pierced his heart. “And I am sure that is the one that took him,” Raymond said.

He said he later moved on to his other brother, Talim, who was shot to his shoulder.

Raymond said that though Talim was conscious, it was obvious that he was in tremendous pain. He was later transferred to the medical ward.

He, however, said he is concerned about this particular brother, because he had previously had triple bypass surgery.

On another bed, he said, lay his other brother, Shalim, who was shot three times about his body, and who the doctor said was in a critical condition.

He said he was later informed by the doctor that his brother would have to undergo emergency surgery to repair his small intestine, which was ruptured during the shooting.

Bus driver on causing death charge A ROUTE 42-mini bus driver was on Monday released on $500,000 by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan on a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

Seekumar Singh of Soesdyke Back Road, East Bank Demerara is alleged to have driven minibus BLL 4749 in a manner dangerous to the public and caused the death of 66-year-old Basil Rambarran on September 19 at Herstelling, EBD. The 44-year-old denied the charge while his attorney, Mark Conway made an application for reasonable bail. The Chief Magistrate suspended Singh’s driver’s licence and adjourned the matter until October 30, for statements.

According to reports on the day in question about 16:45hrs Singh was proceeding south along the western lane of the eastern carriageway in his vehicle BLL 4639.

Rambarran was riding a bicycle and allegedly rode across the road from west to east when the minibus crashed into him. He fell onto the roadside and sustained multiple injuries to the body. He was later pronounced dead at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre.

The driver of the minibus was administered a breathalyzer test and found to have exceeded the legal alcohol limit. Singh is expected to be charged for driving under the influence of alcohol and other traffic related charges soon.

‘Birdie’ gets 20...

“I told her that I helped to nice up the place, and how she can put me out. Is this the thanks I must get?

“But she tell me to take my things, because she got better men to get better things for her. I told her I was her slave. At the time, I saw a cutlass bracing a post. She, too, turned and looked at the cutlass and run to grab it, but I collected the weapon first and started to chop her face and she fell.

“I chopped her again before throwing the cutlass away in the yard, and returning to the bench to await the arrival of the police.”

From page 8

A post-mortem report prepared by Government Forensic Pathologist Dr Vivihanand Brijmohan concluded that death was due to shock and haemorrhage and multiple incised wounds.

However, among the injuries inflicted on the deceased was a gaping 24.cm incised wound across her face and mouth; two incised wounds to the left side of her face and neck; another wound below the chin, moving horizontally across the neck; with fracturing and fragmentations of the first vertebra and the hydroid bone.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

– to ensure equity, PM promises stakeholders at oil & gas meet

sections of the population, have benefitted from the discovery of oil, although most of the wealth is deposited into governments account.

The Local Content Policy, he said, is a case in point where the private sector has been able to enter into contracts, based on the strength of the country’s local content provisions.

“Oil must be seen as a catalyst, allowing the government to achieve sustainable development goals, and the private sector as a contributor to economic growth,” Hughes said, adding that key to Guyana is the need for the private sector to be an engine of growth and the oil income to be translated into viable new sectors.

He said that while the government will be able to provide an enabling environ-

Gov’t willing to amend laws

By Alexis Rodney PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo said Monday that the government is prepared to amend whatever legislations it has to, so as to ensure that those who wish to invest in the economy are properly rewarded.

“We’re rolling the pitch with the big roller; we are preparing for the ‘big games’ in Guyana, and we want all investors to enjoy a level playing field,” he told potential stakeholders in what promises to be a booming oil and gas industry here gathered at the Marriot International Hotel.

The occasion was the opening session of a twoday forum organised by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Caribbean-Central American Action (CCAA), themed “The Transformational Economy: Perspectives and Opportunities for Guyana’s Private Sector”.

According to the CCAA,

the discovery of significant oil reserves off Guyana’s coast has the potential to radically shift the country’s economic future. This being the case, it says, important work has to be done to ensure that Guyana is ready for this transformation.

As such, the two-day forum brings together members of Guyana’s public and private sectors, as well as regional and international stakeholders, to examine some of the key considerations for the economy.

The private sector is said to have a major role to play, and, as the oil economy grows, the sector must also grow with it, providing new services, skills, and products, to respond to the opportunities.

According to the prime minister, Guyana is open to investments of all types, and that with the coming of oil, there could be substantial rewards for all investors.

“We invite the private

sector to contribute to the environment of accountability, transparency and good governance and invest in infrastructure and provide employment in Guyana; to develop talent through training; to help develop the society by investing part of business proceeds in the Guyanese society,” he said, adding: “You have to grow the country first.”

And as the country prepares for oil and gas and the transformation and changes, he said, the private sector should invest “massively if possible” in preparing the population for the oil and gas economy, to invest in the training of petroleum engineers, environmental scientists, health workers, and agro processors among other areas.

He’s hoping that the twoday meet would help Guyana understand the diverse nature of oil and gas, and the perspective and opportunities available to the Private

Sector.

STEADY GROWTH He said Guyana has an economy that has been growing steadily for the past 15 years. And although it might be a bit slower now than a few years ago, it is fully liberalised and is based on the principles of free market.

“There is credit that is available to the Private Sector; inflation has been low, and foreign direct investment has been growing,” the PM said, adding that the economy has been showing both a high level of consumption and savings, and that the country has maintained sustainable debt levels.

In listing the government’s economic scale, Founder and Director of the Guyana Oil and Gas Association (GOGA), Nigel Hughes said the country’s budget has harboured around US$1.2B over the last few years, and that with the onset of oil, some US$380M will be added in the first three years.

He opined that at the height of production, the LIZA and PAYARA wells could use as much as US$300,000 a day, while royalties and PSA payments could double the government’s budget by 2025.

According to Hughes, VAT payments for last year alone was about G$45M. But this, he explained, is just the government’s side of the equation.

As to the other side of the equation, Hughes said there are many cases where the private sector, and by extension

ment, it is the Private Sector that will have to create jobs and, by extension, growth.

Vice-Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Desmond Sears said over the last 25 years, the PSC has held cordial relations with governments and political parties. He said the PSC understand the needs of the business community and has been collaborating with government to promote an enabling environment for investments.

“There have been numerous deliberations relating to public policies tax reforms, political climate and crime, among others. The PSC stands impartial from the political environment and works closely with government and political oppositions to enhance the living standards of all Guyanese,” Sears said.

M&CC again defers... criticism from some City Councillors, who called for a complete revocation of it, while some others suggested waiting on the outcome of a court case that has a bearing on the matter.

The majority, nevertheless, voted in favour of renegotiating with SCS under some new rules. For instance, SCS will now be obligated to provide required documents before any negotiations can take place.

Member of the Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM), Don Singh had told this publication that the M&CC is going ahead with re-negotiating an illegal contract.

From page 8

“Now I don’t know how that works,” he’d said, adding: “We at MAPM are 100 per cent sure that the court case will justify our position that monopoly laws were broken; procurement laws were broken, and the general contract is illegal. So they will be faced with further problems down the road by taking this action.”

Another member, Luana Falconer, said that it was shocking to see that it did not matter to 13 councillors that the contract with SCS is illegal. “Where in the world is negotiating an illegal contract okay?” she said.

GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

President holds talks with oil firms, UNDP

President David Granger and President of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company, Clay Neff (in the centre), along with (from L-R) Presidential Adviser on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal; Guyanese Diplomat Sir Shridath Ramphal; Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, Ambassador Michael Ten-Pow; Mamadou Beye, Chevron General Manager of Policy; Government and Public Affairs (Africa and Latin America); Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge and Director-General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Audrey Waddell

By Svetlana Marshall ESTABLISHING cooperation in the area of alternative energy was among areas covered when President David Granger and his high-level delegation met with President of Chevron Africa and Latin America Exploration and Production Company, Clay Neff and team on Monday.

Active in more than 180 countries, Chevron is one of the world’s largest oil companies. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, natural gas, and geothermal energy industries, including hydrocarbon exploration and production; refining, marketing and transport; chemical manufacturing and sales and power- generation.

It also has interest in solar, wind power and biofuel energy.

Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, Ambassador Michael Ten-Pow, Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge; career diplo-

mat, Sir Shridath Ramphal; Presidential Adviser on Petroleum, Dr. Jan Mangal and Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Audrey Waddell, were among the officials who accompanied the President to the meeting with the Chevron officials.

President of Chevron Africa and Latin America was accompanied by Mamadou Beye, Chevron General Manager of Policy, Government and Public Affairs (Africa and Latin America).

Describing the meeting as fruitful, Minister Greenidge told journalists that Chevron’s plans were discussed, and how those initiatives would fit into Guyana’s medium and longterm plans.

“We spoke for example, [about] Chevron’s interest in alternative energy, solar energy, and a range of alternative in energy sources in which they have been commercially active, and that is a useful frame in which the cooperation might be developed in the long term,” Minister Greenidge detailed.

The oil company also used the opportunity to give Guyana an overview of its approach to its corporate responsibility. On Monday afternoon, President Granger and his delegation also met with John Hess, Chief Executive Officer of HESS Corporation— the exploration company that holds a 30 per cent interest in ExxonMobil’s offshore drilling operations in the Stabroek Block.

Though details of the meeting had not been made public up to press time, in May, 2017, when the Guyanese Government met with HESS, President Granger had made it clear that the production of oil must be aligned with the Government’s green agenda.

He had told the HESS CEO that while the country is eager to have oil production come on stream, it must be done in the context of Guyana’s ‘green’ development trajectory and as such, protection of the environment is critical.

“We are very concerned about the preservation of the

Series of activities planned for World Maritime Day THE Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) will be hosting a number of activities in Parika and Georgetown in observance of World Maritime Day 2017 on Thursday.

In a statement MARAD said every year World Maritime Day is celebrated to bring attention to the importance of shipping, maritime safety and security, the protection of the marine environment and to emphasise a particular aspect of the work of the International Maritime

Organization.

The theme for World Maritime Day 2017 is “Connecting Ships, Ports and People.” This year’s theme was adopted to focus attention on the existing co-operation between ports and ships, and enhancing a safe and secure transportation system in the maritime sector.

Among the activities planned by MARAD are: an essay competition; a Safety walk – September 23, 2017 – from Parika Outfalls to Parika Stelling; Church ser-

vice – September 24, 2017 – St. Andrews’s Kirk; Maritime Exhibition – September 28, 2017 – Parika Stelling; Marine Cadets’ Graduation Ceremony – September 29, 2017 – Umana Yana MARAD said too that it has collaborated with MATPAL Marine Institute, the Shipping Association of Guyana, the Guyana Defence Force Coast Guard and other industry stakeholders to host this year’s exhibition. The general public is invited to this year’s maritime exhibition.

environment… We want the extractive industries to be developed in a sustainable way,” the President was quoted as saying back in May. Also on Monday, the Guyanese officials also met with executives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) led

by UNDP Administrator, Achim Steiner. Also at the meeting were Jessica Faieta, the Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP, Guyanese Kenroy Roach, Regional Advisor, Regional

Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNDP and Rosita Todorova, Policy Specialist, UNDP. Briefing the media on the meeting with the UNDP, the Foreign Affairs Minister said the discussion was wide-ranging.

“They examined cooperation between the UNDP and Guyana, those projects that were in place.

More particularly, there were concerns about the environment, commitment to achieving environmental targets, and also all of the consequences of the recent hurricanes in the re-

gion,” Minister Greenidge disclosed. He said Guyana also signalled its willingness to further assist within its own limited capacity to complement the assistance already provided. “[We were] encouraging the UNDP to try to see what they could do, saying that in the event that a place or land space of any kind is needed, even on a temporary basis, Guyana is prepared to make that available, in addition to the material resources and also the small financial contribution which has been made.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Caria Caria celebrates Heritage Day --with cultural explosion of dance, poetry, acoustic music

By Michel Outridge DOZENS of visitors joined residents of Caria Caria, on the Essequibo River on Sunday as they celebrated Amerindian Heritage Day in that community.

The event saw a cultural explosion of dance, poetry and acrostic music, coupled with the vending of Amerindian wines, beverages, and foods from the various booths that were specially constructed for the occasion.

In the absence of Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, his representative, Mr Ashton Simon said Caria Caria is a model community, and it is only fitting that Amerindian Heritage was celebrated there with such fanfare, given the large turnout of both residents and visitors.

Simon, who is also President of the National Amerindian Development Foundation (NADF), said the organisation has done a lot of behindthe-scenes work with its leaders in an effort to develop the community.

He also stressed the need for all-weather roads, electricity and potable water in the riverine community, the main source of income of which is from logging, farming and mining.

Guests also heard from the representative of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), as well as several other invitees who were part of the head table on Sunday during the cultural presentation at Caria Caria.

Chairman of the Community Development Council (CDC), Everton Gibson said the organisation consists of 10 members, all of whom are tasked with overseeing the development of the village which has about 300 residents.

The Lake Mainstay/Whyaka troupe doing the “Curri-Curri” dance at Sunday’s Heritage Day celebrations

Caria Caria lasses

BRIEF HISTORY Giving a brief history of Caria Caria, Gibson said the village has been in existence since 1820 or thereabouts, back when it was run by the Dutch, and the church played a key role in education.

He said that for recreation these days, the children would play outdoor games such as cricket and football. He also spoke about the need for police presence in the village since there are about three bars there.

Bars aside, he said the community boasts several churches, a health centre, a community centre and playground, and a nursery school and Annexe.

Caria Caria is home to a mostly mixed-race peoples of Amerindian, Portuguese, East Indian and African descent.

The Resident Nurse, Everey Sampson, who was a vendor at one of the booths, told the Guyana Chronicle that she has been holding that post for 19 years. She too spoke about the various needs of the community, one of which is roads.

She also hinted at the need for potable water, as every now and again, there is an outbreak of typhoid and diarrhoea in the village, because the water they use is sourced from either the Essequibo River or rainfall.

Sampson was selling her fresh supply of Paiwari, golden apple wine and sarsaparilla wine, along with generous helpings of fried rice and BBQ chicken at the Caria Caria Heritage Day celebrations.

Cecilia Craig, a teacher at the village school, said that among their immediate needs are toys for the smaller children, teaching aids, stationery and other school supplies.

She stated, too, that they also are in need of fuel for the boat which was donated by the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs, which is used for the transport of schoolchildren.

The various alcoholic and other beverages that were on sale Sunday

Fort Island Medex, Preetty Debideen and Jeanette Hohenkirk

OVERSEAS VISITORS At the Caria Caria Heritage Day celebrations was Clyde Matthews, a Canada-based Guyanese who was visiting and was very pleased with the atmosphere, which was one of obvious celebration and togetherness.

Yvonne Jacobs, who journeyed with her extended-family from West Coast Demerara to Caria Caria, had her hand-made embroidery, fabric painting and craft products on sale.

Originally from Saxacalli, some 25 miles upriver from Parika, Jacobs said that because her husband is from Caria Caria, she took the family to experience what Heritage Day is like there.

Sharlene Sampson, who resides at Caria Caria, told this publication that life in the remote village is bearable, once you’re prepared to work, since there isn’t much folks there can do for a living.

She had steaming pots of pepperpot labba, hymara, BBQ Chicken, fried rice, chips and various beverages on sale.

The Guyana Chronicle also caught up with Jenette Hohenkirk, who had on sale rice and golden apple wines, paiwari, ‘Fly’, ite palm, cashew and plantain wines, along with various types of seasoned rice with BBQ chicken, deer, labba, wild hog and wild cow.

Being a resident, she said Caria Caria is a very peaceful and quiet place to live, and that come this time every year, she gets to put her culinary skills to the test.

Preetty Debideen, who is the resident Medex for Fort Island and a member of NADF, said she is originally from Mabaruma in Region One (Barima-Waini) but has been living on the island for the past 15 years.

She said that Wakenaam is the closet police station to Fort Island which is located in the Essequibo River and is about an hour’s ride by speedboat to Caria Caria

:Caria Caria Village, on the Essequibo River

Heritage Day guests

Yvonne Jacobs displaying her wares on Sunday

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Storm-hit countries could take decades to rebuild–PM

THE devastation wrought by hurricanes Irma and Maria on Caribbean territories has taken a severe toll on the physical infrastructure of those countries and it would take at least 10 years before they could become viable once again.

This is the view of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, who said on Monday that the fragility of the economies within the Caribbean will gravely affect their ability to restructure in a timely manner. “We have always been vulnerable in the Caribbean, because of the nature of our economy. Most of our countries depend on tourism and

now with what has happened, there will not be an attractive tourist destination,” Nagamootoo said, adding that the tourism industry would need the support of all partners to rebuild.

Several Caribbean countries, including the British Virgin Islands (BVI), Antigua’s sister island Barbuda and most recently Dominica, have lost hundreds billions of dollars after the hurricanes swept through them. Many families have lost loved ones, while some persons had to be evacuated to other countries.

The Governments in several of those countries are beginning to rebuild their

infrastructure. Barbuda has been left completely devastated by Hurricane Irma.

An estimated 95% of that country’s structures are damaged, and the entire island of around 1,800 people has been evacuated.

The small island community is said to have a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $1 billion a year.

The country’s ambassador to the U.S., Sir Ronald Sanders, had said recently that the country cannot afford to take on the responsibility (of rebuilding) by itself. “Barbuda is not just a disaster, it’s a humanitarian crisis. We are hopeful that

Destruction in Barbuda after Hurricane Irma

the international community will come to our aid, not because we’re begging for something we want, but because we’re begging for something that is needed.”

He said currently initial estimates suggest that Barbuda will need about $200 million to recover. Over 90 percent of buildings were destroyed, including all government premises.

Barbudans are temporarily living in neighbouring Antigua until they can resume their lives back in Barbuda.

While Barbuda was destroyed by Hurricane Irma, the British Virgin Islands (BVI) has had two bouts.

First suffering Irma and then falling at the mercy of Hurricane Maria.

According to “the Star” report, Hurricane Maria struck the island last Tuesday night, destroying most of what was left after the first storm. It dragged the debris left behind by Hurricane Irma across the island — causing further road blocks and thrashing of homes.

And over in Dominica, the situation there had brought Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to tears.

He exclaimed to Heads of Government at the 72nd United Nations (UN) General Assembly last week, that

“Dominica was brought to its knees.” The Commonwealth country was hit by Hurricane Maria in the early morning hours of Tuesday last. The Government of Guyana through the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has been assisting countries, donating an initial US $100,000. Government officials also visited the Irma-battered countries to meet with Guyanese and assess their immediate needs. Government insists that there is still much to be done and has invited the public to make donations to several bank accounts to aid in the process.

Flattened Dominica after Hurricane Maria last week

TIP task force ramps up awareness in hinterland MEMBERS of the Ministerial Task Force on Trafficking in Persons conducted trafficking in persons (TIP) awareness programmes in several hinterland and mining communities in Region Seven from September 15-19.

In a statement to the media on Monday, the Ministry of Public Security said the team comprised eight persons who represented that ministry, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the Ministry of Social Protection. Miners and residents of several

mining camps, indigenous settlements and landings in the Upper Mazaruni, including Imbaimadai, Jawalla, Kamarang, Kako and Karoweing along with mining camps near Chai Chai Falls and Abau Creek were part of the programme.

The eight-member

Some miners of Karoweing Backdam, Upper Mazaruni, Region Seven, who participated in the TIP sensitisation programme.

team also visited Fort Knox and ‘Dragas, along the Mazaruni River to distribute brochures and other anti-trafficking in persons’ paraphernalia such as posters, hats, bags and wristbands. According to the ministry, the information-sharing sessions were

well received and participants were encouraged to contact the 24-hour TIP hotline on telephone numbers 227-4083 or 623-5030 or the local police, mines officers, Toshaos, Village Councilors or Community Development Officer.

“The Ministerial Task

Force on Trafficking in Persons remains committed to fighting human trafficking through its public education programme implemented via collaboration among its member agencies and other stakeholders,” the statement said.

Members of the Task Force with some miners from Jawalla, who participated in the TIP-awareness session at a mining camp below Abau Creek

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

GWI helps out Tucville Terrace --provides unregularised community with potable water

WALKING long distances to fetch water is now a thing of the past for the residents of Tucville Terrace, following the intervention of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

Tucville Terrace is a small squatting area in suburban Georgetown which is seeking to become regularised. While this is yet to be done, GWI’s Managing Director, Dr. Richard VanWest Charles has responded to a request by village representatives to provide water

service connections to the families there.

Now, some 25 households, inclusive of children and babies, have access to 24-hour potable water in their homes.

Following the laying of the new pipelines and installation of new service connections, Chairperson of GWI’s Board of Directors and Georgetown Mayor, Ms. Patricia Chase-Green, Dr. Van-West Charles and other GWI officials visited the area on Saturday to take a look at

the work that has been done and speak with the beneficiaries.

Dr. Van-West Charles said he was happy to intervene, after being approached

by Ms. Patricia Fraser, a village representative, some four months ago.

He explained that although providing new service connections for the area was not in the cards, the decision was made to invest resources to make it happen.

Dr. Van-West Charles commended Ms. Fraser for

One resident using her new water service connection

GWI Managing- Director, Dr. Richard Van-West Charles and GWI Chairperson, Ms. Patricia Chase-Green (sixth and eighth left respectively) and other GWI officials with some Tucville Terrace residents during a visit to the community on Saturday

her boldness in approaching GWI, and encouraged residents to cooperate with each other with the aim of improving the quality of life for their community.

Ms. Chase-Green encouraged them to take the next step, which is to approach the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) to become regularised.

She’s even pledged to work with them in ensuring the village is equipped with

the basic amenities by means of the correct procedures.

Ms. Fraser, in turn, thanked Dr. Van-West Charles and his staff for responding promptly to the village’s request, and relieving residents of their prolonged burden of having to depend on the rain or fetch water from far distances.

“I thank Dr. Van-West Charles that when I make the approach, that he listened and then he called Mr. Pearson,”

she said, adding: “And I would thank all of them, because they give us their promise and they never fall down on it.”

Many of the other beneficiaries also expressed their gratitude at having access to running water for the first time.

“I feel very good to be getting water after so many years, and I am glad that this could be put in place.

Instead of you deh thiefing water and these sorta things, you pay for it,” said Mr. Linden Adams, who is a member of a family of five.

Another resident, one Mr. Terrence noted, “I living here for the past 25 years; it was a good step that GWI made, because this is what we been needing because we are people; not because they call the land squatting.”

Ms. Abena Lyken, who has been living in Tucville Terrace for some 19 years, said, “This is the first time we getting legal water, and to me, it’s the best thing.

“Sometimes we used to rely on the rain, ‘cause not every time you want go at people place to get water.”

GWI stands committed to ensuring all residents gain equal access to potable water throughout Guyana.

Peter’s Hall overpass taking shape WORKS on the overpass at Peter’s Hall on the East Bank of Demerara are moving apace. The overhead steel beams for the structure were erected on Sunday night, a noticeable change to the landscape in the area.

Minister of Public Infra-

structure, David Patterson, recently told the Department of Public information (DPI) that the works at the East Bank Demerara overpasses, including one at Eccles and Houston, are expected to be completed by November.

Recently, it was reported in another section of the

media that a vehicle overpass which was expected to be built at Diamond, farther up the East Bank of Demerara, has been cancelled. This was a result of the lands which were identified for the structure being sold to private individuals.

Workers laying the foundation for the overpass at Peter’s Hall.

The overhead beams for the overpass at Peter’s Hall were erected on Sunday night, a new feature to the landscape in the area.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, September 26, 2017

Dynamic to close Guyana operations PROBLEMATIC airline, Dynamic International Airways, has suspended all flights to Guyana and reports from some travel agents in Guyana and New York suggest that the troubled airline has pulled out of their ticketing systems for the remainder of 2017.

A check on the airline’s website indicates that all flights for the remainder of the year are either “sold out” or “no flights are available “ and passengers who have already booked to fly with the airline later this year have already expressed worry at the latest development.

Captain Gerry Gouveia, CEO of Roraima Airways, the local handler for Dynamic, suggested in a social media post that the end is near for the international carrier. “The final days for the final flights are being counted down, even as the planes continue to operate with 90% loads,” Gouveia wrote on social media on Tuesday morning.

A member of the public

reported that her family had booked with the airline to travel to the U.S. later in the year. She said that the family is at a loss as to their next move. For years the airline has been faced with challenges including delays in Guyana, as well as New York, where persons have been stranded for days while the airline experienced operational issues.

In July, the carrier announced that it has filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition with the United States Bankruptcy Court. It stated that it intends to continue its operations here as its principals restructure plans. The airline noted that its decision to file for bankruptcy protection follows upon litigation matters resulting from Hajj flights the airline operated in 2014 for Air India.

“It also follows the entry

of a judgment in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina affirming an arbitration award against Dynamic Int’l. issued by the Canadian Arbitration Association in April 2017, which determined that Dynamic int’l. was in breach of contract by failing to pay commissions to BKP Enterprises in connection with the Hajj flights. While the debtor has filed a notice of appeal and intends to challenge the judgment and award, Dynamic Int’l said It has no immediate recourse to stay the judgment and has determined the commencement of the Chapter 11 case is necessary,” the statement said.

Guyanese travellers have noted that the imminent closure of the airline’s operations is likely to result in a climb in airfare rates from other carriers which ply the Georgetown-New York route. Currently, Caribbean Airlines and Fly Jamaica Airways operate flights along the lucrative route.

Pensioner charged for allegedly killing wife A 60-year-old man, Randolph Tahal, was on Monday charged for allegedly killing his wife and appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court.

He was arraigned before Senior Magistrate Alex Moore. Particulars of the charge read that between September 17 and 19, at Smythfield, New Amsterdam, Tahal murdered his wife Janet Tahal. Tahal, a former driver, was not required to plead to the capital charge.

Police Inspector Godfrey Playter informed the court that additional investiga-

tions are being conducted and as a result, asked for a shorter adjournment to October 27, instead of the longer period which was suggested by the court. Thereafter, Magistrate Moore informed the defendant’s lawyer Charrandas Persaud that due to the nature of the matter, only a sitting High Court Judge can grant his client pre-trial liberty.

Having said so, Magistrate Moore remanded Tahal to prison.

On Monday, September 18 last, the defendant had reported to the police that his wife Janet may have fallen and injured herself at their Lot 95 Smythfield home in New Amsterdam. The

pensioner had reported that after returning home from his mother’s wake, at Lot 53 Stanleytown, he opened the front door to his house and subsequently saw his wife lying in their home in a pool of blood with a wound to the left side of her head.

He said he took her to the New Amsterdam Hospital, before going to the Central Police Station the following day, where he made a report. Following that report, the police visited the location and saw that the house was secured, but managed to retrieve a bloodied pillow and pillow case which were seen concealed in the corner of the yard.

Market vendor in court for smoking ganja A STABROEK Market vendor was released on $20,000 bail by City Magistrate Judy Latchman for allegedly smoking cannabis.

Noel Mansfield, 40 of Durban Street, Wortmanville denied that on September 22 at Stabroek Market he smoked

cannabis.

The court heard that police during a raid in the market area saw the accused with a cigarette-like object in his hands smoking and contacted him.

The object was searched and a quantity of leaves, seeds and stem suspected to be cannabis were found inside.

Mansfield however told the court that he is currently

before Magistrate Dylon Bess for trafficking 42 Ziploc bags of cannabis. Police Prosecutor, Shawn Gonsalves objected to the accused being granted bail on the ground that Mansfield has another ongoing drug charge before the court. Magistrate Latchman released the accused on $20,000 bail and adjourned the matter to October 16.

Recent strikes cost GuySuCo over $30M THE Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc. (GuySuCo) has expressed concern over what it described as the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union’s (GAWU) continued attempts to frustrate the corporation’s efforts to achieve targets for the second crop.

This, GuySuCo said in a release, could possibly lead to its closure, since if its ability to conduct its core business becomes severely impaired, this would compromise any justification for keeping its doors open. “Sadly, some of our employees are unwittingly being misled by the union to participate in this very disturbing act, which could result in all 16,000 plus employees becoming unemployed.”

According to the sugar corporation over the past two weeks, there were a number of strikes called by GAWU at practically all estates. The corporation said while it has absolutely no difficulty with employees participating in strike action to express their views on matters, an analysis of industrial relations actions taken over the past two weeks under the influence of GAWU, is increasingly a cause for concern.

The corporation reminded that its core business is sugar cane cultivation and sugar production and not strikes or protests actions.

“The frequency of strikes, protest actions and other related activities is impacting negatively on the corporation’s ability to achieve set targets and by extension, to fulfil commitments to the shareholder, customers and other stakeholders,” GuySuCo warned.

It added: “All employees are fully informed about the

current challenges which the corporation faces as well as the strategies to navigate a path at this difficult time. The expectation of the corporation from every employee is that they remain focused on the path ahead and support each other and the efforts of management; and most importantly, that they honour their obligations to their employer, which is to give of their best efforts towards the achievement of set targets.”

According to GuySuCo, employees, who for one reason or another are unable to contribute to the core business of the corporation, which is sugar cane cultivation and sugar production, are invited to meet with estate managers or senior management on estates by Friday 29 September, 2017 and provide them with this information. GuySuCo said it is important for GAWU to note that the company is part of a highly competitive regional and global sugar industry and as a business, strikes are negatively affecting its credibility of being a reliable supplier.

Additionally, as a business, the corporation’s value chain is being affected every time there is a strike. “The value chain includes: sugar cane cultivation -- planting and harvesting; sugar production – factory operations; logistics; marketing and sales; and services. Therefore, whenever the cane planters, harvesters or other groups of employees withdraw their labour, the entire value chain is affected. When this happens frequently, it disrupts the smooth flow in the value chain which can have medium to long-term negative impacts and basically it affects the sustainability of the industry.”

Additionally, the sugar company said strikes have

a tremendous cost to the employee as well as the corporation, noting that employees who were on strike at the Skeldon Estate on 21, 22 and 23 September, 2017, lost G$4,384,188 Million in wages. The loss to the corporation was, 1,158 man-days and G$29,500,000Million, which is the equivalent of 464 tonnes of sugar.

“It should be noted that this loss was at Skeldon Estate only. There were also strikes at Albion/Port Mourant, Blairmont, Rose Hall and Uitvlugt Estates. One of the reasons given by employees for striking was the late payment of wages for the week of 15 September.

At the Skeldon Estate, strike action by employees refusing to do a full day’s work and demanding payment for extras cost them over G$4 Million.”

In the case of the 375 cane harvesters from the Wales Estate, who were offered employment at the Uitvlugt Estate and have since failed to turn up for work between January and September, 2017, resulted in them losing over G$100M in wages. “It simply means that over $100 Million could have been in circulation in the Wales and West Bank Demerara communities during this period. However, GAWU has encouraged those cane harvesters not to take the jobs offered at Uitvlugt Estate. It should be noted that some of these cane harvesters are now turning out to work at Uitvlugt Estate and are earning as much as G$4,200 per day.

The corporation would like to urge employees to think more deeply about the motives and motivations of GAWU and to be more focused on sustaining their livelihood and that of their fellow employees.”

CANU hunts woman who tried to smuggle cocaine in hammocks A GUYHOC Park, Georgetown woman is being sought by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) after she allegedly posted last week four hammocks saturated with cocaine.

The woman has been identified as Tiffini Tricia Tiffini Tricia Collison, 26. According to Collison CANU, the unemployed, mother of a minor child, of F 21 Samaan Street, Guyhoc Park, Georgetown, posted four hammocks suspected to have been saturated with cocaine to an address in the United States of America via a Georgetown-based courier service.

The suspicious package was discovered

by a CANU rank at the Eugene F Correia International Airport, Ogle, East Coast Demerara, on Thursday last whilst being checked as outgoing cargo. A check of the woman’s home has been unsuccessful and family members and friends have not been able to contact her. Anyone knowing her whereabouts is asked to contact CANU at telephone number 226-0431.

The cocaine-laced hammocks which the woman posted.

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

Metro Office Supplies renews sponsorship of RHTYSC female team IN AN era where sponsorship for Sports is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain, the outstanding work of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, MS, continues to attract the support of corporate Guyana.

To this end Guyana’s only female cricket team last Thursday received a major boost when the official sponsor renewed its sponsorship for the tenth successive year.

Metro Office and Computer Supplies since 2009 has been the official sponsor of the Rose Hall Town Metro Female Team and the company handed over a cheque to Patron of the Club, President David Granger for $200 000.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster hailed Metro Office Supplies as a long-standing friend of Guyana’s leading Youth and Sports Club.

“Metro has been sponsoring the team since its formation in 2007 and the Rose Hall Town Metro Team remains the only female cricket team in Guyana. The team in

Fhaleeza Ramcharran of Metro Office Supplies presents cheque to RHTY&SC Patron, His Excellency President David Granger.

2009 won the only ever national female championship and over the years produced a total of two West Indies players, ten national senior players, 15 national junior players while 29 have played for Berbice,” Foster said in a release.

Foster expressed total frustration that no other cricket club in Guyana has the interest to establish a

female team which is a sad reflection of lack of commitment and vision.

The long-serving Secretary/CEO proudly stated that both male and female cricketers of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club work together and enjoy a remarkable relationship.

With no cricket being played in Berbice due to lack of leadership from an ailing

Berbice Cricket Board, the management of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club continues to arrange matches for its teams every weekend at the Area ‘H’ ground, and this allows the female cricketers to participate.

He expressed gratitude to the management and staff of Metro Office Supplies, especially Chief Executive Officer Avia Lindie and Manager of the New Amsterdam Branch Danny Ramnarine for their co-operation.

Captain of the Metro Female team, Shemaine Campbelle, in an invited comment, expressed pleasure at the renewal of the sponsorship, and pledged to make Metro proud on and off the cricket field.

Ramnarine hailed the company’s investment as a productive one, as the Rose Hall Town Metro female team represented the brand very well.

The female cricketers have been outstanding ambassadors for the company, he stated, while urging the team to uphold their high standard.

Region One win Heritage Day Swim Meet AFTER the greatest participation and biggest wins, the Barima-Waini team accrued 568 points to inevitably win the Heritage Games Indigenous Swim Meet, which concluded last Saturday at the National Aquatic Centre, in Liliendaal.

They were more than 300 points above second-place finishers, Mahaica Berbice, who ended with 242 points, still some way ahead of Region Three, who mustered 178 points.

Bringing up the rear were Demerara Mahaica with a mere 12 points.

Low participation from

the other teams, left the Region One at times with literally no competition, as was the case in the Boys 9-10, where Nelon Lucas simply raced against the clock as he picked up the 25m backstroke (20.67s) and 25m freestyle (16.18s) wins.

Region Three picked up crucial points in the Boys 13-14 category, where sole competitor Damion Smith championed the 25m backstroke (24.51s), 25m freestyle (15.69s) and 50m freestyle (39.07s).

Overall, however, Region One dominated both the male and female sides.

For the Boys, Smith’s results were the only wins that Barima-Waini did not pick up as Nelson Lucas controlled all the Boys 11-12 wins, and Hyde Williams did the same in the Boys 18 and over category. In the Boys’ 15-17 category the spoils were shared between Nyron Ohermuller and Tyeal Campbell.

In the 25m and 50m freestyle Barima-Waini made a clean sweep of all three top spots, with Campbell, Obermuller and their team mate Vaughn Fredericks taking first to third, respectively, in both events.

On the distaff side, there was also a clean sweep for Region One in the Girls’ Under-17 50m freestyle, where Teshanna Hunter (31.90s), Leona Gonsalves (33.52s), and Anastacia Valenzuela (36.28s), respectively, copped the top spots.

Hunter also championed the 25m backstroke 17.38s, while Valenzuela won the 25m freestyle in 15.72 seconds.

Top performer for Region 5 was Monia Dunlus, who won the Girls 13-14 25m backstroke (23.95s), 25m freestyle (18.68s), and 50m freestyle (44.74s).

Aussies seek swift end to worrying trend MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Steve Smith has said his side’s record in 2017 is unacceptable for an Australian cricket team in the wake of the one-day international series loss to India.

Australia’s five-wicket defeat in Indore saw them fall 3-0 behind in the five-match series, and was their 11th loss in their past 13 ODIs away from home. The other two matches were rain-affected no results.

With the Ashes looming

in two months, the Australia skipper said his team needed to get back to winning ways fast.

“It’s a different format (to the Ashes) but I’d certainly like to start winning some games of cricket in every format to be honest,” Smith told reporters. ”It’s pretty ordinary. Not good enough for an Australian cricket team and we need to start turning the results around and winning some games. ”It’s been a bit of a trend

for this format and the Test format as well.

“We’re quite often getting ourselves into good positions and we’re not taking advantage of those and today was no different.”

Australia have won just three out of 17 matches across all three formats since the ODI series victory at home against Pakistan in January.

Smith’s men will be keen to break their win drought, mindful that an ODI series whitewash away to South Af-

rica last year preceded the 2-1 Test series defeat against the same opponents on home soil. ”It’s always hard to take when you lose,“ Smith said. ”(As captain) you’ve got to continue to try and motivate them and get them up for their next two games.

“We continually address it and it’s just hard to put the finger on exactly what it is we’re doing or not doing to get the results we’re after.”

The fourth ODI is in Bengaluru on Thursday.

From back page

T&T 4x400 gold ...

Administration of Athletic Associations (NAAA) Ephraim Serrette said while being proud of the achievement, it was a bittersweet day for the association.

Just recently, Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle Lee Ahye, who was a sprint finalist at the IAAF World Championships, lamented the fact that the women’s team that won a bronze medal at the 2015 championships in Beijing, but plans were being made to honour the gold medal winning men’s team in London this past summer.

This has left the NAAA president conflicted.

“It is always good that they recognised our national athletes’ performances, but sometimes it’s bittersweet because at this time we are still trying to sort out this national sports policy and dealing with the issues of support and reward,” he said.

“So you have athletes

with issues, lack of support and financial reward and then you’re being honoured at this level, so for the federation I am very happy that at this time they are trying to sort out the issues dealing with funding and reward. Once that is done there will be nobody up in arms about what you get, who gets what.”

T&T Sports Minister Darryl Smith assured SportsMax.tv that the national sports policy addressing those issues would be ready by later this year.

“We are now doing a new sports policy that includes athletes funding, the rewarding of athletes, grassroots programmes, sports tourism,” Smith had said last month.

“The draft policy has been completed and we are in the final stages of which that policy will be taken to Cabinet to be approved.

Once it is approved we will have a new policy that can deal with all these things.”

From back page

`Show me the... receive moneys from for the countless initiatives, as outlined in depth in the article, since assuming office almost two years ago, including paying staff and the upcoming international friendly against Grenada and the frequent international travel by the president and executives?” Urling stated.

Urling, said all the spending and moneys received by the Normalisation Committee “was chronicled and presented to the electoral Congress in November 2015 and that data was publicly posted on the GFF’s website and can easily be obtained by any person or journalist from the GFF’s office.

Those available documents can substantiate the financial data of our tenure.”

“At no point has FIFA, the authority which appointed the Normalisation Committee, contacted any member of the Committee for any verification or comment on any audit conducted. Also, how can Forde say on the one hand no funding was received but yet since the NC’s departure, and currently, the GFF has engaged in many activities, including several international friendlies for both male and female at youth and senior levels and concluded two seasons of the ‘elite league’. Something

just doesn’t add up,” Urling declared.

Urling reasoned that when the Normalisation Committee members were asked to volunteer by FIFA to rectify the many challenges facing the GFF, a robust financial system with reporting mechanisms was implemented.

“We hired a finance director to work with the finance officer at the time Christine Jones and both individuals were responsible for preparing all vouchers that had to meet the scrutiny of then General Secretary Richard Groden before being presented to Dr Karen Pilgrim and I to sign as joint account officer of the GFF, in our capacities as Chair and Vice-Chair,” said Urling.

He continued, “Shortly after we handed over the reins to the current GFF executives, we saw the resignations of several accounting department personnel, including those hired by the current executives.

“Additionally we saw the GFF change two General Secretaries in a short time span. Much has to be asked about the current administrative turbulence, which one hopes does not slide the GFF back to a situation of needing another Normalisation Committee.”

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GUYANA CHRONICLE, TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

USOC chief backs athletes’ protests

Baltimore Ravens players, including former player Ray Lewis, second from right, kneel down during the U.S. national anthem before an NFL football game.

PARK CITY, Utah (Reuters) - Athletes should feel free to express their political opinions during next February’s Winter Games in Pyeongchang despite strict Olympic rules barring such demonstrations, the head of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) said yesterday.

Referring to Sunday’s protest by over 100 NFL players, who went down on one knee during the national anthem to protest against racial inequality, USOC CEO Scott Blackmun said athletes had a right to air

their opinions.

“The athletes you see protesting are protesting because they love their country, not because they don‘t,” he said.

“So we fully support that our athletes and everybody else to express themselves.”

Blackmun acknowledged that the situation is trickier given the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter, which specifically bans “demonstrations of political, religious or racial propaganda,” at Olympic venues.

“We have a little bit of a

different state of play when it comes to the Olympic Games.”

Blackmun praised the 1968 Olympic protest by American track and field athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who gave a black power salute from the podium in Mexico City, sparking controversy. Smith later stated that the gesture was a “human rights salute”.

“That was a seminal moment not only for the Olympic movement but the U.S. Olympic team and we recognised them last year by bringing them to the White

House,” he said.

Several Olympic hopefuls backed the protesting NFL players but said yesterday that it was too soon to say what they may do if they find themselves in a similar position.

“I respect what those guys did and I do believe there is a lot of room for social change. As a person of colour I do think it’s something that we need to address,” said Elana Meyers, an American bobsled pilot and two-time Winter Olympic medallist. ”But at the Olympics, the only time you get to hear your national anthem is if you win a gold medal.

“So it is going to come down to a game time decision.”

Julia Mancuso, an alpine skier and four-time Olympic medallist, also supports the NFL players but said the dynamics are different for Olympic athletes.

“When it comes to the Olympics, I like to think that it’s a special event not just like the NFL or pro sports teams that compete every weekend. For us it’s every four years,” she said.

“I‘m proud of athletes that stand up for what they believe in ... but I also like to think of us all as very patriotic athletes.”

Todd tops strong field to win Scotiabank golf tourney GAVIN Todd took the first prize with a Net 64 in last Saturday’s Scotiabank-sponsored Golf tournament which took place at the Lusignan Golf Course.

The bank – a partner of 20 years with the Club – handed over a generous contribution of $250 000 to the top three golfers to donate to charities of their choice.

The tournament attracted 32 golfers and Todd came out on top ahead of Richard Haniff, with a Net 68, Rabindranath Persaud (Pandit Ravi) ended the day on Net 69 and Lakeram Ramsundar (Panko) had a Net 70.

Rookie Anasha Ally was pleasantly the Nearest to the Pin winner while Mario Acuna was awarded the

Most Honest Golfer prize.

Scotiabank Robb Street Branch Manager, and acting president of the Club, Brian Hackett, later expressed his gratitude to the sponsor for such a wonderful tournament and for the long-term commitment to the club. He of-

Scotiabank winners

fered the bank’s commitment to continued sponsorship of competition and support of golfing in Guyana.

Todd, who expressed his delight after winning the tournament, said: “Diligence in practice, skill and a great mental attitude all came to-

gether wonderfully to push me clearly to the front.”

The donation is part of the bank’s generous $1.2M package of sponsorship, inclusive of prizes and gifts of golf bags, balls, gloves, hats, umbrellas, flasks and other equipment.

GCB names strong 15-man squad for ABCA Independence

Gajanand Singh

Ronsford Beaton

THE Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) on Sunday evening announced a strong 15-man squad to participate in the second annual Antigua Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) Independence T20 tournament.

The three-team tournament is scheduled for October 6 to 14. Jamaica and hosts Antigua are the other two participating countries.

According to a release from the GCB, the team consists of a mixture of contracted Franchise and Academy players along with other senior players, and

will be led by Leon Johnson, with Veerasammy Permaul as vice-captain.

The Guyana squad reads: Robin Bacchus, Gajanand Singh, Leon Johnson, Chanderpaul Hemraj, Jonathan Foo, Anthony Bramble, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Veerasammy Permaul, Steven Jacobs, Ronsford Beaton, Romario Shepherd, Ricardo Adams, Christopher Barnwell and Ramaal Lewis.

All players are asked to report to the Everest Cricket ground for training this morning from 09:00hrs.

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26

GUYANA CHRONICLE, TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

It will take a `superhuman’ effort to lift Berbice cricket – Foster … BCB top post still under consideration ations, cricketers, local leaders, business entities, as well as a number of politicians.

Meanwhile, should Foster confirm his running, and should he become the BCB president, cricket in abundance at all levels will be his main priority.

“My main aim is to host 20 tournaments every year from the Under-13 level right up to senior … over 100 offfield activities under different

By Rajiv Bisnauth POPULAR cricket administrator Hilbert Foster yesterday weighed in on the numerous calls whether he should run as a presidential candidate in the upcoming election reserved for the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), which is scheduled for October 8.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elections of the BCB was made possible by a ruling delivered

by Justice Navindra Singh last September 8, with the purpose of electing officer-bearers of the board.

But Foster said yesterday that he is still mulling over whether to run for the top post since it will take a superhuman effort to lift Berbice cricket.

“I am still considering whether to run,” Foster said.

He added, “Berbice cricket at such a low level, it will take a superhuman effort to lift it up, but once I consider and win, and with the right team, a turnaround can happen in six months”.

Just recently at the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club’s 27th annual awards ceremony, Foster had pointed out that Berbice cricket is in disarray due to the lust for power, both

Hilbert Foster

Anil Beharry

at the county and national levels.

Foster, who is the CEO of Guyana’s leading sports club, had also mentioned that Berbice cricket is run by people who have no vision, no capacity to manage and are in charge, despite not being elected to do so.

To this end, and with the elections for office-bearers now looming, former West Indies cricketers Ramnaresh Sarwan and Mahendra Nagamootoo as well as Region Six Chairman David Armogan, have thrown their support behind Foster, saying Foster should be the preferred presidential candidate.

Those endorsements are just a few, according to Foster, who said he’s heartened by the overwhelming support from clubs, associ-

applicants Godwyn Allicock of the Port Mourant Cricket Club and David Black of the West Berbice Cricket Association sought and were granted a court injunction against the BCB which significantly limited the work of the-then Anil Beharry-led administration.

However, after the BCB one-year term expired in December 2015, according to what is stipulated in the Cricket Administration Bill, Beharry resigned from the post in January of this year.

Elected vice-president Dhieranidranauth Somwaru is performing duties as acting president, since he had informed Chronicle Sport in a subsequent interview that the injunction against the BCB was subsequently withdrawn.

Dhieranidranauth Somwaru

sub heads will be in the pipe line. Also I will ensure that each cricket club in Berbice has cricket on a regular basis so that our cricketers can benefit,” Foster concluded.

The elections will be the first since 2014. The BCB was thrown into turmoil a few months after the December 2014 elections, after

Windies in fund-raising drive to bring relief for hurricane victims BRISTOL, England (CMC) – West Indies players wore black armbands during Sunday’s third ODI in tribute to those who lost their lives in the recent hurricanes which swept through the Caribbean.

The Windies will also participate in a fund-raising drive in the ongoing series to raise money to aid with the relief efforts in the region.

As part of this arrangement, there will be collection points manned by the Red Cross at the two venues for remaining matches in the series.

The initiative began with Sunday’s match played at the County Ground here and will continue during the fourth match at the Oval in London tomorrow. The final match is carded for the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Friday.

“We have all heard of the devastation and we’ve seen image and videos of what happened back home during the passage of the recent hurricanes,” said captain Jason Holder.

Jason Holder “We want to do all we can to help with the relief efforts.

Whatever we can do to help we are ready to during this very difficult time.”

Earlier this month, the tiny island of Barbuda was left uninhabitable during the passage of Hurricane Irma.

And last week, Dominica was battered by Hurricane Maria resulting in catastrophic damage and over 15 deaths so far.

CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Tuesday September 26, 2017)

COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Alec Stewart-17 (14 catches/3 stumpings) (2) Jeff Dujon-33 (31 catches/2 stumpings) Today’s Quiz: (1) Which two made their ODI debut against England?

Marlon Samuels, Chris Gayle, Carlton Baugh, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ian Bradshaw (2) Who are the two captains involved in the current WI/ENG ODI series?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

England selectors to name Ashes squad tomorrow

By Neil Robinson LONDON, England (Reuters) - England’s selectors name their squad tomorrow for the Ashes series with the team in a surprising state of flux despite recent home series wins over South Africa and West Indies.

England experienced a mixture of crushing victories and heavy losses this summer, eventually winning out because they bat so deep and, in Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, have two of their best-ever all-rounders.

But the top order seldom convinced with only opener Alastair Cook and captain Joe Root certain to play in the first Test against Australia in Brisbane starting on November 23.

Mark Stoneman

Surrey’s Mark Stoneman is Cook’s most likely opening partner after playing in three Tests against West Indies but much of the discussion will revolve around which batsmen deserve another chance to prove themselves in Australia.

The days when England could ink in proven perform-

ers like Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen in the middle order have long gone.

England coach Trevor Bayliss has said the squad is likely to include only players who have featured in the past 18 months, opening the way for a recall for Hampshire’s James Vince as England seek to fill their problem number three slot.

Vince is a natural shot-maker but did not feature this season after notching 212 runs at an average of 19 in his seven Tests last year.

Like Essex’s Tom Westley and Yorkshire’s Gary Ballance, who both batted at three this summer, Vince’s technique was questioned with concerns over his tendency to fence loosely at balls outside off-stump.

Liam Plunkett

With Dawid Malan just doing enough to keep his place after averaging 23.62 in his five matches batting at number five, Ballance and Vince could both travel, with Keaton Jennings, Lancashire’s Haseeb Hameed, who broke his finger this month, and one-day specialist Alex Hales likely to miss out

READY REPLACEMENTS All three could feature for England’s second-string Lions squad, who will be in Australia this winter and supply ready-made replacements in the event of injury.

England’s middle-order is settled, with Stokes, keeper Jonny Bairstow and Moeen regularly taking turns to bat England out of trouble against South Africa and West Indies.

Stuart Broad and James Anderson, who recently took his 500th Test wicket, will again spearhead the attack although neither is naturally suited to the extra pace and bounce of Australian pitches.

That could open the way for Mark Wood if he can stay fit, with Liam Plunkett, Craig Overton and Jake Ball all meriting discussion for a place

alongside Chris Woakes.

Toby Roland-Jones, a surprising success this summer, will almost certainly miss out after injuring his back while his Middlesex team mate Steve Finn is an outsider, particularly after his struggles in Australia on England’s last tour in 2013.

Leg-spinner Mason Crane numbers great Australian Shane Warne among his admirers and, having gained experience of Australian conditions with New South Wales this year, looks likely to claim the second spinner spot behind Moeen.

Surrey’s Ben Foakes is the favourite to travel as back-up keeper to Bairstow, setting up the possibility of England picking Stokes, Woakes and Foakes in the same team.

27

GUYANA CHRONICLE, TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2017

Guyana team leaves for South American Youth Games today … Chef-de-Mission cautious about medal prospects but optimistic about rewards

By Tamica Garnett THE Guyana contingent of 15 athletes, and their respective officials are set to depart Guyana today for Santiago, Chile where they will be the country’s representatives at this year’s South American Youth Games, which runs from September 29 to October 8.

Chef-de-Mission for the team is Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) vice-president, Godfrey Munroe, who promises that the team represents the best that the country has to offer, and as far as expectations are concerned he hopes that the athletes make the best of the experience.

Munroe was cautious about medal prospects, but expectations are there.

“I would want to be modest in that regard, being my first outing as the Chef. I know the South American region is very tough, but what I know is that we have our best athletes. We urge them to do their best,” Munroe told Chronicle Sport.

The focus is more on what the Guyanese can take away from the events, with hopes riding on qualification for next year’s Youth Olym-

Godfrey Munroe

pic Games, since the South American Youth Games is a qualifying event.

“If we get some qualifiers for the Youth Olympic Games, and some personal bests, and seeing them being competitive, the medals would be just a bonus for us. We’re competing against much more financed team, so we have to take those things into consideration, when we talk about medals, I don’t want to overreach and say well yes,” Munroe elaborated.

Of the 21 sports being contested at this year’s Games, Guyana will be represented in athletics, basketball, badminton, boxing, and table tennis.

Steve Ninvalle

Athletics and boxing, which were also represented the last time the Games was held in Lima Peru, are touted as having the highest expectations.

Overall, however, the Guyana team is made up of several relatively inexperienced athletes. However, they are those with experience at such levels.

For the athletics team, only sprinter Kenisha Phillips has been making the rounds as a top national athlete over the past two years. She was a member on the team at last year’s South American Youth Athletics Championships and is a double South American Junior Championships bronze medallist.

Aubrey Hutson

The other athletes are relatively inexperienced, and not that widely known.

President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson, admitted it was somewhat of a challenge to select athletes, because of the age range of the category, and the time at which the Games is being held. Athletes selected for the team had to be between the ages of 14 and 17 years old.

“We checked our records and came up with the top five athletes. In some instances it was difficult deciding on the athletes. These meet do come at a difficult time in the athletic calendar but we will go out and do our best,” Hutson said.

Over in boxing Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) president, Steve Ninvalle is very optimistic about his boxers – Keevin Allicock (flyweight) and Christopher Moore.

Allicock and Moore both have recently benefited from an outing at the Commonwealth Youth Games in July, and participated in the Caribbean Championships last year - events that Ninvalle said will benefit them well, even though he still sees the SAYG as a great test for the youngsters.

“I think that the South American Games will be a challenge but I know that we are capable of overcoming all challenges. The boxers now are better equipped after having much needed international exposure at the Commonwealth Youth Games and last year’s Caribbean Championships,” At the end of the day, Ninvalle says, medal or no medal the experience will still benefit the Simon Pures as they continue to develop their skills.

“Although we would like to have medals, I think just being at the South America Youth Games will be a plus.

These two young boxers will

be given the opportunity to represent Guyana at many more international competitions. This is just the starting block. I would hope that we would have Mr Allicock at next year’s Commonwealth Games, because this is someone we are gearing for the Olympics,” Ninvalle said.

The team is as follows: Chef-de-Mission: Godfrey Munroe ATHLETICS: Kenisha Phillips (girls 100m, 200m), Annalisa Barclay (girls long and triple jumps), Deshana Skeete (girls 200m and 400m), Jermaine King (boys 100m, 200m), Mark Solomon (boys 100m and 200m). Official: Wanda Richmond.

BOXERS: Keevin Allicock (flyweight), Christopher Moore (lightweight).

Official: Terrence Poole BASKETBALL (3x3): Akeem Crandon, Isaiah Hintzen, Nigel Bowen, and Shamar France. Official: Junior Hercules BADMINTON: Priyanna Ramdhani and Tyrese Jeffrey. Official: Gokarn Ramdhani TABLE TENNIS: Miguel Wong and Nickolus Romain. Official: Idi Lewis

Norton willing and ready to assist Commonwealth Games-bound athletes

By Rawle Toney AS Guyana prepares for another appearance at next year’s Commonwealth Games, Minister of Social Cohesion, who also holds the responsible for Sport, Dr George Norton, pledges help to enhance the country’s chances of winning medals at the event.

Norton, speaking at last weekend’s Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) Meeting of the Americas and Caribbean, stated his mission but also noted that time is of the essence since the Commonwealth Games is five months away.

“My mission is to increase Guyana’s medal tally and ranking in the shortest possible time (and I want) to ensure that our athletes are given the necessary support to represent Guyana effectively,” Norton noted during his address.

The minister will be put to the test immediately, with Guyana’s Sevens Rugby team preparing for the Rugby Americas North (RAN) Sevens Champi-

FLASHBACK 2002! Guyana’s Aliann Pompey waves to the crowd after winning the women’s 400m in a time of 51.63secs in the City of Manchester Stadium during the XVII Commonwealth Games.

onship in Mexico, November 25-26.

Guyana team are known for their dominance in the Sevens format, having won seven regional titles; the most by any Caribbean team under the RAN umbrella, and Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) had stated that while retaining their title is priority, qualifying for a number of other international tournaments is also key.

This year’s RAN Sevens Championship is a qualifier for the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Sports Organisation (CACSO) Games, 2018 Hong Kong Sevens, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 and Commonwealth Games.

Should the ‘Green Machine’ finish on top as expected in Mexico, they will make their second appearance at the Commonwealth Games. Guyana for the first time, in 2010, qualified for the Commonwealth Games, which was held in India.

In 2010, the Bharrat Jagdeo-led Government of Guyana had contributed $5M to the GRFU to help prepare the team who were unsuccessful to

Minister of Social Cohesion – Dr George Norton

secure a win against eventually winners, New Zealand, Scotland, Canada and Tonga.

Guyana have participated in 16 Commonwealth Games, with their first being in 1934, when the games were hosted in Hamilton, Ontario Canada, when it was known as the British Empire Games.

Phil Edwards, in 1934, won Guyana’s (then known as British Guiana) first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Winfield Braithwaite, in boxing, won the country’s second gold medal at the 1978 Games in Edmonton, Canada.

It was not until the 2002 games in Manchester England, that Guyana won another gold at the Commonwealth Games, thanks to Aliann Pompey’s exceptional run in the women’s 400m.

It was also Guyana’s lone medal win at the event that year. Pompey was also Guyana’s lone medal winner at the games in 2010, winning silver in the 400m.

Guyana, in total, won 15 medals in their 17 showings at the games – three gold, six silver and six bronze – and with the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) already beginning preparations for Guyana’s showing at the games in Australia next year, it will be interesting to see how Minister Dr Norton responds to the athletes’ request for assistance.

The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Gold Coast 2018, will be held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia between April 4 and 18.

Guyana team leaves for South American Youth Games today

`Show me the evidence!’

Urling tells GFF president

By Rawle Toney FOLLOWING Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) president Wayne Forde comments that several ‘red flags’ were raised from an investigation into the audits of the ‘books’ under the FIFA-installed Normalisation Committee, Clinton Urling, the former committee chairman, is challenging the Federation’s head to provide evidence to substantiate his

statement.

Forde, in a recent interview spoke of the GFF’s inability to receive their usual FIFA subvention due to recommendations that came out of an audit investigation conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), specifically related to the 11-month period of Urling’s Normalisation Committee tenure.

According to Forde, the audit identified a number of ‘red flags’ forcing FIFA to place

Guyana under conditional funding, thereby creating limited access to developmental funding - a situation that did not totally stymie the development of the sport here, but severely affected the Federation’s ability to offer much-needed support to Member Associations (MAs) for them to execute their respective programmes.

“Since it is alleged that many (red flags) occurred, it would be helpful to the public for the GFF to quote the many specific

Page 27

Clinton Urling

GFF president Wayne Forde

Police Football Club receive Corona Football spoils ... Tournament hailed as a success

infractions as identified in the audit document and state specifically what the GFF is doing to ensure those anomalies identified do not occur in the future” Urling told Chronicle

Sport yesterday.

“This confounding revelation leaves more questions than answers.

If the funding was in fact blocked, where did the Turn to page 24 GFF

T&T 4x400 gold medal team awarded country’s second highest honour TRINIDAD and Tobago’s history-making 4x400m relay team were, on Sunday, awarded the Chaconia Gold Medal, that country’s second highest national honour at the annual awards ceremony at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port of Spain.

The team of Lalonde Gordon, Machel Cedenio, Jereem Richards and Jarrin Solomon as well as substitute Renny Quow set a world-leading and

new national record of 2:58.12 to defeat the United States and win gold at the IAAF World Championships in London in August.

It was the first time that T&T were winning a mile relay gold medal at a major championship.

The athletes who were not present at Sunday’s ceremony will be presented with their medals at a date to be announced.

President of the National

Turn to page 24

Respective finishers of the inaugural Corona Invitational football tournament pose with sponsors and officials. (Adrian Narine photo)

POLICE Football Club last evening received their spoils for winning the inaugural Corona Invitational Football tournament earlier this month.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony at the Bransville Hotel, Troy Mendonca, co-director of the tournament organisers Petra contended that the tournament was a success.

“We (Petra) want to congratulate all 12 teams. Pleased with the team turnout and that they were ready to start at 17:00”hrs.

Mendonca continued, “We are very happy with the response of the tournament.”

“You’ve made Top Brandz very proud to be a part of the tournament.

Corona is looking forward to continuing to support the football industry in Guyana,” Gabriella Chapman, promotions coordinator of the company, said.

Apart from winners Police pocketing $1M, losing finalists GFC collected $400 000, third-place finishers

Western Tigers carted off $200 000 and Northern Rangers took home $100 000.

Darius Frank of Police was adjudged the Best Keeper while the Highest Goalscorer was Andrew Murray with 12 goals and Dwain Jacobs of Police picked up the MVP award.

Police routed hosts Georgetown Football Club (GFC) 4-0 in the final to win the tournament after a strong performance.

(Stephan Sookram)

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

Trinidad and Tobago’s Lalonde Gordon celebrates with teammate Jeremy Richards after they won the 4x400 relay gold medal at the World Championships.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 26, 2017